Wireless video game controller

• US 20110092290A1
• Filed: 10/16/2009
• Published: 04/21/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Richard D. Huebner, Stephen M. Santoro, William H. Hinchman
• Original Assignee: Richard D. Huebner, Stephen M. Santoro, William H. Hinchman
• Inventors: Huebner, Richard D., Santoro, Stephen M., Hinchman, William H.
• Application Number:
  US12/588,493
• Publication Number:
  US 20110092290A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/39
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/219 for aiming at specific areas on the display, e.g. light-guns
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/235 using a wireless connection, e.g. infrared or piconet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/245 specially adapted to a particular type of game, e.g. steering wheels
• 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 13/5255 according to dedicated instructions from a player, e.g. using a secondary joystick to rotate the camera around a player's character
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/837 Shooting of targets
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1031 using a wireless connection, e.g. Bluetooth, infrared connections
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1043 being characterized by constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1062 being specially adapted to a type of game, e.g. steering wheel
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8076 Shooting

Abstract

The wireless video game controller is a 1:1 scale realistic replica Air soft gun, of a weapon, such as a US military standard issue assault rifle or machine gun. An M16, M4, or other such realistic replica having realistically operational moving mechanical parts may function as a wireless video game controller when equipped with a wireless video game controller having switch placement that facilitates electrical and mechanical interaction between the switches and the operational moving mechanical parts of the gun replica. Moreover, joystick and pushbutton wireless game controls are disposed on portions of the gun that are ergonomically consistent with a gun user'"'"'s stance and hand positioning when handling and firing the weapon. Programmable buttons are optionally provided and placement of the programmable buttons is consistent with the inventive game controller'"'"'s ergonomic design.

Claims

1. A wireless video game controller, comprising:

a rifle replica having a central body, a trigger hand grip positioned below a rear section of said central body, a trigger extending down from the central body in front of the trigger hand grip, a stock extending rearward from the central body, a barrel extending forward from the central body and a barrel hand grip extending along the barrel, said rifle replica having substantially the same size, same weight, and moving mechanical parts as the rifle being replicated, said moving mechanical parts including a removable magazine, said trigger being squeezable, and a positionable safety mechanism;

game control buttons disposed on said rifle replica;

a controller disposed inside the rifle replica, the game control buttons being electrically connected to the controller, thereby transmitting configuration information of said game control buttons to the controller, the controller being in operable communication with a device playing a video game, thereby allowing a user of the controller to control at least one feature of the video game;

a game control switch disposed on the rifle replica, the game control switch controlling actions of the video game via operable communication with the controller, the game control switch being positioned so that actuation of the game control switch occurs cooperatively with operation of at least one of said moving mechanical parts of the rifle replica;

joystick game control devices disposed on the rifle replica, the joystick game control devices controlling actions of the video game via operable communication with the controller;

a tilt switch disposed inside the rifle replica, the tilt switch being electrically connected to the controller, the tilt switch transmitting vertical pitch information of the rifle replica to the controller, the controller transmitting the vertical pitch information to the device running the video game, thereby enhancing play of the video game.

2. The wireless video game controller according to claim 1, wherein the joystick game control devices comprise a first joystick disposed on the trigger hand grip and a second joystick disposed on the barrel hand grip, both joysticks being easily accessible to a user'"'"'s thumbs for control of some aspect of said video game when the user'"'"'s hands are in a shooting position on the gun replica.

3. The wireless video game controller according to claim 1, wherein said tilt switch sends pitch down information to said wireless video game controller when the barrel of said rifle replica is pitched down a predetermined angle from a horizontal plane.

4. The wireless video game controller according to claim 1, wherein said tilt switch sends pitch up information to said wireless video game controller when the barrel of said rifle replica is pitched up a predetermined angle from a horizontal plane.

5. The wireless video game controller according to claim 1, wherein a predetermined number of said game control buttons are disposed longitudinally along said barrel grip thereby facilitating ease of access to said game control buttons when a shooter has proper hand placement on said gun replica for shooting said gun replica.

6. The wireless video game controller according to claim 1, further comprising a forward assist mechanism disposed on said gun replica, said forward assist mechanism functioning as a control switch electrically connected to said wireless video game controller.

7. The wireless video game controller according to claim 1, wherein said game control switch is a trigger switch that is actuated cooperatively with squeezing of said trigger.

8. The wireless video game controller according to claim 7, wherein a “

magazine”

game control switch is actuated cooperatively with placement of said removable magazine in said gun replica and is de-actuated cooperatively with removal of said removable magazine from said gun replica.

9. The wireless video game controller according to claim 7, further comprising an electrical interlock circuit wherein said “

magazine”

game control switch deactivates said trigger switch when said magazine is disengaged from said gun replica.

10. The wireless video game controller according to claim 1, wherein said game control switch is actuated cooperatively with a predetermined setting of said positionable safety mechanism.

11. The wireless video game controller according to claim 1, further comprising a sliding hammer disposed on said central body wherein said game control switch is actuated cooperatively with a predetermined sliding position of said sliding hammer.

12. The wireless video game controller according to claim 1, further comprising a reload mechanism having a button disposed on said gun replica, said reload mechanism releasing said magazine when said button is depressed, said game control switch being actuated cooperatively with depressing of said reload mechanism button.

13. The wireless video game controller according to claim 1, wherein said game control switch is actuated cooperatively with placement of a user'"'"'s shoulder against the stock of said gun replica.

14. The wireless video game controller according to claim 1, wherein a first of said game control buttons is connected to a first digital, directional input of said wireless video game controller, a second of said game control buttons is connected to a second digital, directional input of said wireless video game controller, a third of said game control buttons is connected to a third digital, directional input of said wireless video game controller, and a fourth of said game control buttons is connected to a fourth digital, directional input of said wireless video game controller.

15. The wireless video game controller according to claim 14, wherein a fifth of said game control buttons is connected to a left trigger input of said wireless video game controller, and a sixth of said game control buttons is connected to a right trigger input of said wireless video game controller.

16. The wireless video game controller according to claim 15, wherein a seventh of said game control buttons is connected to a left joystick click input of said wireless video game controller, and an eighth of said game control buttons is connected to a right joystick click input of said wireless video game controller.

17. The wireless video game controller according to claim 16, wherein a ninth of said game control buttons is connected to an alternate left trigger input of said wireless video game controller, and a tenth of said game control buttons is connected to an alternate right trigger input of said wireless video game controller.

18. The wireless video game controller according to claim 1, wherein a predetermined number of said game control buttons are disposed on the central body proximate the trigger thereby facilitating ease of access to said game control buttons when a shooter has proper hand placement on said gun replica for shooting said gun replica.

19. The wireless video game controller according to claim 1, wherein a predetermined number of said game control buttons are disposed on the stock thereby facilitating ease of access to said game control buttons when a shooter has proper hand placement on said gun replica for shooting said gun replica.