Operation apparatus

• US 8,957,768 B2
• Filed: 03/30/2012
• Issued: 02/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kawabe, Hideo, Ueno, Masatoshi, Kuriya, Shinobu, Kato, Yusaku, Kabasawa, Kenichi, Goto, Tetsuro, Tsukahara, Tsubasa, Nakagawa, Toshiyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): POPE, DARYL C
• Application Number:
  US13/435,336
• Publication Number:
  US 20120256739A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,054 Days
• Field of Search: 340/407.1, 340/407.2, 340/506, 340/657, 340/65, 340/693.5, 340/693.6
• US Class Current: 340/407.2
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/211 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/214 for locating contacts on a surface, e.g. floor mats or touch pads
• 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 2300/105 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes
• 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: B25J 13/025 comprising haptic means
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 13/081 Touching devices, e.g. pressure-sensitive
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0414 using force sensing means to determine a position

Abstract

An operation apparatus includes a base, a sensing unit, a plurality of plates, and a drive mechanism. The base has a surface. The sensing unit includes at least three pressure-sensitive detection regions that are provided at different vertex positions of a polygon having at least three corners set in each of a plurality of regions obtained by partitioning at least a part of the surface of the base. The plurality of plates are provided to correspond to the plurality of regions and cover the at least a part of the surface. The drive mechanism is configured to drive the plurality of plates on the basis of a signal generated by detection of the sensing unit.

Claims

1. An operation apparatus, comprising:

a base having a surface;

a sensing unit including at least three pressure-sensitive detection regions that are provided at different vertex positions of a polygon having at least three corners set in each of a plurality of regions obtained by partitioning at least a part of the surface of the base;

a plurality of plates that are provided to correspond to the plurality of regions and cover the at least a part of the surface; and

a drive mechanism configured to drive the plurality of plates on the basis of a signal generated by detection of the sensing unit;

the drive mechanism includes a plurality of actuators that are each provided between the surface of the base and each of the plurality of plates.

2. The operation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the plurality of actuators are bellows that are driven by a fluid pressure.

3. The operation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the drive mechanism includes a drive source that is provided within the base and causes the plurality of actuators to individually generate a drive force.

4. The operation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the plurality of actuators are electric actuators that are electrically driven.

5. The operation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the base has a spherical shape.

6. The operation apparatus according to claim 5, wherein

the plurality of plates include eight triangular plates that cover the entire surface of the base.

7. The operation apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a position sensor that is provided within the base and detects a position of the base.

8. The operation apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a cover sheet that covers the plurality of plates.

9. An operation apparatus, comprising:

a base having a surface;

a sensing unit including at least three pressure-sensitive detection regions that are provided at different vertex positions of a polygon having at least three corners set in each of a plurality of regions obtained by partitioning at least a part of the surface of the base;

a plurality of plates that are provided to correspond to the plurality of regions and cover the at least a part of the surface;

a drive mechanism configured to drive the plurality of plates on the basis of a signal generated by detection of the sensing unit; and

a position sensor that is provided within the base and detects a position of the base.