CONTROLLER DEVICE

• US 20140094309A1
• Filed: 05/24/2012
• Published: 04/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Osawa, Hiroshi, Yamagishi, Takeshi
• Application Number:
  US14/117,913
• Publication Number:
  US 20140094309A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/37
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/2145 the surface being also a display device, e.g. touch screens
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/23 for interfacing with the game device, e.g. specific interfaces between game controller and console
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/24 Constructional details thereof, e.g. game controllers with detachable joystick handles
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1043 being characterized by constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1068 being specially adapted to detect the point of contact of the player on a surface, e.g. floor mat, touch pad
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0381 Multimodal input, i.e. interface arrangements enabling the user to issue commands by simultaneous use of input devices of different nature, e.g. voice plus gesture on digitizer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0384 Wireless input, i.e. hardware and software details of wireless interface arrangements for pointing devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0338 with detection of limited linear or angular displacement of an operating part of the device from a neutral position, e.g. isotonic or isometric joysticks
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0362 with detection of 1D translations or rotations of an operating part of the device, e.g. scroll wheels, sliders, knobs, rollers or belts
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0393 Accessories for touch pads or touch screens, e.g. mechanical guides added to touch screens for drawing straight lines, hard keys overlaying touch screens or touch pads

Abstract

Provided is a controller device capable of performing various operation inputs to an information processor via an attachment despite the attachment not being provided with an electrical circuit. The controller device includes a core unit having a touch sensor disposed on a surface thereof, and an attachment that is attached to the core unit so as to cover the touch sensor. The attachment is provided with an operation member that is configured so as to be able to contact the touch sensor in a state where the attachment is attached to the core unit, the contact mode with respect to the touch sensor changing in accordance with user operation.

Claims

1. A controller device comprising:

a core unit having a touch sensor arranged on one face thereof; and

an attachment fitted to the core unit in such a manner as to cover the touch sensor, the attachment having an operating member that comes into contact with the touch sensor when fitted to the core unit, and the manner in which the operating member comes into contact with the touch sensor changes in response to a user operation.

2. The controller device of claim 1, wherein the contact position of the operating member with the touch sensor moves in response to a user operation in a direction parallel to the detection surface of the touch sensor.

3. The controller device of claim 1, wherein the operating member has a planar operation region sized to match the detection surface of the touch sensor so that if the user presses any position of the operation region, the manner in which the operating member comes into contact with the position of the touch sensor matching the pressed position changes.

4. The controller device of claim 3, wherein:

the operating member is configured so that at least either the pressure applied to the touch sensor or the area of contact with the touch sensor changes in accordance with the intensity with which the operation region is pressed, and

the touch sensor detects at least either the pressure applied by the operating member to the detection surface or the area of contact of the operating member.

5. The controller device of claim 1, wherein:

the operating member is arranged to be in contact with the detection surface of the touch sensor with the attachment fitted to the core unit even while the user operation does not take place, and

the attachment further includes a mechanism adapted to maintain the operating member away from the detection surface of the touch sensor until the fitting of the attachment to the core unit is complete and move the operating member to the position where the operating member comes into contact with the detection surface of the touch sensor when the fitting of the attachment to the core unit is complete.

7. The controller device of claim 1, wherein:

the core unit includes first and second faces; and

the attachment includes;

(i) a first attachment fitted to the core unit in such a manner as to cover at least part of the first face; and

(ii) a second attachment fitted to the core unit in such a manner as to cover at least part of the second face.

8. The controller device of claim 7, wherein at least one of the first attachment and the second attachment includes a gripping section gripped by the user with a hand.

9. The controller device of claim 7, wherein the second face is opposed to the first face.

10. The controller device of claim 7, wherein the core unit further includes a third face, and the controller device further comprises a third attachment fitted to the core unit in such a manner as to cover at least part of the third face.

6. A core unit of a controller device used by fitting an attachment having an operating member, the core unit comprising:

a touch sensor; and

a fitting mechanism used to fit the attachment where at least part of the touch sensor is covered;

wherein the operating member is capable of coming into contact with the touch sensor with the attachment fitted to the core unit; and

wherein the touch sensor detects a change in a manner in which the operating member comes into contact with the touch sensor in response to a user operation.

11. The core unit of claim 6, further comprising:

a first face;

a second face;

a first fitting mechanism used to fit any one of a plurality types of first attachments where at least part of the first face is covered; and

a second fitting mechanism used to fit any one of a plurality types of second attachments where at least part of the second face is covered.

12. An information processing system comprising:

a controller device; and

an information processor,

wherein the controller device includes;

a core unit having a first face and a second face,

a first attachment fitted to the core unit in such a manner as to cover at least part of the first face, and

a second attachment fitted to the core unit in such a manner as to cover at least part of the second face, and

wherein the information processor receives, from the controller device, an operation signal indicating a nature of a user operation performed on the controller device so as to perform information processing in accordance with a received operation signal.

13. The information processing system of claim 12, wherein

at least either the first attachment or the second attachment includes a gripping section gripped by the user with a hand,

the core unit includes a posture detection sensor, and

the information processor identifies the orientation in which the user grips the gripping section using the detection result of the posture detection sensor.

14. The information processing system of claim 12, wherein

the core unit includes means of acquiring identification information used to identify the types of the first attachment and the second attachment, and

the information processor identifies each of the first attachment and the second attachment using the identification information acquired by the core unit.

15. The information processing system of claim 14, wherein

a touch sensor is provided on the first face,

the first attachment is fitted to the core unit in such a manner as to cover the touch sensor and includes a contact member adapted to come into contact with a predetermined position of the touch sensor when the first attachment is fitted to the core unit, and

the information processor identifies the type of the first attachment using information about the position of the touch sensor with which the contact member comes into contact.