This month's Hardware & Devices category includes 5 filed patent applications from 4 companies: Acco Brands (2), Aifrutech Co.
(1), CIC Games (1), and Sony (1). Sony describes an optical sensor-based game controller with adaptive touch surfaces that detect pretouch gestures and reconfigure button layouts, while Aifrutech Co. details a UWB-based controller system designed to reduce input latency to under 1.2ms. Acco Brands filed applications covering NFC-enabled controller faceplates that automatically load custom settings when swapped and a dual USB-C port controller design that can receive power while charging external devices. CIC Games describes Quarterboard, a physical board game where players slide discs into scoring zones on a planar surface.
Sony received 1 patent describing a game controller that replaces fixed physical buttons with an optical sensor panel capable of detecting hand position before contact occurs. The system can reconfigure its touch-sensitive input regions in software, allowing the same flat surface to emulate different button layouts for different users without any physical hardware modifications.
Aifrutech Co. filed 1 patent application for a game controller communication system built on ultra-wideband radio technology. The design processes input through a scan-buffer-transmit pipeline engineered to deliver controller data in as little as 0.2ms, with a configurable maximum of 8.2ms, substantially faster than current wired or wireless input standards. The system also uses UWB's ranging capability to enable spatial game interaction without requiring separate external tracking hardware.
Acco Brands received 2 patents focused on controller connectivity and customization. The first describes detachable controller faceplates with embedded NFC tags that automatically trigger profile changes when swapped, eliminating the need for manual configuration switching through software menus. The second covers a controller design with dual USB-C ports that allow the device to receive power while simultaneously charging or powering external accessories, with battery backup to maintain operation during power transitions.
CIC Games filed 1 patent application for a physical board game that combines shuffleboard-style disc sliding with differentiated scoring zones. Players aim sliding discs or coins toward rectangular target areas at both ends of a planar playing surface, with varied zone shapes and sizes creating multiple scoring levels to accommodate different player skill sets and strategic objectives.
All data sourced from USPTO patent filings. Google Patents may take several weeks to index recent publications. If a link is unavailable, search for the patent number at USPTO Patent Public Search.