Input device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11839808-B2
Application number	US-201917294736-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 22, 2019
Priority date	Nov 30, 2018
Publication date	Dec 12, 2023
Grant date	Dec 12, 2023

Abstract

An influence of hands holding an input device or fingers manipulating operation members on sound collection by a microphone is reduced. An input device (10) has a right held portion (10R) that has an upper surface on which an operation button (11) to be operated by a finger in the right hand is disposed, a left held portion (10L) that has an upper surface on which a direction key (12) to be operated by a finger in the left hand is disposed, and a middle portion (10M) positioned between the right held portion (10R) and the left held portion (10L). A first microphone (21) and a second microphone (22) are arranged in the middle portion (10M). The first microphone (21) is positioned rearward of a center of the middle portion (10M) in a front-rear direction.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An input device comprising:
a right held portion having an upper surface on which a first right operation member operated by a finger of a right hand is arranged;
a left held portion having an upper surface on which a first left operation member operated by a finger of a left hand is arranged;
a middle portion located between the right held portion and the left held portion;
a first microphone arranged inside the middle portion and located behind a center of the middle portion in a front-rear direction; and
a second microphone arranged inside the middle portion, wherein at least one of:
(i) the first microphone is directed upward, and the second microphone is directed downward, and
(ii) the first microphone is directed upward, the second microphone is directed downward, and the middle portion has an outer surface having a first sound hole formed above the first microphone and a second sound hole formed below the second microphone.

2. The input device according to claim 1 , wherein
a position of the first microphone and a position of the second microphone are separated in at least one of the front-rear direction and an up-down direction.

3. The input device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an exterior member that houses the first microphone and the second microphone, wherein
the exterior member has a first sound hole that allows sound to propagate to the first microphone, and a second sound hole that allows sound to propagate to the second microphone, and
a position of the first sound hole and a position of the second sound hole are separated in at least one of the front-rear direction and an up-down direction.

4. The input device according to claim 3 , wherein
the first sound hole and the second sound hole intersect with a plane along the front-rear direction and the up-down direction, or
the first microphone and the second microphone intersect with a plane along the front-rear direction and the up-down direction.

5. The input device according to claim 4 , further comprising:
a second right operation member located behind the first right operation member of the right held portion and on a right side of a center of the input device in a right-left direction; and
a second left operation member located behind the first left operation member of the left held portion and on a left side of the center of the input device in the right-left direction, wherein
the plane is a plane that passes between the second right operation member and the second left operation member.

6. The input device according to claim 4 , wherein
the plane is a plane that passes through a center of the input device in a right-left direction.

7. The input device according to claim 1 , wherein
the first microphone and the second microphone are located behind the center of the middle portion in the front-rear direction.

8. The input device according to claim 1 , wherein
no microphone is arranged behind the first right operation member nor behind the first left operation member.

9. The input device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a second right operation member located behind the first right operation member of the right held portion and on a right side of a center of the input device in a right-left direction; and
a second left operation member located behind the first left operation member of the left held portion and on a left side of the center of the input device in the right-left direction, wherein
at least one of the first microphone and the second microphone is located between the second right operation member and the second left operation member.

10. The input device according to claim 1 , wherein
a direction in which the first microphone faces is different from a direction in which the second microphone faces.

11. The input device according to claim 10 , wherein
the first microphone and the second microphone are at least partially overlapped with each other in a plan view of the input device.

12. The input device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a circuit board arranged inside the middle portion, wherein
the first microphone is arranged above the circuit board, and
the second microphone is arranged below the circuit board.

13. The input device according to claim 12 , wherein
the first microphone and the second microphone are arranged at a rear end of the circuit board.

14. The input device according to claim 12 , wherein
at least one of the first microphone and the second microphone is vertically separated from the circuit board.

15. The input device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an exterior member that houses the first microphone and the second microphone, wherein
the exterior member has a first sound hole that allows sound to propagate to the first microphone,
the upper surface of the middle portion has a high region and the low region,
the upper surface of the middle portion is formed obliquely so as to descend rearward in the low region from the high region, and
the first sound hole is formed in the low region.

16. The input device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an exterior member that houses the first microphone and the second microphone, wherein
the exterior member has an upper member and a lower member that is combined with the upper member in a vertical direction,
the first sound hole is formed in the upper member, and
the second sound hole is formed in the lower member.

17. An input device comprising:
a right held portion having an upper surface on which a first right operation member operated by a finger of a right hand is arranged;
a left held portion having an upper surface on which a first left operation member operated by a finger of a left hand is arranged;
a middle portion located between the right held portion and the left held portion;
a first microphone arranged inside the middle portion and located behind a center of the middle portion in a front-rear direction;
a second microphone arranged inside the middle portion; and
a circuit board arranged inside the middle portion,
wherein the first microphone is arranged above the circuit board, and the second microphone is arranged below the circuit board.

18. An input device comprising:
a right held portion having an upper surface on which a first right operation member operated by a finger of a right hand is arranged;
a left held portion having an upper surface on which a first left operation member operated by a finger of a left hand is arranged;
a middle portion located between the right held portion and the left held portion;
a first microphone arranged inside the middle portion and located behind a center of the middle portion in a front-rear direction;
a second microphone arranged inside the middle portion; and
an exterior member that houses the first microphone and the second microphone, wherein
the exterior member has a first sound hole that allows sound to propagate to the first microphone,
the upper surface of the middle portion has a high region and the low region,
the upper surface of the middle portion is formed obliquely so as to descend rearward in the low region from the high region, and
the first sound hole is formed in the low region.

Assignees

• Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc

Inventors

• Morita Masaho
• Kaburaki Hiromasu

Classifications

• A63F13/215 Primary

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

• A63F13/24

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

• H04R1/406

  microphones · CPC title

• H04R3/005 Primary

  for combining the signals of two or more microphones (specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407) · CPC title

• H04R1/04

  Structural association of microphone with electric circuitry therefor (in electric hearing aids H04R25/00) · CPC title