Input device and method, and character input method

• US 8,059,089 B2
• Filed: 05/25/2004
• Issued: 11/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Daniel, Tyler Jon
• Primary Examiner(s): Mengistu; Amare
• Assistant Examiner(s): DESIR, PIERRE LOUIS
• Application Number:
  US11/597,478
• Publication Number:
  US 20110134034A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,730 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-169
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/211 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/212 using sensors worn by the player, e.g. for measuring heart beat or leg activity
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/218 using pressure sensors, e.g. generating a signal proportional to the pressure applied by the player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/24 Constructional details thereof, e.g. game controllers with detachable joystick handles
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/285 Generating tactile feedback signals via the game input device, e.g. force feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/428 involving motion or position input signals, e.g. signals representing the rotation of an input controller or a player's arm motions sensed by accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1012 involving biosensors worn by the player, e.g. for measuring heart beat, limb activity
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1037 being specially adapted for converting control signals received from the game device into a haptic signal, e.g. using force feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1043 being characterized by constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/105 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1056 involving pressure sensitive buttons
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6045 for mapping control signals received from the input arrangement into game commands
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/014 Hand-worn input/output arrangements, e.g. data gloves
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0202 Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the input device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0219 Special purpose keyboards

Abstract

There is provided an input device capable of detecting a motion of a hand of a user (102) and suitable to perform input of digital data with. The input device (100) can be gripped by a hand of the user (102) and serves to input information to a given apparatus. The input device (100) includes: manipulation portions (112a to 112e) which can be bent by manipulation of the user (102); bend sensors (114a to 114e) for detecting bend amounts of the manipulation portions (112a to 112e); vibrators (120) for generating vibrations to be transmitted to the user (102); and a processor (118). The processor (118) generates vibration in the vibrator according to the information on the bend amounts of the manipulation portions (112a to 112e) detected by the bend sensors (114a to 114e).

Claims

1. An input device for transmitting information comprising:

a manipulation portion configured to be displaced by deformation by the user;

a sensor for detecting a displacement amount of the manipulation portion;

a vibration element for generating vibrations that are transmitted to the user; and

a controller configured to control the vibration element to generate vibrations in accordance with information indicative of the displacement amount of the manipulation portion detected by the sensor,

when v₁≦

x≦

T₁ is satisfied, where x represents the displacement amount, T₁ represents a first threshold, and v₁ is a predetermined value less than T₁, the controller controls the vibration element to generate vibrations such that the vibrations become stronger as the displacement amount increases and when the displacement amount x has reached T₁, from a value smaller than T₁, the controller generates a forward crossing signal which indicates that the displacement amount x has reached T₁ from a value smaller than T₁ for inputting the forward crossing signal to a predetermined apparatus, or

when the displacement amount x has returned to T₁ from a value larger than T₁, the controller generates a reverse crossing signal which indicates that the displacement amount x has returned to T₁ from a value larger than T₁ for inputting the reverse crossing signal to the predetermined apparatus.

2. An input device according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of elastically deformable manipulation portions configured to be gripped by a user with his/her fingers, and wherein the manipulation portions enable the user to hold the input device without dropping the input device by gripping the manipulation portions with his/her fingers.

3. An input device according to claim 1, further comprising:

means for detecting a displacement amount of the input device as the input device is moved through manipulation by the user; and

a memory recording one or more commands that can be executed by the controller, wherein the controller selects and executes one or more commands recorded in the memory in accordance with the displacement amount detected by the means for detecting the displacement amount of the input device.

4. An input device which can be gripped by a user, for inputting information to a given apparatus, comprising:

a manipulation portion which can be manipulated and displaced by the user;

a sensor for detecting a displacement amount of the manipulation portion;

a vibration means for generating vibrations that are transmitted to the user; and

a control means which makes the vibration means generate vibrations in accordance with information indicative of the displacement amount of the manipulation portion detected by the sensor,

when v₁≦

x≦

T₁ is satisfied, where x represents the displacement amount, T₁ represents a first threshold, and v₁ is a predetermined value less than T₁, the controller controls the vibration element to generate vibrations such that the vibrations become stronger as the displacement amount increases and when the displacement amount x has reached T₁, from a value smaller than T₁, the controller generates a forward crossing signal which indicates that the displacement amount x has reached T₁ from a value smaller than T₁ for inputting the forward crossing signal to a predetermined apparatus, or

when the displacement amount x has returned to T₁ from a value larger than T₁, the controller generates a reverse crossing signal which indicates that the displacement amount x has returned to T₁ from a value larger than T₁ for inputting the reverse crossing signal to a predetermined apparatus.

5. An input device according to claim 4, further comprising a plurality of thresholds, and wherein the controller controls the vibration element to generate vibrations such that the vibrations become stronger as the displacement amount approaches the most proximate threshold and the vibrations become weaker as the displacement amount moves away from the most proximate threshold.

6. An input device according to claim 5, wherein the controller controls the vibration element to generate vibrations such that vibrations generated in proximity of one of the thresholds differ from vibrations generated in proximity of another of the thresholds.

7. An input device according to claim 5, wherein the controller detects a largest threshold that the displacement amount reaches, and wherein when the displacement amount returns to the lowest threshold, the controller transmits information corresponding to the largest threshold reached.

8. An input device according to claim 4, wherein the generated vibrations are first vibrations, and wherein when the displacement amount returns to the threshold from a value larger than the threshold, the controller controls the vibration element to generate second vibrations that are different from the first vibrations.

9. An input device according to claim 8, wherein when the displacement amount reaches the threshold from a value smaller than the threshold, the controller controls the vibration element to generate third vibrations, which are different from the first vibrations.

10. An input device for transmitting information, comprising:

a plurality of manipulation portions positioned such that a user can grip the manipulation portions with his/her fingers, the manipulation portions having elasticity which enables the user to manipulate and bend the manipulation portions, and to hold the input device without dropping the input device by gripping the manipulation portions with his/her fingers; and

a motion detection sensor for detecting a motion of a hand of the user, wherein information about a motion of the user'"'"'s hand detected by the motion detection sensor is transmitted,

a vibration element for generating vibrations that are transmitted to the user,

a controller configured to control the vibration element to generate vibrations in accordance with information indicative of a displacement amount of the manipulation portions detected by the sensor,

wherein when the displacement amount x has reached T₁, from a value smaller than T₁, the controller generates a forward crossing signal which indicates that the displacement amount x has reached T₁ from a value smaller than T₁ for inputting the forward crossing signal to a predetermined apparatus, or

when the displacement amount x has returned to T₁ from a value larger than T₁, the controller generates a reverse crossing signal which indicates that the displacement amount x has returned to T₁ from a value larger than T₁ for inputting the reverse crossing signal to a predetermined apparatus.

11. A method of inputting information through an input device, comprising:

detecting a displacement amount of a movable portion of the input device; and

transmitting vibrations to a user in accordance with the detected displacement amount, wherein when the displacement amount is smaller than a first threshold, the vibrations are transmitted such that the vibrations become stronger as the displacement amount increases, and when the displacement amount is larger than the first threshold, the vibrations are transmitted such that the vibrations become weaker as the displacement amount increases,

generating a forward crossing signal, which indicates that the displacement amount has reached the first threshold from a value smaller than the first threshold, as input to a predetermined apparatus, when the displacement amount has reached the first threshold from a value smaller than the first threshold, or

generating a reverse crossing signal, which indicates that the displacement amount has returned to the first threshold from a value larger than the first threshold, as input to the predetermined apparatus, when the displacement amount has returned to the first threshold from a value larger than the first threshold.

12. A method of inputting a character in a character input area that is displayed on a display, comprising:

detecting through a character input control unit an input made to the character input area by a user by displacing a movable portion of a character input device; and

using the character input control unit to display, in the character input area, a character that is associated with the detected input, wherein when a displacement amount of the movable portion does not exceed a given threshold, the character input control unit presents a candidate for a character to be entered to the user through the display and, when the displacement amount exceeds the given threshold, the character candidate is actually entered,

wherein when the displacement amount of the movable portion reaches the given threshold from a value smaller than the given threshold, the character input control unit generates a forward crossing signal, which indicates that the displacement amount has reached the given threshold from a value smaller than the given threshold, as input to a predetermined apparatus, or

when the displacement amount of the movable portion returns to the given threshold from a value larger than the given threshold, the controller generates a reverse crossing signal, which indicates that the displacement amount has returned to the given threshold from a value larger than the given threshold, as input to the predetermined apparatus.