GB2196449A - Joystick with serial output - Google Patents

Joystick with serial output Download PDF

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Publication number
GB2196449A
GB2196449A GB08624589A GB8624589A GB2196449A GB 2196449 A GB2196449 A GB 2196449A GB 08624589 A GB08624589 A GB 08624589A GB 8624589 A GB8624589 A GB 8624589A GB 2196449 A GB2196449 A GB 2196449A
Authority
GB
United Kingdom
Prior art keywords
shift register
housing
contact pairs
switch assembly
control lever
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status 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 status listed.)
Granted
Application number
GB08624589A
Other versions
GB2196449B (en
GB8624589D0 (en
Inventor
Wynford P Holloway
Robert Kent
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Creative Devices Research Ltd
Original Assignee
Creative Devices Research Ltd
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 Ltd filed Critical Creative Devices Research Ltd
Priority to GB08624589A priority Critical patent/GB2196449B/en
Publication of GB8624589D0 publication Critical patent/GB8624589D0/en
Priority to PCT/GB1987/000698 priority patent/WO1988002896A1/en
Priority to JP62506146A priority patent/JPH01501348A/en
Priority to EP87906751A priority patent/EP0299983A1/en
Publication of GB2196449A publication Critical patent/GB2196449A/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of GB2196449B publication Critical patent/GB2196449B/en
Expired legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • 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
    • 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
    • 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
    • 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

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Multimedia (AREA)
  • Human Computer Interaction (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Theoretical Computer Science (AREA)
  • Automation & Control Theory (AREA)
  • Position Input By Displaying (AREA)
  • Switches With Compound Operations (AREA)
  • Mechanical Control Devices (AREA)

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

SPECIFICATION Electrical switch assembly This invention relates to an electrical switch assembly for use, for example, in the control of video games and as a computer peripheral.
The switch assembly preferably takes the form of a joystick assembly.
Electrical switch assemblies for controlling video games or computer games, serving to control horizontal and/or vertical movement of an image on a visual display, includes 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 electrical 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 has hitherto needed to include a large number of individual conductors.
We have now devised 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 connecting it to other equipment (e.g. the computer with which the assembly is to be used).
Thus, in accordance with this invention, there is provided an electrical switch assembly, comprising a plurality of switches or contact pairs, a shift register having the switches or contact pairs connected as inputs to its respective stages, a serial output from the shift register, and a control input to the shift register serving to shift the register contents in steps and thus deliver signals to said serial output representing the states of said switches or contact pairs.
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 representing 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 repetitively 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 conductors 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.
Preferably the electrical switch assembly comprises a joystick assembly with a joystick lever displaceable to actuate switches providing for "left'', "right", "up" and "down" movement of the image on the visual display, two "fire" buttons, a "start" button and a "select" button.
This embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a side view of an electrical switch assembly; Figure 2 is a longitudinal section through the switch assembly of Fig. 1, and Figure 3 is a circuit diagram of the switch assembly.
Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, there is shown an electrical switch assembly in the form of a joystick assembly, 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 sidewall 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" pushbuttons 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.
Fig. 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 joystick, its shaft is in contact with the spring-loaded actuators of all four of these microswitches; by selective manual movement of joystick 2, any one or any adjacent 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" pushbuttons 5, 6.
Referring to Fig. 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 comprises 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 is provided from the shift register, and two control inputs B and C are provided. Thus the cable 7 includes five individual conductors, being the +5V and ground lines and the signal lines A,B,C.
In operation of the circuit shown in Fig. 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 control 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 repreated until all eight bits of the register have been read: then the microprocessor takes lines B and C to logic "1" until the next read cycle takes place.
There has thus been described a simple and effective electrical switch assembly which minimises the number of individual electrical conductors required in the cable connecting the assembly to the equipment being controlled.
Thus, only five separate conductors are required, whereas normally with eight switches nine conductors would have been required hitherto.

Claims (6)

1. A joystick electrical switch assembly, comprising a housing, a manually-operable control lever, said control lever being pivotallymounted 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 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 receiving a control signal serving to latch the shift register 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.
4. A joystick electrical switch assembly, comprising a housing, a manually-operable control lever, said control lever being pivotallymounted 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 pairs connected to respective said inputs, 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, comprising line and ground conductors connected respectively to said line and ground terminals, two conductors connected 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.
GB08624589A 1986-10-14 1986-10-14 Electrical switch assembly Expired GB2196449B (en)

Priority Applications (4)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB08624589A GB2196449B (en) 1986-10-14 1986-10-14 Electrical switch assembly
PCT/GB1987/000698 WO1988002896A1 (en) 1986-10-14 1987-10-13 Electrical switch assembly
JP62506146A JPH01501348A (en) 1986-10-14 1987-10-13 electrical switch assembly
EP87906751A EP0299983A1 (en) 1986-10-14 1987-10-13 Electrical switch assembly

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

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

Publications (3)

Publication Number Publication Date
GB8624589D0 GB8624589D0 (en) 1986-11-19
GB2196449A true GB2196449A (en) 1988-04-27
GB2196449B GB2196449B (en) 1988-09-21

Family

ID=10605710

Family Applications (1)

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

Country Status (4)

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

Families Citing this family (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB9125318D0 (en) * 1991-11-28 1992-01-29 Betterneat Limited Electrical switch assembly
JPH07160413A (en) * 1993-12-09 1995-06-23 Shin Caterpillar Mitsubishi Ltd Joy stick type operation lever device

Family Cites Families (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

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
JPH01501348A (en) 1989-05-11
GB2196449B (en) 1988-09-21
EP0299983A1 (en) 1989-01-25
GB8624589D0 (en) 1986-11-19
WO1988002896A1 (en) 1988-04-21

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Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
PCNP Patent ceased through non-payment of renewal fee

Effective date: 19931014