(19) United States
`(12) Patent Application Publication (10) Pub. No.: US 2001/0025778 A1
`Ono
`(43) Pub. Date:
`Oct. 4, 2001
`
`US 20010025778A1
`
`(54) SWITCH FOR GAME CONTROLLER
`
`(52) U.s. Cl.
`
`......................................... .. 200/512, 200/1 B
`
`(76)
`
`Inventor: Atsushi Ono, Tokyo (JP)
`
`Correspondence Address:
`McGuire Woods,
`1750 Tysons Boulevard, Suite 1800
`Tysons Corner
`McLean, VA 22102-3915 (US)
`
`(21) Appl. No.:
`
`09/817,373
`
`(22)
`
`Filed:
`
`Mar. 27, 2001
`
`(30)
`
`Foreign Application Priority Data
`
`Mar. 31, 2000
`
`(JP) ................................ .. P. 2000-098693
`
`Publication Classification
`
`(51)
`
`Int. Cl.7 ..................................................... .. H01H 1/10
`
`(57)
`
`ABSTRACT
`
`In a switch for a game controller, a click rubber is provided
`in a casing mounted on a base plate and adapted to be
`deformed and displaced by push-down operation of a button.
`Contacts are adapted to be operated by the deformation and
`displacement of the click rubber to control an output of a
`signal. An conductive body is provided at a lower end part
`of a body of the click rubber, and the base plate is provided
`with an upper Contact and a lower Contact which are verti-
`cally apart from each other and opposed to the conductive
`body. The lower Contact is covered with a first resist formed
`of an inductive body, the upper Contact is mounted on a
`second resist and arranged at a position higher than height of
`the first resist covering the lower contact.
`
`PETITIONER VALVE CORPORATION, EX. 1004
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`Patent Application Publication
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`Oct. 4, 2001 Sheet 1 of 4
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`US 2001/0025778 A1
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`PETITIONER VALVE CORPORATION, EX. 1004
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`Patent Application Publication
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`Oct. 4, 2001 Sheet 2 of 4
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`US 2001/0025778 A1
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`Patent Application Publication
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`Oct. 4, 2001 Sheet 3 of 4
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`US 2001/0025778 A1
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`/-'.y. 4
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`PETITIONER VALVE CORPORATION, EX. 1004
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`p. 000004
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`Patent Application Publication
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`Oct. 4, 2001 Sheet 4 of 4
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`US 2001/0025778 A1
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`PETITIONER VALVE CORPORATION, EX. 1004
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`p. 000005
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`

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`US 2001/0025778 A1
`
`Oct. 4, 2001
`
`SWITCH FOR GAME CONTROLLER
`
`SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
`
`BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
`
`[0001] The present invention relates to a switch for a game
`controller, and more particularly to the switch for the game
`controller which is constructed in such a manner that an “on”
`
`and “off” signal is outputted with operation of a button, and
`by strongly pushing down the button, an analog signal
`corresponding to the push-down operation of the button is
`outputted.
`
`[0002] A related switch for a game controller of this type
`will be explained referring to FIG. 6. The switch 1 for the
`game controller consists of a base plate 4 on which a pair of
`contacts 2 and 3 are fixed, a click rubber 5 provided on the
`base plate 4 which will be described later, a button 7 placed
`on the click rubber 5, and a casing 8 which is mounted on
`the base plate 4 covering the click rubber 5 and the button
`7. The casing 8 is substantially in an inverted shape of a
`bottomed cylinder, and provided with an opening 8a at its
`upper end part. The click rubber 5 is composed of a
`cylindrical body 5a in a substantially cylindrical shape, leg
`portions 5b extended from an outer peripheral part of a lower
`end of the cylindrical body Sa diagonally downward and
`formed of elastic material, and foot portions 5c arranged at
`lower end parts of the leg portions 5b. An conductive body
`6 is fixed to the lower end part of the cylindrical body 5a.
`Moreover, the foot portions 5c are mounted on the base plate
`4 and at the same time, retained by a lower end part of the
`casing 8. The button 7 consists of an upper small diameter
`portion 7a in a cylindrical shape and a lower large diameter
`portion 7b in a cylindrical shape. The upper small diameter
`portion 7a is arranged so as to pass through the opening 8a
`formed in the casing 8 and project upward from the casing
`8, while the lower large diameter portion 7b is provided
`underneath the upper end part of the casing 8 and biased in
`an upward direction by means of the click rubber 5.
`
`[0003] When the button 7 is pushed downward, the leg
`portions 5b of the click rubber 5 are deformed with the
`pushing motion of the button 7, and the click rubber 5 is
`displaced downward. When the click rubber 5 has been
`displaced by a determined distance, the leg portions 5b are
`greatly deformed instantaneously and the click rubber 5 is
`displaced to the lowermost position, whereby the conductive
`body 6 provided on the cylindrical body 5a is brought into
`contact with the contacts 2 and 3 and allows the contacts 2
`
`and 3 to be conducted. Moreover, when the leg portions 5b
`are greatly deformed instantaneously, an operator of the
`button 7 can feel a touch of a click, and the operator can
`confirm the conduction between the contacts 2 and 3 from
`the touch of the click.
`
`In the related switch for the game controller as
`[0004]
`described above, when the button is pushed downward, the
`leg portions of the click rubber are deformed by the push
`motion of the button, and the click rubber is displaced
`downward. Then, when the crick rubber is displaced to the
`lowermost position, the conductive body fixed to the lower
`end part of the click rubber comes in contact with a pair of
`the contacts on the base plate to allow the contacts to be
`conducted. However, an output corresponding to the button
`operation in the switch for the game controller is limited to
`an output of a digital signal by “on” and “off” operation, and
`therefore, has been insufficient in function to act as the
`switch for the game controller.
`
`[0005] Therefore, in the switch for the game controller
`employing the button, there has been a technical demand
`that both the digital signal of the “on” and “off” switch by
`the button operation and an analog signal corresponding to
`push-down operation of the button can be outputted, and at
`the same time, operability of the button may be enhanced. It
`is an object of the invention to solve this problem.
`
`In order to achieve the above object, according to
`[0006]
`the invention, there is provided a switch for a game con-
`troller, comprising:
`
`[0007]
`
`a base plate;
`
`[0008]
`plate;
`
`a first
`
`lower contact disposed on the base
`
`a first resist for covering the first lower con-
`[0009]
`tact, the first resist made of an inductive material;
`
`[0010]
`plate;
`
`a second lower contact disposed on the base
`
`a second resist for covering the second lower
`[0011]
`contact,
`the second resist made of an inductive
`material;
`
`an upper contact formed on the second resist
`[0012]
`so as to be placed higher than a top face of the first
`resist;
`
`[0013]
`tact;
`
`a click rubber disposed above the upper con-
`
`a conductive body provided on a bottom por-
`[0014]
`tion of the click rubber so as to face the upper contact
`and the first resist; and
`
`a button for deforming the click rubber such
`[0015]
`that the conductive body is brought into contact with
`the upper contact when a predetermined pressing
`force is applied, and such that the conductive body is
`further brought into contact with the first resist when
`a pressing force larger than the predetermined press-
`ing force is applied.
`
`is established when the
`[0016] Here, an output signal
`conductive body is brought into contact with the upper
`contact, and an analog output signal in accordance with the
`pressing force is generated when the conductive body is
`brought into contact with the first resist.
`
`[0017] According to the invention, there is also provided
`a switch for a game controller, comprising:
`
`[0018]
`
`a base plate;
`
`[0019]
`
`a lower contact disposed on the base plate;
`
`a first resist for covering the lower contact, the
`[0020]
`first resist made of an inductive material;
`
`a second resist disposed on the base plate, the
`[0021]
`resist made of an inductive material;
`
`an upper contact formed on the second resist
`[0022]
`such that a top face thereof is flush with a top face of
`the second resist;
`
`[0023]
`tact;
`
`a click rubber disposed above the upper con-
`
`PETITIONER VALVE CORPORATION, Ex. 1004
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`PETITIONER VALVE CORPORATION, Ex. 1004
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`p. 000006
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`

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`US 2001/0025778 A1
`
`Oct. 4, 2001
`
`a conductive body provided on a bottom por-
`[0024]
`tion of the click rubber so as to face the upper contact
`and the first resist; and
`
`resist 11c which covers the circular contact 11a. The upper
`contact 10 is arranged at a position higher than the resist 11d
`which covers the annular contact 11b.
`
`a button for deforming the click rubber such
`[0025]
`that the conductive body is brought into contact with
`the upper contact and the first resist when a prede-
`termined pressing force is applied.
`
`is established when the
`[0026] Here, an output signal
`conductive body is brought into contact with the upper
`contact and the first resist, and an analog output signal in
`accordance with the pressing force is generated when the
`conductive body is pressed against by a pressing force larger
`than the predetermined pressing force.
`
`In the above configurations, both the “on” and “off”
`[0027]
`signal as the digital signal and the analog signal can be
`outputted, and in addition, the digital signal and the analog
`signal can be identified by the load of the touch which the
`operator feels through the button operation. Accordingly,
`extremely enhanced operability as the switch for the game
`controller can be achieved.
`
`BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
`
`[0028]
`
`In the accompanying drawings:
`
`[0029] FIG. 1 is a vertical section view showing a switch
`for a game controller according to a first embodiment of the
`invention;
`
`[0030] FIG. 2 is a plan view of contacts in FIG. 1;
`
`[0031] FIG. 3 shows an equivalent circuit of the switch in
`FIG. 1;
`
`[0032] FIG. 4 is a graph showing relations among a
`displaced amount of a button of the switch in FIG. 1, a load
`of a touch which a button operator feels, and an output;
`
`[0033] FIG. 5 is a vertical section view showing a switch
`for the game controller according to a second embodiment
`of the invention; and
`
`[0034] FIG. 6 is a vertical section view of a related switch
`for a game controller.
`
`DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE
`PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
`
`[0035] Now, preferred embodiments of the invention will
`be described in detail referring to the accompanying draw-
`ings. For convenience of explanation,
`those components
`identical to those in the related art will be represented by the
`same reference numerals, and their explanation will be
`omitted. In FIG. 1, numeral 9 represents a switch for a game
`controller according to a first embodiment of the invention.
`The switch 9 has an upper contact 10 and a lower contact 11
`which are provided on the base plate 4 vertically apart from
`each other and opposed to the conductive body 6 provided
`on the click rubber 5.
`
`the lower contact 11 is
`[0036] As shown in FIG. 2,
`composed of a circular contact 11a and an annular contact
`11b in a C shape which is connected to the circular contact
`11a and provided around the circular contact 11a apart
`therefrom. The circular contact 11a and the annular contact
`
`11b are respectively covered with resists 11c and 11d made
`of inductive bodies. The upper contact 10 is mounted on the
`
`In FIG. 1, when the button 7 is pushed downward,
`[0037]
`the leg portions 5b of the click rubber 5 are deformed with
`the pushing motion of the button 7 and the click rubber 5 is
`displaced downward. When the click rubber 5 has been
`displaced by a determined distance, the leg portions 5b are
`greatly deformed instantaneously and the click rubber 5 is
`rapidly displaced downward, whereby the conductive body
`6 fixed to the lower end part of the cylindrical body 5a of the
`click rubber 5 comes in contact with the upper contact 10 to
`output an “on” signal which is the so-called digital signal.
`Further pushing down the button 7, an upper end part of the
`upper contact 10 is displaced downward, and at the same
`time, the conductive body 6 comes in contact with the resist
`11d covering the annular contact 11b. Thus, the conductive
`body 6, the resist 11d and the annular contact 11b serve as
`a condenser, and a signal output by the function as the
`condenser is generated. The conductive body 6, the resist
`11c and the circular contact 11a also serve as a condenser in
`the same manner.
`
`[0038] Furthermore, when the button 7 is strongly pushed
`down, deformation of the resists 11d and 11c becomes
`larger, and an analog signal is outputted by the function as
`the condenser in correspondence with the push-down opera-
`tion of the button 7. Capacity of the function as the con-
`denser is increased according to amounts of deformation of
`the resists 11d and 11c. An output pulse signal becomes
`larger in width of the pulse with the increase in the capacity
`of the function as the condenser, and the output is thus
`transmitted to a game machine (not shown).
`
`[0039] FIG. 3 shows an equivalent circuit of the switch 9
`in which the upper contact 10 and the conductive body 6
`correspond to a switch 12, while the contact 1, the resists 11c
`and 11d, and the conductive body 6 correspond to a con-
`denser 13 of variable capacity type. Capacity of the con-
`denser 13 is increased according to the amount of deforma-
`tion of the resists 11c and 11d. Moreover, the switch 12 and
`the condenser 13 are connected in series. An end at a side of
`
`the switch 12 is grounded and the other end at a side of the
`condenser 13 is connected to a line which exists between a
`
`resistor 15 connected to a clock terminal 14 and one of input
`terminals of an exclusive OR gate 16 (hereinafter, simply
`referred to as EX-OR gate). The other input terminal of the
`EX-OR gate 16 is connected to the clock terminal 14.
`
`[0040] When the switch 12 is closed, an “on” signal of the
`switch 12 is transmitted to the game machine (not shown) as
`the output of the digital signal from the switch 9 by way of
`the EX-OR gate 16. When the button 7 is further pushed
`down and the resists 11c and 11d are deformed, the capacity
`of the condenser 13 is changed, and a signal corresponding
`to the change, that is, the signal in which the pulse width of
`the pulse signal is changed is transmitted to the EX-OR gate
`16. Then, logical operation is conducted by the EX-OR gate
`16, and the output is transmitted to the game machine as the
`output of the analog signal from the switch 9.
`
`[0041] FIG. 4 is a graph showing relations among a stroke
`S of the button 7, a load P of the touch which the operator
`of the button 7 feels, and an output V of the switch 9. When
`the stroke S varies from 0 to S1, the load of the touch P also
`varies from 0 to P1 substantially in proportion to the stroke
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`PETITIONER VALVE CORPORATION, Ex. 1004
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`US 2001/0025778 A1
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`Oct. 4, 2001
`
`S. When the stroke S has arrived at S1, the load of the touch
`P is rapidly decreased from P1, and when the stroke S has
`arrived at S2, the load of the touch P is decreased to P2. This
`phenomenon is because the leg portions 5b are greatly
`deformed. Further, when the stroke S is increased to be more
`than S2, the load of the touch P is increased substantially in
`proportion to the stroke S. When the stroke S has arrived at
`S2, in other words, when the conductive body 6 has come in
`contact with the upper contact 10, an output V1 is generated
`as the output V of the switch 9. In short, this is the “on”
`signal as the digital signal output. The output V is main-
`tained at V1 while the stroke S varies from S2 to S3. When
`the stroke S has arrived at S3, in other words, when the
`conductive body 6 has come in contact with the resist 11d,
`the output V begins to increase from V1 substantially in
`proportion to the increase in the load of the touch P, and the
`so-called analog output can be generated. With this struc-
`ture, the operator of the button 7 can identify the digital
`signal and the analog signal by the load of the touch P when
`outputting them.
`
`[0042] FIG. 5 shows a switch for a game controller 17
`according to a second embodiment of the invention. In the
`switch 17, an upper end of the contact 10 is arranged so as
`to be at the same height as an upper end of the resist 11d
`covering the annular contact 11b, and the circular contact
`(the contact 11a in FIG. 1) of the switch 9 is omitted. The
`switch 17 is the same as the switch 9 in respect of the other
`structure. In the switch 17, the conductive body 6 comes in
`contact with the upper contact 10 and at the same time,
`comes in contact with the resist 11d of the annular contact
`
`11b. Accordingly, when the “on” signal as the digital signal
`is outputted, the analog signal starts to generated at the same
`instant. As described, this switch 17 and the switch 9 are
`different from each other with respect to the signals which
`are outputted by pushing down the button 7, and therefore,
`can be appropriately selected for use according to a type of
`the game.
`
`[0043] Further, in both the switch 17 and the switch 9, the
`displacement in only one direction, that is, a direction of Z
`axis is outputted as the digital and analog signals, but
`displacements in directions of X axis and Y axis in addition
`to the Z axis can be also outputted as the digital and analog
`signals in the same manner. Thus, a so-called joystick
`function can be attained with a small sized button.
`
`It is apparent that various modifications can be
`[0044]
`added to the invention unless they deviate from the spirit of
`the invention, and that the modifications are also included in
`the invention.
`
`What is claimed is:
`
`1. A switch for a game controller comprising:
`
`a base plate;
`
`a first lower contact disposed on the base plate;
`
`a first resist for covering the first lower contact, the first
`resist made of an inductive material;
`
`a second lower contact disposed on the base plate;
`
`a second resist for covering the second lower contact, the
`second resist made of an inductive material;
`
`an upper contact formed on the second resist so as to be
`placed higher than a top face of the first resist a click
`rubber disposed above the upper contact;
`
`a conductive body provided on a bottom portion of the
`click rubber so as to face the upper contact and the first
`resist; and
`
`a button for deforming the click rubber such that the
`conductive body is brought into contact with the upper
`contact when a predetermined pressing force is applied,
`and such that the conductive body is further brought
`into contact with the first resist when a pressing force
`larger than the predetermined pressing force is applied.
`2. The switch as set forth in claim 1, wherein an output
`signal is established when the conductive body is brought
`into contact with the upper contact, and an analog output
`signal in accordance with the pressing force is generated
`when the conductive body is brought into contact with the
`first resist.
`
`3. A switch for a game controller, comprising:
`
`a base plate;
`
`a lower contact disposed on the base plate;
`
`a first resist for covering the lower contact, the first resist
`made of an inductive material;
`
`a second resist disposed on the base plate, the resist made
`of an inductive material;
`
`an upper contact formed on the second resist such that a
`top face thereof is flush with a top face of the second
`resist;
`
`a click rubber disposed above the upper contact;
`
`a conductive body provided on a bottom portion of the
`click rubber so as to face the upper contact and the first
`resist; and
`
`a button for deforming the click rubber such that the
`conductive body is brought into contact with the upper
`contact and the first resist when a predetermined press-
`ing force is applied.
`4. The switch as set forth in claim 3, wherein an output
`signal is established when the conductive body is brought
`into contact with the upper contact and the first resist, and an
`analog output signal in accordance with the pressing force is
`generated when the conductive body is pressed against by a
`pressing force larger than the predetermined pressing force.
`*
`*
`*
`*
`*
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`PETITIONER VALVE CORPORATION, Ex. 1004
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`p.000008
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`PETITIONER VALVE CORPORATION, Ex. 1004
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`p. 000008