Hand controller for video games

• US 5,630,756 A
• Filed: 02/05/1996
• Issued: 05/20/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Keith E. Thurston, Kenneth G. Thurston
• Original Assignee: Keith E. Thurston, Kenneth G. Thurston
• Inventors: Thurston, Keith E., Thurston, Kenneth G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chiu, Raleigh W.
• Application Number:
  US08/596,580
• Time in Patent Office: 470 Days
• Field of Search: 273/148 B, 463/36, 463/37, 463/38, 345/156, 345/157, 345/161
• US Class Current: 463/38
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/218 using pressure sensors, e.g. generating a signal proportional to the pressure applied by the player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/22 Setup operations, e.g. calibration, key configuration or button assignment
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/245 specially adapted to a particular type of game, e.g. steering wheels
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/803 Driving vehicles or craft, e.g. cars, airplanes, ships, robots or tanks
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/92 Video game devices specially adapted to be hand-held while playing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1006 having additional degrees of freedom
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1018 Calibration; Key and button assignment
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1056 involving pressure sensitive buttons
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1062 being specially adapted to a type of game, e.g. steering wheel
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/204 the platform being a handheld device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8017 Driving on land or water; Flying
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 9/047 the controlling member being movable by hand about orthogonal axes, e.g. joysticks for switches H01H25/04

Abstract

A hand controller for playing video games comprises a base suitable for resting on a level surface, a shaft mounted for universal pivoting movement in the base, and a handle mounted at the upper end of the shaft, the handle having a main hand grip portion with an upper surface in the form of a convex ridge having front and rear surfaces sloping forwardly and rearwardly from a crest, and with the top of the crest sloping downwards from an upper end of the handle at an angle of between 10° and 50° to the level surface. The handle also has a wrist supporting plate which projects from its rear surface, the supporting plate being positioned for supporting the wrist of a right hand when the palm and fingers of the hand are grasping the main body portion with the thumb near to its upper end. The slope of the handle is adjustable. The controller also has a rotary member positioned at the front of the hand grip portion for rotation by the thumb of a right hand. The sensitivity of the controller can be adjusted both by moving the position at which potentiometers are attached to the shaft, and by altering the values of variable resistors in the potentiometer circuits.

Claims

1. A hand controller for playing video games comprising:

a base suitable for resting on a level surface;

a shaft mounted for universal pivoting movement in said base;

an electrical circuit having means responsive to the position of said shaft, and

a handle mounted at the upper end of said shaft, said handle having a main hand grip portion with an upper surface in the form of a convex ridge having front and rear surfaces sloping forwardly and rearwardly from a crest, and with the top of said crest sloping downwards from an upper end of the handle at an angle of between 10° and

50°

to said level surface on which the base part rests,

said handle also having a wrist supporting plate which projects from said rear surface, said supporting plate being positioned for supporting the wrist of a right hand when the palm and fingers of the hand are grasping the main body portion with the thumb near to said upper end.

2. A hand controller according to claim 1 wherein the wrist supporting plate meets the rear surface at a junction which extends substantially parallel to the top of the crest.

3. A hand controller according to claim 1, wherein the handle is mounted to the shaft by means of a bracket having a cylindrically curved portion with an elongated slot, and wherein said shaft passes through the slot and is held in the slot by releasable fastening means allowing adjustment of the position of the shaft in the slot, said adjustment being such as to change the angle of slope of the top of said crest.

5. A hand controller according to claim 1, wherein the handle is adjustable relative to the shaft by rotation about an axis which is parallel to the top of said crest.

7. A hand controller according to claim 1, further comprising a rotary member positioned at the front of said hand grip portion for rotation by the thumb of a right hand having its palm and fingers grasping the hand grip portion, the rotary member being connected to rotary position sensing means in said circuit suitable for controlling one feature of the video game when rotated.

4. A hand controller for playing video games comprising:

a base suitable for resting on a level surface;

a shaft mounted for universal pivoting movement in said base;

an electrical circuit having means responsive to the position of said shaft, and

a handle mounted at the upper end of said shaft, said handle having a main hand grip portion with an outer surface in the form of a convex ridge having front and rear surfaces sloping forwardly and rearwardly from a crest,

said handle being mounted to the shaft by means of a bracket having a cylindrically curved portion with an elongated slot, and said shaft passing through the slot and being held in the slot by releasable fastening means allowing adjustment of the position of the shaft in the slot, said adjustment being such as to change the angle of slope of said crest.

6. A hand controller according to claim 4, wherein the bracket has ends connected to the handle by means allowing adjustment about an axis parallel to the ends of the bracket.

8. A hand controller according to claim 4, further comprising a rotary member positioned at the front of said hand grip portion for rotation by the thumb of a right hand having its palm and fingers grasping the hand grip portion, the rotary member being connected to rotary position sensing means in said circuit suitable for controlling one feature of the video game when rotated.

9. A hand controller for playing video games comprising:

a base suitable for resting on a level surface;

a shaft mounted for universal pivoting movement in said base;

an electrical circuit having means responsive to the position of said shaft,

a handle mounted at the upper end of said shaft, said handle having a main hand grip portion with an upper end and a lower end, and

a rotary member positioned at the upper end of said hand grip portion so as to be rotatable by the thumb of a right hand having its palm and fingers grasping the hand grip portion, the rotary member being connected to rotary position sensing means in said circuit suitable for controlling one feature of the video game when rotated.

10. A hand controller according to claim 9, wherein the said rotary member is positioned to be rotated by circular movement of said thumb.

11. A hand controller according to claim 9, wherein said rotary member is positioned to be operated by said thumb by a forward and backward motion of said thumb on a protruding periphery of the rotary member.

12. A hand controller according to claim 11, wherein the rotary member is mounted on an axis which bisects the slopes of the front and rear surfaces of the handle.

13. A hand controller for playing video games comprising:

a base suitable for resting on a level surface;

a shaft mounted at a lower end thereof for universal pivoting movement in said base;

an electrical circuit having means responsive to the position of said shaft;

a handle mounted at the upper end of said shaft; and

a sleeve mounted on the shaft between the lower end and the handle and connected to said base by extendible members which are orientated at right angles to each other when viewed along the shaft axis,

each extendible member having spring means serving to bias the shaft into a central neutral position,

and each extendible member including a potentiometer sensitive to compression and extension of said member and connected into said electrical circuit,

and further comprising means for adjusting the position of the sleeve on the shaft to vary the sensitivity of the controller.

14. A hand controller according to claim 13, wherein said potentiometers are linear potentiometers.

15. A hand controller according to claim 13, having two only of said extendible members, each member having spring means which act to resist both compression and extension from an unstressed neutral length.

16. A hand controller according to claim 15, wherein said potentiometers are linear potentiometers, and wherein each extendible member includes an elongated body having an outer end pivotally mounted on the base and having first and second spaced apart transverse members each with a bore, a shaft slidable in said bores and having an outer end carrying an end bracket connected to said sleeve, first compression spring means acting between said end bracket and the first transverse member, and second compression spring means acting between an inner end of the shaft and said second transverse member, and wherein said shaft has a connection to one of said linear potentiometers.

17. A hand controller according to claim 13, wherein said potentiometers are connected in circuit with calibration switches arranged to simulate the effect of movement of the potentiometers so that operation of such switches gives a signal equivalent to full scale deflection of the handle in mutually perpendicular directions, without movement of said handle.

18. a hand controller for playing video games comprising:

a base suitable for resting on a level surface;

a shaft mounted at a lower end thereof for universal pivoting movement in said base;

an electrical circuit having potentiometers responsive to the position of said shaft;

a handle mounted at the upper end of said shaft; and

spring means serving to bias the shaft into a central neutral position;

wherein said potentiometers are connected in circuit with calibration switches arranged to simulate the effect of movement of the potentiometers so that operation of such switches gives a signal equivalent to full scale deflection of the handle in mutually perpendicular directions, without movement of said handle.

19. a hand controller according to claim 18, wherein said calibration switches are in circuit with variable resistors such that adjustment of said variable resistors alters the sensitivity of the controller.