Glove-type device, program and operating system

The glove-type device with detachable modules and adaptive processing allows users to change operation types without replacing the glove, providing flexible and efficient operation adaptation.

JP7867736B1Active Publication Date: 2026-06-01DIVER-X INC

Patent Information

Authority / Receiving Office
JP · JP
Patent Type
Patents
Current Assignee / Owner
DIVER-X INC
Filing Date
2026-04-20
Publication Date
2026-06-01

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Existing operating devices require replacement when changing the type of object being operated, necessitating a new glove body for different operation contents.

Method used

A glove-type device with a detachable connection portion for multiple operation modules and a processing unit that executes subprograms based on the connected module type, allowing seamless switching between operation modules and finger-based controls without replacing the glove body.

Benefits of technology

Enables users to switch operation modules without removing the glove, adapting to different operation types efficiently and enhancing user flexibility.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

This allows the user to use their desired operating module without having to replace the glove itself, which is worn on the user's hand. [Solution] The glove-type device 1 is used to receive operations performed by the user and includes a connection part 111 to which one of several types of operation modules 2 that receive user operations is detachably connected, and a processing execution unit 114 that executes a first subprogram corresponding to the type of operation module 2 connected to the connection part 111.
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Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a glove-type device and a program for receiving a user's operation.

Background Art

[0002] An operating device in a form in which a device for detecting the movement of a user's hand while worn on the user's hand is fixed to a glove body is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Since the operation content varies depending on the type of the object to be operated, there are cases where it is desired to use an operating device suitable for the type of the object to be operated. In such cases, it was necessary to replace the operating device including the glove body worn on the user's hand.

[0005] Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of these points, and an object thereof is to enable a user to use a desired operation module without replacing the glove body worn on the user's hand.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] A glove-type device according to a first aspect of the present invention is a glove-type device used for receiving an operation performed by a user, and includes a connection portion to which any one of a plurality of types of operation modules for receiving the user's operation is detachably connected, and a processing execution portion that executes a first subprogram corresponding to the type of the operation module connected to the connection portion.

[0007] The first subprogram includes mapping data that shows the relationship between operation data received from the operation module and control data to be transmitted to an external device which is the object controlled by the user's operation. The processing execution unit may transmit the control data corresponding to the operation data received from the operation module via the connection unit to the external device by executing the first subprogram corresponding to the type of operation module.

[0008] The glove-type device further includes a detection unit for detecting the state of the user's fingers, and the processing execution unit may execute a second subprogram corresponding to the processing based on the state of the fingers detected by the detection unit if the operation module is not connected to the connection unit.

[0009] The glove-type device further includes a detection unit for detecting the state of the user's fingers, and the processing execution unit may execute a second subprogram corresponding to the processing based on the state of the fingers detected by the detection unit when the operation module connected to the connection unit is in a predetermined state.

[0010] The operation module is configured to switch between a first state in which it can accept user input and a second state in which it cannot accept user input, and the processing execution unit may execute the second subprogram corresponding to the processing based on the finger state detected by the detection unit when the operation module is in the second state.

[0011] The processing execution unit may stop the execution of the second subprogram and start the execution of the first subprogram when the operation module switches from the second state to the first state.

[0012] The glove-type device further includes a storage unit for storing the priority order of the plurality of operation modules, and the processing execution unit may execute the first subprogram corresponding to the operation module selected based on the priority order when two or more types of operation modules are connected to the connection unit.

[0013] The processing execution unit may identify the type of operation module to be used based on the application software running on the external device that is controlled by the user's operation, and execute the first subprogram corresponding to the identified type.

[0014] A glove-type device according to a second aspect of the present invention is a glove-type device used to receive operations performed by a user, and comprises a connection part to which an operation module that changes to either a first state or a second state is connected, and a processing execution part that executes a program corresponding to the state of the operation module connected to the connection part.

[0015] A third aspect of the present invention provides an operating system comprising a glove-type device used to receive operations performed by a user, and an external device capable of communicating with the glove-type device, wherein the glove-type device has a connection unit to which any of a plurality of operating modules for receiving user operations is detachably connected, and a communication unit that transmits control data based on operation data received from the operating module connected to the connection unit to the external device, and the external device has a processing execution unit that executes a program corresponding to the type of operating module connected to the connection unit.

[0016] A fourth aspect of the present invention is a program for executing a subprogram, which is executed by a processor in a glove-type device used to receive user operations, and which corresponds to the type of operation module connected to the glove-type device to which one of a plurality of types of operation modules that receive user operations is detachably connected.

[0017] A fifth aspect of the present invention is a program for executing a subprogram from among a plurality of subprograms that the processor can execute, which corresponds to the type of operation module connected to the glove-type device, and which is executed by a processor in an external device that can communicate with a glove-type device to which one of a plurality of operation modules, one of a plurality of operation modules that accept user operations, is detachably connected. [Effects of the Invention]

[0018] According to the present invention, the user can use the operating module of their choice without having to replace the glove body worn on the user's hand. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0019] [Figure 1] This figure shows the state in which the glove-type device 1 according to the first embodiment is being used. [Figure 2] This is a diagram showing the configuration of the operating system S. [Figure 3] This diagram shows the internal configuration of the control unit 11. [Figure 4] This figure shows an example of mapping data. [Figure 5] This is a diagram illustrating the operation of the processing execution unit 114. [Figure 6] This figure schematically shows the configuration of the glove-type device 1A according to the second embodiment. [Figure 7] This is a diagram showing the configuration of the control unit 11 according to the second embodiment. [Figure 8] This is a diagram for explaining the operation of the processing execution unit 114 of the glove-type device 1A. [Figure 9] This is a diagram for explaining the operation of the processing execution unit 114 of the glove-type device 1A according to the third embodiment. [Figure 10] This is a diagram for explaining the operation of the processing execution unit 114 according to the present embodiment. [Figure 11] This is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of processing executed by the processing execution unit 114.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0020] <First Embodiment> [Basic Configuration of Glove-Type Device 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a state in which the glove-type device 1 according to the first embodiment is being used. The glove-type device 1 is a glove-shaped device used for receiving operations performed by a user. The glove-type device 1 is used while being worn on the user's hand. FIG. 1(a) shows the back side of the hand in a state where the user has worn the glove-type device 1, and FIG. 1(b) shows the palm side.

[0021] The glove-type device 1 is configured such that the operation module 2 can be fixed. The operation module 2 is a device for receiving operations performed by the user using fingers. The operation module 2 is configured to be detachable from, for example, the control unit 11.

[0022] Figure 2 shows the configuration of the operating system S. The operating system S includes a glove-type device 1 and an external device 100. The control unit 11 of the glove-type device 1 receives operation data indicating the operation content received by the operation module 2 as shown in Figure 1, and transmits control data generated based on the received operation data to the external device 100, which is the target of the user's operation. The control unit 11 transmits the control data to the external device 100 via a wireless communication line W, such as Bluetooth® or Wi-Fi®. The external device 100 moves the cursor or executes processing based on the control data.

[0023] One of several types of operation modules 2 is detachably connected to the control unit 11. Each of the several types of operation modules 2 differs from the others in at least one aspect, such as function and form. For example, each of the several types of operation modules 2 is provided with operation buttons corresponding to different functions.

[0024] Figure 3 shows the internal configuration of the control unit 11. The control unit 11 includes a connection unit 111, a communication unit 112, a storage unit 113, and a processing execution unit 114.

[0025] The connection unit 111 has an interface to which one of several types of operation modules 2 that accept user input can be detachably connected. The connection unit 111 has, for example, a USB interface, but may have other interfaces.

[0026] The communication unit 112 has a communication interface for transmitting control data to an external device 100. The communication unit 112 includes, for example, an antenna and a wireless communication circuit.

[0027] The storage unit 113 has storage media such as ROM (Read Only Memory) and RAM (Random Access Memory). The storage unit 113 stores the program that the processing execution unit 114 executes. The storage unit 113 stores the main program that the processing execution unit 114 executes regardless of the type of operation module 2 connected to the connection unit 111, and a plurality of first subprograms that the processing execution unit 114 executes according to the type of operation module 2 connected to the connection unit 111, corresponding to the type of operation module 2.

[0028] The first subprogram contains mapping data that shows the relationship between operation data received from the operation module 2 and control data transmitted to the external device 100, which is the target of control by the user's operation. Each of the multiple first subprograms contains different mapping data depending on the type of operation module 2.

[0029] Figure 4 shows an example of mapping data. Figure 4(a) is the mapping data corresponding to the first type of operation module 2 (hereinafter referred to as "operation module 2A"), and Figure 4(b) is the mapping data corresponding to the second type of operation module 2 (hereinafter referred to as "operation module 2B").

[0030] The operation module 2A is equipped with buttons A to E. In the mapping data shown in Figure 4(a), operation data indicating that buttons A to D have been pressed is associated with control data indicating the direction in which the cursor displayed on the external device 100 should be moved. Additionally, operation data indicating that button E has been pressed is associated with control data indicating that the menu at the cursor's position has been selected.

[0031] The operation module 2B is equipped with a joystick and a button X. Operation data indicating the angle of the joystick is associated with control data indicating the direction (orientation) in which the cursor displayed on the external device 100 will move. Additionally, operation data indicating that button X has been pressed is associated with control data indicating that the menu at the cursor's position has been selected.

[0032] The processing execution unit 114 includes, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The processing execution unit 114 executes a first subprogram stored in the storage unit 113 that corresponds to the type of operation module 2 connected to the connection unit 111. By executing the first subprogram that corresponds to the type of operation module 2, the processing execution unit 114 transmits control data corresponding to the operation data received from the operation module 2 via the connection unit 111 to the external device 100.

[0033] As an example, the processing execution unit 114 executes the main program to determine the type of operation module 2 based on the identification information indicated by the signal transmitted from the operation module 2 connected to the connection unit 111. The processing execution unit 114 selects a first subprogram to execute by referring to the mapping data corresponding to the determined type of operation module 2. This allows the user to control the operation of the external device 100 by operating the operation module 2.

[0034] Figure 5 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the processing execution unit 114. Figure 5(a) shows the operation of the processing execution unit 114 when the operation module 2A is connected to the connection unit 111, and Figure 5(b) shows the operation of the processing execution unit 114 when the operation module 2B is connected to the connection unit 111.

[0035] If the processing execution unit 114 detects that the operation module 2A is connected to the connection unit 111 while the main program is running, it executes the first subprogram a. If the processing execution unit 114 detects that the operation module 2B is connected to the connection unit 111 while the main program is running, it executes the first subprogram b. If the processing execution unit 114 detects that the operation module 2 has been disconnected from the connection unit 111 while either the first subprogram a or the first subprogram b is running, it terminates the execution of either the first subprogram a or the first subprogram b and resumes the execution of the main program.

[0036] In this way, the processing execution unit 114 executes a first subprogram corresponding to the type of operation module 2 connected to the connection unit 111, allowing the user to switch the operation module 2 to be used and control the operation of the external device 100 while wearing the glove-type device 1 on their hand.

[0037] <Second Embodiment> Figure 6 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a glove-type device 1A according to the second embodiment. The glove-type device 1A further includes a detection unit that detects the state of the user's fingers and outputs a finger state signal indicating the state of the fingers. The glove-type device 1A identifies the operation content based on the state of the user's fingers indicated by the finger state signal and transmits control data based on the identified operation content to an external device 100.

[0038] The glove-type device 1A shown in Figure 6 differs from the glove-type device 1 shown in Figure 2 in that it has a contact sensor 12 located near the tip of the thumb and a position sensor 13 located on the thumb-side side of the fingers other than the thumb as detection units, but is otherwise the same. In the example shown in Figure 6, the position sensor 13 is located along the thumb-side side of the index finger, but the position sensor 13 may be located on other fingers instead of the index finger, or in addition to the index finger.

[0039] The contact sensor 12 is a sensor that detects when the thumb comes into close proximity to another finger on which a position sensor 13 is provided, and outputs a finger state signal including proximity data indicating that proximity has occurred. In this specification, "proximity" means that the distance between the thumb and the other finger is within the distance at which the position of the thumb can be detected (e.g., within a distance of less than 5 mm). The contact sensor 12 is a pressure sensor that detects, for example, pressure applied near the tip of the thumb and transmits pressure data indicating the detected pressure to the control unit 11 as proximity data. The contact sensor 12 is provided on the other finger side of the glove-type device 1 in the area where the thumb is inserted. The contact sensor 12 may be any of the following: a capacitive touch sensor, a resistive touch sensor, an infrared proximity sensor, a capacitive proximity sensor, an optical sensor, or an ultrasonic sensor.

[0040] The contact sensor 12 may transmit proximity data at a predetermined interval, or it may transmit proximity data when it detects that the thumb is in close proximity to another finger. The contact sensor 12 may transmit pressure data at a predetermined interval, or it may transmit pressure data when the pressure value is above a threshold. In the following description, the case in which the contact sensor 12 is a pressure sensor will be used as an example.

[0041] The position sensor 13 detects the position where the thumb is in contact or nearby and transmits a finger state signal including position data indicating the detected position to the control unit 11. The position sensor 13 is, for example, a capacitive touch sensor, a resistive touch sensor, an infrared proximity sensor, a capacitive proximity sensor, an optical sensor, or an ultrasonic sensor. The position sensor 13 may be provided on the surface or back surface of the fabric member constituting the glove-type device 1. The position sensor 13 may transmit position data at a predetermined period, or it may transmit position data when it detects that an object (e.g., a thumb) has come into contact with or is nearby the position sensor 13.

[0042] Figure 7 shows the configuration of the control unit 11 according to the second embodiment. The processing execution unit 114 acquires proximity data from the contact sensor 12 and position data from the position sensor 13. Based on the proximity data transmitted by the contact sensor 12 and the position data transmitted by the position sensor 13, the processing execution unit 114 identifies the user's operation. Specifically, the processing execution unit 114 identifies the operation based on the position of the user's thumb, which is detected after the user's thumb has come into contact with or is close to another finger.

[0043] The storage unit 113 stores operation content data that associates the operation content with a combination of the magnitude of the pressure detected by the contact sensor 12 and the position of the thumb or the manner of change in position detected by the position sensor 13. The storage unit 113 may also store operation content data that associates the operation content with a combination of the position of the thumb detected by the position sensor 13 when the contact sensor 12 detects a pressure within a predetermined range and the position of the thumb or the manner of change in position detected by the position sensor 13 thereafter. The processing execution unit 114 identifies the operation content by referring to the operation content data based on the magnitude of the pressure indicated by the proximity data and the position of the thumb indicated by the position data.

[0044] Here, when the operation module 2 is connected to the control unit 11 of the glove-type device 1A, the question arises as to whether to prioritize the operation performed by the operation module 2 or the finger movement detected by the detection unit. Therefore, the processing execution unit 114 switches the subprogram to be executed depending on whether or not the operation module 2 is connected to the connection unit 111. Specifically, if the operation module 2 is connected to the connection unit 111, the processing execution unit 114 executes a first subprogram corresponding to the operation module 2, and if the operation module 2 is not connected to the connection unit 111, it executes a second subprogram corresponding to the processing based on the finger state detected by the detection unit.

[0045] Figure 8 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the processing execution unit 114 of the glove-type device 1A. Figure 8(a) shows the operation of the processing execution unit 114 when the operation module 2A is connected to the connection unit 111, and Figure 8(b) shows the operation of the processing execution unit 114 when the operation module 2 is not connected to the connection unit 111.

[0046] If the processing execution unit 114 detects that the operation module 2A is connected to the connection unit 111 while the main program is running, it executes the first subprogram a as shown in Figure 8(a) to identify the operation performed by the operation module 2A. If the processing execution unit 114 determines that the operation module 2 is not connected to the connection unit 111 while the main program is running, it executes the second subprogram as shown in Figure 8(b) to identify the operation based on the state of the user's fingers.

[0047] In this way, the processing execution unit 114 executes a first subprogram corresponding to the type of operation module 2 when the operation module 2 is connected to the connection unit 111, and executes a second subprogram corresponding to processing based on the state of the fingers when the operation module 2 is not connected to the connection unit 111. As a result, the user can control the operation of the external device 100 by switching between operation using the operation module 2 and operation based on the state of the fingers while wearing the glove-type device 1 on their hand.

[0048] Furthermore, the means for detecting the state of the user's fingers are not limited to the contact sensor 12 and position sensor 13 described above; the state of the user's fingers may be detected using other means.

[0049] <Third Embodiment> In the second embodiment, the subprogram executed by the processing execution unit 114 was switched depending on whether or not the operation module 2 was connected to the connection unit 111. However, it is cumbersome for the user to attach and detach the operation module 2 from the glove-type device 1 in order to switch between operations using the operation module 2 and operations based on the state of the fingers. Therefore, the operation module 2 may be configured to switch states, and the processing execution unit 114 may execute a second subprogram corresponding to the processing based on the state of the fingers detected by the detection unit when the operation module 2 connected to the connection unit 111 is in a predetermined state.

[0050] A predetermined state is, for example, a state in which the user cannot operate the operation module 2 or a state in which the operation module 2 cannot accept user input. As an example, the operation module 2 is configured to be switchable between a first state in which it can accept user input and a second state in which it cannot accept user input.

[0051] The method for switching between the first and second states is arbitrary. For example, the operation module 2 is configured such that the position of the part of the operation module 2 where the operation buttons or joysticks are located is variable, and the operation module 2 is configured to switch between a first state where the part is within reach of the user's fingers and a second state where the part is beyond reach of the user's fingers. An operation button for switching between the first and second states may be provided on the operation module 2.

[0052] Figure 9 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the processing execution unit 114 of the glove-type device 1A according to the third embodiment. Figure 9(a) shows the operation of the processing execution unit 114 when the operation module 2A connected to the connection unit 111 is in a first state, and Figure 9(b) shows the operation of the processing execution unit 114 when the operation module 2A connected to the connection unit 111 is in a second state.

[0053] As shown in Figure 9(a), when the operation module 2A connected to the connection unit 111 is in the first state, the processing execution unit 114 executes the first subprogram a corresponding to the operation module 2A. As shown in Figure 9(b), when the operation module 2 is in the second state, the processing execution unit 114 executes the second subprogram corresponding to the processing based on the finger state detected by the detection unit. When the operation module 2 switches from the second state to the first state, the processing execution unit 114 stops the execution of the second subprogram and starts the execution of the first subprogram. With the glove-type device 1 configured in this way, the user can switch between operations using the operation module 2 and operations based on the finger state without having to attach or detach the operation module 2 from the glove-type device 1.

[0054] Furthermore, if the operation module 2 is configured to switch between a first state and a second state, the glove-type device 1 may not have a connection part 111, and the operation module 2 may be fixed to the control unit 11.

[0055] <Fourth Embodiment> In the above explanation, the case in which one operation module 2 is connected to the control unit 11 was illustrated, but the system may be configured so that multiple operation modules 2 are connected to the control unit 11. In this case, the question arises as to which operation module 2 the processing execution unit 114 will execute the first subprogram corresponding to it. Therefore, the storage unit 113 stores the priority order of multiple types of operation modules 2, and the processing execution unit 114 may execute the first subprogram corresponding to the operation module 2 selected based on the priority order when two or more types of operation modules 2 are connected to the connection unit 111.

[0056] Figure 10 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the processing execution unit 114 according to this embodiment. As shown in Figure 10(a), if operation modules 2A and 2B are connected to the control unit 11 and the priority of operation module 2A is higher than the priority of operation module 2B, the processing execution unit 114 executes the first subprogram a corresponding to the operation module 2A with the higher priority. As shown in Figure 10(b), if operation modules 2B and 2C are connected to the control unit 11 and the priority of operation module 2B is higher than the priority of operation module 2C, the processing execution unit 114 executes the first subprogram b corresponding to the operation module 2B with the higher priority.

[0057] It should be noted that the priority order is not stored in the storage unit 113, and the processing execution unit 114 may be configured to accept the priority order from the user. For example, the control unit 11 has multiple operation buttons corresponding to multiple operation modules 2, and the processing execution unit 114 may set the priority order of the operation module 2 corresponding to the operation button pressed by the user higher than the priority order of the other operation modules 2. That is, the processing execution unit 114 may execute a first subprogram corresponding to the operation module 2 corresponding to the operation button pressed by the user. With the glove-type device 1 configured in this way, the user can connect multiple operation modules 2 that they may use to the control unit 11 and switch between the operation modules 2 to use depending on the state of the object to be operated on or the content to be operated on.

[0058] <Fifth Embodiment> In the first embodiment, the processing execution unit 114 selected a first subprogram to execute based on the type of operation module 2 determined based on the signal received from the operation module 2. However, the processing execution unit 114 may select the first subprogram using other means. For example, the processing execution unit 114 may identify the type of operation module 2 to be used based on the application software running on the external device 100, which is the object controlled by the user's operation, and execute a first subprogram corresponding to the identified type.

[0059] Specifically, while the main program is running, the processing execution unit 114 obtains information from the external device 100 indicating the type or state of the application software being executed by the external device 100. The storage unit 113 stores data that associates the type or state of the application software with the type of operation module 2 used or the first subprogram to be executed. By referring to this data, the processing execution unit 114 executes the first subprogram corresponding to the type or state of the application software being executed by the external device 100.

[0060] If multiple operation modules 2 are connected to the control unit 11, the processing execution unit 114 may select a first or second subprogram from among multiple first subprograms corresponding to the multiple operation modules 2 that corresponds to the type or state of the application software being executed by the external device 100. With the glove-type device 1 configured in this way, the processing execution unit 114 can execute a first or second subprogram suitable for the type or state of the application software being executed by the external device 100 without the user having to reconnect the operation modules 2 or specify which operation module 2 to use each time the type or state of the application software being executed by the external device 100 changes.

[0061] <Sixth Embodiment> In the above explanation, an example was given in which the processing execution unit 114 switches between the first subprogram and the second subprogram executed by the processing execution unit 114 depending on the type or state of the operation module 2 connected to the control unit 11. However, the program executed by the external device 100 may also be switched depending on the type or state of the operation module 2 connected to the control unit 11. The external device 100 executes a program corresponding to the type of operation module 2 connected to the connection unit 111 of the control unit 11.

[0062] The external device 100 obtains information from the processing execution unit 114 indicating the type or status of the operation module 2 connected to the control unit 11, and executes an application program that runs a subprogram from among multiple subprograms that the processor (processing execution unit) of the external device 100 can execute, corresponding to the type of operation module 2 connected to the glove-type device. This allows the external device 100 to operate in a manner suitable for the operation module 2 used by the user, thereby enabling the user to make the most of the operation module 2 they are using.

[0063] <Flowchart> Figure 11 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing flow executed by the processing execution unit 114. The flowchart in Figure 11 shows the processing flow executed by the processing execution unit 114 when an operation module 2, which can switch between a first state and a second state, is connected to the glove-type device 1.

[0064] First, the processing execution unit 114 determines whether or not the operation module 2 is connected to the connection unit 111 (S11). If the processing execution unit 114 determines that the operation module 2 is connected (YES in S11), it identifies the type of operation module 2 based on the identification information indicated by the signal received from the operation module 2 (S12).

[0065] If the processing execution unit 114 determines, based on the identified type of operation module 2, that the operation module 2 cannot change its state (NO in S13), it executes a first subprogram corresponding to the type of operation module 2 (S14). If the processing execution unit 114 determines that the operation module 2 can change its state (YES in S13), it determines whether the operation module 2 is in a first state where it can accept user input (S15). If the processing execution unit 114 determines that the operation module 2 is in the first state (YES in S15), it executes a first subprogram corresponding to the type of operation module 2 (S14).

[0066] If the processing execution unit 114 determines in S11 that the operation module 2 is not connected to the connection unit 111 (NO in S11), or if it determines in S15 that the operation module 2 is not in the first state but in the second state in which it cannot accept user input (NO in S15), it executes the second subprogram (S16). The processing execution unit 114 repeats the processes from S11 to S17 until the power to the control unit 11 is turned off (NO in S17).

[0067] Although the present invention has been described above using embodiments, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiments, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of its gist. For example, all or part of the apparatus can be configured by functionally or physically distributing and integrating in any unit. Furthermore, new embodiments resulting from any combination of multiple embodiments are also included in the embodiments of the present invention. The effects of the new embodiments resulting from the combinations are combined with the effects of the original embodiments. [Explanation of symbols]

[0068] 1. Glove-type device 2. Operation Module 11 Control Unit 12 Contact Sensors 13 Position Sensor 100 External device 111 Connection part 112 Communications Department 113 Storage section 114 Processing Execution Unit

Claims

1. A glove-type device used to accept user input, A connection section to which one of several types of operation modules that accept user input is detachably connected, A processing execution unit that executes a first subprogram corresponding to the type of operation module connected to the connection unit, A glove-type device having a glove.

2. The first subprogram includes mapping data that shows the relationship between operation data received from the operation module and control data transmitted to an external device that is controlled by the user's operation. The processing execution unit executes the first subprogram corresponding to the type of operation module, thereby transmitting the control data corresponding to the operation data received from the operation module via the connection unit to the external device. The glove-type device according to claim 1.

3. The system further includes a detection unit for detecting the state of the user's fingers, If the operation module is not connected to the connection unit, the processing execution unit executes a second subprogram corresponding to the processing based on the finger state detected by the detection unit. The glove-type device according to claim 1.

4. The system further includes a detection unit for detecting the state of the user's fingers, The processing execution unit executes a second subprogram corresponding to the processing based on the finger state detected by the detection unit when the operation module connected to the connection unit is in a predetermined state. The glove-type device according to claim 1.

5. The operation module is configured to be switchable between a first state in which it can accept user operations and a second state in which it cannot accept user operations. The processing execution unit executes the second subprogram corresponding to the processing based on the finger state detected by the detection unit when the operation module is in the second state. The glove-type device according to claim 4.

6. The processing execution unit stops the execution of the second subprogram and starts the execution of the first subprogram when the operation module switches from the second state to the first state. The glove-type device according to claim 5.

7. The system further includes a storage unit that stores the priority order of the aforementioned multiple types of operation modules, If two or more types of operation modules are connected to the connection unit, the processing execution unit executes the first subprogram corresponding to the operation module selected based on the priority order. The glove-type device according to claim 1.

8. The processing execution unit identifies the type of operation module to be used based on the application software running on the external device that is controlled by the user's operation, and executes the first subprogram corresponding to the identified type. The glove-type device according to claim 1.

9. A glove-type device used to accept user input, A connection section to which an operation module that changes to either the first state or the second state is connected, A processing execution unit that executes a program corresponding to the state of the operation module connected to the connection unit, A glove-type device having a glove.

10. The system comprises a glove-type device used to receive user input, and an external device capable of communicating with the glove-type device, The aforementioned globe-type device is A connection section to which one of several types of operation modules that accept user input is detachably connected, A communication unit that transmits control data based on operation data received from the operation module connected to the connection unit to the external device, It has, The external device has a processing execution unit that executes a program corresponding to the type of operation module connected to the connection unit. Operating system.

11. The processor in the glove-type device used to receive user input executes: A program for executing a subprogram, among a plurality of subprograms that the processor can execute, that corresponds to the type of operation module connected to the glove-type device to which one of a plurality of operation modules that accept user input is detachably connected.

12. A processor in an external device that can communicate with a glove-type device to which one of several types of control modules that accept user input is detachably connected runs. A program for executing a subprogram among a plurality of subprograms that the processor can execute, the subprogram corresponding to the type of operation module connected to the glove-type device.