Vibration control apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10981053-B2
Application number	US-201716500655-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 20, 2017
Priority date	Apr 18, 2017
Publication date	Apr 20, 2021
Grant date	Apr 20, 2021

Abstract

This vibration control apparatus receives a vibration instruction for vibrating a vibration device and vibrates the vibration device according to contents in which contents of the received vibration instruction are corrected in accordance with information regarding an operating condition of the vibration device.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A vibration control apparatus that vibrates a vibration device, comprising:
an acquisition section configured to acquire information regarding an operating condition of the vibration device;
a vibration instruction reception section configured to receive a vibration instruction; and
a vibration control section configured to vibrate the vibration device according to content in which content of the received vibration instruction is corrected in accordance with the information regarding the operating condition, wherein:
the information regarding the operating condition includes information regarding a holding state including a plurality of previous measurements of variations in strength that the user grips the vibration device,
the vibration control section corrects the change in the vibration characteristic due to the holding state of the vibration device.

2. The vibration control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the information regarding the operating condition includes information indicating a direction of gravity applied to the vibration device, and
the vibration control section corrects a strength of the vibration in accordance with a relationship between the direction of gravity and a direction of the vibration according to the vibration instruction.

3. The vibration control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the information regarding the operating condition includes information indicating a service period of the vibration device from a reference time point up to a current time point, and
the vibration control section corrects a change in a vibration characteristic of the vibration device estimated to be generated during the service period.

4. The vibration control apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein
the acquisition section acquires a measurement result of the strength of the vibration generated when the vibration device is vibrated in each of a plurality of frequencies, and
the vibration control section specifies vibration characteristic information indicating the change in the vibration characteristic of the vibration device during the service period on a basis of the measurement result and performs the correction on the basis of the specified vibration characteristic information.

5. The vibration control apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the vibration control section specifies the holding state of the vibration device by a user on the basis of the measurement result when the vibration device is vibrated in one of the plurality of frequencies and specifies the vibration characteristic information indicating the change in the vibration characteristic of the vibration device during the service period on the basis of the measurement result when the vibration device is vibrated in another of the plurality of frequencies and the specified holding state.

6. The vibration control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the information regarding the operating condition is information regarding a temperature within the vibration device, and
the vibration control section corrects the change in the vibration characteristic of the vibration device estimated to be generated due to a change in a temperature.

7. The vibration control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the vibration control section performs correction for weakening a predetermined high-frequency component of a vibration waveform included in the received vibration instruction in accordance with the strength in which the user grips the vibration device.

8. The vibration control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the acquisition section records information regarding the acquired holding state, and
the vibration control section performs correction according to a tendency of the holding state of the user specified from information regarding the past recorded holding state.

9. The vibration control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the vibration device includes a microphone,
the information regarding the operating condition includes information indicating a result in which it is determined whether or not a human voice is included in a voice signal input to the microphone, and
the vibration control section corrects content of the vibration instruction in a case in which it is determined that the human voice is included in the voice signal input to the microphone.

10. The vibration control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the information regarding the operating condition includes information regarding a power consumption amount of the vibration device, and
the vibration control section performs correction for weakening vibration of a part or all of a frequency band included in the vibration instruction so as to suppress power consumption of the vibration device in accordance with the power consumption amount of the vibration device.

11. A control method for a vibration device, comprising:
acquiring information regarding an operating condition of the vibration device;
receiving a vibration instruction; and
vibrating the vibration device according to content in which content of the received vibration instruction is corrected in accordance with information regarding the operating condition, wherein:
the information regarding the operating condition includes information regarding a holding state including a plurality of previous measurements of variations in strength that the user grips the vibration device,
the vibration control section corrects the change in the vibration characteristic due to the holding state of the vibration device.

12. A non-transitory, computer readable storage medium containing a computer program, which when executed by a computer, causes the computer to control a vibration device by carrying out actions, comprising:
acquiring information regarding an operating condition of the vibration device;
receiving a vibration instruction; and
vibrating the vibration device according to content in which content of the received vibration instruction is corrected in accordance with information regarding the operating condition, wherein:
the information regarding the operating condition includes information regarding a holding state including a plurality of previous measurements of variations in strength that the user grips the vibration device,
the vibration control section corrects the change in the vibration characteristic due to the holding state of the vibration device.

Assignees

• Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc

Inventors

• Nakagawa Yusuke
• Yamano Ikuo

Classifications

• G06F3/016 Primary

  Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user · CPC title

• G06F2203/015

  Force feedback applied to a joystick · CPC title

• A63F13/215

  comprising means for detecting acoustic signals, e.g. using a microphone · CPC title

• A63F13/285 Primary

  Generating tactile feedback signals via the game input device, e.g. force feedback · CPC title

• G06F3/01

  Input arrangements or combined input and output arrangements for interaction between user and computer (G06F3/16 takes precedence) · CPC title