JPH1083742A - Operation device for game machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To easily indicate the operation condition of a character, improve operability or an operational feeling, and cope with various games by arranging direction support operation units of two systems. SOLUTION: A player lightly grips left and right circular arc-shaped parts of a housing of an operation device 10 with both hands, and moves a position of a left thumb, and indicates the moving direction of a cursor indicated on a game image screen by pressing press points of upper, lower, left and right four places of a cross-shaped key top 121. In relation to this, the player indicates an operation condition by pressing either key top 121 in four key switches 13a to 13d while moving a position of a right thumb. The player also lightly applies left and right forefingers to left and right key tops 14a and 14b in relation to operation of a direction indicating switch 12 and/or an operational direction indicating switch 13, and presses respective ones according to its necessity. Therefore, it can cope with multifunctional operation.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an operating device for a game machine, and more particularly to an operating device for a game machine used as, for example, a controller or a joystick of a video game machine.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An operating device for a game machine (a so-called controller, hereinafter referred to as an "operating device") is manufactured and manufactured by the present applicant.
Home video game machine for sale (trade name “FAMIL”
YCOMPUTER ") controllers are known. This is, as shown in Design Registration No. 748986,
A cross key switch (Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. 58-159132) is provided on the left side of the operation surface of the horizontally long housing, and one of four directions of front, rear, left, right (or up, down, left, right) is designated using the cross key switch. To indicate the moving direction of the character,
The operation of the character is instructed using two button switches on the right side in the horizontal direction.

On the other hand, as an operating device provided with a switch on a side surface of a housing, there is Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. 63-146892. This is to put the housing on one palm, rotate the knob of the direction indicating device with the other hand, and use the side switch by turning the left and right sides of the housing for right-handed and left-handed use, It does not instruct a change in the motion state of the character during the game, and is limited to applications that do not require operability.

[0004]

With the recent sophistication and complexity of game contents, an increase in the number of operation switches is required. However, since the conventional operation device for a game machine has only one system of direction indication switches, it is not possible to designate a complicated direction instruction to a character, and a game requiring various operations (for example, a caterpillar of a tank). (Forward rotation, backward rotation, etc.). Further, depending on whether the player is right-handed or left-handed, it has been difficult to change the left and right arrangement positions of the direction instruction switch and the operation instruction switch for use.

Further, in the case of providing two systems of direction indicating switches, if the number of switches provided on the same surface in addition to the direction indicating switches is increased, operability is deteriorated, which causes erroneous operation. Therefore, since the operation can be instructed using a finger (index finger or middle finger) different from the finger (thumb) that operates the switch on the operation surface, the operability is excellent with an index finger or middle finger other than the thumb. An operating device is desired.

Therefore, the main object of the present invention is to
An object of the present invention is to provide an operating device for a game machine capable of performing a direction instruction operation of a system and having excellent operability or operational feeling.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a side switch on the upper side in addition to the two-system direction indicating operation, so that the operation state of the character can be easily indicated, the operability is excellent, and erroneous operation can be prevented. An object of the present invention is to provide an operation device for a game machine.

[0008]

An operating device for a game machine according to the present invention comprises a housing, first operating means, second operating means, and a board. The housing is divided into an upper half and a lower half. The first operation means is located on one side in the horizontal direction on one main surface of the housing and is located at a position operable with the thumb of one of the right and left hands of the player, and is a character (a hero character) appearing in a video game. ) Is used to give an indication of the direction of movement. The second operation means is located on the other side in the horizontal direction on one main surface of the housing and can be operated by the thumb of the left or right hand of the player to give an instruction of the moving direction of the character. Used for Therefore, the first
By means of the operating means and the second operating means, the system has two systems of direction indicating operating devices. The substrate is formed with a circuit pattern that derives an electric signal in accordance with the respective operating states of the first operating means and the second operating means.

[0009] More preferably, side operation means is added to at least one upper side in the lateral direction of the housing.

[0010]

The player can input two directions by holding the housing between the palms of both hands and pressing or operating the first operating means and the second operating means with the thumbs of the left and right hands. .

[0011] More preferably, the second operating means is also used to indicate the operation state of the character, and for example, various operations such as a hero character jumping, attacking an enemy, taking an item displayed on the screen, and the like. Also used for the instructions.

The side operation means is used as an operation switch for instructing the operation state of the character when the second operation means is used as a direction instruction switch, and is used when the second operation means is used as an operation instruction switch. The second operation means is used as a switch for instructing an operation state different from that of the second operation means.

[0013]

According to the present invention, two systems of direction indicating operations of the first operating means and the second operating means can be performed, and an operating device for a game machine which can support a wide variety of games can be obtained. In addition, compared to a joystick, two systems of direction indications are possible with only the thumb of one of the left and right hands and the thumb of the other hand, so that the operation can be stably performed while holding the housing with both hands, resulting in excellent operability. I have.

[0014]

1 and 2 are external views of an operating device for a game machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. In particular, FIG. 1 is a perspective view from the front side, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view from the back side. Is shown.

In FIG. 1, a game machine operating device (hereinafter abbreviated as “operating device”) 10 includes a housing 11. On one main surface (front surface) of the housing 11, a direction instruction operation device (also referred to as a direction instruction switch) 12 as an example of a first operation device and an operation instruction operation device (an operation instruction switch) as an example of a second operation device are provided. 13) are disposed on the left and right. The second operation means 13 is provided with a paragraph number described later.

As will be described later, since it is also used as a direction indicating switch (that is, it is also used as an operation indicating switch and a direction indicating switch), it is hereinafter referred to as an "operation / direction indicating operating device". In this case, the first operation means 12 and the second operation switch 13 constitute two systems of direction indicating operation devices.

The positions of the direction indicating operating device 12 and the operation / direction indicating operating device 13 may be reversed left and right. In addition, the direction indicating operation device 12 or the operation / direction indicating operation device 1
At least one operation instruction operation device (also referred to as an operation instruction switch) 14 as an example of a side operation device is provided on a side surface (back surface) of the housing 11 located at an upper part of the housing 3.

In the embodiment shown in FIG.
Are the direction instruction operating device 12 and the operation / direction instruction operating device 1
A pair (two in total) is provided on the left and right of the upper part of the 3 When two operation instruction operation devices are provided, one is 14a and the other is 14a.
This is indicated by the reference numeral b. The operation instruction operation device 14 is used to instruct an operation state different from that of the operation instruction operation device 13.

Further, the operating device 10 has a select switch 15a and a command for instructing the start of the game at any position between the direction indicating operation device 12 and the operation / direction indicating operation device 13 or at a position near one of the positions. Start switch 1
5b are provided.

3 to 5 are detailed views of the operating device. In particular, FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view as viewed from the back of the operating device, FIG. 4 is a transverse sectional view, and FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of a main part.

Next, a detailed embodiment of the operating device 10 will be described with reference to FIGS. The housing 11 is
It is divided into an upper half 111 and a lower half 112, and is shaped like a pair of glasses in which the central portion of the lower long side of the ellipse is elongated in the lateral direction so as to be easily gripped by the palm. One (left in the figure) arc-shaped portion has a direction indicating device 12.
Is provided, and the operation instruction operating device 13 is provided on the other arc-shaped portion.
Is provided. More preferably, as shown in FIG. 5 described later, the surface of the housing 11 is swelled in a gentle arc so that the housing 11 has a sense of stability when grasped and is fitted to the player's hand for easy operation. , And a shape in which the back surface is depressed into a gentle arc.

The direction indicating operation device 12 is, for example,
The technology disclosed in US-A-159132 is used.
That is, the direction indicating operation device 12 includes a cross-shaped key top 121, a rubber contact 123 formed with four contacts 122 below the key top 121, and a rubber contact 123 formed with a contact circuit (not shown). First substrate (main substrate) 1
6 and is configured. The four contact points 122 and the contact circuit act as switches for instructing one of four directions, up, down, left, and right, by pressing any one of the up, down, left, and right pressing points of the key top 121. And the upper half 111
A hole 113 for inserting the key top 121 is formed in the left arc-shaped portion of the first embodiment.

The operation / direction indicating operation device 13 includes key switches 13a to 13d arranged at four orthogonal or intersecting positions.
including. Each of the key switches 13a to 13d has a cylindrical key top 131, respectively. Each key top 131
Is formed with a projection 132 protruding around its base. The upper half 111 has four orthogonal or intersecting
An insertion hole 114 is formed at a predetermined interval from the center in the direction, and a cylindrical guide protrusion 115 is formed on the back surface.
A projection 132 is provided on the inner wall or side surface of the guide projection 115.
Groove or streak-shaped notch 116 is formed for guiding Below the key top 131, each key top 131
Rubber contact 133 is provided for elastically holding. The rubber contact 133 is made of elastic rubber in which four contact portions 134 corresponding to the respective key tops 131 are integrally fixed. Each of the contact portions 1 of the rubber contact 133 is provided on a portion of the substrate 16 located below each of the key tops 131.
A contact circuit (not shown) corresponding to 34 is formed. A code 17 is connected to the board 16 in order to transmit the operation states of the switches 12, 13, 14, and 15 to a processing device (CPU; not shown) of a game machine main body (not shown). In addition, a signal processing circuit 1 shown in FIG.
8 is attached.

These key switches 13a to 13d are
Which operation is performed is determined by the game program, and the operation device 10 itself has no specified function. Therefore, the operation device 10 is referred to as a switch for instructing the A operation to the D operation. Accordingly, the symbols A to A are provided on the surface of the upper half 111 corresponding to the respective positions or the respective surfaces of the key tops 131 included in the key switches 13a to 13d.
D is attached.

The operation / direction indicating operation device 14 (or 14a,
14 b) includes a key top 141 having a width and an elongated shape smaller than the thickness of the housing 11. This key top 14
1 is a housing 1 whose one end (a portion near the center) is
1 is supported by a shaft 142 supported by a bearing portion 117 formed on the back surface of the upper half 111, and the other end (a portion near one of the left and right outer sides of the housing 11) is a release end. , Is formed along the arc of the housing 11 as it approaches the open end. Each key top 1
41, a contact portion 14 is provided at the center rear surface thereof.
4 are formed, and a rubber contact 143 having a square planar shape is arranged. Further, a holding member 145 is formed integrally with the upper half 111 at a position in the rotation direction of the key top 141. The holding member 145 serves as a stopper that regulates the rotation angle of the release end within a certain range, and holds the rubber contact 143. Specifically, the holding member 145 is formed by facing a pair of U-shaped protrusions formed with grooves into which the rubber contacts 143 can be inserted. Further, a second substrate (auxiliary substrate) 146 is provided below the rubber contact 143 and the holding member 145. The board 146 is, for example, inserted into holes formed near the left and right corners of the board 16, fixed in a state perpendicular to the board 16, and has a contact circuit corresponding to the contact portion 144 of the rubber contact 143 on its surface. (Not shown) is formed. Accordingly, when the key top 141 is rotated, the contact portion 14 of the rubber contact 143 is formed.
4 in parallel contact. The contact circuit of this board 146
It is connected to a part of the circuit pattern of the substrate 16 via the lead wire 147.

Next, a case where the operating device 10 of this embodiment is assembled will be described. First, the upper half 111 is placed face down as shown in FIG. 3, and the key top 121 is inserted downward into the hole 113 from above, and the rubber contact 1 is placed thereon.
23 is placed. Further, four key tops 131 are inserted into the respective holes 114 so that the projections 132 are guided by the guide projections 115, and the rubber contacts 133 are mounted thereon. After the rubber contact 143 is inserted into the holding member 145 and one end of each of the two shafts 142 is inserted into each shaft hole 117, a hole formed at one end of each key top 141 is supported by the shaft 142. You. Further, a rubber contact 151 integrating the select switch 15a and the start switch 15b is inserted into the hole 118 of the upper half 111. Thereafter, with the substrate 146 positioned at a position facing the holding member 145, the substrate 16 is
After the upper half 111 is placed on the lower half 112, the lower half 112 is screwed.

As described above, if the operation instruction operating device 13 is constructed by arranging the four key switches 13a to 13d in four directions orthogonal or intersecting, the key switches 13a to 13d can be pressed. By performing discrimination processing as one of up, down, left, and right direction instructions based on the program processing, it can be used as a game software operating device that requires two systems of direction instruction operating devices. For example, in a game in which a tank is steered, the left direction indicating operation device 12 is operated.
Pressing the upper or lower push point instructs the forward or backward rotation of the left caterpillar of the tank, and pressing the upper or lower key switch 13a or 13d of the right operation instruction operation unit 13 causes the right caterpillar of the tank to be pressed. Forward or backward can be instructed. As a result, the direction and operation instruction operating devices 12 and 1
3, when the upper part is pressed, the vehicle moves forward (straight), when the lower part is pressed below the direction and operation instruction devices 12 and 13, the vehicle moves backward.
If one of the direction and operation instruction operation devices 12 and 13 is pressed above and the other is pressed below, it can be used to turn to the side where the lower portion is pressed. In the case of this tank game, the operation instruction operation device 14 is used for a firing instruction of a gun or a missile. Further, even in a game requiring only one system of direction instruction operating device, the operation instruction operating device 1
3 is used as a direction instructing operating device, and if the upper, lower, left, and right pressing points of the direction indicating operating device 12 are programmed to be used as operation instructing devices, the operating device can be easily operated by a left-handed player. it can.

In the above description, a case has been described in which one or two operation instruction operating devices 14 are provided on one of the right and left sides or on both the left and right sides. Four may be provided. That is, the housing 1
1 is thickened and arranged in two rows on the left or right side of the housing, or arranged in two rows on each side (two in total), and the player uses the left and right forefinger and middle finger to set each key. It may be configured to operate the top.

Next, the operation when the operation device of this embodiment is used for a game will be described. FIG. 6 is an illustrative view showing a use state of the operating device. FIG. 7 is a block diagram of a game machine system to which the game machine operation device of this embodiment is connected.

The operating device 10 configured as described above
Used as shown in FIG. That is, the player:
By gently grasping the left and right arc-shaped portions of the housing 11 with the left and right palms and moving the position of the left thumb or changing the inclination, pressing the four upper, lower, left and right pressing points of the cross-shaped key top 121 , A moving direction of a character or a cursor displayed on a game screen (not shown). In this connection, the player instructs the operation state by pressing any one of the four key switches 13a to 13d while moving the position of the right thumb. Further, in connection with the operation of the direction indicating switch 12 and / or the operation / direction indicating switch 13, the player lightly touches the left and right index fingers (or the middle finger) to the left and right key tops 141 and presses each as needed. I do. When the key top 141 is pressed with the tip of the index finger (or the middle finger) or the abdomen of the finger, the release end is pushed down with the pivotally supported one end as a fulcrum, and the rubber contact 143 in the housing 11 is pushed down, and the substrate 146 is pushed down. Since the contact circuit is short-circuited, an electric signal is derived from the contact circuit.

Referring to FIG. 7, signal processing circuit 18 includes a shift register capable of parallel input and serial output. The signal processing circuit 18 includes switches 12a to 12d, 13a to 13d, 14a included in the instruction operating devices 12, 13 and 14 when a parallel write signal is given from a microprocessor (CPU) 21 of the game machine body 20. The pressing signal based on the operation of 14b is read as a parallel input, and when a serial reading signal is given, it is serially output in synchronization with a clock signal and given to the I / O port 22 to be loaded in bit serial. The CPU 21 changes the data indicating the operation state of the operation device 10 loaded on the I / O port 22 based on the program in the memory (ROM) 31 included in the game cartridge 30 based on the program set in the memory 31. The game processing is executed according to the result of the judgment. The game processing is, for example, image processing for moving or changing the main character displayed on the game screen, and is controlled by an image processing processor (PP
U) 23. At this time, the tone generator circuit 24
Generates analog signals for generating game music or sound effects under the control of programs in the CPU 21 and the memory 31.

It is to be noted that, if necessary, the switches 13a to 13d included in the operation / direction instruction operating device 13 and the switches 14a, 14b included in the operation instruction operating device 14 have what kind of instruction function is provided in the game. The program of the ROM 31 may be set so that the player can selectively set at the start.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of a front side of a game machine operation device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an external perspective view of the back side of the game machine operation device of FIG. 1 embodiment.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the back surface of the embodiment in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the embodiment of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of a main part of the embodiment of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is an illustrative view showing a use state of the embodiment in FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a block diagram of a game machine system to which the operation device of FIG. 1 is connected;

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Operation device for game machines 11 Housing 12 Direction instruction operation device as an example of a first operation device 13 Operation instruction operation device as an example of a second operation device 14 Operation instruction operation device as an example of a third operation device 141 Keytop 143 Rubber contact 145 Holding member 146 Substrate 16 Substrate

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A housing which is divided into an upper half and a lower half, and is selected to have a shape that can be gripped by both left and right hands of the player. A first operating means disposed at a position operable by the thumb of one hand, the first operating means being on the other lateral side on one main surface of the housing, and operable by the thumb on the left or right of the player's other hand; A second operating means disposed at a position, and a substrate on which a circuit pattern for deriving an electric signal in accordance with each operation of the first operating means and the second operating means is provided. The first operating means and the second operating means are direction indicating operating devices that indicate the direction of a character in a game by two systems by respective operations. Beam machine for the operating device. 2. The first operating means is a direction indicating switch capable of indicating at least four directions of up, down, left and right, and the second operating means is arranged at four intersecting positions.
Key tops and 4 pressed by each key top
The game according to claim 1, wherein the four button switches include four rubber contacts and four contact circuit patterns formed on the first substrate and adapted to derive an electric signal corresponding to each rubber contact. Machine operation device. 3. The game machine according to claim 1, wherein said second operation means is also used as an operation instruction operation device for instructing a change in an operation state of a character for a game by an operation of a player. Operating device. 4. A housing which is divided into an upper half and a lower half, and is selected to have a shape that can be gripped by both left and right hands of the player. A first operating means disposed at a position operable by the thumb of one hand, the first operating means being on the other lateral side on one main surface of the housing, and operable by the thumb on the left or right of the player's other hand; A second operating means disposed at a position, used for instructing a change in a motion state of a character for a game by an operation of a player, and disposed near an upper side surface of at least one lateral side of the housing. Side operation means; and a circuit for deriving an electric signal in accordance with each operation of the first operation means, the second operation means, and the side operation means. Comprising a substrate over emissions is formed, the first operating means, first associated with the character
The second operation means performs a second direction related to the character.
An operation device for a game machine, wherein a direction instruction of the system is provided.