Nintendo patents interchangeable controls

[GoodBytes]

NeoGAF forum user: Disorientator, reports Nintendo new patent that just got approve which shows perhaps on what will be coming on from Nintendo in the coming years.

 

The patent shows a controller (like the WiiU's) or portable gaming system (or both based on rumors of Nintendo working in unifying both systems for their next generation device). with controls which you can interchange in some fashion.

 

 

7c and 4c shows a lock system for it doesn't slide out as you play.

 

Fig5 bellow, shows the internal circuit design for the controller.

 

Patent says on the picture right above this:

 

Nine pressure sensors S1 to S9 are arranged in matrix of three by three at the inner surface 4d of the attachment unit 4. One pressure sensor S5 located at the center has a substantially square shape. Each of the eight pressure sensors S1 to S4, S6 to S9 on the periphery has a substantially rectangular shape. The pressure sensors S1 to S4 and S6 to S9 are arranged in a radial pattern with respect to the pressure sensor S5 at the center. The pressure sensors S1 to S9 are so arranged that the center of the operation instrument 7 corresponds to the position of the pressure sensor S5 when the operation instrument 7 is attached to the attachment unit 4. In FIG. 5, the operation instrument 7 is illustrated by a circular shape of a dashed-dotted line.Each of the pressure sensors S1 to S9 is connected to the operation detecting unit 15 through a signal line. Each of the pressure sensors S1 to S9 outputs a signal in accordance with an applied pressure to the operation detecting unit 15. The operation detecting unit 15 independently determines, based on the signals from each of the pressure sensors S1 to S9, whether or not a pressure is applied to each of the pressure sensors S1 to S9. The operation detecting unit 15 may further determine the intensity of the pressure applied to each of the pressure sensors S1 to S9.

 

It will allow complete customizability of the controller to fit your liking. Do you want a D-Pad? how about 2x analogue sticks? how about 3 buttons in diagonal, or the traditional 4 button layout? Or how about just analogue sticks and a D-Pad? Well it will allow you to pick, as demonstrated with the examples bellow part of the patent.

 

 

 

Come to think about it, it could open room for 3rd party to make their own switches, which you get to keep the controller the same.

 

To read more about it, and source:

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=811351

 

What do you think? Does Nintendo have something in their hand with great value?

[Guest]

Genius

[Askew]

IMO Nintendo consoles are for children, and that looks like something a child would immediately lose or break.

 

haters gonna hate on my opinion, I am prepared

[LancerBG]

IMO Nintendo consoles are for children, and that looks like something a child would immediately lose or break.

 

haters gonna hate on my opinion, I am prepared

 

a lot of people would say gaming in general is for children. I personally am always down for first party Nintendo games. They offer games no one else can touch. 

[Askew]

a lot of people would say gaming in general is for children. I personally am always down for first party Nintendo games. They offer games no one else can touch. 

 

Yes they would, it's just my opinion.

[Guest]

IMO Nintendo consoles are for children, and that looks like something a child would immediately lose or break.

 

haters gonna hate on my opinion, I am prepared

They have better first party games than Microsoft and Sony blasted

[Theblasphemouscoffee]

Awesome. I know that Nintendo probably won't make a standalone controller using this technology, but i would definitely buy one if they did 

[Askew]

They have better first party games than Microsoft and Sony blasted

 

It's all about preference, I'd rather play The Last of Us than any Nintendo game, or any Microsoft game for that matter, however I don't care for Uncharted.

 

I would say Nintendo has better than Microsoft, but not Sony. (I'm calling a Naughty Dog game first party because the studio is owned by Sony)

[Guest]

It's all about preference, I'd rather play The Last of Us than any Nintendo game, or any Microsoft game for that matter, however I don't care for Uncharted.

 

I would say Nintendo has better than Microsoft, but not Sony. (I'm calling a Naughty Dog game first party because the studio is owned by Sony)

[TacticlTwinkie]

This is a clever idea. It will be interesting to see what Nintendo eventually does with this. Could make for interesting custom button/joystick layouts for certain games, or user created layouts that they prefer over the "stock" layout.

[Imaginaerum]

IMO Nintendo consoles are for children, and that looks like something a child would immediately lose or break.

 

haters gonna hate on my opinion, I am prepared

You have little faith in children, they aren't as helpless and stupid as people think they are. If they know to take care of something, they'll take care of it. If they're too young to know about that, then it's on the parents to take care of it and watch them.

As for Nintendo... Make The Last of Us as fun as Mario and Zelda and I'd agree with you. I just thought it was the most stressful game I've ever played.

[othertomperson]

Awesome. Great for left handed players. If only the dual shock controllers had this so you could put the sticks somewhere useful

[greenroost1445]

IMO Nintendo consoles are for children, and that looks like something a child would immediately lose or break.

 

haters gonna hate on my opinion, I am prepared

Lock-in pieces and a small storage compartment and nintendo has a true winner.

[ericlee30]

WOW, thats really cool. I would patent something like that to very smart Nintendo

[Askew]

Lock-in pieces and a small storage compartment and nintendo has a true winner.

 

Either that or putting all the electronics in the controller body and making the switches as cheap as possible, perhaps even 2 grades, eco and premium sticks/switches.

 

I'm sure there will end up being millions of brands/quality levels anyway.

[kuddlesworth9419]

IMO Nintendo consoles are for children, and that looks like something a child would immediately lose or break.

 

haters gonna hate on my opinion, I am prepared

I still play all the new Pokemon games. I'm 19. Call me a child if you want but Pokemon was my first franchise. It will always have a place in my heart. I really don't want Nintendo to integrate it's mobile and console together. If it means the system will cost more I won't buy it because I don't have that kind of money and even if I did I couldn't justify paying for a new console/platform just for one game. I bought a 3DS XL for one game but I do plan on buying the next Pokemon game if it comes out on the 3DS. I think they should keep the 3DS as it's main platform for a while longer maybe 2 more years and then make a new mobile platform.

[dragosudeki]

Thats still really cool. First modular phones, now the idea of modular controllers. Waiting for the fully modular mouse.

[GM_Peka]

Hasn't this already been done pretty much by cyborg/saitek?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826102007

It isn't exactly the same thing but I'm sure you can see the resemblance where you can take the joystick out and swap it for the d-pad.

http://www.technograd.com/img4/Saitek%20Cyborg%20Rumble%20Pad.jpg

Again, not exactly the same thing, but what I'm trying to get at is it isn't entirely original.

[JAKEBAB]

i wonder if this one will work with the wii u

[Guest]

Awesome, I always have time for Nintendo.

 

I'm reminded of Valve's old rumored modifiable controller

 

[LAwLz]

IMO Nintendo consoles are for children, and that looks like something a child would immediately lose or break.

 

haters gonna hate on my opinion, I am prepared

I have never found any controller with a D-pad as good or better than what Nintendo makes.

 

I really like Nintendo's controllers in general though (except the Nintendo 64 for obvious reasons). The joystick on the 3DS is pretty damn amazing and I was surprised by how comfortable the huge WiiU controller was in my hands.

I have decently sized hands and I can tell that some parts of the controls are clearly meant for people with smaller hands than me (for example the shoulder buttons on my 3DS XL) but overall I really like Nintendo's controllers.

[Barnacules]

Wow, this is actually pretty exciting. I just wish that Nintendo wasn't the one to come up with it. I would rather see something like this on XBOX One or PS4 or better yet all consoles. Let the end user decide how they want their input device to work! It would help bridge the gap between PC and Console.

Actually strike all that just let me use a keyboard and mouse on my consoles natively and I'll be happy

[helping]

Actually strike all that just let me use a keyboard and mouse on my consoles natively and I'll be happy

It would be nice, but then if you didn't use KBM on console you'd end up getting stomped by everyone that is.

[iwasaperson]

I have never found any controller with a D-pad as good or better than what Nintendo makes.

 

I really like Nintendo's controllers in general though (except the Nintendo 64 for obvious reasons). The joystick on the 3DS is pretty damn amazing and I was surprised by how comfortable the huge WiiU controller was in my hands.

I have decently sized hands and I can tell that some parts of the controls are clearly meant for people with smaller hands than me (for example the shoulder buttons on my 3DS XL) but overall I really like Nintendo's controllers.

Sega Saturn.