Game controller and game system

• US 20090062006A1
• Filed: 10/15/2008
• Published: 03/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Ikeda, Akio
• Granted Patent: US 8,834,271 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/37
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/211 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/213 comprising photodetecting means, e.g. cameras, photodiodes or infrared cells A63F13/219, A63F13/655 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/214 for locating contacts on a surface, e.g. floor mats or touch pads
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/2145 the surface being also a display device, e.g. touch screens
• 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 13/285 Generating tactile feedback signals via the game input device, e.g. force feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/428 involving motion or position input signals, e.g. signals representing the rotation of an input controller or a player's arm motions sensed by accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/92 Video game devices specially adapted to be hand-held while playing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/2408 Touch-sensitive buttons
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/2447 Motion detector
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1006 having additional degrees of freedom
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1025 details of the interface with the game device, e.g. USB version detection
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1031 using a wireless connection, e.g. Bluetooth, infrared connections
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1037 being specially adapted for converting control signals received from the game device into a haptic signal, e.g. using force feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1043 being characterized by constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/105 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1068 being specially adapted to detect the point of contact of the player on a surface, e.g. floor mat, touch pad
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1087 comprising photodetecting means, e.g. a camera
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6045 for mapping control signals received from the input arrangement into game commands
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8076 : Shooting
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 9/24 : Electric games; Games using electronic circuits not otherwise provided for video games A63F13/00; computerized gaming systems G07F17/32

Abstract

A first control unit includes a first operation data generation section for generating first operation data in accordance with a motion of a first control unit body included in the first control unit. A second control unit includes a second operation data generation section for generating second operation data in accordance with a direction input operation performed by a player or a motion of a second control unit body included in the second control unit. Further, one of the first control unit and the second control unit includes a transmission section for transmitting the first operation data and the second operation data to a computer at a predetermined timing.

Claims

1. A controller for transmitting operation data to a computer executing a predetermined program, the controller comprising:

a housing having an elongated shape and such a size as to be held by one hand, the housing having a top surface curved along a longitudinal direction; and

an operation section wherein the operation section includes at least a direction input section provided at a front part of the top surface of the housing, for allowing a user to designate a direction and outputs, as the operation data, at least data based on the direction designated through the direction input section.

2. The controller according to claim 1, wherein the front part of the housing is thick, and a rear part thereof is thin.

3. The controller according to claim 1, wherein the operation section further includes a first operation button section having at least one operation button on a front end surface of the housing, and further outputs, as the operation data, data based on an operation performed through the first operation button section.

4. The controller according to claim 3,

wherein the direction input section is provided on the top surface of the housing such that a user holding the housing is allowed to operate the direction input section with a thumb of the user, and

wherein the first operation button section is provided on the front end surface of the housing such that the user putting the thumb on the direction input section is allowed to operate the first operation button section with an index finger of the user.

5. The controller according to claim 1, wherein the operation section further includes a second operation button section provided on the top surface of the housing behind and near the direction input section.

7. The controller according to claim 1, wherein the direction input section is a stick which projects from the top surface of the housing, and a direction is able to be designated by inclining the stick.

8. The controller according to claim 7, wherein an octagonal opening for allowing the stick to project from the top surface of the housing is formed on the top surface of the housing.

9. The controller according to claim 1, wherein the direction input section includes four independent operation buttons provided in a forward direction, a backward direction, and a rightward direction, and a leftward direction, respectively.

10. The controller according to claim 1, wherein the direction input section is a cross-shaped switch.

11. The controller according to claim 1, wherein the direction input section is one of a slide pad and a touch pad, the one of the slide pad and the touch pad being capable of allowing a direction to be designated.

12. The controller according to claim 1, further comprising one of an acceleration sensor and a gyro sensor, the one of the acceleration sensor and the gyro sensor being incorporated in the housing so as to output data based on a motion of the housing,

wherein the operation data further includes output data from one of the acceleration sensor and the gyro sensor.

13. The controller according to claim 1, further comprising:

a reception section for receiving data transmitted from the computer;

a speaker; and

a sound controller for generating a sound from the speaker based on the data received by the reception section.

14. A computer system comprising:

the controller according to claim 1, and

a computer, connected to the controller so as to communicate there between, for performing a processing based on the operation data transmitted from the controller.

6. A controller for transmitting operation data to a computer executing a predetermined program, the controller comprising:

a housing having an elongated shape and has such a size as to be held by one hand, wherein, when the housing is viewed from a top surface thereof, a front part of the housing in a longitudinal direction is thick, and a rear part of the housing in the longitudinal direction is thinner than the front part of the housing, and the top surface of the housing is curved along the longitudinal direction so as to be raised from the top surface;

a first operation button section provided on a front end surface of the housing, wherein a user holding the housing is allowed to operate the first operation button section with an index finger of one hand of the user, and the first operation button section outputs, as the operation data, data based on an operation performed through the first operation button section; and

a direction input section provided at the front part of the top surface of the housing such that a user putting the index finger on the first operation button section is allowed to operate the direction input section with a thumb of the user, wherein the direction input section allows the user to designate a direction, and outputs, as the operation data, data based on the direction designated by the user.

15. The controller according to claim 6, wherein the direction input section is a stick which projects from the top surface of the housing, and a direction is able to be designated by inclining the stick.

16. The controller according to claim 15, wherein an octagonal opening for allowing the stick to project from the top surface of the housing is formed on the top surface of the housing.

17. The controller according to claim 6, wherein the direction input section includes four independent operation buttons provided in a forward direction, a backward direction, and a rightward direction, and a leftward direction, respectively.

18. The controller according to claim 6, wherein the direction input section is a cross-shaped switch.

19. The controller according to claim 6, wherein the direction input section is one of a slide pad and a touch pad, the one of the slide pad and the touch pad being capable of allowing a direction to be designated.

20. The controller according to claim 6, further comprising one of an acceleration sensor and a gyro sensor, the one of the acceleration sensor and the gyro sensor being incorporated in the housing so as to output data based on a motion of the housing,

wherein the operation data further includes output data from one of the acceleration sensor and the gyro sensor.

21. The controller according to claim 6, further comprising:

a reception section for receiving data transmitted from the computer;

a speaker; and

a sound controller for generating a sound from the speaker based on the data received by the reception section.