Input device

A non-transitory storage medium storing a sensor controlling program to be executed by a processor in an input device of the type that can optionally be connected to an external expansion device including a gyrosensor, the input device transmitting input data from at least one input portion to an information processing apparatus, the input device comprising:

• a controller which is connected to a predetermined bus, controls said input portion, and acquires data;
• an expansion connector which connects various devices including a predetermined external expansion device to said bus;
• a switcher which switches on or off a connection of said bus from said expansion connector to said controller;
• an internal gyrosensor which has a function being equivalent to that of said external expansion device;
• and
• a sensor controlling computer which transmits data acquired from said internal gyrosensor to said controller via said bus, is connected to a side of said controller and a side of said expansion connector of said bus without interposing said switcher, and controls said switcher on or off, wherein said sensor controlling program includes instructions that when executed by the sensor controlling computer causes said sensor controlling computer to turn the connection of said switcher off when an access to itself is made from said controller.

In an input device of the type that can optionally be connected to an external expansion device including a gyrosensor, a method of operating the input device comprising:

• transmitting input data from at least one input portion of the input device to an information processing apparatus;
• using a controller which is connected to a bus of the input device to control said input portion and acquire data;
• using an expansion connector to connect various devices including the external expansion device to said bus;
• selectively switching a connection of said bus from said expansion connector to said controller;
• sensing a parameter with an internal gyrosensor within the input device, the internal gyrosensor being functionally equivalent to said external expansion device gyrosensor;
• and
• transmitting, with a sensor controller of the input device connected to a side of said controller and a side of said expansion connector of said bus without interposing said switching, data acquired from said internal gyrosensor to said controller via said bus, and using the sensor controller to control said switching of the connection off whenever the controller accesses itself over the bus to thereby disconnect the external expansion device from the bus.

A handheld controller comprising:

• a housing configured to be held in the hand, the housing having first and second ends;
• an optical sensor disposed at the housing first end, the optical sensor being structured to detect infrared targets and providing coordinates thereof;
• an accelerometer disposed within the housing, the accelerometer measuring acceleration;
• a gyrosensor disposed within the housing, the gyrosensor measuring angular rate;
• an expansion connector disposed at the housing second end, the expansion connector being configured to optionally accept and connect to an expansion module containing an additional gyrosensor;
• and
• a wireless controller within the housing and coupled to the optical sensor, the accelerometer, the gyrosensor and the expansion connector, the wireless controller being configured to wirelessly communicate the coordinates, the measured acceleration and the measured angular rate to a device remote to the handheld controller in response to commands the wireless controller wirelessly receives, the wireless controller being further configured to process a wireless command to use the additional gyrosensor in the expansion module by bypassing the additional gyrosensor and instead reporting data from the gyrosensor within the housing.