WO2021186200A1

WO2021186200A1 - Electronic controller, comprising touchpad

Info

Publication number: WO2021186200A1
Application number: PCT/IB2020/000104
Authority: WO
Inventors: Andreas Kraus; Gunter Tannhäuser
Original assignee: Genima Innovations Marketing GmbH
Current assignee: Genima Innovations Marketing GmbH
Priority date: 2020-03-20
Filing date: 2020-03-20
Publication date: 2021-09-23
Anticipated expiration: 2022-09-20

Abstract

An ergonomically designed portable controller has input keys, analogue stick and an input field for entering characters or shapes with a pen.

Description

Electronic controller, comprising touchpad

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

There is a variety of input devices for operating computers and machines. Especially in the business world, however, the use of mouse and keyboard is virtually the standard due to their precision and speed.

Also in the gaming environment, there are still many games that take place only on the PC, using mouse and keyboard, due to their demand for fast and accurate input. However, this input method requires a stable base.

Input devices that can be used without a solid base are available in many different forms, wired, wireless and for operation with one or two hands. User inputs are made via keys, levers, movements of the input device in free space or touch pads, occasionally also via touch screens. The disadvantage here, however, lies in lower precision, higher inertia and/or uncomfortable operation.

In addition, in business, e.g. for presentations in which the speaker cannot stand at his desk but at the same time wants to control a mouse pointer on a screen, alternative operating or pointing options such as laser pointers, infrared pointer devices or trackballs are used to replace the mouse. The accuracy and speed of such input methods is very limited.

In addition, the video games business has split up into two main operating methods in addition to the mobile business. Control with video game controllers for use with a TV console on the one hand and mouse plus keyboard for use with a PC on the other. PC gamers have a clear advantage in some game genres because they can execute inputs faster and more precisely than players with analog sticks on controllers. This has led to the fact that some (strategy) games with corresponding input requirements are practically not played on consoles.

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED

The problem is that without a stable (desk) base, mouse and keyboard input cannot be performed with the appropriate precision, speed and/or comfort, and is therefore locally limited.

Video game controllers and comparable input devices can be operated without a stable base, but are limited in their range, slow and/or comparatively inaccurate. TASK OF THE INVENTION

The task of the invention is to create an input device that combines the precision and speed of mouse and keyboard input with the convenience and local freedom of video game controllers.

A second task is to equip the input device with a clear number of control elements so that complex and highly variable operating steps are possible without a great deal of learning effort.

A third task is to design them ergonomically in order to enable one-handed and two-handed operation in fluent alternation and/or to achieve sufficient stability by using both hands, even without a support, through appropriate design.

SOLUTION

This is achieved by an input device with asymmetrically constructing that can be grasped by one hand while at least one finger of the second hand can support the correspondingly shaped second half of the input device, and at the same time this hand can also be used to operate a built-in touch-controlled surface with a pen. Thus, the device can be safely and comfortably grasped and operated without a support.

Due to the high precision of pen input, the pen takes over the function of the computer mouse, such as moving mouse pointers on screens, while the other hand has access to haptic operating elements and can thus implement selected keyboard inputs. This combines the precision of pen input as a mouse substitute with fast and direct input through haptic elements without the need for other documentation.

By default, the touch-sensitive surface only evaluates the inputs imprinted by the corresponding pen, but can optionally display elements that include further control functions.

By optionally evaluating the pen input for the recognition of characters, symbols, shapes or gestures, further inputs and other control commands can also be recorded.

PRIOR ART

Besides the already generally known controllers for game consoles such as Nintendo 64 controllers, DualShock controllers, Sony DualShock 4 V2, MICROSOFT Xbox Wireless Controller, Wii Remote/Nunchuk Controller, the Wii U GamePad and similar models should be mentioned. With the latter, it should be noted that the design of the controller/console was always such that classic control via two-handed operation of haptic knobs/control pads and analogue sticks was possible and was even prioritised from an ergonomic point of view. As a result, the operation of the touch screen by means of a stylus while being supported by fingers of the same hand is unergonomic and impractical. Furthermore, the Nintendo DS is designed as a complete video game system and not as a separate input device.

The Steam Controller in turn has a touchpad, but its operation is designed to be controlled by the thumb. The precision of these inputs, however, does not come close to the accuracy of stylus inputs.

KNOWN INTELECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS

US10518171B2 by Nintendo describes a game system with removable side parts, a one- handed operation is not possible here and a parallel use of the pen input with the other hand is also impractical.

In US20090213081A1, especially in item 0043 with reference to Fig. 2G, a touch-sensitive input surface is described that can be used in a flow mode even during normal use. However, pen input is not possible here.

The Nintendo 3DS, as described in JP4334602B1 , allows parallel input with pen and keyboard. Due to the arrangement of the surfaces and input keys, this is only possible with reduced precision in freehand mode. Due to the lack of asymmetry, this requires a posture that is uncomfortable at longer use.

CLOSER DESCRIPTION ALONG TO THE DRAWING

Fig. 1 shows the input device (1), consisting of the housing (2) with the ergonomic shape (3) for the palm of the first hand, operating buttons (5), an analogue stick (5), a control pad (6), the touch-sensitive surface (7) and a recess (8) for ergonomic support of the fingers of the second hand.

Claims

1 . Input device (1) with asymmetrical construction, wherein the device is embraced by the first hand and supported from below by at least one finger of the second hand. The second hand is intended for input with a pen and is stabilized by the underlaying of at least one of its fingers.

2. Input device (1) with asymmetrical construction according to claim 1 , wherein the device has an ergonomic shape (3) for the palm of the hand on one side of the housing (2) and input elements such as operating buttons (5), analogue stick (5) or control pad (6) on the top and/or the sides and/or the bottom. On the top of the other side of the housing (2) it has a touch-sensitive surface (7).

3. Input device (1) with asymmetrical construction according to claims 1 and 2, wherein the housing (2) has a recess (8) on the underside below the touch-sensitive display surface (7), which stabilises one or more underlying fingers in their position.

4. Input device (1) with asymmetrical construction according to Claims 1 and 2, wherein the housing (2) has a cavity on the underside of the touch-sensitive surface (7) which accommodates one or more underlying fingers.

5. Input device (1) with asymmetrical construction according to claims 1 and 2, wherein the housing (2) has a bracket on the underside below the touch-sensitive surface (7), which bracket accommodates one or more fingers.

6. Input device (1) with asymmetrical construction according to claims 1 and 2, wherein that the touch-sensitive surface (7) has a raised edge.

7. Input device (1) with asymmetrical construction according to claims 1 and 2, wherein the touch-sensitive surface represents displays and operating elements.

8. Input device (1) with asymmetrical construction according to claims 1 and 2, wherein additional formations allow a change of handle for pure use with haptic operating elements such as buttons, analog sticks or control pads.

9. Input device (1) with asymmetrical design according to claims 1 and 2, wherein the device was realised from a smartphone and an attachment for supplementing haptic operating elements such as buttons, analogue sticks or control pads.

10. Input device (1) with asymmetrical construction according to claims 1 and 2, wherein removable partial elements enable conversion between touchpen-based control to two- handed haptic-based control.