Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.

Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.

Sony Corporation

Mariko Hino

Ken Kutaragi

Satoshi Hashimoto

Teiyu Goto

Naoya Matsui

Methods and apparatus provide for: facilitating communication between one or more controller devices operated by one or more users, respectively, and a data processing apparatus running an application program, wherein each controller device includes a plurality of actuation elements that are operable to be manipulated by a respective one of the one or more users to input desired operations to the data processing apparatus for use by the application program; obtaining a respective controller identifier from each of the one or more controller devices; and storing in a memory the controller identifiers in response to the control section in a sequential table, such that each entry in the sequential table includes at least a sequential table entry number and a respective one of the controller identifiers.

Center device

Methods and apparatus provide for: receiving inputs at at least one server 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.

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.

Methods and apparatus provide for: establishing communications between a controller for operation by a user and a center device, wherein the center device is operable to execute at least one application program and to produce an output for display that is manipulated in accordance with inputs received by the center device from the controller device; measuring one or more pieces of biometric information of the user via a biometric sensor circuit of the controller; storing one or more pieces of predetermined user information, including authentication key information about the user in a memory element of the controller; and performing authentication of the user by comparing the measured biometric information with the predetermined authentication key information via a control circuit of the controller, where authentication is satisfied when the comparison indicates a predetermined threshold of concurrence between the measured biometric information and the predetermined authentication key information.

Methods and apparatus provide for: communicating in respective paired relationships between a network interface and one or more controller devices operated by one or more users, respectively, via wired communication or wireless communication selected by the one or more users; and outputting light emission controls to the paired one or more controller devices, wherein the one or more controller devices each include at least one light emitter that responds to the light emission controls by emitting a selected one of a plurality of colors, outputting a first light emission control to a first of the one or more controller devices that first achieves the paired relationship, and wherein the first light emission control operates to cause a particular first color among the plurality of colors to emit, and outputting a second light emission control to a second of the one or more controller devices that next achieves the paired relationship after the first of the one or more controller devices, and wherein the second light emission control operates to cause a particular second color among the plurality of colors to emit.

Methods and apparatus provide for: communicating with one or more controller devices operated by one or more users, respectively, via wired communication or wireless communication selected by the one or more users; controlling a display for displaying a menu of one or more controller identifiers which are related to the one or more controller devices, respectively, and which are selectable from the menu by the one or more users; storing relation information between one or more user identifiers, which are related to the one or more users, respectively, and the one or more controller identifiers that are selected; carrying out operation inputs transmitted from the selected one or more controller devices as instruction operations for the related one or more user identifiers that correspond to the selected one or more controller identifiers; executing at least one application program and producing an output for display that is manipulated in accordance with the operation inputs; and identifying, from among the stored relation information, one of the user identifiers that corresponds with one of the controller devices when a connection of the one of the controller devices is changed from the wired connection to the wireless connection.

A center device communicates with one or more controller devices operated by one or more users. The center device is operable to: execute at least one application program; detect a respective connection with each of the one or more controller devices and to select one of the one or more controller devices for authentication; query the user of the selected one of the controller devices for requested authentication information; receive, from the selected one of the controller devices, authentication information provided by the user of the selected one of the controller devices; and permit the execution and manipulation of the output of the application program only when the authentication information provided by the user, and received from, the selected one of the controller devices matches the requested authentication information.

A center device communicates with a plurality of controller devices each having a light emitter, receives an instruction operation from a user of each device, and carries out a process based on the instruction operation, where light emission control is carried out such that each light emitter of the plurality of the controller devices emits light of a different color.

To provide a center device for accommodating a variety of situations which may occur when a home-use game machine, or the like, is used, in which a plurality of users use their own controller devices such as an input device. A center device communicates with a plurality of devices in either a wired or radio manner, receives an instruction operation from a user of each device, and carries out a process based on the instruction operation, the plurality of devices each having unique identifier, including: a unit that obtains an identifier of a device; a unit that provides information concerning the device, the identifier of the device is not associated with the identifier of the user; and a unit that associates the identifier of the device selected by the user, the identifier of the user is already associated with the identifier of another device, with the identifier of the user.

To provide a center device for accommodating a variety of situations which may occur when a home-use game machine, or the like, is used, in which a plurality of users use their own controller devices such as an input device. A center device communicates between a plurality of controller devices, receives an instructing operation carried out by the user of each controller device, and executes processing according to the instructing operation. The center device selects at least one of the controller devices as a controller device to be authenticated from among the plurality of controller devices by utilizing communication with each of the plurality of controller devices, and conducts authentication processing relative to each of the controller devices while communicating with each of the selected controller device.

Arithmetic and control unit

A recording medium holder for accommodating a recording medium which records information is disclosed. The recording medium holder has an accommodating member which forms a first accommodating region being capable of accommodating at least one sheet of the recording medium to be held and a second accommodating region being capable of accommodating at least one recording device for recording relevant data generated in relation to the processing of information by an information processing apparatus. The accommodating member includes a recording medium holding portion for positioning and holding the recording medium to be held in the first accommodating region and a recording device holding portion for positioning and holding the recording device to be held in the second accommodating region.

Recording medium holder and information providing body

A recording medium holder in which a recording medium and a recording device can be kept is supplied. The recording medium holder has an accommodating member ( ) for accommodating the recording medium and the recording device, and an auxiliary accommodating member ( ) in which a recording medium to be held can be accommodated. The accommodating member ( ) has a first accommodating area ( ) in which at least one recording medium to be held can be accommodated, and a second accommodating area ( ) in which at least one recording device for recording data can be accommodated. The accommodating member ( ) has a first member ( ), a second member ( ) and a link member ( ) for linking the first and second members ( ) and ( ) to fabricate a folder-shaped structure. The auxiliary accommodating member ( ) is detachably linked to the link member ( ), and located between the first member ( ) and the second member ( ) when they are folded.

Growing community of inventors

Tokyo, Japan

Mariko Hino