JPH0739647A - Input device of computer game machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To constitute an input device so that a switch of the input device used for a miniature computer game machine can respond to the input quantity by a simple constitution by combining plural switches in which pressing levels of a push-button required for switching of an opening/closing state, and using a composite switch by which plural switches are opened and closed by one push button. CONSTITUTION:By a depressing operation of a push button 1, a button 1 and a contact 2 are connected and a first switch becomes an ON state. By further depressing the button 1 in a state that the button 1 and the contact 2 are connected, and a first switch is turned on, a spring 5 is deformed, a contact 3 and a contact 4 are connected and a second switch also becomes an ON state. By operating a state that only a first switch is turned on, and a state that a first switch and a second switch are both turned on by pressing depth of the push button, a control operation corresponding to the input quantity of two stages is obtained. This input device can be used as an image movement control switch on a screen used mostly in general games.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an input device capable of multi-step input in a computer game machine.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Many conventional input devices for small computer game machines use ON / OFF switches. In general, the structure is such that when the switch is opened by a spring or the like and is in the OFF state, the switch is closed by pressing the push button to input a signal. In addition to push buttons, there is also an input device that controls opening / closing of an ON / OFF switch by a lever.

The input signal from the switch is taken in by the game device at a constant cycle (frequency), and the ON / OFF level is judged. Further, when the input operation is continuously performed over a certain cycle, or when the switch is maintained in the closed state, the control operation may appear at a pace according to the cycle. In addition, switch OFF / ON /
Some receive a level change of OFF as a pulse input signal.

Usually, in an input device of a computer game machine, in addition to a switch for controlling the movement of an image on a screen such as a cursor or a character, a switch for deciding whether or not a mode can be executed, an appearance of an image, etc. A slide type switch for switching the circuit connected to each switch is provided.

For example, when operating a character on the screen, two or more consecutive jumps, a change in the moving speed of the character, the use of special items, a change in the destructive force such as punch and kick, and a switching between single shot and continuous shot I used these multiple switches properly to select and perform an action.

As described above, in the computer game machine, 1
A wide range of control operations are sometimes required for switches, and in many cases, this is handled by circuit switching in combination with a slide switch or changing the setting of control operations by game software.

Among these switches, in the case of a switch for controlling the movement of an image on the screen and a switch for executing the appearance of an image, the setting of the input signal acquisition cycle may be a problem. In the case of a push button switch that is often used in a game machine, there are individual differences in the pressing operation. Therefore, if the input signal acquisition cycle is set small, the closed state will be maintained over the cycle, and there is a risk of erroneous operation. Therefore, the input signal is taken in at a large cycle, and the control operation appears in accordance with the input interval.

According to Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 62-197388, a plurality of switches are reciprocally moved by the double throwing lever in order to improve the efficiency of input operation by a switch, to increase the rate of continuous firing and to maintain easy single injection control. There is disclosed an input device for controlling the opening and closing of the. Multiple switches are turned OFF / O alternately by lever
By switching to the N / OFF state, the input signals can be sent one after another from each switch, so that a higher speed operation than the pressing operation of the push button becomes possible.

[0009]

As described above, it is sometimes inconvenient to select a plurality of actions of a character by properly using a plurality of buttons as described above, when quick switching is desired. It is also possible to use an analog switch instead of the ONN / OFF switch to enable control operation in response to the input amount or change operation by changing the input amount.

In this case, when performing image movement control or image appearance on the screen, the image movement amount and the image appearance frequency according to the pressing depth of the push button or the lever operation amount should be controlled. You can However, a device using an analog switch has a complicated mechanism and is costly, so that it is difficult to adopt it in a small computer game machine.

Further, in the case where the change of the control operation amount is dealt with by switching the circuit with a slide switch or changing the setting of the game software, the control operation cannot be changed unless the game is interrupted. Further, it is not possible to control different motion amounts during the progress of one game. The switching by the reciprocal movement of the lever as shown in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 62-197388 is limited to the control operation in the range according to the manual input.

According to the present invention, a switch used for an input device used in a small computer game machine can respond to an amount of input with a simple mechanism, and a button can be pressed with a good feeling according to each pressing step. Furthermore, it is an object of the present invention to obtain an input device having a structure in which the identification of each stage is clear.

[0013]

In order to solve the above problems, according to the present invention, two or more switch units are incorporated in an input device composed of one button switch, and a plurality of inputs depending on the amount of button depression. Set the stage. Further, as a structure of the input device that provides a particularly good operation feeling, an elastic switch and a diaphragm switch are stacked.

[0014]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of an embodiment of a computer game machine of the present invention. When the push button 1 is pushed down, the button 1 and the contact 2 are connected, and the first switch is turned on. When the button 1 and the contact 2 come into contact with each other and the first switch is kept in the ON state, the button 1 is further pushed down, whereby the spring 5 is deformed and the contact 3 and the contact 4 are connected to each other.
The switch is also turned on.

State A in which only the first switch is ON,
By operating the state B in which both the first switch and the second switch are ON with the pressing depth of the push button, the control operation according to the two-step input amount can be obtained.

When the input device of the computer game machine of the present invention is used as an image movement control switch on a screen which is commonly used in games, a state A in which only the first switch is ON
Is a low speed image movement control switch, and the first switch,
The state B in which both the second switches are ON can be selectively used as a high speed control switch. Further, in a state B in which both the first switch and the second switch are ON, a switch for performing special image control may be used. It is also possible to use a single-shot or continuous-shot changeover switch.

In FIG. 1, two switch units are incorporated to obtain a two-input stage, but another spring is incorporated in the spring, a contact is provided under the spring, and a spring is incorporated under the spring. Therefore, it is possible to provide a plurality of input stages. In addition to the spring as shown in the figure, it is possible to maintain the OFF state of each switch unit constituting the switch by using another shape, material, or the like that can substitute for the spring by elastic deformation. The present invention can be applied to not only push buttons but also lever-type switches.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a switch according to another embodiment of the present invention. A flexible substrate 6 made of a polyester film or the like is used as the first substrate, and a fixed contact 7 is provided on the upper surface by printing. A rubber switch 8 in which a dome-shaped member including a base portion 8a, a thin portion 8b, and a top portion 8c is integrally molded of elastic rubber is placed on this substrate.
A movable contact 9 made of a conductive rubber is provided on the lower surface of the inside (top) of the dome so as to correspond to the first fixed contact 7. The first switch is composed of these first substrates and a rubber switch.

The second substrate is also a flexible substrate 10 made of a polyester film or the like, and a second fixed contact is provided on this substrate by printing. FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the second fixed contact, which is the central contact 1.
1 and the end contact 12, and the end contact 12 is provided so that the peripheral edge of the diaphragm 13 comes into contact with the end contact 12 as will be described later, but the end taken out to each external circuit is covered with the insulating layer 18. As a result, the central contact 11 and the end contact 12 are electrically insulated.

On the second substrate, there is placed a disk-shaped conductive diaphragm 13 which is made of a metal plate having elasticity and whose center is curved upward. The diaphragm 13 is the holding sheet 1
It is covered and held by 4 and its position is fixed. The peripheral edge of the diaphragm 13 is always in electrical contact with the end contact 12 and is normally insulated from the central contact 11. The second switch is composed of the conductive diaphragm 13 and the second substrate.

In this embodiment, the first switch is provided on the second switch.
The switches are stacked on top of each other with a spacer 17 interposed therebetween, and the key top 15 is further arranged on the top 8c of the rubber switch to form an integral switch device, and the switch device is provided with an opening formed in the frame. It is housed and held in the frame 16 so as to project therefrom.

The operation of the switch of this embodiment will be described. When the key top 15 is pressed, the thin portion 8b of the rubber switch 8 buckles, and the conductive rubber 9 (first movable contact) provided on the inner lower surface thereof is formed on the upper surface of the flexible substrate 6 (first substrate). The first switch is closed by contacting the fixed first fixed contact 7 and short-circuiting between the fixed contacts.

When the key top 15 is further pressed, the conductive diaphragm 13 (second movable contact) is deformed via the flexible substrate 6 (first substrate), and the central lower surface corresponds to the central end portion. The end contact 12 in contact with the contact 11 and in contact with the peripheral portion of the conductive diaphragm and the center contact are short-circuited via the conductive diaphragm, and the second switch is closed.

[0024]

As described above, according to the input device of the computer game machine of the present invention, it is possible to set a plurality of input stages by incorporating two or more switch units in one button switch. . It is possible to easily change the control operation, which has been conventionally performed by changing the circuit by the slide switch or changing the setting of the game software, while the game is being executed. Further, since the input device can be configured by the switch, there is an effect that the cost can be reduced.

Further, by constructing a two-step switch by combining a rubber switch and a diaphragm, the thickness can be less changed compared with the conventional game switch. In particular, due to the difference in mechanical characteristics between the rubber switch and the diaphragm, there is an effect that a good click feeling can be obtained in a two-step switch operation and the identification becomes clear.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of an embodiment of an input device for a computer game machine according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of another embodiment of the input device of the computer game machine of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a second fixed contact in another embodiment of the input device of the computer game machine of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 push button 2 first contact point 3 contact point 4 second contact point 5 spring 6 flexible substrate (first substrate) 7 first fixed contact 8 rubber switch 9 conductive rubber (first movable contact) 10 flexible substrate (first) 2 substrate) 11 center contact point 12 end contact point 13 conductive diaphragm (second movable contact point) 14 holding sheet 15 key top 16 frame 17 spacer

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Furukawa et al. 541 Haeda Bura 101, Tama City, Tokyo

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A push-button switch used for an input device of a computer game machine, wherein a plurality of switches having different push-button pressing levels required for switching between open and closed states are combined, and a plurality of push-button switches are provided by one push button. An input device for a computer game machine, which uses a compound switch that opens and closes a switch. 2. An elastic switch formed in a dome shape on a first substrate having a first fixed contact on an upper surface thereof and having a first movable contact on an inner lower surface thereof corresponding to the first fixed contact. It is arranged to form a first switch and a second switch is provided on the upper surface.
A second movable contact made of a conductive diaphragm having elasticity is provided on the second substrate on which the fixed contact is formed to form a second switch, and the second switch is provided on the second switch. A pushbutton switch is arranged on the elastic switch while the first switch is provided, and the pushbutton switch is closed by a first-stage pressing operation of the pushbutton switch. An input device for a computer game machine, comprising the second switch which is closed via the first substrate by a further pressing operation in the second stage.