US4596390A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Control cartridge selection device
Assignee: Sega of America Inc
•
Filing: 1983-01-19
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Granted: 1986-06-24
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Expires: 2003-01-19
Abstract
Abstract A device for permitting the individual selection any one of a plurality of control cartridges of the type commonly used in conjunction with cartridge controlled apparatus such as a video computer system. A holder holds the cartridges in a plurality of separate storage trays. Switch means, which may be either mechanical or electrical, are actuatable by a user to electrically connect one of the cartridges stored in the holder to an output cable. The output cable, in turn, connects to an adapter that fits in the receptacle of the computer system where the cartridges are normally plugged individually and directly.
Inventors
- 👤 Fred M. Studley
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-31 22:20
CPC Classifications
H; H05; H05K; H05K5/00; H05K5/02; H05K5/0256; H05K5/026; A; A63; A63F; A63F13/00; A63F13/90; A63F13/95; A63F13/45; A63F2300/00; A63F2300/20; A63F2300/206; A63F2300/60; A63F2300/63
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 20
Claim 1
Independent Claim
166 words
A cartridge selection device for use with apparatus of the type including electrical signal processing means and means defining a receptacle for receiving a cartridge for providing auxiliary electrical signal information to the electrical signal processing means of the apparatus, said device comprising: A. holder means for holding a plurality of the cartridges normally received within the receptacle of the apparatus; B. electrical connector means within said holder means for providing electrical connection to the cartridges to be held in said holder means; C. adapter means adapted to be received within the receptacle of the apparatus and to provide electrical connection to the electrical signal processing means of the apparatus; D. coupling means for carrying electrical signals between said electrical connector means and said adapter means; and E. switch means for enabling selection of one of the plurality of cartridges to be held in said holder means by electrically coupling the selected cartridge through said electrical connector means and said coupling means to said adapter means.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
166 words
A cartridge selection device for use with apparatus of the type including electrical signal processing means and means defining a receptacle for receiving a cartridge for providing auxiliary electrical signal information to the electrical signal processing means of the apparatus, said device comprising: A. holder means for holding a plurality of the cartridges normally received within the receptacle of the apparatus; B. electrical connector means within said holder means for providing electrical connection to the cartridges to be held in said holder means; C. adapter means adapted to be received within the receptacle of the apparatus and to provide electrical connection to the electrical signal processing means of the apparatus; D. coupling means for carrying electrical signals between said electrical connector means and said adapter means; and E. switch means for enabling selection of one of the plurality of cartridges to be held in said holder means by electrically coupling the selected cartridge through said electrical connector means and said coupling means to said adapter means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
105 words
The device of claim 1 in which said switch means comprise mechanical means movable relative to said holder means which carry said electrical connector means during such movement, said mechanical means being movable to a plurality of first positions in which said electrical connector means are aligned with a selected one of the cartridges to be held in said holder means and to a second position in which said electrical connector means engage with the selected one of the cartridges to be held in said holder means thereby to electrically couple the selected one of the cartridges through said coupling means to said adapter means.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
130 words
The device of claim 1 in which said electrical connector means comprise a plurality of first electrical connector members and a second electrical connector member, each of said first electrical connector members being mounted relative to said holder means so as to be engaged by one of the cartridges when held in said holder means, and in which said switch means comprise mechanical means movable relative to said holder means which carry said second electrical connector member during such movement, said mechanical means being movable to a plurality of positions in which said second electrical connector member engages with one of said first electrical connector members thereby to electrically couple the cartridge associated with said one of said first electrical connector members through said coupling means to said adapter means.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
135 words
The device of claim 1 in which said electrical connector means comprise a plurality of electrical connector members, each of said electrical connector members being mounted relative to said holder means so as to be engaged by one of the cartridges when held in said holder means, and in which said switch means comprise electrical circuit means including user actuatable means for generating an input signal corresponding to each of said electrical connector members, said electrical circuit means being responsive to the receipt of one of said user input signals for electrically connecting the one of said electrical connector members corresponding to said user input signal to said coupling means thereby to electrically couple the cartridge to be engaged by said one of said electrical connector members through said coupling means to said adapter means.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
36 words
The device of claim 1 in which said holder means includes a plurality of means for separately supporting each of the plurality of the cartridges adjacent to one another in an array in said holder means.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
55 words
The device of claim 1 in which said coupling means comprises a length of multiple conductor flexible cable having a first end and a second end, said first end of said cable being connected to said electrical connector means within said holder and said second end of said cable being connected to said adapter means.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
117 words
The device of claim 2 in which said holder means includes a plurality of means for separately supporting each of the plurality of the cartridges adjacent to one another in an array in said holder means, in which said mechanical means is movable along a first axis to the plurality of first positions in which said electrical connector means are aligned with a selected one of the cartridges to be held in said holder means, and in which said mechanical means is movable along a second axis orthogonal to said first axis to the second position in which said electrical connector means engages with the selected one of the cartridges to be held in said holder means.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
72 words
The device of claim 2 in which each of the cartridges to be held in said holder means includes a contact end portion having a plurality of electrical contacts, and in which said electrical connector means includes a corresponding plurality of electrical contacts which mate with the electrical contacts on the cartridge contact end portion of the selected one of the cartridges when said mechanical means is moved to the second position.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
104 words
The device of 3 in which said holder means includes a plurality of means for separately supporting each of the plurality of the cartridges adjacent to one another in an array in said holder means, in which each of said first electrical connector members is mounted relative to one of said cartridge supporting means so as to engage with one of the cartridges when held in said holder means, and in which said mechanical means is movable relative to the cartridge supporting means to the plurality of positions in which said second electrical connector member engages with one of said first electrical connector members.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
104 words
The device of 3 in which said holder means includes a plurality of means for separately supporting each of the plurality of the cartridges adjacent to one another in an array in said holder means, in which each of said first electrical connector members is mounted relative to one of said cartridge supporting means so as to engage with one of the cartridges when held in said holder means, and in which said mechanical means is movable relative to the cartridge supporting means to the plurality of positions in which said second electrical connector member engages with one of said first electrical connector members.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
111 words
The device of claim 3 in which each of the cartridges to be held in said holder means includes a contact end portion having a plurality of electrical contacts, in which each of said first electrical connector members includes a corresponding plurality of electrical contacts which mate with the electrical contacts on the contact end portion of one of the cartridges when that cartridge is held in said holder means, and in which said second electrical connector member also includes a corresponding plurality of electrical contacts which make sliding contact with the electrical contacts of said first electrical connector members when said mechanical means is moved to the plurality of positions.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
34 words
The device of claim 4 in which said user actuatable means comprise key switch means including a plurality of key switches, one of said key switches corresponding to each of said electrical connector members.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
137 words
The device of claim 4 in which each of the cartridges to be held in said holder means includes a contact end portion having a plurality of electrical contacts, in which each of said electrical connector members includes a corresponding plurality of electrical contacts which mate with the electrical contacts on the contact end portion of one of the cartridges when that cartridge is held in said holder means, in which the electrical contacts for each of said electrical connector members are coupled as inputs to said electrical circuit means, and in which said electrical circuit means respond to the receipt of one of said user input signals from said user actuatable means to electrically connect the electrical contacts of said one of said electrical connector members corresponding to said user input signal to said coupling means.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
65 words
The device of claim 1 in which each of the cartridges to be held in said holder means includes a contact end portion having a plurality of electrical contacts, and in which said adapter means includes a contact end portion having a corresponding plurality of electrical contacts, the electrical contacts of said adapter means being coupled to said electrical connector means by said coupling means.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
62 words
The device of claim 1 in which said adapter means comprises a first adapter member permanently connected to said coupling means and a second adapter member removably connectable to said first adapter member, said second adapter member being adapted to be received with the receptacle of the apparatus and to provide electrical connection to the electrical signal processing means of the apparatus.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
283 words
A device for use with video computer apparatus of the type including a control module having electrical signal generating and processing means and receptacle means for receiving any one of a plurality of control cartridges that provide auxiliary electrical signal information to the electrical signal generating and processing means in the video computer apparatus, each of the control cartridges including an outer housing enclosing electrical circuitry and contact means accessible through one end of the housing for electrically connecting the cartridge circuitry to the electrical signal generating and processing means when one of the cartridges is received in the receptacle means, said device comprising: A. holder means for holding in an array a plurality of the control cartridges normally received in the receptacle means of the video computer system; B. electrical connector means mounted within said holder means for making electrical connection to the cartridge circuitry of each of the control cartridges to be held in said holder means; C. adapter means adapted to be received in the receptacle means of the video computer apparatus and to make electrical connection to the electrical signal generating and processing means of the apparatus; D. coupling means for carrying electrical signals between said electrical connector means and said adapter means; and E. switch means for enabling selection of any one of the plurality of the control cartridges to be held in said holder means by electrically coupling the selected cartridge through said electrical connector means and said coupling means to said adapter means, whereby, when said adapter means is received in the receptacle means, the circuitry of the selected cartridge is electrically coupled to the electrical signal generating and processing means in the video computer apparatus.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
283 words
A device for use with video computer apparatus of the type including a control module having electrical signal generating and processing means and receptacle means for receiving any one of a plurality of control cartridges that provide auxiliary electrical signal information to the electrical signal generating and processing means in the video computer apparatus, each of the control cartridges including an outer housing enclosing electrical circuitry and contact means accessible through one end of the housing for electrically connecting the cartridge circuitry to the electrical signal generating and processing means when one of the cartridges is received in the receptacle means, said device comprising: A. holder means for holding in an array a plurality of the control cartridges normally received in the receptacle means of the video computer system; B. electrical connector means mounted within said holder means for making electrical connection to the cartridge circuitry of each of the control cartridges to be held in said holder means; C. adapter means adapted to be received in the receptacle means of the video computer apparatus and to make electrical connection to the electrical signal generating and processing means of the apparatus; D. coupling means for carrying electrical signals between said electrical connector means and said adapter means; and E. switch means for enabling selection of any one of the plurality of the control cartridges to be held in said holder means by electrically coupling the selected cartridge through said electrical connector means and said coupling means to said adapter means, whereby, when said adapter means is received in the receptacle means, the circuitry of the selected cartridge is electrically coupled to the electrical signal generating and processing means in the video computer apparatus.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
70 words
A video cartridge selector, comprising: A. a housing; B. a plurality of receptacles in said housing, each receptacle capable of removably storing a video cartridge; C. connector means for electrically connecting said housing to a video device; D. selection means for selecting a desired one of the cartridges; and E. circuit means responsive to said selection means for coupling the selected cartridge to the video device through said connector means.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
70 words
A video cartridge selector, comprising: A. a housing; B. a plurality of receptacles in said housing, each receptacle capable of removably storing a video cartridge; C. connector means for electrically connecting said housing to a video device; D. selection means for selecting a desired one of the cartridges; and E. circuit means responsive to said selection means for coupling the selected cartridge to the video device through said connector means.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1989-06-23 | 1989-12-23 | 1990-06-24 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1993-06-23 | 1993-12-23 | 1994-06-24 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1997-06-23 | 1997-12-23 | 1998-06-24 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |