US 12,239,903 B2
Controller with sensor-rich controls
Eric Judson VanWyk, Seattle, WA (US); Lucas Allen Whipple, Seattle, WA (US); Walter Petersen, Seattle, WA (US); Jeffrey Walter Mucha, Sammamish, WA (US); Scott Dalton, Seattle, WA (US); and Pierre-Loup Miguel Griffais, Mercer Island, WA (US)
Assigned to Valve Corporation, Bellevue, WA (US)
Filed by Valve Corporation, Bellevue, WA (US)
Filed on Nov. 28, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/994,952.
Application 17/994,952 is a continuation of application No. 17/174,167, filed on Feb. 11, 2021, granted, now 11,511,186.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/977,030, filed on Feb. 14, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0085784 A1, Mar. 23, 2023
Int. Cl. A63F 13/285 (2014.01); A63F 13/214 (2014.01); A63F 13/218 (2014.01); A63F 13/24 (2014.01); G06F 3/01 (2006.01); G06F 3/0338 (2013.01); G06F 3/0354 (2013.01)
CPC A63F 13/24 (2014.09) [A63F 13/214 (2014.09); A63F 13/218 (2014.09); A63F 13/285 (2014.09); G06F 3/016 (2013.01); G06F 3/0338 (2013.01); G06F 3/03547 (2013.01); A63F 2300/1037 (2013.01); A63F 2300/1043 (2013.01); A63F 2300/1056 (2013.01); A63F 2300/1068 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A controller system comprising:
one or more processors; and
a gaming controller having a controller body and a trackpad disposed on a front surface of the controller body, wherein the trackpad is configured to operate in multiple different modes including a first mode and a second mode, wherein:
in the first mode, the one or more processors are configured to receive touch data indicative of a location of a touch of the trackpad;
in the second mode, the one or more processors are configured to receive selection data indicative of a press of the trackpad at one of multiple selectable locations on the trackpad that correspond to up, down, left, and right input controls; and
the trackpad comprises:
at least one of switches or pressure sensors associated with the multiple selectable locations;
backlighting configured to emit light; and
openings that encircle the at least one of the switches or the pressure sensors to allow the light to pass through the trackpad and visually indicate the multiple selectable locations.