IP Library Granted Patent US 12,643,035
Granted Patent B2
US 12,643,035 · App. 18/281,274 · Granted Jun 2, 2026

Infinite drag and swipe U turn

Inventors: Luke Timmins (Bellevue, WA); Gregory Peng (Bellevue, WA); Elizabeth M.E. Chung (Bellevue, WA); James Levasseur (Bellevue, WA)
Assignee: SONY INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT LLC
A63F13/2145G06F3/04886
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,643,035
App. No.
18/281,274
Granted
Jun 2, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

Described herein are techniques for implementing dynamic movement control on a virtualized physical controller, comprising receiving, on a touch-screen display, an indication of a first touch input received from a user at a first location, determining, based at least in part on a distance between the first location and a second location associated with an origin point for an input mechanism being less than a threshold distance value, that a persistent directional input has been initiated, maintaining the persistent directional input as long as touch input is continuously detected, and while the persistent directional input is maintained: monitoring a touch input vector associated with the persistent directional input, upon detecting an angular change in the touch input vector that is greater than a threshold change value, determining that a reversal input has been provided, and causing the avatar to perform a reversal action corresponding to the reversal input.

Claims (39)

1 . A method comprising:

receiving, an indication of a touch input detected at a first location within a touchscreen display;

identifying an initiation of a directional input based at least in part on a distance between the first location and a second location within the touchscreen display being less than a threshold distance value, wherein an origin point of the touch input is initially positioned in association with the second location;

identifying a first movement vector of the directional input while the touch input is continuously detected along a first direction;

repositioning the origin point of the touch input based on a current location of the touch input within the touchscreen display;

identifying a reversal input based on a second movement vector of the directional input identified as being along a second direction that is a reversal of the first movement vector, wherein an angular change between first movement vector and the second movement vector is greater than a threshold change value; and

causing an avatar within the touchscreen display to perform a reversal action corresponding to the reversal input based on the second movement vector being identified as the reversal of the first movement vector.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising triggering non-visual feedback to be presented in combination with the reversal action performed by the avatar within the touchscreen display.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of a direction or degree to which the avatar is moved in a first action is dependent upon the first movement vector.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the touchscreen display includes a portion corresponding to a directional pad.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the angular change in the first movement vector comprises a degree of rotational change over a predetermined period of time.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the degree of rotational change over the predetermined period of time comprises a rotation that is greater than or equal to 150 degrees within the predetermined period of time.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first movement vector associated with the directional input comprises a speed at which the touch input is moving.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the origin point of the touch input is repositioned when a distance between the current location of the touch input and the origin point exceeds a predetermined threshold distance value.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the reversal action comprises a u-turn action.

10 . A user device comprising:

a touchscreen display that receives an indication of a touch input detected at a first location;

a processor; and

a memory including instructions executable by the processor to:

identify an initiation of a directional input based at least in part on a distance between the first location and a second location within the touchscreen display being less than a threshold distance value, wherein an origin point of the touch input is initially positioned in association with the second location;

identify a first movement vector of the directional input while the touch input is continuously detected along a first direction;

reposition the origin point of the touch input based on a current location of the touch input within the touchscreen display:

identify a reversal input based on a second movement vector of the directional input identified as being along a second direction that is a reversal of the first movement vector, wherein an angular change between the first movement vector and the second movement vector is greater than a threshold change value; and

cause an avatar within the touchscreen display to perform a reversal action corresponding to the reversal input based on the second movement vector being identified as the reversal of the first movement vector.

11 . The user device of claim 10 , further comprising one or more feedback devices configured to be triggered to output non-visual feedback to be presented in combination with the reversal action performed by the avatar within the touchscreen display.

12 . The user device of claim 10 wherein the touchscreen display includes a portion corresponding to a directional pad.

13 . The user device of claim 10 , wherein the avatar comprises a character object controlled by touch input.

14 . The user device of claim 10 , wherein the processor executes further instructions to determine the threshold distance value based on information provided by a software application.

15 . The user device of claim 10 , wherein the processor executes further instructions to determine the threshold distance value is determined based on information stored in configuration data with respect to a directional pad.

16 . The user device of claim 10 , wherein the processor executes further instructions to determine the threshold distance value based on user preferences.

17 . The user device of claim 10 , wherein the processor executes further instructions to determine the threshold distance value based on a speed associated with the first movement vector.

18 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage media storing instructions executable by a processor to perform acts comprising:

receiving an indication of a touch input detected at a first location within a touchscreen display;

identifying an initiation of a directional input based at least in part on a distance between the first location and a second location being less than a threshold distance value identifying a first movement vector of the directional input while the touch input is continuously detected along a first direction, wherein an origin point of the touch input is initially positioned in association with the second location;

repositioning the origin point of the touch input based on a current location of the touch input within the touchscreen display;

identifying a reversal input based on a second movement vector of the directional input identified as being along a second direction that is a reversal of the first movement vector, wherein an angular change between the first movement vector and the second movement vector is greater than a threshold change value; and

causing an avatar within the touchscreen display to perform a reversal action corresponding to the reversal input based on the second movement vector being identified as the reversal of the first movement vector.

19 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 18 , wherein the angular change in the first movement vector comprises a degree of rotational change over a predetermined period of time.

20 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 19 , further comprising instructions executable to maintain a path of the directional input.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 17, 2026
From: BUNGIE, INC.
To: SONY INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT LLC
Reel/Frame 074404/0767 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 14, 2023
From: TIMMINS, LUKE; PENG, GREGORY; CHUNG, ELIZABETH M.E.; LEVASSEUR, JAMES
To: BUNGIE, INC.
Reel/Frame 064911/0399 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 63158947 · Mar 10, 2021
Related Publication 20240149146A1 · May 9, 2024
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