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Plaupius on 31 October 2008
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famousringo said:
quaiky said:
famousringo said:
So they use optical for x and y sensing, and use sonic for z sensing. How do they get orientation? Patterns in the reflective material? It's not 1:1 unless they figure that out.

And why can't they use sonic for x, y, and z?

Some interesting ideas here, but I agree that this particular device looks over-engineered.

 

to use sonic for x,y and z you would have to mount multiple detectors ( needs at least 4 for a good detection of x/y/z) all around the room and measure the time the signal takes to get to each of these and you need to calibrate teh system for the room first (and i guess that would be too complictaed for most users).

the mix of visual and sonic is a good thing since you can integrate that all into one detector and the detector can be placed nearly everywhere (it should just eb in a position where teh camera has a good view angle. if you use 2 sonic sources on each detector you can probably even detect orientation.

 

Thanks for that expalanation. I guess I don't really understand what sonic is capable of. So with this particular design, you figure the sonic  sensor can determine orientation when the controller is together but wouldn't be able to if it was broken apart?

Also, if this sonic sensor only really 'sees' depth, wouldn't two players using such a controller be a recipe for confusion? It seems to me that while the optical sensor would help sort out which is which, the sonic depth perception would get confused when two controllers are equidistant from the sensor.

I haven't bothered to read through the patent application, but from what I understood, the ultrasonic devices are used to detect both the distance between the controller and the screen, and between two controllers. For detecting orientation, the controller can include basically any kind of intertial analyzer, such as accelometers, gyroscopes and so on. The spherical shape is mainly used to assist in image processing, since it is easy to detect a sphere of a certain color from an image. However, there is a claim to use the sphere to reflect ultrasound from different angles, and also some method of determining the angle of the incoming ultrasound. As for avoiding confusion, the ultrasound emitters simply emit a different signal, for example on a slightly different frequency, or a different waveform etc. That is the least of the problems in a system like this.

Ultrasound actually has a number of advantages over other methods, such as IR leds. It does make some sense to use it in a controller, but it could pose problems for people with pets. Of coursel, you can always up the frequency higher than what pets can hear, but it introduces other problems and loses some of the advantages along the way.

I have high doubts that Sony can patent using a spherical shape for the image detection, as that method has been used for a number of years already, but I'm no patent expert. And, stranger things have happened, it seems the current method of processing patents relies in determining the validity in a courtroom. A great percentage of patents are invalidated when subjected to the scrutiny of patent trials, it seems.