Hand held control key device including multiple switch arrangements

• US 5,644,113 A
• Filed: 03/31/1995
• Issued: 07/01/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sega Enterprises LTD.
• Original Assignee: Sega Enterprises LTD.
• Inventors: Date, Toshinori, Couch, Johnny D., Richmond, Sarah Mason
• Primary Examiner(s): Scott, J. R.
• Application Number:
  US08/414,316
• Time in Patent Office: 823 Days
• Field of Search: 200/5 R, 200/5 A, 200/6 A, 345/156, 345/157, 345/158, 345/160, 345/161, 345/168, 345/169, 400/485-489
• US Class Current: 200/5.00R
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/22 Setup operations, e.g. calibration, key configuration or button assignment
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/24 Constructional details thereof, e.g. game controllers with detachable joystick handles
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/92 Video game devices specially adapted to be hand-held while playing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1018 Calibration; Key and button assignment
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/204 the platform being a handheld device
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2231/008 Video game
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 25/041 having a generally flat operating member depressible at different locations to operate different controls

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to provide a control-key device having a shape such that the control-key device easily fits the hands of an operator. The control-key device has a top case 11 and a bottom case 12 having a curved shape. The control-key device has three circuit substrates 81, 82 and 83 having angles formed therebetween so that the curved shape of the top case and bottom case matches these the three circuit substrates. Rubber contact members 70, 63 and 22 are placed on the circuit substrates, push buttons 31, 32, 33 and 60 and a direction specifying key 20 being placed thereon.

Claims

1. A controller device for video games comprising:

a housing having a spherical upper surface of a configuration for holding in an operator'"'"'s hands during operation;

a plurality of operating members which an operator can manipulate on the upper surface; and

a plurality of planes on which said plurality of operating members are placed;

and wherein said plurality of planes meet at predetermined angles.

2. The controller device according to claim 1, wherein:

said plurality of planes comprise at least three planes; and

said three planes are a first plane as a reference, a second plane adjacent to the left side of said first plane and inclined in a left-down manner with respect to said first plane, and a third plane adjacent to the right side of said first plane and inclined in a right-down manner with respect to said first plane.

3. The controller device according to claim 2, wherein:

a direction specifying key is provided on said second plane; and

a plurality of push buttons are provided on said third plane.

4. The controller device according to claim 1, wherein

said housing has a curved outer perimeter shape which is suitable for two hands of the operator to hold.

5. The controller device claimed in claim 1, further comprising a plurality of circuit substrates, each of which corresponds to a respective one of said plurality of planes.

6. The controller device claimed in claim 5, wherein said plurality of circuit substrates are formed as a unit together with one another when they are manufactured, and are then divided into separate bodies when they are incorporated into said controller device.

7. The controller device claimed in claim 5, further comprising;

a plurality of cylindrical substrate-supporting posts projecting from an inner wall surface of said housing;

wherein

cutting surfaces at projecting ends of said plurality of cylindrical substrate-supporting posts comprise planes in parallel to planes of relevant ones of said plurality of circuit substrates.

8. The controller device claimed in claim 1, further comprising a guiding member for a guiding operation of said operating members, said guiding member comprising a plurality of guiding strips parallel to one another and extending along an inclination of an angle at which said plurality of planes meet.

9. The controller device claimed in claim 1, wherein:

said plurality of operating members include a direction specifying key;

two rotation preventing members are provided on an inner wall surface of said housing for preventing a rotation of said direction specifying key;

said two rotation preventing members are provided at predetermined positions with respect to said direction specifying key;

said predetermined positions are positions at two sides of an inclination center line and at a side of a center axis of said direction specifying key in a direction reverse to a mold removing direction; and

said inclination center line is a straight line which extends along said inner wall surface of said housing and passes through said center axis of said direction specifying key, and along which line a slope of said inner wall surface of said housing is largest with respect to a surface perpendicular to said mold removing direction of a resin molding work.

10. The controller claimed in claim 1, further comprising a housing and a guiding member for guiding a movement of said operating member, said guiding member being a member separate from said housing and integrally molded together with a supporting member to be incorporated into said housing.

11. The controller claimed in claim 1, further comprising a housing,

said plurality of operating members including a direction specifying key,

said direction specifying key having a plurality of extending portions extending outward from a center thereof,

an inner wall surface of said housing being provided with a plurality of rotation preventing members for engaging with said plurality of extending portions so as to prevent a rotation of said direction specifying key,

each of said plurality of rotation preventing members being provided in a lower side of an inclination direction of an engaged extending portion of said direction specifying key,

said lower side being a side such that, as a position comes to be at said lower side, said position moves in a direction reverse to a mold removing direction of a resin molding work of said housing,

said inclination direction being a direction of an inclination of said inner wall surface of said housing with respect to a surface perpendicular to said mold removing direction.

12. A control-key device having a direction specifying key for mounting on a housing of a controller for video games which an operator manipulates, comprising a manipulating surface of said direction specifying key having a combination of a plurality of concave portions,

wherein said plurality of concave portions comprise:

a first concave surface; and

four second concave surfaces, each being smaller than said first concave surface, provided in four directions, which meet at a right angle, so that at least a part of each of said four second concave surfaces overlaps with a peripheral portion of said first concave surface.

13. A control key device having an operating member for mounting across the side edge of a housing having a top surface and a peripheral side of a controller for a video game which can be rotated as a result of being manipulated by an operator, comprising:

said operating member having an L-shaped manipulating surface extending from the peripheral side of the housing across the top surface and having a rotation axis at a position near to one arm of said L-shaped manipulating surface to enable a force to be applied by an operator in either of two directions perpendicular to each other, while still rotating said operating member in the same direction about said rotational axis, whereby an operator'"'"'s thumb or forefinger can manipulate said operating member from either said top surface or said peripheral side of said housing of said controller.

14. A controller for a video game machine to be operatively held by both hands of a operator, comprising:

a housing having an upper surface with an approximately circular outer perimeter along a sufficient portion of the perimeter to permit contact with the respective fingers and palms of each of the operator'"'"'s hands and a lower surface having separate right and left convex surfaces extending respectively inwardly from the circular outer perimeter and terminating on the lower surface to permit the respective middle and second to last fingers of the respective operator'"'"'s hands to hold the lower surface of the housing;

a first control means for generating electrical signals formed on one side of the upper surface of the housing and positioned for operation by the left thumb of the operator;

a second control means for generating electrical signals formed on the other side of the upper surface of the housing and positioned for operation by the right thumb of the operator;

a third control means for generating electrical signals formed on the outer circular perimeter of the housing and positioned for operation by the left forefinger of the operator; and

a fourth control means for generating electrical signals formed on the outer circular perimeter of the housing and positioned for operation by the right forefinger of the operator, whereby the operator can comfortably grasp the controller with the lower convex surfaces conforming to the natural curved position of the operator'"'"'s fingers while positioning the thumbs and forefingers for control of the respective control means.

15. The controller of claim 14, wherein the upper surface has a spherical configuration.

16. The controller of claim 14, wherein the outer perimeter on the opposite side of the circular portion is concavely indented.

17. The controller of claim 16, wherein the upper surface has a spherical configuration.

18. The controller of claim 17, wherein the respective upper and lower surfaces on either side of the housing provide approximately obovoid configurations for the operator'"'"'s hands.

19. The controller of claim 14, wherein the third control means and the fourth control means include pivoting switch members that extend from the circular outer perimeter across onto the upper surface adjacent the respective first and second control means, whereby the respective thumbs of the operator can also activate the third and fourth control means on the upper surface.

20. A controller for a video game machine to be operatively held by both hands of a operator, comprising:

a housing having an upper spherical surface with an approximately circular outer perimeter, extending traversely to the upper spherical surface, along a sufficient portion of the perimeter to permit contact with the respective fingers and palms of each of the operator'"'"'s hands and a lower surface having separate right and left convex surfaces extending respectively inwardly from the circular outer perimeter and terminating on the lower surface to provide a pair of curved hand grips to permit the respective middle and second to last fingers of the respective operator'"'"'s hands to hold the lower surface of the housing;

a first control means for generating electrical signals formed on one side of the upper surface of the housing and positioned for operation by the left thumb of the operator;

a second control means for generating electrical signals formed on the other side of the upper surface of the housing and positioned for operation by the right thumb of the operator;

a third control means for generating electrical signals formed on the outer circular perimeter of the housing and extending across a portion of the upper surface, the third control means is positioned for operation by the left forefinger of the operator and also by the left thumb of the operator; and

a fourth control means for generating electrical signals formed on the outer circular perimeter of the housing and extending across a portion of the upper spherical surface, the third control means is positioned for operation by the right forefinger of the operator and also by the right thumb of the operator, whereby the operator can comfortably grasp the controller with the lower convex surfaces conforming to the natural curved position of the operator'"'"'s fingers while positioning the thumbs and forefingers for control of the respective control means.

21. The controller of claim 20, wherein the outer perimeter on the opposite side of the circular portion is concavely indented.

22. The controller of claim 21, wherein the respective upper and lower surfaces on either side of the housing provide approximately obovoid configurations for the operator'"'"'s hands.

23. The controller of claim 22, wherein the third control means and the fourth control means include pivoting switch members that extend from the circular outer perimeter across onto the upper surface adjacent the respective first and second control means, whereby the respective thumbs of the operator can also activate the third and fourth control means on the upper surface.

24. The controller of claim 23, wherein the pivoting switch members have a substantially outer L-shaped configuration.

25. The controller of claim 24, wherein the L-shaped configuration has surface protrusions that extend along planes through a pivot point of the switch member.

26. The controller of claim 20, further including a unitary circuit substrate positioned within the housing and bent to operatively interact with the first and second control means.