Device

Abstract

To provide a device to which a controller can be fitted.SOLUTION: A device includes an annular part and a body part. The annular part is at least partially elastically deformable. The body part is fixed to the annular part. The body part includes: a fitting part to which a controller is detachably fitted; an incident hole upon which light emitted from the controller fitted to the fitting part is incident; and an emission port from which light that is incident on the incident hole is emitted.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 13

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a device to which a controller can be attached.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, there has been a device (for example, an attachment) to which a game controller can be attached (for example, see Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Conventional attachments can only perform operations of the same type as those performed on the game controller itself (for example, an operation of pressing a button), and cannot provide the user with an operation by a new operation method.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a device capable of performing a new operation using a game controller, and a system, a game system, or a device set including the device.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention employs the following configurations (1) to (27).

[0007] (1) An example of the present invention is a device including an annular portion, a detection portion, and a main body portion. At least a part of the annular portion is elastically deformable. The detection portion detects deformation of the annular portion. The main body portion is fixed to the annular portion. The main body portion includes a mounting portion, a terminal, and a transmission portion. The mounting portion is capable of mounting a game controller. The terminal is for electrically connecting to the game controller. The transmission portion transmits data regarding the detection result of the detection portion to the game controller via the terminal.

[0008] According to the configuration of (1) above, the deformation of the annular portion due to the user's operation is transmitted as data regarding the detection result of the detection portion to the game controller mounted on the device. Therefore, the user can perform a novel operation of deforming the device using the device and the game controller mounted thereon.

[0009] (2) The mounting portion may be provided on the central axis side of the ring formed by the annular portion in the main body portion.

[0010] According to the configuration of (2) above, since the game controller mounted on the device is located on the central axis side of the ring in the main body portion, the possibility that the game controller contacts other objects can be reduced.

[0011] (3) The mounting portion may be provided on the surface facing the center of the ring formed by the annular portion in the main body portion so that the game controller can be mounted toward the inside of the annular portion.

[0012] According to the configuration of (3) above, since the game controller is mounted toward the inside of the annular portion with respect to the main body portion, the possibility that the game controller contacts other objects can be reduced.

[0013] (4) At least a part of the mounting portion may be located inside the outer edge of the ring when the ring formed by the annular portion is viewed from the front.

[0014] According to the configuration of (4) above, when the ring is viewed from the front, at least a part of the game controller attached to the device is located inside the annular portion, so the possibility of the game controller contacting other objects can be reduced.

[0015] (5) The main body part may further include a protruding part that protrudes in a direction parallel to the central axis of the ring more than the annular part. The mounting part may be provided on the protruding part.

[0016] According to the configuration of (5) above, when the annular part is deformed, it can be made difficult for the annular part to contact the mounting part, and the possibility that the game controller comes off the device due to the annular part contacting the mounting part can be reduced.

[0017] (6) The annular part may include a plate-shaped elastic member. The elastic member may form a part of the ring such that the longitudinal direction of the elastic member is the circumferential direction of the annular part.

[0018] (7) The main body part may have a protruding part. The protruding part protrudes more than the annular part in the short direction of the elastic member forming the ring. The mounting part may be provided on the protruding part.

[0019] According to the configuration of (7) above, similar to the configuration of (5), when the annular part is deformed, it can be made difficult for the annular part to contact the mounting part.

[0020] (8) The mounting part may have a rail part. The game controller can be mounted by inserting the game controller from one end side of the rail part and sliding it to the other end side. The terminal may be provided on the other end side of the rail part.

[0021] According to the configuration of (8) above, the chance of the terminal contacting the game controller when the game controller is mounted on the rail part can be reduced.

[0022] (9) The annular portion may have two gripping portions for the user to grip directly or indirectly. The direction in which the rail portion extends may be substantially parallel to the direction from one of the two gripping portions to the other.

[0023] According to the configuration of (9) above, the user can attach the game controller to the device by horizontally sliding the game controller while gripping the two gripping portions horizontally. That is, it is possible to make it easier for the user to perform the attachment operation of the game controller in a state where the user is gripping the device.

[0024] (10) The attachment portion may have a rail portion. The game controller can be attached by inserting the game controller from one end side of the rail portion and sliding it to the other end side. The direction in which the rail portion extends may be perpendicular to the short side direction.

[0025] According to the configuration of (10) above, the rail portion can be arranged compactly.

[0026] (11) The main body portion may have a protruding portion. The protruding portion protrudes to one side or the other side in the front view direction from the annular portion when the ring formed by the annular portion is viewed from the front. The attachment portion may be provided on the protruding portion.

[0027] According to the configuration of (11) above, when the annular portion is deformed, it is possible to make it difficult for the annular portion to contact the attachment portion, and it is possible to reduce the possibility that the game controller comes off the device due to the annular portion contacting the attachment portion.

[0028] (12) The attachment portion may be configured such that the direction in which the direction input portion provided on the game controller faces in a state where the game controller is attached to the main body portion is the protruding direction of the annular portion of the protruding portion where the attachment portion is provided.

[0029] According to the configuration of (12) above, the direction input part of the game controller attached to the device is in a direction that is easy for the user to operate.

[0030] (13) The main body part may include a housing in which a hole is formed. The main body part may be formed such that the housing covers a part of the annular part with the annular part passing through the hole. The mounting part may be provided on one side or the other side in the front view direction from the hole of the housing when the ring formed by the annular part is viewed from the front.

[0031] According to the configuration of (13) above, similar to the configuration of (5) above, when the annular part is deformed, it is possible to make it difficult for the annular part to come into contact with the mounting part.

[0032] (14) When the ring formed by the annular part is viewed from the front, when the annular part is deformed so as to extend in a first direction connecting the center of the mounting part and the center of the ring and contract in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, the mounting part may be provided outside the region through which the annular part passes.

[0033] According to the configuration of (14) above, similar to the configuration of (5) above, when the annular part is deformed, it is possible to make it difficult for the annular part to come into contact with the mounting part.

[0034] (15) The mounting part may have a rail part into which the game controller can be inserted from one end side and slid to the other end side for mounting. The main body part may include a housing in which a hole is formed. The main body part may be formed such that the housing covers a part of the annular part with the annular part passing through the hole. The housing may have a protruding part provided with the rail part and a non-protruding part covering only a part of the annular part. In the direction in which the rail part extends, the length of the protruding part may be shorter than the length of the non-protruding part.

[0035] According to the configuration of (15) above, the housing can be made compact by making the protruding part of the housing shorter than the non-protruding part.

[0036] (16) The game controller may include a joystick as a direction input unit. The joystick has a tiltable shaft portion. When the direction in which the shaft portion of the joystick is tilted to give an upward instruction to the joystick of the game controller in a state where the game controller is attached to the device is defined as the upward direction, the attachment portion may be provided at a position on the upper side of the center of the ring formed by the annular portion among the annular portions.

[0037] According to the configuration of (16) above, when the user holds the grip portion and uses the expansion device, the game controller will be arranged above the expansion device. Therefore, even if the user accidentally drops the expansion device during use, it is difficult for an impact to be transmitted to the game controller, and the possibility of the game controller coming off the expansion device can be reduced.

[0038] (17) The detection unit may include a strain gauge.

[0039] According to the configuration of (17) above, based on the strain detected by the strain gauge, the deformation of the annular portion can be specified.

[0040] (18) The annular portion may include an elastic member and a pedestal portion. The elastic member has a first end portion and a second end portion, and at least a part thereof is elastically deformable. The pedestal portion holds the first end portion and the second end portion of the elastic member so that a ring is formed by the pedestal portion and the elastic member. The strain gauge may be provided on the pedestal portion and detect the strain generated in the pedestal portion due to the deformation of the elastic member.

[0041] According to the configuration of (18) above, the possibility of the strain gauge being damaged due to the deformation of the annular portion can be reduced.

[0042] (19) The pedestal portion may be made of a material having a rigidity higher than that of the elastically deformable portion of the elastic member.

[0043] According to the configuration of (19) above, the possibility of the strain gauge being damaged can be further reduced.

[0044] (20) The elastic member may have a linear shape in a state where no stress is applied. The pedestal portion may hold the elastic member in a state where stress is applied.

[0045] According to the configuration of (20) above, manufacturing can be facilitated by simplifying the shape of the elastic member in a state where no stress is applied.

[0046] (21) The main body portion may include a housing. The housing is fixed to the annular portion and covers only a part of the annular portion. The strain gauge may be provided inside the housing.

[0047] According to the configuration of (21) above, the strain gauge can be protected by the housing of the main body portion.

[0048] (22) The detection unit may operate by the power supplied via the terminal from the game controller in a state where the device is attached.

[0049] According to the configuration of (22) above, the detection unit can be operated even when the device itself does not have a power source.

[0050] (23) The transmission unit may operate by the power supplied via the terminal from the game controller in a state where the device is attached.

[0051] According to the configuration of (23) above, the transmission unit can be operated even when the device itself does not have a power source.

[0052] (24) The game controller may include an operation unit. The device may further include a marker. The marker is provided at a position aligned with the operation unit of the game controller when the game controller is attached to the device.

[0053] According to the configuration of (24) above, since the position when the game controller is correctly attached to the device can be indicated by the marker, it is possible to facilitate the operation of the user attaching the game controller to the device.

[0054] (25) The game controller may further include a light emitting unit. The main body unit may include a light guiding unit. The light guiding unit guides the light incident on the entrance provided on a predetermined surface of the rail unit from the light emitting unit of the game controller when the game controller is attached to the device to the exit provided on another surface of the main body unit different from the predetermined surface of the rail unit.

[0055] According to the configuration of (25) above, even when the game controller is supported by the expansion device, the user can confirm the light emission state of the light emitting unit of the game controller by the light from the exit.

[0056] (26) Another example of the present invention is a device including a first grip body, a second grip body, a deformation part, a detection part, and a main body part. The first grip body is gripped by one hand of the user. The second grip body is gripped by the other hand of the user. The deformation part deforms by the force applied to the first grip body and the second grip body. The detection part detects the deformation of the deformation part. The main body part is provided between the first grip body and the second grip body. The main body part includes a mounting part, a terminal, and a transmission part. The mounting part can mount a game controller. The terminal is for electrically connecting to the game controller. The transmission part is for transmitting data regarding the detection result of the detection part to the game controller via the first terminal. The main body part has a protruding part. The protruding part protrudes to one side or the other side in the front view direction from the first grip body and the second grip body when the device is viewed from the front. The mounting part is provided on the protruding part.

[0057] According to the configuration of (26) above, the deformation of the annular part caused by the user's operation is transmitted to the game controller attached to the device as data regarding the detection result of the detection part. Therefore, the user can perform a new operation of deforming the device by using the device and the game controller attached thereto.

[0058] (27) The main body part may include a housing in which a hole is formed. The main body part is formed such that the first gripping body and the second gripping body pass through the hole and the housing covers a part of the first gripping body and the second gripping body. The mounting part may be provided on one side or the other side in the front view direction from the hole when the device is viewed from the front.

[0059] According to the configuration of (27) above, when the deformation part is deformed, it is possible to make it difficult for the deformation part to come into contact with the mounting part, and it is possible to reduce the possibility that the game controller comes off the device due to the deformation part coming into contact with the mounting part.

[0060] Another example of the present invention may be a system including the device shown in (1) to (27) above and a game controller, or a game system including the device shown in (1) to (27) above, a game controller, and a main body device. The main body device includes a display part and a main body device side mounting part on which the game controller can be mounted.

[0061] Another example of the present invention may be a device set including a first game controller that can be mounted on the main body device and an expansion device on which a second game controller can be mounted. The device set includes a first expansion device on which the first game controller can be mounted and a second expansion device on which the second game controller can be mounted. The first expansion device is the device shown in (1) to (27) above. The second expansion device includes a mounting part on which the second game controller can be mounted and a belt for fastening the second expansion device to the user's body.

Effects of the Invention

[0062] According to the above device, system, game system, and device set, a novel operation of deforming the device can be provided to the user.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0063]

Figure 1

Figure 2

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Figure 10

Figure 11

Figure 12

Figure 13

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Figure 15

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Figure 17

Figure 18

Figure 19

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Figure 30

[0064] [1. Configuration of the Game System] Hereinafter, a game system according to an example of the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of each device included in the game system. As shown in FIG. 1, the game system 1 includes a main body device 2, a left controller 3 and a right controller 4, a ring-shaped expansion device 5, and a belt-type expansion device 6.

[0065] The main body device 2 is an example of an information processing device, and functions as a game machine main body in this embodiment. The left controller 3 and the right controller 4 are each detachable from the main body device 2 (see FIGS. 1 and 3). That is, the user can use the left controller 3 and the right controller 4 by attaching them to the main body device 2 and using them as an integrated device (see FIG. 2). Also, the user can use the main body device 2 and the left controller 3 and the right controller 4 separately (see FIG. 3). In the following, the main body device 2 and each of the controllers 3 and 4 may be collectively referred to as a "game device".

[0066] The ring-shaped expansion device 5 is an example of an expansion device used for the right controller 4. The ring-shaped expansion device 5 is used with the right controller 4 attached to the ring-shaped expansion device 5. Also, the belt-shaped expansion device 6 is an example of an expansion device used for the left controller 3. The belt-shaped expansion device 6 is used with the left controller 3 attached to the belt-shaped expansion device 6. Thus, in this embodiment, the user can also use each of the controllers 3 and 4 with it attached to each expansion device (see FIG. 15). Note that the ring-shaped expansion device 5 is not limited to the right controller 4, and it may be possible to attach the left controller 3 to itself. The belt-shaped expansion device 6 is not limited to the left controller 3, and it may be possible to attach the right controller 4 to itself.

[0067] [1-1. Configuration of Game Device] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a state in which the left controller 3 and the right controller 4 are attached to the main body device 2. As shown in FIG. 2, the left controller 3 and the right controller 4 are each attached to the main body device 2 and integrated. The main body device 2 is a device that executes various processes (for example, game processing) in the game system 1. The main body device 2 includes a display 12. The left controller 3 and the right controller 4 are devices that include an operation unit for the user to input.

[0068] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a state where the left controller 3 and the right controller 4 are removed from the main body device 2 respectively. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the left controller 3 and the right controller 4 are detachable from the main body device 2. In the following, the left controller 3 and the right controller 4 may be collectively referred to as the "controller".

[0069] FIG. 4 is a six-sided view showing an example of the main body device 2. As shown in FIG. 4, the main body device 2 includes a substantially plate-shaped housing 11. In the present embodiment, the main surface of the housing 11 (in other words, the front surface, that is, the surface on which the display 12 is provided) is generally rectangular in shape.

[0070] Note that the shape and size of the housing 11 are arbitrary. As an example, the housing 11 may be of a portable size. Also, the main body device 2 alone or the integrated device in which the left controller 3 and the right controller 4 are attached to the main body device 2 may be a portable device. Further, the main body device 2 or the integrated device may be a hand-held device. Also, the main body device 2 or the integrated device may be a transportable device.

[0071] As shown in FIG. 4, the main body device 2 includes a display 12 provided on the main surface of the housing 11. The display 12 displays an image generated by the main body device 2. In the present embodiment, the display 12 is a liquid crystal display device (LCD). However, the display 12 may be any type of display device.

[0072] The main body device 2 includes a rail portion as an example of a slide portion for detachably attaching a controller to the own device. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4, the main body device 2 includes a left rail portion 15 on the left side surface of the housing 11 and a right rail portion 19 on the right side surface of the housing 11. Each of the rail portions 15 and 19 can be slidably engaged with a slider (slider 40 or 62 shown in FIG. 5) provided in the controller.

[0073] The main body device 2 also includes a left terminal 17 which is a terminal for the main body device 2 to perform wired communication with the left controller 3, and a right terminal 21 for the main body device 2 to perform wired communication with the right controller 4. The left terminal 17 is provided on the left rail portion 15 (more specifically, near the lower end of the left rail portion 15). The right terminal 21 is provided on the right rail portion 19 (more specifically, near the lower end of the right rail portion 19).

[0074] As shown in FIG. 4, the main body device 2 includes a slot 23. The slot 23 is provided on the upper surface of the housing 11. The slot 23 has a shape capable of mounting a storage medium of a predetermined type. The storage medium of the predetermined type is, for example, a storage medium (e.g., a dedicated memory card) dedicated to the game system 1 and information processing devices of the same type. The storage medium of the predetermined type is used to store, for example, data used in the main body device 2 (e.g., save data of an application, etc.) and / or programs executed in the main body device 2 (e.g., programs of an application, etc.). Further, the main body device 2 includes a power button 28.

[0075] FIG. 5 is a six-sided view showing an example of the left controller 3. As shown in FIG. 5, the left controller 3 includes a housing 31. In the present embodiment, the housing 31 has a vertically long shape, that is, a shape that is long in the vertical direction (i.e., the y-axis direction shown in FIGS. 2 and 5). When the left controller 3 is removed from the main body device 2, it can also be gripped in a vertically long orientation. The housing 31 has a shape and size that can be gripped with one hand, particularly the left hand, when gripped in a vertically long orientation. Also, the left controller 3 can be gripped in a horizontally long orientation. When the left controller 3 is gripped in a horizontally long orientation, it may be gripped with both hands.

[0076] The left controller 3 is provided with an analog stick (also referred to as a joystick) 32. As shown in FIG. 5, the analog stick 32 is provided on the main surface of the housing 31. The analog stick 32 can be used as a direction input unit capable of inputting a direction. The user can input a direction according to the tilting direction (and an input of a magnitude according to the tilted angle) by tilting the shaft portion of the analog stick 32. Note that the left controller 3 may be provided with a cross key or a slide stick capable of slide input, etc. instead of the analog stick as a direction input unit. Further, in the present embodiment, it is possible to input by pressing the analog stick 32.

[0077] The left controller 3 is provided with various operation buttons. The left controller 3 is provided with four operation buttons 33 to 36 (specifically, a right direction button 33, a down direction button 34, an up direction button 35, and a left direction button 36) on the main surface of the housing 31. Further, the left controller 3 is provided with a recording button 37 and a -(minus) button 47. The left controller 3 is provided with a first L button 38 and a ZL button 39 at the upper left of the side surface of the housing 31. Also, the left controller 3 is provided with a second L button 43 and a second R button 44 on the side surface of the housing 31 on the side where it is attached when attached to the main body device 2. These operation buttons are used to give instructions according to various programs (for example, an OS program or an application program) executed by the main body device 2.

[0078] The left controller 3 is provided with a slider 40 as an example of a slide portion for attaching the own device to another device (for example, the main body device 2). As shown in FIG. 5, the slider 40 is provided on the right side surface of the housing 31. The slider 40 can be slidably engaged with the left rail portion 15 provided in the main body device 2.

[0079] In addition, the left controller 3 includes a terminal 42 for the left controller 3 to perform wired communication with the main unit device 2. The terminal 42 is provided on the slider 40, and more specifically, is provided near the lower end of the slider 40 (see FIG. 5). The terminal 42 is provided on the surface of the slider 40 that faces the housing 31.

[0080] FIG. 6 is a six-sided view showing an example of the right controller 4. As shown in FIG. 6, the right controller 4 includes a housing 51. In the present embodiment, the housing 51 has a vertically long shape, that is, a shape that is long in the vertical direction. The right controller 4 can also be held in a vertically long orientation when removed from the main unit device 2. The housing 51 has a shape and size that can be held with one hand, particularly the right hand, when held in a vertically long orientation. Also, the right controller 4 can be held in a horizontally long orientation. When the right controller 4 is held in a horizontally long orientation, it may be held with both hands.

[0081] Similar to the left controller 3, the right controller 4 includes an analog stick 52 as a direction input unit. In the present embodiment, the analog stick 52 has the same configuration as the analog stick 32 of the left controller 3. Also, instead of the analog stick, the right controller 4 may be provided with a cross key or a slide stick capable of slide input. Also, similar to the left controller 3, the right controller 4 includes four operation buttons 53 to 56 (specifically, an A button 53, a B button 54, an X button 55, and a Y button 56) on the main surface of the housing 51. Further, the right controller 4 includes a + (plus) button 57 and a home button 58. Also, the right controller 4 includes a first R button 60 and a ZR button 61 on the upper right side of the side surface of the housing 51. Also, similar to the left controller 3, the right controller 4 includes a second L button 65 and a second R button 66.

[0082] The right controller 4 includes a slider 62 as an example of a slide portion for attaching the own device to another device (for example, the main body device 2 or the ring-shaped expansion device 5). As shown in FIG. 6, the slider 62 is provided on the left side surface of the housing 51. The slider 62 can be slidably engaged with the left rail portion 16 provided in the main body device 2, and can also be slidably engaged with the rail portion provided in the ring-shaped expansion device 5.

[0083] As shown in FIG. 6, the right controller 4 includes a notification LED 67. The notification LED 67 is a notification unit for notifying a user of predetermined information. The notification LED 67 is provided on the slider 62, and specifically, is provided on the mounting surface of the slider 62 (that is, the surface facing the positive x-axis direction side shown in FIG. 6). Note that the mounting surface of the slider 62 is the surface that faces the bottom surface of the right rail portion 19 when the right controller 4 is attached to the main body device 2. In the present embodiment, the right controller 4 includes four LEDs as the notification LED 67. The predetermined information is, for example, the number assigned to the right controller 4 by the main body device 2 or information regarding the remaining battery level of the right controller 4. Note that the left controller 3 also includes four notification LEDs 45 in the same manner as the right controller 4 (see FIG. 5).

[0084] In addition, the right controller 4 includes a terminal 64 for the right controller 4 to perform wired communication with the main body device 2. The terminal 64 is provided on the slider 62, and more specifically, is provided near the lower end of the slider 62 (see FIG. 6). In the present embodiment, the terminal 64 is provided on the surface of the slider 62 that faces the housing 51 (more specifically, the left side surface of the housing 51).

[0085] When attaching the controller to the main body device 2, the user first engages the slider of the controller with the rail portion of the main body device 2 by inserting the slider of the controller into the rail portion. Then, by sliding the slider to the back of the rail portion, the user can attach the controller to the main body device 2.

[0086] Further, a window portion 68 is provided on the lower surface of the housing 51. Although details will be described later, the right controller 4 includes an infrared imaging unit 123 and an infrared light emitting unit 124 disposed inside the housing 51. The infrared imaging unit 123 images the periphery of the right controller 4 through the window portion 68 with the downward direction of the right controller 4 (the negative y-axis direction shown in FIG. 6) as the imaging direction. The infrared light emitting unit 124 irradiates infrared light through the window portion 68 to the imaging target imaged by the infrared imaging unit 123 with a predetermined range centered on the downward direction of the right controller 4 (the negative y-axis direction shown in FIG. 6) as the irradiation range. The window portion 68 is for protecting the camera lens of the infrared imaging unit 123, the light emitter of the infrared light emitting unit 124, etc., and is made of a material (for example, a transparent material) that transmits light of the wavelength detected by the camera and light irradiated by the light emitter. Note that the window portion 68 may be a hole formed in the housing 51. In the present embodiment, the infrared imaging unit 123 itself has a filter member that suppresses the transmission of light of wavelengths other than the light (infrared light in the present embodiment) detected by the camera. However, in other embodiments, the window portion 68 may have the function of a filter.

[0087] FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing an example of the internal configuration of the game system 1. As shown in FIG. 7, the main body device 2 includes a processor 70, a slot interface (I / F) 73, a slot 23, a flash memory 75, and a DRAM 76. The processor 70 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 71 and a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) 72. The CPU 71 can execute a game program, process operation data from a controller, perform game processing based on the operation data, and transmit instructions for generating an image to the GPU 72. The GPU 72 is a processor for performing image processing. Note that the CPU 71 and the GPU 72 may be mounted on separate chips, or these may be mounted on one chip as an SoC (System-on-a-chip).

[0088] The processor 70 is connected to a slot I / F 73, a flash memory 75, a DRAM 76, and a display 12. The processor 70 is also connected to a left controller 3 via a left interface (I / F) having the above-described left terminal 17, and a right controller 4 is connected via a right interface (I / F) having the above-described right terminal 21. A storage medium of the above-described predetermined type is detachably inserted into the slot 23. Note that the program and / or data stored in the storage medium may be stored in advance in the flash memory 75, or may be downloaded from a network (e.g., the Internet) and stored in the flash memory 75.

[0089] The program (e.g., a game program) and / or data stored in the storage medium (or the flash memory 75) are read into the DRAM 76 before the game process is started. The CPU 71 executes the program, thereby performing the game process. The CPU 71 also sends an instruction for causing an image to be displayed on the display 12 to the GPU 72, and the GPU 72 draws an image in response to the instruction and causes the image to be displayed on the display 12. Note that an external display device different from the display 12 may be connected to the main body device 2, and the image generated by the GPU 72 may be displayed on the external display device.

[0090] FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing an example of the internal configuration of the main body device 2, the left controller 3, and the right controller 4. Note that details of the internal configuration of the main body device 2 are shown in FIG. 7, and thus are omitted in FIG. 8.

[0091] The left controller 3 includes a communication control unit 101 that communicates with the main body device 2. As shown in FIG. 8, the communication control unit 101 is connected to each component including the terminal 42. In the present embodiment, the communication control unit 101 can communicate with the main body device 2 both by wired communication via the terminal 42 and by wireless communication without using the terminal 42. The communication control unit 101 controls the communication method that the left controller 3 performs with respect to the main body device 2. That is, when the left controller 3 is attached to the main body device 2, the communication control unit 101 communicates with the main body device 2 via the terminal 42. Further, when the left controller 3 is removed from the main body device 2, the communication control unit 101 performs wireless communication with the main body device 2 (specifically, the controller communication unit 83). The wireless communication between the controller communication unit 83 and the communication control unit 101 is performed according to, for example, the Bluetooth (registered trademark) standard.

[0092] In addition, the left controller 3 includes a memory 102 such as a flash memory. The communication control unit 101 is configured by, for example, a microcomputer (also referred to as a microprocessor), and executes various processes by executing the firmware stored in the memory 102.

[0093] The left controller 3 includes each button 103 (specifically, buttons 33 to 39, 43, 44, and 47). Further, the left controller 3 includes an analog stick (described as "stick" in FIG. 8) 32. Each button 103 and the analog stick 32 output information regarding the operation performed on themselves to the communication control unit 101 repeatedly at an appropriate timing.

[0094] The left controller 3 is provided with an inertial sensor. Specifically, the left controller 3 is provided with an acceleration sensor 104. Further, the left controller 3 is provided with an angular velocity sensor 105. In the present embodiment, the acceleration sensor 104 detects the magnitude of acceleration along a predetermined three axes (for example, the xyz axes shown in FIG. 5). Note that the acceleration sensor 104 may detect acceleration in one axis direction or two axis directions. In the present embodiment, the angular velocity sensor 105 detects the angular velocity around a predetermined three axes (for example, the xyz axes shown in FIG. 5). Note that the angular velocity sensor 105 may detect the angular velocity around one axis or two axes. The acceleration sensor 104 and the angular velocity sensor 105 are each connected to the communication control unit 101. Then, the detection results of the acceleration sensor 104 and the angular velocity sensor 105 are repeatedly output to the communication control unit 101 at appropriate timings.

[0095] The communication control unit 101 acquires information regarding an input (specifically, information regarding an operation or a detection result by a sensor) from each input unit (specifically, each button 103, the analog stick 32, and the sensors 104 and 105). The communication control unit 101 transmits operation data including the acquired information (or information obtained by performing predetermined processing on the acquired information) to the main body device 2. Note that the operation data is repeatedly transmitted at a rate of once every predetermined time. Note that the intervals at which the information regarding the input is transmitted to the main body device 2 may be the same for each input unit or may not be the same.

[0096] By transmitting the above operation data to the main body device 2, the main body device 2 can obtain the input performed on the left controller 3. That is, the main body device 2 can determine operations on each button 103 and the analog stick 32 based on the operation data. Further, the main body device 2 can calculate information regarding the movement and / or posture of the left controller 3 based on the operation data (specifically, the detection results of the acceleration sensor 104 and the angular velocity sensor 105).

[0097] The left controller 3 includes a vibrator 107 for notifying the user by vibration. In the present embodiment, the vibrator 107 is controlled by a command from the main body device 2. That is, when the communication control unit 101 receives the above command from the main body device 2, it drives the vibrator 107 according to the command. Here, the left controller 3 includes a codec unit 106. When the communication control unit 101 receives the above command, it outputs a control signal corresponding to the command to the codec unit 106. The codec unit 106 generates a drive signal for driving the vibrator 107 from the control signal from the communication control unit 101 and gives it to the vibrator 107. Thereby, the vibrator 107 operates.

[0098] More specifically, the vibrator 107 is a linear vibration motor. Different from a normal motor that performs rotational motion, the linear vibration motor is driven in a predetermined direction according to the input voltage, and thus can vibrate with an amplitude and a frequency corresponding to the waveform of the input voltage. In the present embodiment, the vibration control signal transmitted from the main body device 2 to the left controller 3 may be a digital signal representing the frequency and the amplitude for each unit time. In another embodiment, information indicating the waveform itself may be transmitted from the main body device 2, but the communication data amount can be reduced by transmitting only the amplitude and the frequency. Further, in order to reduce the data amount further, instead of the numerical values of the amplitude and the frequency at that time, only the difference from the previous value may be transmitted. In this case, the codec unit 106 converts the digital signal indicating the values of the amplitude and the frequency acquired from the communication control unit 101 into an analog voltage waveform, and drives the vibrator 107 by inputting a voltage according to the waveform. Therefore, the main body device 2 can control the amplitude and the frequency at which the vibrator 107 vibrates at that time by changing the amplitude and the frequency transmitted for each unit time. Note that the amplitude and the frequency transmitted from the main body device 2 to the left controller 3 are not limited to one, and two or more may be transmitted. In that case, the codec unit 106 can generate a voltage waveform for controlling the vibrator 107 by synthesizing the waveforms indicated by each of the received plurality of amplitudes and frequencies.

[0099] The above-mentioned notification LED 45 is connected to the communication control unit 101. In the present embodiment, the notification LED 45 is controlled by a command from the main body device 2. That is, when the communication control unit 101 receives the above command from the main body device 2, it outputs a control signal for controlling the lighting of the notification LED 45 to the notification LED 45 according to the command.

[0100] The left controller 3 includes a power supply unit 108. In the present embodiment, the power supply unit 108 has a battery and a power control circuit. Although not shown, the power control circuit is connected to the battery and to each part of the left controller 3 (specifically, each part that receives power supply from the battery).

[0101] As shown in FIG. 8, the right controller 4 includes a communication control unit 111 that communicates with the main body device 2. The right controller 4 also includes a memory 112 connected to the communication control unit 111. The communication control unit 111 is connected to each component including the terminal 64. The communication control unit 111 and the memory 112 have the same functions as the communication control unit 101 and the memory 102 of the left controller 3. Therefore, the communication control unit 111 can communicate with the main body device 2 both by wired communication via the terminal 64 and by wireless communication without passing through the terminal 64 (specifically, communication according to the Bluetooth (registered trademark) standard), and controls the communication method performed by the right controller 4 with respect to the main body device 2.

[0102] The right controller 4 includes the same input parts as those of the left controller 3. Specifically, it includes each button 113, the analog stick 52, and inertial sensors (acceleration sensor 114 and angular velocity sensor 115). These input parts have the same functions as the input parts of the left controller 3 and operate in the same manner.

[0103] Further, the right controller 4 includes a vibrator 117 and a codec unit 116. The vibrator 117 and the codec unit 116 operate in the same manner as the vibrator 107 and the codec unit 106 of the left controller 3. That is, the communication control unit 111 operates the vibrator 117 using the codec unit 116 according to a command from the main body device 2.

[0104] The notification LED 67 of the right controller 4 operates in the same manner as the notification LED 45 of the left controller 3. That is, when the communication control unit 111 receives a command from the main body device 2, it outputs a control signal for controlling the lighting of the notification LED 67 to the notification LED 67 according to the command.

[0105] Further, the right controller 4 includes an infrared imaging unit 123. The infrared imaging unit 123 has an infrared camera that images the surroundings of the right controller 4. As an example, the main body device 2 and / or the right controller 4 calculates imaged information (for example, information related to the luminance of a plurality of blocks obtained by dividing at least a part of the entire area in the captured imaging image), and determines a change in the surroundings of the right controller 4 based on the information. Also, the infrared imaging unit 123 may perform imaging using ambient light, but in this embodiment, it has an infrared light emitting unit 124 that irradiates infrared light. The infrared light emitting unit 124 irradiates infrared light, for example, in synchronization with the timing at which the infrared camera captures an image. Then, the infrared light irradiated by the infrared light emitting unit 124 is reflected by the imaging target, and the reflected infrared light is received by the infrared camera, thereby obtaining an infrared image. As a result, the infrared imaging unit 123 can obtain a clearer infrared image. Note that the infrared imaging unit 123 and the infrared light emitting unit 124 may be provided in the right controller 4 as separate devices, or may be provided in the right controller 4 as a single device provided in the same package. Also, in this embodiment, an infrared imaging unit 123 having an infrared camera is used, but in other embodiments, a visible light camera (a camera using a visible light image sensor) may be used as the imaging means instead of the infrared camera.

[0106] The right controller 4 includes a processing unit 121. The processing unit 121 is connected to the communication control unit 111. Also, the processing unit 121 is connected to an infrared imaging unit 123 and an infrared light emitting unit 124.

[0107] Moreover, the processing unit 121 includes a CPU, a memory, etc., and based on a predetermined program (for example, an application program for performing image processing and various calculations) stored in a storage device (for example, a non-volatile memory, etc.) not shown provided in the right controller 4, it executes management processing for the infrared imaging unit 123 in response to a command from the main body device 2. For example, the processing unit 121 causes the infrared imaging unit 123 to perform an imaging operation, and acquires and / or calculates information based on the imaging result (information of the captured image, or information calculated from the said information, etc.) and transmits it to the main body device 2 via the communication control unit 111. Also, the processing unit 121 executes management processing for the infrared light emitting unit 124 in response to a command from the main body device 2. For example, the processing unit 121 controls the light emission of the infrared light emitting unit 124 in response to a command from the main body device 2. Note that the memory used when the processing unit 121 performs processing may be provided inside the processing unit 121 or may be the memory 112.

[0108] The right controller 4 includes a power supply unit 118. The power supply unit 118 has the same function as the power supply unit 108 of the left controller 3 and operates in the same manner.

[0109] [1-2. Configuration of the Ring-Type Expansion Device] Next, the configuration of the ring-type expansion device 5 will be described. FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing an example of the ring-type expansion device. FIG. 10 is an orthographic projection view showing an example of the ring-type expansion device. In FIG. 10, (a) is a front view, (b) is a right side view, (c) is a left side view, (d) is a plan view, (e) is a bottom view, and (f) is a rear view.

[0110] In this embodiment, the ring-shaped expansion device 5 is an expansion device that can be attached to the right controller 4. Although details will be described later, in this embodiment, the user performs a novel operation of applying a force to the ring-shaped expansion device 5 to deform it (see Fig. 15). For example, the user can perform an operation on the ring-shaped expansion device 5 by performing a fitness operation using the ring-shaped expansion device 5 in a feeling of doing exercise. That is, the ring-shaped expansion device 5 expands the conventional operation method and provides a novel operation method to the user. In this embodiment, the ring-shaped expansion device 5 is a device that expands the function of the right controller 4, and more specifically, it is a device that expands the operation function of the right controller 4. That is, by using the ring-shaped expansion device 5 with the right controller 4 attached, the user can perform an operation that cannot be performed only with the right controller 4.

[0111] As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the ring-shaped expansion device 5 includes an annular portion 201 and a main body portion 202. The annular portion 201 has an annular shape. In this embodiment, the annular portion 201 is formed annularly by an elastic member 241 and a pedestal portion 242 (see FIG. 18) described later. In this embodiment, the annular portion 201 is circular. In other embodiments, the shape of the annular portion 201 may be arbitrary, for example, elliptical. In this embodiment, the diameter of the ring formed by the annular portion 201 is 30 [cm]. The annular portion 201 may have a size such that a user can hold one side portion with the left hand and hold the other side portion symmetric with respect to the center of the ring with the right hand. The size of the annular portion 201 may be set according to the physique and age group of the user assumed to use it, and the diameter may be, for example, 20 to 50 [cm]. Also, in this embodiment, the annular portion 201 has a shape in which a strip-shaped member having a width of a predetermined length (for example, 3 to 10 [cm]) is formed annularly. Here, in this specification, a substantially cylindrical space inside the annular portion 201 (roughly, a cylindrical space having the two circular regions R1 and R2 in FIG. 9 as the bottom surfaces) is referred to as "the space surrounded by the annular portion 201". The circular region R1 is a circular region having the edge on the front side of the elastic member 241 (that is, the negative Z-axis direction side shown in FIG. 9) as the circumference, and the circular region R2 is a circular region having the edge on the rear side of the elastic member 241 (that is, the positive Z-axis direction side shown in FIG. 9) as the circumference. Also, at least a part (the elastic member in this embodiment) of the annular portion 201 is elastically deformable. In this embodiment, a member being "elastically deformable" means that the member elastically deforms with a deformation amount that can be perceived by a human.

[0112] The main body 202 can be fitted with the right controller 4. Note that the state where "the right controller 4 is attached to the main body 202" means the state where the right controller 4 is attached to the main body 202. As an example, it can be said that the right controller 4 is integrally fixed to the main body 202. Alternatively, as an example, it can be said that the right controller 4 and the main body 202 are in a state where they cannot be separated without a special operation or a load above a certain level. Note that "fixation" means that the right controller 4 and the main body 202 basically do not move relative to each other, but some movement may occur.

[0113] The main body 202 is provided on the annular part 201. Note that "the main body 202 is provided on the annular part 201" means that the main body 202 is fixed to the annular part 201.

[0114] FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing the vicinity of the main body 202 in the ring-shaped expansion device 5 shown in FIG. 9. As shown in FIG. 11, the main body 202 has a rail part 211. The rail part 211 is an example of a mounting part on which the right controller 4 can be mounted. In the present embodiment, the rail part 211 slidably engages with the slider 62 of the right controller 4. The rail part 211 is an example of an engagement part on the expansion device side that engages with an engagement part on the game controller side (specifically, the slider 62). Also, it can be said that the rail part 211 is an example of a slide part on the expansion device side that engages with a slide part on the game controller side.

[0115] The rail part 211 is similar to the rail part of the main body device 2 in that it can slidably engage with the slider of the controller. Therefore, the rail part 211 may have the same configuration as the rail part of the main body device 2. The right controller 4 is attached to the main body 202 by the rail part 211. Note that the details of the configuration of the rail part 211 will be described later, but the rail part 211 is provided so as to extend in one direction (specifically, the left-right direction described later).

[0116] FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of a state in which the right controller 4 is attached to the ring-shaped expansion device 5. Here, in the present embodiment, the vertical, horizontal, and front-back directions in the ring-shaped expansion device 5 are defined as follows. First, in the present embodiment, the direction parallel to the direction of viewing the ring formed by the annular portion 201 in a front view (referred to as the "front view direction") is defined as the front-back direction of the ring-shaped expansion device 5 (that is, the Z-axis direction shown in FIG. 12). The "front view direction (of the ring)" is, for example, the direction in which the area of the shape represented by the outer edge of the ring appears to be the largest. When the ring is an annular ring, it can also be said that the "front view direction" is the direction in which the ring appears circular.

[0117] Also, as shown in FIG. 11, the rail portion 211 is provided on one side in the front-back direction with respect to the annular portion 201, with the annular portion 201 as a reference. Specifically, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 12, it is provided on the positive Z-axis side with respect to the annular portion 201. In the present embodiment, the above-mentioned one side is defined as the front side of the ring-shaped expansion device 5 (in other words, the front side), and the opposite side is defined as the rear side of the ring-shaped expansion device 5 (in other words, the back side).

[0118] The rail portion 211 of the main body portion 202 is provided so as to extend in a direction substantially perpendicular to the above-mentioned front-back direction. In the present embodiment, the direction perpendicular to the front-back direction and substantially parallel to the direction in which the rail portion 211 extends is defined as the left-right direction of the ring-shaped expansion device 5 (that is, the X-axis direction shown in FIG. 12).

[0119] Here, in this specification, "(substantially in a certain state)" means including both the case of being strictly in that state and the case of generally being in that state. For example, "(the left-right direction is substantially parallel to the rail portion 211)" means that the left-right direction may be in a mode that is strictly parallel to the rail portion 211, or may be in a mode that is not strictly parallel but is generally provided in parallel.

[0120] Also, as shown in FIG. 11, the rail portion 211 has a shape in which one end of both ends in the left - right direction is open and the other end is closed. In the present embodiment, the side of the one open end is defined as the right side of the ring - type expansion device 5, and the side of the other end is defined as the left side of the ring - type expansion device 5. That is, when the ring - type expansion device 5 is viewed from the front side, the direction in which the right controller 4 is inserted into the rail portion 211 of the main body portion 202 (i.e., the positive X - axis direction shown in FIG. 12) is the left direction of the ring - type expansion device 5, and the opposite direction is the right direction of the ring - type expansion device 5 (see FIG. 12).

[0121] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the direction perpendicular to the front - rear direction and the left - right direction is defined as the up - down direction of the ring - type expansion device 5 (i.e., the Y - axis direction shown in FIG. 12). Also, when the ring - type expansion device 5 is viewed from the front side, the direction from the main body portion 202 to the center of the annular portion 201 is defined as the down direction of the ring - type expansion device 5 (i.e., the negative Y - axis direction shown in FIG. 12), and the opposite direction is defined as the up direction of the ring - type expansion device 5.

[0122] When defining the directions of the ring - type expansion device 5 as described above, it can be said that the main body portion 202 is provided at the upper end portion of the annular portion 201. In the present embodiment, when defining the directions of the ring - type expansion device 5 as described above, the up direction is the same as the direction in which the shaft portion of the analog stick 52 of the right controller 4 is tilted to give an upward instruction to the analog stick 52 in the state where the right controller 4 is attached to the ring - type expansion device 5 (i.e., the positive x - axis direction in FIG. 6).

[0123] [1 - 2 - 1. Main body portion] As shown in FIG. 11, the main body portion 202 includes a housing 212. The housing 212 is fixed to the annular portion 201 by, for example, screws (details will be described later). In the present embodiment, the housing 212 is fixed to the annular portion 201 so as to cover a part of the annular portion 201 (specifically, a part near the upper end of the annular portion 201). As shown in FIG. 11, the housing 212 has a shape that protrudes forward with respect to the annular portion 201. In the present embodiment, the housing 212 also has a shape that protrudes rearward with respect to the annular portion 201. In the present embodiment, the amount by which the housing 212 protrudes forward with respect to the annular portion 201 is larger than the amount by which the housing 212 protrudes rearward with respect to the annular portion 201.

[0124] As shown in FIG. 11, the rail portion 211 is provided on the housing 212. A groove extending in the left-right direction (in other words, the sliding direction) is formed in the rail portion 211. As shown in FIG. 11, the right end of the groove of the rail portion 211 (that is, the end on the negative X-axis side) is open.

[0125] The groove of the rail portion 211 is shaped to be slidably engageable with the slider 62 of the right controller 4. Specifically, the cross-sectional shape of the slider 62 of the right controller 4 in a cross-section perpendicular to the sliding direction (i.e., the y-axis direction shown in FIG. 6) is generally T-shaped. The slider 62 has a top surface (i.e., the surface on the positive x-axis side shown in FIG. 6) on the side away from the side surface of the right controller 4, and has protruding portions protruding on both sides in a direction parallel to the top surface (i.e., the z-axis direction shown in FIG. 6) when viewed from the sliding direction. On the other hand, when the rail portion 211 is viewed from a direction perpendicular to the sliding direction (i.e., the X-axis direction shown in FIG. 11), it has two opposing portions 215 that face the bottom surface 214 of the groove and protrude inward from the side surface of the groove. The slider 62 is inserted into the rail member 211 so that the protruding portion of the slider 62 enters between the bottom surface 214 and the opposing portion 215 of the rail portion 211, whereby the slider 62 and the rail member 211 are engaged. From the above, when the slider 62 is inserted into the rail member 211 in a predetermined linear direction (i.e., the sliding direction), the slider 62 is engaged with the rail member 211 in a state where the slider 62 can slide in the linear direction with respect to the rail member 211. The slider 62 engaged with the rail member 211 is restricted from moving with respect to the rail member 211 in a direction perpendicular to the sliding direction (or a direction different from the sliding direction) so as not to come off.

[0126] Further, at the left end of the rail portion 211, a stop portion 213 is provided to stop the sliding movement by the slider 62 inserted from the right end of the rail portion 211 (see FIG. 11). The stop portion 213 is a part of the opposing portion 215. The stop portion 213 is provided at the left end of the groove of the rail portion 211. Here, the opposing portion 215 protrudes by a predetermined length from the side surface of the groove at portions other than the left end of the groove, and protrudes longer than the predetermined length at the left end portion of the groove. In the present embodiment, among the opposing portions 215, the portion protruding longer than the predetermined length is referred to as the stop portion 213 (see FIG. 11). Note that the dotted line shown in FIG. 11 is described to make the position of the stop portion 213 easy to understand, and the dotted line is not actually provided on the rail portion 211. From the above, when the slider 62 is inserted from the right end of the rail portion 211 and slides toward the left end of the rail portion 211, it abuts against the stop portion 213. The lower end portion of the slider 62 (that is, the end portion on the negative y-axis side shown in FIG. 6) has a shape in which the protruding portion on the side away from the side surface of the right controller 4 protrudes more than the base portion on the side closer to the side surface (that is, the side in contact with the side surface) when viewed from the direction parallel to the top surface and perpendicular to the sliding direction (that is, the z-axis direction shown in FIG. 6) (see FIG. 6). When the slider 62 slides in the insertion direction (that is, from the right end to the left end of the rail portion 211), the stop portion 213 abuts against the base portion. In a state where the stop portion 213 abuts against the base portion, the protruding portion may or may not abut against the wall surface on the left side of the groove of the rail portion 211 (that is, the back side when the slider 62 is inserted from the right end of the groove). As described above, when the slider 62 abuts against the stop portion 213, the sliding movement by the slider 62 is stopped. In other embodiments, when the slider 62 slides in the insertion direction, before the stop portion 213 abuts against the base portion, the sliding movement by the slider 62 may be stopped by the protruding portion abutting against the wall surface on the left side of the groove of the rail portion 211.

[0127] In this embodiment, the right controller 4 has a locking portion 63 (see FIG. 6). The locking portion 63 protrudes laterally from the slider 62 (i.e., in the positive z-axis direction shown in FIG. 6). The locking portion 63 is movable in the direction inside the slider 62 and is biased (e.g., by a spring) in the direction of protruding laterally. Further, as shown in FIG. 11, a notch 219 is provided in the rail portion 211 at the opposing portion 215. The notch 219 is provided at a position facing the locking portion 63 in a state where the slider 62 is inserted to the back of the rail portion 211 (specifically, a state where the slider 62 abuts against the stopping portion 213. Note that it is not necessary for the slider 62 to be in strict contact with the stopping portion 213, and a state where there is a slight gap between the slider 62 and the stopping portion 213 may be sufficient). Therefore, in a state where the slider 62 is inserted to the back of the rail portion 211, the locking portion 63 enters the notch 219. That is, the locking portion 63 locks into the notch 219. By the locking portion 63 locking into the notch 219, the sliding movement of the slider 62 in the direction of coming off the rail portion 211 (i.e., the direction in which the slider 62 moves away from the stopping portion 213) is restricted. Therefore, in a state where the locking portion 63 is locked into the notch 219, the slider 62 does not come off the rail portion 211 even when a certain amount of force is applied. As described above, when the locking portion 63 locks into the notch 219 in a state where the slider 62 is engaged with the rail portion 211, the right controller 4 is attached to the main body portion 202.

[0128] Note that in a state where the locking portion 63 is locked into the notch 219, the sliding movement of the slider 62 with respect to the rail portion 211 is restricted by the locking portion 63 both in the insertion direction and in the reverse direction of the insertion direction. Therefore, in the above state, it can be said that the stopping portion 213 restricts the sliding movement in the insertion direction, or it can be said that the locking portion 63 restricts it. Note that in other embodiments, the sliding movement in the insertion direction may be restricted by either the stopping portion 213 or the locking portion 63.

[0129] Note that, although not shown in the drawings, in this embodiment, the upper surface of the locking portion 63 (i.e., the positive y-axis direction side shown in FIG. 6) is provided substantially perpendicular to the sliding direction, while the lower surface of the locking portion 63 is an inclined surface provided obliquely with respect to the sliding direction. The reason for making the lower surface an inclined surface is to make it difficult for the locking portion 63 to be caught by the opposing portion 215 when the slider 62 is inserted into the rail portion 211 and moved in the insertion direction, so that the sliding movement can be performed smoothly. Since the upper and lower surfaces of the locking portion 63 are configured as described above, when the locking portion 63 is locked in the notch 219, with respect to the movement of the slider 62 in the direction opposite to the insertion direction, the upper surface abuts against the notch 219 portion of the opposing portion 215, so it is restricted by a relatively large force. On the other hand, with respect to the movement of the slider 62 in the insertion direction, since the inclined surface abuts against the notch 219 portion of the opposing portion 215, it is restricted by a relatively small force. However, in other embodiments, in order to increase the force that restricts the sliding movement of the locking portion 63 in the insertion direction, the lower surface of the locking portion 63 may also be provided substantially perpendicular to the sliding direction, similar to the upper surface.

[0130] As described above, in this embodiment, the state where the right controller 4 is attached to the main body portion 202 means a state where the respective engaging portions (i.e., the rail portion 211 and the slider 62) are engaged with each other and the sliding movement is restricted. In this way, the right controller 4 is attached to the main body portion 202. Conversely, in this embodiment, when the locking portion 63 is retracted into the interior direction of the slider 62 (by operating the release button 64 described later), the state where the locking portion 63 is locked in the notch 219 is released. As a result, the state where the right controller 4 is attached to the main body portion 202, that is, the attached state is released. Then, when the slider 62 is slid in the direction opposite to the insertion direction and the engagement between the slider 62 and the rail portion 211 is also released, the right controller 4 is removed from the main body portion 202.

[0131] In this embodiment, the sliding movement is restricted by the locking portion 63 and the notch 219, but the method of restricting the sliding movement is arbitrary. For example, in other embodiments, the rail portion 211 may have a portion that abuts against the slider 62 so as to press the slider 62 with a force including a component in a direction perpendicular to the sliding direction in a state where the slider 62 is inserted to the deepest part of the rail portion 211, and the sliding movement may be restricted by the frictional force generated between the portion and the slider 62.

[0132] From the above, when attaching the right controller 4 to the ring-shaped expansion device 5, the user first inserts the slider 62 of the right controller 4 into the rail portion 211 from the right end of the rail portion 211. Then, by sliding the inserted slider 62 deep toward the left end of the rail portion 211, the locking portion 63 is locked to the notch 219, and the right controller 4 is attached to the main body portion 202. Thus, the user can attach the right controller 4 to the ring-shaped expansion device 5.

[0133] Note that the right controller 4 includes a depressible release button 64 (see FIG. 6). The locking portion 63 moves in the direction inside the slider 62 in response to the release button 64 being depressed, and does not protrude (or hardly protrudes) with respect to the slider 62. Therefore, when the release button 64 is depressed in a state where the right controller 4 is attached to the main body portion 202 of the ring-shaped expansion device 5, as described above, the locking portion 63 no longer locks (or hardly locks) to the notch 219. From the above, in a state where the right controller 4 is attached to the main body portion 202 of the ring-shaped expansion device 5, the user can easily remove the right controller 4 from the ring-shaped expansion device 5 by depressing the release button 64.

[0134] As described above, the housing 212 is provided so as to protrude forward with respect to the annular portion 201. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 11, the inner surface 216 of the housing 212 (that is, the surface facing the central axis of the ring formed by the annular portion 201) has a portion that protrudes forward more than the rear side with respect to the annular portion 201. The rail portion 211 is provided on the above portion of the inner surface 216. In this way, the rail portion 211 is provided outside the space surrounded by the annular portion 201. Note that the region "outside the space surrounded by the annular portion 201" includes at least the region in front of the front end of the annular portion 201 and the region behind the rear end of the annular portion 201 with respect to the front view direction. In the present embodiment, the rail portion 211 is provided in such a region. More specifically, the rail portion 211 is provided on one side in the front view direction with respect to the hole of the housing 212 (that is, the hole through which the annular portion 201 passes) when the ring formed by the annular portion 201 is viewed from the front. It can also be said that the rail portion 211 is provided in a direction in which the sliding direction is substantially perpendicular to the front view direction and is provided at a position shifted in the front view direction with respect to the annular portion 201. In this way, the rail portion 211 is provided at a position away from the annular portion 201 in the front view direction (specifically, on the front side of the annular portion 201 when viewed from the front view direction).

[0135] According to the above, the annular portion 201 deformed by the operation of the user can be made less likely to contact the rail portion 211. As a result, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the right controller 4 detaches from the ring-shaped expansion device 5 when the annular portion 201 contacts the rail portion 211. Also, although it is conceivable to increase the diameter of the annular portion 201 in order to make it less likely to contact the rail portion 211 when the annular portion 201 is deformed, in the present embodiment, (since it is possible to make it less likely to contact by providing the rail portion 211 at a position shifted in the front view direction with respect to the annular portion 201), the necessity of increasing the annular portion 201 is reduced. Further, when the user attaches the right controller 4 to the ring-shaped expansion device 5 by inserting the slider 62 of the right controller 4 into the rail portion 211, the right controller 4 is less likely to contact the annular portion 201. As a result, it becomes easier for the user to perform the operation of attaching the right controller 4 to the ring-shaped expansion device 5.

[0136] Also, in the present embodiment, the rail portion 211 is provided outside the region through which the annular portion 201 passes when the annular portion 201 deforms so as to extend in the vertical direction (i.e., a direction parallel to the straight line connecting the center of the rail portion 211 and the center of the ring formed by the annular portion 201) and contract in the left-right direction. As a result, the rail portion 211 can be made less likely to contact the annular portion 201.

[0137] In this embodiment, the sliding direction of the rail portion 211 is perpendicular to the above-described front view direction. Therefore, the rail portion 211 can be compactly arranged so as not to protrude in the front view direction. Further, in this embodiment, the rail portion 211 is provided such that a straight line connecting the central portion in the sliding direction of the rail portion 211 and the center of the ring is perpendicular to the sliding direction when the ring formed by the annular portion 201 is viewed from the front. As a result, the rail portion 211 can be arranged close to the annular portion 201 while being in a state where it is difficult for the rail portion 211 to contact the annular portion 201 (in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 12, the rail portion 211 is arranged in the vicinity of the inner circumference of the annular portion 201 when viewed from the front view direction). Therefore, the ring-shaped expansion device 5 as a whole can be made compact.

[0138] Further, as shown in FIG. 11, the rail portion 211 is provided on the central axis side of the ring formed by the annular portion 201 in the main body portion 202 (that is, at a position on the central axis side of the ring with respect to the center of the main body portion 202). Specifically, the rail portion 211 is provided on the surface (specifically, the inner surface 216) of the main body portion 201 that faces the center of the above-described ring so that the right controller 4 can be attached toward the inside of the annular portion 201. The rail portion 211 (specifically, the bottom surface 214 of the rail portion 211) faces the position in the space surrounded by the annular portion 201 and the central axis of the ring formed by the annular portion 201. Note that the "central axis of the ring" is an axis that passes through the center when the ring is viewed from the front and extends parallel to the front view direction of the ring. Further, the expression "the rail portion 211 faces the central axis of the ring" is not limited to a mode in which the normal line of the bottom surface of the rail portion 211 strictly intersects the central axis of the ring.

[0139] Further, when the ring formed by the annular portion 201 is viewed from the front, the rail portion 211 is provided at a position inside the outer edge of the ring (see the dashed line in FIG. 12. However, in FIG. 12, for the purpose of making the drawing easier to view, the dashed line is drawn slightly outside the outer edge of the ring). In the present embodiment, the right controller 4 is attached to the main body portion 202 such that the bottom surface of the rail portion 211 faces the center of the ring and the left side surface of the right controller 4 is parallel to the bottom surface of the rail portion 211. Since the main surface of the right controller 4 is perpendicular to the left side surface, the front view direction is the direction perpendicular to the main surface. Therefore, in the present embodiment, "when the ring formed by the annular portion is viewed from the front" can be said to be when the ring is viewed from the direction perpendicular to the main surface of the right controller 4 attached to the main body portion 202. As described above, the right controller 4 is attached to the main body portion 202 so as to be at a position inside the outer edge of the ring when the ring formed by the annular portion 201 is viewed from the front. It can also be said that the right controller 4 is attached to the main body portion 202 so that the right controller 4 is located on the center side of the ring formed by the annular portion 201 with respect to the main body portion 202. Note that "inside the outer edge of the ring formed by the annular portion 201" refers to a region that appears inside the outer edge of the ring when viewed from the front view direction. Therefore, the rail portion 211 may be at a position different from that of the annular portion 201 with respect to the front view direction.

[0140] According to the above configuration in which the rail portion 211 faces the central axis of the ring or the rail portion 211 is located inside the outer edge of the ring, when the user uses the ring-shaped expansion device 5 to which the right controller 4 is attached, the possibility of the right controller 4 coming into contact with other objects can be reduced. Therefore, the possibility of the right controller 4 coming off or being damaged from the ring-shaped expansion device 5 due to contact with other objects can be reduced.

[0141] In other embodiments, at least a part of the rail portion 211 may be provided at a position inside the outer edge of the ring formed by the annular portion 201. That is, the right controller 4 may be attached to the main body portion 202 such that at least a part of the right controller 4 is at a position inside the outer edge of the ring formed by the annular portion 201. Also by this, the possibility that the right controller 4 attached to the ring-shaped expansion device 5 contacts other objects can be reduced.

[0142] In the present embodiment, the main surface of the right controller 4 attached to the main body portion 202 faces the front side when the ring formed by the annular portion 201 is viewed from the front (see FIG. 12). Also, the direction in which the analog stick 52 faces is the protruding direction of the portion of the main body portion 202 where the rail portion 211 is provided (that is, the portion protruding forward) with respect to the annular portion 201. Therefore, in the present embodiment, when the user holds the ring-shaped expansion device 5 in a direction facing the ring-shaped expansion device 5 directly, the main surface of the right controller 4 attached to the ring-shaped expansion device 5 faces the user. According to this, the user can easily operate the operation portions (that is, the analog stick 52 and the buttons 53 to 56) provided on the main surface also for the right controller 4 in the state of being attached to the ring-shaped expansion device 5.

[0143] As shown in FIG. 12, a label 218 is provided on the housing 212 at a position aligned with the plus button 57 of the right controller 4 in a state where it is attached to the main body 202. Specifically, the position of the label 218 is a position that gradually approaches the plus button 57 as the right controller 4 slides in the insertion direction while being engaged with the rail portion 211. Further, the position of the label 218 is a position in a direction perpendicular to the slide direction with respect to the plus button 57 in a state where the right controller 4 is attached to the main body 202. Further, the position of the label 218 is a position symmetric to the plus button 57 with reference to the boundary between the main surface of the right controller 4 and the housing 212 (here, the gap between the main surface of the right controller 4 and the housing 212). That is, the length of the perpendicular line extending from the boundary to the position of the label 218 is substantially the same as the length of the perpendicular line extending from the boundary to the position of the plus button 57. Further, in a state where the right controller 4 is attached to the main body 202, the distance between the label 218 and the plus button 57 is shorter than the distance between the operation portion (here, the X button 55) of the right controller 4 that is closest to the plus button 57 and the plus button 57. Further, in a state where the right controller 4 is attached to the main body 202, the operation portion provided at the position closest to the label 218 among the operation portions of the right controller 4 is the price button 57.

[0144] As shown in FIG. 12, the label 218 represents the plus button 57. Note that the label 218 may be a (three-dimensional) member provided on the housing 212, or may be a pattern drawn on the housing 212. In the present embodiment, the label 218 has the same shape as the plus button 57, but the label 218 may have any shape that represents the plus button 57. Note that the "shape of the label" may mean a three-dimensional shape represented by the outer shape of the member, or a planar shape represented by the pattern. Also, the label 218 does not directly represent the plus button 57, and may have a shape that reminds the user of the plus button 57, or a shape related to the plus button 57 (excluding the shape representing minus). With the label 218, the user can recognize that the right controller 4 having the plus button 57 should be attached to the ring-shaped expansion device 5, rather than the left controller 3 having the minus button 47. Also, depending on the position where the label 218 is provided, the user can recognize that when attaching the right controller 4 to the ring-shaped expansion device 5, the right controller 4 should be inserted into the rail portion 211 up to the position where the plus button 57 is aligned with the label 218. At this time, the label 218 may have a shape other than the shape related to the plus button 57, for example, a shape like an arrow. In this way, the label 218 can facilitate the operation of the user attaching the right controller 4 to the ring-shaped expansion device 5. Note that the shape and position of the label 218 are not limited to the shape and position described above, and may be appropriately changed as long as the user can recognize that the right controller 4, rather than the left controller 3, is attached to the ring-shaped expansion device 5, and / or how far the right controller 4 should be inserted into the rail portion 211 when attaching the right controller 4 to the ring-shaped expansion device 5.

[0145] The ring-shaped expansion device 5 also includes a terminal (terminal 294 shown in FIG. 26) for electrically connecting to the right controller 4. The terminal 294 is provided at a position corresponding to the terminal 64 of the right controller 4 in the state where the right controller 4 is attached to the ring-shaped expansion device 5 in the rail portion 211. Here, the terminal 64 of the right controller 4 is provided on the surface facing the housing 51 near the lower end (i.e., the end on the insertion direction side) of the slider 62 (see FIG. 6). Therefore, the terminal 294 is provided on the back side surface of the above-mentioned stop portion 213 (i.e., the surface facing the bottom surface 214 of the rail portion 211). Thus, when the right controller 4 is attached to the ring-shaped expansion device 5 (i.e., when the locking portion 63 of the right controller 4 is locked to the notch 219 of the rail portion 211 with the slider 62 of the right controller 4 engaged with the rail portion 211), the terminal 294 of the ring-shaped expansion device 5 and the terminal 64 of the right controller 4 come into contact with each other. Thereby, the terminal 294 of the ring-shaped expansion device 5 and the terminal 64 of the right controller 4 are electrically connected. In this embodiment, the terminal 294 is provided on the opposite side (i.e., the left side) of the rail portion 211 from the side where the right controller 4 is inserted. Thereby, the chance of the terminal 294 contacting the right controller 4 when attaching the right controller 4 to the rail portion 211 can be reduced, and the possibility of the terminal 294 being damaged can be reduced.

[0146] FIGS. 13 and 14 are exploded perspective views of the main body portion shown in FIG. 11. FIG. 13 is an exploded perspective view of the main body portion 202 viewed from the inside of the ring formed by the annular portion 201 (specifically, the negative Y-axis direction side), and FIG. 14 is an exploded perspective view of the main body portion 202 viewed from the outside of the ring formed by the annular portion 201 (specifically, the positive Y-axis direction side).

[0147] As shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, in the present embodiment, the housing 212 is composed of an inner housing 221 and an outer housing 222. The inner housing 221 is disposed generally inside the ring formed by the annular portion 201. The outer housing 222 is disposed generally outside the ring formed by the annular portion 201. The inner housing 221 and the outer housing 222 are fixed to each other, for example, by screws. In the present embodiment, the method of fixing two members (that is, making one member not come off with respect to the other member) is arbitrary, and the method may be such that the two members are connected by fastening with screws or the like, or the method may be such that the two members are adhered by an adhesive, or the method may be such that one member is fitted to the other member.

[0148] As shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, the annular portion 201 is fixed to the housing 212 in a state of being sandwiched between the inner housing 221 and the outer housing 222. In the present embodiment, the annular portion 201 is fixed to the inner housing 221 by fastening the inner housing 221 and the pedestal portion of the annular portion 201 with screws. The annular portion 201 is fixed to the housing 212 in a state of passing through the hole generated when the inner housing 221 and the outer housing 222 are fixed. In this way, a part of the annular portion 201 (specifically, the portion including the pedestal portion described later) is covered by the housing 212.

[0149] As shown in FIG. 13, the rail portion 211 is fixed to the inner housing 221, for example, by screws. The inner housing 221 has a recessed portion 217 recessed from the inner surface 216, and the rail portion 211 is fixed to the recessed portion 217. In the present embodiment, the depth of the recessed portion 217 is slightly longer than the thickness of the rail portion 211. Therefore, in a state where the rail portion 211 is fixed to the recessed portion 217 of the inner housing 221, the stop portion 213 and the opposing portion 215 of the rail portion 211 are disposed at positions slightly recessed with respect to the inner surface 216.

[0150] As described above, in the present embodiment, the rail portion 211 is disposed at a position recessed from the surface of the housing 212 (i.e., the inner surface 216). According to this, in a state where the right controller 4 is attached to the ring-shaped expansion device 5, the inner surface 216 of the housing 212 abuts against the right controller 4 and applies a pushing force to the right controller 4. As a result, rattling between the ring-shaped expansion device 5 and the right controller 4 is reduced.

[0151] In the present embodiment, the rail portion 211 is provided on the housing 212 with a part of the rail portion 211 exposed outside the housing 212 so that the slider 62 can be inserted into the rail portion 211. Here, as shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, regarding the length of the rail portion 211 in the sliding direction (i.e., the X-axis direction), the length of the non-projecting portion of the housing 212 that covers the annular portion 201 (L1 shown in FIG. 11) is shorter than the length of the projecting portion of the housing 212 where the rail portion 211 is provided (L2 shown in FIG. 11). Therefore, according to the present embodiment, the rail portion 211 can be firmly protected by the housing 212, and the housing 212 can be made compact by relatively reducing the portion of the housing 212 that covers the annular portion 201. Here, when designing the shape of the housing 212, first, the length of the projecting portion is determined according to the length of the slider 62 of the right controller 4. Considering simplifying the outer shape of the housing 212 after the length of the projecting portion is determined, it is conceivable to make the length of the housing 212 in the sliding direction constant with the length of the housing 212 in the projecting portion, and make the surfaces of the housing 212 on both sides in the sliding direction flat. However, if the first portion of the housing 212 that covers the annular portion 201 becomes long in the above direction, when the annular portion 201 is deformed, the annular portion 201 is likely to contact the housing 212, or the load applied to the housing 212 may increase due to the annular portion 201 contacting the housing 212. On the contrary, according to the present embodiment, by making the non-projecting portion compact, it is possible to make it difficult for the annular portion 201 to contact the housing 212 compared to the case where the length of the housing 212 in the sliding direction is constant, and it is possible to reduce the load on the housing 212 due to the contact of the annular portion 201.

[0152] As shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, the ring-shaped expansion device 5 includes a substrate 223. The substrate 223 is provided with circuits that function as a processing unit, a signal conversion unit, and a power conversion unit (see FIG. 26) to be described later. The substrate 223 is provided inside the housing 212 and is fastened to the housing 212 by, for example, screws. Although not shown, the circuits on the substrate 223 are electrically connected to the above-described terminal 294 and are electrically connected to a strain gauge to be described later.

[0153] As shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, the main body portion 202 includes a light guide portion 224 and a holding body 225. The holding body 225 holds the light guide portion 224 inside the housing 212. That is, in the present embodiment, the holding body 225 that holds the light guide portion 224 is fixed to the housing 212.

[0154] Here, as described above, the right controller 4 includes a notification LED 67 on the mounting surface of the slider 62 (see FIG. 6). When the right controller 4 is mounted on the ring-shaped expansion device 5, the mounting surface of the slider 62 is no longer exposed facing the bottom surface of the rail portion 211. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the light guide portion 224 is provided so that the user can visually recognize the light emission of the notification LED 67 from the outside of the housing 212 even in the above state.

[0155] The light guide portion 224 has the same number of light guide paths as the number of the above-described notification LEDs 67 (here, four). One end of each light guide path is an incident surface, and the other end is an exit surface. The light guide path is a transparent member made of, for example, resin or the like. The light guide path may be any component having a function of guiding light from the incident surface to the exit surface. The shape of the light guide path may be any shape in which the incident surface is located near an incident port to be described later and the exit surface is located near an exit port to be described later.

[0156] As shown in FIG. 13, an entrance H1 is provided in the recess 217 of the inner housing 221, and an entrance H2 is provided on the bottom surface 214 of the rail portion 211. The positions of the respective entrances H1 and H2 are substantially opposite to the position of the notification LED 67 of the right controller 4 attached to the ring-shaped expansion device 5. Specifically, the positions of the respective entrances H1 and H2 overlap with the position of the notification LED 67 in the left-right direction (i.e., the X-axis direction) and the front-rear direction (i.e., the Z-axis direction) in the ring-shaped expansion device 5. The holder 225 holds the light guide portion 224 at a position where each incident surface of the light guide portion 224 is exposed from these entrances H1 and H2.

[0157] Also, as shown in FIG. 14, an exit H3 is provided in the outer housing 222. In the present embodiment, four exits H3 equal in number to the number of notification LEDs 67 are provided. The holder 225 holds the light guide portion 224 at a position where each exit surface of the light guide portion 224 is exposed from each exit H3. Therefore, when light from the notification LED 67 of the right controller 4 is incident on the entrance H2, the light is guided by the light guide portion 224 and emitted from the exit H3.

[0158] According to the above, the light guide portion 224 guides the light incident on the entrance H2 provided on the predetermined surface (specifically, the bottom surface 214) of the rail portion 211 from the notification LED 67 of the right controller 4 in the state of being attached to the ring-shaped expansion device 5 to the exit H3 provided on another surface of the main body portion 202 different from the predetermined surface of the rail portion 211. According to this, even when the right controller 4 is attached to the ring-shaped expansion device 5, the user can confirm the light emission state of the notification LED 67 by the light from the exit H3. In addition, the information notified by the notification LED 67 of the right controller 4 can be presented to the user by a simple configuration using the light guide portion 224.

[0159] In addition, in the present embodiment, the emission port H3 is provided at a position visible from the front side and the upper side of the ring-shaped expansion device 5 (see FIG. 10). Therefore, in the present embodiment, the user can view the light from the emission port H3 not only when using the ring-shaped expansion device 5 with the front side facing forward at a relatively high height (see FIG. 15), but also when using the ring-shaped expansion device 5 at a relatively low height, or when the ring-shaped expansion device 5 is placed without being gripped and the user views the ring-shaped expansion device 5 from the outside of the ring formed by the annular portion 201. That is, the emission port H3 can be arranged at a position where the light from the emission port H3 is easily visible to the user.

[0160] In addition, in other embodiments, the position of the emission port H3 is arbitrary, and the emission port H3 may be provided at any position visible from the outside of the housing 212. For example, the emission port H3 may be provided at any position of the outer housing 222.

[0161] [1-2-2. Grip Cover] As shown in FIGS. 10 and 12, the ring-shaped expansion device 5 has grip covers 206 and 207. The grip covers 206 and 207 are parts for the user to grip. In the present embodiment, by providing the grip covers 206 and 207, it has become easier for the user to grip the ring-shaped expansion device 5. Hereinafter, the details of the grip covers 206 and 207 will be described.

[0162] As shown in FIGS. 10 and 12, in the present embodiment, two grip covers 206 and 207 are provided on the annular portion 201. Here, in the present embodiment, the grip covers 206 and 207 are detachable from the annular portion 201. The grip covers 206 and 207 are attached to the gripping portions on the annular portion 201. Here, the gripping portion is a portion of the annular portion 201 for the user to grip. In the present embodiment, the portion near the right end of the annular portion 201 and the portion near the left end of the annular portion 201 are the gripping portions. That is, when the main body portion 202 is at the position of the central angle of 0 degrees with respect to the center of the annular portion 201, it can also be said that the gripping portions are provided at the positions of +90 degrees and -90 degrees. Hereinafter, the gripping portion near the right end of the annular portion 201 will be referred to as the right gripping portion, and the gripping portion near the left end of the annular portion 201 will be referred to as the left gripping portion. Although details will be described later, the gripping portion is provided with a configuration (the fourth surface fastener 233 described later) for attaching the grip cover 206 or 207. When the grip cover 206 or 207 is detachable from the annular portion 201 as in the present embodiment, it can be said that the portion provided with the configuration for attaching the grip cover 206 or 207 is the gripping portion.

[0163] Note that the gripping portion may be any configuration that can be recognized separately from other portions of the annular portion 201. For example, when a part of the annular portion 201 (specifically, the portions near the left end and the right end of the annular portion 201) has a different color and / or pattern from other portions, the part can be referred to as the gripping portion (because it has a function of making the user recognize that the part is gripped and operated). Also, when a part of the annular portion 201 (specifically, the portions near the left end and the right end of the annular portion 201) is formed thicker than other portions, the part can be referred to as the gripping portion (because it has a function of making the user recognize that the part is gripped and operated). For example, when a member similar to the grip cover is fixedly attached to the annular portion 201 in a non-removable manner, the member can be referred to as the gripping portion. As described above, the ring-shaped expansion device 5 can cause the user to perform an operation while gripping an appropriate place by the gripping portion.

[0164] In this embodiment, the user indirectly grips the gripping portion by gripping the grip covers 206 and 207 attached to the gripping portion of the annular portion 201. On the other hand, in other embodiments, the ring-shaped expansion device 5 may be configured without a grip cover, and at this time, the user may directly grip the gripping portion of the annular portion 201. That is, the gripping portion may be a portion directly gripped by the user or a portion indirectly gripped by the user.

[0165] In this embodiment, a left grip cover 206 is provided at the left gripping portion near the left end of the annular portion 201, and a right grip cover 207 is provided at the right gripping portion near the right end of the annular portion 201. In this way, in this embodiment, assuming that the user grips the two gripping portions with both hands, the gripping portions are provided at two locations, left and right, on the annular portion 201. Note that the number of gripping portions is arbitrary, and depending on the assumed operation method, the gripping portions may be provided at three or more locations, or only at one location. Also, depending on the content of the game (or the content of the fitness operation performed by the user in the game), only a specific gripping portion among the plurality of gripping portions may be gripped with one hand or both hands. Further, in other embodiments, a gripping portion that can be recognized separately from other portions of the annular portion 201 may not be provided.

[0166] FIG. 15 is a diagram showing an example of how the user uses the expansion device. As shown in FIG. 15, when using the ring-shaped expansion device 5, the user can grip the left grip cover 206 attached to the left gripping portion with the left hand and the right grip cover 207 attached to the right gripping portion with the right hand. Although details will be described later, the user can also use the ring-shaped expansion device 5 in a method different from the method shown in FIG. 15.

[0167] Here, in the present embodiment, the two gripping portions are provided at positions symmetric with respect to the center of the circle (or an ellipse may also be acceptable) in the annular portion 201 (see FIG. 12). According to this, since the user can grip the position where it is easy to apply a force to the annular portion 201, an input device that is easy to operate can be provided.

[0168] Also, in the present embodiment, the two gripping portions are provided parallel to the left - right direction. Therefore, the rail portion 211 of the main body portion 202 is provided in a direction such that the direction from one of the two gripping portions to the other and the sliding direction (of the rail portion 211) are substantially parallel. Here, it is assumed that when the user uses the ring - type expansion device 5, the user grips it with the two gripping portions horizontal (see FIG. 15). Therefore, when the user grips the ring - type expansion device 5 as described above, the right controller 4 can be attached to the ring - type expansion device 5 by horizontally moving the right controller 4 and inserting it into the rail portion 211. That is, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to make it easier for the user to attach the right controller 4 to the ring - type expansion device 5 when the user grips the ring - type expansion device 5.

[0169] In the present embodiment, when the upward direction is defined as the direction in which the shaft portion of the analog stick 52 is tilted in order to give an upward instruction to the analog stick 52 of the right controller 4 in a state where the right controller 4 is attached to the ring - type expansion device 5, the main body portion 202 is provided above the center of the ring formed by the annular portion 201 in the annular portion 201 (see FIG. 12). At this time, it is assumed that the user uses the ring - type expansion device 5 with the main body portion 202 positioned upward (see FIG. 15). Therefore, if the user uses the ring - type expansion device 5 in such a direction, even if the user accidentally drops the ring - type expansion device 5 during use, it is difficult for an impact to be transmitted to the right controller 4, and the possibility that the right controller 4 comes off the ring - type expansion device 5 can be reduced.

[0170] In addition, in this embodiment, since the annular portion 201 is elastically deformable, even if the user accidentally drops the ring-shaped expansion device 5 during use, the impact is absorbed by the annular portion 201. Therefore, even in the above case, the possibility that the right controller 4 comes off the ring-shaped expansion device 5 is reduced.

[0171] Also, when the user is using the ring-shaped expansion device 5, it is also conceivable that the user changes from the state of gripping the two gripping portions to releasing one hand from the gripping portion and holding the right controller 4 for operation. In such a case, in this embodiment, since the main body portion 202 is provided above the gripping portion, the right controller 4 can be arranged at a position where it is easy to operate.

[0172] FIG. 16 is a diagram showing an example of the left grip cover 206. FIG. 17 is an explanatory diagram of the case where the left grip cover 206 is attached to the left gripping portion of the annular portion 201. In the following, the grip cover will be described taking the left grip cover 206 as an example. Since the right grip cover 207 has the same configuration as the left grip cover 206, a detailed description of the right grip cover 207 will be omitted.

[0173] The left grip cover 206 is planar and made of cloth. Also, as shown in FIG. 16, the left grip cover 206 is generally in a quadrangular shape. As shown in FIG. 17, the left grip cover 206 is attached to the annular portion 201 in a cylindrical state (in other words, in a state where the left grip cover 206 is wound around the annular portion 201). The left grip cover 206 may be made of any material that can be wound into a cylindrical shape by fixing one end to the other end. Also, so that the user can easily grip it, the left grip cover 206 may have a cushioning material such as sponge inside it.

[0174] In FIG. 16, the inner surface of the left grip cover 206 is shown. Note that the inner surface of the left grip cover 206 is the surface that becomes the inner side when the left grip cover 206 is wound around and attached to the annular portion 201. As shown in FIG. 16, on the inner surface of the left grip cover 206, a first surface fastener 231 is provided at one end, and a second surface fastener 232 is provided at the other end. In this specification, the "end portion" refers to a portion including the strict tip and the portion near the tip. Also, although not shown, a third surface fastener is provided in a region on the outer surface of the left grip cover 206 on the back side of the first surface fastener 231. The second surface fastener 232 and the third surface fastener are detachable from each other. For example, the second surface fastener 232 is a hook surface fastener, and the third surface fastener is a loop surface fastener.

[0175] As shown in FIG. 17, the annular portion 201 has a fourth surface fastener 233 on the gripping portion. The fourth surface fastener 233 is adhered to the gripping portion of the annular portion 201 by an adhesive, for example. Also, in the present embodiment, the fourth surface fastener 233 is provided on the inner surface of the annular portion 201 which is in a band shape. This makes it difficult for the fourth surface fastener 233 to come into contact with other objects. Although not shown, a fifth surface fastener is provided on the inner surface of the annular portion 201 in the right gripping portion near the right end of the annular portion 201. The fourth surface fastener 233 is for attaching the left grip cover 206 to the annular portion 201, and the fifth surface fastener is for attaching the right grip cover 207 to the annular portion 201.

[0176] The first surface fastener 231 and the fourth surface fastener 233 are detachable from each other. For example, the first surface fastener 231 is a loop surface fastener, and the fourth surface fastener 233 is a hook surface fastener. Note that the fifth surface fastener is the same type of surface fastener as the fourth surface fastener 233 (here, a hook surface fastener).

[0177] When attaching the left grip cover 206 to the annular portion 201, first, the first surface fastener 231 of the left grip cover 206 is adhered to the fourth surface fastener 233 of the annular portion 201. Then, with the left grip cover 206 wound around the annular portion 201, the second surface fastener 232 and the third surface fastener of the left grip cover 206 are adhered. In this way, the left grip cover 206 can be attached to the annular portion 201.

[0178] In this embodiment, since the left grip cover 206 is wound around the annular portion 201, it is difficult to come off from the annular portion 201. Also, since the first surface fastener 231 and the fourth surface fastener 233 are adhered, the left grip cover 206 is difficult to shift with respect to the annular portion 201. According to this embodiment, when the user grips each of the grip covers 206 and 207, the possibility that each of the grip covers 206 and 207 comes off or shifts from the annular portion 201 can be reduced, and the operability of the ring-shaped expansion device 5 can be improved.

[0179] Note that the right grip cover 207 can be attached to the annular portion 201 by the same method as the method of attaching the left grip cover 206 to the annular portion 201.

[0180] As described above, in this embodiment, the grip covers 206 and 207 are removable with respect to the annular portion 201. According to this, when the grip covers 206 and 207 are soiled or damaged due to long-term use, the user can wash or replace the grip covers 206 and 207 with new ones.

[0181] [1-2-3. Annular Portion] Figures 18 and 19 are diagrams showing a part of the annular portion. Figures 18 and 19 show a part of the annular portion 201 in a state where the main body portion 202 is not attached, specifically, a portion near the pedestal portion 242 of the annular portion 201. Note that FIG. 18 is a perspective view of a part of the annular portion 201 as seen from the outside of the ring formed by the annular portion 201. FIG. 19 is a perspective view of a part of the annular portion 201 as seen from the inside of the ring formed by the annular portion 201.

[0182] As shown in FIGS. 18 and 19, the annular portion 201 has an elastic member 241 and a pedestal portion 242. The elastic member 241 is made of an elastically deformable material. Although details will be described later, the core portion 243 of the elastic member 241 is made of resin (specifically, FRP (Fiber Reinforced Plastics)). The elastic member 241 is a portion of the annular portion 201 that elastically deforms in response to an operation by the user.

[0183] The pedestal portion 242 holds both ends of the elastic member 241 so that a ring is formed by the pedestal portion 242 itself and the elastic member 241. Here, "the pedestal portion 242 holds the elastic member 241" means fixing the elastic member 241 so as not to come off while maintaining it in a certain shape (here, a shape that integrally forms a ring with the pedestal portion 242). However, as will be described later, when another force is applied to the elastic member 241 while the pedestal portion 242 holds the elastic member 241, the elastic member 241 may deform, and such a case is also included in the meaning of "the pedestal portion 242 holds the elastic member 241". The pedestal portion 242 is made of a material having higher rigidity than the elastic member 241. In the present embodiment, the pedestal portion 242 is made of metal. Therefore, when the same magnitude of force is applied to the pedestal portion 242 and the elastic member 241, the amount of distortion of the pedestal portion 242 is smaller than the amount of distortion of the elastic member 241.

[0184] In this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 18, the elastic member 241 has a plate-like (which can also be said to be belt-like) shape having two surfaces, and the pedestal portion 242 holds the elastic member 241 in a state where one surface of the elastic member 241 faces the outside of the ring and the other surface faces the inside of the ring. The elastic member 241 forms a part of the ring such that the longitudinal direction of the elastic member 241 coincides with the circumferential direction of the annular portion 201. Note that the longitudinal direction of the elastic member 241 is the longitudinal direction when the above surface of the elastic member 241 is made planar, and the short-side direction of the elastic member 241 is the short-side direction (in the front-rear direction in this embodiment) when the above surface of the elastic member 241 is made planar. In this embodiment, since the above surface of the elastic member 241 is rectangular when made planar, it can also be said that the longitudinal direction of the elastic member 241 is the direction along the longer side of the surface, and the short-side direction of the elastic member 241 is the direction along the shorter side of the surface.

[0185] Note that in this embodiment, the elastic member 241 is linear when not held by the pedestal portion 242. The pedestal portion 242 holds the elastic member 241, which is linear when no force is applied, in a bent state so as to form a ring. By using the linear elastic member 241 in this way, the manufacture of the ring-type expansion device 5 can be facilitated.

[0186] In other embodiments, the shape of the elastic member 241 is arbitrary, and may be a curved shape when not held by the pedestal portion 242. For example, the elastic member 241 may be a shape that becomes a part of a ring (i.e., a ring that matches the ring of the annular portion 201 in this embodiment) when not held by the pedestal portion 242. In this embodiment, the elastic member 241 is held by the pedestal portion 242 in a state in which stress is applied by bending the elastic member into a ring shape, but in other embodiments, the elastic member 241 may have a shape that becomes a part of a ring when no force is applied, and may be held by the pedestal portion 242 in a state in which stress due to bending is not applied. In this embodiment, the elastic member 241 is strip-shaped, but in other embodiments, the elastic member 241 may be columnar (for example, a shape in which a cross section perpendicular to the circumferential direction is circular).

[0187] Fig. 20 is a partial cross-sectional view in which a part of the annular portion shown in Fig. 18 is cut away. Fig. 20 shows an annular portion 201 cut away by a cross section passing through half line AB in Fig. 18 and perpendicular to the Z axis, and a cross section passing through half line BC and perpendicular to the X axis.

[0188] As shown in Figs. 18 and 20, the elastic member 241 has a core portion 243 and a cover portion 244. The core portion 243 is made of an elastically deformable material. In this embodiment, the core portion 243 is made of resin, and more specifically, FRP (Fiber Reinforced Plastics). The core portion 243 has a degree of rigidity that allows it to be deformed by human force. For example, the bending rigidity of the core portion 243 is 0.33 to 0.50 [Pa·m 4 In this embodiment, the core portion 243 has a band-like shape, and is held by the base portion 242 with one surface facing the outside of the ring and the other surface facing the inside of the ring.

[0189] The cover part 244 is cylindrical and is provided to cover the core part 243 (see Fig. 20). In the present embodiment, the cover part 244 is made of a material softer than the core part 243 (that is, a material with a lower indentation hardness). Specifically, in the present embodiment, the cover part 244 is a silicone resin. The cover part 244 can improve the feel when the elastic member 241 contacts the user. Also, the cover part 244 can reduce the impact when the elastic member 241 hits other objects.

[0190] In the present embodiment, the circumferential length of the cover part 244 (in other words, the longitudinal length in a state where it is not held by the pedestal part 242) is shorter than that of the core part 243. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 20, the portions near both ends of the rod-shaped core part 243 are exposed without being covered by the cover part 244.

[0191] In the present embodiment, the core part 243 is fixed to the pedestal part 242 at both ends of the core part 243 in a state of passing through the inside of the cylindrical cover part 244. This prevents the cover part 244 from coming off the core part 243. Note that in the present embodiment, the cover part 244 is not fixed to the core part 243. Therefore, in the present embodiment, when the elastic member 241 is deformed by the user's operation, no unnecessary force is applied due to the core part 243 being fixed to the cover part 244, so the durability of the cover part 244 can be improved.

[0192] As shown in FIGS. 18 to 20, the pedestal portion 242 is cylindrical. In the present embodiment, the pedestal portion 242 has a flat shape in appearance and includes an outer plate portion 251 and an inner plate portion 252 that are flat plate-shaped (however, strictly speaking, they are bent so as to be a part of the circumference of the annular portion 201) (see FIGS. 18 and 19). The outer plate portion 251 is a portion of the flat plate-shaped portion of the pedestal portion 242 that is disposed on the side farther from the center of the ring formed by the annular portion 201. The inner plate portion 252 is a portion of the flat plate-shaped portion of the pedestal portion 242 that is disposed on the side closer to the center of the ring formed by the annular portion 201. Further, the pedestal portion 242 has two side plate portions 253 that connect the outer plate portion 251 and the inner plate portion 252 on both sides of one side and the other side in the front-rear direction. As described above, the pedestal portion 242 is formed in a cylindrical shape by the outer plate portion 251, the inner plate portion 252, and the side plate portions 253. Thus, in this specification, "cylindrical" refers to a shape having a side surface that is continuous for one turn in the circumferential direction and having a cavity inside the side surface. Note that, for the pedestal portion 242 in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 18, a slit 258 is formed, but since it has a surface that is continuous for one turn in the circumferential direction in part (a surface formed by the outer plate portion, the side plate portion, and the inner plate portion described later), it can be said to be cylindrical. Further, "an object is cylindrical" does not mean that the cross-section along the circumferential direction of the object is limited to an annular shape, but means regardless of the shape of the cross-section.

[0193] Note that the dotted lines shown in FIGS. 18 and 19 are described to make it easier to understand the positions of the outer plate portion 251, the inner plate portion 252, and the side plate portions 253 in the pedestal portion 242, and the pedestal portion 242 does not actually have dotted lines provided.

[0194] As shown in FIGS. 18 to 20, the cylindrical pedestal portion 242 has a left opening 254 and a right opening 255. Each of the openings 254 and 255 has a shape and size that allows the core portion 243 to be inserted. The elastic member 241 is held by the pedestal portion 242 with the first end portion (specifically, the end portion on one side of the core portion 243) inserted into the left opening 254 and the second end portion (specifically, the end portion on the other side of the core portion 243) inserted into the right opening 255. At this time, the tip of the elastic member 241 is located near the center in the left-right direction in the pedestal portion 242 and contacts the inner cylindrical surface of the outer plate portion 251 (see FIG. 20). Although details will be described later, by holding the elastic member 241 in the above state by the cylindrical pedestal portion 242, the force received by the pedestal portion 242 from the elastic member 241 can be dispersed.

[0195] In addition, in the present embodiment, the cover portion 244 is not inserted into each of the openings 254 and 255 of the pedestal portion 242. That is, in the present embodiment, a part of the core portion 243 is exposed from the cover portion 244 at the first end portion and the second end portion, and the pedestal portion 242 holds the portions of the core portion 243 that are exposed at the first end portion and the second end portion (see FIG. 20). According to this, the possibility that the cover portion 244, which is softer than the core portion 243, contacts the pedestal portion 242 and is damaged can be reduced.

[0196] In this embodiment, the elastic member 241 (more specifically, the core portion 243) is fastened to the pedestal portion 242 by rivets. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 20, one end portion of the core portion 243 near the side inserted into the left opening 254 is fastened to the pedestal portion 242 by rivets 261 and 262. More specifically, two holes are provided in the core portion 243 at two locations near one end portion on one side, two holes are provided in the outer plate portion 251 of the pedestal portion 242 at two locations near the left opening 254, and two holes are provided in the inner plate portion 252 of the pedestal portion 242 at two locations near the left opening 254. Then, the rivets 261 and 262 are fastened so as to pass through the holes in the outer plate portion 251, the holes in the core portion 243, and the holes in the inner plate portion 252 (see FIG. 20). Further, the other end portion of the core portion 243 near the side inserted into the right opening 255 is fastened to the pedestal portion 242 by rivets 263 and 264. The core portion 243 is fastened to the pedestal portion 242 by rivets in the same manner as the left opening 254 also in the right opening 255. As described above, in this embodiment, when the pedestal portion 242 holds the elastic member 241, the annular shape formed by the elastic member 241 and the pedestal portion 242 is maintained, and the elastic member 241 does not come off from the pedestal portion 242.

[0197] As described above, in this embodiment, the pedestal portion 242 has an inner portion (specifically, the inner plate portion 252) provided on the side closer to the center of the ring formed by the pedestal portion 242 and the elastic member 241, and an outer portion (specifically, the outer plate portion 251) provided to face the inner portion and on the side farther from the center of the ring. Further, the elastic member 241 is held by the pedestal portion 242 in a state where one end portion and the other end portion of the elastic member 241 are sandwiched between the outer portion and the inner portion. In this embodiment, one end portion of the elastic member 241 is sandwiched between the outer portion and the inner portion at one end portion in the left - right direction of the pedestal portion 242, and the other end portion of the elastic member 241 is sandwiched between the outer portion and the inner portion at the other end portion in the left - right direction of the pedestal portion 242.

[0198] Here, consider a configuration in which the pedestal portion 242 has a single plate-like shape (without an outer portion and an inner portion), and the elastic member 241 is fastened to the pedestal portion 242 by a rivet. In such a configuration, since the stress of the elastic member 241 is applied to the rivet, a large load is applied to the rivet, and the rivet may be damaged. Also, in the elastic member 241, since the force is concentrated on a single point portion fixed by the rivet, the elastic member 241 may also be damaged.

[0199] On the other hand, in the present embodiment, the pedestal portion 242 has an outer portion and an inner portion, and the pedestal portion 242 holds the elastic member 241 with the elastic member 241 inserted between the outer portion and the inner portion. According to this, since the stress of the elastic member 241 is mainly applied to the outer portion and the inner portion of the pedestal portion 242 (see FIG. 21), the load applied to the rivet can be reduced. Therefore, the possibility of the rivet being damaged can be reduced.

[0200] Also, in the present embodiment, since the elastic member 241 is in contact with the outer portion and the inner portion of the pedestal portion 242, the forces received by the elastic member 241 and the pedestal portion 242 from each other are dispersed. Specifically, the tip portions of the elastic member 241 apply pushing forces to the surfaces of the outer portion facing the inner portion, respectively, and at the same time, portions of each end of the elastic member 241 different from the tip portions apply pushing forces to both ends in the left-right direction of the surface of the inner portion facing the outer portion (that is, the inner edges of the openings of the pedestal portion 242 described later) (see FIG. 21). As a result, the load applied to one location of the elastic member 241 can be reduced, and the possibility of the elastic member 241 being damaged can be reduced. Furthermore, in the present embodiment, since the elastic member 241 is in line contact with the outer portion and the inner portion of the pedestal portion 242, the possibility of the load concentrating on a single point of the elastic member 241 can be reduced. Therefore, the possibility of the elastic member 241 being damaged can be further reduced.

[0201] In addition, in the present embodiment, the pedestal portion 242 has a cylindrical shape with openings 245 and 255 formed with the ends of the outer portion and the inner portion as part of the edges. Then, the two ends of the elastic member 241 are inserted into the openings 245 and 255, respectively. Here, in other embodiments, the pedestal portion 242 may be configured without the above-described openings (see FIGS. 23 and 24). Specifically, the pedestal portion 242 may be a shape obtained by bending a single plate into a cylindrical shape (however, since this shape does not have a side surface that is continuous for one full circumference in the circumferential direction, it is not the "cylindrical shape" in the present embodiment). Even with such a configuration, with the pedestal portion having an outer portion and an inner portion and the elastic member 241 being inserted between the outer portion and the inner portion, the above-described effect (i.e., the effect of reducing the possibility of the rivet and the elastic member being damaged) can be achieved. Note that making the pedestal portion 242 cylindrical facilitates the production of the pedestal portion 242 (for example, as compared to the shape shown in FIG. 23).

[0202] In addition, in other embodiments, the shape of the pedestal portion 242 is arbitrary and may be, for example, a single plate as described above.

[0203] As described above, in the present embodiment, the elastic member 241 is fixed to the pedestal portion 242 at at least two locations on the side of the first end portion (specifically, one end portion of the core portion 243), and is fixed to the pedestal portion 242 at at least two locations on the side of the second end portion (specifically, the other end portion of the core portion 243). According to this, the elastic member 241 is fixed so as not to be able to rotate about the vertical direction (i.e., the Y-axis direction shown in the figure) with respect to the pedestal portion 242. Therefore, for example, when using the ring-type expansion device 5, the possibility that the elastic member 241 rotates in the above-described direction and contacts the opening of the pedestal portion 242 can be reduced, and the possibility that the elastic member 241 contacts the pedestal portion 242 and is damaged can be reduced.

[0204] Incidentally, the method of fixing the elastic member 241 to the pedestal portion 242 is arbitrary. For example, the elastic member 241 may be fastened to the pedestal portion 242 by through parts such as rivets, screws, and / or bolts. Thereby, the elastic member 241 can be firmly fastened (or fixed) to the pedestal portion 242.

[0205] As shown in FIGS. 19 and 20, the ring-shaped expansion device 5 includes a left protection member 256 and a right protection member 257 as an example of a protection member. The protection member is provided to reduce the possibility that the elastic member 241 is damaged when it contacts the pedestal portion 242 that is harder than itself during the use of the ring-shaped expansion device 5 by the user. Hereinafter, the details of the protection member will be described.

[0206] As shown in FIGS. 19 and 20, the left protection member 256 is provided on the inner edge of the left opening 254 of the pedestal portion 242. Further, the right protection member 257 is provided on the inner edge of the right opening 255 of the pedestal portion 242. Also, as shown in FIG. 19, each of the protection members 256 and 257 is provided on a portion closer to the center of the ring formed by the annular portion 201 among the inner edges of the openings of the pedestal portion 242. That is, each of the protection members 256 and 257 is provided on the inner side surface of the cylinder of the inner plate portion 252 of the pedestal portion 242. Incidentally, the left protection member 256 and the right protection member 257 are generally plate-shaped.

[0207] In this way, in the present embodiment, the inner plate portion 252 and the elastic member 241 do not directly contact each other by each of the protection members 256 and 257. Incidentally, the shape of each of the protection members 256 and 257 is arbitrary, and any shape that can be arranged between the inner plate portion 252 and the elastic member 241 may be used.

[0208] Each of the protective members 256 and 257 is made of a material softer than the pedestal portion 242. In the present embodiment, each of the protective members 256 and 257 is made of POM (polyoxymethylene). Note that each of the protective members 256 and 257 may be made of the same material as the core portion 243 (that is, FRP). Also, each of the protective members 256 and 257 may be made of a material harder or softer than the core portion 243.

[0209] Also, each of the protective members 256 and 257 has a rounded corner at the portion in contact with the elastic member 241 (more specifically, the core portion 243 in the present embodiment) than the corners of the inner edges of the openings 254 and 255 of the pedestal portion 242 (see FIG. 20). As shown in FIG. 20, the left protective member 256 is provided to extend from the upper space of the inner side surface of the cylinder of the inner plate portion 252 of the pedestal portion 242 to the left space on the left end of the inner plate portion 252. That is, the left protective member 256 is provided to protrude from the inside of the cylinder of the pedestal portion 242 through the left opening 254. And, of the left protective member 256, the portion protruding from this left opening 254 has a shape that hangs down along the edge of the left opening 254. By having such a hanging-down shape, the left protective member 256 forms a corner at the upper left portion. This corner is rounder than the corner of the inner edge of the left opening 254. In the present embodiment, since it contacts the left protective member 256 configured as described above, the possibility of the elastic member 241 being damaged is lower than when the corner of the inner edge of the pedestal portion 242 contacts the elastic member 241. Also, although not shown in FIG. 20, the right protective member 257 has the same shape as the left protective member 256.

[0210] In addition, in the present embodiment, each of the protective members 256 and 257 is provided so as to protrude outward in the left - right direction from the inner plate portion 252. On the other hand, in other embodiments, the protective member may not be provided so as to protrude outward in the left - right direction from the inner plate portion 252, and may be provided only in the space above the inner plate portion 252. At this time, the portion of the protective member that contacts the elastic member 241 (for example, if it is plate - shaped, its corner) is rounded more than the corners of the inner edges of the openings 254 and 255, so that the possibility of damaging the elastic member 241 can be reduced.

[0211] The method of fixing the protective members 256 and 257 to the pedestal portion 242 is arbitrary. In the present embodiment, each of the protective members 256 and 257 is fastened to the pedestal portion 242 by the above - mentioned rivets 261 to 264. That is, each of the protective members 256 and 257 is provided with holes at two locations. Then, the rivets 261 and 262 are fastened to the pedestal portion 242 so as to pass through the holes of the left protective member 256. Also, the rivets 263 and 264 are fastened to the pedestal portion 242 so as to pass through the holes of the right protective member 257. Thus, in the present embodiment, the protective members 256 and 257 together with the elastic member 241 are fastened to the pedestal portion 242 by the rivets 261 to 264.

[0212] In addition, in the present embodiment, two holes 283 are provided in the inner plate portion 252 of the pedestal portion 242 (see FIG. 19). The left protective member 256 is fastened to the pedestal portion with its protrusion 285 inserted into one of the holes 283 (see FIG. 25 described later). Also, the right protective member 257 is fastened to the pedestal portion 242 with its protrusion (not shown) inserted into the other hole 283. Therefore, each of the protective members 256 and 257 is fastened to the pedestal portion 242 in a state of being positioned by the above - mentioned protrusions and the holes 283.

[0213] As described above, in the present embodiment, the ring-shaped expansion device 5 includes a left protection member 256 sandwiched between an end portion on one side (specifically, the left side) of the inner plate portion 252 and the elastic member 241, and a right protection member 257 sandwiched between an end portion on the other side of the inner plate portion 252 and the elastic member 241. The left protection member 256 has a rounded corner rather than a sharp corner of the inner plate portion 252 that contacts the left protection member 256 (see FIG. 20). Further, the right protection member 257 has a rounded corner rather than a sharp corner of the inner plate portion 252 that contacts the right protection member 257. Here, although details will be described later, the corner portion of the inner plate portion 252 is a portion where a large force is applied when the user performs an operation of deforming the elastic member 241 during use of the ring-shaped expansion device 5 (see FIG. 21). Therefore, by providing a protection member at the above-described portion so that the elastic member 241 (more specifically, the core portion 243) does not directly contact the pedestal portion 242, the elastic member 241 can be efficiently protected. Note that the elastic member 241 may contact the corners of the respective protection members 256 and 257 only in the steady state, may contact the corners only in the deformed state, or may contact the corners in both states.

[0214] Note that when the protection members 256 and 257 are made of a material softer than the pedestal portion 242, the possibility of the elastic member 241 being damaged is lower than when there are no protection members 256 and 257 or when the protection members 256 and 257 are made of a material harder than the pedestal portion 242. Therefore, in the above case, the portions of the protection members 256 and 257 that contact the elastic member 241 do not necessarily have a shape that is more rounded than the corners of the inner edge of the opening of the pedestal portion 242.

[0215] In another embodiment, the two protection members 256 and 257 may be integrated (i.e., may be a single component).

[0216] Further, in another embodiment, the protection member may be provided on the inner cylindrical surface of the outer plate portion 251 in addition to (or instead of) the inner cylindrical surface of the inner plate portion 252 among the inner edges of the opening of the pedestal portion 242. Thereby, the possibility of the elastic member 241 directly contacting the pedestal portion 242 can be reduced.

[0217] As shown in FIG. 18, the ring-shaped expansion device 5 includes a strain gauge 245. The strain gauge 245 is provided on the pedestal portion 242 and detects the strain of the pedestal portion 242. That is, in the present embodiment, the pedestal portion 242 functions as a strained body. Although details will be described later, when the ring-shaped expansion device 5 is operated by a user and the elastic member 241 is deformed, the pedestal portion 242 is strained by the force from the elastic member 241. In the present embodiment, the strain generated in the pedestal portion 242 is detected by the strain gauge 245, and the direction and degree of deformation of the elastic member 241 are calculated based on the detection result.

[0218] In the present embodiment, the pedestal portion 242 is provided in the housing 212 of the main body portion 202 (see FIG. 14). That is, the strain gauge 245 is provided in the housing 212. Thereby, the strain gauge 245 can be protected by the housing 212.

[0219] Also, in the present embodiment, the strain gauge 245 is provided at a portion of the annular portion 201 other than the gripping portions 206 and 207. Thereby, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the strain gauge 245 detects unnecessary strain when the user grips the position of the strain gauge 245, and it is possible to accurately detect the strain due to the deformation of the elastic member 241.

[0220] As shown in FIG. 18, in the present embodiment, the strain gauge 245 is provided on the outer plate portion 251 of the pedestal portion 242. More specifically, the strain gauge 245 is provided on the outer surface of the outer plate portion 251 (that is, the surface facing the outside of the ring formed by the annular portion 201). Further, the strain gauge 245 is provided substantially at the center of the pedestal portion 242 in the left-right direction (that is, the X-axis direction shown in the figure). Also, the strain gauge 245 is provided substantially at the center of the pedestal portion 242 in the front-rear direction (that is, the Z-axis direction shown in the figure).

[0221] In the present embodiment, the strain gauge 245 detects the strain of the pedestal portion 242 in the left - right direction (i.e., the X - axis direction shown in the figure) and the strain of the pedestal portion 242 in the front - rear direction (i.e., the Z - axis direction shown in the figure). That is, the strain gauge 245 includes a sensor for detecting the strain in the left - right direction and a sensor for detecting the strain in the front - rear direction. Although details will be described later, in the present embodiment, the strain gauge 245 performs temperature compensation by detecting the strain in the above two directions.

[0222] FIG. 21 is a diagram showing an example of the relationship between the deformation of the elastic member 241 and the force applied to the pedestal portion 242 due to the deformation. (a) of FIG. 21 shows a state (referred to as the "steady state") in which an operation on the ring - type expansion device 5 (i.e., an operation of deforming the elastic member 241) is not performed. (b) of FIG. 21 shows a state (referred to as the "pushed - in state") in which an operation of pushing each gripping portion 206 and 207 of the ring - type expansion device 5 inward (i.e., toward the center of the ring) is performed. (c) of FIG. 21 shows a state (referred to as the "tension state") in which an operation of pulling each gripping portion 206 and 207 of the ring - type expansion device 5 outward is performed.

[0223] In the steady state shown in Fig. 21(a), the elastic member 241 is not deformed by the user's operation. However, in the present embodiment, since the pedestal portion 242 holds the elastic member 241 and deforms it annularly, stress due to this deformation is generated in the elastic member 241. Therefore, the pedestal portion 242 receives a force due to the stress (i.e., the force with which the elastic member 241 presses the pedestal portion 242) from the elastic member 241. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 21, the inner plate portion 252 of the pedestal portion 242 receives a force F1 directed toward the center of the ring formed by the annular portion 201 from the elastic member 241 (via the protective member) near the left opening 254. Further, the outer plate portion 251 of the pedestal portion 242 receives a force F2 directed toward the outside of the ring formed by the annular portion 201 from the elastic member 241 near the center in the left - right direction. In Fig. 21, only the force applied from the elastic member 241 on the left side of the center of the pedestal portion 242 is shown, but actually, the same force as on the left side is also applied on the right side of the center of the pedestal portion 242. Due to these forces F1, F2, etc., tensile strain (i.e., strain in the direction in which the outer plate portion 251 extends in the left - right direction) occurs in the outer plate portion 251 of the pedestal portion 242.

[0224] In the pushed - in state shown in Fig. 21(b), in the elastic member 241, the portions near the respective openings 254 and 255 of the pedestal portion 242 deform from the steady state toward the inside of the ring formed by the annular portion 201 (see the black arrows). Therefore, the forces F1, F2, etc. that the pedestal portion 242 receives from the elastic member 241 become larger than in the steady state (see Fig. 21(b)). Accordingly, the amount by which the outer plate portion 251 of the pedestal portion 242 is distorted in the left - right direction becomes larger than in the steady state. In the pushed - in state, the larger the amount by which the elastic member 241 deforms in the pushing direction, the larger the amount of tensile strain in the outer plate portion 251.

[0225] In the tensile state shown in Fig. 21(c), among the elastic members 241, the portions near the openings 254 and 255 of the pedestal portion 242 are deformed from the steady state to the outside of the ring formed by the annular portion 201 (see the black arrows). Therefore, the forces F1, F2, etc. received by the pedestal portion 242 from the elastic member 241 become smaller than in the steady state (see Fig. 21(c)). Accordingly, the amount of distortion of the outer plate portion 251 of the pedestal portion 242 in the left - right direction is smaller than in the steady state. Note that in the tensile state, the larger the amount of deformation of the elastic member 241 in the tensile direction, the smaller the amount of tensile strain of the outer plate portion 251.

[0226] Note that in the tensile state, when the amount of deformation of the elastic member 241 becomes larger than a certain value, different from the state shown in Fig. 21, the elastic member 241 presses the outer plate portion 251 upward near the opening and presses the inner plate portion 252 downward (via the protection member) near the center of the pedestal portion 242. The elastic member 241 may be deformable to such a state. In the above case, compressive strain (that is, strain in the direction in which the outer plate portion 251 shrinks in the left - right direction) occurs in the outer plate portion 251. In other words, in the above case, the magnitude of the tensile strain of the outer plate portion 251 becomes negative.

[0227] From the above, by detecting the distortion (specifically, tensile distortion) in the left - right direction in the pedestal portion 242, the direction and amount of deformation of the elastic member 241 can be calculated, and the operation content for the ring - type expansion device 5 can be known. That is, based on the detection result of the strain gauge 245 provided in the pedestal portion 242, the operation content for the ring - type expansion device 5 (specifically, the direction and magnitude of the operation of pushing or pulling the gripping portion) can be specified. Note that in the present embodiment, the process of specifying the operation content for the ring - type expansion device 5 is executed by the main body device 2.

[0228] In this embodiment, in the above steady state, since stress is generated in the elastic member 241, tensile strain is generated in the pedestal portion 242. However, in other embodiments, the elastic member 241 may have a shape in which no stress is generated in the above steady state (that is, a shape that forms a part of an annulus in a state where no force is applied). Even when the elastic member 241 has the above shape, by detecting the direction (that is, whether it is tensile strain or compressive strain) and the amount of change in the strain of the pedestal portion 242 from the steady state, the direction in which the elastic member 241 deforms and the amount of deformation can be calculated, and the operation content for the ring expansion device 5 can be known.

[0229] As described above, in this embodiment, a configuration is adopted in which the strain gauge 245 is attached to the pedestal portion 242 to detect the strain of the pedestal portion 242 that functions as a strain generating body. That is, in this embodiment, the strain gauge 245 is provided not on the elastic member 241 that deforms more than the pedestal portion 242, but on the pedestal portion 242 that deforms less than the elastic member 241, so that the possibility of the strain gauge 245 being damaged due to deformation can be reduced.

[0230] As described above, in this embodiment, the strain gauge 245 detects not only the strain in the left-right direction but also the strain in the front-rear direction. This is for temperature compensation. That is, the strain gauge 245 outputs a detection result (that is, a value indicating the strain in the left-right direction) in which the influence of the change in the sensor characteristics due to temperature is suppressed based on the difference between the output of the sensor that detects the strain in the left-right direction and the output of the sensor that detects the strain in the front-rear direction. In this embodiment, the temperature compensation is performed by a bridge circuit provided together with the strain gauge 245. Note that the method of performing temperature compensation based on the strain in two directions is arbitrary, and a method similar to the conventional method may be used.

[0231] As described above, in the present embodiment, longitudinal strain is detected to perform temperature compensation. Here, in the present embodiment, in the pedestal portion 242, a slit 258 is provided in the longitudinal direction of the strain gauge 245 (see FIG. 18). The slit 258 is an example of a hole and generally has a shape with a short side and a long side. Note that in the present embodiment, the hole which is the rivet 258 is different from the hole for passing the above-described rivet. The reason for providing the slit 258 will be described below.

[0232] First, consider the case where no slit is provided in the pedestal portion. In this case, when the force shown in FIG. 21 is applied to the pedestal portion by the elastic member, it has been found that not only tensile strain occurs in the lateral direction but also tensile strain occurs in the longitudinal direction in the outer plate portion of the pedestal portion. This is because the pedestal portion 242 has a shape in which the outer plate portion and the inner plate portion are continuous via the side plate portion. When a bending force is applied in the direction in which both left and right ends of the outer plate portion are lowered, the outer plate portion receives a force in the direction of being pulled from the side plate portion due to the deformation of the inner plate portion and the side plate portion that occur simultaneously with the deformation of the outer plate portion. Here, when no strain occurs in the longitudinal direction when strain occurs in the lateral direction, by taking the difference between the detection results of the strain gauges in these two directions, the variation in the output value in the lateral direction due to temperature change can be offset by the variation in the output value in the longitudinal direction due to temperature change, so that a strain value considering temperature compensation can be obtained. On the other hand, as described above, when tensile strain occurs in both the lateral direction and the longitudinal direction, the difference between the detection result in the lateral direction and the detection result in the longitudinal direction becomes small (or almost disappears), so there is a possibility that an accurate value cannot be obtained as the strain value in the lateral direction considering temperature compensation.

[0233] In contrast, in the present embodiment, by providing the slit 258 in the pedestal portion 242, it is possible to reduce the occurrence of tensile strain in the front-rear direction at the position where the strain gauge 245 is provided. Specifically, the portion where the strain gauge 245 is provided and the side plate portion 253 are separated by the slit 258. Therefore, when a force that bends the left and right ends of the outer plate portion 251 downward is applied to the outer plate portion 251, the portion where the strain gauge 245 is provided is less likely to receive a pulling force from the side plate portion 253 on the outside thereof. As a result, the tensile strain in the front-rear direction is reduced. In the present embodiment, since the tensile strain in the front-rear direction can be made substantially zero by the slit 258, a difference occurs between the detection result in the left-right direction and the detection result in the front-rear direction, and an accurate value can be obtained as the strain value in the left-right direction considering temperature compensation. Even if the tensile strain in the front-rear direction becomes substantially zero due to the slit 258, a change in the strain value in the front-rear direction due to a temperature change still occurs. Therefore, temperature compensation based on the above-described difference is possible. Of course, the method of temperature compensation is arbitrary, and in addition to simply taking the difference, appropriate correction may be performed as appropriate.

[0234] As described above, in the present embodiment, the strain gauge 245 detects the strain of the pedestal portion 242 in the left-right direction from the left opening 254 to the right opening 255 and the strain of the pedestal portion 242 in the front-rear direction perpendicular to the left-right direction. A slit 258 is formed in the pedestal portion 242 at a position in the front-rear direction from the strain gauge 245 (see FIG. 18). Thereby, temperature compensation based on the difference in strain in two directions can be performed, and the amount of strain can be accurately detected.

[0235] In addition, in the present embodiment, the length of the slit 258 in the left-right direction is longer than the length of the strain gauge 245 in the left-right direction (see FIG. 18). Further, both ends of the slit 258 in the left-right direction are located outside in the left-right direction than both ends of the strain gauge 245 in the left-right direction. That is, in the left-right direction, the length from the center of the strain gauge 245 to the left end of the slit 258 is longer than the length from the center to the left end of the strain gauge 245, and the length from the center of the strain gauge 245 to the right end of the slit 258 is longer than the length from the center to the right end of the strain gauge 245. According to this, the portion of the pedestal portion 242 where the strain gauge 245 is provided can sufficiently reduce the influence of being pulled in the front-rear direction from other portions, so that an accurate strain amount can be detected by temperature compensation.

[0236] In addition, in the present embodiment, the slit 258 is formed on both sides of the strain gauge 245 in the front-rear direction in the outer plate portion 251 where the strain gauge 245 is provided. Therefore, when a bending force in the direction in which the outer plate portion 251 warps is applied to the outer plate portion 251, the force by which the portion where the strain gauge 245 is provided is pulled from the side plate portion 253 can be effectively suppressed. Thereby, the influence due to the strain in the front-rear direction can be reduced, and the strain amount can be accurately detected. Note that the slit 258 may be formed on both sides of the strain gauge 245 in the front-rear direction in the side plate portion 253 in addition to (or instead of) the outer plate portion 251. Also by this, the influence due to the strain in the front-rear direction can be reduced as in the present embodiment.

[0237] In this embodiment, a slit 258, which is an example of a hole, is provided in the pedestal portion 242. However, in other embodiments, a notch may be provided in the pedestal portion 242 instead of the hole. Here, in a plate-like member (for example, the outer plate portion), a space surrounded by the member over the entire circumference is referred to as a hole, and a space not surrounded by the member over the entire circumference (that is, one direction is open) is referred to as a notch. In other embodiments, a notch extending from one end in the left-right direction of the outer plate portion to a position in the front-rear direction of the strain gauge 245 may be provided. At this time, even when the outer plate portion 251 is bent, the portion where the strain gauge 245 is provided is less likely to receive a pulling force from the side plate portion 253 on the outside thereof. Accordingly, similar to this embodiment, the influence due to the strain in the front-rear direction can be reduced, and the amount of strain can be accurately detected.

[0238] Note that the position and size of the notch and / or hole provided in the front-rear direction of the strain gauge 245 are arbitrary. For example, in other embodiments, the notch and / or hole may be provided in the side plate portion 253 of the pedestal portion 242, or may be configured to be provided in the inner plate portion 252. Even with such a configuration, the tensile strain in the front-rear direction generated in the portion where the strain gauge 245 is provided can be reduced. This is presumably because when a bending force is applied in a direction in which both left and right ends of the outer plate portion 251 are lowered, the influence of the deformation of the inner plate portion 252 and the side plate portion 253 that occurs simultaneously with the deformation of the outer plate portion 251 on the outer plate portion 251 becomes smaller.

[0239] FIG. 22 and FIG. 23 are diagrams showing an example of the pedestal portion in the first modification of the present embodiment. FIG. 22 is a perspective view of the pedestal portion 271 according to the first modification as viewed from above, and FIG. 23 is a perspective view of the pedestal portion 271 as viewed from below. The hatched area shown in FIG. 22 indicates the position where the strain gauge 245 is provided. Also, the dotted lines shown in FIG. 22 and FIG. 23 (the same applies to FIG. 24 described later) are shown to make it easier to understand the positions of the outer plate portion 273, the side plate portion 274, and the inner plate portion 275 in the pedestal portion 271, and the dotted lines are not actually provided on the pedestal portion 271. Also, in FIG. 22 and FIG. 23 (the same applies to FIG. 24 described later), the description of the holes for passing the rivets and the screw holes for fastening the pedestal portion 271 to the housing is omitted. Note that the pedestal portion 271 in the first modification, like the pedestal portion 242 in the present embodiment, has a side surface that is continuous for one full turn in the circumferential direction, and the inside of the side surface is hollow, so it can be said to be cylindrical. The pedestal portion 271 in the first modification, like the pedestal portion 242 in the present embodiment, has two side plate portions 274 that connect the inner plate portion 275 and the outer plate portion 273 on both sides in the front-rear direction, and the two end portions of the elastic member 241 are surrounded by the inner plate portion 275, the outer plate portion 273, and the side plate portion 274. Therefore, similar to the present embodiment, there is an effect of reducing the possibility of damage to the rivets and the elastic member. Also, by surrounding each end portion of the elastic member 241 with the pedestal portion 242, the possibility that the elastic member 241 may shift or come off with respect to the pedestal portion 242 can be reduced.

[0240] As shown in FIGS. 22 and 23, in the cylindrical pedestal portion 271, instead of the slit 258 in the present embodiment, a notch 272 is provided. The notch 272 is provided at a position in the front - rear direction of the position where the strain gauge 245 is provided, similar to the slit 258 in the present embodiment. That is, the notch 272 is provided at the same position as the strain gauge 245 in the left - right direction. In other words, the notch 272 is provided across the side plate portion 274 and the inner plate portion 275 at the central portion of the pedestal portion 271 in the left - right direction. In this modification, when a force that bends the left and right ends of the outer plate portion 251 downward is applied, in the above - mentioned central portion of the pedestal portion 271, since there are no (notched) side plate portion 274 and inner plate portion 275, the portion where the strain gauge 245 is provided is less affected by the deformation of the inner plate portion 252 and the side plate portion 253. Therefore, also in the first modification, similar to the above - mentioned embodiment, the tensile strain generated in the front - rear direction at the position where the strain gauge 245 is provided can be reduced, and the same effect as the present embodiment can be achieved.

[0241] FIG. 24 is a view showing an example of the pedestal portion in the second modification of the present embodiment. FIG. 22 is a perspective view of the pedestal portion 276 according to the second modification as viewed from below. As shown in FIG. 24, the pedestal portion 276 in the second modification is different from the pedestal portion 271 in the first modification in that a gap 277 extending in the left - right direction is provided in the inner plate portion 275. In this way, the pedestal portion 276 has a shape that can be produced by bending a single metal plate (however, the pedestal portion 276 is not limited to being produced by bending). Even if the gap 277 is not provided, by providing the above - mentioned notch 272, the tensile strain in the front - rear direction generated in the portion where the strain gauge 245 is provided can be reduced.

[0242] In other embodiments, the pedestal portion may not be provided with holes or notches. For example, when the pedestal portion is a single plate, it is considered that even if a bending force is applied to both left and right ends of the pedestal portion in a certain direction, no tensile strain will occur in the front-rear direction. Therefore, the pedestal portion may not be provided with holes or notches. Also, for example, when temperature compensation by detecting strain in the left-right direction and the front-rear direction is not performed (that is, when the strain gauge detects only the strain in the left-right direction), the pedestal portion may not be provided with holes or notches.

[0243] FIG. 25 is a partial cross-sectional view of the annular portion 201 and the main body portion 202 in the ring-shaped expansion device 5 with a part cut away. In FIG. 25, the ring-shaped expansion device 5 in a state where the outer housing 222 of the main body portion 202 is removed is shown. Also, in FIG. 25, instead of the cross-section perpendicular to the Z-axis passing through the semi-straight line AB in FIG. 18, the annular portion 201 and the main body portion 202 cut away by a cross-section parallel to the said cross-section and passing through the center of the pedestal portion 242 in the Z-axis direction are shown.

[0244] As shown in FIG. 25, the annular portion 201 and the main body portion 202 are fixed to each other by fastening the pedestal portion 242 of the annular portion 201 and the inner housing 221 of the main body portion 202. Specifically, the pedestal portion 242 and the main body portion 202 are fastened by screwing a screw 284 into the screw hole of the inner housing 221 through a hole 282 (see FIG. 19) provided in the inner plate portion 252 of the pedestal portion 242. In this embodiment, holes 282 are provided at two locations, one on the front side and the other on the rear side, from the center of the inner plate portion 252 (see FIG. 19), and the pedestal portion 242 and the main body portion 202 are fastened by screws at these two locations.

[0245] Also, as shown in FIG. 25, the pedestal portion 242 and the main body portion 202 are fastened in a state where the protrusion 286 of the inner housing 221 is inserted into a hole 281 (see FIG. 19) provided in the inner plate portion 252. In this way, the pedestal portion 242 and the main body portion 202 are fastened in a state positioned by the protrusion 286 and the hole 281.

[0246] In this embodiment, the hole 282 provided in the inner plate portion 252 of the pedestal portion 242 is provided at a position facing the slit 258 provided in the outer plate portion 251 of the pedestal portion 242. Further, among the slits 258, the portion facing the hole 282 has a slightly enlarged slit width and is sized to allow the screw 284 to pass through. Therefore, when fastening the pedestal portion 242 and the inner housing 221 with the screw 284, screwing can be performed by passing the screw 284 through the slit 258. Thereby, the attachment of the inner housing 221 to the pedestal portion 242 can be facilitated.

[0247] As described above, in this embodiment, the strain gauge 245 is provided on the outer plate portion 251. Further, the housing 212 is fixed to the inner plate portion 252 and covers at least the strain gauge 245. Thus, in this embodiment, in the pedestal portion 242, the position where the strain gauge 245 is provided and the position where it is fixed to the housing are separated (i.e., on the opposing surfaces of the cylindrical pedestal portion 242). Here, when the pedestal portion 242 is fixed to another member (for example, fastened with a screw), stress is generated in the pedestal portion 242, and there is a possibility that the strain gauge 245 may detect the strain caused by this stress as noise. Therefore, if the pedestal portion 242 and another member were fixed at a position near the strain gauge 245, the noise detected by the strain gauge 245 would increase, and the accuracy of detecting the strain due to the deformation of the elastic member 241 might decrease. In contrast, according to this embodiment, the strain gauge 245 is less likely to detect the strain (noise) generated in the pedestal portion 242 due to the fixing of the pedestal portion 242 and the housing, so the accuracy of the strain gauge 245 in detecting the strain due to the deformation of the elastic member 241 can be improved.

[0248] In addition, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 25, the position where the pedestal portion 242 and the main body portion 202 are fixed is substantially at the center of the pedestal portion 242 in the left - right direction. Here, for example, when the fixing position of the pedestal portion 242 and the main body portion 202 is offset in the left - right direction, the distortion generated by the fixing is not symmetric in the left - right direction either. Therefore, when such distortion is detected by the strain gauge 245, the accuracy of detecting the distortion due to the deformation of the elastic member 241 may decrease. On the other hand, in the present embodiment, the possibility of generating an asymmetric distortion in the left - right direction can be reduced, thereby improving the accuracy with which the strain gauge 245 detects the distortion due to the deformation of the elastic member 241.

[0249] [1 - 2 - 4. Electrical Configuration] FIG. 26 is a block diagram showing the electrical connection relationship of the components included in the ring - type expansion device 5. As shown in FIG. 26, the ring - type expansion device 5 includes a strain detection unit 291. The strain detection unit 291 is an example of a detection unit that detects that the annular portion 201 has deformed. In the present embodiment, the strain detection unit 291 includes the above - mentioned strain gauge 245 and a bridge circuit. The strain detection unit 291 outputs a signal indicating the strain of the pedestal portion 242 corresponding to the deformation of the elastic member 241 (in other words, a signal indicating the magnitude and direction of the deformation of the elastic member 241). Note that in the present embodiment, the output signal of the strain detection unit 291 indicates a strain value that has been temperature - compensated by the bridge circuit.

[0250] The ring - type expansion device 5 includes a signal conversion unit 292. In the present embodiment, the signal conversion unit 292 includes an amplifier and an AD converter. The signal conversion unit 292 is electrically connected to the strain detection unit 291, amplifies the output signal of the strain detection unit 291 by the amplifier, and performs AD conversion by the AD converter. The signal conversion unit 292 outputs a digital signal indicating the above - mentioned strain value. Note that in other embodiments, the signal conversion unit 292 may not include an AD converter, and the processing unit 293 described later may include an AD converter.

[0251] The ring-shaped expansion device 5 includes a processing unit 293. The processing unit 293 is a processing circuit including a processor and a memory, and is, for example, an MCU (Micro Controller Unit). The processing unit 293 is electrically connected to the signal conversion unit 292, and the output signal of the signal conversion unit 292 is input to the processing unit 293. Further, the ring-shaped expansion device 5 includes a terminal 294. The terminal 294 is electrically connected to the processing unit 293. When the right controller 4 is attached to the ring-shaped expansion device 5, the processing unit 293 transmits information indicating the strain value indicated by the output signal of the signal conversion unit 292 (in other words, the above-described ring operation data) to the right controller 4 via the terminal 294. In the present specification, the term "terminal" includes a terminal having one pin (i.e., a single terminal) and a terminal having a plurality of pins (i.e., a multi-terminal).

[0252] The processing unit 293 may execute processing according to an operation on the ring-shaped expansion device 5. For example, the processing unit 293 may count and store the number of times an operation has been performed on the ring-shaped expansion device 5. Further, the processing unit 293 may execute processing according to an instruction transmitted from an external device (i.e., the main body device 2 or the right controller 4) via the terminal 294.

[0253] The ring-shaped expansion device 5 includes a power conversion unit 295. The power conversion unit 295 is electrically connected to the above-described units 291 to 294. The power conversion unit 295 supplies the power supplied from the outside (i.e., the right controller 4) via the terminal 294 to the above-described units 291 to 294. The power conversion unit 295 may adjust the voltage and the like of the supplied power and supply it to the above-described units 291 to 294.

[0254] As described above, in this embodiment, the ring-shaped expansion device 5 operates by the power supplied from the right controller 4. That is, the strain detection unit 291 operates by the power supplied from the right controller 4 via the terminal 294 in a state where the ring-shaped expansion device 5 is attached. Further, the transmission unit (i.e., the processing unit 293) that transmits data regarding the detection result of the strain detection unit 291 (i.e., the ring operation data) to the right controller 4 operates by the power supplied from the right controller 4 via the terminal 294 in a state where the ring-shaped expansion device 5 is attached. According to this, since the ring-shaped expansion device 5 does not need to have its own power source, the weight of the ring-shaped expansion device 5 can be reduced.

[0255] Note that the "data regarding the detection result of the strain detection unit" transmitted from the ring-shaped expansion device 5 to another device may be data indicating the detection result itself (in this embodiment, the output signal of the strain detection unit 291 indicating the strain of the pedestal portion 242), or may be data obtained by performing some processing (e.g., conversion of data format and / or calculation processing on the strain value) on the detection result. For example, the processing unit 293 may perform a process of calculating the amount of deformation of the elastic member 241 based on the strain value that is the detection result, and at this time, the "data regarding the detection result of the strain detection unit" may be data indicating the amount of deformation.

[0256] Note that in other embodiments, the ring-shaped expansion device 5 may include a battery and operate by the power of the battery. Further, the battery included in the ring-shaped expansion device 5 may be a rechargeable battery that can be charged by the power supplied from the right controller 4.

[0257] [1-3. Belt-shaped expansion device] Next, the configuration of the belt-shaped expansion device 6 will be described. FIG. 27 is a diagram showing an example of the belt-shaped expansion device. The belt-shaped expansion device 6 is used by being fastened to the user's foot in a state where the left controller 3 is housed therein (see FIG. 15). In this embodiment, the belt-shaped expansion device 6 is made of cloth and has a planar shape.

[0258] As shown in FIG. 27, the belt-type expansion device 6 includes a housing portion 301 and a belt portion 302. The housing portion 301 has a planar shape and can accommodate the left controller 3. Specifically, the housing portion 301 has a pocket portion 303. The pocket portion 303 is formed in a bag shape sized to accommodate the left controller 3. Note that the pocket portion 303 does not necessarily need to accommodate the entire left controller 3, and it is sufficient if it can accommodate a part of the left controller 3 (it may also be able to accommodate the entire left controller 3). The pocket portion 303 is open at the upper side, and the left controller 3 can be inserted into it from the upper side to be accommodated inside. Thus, in the present embodiment, by the housing portion 301 accommodating the left controller, the left controller 3 is attached to the belt-type expansion device 6. Note that in other embodiments, the configuration for attaching the left controller 3 to the belt-type expansion device 6 is arbitrary.

[0259] As shown in FIG. 27, a through hole 304 is provided in the housing portion 301 on the side of the pocket portion 303 (specifically, the left side in FIG. 27). Although details will be described later, the through hole 304 is a hole for passing the belt portion 302 when the belt-type expansion device 6 is fastened to the user's foot.

[0260] The belt portion 302 is provided on the side of the housing portion 301 that is on the side of the pocket portion 303 and on the opposite side of the through hole 304 with respect to the pocket portion 303 (specifically, the right side). The belt portion 302 has a belt-like shape, and one end thereof is fixed to the housing portion 301. In the present embodiment, the belt portion 302 is made of a material having elasticity (for example, woven rubber).

[0261] As shown in FIG. 27, on the same side of the belt portion 302 as the side where the pocket portion 303 is provided in the housing portion 301, a first surface fastener 305 and a second surface fastener 306 are provided. The first surface fastener 305 is provided near the end on the side opposite to the side fixed to the housing portion 301. Also, the second surface fastener 306 is provided on the same surface as the first surface fastener 305 and on the side closer to the housing portion 301 than the first surface fastener 305. In the present embodiment, the second surface fastener 306 is provided in the region between the first surface fastener 305 and the end fixed to the housing portion 301.

[0262] The first surface fastener 305 and the second surface fastener 306 are detachable from each other. For example, the first surface fastener 305 is a hook surface fastener, and the second surface fastener 306 is a loop surface fastener.

[0263] FIG. 28 is a diagram showing an example of a belt-type expansion device fastened to a user's foot. When fastening the belt-type expansion device 6, the user passes the belt portion 302 through the through-hole 304 with the belt portion 302 wound around the foot, and adheres the first surface fastener 305 and the second surface fastener 306. Note that the user may fasten the belt-type expansion device 6 with the left controller 3 housed therein to the foot after housing the left controller 3 in the belt-type expansion device 6, or may house the left controller 3 in the belt-type expansion device 6 after fastening the belt-type expansion device 6 to the foot. Thus, as shown in FIG. 28, the user can fasten the belt-type expansion device 6 with the left controller 3 housed therein to the foot.

[0264] [2. Operations and Usage Examples] Next, the operations and usage examples of the game system using the two expansion devices 5 and 6 will be described. In the present embodiment, the user can play a game using the two expansion devices 5 and 6 in addition to the game device (i.e., the main body device 2 and each of the controllers 3 and 4). For example, the user can use the ring-type expansion device 5 and the belt-type expansion device 6 as a set.

[0265] For example, as shown in FIG. 15, the user holds the ring-shaped expansion device 5 with the right controller 4 attached thereto with both hands, and fastens the belt-shaped expansion device 6 with the left controller 3 accommodated therein to the foot. At this time, the user can play the game by operating the ring-shaped expansion device 5 (for example, an operation of bending the ring-shaped expansion device 5 and an operation of moving the ring-shaped expansion device 5) and an operation of moving the foot with the belt-shaped expansion device 6 fastened thereto.

[0266] When game processing is executed in the main body device 2, the right controller 4 receives ring operation data from the ring-shaped expansion device 5. The ring operation data includes information indicating the distortion value. Specifically, the processing unit 293 of the ring-shaped expansion device 5 transmits the ring operation data to the right controller 4 via the terminal 294. For example, the processing unit 293 repeatedly transmits the ring operation data at a rate of once every predetermined time. Thus, in the present embodiment, even when the ring-shaped expansion device 5 is not deformed, the ring operation data is transmitted from the right controller 4 to the main body device 2. That is, when the ring-shaped expansion device 5 is not deformed, ring operation data including information indicating a distortion value indicating that it is not deformed is transmitted from the right controller 4 to the main body device 2.

[0267] In the above case, the communication control unit 111 of the right controller 4 transmits the ring operation data received from the ring-shaped expansion device 5 via the terminal 64 to the main body device 2. Further, the communication control unit 111 transmits the right controller operation data including the information acquired from each input unit (specifically, each button 113, the analog stick 52, and each of the sensors 114 and 115) included in the right controller 4 to the main body device 2. In the above case, the communication from the right controller 4 to the main body device 2 is performed by wireless communication. The communication control unit 111 may transmit the right controller operation data and the ring operation data together to the main body device 2, or may transmit them separately to the main body device 2. Further, the communication control unit 111 may transmit the received ring operation data as it is to the main body device 2, or may perform some processing (for example, conversion of data format and / or calculation processing for distortion values, etc.) on the received ring operation data and then transmit it to the main body device 2.

[0268] As described above, the main body device 2 can acquire data indicating an operation on the ring-shaped expansion device 5 and can execute game processing based on the data. That is, the main body device 2 can identify an operation of bending the ring-shaped expansion device 5 (specifically, an operation of pushing each of the gripping portions 206 and 207 of the ring-shaped expansion device 5 inward and an operation of pulling each of the gripping portions 206 and 207 outward) based on the information indicating the distortion value included in the ring operation data.

[0269] Further, since the right controller 4 is attached to the ring-shaped expansion device 5, the acceleration sensor 114 of the right controller 4 can detect the acceleration of the ring-shaped expansion device 5, and the angular velocity sensor 115 of the right controller 4 can detect the angular velocity of the ring-shaped expansion device 5. Therefore, the main body device 2 can identify an operation of moving the ring-shaped expansion device 5 based on the right controller operation data including the information indicating the detection results of the sensors 114 and 115. Note that the "operation of moving the ring-shaped expansion device 5" means an operation of setting the ring-shaped expansion device 5 to a specific position and / or posture and an operation of changing the position and / or posture of the ring-shaped expansion device 5.

[0270] Further, the main body device 2 may execute game processing based on inputs to each button 113 and / or the analog stick 52 of the right controller 4 attached to the ring-shaped expansion device 5. Here, as described above, in the present embodiment, when the user holds the right grip portion 207 with the right hand and the left grip portion 206 with the left hand, the right controller 4 is disposed above each of the grip portions 206 and 207 (see FIG. 15). Therefore, when the user operates the right controller 4 by releasing one hand from the grip portion 206 or 207 from the state of holding each of the grip portions 206 and 207 with both hands, it is easier to operate the right controller 4.

[0271] Also, the right controller 4 may include the captured image of the infrared imaging unit 123 in the right controller operation data. For example, when the user places a finger on the window portion 68, the heart rate of the user can be calculated based on the captured image of the infrared imaging unit 123. For example, when the main body device 2 causes the user to perform a fitness operation as a game operation using the ring-shaped expansion device 5 (and the belt-shaped expansion device 6), the heart rate before and after the fitness operation may be calculated based on the right controller operation data.

[0272] On the other hand, when game processing is executed in the main body device 2, the communication control unit 101 of the left controller 3 transmits left controller operation data including information acquired from each input unit (specifically, each button 103, the analog stick 32, and each of the sensors 104 and 105) included in the left controller 3 to the main body device 2. In the above case, the communication from the right controller 4 to the main body device 2 is performed by wireless communication.

[0273] Here, since the left controller 3 is fastened to the user's foot by the belt-type extension device 6, the acceleration sensor 104 of the left controller 3 can detect the acceleration of the user's foot, and the angular velocity sensor 105 of the left controller 3 can detect the angular velocity of the user's foot. Therefore, the main body device 2 can identify an operation of moving the user's foot based on the left controller operation data including information indicating the detection results of the sensors 104 and 105. Note that the "operation of moving the user's foot" means an operation of setting the user's foot to a specific position and / or posture (for example, an operation of making the user take a specific pose), and an operation of changing the position and / or posture of the user's foot (for example, an operation of the user stomping on the spot).

[0274] When executing game processing, the main body device 2 accepts an operation of moving the ring-type extension device 5, an operation on the right controller 4 attached to the ring-type extension device 5, and an operation of moving the user's foot as game operations, and executes game processing based on these operations. Specifically, the main body device 2 executes game processing based on each operation data received from the controllers 3 and 4 (that is, ring operation data, right controller operation data, and left controller operation data). Note that the content of the game processing is arbitrary. For example, the main body device 2 generates a game image representing the result of the game processing and displays it on the display device.

[0275] FIG. 29 is a diagram showing an example of a game image displayed in the game processing in the main body device 2. In FIG. 29, a game image representing a virtual space in which a player character 311 operated by the user is arranged is displayed on the display device. The player character 311 is holding a ring object 312 imitating the ring-type extension device 5. Note that the display device on which the game image is displayed may be the above-described display 12 or an external display device connected to the main body device 2.

[0276] In the game process, the main body device 2 controls the operation of the player character 311 in response to an operation of deforming the ring-shaped expansion device 5. For example, the main body device 2 calculates the deformation direction and deformation amount of the ring-shaped expansion device 5 based on the information indicating the strain value included in the ring operation data. Then, the main body device 2 controls the operation of the player character 311 so that the player character 311 deforms the ring object 312 in accordance with the deformation of the ring-shaped expansion device 5.

[0277] Also, the main body device 2 controls the operation of the player character 311 in response to an operation of moving the ring-shaped expansion device 5. For example, the main body device 2 calculates the posture of the ring-shaped expansion device 5 based on the information indicating the detection results of the sensors 114 and 115 included in the right controller operation data. Then, the main body device 2 controls the operation of the player character 311 to move the ring object 312 so that the posture of the ring object 312 in the virtual space corresponds to the posture of the ring-shaped expansion device 5 in the real space.

[0278] Also, the main body device 2 controls the operation of the player character 311 in response to an operation of moving the user's foot. For example, the main body device 2 calculates the inclination of the user's foot based on the information indicating the detection results of the sensors 114 and 115 included in the left controller operation data. Then, the main body device 2 controls the operation of the player character 311 so that the feet of the player character 311 match the calculated inclination of the user's foot.

[0279] According to the above game process, the main body device 2 can control the player character 311 to perform the same fitness operation as the user in response to the user performing a fitness operation such as bending the ring-shaped expansion device 5 or performing a squat.

[0280] In the above description, the mode in which the user holds the ring-shaped expansion device 5 with both hands and uses it has been described as an example. However, the ring-shaped expansion device 5 can also be used in other modes. For example, the user can place one of the two gripping portions 206 and 207 against the abdomen, hold the other with both hands, and perform an operation of bending the ring-shaped expansion device 5 in a direction to bring the two gripping portions 206 and 207 closer together. By such an operation, the user can perform a fitness operation of exercising the arm muscles and abdominal muscles as a game operation. Also, for example, the user can use the ring-shaped expansion device 5 with the two gripping portions 206 and 207 respectively applied to the inner thighs of the left and right legs and the ring-shaped expansion device 5 sandwiched therebetween. At this time, the user can perform an operation of bending the ring-shaped expansion device 5 in a direction to bring the two gripping portions 206 and 207 closer together by moving both feet so as to close them. By such an operation, the user can perform a fitness operation of exercising the leg muscles as a game operation. In this way, the ring-shaped expansion device 5 can be used to perform a fitness operation of exercising the muscles of various parts of the user's whole body.

[0281] Also, the game content executed by the game processing of the main body device 2 is arbitrary. The game to be executed may be, for example, a game that causes the user to perform a fitness operation and displays the evaluation result of the fitness operation (for example, the number of times or the time of performing the fitness operation, whether an operation close to the standard can be performed, and / or the calorie consumption, etc.). Also, for example, the game to be executed may be a game that gives damage to an enemy character or allows an item to be acquired according to the evaluation result of the fitness operation.

[0282] As described above, according to the present game system 1, by causing the user to perform a fitness operation in the game, a game can be performed in which the fitness operation is used as a game operation.

[0283] Note that only one of the two expansion devices 5 and 6 may be used for game operations, or both may be used for game operations. For example, in a certain game, both the ring-shaped expansion device 5 and the belt-shaped expansion device 6 may be used simultaneously for game operations. Also, for example, in a certain game, the ring-shaped expansion device 5 may be used for game operations, and in another game, the belt-shaped expansion device 6 may be used for game operations. Also, for example, in a certain scene (e.g., a battle scene) in the game, the ring-shaped expansion device 5 may be used for game operations, and in another scene (e.g., a scene of moving on the map) in the game, the belt-shaped expansion device 6 may be used for game operations.

[0284] In game processing, the main body device 2 may issue an output instruction to each of the controllers 3 and 4. That is, the main body device 2 may vibrate the vibrators 107 or 117 of the controller, or cause the controller to output sound by the vibration of the vibrators 107 or 117.

[0285] Also, the expansion devices 5 and 6 may be available during a period when the game processing by the main body device 2 is not being executed. For example, during the above period, when the right controller 4 is attached to the ring-shaped expansion device 5, the ring-shaped expansion device 5 may detect an operation to deform the ring-shaped expansion device 5 based on the information indicating the distortion value, and store information indicating the operation content (e.g., the number of times the operation to deform the ring-shaped expansion device 5 was performed, or the time when the operation was performed, etc.). Note that the above information may be stored in the ring-shaped expansion device 5 or in the right controller 4. Also, the right controller 4 may generate vibration or output sound using the vibrator 117 in response to an operation to deform the ring-shaped expansion device 5.

[0286] When information indicating the operation details is stored as described above, in the subsequent game processing, the main body device 2 may acquire the information and execute game processing based on the information. For example, the main body device 2 may advance the game based on the information (for example, enable the user to play the next game stage or cause the player character to grow), or may grant the user a bonus in the game.

[0287] [3. Effects and Modifications of this Embodiment] In the above embodiment, the ring-shaped expansion device 5 has the following configuration. · An annular portion 201 at least a part of which is elastically deformable · A detection unit (i.e., strain gauge 245) that detects the deformation of the annular portion 201 · A main body portion 202 fixed to the annular portion 201 Further, the main body portion 202 has the following configuration. · A mounting portion (i.e., rail portion 211) on which a game controller (i.e., the right controller 4) can be mounted · Terminals (i.e., terminals 294) for electrically connecting to the game controller · A transmission unit (i.e., processing unit 293) that transmits data regarding the detection result of the detection unit to the game controller via the terminals

[0288] According to the above configuration, the deformation of the annular portion due to the user's operation is transmitted as data regarding the detection result of the detection unit to the game controller mounted on the device. As a result, the game system 1 can use the operation of deforming the annular portion 201 of the ring-shaped expansion device 5 as a game operation, so that the user can perform a new operation of deforming the expansion device using the game controller mounted on the expansion device.

[0289] Also, in the above embodiment, it can be said that the ring-shaped expansion device 5 is an input device having the following configuration. · An annular portion 201 that is annular and at least a part of which is elastically deformable · A detection unit (i.e., strain gauge 245) for detecting that the annular portion is deformed · Gripping portions 206 and 207 provided on the annular portion for the user to grip · A transmission unit that transmits data regarding the detection result of the detection unit to another device (e.g., right controller 4)

[0290] Even with the above configuration, the game system 1 can use the operation of deforming the annular portion 201 of the ring-shaped expansion device 5 as a game operation. Therefore, the user can perform a new operation of deforming the expansion device using the game controller attached to the expansion device.

[0291] Note that the transmission unit of the input device may transmit data to the right controller 4 or may transmit data to the main body device 2. For example, in other embodiments, the ring-shaped expansion device 5 may directly communicate with the main body device 2 without going through the right controller 4. Also, the transmission unit of the input device may transmit data to another device by wire or may transmit data wirelessly.

[0292] Further, the input device may not include a mounting portion (e.g., rail portion 211) for mounting the game controller. In other embodiments, instead of the ring-shaped expansion device 5 and the right controller 4 in the above embodiment, an input device without a mounting portion may be used. At this time, the transmission unit may transmit the above data to the main body device 2.

[0293] Also, in the above embodiment, it can be said that the ring-shaped expansion device 5 is an input device having the following configuration. · An elastic member 241 having a first end portion and a second end portion, and at least a part of which is elastically deformable · A pedestal portion 242 that holds both end portions of the elastic member 241 so that a ring is formed by the elastic member 241 and itself · A strain gauge 245 provided on the pedestal portion 242 that detects the strain generated in the pedestal portion 242 due to the deformation of the elastic member 241 in response to a user's input

[0294] According to the above configuration, in response to the user deforming the elastic member 241 of the input device, the strain generated in the pedestal portion 242 due to the deformation of the elastic member 241 is detected. As a result, the game system 1 can use the operation of deforming the elastic member 241 of the input device as a game operation, so the user can perform a new operation of deforming the input device. Further, according to the above configuration, since the strain gauge 245 is provided on the pedestal portion 242, the possibility of the strain gauge 245 being damaged due to the deformation of the elastic member 241 can be reduced.

[0295] (Modification example regarding the shape of the annular portion) In the above embodiment, the portion bent by the user's operation was the annular portion 201. Here, the shape of the portion bent by the user's operation is not limited to an annular shape and may be any shape. For example, in a modification example of the above embodiment, the expansion device for the user to perform a bending operation may have the following configuration.

[0296] FIG. 30 is a diagram showing an example of an expansion device in a modification example of the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 30, the expansion device 321 according to the modification example does not have an overall annular shape. The expansion device 321 includes a main body portion 322, a first elastic member 323, and a second elastic member 324.

[0297] The configuration of the main body portion 322 in this modification example is the same as the configuration of the main body portion 202 in the above embodiment. Also in this modification example, as in the above embodiment, a pedestal portion is provided inside the main body portion 322. The pedestal portion holds each of the elastic members 323 and 324. The configuration of the pedestal portion in this modification example is the same as the configuration of the main body portion 202 in the above embodiment.

[0298] Each of the elastic members 323 and 324 has a plate-like (which can also be said to be rod-like) shape similar to that of the above-described embodiment. Each of the elastic members 323 and 324 is made of an elastically deformable material (for example, the above-described FRP). The first elastic member 323 is held by the pedestal portion while being inserted into the left opening of the pedestal portion. The second elastic member 324 is held by the pedestal portion while being inserted into the right opening of the pedestal portion. Note that, in this modification example, the method by which the pedestal portion holds the elastic members 323 and 324 is the same as the method in the above-described embodiment.

[0299] As described above, the expansion device 321 in this modification example differs from the above-described embodiment in that the shapes of the elastic members are different. Also in the expansion device 321 in this modification example, similar to the above-described embodiment, the user can perform an operation of bending the elastic member. The expansion device 321 can detect the distortion generated in the pedestal portion by the bending operation by means of a strain gauge provided in the pedestal portion. Therefore, the main body device 2 can receive information indicating the distortion value detected by the expansion device 321 via the right controller 4 attached to the expansion device 321, and can specify the above-described bending operation based on the distortion value.

[0300] Note that the expansion device 321 may further include grip covers provided on the elastic members 323 and 324. That is, grip covers may be respectively provided at the ends of the elastic members 323 and 324 on the side opposite to the side held by the pedestal portion. Also in this modification example, similar to the above-described embodiment, the grip cover may be detachable from the elastic member, or may be adhered to the annular portion in a non-detachable manner.

[0301] From the above, it can be said that the expansion device 321 in the above modification example is an input device having the following configuration. · Strain gauge · Pedestal portion to which the strain gauge is attached · First elastic member 323 held by one hand of the user · Second elastic member 324 which is separate from the first elastic member 323 and is held by the other hand of the user Further, the pedestal portion has a first portion (the outer plate portion 251 in the above embodiment) and a second portion (the inner plate portion 252 in the above embodiment) provided to face the first portion. The pedestal portion holds the first elastic member and the second elastic member in a state where one end of the first elastic member and one end of the second elastic member are respectively sandwiched between the first portion and the second portion. With the above configuration as well, similar to the above embodiment, the user can perform a new operation of deforming the expansion device using the game controller attached to the expansion device.

[0302] Also, in the above modification, in the first elastic member 323, the portion of the first elastic member 323 sandwiched between the end of the first portion and the end of the second portion is elastically deformable in a direction approaching the first portion (i.e., upward) and a direction approaching the second portion (i.e., downward). In the second elastic member 324, the portion of the second elastic member 324 sandwiched between the end of the first portion and the end of the second portion is elastically deformable in a direction approaching the first portion and a direction approaching the second portion. Therefore, also in the above modification, similar to the above embodiment, when each of the elastic members 323 and 324 is deformed, the force received by the pedestal portion from the elastic members can be dispersed to the first portion and the second portion.

[0303] In the above-described modification, the two elastic members 323 and 324 are rod-shaped and are provided so as to extend from the pedestal portion slightly downward in the horizontal direction (i.e., the X-axis direction). Here, in other embodiments, the shape of the elastic member may be any shape. For example, in other embodiments, the two elastic members may be provided so as to extend linearly, or the two elastic members and the main body portion may have a U-shaped configuration. Further, the two elastic members 323 and 324 are connected to each other at the ends on the side opposite to the side held by the main body portion 322, and the expansion device may be configured in an arcuate shape as a whole. At this time, the user can also perform an operation of pulling a member (which may be made of the same material as the elastic members 323 and 324 or a different material) connecting the two elastic members 323 and 324 like a bowstring. Also, in another modification, the elastic member extends upward and downward in two directions from the left end of the main body portion 322, and the elastic member extends upward and downward in two directions from the right end of the main body portion 322, and the expansion device may be configured in an H-shaped configuration as a whole. At this time, the user can perform an operation of gripping and deforming any of the elastic members extending in four directions.

[0304] In other embodiments, the two elastic members 323 and 324 in the above-described modification may be integrally formed. That is, the expansion device 321 may be an input device having the following configuration. · An elastic member at least a part of which is elastically deformable · A pedestal portion that holds the elastic member such that the elastic member extends from one end of itself and the elastic member extends from the other end of itself · A strain gauge provided on the pedestal portion that detects the strain generated in the pedestal portion due to the deformation of the elastic member in response to a user input With the above configuration, similar to the above-described embodiment, the user can perform a new operation of deforming the expansion device using a game controller attached to the expansion device.

[0305] Also, it can be said that the expansion device 321 in the above-described modification is a device having the following configuration. · A first gripping body held by one hand of the user (for example, the portion of the elastic member 323 that the user holds with the left hand) · A second gripping body held by the other hand of the user (for example, the portion of the elastic member 324 that the user holds with the right hand) · A deformable portion deformed by the force applied to the first gripping body and the second gripping body (for example, the portions of the elastic members 323 and 324 other than the first gripping body and the second gripping body) · A detection portion that detects the deformation of the deformable portion (for example, a strain gauge) · A main body portion 322 provided between the first gripping body and the second gripping body Here, the main body portion 322 has the following configuration. · A mounting portion (that is, the rail portion 211) on which a game controller (that is, the right controller 4) can be mounted · A terminal (that is, the terminal 294) for electrically connecting to the game controller · A transmission portion (that is, the processing portion 293) for transmitting data regarding the detection result of the detection portion to the game controller via the terminal Furthermore, the main body portion 322 has a protruding portion that protrudes to one side or the other side in the front view direction from the first gripping body and the second gripping body when the expansion device is viewed from the front, and the mounting portion is provided on the protruding portion. With the above configuration, similar to the above embodiment, the user can perform a new operation of deforming the device using the game controller mounted on the device. Also, according to the above configuration, when the deformable portion is deformed, it is possible to make it difficult for the deformable portion to contact the mounting portion, and it is possible to reduce the possibility that the game controller comes off the device due to the contact between the deformable portion and the mounting portion.

[0306] Note that the "front view direction" in the above configuration is a direction perpendicular to the plane including the direction in which the deformation part deforms (for example, the Z-axis direction shown in FIG. 30). Note that when the deformation part can deform not only in a specific one direction and its reverse direction but also in any direction, the "direction in which the deformation part deforms" is, for example, the direction in which the deformation amount becomes maximum when a certain force is applied to the deformation part among the directions in which the deformation part can deform. Alternatively, the "direction in which the deformation part deforms" may be said to be the most natural deformation direction when a user applies a force to the expansion device to deform it while holding the expansion device.

[0307] Also, in the above configuration, the main body part includes a housing in which holes are formed, similar to the above embodiment, and the housing is formed so as to cover a part of the first gripping body and the second gripping body in a state where the first gripping body and the second gripping body respectively pass through the holes. Also, the mounting part is provided on one side or the other side in the front view direction rather than the holes when the device is viewed from the front. Therefore, the possibility that the deformation part contacts the mounting part can be further reduced.

[0308] (Modification example regarding a method of attaching a game controller to an expansion device) In the above embodiment and modification example, the expansion device and the right controller 4 are attached to the expansion device by slidably engaging the slide parts (that is, the rail parts or sliders) provided in each of them. Here, in other embodiments, the configuration (in other words, the method) for attaching the right controller 4 to the expansion device is arbitrary. For example, in other embodiments, the expansion device may be provided with claw parts, and the right controller 4 may be detachably attached to the expansion device by hooking the claw parts on the right controller 4. At this time, it can be said that the claw parts that hook on the right controller 4 are the above-described mounting parts. Also, for example, in other embodiments, the main body part may be provided with a clamping part that clamps the front surface and the back surface of the right controller 4. At this time, it can be said that the clamping part that clamps the right controller 4 is the above-described mounting part.

[0309] (Modification Example Regarding Communication between Game Controller and Expansion Device) In the above-described embodiment and modification example, the expansion device transmitted information to the right controller 4 via a terminal (i.e., wired). Here, in other embodiments, the expansion device may include a wireless communication unit that performs wireless communication with the right controller 4, and the above information may be transmitted to the right controller 4 by the wireless communication unit.

[0310] (Modification Example Regarding Method for Detecting Bending Operation) In the above-described embodiment and modification example, the game system 1 used a strain sensor as a detection unit for detecting that the annular portion (in other words, the elastic member) was deformed. Here, in other embodiments, the configuration of the above detection unit is arbitrary, and other types of sensors may be used. For example, the expansion device may include a pressure sensor and / or a bending sensor as the above detection unit. The pressure sensor detects, for example, the pressure received by the pedestal portion from the elastic member. At this time, based on the detected pressure value, the amount by which the elastic member is bent can be calculated. The bending sensor is provided on the elastic member and detects the amount by which the elastic member is bent. As described above, the detection unit for detecting that the annular portion is deformed may detect the amount of deformation, or may detect other physical quantities (e.g., strain amount or pressure) generated by the deformation.

Industrial Applicability

[0311] The above-described embodiment can be used, for example, as an expansion device for a game controller for the purpose of performing a new operation or the like.

Description of Reference Numerals

[0312] 1 Game system 2 Main body device 3 Left controller 4 Right controller 5 Ring-shaped expansion device 6 Belt-shaped expansion device 201 Annular portion 202 Main body portion 206 Left gripping part 207 Right gripping part 211 Rail part 212 Housing 218 Mark 224 Light guide part 241 Elastic member 242 Base part 243 Core part 244 Cover part 245 Strain gauge 256 Left protection member 257 Right protection member 293 Processing unit 294 Terminal

Claims

1. An annular portion, at least a portion of which is elastically deformable; a body portion fixed to the annular portion, The main body portion is A mounting section to which the controller is detachably mounted; an entrance through which light emitted from a controller attached to the attachment portion enters; and an exit port through which the light incident from the entrance port exits. Device.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the surface on which the entrance is provided and the surface on which the exit is provided are different.

3. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the emission outlet is provided on a surface visible from a centrifugal direction of the ring formed by the annular portion.

4. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the light outlet is provided on a surface that is visible from the front when a direction in which the ring formed by the annular portion is viewed from the front is defined as a front-to-rear direction.

5. The mounting portion is provided forward of the ring when the direction in which the ring is viewed from the front is defined as a front-rear direction, The device according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the exit opening is provided forward of the ring.

6. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the entrance is provided on a surface facing towards the centre of the ring formed by the annular portion.

7. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the main body further includes a light guide having an incident surface on which light incident from the inlet is incident and an exit surface from which light incident from the incident surface exits.

8. The device according to claim 7 , wherein the light guide is disposed at a position where the entrance surface is exposed from the entrance opening and the exit surface is exposed from the exit opening.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the light guide has a plurality of the entrance faces, the entrance faces being exposed from the same entrance aperture.

10. 10. The apparatus of claim 8 or claim 9, wherein the light guide has a plurality of said exit faces, each exit face being exposed from a respective one of a plurality of said exit apertures.

11. The device according to any one of claims 7 to 10, wherein the main body further comprises a housing and a holder fixed to the housing and holding the light guide.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the holder is exposed from the entrance.

Images