Virtualized physical controller
Described herein are techniques for implementing a virtualized physical controller. The techniques may include receiving user input(s) on a touchscreen display of a user device, including a first touch from which can define a primary input region and one or more secondary touches offset from the first which can define or more secondary input regions arranged adjacent to the primary input region. The input regions are associated with respective input mechanisms or commands in the configuration data. While the configuration data is implemented, the touchscreen display can monitor for touches, detect touch input in the configured regions, and generate activation data for each input mechanism or command in response to touch. The positions and shapes of the input regions may be iteratively redefined as touch input is monitored on the touchscreen display.
1. A method for simulating: a physical controller, the method comprising:
receiving, touch input at different positions on a touchscreen of a user device, wherein the touch input comprises a first touch at a first position and at least a second touch at a second position offset from the first position;
determining which configuration of a plurality of different configurations is to be implemented on the touchscreen, each of the different configurations defining: an arrangement of input regions within the touchscreen and mapped to a respective set of input mechanisms, wherein a plurality of the input regions correspond to a same input mechanism;
determining that the
first position and the second position of the touch input are located within one or more of the input regions of the arrangement defined by the determined configuration; and
generating activation data based on input mechanisms mapped to the input regions where the first position and the second position are located.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising generating feedback associated with activation of the two or more input mechanisms mapped to the input regions.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the configuration is based at least in part on at least one of a software application that is executed, an identity of the user, or a character being played in the software application.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the arrangement defined by the determined configuration includes multiple separate input regions mapped to a same input mechanism.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the input regions defined by the determined configuration includes a primary input region and one or more secondary input regions that overlap with the primary input region or with another one of the secondary input regions.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the first position or the second position of the touch input is located within the overlap, and wherein the activation data is generated based on the overlap.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the arrangement of the input regions correspond to a natural grasp of a user, and further comprising calibrating the determined configuration for the user by modifying one or more of position, size, and spread of the input regions.
8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising mapping the determined configuration based on input that includes an indication dragging and dropping one or more of the input mechanisms to the one or more input regions within the touchscreen.
9. A user device for simulating a physical controller, the user device comprising:
a touchscreen that receives touch input at different positions, wherein the touch input comprises a first touch at a first position and at least a second touch at a second position offset from the first position; and
a processor that executes instructions stored in memory, wherein the processor executes the instructions to:
determine which configuration of a plurality of different configurations is to be implemented on the touchscreen, each of the different configurations defining: an arrangement of one or more input regions within the touchscreen, each input region mapped to a respective set of input mechanisms, wherein a plurality of the input regions correspond to a same input mechanism;
determine that the first position and the second position of the touch input are located within the one or more input regions of the arrangement defined by the determined configuration; and
generate activation data based on input mechanisms mapped to the input regions where the first position and the second position are located.
10. The user device of claim 9 , further comprising: a communication interface that transmits the activation data over a communication network to a gaming console.
11. The user device of claim 9 , further comprising memory that stores usage data corresponding to the touch input, wherein the determined configuration is updated based on the usage data.
12. The user device of claim 11 , wherein the processor executes further instructions to generate distribution data based on the usage data by iteratively sampling touch input from the user of the user device, and to update the input regions based on the distribution data.
13. The user device of claim 12 , wherein the processor updates the input regions by centering a primary input region based on the generated distribution data and updating a location of a secondary input region.
14. The user device of claim 13 , wherein at least one of a size or shape of the secondary region is updated based on the distribution data.
15. The user device of claim 12 , wherein the processor executes further instructions to update the determined configuration based on identifying that a distance between one or more of the first and second positions and a center of the distribution data is greater than a threshold distance.
16. The user device of claim 9 , wherein the processor executes further instructions to detect that the touch input includes a swipe gesture based on a movement associated with the touch input.
17. A non-transitory computer-readable storage media storing instructions executable one or more computing devices to perform a method for simulating: a physical controller, the method comprising:
receiving, touch input at different positions on a touchscreen, wherein the touch input includes a first touch at a first position and at least a second touch at a second position offset from the first position;
determining which configuration of a plurality of different configurations is to be implemented on the touchscreen, each of the different configurations defining: an arrangement of one or more input regions within the touchscreen, each input region mapped to a respective set of input mechanisms, wherein a plurality of the input regions correspond to a same input mechanism;
determining that the:
first position and the second position of the touch input are located within the one or more input regions of the arrangement defined by the determined configuration; and
generating activation databased on input mechanisms mapped to the input regions where the first position and the second position are located.
18. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 17 , wherein determining the configuration to be implemented on the touchscreen is based on a request received via an application programming interface of a software application executed on a user device.
19. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 18 , wherein the determined configuration defines the arrangement of input regions within a graphical overlay presented on the touchscreen.
20. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of the input regions is responsive to a plurality of touch input types.