Keyboard equipped with functions of operation buttons and an analog stick provided in a game controller

• US 8,562,437 B2
• Filed: 05/02/2012
• Issued: 10/22/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Matsuda, Motohiro, Takeyama, Shinichi
• Primary Examiner(s): McCulloch, Jr., William H
• Application Number:
  US13/461,878
• Publication Number:
  US 20120289336A1
• Time in Patent Office: 538 Days
• Field of Search: 463 36- 38, 345/161
• US Class Current: 463/37
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0213 Arrangements providing an integrated pointing device in a keyboard, e.g. trackball, mini-joystick for pointing devices integrated in a laptop computer G06F1/169; joysticks G05G9/047; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0219 Special purpose keyboards

Abstract

A keyboard includes allotment keys to which the functions of operation buttons of a game controller are assigned, a pointing stick, and an Fn key. When the pointing stick is operated with the Fn key being operated, the keyboard outputs an operation signal of an analog stick of the game controller. When an allotment key is operated with the Fn key being operated, the keyboard outputs an operation signal of an operation button of the game controller.

Claims

1. A keyboard equipped with functions of operation buttons and an analog stick provided in a game controller, the keyboard comprising:

an operation member; and

an output unit configured to output a signal according to an operation by the operation member,

the operation member including;

a plurality of keys having allotment keys to which respective functions of the operation buttons of the game controller are assigned;

a pointing stick placed in the keyboard; and

a modifier key,

wherein, when the pointing stick is operated, independently of the allotment keys, with the modifier key being operated, the output unit outputs an operation signal of the analog stick of the game controller independently of any operation signals of the allotment keys, and when the pointing stick is operated with the modifier key not being operated, the output unit outputs a shift signal of a pointer displayed on a screen,

wherein, when one or more of the allotment keys is operated, independently of the pointing stick, with the modifier key being operated, the output unit outputs one or more operation signals of the respective one or more operation buttons of the game controller independently of the operation signal of the pointing stick, and when the one or more allotment keys are operated with the modifier key not being operated, the output unit does not output one or more operation signals of the respective one or more operation buttons of the game controller, and

wherein, when the pointing stick and one or more of the allotment keys are operated simultaneously, along with the modifier key being operated, the output unit simultaneously outputs the one or more operation signals of the respective one or more operation buttons of the game controller and the operation signal of the analog stick of the game controller.

2. A keyboard according to claim 1, wherein the pointing stick is arranged at approximately a center of the keyboard.

3. A keyboard according to claim 1, wherein the modifier key is provided near a corner of the keyboard.

4. A keyboard according to claim 1, wherein a distance between the modifier key and the pointing stick is set to a value equal to or less than 10 cm so that a user may operate the modifier key and the pointing stick with one hand.

5. A keyboard according to claim 1, wherein the function of an operation button placed at a right side or a left side of the game controller is assigned to a key placed at a right side or a left side of the pointing stick.

6. A keyboard according to claim 1, wherein the modifier key is placed at one of a left and a right side of the pointing stick, the function of the operation button of the game controller is assigned to the key positioned at the other of the left and right side of the pointing stick as the modifier key, and the operation button is arranged in the game controller at an opposite side to the modifier key.