Patent · US Expired

Invertible hand-held electronic game apparatus

US4969647A · kind A · utility

314Cited by
9References
20Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJun 2, 1989
Grant dateNov 13, 1990
Priority date
Expiry dateJun 2, 2009

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
  • CPC primaryA63F2300/8076
  • WIPO fieldFurniture, games
  • WIPO sectorOther fields

Abstract

An invertible, hand-held, electronic game apparatus having a manually engageable housing, a display screen mounting in the housing, an electronic circuit electrically connected to drive the display screen, and a control switch assembly mounted for manipulation by at least one hand of the player while holding the housing. The control switch assembly includes a joypad and fire buttons which are positioned on the housing to permit rotation or inverting of the housing and operation of the switches in a rotated position. Inversion of the housing and operation of the switches is possible when the images are vertically or horizontally oriented. In the preferred form, the control switch assembly includes a joypad on one side of the display screen and two pairs of functionally duplicate fire buttons symmetrically positioned about a central plane of the housing on an opposite side of the screen. The back of the housing is formed with protruding convex surfaces to facilitate gripping.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.