Ergonomic Game Controller Button Layout to Prevent Accidental Presses
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing controllers lack improved operability, particularly in terms of ergonomic design and user interface for efficient input operations.
Innovation Solution
The game controller features a unique ergonomic design with protruding left and right grips forming valleys, buttons positioned to match finger contours, and distinct button shapes and placements to enhance user comfort and reduce accidental presses.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If buttons are positioned closer to the valley bottom to improve accessibility, then ease of operation increases, but accidental button presses may increase
Solution Approach 1:
The button operation surfaces are designed with non-uniform width characteristics - wider at the edge side and narrower at the center side. This local variation in geometry allows the button to be positioned closer to the valley bottom for better accessibility while the wider portion provides sufficient spacing to prevent accidental presses from adjacent fingers.
Solution Approach 2:
The operation surfaces of the buttons feature curved edges rather than straight lines, with the width varying continuously across the surface. This curved geometry allows the button to conform to the natural curvature of fingers while maintaining appropriate spacing zones that prevent accidental activation.
2Reliability
If button operation surface width is increased to prevent accidental presses, then reliability improves, but ease of operation decreases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of uniformly increasing the button size, the design applies local quality by making the operation surface wider only at specific regions (the edge side) while keeping other regions narrower. This allows the button to maintain compact positioning near the valley bottom while providing sufficient width in critical areas to prevent accidental presses.
3Reliability
If buttons are positioned further from the valley bottom to reduce accidental presses, then reliability improves, but ease of operation worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The solution moves the problem from a one-dimensional spacing issue to a two-dimensional geometry problem by varying the width of the operation surface across different locations. This allows the button to be positioned close to the valley bottom (good accessibility) while the wider portions of the operation surface provide the necessary spacing (good reliability) in a different dimensional context.
Data Source
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AI summary
An example of a game controller includes a main body portion, an input section at a front surface of the main body portion, a left grip, a right grip, a first button, and a second button. The left grip protrudes from a left side portion of the main body portion so as to at least partly form, together with the main body portion, on a back surface of the game controller. The right grip protrudes from a right side portion of the main body portion so as to at least partly form, together with the main body portion, on the back surface of the game controller. An operation surface of the first button and an operation surface of the second button each have a width that is wider at a side of an edge of the game controller than at a side of a center of the game controller in a left-right direction.