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US 11,596,858 B2Granted
Operating device and control system
AssigneeSony Interactive Entertainment Inc.
InventorsIkuo Yamano, Yusuke Nakagawa, Shinichi Hirata, Yuichi Machida, Yoichi Nishimaki
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Methods and apparatus provide for a control unit; and an operating device including: (i) operation button to be activated by touch of a user, (ii) a first vibration mechanism for vibrating the operation button, and (iii) a second vibration mechanism for vibrating a main body of the operating device, where the control unit controls the first vibration mechanism and the second vibration mechanism.
Claims13
An apparatus, comprising:
- a control unit;
- an operating device including:
- (i) an operation button to be activated by touch of a user, (ii) a first vibration mechanism for vibrating the operation button, and (iii) a second vibration mechanism for vibrating a main body of the operating device;
- a proximity sensor configured to detect when a portion of a body of the user approaches a surface of the operation button, wherein
- the control unit controls the first vibration mechanism and the second vibration mechanism,
- the control unit determines a time to start vibration, which causes the first vibration mechanism to produce vibrations depending on a detected result from the proximity sensor, where the time to start vibration is determined by:
- (i) periodically acquiring distance information regarding a distance from the operation button to a finger of the user,
- (ii) estimating a timing at which the finger of the user will reach the operation button,
- (iii) repeating the acquiring and estimating processes a number of times, and
- (iv) extrapolating the distance and estimated timing obtained over the number of times to compute the time to start vibration.
7 more elements
A method of controlling an operating device including:
- (i) an operation button to be activated by touch of a user, (ii) a first vibration mechanism for vibrating the operation button, and (iii) a second vibration mechanism for vibrating a main body of the operating device, the method comprising:
- detecting when a portion of a body of the user approaches a surface of the operation button via a proximity sensor;
- controlling the first vibration mechanism and the second vibration mechanism,
- determining a time to start vibration, which causes the first vibration mechanism to produce vibrations depending on a detected result from the proximity sensor, where the time to start vibration is determined by:
- (a) periodically acquiring distance information regarding a distance from the operation button to a finger of the user,
- (b) estimating a timing at which the finger of the user will reach the operation button,
- (c) repeating the acquiring and estimating processes a number of times, and
- (d) extrapolating the distance and estimated timing obtained over the number of times to compute the time to start vibration.
5 more elements
A non-transitory, computer readable storage medium containing a program, which when executed by a computer, causes the computer to control an operating device including:
- (i) operation button to be activated by touch of a user, (ii) a first vibration mechanism for vibrating the operation button, and (iii) a second vibration mechanism for vibrating a main body of the operating device, the method comprising:
- detecting when a portion of a body of the user approaches a surface of the operation button via a proximity sensor;
- controlling the first vibration mechanism and the second vibration mechanism,
- determining a time to start vibration, which causes the first vibration mechanism to produce vibrations depending on a detected result from the proximity sensor, where the time to start vibration is determined by:
- (a) periodically acquiring distance information regarding a distance from the operation button to a finger of the user,
- (b) estimating a timing at which the finger of the user will reach the operation button,
- (c) repeating the acquiring and estimating processes a number of times, and
- (d) extrapolating the distance and estimated timing obtained over the number of times to compute the time to start vibration.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.