Game controller

• US 10,441,878 B2
• Filed: 02/02/2017
• Issued: 10/15/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Kaneko, Kazumasa, Okamura, Takanori, Yamaguchi, Masaya
• Primary Examiner(s): Lewis, David L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hoel, Matthew D
• Application Number:
  US15/422,915
• Publication Number:
  US 20170354868A1
• Time in Patent Office: 985 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/235 using a wireless connection, e.g. infrared or piconet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/24 Constructional details thereof, e.g. game controllers with detachable joystick handles
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/245 specially adapted to a particular type of game, e.g. steering wheels
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/95 Storage media specially adapted for storing game information, e.g. video game cartridges
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/24 with receiving set
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 7/00 Loop antennas with a substantially uniform current distribution around the loop and having a directional radiation pattern in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the loop

Abstract

An example of a game controller includes within a housing a first substrate on a front surface and a second substrate on a back surface. On a front surface of the first substrate, switches for various operation buttons are provided, and on a back surface of the first substrate, an NFC antenna is provided. Further, on a second substrate, a control circuit for controlling contactless communication performed using the NFC antenna, a control circuit for controlling operation data indicating whether or not the operation buttons are pressed, and the like are placed.

Claims

1. A game controller capable of reading data from an external storage device through contactless communication, the game controller comprising:

a housing;

a first electrical substrate in the housing and including a front surface and a back surface, wherein a first electrical component is on the front surface and a second electrical component is on the back surface; and

a second electrical substrate in the housing closer to a back surface of the game controller than the first electrical substrate, wherein

an antenna configured for the contactless communication is on the back surface of the first electrical substrate, and

a switch for detecting an operation on an operation button is on the front surface of the first electrical substrate at a position corresponding to a region included in the housing and surrounded by the antenna.

2. The game controller according to claim 1, wherein

a control circuit configured to control the contactless communication is on the second electrical substrate.

3. The game controller according to claim 1, wherein

an analog stick is on a front surface of the second electrical substrate.

4. The game controller according to claim 1, wherein

when the first electrical substrate and the second electrical substrate are projected onto a plane parallel with a front of the game controller, the projected first electrical substrate overlaps at least a part of the projected second electrical substrate.

5. The game controller according to claim 1, wherein

when the switch and the antenna are projected onto a plane parallel with a front of the game controller, the projected switch is in a region surrounded by the projected antenna.

6. The game controller according to claim 1, further comprising a second antenna configured to transmit data to a game apparatus.

7. A game controller capable of reading data from an external storage device through contactless communication, the game controller comprising:

a first substrate provided in a housing; and

a second substrate provided in the housing and placed closer to a back surface of the game controller than the first substrate is, wherein

an antenna used for the contactless communication is placed on the first substrate,

the antenna is placed on a back surface of the first substrate,

a switch for detecting an operation on an operation button is provided on a front surface of the first substrate, and

the switch is placed at a position corresponding to a region included in the housing and surrounded by the antenna.