Abstract:
A manual controller ( 10 ) for manipulating images or symbols on a display is made of impact resistant material such as dense foam rubber to resist damage resulting from accidental or intentional impact caused by throwing, dropping, or other insult. Damage resistance entails maintaining the operational integrity of the electronics and the structural integrity of the manual controller.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
   This application is a 371 of International Application No. PCT/US05/29587, filed Aug. 19, 2005, which claims benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/603,349, filed Aug. 20, 2004. 

   TECHNICAL FIELD 
   This invention relates to a manual controller for manipulating images or symbols on a visual display and, in particular, to such a controller having a housing made of impact resistant material that resists damage resulting from accidental or intentional impact. 
   BACKGROUND INFORMATION 
   Manual controllers for manipulating images or symbols on a visual display of a computing device include, for example, joysticks, game pads, steering wheels, guns, and mice for video games; remote devices for television, DVD, VCR, stereophonic equipment, projectors, and other such electronic equipment; cellular telephones; and portable video game systems. Conventional housings for such manual controllers are typically made of hard plastic material that fails to maintain the structural integrity of the controller or the operational integrity of its electronics undergoing impact applied by accident or a user experiencing a moment of extreme frustration or unrestrained exuberance. Video game players are especially susceptible to intentionally inflicting damaging impact on a manual controller by throwing, dropping, or delivering other insult to it. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   A damage resistant manual controller for manipulating images or symbols on a display comprises a foam rubber exoskeleton having an interior region configured to confine an internal electronics assembly that is operatively connected to control actuators. The internal electronics assembly includes electrical components that cooperate with the control actuators to produce signals for manipulating images or symbols on the display. The control actuators are positioned for direct or indirect tactile manipulation by a user to cause production of the signals. 
   Additional aspects and advantages will be apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIGS. 1 ,  2 , and  3  are exploded views of respective first, second, and third preferred embodiments of an impact resistant manual controller. 
       FIG. 4A  is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of a control button suitable for use in any one of the preferred embodiments of the manual controller of  FIGS. 1-3 . 
       FIG. 4B  represents a modification of  FIG. 4A  in that a region of foam rubber exoskeleton covering a control button is removed to expose a button top portion. 
       FIG. 5  is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of an analog stick control suitable for use in any one of the preferred embodiments of the manual controller of  FIGS. 1-3 . 
       FIG. 6  is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of a foam rubber exoskeleton in the form of a multi-layered structure. 
       FIG. 7A  shows a rigid printed circuit board,  FIGS. 7B-1  and  7 B- 2  show a flexible printed circuit board on a substrate in respective unflexed and flexed states, and  FIG. 7C  shows the rigid printed circuit board of  FIG. 7A  subdivided into separate component parts interconnected by wiring or other communication cabling. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     FIG. 1  is an exploded view of a first preferred embodiment of a manual controller  10  that is detachably connected by a cable  12  to a computing device (not shown) for manipulating images or symbols on a display associated with the computing device. Although this embodiment is equipped with cable  12 , manual controller  10  may also operate with a computing device through a wireless communication link. Manual controller  10  includes an internal electronics assembly  14  housed within an interior region  16  of an exoskeleton  18  formed of foam rubber. The foam rubber material is preferably medium-to-high density polyurethane exhibiting flexibility properties, such as those of the foam rubber used in NERF toy products. In the first preferred embodiment, manual controller  10  is assembled by placing internal electronics assembly  14  between an upper exoskeleton section  22  and a lower exoskeleton section  24 . Upper and lower exoskeleton sections  22  and  24  are bonded together to form a waterproof, unitary foam rubber casing for internal electronics assembly  14 . 
   As shown in  FIG. 1 , exoskeleton  18  has a left-hand grip  30  and a right-hand grip  32  for two-handed gripping by a user. A left-side control pad  34  including four pressable control members  36 , left-side analog stick control  38 , and front left-side control button  60  are positioned for access by digits of the user&#39;s left hand; and a right-side control pad  44  including four control buttons  46 , right-side analog stick control  48 , and front right-side control button  50  are positioned for access by digits of the user&#39;s right hand. A mode selection switch  60 , mode indicator  62 , selection button  64 , and start button  66  are positioned between hand grips  30  and  32 . Skilled persons will appreciate that the above-described number of control actuators, control actuator layout pattern, and hand grip arrangement represent only one of numerous possible control actuator and hand grip configurations. 
   In this embodiment, the total surface area of exoskeleton  18  is covered in foam rubber. The surface areas of these control actuators are perforce covered in foam, thereby rendering them surface control actuators. The control actuator surfaces are preferably made of relatively thin foam rubber, with the button and analog stick control components held in place by a plastic plate  70  ( FIGS. 4 and 5 ) and projecting into recesses in corresponding locations of the control actuator surfaces. Internal electronics assembly  14  includes the actual electronic circuits, controls, and corresponding switch elements, including switch elements  72  and  74  for the respective control pads  34  and  44 . Thus, the analog stick controls and buttons are actuated by user manipulation of the foam rubber controls on the surface of exoskeleton  18 . 
     FIGS. 2 and 3  are respective second and third preferred embodiments of manual controller  10 , in which foam rubber exoskeleton  18  is formed in one piece. Internal electronics assembly  14  is inserted through an opening  76  in the front side of exoskeleton  18  and force fit into interior region  16 , enabled by the elastic properties of the foam rubber material defining its boundaries. Internal electronics assembly  14  is glued in place on its side and bottom surfaces, and a foam rubber plate  78  through which cable  12  passes is glued to cover opening  76 . The second and third preferred embodiments exhibit waterproof properties and no seams. The second preferred embodiment shown in  FIG. 2  has tall analog stick controls  38  and  48  preinstalled with foam rubber formed to internal electronics assembly  14 . The third preferred embodiment shown in  FIG. 3  has a separate, shaped foam rubber piece  84  that fits over analog sticks  86  and  88  of the respective analog stick controls  38  and  48  for installation just before assembly of the manual controller. 
     FIG. 4A  shows a control button  90  that is suitable for use as any one of the control buttons described above with reference to  FIG. 1 . Control button  90  includes a button top portion  92  from which a pin  94  downwardly depends through an aperture  96  in plate  70  to contact a switch contact pad  98  of internal electronics assembly  14 . A coil spring  100  positioned between and resting against a bottom surface  102  of button top portion  92  and top surface  104  of plate  70  functions as a biasing mechanism to keep control button  90  elevated at a nominal distance from plate  70  in the absence of user applied contact force. Coil spring  100  causes control button  90  to apply pressure to the region of exoskeleton  18  above it, thereby making control button  90  feel firm to the user. 
     FIG. 4B  shows a modification of  FIG. 4A  in that the region of foam rubber exoskeleton  18  covering control button  90  is removed to expose button top portion  92 . Removal of this region of foam rubber can be desirable for certain buttons to increase button reaction time for applications, such as games, requiring buttons exhibiting fast repeat action. Certain buttons for which reaction time is not important, such as a start button, may be covered by foam rubber. Moreover, button top portion  92  may be made of hard plastic or impact resistant material. 
     FIG. 5  shows an analog stick control  110  that is suitable for use as one of analog stick controls  38  and  48 . A vertical analog stick or pin  112  matably connects with a relatively short analog stick stub  114  projecting upwardly from a raised portion  116  of internal electronics assembly  14 . The matable connection can be of conventional plug and socket design secured in place by bonding material, such as glue. 
   The surface profile of upper exoskeleton section  22  can be envisioned by inverting it and placing all control actuators including control buttons  90  and analog stick controls  110  into recesses that form exoskeleton actuator cavities. Coil springs  100  are positioned at the appropriate places for control buttons  90 . A single plate  70  having apertures  96  appropriately located to provide passage of push pins  94  and analog sticks  86  and  88  to corresponding switch elements of internal electronics assembly  14  maintains the placement of the control actuators. 
   Skilled persons will appreciate that the control actuators can be housed in internal electronics assembly  14 , instead of secured in place inside exoskeleton  18 . Control actuators not covered by foam rubber would be exposed through corresponding holes in exoskeleton  18 . 
     FIG. 6  is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of foam rubber exoskeleton  18  in an alternative form as a multi-layered structure  120 , in which an inside core layer  122  separates an upper external layer  124  and a lower external layer  126 . Internal electronics assembly  14  fits inside core layer  122 . All layers of multi-layered structure  120  are preferably made of foam rubber, with external layers  124  and  126  exhibiting lower density properties than the density property of inside core layer  122  to provide differences in stability and tactility. Alternatively, core layer  122  may be made of material other than foam rubber, such as a very high density polyurethane material. 
   Internal electronics assembly  14  itself is preferably encased in a hard plastic housing and includes a rigid printed circuit board  130 , which is shown in  FIG. 7A .  FIGS. 7B-1  and  7 B- 2  show flexible printed circuit board  132  supported on a substrate  134  to provide a substitute implementation of internal electronics assembly  14  having sufficient rigidity that enables actuation of the control actuators when manipulated by a user.  FIGS. 7B-1  and  7 B- 2  show printed circuit board  132  and substrate  134  in respective unflexed and flexed states. The electronic circuit components, controls, and switch elements included in internal electronics assembly  14  are mounted on a surface of printed circuit board  132 .  FIG. 7C  shows that rigid printed circuit board  130  can be divided into separate component parts  136  and  138  that are interconnected by wiring or other communication cabling  140 . Skilled persons will appreciate that flexible printed circuit board  132  supported on substrate  134  may also be subdivided into component parts and interconnected by cabling. 
   It will be obvious to those having skill in the art that many changes may be made to the details of the above-described embodiments without departing from the underlying principles of the invention. For example, exoskeleton  18  can be provided with openings to house or display light-emitting diodes, electroluminescent devices, or other forms of internal lighting. The scope of the present invention should, therefore, be determined only by the following claims.