Granted Patent B2

US 12,370,436 · App. 17/946,996 · Granted Jul 29, 2025

Inventor: Nicolás Franco Giese (Bogotá, CO)

A63F13/24

Abstract

Claims (46)

1. A hand-held controller that is operated with one hand of a user and which interfaces with and provides inputs to a video game running on a computing device, comprising:

a housing configured to be grasped with one hand of the user;

a directional input device accessible by the user on the exterior surface of the housing which causes a signal indicative of a direction to be sent to a central controller whenever the user manipulates the directional input device in a manner indicative of a direction;

at least seven video game input devices accessible by the user on the exterior surface of the housing each of which causes a signal indicative of the activation of that input device to be sent to the central controller whenever that input device is activated by the user;

two function-adding input devices accessible by the user on the exterior surface of the housing each of which causes a signal indicative of the activation of that function-adding input device to be sent to the central controller whenever that function-adding input device is activated by the user, and wherein whenever a function-added input device signal is received by the central controller while one or more of the video game input devices is activated, the central controller changes a prescribed video game action input signal associated with the activation of the one or more video game input devices to a different prescribed video game action input signal associated with the activation of the one or more video game input devices in conjunction with the activation of the function-adding input device corresponding to the received function-added input device signal; and

the central controller which interfaces with and provides video game input signals to the computing device running the video game, wherein

the central controller receives activation signals and for each activation signal or coincident activation signals received, assigns a prescribed video game action input signal associated with the particular activation signal or coincident activation signals received and sends the assigned video game action input signal to said computing device via one or more communication interfaces, and wherein

the central controller receives direction signals and for each direction signal received, assigns a prescribed video game direction input signal associated with the particular direction signal received and sends the assigned video game direction signal to said computing device via one or more communication interfaces, and wherein

more than 20 different video game action input signals can be generated by the central controller in response to the activation of the video game input devices and function-adding input devices alone or in combination.

2. The hand-held controller of claim 1 , wherein the directional input device additionally operates as video game input device whenever the directional input device is manipulated in a prescribed manner that is not indicative of a direction.

3. The hand-held controller of claim 1 , wherein each function-adding input device additionally operates as video game input device whenever the function-adding input device is activated without concurrently activating one or more of the video game input devices.

4. The hand-held controller of claim 1 , wherein whenever the central controller receives coincident activation signals associated with two or more video game input devices, the central controller assigns a prescribed video game action input signal associated with the particular coincident activation signals received that is different from a prescribed video game action input signal that would be assigned if an activation signal associated with any one or a different combination of the two or more video game input devices was received instead.

5. The hand-held controller of claim 1 , wherein the prescribed video game direction input signal associated with a particular direction signal received by the central controller is one of an analog direction signal, or a digital direction signal, or a computer mouse direction signal.

6. The hand-held controller of claim 1 , further comprising a power switch device that whenever activated when the hand-held controller is powered turns the controller power off, and whenever the hand-held controller is not powered turns the controller power on.

7. The hand-held controller of claim 1 , further comprising a profile selection device that whenever activated changes the profile of the hand-held controller, wherein the profile of the hand-held controller is a prescribed set of correspondences between a particular activation signal or coincident activation signals and the video game action input associated activation signal or signals.

8. The hand-held controller of claim 1 , further comprising a direction signal selection device that whenever activated changes the prescribed video game direction input signals associated with the direction signals to one of analog direction signals, or digital direction signals, or mouse direction signals.

9. The hand-held controller of claim 1 , wherein the directional input device, the video game input devices, and the function-adding input devices are located on the exterior surface of the housing so that the user is able to access said input devices with minimal finger displacement and wrist movement.

10. The hand-held controller of claim 1 , wherein there are sufficient video game input devices and function-adding input devices to replace a keyboard as an input device to a video game running on said computing device.

11. The hand-held controller of claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises:

a core body which includes the directional input device, the video game input devices and the function-adding input devices which are positioned to be reachable by the user's thumb, index finger and middle finger; and

a handle which projects from the core body and which the user grasps with at least their little and ring fingers.

12. The hand-held controller of claim 11 , wherein the core body has multiple, differently oriented, exterior faces, and wherein some of the video game input devices, or function-adding input devices, or both, are accessible by the user on a different exterior face or faces than others of the input devices.

13. The hand-held controller of claim 11 , wherein the core body has multiple, differently oriented, exterior faces, comprising:

a first face which is accessible by at least the thumb of the user's hand, and which comprises the directional input device and ones of the video game input devices;

a second face which is accessible by at least the index finger of the user's hand, and which comprises other ones of the video game input devices; and

a third face which is accessible by at least the middle finger of the user's hand, and which comprises at least one function-adding input device.

14. The hand-held controller of claim 11 , wherein the handle comprises at least one video game input device or at least one function-adding input device or a combination of at least one video game input device and at least one function-adding input device, which are positioned to be reachable by at least the user's little and ring fingers.

15. The hand-held controller of claim 1 , further comprising a strap which is attached to the housing and configured to secure the user's hand to controller.

16. A hand-held controller that is operated with one hand of a user and which interfaces with and provides inputs to a video game running on a computing device, comprising:

a housing configured to be grasped with one hand of the user;

a directional input device accessible by the user on the exterior surface of the housing which causes a signal indicative of a direction to be sent to a central controller whenever the user manipulates the directional input device in a manner indicative of a direction, wherein

the directional input device comprises a circuit board disposed within the housing and the user manipulable interface accessible by the user on the exterior surface of the housing, and wherein

the directional input device is structurally independent from other components located on or within the housing, such that the directional input device can be removed and replaced without removing or compromising the other components;

a plurality of video game input devices accessible by the user on the exterior surface of the housing each of which causes a signal indicative of the activation of that input device to be sent to the central controller whenever that input device is activated by the user;

at least one function-adding input device accessible by the user on the exterior surface of the housing each of which causes a signal indicative of the activation of that function-adding input device to be sent to the central controller whenever that function-adding input device is activated by the user, and wherein whenever a function-added input device signal is received by the central controller while one or more of the video game input devices is activated, the central controller changes a prescribed video game action input signal associated with the activation of the one or more video game input devices to a different prescribed video game action input signal associated with the activation of the one or more video game input devices in conjunction with the activation of the function-adding input device corresponding to the received function-added input device signal; and

the central controller which interfaces with and provides video game input signals to the computing device running the video game, wherein

the central controller receives activation signals and for each activation signal or coincident activation signals received, assigns a prescribed video game action input signal associated with the particular activation signal or coincident activation signals received and sends the assigned video game action input signal to said computing device via one or more communication interfaces, and wherein

the central controller receives direction signals and for each direction signal received, assigns a prescribed video game direction input signal associated with the particular direction signal received and sends the assigned video game direction signal to said computing device via one or more communication interfaces.

17. A hand-held controller that is operated with one hand of a user and which interfaces with and provides inputs to a video game running on a computing device, comprising:

a housing configured to be grasped with one hand of the user, comprising, a core body and a single handle which projects from the core body, wherein the core body comprises a contact area on one side the housing and the handle comprises a support structure at a distal end of the handle on said one side of the housing which allows the hand-held controller to rest on a flat surface with a portion to the handle being elevated from the flat surface so that the handle is graspable by one hand of the user and the user is able to fully operate the hand-held controller with said one hand while the hand-held controller rests on the flat surface;

a directional input device accessible by the user on the exterior surface of the housing which causes a signal indicative of a direction to be sent to a central controller whenever the user manipulates the directional input device in a manner indicative of a direction;

a plurality of video game input devices accessible by the user on the exterior surface of the housing each of which causes a signal indicative of the activation of that input device to be sent to the central controller whenever that input device is activated by the user;

at least one function-adding input device accessible by the user on the exterior surface of the housing each of which causes a signal indicative of the activation of that function-adding input device to be sent to the central controller whenever that function-adding input device is activated by the user, and wherein whenever a function-added input device signal is received by the central controller while one or more of the video game input devices is activated, the central controller changes a prescribed video game action input signal associated with the activation of the one or more video game input devices to a different prescribed video game action input signal associated with the activation of the one or more video game input devices in conjunction with the activation of the function-adding input device corresponding to the received function-added input device signal; and

the central controller which interfaces with and provides video game input signals to the computing device running the video game, wherein

the central controller receives activation signals and for each activation signal or coincident activation signals received, assigns a prescribed video game action input signal associated with the particular activation signal or coincident activation signals received and sends the assigned video game action input signal to said computing device via one or more communication interfaces, and wherein

the central controller receives direction signals and for each direction signal received, assigns a prescribed video game direction input signal associated with the particular direction signal received and sends the assigned video game direction signal to said computing device via one or more communication interfaces.

Continuity (2)

References Cited (34)