Controller, operation method, and storage medium

• US 9,123,268 B2
• Filed: 08/08/2012
• Issued: 09/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Inventors: Uehara, Naotaka
• Primary Examiner(s): Zweizig, Jeffrey
• Application Number:
  US13/569,446
• Publication Number:
  US 20130113396A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,119 Days
• Field of Search: 844/221, 844/224, 315/312, 315/313, 315/317, 315/318, 315/319
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 13/34 with light sources co-operating with movable members, e.g. with shutters to cover or uncover the light source apparatus wherein advertising or display material is moved in a continuous or intermittent succession G09F11/00; construction or details of lighting devices F21V11/00
• CPC Class Codes: G10D 13/12 Drumsticks; Mallets pedals for beaters G10D13/11
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/00 Details of electrophonic musical instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/053 during execution only voice controlled instruments G10H5/005
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/32 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/066 Colour, i.e. indications with two or more different colours
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/185 Stick input, e.g. drumsticks with position or contact sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/395 Acceleration sensing or accelerometer use, e.g. 3D movement computation by integration of accelerometer data, angle sensing with respect to the vertical, i.e. gravity sensing

Abstract

A stick-type controller 21 comprises an acceleration sensor 61 that obtains acceleration values generated in respective directions of the X-axis, the Y-axis, and the Z-axis, LEDs 64 that emit light corresponding to the acceleration values on the X-axis, the Y-axis, and the Z-axis obtained by the acceleration sensor 61, and a CPU 63 that controls the light emission of the LEDs 64. Further, if the acceleration values obtained by the acceleration sensor 61 are not a value that can be regarded as 0 on at least one axis among the three axes of the X-axis, the Y-axis, and the Z-axis of the stick-type controller 21, the CPU 63 causes the LEDs 64 to emit light in a color corresponding to the axis or axes on which an acceleration value other than a value that can be regarded as 0 was obtained.

Claims

1. A controller comprising:

a stick-shaped member,

an acceleration sensor that obtains accelerations generated in respective directions of three axes that are mutually orthogonal including an axis in a longitudinal direction of the stick-shaped member,

an angular velocity sensor that obtains an angular velocity generated around each of the three axes,

a plurality of light emitters that are provided on the stick-shaped member corresponding to each of the three axes, wherein each light emitter is capable of emitting light in a different light-emitting form, and

a light emission control unit that controls the light emission of the light emitters in accordance with the acceleration on each of the three axes obtained by the acceleration sensor,

wherein the light emission control unit comprises;

an acceleration light emission control unit which, when the stick-shaped member is in a first state, causes the light emitters to emit light at a brightness in accordance with a size of the obtained accelerations generated in the respective directions of the three axes, and

an angular velocity light emission control unit which, when the stick-shaped member is in a second state, causes the light emitters to emit light at a brightness in accordance with a size of the obtained angular velocities generated around each of the three axes.

2. The controller according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of light emitters each have a different luminous color.

3. The controller according to claim 1, wherein the light emission control unit further comprises:

a determination unit that determines whether all of the accelerations on the three axes obtained by the acceleration sensor are zero, and

a switching unit that causes the light emitters to emit light by the acceleration light emission control unit if the determination unit detects that all of the accelerations on the three axes are not zero, and causes the light emitters to emit light by the angular velocity light emission control unit if the determination unit detects that all of the accelerations on the three axes are zero.

4. The controller according to claim 1, wherein:

the first state is a state in which the acceleration value obtained by the acceleration sensor is not zero on one of the three axes of the stick-shaped member, and

the second state is a state in which the acceleration value obtained by the acceleration sensor is zero on all three axes of the stick-shaped member.

5. A method for operating a controller comprising a stick-shaped member, an acceleration sensor that obtains accelerations generated in respective directions of three axes that are mutually orthogonal including an axis in a longitudinal direction of the stick-shaped member, an angular velocity sensor that obtains an angular velocity generated around each of the three axes, and a plurality of light emitters that are provided on the stick-shaped member corresponding to each of the three axes, wherein each light emitter is capable of emitting light in a different light-emitting form, the method comprising:

obtaining accelerations generated in the respective directions of the three axes from the acceleration sensor,

when the stick-shaped member is in a first state, controlling light emission of the light emitters in accordance with the acceleration on each of the three axes,

obtaining an angular velocity generated around each of the three axes from the angular velocity sensor, and

when the stick-shaped member is in a second state, controlling light emission of the light emitters to emit light at a brightness in accordance with a size of the obtained angular velocities generated around each of the three axes.

6. The controller according to claim 5, wherein:

the first state is a state in which the acceleration value obtained by the acceleration sensor is not zero on one of the three axes of the stick-shaped member, and

the second state is a state in which the acceleration value obtained by the acceleration sensor is zero on all three axes of the stick-shaped member.

7. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that stores a program for controlling a computer used in a controller comprising a stick-shaped member, an acceleration sensor that obtains accelerations generated in respective directions of three axes that are mutually orthogonal including an axis in a longitudinal direction of the stick-shaped member, an angular velocity sensor that obtains angular velocity generated on each of the three axes, and a plurality of light emitters that are provided on the stick-shaped member corresponding to each of the three axes, wherein each light emitter is capable of emitting light in a different light-emitting form, said program controlling said computer to execute functions comprising:

obtaining accelerations generated in the respective directions of the three axes from the acceleration sensor,

when the stick-shaped member is in a first state, controlling light emission of the light emitters in accordance with the acceleration on each of the three axes,

obtaining angular velocities sensor generated around each of the three axes from the angular velocity sensor, and

when the stick-shaped member is in a second state, controlling light emission of the light emitters to emit light at a brightness in accordance with a size of the obtained angular velocities generated around each of the three axes.

8. The controller according to claim 7, wherein:

the first state is a state in which the acceleration value obtained by the acceleration sensor is not zero on one of the three axes of the stick-shaped member, and

the second state is a state on which the acceleration value obtained by the acceleration sensor is zero on all three axes of the stick-shaped member.