Manipulator for game machine

• US 5,820,462 A
• Filed: 07/31/1995
• Issued: 10/13/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Sugino, Kenichi, Yokoi, Gunpei
• Primary Examiner(s): Chiu, Raleigh W.
• Application Number:
  US08/509,605
• Time in Patent Office: 1,170 Days
• Field of Search: 273/148 B, 463/37, 463/38, 463/47, 345/156, 345/161, 434/29, 434/37, D21/48
• US Class Current: 463/37
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/24 Constructional details thereof, e.g. game controllers with detachable joystick handles
• 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 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 2300/8017 Driving on land or water; Flying

Abstract

A manipulator includes a housing which consists of right and left handles, and a coupling for coupling the handles. Both handles are formed with grips and direction instructing switches for instructing the character moving direction. The direction instructing switches are disposed in the thumb position area of the player in the upper parts of the grips. A step is formed between the operating regions for the direction instructing switches and the grips, such that the thumb of the player draws a spontaneous arc along the step.

Claims

1. A controller for a game machine for use in a video game machine to which a cartridge storing a game program is attached, and which permits game play by reading out and executing the game program from the cartridge, comprising:

a first substantially bar shaped grip to be held by a hand of the player, said first grip including a step at an intermediate portion such that a surface facing the player is defined in first and second substantially parallel planes on opposite sides of said step;

a second substantially bar shaped grip to be held by the other hand of the player, said second grip including a step at an intermediate portion such that a surface facing the player is defined in said first and second substantially parallel planes on opposite sides of said step;

a first operating region located in the upper portion of the first grip and disposed in said second plane lower than said first plane;

a second operating region located in the upper portion of the second grip and disposed in said second plane lower than said first plane;

a first direction instructing member provided in the first operating region;

a second direction instructing member provided in the second operating region; and

a coupling member for coupling the first grip and second grip in a confronting state.

2. A controller for a game machine of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first grip and second grip further comprises an action instructing member, in its upper portion, located at the index finger position of one hand of the player nearly at the rear position of at least one of the first operating region and second operating region.

3. A controller for a game machine of claim 2, wherein a protrusion for positioning the index finger of the player is formed near the action instructing member, in either the first grip or the second grip provided with the action instructing member.

4. A controller for a game machine of claim 1, wherein the first direction instructing member and second direction instructing member respectively contain four pressing pads, and by pressing the individual pressing pads,

the first direction instructing member instructs the front, rear, left and right directions,

the second direction instructing member instructs upper, lower, right slant and left slant directions, and thereby

three-dimensional directions can be instructed.

5. A controller for a game machine of claim 2, wherein the action instructing member includes

a first action instructing member formed in the first grip, and

a second action instructing member formed in the second grip.

6. A controller for a game machine of claim 1, wherein the coupling member includes a third action instructing member formed within the accessible range of the thumb of one hand, in the state of the player holding both the first grip and the second grip.

7. A hand-held controller for a video game machine comprising:

a first handle having a front surface and a rear surface and configured to be gripped by one hand of a player;

a second handle having a front surface and a rear surface and configured to be gripped by the other hand of a player;

a first operating region disposed in a thumb area of a player gripping said first handle;

a first direction instructing member disposed in said first operating region for controlling movement of an object displayed in a video game played on the game machine;

a second operating region disposed in substantially the same plane as the first operating region;

a second direction instructing member disposed in said second operating region in substantially the same plane as the first direction instructing member for controlling movement of an object displayed in a video game played on the game machine; and

at least one further control key disposed on a corresponding at least one of said first handle rear surface and said second handle rear surface, wherein at least one of said first handle rear surface and said second handle rear surface includes a surface that, in use, extends obliquely downward relative to a plane of said first and second handle front surfaces, and wherein said video game control key is disposed on the obliquely downward extending surface.

8. A hand-held controller according to claim 7, wherein said obliquely downward extending surface defines one side of a ridge disposed on the at least one of said first handle rear surface and said second handle rear surface, the other side of said ridge comprising a support surface positioned to support a player'"'"'s middle finger in use.