U.S. patent application number 14/196381 was filed with the patent office on 2015-07-23 for external control pad.
This patent application is currently assigned to Giga-Byte Technology Co., Ltd.. The applicant listed for this patent is Giga-Byte Technology Co., Ltd.. Invention is credited to Shu-I Chen, Yin Yu Lin, Po-Jen Shih.
Application Number | 20150205328 14/196381 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 51295364 |
Filed Date | 2015-07-23 |
United States Patent
Application |
20150205328 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Lin; Yin Yu ; et
al. |
July 23, 2015 |
EXTERNAL CONTROL PAD
Abstract
An external control pad for incorporating a mobile device
includes two handheld parts, a movable set, and two fastening
mechanisms is provided. The movable set is disposed in between the
two handheld parts, and each said fastening mechanism is disposed
on the movable set. When placing the mobile device in between the
two handheld parts, a user adjusts the distance between the two
handheld parts by altering the movable set such that the two
handheld parts move closer to or away from, the mobile device. The
fastening mechanisms for securing the distance posed by the movable
set allows the mobile device to be clamped and fixed in between the
two handheld parts so that the mobile device is incorporated into
the external control pad for users' convenience and ease of
use.
Inventors: |
Lin; Yin Yu; (New Taipei
City, TW) ; Shih; Po-Jen; (New Taipei City, TW)
; Chen; Shu-I; (New Taipei City, TW) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Giga-Byte Technology Co., Ltd. |
New Taipei City |
|
TW |
|
|
Assignee: |
Giga-Byte Technology Co.,
Ltd.
New Taipei City
TW
|
Family ID: |
51295364 |
Appl. No.: |
14/196381 |
Filed: |
March 4, 2014 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
361/679.44 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63F 13/98 20140902;
A63F 13/24 20140902; G06F 1/1632 20130101 |
International
Class: |
G06F 1/16 20060101
G06F001/16 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jan 17, 2014 |
TW |
103200996 |
Claims
1. An external control pad, suitable for incorporating a mobile
device, comprising: two handheld parts individually provided with
at least one control button, wherein said mobile device is placed
in between said handheld parts; a movable set and two fastening
mechanisms, wherein: said movable set includes a first connecting
lever, a second connecting lever, and at least one middle
connecting lever, and one end of said first connecting lever is
axially disposed on one handheld part and one end of said second
connecting lever is axially disposed on the other handheld part,
and two ends of said middle connecting lever are pivotally
connected to the other end of said first connecting lever and the
other end of said second connecting lever respectively, and when
said first connecting lever and said second connecting lever
individually rotate with respect to said handheld parts so as to
enable said middle connecting lever to pivotally rotate, said
handheld parts will move away from or close to, each other; and
said fastening mechanisms are individually disposed in said first
connecting lever and said second connecting lever, and each said
fastening mechanism includes an elastic element and a pressing
component, where said elastic elements are individually disposed
between one pressing component and said first connecting lever, and
between the other pressing component and said second connecting
lever, and one end of each said pressing component abuts against
the corresponding elastic element and the other end of each said
pressing component abuts against said middle connecting lever such
that said middle connecting lever is pressingly fixed in between
each said elastic element and each said pressing component, and
when said first connecting lever and/or said second connecting
lever displace along the direction of pressing so as to abut
against said elastic elements, one end of each said pressing
component will displace along the direction of pressing and the
other end of each said pressing component will release said middle
connecting lever.
2. The external control pad as of claim 1, wherein said first
connecting lever and said second connecting lever are individually
provided with an upper connecting lever and a lower connecting
lever connecting to each other via an axle, and each said fastening
mechanism is disposed, through said axle, between each said upper
connecting lever and each said lower connecting lever.
3. The external control pad as of claim 2, wherein each said
pressing component is provided with a spring piece disposed between
each said lower connecting lever and each said pressing component
such that each said pressing component will, in a normal setting,
press against the direction of pressing, and wherein when each said
upper connecting lever displaces along the direction of pressing so
as to enable each said pressing component to displace along the
same direction, each said spring piece produces a force of rebound
in response to the pressure from each said pressing component and
each said lower connecting lever such that each said pressing
component rebounds against the direction of pressing.
4. The external control pad as of claim 1, wherein said external
control pad further comprises two cushioning elements individually
disposed on the lateral side of each said handheld part, where each
said cushioning element is made of soft material and said mobile
device is clamped and fixed in between said handheld parts through
said cushioning elements.
5. The external control pad as of claim 1, wherein said external
control pad further comprises a port located on any one of said
handheld parts for electrically connecting to said mobile
device.
6. The external control pad as of claim 1, wherein said external
control pad further comprises a wireless module mounted on any one
of said handheld parts for receiving control signals from said
mobile device or sending control signals to said mobile device.
7. The external control pad as of claim 1, wherein there is
provided a groove along the bottom edge of each said handheld part,
and said movable set and each said fastening mechanism are
collapsible into said groove.
8. The external control pad as of claim 1, wherein each said
handheld part is provided with a joystick.
9. The external control pad as of claim 1, wherein said control
button is a direction button or a function button.
10. The external control pad as of claim 1, wherein said elastic
element is made of rubber or foam.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This non-provisional application claims priority claim under
35 U.S.C. .sctn.119(a) on Patent Application No. 103200996 filed in
Taiwan, R.O.C. on Jan. 17, 2014, the entire contents of which are
hereby incorporated by reference herein.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The present invention relates to a control pad and, more
particularly, to an external control pad for incorporating a mobile
device.
[0004] 2. Description of Related Art
[0005] Mobile devices, which integrate multiple functions including
mobile communicating, Internet surfing, and gaming, among others,
have brought an unprecedented impact to related industries since
their inception on the market. Such versatility, a feature that
appeals to mobile consumers, has also driven developers/providers
of mobile applications (or apps) to develop more apps running on
mobile devices such as smart phones, tablet computers, and digital
players (e.g., iPhones, iPads, or iPods, and the like). It is
estimated that more than one million apps for mobile devices have
been produced up to present. Among the apps for mobile devices,
gaming app, undoubtedly, is the most favorable type of app in the
market. Most of the gaming apps are created based on the hardware
components built in mobile devices, thereby providing more
diversified operations to game players.
[0006] For prior-art joysticks (or gamepads) as accessories to the
smart phones or tablet computers, the fastening mechanism or
connecting apparatus of which is only compatible to a particular
type of model or manufacture and may not be easy to use, and thus
the game players may find it difficult to quickly adjust the
gamepad according to different dimensions of mobile devices in use;
additionally, the gamepad may be too bulky to be carried on-the-go,
causing inconvenience to the game players.
[0007] What is needed, therefore, is a control pad which can be
easily and quickly adjusted to incorporate mobile devices with
different dimensions/types and be easily held for carry.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] In view of the foregoing, an external control pad over
conventional gamepads is provided to overcome the above-mentioned
problems that the fastening mechanism or connecting apparatus of a
prior-art gamepad is only compatible to a particular type of model
or manufacture and may not be easy to use, thus making it difficult
to quickly adjust the gamepad according to different dimensions of
mobile devices, and the gamepad may be too bulky to be carried
on-the-go, causing inconvenience to the game players.
[0009] The present invention provides an external control pad for
incorporating a mobile device. The external control pad includes:
two handheld parts individually provided with at least one control
button, where a mobile device can be placed in between the two
handheld parts; a movable set composed of a first connecting lever,
a second connecting lever, and at least one middle connecting
lever, where one end of the first connecting lever is axially
disposed on one handheld part and one end of the second connecting
lever is axially disposed on the other handheld part, and the two
ends of the middle connecting lever are pivotally connected to the
other end of the first connecting lever and the other end of the
second connecting lever respectively, and when the first connecting
lever and the second connecting lever individually rotate with
respect to the two handheld parts so as to enable the middle
connecting lever to pivotally rotate, the two handheld parts will
move away from or close to, each other; and two fastening
mechanisms individually disposed in the first connecting lever and
the second connecting lever and individually composed of an elastic
element and a pressing component, where one elastic element is
disposed between one pressing component and the first connecting
lever and the other elastic element is disposed between the other
pressing component and the second connecting lever, and one end of
each said pressing component abuts against the corresponding
elastic element and the other end of each said pressing component
abuts against the middle connecting lever such that the middle
connecting lever is pressingly fixed in between each said elastic
element and each said pressing component, and when the first
connecting lever and/or the second connecting lever displace along
the direction of pressing so as to abut against the corresponding
elastic element, one end of the corresponding pressing component
will displace along the direction of pressing and the other end of
the corresponding pressing component will release the middle
connecting lever.
[0010] In one embodiment of the present invention, the first
connecting lever and the second connecting lever are individually
provided with an upper connecting lever and a lower connecting
lever connecting to each other via an axle, and each said fastening
mechanism is disposed, through the same axle, between the
corresponding upper connecting lever and the corresponding lower
connecting lever.
[0011] In one embodiment of the present invention, the pressing
component is provided with a spring piece disposed between the
lower connecting lever and the pressing component such that the
pressing component will, in a normal setting, press against the
direction of pressing. When the upper connecting lever displaces
along the pressing direction so as to enable the pressing component
to displace along the same direction, the spring piece produces a
force of rebound in response to the pressure from the pressing
component and the lower connecting lever, making the pressing
component rebound against the direction of pressing.
[0012] In one embodiment of the present invention, there are
individually disposed two cushioning elements on the lateral side
of each of the handheld parts, where the cushioning element is made
of soft material and the mobile device is clamped and fixed in
between the two handheld parts through the two cushioning
elements.
[0013] In one embodiment of the present invention, there is further
provided a port on any one of the handheld parts for electrically
connecting to the mobile device.
[0014] In one embodiment of the present invention, there is further
mounted a wireless module on any one of the handheld parts for
receiving control signals from the mobile device or sending control
signals to the mobile device.
[0015] In one embodiment of the present invention, there is further
provided a groove along the bottom side of each of the handheld
parts such that the movable set and the two fastening mechanisms
can be collapsed into the grooves.
[0016] In one embodiment of the present invention, there is further
provided a joystick on each of the handheld parts.
[0017] In one embodiment of the present invention, the control
button is either a direction button or a function button.
[0018] In one embodiment of the present invention, the elastic
element is made of rubber or foam.
[0019] The advantageous effect of the present invention over
conventional gamepads is that the structures of the movable set and
the fastening mechanisms enable the user to easily adjust the
distance between the two handheld parts according to different
requirements such that mobile devices with different dimensions can
be incorporated into the external control pad of the present
invention for better applicability. Additionally, the movable set
and the fastening mechanisms are collapsible into the grooves of
the handheld parts so as for the two handheld parts to move as
close to each other as possible, thus making the external control
pad smaller in dimension for easy-to-carry and
convenient-to-store.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF DRAWINGS
[0020] The structure as well as a preferred mode of use, further
objects, and advantages of the present invention will be best
understood by referring to the following detailed description of
some illustrative embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying
drawings, in which:
[0021] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an external control pad
according to the first embodiment of the present invention;
[0022] FIG. 2 is a sectional assembled view of an external control
pad according to the first embodiment of the present invention;
[0023] FIG. 3 is a partially enlarged view showing the movable set
and the fastening mechanism according to the first embodiment of
the present invention;
[0024] FIG. 4 is a schematic drawing of the movable set and the
fastening mechanism of an external control pad illustrating their
operations according to the first embodiment of the present
invention;
[0025] FIG. 5 is a schematic drawing of an external control pad
when in operation according to the first embodiment of the present
invention;
[0026] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an external control pad
incorporating a mobile device according to the first embodiment of
the present invention;
[0027] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an external control pad
incorporating a mobile device according to the second embodiment of
the present invention; and
[0028] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of an external control pad when
in collapse according to the second embodiment of the present
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0029] Two preferred embodiments of the present invention are
provided, where the embodiments are exemplified by combinations of
different structures of the external control pad 100. It should be
understood by one skilled in the art that the embodiments are
provided for illustrative purposes only but not intended to limit
the scope of the present invention, and thus one skilled in the art
should be able to change the disclosed elements to better fit
different requirements.
[0030] Referring to FIGS. 1-5, there are shown a perspective view
and a sectional view for an external control pad according to the
first embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 6 with
reference to FIGS. 1-5, there is shown a perspective view for the
external control pad incorporating a mobile device. In the present
embodiment, the external control pad 100 incorporates a mobile
device 200 so as to enable the user to control the apps running on
the mobile device 200 through the external control pad 100. Where
the mobile device 200 is, for example, a smart phone, a tablet
computer, or a digital player. The mobile device 200 of the present
embodiment is exemplified by but not limited to, a smart phone.
[0031] In the present embodiment, the external control pad 100
includes two handheld parts 110, a movable set 120, and two
fastening mechanisms 130, where the movable set 120 is disposed
between the two handheld parts 110 and the two fastening mechanisms
130 are individually disposed on the movable set 120. When placing
the mobile device 200 in between the two handheld parts 110, the
user adjusts the distance between the two handheld parts 110 by
altering the movable set 120 such that the two handheld parts 110
move closer to or away from, the mobile device 200. The fastening
mechanisms 130 for securing the distance posed by the movable set
120 allows the mobile device 200 to be clamped and fixed in between
the two handheld parts 110 so that the mobile device 200 is
incorporated into the external control pad 100 for convenience and
ease of use.
[0032] The structure and operation for each part of the external
control pad 100 of the present embodiment will be detailed below.
The two handheld parts 110 are individually provided with at least
one control button 111 and a groove 113. Each of the control
buttons 111 is, for example, a direction button or a function
button, through which the user can control the apps running on the
mobile device 200. The grooves 113, established at the bottom of
the corresponding handheld parts, are used for storing the movable
set 120 and the two fastening mechanisms 130. The mobile device 200
is placed between the two handheld parts 110 such that the user can
effortlessly control the apps by simultaneously holding the two
sides of the two handheld parts 110 with his/her hands.
[0033] The movable set 120 includes a first connecting lever 121, a
second connecting lever 122, and at least one middle connecting
lever 123. One end of the first connecting lever 121 is, via an
axle, flexibly disposed at the bottom of one handheld part 110, and
one end of the second connecting lever 122 is, via another axle,
flexible disposed at the bottom of the other handheld part 110, and
the two ends of the middle connecting lever 123 are pivotally
connected to the other end of the first connecting lever 121 and
the other end of the second connecting lever 122 respectively. When
the two handheld parts 110 move away from each other, the first
connecting lever 121 and the second connecting lever 122 stretch
out the grooves 113 by rotating axially, enabling the middle
connecting lever 123 to pivotally rotate in horizontal direction,
such that the distance apart from the two handheld parts 110
becomes longer. On the other hand, when the two handheld parts 110
move closer to each other, the first connecting lever 121 and the
second connecting lever 122 retract into the grooves 113 by
rotating axially, enabling the middle connecting lever 123 to
pivotally rotate in vertical direction, such that the distance
apart from the two handheld parts 110 becomes shorter.
[0034] Further, the first connecting lever 121 includes an upper
connecting lever 1211 and a lower connecting lever 1212, where the
upper connecting lever 1211 is connected to the lower connecting
lever 1212 via an axle 1213. The second connecting lever 122
includes an upper connecting lever 1221 and a lower connecting
lever 1222, where the upper connecting 1221 is connected to the
lower connecting lever 1222 via an axle 1223. One of the fastening
mechanisms 130 is pierced through by the axle 1213 and disposed
between the upper connecting lever 1211 and the lower connecting
lever 1212 of the first connecting lever 121, and the other one of
the fastening mechanism 130 is pierced through by the axle 1223 and
disposed between the upper connecting lever 1221 and the lower
connecting lever 1222 of the second connecting lever 122.
[0035] Further, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the two fastening
mechanisms 130 are individually composed of an elastic element 131
and a pressing component 132, and are disposed in the first
connecting lever 121 and the second connecting lever 122
respectively. For the first connecting lever 121, the elastic
element 131 and the pressing component 132 are pierced through by
the axle 1213 and disposed between the upper connecting lever 1211
and the lower connecting lever 1212. The elastic element 131 is
disposed between the pressing component 132 and the upper
connecting lever 1211, and is made of, but not limited to, rubber
or foam. The pressing component 132 includes a spring piece 1321,
and the spring piece 1321 is disposed between the lower connecting
lever 1212 and the pressing component 132, making the pressing
component 132, in a normal setting, pressed upward. One end of the
pressing component 132 upward presses the elastic element 131 and
the other end of the pressing component 132 upward presses the
middle connecting lever 123 such that the middle connecting lever
123 is clamped and fixed between the elastic element 131 and the
pressing component 132 without being pivotally rotated, thereby
fastening the middle connecting lever 123.
[0036] Referring to FIG. 4 with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3, when
the upper connecting lever 1211 of the first connecting lever 121
displaces along a direction of pressing P10 (the mark arrow), the
upper connecting lever 1211 will downward press the elastic element
131 so as to enable one end of the pressing component 132 to
displace downward; at the same time, the other end of the pressing
component 132 will displace downward accordingly and thus release
the middle lever 123, enabling the middle connecting lever 123 to
pivotally rotate so as to adjust the distance between the two
handheld parts 110.
[0037] It should be mentioned that when the upper connecting lever
1211 displaces along the direction of pressing P10, the pressing
component 132 also displaces downward, and the spring piece 1321
generates a force of rebound against the pressure from the pressing
component 132 and the lower connecting lever 1212 so as to enable
the pressing component 132 to rebound against the direction of
pressing P10, thereby achieving the effect of resetting the
pressing component 132.
[0038] Referring to the description regarding the first connecting
lever 121, for the second connecting lever 122, the elastic element
131 and the pressing component 132 of the other fastening mechanism
are pierced through by the axle 1223 and disposed between the upper
connecting lever 1221 and the lower connecting lever 1222. The
elastic element 131 is disposed between the pressing component 132
and the upper connecting lever 1221. The pressing component 132
includes a spring piece 1321, and the spring piece 1321 is disposed
between the lower connecting lever 1222 and the pressing component
132, making the pressing component 132, in a normal setting,
pressed upward. One end of the pressing component 132 upward
presses the elastic element 131 and the other end of the pressing
component 132 upward presses the middle connecting lever 123 such
that the middle connecting lever 123 is clamped and fixed between
the elastic element 131 and the pressing component 132 without
being pivotally rotated, thereby fastening the middle connecting
lever 123.
[0039] Referring to FIG. 4 with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3, when
the upper connecting lever 1221 of the first connecting lever 122
displaces along a direction of pressing P10, the upper connecting
lever 1221 will downward press the elastic element 131 so as to
enable one end of the pressing component 132 to displace downward;
at the same time, the other end of the pressing component 132 will
displace downward accordingly and thus release from the middle
lever 123, enabling the middle connecting lever 123 to pivotally
rotate so as to adjust the distance between the two handheld parts
110.
[0040] It should be mentioned that when the upper connecting lever
1221 displaces along the direction of pressing P10, the pressing
component 132 also displaces downward, and the spring piece 1321
generates a force of rebound against the pressure from the pressing
component 132 and the lower connecting lever 1222, enabling the
pressing component 132 to rebound against the direction of pressing
P10, thereby achieving the effect of resetting the pressing
component 132.
[0041] Based on the above-mentioned structure of the external
control pad, in order to adjust the distance between the two
handheld parts 110, the user can alternatively press the first
connecting lever 121 or the second connecting lever 122, or
simultaneously press the first connecting lever 121 and the second
connecting lever 122. The description of the present embodiment is
based on the case of simultaneously pressing both. When holding the
two handheld parts 110, the user can press with their thumbs, along
the direction of pressing P10, on the first connecting lever 121
and the second connecting lever 122 respectively, in order to
adjust the distance between the two handheld parts 100, and when
the user releases their thumbs from the first connecting lever 121
and the second connecting lever 122, the distance between the two
handheld parts is then fixed. Therefore, the user can quickly
adjust the distance between the two handheld parts in an intuitive
way so as to facilitate the incorporation of mobile devices with
different dimensions into the external control pad, thereby
improving applicability.
[0042] Besides, in the present embodiment, the external control pad
100 further includes two cushioning elements 140 for better
functionality. The two cushioning elements 140 are individually
disposed on the inner lateral side of each of the handheld parts
and made of soft material such as foams and rubbers. When the
mobile device 200 is placed between the two handheld parts 110, the
two handheld parts 110 abut against the mobile device 200 through
the two cushioning elements 140, and the two cushioning elements
140 is pressed and deformed so as to tightly stick along the outer
edge of the mobile device 200, thereby providing a fixed and secure
clipping of the mobile device 200.
[0043] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 6, to electrically connect to
the mobile device 200, the external control pad 100 further
includes a port 150. The port 150 is, but not limited to, a USB
port or a PS2 port and electrically disposed on any one of the
handheld parts 110. The external control pad 100 electrically
connects to the mobile device 200 by establishing a cable from the
port 150 to the mobile device 200 so as for the user to control the
apps running on the mobile device 200.
[0044] The second embodiment of the present invention is similar to
the first embodiment in the aspect of the overall structure of the
external control pad 100, and therefore only the differences
between these two embodiments will be described as follows.
[0045] Referring to FIG. 7 with reference to FIGS. 1-6, there is
shown a perspective view of the external control pad 100
incorporating a mobile device according to the second embodiment of
the present invention. The difference between the structures of the
external control pad 100 of the first embodiment and that of the
second embodiment is that in the second embodiment, there are
individually provided two joysticks 112 on the two handheld parts
110 for users' gaming convenience. Besides, the external control
pad 100 of the present embodiment further includes a wireless
module 160. The wireless module 160 includes, but not limited to, a
Bluetooth wireless module or an infrared wireless module. The
wireless module 160, mounted on any one of the handheld parts 110,
receives/sends control signals from/to the mobile device 200, so as
to enable the user to control the apps running on the mobile device
200 without the hassle of cabling.
[0046] The external control pad 100 as in the two embodiments also
provides a collapsing mechanism for easy-to-store, as shown in FIG.
8. After the mobile device 200 is removed from the external control
pad 100, if the user simultaneously presses the first connecting
lever 121 and the second connecting lever 122, the movable set 120
and the two fastening mechanisms will rotate and retract into the
grooves 113 at the bottom of the two handheld parts 110 so as to
enable the two handheld parts 110 to abut against each other,
thereby reducing the dimension of the external control pad 100. The
two fastening mechanisms 130 provide an additional mechanism to
fasten the external control pad 100 for easy to store and
carry.
[0047] It should be clear that, through the description of the
embodiments of the present invention, the movable set and the
fastening mechanisms for the external control pad overcome the
problems that the fastening mechanism or connecting apparatus of a
prior-art gamepad is only compatible to a particular type of model
or manufacture and may not be easy to use, thus making it difficult
to quickly adjust the gamepad according to different dimensions of
mobile devices, and the gamepad may be too bulky to be carried
on-the-go, causing inconvenience to the game players.
[0048] The external control pad of the present invention is
advantageous over conventional gamepads in that the structures of
the movable set and the fastening mechanisms allow the user to
easily adjust the distance between the two handheld parts according
to different requirements such that mobile devices with different
dimensions can be incorporated into the external control pad for
better applicability. Additionally, the movable set and the
fastening mechanisms are collapsible into the grooves of the
handheld parts to enable the two handheld parts to move as close to
each other as possible, thus making the external control pad
smaller in dimension for easy-to-carry and convenient-to-store.
[0049] The foregoing embodiments are illustrative of the
characteristics of the present invention to enable a person skilled
in the art to understand the disclosed subject matter and implement
the present invention accordingly. The embodiments, however, are
not intended to restrict the scope of the present invention. Hence,
all equivalent modifications and variations made in the foregoing
embodiments without departing from the spirit and principles of the
present invention should fall within the scope of the appended
claims.
* * * * *