Information processing device and vibration control method

Abstract

To provide a technique for improving user accessibility.SOLUTION: An information processing device 10 is connected to an input device having a left grasping section having a left shaker and a right grasping section having a right shaker by radio or wire. A focus control section 124 disposes a focus within a screen. The focus control section 124 moves a focus on the basis of received direction input when a reception section 110 receives direction input transmitted from the input device. A drive control section 130 vibrates the left shaker and / or the right shaker according to movement of the focus.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a technique for controlling an electronic device such as a game controller having a vibrator. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, game controllers with vibrators have become widespread. Patent Document 1 discloses a game system including a game controller with a vibrator and a game device that transmits a vibration control signal to the game controller according to the progress of the game. In this game system, the vibrator mounted on the game controller vibrates based on a vibration control signal provided by a game program, providing the user with feedback on the game play. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2007-244534 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In developing a user interface, the present disclosure has focused on the possibility of using a vibrator mounted on a game controller. The present disclosure aims to provide a technology that uses a vibrator to improve user accessibility. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In order to solve the above problems, an information processing device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is an information processing device that is connected wirelessly or by wire to an input device having a left grip part with a left vibrator and a right grip part with a right vibrator, and includes one or more processors having hardware. The one or more processors place a focus on a screen, receive a directional input transmitted from the input device, move the focus based on the received directional input, and vibrate the left vibrator and / or the right vibrator in response to the movement of the focus.

[0006] Another aspect of the vibration control method of the present disclosure is a method for controlling vibration of vibrators in an information processing device that is connected wirelessly or wired to an input device having a left grip portion having a left vibrator and a right grip portion having a right vibrator, the method including placing a focus on a screen, accepting a directional input transmitted from the input device, moving the focus based on the accepted directional input, and vibrating the left vibrator and / or the right vibrator in response to the movement of the focus.

[0007] An information processing device according to still another embodiment of the present disclosure is an information processing device that is connected wirelessly or wired to an electronic device equipped with a vibrator, and includes a storage unit that stores information indicating whether a vibration function related to gameplay is enabled or disabled, and one or more processors having hardware. The one or more processors receive a user operation for enabling the vibration function related to the user interface, and if the information indicating that the vibration function related to gameplay is enabled is stored in the storage unit, enable the vibration function related to the user interface and vibrate the vibrator when the user interface is displayed.

[0008] A vibration control method according to yet another aspect of the present disclosure is a method for controlling vibration of a vibrator in an information processing device that is connected wirelessly or wired to an electronic device equipped with a vibrator, the method storing information indicating whether a vibration function related to gameplay is enabled or disabled, accepting a user operation to enable the vibration function related to a user interface, and if information indicating that the vibration function related to gameplay is enabled is stored, enabling the vibration function related to the user interface and vibrating the vibrator when the user interface is displayed.

[0009] Any combination of the above components, and conversion of the present disclosure into a method, device, system, recording medium, computer program, etc. are also valid aspects of the present disclosure. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an information processing system according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the input device. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating functional blocks of the input device. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of an information processing device. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating functional blocks of the information processing device. [Figure 7] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a menu screen. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a menu screen to which the focus has been moved. [Figure 9] 11A and 11B are diagrams illustrating an example of a moving direction of the focus and a vibration mode of a vibrator. [Figure 10] 11A and 11B are diagrams illustrating an example of vibration intensity of left and right vibrators. [Figure 11] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing another example of a user interface screen. [Figure 12] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a game screen. [Figure 13]FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a notification superimposed on the game screen. [Figure 14] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of an accessibility setting screen. [Figure 15] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a screen for setting a vibration function related to a user interface. [Figure 16] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing another example of the accessibility setting screen. [Figure 17] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a screen for setting a vibration function related to a user interface. [Figure 18] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a dialog box superimposed on the setting screen. [Figure 19] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a setting screen. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] 1 illustrates an information processing system 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The information processing system 1 includes an information processing device 10, which is a user terminal device, an auxiliary storage device 2, and an output device 4. An access point (hereinafter, referred to as "AP") 8 has the functions of a wireless access point and a router, and the information processing device 10 is connected to the AP 8 wirelessly or via a wired connection.

[0012] The information processing device 10 is connected wirelessly or via a wire to an input device 6 operated by a user, and the input device 6 transmits information operated by the user to the information processing device 10. When the information processing device 10 receives operation information from the input device 6, it reflects the information in the processing of the system software and game software, and causes the output device 4 to output the processing result.

[0013] In the embodiment, the information processing device 10 is a game device (game console) that executes a game program, and the input device 6 may be an electronic device such as a game controller that supplies user operation information to the information processing device 10. The input device 6 may be an input interface such as a keyboard or a mouse.

[0014] The auxiliary storage device 2 is a large-capacity storage device such as an HDD (hard disk drive) or an SSD (solid state drive), and may be an internal storage device or an external storage device connected to the information processing device 10 via a USB (Universal Serial Bus) or the like. The output device 4 may be a television having a display device for outputting images and a speaker for outputting audio. The output device 4 may be connected to the information processing device 10 via a wired cable or wirelessly.

[0015] Camera 7, which is an imaging device, is provided near output device 4 and captures an image of the space around output device 4. Although an example in which camera 7 is attached to the top of output device 4 is shown in Fig. 1, camera 7 may be disposed on the side or bottom of output device 4, and in either case, is disposed in a position where it can capture an image of a user positioned in front of output device 4. Camera 7 may be a stereo camera.

[0016] Fig. 2 shows a top view of the input device, and Fig. 3 shows a perspective view of the input device. The input device 6 includes a housing 80 including a left grip portion 80a, a right grip portion 80b, and a central housing portion 80c. The left grip portion 80a and the right grip portion 80b are provided on either side of the central housing portion 80c, with the left grip portion 80a being held by the user's left hand and the right grip portion 80b being held by the user's right hand. Vibrators for presenting a tactile sensation to the user's hand are provided in the internal spaces at the ends of the left grip portion 80a and the right grip portion 80b, respectively.

[0017] Various controls for user operation are arranged on the central housing part 80c. On the top surface of the central housing part 80c, a direction key 70, an action button 71, a left analog stick 72a, a right analog stick 72b, a touchpad 73, a create button 74, an option button 75, a home button 76, a mute button 77, a speaker 78, and a microphone 79 are provided. The direction key 70 is composed of an up key 70a, a right key 70b, a down key 70c, and a left key 70d, and the action button 71 is composed of a △ button 71a, an O button 71b, an X button 71c, and a □ button 71d. The left analog stick 72a also serves as an L3 button that is turned on when pressed, and similarly, the right analog stick 72b also serves as an R3 button that is turned on when pressed. The touchpad 73 also functions as a touchpad button that is turned on when pressed.

[0018] A USB terminal 81, an L1 button 82a, an R1 button 82b, an L2 button 83a, and an R2 button 83b are provided on the back of the central housing unit 80c. The L2 button 83a and the R2 button 83b are trigger-type buttons, and are connected to actuators that dynamically change the resistance when a user presses the trigger-type button with a finger. For example, the pressing resistance of the L2 button 83a and / or the R2 button 83b is dynamically changed depending on the action in the game, thereby enhancing the realism of the game.

[0019] 4 shows functional blocks of the input device. The input device 6 includes a wireless communication module 86, a processing unit 90, a motion sensor 84, a speaker 78, a microphone 79, a left vibrator 87a, a right vibrator 87b, a left actuator 88a, and a right actuator 88b inside a housing 80. The wireless communication module 86 has a function of transmitting and receiving data to and from the wireless communication module of the information processing device 10. The input device 6 is equipped with a battery (not shown), and each component of the input device 6 operates by receiving power from the battery.

[0020] The processing unit 90 has a control unit 91, an input reception unit 92, a sensor data acquisition unit 93, an audio output unit 94, an audio input unit 95, a first driving unit 96a, a second driving unit 96b, a third driving unit 97a, and a fourth driving unit 97b. The control unit 91 performs various processes in the input device 6.

[0021] The input reception unit 92 receives user operation information from input units such as the directional key 70, the action button 71, the left analog stick 72a, the right analog stick 72b, the touchpad 73, the create button 74, the option button 75, the home button 76, the mute button 77, the L1 button 82a, the R1 button 82b, the L2 button 83a, and the R2 button 83b, and sends the information to the control unit 91. The control unit 91 supplies the received operation information to the wireless communication module 86, and the wireless communication module 86 transmits the operation information to the information processing device 10.

[0022] The motion sensor 84 has a three-axis acceleration sensor and a three-axis gyro sensor. The three-axis acceleration sensor detects acceleration in three axial directions of xyz, and the three-axis gyro sensor detects angular velocities in the xz, zy, and yx planes. The three-axis acceleration sensor and the three-axis gyro sensor may be disposed at a position near the center of the housing 80. The motion sensor 84 detects acceleration and angular velocity at a predetermined period, and when the sensor data acquisition unit 93 acquires the sensor data detected by the motion sensor 84, the control unit 91 supplies the sensor data to the wireless communication module 86, and the wireless communication module 86 transmits the sensor data to the information processing device 10.

[0023] When the wireless communication module 86 receives voice data from the information processing device 10, the control unit 91 supplies the voice data to the voice output unit 94, and the voice output unit 94 outputs the voice from the speaker 78. When the voice input unit 95 accepts user voice data from the microphone 79, the control unit 91 supplies the user voice data to the wireless communication module 86, and the wireless communication module 86 transmits the user voice data to the information processing device 10. The input device 6 is provided with the speaker 78 and the microphone 79, allowing the user to enjoy voice chat with friends.

[0024] The left vibrator 87a is built into the protruding end of the left grip part 80a, and the right vibrator 87b is built into the protruding end of the right grip part 80b. The left vibrator 87a and the right vibrator 87b (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as "vibrators 87" when no particular distinction is made) are built into the end of the grip part held by the user's hand, making it possible to present a tactile sensation to the user's hand. The vibrator 87 may be configured with a vibration motor having an eccentric weight.

[0025] When the wireless communication module 86 receives a control signal for the left vibrator 87a and a control signal for the right vibrator 87b from the information processing device 10, the wireless communication module 86 supplies them to the control unit 91, and the control unit 91 controls the first driving unit 96a based on the control signal for the left vibrator 87a and controls the second driving unit 96b based on the control signal for the right vibrator 87b. The first driving unit 96a and the second driving unit 96b (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as "driving unit 96" when no particular distinction is made) may be configured as a PWM control unit that varies the duty ratio of the voltage supplied to the left vibrator 87a and the right vibrator 87b, respectively. In this case, the control signal for the left vibrator 87a determines the duty ratio of the voltage supplied to the left vibrator 87a, and the control signal for the right vibrator 87b determines the duty ratio of the voltage supplied to the right vibrator 87b. When the duty ratio of the voltage supplied by the driving unit 96 to the vibrator 87 is high, the strength with which the vibrator 87 vibrates is high, whereas when the duty ratio of the supply voltage is low, the strength with which the vibrator 87 vibrates is low. Therefore, the information processing device 10 can adjust the duty ratio of the supply voltage to cause the vibrator 87 to vibrate at the desired vibration strength.

[0026] The left actuator 88a is connected to the L2 button 83a, and the right actuator 88b is connected to the R2 button 83b. The left actuator 88a and the right actuator 88b (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as "actuators 88" when no particular distinction is made) provide resistance to the user's finger pressing the L2 button 83a and the R2 button 83b, respectively. The actuator 88 has a structure that provides resistance against the pressing force of the L2 button 83a and the R2 button 83b.

[0027] When the wireless communication module 86 receives a control signal for the left actuator 88a and a control signal for the right actuator 88b from the information processing device 10, the wireless communication module 86 supplies the control signal to the control unit 91, and the control unit 91 controls the third drive unit 97a based on the control signal for the left actuator 88a and controls the fourth drive unit 97b based on the control signal for the right actuator 88b. The third drive unit 97a and the fourth drive unit 97b (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as "drive unit 97" when no particular distinction is made) may be configured as PWM control units that vary the duty ratio of the voltage supplied to the left actuator 88a and the right actuator 88b, respectively. In this case, the control signal for the left actuator 88a determines the duty ratio of the voltage supplied to the left actuator 88a, and the control signal for the right actuator 88b determines the duty ratio of the voltage supplied to the right actuator 88b. When the duty ratio of the voltage supplied by the driving unit 97 to the actuator 88 is high, the resistance force generated by the actuator 88 becomes strong, whereas when the duty ratio of the supply voltage is low, the resistance force generated by the actuator 88 becomes weak. Therefore, the information processing device 10 can cause the actuator 88 to generate the desired resistance force by adjusting the duty ratio of the supply voltage.

[0028] 5 shows a hardware configuration of the information processing device 10. The information processing device 10 includes a main power button 20, a power ON LED 21, a standby LED 22, a system controller 24, a clock 26, a device controller 30, a media drive 32, a USB module 34, a flash memory 36, a wireless communication module 38, a wired communication module 40, a subsystem 50, and a main system 60.

[0029] The main system 60 comprises a main CPU (Central Processing Unit), a memory as a main storage device, a memory controller, a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), etc. The GPU is mainly used for arithmetic processing of the game program. These functions may be configured as a system-on-chip and formed on a single chip. The main CPU has a function of executing the game program recorded in the auxiliary storage device 2 or the ROM medium 44.

[0030] The subsystem 50 includes a sub-CPU, a memory serving as a main storage device, a memory controller, and the like, but does not include a GPU and does not have the function of executing a game program. The number of circuit gates of the sub-CPU is smaller than that of the main CPU, and the operating power consumption of the sub-CPU is smaller than that of the main CPU. The sub-CPU operates even while the main CPU is in standby mode, and its processing functions are limited in order to keep power consumption low.

[0031] The main power button 20 is an input unit through which a user inputs operations, is provided on the front surface of the housing of the information processing device 10, and is operated to turn on or off the power supply to the main system 60 of the information processing device 10. The power ON LED 21 lights up when the main power button 20 is turned on, and the standby LED 22 lights up when the main power button 20 is turned off.

[0032] The system controller 24 detects a user's pressing of the main power button 20. When the main power button 20 is pressed while the main power is in the OFF state, the system controller 24 receives the pressing operation as an "ON instruction," and when the main power button 20 is pressed while the main power is in the ON state, the system controller 24 receives the pressing operation as an "OFF instruction."

[0033] The clock 26 is a real-time clock that generates current date and time information and supplies it to the system controller 24, the subsystem 50, and the main system 60. The device controller 30 is configured as an LSI (Large-Scale Integrated Circuit) that executes information transfer between devices, like a south bridge. As shown in the figure, devices such as the system controller 24, a media drive 32, a USB module 34, a flash memory 36, a wireless communication module 38, a wired communication module 40, the subsystem 50, and the main system 60 are connected to the device controller 30. The device controller 30 absorbs differences in electrical characteristics and data transfer speeds of the respective devices and controls the timing of data transfer.

[0034] The media drive 32 is a drive device that is driven by mounting a ROM medium 44 on which application software such as games and license information are recorded, and that reads out programs, data, and the like from the ROM medium 44. The ROM medium 44 may be a read-only recording medium such as an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, or a Blu-ray disk.

[0035] The USB module 34 is a module that connects to an external device via a USB cable. The USB module 34 may be connected to the auxiliary storage device 2 and the camera 7 via a USB cable. The flash memory 36 is an auxiliary storage device that constitutes an internal storage. The wireless communication module 38 wirelessly communicates with, for example, the input device 6 using a communication protocol such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) protocol or IEEE802.11 protocol. The wired communication module 40 communicates with an external device via a wired connection and connects to an external network via the AP8.

[0036] 6 shows functional blocks of the information processing device 10. The information processing device 10 includes a processing unit 100, a communication unit 102, and a setting storage unit 160. The processing unit 100 includes a reception unit 110, a menu image generation unit 120, a drive control unit 130, an execution unit 140, a display control unit 142, and a setting unit 150. The menu image generation unit 120 includes a placement unit 122 and a focus control unit 124, and the setting unit 150 includes a game vibration setting unit 152 and a UI vibration setting unit 154. The setting storage unit 160 is a memory or storage, and may be configured in the flash memory 36, the auxiliary storage device 2, or the like.

[0037] The information processing device 10 shown in FIG. 6 includes a computer, and the various functions shown in FIG. 6 are realized by the computer executing a program. The computer includes, as hardware, a memory into which the program is loaded, one or more processors that execute the loaded program, an auxiliary storage device, other LSIs, and the like. The processor is composed of multiple electronic circuits including a semiconductor integrated circuit and an LSI, and the multiple electronic circuits may be mounted on one chip or multiple chips. The functional blocks shown in FIG. 6 are realized by cooperation between hardware and software, and therefore, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that these functional blocks can be realized in various forms by hardware alone, software alone, or a combination thereof.

[0038] The communication unit 102 is expressed as a configuration having the functions of both the wireless communication module 38 and the wired communication module 40 shown in Fig. 5. The communication unit 102 receives operation information when a user operates the input unit of the input device 6, and the reception unit 110 receives the operation information received by the communication unit 102.

[0039] The menu image generating unit 120 has a function of generating a menu image including a plurality of display elements. In an embodiment, the display elements included in the menu image may be GUI elements such as a game icon or an icon of an application other than a game. When a user selects a display element included in the menu screen and performs a confirm operation on the selected display element, the execution unit 140 executes a function associated with the selected icon. For example, when a game icon is selected and a confirm operation is performed, the execution unit 140 executes a game program associated with the selected icon to generate a game image and a game sound. The display control unit 142 causes the output device 4 to display the game image generated by the execution unit 140.

[0040] In the menu image generating unit 120, the arrangement unit 122 arranges a plurality of icons on two-dimensional coordinates constituting a screen to generate a menu image. The arrangement unit 122 may generate the menu image in response to various user operations, and for example, when the main power button 20 is turned on and the information processing device 10 is started up, the arrangement unit 122 may generate the menu image and the display control unit 142 may display the menu screen on the output device 4.

[0041] FIG. 7 shows an example of a menu screen displayed on the output device 4. The menu screen shown in FIG. 7 may be a user interface screen displayed on the output device 4 when the information processing device 10 is started. The arrangement unit 122 generates a menu image in which a plurality of icons 200a, 200b, 200c, 200d, 200e, 200f, 200g, 200h, 200i, 200j, 200k, 200l, 200m, 200n, 200o, 200p, 200q, 200r, 200s, and 200t (hereinafter, referred to as "icons 200" when no particular distinction is made) are arranged. The arrangement unit 122 may arrange the plurality of icons 200 according to a predetermined layout (format). In the embodiment, the arrangement unit 122 arranges the icons 200, which are GUI components (GUI elements) associated with functions, but other types of display elements may be arranged.

[0042] The focus control unit 124 gives the focus 202 to the icon 200 in a selected state. The focus 202 may be a display element for notifying the user that the icon 200 is in a selected state, and the focus control unit 124 displays the selected icon 200 in a display mode different from that of the unselected icon 200. In the menu screen shown in FIG. 7, the icon 200h arranged approximately near the center of the screen is in a selected state, and the focus control unit 124 places the focus 202 indicating that the icon 200h is selected around the icon 200h. The user can recognize that the icon 200h is selected by checking the icon to which the focus 202 is given.

[0043] In this example, the focus 202 is a display element of a frame surrounding the icon 200. In addition to the frame, the focus control unit 124 may display the selected icon 200h larger than the standard size or may blink the icon 200h itself so that the user can recognize that the icon 200h is selected. In the embodiment, changing the display mode of the icon 200h itself from the normal display mode is also called giving focus.

[0044] The input device 6 operated by the user is provided with a directional operator for inputting a direction, such as a direction key 70 and / or an analog stick. In the embodiment, the user operates the directional operator of the input device 6 to move the focus 202 to a desired icon 200.

[0045] When the user operates the directional operator of the input device 6 while the menu screen is displayed on the output device 4, the reception unit 110 receives the directional input transmitted from the input device 6 as an operation to select the icon 200. The focus control unit 124 moves the focus 202 based on the received directional input. At this time, the drive control unit 130 vibrates the left vibrator 87a and / or the right vibrator 87b of the input device 6 in response to the movement of the focus 202.

[0046] Specifically, the drive control unit 130 generates a control signal for vibrating the left vibrator 87a and / or the right vibrator 87b, and transmits the control signal from the communication unit 102 to the input device 6. For example, the drive control unit 130 may generate a control signal for vibrating both the left vibrator 87a and the right vibrator 87b with the same vibration strength, and transmit the control signal from the communication unit 102 to the input device 6. When the control unit 91 in the input device 6 receives a control signal for the left vibrator 87a and a control signal for the right vibrator 87b, the control unit 91 controls the first drive unit 96a and the second drive unit 96b to vibrate the left vibrator 87a and the right vibrator 87b with the same vibration strength. The left grip unit 80a and the right grip unit 80b vibrate, allowing the user to recognize that the focus 202 has moved.

[0047] Fig. 8 shows an example of a menu screen to which the focus 202 has been moved. In the menu screen shown in Fig. 8, the focus 202 is arranged around the icon 200i. When the reception unit 110 receives an operation of the right key 70b while the menu screen shown in Fig. 7 is being displayed, the focus control unit 124 identifies the icon 200i selected by the operation of the right key 70b.

[0048] The plurality of icons 200 are arranged by the arrangement unit 122 according to a predetermined layout, and the destination of the focus 202 when the directional key is operated is defined for each position where the icons 200 are arranged. For example, for the position where the icon 200h is arranged, it is defined that the focus 202 moves to the position of the icon 200c by operating the up key 70a, the focus 202 moves to the position of the icon 200i by operating the right key 70b, the focus 202 moves to the position of the icon 200m by operating the down key 70c, and the focus 202 moves to the position of the icon 200g by operating the left key 70d.

[0049] The above is an explanation of the definition information of the destination when the directional controller is the up, down, left, or right directional key 70. However, if the directional controller is an analog stick, the destination of the focus 202 may be defined by the angle range of the direction in which the analog stick is tilted.

[0050] The focus control unit 124 specifies a destination position of the focus 202 according to the destination definition information. When the reception unit 110 receives the operation of the right key 70b while the menu screen shown in Fig. 7 is being displayed, the focus control unit 124 specifies the icon 200i to be selected by the operation of the right key 70b, and arranges the focus 202 around the icon 200i.

[0051] In an embodiment, the drive control unit 130 may vibrate the left vibrator 87a and / or the right vibrator 87b depending on the movement direction of the focus 202. 9 shows an example of the movement direction of the focus 202 and the vibration mode of the vibrator. When the focus 202 moves to the left of the screen, the drive control unit 130 may vibrate the left vibrator 87a, and when the focus 202 moves to the right of the screen, the drive control unit 130 may vibrate the right vibrator 87b. Therefore, in the menu screen shown in FIG. 7, when the focus 202 moves left from the icon 200h to the icon 200g, the drive control unit 130 generates a control signal to vibrate the left vibrator 87a, and when the focus 202 moves right from the icon 200h to the icon 200i, the drive control unit 130 generates a control signal to vibrate the right vibrator 87b.

[0052] Furthermore, when the focus 202 moves upward on the screen, the drive control unit 130 vibrates the left vibrator 87a and the right vibrator 87b at a first vibration intensity, and when the focus 202 moves downward on the screen, the drive control unit 130 vibrates the left vibrator 87a and the right vibrator 87b at a second vibration intensity different from the first vibration intensity. The second vibration intensity may be set lower than the first vibration intensity.

[0053] For ease of explanation, vibration intensity is defined below as a range between 0 and 100. Vibration intensity 0 indicates a state in which vibrator 87 does not vibrate, and vibration intensity 100 indicates the maximum vibration intensity of vibrator 87. When expressed as intensity (Ia, Ib), Ia indicates the vibration intensity of left vibrator 87a, and Ib indicates the vibration intensity of right vibrator 87b. For example, intensity (30, 70) indicates that the vibration intensity of left vibrator 87a is 30, and the vibration intensity of right vibrator 87b is 70.

[0054] When the focus 202 moves to the left on the screen, the drive control unit 130 generates a control signal with intensity (50,0) and transmits it from the communication unit 102 to the input device 6. That is, the drive control unit 130 generates a control signal for vibrating the left vibrator 87a with a vibration intensity of 50 and transmits it from the communication unit 102 to the input device 6. At this time, the drive control unit 130 does not generate a control signal for vibrating the right vibrator 87b. When the control unit 91 in the input device 6 receives the control signal for the left vibrator 87a, it controls the first drive unit 96a to vibrate the left vibrator 87a with a vibration intensity of 50. The user can recognize that the focus 202 has moved to the left by the vibration of the left grip unit 80a.

[0055] When the focus 202 moves to the right on the screen, the drive control unit 130 generates a control signal with an intensity of (0, 50) and transmits it from the communication unit 102 to the input device 6. That is, the drive control unit 130 generates a control signal for vibrating the right vibrator 87b with a vibration intensity of 50 and transmits it from the communication unit 102 to the input device 6. At this time, the drive control unit 130 does not generate a control signal for vibrating the left vibrator 87a. When the control unit 91 in the input device 6 receives a control signal for the right vibrator 87b, it controls the second drive unit 96b to vibrate the right vibrator 87b with a vibration intensity of 50. The user can recognize that the focus 202 has moved to the right by the vibration of the right grip unit 80b.

[0056] When the focus 202 moves upward on the screen, the drive control unit 130 generates a control signal with an intensity (80, 80) and transmits it from the communication unit 102 to the input device 6. That is, the drive control unit 130 generates a control signal for vibrating the left vibrator 87a and the right vibrator 87b at a vibration intensity of 80 and transmits it from the communication unit 102 to the input device 6. When the control unit 91 in the input device 6 receives the control signal for the left vibrator 87a and the control signal for the right vibrator 87b, it controls the first drive unit 96a and the second drive unit 96b to vibrate the left vibrator 87a and the right vibrator 87b at a vibration intensity of 80. The user can recognize that the focus 202 has moved upward by the strong vibration of the left grip unit 80a and the right grip unit 80b.

[0057] When the focus 202 moves downward on the screen, the drive control unit 130 generates a control signal with an intensity of (20, 20) and transmits it from the communication unit 102 to the input device 6. That is, the drive control unit 130 generates a control signal for vibrating the left vibrator 87a and the right vibrator 87b at a vibration intensity of 20 and transmits it from the communication unit 102 to the input device 6. When the control unit 91 in the input device 6 receives the control signal for the left vibrator 87a and the control signal for the right vibrator 87b, it controls the first drive unit 96a and the second drive unit 96b to vibrate the left vibrator 87a and the right vibrator 87b at a vibration intensity of 20. The user can recognize that the focus 202 has moved downward by the weak vibration of the left grip unit 80a and the right grip unit 80b.

[0058] In the above embodiment, the drive control unit 130 vibrates the vibrator 87 according to the movement direction of the focus 202, but the drive control unit 130 may also vibrate the vibrator 87 according to the position to which the focus 202 moves (the destination of the focus 202).

[0059] Specifically, the drive control unit 130 vibrates the left vibrator 87a with a first vibration intensity according to the position to which the focus 202 moves, and vibrates the right vibrator 87b with a second vibration intensity according to the position. The drive control unit 130 sets the first vibration intensity of the left vibrator 87a higher and the second vibration intensity of the right vibrator 87b lower as the focus 202 moves leftward on the screen. The drive control unit 130 also sets the second vibration intensity of the right vibrator 87b higher and the first vibration intensity of the left vibrator 87a lower as the focus 202 moves rightward on the screen. By controlling the vibration intensity in this way, the vibration of the left vibrator 87a becomes stronger and the vibration of the right vibrator 87b becomes weaker as the focus 202 moves leftward on the screen, and conversely, the vibration of the right vibrator 87b becomes stronger and the vibration of the left vibrator 87a becomes weaker as the focus 202 moves rightward on the screen. Therefore, the user can recognize the movement and position of the focus 202 in the left-right direction.

[0060] Further, the drive control unit 130 sets the first vibration intensity of the left vibrator 87a and the second vibration intensity of the right vibrator 87b higher as the focus 202 moves upward on the screen, and sets the first vibration intensity of the left vibrator 87a and the second vibration intensity of the right vibrator 87b lower as the focus 202 moves downward on the screen. By controlling the vibration intensity in this manner, the vibration of the left vibrator 87a and the vibration of the right vibrator 87b become stronger as the focus 202 moves upward on the screen, and conversely, the vibration of the left vibrator 87a and the vibration of the right vibrator 87b become weaker as the focus 202 moves downward on the screen. Therefore, the user can recognize the vertical movement and position of the focus 202.

[0061] Fig. 10 shows an example of vibration intensity of the left and right vibrators 87. In Fig. 10, "Ia" shown on each icon 200 represents the vibration intensity of the left vibrator 87a, and "Ib" represents the vibration intensity of the right vibrator 87b. In this menu screen, the focus 202 is arranged around the icon 200h. Below, the vibration of the vibrator 87 when the directional key 70 is operated from this state will be described.

[0062] When the left key 70d of the input device 6 is operated and the focus 202 moves to the icon 200g, the drive control unit 130 generates a control signal with intensity (45, 22.5) and transmits it from the communication unit 102 to the input device 6. That is, the drive control unit 130 generates a control signal for vibrating the left vibrator 87a at a vibration intensity of 45 and a control signal for vibrating the right vibrator 87b at a vibration intensity of 22.5, and transmits them from the communication unit 102 to the input device 6. In the input device 6, the control unit 91 controls the first drive unit 96a based on the control signal for the left vibrator 87a to vibrate the left vibrator 87a at a vibration intensity of 45, and controls the second drive unit 96b based on the control signal for the right vibrator 87b to vibrate the right vibrator 87b at a vibration intensity of 22.5. The left grip portion 80a and the right grip portion 80b vibrate with respective intensities, allowing the user to recognize that the focus 202 has moved to the icon 200g.

[0063] When the right key 70b of the input device 6 is operated and the focus 202 moves to the icon 200i, the drive control unit 130 generates a control signal with intensity (22.5, 45) and transmits it from the communication unit 102 to the input device 6. That is, the drive control unit 130 generates a control signal for vibrating the left vibrator 87a at a vibration intensity of 22.5 and a control signal for vibrating the right vibrator 87b at a vibration intensity of 45, and transmits them from the communication unit 102 to the input device 6. In the input device 6, the control unit 91 controls the first drive unit 96a based on the control signal for the left vibrator 87a to vibrate the left vibrator 87a at a vibration intensity of 22.5, and controls the second drive unit 96b based on the control signal for the right vibrator 87b to vibrate the right vibrator 87b at a vibration intensity of 45. The left grip portion 80a and the right grip portion 80b vibrate with respective intensities, allowing the user to recognize that the focus 202 has moved to the icon 200i.

[0064] When the up key 70a of the input device 6 is operated and the focus 202 moves to the icon 200c, the drive control unit 130 generates a control signal with an intensity (40, 40) and transmits it from the communication unit 102 to the input device 6. That is, the drive control unit 130 generates a control signal for vibrating the left vibrator 87a with a vibration intensity of 40 and a control signal for vibrating the right vibrator 87b with a vibration intensity of 40, and transmits them from the communication unit 102 to the input device 6. In the input device 6, the control unit 91 controls the first drive unit 96a based on the control signal for the left vibrator 87a to vibrate the left vibrator 87a with a vibration intensity of 40, and controls the second drive unit 96b based on the control signal for the right vibrator 87b to vibrate the right vibrator 87b with a vibration intensity of 40. The left grip unit 80a and the right grip unit 80b vibrate with their respective intensities, allowing the user to recognize that the focus 202 has moved to the icon 200c.

[0065] When the down key 70c of the input device 6 is operated and the focus 202 moves to the icon 200m, the drive control unit 130 generates a control signal with an intensity of (20, 20) and transmits it from the communication unit 102 to the input device 6. That is, the drive control unit 130 generates a control signal for vibrating the left vibrator 87a with a vibration intensity of 20 and a control signal for vibrating the right vibrator 87b with a vibration intensity of 20, and transmits them from the communication unit 102 to the input device 6. In the input device 6, the control unit 91 controls the first drive unit 96a based on the control signal for the left vibrator 87a to vibrate the left vibrator 87a with a vibration intensity of 20, and controls the second drive unit 96b based on the control signal for the right vibrator 87b to vibrate the right vibrator 87b with a vibration intensity of 20. The left grip unit 80a and the right grip unit 80b vibrate with their respective intensities, allowing the user to recognize that the focus 202 has moved to the icon 200m.

[0066] When the focus 202 moves to another icon 200, the drive control unit 130 may vibrate the vibrator 87 for a predetermined time (for example, 0.5 seconds). When the focus 202 moves to the end of the arrangement of the icons 200 and cannot be moved any further even if the direction key 70 is operated, the drive control unit 130 may vibrate the vibrator 87 at a predetermined high intensity to inform the user that further movement is not possible. For example, the drive control unit 130 may generate a control signal with an intensity of (100, 100) to inform the user that further movement is not possible.

[0067] 11 shows another example of a user interface (UI) screen provided to a user. In this example, the display control unit 142 displays a UI screen for adjusting the speaker volume on the output device 4. A bar 204 is displayed on the UI screen, and the focus control unit 124 places a focus 206 on the bar 204, indicating a selected position (volume) on the bar 204. The focus 206 is a slider, and the user adjusts the speaker volume by moving the focus 206 on the bar 204.

[0068] The drive control unit 130 may vibrate the left vibrator 87a and / or the right vibrator 87b depending on the moving direction and / or position of the focus 206. For example, when the focus 206 moves leftward on the bar 204, the drive control unit 130 may vibrate the left vibrator 87a, and when the focus 206 moves rightward on the bar 204, the drive control unit 130 may vibrate the right vibrator 87b.

[0069] Furthermore, the drive control unit 130 may vibrate the left vibrator 87a and the right vibrator 87b according to the volume (sound volume) selected by the focus 206. For example, when the volume is 20%, the drive control unit 130 may generate a control signal with an intensity of (20, 20), and when the volume is 70%, the drive control unit 130 may generate a control signal with an intensity of (70, 70). In this case, the user can recognize the selected volume from the magnitude of the vibration of the left grip unit 80a and the right grip unit 80b.

[0070] The drive control unit 130 may also vibrate the left vibrator 87a and the right vibrator 87b based on a different standard. For example, when the volume is 20%, the drive control unit 130 may generate a control signal with an intensity of (80, 20), and when the volume is 70%, the drive control unit 130 may generate a control signal with an intensity of (30, 70). In this case, the user can recognize the selected volume size from the difference in the vibration magnitude between the left grip unit 80a and the right grip unit 80b.

[0071] The above describes the menu screen and the volume adjustment screen as user interface screens operated by the user, but even in a screen keyboard screen that displays a software keyboard, the drive control unit 130 may vibrate the left vibrator 87a and / or the right vibrator 87b in accordance with the movement and / or position of the focus 206.

[0072] The drive control unit 130 may set the vibration strength of the vibrator 87 when moving the focus for each user interface screen. Specifically, the drive control unit 130 may set the maximum value of the vibration strength of the vibrator when moving the focus for each user interface screen. For example, the drive control unit 130 may set the maximum value of the vibration strength of the vibrator 87 on a screen keyboard screen lower than the maximum value of the vibration strength of the vibrator 87 on a menu screen. Since it is expected that the focus will move more frequently on a screen keyboard screen than on a menu screen, the vibration strength may be set relatively low to avoid applying excessive tactile stimulation to the user's hands.

[0073] As described above, when the enter button of the input device 6 is operated with the focus 202 on the game icon 200 on the menu screen shown in FIG. 7, the execution unit 140 executes a game program associated with the selected icon to generate game images and game sounds, and the display control unit 142 outputs the game images and game sounds from the output device 4.

[0074] 12 shows an example of a game screen displayed on the output device 4. The user operates the input device 6 while watching the game screen to progress through the game.

[0075] 13 shows an example of a notification message 210 superimposed on a game screen. When the communication unit 102 receives a message from a server connected to an external network while the user is playing a game, the display control unit 142 superimposes the notification message 210 on the game screen. When the notification message 210 is superimposed, the drive control unit 130 may vibrate the left vibrator 87a and / or the right vibrator 87b to notify the user that the notification message 210 has arrived.

[0076] As described above, the information processing device 10 has a function of vibrating the vibrator 87 of the input device 6 in relation to the display of the user interface. In the embodiment, the vibrator 87 is provided for the purpose of providing the user with feedback in game play, and therefore the vibration function related to the user interface can be used on the premise that the vibration function related to game play is enabled. The procedure for enabling the vibration function related to the user interface will be described below.

[0077] 14 shows an example of an accessibility setting screen. When the receiving unit 110 receives a display request for the accessibility setting screen from the user, the display control unit 142 displays the accessibility setting screen on the output device 4. On the left side of this setting screen, the items "Display", "Text-to-speech", "Controller", "Closed caption", and "Voice transcription" are displayed, with a selection frame 220 placed on the "Controller" item, and items related to the accessibility of the controller are displayed in the display area on the right side. The setting storage unit 160 holds (stores) the setting contents related to the accessibility of the controller.

[0078] The setting storage unit 160 holds customized button assignment settings, long press time settings, information indicating whether a vibration function related to gameplay is enabled or disabled, information indicating whether a trigger effect function is enabled or disabled, and information indicating whether a vibration function related to the UI is enabled or disabled. In this example, the setting storage unit 160 holds information indicating that a vibration function related to gameplay is enabled and the vibration strength is "strong", information indicating that a trigger effect function is enabled and the effect strength is "strong", and information indicating that a vibration function related to the UI is disabled.

[0079] Since the "UI vibration function" is set to off, a user who wants to enable the vibration function for the user interface operates the input device 6 to perform an input to enable the vibration function for the user interface. 15 shows an example of a screen for enabling the vibration function related to the user interface. When the user places the selection frame 220 on "UI vibration function", the display control unit 142 presents an option for turning on or off the vibration function related to the user interface. When the user operates the input device 6 to move the selection frame 220 to "ON" and operates the decision button, the reception unit 110 receives a user operation for enabling the vibration function related to the user interface. At this time, the UI vibration setting unit 154 enables the vibration function related to the user interface on the condition that information indicating that the vibration function related to gameplay is enabled is held in the setting storage unit 160.

[0080] 15, the vibration function for game play is set to ON, and therefore information indicating that the vibration function for game play is enabled is stored in the setting storage unit 160. Thus, the UI vibration setting unit 154 sets the vibration function for the user interface to enabled, and stores information indicating that the vibration function for the user interface is enabled in the setting storage unit 160. By enabling the vibration function for the user interface in this manner, the drive control unit 130 can vibrate the vibrator 87 when the user interface is displayed.

[0081] Fig. 16 shows another example of the accessibility setting screen. Compared to the setting screen shown in Fig. 14, the vibration function related to game play is set to off in the setting screen shown in Fig. 16, that is, information indicating that the vibration function related to game play is disabled is stored in the setting storage unit 160. In this state, a user who wants to enable the vibration function related to the user interface operates the input device 6 to perform an input for enabling the vibration function related to the user interface.

[0082] FIG. 17 shows an example of a screen for enabling the vibration function related to the user interface. When the user places the selection frame 220 on "UI vibration function", the display control unit 142 presents an option for turning on or off the vibration function related to the user interface. When the user operates the input device 6 to move the selection frame 220 to "ON" and operates the decision button, the reception unit 110 receives a user operation for enabling the vibration function related to the user interface. As described above, the UI vibration setting unit 154 can enable the vibration function related to the user interface on the condition that information indicating that the vibration function related to gameplay is enabled is held in the setting storage unit 160.

[0083] 17, the vibration function related to game play is set to off, and therefore information indicating that the vibration function related to game play is disabled is stored in the setting storage unit 160. When information indicating that the vibration function related to game play is disabled is stored in the setting storage unit 160, the UI vibration setting unit 154 does not enable the vibration function related to the user interface. In other words, the UI vibration setting unit 154 does not change the information indicating that the vibration function related to the user interface is disabled, which is stored in the setting storage unit 160.

[0084] At this time, the UI vibration setting unit 154 may generate a dialogue for enabling a vibration function related to game play. 18 shows an example of a dialog 230 superimposed on the setting screen. Since the vibration function related to gameplay needs to be enabled in order to enable the vibration function related to the user interface, the UI vibration setting unit 154 generates a dialog 230 for enabling the vibration function related to gameplay for the user, and the display control unit 142 superimposes and displays the dialog 230 on the setting screen.

[0085] When the user operates the OK button in the dialogue 230, the game vibration setting unit 152 enables the vibration function related to game play. Specifically, the game vibration setting unit 152 stores information indicating that the vibration function related to game play is enabled and that the vibration strength is "strong" in the setting storage unit 160. After the game vibration setting unit 152 enables the vibration function related to game play in this manner, the UI vibration setting unit 154 may enable the vibration function related to the user interface.

[0086] 19 shows an example of a setting screen in which the vibration function for the user interface is enabled. In this way, by enabling the vibration function for the user interface, the drive control unit 130 can vibrate the vibrator 87 while the user interface is being displayed.

[0087] When the vibration function for the user interface is enabled, the UI vibration setting unit 154 may disable the vibration function for some of the user interfaces based on a user operation. For example, during game play, a notification message 210 is superimposed on the game screen (see FIG. 13). If the drive control unit 130 vibrates the vibrator 87 at this time, the user may mistake it for feedback from the game. Therefore, the user may set the vibration function to be disabled when the notification message 210 is displayed. The user may disable the vibration function not only when the notification message is displayed, but also, for example, on the screen keyboard screen. In this way, when the user enables the vibration function for the user interface, it is preferable that the user can arbitrarily select a situation in which vibration is not required and disable the vibration function in the selected situation.

[0088] The present disclosure has been described above based on the embodiments. The embodiments are merely illustrative, and it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications are possible in the combination of each component and each processing process, and that such modifications are also within the scope of the present disclosure. In the embodiments, the input device 6 includes the vibrator 87, but other types of electronic devices that do not have an input function may also include the vibrator 87. [Explanation of symbols]

[0089] 1 information processing system, 4 output device, 6 input device, 10 information processing device, 80a left gripping unit, 80b right gripping unit, 87a left transducer, 87b right transducer, 96a first driving unit, 96b second driving unit, 100 processing unit, 102 communication unit, 110 reception unit, 120 menu image generating unit, 122 placement unit, 124 focus control unit, 130 drive control unit, 140 execution unit, 142 display control unit, 150 setting unit, 152 game vibration setting unit, 154 UI vibration setting unit, 160 setting memory unit.

Claims

1. An information processing device that is connected wirelessly or by wire to an input device having a left grip part having a left vibrator and a right grip part having a right vibrator, the information processing device comprising one or more processors having hardware, The one or more processors: Place the focus on the screen Accepting directional input sent from an input device; Moves focus based on directional input received, When the focus moves to the left of the screen, the left vibrator vibrates, and when the focus moves to the right of the screen, the right vibrator vibrates. Information processing device.

2. An information processing device that is connected wirelessly or by wire to an input device having a left grip part having a left vibrator and a right grip part having a right vibrator, the information processing device comprising one or more processors having hardware, The one or more processors: Place the focus on the screen Accepting directional input sent from an input device; Moves focus based on directional input received, When the focus moves upward on the screen, the left and right vibrators are vibrated with a first vibration intensity, and when the focus moves downward on the screen, the left and right vibrators are vibrated with a second vibration intensity different from the first vibration intensity. Information processing device.

3. An information processing device that is connected wirelessly or by wire to an input device having a left grip part having a left vibrator and a right grip part having a right vibrator, the information processing device comprising one or more processors having hardware, The one or more processors: Place the focus on the screen Accepting directional input sent from an input device; Moves focus based on directional input received, The first vibration intensity of the left vibrator and the second vibration intensity of the right vibrator are set higher as the focus moves directly upward on the screen, and the first vibration intensity of the left vibrator and the second vibration intensity of the right vibrator are set lower as the focus moves directly downward on the screen. Information processing device.

4. The one or more processors: As the focus moves directly to the left of the screen, the first vibration intensity of the left vibrator is set higher and the second vibration intensity of the right vibrator is set lower; and as the focus moves directly to the right of the screen, the second vibration intensity of the right vibrator is set higher and the first vibration intensity of the left vibrator is set lower. The information processing device according to claim 3 .

5. An information processing device that is connected wirelessly or by wire to an input device having a left grip part having a left vibrator and a right grip part having a right vibrator, the information processing device comprising one or more processors having hardware, The one or more processors: Place the focus on the screen Accepting directional input sent from an input device; Moves focus based on directional input received, vibrating the left transducer and / or the right transducer in response to the movement of the focus; The maximum value of the vibration strength of the vibrator when the focus is moved on the first screen is made different from the maximum value of the vibration strength of the vibrator when the focus is moved on the second screen. Information processing device.

6. A method for controlling vibration of a vibrator in an information processing device that is connected wirelessly or with a wire to an input device having a left grip part having a left vibrator and a right grip part having a right vibrator, comprising: Place the focus on the screen Accepting directional input sent from an input device; Moves focus based on directional input received, When the focus moves to the left of the screen, the left vibrator vibrates, and when the focus moves to the right of the screen, the right vibrator vibrates. Vibration control methods.

7. A method for controlling vibration of a vibrator in an information processing device that is connected wirelessly or with a wire to an input device having a left grip part having a left vibrator and a right grip part having a right vibrator, comprising: Place the focus on the screen Accepting directional input sent from an input device; Moves focus based on directional input received, When the focus moves upward on the screen, the left and right vibrators are vibrated with a first vibration intensity, and when the focus moves downward on the screen, the left and right vibrators are vibrated with a second vibration intensity different from the first vibration intensity. Vibration control methods.

8. A method for controlling vibration of a vibrator in an information processing device that is connected wirelessly or with a wire to an input device having a left grip part having a left vibrator and a right grip part having a right vibrator, comprising: Place the focus on the screen Accepting directional input sent from an input device; Moves focus based on directional input received, The first vibration intensity of the left vibrator and the second vibration intensity of the right vibrator are set higher as the focus moves directly upward on the screen, and the first vibration intensity of the left vibrator and the second vibration intensity of the right vibrator are set lower as the focus moves directly downward on the screen. Vibration control methods.

9. As the focus moves directly to the left of the screen, the first vibration intensity of the left vibrator is set higher and the second vibration intensity of the right vibrator is set lower; and as the focus moves directly to the right of the screen, the second vibration intensity of the right vibrator is set higher and the first vibration intensity of the left vibrator is set lower. The vibration control method according to claim 8.

10. A method for controlling vibration of a vibrator in an information processing device that is connected wirelessly or with a wire to an input device having a left grip part having a left vibrator and a right grip part having a right vibrator, comprising: Place the focus on the screen Accepting directional input sent from an input device; Moves focus based on directional input received, vibrating the left transducer and / or the right transducer in response to the movement of the focus; The maximum value of the vibration strength of the vibrator when the focus is moved on the first screen is made different from the maximum value of the vibration strength of the vibrator when the focus is moved on the second screen. Vibration control methods.

Images