Symmetrical Control Interface for Simultaneous Multiplayer Gaming
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Solution Overview
Problem
As hand-held videogame devices become smaller and more complex, providing two sets of controls for simultaneous multiplayer gaming becomes impractical, limiting gameplay to turn-based modes, and existing solutions like ad-hoc wireless networking may not be desirable in all circumstances.
Innovation Solution
A portable entertainment device with a layout of controls that are physically symmetrical for single-player use but functionally divided into two sets for multiplayer mode, allowing each player to use a subset of controls with reflective symmetry, enabling similar functionality despite reversed positional relationships, and utilizing a rear touch-sensitive surface for multi-touch input.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If two sets of controls are provided for simultaneous multiplayer gaming, then players can play simultaneously, but the device becomes too complex and large for hand-held use
Solution Approach 1:
The control interface is segmented into two distinct halves: a first half with a first set of controls and a second half with a second set of controls. Each half contains functionally equivalent controls that can be independently operated, allowing simultaneous multiplayer gaming while maintaining a compact hand-held form factor by eliminating the need for a second complete control set
Solution Approach 2:
Each half of the control interface serves multiple functions: it can be used for single-player gaming (either half alone), multiplayer gaming (both halves together), and the controls in each half are functionally equivalent, allowing either half to serve as the primary control set depending on the gaming mode
2Volume of moving object
If the device is made smaller and more complex, then portability is improved, but providing two sets of controls becomes impractical
Solution Approach 1:
The control interface is divided into two functional halves, each with complete control capabilities, allowing the device to maintain a compact size while providing full multiplayer functionality through shared control resources
Solution Approach 2:
Two complete control sets are merged into a single shared control interface where the first and second halves both provide access to equivalent controls, reducing the overall device size while maintaining multiplayer capability
3Adaptability or versatility
If controls are assigned with reflective symmetry for multiplayer use, then both players have similar control access, but the positional relationship is reversed
Solution Approach 1:
The control interface uses reflective symmetry where the first half and second half are mirror images of each other about a central line, providing equivalent functional access for both players while accepting that positional relationships are reversed between halves
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables balanced multiplayer gaming on a single device by assigning partial functional symmetry to control subsets, allowing two players to access a similar range of controls, while maintaining single-player functionality, and supporting up to four-player games through wireless communication.
Implementation Method 1
a rear touch-sensitive surface for multi-touch input
Data Source
AI summary
A portable entertainment device, comprising a display, a set of single-player gameplay controls disposed upon either side of the display, such that they have reflective physical symmetry about a central line of symmetry of the display, thereby forming a subset of controls on either side of the display, and wherein in a single player game, a first input function set used by the game is distributed over both subsets of controls for use by a single player, and in a multiplayer videogame, a second input function set used by the game for each player is ascribed to each subset of controls, such that the set of single-player gameplay controls are functionally divided into two multiplayer subsets of multiplayer gameplay controls about the central line of symmetry, and the function of at least one of the gameplay controls in a multiplayer subset is assigned using rotational symmetry with respect to the corresponding gameplay control in the other multiplayer subset.