U.S. Pat. No. 10,080,974

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the drawings in which identical elements in the various figures are, as far as possible, identified with the same reference numerals. These embodiments are provided by way of explanation of the present invention, which is not, however, intended to be limited thereto. Those of ordinary skill in the art may appreciate upon reading the present specification and viewing the present drawings that various modifications and variations may be made thereto.

FIG. 1shows an isometric view of a removable, external peripheral holder for a video game controller of a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

In a preferred embodiment, the removable, external peripheral holder105for a video game controller may include a left retaining annulus110and a right retaining annulus115. These annuli are designed to be a snug, but removable, fit to the portions of a game controller that a user holds in their hand while playing video games. They are preferably shaped and sized to be a circumscribing, external fit to the respective left and a right holding portion of the game controller which may be a standard commercial game controller such as, but not limited to, the game controller for the PlayStation™ 4 (PS4) gaming system marketed by the Sony Corporation of Kōnan Minato, Tokyo, Japan.

The device may include a receiving receptacle120. This receiving receptacle120may be joined to the annuli by a cantilevered connecting element125.

The receiving receptacle120may be intended to removably hold a removable tab that may be attached to a structural element.

In order to accomplish this, the receiving receptacle120may have a front retaining element181and a rear retaining element182separated by a gap183. The gap183may be sized to be a snug, or push, fit to the removable tab.

The retaining elements preferably comprise surfaces oriented perpendicular to a direction of play175of the game controller.

The retaining elements may also contain one or more locating slots170.

FIG. 2shows an isometric view of a removable tab with an attached structural element of a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

The removable tab130may be shaped and sized to be a lock-and-key fit to the receiving receptacle shown inFIG. 1. In addition to the blade-like body that is sized and shaped to fit the gap between the receiving receptacle's side walls, the removable tab130may have one or more locating tabs165. These locating tab165may correspond in shape and location to the locating slots of the receiving receptacle.

The may also be a structural element135attached to the removable tab130. The structural element135may be of direct functional use to the game player, or it may serve to support or hold an element that may be of functional use to the game player.

FIG. 3shows an isometric view of removable, external peripheral holder supporting a smart phone holder that in turn is supporting a smart phone in a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

The smart phone160may be held in a structural element that may be designed to be a smart phone holder155. The smart phone holder155may be rigidly attached to a removable tab130that is a removable fit to the receiving receptacle120of the removable, external peripheral holder105for a video game controller.

A smart phone160held on the smart phone holder155may, for instance, be incorporated into the game being played by suitable apps that may, for instance, allow the game player to have additional features such as, but not limited to, an alternate view of the game being played, a cheat-sheet that may be connected to the internet, a video link to a competitor or some combination thereof.

One of ordinary skill in the art will, however, appreciate that such a holder may instead be used to hold other objects such as, but not limited to, an LED display screen, a simple insignia holder that may contain commercial or team logos, or instructions, or some combination thereof.

FIG. 4shows an isometric view of removable, external peripheral holder supporting a lateral vision shield in a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

The lateral vision shield140may be rigidly attached to a removable tab130so that it is removable attachable to the removable, external peripheral holder105for a video game controller via the receiving receptacle120.

The lateral vision shield140may be shaped and sized to prevent a player's hand and finger positions being observed by someone seated or standing alongside the player.

The utility of the lateral vision shield140lies in the fact that video game players often compete while physically located alongside each other. The hand-held game controllers typically have a variety of buttons that a played may be used to select options that effect outcomes in the game being played. A played conversant with what actions the buttons cause, may, by observing an opponent's readiness to select particular buttons, anticipate their opponent's next response. The observer may then be ready to counter, or defend against an action, even before the final selection is made. In this manner, a player may gain a significant advantage towards winning the game. The lateral vision shield140provides a way that may prevent such observations being possible.

The lateral vision shield140shown inFIG. 4is intended to be shaped like a football helmet and may, for instance, be decorated with the team colors of a team the player is a fan of.

One of ordinary skill in the art will, however, appreciate that the removable tab130may be assume many shapes and still perform the same function.

In addition to decorating the outside of the lateral vision shield140with logos, advertising, team icons or other indicia, the inside of the lateral vision shield may also be decorated. The inside surface decorations may in addition or instead of logos, advertising and team icons, be information that may be useful to the player such as, but not limited to, game rules, cheat sheet tips, maps of a region in which the game is being played, or some combination thereof.

The lateral vision shield140is preferably made of a light material that may be a plastic such as, but not limited to, polyethylene terephthalate (PET or PETE), polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyvinylidine chloride, polyethylene or polypropylene, or some combination thereof. The lateral vision shield140may also include elements of light metals such as, but not limited to, aluminum or titanium or some combination thereof.

In a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the lateral vision shield140may be foldable for easy storage and/or transportation.

Such a foldable lateral vision shield145may be facilitated by a variety of mechanisms such as, but not limited to, umbrella type mechanisms, inflation type mechanisms, or folding bar type mechanisms, or some combination thereof.

FIG. 5Ashows an isometric view of fully closed arched collapsible elements supporting a foldable lateral vision shield in a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

The arched collapsible elements150are shown inFIG. 5Ain a fully collapsed configuration, which may be the preferred configuration for storage or transportation. The foldable lateral vision shield material145may be some opaque, flexible material such as, but not limited to, Mylar™, cloth, plastic, paper, or rubber or some combination thereof.

InFIG. 5Athe material146constituting part of the foldable lateral vision shield145may be seen folded flat.

FIG. 5Bshows an isometric view of partially opened arched collapsible elements supporting a foldable lateral vision shield in a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5Bshows a structure having four arched collapsible elements150joined by hinges185to two arched support elements190.

The structure ofFIG. 5Bis effectively a six-bar linkage. In order for such a linkage to maintain a stable state when fully opened, it may be necessary to have motion restraints195at one or more of the hinges, and preferably on all six hinges. These motion restraints195may, for instance, prevent the hinged bars from moving either past a 90-degree angle relative to each other, as may be the case in the motion restraints195associated with the hinges185joining the arched support elements190to the arched collapsible elements150. Alternately, the motion restraints195may prevent the hinged bars from moving past a 180-degree angle relative to each other, as may be the case in the motion restraints195associated with the hinges185joining the arched support elements190to each other. The motion restraints195may maintain their maximum opening state using temporary locking or latching devices such as, but not limited to, a press fit stud and aperture, a hook and look fastening, a magnet and ferrous plate, or some combination thereof.

One of ordinary skill in the art will, however, appreciate that alternate hinged bar arrangements may also be utilized to achieve a foldable lateral vision shield145. A four-bar link in which the hinges have motion restraints may, for instance, be effective, although it would introduce a slightly more complex unfolding of the foldable lateral vision shield material.

In order to help ensure that the foldable lateral vision shield material146folds and unfolds predictably, there may also be a fold stabilizing bar205. The fold stabilizing bar205may be ridge that is less flexible than the foldable lateral vision shield material146and is preferably located along the line of the preferred line of fold when the material is fully folded.

The fold stabilizing bar205may be a thicker ridge of the foldable lateral vision shield material146or it may be an attached strip that is less flexible than the foldable lateral vision shield material146such as, but not limited to, plastic, cardboard, metal, fabric or some combination thereof. The fold stabilizing bar205may be attached to the foldable lateral vision shield material146by, for instance, a process such as, but not limited to, gluing, welding, stitching, stapling or some combination thereof.

FIG. 5Cshows an isometric view of fully opened arched collapsible elements supporting a foldable lateral vision shield material146to form part or all of a foldable lateral vision shield145in a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

The foldable lateral vision shield material146that may be attached to the two arched support elements190may now be stretched taut against the four fully extended arched collapsible elements150, forming a slightly curved surface that may constitute all or part of a foldable lateral vision shield145that may be removably attached to a removable, external peripheral holder for a video game controller via the mechanisms described above.

Each pair of arched collapsible elements150may now be aligned at about 180-degrees with respect to each other, having been rotated about their joining hinges185to the limit allowed by a motion restraint195. The motion restraints195may also incorporate temporary latching devices that hold the elements in this position, as described above.

The arched collapsible elements150may now be aligned at about90-degrees with respect to the arched support elements190, having been rotated about their joining hinges185to the limit allowed by a motion restraint195. The motion restraints195may also incorporate temporary latching devices that hold the elements in this position, as described above.

The fold stabilizing bar205may also help establish the curvature of the foldable lateral vision shield material146.

In further embodiments of the invention, the receiving receptacle may be designed to accommodate more than one removable tab. In this way the game player may, for instance, be able to use a smart phone at the same time as using a lateral vision shield. The same functionality may also be achieved by having a single tab supporting structure that is both a lateral vision shield and a structure for supporting a smart phone or any other suitable device or gadget.

In this way, the inside surface may, for instance, display more permanent information that may be useful to the player such as, but not limited to, game rules, cheat sheet tips, maps of a region in which the game is being played, or some combination thereof, while the video screen or smart phone is displaying information such as, but not limited to, high definition, high detail local map of the player's current environment, specific cheat-sheet type tips for a current situation, a specific view of the environment as seen from the game player's avatar's current location, or some combination thereof.

Although this invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure has been made only by way of illustration and that numerous changes in the details of construction and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention.