# US 10,441,878 B2 · Game controller

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- Number: US 10,441,878 B2
- Document ID: US10441878B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/422,915
- Filed: 2017-02-02
- Published: 2017-12-14
- Granted: 2019-10-15
- Earliest claimed: 2016-06-10
- Assignees: Nintendo Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Nintendo Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Kazumasa Kaneko; Takanori Okamura; Masaya Yamaguchi
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10441878B2

## CPC

- A63F 13/235: using a wireless connection, e.g. infrared or piconet
- A63F 13/24: Constructional details thereof, e.g. game controllers with detachable joystick handles
- A63F 13/245: specially adapted to a particular type of game, e.g. steering wheels
- A63F 13/95: Storage media specially adapted for storing game information, e.g. video game cartridges
- H01Q 1/24: with receiving set
- H01Q 7/00: Loop antennas with a substantially uniform current distribution around the loop and having a directional radiation pattern in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the loop
- A63F: CARD, BOARD, OR ROULETTE GAMES; INDOOR GAMES USING SMALL MOVING PLAYING BODIES; VIDEO GAMES; GAMES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- H01Q: ANTENNAS, i.e. RADIO AERIALS (radiators or antennas for microwave heating H05B6/72)

## Abstract

An example of a game controller includes within a housing a first substrate on a front surface and a second substrate on a back surface. On a front surface of the first substrate, switches for various operation buttons are provided, and on a back surface of the first substrate, an NFC antenna is provided. Further, on a second substrate, a control circuit for controlling contactless communication performed using the NFC antenna, a control circuit for controlling operation data indicating whether or not the operation buttons are pressed, and the like are placed.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A game controller capable of reading data from an external storage device through contactless communication, the game controller comprising:
a housing;
a first electrical substrate in the housing and including a front surface and a back surface, wherein a first electrical component is on the front surface and a second electrical component is on the back surface; and
a second electrical substrate in the housing closer to a back surface of the game controller than the first electrical substrate, wherein
an antenna configured for the contactless communication is on the back surface of the first electrical substrate, and
a switch for detecting an operation on an operation button is on the front surface of the first electrical substrate at a position corresponding to a region included in the housing and surrounded by the antenna.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The game controller according to claim 1, wherein
a control circuit configured to control the contactless communication is on the second electrical substrate.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The game controller according to claim 1, wherein
an analog stick is on a front surface of the second electrical substrate.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The game controller according to claim 1, wherein
when the first electrical substrate and the second electrical substrate are projected onto a plane parallel with a front of the game controller, the projected first electrical substrate overlaps at least a part of the projected second electrical substrate.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The game controller according to claim 1, wherein
when the switch and the antenna are projected onto a plane parallel with a front of the game controller, the projected switch is in a region surrounded by the projected antenna.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The game controller according to claim 1, further comprising a second antenna configured to transmit data to a game apparatus.

### Claim 7

A game controller capable of reading data from an external storage device through contactless communication, the game controller comprising:
a first substrate provided in a housing; and
a second substrate provided in the housing and placed closer to a back surface of the game controller than the first substrate is, wherein
an antenna used for the contactless communication is placed on the first substrate,
the antenna is placed on a back surface of the first substrate,
a switch for detecting an operation on an operation button is provided on a front surface of the first substrate, and
the switch is placed at a position corresponding to a region included in the housing and surrounded by the antenna.