Controller with analog pressure sensor (s)
First Claim
Patent Images
1. Apparatus for game playing, comprising:
- an image generation machine capable of driving a television, said image generation machine at least in-part controlled by a controller for controlling electronic imagery, said controller comprising;
a housing structured to be held by two hands simultaneously, said housing having a left-hand area and right-hand area, a four-way rocker located in said left-hand area of said housing, a plurality of depressible buttons at least in-part exposed on said housing with the depressible buttons acting on electricity manipulating devices contained within said housing and controlled by depression of said depressible buttons for manipulating electrical outputs at least useful for controlling electronic imagery;
at least one of said electricity manipulating devices is a pressure-sensitive variable-conductance sensor for defining an analog electrical output proportional to varying physical pressure applied to a depressible button of the plurality of depressible buttons, said button and said sensor are positioned in said right-hand area of said housing;
means for outputting a signal from said controller to said image generation machine, said signal at least representational of said analog electrical output;
said sensor comprises;
circuit trace material supported by a sheet, said sheet located within said housing, a resilient dome cap positioned over said sheet and said circuit trace material, said resilient dome cap depressible by depressive pressure applied to said button.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A controller of the type held in two hands for controlling electronics, the controller including a housing, a plurality of depressible surfaces (buttons) exposed on the housing and in operational association with electricity manipulating devices contained within the housing and controlled by depression of the depressible surfaces for manipulating electrical outputs. At least one of the electricity manipulating devices is a variable-conductance sensor for creating an analog electrical output proportional to varying physical pressure applied to the associated depressible surface. The proportional output is used for variably controlling imagery such as game imagery shown by a display.
109 Citations
47 Claims
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1. Apparatus for game playing, comprising:
an image generation machine capable of driving a television, said image generation machine at least in-part controlled by a controller for controlling electronic imagery, said controller comprising;
a housing structured to be held by two hands simultaneously, said housing having a left-hand area and right-hand area, a four-way rocker located in said left-hand area of said housing, a plurality of depressible buttons at least in-part exposed on said housing with the depressible buttons acting on electricity manipulating devices contained within said housing and controlled by depression of said depressible buttons for manipulating electrical outputs at least useful for controlling electronic imagery;
at least one of said electricity manipulating devices is a pressure-sensitive variable-conductance sensor for defining an analog electrical output proportional to varying physical pressure applied to a depressible button of the plurality of depressible buttons, said button and said sensor are positioned in said right-hand area of said housing;
means for outputting a signal from said controller to said image generation machine, said signal at least representational of said analog electrical output;
said sensor comprises;
circuit trace material supported by a sheet, said sheet located within said housing, a resilient dome cap positioned over said sheet and said circuit trace material, said resilient dome cap depressible by depressive pressure applied to said button. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. Apparatus for game playing, comprising an image generation machine capable of driving an image display, said image generation machine at least in-part controlled by
a game controller structured to be held by a human user in two hands simultaneously, said controller comprising: -
housing means for being held by the human user;
a plurality of depressible individual buttons exposed on said housing means and depressible by digits of the user'"'"'s hands to operate electricity manipulating devices contained within said housing means and operated for manipulating electrical outputs of said electricity manipulating devices by depression of said depressible individual buttons;
at least one of said electricity manipulating devices includingmeans for an analog electrical output proportional to varying physical pressure applied by at least one depressible individual button of the plurality of depressible individual buttons;
means for outputting a signal from said controller to said image generation machine, said signal at least representational of said analog electrical output. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17, 18, 19)
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16. Apparatus for game playing, comprising a game console capable of controlling imagery shown by a television, said game console at least in-part controlled by
a controller, said controller comprising: -
a housing to be grasped and held simultaneously by two hands of a human user;
said housing including a right-hand area and a left-hand area, said right-hand area being an area for grasping by the user'"'"'s right hand, said left-hand area being an area for grasping by the user'"'"'s left hand;
a plurality of depressible individual buttons located on said housing in said right-hand area and positioned to be within reach of the user'"'"'s right-hand thumb with the user'"'"'s hand grasping said housing in said right-hand area;
at least one button of said depressible individual buttons including means for defining an analog electrical output proportional to varying applied physical pressure;
means for outputting from said controller to said game console a signal at least representational of said analog electrical output.
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20. Apparatus for game playing, comprising:
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an image display for showing imagery;
an image generation machine capable of controlling imagery shown by said image display;
a game controller at least in part for controlling said image generation machine;
said game controller comprising;
a housing to be grasped and held simultaneously by two hands of a human user during use, said housing including a right-hand area and a left-hand area, said right-hand area being an area for grasping by the user'"'"'s right hand, said left-hand area being an area for grasping by the user'"'"'s left hand;
a plurality of depressible electricity manipulating devices each at least in-part exposed on said housing, at least some of said plurality of electricity manipulating devices positioned on said housing to be within reach of the user'"'"'s right-hand thumb;
at least one device, of said electricity manipulating devices, includes means for creating an analog electrical signal representing varying applied physical pressure;
a resilient dome cap included in said at least one device;
a substantially convexed shaped portion of said resilient dome cap;
conductive material positioned adjacent to said substantially convexed shaped portion of said resilient dome cap;
circuit trace material positioned adjacent to said conductive material; and
,at least one of said electricity manipulating devices includes means for creating an On/Off signal;
each of said electricity manipulating devices electrically connected to electronics means for at least reading the signals of said electricity manipulating devices, means for converting the signals into control of imagery shown by said display, the signals representing at least the analog nature of said analog electrical signal, and the signals representing at least the On/Off nature of said On/Off signal. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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23. Apparatus for image control, comprising:
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a machine for controlling imagery, said machine at least in-part controlled by a hand held controller, said controller comprising;
a housing shaped to be grasped and held simultaneously by two hands of a human user during use, said housing including a right-hand area and a left-hand area;
a plurality of depressible electricity manipulating devices each at least in-part exposed on said housing, at least one of said electricity manipulating devices is a sensor, said sensor located in said right-hand area of said housing, said sensor comprising;
a depressible resilient dome cap positioned over electrically conductive material, variable depression of said dome cap defining an analog electrical output representing said variable depression, active electronics means for interpreting said analog electrical output and causing variable control of the imagery.
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30. An electricity manipulating sensor for controlling electronic imagery, said sensor comprising;
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a depressible surface area positioned to push a depressible resilient dome cap to apply pressure to electrically conductive material, said sensor for creating analog output proportional to varying physical pressure applied by the user'"'"'s digit to said depressible surface;
said sensor electrically connected toactive electronics means for interpreting the analog output of said sensor;
said sensor positioned as part of a two-hand held controller, said controller for controlling imagery at least in part in relation to the analog output. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47)
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39. Game apparatus comprising:
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an image display displaying game imagery, said image display connected to an image generation machine, said image generation machine driving the game imagery, said image generation machine at least in-part controlled by a controller, said controller comprising;
a single housing to be grasped and held simultaneously by two hands of a human user, said housing including a right-hand area and a left-hand area;
a plurality of depressible electricity manipulating devices each at least in-part exposed on said housing;
at least one of said electricity manipulating devices including means for creating an On/Off output, and at least one of said electricity manipulating devices including a pressure-sensitive variable-conductance means for creating a varying output related to varying pressure applied by a user'"'"'s right-hand digit;
active electronics means for at least interpreting the outputs of said at least one electricity manipulating device.
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Specification