Manipulator for game machine

• US 5,919,092 A
• Filed: 09/03/1997
• Issued: 07/06/1999
• 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:
  US08/922,368
• Time in Patent Office: 671 Days
• Field of Search: 273/148 B, 463/36, 463/46, 463/47
• 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 having right and left handles, and a coupling for coupling them. The handles are formed with grips, and direction instructing switches for instructing the character moving direction. The 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 forming direction instructing switches and grips, and the thumb of the player draws a spontaneous arc along the step.

Claims

1. A game controller device for use with a video game machine, the game controller device comprising:

a housing having a first operating region and a second operating region, said first operating region and said second operating region being disposed laterally adjacent each other in a common plane;

a first operating portion in said first operating region;

a second operating portion in said second operating region;

a first set of control members disposed in a first plane of the housing;

a second set of control members disposed in a second plane of the housing, different from said first plane;

a first handle integrally formed with said housing and projecting from a lower portion of said first operating region toward a player;

a second handle integrally formed with said housing and projecting from a lower portion of said second operating region toward the player, said first and second handles being configured to be gripped in left and right hand palms of the player, wherein when the player grips said housing with the left and right hand palms facing each other, said first handle and said second handle are stably held in contact with part of the left and right hand palms, said first operating portion and said second operating portion being arranged for operation by left and right hand thumbs, wherein at least one of said first and second operating portions is for designating a movement direction of an object of a game by the player'"'"'s operation.

2. A game controller device according to claim 1, wherein said first handle and said second handle have respective front surfaces each assuming an angle relative to a corresponding one of said first and second operating regions, respectively.

3. A game controller device according to claim 2, wherein the respective front surfaces of said first and second handles are formed in an arcuate shape.

4. A game controller device according to claim 2, wherein said first handle and said second handle diverge from said housing.

5. A game controller device according to claim 1, wherein each of said first operating portion and said second operating portion, respectively, comprises switches for designating a movement direction of the object.

6. A game controller device according to claim 5, wherein said movement direction for said first operating portion switch comprises four orthogonal directions, and wherein said movement direction for said second operating portion switch comprises a direction different from that of said first operating portion switch.

7. A game controller device according to claim 1, wherein each of said first operating region and said second operating region, respectively, has cross-shaped recesses at locations corresponding to said first operating portion and said second operating portion.

8. A game controller device according to claim 1, further comprising a third operating region disposed between said first operating region and said second operating region in said housing, wherein said third operating region comprises a start switch for designating start of a game.

9. A game controller device according to claim 8, wherein said first operating portion and said second operating portion have respective centers placed at laterally aligned locations, and wherein said start switch is disposed at a location offset from said first operating portion or said second operating portion.

10. A game controller device according to claim 1, wherein said housing is arranged such that when said housing is placed on an arbitrary plane, said first operating region and said second operating region are disposed substantially parallel with the arbitrary plane.

11. A game controller device according to claim 1, wherein said housing comprises a signal supply portion disposed between said first operating region and said second operating region, said signal supply portion transmitting to a video game machine a signal representative of operating states of said first operating portion and said second operation portion.

12. A game controller device according to claim 1, wherein said housing comprises a connecting terminal portion formed at a back surface thereof, said connecting terminal portion being detachably attached with an external unit, said housing having a detachment-preventing portion formed in part of the back surface to prevent falling off of said external unit.

13. A game controller device for use with a video game machine, comprising:

a housing having a first operating region and a second operating region, said first operating region and said second operating region being disposed laterally adjacent each other;

a first operating portion in said first operating region;

a second operating portion in said second operating region;

a first set of control members disposed in a first plane of the housing;

a second set of control members disposed in a second plane of the housing, different from said first plane;

a first handle integrally formed with said housing and projecting from a lower portion of said first operating region toward a player;

a second handle integrally formed with said housing and projecting from a lower portion of said second operating region toward the player, said first and second handles being configured to be gripped in left and right hand palms of the player, wherein when the player grips said housing with the left and right hand palms facing each other, said first handle and said second handle are stably held in contact with part of the left and right hand palms, said first operating portion and said second operating portion being arranged for operation by left and right hand thumbs, wherein at least one of said first and second operating portions is for designating a movement direction of an object of a game; and

a third operating portion and a fourth operating portion respectively provided in said housing at locations within reach of left and right hand index fingers on a surface different from surfaces of said first operating region and said second operating region.

14. A game controller device according to claim 13, wherein said first handle and said second handle have respective front surfaces each assuming an angle relative to a corresponding one of said first and second operating regions, respectively.

15. A game controller device according to claim 14, wherein the respective front surfaces of said first and second handles are formed in an arcuate shape.

16. A game controller device according to claim 14, wherein said first handle and said second handle diverge from said housing.

17. A game controller device according to claim 13, wherein said movement direction for said first operating portion comprises four orthogonal directions, and wherein said second movement direction for said second operating portion comprises a direction different from that of said first operating portion.

18. A game controller device according to claim 13, wherein said third operating portion and said fourth operating portion are for designating operation other than the movement direction of the object.

19. A game controller device according to claim 13, wherein each of said first operating region and said second operating region, respectively, has cross-shaped recesses at locations corresponding to said first operating portion and said second operating portion.

20. A game controller device according to claim 13, further comprising a third operating region disposed between said first operating region and said second operating region in said housing and a third operating portion in said third operating region, wherein said third operating portion comprises a start switch for designating start of a game.

21. A game controller device according to claim 13, wherein said housing comprises a signal supply portion disposed between said first operating region and said second operating region, said signal supply portion transmitting to a video game machine a signal representative of operating states of said first operating portion and said second operation portion.

22. A game controller device for use with a video game machine, comprising:

a housing having a first operating region and a second operating region, said first operating region and said second operating region being disposed laterally adjacent each other in a common plane, and a third operating region provided between said first operating region and said second operating region;

a first operating portion in said first operating region;

a second operating portion in said second operating region;

a start switch in said third operating region for designating start of a game;

a first set of control members disposed in a first plane of the housing;

a second set of control members disposed in a second plane of the housing, different from said first plane;

a first handle integrally formed with said housing and projecting from a lower portion of said first operating region toward a player, said first handle having a first handle front surface continuous with said first operating region and assuming an angle relative to said first operating region such that the first handle front surface is disposed in a plane different from said common plane;

a second handle integrally formed with said housing and projecting from a lower portion of said second operating region toward the player, said second handle having a second handle front surface continuous with said second operating region and assuming an angle relative to said second operating region such that the second handle front surface is disposed in a plane different from said common plane, said first and second handles being configured to be gripped in left and right hand palms of the player, wherein when the player grips said housing with the left and right hand palms facing each other, said first handle and said second handle are stably held in contact with part of the left and right hand palms, said first operating portion and said second operating portion being arranged for operation by left and right hand thumbs of the player, wherein at least one of said first and second operating portions is for designating a movement direction of an object of a game by the player'"'"'s operation.

23. A game controller device according to claim 22, wherein the respective front surfaces of said first and second handles are formed in an arcuate shape.

24. A game controller device according to claim 22, further comprising a pause switch provided in said third operating region, said pause switch designating interruption of a game.

25. A game controller device according to claim 22, wherein said first operating portion and said second operating portion have respective centers placed at laterally aligned locations and, and wherein said start switch is disposed at a location offset from said first operating portion or said second operating portion.