A63F13/06

Expandable control device via hardware attachment

Apparatus, methods and systems for interfacing a controller with a gaming system to interact with a computer program rendering interactive content on a display are presented. In one embodiment, a controller includes a handle, a connector and an attachment. The handle has an elongated shape, which includes opposite first and second ends, and is configured to be held by a single hand of a user during operation. The handle's second end, aimed towards the display during operation, holds the connector. The attachment includes two interfaces: a visual interface for communication with the gaming system, and a connector interface that is coupled to the connector in the handle. The attachment can be coupled and decoupled to the connector and allows the gaming system to visually track the location of the handle via the visual interface. In another embodiment, the attachment provides additional communication capabilities.

Game controller using a plurality of light-emitting elements

A game controller includes a plurality of LEDs formed on the rear of a case. The plurality of LEDs are arranged two-dimensionally in its layout area. The game controller has a plurality of PWM control units which are provided inside the case and control the lighting of the plurality of LEDs, respectively. The PWM control units control the lighting of the LEDs based on a control signal from a game apparatus. The game apparatus acquires a captured image of the game controller, and acquires the position of the game controller in the captured image based on the positions of the LEDs in the captured image.