Hand held gaming and data entry system

• US 20010003713A1
• Filed: 01/04/2001
• Published: 06/14/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alphagrip, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Alphagrip, Inc.
• Inventors: Arnel, Scott M., Willner, Michael A.
• Granted Patent: US 6,760,013 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/37
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/24 Constructional details thereof, e.g. game controllers with detachable joystick handles
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/26 having at least one additional display device, e.g. on the game controller or outside a game booth
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1043 being characterized by constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0219 Special purpose keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications

Abstract

A hand held gaming and data entry system (100, 100′, 100″) has an ergonomic housing (102) including thumb operated controls (104) which generate a first set of electrical signals, and finger operated controls (106, 106′) which generate a second set of electrical signals when operated independently. The first set of electrical signals and second set of electrical signals define all of the lower case alphabetic characters of an alphabet, such being generated without the user having to remove a finger or thumb from a HOME switch operator or switch grouping.

Claims

1. A hand held gaming and data entry system, comprising:

a housing contoured to be grasped by two hands of a user, said housing having a first surface portion and a pair of hand grip portions extending from said first surface portion to a second displaced surface portion of said housing, said contour of said housing including a pair of recessed portions disposed on opposing sides in said hand grip portions for contiguous contact with a portion of the user'"'"'s hands to support said housing during use of said data entry system;

first control means disposed on said first surface portion for operation by the user'"'"'s thumbs to output signals representing a first portion of alphabetic characters of an alphabet; and

,

second control means disposed on said hand grip portions for operation by the user'"'"'s fingers to output signals representing a second portion of alphabetic characters of the alphabet, said second control means including a plurality of switch operators, a predetermined portion of said plurality of switch operators being respectively disposed in correspondence with a particular one of the user'"'"'s fingers.

2. The hand held gaming and data entry system as recited in

claim 1

where said predetermined portion of said plurality of switch operators includes four switch operators disposed in respective correspondence with each of the user'"'"'s forefingers.

3. The hand held gaming and data entry system as recited in

claim 1

where said predetermined portion of said plurality of switch operators includes at least two switch operators disposed in respective correspondence with each of the user'"'"'s fingers.

4. The hand held gaming and data entry system as recited in

claim 1

where said first control means includes at least one multidirectional switch assembly, said at least one multidirectional switch assembly including a switch operator displaceable in different directions for output of signals representing different characters responsive to displacement of said switch operator in said different directions.

5. The hand held gaming and data entry system as recited in

claim 1

where said first control means includes a plurality of multidirectional switch assemblies, each of said plurality of multidirectional switch assemblies including a switch operator displaceable in different directions for output of signals representing different characters responsive to displacement of said switch operator in said different directions.

10. The hand held gaming and data entry system as recited in

claim 1

where said predetermined portion of said plurality of switch operators further includes at least two switch operators disposed in respective correspondence with each of the user'"'"'s index, ring and pinky fingers.

6. A hand held gaming and data entry system, comprising:

a housing contoured to be grasped by two hands of a user, said housing having a first surface portion and a pair of hand grip portions extending from said first surface portion to a second displaced surface portion of said housing, said contour of said housing including a pair of recessed portions disposed on opposing sides in said hand grip portions for contiguous contact with a portion of the user'"'"'s hands;

first control means disposed on said first surface portion for operation by the user'"'"'s thumbs to output signals representing a first portion of alphabetic characters of an alphabet, said first control means including a grouping of at least four switch operators disposed in correspondence with a each of the user'"'"'s thumbs, each of said switch operators being displaceable for output of signals representing different characters responsive to which of said switch operators in said grouping is displaced; and

,

second control means disposed on said hand grip portions for operation by the user'"'"'s fingers to output signals representing a second portion of alphabetic characters of the alphabet.

7. The hand held gaming and data entry system as recited in

claim 6

where said second control means includes a plurality of multidirectional switch assemblies, each of said plurality of multidirectional switch assemblies including a switch operator displaceable in different directions for output of signals representing different characters responsive to displacement of said switch operator in said different directions.

8. The hand held gaming and data entry system as recited in

claim 6

where said second control means includes a plurality of switch operators, a predetermined portion of said plurality of switch operators being respectively disposed in correspondence with a particular one of the user'"'"'s fingers.

9. The hand held gaming and data entry system as recited in

claim 8

where said predetermined portion of said plurality of switch operators includes four switch operators disposed in respective correspondence with each of the user'"'"'s forefingers.