Patent Document

RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/278,102, filed Aug. 1, 2008, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,731,191, which is a 371 of PCT/US07/03462, filed Feb. 9, 2007, which claims benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/772,343, filed Feb. 10, 2006. 
    
    
     COPYRIGHT NOTICE 
     © 2010 IPPASA, LLC. A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material that is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever. 37 CFR §1.71(d). 
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     This disclosure relates to a manual controller for manipulating images or symbols on a visual display and, in particular, to a controller that can be constructed with user-arranged matable building elements to exhibit a customized shape and style depending on user game-inspired, ergonomic, or appearance preferences. 
     BACKGROUND INFORMATION 
     Manual controllers for manipulating images or symbols on a visual display of a computer device include, for example, joysticks, game pads, steering wheels, guns, mice, remote devices for television, stored multi-media display and recording machines, cellular telephones, portable video game systems, and portable multi-media devices. One prevalent type of manual controller comprises a control section having a plurality of buttons that the user presses to enter commands and hand grips that the user holds when the user operates the manual controller. Conventional manual controllers are distributed with a predetermined appearance and ergonomic structure. Manual controllers are operated by a variety of users with different hand sizes. Moreover, each user has different ergonomic and style preferences. 
     SUMMARY OF DISCLOSURE 
     A configurable manual controller for manipulating images or symbols on a display is adapted for construction with matable building elements arranged by a user. The user forms the manual controller to exhibit a customized shape and ornamental appearance reflecting the user&#39;s game-inspired, ergonomic, or style preferences. 
     The configurable manual controller comprises an exoskeleton having an interior region and a patterned surface portion. The interior region is configured to confine internal electrical components that are operatively connected to and cooperate with control actuators to produce signals for manipulating images or symbols on the display. The control actuators are positioned for tactile manipulation by a user to cause production of the signals. The patterned surface portion is configured to support a set of building elements. The building elements in the set are configurable for mating to the patterned surface portion of the exoskeleton and to one another. This enables a user to customize the controller to an arbitrary shape and ornamental appearance, according to the user&#39;s game-inspired, ergonomic, or style preferences. 
     In a first embodiment, the exoskeleton of a controller comprises a main section and a hand grip section, either or both of which include at least one patterned surface portion on which a user can build with the building elements to create a controller of various shapes and appearances according to the user&#39;s preference. This can be accomplished by one or both of attachment and add-on techniques. In a second embodiment, the exoskeleton of a controller comprises a unitary main and hand grip section that includes at least one patterned surface portion on which a user can build with the building elements to create a customized controller. The resulting arbitrary controller configuration determined by a user can be, for example as described below, a golf club or a baseball bat. 
     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 
         FIG. 1  is an exploded view of a first preferred embodiment of a configurable manual controller. 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded view of the matable building elements assembled to form a hand grip that attaches to an exoskeleton surface of the manual controller of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a top plan view of a patterned surface portion of the exoskeleton of the manual controller of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is an isometric view of a second embodiment of a manual controller that includes a unitary main and hand grip section. 
         FIG. 5  is an enlarged fragmentary view of the manual controller of  FIG. 4  shown with two building elements with different top side mating features. 
         FIGS. 6A ,  6 B,  6 C, and  6 D are, respectively, plan, side elevation, isometric, and exploded views of a first example of a customized controller built in the form of a golf club around the type of remote controller shown in  FIG. 4 . 
         FIGS. 7A ,  7 B,  7 C, and  7 D are, respectively, plan, side elevation, isometric, and partly assembled views of a second example of a customized controller built in the form of a baseball bat around the type of remote controller shown in  FIG. 4 . 
         FIGS. 8A ,  8 B,  8 C, and  8 D are, respectively, plan, side elevation, isometric, and partly exploded views of a third example of a customized controller built with several layers of mated building elements around the type of remote controller shown in  FIG. 4  to form a baseball bat with an unfinished surface. 
         FIGS. 9A ,  9 B, and  9 C are, respectively, side elevation, end, and exploded views of a fourth example of a customized controller built with two matable, styled half-section building elements that partly enclose the type of remote controller of  FIG. 4  to form a baseball bat. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       FIG. 1  is an exploded view of a first preferred embodiment of a configurable manual controller  10  that is used with a computing device (not shown) for manipulating images or symbols on a display (not shown). Although it does not show a cable, this embodiment can be connected to a computing device through a cable or a wireless communication link. Manual controller  10  includes an exoskeleton  12  formed of a main housing  14  and a main casing  16  that conformably fits around the side surface of main housing  14 . Main housing  14  fits inside of but is readily separable from main casing  16 . Main housing  14  houses in its interior the electrical components necessary for controlling symbols or images on a display associated with a computer device. Main casing  16  has a patterned surface portion  20  that in part covers hand grip mounting plates  22  (one shown) to which removable hand grips  30  and  32  can be attached as described below. Skilled persons will appreciate that exoskeleton  12  can be alternatively made as a unitary structure having a surface on which patterned surface portion  20  is formed. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , exoskeleton  12  has an attachable left-hand grip  30  and an attachable right-hand grip  32  for two-handed gripping by a user. A left-side control pad  34 , including four pressable control members  36 , and a left-side analog stick control  38  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 , and a right-side analog stick control  48  are positioned for access by digits of the user&#39;s right hand. A selection button  64  and a 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. The internal electrical components include the actual electronic circuits, controls, and corresponding switch elements for control pads  34  and  44  and buttons  64  and  66 . 
     Patterned surface portion  20 , which in this embodiment covers the exterior side surface of main casing  16 , includes a surface pattern in the form of an array of mutually spaced-apart cylindrical mating features or bosses  80 . Each of hand grips  30  and  32  has a handle mount  82  on which is formed an array of mutually spaced-apart cylindrical mating features or recesses  84 . The diameter and depth of each recess  84  and the spacing distances between adjacent ones of recesses  84  are established so that recesses  84  mate with corresponding bosses  80  and provide a snug, releasable attachment of each of hand grips  30  and  32  to main casing  16 . 
       FIG. 2  shows the matable building elements that when assembled form left-hand grip  30  shown in  FIG. 1 . Left hand-grip  30  is made up of five building elements, of which some have different matable features and some have smooth finished surfaces that contribute to the ornamental appearance and ergonomic quality of the hand grip. 
     Left-hand grip  30  includes a five-section body element  90  to which the remaining building elements attach. A mounting element  92  has three recesses (not shown) that mate with three corresponding bosses  80  of a mounting section  94  of body element  90  to form handle mount  82  ( FIG. 1 ) having eight recesses  84 . Handle mount  82  fits over and attaches to hand grip mounting plate  22  ( FIG. 1 ), with eight recesses  84  and eight corresponding bosses  80  in mating relationship. A medial side element  96  has nine bosses  80  that mate with nine corresponding recesses of a center section  98  of body element  90 . A lateral side element  100  has nine recesses (not shown) that mate with nine corresponding bosses  80  of a distal section  102  of body element  90 . Side elements  96  and  100  contribute to the shape and appearance of the gripping surface of left-hand grip  30 . An end piece  104  has two bosses  80  that mate with two corresponding recesses (not shown) of a tip section  106  of body element  90  to form a rounded terminal end of left-hand grip  30 . The assembled left-hand grip  30  is shown in  FIG. 1  with its side elements  96  and  100  removed. Right-hand grip  32  can be assembled in a corresponding manner to that described above. 
       FIG. 3  shows a patterned surface portion  120  covering most of the top surface of main housing  14  ( FIG. 1 ), except for the actuators on control pads  34  and  44 . Patterned surface portion  120  includes a surface pattern in the form of an array of mutually spaced-apart bosses  80  in the same array pattern as that of patterned surface portion  20  ( FIG. 1 ). 
     Patterned surface portion  120  is configured to receive matable building elements  122 . Building elements  122  in this embodiment are preferably small molded plastic components that are stackable upon one another, like small bricks, to create a desired object. (Building elements  122  intended to provide a finished surface typically do not have top surface mating features that would enable stacking of another layer of building elements.) Building elements  122  can be of different colors. Suitable building elements  122  include LEGO toy bricks, available from Interlego AG, Zug, Switzerland. 
     A preferred building element  122  has on its bottom side recesses  84  that are sized to mate with spatially corresponding bosses  80  so that building element  122  can be affixed to and thereby cover part of patterned surface portion  120 . Skilled persons will appreciate that a building element  122  having multiple recesses  84  on its bottom side is configured so that adjacent recesses  84  are separated by the same distance as that separating corresponding adjacent bosses  80  in patterned surface portion  120 . The spaced-apart bottom side recesses  84  of building element  122  that are sized to mate with spatially corresponding bosses  80  of patterned surface portion  120  define a recess feature pattern that is complementary to patterned surface portion  120 .  FIG. 3  shows a building element  122   a  that has an open rectangular bottom side recess  124  that is sized to fit over and against lateral arcuate peripheral portions of two adjacent bosses  80  to mate with them in an operational manner. Building element  122   a  defines a surface feature that is matable to bosses  80  in, but not is complementary to, patterned surface portion  120 . 
     Either building element  122  or  122   a  has on its top side the absence or presence of a matable feature.  FIG. 3  shows attached to main housing  14  ( FIG. 1 ) a building element  122   s  having a smooth top surface that can be of a color or that contributes to a finished decorative pattern selected by a user.  FIG. 3  also shows attached to main housing  14  and positioned adjacent building element  122   s  a building element  122   b  having on its top side two bosses  80  to which another building element  122   b  could mate at its bottom surface. 
     For purposes of simplicity and uniformity, a user preferably constructs a manual controller with a set of stackable building elements in which the bottom side feature and the top side feature mates with and operationally matches, respectively, the features in a patterned surface portion of the manual controller. Operationally match is defined to mean that a top side feature is matable to the bottom side feature of the same building element. This is the situation illustrated in  FIG. 3  and  FIGS. 8A ,  8 B,  8 C, and  8 D below. A user constructing a manual controller with building elements  122  stacked to form a specific shape could do so, however, by assembling a set of stackable building elements that are included in subsets. A first subset of building elements could be one in which the bottom side feature mates with, but the top side feature does not operationally match, the features of a patterned surface portion of the manual controller. A second subset of building elements could be one in which the bottom side feature mates with, and the top side feature operationally matches, the top side feature of the building elements in the first subset. 
       FIG. 4  is an isometric view of a second preferred embodiment of a configurable portable manual controller  140  that includes a unitary main and hand grip section. Manual controller  140  is built around a remote controller in the form of a Wii™ remote controller, which is available from Nintendo of America, Inc., Redmond, Wash., and is implemented with motion sensors that move images on a display in response to user movement of manual controller  140 . Manual controller  140  includes an exoskeleton  142  that is a main housing that houses in its interior the electrical components necessary for controlling symbols or images on a display associated with a computer device. As shown in  FIG. 4 , exoskeleton  142  has a control actuator  144  located between a control pad  146  including four pressable control members  148  and a menu button  150  and two control actuator buttons  152  and  154 . A power button  156  is located near the front end, two control actuator buttons  158  and  160  are located near the back end, and a joystick connector receptacle  162  is located in the back surface of manual controller  140 . Exoskeleton  142  has a tapered front end bottom surface on which a user can rest his fingers to grasp the controller and operate a trigger device (not shown). 
     Exoskeleton  142  has patterned surface portions  170  and  172  that together cover most of the exterior of exoskeleton  142 . Similar to patterned surface portion  20  of main casing  16  of manual controller  10  shown in  FIG. 1 , patterned surface portion  170  covering the top surface of manual controller  140  includes a surface pattern in the form of an array of mutually spaced-apart cylindrical mating features or bosses  80 . Patterned surface portion  172  covering a side surface of manual controller  140  includes a surface pattern in the form of an array of mutually spaced-apart square mating features  174 . For purposes of simplicity, it is preferable to cover exoskeleton  142  with patterned surface portions including arrays of the same mating features. 
       FIGS. 4 and 5  show two examples of building elements that are matable to manual controller  140 . A building element  176  shown positioned above (but not mated to) a building element  178  has top side cylindrical features  80  in a surface pattern that is less densely packed than features  80  in the surface pattern of patterned surface portion  170 . Building element  178  shown mated to bosses  80  of patterned surface portion  170  has top side square features  174  of patterned surface portion  172 . Building element  178  may have bottom side features that are matable to either cylindrical features  80  or square features  174 , depending on the surface of manual controller  140  on which a user intends to build. 
       FIGS. 6A ,  6 B,  6 C, and  6 D show a customized controller built in the form of a golf club  190  around a remote controller in the form of a Wii™ remote controller. Golf club  190  includes an exoskeleton  192  that has a surface portion  170 , which is described above with reference to  FIG. 4 . As best shown in  FIG. 6D , golf club  190  includes five building elements, of which adjacent ones mate with each other and all of which collectively mate with exoskeleton  192 . A mounting element  194  includes two side sections  196  and  198  having recesses  84  that mate with corresponding bosses  80  on respective sides  200  and  202  of exoskeleton  192 . Golf club shaft components  204 ,  206 ,  208 , and  210  mate in series connection to form an assembled golf club  190 . 
       FIG. 7A ,  7 B,  7 C, and  7 D show a customized controller built in the form of a baseball bat  220  around a remote controller in the form of a Wii™ remote controller. Baseball bat  220  includes an exoskeleton  222  that has a surface portion  170 , which is described above with reference to  FIG. 4 . As best shown in  FIG. 7D , baseball bat  220  includes five building elements (two of which are partly or completely removed to illustrate mating bosses  80  of exoskeleton  222 ) mated to exoskeleton  222  to form a bat handle  224  and eleven building elements (several of which partly cut away to show mating bosses  80  on adjacent building elements) mated in series connection to form a bat barrel  226 . A building element  228  mates to the rear end of exoskeleton  222  to provide a bat heel, and a building element  230  mates with the front end of exoskeleton  222  to interconnect it with bat barrel  226 . 
       FIGS. 8A ,  8 B,  8 C, and  8 D show a customized controller built in the form of a baseball bat  240  around a remote controller in the form of a Wii™ remote controller. Baseball bat  240  includes an exoskeleton  242  that has a surface portion  170 , which is described above with reference to  FIG. 4 . As best shown in  FIG. 8D , baseball bat  240  is formed of two multi-layer stacks  244  and  246  of building elements positioned on and mated to either side of a bat barrel core section  248 . Rectangular building elements  250  and  252  included in respective multi-layer stacks  244  and  246  have recesses  84  (not shown) that mate with bosses  80  on the sides of exoskeleton  242  at its tapered end to connect bat barrel core section  248  to exoskeleton  240 . Unlike baseball bat  220  of  FIGS. 7A ,  7 B,  7 C, and  7 D, baseball bat  240  has substantially large unfinished surface portions. 
       FIGS. 9A ,  9 B, and  9 C show a customized controller built in the form of a baseball bat  260  around a remote controller in the form of a Wii™ remote controller. Baseball bat  260  includes an exoskeleton  262  that has a surface portion  170 , which is described above with reference to  FIG. 4 . As best shown in  FIG. 9C , baseball bat  260  is formed with two matable half-section building elements  264  and  266  that resemble longitudinal half-sections of a complete bat, including its handle and barrel. The interior surfaces of building elements  264  and  266  have arrays of recesses  84  that mate with bosses  80  on the side surfaces of exoskeleton  262  to connect building elements  264  and  266  to exoskeleton  262 . The interior surface of building element  264  has three mounts  268  for sets of bosses  80  that mate with corresponding recesses  84  on the interior surface (not shown) of building element  266  to connect building elements  264  and  266  together. Baseball bat  260  presents with very few building elements a finished replica of a baseball bat. 
     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. The scope of the present invention should, therefore, be determined only by the following claims.

Technology Category: g