Manipulator for game machine

A manipulator includes a housing having right and left handles, and a coupling for coupling them. The handles are formed with grips, and direction instructing switches for instructing the character moving direction. The switches are disposed in the thumb position area of the player in the upper parts of the grips. A step is formed between the operating regions for forming direction instructing switches and grips, and the thumb of the player draws a spontaneous arc along the step.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the invention 
The present invention relates to a manipulator for a game machine, and more 
particularly to a manipulator for a game machine which is used in a 
television game machine, a video game machine with display, or the like to 
which a cartridge storing a game program is detachably attached and which 
executes the process for the game by reading out the game program from the 
cartridge. 
2. Description of the Prior Art 
Manipulators for game machines (so called game controllers) to be used in a 
television game or the like known hitherto include the joy stick type as 
disclosed in the Japanese Laid-open patent No. 58-225,515 (corresponding 
to U.S. Pat. No. 4,414,438; hereinafter called prior art 1), and the joy 
pad type as disclosed in the Japanese Laid-open Utility Model No. 4-42,029 
(corresponding to U.S. Pat No. 5,207,426; hereinafter called prior art 2). 
In prior art 1, the main body housing is held by a non-dexterous hand, and 
a control rod (handle) is held by the dexterous hand, and by tilting the 
wrist in this state, the moving direction of the character is instructed. 
In prior art 2, on a flat housing that can be held by both hands, a 
plurality of operation switches for direction instruction and action 
instruction are arranged. 
In prior art 1, in order to manipulate the control rod by tilting the 
wrist,the main body must be always held stably. However, for use in the 
game, it is necessary to manipulate action instructing switches for 
instructing various actions, and usually these switches are provided at 
the main body side, and are hence manipulated by the hand holding the main 
body. It is therefore difficult to hold the main body stably while 
manipulating the action instructing switches, and it is hard to 
manipulate. If the action instructing switches are provided in the control 
rod, since the direction is instructed by tilting the wrist, the hand 
become fatigued after a long use, and the controllability is poor. 
In prior art 2, it is designed to be held by both hands, and the operation 
switches can be manipulated without changing the palm holding state, and 
the problems in prior art 1 were solved and stable manipulation was 
possible. However, since the shape is flat, it has few positions to be 
caught by hand or finger, and it often slips out of hands during 
operation, or the holding position may be deviated to cause deviation in 
the configuration of the switches and fingers, and misoperations are 
likely to occur. It is thus necessary to hold the manipulator correctly on 
every occasion of misoperation by viewing, and correct the configuration 
of switches and fingers. As a result, a continuously running game is 
interrupted, and comfortable manipulation is not obtained. In particular, 
when used in the game machine with a goggle type display unit, to correct 
the finger position deviation by viewing the manipulator, the game machine 
with display unit must be removed from the head, which is very bothersome. 
In a controller disclosed in Japanese Laid-open Utility Model No. 4-104,893 
(hereinafter called prior art 3), since a grip is formed in the 
manipulator of prior art 2, it does not slip off during operation, and the 
holding position will not be deviated. In prior art 3, however, since the 
manipulation plane on which operation switches are formed projects ahead 
(to the player side) of the grip, the player must warp the thumb (in other 
words, by keeping the thumb root always in a tense state), and the thumb 
is fatigued and cannot withstand a long use. Besides, since the root of 
the thumb is always in tense state, the moving range of the thumb is 
limited, and the feel of manipulation is not comfortable. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
Therefore, a principal object of the present invention is to provide a 
novel manipulator for a game machine. 
Another object of the present invention is to provide a manipulator having 
good operability. 
A manipulator for game machine according to the present invention comprises 
a first grip selected in a bar shape to be held by a hand of the player, a 
second grip selected in a bar shape to be held by the other hand of the 
player, a first operating region located in the thumb area of the player 
in the upper portion of the first grip, formed in a step so as to be lower 
than the thumb root position of the player of the first grip, a second 
operating region located in the thumb area of the player in the upper 
portion of the second grip, formed in a step so as to be lower than the 
thumb root position of the player of the second grip, first direction 
instructing structure provided in the first operating region, second 
direction instructing structure provided in the second operating region, 
and coupling structure for coupling the first grip and second grip in a 
confronting state. 
The player holds the first grip by one hand, and holds the second grip by 
the other hand. In the grip holding state, the thumb of the player draws a 
spontaneous arc along the step formed between the grip and the operating 
region,and is positioned on the first and second operating regions. 
According to the present invention, the player holds the controller in the 
grip catching state, and hence can hold the controller more securely as 
compared with the manipulator in a flat shape held by both palms. It is 
further structured to be caught easily by the player's hand and fingers, 
and dropping of the manipulator during use or deviation of a holding 
position are avoided, thereby allowing continued stable manipulation 
without having to look at the hands or change the holding position 
correctly, and misoperation due to deviation of configuration of switches 
and fingers can be prevented. 
Moreover, between the grip and operating region, a step is formed so as to 
be lower than the thumb root position of the player in the grip, so that 
the thumb draws a spontaneous arc along the step. As a result, any 
excessive load is not applied to the thumb, and the player fatigue is less 
if used for a long time. 
Furthermore, according to a fourth aspect of the invention, the front, 
rear, left and right directions, and upper, lower, right slant and left 
slant directions can be instructed, so that directions can be instructed 
in a three-dimensional space. 
The above described objects and other objects, features, aspects and 
advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the 
following detailed description of the present invention when taken in 
conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 are perspective views showing a manipulator for a game 
machine in an embodiment of the invention, and specifically FIG. 1 is a 
perspective view from the front side, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view 
from the rear side. 
In the diagrams, a manipulator for a game machine (hereinafter called 
controller) 10 contains a housing 11. The housing 11 is roughly composed 
of a right handle 12R, a left handle 12L, and a coupling 13 for coupling 
them. Inside the housing 11 is accommodated a board in a proper shape (not 
shown) in which desired conductive circuit patterns are formed by printed 
wiring or the like. 
The right handle 12R and left handle 12L respectively comprise grips 14R, 
14L to be held by the middle, ring and little fingers of the player, and a 
direction instructing switch for right hand 15R and a direction 
instructing switch for left hand 15L for instructing the moving direction 
of characters (hero and others) of the game are disposed in the thumb 
position area of the player in the upper portions of the grips 14R, 14L. 
The direction instructing switch for right hand 15R comprises, for 
example, a cross key top 15r capable of instructing four orthogonal 
directions, that is, front, rear, left and right directions shown in FIG. 
3, and further comprises four pressing pads corresponding to the four 
directions. The direction instructing switch for left hand 15L comprises, 
for example, a cross key top 151 capable of instructing four directions, 
that is, upper, lower, right slant and left slant directions shown in FIG. 
4, and further comprises four pressing pads corresponding to the four 
directions. 
The grips 14R, 14L have concave and convex parts to be matched with the 
fingers of the player when held, and a comfortable feel is realized. In 
the index finger position areas of the player in the upper portions of the 
rear side of the grips 14R, 14L (in other words, the rear sides of the 
locations of the direction instructing means for right hand 15R and 
direction instructing means for left hand 15L), action instructing 
switches 16R, 16L (see FIG. 2) are formed. These action instruction 
switches 16R, 16L differ with the game program, and are used for 
instructing actions of characters such as "run" and "jump" except for the 
moving direction. In the boundary areas of the action instructing switches 
16R, 16L and grips 14R, 14L, protrusions 17R, 17L are formed, on which the 
index fingers can be placed when not manipulating the action instructing 
switches 16R, 16L, and they also function as guides for defining the 
moving direction of the index fingers at the time of manipulation. 
The coupling 13 further comprises a power source unit 13V, a right coupling 
13R for coupling the power source unit 13V and right handle 12R, and a 
left coupling 13L for coupling the power source unit 13V and left handle 
12L. A dry cell or a battery is placed in the power source unit 13V, and 
when a dry cell is used, a battery lid is formed at proper position. When 
a rechargeable battery is used, an external input terminal for connecting 
with a commercial AC power source detachably or firmly with a cord or the 
like is exposed at a position not disturbing the manipulation of the 
player (for example, in the bottom of the power source unit 13V), and is 
covered with a lid or the like if necessary. It may be also constituted so 
that both dry cell and battery can be used. 
The AC adapter for converting the commercial AC power source into DC may be 
either provided externally by using a cord, or incorporated in the power 
source unit 13V. When it is constituted to supply current through a cord 
by externally attaching an AC adapter, the overall weight of the 
controller 10 can be reduced, and hence the fatigue of the arms in long 
use can be alleviated. Or, when using the controller on a table or the 
like or the weight may be ignored, the overall weight of the controller 10 
may be increased by incorporating the AC adapter, and hence the center of 
gravity is stabilized to prevent shaking during manipulation, so that 
stable manipulation may be realized. 
In the right coupling 13R, switches 18A, 18B, 18C are formed so as to 
instruct three actions, different from those of the action instructing 
switches 16R, 16L, such as "punch," "kick" and "throw." In the left 
coupling 13L, a start switch 19A for instructing to start the game, and a 
select switch 19B for selecting the games are formed. 
In this embodiment, in order that the switches 18A, 18B, 18C, 19A, and 19B 
may be arranged within the accessible range of the thumbs, the coupling 13 
is coupled near the upper end of the handle 12 in which the direction 
instructing switch 15 is formed, but as far as the switches 18A, 18B, 18C, 
19A, and 19B may be arranged within the accessible range of the thumbs, it 
is not always necessary to coupling the couple 13 near the upper end of 
the handle 12. Otherwise, when the operating region for forming the 
direction instructing switch 15 is wide and the switches 18A, 18B, 18C, 
19A, and 19B are arranged in this area, the coupling position of the 
coupling 13 with the handle 12 is not particularly limited. 
The direction instructing switch for right hand 15R and direction 
instructing switch for left hand 15L comprise cross key tops 15r, 15l as 
mentioned above. The direction instructing switches including these key 
tops 15r, 15l are disclosed, for example, in the Japanese Utility Model 
Publication No. 3-13,951 (U.S. Pat No. 4,687,200). That is, in the lower 
parts of the key tops 15r, 15l, rubber contacts (not shown) forming four 
contacts are respectively arranged, and each rubber contact is composed on 
a board (not shown) in which contact circuits are formed. By pressing any 
one of a total of eight pressing pads of the key tops 15r and 15l, the 
four contacts each or eight contacts in all and the contact circuits are 
electrically connected, and a signal instructing any one or combined 
direction of eight directions of front, rear, left, right, upper, lower, 
right slant and left slant directions is picked up, thereby acting as a 
switch for instructing a three-dimensional direction. The key tops 15r, 
15l are put in the housing 11 with the pressing pads exposed, and the 
board is placed near the bottom of the key tops 15r, 15l in the housing 
11. 
Incidentally, if the character manipulated by the controller 10 of the 
invention is an airplane as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, its three-dimensional 
move instructing direction consists of eight directions as mentioned 
above, but depending on the character in question, the three-dimensional 
move instructing direction is composed of different combinations, and the 
combinations are controlled by the game program. As the three-dimensional 
move instructing directions aside from those mentioned above may include, 
for example in a human character, eight directions, front, rear, left, 
right, jump, squat, face right, and face left. 
The switches 16R, 16L, 18A, 18B, 18C, 19A, 19B are respectively composed of 
key tops 16r, 161, 18a, 18b, 18c, 19a, 19b stored with their pressing pads 
exposed from the housing 11, rubber contacts (not shown) disposed in the 
lower part of each key top, and a board (not shown) on which rubber 
contacts are placed and contact circuits are formed. 
FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 are diagrams showing the operation state of the 
controller 10 of the invention. The player holds the right grip 14R and 
left grip 14L by the right hand and left hand, respectively. At this time, 
the middle, ring and little fingers of the player are curved along the 
formed convex and concave parts, so that the player can hold the 
controller 10 firmly. The index fingers are positioned above the 
protrusions 17R, 17L formed in the upper parts of the grips 14R, 14L, and 
are used for manipulating the action instructing switches 16R, 16L. 
Usually, the index fingers rest on the protrusions 17R, 17L, and when 
manipulating the action instructing switches 16R, 16L, they are moved 
along the protrusions 17R, 17L. The thumbs are located on the key tops 
15r, 15l while gripping the grips 14R, 14L, and the thumb press down the 
pressing parts by tilting in the desired input direction. As a result, the 
corresponding contact is connected, and a desired direction instructing 
signal (pulse signal) is picked up. Besides, by slightly shifting the 
right thumb to the inside, the action instructing switches 18A, 18B, 18C 
can be pressed. 
Meanwhile, as shown in FIG. 7, in the controller 10 of the invention, since 
a step d is provided between the grip 14 and the operating region forming 
the direction instructing switch 15, when the player holds the controller 
10, the thumb draws a spontaneous arc along the step d. Accordingly, the 
thumb is free to move, without being warped, loaded with an excessive 
force, or kept always in tense state, so that fatigue is reduced if used 
for a long time. 
More preferably, the interval or opening of the grips 14R, 14L may be 
freely adjustable depending on the individual difference of the player, by 
providing a shaft 20 penetrating from the surface of the right coupling 
13R and left coupling 13L to the back of the power source unit 13V. Or, 
relating to the right coupling 13R and left coupling 13L, a gear may be 
provided to engage with each other, and the right and left sides may be 
opened or closed simultaneously, or the opening angle may be adjustable in 
multiple steps. 
FIG. 8 and FIG. 9 are diagrams showing a manipulator for a game machine in 
another embodiment of the invention, and specifically FIG. 8 is a 
perspective view seen from the surface, and FIG. 9 is a perspective view 
seen from the back side. 
A controller 50 in the embodiment in FIG. 8 comprises a housing 51, same as 
the controller 10 in the embodiment in FIG. 1. The housing 51 is roughly 
composed of a right handle 52R, a left handle 52L, and a coupling 53 for 
coupling them. Inside the housing 51 is accommodated a board in a proper 
shape (not shown) in which desired conductive circuit patterns are formed 
by printed wiring or the like. 
The right handle 52R and left handle 52L respectively comprise grips 54R, 
54L, a direction instructing switch for right hand 55R, and a direction 
instructing switch for left hand 55L, and the direction instructing 
switches 55R and 55L further comprise cross key tops 55r, 55l. 
The grips 54R, 54L have convex and concave parts to match with the fingers 
of the player, and action instructing switches 56R, 56L are formed in the 
index finger position areas of the player in the upper parts of the back 
side of the grips 54R, 54L. In the embodiment in FIG. 1, the index fingers 
are positioned by forming protrusions 17R, 17L in the boundary parts of 
the grips 14R, 14L and action instructing switches 16R, 16L; but in the 
embodiment in FIG. 8, the forming regions of the action instructing 
switches 56R, 56L are inclined by a certain angle to the grips 54R, 54L 
and direction instructing switches 55R, 55L, thereby positioning the index 
fingers so as not to deviate in the direction toward the grips 54R, 54L, 
and the index fingers are further positioned by forming a recess around 
the action instructing switches 56R, 56L. 
The coupling 53 comprises a power source unit 53V, a right coupling 53R, 
and a left coupling 53L. In the embodiment in FIG. 8, by widening the 
operating regions for forming the direction instructing switches 55R, 55L, 
they serve also as the right coupling 53R and left coupling 53L. The power 
source unit 53V comprises a power source case 60 detachable from the 
housing 51, and a base 61 of the housing 51 side for detaching or 
attaching the power source case 60. A dry cell or a rechargeable battery 
is placed in the power source case 60. In the base 61, an engaging pawl 62 
and an engaging bump 63 are formed for engaging and holding the power 
source case 60. By contrast, at the power source case 60 side, an engaging 
groove 64 corresponding to the engaging pawl 62, and an engaging recess 
(not shown) to be engaged with the engaging bump 63 are formed. 
A terminal 70 for electrically connecting with the power source case 60 is 
formed in the base 61, and terminal 71 for connecting the power cord when 
not attaching and using the power source case 60 is formed, so that the 
player may attach and use the power source case 60, or use the power cord, 
as desired. When the power source case 60 is attached, the terminal 71 for 
power source cord is covered with the power source case 60 so as not to be 
exposed. 
In the right coupling 53R, action instructing switches 58A, 58B for 
instructing actions different from the action instructing switches 56R, 
56L are formed, and the left coupling 53L forms a start switch 59A and a 
select switch 59B. The direction instructing switches 55R, 55L, the action 
instructing switches 56R, 56L, 58A, 58B, start switch 59A and select 
switch 59B are composed of, same as in the embodiment in FIG. 1, key tops 
53r, 53l, 56r, 56l, 58a, 58b, 59a, 59b, rubber contacts (not shown) formed 
in the lower part of each key top, and the board (not shown) on which 
rubber contacts are placed and contact circuits are formed. 
Moreover, as shown in FIG. 10, also in the embodiment in FIG. 8, a step d 
is formed between the grip 54 and the operating region for forming the 
direction instructing switch 55. Accordingly, when the player holds the 
controller 50, the thumb draws a spontaneous arc along the step d, and is 
free to move without being warped, applied with an excessive load, or kept 
always in a tense state, so that fatigue is reduced if used for a long 
time. 
In the foregoing embodiments of the invention, the move direction 
instructions in a three-dimensional game are mentioned, but in a game with 
two-dimensional direction instructions only not requiring 
three-dimensional direction instructions, the moving direction of the 
object character may be instructed in one cross key, and the direction of 
the elements accompanying the character may be instructed in the other 
cross key. For example, in a game using soldiers as characters, the 
soldier moving direction is instructed by one cross key, and the firearm 
direction may be instructed by the other cross key. Furthermore, in an 
object driven independently in the right and left driving wheels such as a 
war tank, the left drive wheel may be manipulated by the direction 
instructing switch for left hand 15L (55L), and the right drive wheel may 
be manipulated by the direction instructing switch for right hand 15R 
(55R). 
Although the present invention has been described and illustrated in 
detail, it is clearly understood that the same is by way of illustration 
and example only and is not to be taken by way of limitation, the spirit 
and scope of the present invention being limited only by the terms of the 
appended claims.