Expanding operating device and operating system

• US 7,867,089 B2
• Filed: 04/02/2009
• Issued: 01/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Itou, Kuniaki, Urata, Masahiro, Suetake, Fumiyoshi, Wada, Jumpei, Wakitani, Noboru, Ueki, Junpei, Ibuki, Masato, Tojo, Haruki, Takamoto, Junji
• Primary Examiner(s): Edwards, Jr.; Timothy
• Application Number:
  US12/417,449
• Publication Number:
  US 20100007529A1
• Time in Patent Office: 649 Days
• Field of Search: 463/37, 463/47, 439/609, 439/108, 439/489
• US Class Current: 463/37
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/211 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/23 for interfacing with the game device, e.g. specific interfaces between game controller and console
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/24 Constructional details thereof, e.g. game controllers with detachable joystick handles
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/40 Processing input control signals of video game devices, e.g. signals generated by the player or derived from the environment
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 9/24 Electric games; Games using electronic circuits not otherwise provided for video games A63F13/00; computerized gaming systems G07F17/32
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/16 Constructional details or arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors

Abstract

An expanding operating device has a first connector, a second connector and a sensor. The first connector has a first shape physically and electrically connectable with a connector provided with an operating device. Thus, by connecting the first connector to the connector of the operating device, the expanding operating device can be used with the operating device as a single unit, which eventually adds the sensor to the operating device. On the other hand, the second connector has a second shape connectable with a connector with the first shape. This allows a connector conventionally connected to the connector of another operating device to be also connected with the second connector. Accordingly, if the connector of another device is connected the second connector in a state that the first connector is connected to the connector of the operating device, the another device is eventually connected to the operating device via the expanding operating device.

Claims

1. An expansion operating device, by being connected to an operating device via a connector, which is used with said operating device as a single unit, comprising:

a housing;

a first connector having a first shape physically and electrically connectable to a connector provided to said operating device;

a second connector having a second shape connectable to said first connector having said first shape;

a gyro sensor;

an output data controller for controlling output data from said gyro sensor,

a bus switch for directly connecting a line on a side of said connector to a side of the said first connector,

a connection detector for detecting whether or not a predetermine device is connected to said second connector, and

a bus switch controller for switching a connection of said bus switch between on and off, wherein

when said bus switch is turned off, the line on the side of second connector is connected to the side of said first connector via said output data controller, and

said output data controller alternately outputs from said first connector first data output from said predetermined device and second data based on an output from said gyro sensor when the connection of said bus switch is turned off and said predetermined device is connected to said connector.

2. An expansion operating device according to claim 1, further comprising a sensor power manager for switching a power supply to said gyro sensor between on and off, wherein

said bus switch controller turns on the connection of said bus switch when a power source of said gyro sensor is turned off.