Patent ID: 8493326

Claim:
An apparatus for providing computer game play and text input, the apparatus comprising: a hand-held game controller to generate game control data, the game controller having a main body portion with a plurality of game play controls located thereon and a pair of grip portions sized and configured to provide contact with the palms of a game player when at least one thumb of the game player is positioned to operate at least one game play control in the plurality of game play controls, the at least one game play control having a multi-positional characteristic that permits the at least one game play control to be thumb-operated for selectably positioning the at least one game play control in any one of two or more states; and a text input device having a pair of wing portions, wherein at least a portion of the underside of each of the pair of wing portions is configured to conform to, and rest upon, corresponding outer upper surface areas of the pair of grip portions, the text input device configured to generate communication data different from game control data, wherein: the text input device is selectively and non-destructively removable from the game controller, is re-attachable to the game controller, after being non-destructively removed therefrom, so as to permit subsequent non-destructive removal; the text input device includes a plurality of simultaneously-viewable text keys, each of the text keys having a two-state characteristic that permits the text key to generate a text character when depressed; and the text input device, when attached, is positioned and configured to avoid obscuring any of the plurality of game play controls and to permit a user to carry out a first thumb-operation to place the at least one game play control in one of the three or more states, and carry out a second thumb-operation to depress at least one of the text keys on the text input device, without substantially moving the palms of the game player on the grip portions.