U.S. Pat. No. 10,722,786

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1is a front view of a hand-held video game controller100according to an embodiment of the present invention. The controller100may include a controller body110having a front112and a back (not visible inFIG. 1). In the embodiment ofFIG. 1, the front112of the controller body110may include a plurality of thumb controls122,124,126,128. For example, tilting button controls122,124, a joystick126, each of the buttons128, and any other button, knob, wheel, joystick, or trackball on the front112of the controller body110, may be considered as a thumb control if it may be conveniently manipulated by a user's thumb during normal operation while the controller100is held in the hands of the user.

As shown in the example ofFIG. 1, the controller100may also have an optional left upper trigger142and an optional right upper trigger144, each located along a top edge116of the controller body110, and typically controlled by the user's index fingers during normal operation while the controller100is held in the hands of the user. In certain embodiments, the controller body110may include a left handle portion132and a right handle portion134, to facilitate handling by the user. In certain embodiments, the left and right handle portions132,134may optionally be simply the left and right edges of the controller body110(if that's where the user would normally place her hands during normal use of the controller100).

FIG. 2is a back view of the hand-held video game controller100, showing the back114of the controller body110. The optional left upper trigger142and an optional right upper trigger144are also visible in the back view ofFIG. 2, as are the left handle portion132and a right handle portion134. The back114of the controller body110optionally may also include left and right under triggers146,148, which may be conveniently manipulated by the user's index or middle fingers during normal operation while the controller100is held in the hands of the user.

In the embodiment ofFIG. 2, the back114of the controller body110may include a removable unitary back shell150that is preferably a single monolithic component (e.g. a single injection-molded plastic component). In the embodiment ofFIG. 2, the removable unitary back shell150is optionally approximately centrally located between the left and right handle portions132,134. In certain embodiments, the removable unitary back shell150may be removable by a conventional latch mechanism component156a. In certain alternative embodiments, the removable unitary back shell150may conventionally snap in or out of place on the controller body110, by a conventional snap-in/snap-out interference of parts.

In certain embodiments, the unitary back shell150may be resilient, i.e. able to be moved or flexed from a rest position by the force of a user's finger, but returning to a rest position when not under load. In certain embodiments, the resilient nature of the unitary back shell150may enable it to selectively depress one or more underlying control buttons in response to forces or pressures selectively applied by the user (e.g. by the user's fingers other than the thumbs, most usually the user's middle, ring, or little fingers). For example, contiguous and unitary left and right wing portions152,154may be readily accessible to the fingers of the user's left and right hands, respectively, during normal operation while the controller100is held in the hands of the user.

FIG. 3is a back view of the hand-held video game controller100, with the unitary back shell150removed to reveal certain underlying features. In the embodiment ofFIG. 3, the controller100includes left and right back control buttons162,164that underlie the unitary back shell150when it is attached to the controller body110. When the unitary back shell150is attached to the controller body110(e.g. by engagement of tabs158binto tab receiving holes158a), the user may selectively depress the left and right back control buttons162,164by flexing the unitary back shell into contact therewith.

In the embodiment ofFIG. 3, the controller100includes two battery compartments172,174that are selectively accessible by removal of the removable unitary back shell150. In this context, the battery compartments172,174are considered to be selective accessible because they are accessible when the user removes the removable unitary back shell150, but is not accessible when the user does not remove the removable unitary back shell150.

Optionally but not necessarily, each of the battery compartments172,174may receive one or more batteries (e.g. AA or AAA sized conventional batteries176,178, or another conventional battery configuration such as 9V batteries, etc.). As shown inFIG. 3, each of the two battery compartments172,174is optionally but not necessarily disposed in (i.e. at least partially disposed in) a corresponding one of the left and right handle portions132,134, respectively.

FIG. 4is an underside perspective view of the unitary back shell150. Now referring toFIGS. 3 and 4, the removable unitary back shell150has a shell underside180that optionally may include left and right rearward projections182,184configured to contact the left and right back control buttons162,164, respectively. The shell underside180optionally may also include a latch component156bthat engages with the conventional latch component156ato facilitate removal and reattachment of the removable unitary back shell150.

In certain embodiments, the underside180of the removable unitary back shell150may further include a rearward fulcrum bulge186disposed between the left and right rearward projections182,184. For example, the rearward fulcrum bulge186optionally may be approximately centrally located between left and right edges of the removable unitary back shell150. In certain embodiments, the rearward fulcrum bulge186preferably may be in contact with the controller body110when the unitary back shell150is attached thereto. In such embodiments, the unitary back shell150may optionally rock or flex about the rearward fulcrum bulge186, so that the left and right rearward projections182,184can selectively depress the underlying left and/or right back control buttons162,164, respectively, in response to forces or pressures selectively applied by the user.

FIG. 5is a back view of a hand-held video game controller200according to another embodiment of the present invention, with a unitary back shell250removed to reveal underlying features. The game controller200may include a controller body210having a back214. The controller200optionally may include left and right upper triggers242,244, and optional left and right under triggers246,248. These triggers may be located so as to be conveniently manipulated by the user's index or middle fingers during normal operation while the controller200is held in the hands of the user.

In the embodiment ofFIG. 5, the removable unitary back shell250preferably may be a single monolithic component (e.g. a single injection-molded plastic component), and optionally may be approximately centrally located between left and right handle portions232,234. In certain embodiments, the removable unitary back shell250may be removable by a conventional latch mechanism component256a. In certain alternative embodiments, the removable unitary back shell250may conventionally snap in or out of place on the controller body210, by a conventional snap-in/snap-out interference of parts.

In the embodiment ofFIG. 5, the controller200includes left and right back control buttons262,264that underlie the unitary back shell250when it is attached to the controller body210. When the unitary back shell250is attached to the controller body210(e.g. by engagement of tabs258binto tab receiving holes258a), the user may selectively depress the left and right back control buttons262,264by flexing the unitary back shell into contact therewith.

In certain embodiments, the unitary back shell250may be resilient, i.e. able to be moved or flexed from a rest position by the force of a user's finger, but returning to a rest position when not under load. In certain embodiments, the resilient nature of the unitary back shell250may improve its ability to selectively depress one or more of the underlying control buttons262,264, in response to forces or pressures selectively applied by the user (e.g. by the user's fingers other than the thumbs, most usually the user's middle, ring, or little fingers). For example, contiguous and unitary left and right wing portions252,254may be readily accessible to the fingers of the user's left and right hands, respectively, during normal operation while the controller200is held in the hands of the user.

In the embodiment ofFIG. 5, the controller200may include a single battery compartment272that is selectively accessible by removal of the removable unitary back shell250. In this context, the battery compartment272is considered to be selective accessible because it is accessible when the user removes the removable unitary back shell250, but is not accessible when the user does not remove the removable unitary back shell250.

As shown in theFIG. 5, the battery compartment272optionally may be approximately centrally located between the left and right handle portions232,234, and the battery compartment272may underlie the removable unitary back shell250. Optionally but not necessarily, the battery compartment272may receive one or more batteries (e.g. conventional AA or AAA sized batteries276,278, or a single 9V battery, etc.).

In the foregoing specification, the invention is described with reference to specific exemplary embodiments, but those skilled in the art will recognize that the invention is not limited to those. It is contemplated that various features and aspects of the invention may be used individually or jointly and possibly in a different environment or application. The specification and drawings are, accordingly, to be regarded as illustrative and exemplary rather than restrictive. For example, the word “preferably,” and the phrase “preferably but not necessarily,” are used synonymously herein to consistently include the meaning of “not necessarily” or optionally. “Comprising,” “including,” and “having,” are intended to be open-ended terms.