A system that incorporates the subject disclosure may include, for example, a button including a fixed force magnet coupled to a first housing assembly component serving as a top portion of the button, a variable force magnet coupled to a second housing assembly serving as a bottom portion of the button, and a spring coupled to the fixed force magnetic and the variable force magnet for repelling the fixed force magnet from the variable force magnet according to a spring constant of the spring. The variable force magnet emitting a magnetic field to counter the spring constant and thereby adjust a force required to depress the button. Additional embodiments are disclosed.

Aspects of this disclosure relate to rewarding users of an electronic game for real-world physical activity. Further aspects relate to altering virtual items based upon physical activity. An electronic game may comprise or otherwise relate to an online world (such as a Virtual World). Users may be represented through customized graphical representations, such as avatars. An account of a user (or entity) may be associated a virtual region. A threshold level of real-world physical activity may result in obtaining a reward that may be associated with a virtual item. A reward may be configured to result in: (1) altering visual appearance of a virtual item within a virtual region; (2) altering a virtual characteristic of a virtual item, such that the first user may engage in at least one additional virtual activity using that virtual item; and/or (3) acquiring a new virtual item for a virtual region.

A system that incorporates the subject disclosure may include, for example, a processor that performs operations including receiving an actuation profile comprising one or more actuation thresholds responsive to a detection of a triggering event during a gaming session of a video game, configuring the sensor according to the one or more actuation thresholds, receiving, from the sensor, a signal indicating a depression range of the button, comparing the depression range to the one or more actuation thresholds of the actuation profile, and generating an actuation state when the depression range exceeds an actuation threshold of the one or more actuation thresholds. Additional embodiments are disclosed.

In various embodiments of the present disclosure, playstyle patterns of players are learned and used to generate virtual representations (bots) of users. Systems and methods are disclosed that use game session data (e.g., metadata) from a plurality of game sessions of a game to learn playstyle patterns of users, based on user inputs of the user in view of variables presented within the game sessions. The game session data is applied to one or more machine learning models to learn playstyle patterns of the user for the game, and associated with a user profile of the user. Profile data representative of the user profile is then used to control or instantiate bots of the users, or of categories of users, according to the learned playstyle patterns.

A system that incorporates the subject disclosure may include, for example, a method that determines a pattern for a mouse pad, wherein the mouse pad comprises an electronic paper display and a processor and transmits the pattern to the mouse pad to enable the processor to present the pattern on the electronic paper display. Additional embodiments are disclosed.

Aspects of this disclosure relate to rewarding users of an electronic game for real-world physical activity. Further aspects relate to altering virtual items based upon physical activity. An electronic game may comprise or otherwise relate to an online world (such as a Virtual World). Users may be represented through customized graphical representations, such as avatars. An account of a user (or entity) may be associated a virtual region. A threshold level of real-world physical activity may result in obtaining a reward that may be associated with a virtual item. A reward may be configured to result in: (1) altering visual appearance of a virtual item within a virtual region; (2) altering a virtual characteristic of a virtual item, such that the first user may engage in at least one additional virtual activity using that virtual item; and/or (3) acquiring a new virtual item for a virtual region.

The field of the invention relates to interactive computer systems and more particularly to systems and methods for simulating a particular user's behavior in an interactive computer system. In one embodiment, a computer program product includes a simulator configured to simulate a user interacting with a computer program. The simulator includes a learning mode of operation and a simulation mode of operation. During the learning mode, the simulator is configured to monitor the user's interaction with the computer program for one or more events and analyze one or more current circumstances during the occurrence of the one or more events. The simulator is further configured to record one or more user inputs in response to the occurrence of the one or more events, store the one or more user inputs in one or more data fields, and associate the one or more data fields with the one or more events and the one or more current circumstances. During the simulation mode of operation, the simulator is configured to monitor the computer program for the one or more particular events, retrieve the one or more data fields associated with the one or more particular events, analyze one or more current circumstances upon the occurrence of the one or more particular events, and invoke one or more simulated inputs based on the value of the one or more data fields in response to the occurrence of the one or more events and the one or more current circumstances.

A system that incorporates the subject disclosure may include, for example, a processor that performs operations including detecting a first depression range of a button that includes an electro-mechanical sensor for detecting the first depression range, comparing the first depression range to a first actuation threshold, and asserting a first actuation state when the first depression range is at or exceeds the first actuation threshold. Additional embodiments are disclosed.

Methods and apparatus provide for: receiving inputs at a service provider server system from a controller over an internet connection; using the inputs in a processing system to produce data based thereon representing desired operations by a user of the controller; and transmitting the data from the service provider server system back over the internet connection.

A system that incorporates the subject disclosure may include, for example, a method that determines a pattern for a mouse pad, wherein the mouse pad comprises an electronic paper display and a processor and transmits the pattern to the mouse pad to enable the processor to present the pattern on the electronic paper display. Additional embodiments are disclosed.