Game controller

• US 10,456,669 B2
• Filed: 02/02/2017
• Issued: 10/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Okamura, Takanori, Suetake, Fumiyoshi, Kaneko, Kazumasa
• Primary Examiner(s): Lewis, David L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hoel, Matthew D
• Application Number:
  US15/422,854
• Publication Number:
  US 20170354867A1
• Time in Patent Office: 999 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

Abstract

An example of a game controller includes within a housing a first substrate on a front surface side and a second substrate on a back surface side. On a surface of the first substrate, switches such as a capture button and a home button are provided, and on a back surface of the first substrate, an NFC antenna is provided. In a region where contactless communication can be performed using the NFC antenna, switches such as a capture button and a home button are provided.

Claims

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

a housing;

an antenna built into the housing and used for the contactless communication, the antenna including at least one loop that surrounds a region;

a first operation button provided on the housing, wherein

on the housing, the first operation button is placed in a region where data can be read from the external storage device using the antenna,

a height of an upper surface of the first operation button is substantially the same as or lower than a height of a surface of the housing,

when the game controller is held and viewed from a front of the game controller, the first operation button is placed at a position where the first operation button overlaps at least a part of the region surrounded by the antenna,

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

the antenna is placed on the first substrate.

2. The game controller according to claim 1, wherein

the housing includes a first region including a position corresponding to a center of the region, and a second region around the first region, and

the first operation button is placed in the second region on the housing.

3. The game controller according to claim 1, wherein

as the first operation button, a plurality of first operation buttons are provided.

4. The game controller according to claim 1, wherein

the first operation button is a home button.

5. The game controller according to claim 1, wherein

the first operation button is a button used to capture a screen.

6. The game controller according to claim 1, wherein

on a certain surface of the housing on which the first operation button is provided, a second operation button different from the first operation button is placed, and

a height of the first operation button from the surface of the housing is lower than a height of the second operation button from the surface of the housing.

7. The game controller according to claim 6, wherein

the second operation button is placed at a position further away from the antenna than the first operation button is.

8. The game controller according to claim 1, wherein

the antenna is placed in the housing and closer to a front surface of the game controller than a center of the housing in a front-back direction of the game controller is.

9. The game controller according to claim 1, wherein

the antenna is placed at a center in a left-right direction of the game controller.

10. The game controller according to claim 1, wherein

the contactless communication is communication using NFC (Near Field Communication).

11. The game controller according to claim 1, wherein

the contactless communication is communication using RFID.

12. The game controller according to claim 1, wherein

on the second substrate, a control circuit for controlling the game controller is placed.

13. The game controller according to claim 1, wherein

the antenna is placed on a back side of the first substrate.

14. The game controller according to claim 13, wherein

on a front side of the first substrate, a switch for detecting an operation on the first operation button is placed.

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

a housing;

an antenna built into the housing and used for the contactless communication, the antenna including at least one loop that surrounds a region;

a first operation button provided on the housing, wherein

on the housing, the first operation button is placed in a region where data can be read from the external storage device using the antenna,

when the game controller is held and viewed from a front of the game controller, the first operation button is placed at a position where the first operation button overlaps at least a part of the region surrounded by the antenna,

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

the antenna is placed on the first substrate.

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

a housing;

a substrate in the housing;

an antenna placed on a back side of the substrate and used for the contactless communication, the antenna including at least one loop that surrounds a region;

a first operation button provided on the housing, wherein

on the housing, the first operation button is placed in a region where data can be read from the external storage device using the antenna, and

when the game controller is held and viewed from a front of the game controller, the first operation button is placed at a position where the first operation button overlaps at least a part of the region surrounded by the antenna.

17. The game controller according to claim 16, further comprising a switch for the first operation button, the switch being placed on a front side of the substrate.