Sega Enterprises, Ltd.

Toshinori Date

Kenji Tosaki

Atsunori Himoto

Johnny D Couch

Sarah M Richmond

Yasuo Takasu

Akitoshi Oikawa

An expansion unitoris connected to a controller bodyincluding an analog direction key, a digital direction key, command buttons-, command levers, etc. An expansion unitincluding a photo emitting unitis connected to thereby make the controller cordless. An expansion unitincluding a photo detecting unit, whereby shooting games in which an enemy on a monitor screen can be shot can be played. An expansion unitincluding a vibration unitis connected, whereby a vibration is given to the controller bodyto make a shooting game more realistic. New functions can be added to the conventional controller, and the new functions can be added freely without making no change to the controller body.

Controller and expansion unit for controller

An expansion unitoris connected to a controller bodyincluding an analog direction key, a digital direction key, command buttons, command levers, etc. An expansion unitincluding a photo emitting unitis connected to thereby make the controller cordless. An expansion unitincluding a photo detecting unit, whereby shooting games in which an enemy on a monitor screen can be shot can be played. An expansion unitincluding a vibration unitis connected, whereby a vibration is given to the controller bodyto make a shooting game more realistic. New functions can be added to the conventional controller, and the new functions can be added freely without making no change to the controller body.

An expansion unit or is connected to a controller body including an analog direction key , a digital direction key , command buttons , command levers , etc. An expansion unit including a photo emitting unit is connected to thereby make the controller cordless. An expansion unit including a photo detecting unit , whereby shooting games in which an enemy on a monitor screen can be shot can be played. An expansion unit including a vibration unit is connected, whereby a vibration is given to the controller body to make a shooting game more realistic. New functions can be added to the conventional controller, and the new functions can be added freely without making no change to the controller body.

A control-key device is provided for use as a controller for a video game including a direction specifying key mounted on a housing which an operator manipulates to control the play of a video game, where the surface of said direction specifying key comprises a combination of concave portions to facilitate use of the direction specifying key. The unit preferably comprises a push button and a housing including a hole through which the push button protrudes. The housing extends along a plane wherein said plane intersects a plane perpendicular to an axis of said push button at a predetermined angle, and said plane of said housing also extending parallel to a plane defined by the surface of said push button. In a preferred embodiment, the push button is mounted in a manner such that the push button has a rotation axis and a plurality of operating surfaces, where each of said plurality of operating surfaces includes a projection that forms a surface perpendicular to the rotational direction defined by said rotation axis.

Hand held control key device including multiple switch arrangements

Controller for game machine

An object of the present invention is to provide a control-key device having a shape such that the control-key device easily fits the hands of an operator. The control-key device has a top case 11 and a bottom case 12 having a curved shape. The control-key device has three circuit substrates 81, 82 and 83 having angles formed therebetween so that the curved shape of the top case and bottom case matches these the three circuit substrates. Rubber contact members 70, 63 and 22 are placed on the circuit substrates, push buttons 31, 32, 33 and 60 and a direction specifying key 20 being placed thereon.

A control key device includes a casing having a generally dome-shaped portion provided at an arbitrary part of the casing, the dome-shaped portion having a top surface and a hole provided at a central part of the dome-shaped portion, a substrate provided within the casing and having a plurality of electrical contacts, a resilient member provided on the substrate and having a plurality of bulges at positions corresponding to the electrical contacts of the substrate, each of the bulges having an electrically conductive portion which makes electrical contact with a corresponding one of the electrical contacts when the bulge is resiliently deformed, a contact pressing member provided on the resilient member and having a plurality of legs at positions corresponding to the bulges of the resilient member, and a key secured on the contact pressing member via the hole in the dome-shaped portion of the casing, the key having a home position and a tilted position. One of the legs of the contact pressing member resiliently deforms a corresponding one of the bulges of the resilient member to achieve electrical contact between the electrically conductive portion of the corresponding one bulge and a corresponding one of the electrical contacts of the substrate in the tilted position of the key, and the key has a sliding surface which makes sliding contact with the top surface of the dome-shaped portion of the casing when tilting from the home position to the tilted position.

Control key multiple electrical contact switching device

A control key device having a contact member which comprises at least a first and second contact portion such that when an operating force is applied to the first contact portion the second contact portion is caused to touch the first contact portion so that predetermined electrical contact is established. The causing of the second contact portion touching the first contact portion results from an operating force elastically transforming the shape of the contact member. A tilting mechanism is provided by a guiding member of predetermined shape having a through hole. The tilting mechanism functions to tilt the contact member in response to an operating force applied to the contact member. The contact member has a key portion and a pad portion defining a home position and a tilted position.

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Tokyo, Japan

Toshinori Date