Ergonomic game controller

• US 9,504,912 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2011
• Issued: 11/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Ikeda, John, Wilson, Scott, Puhalla, Dennis Matthew, Christie, Brett
• Primary Examiner(s): Chan, Allen
• Application Number:
  US13/221,731
• Publication Number:
  US 20130053146A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,918 Days
• Field of Search: 463 36- 38, 434/29, 434/45
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/211 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/235 using a wireless connection, e.g. infrared or piconet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/245 specially adapted to a particular type of game, e.g. steering wheels
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/285 Generating tactile feedback signals via the game input device, e.g. force feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/803 Driving vehicles or craft, e.g. cars, airplanes, ships, robots or tanks
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1031 using a wireless connection, e.g. Bluetooth, infrared connections
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1037 being specially adapted for converting control signals received from the game device into a haptic signal, e.g. using force feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1043 being characterized by constructional details

Abstract

A controller for a video game is disclosed. The controller may be a generally U-shaped steering wheel including a pair of hand grips attached to and extending from a base connector. The ends of the hand grips may be angled downward. The design of the hand grips together with the downwardly extending ends provides for an ergonomic design of the controller with easy access to controls on the hand grips whether the controller is grasped with a pronated or supinated hand positions.

Claims

1. A controller for controlling a video game in a gaming system, comprising:

a base connector having a base connector axis through a center of the base connector;

first and second hand grips attached to and extending from the base connector in a direction such that the controller is configured to be held by the first and second hand grips by a user with the base connector being nearest fifth metacarpals of first and second hands of a user, the first and second hand grips having respective first and second hand grip axes through a center of the first and second hand grips, a reference plane being defined including the base connector axis and the first and second hand grip axes;

a first end connected to an end of the first hand grip, the first end extending at an oblique angle with respect to the reference plane;

a second end connected to an end of the second hand grip extending at an oblique angle with respect to the reference plane;

a first set of one or more controls on the first end;

a second set of one or more controls on the second end;

a connector section having a first end extending in the direction from the base connector between the first and second hand grips, the connector section extending perpendicularly to the base connector;

a hub formed on a second end of the connector section, the hub having a cylindrical shape including a ring on a surface of the cylindrical shape, the ring including a third set of one or more controls, the third set of one or more controls configured to be actuated by one of a thumb and finger of a user while the user is gripping the first and second hand grips; and

the shape of the first and second hand grips allowing the controller to be held in a neutral hand position while in a generally vertical position with the user'"'"'s thumbs and fingers wrapped around the first and second hand grips for communicating controls to the video game, and the shape of the first and second hand grips and first and second ends allowing the controller to be held in a neutral hand position while in a generally horizontal position with the user'"'"'s fingers wrapped around the first and second hand grips and the user'"'"'s thumbs engaging the first and second sets of one or more controls on the first and second ends for communicating controls to the video game.

2. The controller of claim 1, wherein the first and second ends form an angle of between 15°

and 45°

with the remaining portions of the first and second hand grips.

3. The controller of claim 1, wherein the first and second ends form an angle of approximately 15°

with the remaining portions of the first and second hand grips.

4. The controller of claim 1, wherein the first set of one or more controls comprises a first group of one or more controls on a top surface when the controller is held in a horizontal plane and a second group of one or more controls on a bottom surface opposite the top surface, and wherein the second set of one or more controls comprises a third group of one or more controls on a top surface and a fourth group of one or more controls on a bottom surface opposite the top surface.

5. The controller of claim 4, wherein turning of the controller within a user'"'"'s hands is used to steer a virtual object and wherein the second and fourth groups of controls are used to accelerate and decelerate the virtual object.

6. A controller for steering a virtual automobile in a video game in a gaming system, comprising:

a base connector having a base connector axis through a center of the base connector;

first and second hand grips attached to and extending from the base connector in a direction such that the controller is configured to be held by the first and second hand grips by a user with the base connector being nearest fifth metacarpals of first and second hands of a user, the first and second hand grips having respective first and second hand grip axes through a center of the first and second hand grips, a reference plane being defined including the base connector axis and the first and second hand grip axes;

a first end connected to an end of the first hand grip, the first end extending at an oblique angle with respect to the reference plane, and at least a portion of the first end having the same shape in cross section as the first hand grip;

a second end connected to an end of the second hand grip extending at an oblique angle with respect to the reference plane, and at least a portion of the second end having the same shape in cross section as the second hand grip;

a first set of one or more controls on the first end;

a second set of one or more controls on the second end;

a connector section having a first end extending in the direction from the base connector between the first and second hand grips, the connector section extending perpendicularly to the base connector;

a hub formed on a second end of the connector section, the hub having a cylindrical shape including a ring on a surface of the cylindrical shape, the ring including a third set of one or more controls; and

the first and second hand grips facilitating holding of the controller in a generally vertical position with a user'"'"'s thumbs and fingers wrapped around the first and second hand grips for communicating controls to the video game, and the first and second hand grips and first and second ends facilitating holding of the controller in a generally horizontal position with the user'"'"'s fingers wrapped around the first and second hand grips and the user'"'"'s thumbs engaging the first and second sets of one or more controls on the first and second ends for communicating controls to the video game.

7. The controller of claim 6, wherein the first and second hand grips are spaced from each other and have axes extending from the base connector that are parallel to each other.

8. The controller of claim 6, wherein the first set of one or more controls comprises a first group of one or more controls on a top surface when the controller is held in a horizontal plane and a second group of one or more controls on a bottom surface opposite the top surface.

9. The controller of claim 8, wherein the second set of one or more controls comprises a third group of one or more controls on a top surface when the controller is held in a horizontal plane and a fourth group of one or more controls on a bottom surface opposite the top surface.

10. The controller of claim 6, wherein the first and second hand grips include rumble motors within the hand grips for providing tactile feedback, the rumble motors positioned to be beneath a user'"'"'s palms and spaced from the first and second ends when the user grips the controller.

11. The controller of claim 6, wherein the first and second ends further include lights for indicating actions and conditions from the video game.

12. The controller of claim 6, wherein the controller communicates wirelessly with a computing device executing the video game.

13. A controller for controlling a video game in a gaming system, comprising:

a base connector having a base connector axis through a center of the base connector;

first and second hand grips attached to and extending from the base connector, the first and second hand grips having respective first and second hand grip axes through a center of the first and second hand grips and being circular in cross section perpendicular to the first and second had grip axes, a reference plane being defined including the base connector axis and the first and second hand grip axes;

a first end connected to an end of the first hand grip, the first end extending at an oblique angle with respect to the reference plane;

a second end connected to an end of the second hand grip extending at an oblique angle with respect to the reference plane;

a hub extending from the base connector between the first and second hand grips;

a first set of one or more controls on the first end;

a second set of one or more controls on the second end;

a third set of one or more controls on the hub;

lights provided on the first and second ends of the first and second hand grips, the lights indicating actions and conditions from the video game;

the shape of the first and second hand grips allowing the controller to be held in a neutral hand position while in a generally vertical position with a user'"'"'s thumbs and fingers wrapped around the first and second hand grips for communicating controls to the video game, and the shape of the first and second hand grips and first and second ends allowing the controller to be held in a neutral hand position while in a generally horizontal position with the user'"'"'s fingers wrapped around the first and second hand grips and the user'"'"'s thumbs engaging the first and second sets of one or more controls on the first and second ends for communicating controls to the video game.

14. The controller of claim 13, wherein the controller may be held in the generally vertical position to steer a virtual car displayed to the user in the video game.

15. The controller of claim 13, wherein the controller communicates wirelessly with a computing device executing the video game.

16. The controller of claim 13, wherein the controller communicates wirelessly with a computing device executing the video game.

17. A controller for controlling a video game in a gaming system, comprising:

a base connector having a base connector axis through a center of the base connector;

first and second hand grips attached to and extending from the base connector, the first and second hand having respective first and second hand grip axes through a center of the first and second hand grips and being circular in cross section perpendicular to the first and second had grip axes, a reference plane being defined including the base connector axis and the first and second hand grip axes;

a first end connected to an end of the first hand grip, the first end extending at an oblique angle with respect to the reference plane;

a second end connected to an end of the second hand grip extending at an oblique angle with respect to the reference plane;

a hub extending from the base connector between the first and second hand grips, the hub having a cylindrical shape about an axis perpendicular to the reference plane, the hub comprising an actuatable ring in a surface of the cylindrical shape;

a first set of one or more controls on the first end;

a second set of one or more controls on the second end;

a third set of one or more controls on the actuatable ring of the hub;

the shape of the first and second hand grips allowing the controller to be held in a neutral hand position while in a generally vertical position with a user'"'"'s thumbs and fingers wrapped around the first and second hand grips for communicating controls to the video game, and the shape of the first and second hand grips and first and second ends allowing the controller to be held in a neutral hand position while in a generally horizontal position with the user'"'"'s fingers wrapped around the first and second hand grips and the user'"'"'s thumbs engaging the first and second sets of one or more controls on the first and second ends for communicating controls to the video game.

18. The controller of claim 17, wherein the third set of one or more controls on the actuatable ring of the hub are configured to be actuated by a thumb or finger of the user while the user grips the first and second hand grips.

19. The controller of claim 17, wherein the controller may be held in the generally vertical position to steer a virtual car displayed to the user in the video game.