Button control for use in a game controller

Details Button control for use in a game controller Button control for use in a game controller

2000-12-15

2003-09-09

Pelham, Joseph (Department: 3742)

Amusement devices: games

Including means for processing electronic data

Player-actuated control structure

C338S114000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06616534

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This present invention relates to a button control for use in game controllers. When the button is pressed down, the angle and magnitude of the force of each depression will determine the amount of contact between the conducting jell and the resistor strip or the conducting tracks located on the printed circuit board and thereby determine the magnitude of the output signals so as to gain greater game control. Further, when said resistor strip is made a cut-open, discontinuous structure, then when the conducting jell begins to press on the resistor strip, the resistance changes from infinite resistance to maximum resistance to facilitate reading of button control status.
THE PROBLEM TARGETED BY THE PRESENT INVENTION
FIG.
1
(A) shows a conventional controller
10
equipped with a casing
11
and a plurality of buttons
12
and a cross button
18
. The buttons of the controller
10
are shown in FIGS.
1
(B) and
1
(C). In FIG.
1
(B), underneath the button
12
is a rubber member
13
, and within the rubber member
13
is conducting jell
14
which is directly facing a pair of conducting pieces
16
,
17
on the printed circuit board (PCB)
15
. The bottom surface of the rubber member
13
is fixed on the PCB
15
. FIG.
1
(B) shows the normal state when no pressure is exerted on button
12
. But when button
12
is pressed, the pressure will cause the elastic rubber member
13
to deform, and the displacement then causes the conducting jell
14
to contact with the conducting pieces
16
,
17
, causing electrical conduction between the conducting pieces
16
and
17
and a digital signal is produced and output to the game controller. When the pressure is removed, the rubber member
13
retracts to its prior shape as in FIG.
1
(B), causing electrical disconnection between conducting pieces
16
and
17
and disabling signal output.
However, the characteristic of “one press for one digital signal” of the button
12
of the conventional game controller
10
is unable to satisfy the demands for versatile manipulation of the game software. Similarly, in the case of the cross button
18
where “one press for one digital signal” in the respective directions of up, down, left and right is likewise unable to meet the demands for versatile game manipulation.
SOLUTION OFFERED BY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
The object of the present invention is to provide a button control for use in game controllers, which is an improvement over the conventional cross button and ordinary button as described above. When this button is pressed downward, the angular direction and the magnitude of the depressing force will determine the contact area between the conducting jell and the resistor strip or conducting tracks on the PCB and thereby determine the magnitude of the output signals so as to gain greater maneuverability of the game controller. Further, said resistor strip is cut-open or discontinuous structure so that when the conducting jell presses downward and contacts the resistor strip, the resistor value changes from a infinite to a maximum value to facilitate easy reading of the button status.


REFERENCES:
patent: 4257305 (1981-03-01), Friend et al.

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