Controller

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11000760-B2
Application number	US-201716472590-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 17, 2017
Priority date	Jan 11, 2017
Publication date	May 11, 2021
Grant date	May 11, 2021

Abstract

Proposed is a controller which can suppress an amount of protrusion of an operation member from an external surface of a chassis while operability of the operation member is maintained. A controller including a chassis, and an operation member which is slidable along an extension direction of the chassis with a predetermined position as a reference, and is rotatable in a circumferential direction of the chassis with the predetermined position as the reference, and at least a part of which is fitted into a recess section provided in an external surface of the chassis.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A controller comprising:
a chassis having an at least partial annular, ring type shape, defining an annular axis extending in an extension direction, and defining a circumferential axis extending in a circumferential direction about the annular axis; and
an operation member which is: (i) slidable along the extension direction of the chassis with a predetermined position as a reference, and (ii) is rotatable in the circumferential direction of the chassis with the predetermined position as the reference, where at least a part of the operation member is fitted into a recess section provided in an external surface of the chassis.

2. The controller according to claim 1 , further comprising: an elastic member configured so as to give an elastic force directed toward the predetermined position to the operation member in a case where the operation member moves from the predetermined position.

3. The controller according to claim 2 , wherein the elastic member includes a first elastic structure which is configured so as to be elastically deformed in the extension direction, and a second elastic structure which is configured so as to be elastically deformed in the circumferential direction.

4. The controller according to claim 3 , wherein the elastic member is an integrally molded compression spring including the first elastic structure and the second elastic structure.

5. The controller according to claim 3 , wherein the second elastic structure includes a first elastic member which gives an elastic force directed toward a first direction in the circumferential direction to the operation member, and a second elastic member which gives an elastic force directed toward a second direction opposite to the first direction in the circumferential direction to the operation member.

6. The controller according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a first operation button which is disposed within the chassis, and which receives an operation on a basis of depressing of an external surface of the chassis; and
a second button which is disposed at a position substantially symmetrical to the first operation button with a predetermined surface within the chassis as a reference, and which receives an operation on the basis of the depressing of the external surface of the chassis,
wherein the predetermined surface is a surface which is parallel to the extension direction, and passes through a substantially center of a cross section of the chassis along the circumferential direction.

7. The controller according to claim 6 , wherein
the controller has a plurality of the first operation buttons and a plurality of the operation buttons,
each of the plurality of first operation buttons corresponds to any one of the plurality of second operation buttons on a one-to-one basis, and
each of the plurality of second operation buttons, and the first operation button corresponding to the second operation button of interest of the plurality of first operation buttons are disposed at positions substantially symmetrical to each other with the predetermined surface as the reference.

8. The controller according to claim 6 , further comprising:
a first sensor section sensing a motion of the controller,
wherein a function associated with the first operation button and/or the second operation button is changed in response to a sensing result by the first sensor section.

9. The controller according to claim 6 , wherein an external surface of the chassis includes:
a first surface arranged on an external circumferential side of the first chassis, and made of a material harder than a rubber; and
a second surface arranged on an internal circumferential side of the chassis, and made of the rubber.

10. The controller according to claim 9 , wherein, in a case where the controller is placed on a surface of other object, the second surface contacts the surface of the other object.

11. The controller according to claim 9 , wherein
the first operation button and the second operation button are individually arranged in regions within the chassis corresponding to the second surface, and
the first operation button and the second operation button each receive an operation on a basis of depressing of the second surface.

12. The controller according to claim 9 , wherein the first surface and the second surface have substantially symmetrical shapes with the predetermine surface as the reference.

13. The controller according to claim 1 , wherein an amount of protrusion from the recess section of the operation member is substantially identical to a depth of the recess section from the external surface of the chassis.

14. The controller according to claim 1 , wherein
an external surface of the operation member has a shape which is substantially symmetrical with a predetermined surface within the chassis as the reference, and
the predetermined surface is a surface which is parallel to the extension direction, and passes a substantially center of a cross section of the chassis along the circumferential direction.

15. The controller according to claim 1 , further comprising: a second sensor section sensing an amount of sliding of the operation member along the extension direction, and an amount of rotation of the operation member in the circumferential direction.

16. The controller according to claim 15 , wherein
the operation member further has a magnet, and
the second sensor section senses the amount of sliding of the operation member and the amount of rotation of the operation member by sensing a density of a magnetic flux of surroundings of the second sensor section.

17. The controller according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a support shaft provided within the chassis,
wherein the operation member has a fitting hole, and
the support shaft is inserted through the fitting hole.

18. The controller according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a reception section receiving a signal responding to an operation for the operation member from an external apparatus;
a light emitting section; and
a control section causing the light emitting section to emit light on a basis of the received signal.

19. The controller according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an electric power receiving section which is wound inside the chassis along the extension direction, and receives an electric power supplied from an external apparatus in a non-contact manner; and
a battery storing the electric power received from the electric power receiving section.

20. A controller comprising:
a chassis;
an operation member which is slidable along an extension direction of the chassis with a predetermined position as a reference, is rotatable in a circumferential direction of the chassis with the predetermined position as the reference, and at least a part of which is fitted into a recess section provided in an external surface of the chassis; and
an elastic member configured so as to give an elastic force directed toward the predetermined position to the operation member in a case where the operation member moves from the predetermined position,
wherein the elastic member includes a first elastic structure which is configured so as to be elastically deformed in the extension direction, and a second elastic structure which is configured so as to be elastically deformed in the circumferential direction.

Assignees

• Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc

Inventors

• Nakayama Tetsunori
• Tanaka Akichika
• Hanzawa Masaki
• Morisawa Yujin
• Andre Alexis

Classifications

• A63F13/24 Primary

  Constructional details thereof, e.g. game controllers with detachable joystick handles · CPC title

• A63F13/235

  using a wireless connection, e.g. infrared or piconet · CPC title

• G06F3/033

  Pointing devices displaced or positioned by the user {, e.g. mice, trackballs, pens or joysticks}; Accessories therefor (digitisers characterised by the transducing means G06F3/041) · CPC title

• G06F3/0362

  with detection of one-dimensional [1D] translations or rotations of an operating part of the device, e.g. scroll wheels, sliders, knobs, rollers or belts · CPC title

• G06F3/02

  Input arrangements using manually operated switches, e.g. using keyboards or dials · CPC title