US 9289688

A concise summary of US Patent 9,289,688, including its key details and a plain-language explanation of its independent claims, is provided below.

Summary of US Patent 9,289,688

Title: Games controller

Assignee: Ironburg Inventions Ltd.

Inventors: Simon Burgess, Duncan Ironmonger

Filing Date: August 21, 2015

Issue Date: March 22, 2016

Abstract:
An improved controller (10) for a games console that is intended to be held by a user in both hands in the same manner as a conventional controller (1). Additionally, the controller (10) may include the same controls (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9) as a conventional controller (1). The controller (10) is advantageous as it additionally comprises additional controls (11A, 11B, 11C, 11D) located on the rear of the controller (10) in a position to be operated by the middle fingers of a user (12). The additional controllers (11A, 11B, 11C, 11D) may be paddle levers and may replicate the functions of one or more of the controls (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9) located on the front or top of the controller (10).

Plain-Language Overview of Independent Claims

US Patent 9,289,688 has two independent claims which define the core of the invention.

Claim 1: This claim outlines a game controller with a standard layout of controls on the front and top surfaces for the user's thumbs and index fingers. The inventive aspect is the inclusion of at least one additional control located on the back of the controller. This extra control is designed as an elongated member, such as a paddle, positioned to be operated by the user's middle, ring, or little finger. A key feature of this additional control is that its inner surface (the one facing away from the user's finger) is intentionally not parallel to the outer surface of the controller's back where it is mounted.

Claim 30: This claim describes a control actuator designed to be added to a game controller. This actuator is an elongated member that can be mounted on the base of the controller in a position accessible to the user's middle, ring, or little finger. When displaced by the user, this actuator activates a control function. Similar to the first claim, the defining characteristic is that the surface of the actuator that is positioned next to the controller's outer surface is not parallel to that surface.

CAFC 2026 Docket Search

As of April 26, 2026, a search of the dockets for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC) for the year 2026 did not reveal any specific cases pertaining to US Patent 9,289,688. It is important to note that this patent has been the subject of significant litigation in previous years, notably in cases between Ironburg Inventions Ltd. and Valve Corporation.