Operation apparatus

• US 9,798,398 B2
• Filed: 02/19/2015
• Issued: 10/24/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Masubuchi, Shoji
• Primary Examiner(s): Sharifi-Tafreshi, Koosha
• Application Number:
  US14/626,129
• Publication Number:
  US 20150261321A1
• Time in Patent Office: 978 Days
• Field of Search: 345161, 345169, 345156, 345184, 463 36, 463 37, 463 38
• 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 13/92 Video game devices specially adapted to be hand-held while playing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/169 the I/O peripheral being an integrated pointing device, e.g. trackball in the palm rest area, mini-joystick integrated between keyboard keys, touch pads or touch stripes G06F1/1643 takes precedence; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0362 with detection of 1D translations or rotations of an operating part of the device, e.g. scroll wheels, sliders, knobs, rollers or belts

Abstract

An example operation apparatus includes: a direction input operation section provided on a front surface of a housing of the operation apparatus and at such a position that, in a state where the operation apparatus is held with at least one hand of a user, the direction input operation section is allowed to be operated with a thumb of the hand; and a rotation operation section which is provided on a surface different from the front surface of the housing and at such a position that, in a state where the operation apparatus is held with the hand or the other hand of the user, the rotation operation section is allowed to be operated with an index finger of the hand or the other hand and which is an operation section capable of being rotationally operated.

Claims

1. An operation apparatus for enabling an operation input by a user for performing predetermined information processing, the operation apparatus comprising:

a housing;

a first directional input configured to receive first direction input, the first directional input being provided on a front surface of the housing of the operation apparatus so as to be manipulable by a thumb of a first hand of the user grasping a first side of the housing;

a first wheel configured to receive a first pressing input and to receive a first rotational input for rotating around a first axis, the first wheel being provided at a first corner defined by a first side surface and an upper surface of the housing so as to be manipulable by an index finger of the first hand grasping the first side of the housing;

a switch; and

an L-shaped switch actuator to which the first wheel is connected, the switch actuator being configured for rotation around a second axis different than the first axis in response to the first pressing input to the first wheel and being disposed in the housing so that a corner portion thereof actuates the switch in response to the first pressing input to the first wheel,

wherein the first axis and the second axis are parallel to each other.

2. The operation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first and second axes are substantially perpendicular to the front surface of the housing.

3. The operation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first pressing input is directed inward toward an interior of the housing.

4. The operation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the housing is configured to be simultaneously grasped by the first hand of the user and a second hand of the user grasping a second side of the housing.

5. The operation apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising a second wheel configured to receive a second rotational input for rotating around a third axis, the second wheel being provided at a second corner defined by a second side surface and the upper surface of the housing so as to be manipulable by an index finger of the second hand grasping the second side of the housing.

6. The operation apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising:

a second directional input configured to receive a second direction input, the second directional input being provided on the front surface of the housing of the operation apparatus so as to be manipulable by a thumb of the second hand grasping the second side of the housing.

7. The operation apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a display on the front surface of the housing.

8. The operation apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a touch panel on the front surface of the housing.

9. The operation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the operation apparatus comprises a hand-held game apparatus.

10. The operation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first directional input is configured to enable an input in a 360 degree direction with, as a center, a neutral state which is a non-operation state.

11. The operation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first directional input is configured to, when an input operation is performed in a specified direction, output an intermediate value until the first directional input reaches, from a neutral state which is a non-operation state, a limit position to which input in the specified direction is enabled.

12. An operation apparatus for enabling an operation input by a user for performing predetermined information processing, the operation apparatus comprising:

a housing;

a directional input configured to receive direction input, the directional input being provided on a front surface of the housing of the operation apparatus so as to be manipulable by a thumb of a hand of the user grasping a side of the housing;

a wheel configured to receive a pressing input and to receive a rotational input for rotating around a first axis, the wheel being provided on a surface of the housing different from the front surface so as to be manipulable by an index finger of the hand grasping the side of the housing;

a switch; and

an L-shaped switch actuator to which the wheel is connected, the switch actuator being configured for rotation around a second axis different than the first axis in response to the pressing input to the wheel and being disposed in the housing so that a corner portion thereof actuates the switch in response to the pressing input to the wheel,

wherein the first rotation axis and the second rotation axis are parallel to each other.

13. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a controller; and

a processor configured to perform information processing in accordance with inputs to the controller,

wherein the controller includes;

a housing;

a directional input configured to receive direction input, the directional input being provided on a front surface of the housing so as to be manipulable by a thumb of a hand of a user grasping a side of the housing;

a wheel configured to receive a pressing input and to receive a rotational input for rotating around a first axis, the wheel being provided at a corner defined by a side surface and an upper surface of the housing so as to be manipulable by an index finger of the hand grasping the side of the housing;

a switch; and

an L-shaped switch actuator to which the wheel is connected, the switch actuator being configured for rotation around a second axis different than the first axis in response to the pressing input to the wheel and being disposed in the housing so that a corner portion thereof actuates the switch in response to the pressing input to the wheel, and

wherein the processor performs information processing in accordance with input to one or both of the directional input and the wheel, and

wherein the first rotation axis and the second rotation axis are parallel to each other.

14. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a housing;

a directional input disposed on a front surface of the housing;

a wheel provided on a surface of the housing other than the front surface, the wheel being configured for rotation around a first axis in response to rotational input thereto;

a switch;

an L-shaped switch actuator, coupled to the wheel, for actuating the switch in response to a pressing input to the wheel, the switch actuator being configured for rotation around a second different rotation axis in response to the pressing input to the wheel and being disposed in the housing so that a corner portion thereof actuates the switch in response to the pressing input to the wheel; and

a hardware processor configured to perform processing operations based at least in part on input to one or both of the directional input and the wheel,

wherein the first rotation axis and the second rotation axis are parallel to each other.

15. The information processing apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the first and second rotation axes are perpendicular to the front surface of the housing.

16. The information processing apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the directional input comprises an analog pad.

17. The information processing apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the wheel is disposed at a corner between two surfaces of the housing.

18. The information processing apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the directional input and the wheel are arranged to permit simultaneous operation by different fingers of a hand grasping the housing.

19. The information processing apparatus according to claim 14, further comprising a motor coupled to the wheel.

20. The information processing apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the motor is configured to vibrate the wheel.