Operation device and method for controlling the same

A method, comprising:

• controlling an operating device, wherein the operating device includes:
• (i) a grip part to be gripped by a user;
• and (ii) an operation part for activation by a finger of the user gripping the grip part, wherein the operation part includes:
• (i) a movable part capable of moving within a movement range from a resting position to another position in response to a force applied by the finger of the user, and (ii) a regulating mechanism operating to variably adjust the movement range of the movable portion in response to a motorized assembly operating to receive a drive signal and apply a force to the movable part in an opposite direction of the force applied by the finger of the user;
• and
• further controlling by:
• (i) determining an amount of restriction of the movement range of the movable portion as a function of temporal changes in the force applied by the finger of the user to the movable part, (ii) outputting the drive signal to the motorized assembly to provide a temporal adjustment in the amount of restriction of the movement range of the movable portion, (iii) determining whether or not the temporal adjustment in the amount of restriction is within a predetermined range based the amount of restriction of the movement range determined over a predetermined past time period, and (iv) adjusting the amount of restriction of the movement range and the drive signal based on the determination.

A non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium containing a computer program, which when executed by a computer, causes the computer to carry out a method, comprising:

• controlling an operating device, wherein the operating device includes:
• (i) a grip part to be gripped by a user;
• and (ii) an operation part for activation by a finger of the user gripping the grip part, wherein the operation part includes:
• (i) a movable part capable of moving within a movement range from a resting position to another position in response to a force applied by the finger of the user, and (ii) a regulating mechanism operating to variably adjust the movement range of the movable portion in response to a motorized assembly operating to receive a drive signal and apply a force to the movable part in an opposite direction of the force applied by the finger of the user;
• and
• further controlling by:
• (i) determining an amount of restriction of the movement range of the movable portion as a function of temporal changes in the force applied by the finger of the user to the movable part, (ii) outputting the drive signal to the motorized assembly to provide a temporal adjustment in the amount of restriction of the movement range of the movable portion, (iii) determining whether or not the temporal adjustment in the amount of restriction is within a predetermined range based the amount of restriction of the movement range determined over a predetermined past time period, and (iv) adjusting the amount of restriction of the movement range and the drive signal based on the determination.