US 4,969,647 A · Invertible hand-held electronic game apparatus

Abstract

An invertible, hand-held, electronic game apparatus having a manually engageable housing, a display screen mounting in the housing, an electronic circuit electrically connected to drive the display screen, and a control switch assembly mounted for manipulation by at least one hand of the player while holding the housing. The control switch assembly includes a joypad and fire buttons which are positioned on the housing to permit rotation or inverting of the housing and operation of the switches in a rotated position. Inversion of the housing and operation of the switches is possible when the images are vertically or horizontally oriented. In the preferred form, the control switch assembly includes a joypad on one side of the display screen and two pairs of functionally duplicate fire buttons symmetrically positioned about a central plane of the housing on an opposite side of the screen. The back of the housing is formed with protruding convex surfaces to facilitate gripping.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A hand-held electronic game apparatus including a manually engageable housing, a display screen mounted in said housing, and control switch means mounted to said housing and electrically connected for manipulation of movable images displayed on said display screen by at least one hand of a player while holding said housing, wherein the improvement comprises:

said housing being formed for gripping by said player while oriented in two different positions with one of said positions being rotated about an axis normal to said display screen relative to the other of said positions;
said control switch means being positioned relative to said housing to permit rotation of said housing between said two different positions and to enable manipulation of said control switch means by one hand of said player in each of said two different positions, and
circuit means operable in response to player input independently of operation of said control switch means, said circuit means being formed and electrically connected for rotation of the orientation of all images on said display screen about said axis by an amount corresponding to rotation of said housing for selective use of said game apparatus in either of said two different positions.

An invertible hand-held game apparatus comprising:

an elongated housing having opposite ends;
an image display screen mounted in said housing centrally of said opposite ends;
electronic circuit means electrically connected to drive said display screen;
a manually manipulatable first control switch means electrically connected to said circuit means and controlling a first aspect of movement of movable images displayed on said display screen of said game apparatus, said first control switch means being mounted on said housing on a first side of said display screen at about a mid-plane of said housing;
a manually manipulatable second control switch means electrically connected to said circuit means and controlling a second aspect of movement of movable images displayed on said display screen of said game apparatus, said second control switch means being mounted on a second side of said display screen from said first control switch assembly;
and
image display rotation switch means electrically connected to said circuit means and inverting the display of all images on said screen upon player input to permit right-handed and left-handed play of said game apparatus.

4 more elements

A hand-held electronic game apparatus including a manually engageable housing, a display screen mounted in said housing, and movable image control switch means mounted to said housing for manipulation by at least one hand of a player while holding said housing, said movable image control switch means being electrically connected and responsive to input by a player to manipulate movable images displayed on said screen relative to stationary images displayed on said screen, wherein the improvement comprises:

said housing being formed for gripping by said player with said screen in a vertical orientation and for gripping by said player with said screen in a horizontal orientation;
and
said movable image control switch means being carried by said housing at a position for manipulation by at least one hand of said player when said screen is in each of said vertical orientation and said horizontal orientation.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Invertible hand-held electronic game apparatus

Life of this patent

Invertible hand-held electronic game apparatus

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20