Game controller with analog pressure sensor(s)

• US 6,102,802 A
• Filed: 10/01/1997
• Issued: 08/15/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Anascape, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Anascape, Ltd.
• Inventors: Armstrong, Brad A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Martin-Wallace, Valencia
• Assistant Examiner(s): PARADISO, JOHN ROGER
• Application Number:
  US08/942,450
• Time in Patent Office: 1,049 Days
• Field of Search: 463/36, 463/37, 273/143 B, 345/156, 345/159
• US Class Current: 463/37
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/218 using pressure sensors, e.g. generating a signal proportional to the pressure applied by the player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/24 Constructional details thereof, e.g. game controllers with detachable joystick handles
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/803 Driving vehicles or craft, e.g. cars, airplanes, ships, robots or tanks
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/92 Video game devices specially adapted to be hand-held while playing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1043 being characterized by constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1056 involving pressure sensitive buttons
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/204 the platform being a handheld device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/57 details of game services offered to the player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/64 for computing dynamical parameters of game objects, e.g. motion determination or computation of frictional forces for a virtual car
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1612 Flat panel monitor
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 13/70 having a plurality of operating members associated with different sets of contacts, e.g. keyboard mounting together a plurality of independent switches H02B
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 13/702 with contacts carried by or formed from layers in a multilayer structure, e.g. membrane switches
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 13/785 characterised by the material of the contacts, e.g. conductive polymers
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2201/036 Variable resistance
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2215/004 Collapsible dome or bubble
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2215/006 Only mechanical function
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2231/008 Video game
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2237/002 Bell crank

Abstract

A game controller of the type held in two hands simultaneously for controlling electronic games, including a housing, a plurality of depressible surfaces at least in-part exposed on the housing with the depressible surfaces in operational association with electricity manipulating devices contained within the housing and controlled by depression of the depressible surfaces for manipulating electrical outputs at least useful for controlling electronic games. At least one of the electricity manipulating devices is a pressure-sensitive variable-conductance sensor for creating an analog electrical output proportional to varying physical pressure applied to at least one depressible surface. The analog electrical output is output as a signal at least representational of the analog electrical output to an image generation machine for controlling electronic imagery. Also disclosed are methods of use and manufacture of game controllers having at least one pressure-sensitive analog sensor.

Claims

1. An improved controller of the type held in two hands simultaneously for controlling electronic imagery, said controller including a housing, a plurality of depressible surfaces at least in-part exposed on said housing with the depressible surfaces acting on electricity manipulating devices contained within said housing and controlled by depression of said depressible surfaces for manipulating electrical outputs at least useful for controlling electronic imagery;

wherein the improvements comprise;

at least one of said electricity manipulating devices is a pressure-sensitive variable-conductance sensor for creating an analog electrical output proportional to varying physical pressure applied to at least one depressible surface of the plurality of depressible surfaces;

means for outputting a signal to an image generation machine, said signal at least representational of said analog electrical outputs;

the at least one said sensor includes pressure-sensitive variable-conductance material means for changing electrical conductance defendant upon the pressure applied;

a resilient dome cap operatively associated with said pressure-sensitive variable-conductance material means.

2. An improved controller in accordance with claim 1 wherein the controller has only a single said housing, said housing structured to be held by two hands simultaneously;

said housing having a left-hand area and right-hand area;

the hand areas positioned oppositely disposed from one another.

3. An improved controller in accordance with claim 2 wherein the at least one said sensor is positioned in said right-hand area of said housing, said sensor for being activated by at least one of a human user'"'"'s right hand digits.

4. An improved controller in accordance with claim 3 further including a four-way rocker for control functions which are at least partly spatial in nature, such as aiming functions associated with steering a simulated car, airplane and controlling directional movement of a character;

said four-way rocker located in one of the hand areas;

said at least one depressible surface positioned in the hand area oppositely disposed from the location of said four-way rocker,

said at least one depressible surface for timing functions such as those associated with firing a simulated gun, and jumping of a simulated character.

5. A game controller structured to be held by a human user in two hands simultaneously, said controller comprising:

housing means for being held by the human user;

a plurality of depressible individual buttons exposed on said housing means and depressible by digits of the user'"'"'s hands to operate

electricity manipulating devices contained within said housing means and operated for manipulating electrical outputs of said electricity manipulating devices by depression of said depressible individual buttons;

at least one of said electricity manipulating devices including

means for creating an analog electrical output proportional to varying physical pressure applied by at least one depressible individual button of the plurality of depressible individual buttons;

means for outputting a signal to an image generation machine, said signal at least representational of said analog electrical output.

6. A game controller in accordance with claim 5 wherein said housing means is structured as a single housing to be held by two hands simultaneously.

7. A game controller in accordance with claim 6 wherein said means for creating an analog electrical output includes pressure-sensitive variable-conductance material comprising a rubbery binder and active material.

8. A game controller in accordance with claim 7 wherein said active material includes carbon.

9. A game controller comprising

a housing to be grasped and held simultaneously by two hands of a human user with thumbs of the grasping hands remaining free of grasping responsibilities;

said housing including a right-hand area and a left-hand area, said right-hand area being an area for grasping by the user'"'"'s right hand, said left-hand area being an area for grasping by the user'"'"'s left hand;

a plurality of depressible individual buttons each at least in-part exposed on said housing in at least said right-hand area, said plurality of depressible individual buttons positioned on said housing to be within reach of the user'"'"'s right-hand thumb with the user'"'"'s hand grasping said housing in said at least said right-hand area;

a plurality of electricity manipulating devices each operatively associated with a depressible individual button of said plurality of depressible individual buttons;

each of said electricity manipulating devices contained at least in-part within said housing and capable of electrical output manipulation upon physically applied depressive pressure of its associated depressible individual button of said plurality of depressible individual buttons;

at least one of said electricity manipulating devices including means for creating an analog electrical output proportional to varying applied physical pressure;

means for outputting to an image generation machine a signal at least representational of said analog electrical output.

10. A game controller in accordance with claim 9 wherein said means for creating an analog electrical output includes pressure-sensitive variable-conductance material comprising an elastic binder and active material.

11. A game controller in accordance with claim 9 wherein said left-hand area includes a four-way rocker.

12. An improved method of using a game controller of the type structured to be held by a user in two hands simultaneously, the controller connected to an image generation machine connected to a visual display, in which a user'"'"'s hand digits depress individual buttons upon a housing of the controller to manipulate imagery on the display, wherein the improvement includes;

depressing at least one of said individual buttons with varying degrees of pressure for manipulating imagery in proportion to the degree of depressive pressure.

13. An improved method in accordance with claim 12 further including

grasping said housing in each of two hands simultaneously when depressing at least one of said individual buttons.

14. An improved method of controlling action intensity of imagery within a visual display by way of depressing a depressible individual button on a housing of a two-hand held controller linked to an image generation machine which in turn is linked to the display;

wherein the improvement includes the step

depressing said depressible individual button with varying degrees of pressure for varying the action intensity of the imagery proportional to the degree of depressive pressure.

15. An improved method in accordance with claim 14 further including

grasping said housing in each of two hands simultaneously when depressing said depressible individual button;

depressing said depressible individual button with increasing degrees of pressure for increasing the action intensity of the imagery;

depressing said depressible individual button with decreasing degrees of pressure for decreasing the action intensity of the imagery.

16. An improved method of manufacturing a two-hand held type controller manufactured by way of assembling into a housing circuitry formed to be at least in-part a component of electricity manipulating devices and installing single digit depressible buttons in-part exposed on said housing and positioned to be depressed onto said electricity manipulating devices, wherein the improvement comprises;

installing into said controller at least one pressure-sensitive variable-conductance sensor for creating an analog electrical output in proportion to pressure applied to at least one of said depressible buttons;

installing into said controller means for outputting to an image generation machine a signal at least representational of said analog electrical output for providing a user of the controller proportional control of action intensity of electronic imagery.

17. An improved method of manufacturing a two-hand held type controller in accordance with claim 16 further including forming said housing into a single structure suitable for being held by two hands of a user simultaneously.

18. An improved method of manufacturing a two-hand held type controller in accordance with claim 17 further including installing into said controller said at least one pressure-sensitive variable-conductance sensor of a type including carbon.

19. An improved method of manufacturing a two-hand held type controller in accordance with claim 18 further including installing into said controller said pressure-sensitive variable-conductance sensor having an active material of tungsten carbide within an elastic binder.