Operating device

Abstract

To provide an operating device that reduces an influence of light of an indoor lighting device or the like on position detection accuracy of the operating device.SOLUTION: An operating device (301) includes: left and right held sections to be held by a user, each of which is provided with an operating member at an upper surface thereof; a central section (321) which is a section between the left and right held sections; and a light emitting surface (328c) adapted to emit light to be captured by an information processing apparatus through a camera, the light emitting surface provided at a front surface of the central section (321). The central section (321) includes a portion which is located over the light emitting surface (328c) and is located on a more forward side than the light emitting surface (328c).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 26

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an operation device used as an input device for an information processing device such as a game device. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there are operation devices that are used as input devices for information processing devices such as game devices. The operation device disclosed in Patent Document 1 below has holdable parts on the left and right sides that are held by a user. The holdable parts are provided with operation members such as operation buttons and directional keys. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] U.S. Patent No. 6,394,906 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] If an information processing device could detect the position of the operation device, the image displayed on the display and the movement of objects in the image could be changed according to the position of the operation device, i.e., the position of the user, thereby increasing the enjoyment of using the information processing device and the operation device. As a method for detecting the position of the operation device, a method has been considered in which a light-emitting unit that receives light from a light source such as an LED and emits light is provided in the operation device, and the light from the light-emitting unit is captured by a camera connected to the information processing device.

[0005] However, when light from indoor lighting devices or the like is reflected on the surface of the light-emitting unit and mixes with the light emitted from the light-emitting unit, it becomes difficult to accurately detect the position of the operating device.

[0006] In order to increase the accuracy of detecting the position of the operation device by the information processing device, it is desirable for the entire area of ​​the light-emitting unit to be illuminated evenly. However, when the number of light sources is small, it is difficult to illuminate the surface of the light-emitting unit evenly. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The operating device according to the present invention has left and right holdable parts for a user to hold, with an operating member provided on the upper surface, a central part between the left and right holdable parts, and a light-emitting surface provided in front of the central part and emitting light to be captured by an information processing device through a camera. The central part includes a part located above the light-emitting surface and forward of the light-emitting surface. With this operating device, it is possible to reduce the influence of light from indoor lighting devices and the like on the position detection accuracy of the operating device.

[0008] Another operating device according to the present invention includes left and right holdable parts for a user to hold, with an operating member provided on the upper surface, a central part between the left and right holdable parts, a light-emitting panel provided in front of the central part and having a light-emitting surface on the front side that emits light for an information processing device to capture through a camera, a light source disposed inside the central part and disposed at a position rearwardly away from the light-emitting panel, and a light-guiding member extending from the light source toward the rear side of the light-emitting panel. The light-guiding member has left and right side surfaces that are inclined so that the width in the left and right direction gradually increases toward the front. This operating device can suppress unevenness in brightness on the surface of the light-emitting panel. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the top of a first example of an operating device. [Diagram 2] 2 is a perspective view of the operating device shown in FIG. 1, looking at the front side. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the operation device shown in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of FIG. [Diagram 5]FIG. 2 is a front view of the operation device shown in FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a side view of the operation device shown in FIG. [Figure 7] 2 is a rear view of the operation device shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 8] 2 is a diagram showing one mode of use of the operation device shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 9] 9 is a cross-sectional view of the front panel taken along line IX-IX shown in FIG. [Figure 10] 2 is an exploded perspective view showing an example of the internal structure of the operation device shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the top of a second example of an operating device. [Figure 12] 12 is a perspective view of the operating device shown in FIG. 11, looking at the front side. [Figure 13] FIG. 12 is a plan view of the operation device shown in FIG. [Figure 14] FIG. 12 is a front view of the operation device shown in FIG. [Figure 15] FIG. 12 is a side view of the operation device shown in FIG. [Figure 16] 12 is an enlarged view showing the rear surface of the operation device shown in FIG. [Figure 17] 12 is a diagram showing one mode of use of the operation device shown in FIG. 11. [Figure 18] FIG. 11 is a plan view of a third example of an operating device. [Figure 19] FIG. 19 is a perspective view of the operation device shown in FIG. [Figure 20] FIG. 19 is a front view of the operation device shown in FIG. [Figure 21] FIG. 19 is a bottom view of the operation device shown in FIG. [Figure 22] 1 is a perspective view of a control device according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which the top side of the control device is shown; [Figure 23] Fig. 23 is a perspective view of the operating device shown in Fig. 22. In this figure, the front side of the operating device is shown. [Figure 24] FIG. 23 is a plan view of the operation device shown in FIG. 22. [Diagram 25] FIG. 23 is a front view of the operation device shown in FIG. 22. [Figure 26] 26 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XXVI-XXVI shown in FIG. 24. [Figure 27] FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a modified example of the operation device according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 28] FIG. 28 is a cross-sectional view of the modified operating device shown in FIG. 27. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] [First example of a control device] Examples of operation devices will be described below with reference to the drawings. Figs. 1 and 2 are perspective views of an operation device 1 as a first example. Fig. 1 is a view looking at the top of the operation device 1, and Fig. 2 is a view looking at the front of the operation device 1. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the operation device 1, and Fig. 4 is an enlarged view of the right side of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a front view of the operation device 1. Fig. 6 is a side view of the operation device 1. Fig. 7 is a rear view of the operation device 1. Fig. 8 is a diagram showing one form of use of the operation device 1.

[0011] In the following description, Y1 and Y2 shown in Fig. 1 are respectively forward and backward, X1 and X2 are respectively rightward and leftward, and Z1 and Z2 are respectively upward and downward.

[0012] The operation device 1 is used as an input device for an information processing device having a function for executing a game program, a function for playing video images, a function for communicating via the Internet, etc. The operation device 1 is capable of wired or wireless communication with the information processing device, and transmits to the information processing device a signal corresponding to an operation performed by a user on the operation device 1. The operation device 1 has various sensors (such as an acceleration sensor and a gyro sensor) used to detect the attitude and movement of the operation device 1, a battery, etc. built in.

[0013] As shown in FIG. 1, the operating device 1 has left and right held parts 10L, 10R on its left and right parts, respectively, for a user to hold. The held parts 10L, 10R are located apart in the left-right direction, and their front parts are connected by a central part 21. An operating member for a user to operate is provided on the upper surface of the front part of the held part 10L, 10R. A plurality of operating buttons 11 are provided on the upper surface of the front part of the right held part 10R. The operating device 1 of this example has four operating buttons 11, which are located at the ends of a cross. A direction key 19 having a cross shape is provided on the upper surface of the front part of the left held part 10L. The held parts 10L, 10R have grips 12. The grips 12 extend rearward from the front parts of the held parts 10L, 10R.

[0014] 1, the operating device 1 has a housing 40. The housing 40 forms the outer surface of the operating device 1 and accommodates various components of the operating device 1. In this example, the housing 40 has an upper housing half 41 and a lower housing half 49, which are combined with each other in the vertical direction. The upper housing half 41 forms the upper parts of the held portions 10L, 10R and the central portion 21, and the lower housing half 49 forms the lower parts thereof.

[0015] As shown in FIG. 3, the operation device 1 has a plate-shaped operation member 22 on the upper surface of the central portion 21. The operation member 22 includes a touch sensor 23 and a surface panel 24 (in FIG. 3, the surface panel 24 is shaded for clarity). The surface panel 24 constitutes the upper surface of the central portion 21. That is, an opening 42 is formed in the upper housing half 41 to expose the upper surface (surface) of the surface panel 24. The surface panel 24 covers the entire touch sensor 23. The touch sensor 23 is attached to the lower surface (rear surface) of the surface panel 24. The touch sensor 23 is located between the operation members (i.e., the operation button 11 and the direction key 19) of the left and right held portions 10L and 10R. The touch sensor 23 is a sensor for detecting the position of the user's finger touching the operation member 22. That is, the touch sensor 23 outputs a signal according to the position of the user's finger. The operation device 1 transmits the signal to the information processing device. The touch sensor 23 is, for example, a capacitance type sensor. The touch sensor 23 is capable of so-called multi-touch. That is, the touch sensor 23 can detect the positions of multiple fingers simultaneously. For example, the touch sensor 23 can detect the positions of the right thumb and the left thumb simultaneously. The operation member 22 is supported so as to be able to move up and down in response to a pressing operation by the user. The operation device 1 has a switch that detects that the operation member 22 is pressed, and the operation member 22 functions as a button that can be turned on and off.

[0016] Since the operation member 22 is plate-shaped, the distance between the right edge 24a of the operation member 22 and the operation button 11, and the distance between the left edge 24c of the operation member 22 and the directional key 19 can be made small (in this description, the right edge 24a and the left edge 24c are the right edge and the left edge of the surface of the front panel 24 exposed from the opening 42 of the upper housing half 41, respectively). As a result, the user can operate the operation member 22 with his / her thumb while holding the held parts 10R, 10L (see FIG. 8). As described above, the operation member 22 has both a position detection function by the touch sensor 23 and a function to detect the user's pressing operation. Therefore, for example, it can detect which position of the operation member 22 has been pressed. In particular, the touch sensor 23 has a multi-touch function, so it can detect that multiple positions have been pressed simultaneously.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 3, the surface panel 24 in this example is larger in the left-right direction than the touch sensor 23. The touch sensor 23 is rectangular, and its width is constant in the front-rear direction. On the other hand, the width of the surface panel 24 gradually increases toward the front. The surface panel 24 has a right protruding portion 24R that extends to the right beyond the right edge of the touch sensor 23, and a left protruding portion 24L that extends to the left beyond the left edge of the touch sensor 23. With this structure, even if the size of the touch sensor 23 must be reduced due to the positional relationship between other components and the touch sensor 23, the user can easily press the protruding portions 24R and 24L of the operating member 22.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 3, the held part 10R has an area (hereinafter, operation area) AR on the upper surface of the front part thereof where the four operation buttons 11 are arranged. Similarly, the held part 10L has an operation area AL on the upper surface of the front part thereof where the directional keys 19 are arranged. In this example, the operation areas AR, AL are substantially circular. The touch sensor 23 has a width corresponding to the distance D1 between the rightmost part of the operation area AL on the left side and the leftmost part of the operation area AR on the right side. On the other hand, the frontmost part of the surface panel 24 has a width W1 larger than the distance D1.

[0019] As shown in Fig. 3, the right edge 24a of the front panel 24 curves to surround the left side of the four operation buttons 11. That is, the right edge 24a extends while curving forward and to the right from a position to the left of the four operation buttons 11. A front end 24b (the right end of the foremost part of the operation member 22) of the right edge 24a is located in front of the operation button 11 (more specifically, the operation button 11 located most centrally in the left-right direction). The right edge 24a curves along the outer periphery of the operation area AR, forming an arc shape.

[0020] The left edge 24c of the front panel 24 curves to surround the right side of the directional key 19. That is, the left edge 24c extends while curving forward and leftward from a position on the right side of the directional key 19. A front end 24d of the left edge 24c (the left end of the foremost part of the operating member 22) is located forward of the rightmost part 19a of the directional key 19. The left edge 24c curves along the outer periphery of the operation area AL, forming an arc shape.

[0021] When a user slides his / her thumb in the forward / backward direction while holding the held parts 10R, 10L, the trajectory of the thumb is approximately a circular arc. The edges 24a, 24c of the front panel 24 are provided at positions where the thumb can reach when the user holds the held parts 10R, 10L. The curvature of the edges 24a, 24b approximately matches the trajectory of the thumb. This allows the user to easily slide the thumb forward along the edges 24a, 24c from the inside of the operation areas AR, AL, as shown by the arrows ER, EL in FIG. 8. Even if the thumb slides beyond the left and right edges of the touch sensor 23, the user can press the protruding parts 24R, 24L.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 1, the upper surface of the operation area AR, AL is located at a position slightly higher than the surrounding area. A step 10b is formed on the outer periphery of the operation area AR, AL, surrounding the operation area AR, AL. The edges 24a, 24c of the front panel 24 are formed along the step 10b. Therefore, the user can move his / her finger along the edges 24a, 24c without looking at the operation member 22. The surface (upper surface) of the step 10b is inclined downward toward the outside of the operation area AR, AL. Therefore, the user can smoothly move his / her finger from the operation area AR, AL to the operation member 22. In the example described here, the step 10b is formed in a substantially annular shape surrounding the operation area AR, AL. The step 10b does not necessarily have to be formed.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 2, the front edge of the operation member 22, i.e., the front edge 24e of the surface panel 24, constitutes the front edge of the upper surface of the central portion 21. That is, the upper surface of the upper housing half 41 of the operation device 1, which constitutes the outer shape of the central portion 21, does not have an edge located further forward than the front edge 24e of the surface panel 24. The front edge 24e of the surface panel 24 is located on the front surface 21a of the central portion 21. According to this structure, since there is no part on which the finger is caught in front of the front edge 24e of the surface panel 24, the user can smoothly slide the finger forward over the front edge 24e. In addition, the user can easily press the front edge 24e of the surface panel 24. Note that the structure of the operation member 22 is not limited to this, and for example, the rear side may be supported by a shaft so that only the front side of the operation member 22 is lowered.

[0024] As described above, the operation member 22 constitutes the upper surface of the central portion 21. The operation member 22 also includes, at its frontmost portion, a portion that extends from the portion that constitutes the upper surface of the central portion 21 and constitutes the front surface of the central portion 21. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the surface panel 24 taken along line IX-IX shown in FIG. 3. As shown in FIG. 9, the frontmost portion of the surface panel 24 in this example has a substantially L-shaped cross section. That is, the surface panel 24 has a front portion 24f that extends from the front edge 24e and constitutes the front surface of the central portion 21. The upper housing half 41 of the operation device 1 is formed with an opening 42 that exposes the surface of the surface panel 24. The front edge 42b of the opening 42 is located below the surface panel 24, more specifically, below the lower edge of the front portion 24f.

[0025] The upper housing half 41 is formed with a stopper portion that restricts the forward movement of the operating member 22. The stopper portion is formed, for example, on the left and right of the operating member 22. FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view showing an example of the internal structure of the operating device 1. In the figure, the back surface (lower surface) of the upper housing half 41 and the operating member 22 is shown. As described above, the upper housing half 41 is formed with an opening 42. Two stopper portions 43 are formed on the lower surface of the upper housing half 41. The stopper portions 43 are formed on the left and right of the operating member 22. In this example, the two stopper portions 43 are wall-shaped along the right end surface 24m and the left end surface 24n of the front panel 24, respectively. The front panel 24 has a stoppered portion 24p that protrudes outward in the left-right direction from the end surfaces 24m and 24n. The stoppered portion 24p is located on the rear side of the rear end 43a of the stopper portion 43. When the operating member 22 attempts to move forward, the stopped portion 24p comes into contact with the rear end 43a of the stopper portion 43, and as a result, the forward movement of the operating member 22 is restricted by the stopper portion 43.

[0026] In this way, the stopper portion 43 is formed on the upper housing half 41 constituting the outer surface of the operation device 1. This reduces the positional tolerance of the operation member 22 relative to the upper housing half 41, and the appearance of the operation device 1 can be improved. In this example, the stopped portion 24p is formed on the surface panel 24 constituting the outer surface of the operation device 1. This reduces the positional tolerance of the surface panel 24 relative to the upper housing half 41, and the appearance of the operation device 1 can be further improved. In addition, in a structure in which the stopped portion 24p is formed on the left and right edges of the surface panel 24, the contact area between the stopped portion 24p and the upper housing half 41 can be made smaller than, for example, a structure in which the lower edge of the front portion 24f provided at the forefront of the surface panel 24 functions as the stopped portion. As a result, the resistance to the user's pressing operation of the operation panel 50 can be reduced. Note that the positions of the stopper portion 43 and the stopped portion 24p are not limited to this. For example, the stoppered portions 24p may be provided at the front ends of the right end surface 24m and the left end surface 24n of the front panel 24.

[0027] The operating member 22 is supported so that it can move up and down regardless of which position of the operating member 22 is pressed. That is, whichever of the front edge 24e, rear edge 24g, right edge 24a, left edge 24c, or their inner parts of the front edge 24e, rear edge 24g, right edge 24a, left edge 24c, or their inner parts is pressed, the pressed part will move down. On the back side of the operating member 22, multiple elastic members (e.g., springs or rubber) are arranged that generate a reaction force when the operating member 22 is pressed.

[0028] 10, two elastic members 61 that urge the operating member 22 upward are disposed on the back side of the operating member 22. The elastic members 61 are attached, for example, to a circuit board 70 (described later) that is disposed on the back side of the operating member 22. Also, a frame may be disposed between the circuit board 70 and the operating member 22, and the elastic members 61 may be attached to this frame.

[0029] The elastic member 61 in this example is made of rubber. The elastic member 61 has a cylindrical contact portion 61a having an upper surface that contacts the lower surface of the operating member 22. The elastic member 61 has an annular elastic portion 61b that surrounds the lower surface of the contact portion 61a. When the front portion of the operating member 22 is pressed, the contact portion 61a tilts forward, and when the rear portion of the operating member 22 is pressed, the contact portion 61a tilts rearward. When the contact portion 61a tilts in this way, the elastic portion 61b exerts a force that resists the tilt. In addition, the two elastic members 61 are arranged apart in the left-right direction. Therefore, the two elastic members 61 generate a reaction force regardless of which position of the operating member 22 is pressed. The operating member 22 in the example shown in FIG. 10 has a frame 25 that covers the back surface (lower surface) of the touch sensor 23. The contact portion 61a contacts the lower surface of the frame 25. The rightmost and leftmost portions of the front panel 24 are located below the left and right edges 24a of the opening 42. The upward movement of the operating member 22 caused by the elastic force of the elastic member 61 is restricted by the left and right edges 24a.

[0030] A plurality of springs may be arranged on the back surface of the operating member 22 instead of the elastic member 61 to urge the operating member 22 upward. Even in this case, these springs are arranged so as to generate a reaction force regardless of which position of the operating member 22 is pressed. For example, the springs are arranged so as to urge the operating member 22 upward at four points spaced apart in the front-rear and left-right directions.

[0031] A protrusion is formed on one of the lower surface of the operating member 22 and the elastic member 61, and a hole into which the protrusion fits is formed on the other. In the example shown in Fig. 10, a protrusion 25b is formed on the lower surface of the frame 25, and a hole into which the protrusion 25b fits is formed in a contact portion 61a of the elastic member 61. With this structure, even if the position of the operating member 22 is slightly shifted as a result of the user sliding his / her finger on the surface of the operating member 22, the elastic force of the elastic member 61 causes the operating member 22 to return to its initial position.

[0032] A circuit board 70 is disposed on the back side of the operation member 22. A switch 71 to be pressed by the operation member 22 is disposed on the circuit board 70. The operation member 22 has a pressing portion 25a in the center of its lower surface (more specifically, the lower surface of the frame 25). The above-mentioned elastic members 61 are disposed on the left and right of the pressing portion 25a. When a part of the outer periphery of the operation member 22 is pressed, the operation member 22 tilts. For example, when the right side portion of the operation member 22 is pressed, the right side portion moves down, so that the operation member 22 tilts. When the operation member 22 tilts in this way, the position of the pressing portion 25a moves down, so that the pressing portion 25a presses the switch 71. That is, the operation member 22 can press the switch 71 no matter where on its surface it is pressed. That is, no matter where on the operation member 22 the user presses, the operation device 1 can detect the user's operation by the output signal of the switch.

[0033] As described above, the surface panel 24 has a front portion 24f. The front portion 24f can increase the rigidity of the frontmost portion of the surface panel 24, and can suppress bending of the surface panel 24 when the user presses the surface panel 24. As a result, even if the user presses a part of the outer periphery of the surface panel 24, the pressing operation is clearly transmitted to the switch 71. The surface panel 24 in this example has portions extending downward on its right and left sides. In detail, the surface panel 24 has a side portion 24r extending downward at the front end of the right end surface 24m and the front end of the left end surface 24n. This can further increase the rigidity of the surface panel 24. In addition, the operation member 22 has a frame 25 on its back side. This frame 25 can further improve the rigidity of the operation member 22.

[0034] The operation device 1 has left and right operation sticks 31 at the rear of the central part 21 (see FIG. 3). As shown in FIG. 1, the operation stick 31 extends upward from the central part 21, and has a circular operated part 31b at its upper end for touching with the user's finger. The height of the operation members (i.e., the operation button 11 and the directional key 19) provided on the upper surface of the held parts 10R and 10L is shorter than the height (length) of the operation stick 31. The operation stick 31 can be tilted, for example, in its radial direction, or rotated in a tilted state. The operation device 1 detects the direction and amount of tilt of the operation stick 31, and transmits a signal corresponding to the tilt to the information processing device. The operation stick 31 may also be slidable in its radial direction. In this case, the operation device 1 detects the movement amount of the operation stick 31 in two predetermined orthogonal directions (for example, the movement amount in the forward / backward direction and the movement amount in the left / right direction), and transmits a signal corresponding to the movement amount to the information processing device.

[0035] As shown in FIG. 3, the operation member 22 is provided at the front of the upper surface of the central portion 21. The left and right operation sticks 31 are located behind the operation member 22. The right edge 24a and the left edge 24c of the surface panel 24 are located in front of the operation stick 31. This layout prevents the operation stick 31 from getting in the way of a finger sliding along the edges 24a and 24c (see FIG. 8). In this example, the front end of the right edge 24a, i.e., the right end 24b of the frontmost part of the surface panel 24, is located to the right of the center C of the right operation stick 31. The front end of the left edge 24c, i.e., the left end 24d of the frontmost part of the surface panel 24, is located to the left of the center C of the left operation stick 31.

[0036] As shown in Fig. 6, the grip 12 extends obliquely backward and downward from the front of the held parts 10R, 10L. The held parts 10R, 10L have protruding parts 10c that protrude forward and downward from their front faces. Operation buttons 15, 16 are provided on the protruding parts 10c. This shape makes it easy to hold the grip 12 by placing the index fingers on the operation buttons 15, 16 and the thumb on the operation member 22 while gripping the grip 12.

[0037] The operating device 1 may be formed so that the operating member 22 is horizontal when the operating device 1 is placed on a horizontal surface. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 6, the shape of the protruding portion 10c (the height of the lower end 10d) and the shape of the grip 12 (the height of the lower end 12b) may be set so that a plane including the lower end 12b of the rearmost part of the grip 12 and the lower end 10d of the protruding portion 10c is parallel to the operating member 22. This allows the finger to slide easily on the operating member 22 even when the operating device 1 is placed on a horizontal surface. The lower end 12b of the grip 12 and the lower end 10d of the protruding portion 10c may be provided with a member (e.g., rubber) for protecting them. This makes it possible to prevent the lower ends 12b and 10d from being scratched.

[0038] The operation buttons 15 and 16 provided on the protruding portion 10c are aligned in the vertical direction. The operation button 15 is, for example, a button that can be turned on and off, and the operation button 16 is, for example, an analog button that can detect the amount of pressing by the user. As shown in FIG. 3, the front edge 24e of the operation member 22 is located behind the operation buttons 15 and 16.

[0039] The central portion 21 has a built-in speaker. The speaker is located between the left and right operation sticks 31. As shown in FIG. 1, the upper surface of the central portion 21 has a sound hole 21c at a position corresponding to the speaker. This layout of the speaker and the sound hole 21c makes it easy to hear the sound output by the operation device 1. Note that a microphone may be placed at the position of the sound hole 21c instead of the speaker.

[0040] 1, an operation button 21f that is used relatively infrequently is disposed between the left and right operation sticks 31. The operation button 21f is used, for example, to return a display device connected to the information processing device to a home image (for example, a menu image for selecting software executed by the information processing device).

[0041] As described above, a plurality of (four in this example) operation buttons 11 are arranged on the upper surface of the front part of the held part 10R. As shown in FIG. 4, the held part 10R has built-in a plurality of (four in this example) light-emitting bodies 13 corresponding to the plurality of operation buttons 11, respectively (the light-emitting bodies 13 are shown as black circles in FIG. 4 for clarity). The light-emitting bodies 13 are, for example, light-emitting diodes. In one example, the operation device 1 changes the lighting state of the light-emitting bodies 13 according to the operation state of the information processing device and the operation device 1. For example, when the information processing device requests the user to press the operation button 11, the operation device 1 lights or blinks the light-emitting body 13 corresponding to the operation button 11 that is requested to be pressed. The plurality of light-emitting bodies 13 light up in, for example, different colors from each other. The color of the light-emitting body 13 may change according to the operation state of the operation device 1 and the information processing device. The operation device 1 may keep the light-emitting body 13 constantly on when the operation device 1 is operating (when the power is on).

[0042] As shown in FIG. 4, the light emitters 13 are arranged adjacent to the operation buttons 11, not on the operation buttons 11 themselves. Specifically, the multiple light emitters 13 are arranged apart from each other so as to surround the entire operation buttons 11. According to this layout of the light emitters 13, even if the operation buttons 11 are covered by the user's fingers, the user can see the light of the light emitters 13. In this example, the four light emitters 13 are arranged on a circumference surrounding the four operation buttons 11. More specifically, the light emitters 13 are arranged on the outer periphery of the operation area AR. Each light emitter 13 is located radially outward of the operation area AR with respect to the corresponding operation button 11. According to this layout of the light emitters 13, the correspondence between the light emitters 13 and the operation buttons 11 becomes clear to the user.

[0043] As shown in FIG. 4, the held portion 10R has a light guide member 14 on its upper surface (the light guide member 14 is shaded in FIG. 4 for clarity). The light emitter 13 is disposed below (on the back side of) the light guide member 14, and the light guide member 14 transmits the light of the light emitter 13 to the upper surface of the held portion 10R. The light guide member 14 is a single member having a shape surrounding a plurality of operation buttons 11. According to a structure having the light guide member 14, the number of parts can be reduced compared to a structure in which independent light guide members are provided for each of the light emitters 13. The light guide member 14 in this example is substantially annular and is disposed on the outer periphery of the operation area AR. More specifically, the light guide member 14 is disposed inside the step 10b.

[0044] The light emitting body 13 and the light guide member 14 may also be provided on the left held portion 10L. In this case, the multiple light emitting bodies 13 are arranged so as to surround the direction key 19 and correspond to the four ends of the direction key 19, respectively.

[0045] As described above, the held parts 10R, 10L have the protruding parts 10c on their front faces. As shown in Fig. 2, the light emitting part 28 is provided on the front face 21a of the central part 21. The light emitting part 28 is located between the left and right protruding parts 10c. This layout of the light emitting part 28 makes it possible to prevent the light emitting part 28 from being hidden by the user's hands or fingers when the user is holding the held parts 10R, 10L.

[0046] The information processing device acquires light from the light emitting unit 28 through a camera connected to the information processing device. The information processing device performs image processing on the image acquired through the camera, and detects the position of the operation device 1 based on the position and size of the light emitting unit 28 in the acquired image. For example, when multiple users use multiple operation devices 1 and operate multiple objects (characters) displayed on the display screen, the positions of the objects can be made to correspond to the positions of the operation devices 1. For example, the object of the user operating the right operation device 1 can be displayed on the right side, and the object of the user operating the left operation device 1 can be displayed on the left side. The light emitting unit 28 can emit light in any color. For example, the light emitting unit 28 includes red, green, and blue light emitting bodies (e.g., light emitting diodes), and by adjusting the brightness of each light emitting body, it emits light in a color specified by the information processing device or in a color corresponding to the operating state of the operation device 1. Therefore, even when multiple operation devices 1 are used simultaneously, the information processing device can detect the position of each operation device 1.

[0047] As shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 5, the light emitting unit 28 has a shape elongated in the left-right direction. This makes it easier to distinguish the light of the light emitting unit 28 from other light in the image acquired through the camera. As a result, the position detection performance of the operation device 1 can be improved. In the example of FIG. 2, the light emitting unit 28 is a rod shape extending linearly. This shape makes it possible to suppress the shape of the light emitting unit 28 in the image acquired by the camera from changing depending on the attitude of the operation device 1. In other words, when the operation device 1 is placed obliquely with respect to the camera, the length of the light emitting unit 28 in the image acquired by the camera changes, but the shape does not change. This makes it possible to improve the position detection performance of the operation device 1 through the camera. Note that the shape of the light emitting unit 28 is not limited to this, and may be, for example, a V-shape or may be curved in an arc.

[0048] As shown in FIG. 2, the light-emitting section 28 has a light diffusion member 28a that is elongated in the left-right direction and is located in front of the central section 21. The left-right length of the light diffusion member 28a is greater than the up-down width (see FIG. 5). The above-mentioned light-emitting body is disposed behind the light diffusion member 28a. The light diffusion member 28a transmits the light of the light-emitting body to the front of the central section 21. As a result, even when one light-emitting body is disposed behind the light diffusion member 28a or when multiple light-emitting bodies are disposed dispersed in the left-right direction, the entire light-emitting section 28 emits light approximately evenly.

[0049] As shown in FIG. 2, the light diffusion member 28a protrudes forward from the front surface 21a of the central portion 21. Therefore, the light diffusion member 28a includes not only a portion facing forward but also a portion facing upward and a portion facing downward on its light-emitting surface. This makes it easier for the camera to capture the light of the light-emitting unit 28. Since the light diffusion member 28a protrudes from the front surface 21a of the central portion 21, the light diffusion member 28a can be seen even when the operation device 1 is viewed in plan view as shown in FIG. 3. Therefore, the user can check the light-emitting state (whether or not the light-emitting unit 28 is emitting light and its color) while holding the operation device 1. As described above, the front edge of the plate-shaped operation member 22 (more specifically, the front edge 24e of the surface panel 24) constitutes the front edge of the upper surface of the central portion 21 of the operation device 1. As shown in FIG. 3, the light-emitting unit 28 is located forward of the front edge 24e of the surface panel 24. Therefore, the user can see the light of the light-emitting unit 28 even when the user presses the front edge 24e of the surface panel 24. Furthermore, the camera is not blocked by the user's finger and can capture the light from the light emitting unit 28. The light diffusing member 28a does not necessarily have to protrude forward.

[0050] As shown in FIG. 2, the protrusion amount of the light diffusion member 28a is smaller than the protrusion amount of the protrusion portion 10c on which the operation buttons 15 and 16 are provided. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the light diffusion member 28a from being subjected to an external force from the right or left side of the light diffusion member 28a. That is, the light diffusion member 28a can be protected by the protrusion portion 10c. The front surface 21a of the central portion 21 has convex portions 21d located on the left and right sides of the light diffusion member 28a. The light diffusion member 28a and the convex portions 21d form a series of protruding portions extending in the left-right direction. This series of protruding portions is connected to the bases of the left and right protrusion portions 10c on which the operation buttons 15 and 16 are provided. This makes it possible to more effectively prevent the light diffusion member 28a from being subjected to an external force. It is also possible that the central portion 21 does not have such convex portions 21d, and the ends of the light diffusion member 28a are connected to the bases of the protrusion portions 10c.

[0051] As shown in Fig. 2, a connector 33 is provided on the front surface of the central portion 21. For example, a cable that connects the operating device 1 and an information processing device is connected to the connector 33. The connector 33 is located below the light diffusion member 28a. As described above, the light diffusion member 28a has a shape that extends in the left-right direction and protrudes forward. Therefore, when the cable is connected to the connector 33, the end of the cable can be protected by the light diffusion member 28a.

[0052] 1 and 7, a connector 34 is provided on the rear surface of the central portion 21. The connector 34 is connected to, for example, a cable for headphones or earphones. In addition, other devices that expand the functions of the operating device 1 may be connected to the connector 34.

[0053] As shown in FIG. 1, the held parts 10R, 10L have operation buttons 17R, 17L behind the operation members (operation button 11 and directional key 19) provided in the operation areas AR, AL, respectively. The operation buttons 17R, 17L are buttons that are used less frequently than operation members such as the operation stick 31, the operation button 11, and the directional key 19. For example, the operation buttons 17R, 17L function as a select button for selecting an option displayed in a menu image, or a start button for instructing the start of a game. The operation buttons 17R, 17L may also be shortcut buttons for instructing the execution of a specific function. The specific function is, for example, a function for transmitting game data or user comments to a specific server on a network.

[0054] As shown in FIG. 3, the right operation button 17R is located outward in the left-right direction (i.e., to the right) with respect to the right operation stick 31. That is, the operation button 17R intersects with a left-right straight line L2 that passes through the operation stick 31. Similarly, the left operation button 17L is located outward in the left-right direction (i.e., to the left) with respect to the left operation stick 31. The height of the operation buttons 17R, 17L is lower than that of the operation stick 31. This makes it possible to prevent the finger operating the operation stick 31 from accidentally pressing the operation buttons 17R, 17L.

[0055] The operation buttons 17R, 17L are located further outside the step 10b formed on the outer periphery of the operation areas AR, AL. That is, the operation buttons 17R, 17L are located behind the step 10b. As shown in FIG. 7, the height of the operation buttons 17R, 17L is lower than the height of the step 10b, that is, the height of the upper surface of the front part of the held part 10R, 10L relative to the upper surface of the grip 12. This makes it possible to prevent the fingers operating the operation members provided in the operation areas AR, AL from accidentally pressing the operation buttons 17R, 17L. The upper surfaces of the operation buttons 17R, 17L in this example are flush with the upper surface of the grip 12.

[0056] As shown in FIG. 3, the operation buttons 17R, 17L have a shape elongated in the left-right direction. This allows the user to easily press the operation buttons 17R, 17L. The front edges 17a of the operation buttons 17R, 17L are curved along the outer periphery of the operation areas AR, AL (see FIG. 4). This allows the distance between the operation buttons 17R, 17L and the step 10b to be narrowed. As a result, when the user needs to operate the operation buttons 17R, 17L, he or she can easily press these buttons.

[0057] As shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, the operation buttons 17R, 17L are offset toward the center in the left-right direction with respect to the center line L3 of the grip 12 along the extension direction of the grip 12, that is, toward the operation stick 31. In other words, the right operation button 17R is offset leftward with respect to the center line L3, and the left operation button 17L is offset rightward with respect to the center line L3. This makes it difficult for the hand holding the grip 12 or the fingers operating the operation stick 31 to touch the operation buttons 17R, 17L. As shown in FIG. 1, the rear part of the central part 21 has a cylindrical part 21e that accommodates the base of the operation stick 31. The inner edges 17b of the operation buttons 17R, 17L (the left edge of the right operation button 17R and the right edge of the left operation button 17L) are close to the cylindrical part 21e and curved along the outer periphery of the cylindrical part 21e. 3, the outer edges 17c of the operation buttons 17R and 17L (the right edge of the right operation button 17R and the left edge of the left operation button 17L) are inclined more greatly with respect to the center line L3 than the inner edges 17b. This makes it even more difficult for the hand holding the grip 12 to touch the operation buttons 17R and 17L.

[0058] As shown in Figs. 1 and 7, the left and right grips 12 are provided with operation buttons 35. The operation buttons 35 are provided on the inner surfaces of the left and right grips 12. That is, the operation buttons 35 are provided on the right side surface of the left grip 12 and the left side surface of the right grip 12. With this layout of the operation buttons 35, the user can press the operation buttons 35 with, for example, a finger (e.g., a ring finger) that grips the grip 12. The operation button 35 has a shape that is elongated in the vertical direction. This allows the user to press the operation button 35 even more easily.

[0059] [Second example of a control device] 11 and 12 are perspective views of a second example of an operating device 101. FIG. 11 is a view looking at the top of the operating device 101, and FIG. 12 is a view looking at the front of the operating device 101. FIG. 13 is a plan view of the operating device 101, and FIG. 14 is a front view of the operating device 101. FIG. 15 is a side view of the operating device 101. FIG. 16 is a rear view of the operating device 1. FIG. 17 is a diagram showing one mode of use of the operating device 101. In these figures, the same parts as those in the operating device 1 are given the same reference numerals. The following will mainly explain the differences from the operating device 1, and matters that are not explained are the same as those in the operating device 1.

[0060] 11, the operating device 101 has held portions 110L, 110R and a central portion 121, similar to the operating device 1. An operating stick 31 is provided on the upper surface of the front of the held portions 110L, 110R, instead of the operating button 11 and the directional key 19. The operating button 11 and the directional key 19 are provided on the rear of the upper surface of the central portion 121, and are located rearward of the operating stick 31.

[0061] As shown in FIG. 13, the operating device 101 has an operating member 122 corresponding to the above-mentioned operating member 22 on the upper surface of the central portion 121. The operating member 122 includes a touch sensor 23 and a surface panel 124. The surface panel 124 in this example is rectangular like the touch sensor 23, and has approximately the same width as the touch sensor 23. The operating member 122 is located between the operating members (in this example, the operating stick 31) of the left and right held portions 110L and 110R. The operating member 122 is supported so that it can move up and down in response to a pressing operation by the user, and also functions as a button that can be turned on and off. Like the operating member 22, the operating member 122 is supported so that it can move up and down regardless of which position of the operating member 122 is pressed. Note that the structure of the operating member 122 is not limited to this, and for example, the front edge of the operating member 122 may be supported by a shaft so that only the rear part is lowered.

[0062] Since the operation member 122 is plate-shaped, it is possible to reduce the distance between the right edge 124a of the operation member 122 and the right operation stick 31, and the distance between the left edge 124d of the operation member 122 and the left operation stick 31. In addition, it is possible to reduce the distance between the operation member 122 and the operation members (specifically, the operation button 11 and the directional key 19) disposed behind it. As a result, the user can easily operate the operation member 122 while holding the held portions 110R, 110L.

[0063] As shown in FIG. 13, the central portion 121 has operation areas BR, BL on the upper surface of the rear portion thereof, in which the operation button 11 and the direction key 19 are respectively arranged. The operation areas BR, BL are located behind the operation member 122. The rightmost part 124i of the rear edge 124g of the surface panel 124 is formed along the outer periphery of the operation area BR. The leftmost part 124h is formed along the outer periphery of the operation area BL. The rear edge 124g of the surface panel 124, i.e., the rear edge of the operation member 122, is close to the outer periphery of the operation areas BR, BL. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 17, the user can easily touch the operation member 122 by extending the finger placed on the operation areas BR, BL diagonally toward the center of the operation device 101 in the left-right direction. In this way, the low-height operation members (operation button 11 and direction key 19) are arranged behind the operation member 22, so that the user can easily touch the rear part of the operation member 122 in particular. As described above, the front edge of the operating member 122 may be supported by a shaft so that only the rear portion of the operating member 122 is lowered.

[0064] As with the operating member 22, the front edge of the operating member 122, i.e., the front edge 124e of the surface panel 124, constitutes the front edge of the upper surface of the central portion 121. That is, as shown in FIG. 12, the upper surface of the upper housing half 141 of the operating device 101 constituting the central portion 21 does not have an edge located further forward than the front edge 124e of the surface panel 124. The front edge 124e of the surface panel 124 is located on the front surface 121a of the central portion 121. The frontmost portion of the surface panel 124 in this example has a substantially L-shaped cross section, similar to the surface panel 24. That is, the surface panel 124 has a front surface portion 124f that descends from the front edge 124e. The front edge of the opening formed in the upper housing half 141 that exposes the surface panel 124 is located below the front surface portion 124f, similar to the example shown in FIG. 9.

[0065] 12, front surface 121a of center portion 121 has upper portion 121d that protrudes forward more than lower portion 121e. This increases the width of the top surface of center portion 121 in the front-rear direction. As a result, the width of operating member 122 in the front-rear direction can be increased.

[0066] A step 121j is formed on the outer periphery of the operation areas BR, BL, similar to the operation areas AR, AL of the operation device 1 (see Figs. 11 and 14). The rear edge 124g of the front panel 124 is located in front of the step 121j. Therefore, the user can recognize that his / her finger is in a position to touch the operation member 122 without looking at the operation member 122. In other words, the user can recognize that his / her finger is placed on the rear part of the operation member 122. The surface (upper surface) of the step 121j is inclined downward toward the outside of the operation areas BR, BL. Note that, like the operation device 1, a ring-shaped light guide member 14 and a light emitter (not shown) are provided inside the step 121j of the operation area BR where the operation button 11 is provided, similar to the operation device 1.

[0067] The operating device 101, like the operating device 1, has a light emitting unit 128 on the front surface 121a of the central portion 121. The light emitting unit 128 is located between the left and right protruding portions 10c formed on the front surfaces of the held portions 110R and 110L (see FIG. 14). The light emitting unit 128 in this example is rod-shaped and extends linearly in the left-right direction, like the light emitting unit 28.

[0068] The light diffusion member 128a of the light emitting unit 128 protrudes forward from the lower portion 121e of the front surface 121a of the central portion 121. In detail, the upper portion 121d of the front surface 121a of the central portion 121 protrudes forward more than the lower portion 121e. As shown in FIG. 12, the light diffusion member 128a constitutes the lowermost portion of the upper portion 121d. That is, a recess is formed at the lowermost portion of the upper portion 121d, and the light emitting unit 128 is fitted into this recess. The light diffusion member 128a of the light emitting unit 128 includes, as its light emitting surface, a lower surface that emits light downward and a front surface that emits light forward. Therefore, the area of ​​the light emitting surface is increased, making it easier for the camera to capture the light from the light emitting unit 128.

[0069] The front surface of the light emitting portion 128 is flush with the front surface of the upper portion 121d of the central portion 121. This makes it possible to prevent force from being applied to the light diffusing member 128a from above. In addition, since the above-mentioned protrusions 10c are located on the right and left sides of the light diffusing member 128a, it is possible to prevent force from being applied to the light diffusing member 128a in the left-right direction.

[0070] 14, a connector 33 is provided on a lower portion 121e of a front surface 121a of the central portion 121. The connector 33 is located below the light-emitting portion 128. Therefore, the upper side of the end of the cable connected to the connector 33 can be protected by the light-emitting portion 128.

[0071] As shown in Fig. 15 and Fig. 16, the housing 140 of the operating device 101 has an upper housing half 141 that opens downward and a lower housing half 142 that opens upward, which are combined in the vertical direction. The held portions 110R, 110L and the central portion 121 are formed by the housing halves 141, 142. The held portions 110R, 110L have a strip-shaped wall member 143 (the wall member 143 is shaded in Fig. 15 and Fig. 16 for clarity). The wall member 143 is disposed between a lower edge 141a of the upper housing half 141 and an upper edge 142a of the lower housing half 142, and forms a part of the side surface of the held portions 110R, 110L. In the right held portion 110R, the wall member 143 extends from the right side surface (outer surface in the left-right direction) of the front part of the held portion 110R through the right side surface and rear end of the grip 112 to the left side surface (inner surface in the left-right direction) of the grip 112. In the left held portion 110L, the wall member 143 extends from the left side surface (outer surface in the left-right direction) of the front part of the held portion 110L to the right side surface (inner surface in the left-right direction) of the grip 112 through the left side surface and rear end of the grip 112. This prevents the edges 141a and 142a of the housing halves 141 and 142 from being positioned at a position that is easily touched by the hand of the user who holds the held portions 110R and 110L. As a result, the feel obtained when holding the held portions 110R and 110L can be improved.

[0072] As shown in FIG. 11 and FIG. 16, an operation button 135 is provided on the inner surface of the left and right grips 112. The operation button 135 is located between the lower edge 141a of the upper housing half 141 and the upper edge 142a of the lower housing half 142, similar to the wall member 143. The operation button 135 has a width in the up-down direction that is approximately equal to that of the wall member 143, and is located in the extension direction of the wall member 143 with respect to the wall member 143. This makes the operation button 135 less noticeable, and improves the appearance of the operating device 101. The operation button 135 is also flush with the housing halves 141 and 142. This makes it possible to prevent fingers gripping the grips 112 from accidentally pressing the operation button 135.

[0073] As shown in FIG. 11, the held parts 110R, 110L are provided with operation buttons 117R, 117L corresponding to the above-mentioned operation buttons 17R, 17L. The operation buttons 117R, 117L are located behind an operation member (in this example, the operation stick 31) provided at the front of the held parts 110R, 110L. The operation buttons 117R, 117L are located outward in the left-right direction with respect to an operation member (in this example, the operation button 11 and the directional key 19) provided at the rear of the central part 121. As shown in FIG. 13, the operation buttons 117R, 117L are offset forward with respect to the operation button 11 and the directional key 19. That is, the operation buttons 117R, 117L are located forward of the center C of the operation button 11 and the directional key 19.

[0074] 16, the position of the upper surface of the operation button 11 and the position of the upper surface of the directional key 19 are lower than the position of the upper surface of the operation stick 31. The position of the upper surfaces of the operation buttons 117R, 117L are even lower than the positions of the upper surfaces of the operation button 11 and the directional key 19. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the operation buttons 117R, 117L from being pressed accidentally while the operation button 11 or the directional key 19 is being operated.

[0075] As shown in Fig. 11, the held parts 110R, 110L in this example have a slightly recessed recess 110f on the upper surface of their front parts. That is, an arc-shaped frame part 110g is formed around the operation stick 31 so as to surround the operation stick 31. The inside of this frame part 110g is recessed. The operation buttons 117R, 117L are provided in this recess 110f. Therefore, while the position of the upper surface of the operation buttons 117R, 117L is lower than the position of the upper surface of the operation button 11 and the position of the upper surface of the directional key 19, the height of the operation buttons 117R, 117L, i.e., the amount of protrusion from the recess 110f, can be secured.

[0076] [Third example of a control device] 18 to 21 are diagrams showing an operation device 101 as a third example. Fig. 18 is a plan view. Fig. 19 is a perspective view. Fig. 20 is a front view. Fig. 21 is a bottom view. In these figures, the same parts as those in the operation device 1 are given the same reference numerals. The following will mainly explain the points that are different from the operation device 1, and matters that are not explained are the same as those in the operation device 1.

[0077] As shown in FIG. 18, the operation device 201 has a plate-shaped operation member 222 on the upper surface of the central portion 21. The operation member 222 includes a touch sensor 223 and a surface panel 224, similar to the operation member 22. The touch sensor 223 is located between the operation members (i.e., the operation button 11 and the directional key 19) of the left and right held portions 10L and 10R. The operation member 222 is supported so as to be able to move up and down in response to a user's pressing operation. The surface panel 224 in this example is rectangular and has approximately the same width as the touch sensor 223. In this example, the surface panel 224 and the surfaces of the operation areas CR and CL in which the operation button 11 and the directional key 19 are respectively arranged are located on the same plane. That is, unlike the operation device 1, the operation device 201 does not have a step around the operation areas CR and CL.

[0078] 19, like the operating member 22, the operating member 222 includes a portion that forms the upper surface of the central portion 21 and a portion that forms the front surface 21a of the central portion 21. That is, the front edge of the operating member 222 (i.e., the front edge of the front panel 224) forms the front edge of the upper surface of the central portion 21. In this example, the frontmost portion of the front panel 224 has a substantially L-shaped cross section, and the front panel 224 has a front portion 224f that extends downward from the front edge.

[0079] As shown in FIG. 18, the operation device 201 has operation buttons 217R, 217L having the same functions as the above-mentioned operation buttons 17R, 17L on the right and left sides of the operation member 222. The operation buttons 217R, 217L are located between the four operation buttons 11 and the directional key 19, and are located forward of the four operation buttons 11 and the directional key 19. Therefore, the user can operate the operation button 217R by stretching a finger placed on any of the operation buttons 11 while holding the held portion 10R. Similarly, the user can operate the operation button 217L by stretching a finger placed on the directional key 19 while holding the held portion 10L. The upper surfaces of the operation buttons 217R, 217L do not protrude from the surface of the surface panel 224. The upper surfaces of the operation buttons 217R, 217L in this example are located on the same plane as the surface of the surface panel 224. Therefore, when the user operates the operation member 22, it is possible to prevent the user from accidentally pressing the operation buttons 217R and 217L.

[0080] As described above, the held parts 10R, 10L have the protruding parts 10c on their front faces. As shown in Figs. 19 and 20, the operating device 201 has the light emitting part 228 on the front face 21a of the central part 21. The light emitting part 228 is located between the left and right protruding parts 10c. The light emitting part 228 has a rectangular shape elongated in the left-right direction when viewed from the front. The left and right edges of the light emitting part 228 have a larger distance between them and the protruding part 10c compared to the light emitting part 28 described above. Therefore, when the user operates the operation buttons 15, 16 provided on the protruding part 10c, it is possible to more effectively prevent the light of the light emitting part 228 from being blocked by the user's fingers.

[0081] In this example, the width of the light-emitting unit 228 in the left-right direction is smaller than the width of the operation member 22 in the left-right direction, as shown in FIG. 20. The rightmost and leftmost parts of the operation member 22 are located to the right and left of the light-emitting unit 228, respectively. When the user presses the rightmost or leftmost part of the operation member 22 while holding the operation device 201 so that the front side of the operation device 201 is lowered, the tip of the finger may exceed the front edge of the operation member 22. Even in such a case, since the width of the light-emitting unit 228 in the left-right direction is smaller than the operation member 22, it is possible to prevent the user's finger from blocking the light of the light-emitting unit 228. As shown in FIG. 19, the operation device 201 has a convex portion 21d on the front surface 21a of the central portion 21, similar to the operation device 1. The light-emitting unit 228 and the convex portion 21d form a series of overhanging portions 221e extending in the left-right direction. This series of overhanging portions 221e is connected to the left and right protrusions 10c.

[0082] The overhanging portion 221e overhangs forward from the front edge of the operation member 222 (more specifically, the front surface portion 224f of the surface panel 224). The rear edge 228d of the light emitting portion 228 is located forward from the front edge of the operation member 222 as shown in FIG. 18. In other words, the front edge of the operation member 222 is located rearward from the rear edge 228d of the light emitting portion 228. Therefore, even if the user's finger is placed on the front edge of the operation member 222, it is possible to prevent the user's finger from obstructing the acquisition of light from the light emitting portion 228 by the camera. Particularly in this example, in a plan view of the operation device 201, the base portion 221f of the overhanging portion 221e is also located forward from the front edge of the operation member 222. Therefore, it is possible to more effectively prevent the user's finger from obstructing the acquisition of light from the light emitting portion 228 by the camera. Note that the front edge of the operation member 222 may be provided so as to overlap with the base portion 221f of the overhanging portion 221e in a plan view.

[0083] As shown in FIG. 20, the light-emitting unit 228 has a larger width W2 in the vertical direction than the light-emitting unit 28. In this example, the width W2 of the light-emitting unit 228 corresponds to the vertical width of the front surface 21a of the central portion 21. More specifically, the width W2 of the light-emitting unit 228 corresponds to the distance between the lower edge of the front surface 21a of the central portion 21 (i.e., the front edge 221L of the lower surface 221g described later) and the front edge of the operation member 22 (in this example, the lower edge of the front surface 224f of the surface panel 224). That is, the light-emitting unit 28 makes maximum use of the vertical width of the front surface 21a. In this example, the overhanging portion 221e has a vertical width corresponding to the vertical width of the front surface 21a of the central portion 21, more specifically, a vertical width approximately equal to the vertical width of the front surface 21a. The light-emitting unit 228 is provided from the upper edge (base portion 221f) of the overhanging portion 221e to the lower edge. Since light-emitting unit 228 has a relatively large vertical width, a camera provided in an information processing device can easily capture light from light-emitting unit 228. Light-emitting unit 228 has, on its front surface, a light diffusion member having a function similar to that of light diffusion member 28a of light-emitting unit 28. Therefore, the entire front surface of light-emitting unit 228 emits light.

[0084] The light emitting unit 228 is provided on the overhanging portion 221e and protrudes forward from the front surface 21a of the central portion 21. As shown in FIG. 18, the protruding width of the light emitting unit 228 in this example is approximately equal to the protruding width W3 of the protruding portion 10c provided on the held portions 10R and 10L. In other words, when the operating device 201 is viewed in plan, the position of the front end of the light emitting unit 228 in the front-rear direction approximately coincides with that of the front end 10e of the protruding portion 10c. Therefore, even if the user holds the operating device 201 while tilting it to the right or left, it is possible to prevent the light of the light emitting unit 228 from being blocked by the protruding portion 10c. The front surface of the light emitting unit 228 is curved in an arc shape. In this example, the cross section of the light emitting unit 228 perpendicular to the extension direction of the light emitting unit 228 is a semicircle. Therefore, even if the operating device 201 is held at an angle, it is possible to prevent the change in the shape of the light emitting unit 228 recognized by the camera.

[0085] As shown in FIG. 19 and FIG. 21, the central part 21 of the operating device 201 has a lower surface 221g. The central part 21 has a connector 233 on the lower surface 221g, into which a connector of a cable can be inserted from the front side of the operating device 201. That is, the central part 21 has the connector 233 on its lower side, and the insertion port of the connector 233 into which the cable is inserted opens toward the front. The front part 221j of the lower surface 221g protrudes forward from the insertion port of the connector 233 (the front end of the connector 233). This can effectively prevent the progression of light from the light emitting part 228 from being blocked by the cable connected to the connector 233 or the connector at the front end of the cable. The insertion port of the connector 233 may face diagonally downward. This makes it possible to ensure a greater distance between the cable connected to the connector 233 and the light emitting part 228.

[0086] As shown in FIG. 19, the lower surface 221g of the central portion 21 has a bulging portion 221h that bulges downward. The connector 233 is housed in the bulging portion 221h, and its insertion port is exposed forward from the front surface of the bulging portion 221h. As shown in FIG. 20, the lowermost portion (in this example, the lower end of the rearmost portion) of the held portions 10R and 10L and the lower end 10d of the protruding portion 10c are located at a position lower than the bulging portion 221h. Therefore, even if the user places the operating device 201 on a flat surface for storage, for example, the connector provided at the end of the cable is prevented from contacting the flat surface. As a result, it is possible to prevent a load from being applied to the connector 233.

[0087] As shown in FIG. 19, the front part 221j of the lower surface 221g is formed at an angle and extends forward and upward. Therefore, when a user inserts the connector of the cable into the connector 233, the connector of the cable can be guided into the connector 233 by the front part 221j. As a result, the connector of the cable can be smoothly inserted. The front part 221j in this example is gently curved. Note that the front part 221j may be an inclined plane. The front part 221j is formed with a groove 221k having a width corresponding to the width of the connector of the cable. When the connector of the cable is inserted into the connector 233, the end of the cable is disposed in the groove 221k. Therefore, even if the operating device 201 moves during use of the operating device 201, the load acting on the connector 233 in the left-right direction can be reduced.

[0088] 20, the light-emitting unit 228 and the connector 233 are positioned apart in the up-down direction when viewed from the front. The operation device 201 has a circuit board inside. One of the light source (e.g., an LED) of the light-emitting unit 228 and the connector 233 is mounted on the circuit board, and the other is separated from the circuit board in the up-down direction. The other is connected to the circuit board via a cable or the like.

[0089] 20, the light source of the light emitting unit 228 is mounted on the circuit board 251. The operation device 201 in this example is disposed below the circuit board 251 and further includes a circuit board 252 facing the circuit board 251. The connector 233 is mounted on the circuit board 252. The circuit boards 251 and 252 are connected through an electric wire (not shown). A control circuit that controls the operation device 201 is mounted on the circuit board 251, and data transmitted and received through the connector 233 is input to the control circuit of the circuit board 251 through the circuit board 252 and the electric wire.

[0090] Connector 233 is mounted on the lower surface of circuit board 252. Meanwhile, the light source of light-emitting unit 228 is mounted on, for example, the upper surface of circuit board 251. This ensures a large distance between connector 233 and light-emitting unit 228 in the vertical direction. As a result, it is possible to effectively prevent a cable connected to connector 233 from interfering with the light of light-emitting unit 228. Note that circuit board 252 does not necessarily have to be provided. For example, connector 233 may be connected to circuit board 251 by an electric wire without going through a circuit board.

[0091] As described above, the operating device 201 has an upper surface on which the first operating member (the operating button 11 and the directional key 19 in the above description) is provided, and has left and right held parts 10R, 10L that are positioned apart from each other in the left-right direction to be held by the user. The operating device 201 also has a central part 21 that connects the left and right held parts 10R, 10L, a light emitting part 228 provided on a front surface 21a of the central part 21, a connector 233 provided on a lower surface 221g of the central part 21 and into which a cable can be inserted from the front side, and a lower surface 221g of the central part 21 that is provided on a front part of the central part 21 and protrudes forward beyond the connector 233. This operating device 201 can prevent the cable connected to the connector 233 from interfering with the progress of light from the light emitting part 228.

[0092] The operation device can be modified in various ways.

[0093] For example, the operation button 135 of the grip 12, 112 does not necessarily have to be provided on the operation device.

[0094] In addition, the positions of the operation buttons 17R, 17L do not have to be behind the operation members (the operation button 11 and the directional key 19) provided in the front parts of the held parts 10R, 10L. The operation buttons 17R, 17L may be disposed, for example, between the left and right operation sticks 31.

[0095] Furthermore, the light emitting portion 28 provided on the front surface of the central portion 21 does not necessarily have to protrude forward.

[0096] Furthermore, in the operating device 101, the upper portion 121d of the front surface 121a of the central portion 121 does not have to protrude forward relative to the lower portion 121e.

[0097] In addition, the upper surface of the housing constituting the operating device 1, 101, 201 may have an edge located on the front side of the operating member 22, 122, 222.

[0098] Furthermore, a plurality of light emitting sections may be provided on the front surface 21a of the central portion 21. In this case, the plurality of light emitting sections may be arranged side by side in the left-right direction.

[0099] [Embodiments of the present invention] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 22 and Fig. 23 are perspective views of an operation device 301 which is an example of an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 22 is a view of the upper side of the operation device 301, and Fig. 23 is a view of the front side of the operation device 301. Fig. 24 is a plan view of the operation device 301, and Fig. 25 is a front view of the operation device 301. Fig. 26 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XXVI-XXVI shown in Fig. 24. In these figures, the same reference numerals are used to denote the same parts as in the operation devices described so far. Below, differences from the operation devices described so far will be mainly described, and matters not described are the same as the operation devices described so far.

[0100] As shown in FIG. 22, the operating device 301 has held parts 310L, 310R on its left and right parts, respectively, for the user to hold. The operating device 301 also has a central part 321 between the held parts 310L, 310R. Operating members (specifically, the operation button 11 and the directional key 19) for the user to operate are provided on the upper surfaces of the front parts of the held parts 310L, 310R. The operating device 301 has a housing 340. The housing 340 forms the outer surface of the operating device 301 and contains various parts provided in the operating device 301. The housing 340 in this example has an upper housing half 341 and a lower housing half 349, which are combined with each other in the up-down direction.

[0101] As shown in Fig. 23, the operating device 301 has a light-emitting surface 328c on the front surface of the central portion 321. The light from the light-emitting surface 328c is captured by a camera connected to an information processing device. As shown in Fig. 26, the operating device 301 has a light source G (a light-emitting diode in this example) that emits visible light, and a plate-shaped light diffusion member 328 having a front surface that functions as the light-emitting surface 328c. The light from the light source G passes through the light diffusion member 328 and is emitted from the entire light-emitting surface 328c. In other words, the light-emitting surface 328c emits light from a surface.

[0102] The operation device 301 includes a plurality of light sources G of different colors (e.g., red, green, and blue light sources). The operation device 301 adjusts the luminance of each light source G, so that the light-emitting surface 328c shines in a color designated by the information processing device or in a color corresponding to the operating state of the operation device 301. In this way, even when a plurality of operation devices 301 are used simultaneously, the information processing device can detect the positions of each of the operation devices 301.

[0103] 26, a light guide member 329 is disposed inside the light diffusion member 328. The light source G is mounted on the lower surface of the circuit board 70, and is located above the light guide member 329. The light of the light source G is diffused within the light guide member 329 and the light diffusion member 328, and is emitted from the light emitting surface 328c. The position of the light source G is not limited thereto. For example, the light source G may be disposed on the left or right of the members 328, 329.

[0104] The central portion 321 includes a portion located above the light-emitting surface 328c. The light-emitting surface 328c is arranged so as to be hidden by this portion of the central portion 321. As shown in FIG. 26, the operating device 301 also has a surface panel 324 that constitutes the upper surface of the central portion 321, similar to the operating device 1 and the like described above. The light-emitting surface 328c is located below the surface panel 324 and arranged so as to face diagonally forward and downward. Due to this layout of the light-emitting surface 328c, when the central portion 321 is viewed from above, the light-emitting surface 328c is hidden by the surface panel 324. More specifically, when the central portion 321 is viewed diagonally from above and from the front, the light-emitting surface 328c is hidden by the surface panel 324. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the light from a lighting device or the like in a room where the operating device 301 is used from hitting and reflecting the light-emitting surface 328c. Note that the member located above the light-emitting surface 328c does not necessarily have to be the surface panel 324. For example, upper housing half 341 may be formed with a portion located above light emitting surface 328c.

[0105] The central portion 321 has a portion located above the light-emitting surface 328c and in front of the light-emitting surface 328c. As shown in FIG. 26, this portion includes the front portion of the surface panel 324 (hereinafter, the front portion 324c). The front portion 324c protrudes forward from the upper edge 328d of the light-emitting surface 328c. This makes it possible to more effectively prevent the light from the indoor lighting device from hitting the light-emitting surface 328c. Note that the front portion 324c of the surface panel 324 does not necessarily have to protrude forward from the upper edge 328d of the light-emitting surface 328c. For example, the front portion 324c may be a flat plate extending upward from the position of the upper edge 328d of the light-emitting surface 328c.

[0106] As shown in Fig. 26, the light-emitting surface 328c in this example is a flat surface facing diagonally downward. That is, the light-emitting surface 328c is inclined so that its upper edge 328d is located forward of its lower edge 328e. This shape of the light-emitting surface 328c makes it easier for the light-emitting surface 328c to be hidden by the front panel 324, compared to a structure in which the light-emitting surface is curved so as to bulge forward. In addition, when the user holds the operating device 301 in a state in which it is slightly tilted upward, the light-emitting surface 328c can face the camera.

[0107] The lower part of the front surface of the central part 321 faces diagonally downward. As shown in FIG. 23, the light-emitting surface 328c is provided on a common plane with the front surface of the central part 321. In other words, the light-emitting surface 328c and the part surrounding the outer periphery of the light-emitting surface 328c are located on approximately the same plane. In this example, the front surface 349b of the housing 340 (more specifically, the lower housing half 349) is a slope that faces diagonally downward. The front surface 349b includes a surface 349c that extends diagonally upward and forward from the upper edge of the light-emitting surface 328c. This surface 349c, together with the front part 324c of the surface panel 324, is located forward of the light-emitting surface 328c. An opening for exposing the light-emitting surface 328c is formed in the front surface of the housing 340, and the light-emitting surface 328c is flush with the edge of the opening of the housing 340. The light-emitting surface 328c may be recessed with respect to its surrounding parts.

[0108] 26, connector 333 is provided on the front surface of central portion 321, located below light-emitting surface 328c. Even if the cable terminal accidentally hits light-emitting surface 328c in the process of inserting the cable terminal into connector 333, the cable terminal can be guided into connector 333 by light-emitting surface 328c which is formed flush with the surrounding parts. In addition, it is possible to prevent external force from acting from above on the cable terminal to be inserted into connector 333.

[0109] As shown in FIG. 23, the left and right held parts 310L, 310R each have an operation button 15, 16 on its front surface. The operation button 15, 16 protrudes forward from the front surface of the center part 321. As described above, the light emitting surface 328c is formed to face diagonally downward, and its lower edge 328e is located behind the upper edge 328d. The connector 333 is provided below the lower edge 328e of the light emitting surface 328c. In particular, in this example, the connector 333 is located behind the lower edge 328e of the light emitting surface 328c (see FIG. 26). According to this structure, a large distance is secured between the operation buttons 15, 16 and the connector 33 compared to a structure in which the light emitting surface 328c is arranged to face straight forward. As a result, when a user places a finger on the operation button 15, 16, the finger can be prevented from touching a part close to the terminal of the cable, and a load can be prevented from being applied to the connector 333.

[0110] As shown in Fig. 25, the light-emitting surface 328c has a shape elongated in the left-right direction. In this example, the light-emitting surface 328c is substantially triangular. With such a shape, the information processing device can easily distinguish the light of the light-emitting surface 328c from other light. As a result, the position detection accuracy of the operation device 301 can be improved. The light-emitting surface 328c may be polygonal.

[0111] As shown in FIG. 25, the light-emitting surface 328c has a shape corresponding to the front surface of the central portion 321. In this example, the front surface of the central portion 321 has a lower edge that is bent at the center. That is, the lower edge of the front surface has a portion 321a that extends obliquely from the center to the right and upward, and a portion 321b that extends from the center to the left and upward. Similarly to the lower edge of the front surface of the central portion 321, the lower edge 328e of the light-emitting surface 328c also has a portion that extends obliquely from the center to the right and upward, and a portion that extends from the center to the left and upward. This makes it easier to ensure the size of the light-emitting surface 328c.

[0112] As shown in FIG. 24, the operating device 301 has a plate-shaped operating member 322 on the upper surface of the central part 321, similar to the operating devices of the first to third examples described above. The operating member 322 includes a touch sensor 23 (see FIG. 26) and a surface panel 324. The touch sensor 23 is located between the operating members (i.e., the operating button 11 and the direction key 19) of the left and right held parts 310L and 310R. A switch 71 (see FIG. 26) for detecting that the operating member 322 is pressed is disposed below the operating member 322. Therefore, the operating member 322 functions as a button that can be turned on / off. As shown in FIG. 22, the operating device 301 has operating buttons 317R and 317L corresponding to the above-mentioned operating buttons 217R and 217L on the right and left sides of the operating member 322.

[0113] In this example, the front panel 324 protrudes slightly upward from the portions surrounding the rear edge, left edge, and right edge of the front panel 324 (the edges of the opening formed in the housing 340). Therefore, a step is formed around the front panel 324. This allows the user to recognize the position of the operation member 322 with a finger placed on the central portion 321 without looking at the operation device 301.

[0114] Similar to the example of FIG. 10, a plurality of elastic members (e.g., springs and rubber) are disposed below the operating member 322. The operating member 322 is supported by these elastic members so that it can move up and down regardless of which position of the operating member 322 is pressed. As shown in FIG. 26, a circuit board 70 on which a switch 71 is mounted is disposed below the operating member 322. The operating member 322 has a pressing part 25a for pressing the switch 71 in the center of its lower surface. The operating member 322 in this example has a frame 25 on its lower surface, and the pressing part 25a is formed on the frame 25. The frame 25 is substantially box-shaped, and a drive circuit 26 for the touch sensor 23 is disposed inside the frame 25.

[0115] As shown in FIG. 26, the operation member 322 (specifically, the surface panel 324), like the operation member 22 and the like described above, includes a portion constituting the upper surface of the central portion 321 (hereinafter referred to as the upper surface portion 324a) and a portion constituting the front surface of the central portion 321 (front surface portion 324c). This structure allows the user to smoothly slide his / her finger forward on the surface panel 324. In addition, the user can easily press the frontmost portion of the upper surface portion 324a of the surface panel 324. Furthermore, the front surface portion 324c can increase the rigidity of the front portion of the surface panel 324.

[0116] As shown in Fig. 26, the touch sensor 23 is attached to an upper surface portion 324a of the surface panel 324. The front surface portion 324c extends beyond the front edge of the touch sensor 23 while curving downward. The front surface portion 324c in this example has an arc-shaped cross section. The housing 340 is formed with an opening that exposes the surface panel 324. The front edge 349a of the opening of the housing 340 is located below the lower edge of the front surface portion 324c.

[0117] 25, front surface 324c of surface panel 324 extends downward beyond lower edge 341a of the front surface of upper housing half 341, and front edge 349a of the opening is provided at the upper edge of lower housing half 349. This structure of housing halves 341, 349 allows the vertical width of front surface 324c to be large.

[0118] 26, upper housing half 341 has, at its front portion, beam portion 341b that is located inside front surface portion 324c of surface panel 324 and extends in the left-right direction. Beam portion 341b can compensate for the reduction in rigidity of upper housing half 341 caused by upper housing half 341 not having a portion located below front surface portion 324c.

[0119] The central portion 321 is configured so that light from the light source G leaks from its upper surface. Specifically, the surface panel 324 is formed of a material that transmits light. The surface panel 324 has a portion beyond the front edge of the touch sensor 23. The light source G, a member that reflects the light of the light source G, and a member that receives the light of the light source G and emits light are arranged below the portion beyond the front edge of the touch sensor 23. This causes light to leak from the portion beyond the front edge of the touch sensor 23. In the example shown in FIG. 24 and FIG. 26, the upper surface portion 324a of the surface panel 324 has a portion 324d that is slightly forward and beyond the front edge of the touch sensor 23. The front surface portion 324c extends downward from the portion 324d while curving. The light diffusion member 328 and the light guide member 329 are located below the portion 324d and the front surface portion 324c. Therefore, the light emitted upward from the light diffusion member 328 leaks upward through the portion 324d. The light source G may be disposed below the portion 324d of the front panel 324. The upper or lower surface of the front panel 324 may be colored to define the position from which light leaks.

[0120] A user can recognize the color of the light from the light source G by looking at the light emitted from the portion 324d. This is particularly effective when multiple operation devices 301 are used simultaneously. That is, in one example of processing by the information processing device, the operation devices 301 are identified by the color of the light-emitting surface 328c, and objects corresponding to each operation device 301 are displayed. The user can recognize the object being moved through the operation device 301 by the light leaking from the upper surface of the central portion 321.

[0121] As shown in Fig. 23, the bottom 349e of the housing 340 (more specifically, the lower housing half 349) bulges downward at its left-right center. That is, the bottom 349e has a slope on its right side that faces diagonally rightward and downward, and a slope on its left side that faces diagonally leftward and downward. This shape of the bottom 349e can increase the rigidity of the bottom 349e.

[0122] 25, a connector 333, a circuit board 336 with the connector 333 attached to its underside, and a battery 337 are arranged inside lower housing half 349. Connector 333 is arranged at the bottom of lower housing half 349, and connector 333, circuit board 336, and battery 337 are arranged in this order from the bottom. The left-right widths of these three components are larger the higher they are arranged. This makes it possible to prevent wasted space from being generated inside bottom 349e.

[0123] 22, a connector 334 is provided on the rear surface of the central portion 321. The connector 34 is connected to, for example, a cable for headphones or earphones. In addition, other devices that expand the functions of the operating device 1 may be connected to the connector 34.

[0124] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible.

[0125] For example, the light emitting surface 328c may face straight forward. In this case, the frontmost part of the front panel 324 may have an eave shape that protrudes forward from the light emitting surface 328c.

[0126] Additionally, edge 349 a of housing 340 located below surface panel 324 may be formed on upper housing half 341 .

[0127] Fig. 27 and Fig. 28 are diagrams showing modified examples of the operation device 301 shown in Fig. 22 to Fig. 26. In the examples shown in these figures, mainly the layout of the light source G is different from the examples shown in Fig. 22 to Fig. 26. Fig. 27 is a perspective view showing the light source G and the light guiding member 327. Fig. 28 is a cross-sectional view, and the cut surface is the same as Fig. 26.

[0128] In these examples, the central portion 321 also has a light-emitting panel 328. The light-emitting panel 328 is a light diffusing member that diffuses light therein. The light source G is disposed at a position away from the light-emitting panel 328 toward the rear. More specifically, the light source G is disposed at a position away from the center of the light-emitting panel 328 in the left-right direction toward the rear. As described above, the central portion 321 has a circuit board 336 that is disposed downward and away from the circuit board 70 on which the switch 71 is mounted. The light source G in the example described here is mounted on the upper surface of the circuit board 336. The light source G is mounted on the circuit board 336 so that its light is emitted forward.

[0129] The central portion 321 in the example shown here has a light guide plate 327. The light guide plate 327 is arranged to extend forward from the light source G toward the back surface of the light emitting panel 328 (see FIG. 28). As shown in FIG. 27, the light guide plate 327 has left and right side surfaces 327a that are inclined so that the width of the light guide plate 327 in the left and right direction gradually increases toward the front. According to such a shape of the light guide plate 327, the light emitted from the light source G travels forward while being reflected by the left and right side surfaces 327a, the upper surface 327b, and the lower surface 327c of the light guide plate 327, and spreads in the left and right direction in the process. As a result, it is possible to light the entire area of ​​the light emitting panel 328 that is elongated in the left and right direction. The light source G is arranged at a position rearward from the portion between the left and right ends of the light emitting panel 328. In the example described here, the light source G is arranged at a position rearward from the center of the light emitting panel 328 in the left and right direction. Therefore, the light guide plate 327 has a left-right symmetrical shape. The light source G is located behind the rear end of the light guiding plate 327.

[0130] By increasing the distance from light-emitting panel 328 to light source G, i.e., the distance from light-emitting panel 328 to the rear end of light-guiding plate 327, light traveling through light-guiding plate 327 is more likely to be reflected by side surface 327a. For this reason, it is desirable to have a large distance from light-emitting panel 328 to light source G. In the example shown in FIG. 28, light source G is disposed at the rear end of circuit board 336.

[0131] As shown in FIG. 28, the circuit board 336 is disposed at a lower position than the light-emitting panel 328. More specifically, the circuit board 336 is disposed at a lower position than the lower edge 328e of the light-emitting panel 328. In the example described here, the light source G is also disposed at a lower position than the lower edge 328e of the light-emitting panel 328. The light guide plate 327 has a first plate portion 327A extending forward from the light source G. The first plate portion 327A is disposed along the circuit board 336. That is, the first plate portion 327A is disposed horizontally. The light guide plate 327 also has a second plate portion 327B disposed along the back surface of the light-emitting panel 328. The light guide plate 327 has a curved portion 327d formed between the first plate portion 327A and the second plate portion 327B. The light entering the second plate portion 327B from the first plate portion 327A is always reflected on the surface of the curved portion 327d. Therefore, by providing the curved portion 327d in the light guide plate 327, the number of times the light is reflected increases. As a result, the light traveling in the light guide plate 327 is more likely to spread in the left-right direction. As described above, the battery 337 is disposed between the circuit board 336 and the circuit board 70. In the example described here, the curvature of the light guide plate 327 can also prevent interference between the light guide plate 327 and the battery 337. A member that reflects light may be attached to the surface of the curved portion 327d (for example, a surface facing diagonally downward). Also, the surface of the curved portion 327d may be processed to reflect light. That is, a member that totally reflects light, such as a mirror surface, may be attached to the surface of the curved portion 327d, or a surface processing may be performed.

[0132] As described above, the light-emitting panel 328 is disposed so as to face diagonally downward. As shown in FIG. 28, the second plate portion 327B is disposed along the back surface of the light-emitting panel 328 and is inclined in the same manner as the light-emitting panel 328. On the other hand, the first plate portion 327A is disposed along the circuit board 336 and is horizontal. That is, the first plate portion 327A is disposed perpendicular to the up-down direction. Therefore, an obtuse angle θ is formed between the first plate portion 327A and the second plate portion 327B. This allows the curved portion 327d to be curved gently. As a result, it is possible to prevent the light traveling inside the light guide plate 327 from passing through the surface of the curved portion 327d without traveling to the second plate portion 327B.

[0133] As shown in FIG. 27, the back surface of the second plate portion 327B (the surface opposite to the light-emitting panel 328) is textured (FIG. 27 shows a plurality of recesses 327e for clarity of the textured surface). This textured surface makes it easier for light hitting the back surface of the second plate portion 327B to be reflected forward. As a result, the brightness of the light-emitting panel 328 can be increased. The textured surface is provided in an area of ​​the back surface of the second plate portion 327B that corresponds to the light-emitting panel 328. In the example described here, a reflecting plate 326 is attached to the back surface of the second plate portion 327B as shown in FIG. 28. This makes it easier for light traveling through the second plate portion 327B to be reflected forward.

[0134] Electronic components are disposed on the upper surface of the circuit board 336. The first plate portion 327A is disposed above the electronic components. In the example described here, as shown in FIG. 28, a connector 336a to which a cable electrically connecting the circuit board 336 and the circuit board 70 is connected is mounted on the upper surface of the circuit board 336, and the first plate portion 327A is disposed above the connector 336a. The lower surface of the first plate portion 327 has an inclined surface 327f to avoid interference between the first plate portion 327A and the connector 336a. The light source G is disposed rearward and away from the connector 336a. Therefore, the inclination of the inclined surface 327f of the first plate portion 327A can be made gentle. As a result, it is possible to suppress the light from passing through the inclined surface 327f. That is, the light is easily totally reflected by the inclined surface 327f.

[0135] 27, an attachment portion 327g protruding in the left-right direction is formed at the rear of the first plate portion 327A. A protrusion 349f protruding from a bottom portion 349e of the central portion 321 is fitted into a hole formed in this attachment portion 327g. In this way, the light guide plate 327 is attached to the bottom portion 349e.

[0136] 27 and 28, the light source G is attached to the circuit board 336. However, the light source G may be attached to the circuit board 70. In this case, the light source G may be disposed rearward and away from the light-emitting panel 328, and the above-mentioned light-guiding plate 327 may be disposed therebetween.

[0137] Furthermore, if no components such as the battery 337 are disposed between the circuit board 336 and the circuit board 70, the light guide plate 327 does not necessarily have to have the curved portion 327d.

Claims

1. an upper surface on which an operation stick extending in the vertical direction is provided; a lower surface which is the surface opposite to the upper surface, The lower surface has a bulging portion that bulges downward at a portion of the lower surface, The bulge has an insertion opening that opens in the front-rear direction. Operating device.

2. The insertion port is an insertion port through which a cable is inserted. The operating device according to claim 1 .

3. The lower surface has a groove formed in a front-rear direction of the insertion opening, The groove extends in the front-rear direction. The operating device according to claim 1 .

4. the insertion port is an insertion port into which a cable connector is inserted, When the connector of the cable is inserted into the insertion port, the end of the cable is disposed within the groove. The operating device according to claim 3 .

5. The front and A first operation button disposed on the right side of the front surface; a second operation button disposed on the left side of the front surface, The lower surface is a first portion extending rearward from the first operation button; a second portion extending rearward from the second operation button, The bulge is disposed between the first portion and the second portion. The operating device according to claim 1 .

6. The top surface and A lower surface which is a surface opposite to the upper surface; Left and right held portions to be held by a user; a first operating stick disposed on one of the right and left sides of a center line along a front-rear direction of the upper surface; A first operating member which is an operating button disposed on one of the right and left sides of the center line; a second operation member that is an operation button that is disposed on one of the right and left sides of the center line and has a size smaller than the first operation stick and the first operation member in a plan view; A second operating stick disposed on the opposite side of the first operating stick with respect to the center line; a third operating member disposed on an opposite side of the center line from the first operating member; a fourth operating member disposed on the opposite side of the center line from the second operating member; a groove formed on the lower surface, the second operation member is an operation button that functions as a shortcut button for instructing transmission of game data or user comments to a server, The second operating member and the fourth operating member are disposed symmetrically with respect to the center line and have the same shape. Operating device.

7. The groove is disposed between the left and right held portions and extends in the front-rear direction. The operating device according to claim 6.

8. The lower surface has a bulge portion disposed between the left and right held portions, The bulge has an insertion opening through which an accessory can be inserted. The operating device according to claim 6.

Images