Operation device, its control device, control method, and program

Abstract

An operation device including: an operation member (25) that receives an operation by a user; and a temperature sensation presentation unit (30) that is disposed on a surface of the operation member (25) and that presents a warm and / or cold sensation to a body part of the user operating the operation member (25).

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an operation device having an operation member for receiving an operation from a user, a control device thereof, a control method, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, in video games, tactile sensations are sometimes presented to give users a more realistic experience. Known methods for presenting tactile sensations include vibrating a device that comes into contact with the user's body or applying force to the user's body. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0003] In technological fields such as virtual reality, users are now able to have a variety of virtual experiences, which has led to a demand for more diverse tactile presentations.

[0004] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and one of its purposes is to provide an operation device that can present a new type of tactile sensation, a control device, a control method, and a program therefor. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] An operating device according to one aspect of the present invention is characterized by including an operating member that accepts user operation, and a temperature sensation presentation unit that is arranged on the surface of the operating member and presents a warm and / or cold sensation to the part of the user's body that operates the operating member.

[0006] A control device for an operating device according to one embodiment of the present invention is a control device for an operating device that includes an operating member that accepts user operations and a temperature sensation presentation unit that presents a warm and / or cold sensation to the part of the user's body that operates the operating member, and is characterized by including an acquisition unit that acquires the user's operation content for the operating member, and a control unit that causes the temperature sensation presentation unit to present a warm and / or cold sensation in accordance with the acquired operation content.

[0007] A control method for an operating device according to one aspect of the present invention is a control method for an operating device that includes an operating member that accepts user operation and a temperature sensation presentation unit that presents a warm and / or cold sensation to a part of the user's body that operates the operating member, and is characterized by including a step of acquiring the user's operation content for the operating member, and a step of causing the temperature sensation presentation unit to present a warm and / or cold sensation in accordance with the acquired operation content.

[0008] A program according to one aspect of the present invention is a program for controlling an operation device including an operation member that accepts a user's operation and a temperature sensation presentation unit that presents a warm and / or cold sensation to a part of the user's body that operates the operation member, the program causing a computer to execute the steps of acquiring the user's operation content for the operation member and causing the temperature sensation presentation unit to present a warm and / or cold sensation in accordance with the acquired operation content. This program may be provided by being stored in a computer-readable, non-transitory information storage medium. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is an overall schematic diagram of an information processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] 1 is a diagram showing an example of the appearance of an operation device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 3] 1 is a diagram showing an internal configuration of an operation device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a push-in amount measuring mechanism. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a rule table. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of a flow of processing executed by a controller of the operation device. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the arrangement of the thermal sensation presentation unit. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example in which a temperature sensation presentation unit is arranged on a touchpad. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0011] 1 is a schematic diagram of an information processing system 1 including an operation device 20 according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, the information processing system 1 includes an information processing device 10, a display device 14, and the operation device 20.

[0012] The information processing device 10 may be a home game console, a personal computer, a large group of computers installed on a network cloud, or the like, and includes a control unit 11, a storage unit 12, and an interface unit 13. The control unit 11 includes at least one processor and executes various information processing operations according to programs stored in the storage unit 12. The storage unit 12 includes at least one memory device and stores various programs and data used in the information processing operations executed by the control unit 11. The interface unit 13 is a communication interface and controls data communication between the display device 14 and the operation device 20. The display device 14 displays and presents to the user an image corresponding to a video signal transmitted from the information processing device 10. The display device 14 may be a head-mounted display device that can display a three-dimensional image when worn by the user on the head. In this embodiment, the information processing device 10 executes an application program, such as a game, and displays an image showing the execution result on the display device 14.

[0013] The operation device 20 is a device for receiving operation instructions from a user to the information processing device 10, and is connected to the information processing device 10 so as to be able to perform data communication either wired or wirelessly. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the appearance of the operation device 20. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a part of the internal configuration of the operation device 20. As shown in these figures, the operation device 20 includes a controller 21, a memory 22, a communication control circuit 23, and an input / output interface 24. These circuit elements are connected via a bus B.

[0014] The operation device 20 includes operation members that are targets of user operation, such as a trigger button 25, a touchpad 27, and various operation buttons, as well as gripping portions 28 that are gripped by the user in the palms of both hands.

[0015] The controller 21 is a microprocessor or the like, and executes various information processing operations according to built-in programs. Specifically, the controller 21 periodically scans the states of various operation members arranged on the surface of the operation device 20 and identifies the operation performed by the user on each operation member. It also controls the temperature sensation presentation unit 30 to present various tactile sensations to the user. Details of the processing executed by the controller 21 will be described later.

[0016] The memory 22 stores various types of information used in the processes executed by the controller 21. Specifically, the memory 22 stores information indicating the operation content for each operation member obtained by periodic scanning by the controller 21. The memory 22 also stores instructions regarding the operation of the operation device 20 received from the information processing device 10.

[0017] The communication control circuit 23 controls data communication with the information processing device 10. Specifically, the communication control circuit 23 transmits data such as information indicating operation contents stored in the memory 22 to the information processing device 10 in response to an instruction from the controller 21. The communication control circuit 23 also stores data such as instruction contents received from the information processing device 10 in the memory 22.

[0018] The input / output interface 24 relays data between the temperature sensation presentation unit 30 and the depression amount measurement mechanism 26 (described later) and the bus B. Specifically, the input / output interface 24 transmits control commands from the controller 21 to the temperature sensation presentation unit 30, and receives data transmitted from the temperature sensation presentation unit 30 and the depression amount measurement mechanism 26 and records it in the memory 22.

[0019] Operation members such as operation buttons are arranged on the surface of the operation device 20. In particular, in this embodiment, the front surface of the operation device 20 is provided with two trigger buttons 25: a trigger button 25R that the user operates with the index finger of their right hand, and a trigger button 25L that the user operates with the index finger of their left hand. However, FIG. 3 shows the configuration corresponding to one of the trigger buttons 25. These trigger buttons 25 are depressible buttons, and the user can press their index finger against the surface and apply force to depress them.

[0020] A depression measurement mechanism 26 is provided inside the trigger button 25 to measure how far the user has depressed the trigger button 25. By referencing the measurement results from this depression measurement mechanism 26, the controller 21 can determine not only whether the user has pressed the trigger button 25 but also how far the user has pressed it. Figure 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of the operating principle of the depression measurement mechanism 26, schematically illustrating the relative positions of the main components of the depression measurement mechanism 26. Figure 4(a) is a plan view, and Figure 4(b) is a side view. In this example, a crank 26a is connected to the outer shell of the trigger button 25. When the user presses the trigger button 25, the crank 26a moves in conjunction with the outer shell of the trigger button 25, and this movement is converted into rotational motion of a gear 26b. A magnet 26c is arranged in an annular shape around one surface of the gear 26b. An MR sensor 26d is arranged below the gear 26b and detects magnetic field fluctuations that occur as the magnet 26c rotates in a non-contact manner. This allows the push-in amount measuring mechanism 26 to measure the amount of rotation of the gear 26b using the detection result of the MR sensor 26d. However, the push-in amount measuring mechanism 26 is not limited to this, and various methods may be used to measure the push-in amount.

[0021] A plurality of temperature sensation presentation units 30 are arranged near the surface of the trigger button 25. Each temperature sensation presentation unit 30 includes a thermoelectric element unit 31, a heat dissipation material 32, a power supply circuit 33, and a temperature sensor 34, and is used to present a sensation of hot or cold to the user's body by the heat generation and absorption of heat by the thermoelectric element unit 31.

[0022] In the example of Figure 2, the heat dissipation material 32 of each temperature sensation presentation unit 30 is exposed on the surface of the trigger button 25, and this exposed portion is in the shape of a long, thin strip extending in the vertical direction. Furthermore, six temperature sensation presentation units 30 are arranged side by side in the left-right direction (i.e., the direction intersecting the extension direction of each heat dissipation material 32) on each of the multiple trigger buttons 25. However, the number, shape, and arrangement of the temperature sensation presentation units 30 shown in this figure are merely examples and may vary. Other examples of arrangements of the temperature sensation presentation units 30 will be described later.

[0023] Heat dissipation material 32 is formed into a thin plate shape from a material with high thermal conductivity, and is arranged on the surface of trigger button 25 facing the part that will come into contact with the body of the user who operates trigger button 25. The thermoelectric element unit 31 is arranged to come into contact with the surface of heat dissipation material 32 opposite to the surface of trigger button 25. Note that, although heat dissipation material 32 is exposed on the surface of trigger button 25 here, heat dissipation material 32 may also be covered with a thermally conductive cover or the like.

[0024] The thermoelectric element unit 31 includes a thermoelectric element that generates and / or absorbs heat when a current is passed through it. This thermoelectric element may be, for example, a small Peltier element. Note that one thermoelectric element unit 31 may include multiple thermoelectric elements. A power supply circuit 33 is connected to the thermoelectric element unit 31, and the power supply circuit 33 passes a current through the thermoelectric element unit 31 in response to a control command received from the controller 21. When the thermoelectric element unit 31 is configured as a Peltier element, the surface of the thermoelectric element unit 31 that comes into contact with the heat dissipation material 32 generates heat when the power supply circuit 33 passes a current through the thermoelectric element unit 31 in a predetermined direction. This heats the user's body via the heat dissipation material 32, providing the user with a sensation of heat (warmth). When a current is passed through the thermoelectric element unit 31 in the opposite direction to when heat is generated, the thermoelectric element unit 31 absorbs heat from the surface that comes into contact with the heat dissipation material 32. This allows the user's body to be cooled via the heat dissipation material 32, providing the user with a sensation of cold (cold sensation). By controlling the direction of the current flowing through the thermoelectric element section 31 in this way, one temperature sensation presentation unit 30 can be used to present both a warm sensation and a cold sensation.

[0025] The power supply circuit 33 supplies current to the corresponding thermoelectric element unit 31 in response to an instruction received from the controller 21 via the input / output interface 24. In this embodiment, the power supply circuit 33 is configured to be able to supply current to the thermoelectric element unit 31 in both directions in order to accommodate both heat generation and heat absorption by the thermoelectric element unit 31.

[0026] A temperature sensor 34 is disposed adjacent to each thermoelectric element unit 31, and measures the temperature in real time when the thermoelectric element unit 31 is operating. The controller 21 monitors the measurement results of this temperature sensor 34 and performs feedback control, thereby executing heating or cooling control so that the temperature presented by each thermoelectric element unit 31 reaches a given target temperature.

[0027] As described above, in this embodiment, multiple temperature sensation presentation units 30 are arranged side by side on the surface of a single trigger button 25. Each thermoelectric element 31 constituting these temperature sensation presentation units 30 is configured so that it can be controlled to heat or cool independently of the others, and each can independently present any temperature. When all of these thermoelectric element units 31 are made to generate heat, a warm sensation can be presented to the user's body (here, the pad of the index finger that operates the trigger button 25). Conversely, when these thermoelectric element units 31 are made to absorb heat, a cold sensation can be presented to the user's body.

[0028] Below, we will explain specific examples of the control that the controller 21 performs on the temperature sensation presentation unit 30. Hereinafter, the control that the controller 21 performs on the temperature sensation presentation unit 30 will be referred to as temperature sensation presentation control. As will be explained in detail below, the temperature sensation presentation control includes presenting a warm sensation by heating, presenting a cold sensation by cooling, and presenting a pseudo-pain sensation by combining heating and cooling.

[0029] As a first example, the controller 21 may immediately heat or cool the multiple temperature sensation presentation units 30 to a given target temperature in response to an instruction received from the information processing device 10. This allows the operation device 20 to present a warm or cold sensation to the user's index finger in contact with the surface of the trigger button 25 at any timing.

[0030] Whether to execute heating control or cooling control in response to an instruction received from the information processing device 10 may be determined based on the difference between the current temperature measured by the temperature sensor 34 and the target temperature. For example, the controller 21 executes heating control if the target temperature is higher than the current temperature (room temperature before the temperature sensation presentation control is executed), and executes cooling control if the target temperature is lower than the current temperature.

[0031] As a second example, the controller 21 can present a pseudo-pain sensation to the user by alternately heating and cooling multiple temperature sensation presentation units 30 in response to instructions received from the information processing device 10. It is known that a pain sensation known as the thermal grill illusion occurs when warm and cold sensations are simultaneously presented relatively close to the skin surface of a human body. Therefore, by alternately heating and cooling multiple temperature sensation presentation units 30 arranged side by side to simultaneously present warm and cold sensations to the user's body, a pseudo-pain sensation can be presented to the user in a relatively safe manner. In this case, the greater the temperature difference between the warm and cold sensations presented by adjacent temperature sensation presentation units 30, the stronger the pain felt. Therefore, the controller 21 can control the intensity of the pain sensation felt by the user by controlling the temperature difference presented by each temperature sensation presentation unit 30.

[0032] As a third example, the operation device 20 may control the content and timing of presentation of the thermal sensation according to the operation content (e.g., the amount of operation, the operation speed, etc.) of the user on the trigger button 25. Specifically, the operation device 20 monitors the measurement result of the pressing amount of the trigger button 25, and when the value of the measurement result satisfies a given condition, causes the temperature sensation presentation unit 30 to generate or absorb heat.

[0033] More specifically, for example, the operation device 20 gradually increases the temperature presented by each temperature sensation presentation unit 30 as the pressing distance increases. In this way, the harder the user presses the trigger button 25, the more heat the user will feel. This allows the user to experience the sensation of holding a hot object. Conversely, the operation device 20 may gradually decrease the temperature presented by each temperature sensation presentation unit 30 as the pressing distance of the trigger button 25 increases.

[0034] As a fourth example, the operation device 20 may present a pseudo pain sensation to the user in accordance with the operation of the trigger button 25. In this example, similar to the second example, the pseudo pain sensation is presented to the user by alternately causing the plurality of temperature sensation presentation units 30 to generate and absorb heat. However, in this example, similar to the third example, when the user operates the trigger button 25, the content and timing of the presentation of the pseudo pain sensation are controlled in accordance with the operation. This makes it possible to control the intensity of the pain sensation felt by the user, for example, by increasing the force with which the user presses the trigger button 25.

[0035] The temperature sensation presentation control by the controller 21 as described above is executed in response to instructions received from the information processing device 10. These instructions may be received from the information processing device 10 in the form of a rule table describing the instruction content. FIG. 5 shows an example of a rule table received by the operation device 20 from the information processing device 10. In this example, the rule table contains multiple rules. Each rule is composed of a combination of parameters, such as the target operation member, the amount of operation that is the condition for applying the rule, the presentation time, the target temperature presentation unit 30, the target temperature, and the operating conditions. Note that the content of the rule table shown here is merely an example, and the information processing device 10 may instruct the content of the temperature sensation presentation control using a different data format.

[0036] In the example shown in this figure, the operation amount parameter is defined in association with the target operating member and indicates the amount of operation required to apply the rule to that operating member. In this example, the left or right trigger button 25R or 25L is targeted, and the range of percentages of the maximum amount of depression of that trigger button 25 is associated as the operation amount parameter. Multiple numerical ranges of depression amount may be associated with one trigger button 25, in which case one of multiple rules will be applied depending on how far the user presses the trigger button 25.

[0037] The target temperature and operating condition parameters are determined for each of the multiple thermal sensation presentation units 30. The operating conditions are values ​​that indicate the conditions under which the thermoelectric element unit 31 operates. For example, if the power supply circuit 33 passes current to the thermoelectric element unit 31 using pulse width modulation, the operating condition parameters may be the duty ratio or frequency of the pulse wave. Note that if the thermal sensation presentation unit 30 is always operated at a fixed output, the output value parameters do not necessarily need to be included in the rule table. Furthermore, if multiple thermal sensation presentation units 30 are operated at a common output value, the output value parameters may be set for a combination of an operating member and an operation amount, rather than for each individual thermal sensation presentation unit 30.

[0038] In the example of FIG. 5 , rule number #1 indicates a rule for thermal sensation presentation control. In this example, when trigger button 25R is pressed 5% or more of its maximum pressing amount, thermal sensation presentation control is performed to heat all of the corresponding thermal sensation presentation units 30 to 30°C. Rule number #2 indicates a rule for presenting a pseudo-pain sensation to trigger button 25L. In this example, when trigger button 25L is pressed 5% or more, heating or cooling control is performed on each thermal sensation presentation unit 30 so that the temperature difference between adjacent thermal sensation presentation units 30 is 5°C. This causes the user's left index finger to feel a slight pain. When the user further presses trigger button 25L and the pressing amount is 20% or more, the temperature difference between adjacent thermal sensation presentation units 30 becomes 15°C, and when the pressing amount is 70% or more, the temperature difference becomes 25°C. This causes the user's left index finger to feel gradually stronger pain.

[0039] An example of the flow of control executed by the controller 21 using the rule table described above will be described below with reference to the flow diagram in Fig. 6. Once control based on the rule table is started, the controller 21 executes the following loop process until an instruction to end the process is received. Specifically, the controller 21 first determines whether the presentation time set in the rule table for the currently executed temperature sensation presentation control has elapsed (S1). If the set presentation time has elapsed, the controller 21 ends the execution of the temperature sensation presentation control and stops heating or cooling the target temperature sensation presentation unit 30 (S2).

[0040] Next, the controller 21 acquires information on the current operation amount for the target operation member (S3). Here, the controller 21 acquires the values ​​of the pressing amounts measured by the pressing amount measuring mechanisms 26 for the left and right trigger buttons 25.

[0041] Furthermore, the controller 21 refers to the rule table based on the acquired pressing amount value to identify a new rule to be applied (S4). Then, for each of the temperature sensation presentation units 30 defined in the identified rule, temperature sensation presentation control is started according to the set target temperature and operating condition parameters (S5). Note that when temperature sensation presentation control based on a new rule is started for a temperature sensation presentation unit 30 that is already performing temperature sensation presentation control, the control that was being performed up until then is stopped. The controller 21 continues to repeatedly execute the above-described process until it receives an instruction to end it. This enables real-time temperature sensation presentation control according to the rule table.

[0042] The information processing device 10 can also update the rule table stored in the memory 22 of the operation device 20 in response to the progress of an application program being executed and the state transitions of system menus in the operation system program. For example, the information processing device 10 executes a game program and transmits a new rule table to the operation device 20 each time a scene of the game changes. Upon receiving the new rule table, the controller 21 of the operation device 20 suspends the temperature sensation presentation control currently being executed based on the old rule table and starts control based on the new rule table. This enables temperature sensation presentation control according to the situation of the game being played by the user, such as always presenting a warm sensation to the user's finger in one scene or presenting a simulated pain sensation depending on the strength with which the user presses the trigger button 25 in another scene. Specifically, according to this embodiment, a simulated pain sensation can be presented to the user's finger in scenes in a virtual space, such as when the user gets their finger caught in a door, gets a rose thorn stuck in their finger, or supports their own weight on one finger while rock climbing.

[0043] Furthermore, when a user attempts to perform a restricted operation, such as selecting a prohibited icon displayed in a system menu, the information processing device 10 according to this embodiment may notify the user of the prohibited selection by sounding an alarm or the like, and may also notify the user by providing a simulated pain sensation to the pad of the finger placed on the trigger button 25, for example. This allows visually impaired or hearing impaired users to be notified that a prohibited operation has been attempted, which is expected to further improve accessibility. Note that this embodiment may also allow the intensity (intensity) of the pain sensation felt by the user to be gradually changed.

[0044] The rule table is not limited to one received from the information processing device 10, but may be one prepared in advance in the operation device 20. For example, a default rule table may be prepared in advance in the operation device 20, and the controller 21 may execute the above-described control using the default rule table while it is not receiving an instruction from the information processing device 10 regarding the rule table to be applied.

[0045] Here, specific examples of the shape and arrangement of the multiple temperature sensation presentation units 30 will be described. As described above, in the example of FIG. 2, the multiple temperature sensation presentation units 30 are arranged side by side in the left-right direction. Furthermore, the width (length) of each temperature sensation presentation unit 30 along this arrangement direction is shorter than the length in the direction intersecting the arrangement direction (the longitudinal direction of each temperature sensation presentation unit 30). In this example, the arrangement direction of the multiple temperature sensation presentation units 30 substantially coincides with the direction in which the user's index finger extends when operating the trigger button 25. In this way, by arranging the temperature sensation presentation units 30 with a relatively narrow width along the direction in which the user's finger is placed when operating the operating member, it is possible to reliably present the warm and cold sensations to the user's finger simultaneously. In other words, with this arrangement, even if the position of the user's finger shifts up, down, left, or right, the user's finger is likely to come into contact with at least two adjacent temperature sensation presentation units 30. As a result, by alternately generating and absorbing heat from the multiple temperature sensation presentation units 30, it is possible to reliably heat and cool the user's body simultaneously and present a pseudo-pain sensation.

[0046] However, the shape and arrangement of the temperature sensation presentation units 30 are not limited to these. Figure 7 shows several arrangement examples of the temperature sensation presentation units 30. In Figure 7(a), strip-shaped temperature sensation presentation units 30 extending laterally are arranged in a direction intersecting the arrangement direction of Figure 2 (i.e., the vertical direction). In Figure 7(b), approximately square-shaped temperature sensation presentation units 30 are arranged vertically and horizontally. In Figure 7(c), temperature sensation presentation units 30 that are smaller than those in Figure 7(b) but also approximately square-shaped are arranged in a scattered manner. In Figure 7(d), unlike the previous examples, the surface shape of the temperature sensation presentation units 30 is approximately triangular, and six of these temperature sensation presentation units 30 are arranged in a ring so that the overall shape is hexagonal. In Figure 7(e), the surface shape of each temperature sensation presentation unit 30 is approximately hexagonal, and these temperature sensation presentation units 30 are regularly arranged in a limited area to form a hexagonal lattice. In all of these examples, the individual temperature sensation presentation units 30 are of approximately the same shape and size, and are arranged side by side without leaving any large gaps between them, thereby creating a temperature difference between adjacent temperature sensation presentation units 30, and presenting a pseudo-pain sensation to the user.

[0047] As described above, the operating device 20 according to this embodiment can present a wider variety of tactile sensations to the user by presenting a simulated pain sensation based on a combination of warm and cold sensations to the part of the user's body that operates the operating member.

[0048] It should be noted that the embodiments of the present invention are not limited to those described above. For example, in the above description, a Peltier element is used as the thermoelectric element section 31, and one temperature sensation presentation unit 30 is used to present both a warm sensation and a cold sensation by controlling the direction of the current flowing through the thermoelectric element section 31. However, this is not limiting, and each temperature sensation presentation unit 30 may present only one of a warm sensation or a cold sensation. In this case, too, by arranging multiple temperature sensation presentation units 30 for presenting a warm sensation and multiple temperature sensation presentation units 30 for presenting a cold sensation alternately, it is possible to present all of a warm sensation, a cold sensation, and a pseudo-pain sensation.

[0049] Furthermore, in the above description, the temperature sensation presentation unit 30 is arranged on the surface of the trigger button 25, which can measure the amount of depression. However, this is not limiting and the temperature sensation presentation unit 30 may be arranged on various operating members. As a specific example, multiple temperature sensation presentation units 30 may be arranged on the surface of a touchpad 27, which can detect contact with the user's body. FIG. 8 shows an example in which multiple temperature sensation presentation units 30 are arranged on the touchpad 27, which is arranged on the top surface of the operating device 20. By arranging the temperature sensation presentation units 30 facing the surface of the touchpad 27 in this way, when a user touches their finger on the touchpad 27 to perform a slide operation or the like, it is possible to present the finger with a sensation of warmth, coldness, and even a pseudo-pain sensation.

[0050] Furthermore, the touchpad 27 may receive the strength of pressure applied by the user's finger as one type of operation amount on the touchpad 27 by the user. In this case, a pressure sensor for measuring pressure is disposed on the touchpad 27. The controller 21 may present the user with a thermal sensation or a pseudo-pain sensation according to the measurement result of the pressure sensor. Specifically, similar to the third and fourth control examples for the trigger button 25 described above, the content of the thermal sensation or pain sensation to be presented is changed according to the magnitude of the pressure measured by the pressure sensor. This makes it possible to realize control such that, for example, the stronger the force with which the finger touches the touchpad 27, the stronger the pain sensation presented.

[0051] Furthermore, a pressure sensor for measuring the strength of the user's grip may be disposed on the surface of the grip section 28, which is the portion of the operating device 20 that the user grips with the palm of their hand. In this case, the measurement results of this pressure sensor can be used as part of the information indicating the user's operation status. Furthermore, in this embodiment, a temperature sensation presentation unit 30 may be disposed on the surface of the grip button. This makes it possible to present a warm or cold sensation, or a pseudo-pain sensation, to the palm of the user's hand. Furthermore, in this case, the content of the temperature sensation presentation control may be changed according to the measurement results of the pressure sensor disposed on the surface of the grip section 28. This makes it possible to control the presentation of a pseudo-pain sensation to the palm of the hand or the pads of the fingers touching the surface of the grip section 28 when gripping with strong force.

[0052] In addition, in the above explanation, the operation amount such as the amount of pressure measured by the pressure measurement mechanism 26 and the strength of pressure measured by the pressure sensor is used as the user's operation content for the operating member, but the controller 21 may also perform temperature sensation presentation control in accordance with various operation content by the user.

[0053] For example, the controller 21 may execute temperature sensation presentation control on the condition that there is no user operation. In this example, control is performed to present a warm sensation when the amount of operation of the operating member is 0 or less than a predetermined value. This makes it possible to make the user aware that an operation is being waited for or to prompt the user to perform some operation.

[0054] In addition, the controller 21 may target an operating member, such as an operating button, whose purpose is simply to determine whether or not an operation has been performed, and perform specific temperature sensation presentation control when an operation has been performed or when no operation has been performed.

[0055] Furthermore, the controller 21 may execute temperature sensation presentation control in accordance with the speed of operation of a specific operation member. For example, the controller 21 may execute temperature sensation presentation control such that when the user quickly presses the trigger button 25, the user feels a stronger pain than when the trigger button 25 is pressed gently.

[0056] Furthermore, the controller 21 may execute the temperature sensation presentation control in accordance with the number of times a specific operation member is operated. For example, the controller 21 may determine the content of the temperature sensation presentation control in accordance with the number of times an operation button is pressed within a predetermined time.

[0057] Furthermore, the content of the temperature sensation presentation control may not be uniquely determined by a rule table, but may vary depending on, for example, the user currently using the operation device 20. It is conceivable that people have individual differences in how they perceive sensations such as hot, cold, and pain. Therefore, the controller 21 may refer to a pre-prepared table to correct the target temperature for presenting a warm or cold sensation or the temperature difference for presenting a simulated pain sensation, for each user, relative to the values ​​instructed by the information processing device 10. Furthermore, upper and / or lower limits for the target temperature or temperature difference may be set for each user, and the temperature sensation presentation control may be executed between these upper and lower limits. Similarly, for example, when playing an online game or online social networking service (SNS) while remotely communicating with a user, the target temperature or the temperature difference between adjacent temperature sensation presentation units 30 may be corrected relative to the values ​​instructed by the information processing device 10 depending on the content and progress of the communication.

[0058] In the above explanation, when presenting a warm or cold sensation, the multiple temperature sensation presentation units 30 provided on one operation member are controlled to the same target temperature, but this is not limited to this and each temperature sensation presentation unit 30 may be controlled under different conditions. This allows for temperature sensation presentation control that better reflects the characteristics, temperature distribution, and temperature movement and direction of the object that the user is operating in the virtual space, for example, by setting a higher target temperature for the temperature sensation presentation unit 30 closer to the tip of the user's finger.

[0059] Furthermore, when presenting a pseudo-pain sensation, the temperature difference between adjacent temperature sensation presentation units 30 may be controlled to vary depending on the position on the surface of the operation member. Furthermore, only some of the temperature sensation presentation units 30 arranged on one operation member may be targeted for control. This makes it possible to change the overall level of pain felt by the user, or to change the level of pain felt by the user depending on the position on the surface of the operation member.

[0060] Furthermore, the shape of the operation device 20 and the operation members included in the operation device 20 described above are merely examples, and the present invention is applicable to various operation devices. For example, even in an operation device that a user holds or grips in one hand, multiple temperature sensation presentation units 30 can be arranged on the surface of the operation buttons operated by the user, and a hot / cold sensation or a pseudo-pain sensation can be presented to the user's fingers operating the operation buttons, as in the examples described above. Furthermore, a pressure-sensitive sensor can be arranged on the gripping portion that the user holds in the palm of their hand, and a hot / cold sensation or a pseudo-pain sensation can be presented to the user's palm based on the measurement results of the pressure-sensitive sensor. Furthermore, in an operation device that a user holds and operates in their hand, such as a steering wheel-type operation device, a pressure-sensitive sensor can be arranged at the position where the user holds the device, and a hot / cold sensation or a pseudo-pain sensation can be presented to the user's palm based on the measurement results.

[0061] In the above description, the controller 21 built into the operation device 20 determines the content of the temperature sensation presentation control according to the amount of operation of the operation members. That is, the controller 21 functions as a control device for the operation device according to the embodiment of the present invention. However, this is not limited to this, and the information processing device 10 connected to and communicating with the operation device 20 may also function as a control device for the operation device according to the embodiment of the present invention. In this case, the operation device 20 transmits operation information indicating the content of the user's operation of each operation member provided on the operation device 20, such as the depression amount of the trigger button 25, to the information processing device 10 in real time. The information processing device 10 determines the content of the temperature sensation presentation control to be executed by each temperature sensation presentation unit 30 based on the operation information and transmits the instruction content to the operation device 20. The controller 21 of the operation device 20 operates each temperature sensation presentation unit 30 according to the received instruction content. In this case, the operation device 20 does not need to store a rule table, and the content of the temperature sensation presentation control can be changed as needed depending on the processing content of the application program being executed by the information processing device 10. [Explanation of symbols]

[0062] 1 Information processing system, 10 Information processing device, 11 Control unit, 12 Memory unit, 13 Interface unit, 14 Display device, 20 Operation device, 21 Controller, 22 Memory, 23 Communication control circuit, 24 Input / output interface, 25 Trigger button, 26 Pressing amount measurement mechanism, 27 Touchpad, 28 Holding unit, 30 Temperature sensation presentation unit, 31 Thermoelectric element unit, 32 Heat dissipation material, 33 Power supply circuit, 34 Temperature sensor.

Claims

1. an operation member that accepts user operations; a plurality of temperature sensation presentation units arranged on a surface of the operation member, each presenting a warm sensation and / or a cold sensation to a finger of a user operating the operation member; Including, The plurality of temperature sensation presentation units include a first set including a plurality of temperature sensation presentation units for the user's right finger and a second set including a plurality of temperature sensation presentation units for the user's left finger, the first set and the second set being arranged side by side on the surface of the operating member in a first direction which is the longitudinal direction of the operating member, the length of each temperature sensation presentation unit along the first direction being shorter than the length in a direction intersecting with the first direction, and by presenting different temperature sensations to the user's fingers, a pseudo-pain sensation is presented to the user. An operating device characterized by:

2. 2. The operating device according to claim 1, The plurality of temperature sensation presentation units present a warm sensation and / or a cold sensation in accordance with the operation content of the user on the operation member. An operating device characterized by:

3. 3. The operating device according to claim 2, The operation member is a button having a depression amount measuring mechanism that measures the depression amount, The plurality of temperature sensation presentation units present a warm sensation and / or a cold sensation according to the amount of pressing measured by the pressing amount measurement mechanism. An operating device characterized by:

4. 3. The operating device according to claim 2, the operating member includes a pressure sensor that measures pressure applied by a part of the user's body; The plurality of temperature sensation presentation units present a warm sensation and / or a cold sensation according to the pressure measured by the pressure sensor. An operating device characterized by:

5. 2. The operating device according to claim 1, The plurality of temperature sensation presentation units present different temperature sensations with temperature differences determined according to the operation of the user on the operation member. An operating device characterized by:

6. A control device for an operation device comprising: an operation member that accepts user operation; and a plurality of temperature sensation presentation units that present a warm sensation and / or a cold sensation to each of the user's fingers that operate the operation member, wherein the plurality of temperature sensation presentation units include a first set including a plurality of temperature sensation presentation units for the user's right finger and a second set including a plurality of temperature sensation presentation units for the user's left finger, the first set and the second set being arranged side by side in a first direction that is the longitudinal direction of the operation member on a surface of the operation member, and the length of each temperature sensation presentation unit along the first direction being shorter than the length in a direction intersecting the first direction, an acquisition unit that acquires the operation content of the user with respect to the operation member; a control unit that causes the plurality of temperature sensation presentation units to present a warm sensation and / or a cold sensation in accordance with the acquired operation content, and causes the plurality of temperature sensation presentation units to present different temperature sensations to the user's finger, thereby presenting a pseudo pain sensation to the user; A control device for an operation device comprising:

7. 1. A control method for an operation device comprising: an operation member that accepts user operation; and a plurality of temperature sensation presentation units that present a warm sensation and / or a cold sensation to each of the user's fingers that operate the operation member, wherein the plurality of temperature sensation presentation units include a first set including a plurality of temperature sensation presentation units for the user's right finger and a second set including a plurality of temperature sensation presentation units for the user's left finger, the first set and the second set being arranged side by side in a first direction that is a longitudinal direction of the operation member on a surface of the operation member, and the length of each temperature sensation presentation unit along the first direction being shorter than the length in a direction intersecting the first direction, acquiring a user's operation content for the operation member; a step of causing the plurality of temperature sensation presentation units to present a warm sensation and / or a cold sensation in accordance with the acquired operation content, and causing the plurality of temperature sensation presentation units to present different temperature sensations to the user's finger, thereby presenting a pseudo pain sensation to the user; A control method for an operation device, comprising:

8. a program for controlling an operation device comprising: an operation member that accepts user operation; and a plurality of temperature sensation presentation units that present a warm sensation and / or a cold sensation to each of the user's fingers that operate the operation member, the plurality of temperature sensation presentation units including a first set including a plurality of temperature sensation presentation units for the user's right finger and a second set including a plurality of temperature sensation presentation units for the user's left finger, the first set and the second set being arranged side by side in a first direction that is the longitudinal direction of the operation member on a surface of the operation member, and the length of each temperature sensation presentation unit along the first direction being shorter than the length in a direction intersecting the first direction, acquiring a user's operation content for the operation member; a step of causing the plurality of temperature sensation presentation units to present a warm sensation and / or a cold sensation in accordance with the acquired operation content, and causing the plurality of temperature sensation presentation units to present different temperature sensations to the user's finger, thereby presenting a pseudo pain sensation to the user; A program that causes a computer to execute the following.

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