Amusement devices: games – Including means for processing electronic data – Skill level adjustment
Reexamination Certificate
1998-04-22
2001-01-09
Sagar, Mark A (Department: 3713)
Amusement devices: games
Including means for processing electronic data
Skill level adjustment
C273S14800B, C345S161000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06171191
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an actuating device for executing a pre-set program, such as a television game, by operation of plural actuating units. More particularly, it relates to an actuating device enabling execution of a pre-set program such as game with good simulated presence feeling.
2. Description of Related Art
Heretofore, a game machine employing a television receiver includes a main body unit connected to a television receiver used as a display device and an actuating device connected via a connection cable to the main body unit of the game machine for controlling the display character displayed on a display screen of the television receiver.
The main body unit of the game machine has enclosed therein a disc driving unit for reproducing an optical disc as a recording medium having a game program recorded thereon and a picture processor for displaying a display character on the screen of the television receiver along with the background.
The actuating device connected to the main body unit of the game machine is provided with plural actuating buttons. The operator operates plural actuating buttons provided on the actuating device for entering the command information concerning the operation of a display character displayed on the screen of the television receiver to control the movement direction of the display character represented on the screen by way of executing the game.
The actuating device connected to this type of the game machine is used by being gripped with the hand or finger. Such an actuating device is in use in which a bearing indicating actuating unit having a cross-shaped or circular bearing indicating actuating button and a function setting executing unit having plural function setting executing buttons for setting the actuating functions of the display characters or executing the operations on one and the other sides of the main body unit, respectively. The bearing indicating actuating unit includes four switches, each having an operator which may be brought into or out of contact with a contact, arrayed at an angular interval of 90° to one another. These switches are selectively turned on and off by the cross-shaped or circular bearing indicating actuating button for moving the display character. For example, the display character is digitally moved in the direction along which the one of the four switches that is turned on is arrayed. The function setting executing unit has switches arrayed in association with the plural function setting executing buttons, so that, by turning on the switches associated with the function setting executing buttons, the display characters allocated to the respective buttons are set, or the function owned by the display character is executed.
The above-described conventional actuating device executes the game by actuating the plural actuating buttons provided on the main body unit of the apparatus to command the operation of the display character displayed on the display screen. Simply the display character represented on the display screen is visually recognized, while the sound radiated from the speakers provided on the television receiver is aurally recognized to execute the game. That is, the actuating device actuated by the user with his or her hand or arm movements is actuated substantially by the hand or finger to enter the unidirectional command signal to the main body unit of the game machine.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide an actuating device for a game machine having the function executed by signals fed back from the main body unit of the game machine for enabling execution of the game with excellent simulated presence feeling.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an actuating device for a game machine enabling use of a game program having display characters capable of executing diversified motions or movements.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an actuating device for a game machine enabling execution of a game with a good simulated presence feeling by the body feeling.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an actuating device for a game machine capable of efficiently transmitting vibrations to the user to enable reduction size of the apparatus itself.
In one aspect, the present invention provides a control unit connected to a machine having the function of reproducing an information recording medium, in which the control unit is used for executing a program recorded on the recording medium by sending an actuating command signal to the machine by user actuation and by receiving signals from the machine. The control unit includes a housing, a plurality of control sections mounted on the housing actuated by the user with fingers, a pair of handles diverging in a direction proceeding from the housing to the user, and a vibration motor mounted via a vibration member mounting portion provided within at least one of the housing and the handles. The handles are molded as-one with the housing and connected to and supported by both palms of the user's hands. The vibration motor includes a motor casing, a shaft rotatably supported by the motor casing, an eccentric member mounted on the shaft, a magnet mounted on the casing, the magnet being arranged facing the eccentric member and a supplying member for supplying the driving current to each coil. The eccentric member has a rotor and a plurality of coils mounted on the rotor, which is mounted on the shaft. The housing, the handles and the control sections are sized and arranged so as to allow actuation of the control sections by the user's fingers when the housing is supported by the user's palms. The eccentric member is rotated to cause vibrations of the motor itself when the driving current is supplied to each coil. These vibrations are transmitted to the user's palms via one of the housing and the handles.
In another aspect, the present invention provides a control unit connected to a machine having the function of reproducing an information recording medium, in which the control unit is used for executing a program recorded on the recording medium by sending an actuating command signal to the machine by user actuation and by receiving signals from the machine. The control unit includes a housing, a plurality of control sections mounted on the housing actuated by the user with fingers and a vibration motor mounted via a vibration member mounting member provided in the housing. The vibration motor includes a motor casing, a shaft rotatably supported by the motor casing, an eccentric member mounted on the shaft, a magnet mounted on the casing for facing the eccentric member and a supplying member for supplying the driving current to each coil. The eccentric member has a rotor and a plurality of coils mounted on the rotor which is mounted on the shaft. The eccentric member is rotated when the driving current is supplied to each coil to cause vibrations of the vibration motor itself, the vibrations being supplied via the housing to the user.
In still another aspect, the present invention provides a control unit connected to a machine having the function of reproducing an information recording medium, in which the control unit is used for executing a program recorded on the recording medium by sending an actuating command signal to the machine by user actuation and by receiving signals from the machine. The control unit includes a main body portion of a machine, and a control unit for controlling the machine connected to the main body portion of the machine. The control unit includes a housing, a plurality of control sections mounted on the housing actuated by the user with fingers, a pair of handles diverging in a direction proceeding from the housing to the user, a pair of handles molded as-one with the housing and connected to and supported by both palms of the user's hands, and a vibration motor mounted via a vibration member supporting portion provided within at least one of
Akazawa Toru
Ogata Hiroki
Ono Akihisa
Fulwider Patton Lee & Utecht LLP
Sagar Mark A
Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
LandOfFree
Actuating device and system exploiting the actuating device does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Actuating device and system exploiting the actuating device, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Actuating device and system exploiting the actuating device will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2535618