JP2009279144A - Toy and operation input device thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a toy which includes an operation input device capable of providing specific operation input by causing a plurality of operation members to approach one another. <P>SOLUTION: The toy includes: a plurality of movable operation members; position detecting means which detects the positions of the respective operation members; deciding means which decides approach of the separated operation members with operation of at least one of the operation members; and event execution means which executes a predetermined event when the operation members approach one another. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an operation input device and a toy provided with a plurality of operation members.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a toy such as a game device, various operation units (for example, a controller, a joystick, a button, a trackball, a mouse, a touch panel, etc.) for giving a control input to a control unit included in the toy have been proposed. .

In particular, according to Patent Document 1, it is proposed to apply a mouse, which is widely used in personal computers (PCs), as an input device of a video game apparatus.
JP 2001-62145 A

  However, the invention described in Patent Document 1 only proposes using only one mouse. Further, as described above, joysticks, direction keys, buttons, and the like are employed as operation units for general game devices, but these only provide independent operation inputs to the CPU. Some may give a specific operation input by simultaneously pressing a plurality of buttons, but the operation direction of each button is a direction in which the button is pressed down, and is not a direction in which the two approach each other. The joystick can be tilted obliquely in several directions. However, since one end of the joystick is fixed, the entire joystick cannot be moved. As described above, there has been no device that gives a specific operation input by bringing a plurality of operation members closer to each other. Therefore, there has been no device for detecting that a plurality of operation members have approached.

  Therefore, there was no means for realizing the following toys. For example, when a plurality of operation members are regarded as different game characters (such as anime characters) and moved so as to attach the plurality of operation members, a toy that starts a conversation event as if a plurality of game characters have met. Could not provide.

  Therefore, an object of the present invention is to solve at least one of such problems and other problems. For example, it aims at providing the toy provided with the operation input device which can give a specific operation input by making a some operation member approach. Other issues can be understood throughout the specification.

According to a first aspect of the invention,
A plurality of movable operation members;
Position detecting means for detecting the position of each of the plurality of operating members;
Determining that at least one of the plurality of operation members is operated and the plurality of separated operation members approached each other based on the position of each operation member detected by the position detection means Means,
A toy is provided that includes event execution means for executing a predetermined event when the determination means determines that the plurality of operation members have approached.

According to the second aspect,
The toy according to aspect 1, further comprising a plurality of cover members attached to any of the plurality of operation members and provided with different designs.

According to the third aspect,
Recognizing means for recognizing a plurality of cover members each attached to any one of the plurality of operating members;
A table in which a combination of a plurality of cover members and an event corresponding to the combination are registered;
Event determination means for determining an event corresponding to a combination of a plurality of cover members recognized by the recognition means using the table;
The toy according to aspect 2, wherein the event execution unit executes the event determined by the event determination unit.

According to the fourth aspect,
Storage means for storing a plurality of character images;
The toy according to aspect 3, further comprising display control means for reading out a character image corresponding to the cover member recognized by the recognition means from the storage means and displaying the character image on a display unit.

According to the fifth aspect,
A depressing detection means for detecting depressing of the operating member to which the cover member is attached;
5. The toy according to aspect 4, further comprising voice output means for outputting a character voice corresponding to the cover member when the depression of the operation member with the cover member is detected. .

According to the sixth aspect,
Any one of aspects 3 to 5, further comprising an attachment promotion message output means for outputting a message prompting to attach the cover member to the operation member when the recognition means cannot recognize the cover member. A toy according to item is provided.

According to the seventh aspect,
When the recognizing unit cannot recognize the cover member, further includes an assigning unit that assigns a virtual cover member to each operation member;
The toy according to any one of aspects 3 to 6, wherein the event determining means determines an event corresponding to a combination of a plurality of cover members assigned by the assigning means using the table. Is provided.

According to the eighth aspect,
A counting means for counting the number of events executed by operating the plurality of operation members, each of which is mounted on any one of the plurality of cover members, with each other;
Rewriting means for rewriting character image management data to change one of a plurality of character images from a non-display object to a display object when the number counted by the counting means reaches a predetermined number. A toy according to any one of aspects 2 to 5 is provided.

According to the ninth aspect,
The toy according to any one of viewpoints 2 to 8, wherein a shape of a mounting portion of the cover member mounted on the operation member is different among a plurality of cover members.

According to the tenth aspect
A plurality of detection members provided in the mounting portion of each operation member;
The mounting portion of each cover member further includes at least one engagement member provided to engage with any of the plurality of detection members,
Any one of the viewpoints 3 to 9, wherein the recognition means recognizes which cover member is attached depending on which of the plurality of detection members is engaged with the engagement member. A toy according to item is provided.

According to the eleventh aspect,
The toy according to any one of aspects 1 to 10, further comprising at least one guide for restricting a moving direction of the plurality of operation members.

According to the twelfth aspect,
The toy according to aspect 11 is provided, wherein the plurality of operation members share the same guide and move along the same guide.

According to the thirteenth aspect,
The position detecting means includes
A plurality of switches provided along the guide and turned on or off according to the position of the operation member,
The toy according to the aspect 11 or 12, wherein the position of each operation member is detected according to which of the plurality of switches is turned on or off.

According to the fourteenth aspect
An image display area for displaying a character image corresponding to each cover member mounted on each operation member, with each position of the plurality of operation members slid along the guide detected by the position detection means. Conversion means for converting the display position of each character image in
Obstacle position determining means for determining the position of the obstacle displayed in the image display area;
A collision determination means for determining whether or not the position of the obstacle matches the display position of each character image;
A toy described in any one of aspects 11 to 13 is provided. Note that a counting unit that counts the number of times that the position of the obstacle matches the display position of each character image as the number of collisions with the obstacle, and an image output unit that outputs an image according to the number of collisions May be further provided.

According to the fifteenth aspect,
The event includes a first character image corresponding to the first cover member attached to the first operation member, a second character image corresponding to the second cover member attached to the second operation member, and And a conversational event that outputs a first character voice corresponding to the first character image and a second character voice corresponding to the second character image. 14. The toy according to any one of 14 is provided.

According to the sixteenth aspect,
A plurality of movable operation members;
A plurality of cover members that are provided with different designs and are attached to any one of the plurality of operation members,
Recognizing means for recognizing each cover member mounted on any of the plurality of operation members;
Event determining means for determining an event corresponding to a combination of cover members recognized by the recognition means;
There is provided a toy including event execution means for executing the event determined by the event determination means.

According to the seventeenth aspect
A plurality of operating members movable along the same guide for regulating the moving direction;
Position detecting means for detecting the position of each of the plurality of operating members and outputting information representing the detected position;
An operation input device is provided.

According to the 18th aspect,
The operation input device according to aspect 17 is provided, wherein the guide is a guide for restricting a plurality of operation members to move only in a one-dimensional direction.

According to the nineteenth aspect
A toy characterized in that the operation input device according to the aspect 17 or 18 is connected or provided is provided.

  According to the first aspect, a predetermined event can be generated when it is detected that a plurality of operation members that have been separated from each other have approached. Therefore, for example, when a plurality of operation members are regarded as different game characters (such as anime characters) and operated to attach the plurality of operation members, a toy that starts a conversation event as if a plurality of game characters have met It will be easier to provide.

  According to the second aspect, since a cover member with a design can be attached to each operation member, the user can visually grasp what design each operation member corresponds to. . Moreover, there is an advantage that the design corresponding to each operation member can be exchanged by exchanging the cover member.

  According to the third aspect, since the cover member attached to the operation member can be identified, an event corresponding to the cover member can be generated. For example, a conversation voice or animation by a character corresponding to a design (game character or the like) given to the cover member may be presented as an event. Also, if you change the cover member, the event will also change, so you can change the character you are talking to.

  According to the fourth aspect, since the character image corresponding to the cover member is displayed on the display unit, for example, an animation by the displayed character may be presented. This will be useful for users to enjoy conversational events.

  According to the fifth aspect, since the character voice corresponding to the cover member is outputted from the voice output unit, for example, it is possible to listen and enjoy the voice of the character drawn on the attached mouse cover. It will be.

  According to the sixth aspect, since it is possible to prompt the user to attach the cover member, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of an event (e.g., no conversation or no encounter).

  According to the seventh aspect, if the cover member is not attached, the cover member (that is, the character) can be virtually assigned to the operation member, so that the user forgets to attach the cover member, Even if it is lost, you can enjoy the event.

  According to the eighth aspect, since the character to be collected can be added on the toy as an incentive (benefits) for generating the event, the user will approach the operation member to generate the event. That is, it is possible to give the user a new pleasure that the character to be collected can be acquired by bringing the operation member closer.

  According to the ninth aspect, by devising the shapes of the mounting portions of the cover member and the operation member, the specific cover member can be mounted only on the specific operation member. Since it becomes possible to forcibly assign a specific character to a specific operation member, it will also be possible to limit the characters that have a conversation. For example, an application may be possible in which the first character is assigned only to the left operation member and the second character is assigned only to the right operation member.

  According to the tenth aspect, the cover member attached to each operation member can be recognized by a relatively simple method.

  According to the eleventh aspect, since the movement direction of the operation member can be regulated by the guide, for example, both can be easily moved in the direction in which the plurality of operation members are brought closer.

  According to the 12th viewpoint, since several operation members move along the same guide, there exists an advantage which becomes easy to produce the approach and contact of several operation members.

  According to the thirteenth aspect, the positions of the plurality of operation members can be detected with a relatively simple structure.

  According to the fourteenth aspect, since a plurality of operation members that are regarded as a plurality of characters can be operated so as to avoid an approaching obstacle, the user can enjoy an obstacle avoidance game while feeling a sense of reality. .

  According to the fifteenth aspect, since the event described above is a conversational event involving character image display and voice output, the conversational event can be realized by the approaching action of a plurality of operation members. That is, when a plurality of operation members approach, it is possible to produce a situation where a plurality of characters meet and have a conversation.

  According to the sixteenth aspect, an event can be generated on the toy by a combination of cover members respectively attached to a plurality of operation members. That is, if the cover member is changed, the event can be changed, so that a very novel toy can be provided. Conventionally, there is only a single cover that is attached to the entirety of a plurality of operation members such as a keyboard cover made of a silicon material, and there has been no idea of covering each operation member with a cover. Moreover, it did not identify what kind of cover was put on. Therefore, it would be a very innovative technical idea that an event can be generated on a toy by a combination of cover members respectively attached to a plurality of operation members.

  According to the seventeenth aspect, it is possible to provide an extremely novel operation input device that has never existed before and includes a plurality of operation members that can move along the same guide. For example, the operation input device allows a single user to easily operate a plurality of game characters simultaneously. Conventionally, there has been no suitable operation input device for a single user to simultaneously operate a plurality of game characters. Therefore, a game apparatus or toy in which a single user operates a plurality of game characters at the same time has not been proposed. Therefore, the operation input device of the present invention will contribute to the development of an unprecedented game device, toy, and GUI (graphical user interface).

  According to the eighteenth aspect, since the plurality of operation members can be moved only in the one-dimensional direction, the operation of the operation members becomes extremely simple and easy.

  According to the nineteenth aspect, a toy using an operation input device having a novel operation system can be provided.

  An embodiment of the present invention is shown below. The individual embodiments described below will help to understand various concepts, such as the superordinate concept, intermediate concept and subordinate concept of the present invention. Further, the technical scope of the present invention is determined by the scope of the claims, and is not limited by the following individual embodiments.

  FIG. 1 is an exemplary perspective view of a toy according to an embodiment. The toy 100 includes a left mouse 101 and a right mouse 102 which are examples of a plurality of operation members. The left mouse 101 and the right mouse 102 can move in the left-right direction along the upper guide 103 and the lower guide 104 for restricting the moving direction. Here, two guides are shown, but at least one guide is sufficient. By providing a plurality of guides, the support strength of the mouse can be increased, and rotation of the mouse in the horizontal direction can also be suppressed.

  In FIG. 1, the left mouse 101 and the right mouse 102 share the same guide and are moved along the same guide, but may be moved along different dedicated guides. However, by moving the same guide, it becomes easier to produce the approach and contact with the left mouse 101 and the right mouse 102. In FIG. 1, two linear guides are shown, but other shapes may be used. For example, the shape of the guide may be a shape that can be drawn with a single stroke, such as a “<” shape, a wave shape, a polygonal line shape (zigzag shape), or the like.

  The display device 105 is, for example, a liquid crystal display device, and displays a character image corresponding to a cover member attached to the left mouse 101 and the right mouse 102 or displays animations corresponding to various events. .

  The speaker 106 is an example of an audio output unit that outputs character audio corresponding to the cover member. In addition, various sounds (conversation voice, sound effect, etc.) corresponding to the generated event are output from the speaker 106.

  FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the operation member according to the embodiment. In FIG. 2, the left mouse 101 and the right mouse 102 have moved outward along the upper guide 103 and the lower guide 104, respectively. That is, in FIG. 1, the left mouse 101 and the right mouse 102 approach or contact each other, but in FIG. 2, they are separated from each other. As described above, the left mouse 101 and the right mouse 102 can be moved to various positions along the guide. Note that the term “contact” is a concept that includes not only a state of physical contact but also a state of being adjacent to each other by several millimeters, a state of being close to each other, and the like.

  FIG. 3 is an exemplary perspective view of the toy according to the embodiment. In particular, in FIG. 3, mouse covers 301 and 302 that can be attached and detached are attached to the left mouse 101 and the right mouse 102. The mouse covers 301 and 302 have different designs such as a rabbit character picture and a cat character picture, respectively (here, at least one of shape, color, pattern, etc. is different from each other design). ). The mouse covers 301 and 302 are examples of a plurality of cover members that are given different designs and are attached to any of the plurality of operation members. The character assigned to the mouse cover and the character displayed on the display device 105 are basically the same. However, only the character's face may be given to the mouse cover, and the display device 105 may display all of the character's appearance. In other words, although both can be identified, the picture may be different.

  FIG. 4 is a plan view of the operation member according to the embodiment. Each mounting part of the left mouse 101 and the right mouse 102 is provided with detection members 401 and 402 for identifying the mounted cover member. The detection members 401 and 402 are coupled to a push-down switch, and when the detection member is pushed down, the corresponding switch is turned on. Reference numeral 403 denotes the shape (outer shape) of the mounting portion. A mouse cover is fitted to each mouse like a lid. Thus, the mounting portion can also be called a fitting portion.

  FIG. 5 is a view showing the back side of the cover member according to the embodiment. The mounting portions of the mouse covers 301 and 302 are provided with protruding engagement members 501 and 502 that are provided so as to engage with either of the detection members 401 and 402.

  Reference numeral 503 denotes the shape (outer shape) of the mounting portion. If the mounting portions of the left mouse 101 and the right mouse 102 are different from each other, the left mouse 101 has a mouse cover that matches the shape of the mounting portion. Only 301 can be installed. That is, the mouse cover 302 that matches the shape of the mounting portion of the right mouse 102 cannot be mounted on the left mouse 101. The mouse cover 302 can be attached only to the right mouse 102. In this way, by making the shape of the mounting portion of the cover member mounted on the operation member different among the plurality of cover members, the specific cover member can be mounted only on the specific operation member. As a result, a specific character can be forcibly assigned to a specific operation member, so that it is possible to limit the characters with which conversation is performed. The different shapes include similar shapes. For example, the two shapes may resemble rose flowers, but the sizes of both may be different.

  The engagement members 501 and 502 shown in FIG. 5 are a kind of protrusion, and are formed so as to engage with the detection member and push down the detection member when the mouse cover is attached to the mouse. Here, although two engaging members are shown, at least one engaging member is sufficient. The number of engaging members and detection members is determined according to the number of cover members to be recognized (identified). That is, in order to identify many cover members, many engagement members and detection members are required.

  FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a cover member recognition table according to the embodiment. Here, the switch corresponding to the detection member 401 is SW1, and the switch corresponding to the detection member 402 is SW2.

  In the cover recognition table 601, a combination of on / off of each switch and a cover member identification state indicated by the combination are registered in association with each other. If both SW1 and SW2 are off, it means that the cover member is not attached. If SW1 is on and SW2 is off, it can be detected that mouse cover A (character A) is attached. If SW2 is on and SW1 is off, it can be detected that mouse cover B (character B) is attached. If both SW1 and SW2 are on, it can be detected that the mouse cover C (character C) is attached. Incidentally, it is assumed that the mouse covers A, B, and C belong to the mouse cover 301 described above. Note that mouse cover D, E, and F (corresponding to characters D, E, and F, respectively) belong to mouse cover 302. Here, it is assumed that the character images and character sounds of the characters A to F are different from each other.

  FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a movement example of the operation member on which the cover member according to the embodiment is mounted. In FIG. 7, alphabets A and D are used instead of the picture representing the appearance of the character. A and D are also identification information indicating the difference between characters.

  Here, for the sake of simplicity, it is assumed that there are four movement positions (1 to 4 in the figure) along the guide. Among them, the left mouse 101 to which the mouse cover 301 is attached can move in three positions (positions 1 to 3) on the left side other than the rightmost end (position 4). The reason why the left mouse 101 cannot move to the rightmost end is that the right mouse 102 becomes an obstacle to movement. Also, the right mouse 102 with the mouse cover 302 attached can move in three positions (positions 2 to 4) on the right side other than the leftmost end (position 1). The reason why the right mouse 102 cannot move to the leftmost end is that the left mouse 101 becomes an obstacle to movement.

  The movement pattern 701 is a pattern in which the left mouse 101 is located at the leftmost end and the right mouse 102 is located at the rightmost end. The movement pattern 701 is a typical example in which the left mouse 101 and the right mouse 102 are separated from each other.

  The movement pattern 702 is also a typical example in which the left mouse 101 and the right mouse 102 are separated from each other. Compared with the movement pattern 701, the right mouse 102 has moved to position 3 in the movement pattern 702.

  The movement pattern 703 is a first typical example in which the left mouse 101 and the right mouse 102 are approaching or in contact with each other. In the movement pattern 703, the right mouse 102 has moved to position 2.

  The movement pattern 704 is a second typical example in which the left mouse 101 and the right mouse 102 are approaching or in contact with each other. Compared to the movement pattern 702, the left mouse 101 has moved to position 2 in the movement pattern 704.

  The movement pattern 705 is a third typical example in which the left mouse 101 and the right mouse 102 are approaching or in contact with each other. Compared with the movement pattern 701, the left mouse 101 has moved to position 3 in the movement pattern 705.

  Although not shown, there is a sixth pattern in which the left mouse 101 moves to position 2 and the right mouse 101 is placed at position 4 as a sixth pattern. Thus, there are six movement patterns. The number of patterns is calculated as a combination (nCm) in which m operation members are arranged at n positions. For example, a combination in which two mice are arranged at four positions is 4C2 = 6.

  As described above, when the number of mice is two and the number of positions is four, there are three contact positions. The same event may occur at each contact position, or different events may occur depending on the contact position.

  FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of a position detection mechanism according to the embodiment. The substrate 800 is disposed below the upper guide 103 or the lower guide 104 along the guide. The substrate 800 is provided with line-shaped terminals 803 to 810 for detecting each position. The short-circuit terminal 801 short-circuits the upper line-shaped terminal and the lower line-shaped terminal. A foot extends from the bottom of the left mouse 101, and the foot moves along the guide. A short-circuit terminal 801 is attached to the bottom of the foot. For example, if the upper line-shaped terminal 803 and the lower line-shaped terminal 804 are short-circuited by the short-circuit terminal 801, it can be recognized that the left mouse 101 exists at the position 1.

  Similarly, the short-circuit terminal 802 short-circuits the upper line-shaped terminal and the lower line-shaped terminal. For example, if the upper line-shaped terminal 809 and the lower line-shaped terminal 810 are short-circuited by the short-circuit terminal 802, it can be recognized that the right mouse 102 exists at the position 4.

  There are two cases where the upper line-shaped terminal 805 and the lower line-shaped terminal 806 are short-circuited. That is, there are a case where the short-circuited terminal 801 is short-circuited and a case where the short-circuited terminal 802 is short-circuited. In this case, if the line-shaped terminal pair located on the left side of the upper line-shaped terminal 805 and the lower line-shaped terminal 806 is short-circuited, the upper line-shaped terminal 805 and the lower line-shaped terminal 806 are The short circuit terminal 802 is short-circuited. On the other hand, when the line-shaped terminal pair located on the right side of the upper line-shaped terminal 805 and the lower line-shaped terminal 806 is short-circuited, the upper line-shaped terminal 805 and the lower line-shaped terminal 806 are short-circuited. The terminal 801 is short-circuited.

  Thus, the line-shaped terminal pair and the short-circuit terminal form a kind of position detection switch (pSW1 to pSW4). That is, the position of each mouse can be recognized by detecting which switch is on. Note that pSW1 to pSW4 correspond to the above-described positions 1 to 4, respectively. Further, pSW1 to pSW4 are examples of a plurality of switches provided along the guide that are turned on or off according to the position of the operation member. In this way, the positions of a plurality of operation members (mouse) can be detected with a relatively simple structure.

  FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of a control unit according to the embodiment. The control unit 900 is realized by, for example, a CPU or an ASIC. The storage unit 920 is realized by, for example, a ROM, a RAM, and an SRAM.

  The position detector 901 detects the positions of the movable left mouse 101 and right mouse 102. For example, the position detection unit 901 detects the position of each mouse according to which of the plurality of position detection switches pSW1 to pSW4 is turned on or off.

  The determination unit 902 determines that the left mouse 101 and the right mouse 102 that have been separated from each other approach (contact) based on the positions of the left mouse 101 and the right mouse 102 detected by the position detection unit 901. For example, when the movement patterns 703 to 705 are detected, the determination unit 902 determines that the left mouse 101 and the right mouse 102 are approaching (contacting).

  When the determination unit 902 determines that the left mouse 101 and the right mouse 102 approach (contact), the event execution unit 903 executes a predetermined event. An example of an event is a conversational event. For example, the event execution unit 903 displays an image of the character A corresponding to the mouse cover A attached to the left mouse 101 and an image of the character D corresponding to the mouse cover D attached to the right mouse 102 through the display control unit 904. It is displayed on the display device 105. Further, the event execution unit 903 outputs the character voice corresponding to the character A (image) and the character voice corresponding to the character D (image) from the speaker 106 through the voice control unit 905. That is, if the event changes, the displayed image (still image, moving image or animation) and sound (conversation content or sound effect) may be changed. These image data and audio data are stored in the storage unit 920 as a data group 922, and are read and used according to the determined event.

  The recognition unit 906 recognizes the mouse cover attached to each of the left mouse 101 and the right mouse 102. For example, the recognition unit 906 determines which of the mouse covers A to C is attached depending on whether the cover recognition switches LSW1 and LSW2 attached to the left mouse 101 are on or off. Recognize Similarly, the recognition unit 906 is equipped with any of the mouse covers D to F depending on whether the cover recognition switches RSW1 and RSW2 attached to the right mouse 102 are on or off. Recognize As illustrated in FIG. 6, the recognition unit 906 can recognize the mouse cover including the unmounted state using the cover recognition table 601. As described above, the recognition unit 906 is an example of a recognition unit that recognizes a plurality of cover members, each of which is attached to any one of the plurality of operation members.

  The data group 922 includes an event determination table. The event determination table is a table in which combinations of mouse covers 301 and 302 and corresponding events are registered. An example of the event determination table will be described later.

  The event determination unit 907 determines an event corresponding to the combination of the mouse covers 301 and 302 recognized by the recognition unit 906 using the event determination table. The event determination unit 907 notifies the event execution unit 903 of the determined event information. The event execution unit 903 executes the event determined by the event determination unit 907.

  The storage unit 920 stores a control program 921 and a data group 922 that control the overall operation. The function of each unit is realized by the CPU executing the control program 921. The data group 922 stores a plurality of character images. As a result, the display control unit 904 reads the character image corresponding to the mouse cover recognized by the recognition unit 906 from the storage unit 920 and causes the display device 105 to display the character image.

  The push-down detection unit 908 detects that a mouse with a mouse cover is pushed down. For example, the left mouse 101 and the right mouse 102 are provided with third switches LSW3 and RSW3 in addition to the above-described SW1 and SW2. The third switches LSW3 and RSW3 are turned on when the user depresses the mouse equipped with the mouse cover. When the depression of the mouse equipped with the mouse cover is detected, the voice control unit 905 generates a character voice corresponding to the mouse cover recognized by the recognition unit 906 and outputs it from the speaker 106. As a result, it will be possible to listen and enjoy the voice of the character drawn on the attached mouse cover.

  The voice control unit 905 may output a message prompting the user to attach the mouse cover to the mouse from the speaker 106 when the recognition unit 906 cannot recognize the mouse cover (when it is recognized that the mouse cover is not attached). Further, the display control unit 904 may output a message from the display device 105 urging the user to attach the mouse cover to the mouse when the recognition unit 906 cannot recognize the mouse cover (when it is recognized that the mouse cover is not attached). As a result, the user can be urged to attach the cover member, so that it is possible to prevent the occurrence of an event (e.g., no conversation or no encounter). The speaker 106 and the display device 105 are an example of an attachment promotion message output unit.

  The event determination unit 907 may include an allocation unit that assigns a virtual mouse cover (character) to each mouse when the recognition unit 906 cannot recognize the mouse cover. In this case, the event determination unit 907 determines an event corresponding to the combination of the mouse covers assigned by the assignment unit according to the event determination table. Even when the mouse cover is attached to one side and the mouse cover is not attached to the other side, the assigning unit may virtually assign the mouse cover only to the unattached mouse. As described above, when the mouse cover is not attached, a mouse cover (that is, a character) can be virtually assigned to the mouse. Therefore, even if the user forgets to wear the mouse cover or loses it, the event can be enjoyed.

  The count unit 909 counts the number of events executed by operating the left mouse 101 and the right mouse 102 with mouse covers attached thereto, respectively. As described above, the counting unit 909 is an example of a counting unit that counts the number of events executed by operating the plurality of operation members, each of which is mounted with any one of the plurality of cover members, in contact with each other. It is. When the number counted by the counting unit 909 reaches a predetermined number, the rewriting unit 910 rewrites the character image management data so as to change one of a plurality of character images from a non-display target to a display target.

  For example, a game is assumed in which 10 (animals) collection target characters appear by default, and 35 (animals) collection target characters appear as the game progresses. The game is cleared when all 45 (animals) have been collected. Furthermore, 35 (animals) collection target characters are added when the counted number reaches a predetermined number as the game progresses. In this way, generating an event is a kind of incentive that a character to be collected can be added on the toy, so the user will approach the operating member to generate the event. In other words, the user can be given a new joy that the character to be collected can be acquired by moving the mouse closer.

  FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of an event determination table according to the embodiment. Here, for convenience of explanation, it is assumed that characters A and B can be assigned to the left mouse 101 and characters D and E can be assigned to the right mouse 102.

  In the event determination table 1001, ten types of events corresponding to the first place data of “minute” of the current time acquired from a timer (not shown) are registered. The first rank data is, for example, 1 in 41 minutes, 2 in 52 minutes, and the like. Ten types of events are, for example, conversation contents between characters. Conversations include “food”, “something left”, “sleep / letter”, “fight”, “help”, “care”, “singing”, “outing”, “game” (win), “ There are “games (losing)”, “eat snacks”, “TV / surprise box”, “four-person gathering”, “four-person helping gathering” and so on.

  The event determination unit 907 identifies one type (conversation subject) according to the current time, and further determines one event (specific conversation content) based on the combination of recognized characters (mouse cover). For example, if the time is 41 minutes, the conversation subject “food” corresponding to the first place “1” is specified. Next, if the character is a combination of A and D, event 1-1 indicating specific conversation contents and images is specified. The event 1-1 may be used as identification information or a data file name. If the combination of characters is a combination of A and E, the event 1-2 indicating the specific conversation content and image is specified. In this way, the content of the event will be different if the combination of characters is different.

  FIG. 10 shows some exceptions. For example, in the conversation content “Sweet snack” whose first place is “8”, images of all characters are displayed, and an event 12-1 all for outputting these sounds is selected. That is, the event 12-1 all is an event that does not depend on the combination of characters.

  FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a control method according to the embodiment. In step S1100, the recognition unit 906 performs mouse cover recognition. In step S1101, the recognition unit 906 determines whether or not the mouse cover has been attached to the mouse according to whether or not the mouse cover has been recognized. If so, the process proceeds to step S1105. If not, the process proceeds to step S1102.

  In step S1102, the recognition unit 906 determines whether the timer has timed out. If not timed out, the process proceeds to step S1103. In step S1103, the recognizing unit 906 outputs an attachment promotion comment for prompting the user to attach the mouse cover to at least one of the display control unit 904 and the audio control unit 905. The display control unit 904 causes the display device 105 to display the attachment promotion comment. The voice control unit 905 outputs a wearing promotion comment from the speaker 106. Then, it returns to step S1101.

  On the other hand, if the timer has timed out, the process proceeds to step S1104. In step S1104, an assignment unit (not shown) included in the control unit 900 virtually assigns a mouse cover (character) to an unmounted mouse. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S1105.

  In step S1105, the position detection unit 901 detects the position of each mouse. In step S1106, the determination unit 902 determines whether the left mouse 101 and the right mouse 102 are approaching (contacting) based on the position information detected by the position detection unit 901. If not, the process returns to step S1105. If it is approaching, the process proceeds to step S1107.

  In step S1107, the event determination unit 907 determines an event according to the recognized combination of the mouse cover (character). For example, using the event determination table 1001 described above, the conversation content (conversational event) corresponding to the combination of characters is specified.

  In step S1108, the event execution unit 903 executes the determined event. In other words, the character image and the character voice corresponding to the event identification information (ID) notified from the event determination unit 907 are read from the storage unit 920 and output to the display control unit 904 and the voice control unit 905. The display control unit 904 outputs the received character image from the display device 105. The voice control unit 905 outputs the received character voice from the speaker 106. Thereby, it is possible to produce a conversation by a plurality of characters as if they met.

  In step S1109, the count unit 909 determines whether or not the number of events counted has reached a predetermined number. If the predetermined number of times has not been reached, this process ends.

  On the other hand, if the number of events has reached the predetermined number, the count unit 909 resets the count value to zero and proceeds to step S1110. In step S1110, the rewriting unit 910 rewrites the character management data so as to change the collection target character, which has not been displayed until now, to the display target. Character management data is part of the data group 922. The character to be collected may be different from the character corresponding to the mouse cover. For example, the character to be collected is a human character, and the character corresponding to the mouse cover is a mascot character such as an animal.

  In the above, a very novel operation input device and its application examples have been proposed. Other application examples will be described below.

  In a general operation input device and a game device using the same, only one game character can be operated by the user. For example, in a car race, the user controls one car and does not handle two cars at the same time. Even in an adventure game, only one game character can be operated. In a role-playing game, a party can be formed by collecting a plurality of game characters, but a plurality of game characters cannot be operated at the same time, and can only be operated while switching the operation target.

  On the other hand, if the operation input device of the present invention is adopted, a toy (game device) in which a user (game player) simultaneously operates a plurality of game characters can be provided.

  FIG. 12 is a diagram for explaining an example of the game according to the embodiment. FIGS. 12A to 12D show examples of images displayed on the display device and the relationship between the left mouse 101 and the right mouse 102, respectively. In FIG. 12A, 1201 is an image of the rear view of the game character A (rabbit) corresponding to the mouse cover 301 attached to the left mouse 101. 1202 is an image of the rear view of the game character D (cat) corresponding to the mouse cover 302 attached to the right mouse 102. 1203 is an image of an approaching obstacle.

  When the obstacle avoidance game starts, the control unit 900 determines the position of the obstacle according to a predetermined rule (random or prescribed) stored in the storage unit 920, and displays the image data of the obstacle at the determined position. .

  In order to express that the obstacle is approaching the game character, the control unit 900 changes the image of the obstacle as time passes. For example, as shown in FIG. 12B, the size of the obstacle image gradually increases. The control unit 900 converts the position of the corresponding mouse to the position of the game character, and changes the display position of the image of the game character.

  The control unit 900 compares the position of the game character with the position of the obstacle, and determines that the obstacle has been avoided if they do not match (FIG. 12 (c)). Output. On the other hand, if the position of the game character and the position of the obstacle coincide with each other, it is determined that the game character has collided (FIG. 12D), and a sound signifying the collision is output from the speaker 106.

  As can be seen from FIGS. 12A to 12D, the display position of each game character is changed according to the position of the corresponding mouse. In particular, since each mouse moves only in the one-dimensional direction along the same guide, it is possible to produce a very effective effect that game characters are stuck or separated. In addition, since the moving direction of the mouse is a simple direction, there is an advantage that not only is the operation easy for the game player, but it is also easy to operate a plurality of game characters at the same time.

  FIG. 13 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a control unit according to the embodiment. Note that some of the functions shown in FIG. 9 are omitted for simplicity of explanation.

  The conversion unit 1301 converts the positions of the left mouse and the right mouse into display positions of the character images in the image display area. That is, the positions of the left mouse and the right mouse that are slid along the guide are detected by the position detection unit 901, and each detected position is converted into a display position of each character image in the image display area. Here, the image display area is a display area in the display device 105, and a character image corresponding to each mouse cover attached to each mouse is displayed.

  The obstacle position determination unit 1302 determines the position of the obstacle displayed in the image display area. The position of the obstacle may be determined randomly according to the control program 921 or may be determined in advance and included in the data group 922 as an obstacle position table.

  The collision determination unit 1303 determines whether the position of the obstacle matches the display position of each character image. The collision number counting unit 1304 counts the number of times that the position of the obstacle matches the display position of each character image as the number of collisions with the obstacle. For example, when the position of the obstacle and the position of each character image are in a virtual two-dimensional plane, the coordinates (x, y) in the two-dimensional plane are compared.

  The image / audio determination unit 1305 reads out image data and audio data corresponding to the number of collisions from the data group 922 in the storage unit 920. For example, the image and sound determination unit 1305 reads image data and sound data meaning a collision every time the number of collisions increases by one. In addition, when the number of collisions reaches a specified number, the image / sound determination unit 1305 reads special image data or sound data indicating game over (capture failure). Note that the image / sound determination unit 1305 may read out image data and sound data indicating collision avoidance when the obstacle is successfully avoided. Further, the image / sound determination unit 1305 may read special image data or sound data that means clear (successful capture) when the game character has reached the goal without the number of collisions reaching the specified number. The read image data is sent to the display control unit 904 and output from the display device 105. Similarly, the read sound data is sent to the sound control unit 905 and output from the speaker 106.

  In parallel with these processes, the image and sound determination unit 1305 changes the display position of the game character or the display position and size of the obstacle according to the position of the mouse.

  According to the present embodiment, since each mouse that is regarded as a plurality of game characters can be operated so as to avoid obstacles that gradually approach, the user can enjoy an obstacle avoidance game while feeling a sense of reality. right. In addition, the user will be able to enjoy an unprecedented and innovative game in which a plurality of game characters can be operated simultaneously.

  Although the above-described operation input device is provided in a toy, it may be provided as a single pointing device connected to a toy (including a game device) or a PC.

  In the embodiment described above, an example in which a switch is used as a specific example for recognizing a cover member has been described. Of course, this is merely an example. For example, a bar code indicating identification information of the cover member may be provided in the cover member, and a bar code reader for reading the bar code may be provided in the operation member. Further, the cover member may be provided with a magnetic recording medium in which the identification information of the cover member is recorded, and the operation member may be provided with a magnetic reader that reads the magnetic recording medium. Alternatively, for example, an RFID indicating identification information of the cover member may be provided in the cover member, and a receiving device that receives the identification information from the RFID may be provided in the operation member.

  Further, a mechanism for detecting the position of the operation member may be realized using a device other than the switch. For example, the position may be detected using a resistance line whose resistance value changes according to the position of the operation member. Further, the position may be detected by utilizing the fact that the light reflection time varies depending on the position of the operation member.

  In the present embodiment, it is detected that a plurality of operation members have changed from a separated state to an approached state, but it is synonymous with detecting that a plurality of operation members are adjacent to each other. is there. Moreover, it is desirable that the plurality of operation members be basically moved by the user's hand. For example, the first operation member is operated by the user's left hand, and the second operation member is operated by the user's right hand. In this case, the first operation member is disposed on the left side with respect to the operation input device, and the second operation member is disposed on the right side with respect to the operation input device.

  The shape of the guide is not limited to a single straight line, a curved line, or a combination thereof, and may be a plurality of straight lines, a curved line, or a combination thereof. For example, the shape of the guide can regulate the movement direction of a plurality of operation members such as a cross, a circle, an outer shape of a heart mark, a lattice, and the like, and the plurality of operation members can be moved by moving at least one of the plurality of operation members. Any shape that can be approached or brought into contact is sufficient.

  In the above-described embodiment, the description has been given on the assumption that the plurality of operation members move in parallel to the moving surface. In addition, as a moving surface on which the operation member moves, a curved surface may be adopted instead of a flat surface, or a flat surface and a curved surface may be combined. That is, the plurality of operation members may be operation members that can move in parallel with the surface of the solid (operation input device). Basically, the operation member does not need to move in the normal direction of the moving surface, but may be pushed up in the normal direction of the moving surface. This means that, after adopting a structure in which the operating member is moved in parallel in the moving plane, a structure in which another operation input is given by further pushing down the operating member in the normal direction. By the way, there is something that can be pushed down in the normal direction with an analog joystick. However, such a conventional analog joystick cannot move parallel to the moving surface, and can only be pushed down in an oblique direction with respect to the moving surface.

It is an exemplary perspective view of the toy concerning an embodiment. It is an enlarged view of the operation member concerning an embodiment. It is an exemplary perspective view of the toy concerning an embodiment. It is a top view of the operation member concerning an embodiment. It is the figure which showed the back side of the cover member which concerns on embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the recognition table of the cover member which concerns on embodiment. It is a figure which shows the example of a movement of the operation member with which the cover member which concerns on embodiment was mounted | worn. It is the figure which showed an example of the position detection mechanism which concerns on embodiment. It is the figure which showed an example of the control part which concerns on embodiment. It is the figure which showed an example of the event determination table which concerns on embodiment. It is the flowchart which showed an example of the control method which concerns on embodiment. It is a figure for demonstrating an example of the game which concerns on embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows an example of the control part which concerns on embodiment.

Claims (19)

A plurality of movable operation members;
Position detecting means for detecting the position of each of the plurality of operating members;
Determining that at least one of the plurality of operation members is operated and the plurality of separated operation members approached each other based on the position of each operation member detected by the position detection means Means,
A toy comprising: an event execution unit that executes a predetermined event when the determination unit determines that the plurality of operation members have approached.   The toy according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of cover members attached to any of the plurality of operation members and provided with different designs. Recognizing means for recognizing a plurality of cover members each attached to any one of the plurality of operating members;
A table in which a combination of a plurality of cover members and an event corresponding to the combination are registered;
Event determination means for determining an event corresponding to a combination of a plurality of cover members recognized by the recognition means using the table;
The toy according to claim 2, wherein the event execution unit executes the event determined by the event determination unit. Storage means for storing a plurality of character images;
The toy according to claim 3, further comprising display control means for reading a character image corresponding to the cover member recognized by the recognition means from the storage means and displaying the character image on a display unit. A depressing detection means for detecting depressing of the operating member to which the cover member is attached;
5. The toy according to claim 4, further comprising voice output means for outputting a character voice corresponding to the cover member when the depression of the operation member to which the cover member is attached is detected.   6. The apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising an attachment promotion message output means for outputting a message prompting the user to attach the cover member to the operation member when the recognition means cannot recognize the cover member. The toy according to item 1. When the recognizing unit cannot recognize the cover member, further includes an assigning unit that assigns a virtual cover member to each operation member;
The said event determination means determines the event corresponding to the combination of the some cover member allocated by the said allocation means using the said table, The any one of Claim 3 thru | or 6 characterized by the above-mentioned. toy. A counting means for counting the number of events executed by operating the plurality of operation members, each of which is mounted on any one of the plurality of cover members, with each other;
Rewriting means for rewriting character image management data to change one of a plurality of character images from a non-display object to a display object when the number counted by the counting means reaches a predetermined number. The toy according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein:   The toy according to any one of claims 2 to 8, wherein a shape of a mounting portion of the cover member mounted on the operation member is different among a plurality of cover members. A plurality of detection members provided in the mounting portion of each operation member;
The mounting portion of each cover member further includes at least one engagement member provided to engage with any of the plurality of detection members,
The recognition unit recognizes which cover member is attached according to which of the plurality of detection members is engaged with the engagement member. The toy according to item 1.   The toy according to any one of claims 1 to 10, further comprising at least one guide for restricting a moving direction of the plurality of operation members.   The toy according to claim 11, wherein the plurality of operation members share the same guide and move along the same guide. The position detecting means includes
A plurality of switches provided along the guide and turned on or off according to the position of the operation member,
The toy according to claim 11 or 12, wherein the position of each operation member is detected according to which one of the plurality of switches is turned on or off. An image display area for displaying a character image corresponding to each cover member mounted on each operation member, with each position of the plurality of operation members slid along the guide detected by the position detection means. Conversion means for converting the display position of each character image in
Obstacle position determining means for determining the position of the obstacle displayed in the image display area;
A collision determination means for determining whether or not the position of the obstacle matches the display position of each character image;
The toy according to any one of claims 11 to 13, characterized by comprising:   The event includes a first character image corresponding to the first cover member attached to the first operation member, a second character image corresponding to the second cover member attached to the second operation member, and The interactive event is characterized in that the first character voice corresponding to the first character image and the second character voice corresponding to the second character image are output. The toy of any one of thru | or 14. A plurality of movable operation members;
A plurality of cover members that are provided with different designs and are attached to any one of the plurality of operation members,
Recognizing means for recognizing each cover member mounted on any of the plurality of operation members;
Event determining means for determining an event corresponding to a combination of cover members recognized by the recognition means;
A toy comprising event execution means for executing the event determined by the event determination means. A plurality of operation members movable along the same guide that regulates the moving direction;
Position detecting means for detecting each position of the plurality of operation members and outputting information representing the detected position;
An operation input device comprising:   The operation input device according to claim 17, wherein the guide is a guide that restricts the plurality of operation members to move only in a one-dimensional direction.   A toy having the operation input device according to claim 17 connected or provided.

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