GB2270556A

GB2270556A - Handheld video game accessory with magnifier and joystick.

Info

Publication number: GB2270556A
Application number: GB9227013A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Feng-I Chen
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1992-09-11
Filing date: 1992-12-24
Publication date: 1994-03-16
Also published as: GB9227013D0

Abstract

The handheld game 2 is received in a recess 18 in the rear of a casing 1 which comprises an illuminated magnifier 12 and loudspeakers 19. The operating buttons 22 - 25 of the game 2 are actuated by a joystick 14 and corresponding buttons 15 - 17, which are provided on a control panel 13 of the casing 1, via transmission linkages. Playing the handheld game is thus facilitated. <IMAGE>

Description

DEVICE CAPABLE OF MANIPULATING A HANDHELD TV GAME The present invention relates to a device which can be used to conveniently manipulate a handheld TV game by magnifying display of the handheld TV game and controlling direction buttons of the TV game with a joystick.

Due to their convenience in carrying and use, as well as their function in killing time and training users for good reaction, handheld TV games are now very popular among the general public. However, the inconvenience in control of a handheld TV game due to its small volume often has reverse influence on the scores a user can get; particularly, the direction buttons of a handheld TV game are usually digital buttons which can not be quickly and actively manipulated as a joystick does. It is therefore tried by the applicant to develop a device to magnify the display of a handheld TV game and to actively control the same by a joystick.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a device capable of manipulating a handheld TV game. By insert a handheld TV game into the device, the display of the handheld TV game may be magnified and more clearly viewed.

Another object of the present invention is to provide the above device which has a joystick for more easily and actively manipulating the direction buttons of a handheld TV game.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide the above device the joystick of which may have four or eight different control directions when a selection rod provided thereon is shifted.

The features of the device and the manner in which the device is manipulated can be best understood by referring to the following detailed description of preferred embodiment and the accompanying drawings wherein Fig. 1 is a three-dimensional perspective of the present invention; Fig. 2 shows how a handheld TV game is inserted into the device according to the present invention; Fig. 3 illustrates the internal structure of the present invention; Fig. 4 illustrates the general manner in which the buttons and relevant linkages of the present invention function; Fig. 5 is a partial view illustrating the linkages for the joystick of the present invention to function; Figs. 6 and 7 illustrate the way in which the joystick controls an inserted handheld TV game when the joystick is moved leftward or rightward;; Figs. 8 and 9 illustrate the way in which the joystick controls an inserted handheld TV game when the joystick is moved upward or downward; Fig. 10 illustrates the selection of four- or eight-control direction of the joystick of the present invention.

Please refer to Fig. 1, the present invention has a generally laid Y-shaped casing 1 provided with a power switch 11 at its right side, a magnifier 12 on its upper Fop surface, and a control panel 13 at its lower top surface.

On the control panel 13, a joystick 14, a start button 15, a select button 16, and a pair of shooting buttons 17 are provided. The magnifier 12 is covered under and thereby fixed and protected by a generally square lens cover; a lamp is provided under the lens cover to give necessary light thereof.

Please now further refer to Fig. 2 in which a rectangular recess 18 provided at backside of the casing 1 is shown.

The recess 18 is suitable for a handheld TV game 2 to inclinedly insert in such that display 21 of the TV game 2 is located at focus of the magnifier 12 and is magnified, and direction key 22, start button 23, select button 24, and a pair of shooting buttons 25 of the handheld TV game 2 face bottom side of a top slide panel 181 of the rectangular recess 18 and are controllable by the joystick 14, start button 15, select button 16 and shooting buttons 17, respectively.

Fig. 3 illustrates internal structure of the present invention inside the casing 1. Two speakers 191 are separately provided at each side of the casing 1 for emitting sound. A plurality of linkages 3 are provided between the control panel 13 and the top slide panel 181 so that the direction key 22, start button 23, select button 23, and shooting buttons 25 of the handheld TV game 2 can be respectively controlled and actuated by the joystick 14, start button 14, select button 16, and shooting buttons 17 via the transmission function of the linkages 3.

Fig. 4 illustrates the structure of linkages 3 provided for buttons 15, 16, or 17 and how the buttons 15, 16, or 17 of the present invention controls the corresponding buttons on an inserted handheld TV game via linkages 3 provided for such buttons. When a button 41 (it can be any one of buttons 15, 16, or 17) is pressed down in a direction as shown by the arrow in Fig. 4 to actuate a cranked arm 42 so that the cranked arm 42 pivotly turns about a pivot 43 to which the cranked arm 42 is pivotly connected. The turning of the cranked arm 42 about the pivot 43 pushes a slide rod 44 connected to the other end of the cranked arm 42 opposite to the button 41 to move upward, driving an L-shaped swivel member 45 inset and pivotly connected to the top slide panel 181 to turn.When the L-shaped swivel member 45 is pushed to turn downward, its free leg shall press a button 2' (it can be any one of buttons 23, 24, or 25, depending on the button 15, 16, or 17 being pressed down) on the surface of the handheld TV game 2. A spring 46 is disposed below the cranked arm 42 to provide necessary elastic force for the button 41 to return to its originally unpressed position.

Fig. 5 illustrates the structure of linages 3 provided for the joystick 14 of the present invention. The control by the joystick 14 include lateral control and vertical control. Figs. 6 and 7 show the lateral control which is achieved by shifting the joystick 14 leftward or rightward.

The joystick 14 has a straight rod 141 a part of which downward passes through a swivel plate 51. When the joystick 14 is shifted leftward or rightward as shown by the lowest arrows in Fig. 6, slide rods 52 separately and pivotly connected to two ends of the swivel plate 51 shall be driven to move forward, each pushing an L-shaped swivel member 53 inset and pivotly connected to the top slide panel 181 to turn downwardly toward the rectangular recess 18 and press the left or right side of the direction key 22 of the handheld TV game 2.

Figs. 8, 9 show the vertical control which is achieved by shifting the joystick 14 upward or downward. The straight rod 141 of the joystick 14 downward passes through a slide plate 61 which shall push a pivot arm 63 pivotly connected to a pivot base 62 to turn forward or backward when the joystick 14 is shifted upward or downward. The turning of the pivot arm 63 shall cause a coaxial push rod 64 to push a slide rod 65 to move upward or downward, which further causes upper or lower part of a reverse T-shaped swivel member 66 to contact and press the up or down side of the direction key 22 of the handheld TV game 2.

In Fig. 10, a four-or-eight-direction selection bar 7 on the device of the present invention is shown. The shifting of the selection bar 7 shall cause four pieces of projected blocks 81 to horizontally extend into or retract from four corners of a joystick hole 8 through where the joystick 14 passes down the control panel 13 of the present invention.

When the projected blocks 81 extend into the joystick hole 8, only four control directions, i.e., up, down, left, and right, are available for the joystick 14. When the projected blocks 81 retract from the joystick hole 8, the joystick 14 is allowed to be shifted in eight different directions.

When the button 41 shown in Fig. 4 is functioning as a shooting button 17, a small motor 47 may be mounted below it. When the button 41 is pressed down, it will actuate the motor 47 to rotate, causing a pull rod 48 connected thereto to drive the cranked arm 42 to keep moving at high speed so that a turbo-shooting can be achieved. When the button 42 is released, motor 47 stops running and thereby terminates the turbo-shooting.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A device capable of manipulating a handheld TV game, comprising a laid Y-shaped casing having a power switch provided at one side and two speakers separately provided at each side thereof for emitting sound; a magnifier located at upper top surface of said casing, periphery of said magnifier being covered and thereby fixed and protected by a square lens cover, inside said lens cover, a lamp being connected to give necessary light thereof; a control panel located at lower top surface of said casing for a joystick, a start button, a select button, and a pair of shooting buttons to be arranged thereon; a generally rectangular recess formed at backside of said casing such that a handheld TV game can be inclinedly inserted thereinto with display of said handheld TV game locating at focus of said magnifier and thereby magnified by said magnifier, and with direction key, start button, select button, shooting buttons of said handheld TV game facing bottom side of a top slide panel of said rectangular recess and a plurality of linkages disposed between said control panel and said top slide panel of said rectangular recess, and by means of said linkages, said joystick, said start button, said select button and said shooting buttons on said control panel of said device being capable of controlling said direction key, said start button, said select button and said shooting buttons on said handheld TV game, respectively.

2. A device capable of manipulating a handheld TV game as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of said buttons on said control panel can be pressed down to actuate a cranked arm pivotly connected to a pivot base to turn about said pivot base, pushing a slide rod to move upward and thereby driving an L-shaped member inset and pivotly connected to said top slide panel to vertically turn relative to said top slide panel, thereby pressing down or releasing a corresponding button on said handheld TV game being inserted into said inclined recess on said casing of said device.

3. A device capable of manipulating a handheld TV game as claimed in claim 2, wherein a spring can be disposed below said cranked arm to provide necessary elastic force for said button to return to its originally unpressed position.

4. A device capable of manipulating a handheld TV game as claimed in claim 1, wherein said joystick on said control panel has a straight rod portion which downward passes through a slide plate which shall further push a pivot arm pivotly connected to a pivot base to vertically turn when said joystick is upward or downward shifted; said pivot arm being capable of causing a coaxial push rod to push a slide rod to move upward or downward so that a reverse T-shaped swivel member inset and connected to said top slide panel of said rectangular recess may touch and press upper or lower portion of said direction key of said handheld TV game with its upper or lower end.

5. A device capable of manipulating a handheld TV game as claimed in claim 1, wherein a selection rod is provided and may be shifted to cause four projected blocks to horizontally extend into or retract from four corners of a joystick hole through where said joystick passes downward; extension of said four projected blocks into said joystick hole limiting said joystick to have only four control directions, i.e., said joystick being allowed to move upward, downward, leftward, and rightward; and retractioii of said four projected blocks from said joystick hole allowing said joystick to shift toward four corners thereof, too, forming an eight-direction control of said joystick.

6. A device capable of manipulating a handheld TV game as claimed in claim 1, wherein a small motor is disposed below said shooting buttons and may be actuated to rotate when said shooting buttons are pressed down; said motor having a pull rod with one end connected to said motor and the other end connected to said cranked arm; rotation of said motor causing said pull rod to drive said cranked arm to move quickly and generate turbo shootings; and releasing of said shooting buttons causing said motor to stop running.

7. A device capable of manipulating a handheld TV game substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.