Image signal generating apparatus, an image signal generating program and an image signal generating method

• US 7,297,864 B2
• Filed: 01/20/2005
• Issued: 11/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: SSD Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: SSD Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Ueshima, Hiromu, Inaba, Akihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Donovan; Lincoln
• Assistant Examiner(s): MILLIKIN, ANDREW R
• Application Number:
  US11/039,080
• Publication Number:
  US 20050211080A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,034 Days
• Field of Search: 847/24, 463/31, 463/32, 463/33, 463/34, 345/156, 345/157, 345/158, 345/159, 345/160, 345/161, 345/162, 345/184
• US Class Current: 84/724
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/00 Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions gaming systems which provide a financial reward G07F17/32
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/42 by mapping the input signals into game commands, e.g. mapping the displacement of a stylus on a touch screen to the steering angle of a virtual vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/814 Musical performances, e.g. by evaluating the player's ability to follow a notation
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/404 characterized by a local network connection
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6045 for mapping control signals received from the input arrangement into game commands
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6063 for sound processing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6081 generating an output signal, e.g. under timing constraints, for spatialization
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8047 Music games
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0008 Associated control or indicating means
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2210/026 for games, e.g. videogames
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/411 Light beams

Abstract

The automatic musical instrument contains a main body provided with a sliding saddle member and a sliding operation piece. The sliding operation piece is provided with a reflecting pattern consisting of light reflecting regions and light absorbing regions. The sliding saddle member is provided with a infrared emitting diode and two phototransistors inside. When the sliding operation piece is slidably moved in contact with the sliding saddle member, infrared light emitted from the infrared emitting diode is reflected by the reflecting pattern. Then, the phototransistors receive the reflected light and output pulse signals A and B. The high speed processor built in the main body calculates the sliding speed, the sliding direction and the sliding time on the basis of the pulse signals A and B. Also, the high speed processor controls the movement of the character image displayed on the screen on the basis of one of the sliding speed, the sliding direction and the sliding time.

Claims

1. An image signal generation apparatus, comprising:

a main body provided with a part to be slid;

a sliding operation piece that is operated to slidably move in contact with the part to be slid of said main body; and

a processor operable to control movement velocity of an image displayed on a display device based on sliding speed of said sliding operation piece,

wherein said main body includes a measuring unit operable to measure the sliding speed of said sliding operation piece,

wherein said measuring unit includes a optical sensor having a light emitting element and light receiving element,

wherein said sliding operation piece is formed with first light receiving areas and second light receiving areas which are alternately arranged in longitudinal direction and have different optical characteristic,

wherein said light receiving element operable to receive light from said light emitting element via said first light receiving areas of said sliding operation piece and convert it into an electrical signal, and

wherein said processor generate the image signal corresponding to the electrical signal output from said light receiving element.

2. An image signal generation apparatus, comprising:

a main body provided with a part to be slid;

a sliding operation piece that is operated to slidably move in contact with the part to be slid of said main body; and

a processor operable to control movement distance of an image displayed on a display device based on sliding time of said sliding operation piece being slid without a change in direction,

wherein said main body includes a measuring unit operable to measure the sliding time of said sliding operation piece,

wherein said measuring unit includes a optical sensor having a light emitting element and light receiving element,

wherein said sliding operation piece is formed with first light receiving areas and second light receiving areas which are alternately arranged in longitudinal direction and have different optical characteristic,

wherein said light receiving element operable to receive light from said light emitting element via said first light receiving areas of said sliding operation piece and convert it into an electrical signal, and

wherein said processor generate the image signal corresponding to the electrical signal output from said light receiving element.

3. An image signal generation apparatus, comprising:

a main body provided with a part to be slid;

a sliding operation piece that is operated to slidably move in contact with the part to be slid of said main body; and

a processor operable to control movement velocity of an image displayed on a display device based on sliding speed of said sliding operation piece,

wherein said main body includes a measuring unit operable to measure the sliding speed of said sliding operation piece,

wherein said measuring unit comprises a optical sensor having a light emitting element, a first light receiving element and a second light receiving element,

wherein said sliding operation piece is formed with first light receiving areas and second light receiving areas which are alternately arranged in longitudinal direction and have different optical characteristic,

wherein said first light receiving element operable to receive light from said light emitting element via said first light receiving areas of said sliding operation piece and convert it into a first electrical signal,

wherein said second light receiving element operable to receive light from said light emitting element via said first light receiving areas of said sliding operation piece and convert it into a second electrical signal,

wherein said first light receiving element and said second light receiving element are arranged at a predetermined distance in the sliding direction, and the predetermined distance is selected in order to create a certain phase difference between the first electrical signal and the second electrical signal, and

wherein said processor generates the image signal on the basis of the first electrical signal and the second electrical signal.

4. An image signal generation apparatus, comprising:

a main body provided with a part to be slid;

a sliding operation piece that is operated to slidably move in contact with the part to be slid of said main body; and

a processor operable to control movement distance of an image displayed on a display device based on sliding time of said sliding operation piece being slid without a change in direction,

wherein said main body includes a measuring unit operable to measure the sliding time of said sliding operation piece,

wherein said measuring unit comprises a optical sensor having a light emitting element, a first light receiving element and a second light receiving element,

wherein said sliding operation piece is formed with first light receiving areas and second light receiving areas which are alternately arranged in longitudinal direction and have different optical characteristic,

wherein said first light receiving element operable to receive light from said light emitting element via said first light receiving areas of said sliding operation piece and convert it into a first electrical signal,

wherein said second light receiving element operable to receive light from said light emitting element via said first light receiving areas of said sliding operation piece and convert it into a second electrical signal,

wherein said first light receiving element and said second light receiving element are arranged at a predetermined distance in the sliding direction, and the predetermined distance is selected in order to create a certain phase difference between the first electrical signal and the second electrical signal, and

wherein said processor generates the image signal on the basis of the first electrical signal and the second electrical signal.

5. An image signal generation apparatus, comprising:

a main body provided with a part to be slid;

a sliding operation piece that is operated to slidably move in contact with the part to be slid of said main body; and

a processor operable to control movement direction of an image displayed on a display device based on sliding direction of said sliding operation piece,

wherein said main body includes a measuring unit operable to measure the sliding direction of said sliding operation piece,

wherein said measuring unit comprises a optical sensor having a light emitting element, a first light receiving element and a second light receiving element,

wherein said sliding operation piece is formed with first light receiving areas and second light receiving areas which are alternately arranged in longitudinal direction and have different optical characteristic,

wherein said first light receiving element operable to receive light from said light emitting element via said first light receiving areas of said sliding operation piece and convert it into a first electrical signal,

wherein said second light receiving element operable to receive light from said light emitting element via said first light receiving areas of said sliding operation piece and convert it into a second electrical signal,

wherein said first light receiving element and said second light receiving element are arranged at a predetermined distance in the sliding direction, and the predetermined distance is selected in order to create a certain phase difference between the first electrical signal and the second electrical signal, and

wherein said processor generates the image signal on the basis of the first electrical signal and the second electrical signal.

6. An image signal generation program stored on computer-readable medium which, when executed, causes a computer to perform processing, said processing comprising:

a step of measuring sliding speed of a bow-shaped sliding operation piece that is slidably moved in contact with a part to be slid of a main body; and

a step of controlling movement velocity of an image displayed on a display device based on the sliding speed of said sliding operation piece.

7. An image signal generation program stored on computer-readable medium which, when executed, causes a computer to perform processing, said processing comprising:

a step of measuring sliding time of a bow-shaped sliding operation piece that is slidably moved in contact with a part to be slid of a main body; and

a step of controlling movement distance of an image displayed on a display device based on the sliding time of said sliding operation piece being slid without change in direction.

8. An image signal generation program stored on computer-readable medium which, when executed, causes a computer to perform processing, said processing comprising:

a step of measuring sliding direction of a bow-shaped sliding operation piece that is slidably moved in contact with a part to be slid of a main body; and

a step of controlling movement direction of an image displayed on a display device based on the sliding direction of said sliding operation piece.

9. An image signal generation method comprising:

a step of measuring sliding speed of a bow-shaped sliding operation piece that is slidably moved in contact with a part to be slid of a main body; and

a step of controlling movement velocity of an image displayed on a display device based on the sliding speed of said sliding operation piece.

10. An image signal generation method comprising:

a step of measuring sliding time of a bow-shaped sliding operation piece that is slidably moved in contact with a part to be slid of a main body; and

a step of controlling movement distance of an image displayed on a display device based on the sliding time of said sliding operation piece being slid without change in direction.

11. An image signal generation method comprising:

a step of measuring sliding direction of a bow-shaped sliding operation piece that is slidably moved in contact with a part to be slid of a main body; and

a step of controlling movement direction of an image displayed on a display device based on the sliding direction of said sliding operation piece.

12. An image signal generation apparatus, comprising:

a main body provided with a part to be slid;

a sliding operation piece that is operated to slidably move in contact with the part to be slid of said main body; and

a processor operable to control movement velocity of an image displayed on a display device based on sliding speed of said sliding operation piece,

wherein said main body includes a measuring unit operable to measure the sliding speed of said sliding operation piece, and

wherein the sliding operation piece is a bow-shaped piece.

19. The image signal generation apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein said processor executes a program stored in a removable storage medium, and generates the image on the basis of image information stored in the removable storage medium.

20. The image signal generation apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein said processor generates an audio signal in response to a trigger issued on the basis of sliding operation of said sliding operation piece.

13. An image signal generation apparatus, comprising:

a main body provided with a part to be slid;

a sliding operation piece that is operated to slidably move in contact with the part to be slid of said main body; and

a processor operable to control movement distance of an image displayed on a display device based on sliding time of said sliding operation piece being slid without a change in direction,

wherein said main body includes a measuring unit operable to measure the sliding time of said sliding operation piece, and

wherein the sliding operation piece is a bow-shaped piece.

15. The image signal generation apparatus as claimed in claim 13,

wherein said processor executes a program stored in a removable storage medium, and generates the image based on image information stored in the removable storage medium.

17. The image signal generation apparatus as claimed in claim 13,

wherein said processor generates an audio signal in response to a trigger issued based on sliding operation of said sliding operation piece.

14. An image signal generation apparatus, comprising:

a main body provided with a part to be slid;

a sliding operation piece that is operated to slidably move in contact with the part to be slid of said main body; and

a processor operable to control movement direction of an image displayed on a display device based on sliding direction of said sliding operation piece,

wherein said main body includes a measuring unit operable to measure the sliding direction of said sliding operation piece, and

wherein the sliding operation piece is a bow-shaped piece.

16. The image signal generation apparatus as claimed in claim 14,

wherein said processor executes a program stored in a removable storage medium, and generates the image based on image information stored in the removable storage medium.

18. The image signal generation apparatus as claimed in claim 14,

wherein said processor generates an audio signal in response to a trigger issued based on sliding operation of said sliding operation piece.