WO1988002896A1 - Electrical switch assembly - Google Patents

Electrical switch assembly Download PDF

Info

Publication number
WO1988002896A1
WO1988002896A1 PCT/GB1987/000698 GB8700698W WO8802896A1 WO 1988002896 A1 WO1988002896 A1 WO 1988002896A1 GB 8700698 W GB8700698 W GB 8700698W WO 8802896 A1 WO8802896 A1 WO 8802896A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
switch assembly
housing
shift register
contact pairs
control lever
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/GB1987/000698
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Wynford P. Holloway
Robert Kent
Original Assignee
Creative Devices Research Limited
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Creative Devices Research Limited filed Critical Creative Devices Research Limited
Publication of WO1988002896A1 publication Critical patent/WO1988002896A1/en

Links

Classifications

    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
    • A63F—CARD, BOARD, OR ROULETTE GAMES; INDOOR GAMES USING SMALL MOVING PLAYING BODIES; VIDEO GAMES; GAMES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • A63F13/00—Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions
    • A63F13/20—Input arrangements for video game devices
    • A63F13/24—Constructional details thereof, e.g. game controllers with detachable joystick handles
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
    • A63F—CARD, BOARD, OR ROULETTE GAMES; INDOOR GAMES USING SMALL MOVING PLAYING BODIES; VIDEO GAMES; GAMES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • A63F13/00—Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions
    • A63F13/20—Input arrangements for video game devices
    • A63F13/22—Setup operations, e.g. calibration, key configuration or button assignment
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G05—CONTROLLING; REGULATING
    • G05G—CONTROL DEVICES OR SYSTEMS INSOFAR AS CHARACTERISED BY MECHANICAL FEATURES ONLY
    • G05G9/00—Manually-actuated control mechanisms provided with one single controlling member co-operating with two or more controlled members, e.g. selectively, simultaneously
    • G05G9/02—Manually-actuated control mechanisms provided with one single controlling member co-operating with two or more controlled members, e.g. selectively, simultaneously the controlling member being movable in different independent ways, movement in each individual way actuating one controlled member only
    • G05G9/04—Manually-actuated control mechanisms provided with one single controlling member co-operating with two or more controlled members, e.g. selectively, simultaneously the controlling member being movable in different independent ways, movement in each individual way actuating one controlled member only in which movement in two or more ways can occur simultaneously
    • G05G9/047—Manually-actuated control mechanisms provided with one single controlling member co-operating with two or more controlled members, e.g. selectively, simultaneously the controlling member being movable in different independent ways, movement in each individual way actuating one controlled member only in which movement in two or more ways can occur simultaneously the controlling member being movable by hand about orthogonal axes, e.g. joysticks
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
    • G06F3/00—Input arrangements for transferring data to be processed into a form capable of being handled by the computer; Output arrangements for transferring data from processing unit to output unit, e.g. interface arrangements
    • G06F3/01—Input arrangements or combined input and output arrangements for interaction between user and computer
    • G06F3/03—Arrangements for converting the position or the displacement of a member into a coded form
    • G06F3/033—Pointing devices displaced or positioned by the user, e.g. mice, trackballs, pens or joysticks; Accessories therefor
    • G06F3/038—Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
    • G06F3/0383—Signal control means within the pointing device
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
    • A63F—CARD, BOARD, OR ROULETTE GAMES; INDOOR GAMES USING SMALL MOVING PLAYING BODIES; VIDEO GAMES; GAMES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • A63F2300/00—Features of games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions, e.g. on a television screen, showing representations related to the game
    • A63F2300/10—Features of games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions, e.g. on a television screen, showing representations related to the game characterized by input arrangements for converting player-generated signals into game device control signals
    • A63F2300/1018—Calibration; Key and button assignment
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
    • A63F—CARD, BOARD, OR ROULETTE GAMES; INDOOR GAMES USING SMALL MOVING PLAYING BODIES; VIDEO GAMES; GAMES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • A63F2300/00—Features of games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions, e.g. on a television screen, showing representations related to the game
    • A63F2300/10—Features of games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions, e.g. on a television screen, showing representations related to the game characterized by input arrangements for converting player-generated signals into game device control signals
    • A63F2300/1043—Features of games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions, e.g. on a television screen, showing representations related to the game characterized by input arrangements for converting player-generated signals into game device control signals being characterized by constructional details
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G10—MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS; ACOUSTICS
    • G10H—ELECTROPHONIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS; INSTRUMENTS IN WHICH THE TONES ARE GENERATED BY ELECTROMECHANICAL MEANS OR ELECTRONIC GENERATORS, OR IN WHICH THE TONES ARE SYNTHESISED FROM A DATA STORE
    • G10H1/00—Details of electrophonic musical instruments
    • G10H1/32—Constructional details
    • G10H1/34—Switch arrangements, e.g. keyboards or mechanical switches specially adapted for electrophonic musical instruments

Definitions

  • This invention relates to a joystick electrical switch assembly for use, for example, in the control of video games and as a computer peripheral.
  • Electrical switch assemblies for controlling video games or computer games, serving to control horizontal and/or vertical movement of a'n image on a visual display include a plurality of switches which are selectively actuated in order to effect the required movements of the image and to effect other functions.
  • an elec ⁇ trical switch assembly arranged for controlling a game called "Nintendo” requires four directional switches (or contact pairs), two “fire” switches, a "start” switch and a “select” switch. With such a large plurality of switches or contact pairs, the electrical cable which connects the switch assembly to the computer would need to include a large number.of individual conductors if one conductor per contact pair were required.
  • a joystick electrical switch assembly comprising a hous ⁇ ing, a manually-operable control lever, said control lever being pivotally-mounted in the housing and projecting therefrom, a plurality of contact pairs at least some of which are disposed within the housing as an array around the control lever and are selectively actuable according to pivoting movements of the control lever, a circuit disposed within the housing and including a shift register having a plurality of stages with respective inputs and having the contact pair,s connected to respective said in ⁇ puts, the shift register further having a serial output and a control input serving to shift the register contents in steps and thus deliver signals to said serial output representing the states of said contact pairs, and an elec- trical cable being provided for the switch assembly and having a conductor connected to the control inputs of the shift register and a conductor connected to the serial output of the shift register.
  • the shift register has an input for receiving a control signal for latching the data held by the shift register and represen ⁇ ting the states of the various switches or contact pairs. Once this control signal has been applied to latch the shift register data, a control signal Is applied repeti- tively to the control input of the shift register in order to shift the contents through the register as described above.
  • the electrical switch assembly comprises a joystick assembly and is convenient to use, with a joystick lever being displaceable to actuate switches providing for "left”, “right”, “up” and “down” movement of the image on the vis ⁇ ual display, two "fire” buttons, a "start” button and a “select” button.
  • FIGURE 1 is a side view of an electrical switch assembly
  • FIGURE 2 is a longitudinal section through the switch assembly of Figure 1, and
  • FIGURE 3 is- a gircuit diagram of the switch assembly.
  • an electrical switch assembly in the form of a joystick assem ⁇ bly, comprising a housing 1 intended to be held in the palm of the left hand, with a control lever or joystick 2 passing through the upper face of the housing and operable ⁇ by the right hand.
  • the thumb of the left hand will rest in a groove formed in one side wall of the housing and the index finger and middle finger of the left hand will lie against "fire" buttons 3 > 4 provided in the opposite side wall.
  • Figure 2 shows that the joystick 2 is pivoted at its lower end to the base of the housing and passes through a carrier 8 on which four microswitches are mounted as an array.
  • a carrier 8 on which four microswitches are mounted as an array.
  • the shaft In the neutral or vertical position of the joy ⁇ stick, its shaft is in contact with the spring-loaded actuators of all four of these microswitches; by selec- tive manual movement of joystick 2, any one or any adja ⁇ cent pair of the microswitches can be actuated (i.e. for "left", “right”, “up” or “down” movement of the image, or for either "left” or “right” with either “up” or “down”.
  • the carrier 8 also mounts two further ' microswitches 9 , 10 for actuation by the "fire” buttons 3 and 4.
  • a printed circuit board 11 Below the front end wall of the housing, a printed circuit board 11 is mounted and is provided with contact pairs which may be bridged, respectively, by the "Start” and
  • 11 further mounts eight resistors R which are connected in series with respective ones of the eight switches just described and between a +5V line and a ground line, and also a shift register SR which in the example shown com- prises a 4021 device»
  • the junctions between the switches and the respective resistors are connected to inputs of the respective stages of the shift register SR.
  • a serial output A la provided from the shift register, and two con ⁇ trol inputs B and C are provided.
  • the cable 7 in- eludes five individual conductors,being the +5V and ground lines and the signal lines A, B, C.
  • each stage of the shift register receives either a logic "1" or "0” according to whether the respective switch is open or closed.
  • the microprocessor desires to read the states of the eight switches of the assembly, the two con ⁇ trol lines B and C are taken to logic "1" or high by the microprocessor such that then the contents of the register will represent the states of the switches. Then, the microprocessor takes line C to logic "0" or low to latch the shift register contents. Whilst line C is maintained at logic "0", the register contents will be unaltered by any changes of the switches and these contents are read as follows. Firstly, the level at that time present on line A represents the first bit of the register and is read by the microprocessor.
  • the microprocessor pulses line B to logic "0": at the end of this pulse (i.e. on the low-to-high transition), the contents of the shift register are shifted by one position, such that the second bit can be read by the microprocessor over line A.

Abstract

A joystick electrical switch assembly is adapted to be held in the palm of one hand and controlled by the other hand. The assembly comprises a plurality of contact pairs, some of which are disposed as an array around the control lever, and a shift register having a plurality of stages with respective inputs connected to the contact pairs. The shift register has a serial output and a control input serving to shift the register contents in steps and thus deliver signals to the serial output representing the states of the contact pairs. The switch assembly needs an electrical lead having only five conductors regardless of the number of contact pairs.

Description

- /
ELECTRICAL SWITCH ASSEMBLY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a joystick electrical switch assembly for use, for example, in the control of video games and as a computer peripheral.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Electrical switch assemblies for controlling video games or computer games, serving to control horizontal and/or vertical movement of a'n image on a visual display, include a plurality of switches which are selectively actuated in order to effect the required movements of the image and to effect other functions. For example, an elec¬ trical switch assembly arranged for controlling a game called "Nintendo" requires four directional switches (or contact pairs), two "fire" switches, a "start" switch and a "select" switch. With such a large plurality of switches or contact pairs, the electrical cable which connects the switch assembly to the computer would need to include a large number.of individual conductors if one conductor per contact pair were required. It is an object of this invention to provide an electrical switch assembly which, although having a large number of switches or contact pairs, needs a relatively few individual conductors in the cable provided for connec¬ ting it to other equipment (e.g. the computer with which the assembly is to be used). It is a further object of this invention to pro¬ vide an electrical switch assembly which is of ergonomic design and is convenient to use.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with this invention, there is provided a joystick electrical switch assembly, comprising a hous¬ ing, a manually-operable control lever, said control lever being pivotally-mounted in the housing and projecting therefrom, a plurality of contact pairs at least some of which are disposed within the housing as an array around the control lever and are selectively actuable according to pivoting movements of the control lever, a circuit disposed within the housing and including a shift register having a plurality of stages with respective inputs and having the contact pair,s connected to respective said in¬ puts, the shift register further having a serial output and a control input serving to shift the register contents in steps and thus deliver signals to said serial output representing the states of said contact pairs, and an elec- trical cable being provided for the switch assembly and having a conductor connected to the control inputs of the shift register and a conductor connected to the serial output of the shift register.
In an embodiment to be described herein, the shift register has an input for receiving a control signal for latching the data held by the shift register and represen¬ ting the states of the various switches or contact pairs. Once this control signal has been applied to latch the shift register data, a control signal Is applied repeti- tively to the control input of the shift register in order to shift the contents through the register as described above.
In the embodiment to be described, only five con¬ ductors are required in the cable for connecting the switch assembly to the computer, one ground, one line, one for the serial output from and two for the control inputs to the shift register.
The electrical switch assembly comprises a joystick assembly and is convenient to use, with a joystick lever being displaceable to actuate switches providing for "left", "right", "up" and "down" movement of the image on the vis¬ ual display, two "fire" buttons, a "start" button and a "select" button.
This embodiment of the present invention will now 0 be described by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIGURE 1 is a side view of an electrical switch assembly; 5
FIGURE 2 is a longitudinal section through the switch assembly of Figure 1, and
FIGURE 3 is- a gircuit diagram of the switch assembly.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 0 Referring to Figures 1 and 2, there is shown an electrical switch assembly in the form of a joystick assem¬ bly, comprising a housing 1 intended to be held in the palm of the left hand, with a control lever or joystick 2 passing through the upper face of the housing and operable ^ by the right hand. The thumb of the left hand will rest in a groove formed in one side wall of the housing and the index finger and middle finger of the left hand will lie against "fire" buttons 3> 4 provided in the opposite side wall. "Start" and "select" push-buttons 5 and 6 are provided in one end wall of the housing, facing the user, and an electrical cable 7 extends from the opposite end wall of the housing and connects with the microprocessor" with which the joystick assembly is to be used.
Figure 2 shows that the joystick 2 is pivoted at its lower end to the base of the housing and passes through a carrier 8 on which four microswitches are mounted as an array. In the neutral or vertical position of the joy¬ stick, its shaft is in contact with the spring-loaded actuators of all four of these microswitches; by selec- tive manual movement of joystick 2, any one or any adja¬ cent pair of the microswitches can be actuated (i.e. for "left", "right", "up" or "down" movement of the image, or for either "left" or "right" with either "up" or "down". The carrier 8 also mounts two further' microswitches 9 , 10 for actuation by the "fire" buttons 3 and 4. Below the front end wall of the housing, a printed circuit board 11 is mounted and is provided with contact pairs which may be bridged, respectively, by the "Start" and "Select" push¬ buttons 5, 6. Referring to Figure 3» the printed circuit board
11 further mounts eight resistors R which are connected in series with respective ones of the eight switches just described and between a +5V line and a ground line, and also a shift register SR which in the example shown com- prises a 4021 device» The junctions between the switches and the respective resistors are connected to inputs of the respective stages of the shift register SR. A serial output A la provided from the shift register, and two con¬ trol inputs B and C are provided. Thus the cable 7 in- eludes five individual conductors,being the +5V and ground lines and the signal lines A, B, C.
In operation of the circuit shown in Figure 3> each stage of the shift register receives either a logic "1" or "0" according to whether the respective switch is open or closed. When the microprocessor desires to read the states of the eight switches of the assembly, the two con¬ trol lines B and C are taken to logic "1" or high by the microprocessor such that then the contents of the register will represent the states of the switches. Then, the microprocessor takes line C to logic "0" or low to latch the shift register contents. Whilst line C is maintained at logic "0", the register contents will be unaltered by any changes of the switches and these contents are read as follows. Firstly, the level at that time present on line A represents the first bit of the register and is read by the microprocessor. Next, the microprocessor pulses line B to logic "0": at the end of this pulse (i.e. on the low-to-high transition), the contents of the shift register are shifted by one position, such that the second bit can be read by the microprocessor over line A.
This process is repeated until all eight bits of the regis¬ ter have been read: then the microprocessor takes lines B and C to logic "1" until the next cycle takes place.
There has thus been described a simple and effec- tive electrical switch assembly which, because it is of joystick design, is convenient and easy to use and is adapt¬ ed to be held in the palm of one hand with the joystick control lever operated by the other hand. Moreover, the number of individual electrical conductors required in the cable connecting the assembly to the equipment being controlled is minimised: thus, the shift register circuit leads to the requirement for only five separate conductors, whereas with the eight switches or contact pairs of the switch assembly, nine conductors would otherwise be needed.

Claims

CLAIMS :
1. A joystick electrical switch assembly, comprising a housing, a manually-operable control lever, said con¬ trol lever being pivotally-mounted in the housing and pro¬ jecting therefrom, a plurality of contact pairs at least some of which are disposed within the housing as an array around the control lever and are selectively actuable according to pivoting movements of the control lever, a circuit disposed within the housing and including a shift register having a plurality of stages with respective in- puts and having the contact pairs connected to respective said inputs, the shift register further,- having a serial output and a control input serving to shift the register contents in steps and thus deliver signals to said serial output representing the states of said contact pairs, and an electrical cable being provided for the switch assembly and having a conductor connected to the control inputs of the shift register and a conductor connected to the serial output of the shift register.
2. An electrical switch assembly as claimed in Claim 1, in which the shift register comprises an input for re¬ ceiving a control signal serving to latch the shift regis¬ ter contents, representing the state of the contact pairs, prior to repetitive application of a signal to said control Input.
3. A joystick electrical switch assembly as claimed in Claim 1, adapted to be held in the palm of the user's hand and the housing having an upper face, a side face and an end face, two push-buttons disposed in said side face and two further push-buttons disposed in said end face, said push-buttons serving to actuate respective ones of the contact pairs and said control lever extending from said upper face. _
- 7 -
4. A joystick electrical switch assembly, comprising a housing, a manually-operable control lever, said control lever being pivotally-mounted in the housing and projecting therefrom, a plurality of contact pairs at least some of which are disposed within the housing as an array around the control lever and are selectively actuable according to pivoting movements of the control lever, a circuit dis¬ posed within the housing and including a shift register having a plurality of stages -with respective inputs and having the contact pairs connected to respective said in¬ puts, the shift register further having a serial output, a first control input for receiving a signal to latch its contents, and a second control input serving to shift the register contents in steps and thus deliver signals to said serial output representing the states of said contact pairs, said circuit having a ground terminal and a line terminal, and an electrical cable being provided for the switch assembly and having five conductors only, compri¬ sing line and ground conductors connected respectively to said line and ground terminals, two conductors connec¬ ted to the respective control inputs of the shift register and a conductor connected to the serial output of the shift register.
5. A joystick electrical switch assembly as claimed in Claim 4, adapted to be held in the palm of the user's hand and the housing having an upper face, a side face and an end face, two push-buttons disposed in said side face and two further push-buttons disposed in said end face, said push-buttons serving to actuate respective ones of the contact pairs and said control lever extending from said upper face.
6. A joystick electrical switch assembly substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
PCT/GB1987/000698 1986-10-14 1987-10-13 Electrical switch assembly WO1988002896A1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB8624589 1986-10-14
GB08624589A GB2196449B (en) 1986-10-14 1986-10-14 Electrical switch assembly

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO1988002896A1 true WO1988002896A1 (en) 1988-04-21

Family

ID=10605710

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/GB1987/000698 WO1988002896A1 (en) 1986-10-14 1987-10-13 Electrical switch assembly

Country Status (4)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0299983A1 (en)
JP (1) JPH01501348A (en)
GB (1) GB2196449B (en)
WO (1) WO1988002896A1 (en)

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO1993011507A1 (en) * 1991-11-28 1993-06-10 Betterneat Limited Electrical switch assembly
EP0660259A2 (en) * 1993-12-09 1995-06-28 Shin Caterpillar Mitsubishi Ltd. Joy stick type operating lever device

Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4469330A (en) * 1982-01-07 1984-09-04 Atari, Inc. Controller unit for video game
US4531740A (en) * 1983-06-22 1985-07-30 Cynex Manufacturing Corporation Remote control system for a video computer game
US4604502A (en) * 1985-07-05 1986-08-05 Thomas David S Joystick control

Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4469330A (en) * 1982-01-07 1984-09-04 Atari, Inc. Controller unit for video game
US4531740A (en) * 1983-06-22 1985-07-30 Cynex Manufacturing Corporation Remote control system for a video computer game
US4604502A (en) * 1985-07-05 1986-08-05 Thomas David S Joystick control

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO1993011507A1 (en) * 1991-11-28 1993-06-10 Betterneat Limited Electrical switch assembly
GB2272547A (en) * 1991-11-28 1994-05-18 Betterneat Limited Electrical switch assembly
EP0660259A2 (en) * 1993-12-09 1995-06-28 Shin Caterpillar Mitsubishi Ltd. Joy stick type operating lever device
EP0660259A3 (en) * 1993-12-09 1996-11-27 Caterpillar Mitsubishi Ltd Joy stick type operating lever device.

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB8624589D0 (en) 1986-11-19
JPH01501348A (en) 1989-05-11
GB2196449B (en) 1988-09-21
EP0299983A1 (en) 1989-01-25
GB2196449A (en) 1988-04-27

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