Atari Corporation

James C Asher

Kevin P McKinsey

Frederick W Thompson

Douglas A Hardy

A combination keyboard/joystick controller is provided in which a joystick shaft is pivotally mounted on one end. The shaft passes through elongated apertures in two parallel plates. Each plate is capable of moving along an axis in response to joystick movement along that axis, and each plate is coupled to a potentiometer which therefore provides an analog output indicative of joystick movement along the two axes. Also provided is a keyboard mounted on a flex circuit. An array of keys including a conductive material cooperate to cause electrical contact between traces on the flex circuit.

Controller unit for video game

A joystick controller in which a conventional handle is moveable radially with respect to its axis relative to an axial pivot location from the nominal rest position of the handle is disclosed. A plurality of pressure-actuated switches are disposed in a common plane normal to the axis of the handle in its rest position. The switches circumscribe the approximate pivot location of the handle. A deformable resilient annular member is superimposed over the switches. The annular member is fixed to the handle so that displacement of the handle from its rest position causes an arcuate portion of the annular member to press against at least one of the switches. The annular member thus actuates selected switches depending on the direction in which the handle is displaced by the operator.

Joystick control

An improved dome switch is disclosed in which the configuration of the dome is modified to avoid premature wear of the circular contact. Specifically, the marginal portions of the dome is physical contact with the circular contact are provided with reverse curvature relative to the curvature of the remainder of the dome. The dome switch is incorporated in devices in which the switch is mechanically actuated, such as in a video game joy stick, or manually actuated, such as in the keyboard of a hand-held calculator.

Dome switch having contacts offering extended wear

Memory module housing

An electrical control device having a joystick or lever manually movable in the X and Y directions to actuate a pair of electrical components having respective rotatable shafts. The controller includes a housing having a top cover provided with an opening through which the lever extends. The lower end of the lever is pivotally mounted in a socket on the bottom of the housing and a ball joint is carried by the lever intermediate its ends. The ball joint is pivotally coupled to a control plate shiftable in the housing beneath the top cover, the plate being biased into an equilibrium position by a number of leaf springs normally engaging respective side margins of the plate. The plate has a pair of slots in its lower surface, the slots being mutually perpendicular and vertical projections on the outer ends of a pair of bell cranks are shiftably received within respective slots in the plate. The bell cranks are coupled to the rotatable shafts of respective electrical components so that, when the plate is moved in any one of a number of different directions upon manual movement of the lever, one or both of the rotatable shafts of the electrical components are rotated to actuate the components.

Joystick controller

Game control console

Video game cartridge assembly

A cartridge for shielding a portable electronic micro-circuit and for connecting the circuit into a TV game. The apparatus includes a circuit board that is protected within a housing from static electricity and is adapted for connection with an electrical connector on a TV game. The housing includes two parallel members for moving aside a protective shield on the electrical connector and thereby permitting engagement of the circuit board with the connector in the game.

Growing community of inventors

San Jose, CA, United States of America

James C Asher