Amusement devices: games – Including means for processing electronic data – Player-actuated control structure
Reexamination Certificate
1999-05-05
2002-03-12
Sager, Mark (Department: 3713)
Amusement devices: games
Including means for processing electronic data
Player-actuated control structure
C273S14800B, C345S161000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06354945
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a controller for controlling an object displayed on a screen in a game or the like, and more particularly, to a controller for changing the motion transmitted to a control member according to the scene displayed on the screen.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 12
is a perspective view of a conventional controller.
A controller
50
shown in
FIG. 12
is to be gripped during operation, and has a housing that is nearly C-shaped. On one side of the housing, control members
51
a
and
51
b
are provided to freely control game-element images or the like displayed on a screen.
The controller
50
also includes grip portions
52
a
and
52
b
that can be gripped by the hands. Inside the grip portion
52
b
, a vibration generation device
53
is disposed to generate vibrations.
FIG. 13
is a sectional view showing the structure of the vibration generation device
53
.
The vibration generation device
53
comprises a support member
54
having an L-shaped cross section, an elastic member
55
, a coil
57
, and a yoke
58
. On the upper surface of the support member
54
, the coil
57
is wound around a bobbin
59
. The elastic member
55
is disposed on the top of a standing portion
54
a
of the support member
54
so as to extend toward the coil
57
. On the surface of the elastic member
55
that faces the coil
57
, the yoke
58
is mounted. The yoke
58
includes a cover portion
58
a for covering the coil
57
, and a projecting portion
58
b having a magnet
56
held in the center thereof.
In the above-described vibration generation device
53
, the yoke
58
is vertically moved with the elastic member
55
by passing current through the coil
57
and cyclically switching energization and de-energization of the coil
57
, so that vibrations are given to the vibration generation device
53
.
When the controller
50
, in which the vibration generation device
53
is thus incorporated in the grip portions
52
a
and
52
b
, is used for a game or the like, the vibration generation device
53
is vibrated according to the scene in the game, and the vibration is transmitted to the hands of the operator, which allows the operator to have a realistic feeling during play.
Another known type of vibration generation device uses a motor (not shown) having an eccentric weight (e.g., a weight having a semicircular cross section) mounted on the shaft thereof. In this case, vibration can be generated by rotating the shaft of the motor to produce eccentric motion
In the above-described conventional controllers, however, it is possible to vibrate only the housing of the controller, whereas it is impossible to variously alter the force applied to the controller. It is at most possible to change the amplitude of vibration generated by the vibration generation device. While the vibration can be given to the grip portions
52
a
and
52
b
, it cannot be given to the control members
51
a
and
51
b
. Therefore, for example, when such a controller is used for a game, it is impossible to give a variety of changes to the controller according to various situations in the game, which hinders the realism of the game.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-described conventional problems, and it is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a controller in which the operation of a control member is variously changed so as to make a game or the like more realistic.
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a controller having a control member to be manipulated with the hand, and a detecting section for detecting the motion of the control member, the controller including a load variable means for changing the operating load on the control member.
For example, when the controller is used for a game, the load variable means can impose the load on the control member according to the scene displayed on a screen. That is, the operation of the control member is made difficult by increasing the load, and is made easy by decreasing the load.
For example, in a case in which the above controller is used as a control stick of an airplane in a game, when steering is performed to impose the load on the control stick in a manner similar to the steering in an actual airplane, it is possible to similarly impose the load on the control member of the controller. Furthermore, it is possible to impose a heavy load on the control member of the controller in moving a heavy object displayed on the screen, or to give an impact similar to an apparent impact given to a game-element image that is being controlled, for example, an impact (load) for pushing back the control member in the opposite direction from the operating direction thereof.
Not only the above load, but also vibrations may be given to the control member. In this way, load and vibrations can be directly given to the control member itself to be manipulated with the hands. Accordingly, a variety of operation changes can be made to the control member by giving operating load, vibrations, or a combination of both, to the control member. The use of such a controller for a game makes it possible to physically feel the game, and to thereby further add to the realism.
Further objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiments with reference to the attached drawings
REFERENCES:
patent: 5542672 (1996-08-01), Meredith
patent: 5691898 (1997-11-01), Rosenberg
patent: 6162124 (2000-12-01), Hiraoka et al.
patent: 1-316815 (1989-12-01), None
translation of JP 1-316815 by Diplomatic Language Service.
Furuki Shigeru
Takigawa Makito
LandOfFree
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