Tremolo bar input for a video game controller
AssigneeActivision Publishing, Inc.
InventorsJohnnie Tam, Jamie Jien-Mei Yang, Theodor R. Lange, John Yao
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A video game controller and a method of operating the controller are provided. The controller includes: a guitar-shaped housing comprising a body portion and a neck portion; a console interface for coupling with a game console; a tremolo arm extending from the body portion of the housing, said tremolo arm being rotatable about a first axis; and an angular detector coupled to the console interface for detecting angular rotation of the tremolo arm.
Claims24
A video game controller comprising:
- a guitar-shaped housing comprising a body portion and a neck portion;
- a console interface for coupling with a game console;
- an arm assembly comprising a bar extending from a base, the base including at least a semicircular part, the bar and a portion of the base about the extending portion of the bar extending from an opening in the body portion, said bar being rotatable about a first axis, the first axis being parallel to a surface of the body portion and said arm being rotatable about a second axis, the second axis being normal to the surface of the body portion;
- and
- an angular detector coupled to the console interface, said angular detector for detecting angular rotation of the bar about the first axis.
A video game controller, comprising:
- a guitar-shaped housing comprising a body portion and a neck portion;
- a console interface for coupling with a game console;
- an arm assembly including a bar mounted to a semicircular base, a portion of the semicircular base extending through an opening in the body portion of the housing, said bar rotatable about a first axis, the first axis being parallel to a surface of the body portion;
- said bar rotatable about a second axis, the second axis being normal to the surface of the body portion;
- and
- an angular detection means, coupled to the console interface, for detecting angular rotation of the bar.
Apparatus for video game play, comprising:
- a video game controller comprising:
- a guitar-shaped housing comprising a body portion and a neck portion with a plurality of buttons on the neck portion;
- a rotatable base rotatably coupled along a first axis to the body portion of the guitar-shaped housing, a portion of the rotatable base extending through an opening in the guitar-shaped housing;
- a bar extending from and rotatably coupled along a second axis to the rotatable base, the bar extending from the portion of the rotatable base extending through the opening in the guitar-shaped housing;
- a spring to bias the rotatable base to a default position;
- a detector for detecting position of the bar;
- and
- control logic for generating signals for transmission to a video game console in response to a user's interaction with the buttons on the neck portion and the bar.
A video game controller, comprising:
- a guitar-shaped housing;
- a semicircular base extending through an opening in the housing;
- a bar extending from the semicircular base, the arm rotatably coupled to the housing so as to be rotatable about a primary axis and a secondary axis;
- means for detecting angular position of the bar along the primary axis;
- control logic for generating signals to be transmitted to a video game console indicative of angular position of the bar along the primary axis;
- and
- means for providing a counterforce against rotation of the bar about the primary axis.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.