Operation device, information processing system, information processing method, and program

Abstract

This operation device includes a plurality of modules which are separated from and independent of each other. At least some of the plurality of modules include an operation member for receiving an operation input from a user. Each of the plurality of modules includes at least one connection plane part comprising a connection mechanism for connection with other modules.

Description

Operation device, information processing system, information processing method, and program

[0001] The present invention relates to an operation device that accepts operation input from a user, and an information processing system, an information processing method, and a program that utilizes the operation input accepted by the operation device.

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art For example, an information processing device that executes a game program or the like is provided with an operation device that includes operation members such as buttons and analog sticks so that the information processing device can receive various operation inputs from a user.

[0003] Typically, the size and shape of an operating device, as well as the type, number, and arrangement of operating members provided on the operating device, are fixed. As a result, some people may find the arrangement of operating members difficult to use because it does not suit their preferences. Furthermore, the number and type of operating members required for inputting operations vary depending on the content of the program executed by the information processing device, and it may be difficult to meet the needs of such diverse programs with a limited number of operating devices.

[0004] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and one of its purposes is to provide an operating device that can increase the degree of freedom in configuration, as well as an information processing system, an information processing method, and a program that utilizes the operating input received by the operating device.

[0005] An operating device according to one aspect of the present invention is an operating device including a plurality of modules that are separate and independent from one another, wherein at least some of the plurality of modules include operating members for receiving operation input from a user, and each of the plurality of modules includes at least one connecting plane portion equipped with a connecting mechanism for connecting to other modules.

[0006] An information processing system according to one aspect of the present invention is an information processing system including an operating device including a plurality of modules that are separate and independent from each other, and an information processing device connected to the operating device, wherein at least some of the plurality of modules include operating members for receiving operation input from a user, and each of the plurality of modules includes at least one connecting plane portion equipped with a connecting mechanism for connecting to other modules, and the information processing device receives operation signals from each of the at least some of the modules indicating the content of the operation input to the operating members, and performs information processing in accordance with the operation signals.

[0007] An information processing method according to one aspect of the present invention is an information processing method executed by an information processing device connected to an operation device that includes a plurality of modules that are separate and independent from each other, at least some of the plurality of modules including an operation member for receiving operation input from a user, and each of the plurality of modules including at least one connecting plane portion equipped with a connecting mechanism for connecting to other modules, the information processing method including the steps of receiving, from each of the at least some of the modules, an operation signal indicating the content of the operation input to the operation member equipped on that module, and performing information processing according to the received operation signal.

[0008] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a program for controlling an information processing device connected to an operation device, the operation device including a plurality of modules that are separate and independent from one another, at least some of the modules including operation members for receiving operation inputs from a user, and each of the plurality of modules including at least one connecting flat surface portion with a connecting mechanism for connecting to other modules, the program causing the information processing device to execute the steps of receiving, from each of the at least some of the modules, an operation signal indicating the content of the operation input for the operation member included in the module, and executing information processing in accordance with the received operation signal. This program may be provided by being stored on a computer-readable, non-transitory information storage medium.

[0009] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an overall overview of an information processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a plurality of modules included in an operation device. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of an operation module. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of an operation device in a state in which a plurality of modules are combined. FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining an example of light emission control when guiding a connection mode between modules. FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining another example of light emission control when guiding a connection mode between modules. FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining an example of a mechanism for identifying the connection direction between modules. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a state in which another module is connected to a module equipped with a rotating member. FIG. 9 is a functional block diagram showing functions realized by an information processing device.

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

[0011] 1 shows an overview of an information processing system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The information processing system 1 includes an operation device 10 that accepts operation inputs from a user, and an information processing device 100 that operates in response to the operation inputs from the user accepted by the operation device 10.

[0012] The operating device 10 according to this embodiment is configured to include a plurality of modules 20. These modules 20 are separate and independent from each other, and can be connected to each other for use.

[0013] Of the multiple modules 20 that make up the operation device 10, at least some of the modules 20 are equipped with operation members for receiving operation input from the user. Hereinafter, a module 20 equipped with an operation member will be referred to as an operation module. The operation device 10 may also include a module 20 that does not have an operation member. Hereinafter, a module 20 that does not have an operation member will be referred to as a special module.

[0014] 2 shows a specific example of the types of multiple modules 20 included in the operation device 10. In the example shown in this figure, the operation device 10 includes seven types of modules 20: modules 20a, 20b, 20c, 20d, 20e, 20f, and 20g. Of these, five types of modules 20, modules 20a-20d and 20g, are operation modules, and modules 20e and 20f are special modules. Note that the operation device 10 may include multiple modules 20 of the same type.

[0015] Each of the multiple modules 20 has a substantially identical overall shape. Specifically, the main body 21 of each module 20 has a substantially cubic shape, and its outer surface is composed of six substantially square-shaped flat surfaces. Hereinafter, the six flat surfaces constituting the outer surface of the main body 21 will be referred to as the top surface 21a, front surface 21b, right side surface 21c, left side surface 21d, back surface 21e, and bottom surface 21f. The horizontal direction of the module 20a is the x-axis, the depth direction (front-to-back direction) is the y-axis, and the vertical direction (up-down direction) is the z-axis. The right direction as viewed from the front of the main body 21 is the x-axis positive direction, the direction from front to back is the y-axis positive direction, and the direction toward the top is the z-axis positive direction. The top surface 21a faces the positive side of the z-axis, the front surface 21b faces the negative side of the y-axis, the right side surface 21c faces the positive side of the x-axis, the left side surface 21d faces the negative side of the x-axis, the back surface 21e faces the positive side of the y-axis, and the bottom surface 21f faces the negative side of the z-axis.

[0016] Of the multiple modules 20, modules 20a-20d, which are operation modules, include a main body 21 and an operation member 22. As shown in FIG. 2, module 20a includes four buttons as the operation member 22. Module 20b includes four buttons with different shapes from those of module 20a as the operation member 22. Module 20c includes a trigger button as the operation member 22. Note that these buttons and trigger buttons may be buttons that can measure the amount of depression by the user. Module 20d includes a tilt operation member as the operation member 22 that the user tilts to operate.

[0017] The special module does not have the operation member 22, but has members used for specific purposes. The unique functions of the special module will be described later.

[0018] The configuration and function of each module 20 included in the operation device 10 will be described below, using module 20a as an example. While the configuration will be described here using module 20a as the subject, other operation modules may have a similar configuration except that they have different types of operation members 22. Special modules may also have a similar configuration except that they do not have operation members 22 but instead have members used for specific purposes.

[0019] 3, the module 20a includes a main body 21 and an operation member 22. The main body 21 incorporates a control unit 31, a communication unit 32, and an attitude sensor 33.

[0020] As described above, the main body 21 has a substantially cubic shape, and the operating member 22 is disposed on one of the six flat surfaces that form the outer surface of the main body 21. In this embodiment, the operating member 22 is disposed on the top surface 21 a.

[0021] The control unit 31 includes at least one processor and controls each unit of the module 20a. The communication unit 32 is a wireless communication interface and transmits and receives information to and from the information processing device 100. In particular, in this embodiment, the control unit 31 periodically scans the user's operations on the operation members 22 and transmits operation signals indicating the results to the information processing device 100 via the communication unit 32. In addition, in accordance with control commands received from the information processing device 100 via the communication unit 32, the control unit 31 performs control such as emitting light from a light-emitting unit 35 (described later).

[0022] The attitude sensor 33 detects the current attitude and / or attitude changes of the main body 21. The attitude sensor 33 may include, for example, an acceleration sensor or a gyro sensor. Alternatively, the attitude sensor 33 may be an inertial measurement unit (IMU) incorporating these sensors. The control unit 31 periodically transmits the detection result of the attitude sensor 33 to the information processing device 100 together with an operation signal indicating the operation content of the operation member 22.

[0023] Furthermore, of the six flat surfaces that make up the outer surface of the main body 21, at least a portion of the surface on which the operating member 22 is not disposed functions as a connecting flat surface. In this embodiment, four flat surfaces, excluding the top surface 21a and the bottom surface 21f, each function independently as a connecting flat surface. That is, a connecting mechanism 34 is disposed on each of the front surface 21b, right side surface 21c, left side surface 21d, and back surface 21e, thereby connecting the module 20a to a maximum of four other modules 20.

[0024] The coupling mechanism 34 is a mechanism for coupling the coupling plane of one module 20 to the coupling plane of another module 20. This coupling mechanism 34 couples the two modules 20 to each other, allowing them to be used in an integrated state. In this embodiment, the coupling mechanism 34 is configured to be able to couple to any coupling plane of any module 20, regardless of type. For example, if each coupling plane is provided with either a plug or a receptacle, and the plug is inserted into the mating receptacle to couple the coupling planes, it would be impossible to couple coupling planes that only include plugs, or coupling planes that only include receptacles. The coupling mechanism 34 in this embodiment is not designed to couple only to a specific type of coupling plane, but rather to be able to couple to any coupling plane.

[0025] As a specific example, the connecting mechanism 34 may be composed of multiple magnets arranged facing the connecting planes within the main body 21. In this example, when the connecting planes of two modules 20 are brought close to each other, a magnetic force is generated between the magnets arranged near the connecting planes, connecting the two modules 20 to each other. When viewed from the side facing the connecting planes, the multiple magnets are arranged so that, with their opposite poles facing the front, they are positioned symmetrically across the diagonal of the connecting planes and across two lines passing through the center of the connecting planes and parallel to the outer periphery. This arrangement can be achieved with as few as eight magnets. With this arrangement, when the connecting planes of the two modules 20 are brought face to face, the magnets face each other with their opposite poles facing the front, and the connecting planes are connected by the attractive force of the magnets.

[0026] Furthermore, by arranging the magnets with opposite poles facing the front surface in positions symmetrical with respect to the two diagonals of the connecting plane sections and the two lines passing through the center of the connecting plane sections and parallel to the outer periphery, the connecting plane sections can be brought into contact with each other so that the magnets with opposite poles facing the front surface face each other in any of four directions obtained by rotating one connecting plane section by 90°. In other words, the connecting plane sections can be connected to each other even when one module 20 is oriented in any of the four directions (0°, 90°, 180°, or 270°) relative to the other module 20 with the connecting direction as the rotation axis.

[0027] According to this method, the surface of the connecting plane portion can be flat, and there is no need to form protrusions or the like on the connecting plane portion to physically engage with the connecting plane portion of another module 20. Therefore, when connecting two modules 20, the user can easily connect them by simply bringing their connecting plane portions into contact with each other. Furthermore, because the connecting plane portion has no irregularities, it is easy to connect multiple modules 20 in a grid-like pattern with no gaps when viewed from above.

[0028] Alternatively, the coupling mechanism 34 may be configured with a claw portion protruding from the surface of the coupling flat portion and an insertion portion formed in a recessed shape on the surface of the coupling flat portion, into which a claw portion of the coupling partner is inserted and engages. In this example, as with the magnet example described above, the claw portion and the insertion portion are arranged in positions that are symmetrical with respect to the diagonal of the coupling flat portion, so that the coupling flat portions of the two modules 20 are placed opposite each other, and the claw portion arranged on one coupling flat portion can be inserted into the insertion portion arranged on the other coupling flat portion.

[0029] The claws in this example may be configured to be housed within the main body 21 when the connecting flat surface is not connected to another module 20, and to protrude by a user operation or the like when connecting to another module 20. Similarly, the insertion section may be configured to be closed when the connecting flat surface is not connected, and to become recessed in conjunction with the claws when the claws protrude by a user operation or the like, or when the claws located on the connecting partner module 20 are inserted. This makes it possible to prevent the claws and the like from getting in the way when using the connecting flat surface without connecting to another module 20.

[0030] In either method, when two modules 20 are connected, the flat connecting portions, each having a flat, approximately square shape, come into contact with each other without any gaps and are fixed together. This allows the user to hold the operation device 10, in which the two modules 20 are integrated, in their hands and perform operation inputs to the information processing device 100 by operating the operation members 22 provided on each module 20. Furthermore, since each module 20 in this embodiment has multiple connecting flat portions, the user can combine a large number of modules 20 in any arrangement by repeatedly connecting different modules 20 to each connecting flat portion, thereby configuring operation devices 10 having various shapes as a whole and in which the various operation members 22 are arranged in various positions and orientations.

[0031] 4 shows an example of an operation device 10 constructed by combining a total of seven modules 20. In this example, operation modules 20a, 20b, and two modules 20d are connected in the same orientation with their top surfaces 21a, on which the operation members 22 are arranged, facing upward. Meanwhile, the left side surface 21d of module 20c is connected to the back surface 21e of module 20d, and the top surface 21a, on which the operation members 22 are arranged, faces right as viewed from the front side of the page. Furthermore, the front surface 21b of module 20e is connected to the right side surface 21c of module 20c, and the right side surface 21c of module 20f is connected to the left side surface 21d of module 20e.

[0032] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as described above, each connecting plane portion has a flat shape without protrusions, etc., and can be connected simply by contacting the connecting plane portions. Therefore, in this figure, it is also possible to later insert another module 20 into the space surrounded on three sides by modules 20d, 20c, and 20f, and connect these three modules 20.

[0033] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a plurality of light-emitting units 35 are arranged on the outer periphery of the connecting plane portion of each module 20. These light-emitting units 35 emit light in response to a control command from the information processing device 100. For example, the light-emitting units 35 may emit light when it is desired to alert the user to the operation member 22 that the user should use, or when it is desired to draw the user's attention to a specific module 20 for dramatic effect. The light-emitting units 35 may also emit light when the remaining charge of the rechargeable battery built into the module 20 is low.

[0034] Furthermore, when the user wishes to connect specific modules 20 together, the information processing device 100 illuminates the light emitting units 35 arranged on the outer periphery of the target connecting flat portions to guide the user as to which connecting flat portions of which modules 20 should be connected. This allows the information processing device 100 to clearly guide the user as to which connecting flat portions of which modules 20 should be connected.

[0035] Furthermore, these light-emitting units 35 are capable of emitting light in at least two colors. The information processing device 100 also specifies the color to be emitted when illuminating the light-emitting units 35. In this embodiment, two or more light-emitting units 35 are arranged on the outer periphery of one connecting flat unit. By making these light-emitting units 35 emit light in different colors, the information processing device 100 can guide the user not only to the connecting flat units to be connected, but also to the orientation for connection. The user can connect the modules 20 specified by the information processing device 100 in the orientation specified by the information processing device 100 by bringing the two connecting flat units into contact with each other so that the light-emitting units 35 emitting light of the same color face each other.

[0036] Specifically, in this embodiment, each module 20 has eight light-emitting units 35 at the eight vertices of the main body 21, which has a substantially cubic shape. Each of these light-emitting units 35 is disposed at a position where three planes intersect. Furthermore, each of these light-emitting units 35 is disposed so as to be visible from any of the three planes that are in contact with the light-emitting unit 35. For example, the light-emitting unit 35 disposed at the intersection of the top surface 21a, the front surface 21b, and the right side surface 21c is visible from above, the front, and the right.

[0037] With this arrangement, each of the six flat surfaces constituting the outer surface of the main body 21 has a substantially square shape, with four light emitting units 35 provided at the four vertices on the periphery. Furthermore, between two adjacent connecting flat surfaces that can be connected to different modules 20, two light emitting units are arranged that are visible from the direction facing either of the two connecting flat surfaces. By arranging the light emitting units 35 at the vertices of each flat surface in this way, a configuration can be achieved in which multiple light emitting units 35 are arranged on the periphery of each connecting flat surface, with a small number of units.

[0038] The information processing device 100 guides the user to connect specific connecting flat portions of specific modules 20 by illuminating the light emitting units 35 arranged on the outer periphery of the connecting flat portions of the specific two modules 20 that the user wants to connect to each other. As an example, if the user wants to connect the right side surface 21c of module 20a and the left side surface 21d of module 20b, the information processing device 100 illuminates the four light emitting units 35 surrounding each connecting flat portion.

[0039] Furthermore, the information processing device 100 specifies the connection direction by causing the light emitting units 35 surrounding each connecting flat unit to emit light in two or more colors. A specific example of light emission control in this case will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6.

[0040] 5 illustrates light-emission control for guiding the right side surface 21c of module 20a and the left side surface 21d of module 20b to be connected in a manner that aligns the positive direction of the z-axis (i.e., the top surfaces 21a of both modules face the same direction). In this case, the information processing device 100 controls the two upper (positive z-axis) light-emitting elements 35 adjacent to the top surface 21a of the four light-emitting elements 35 arranged on the outer periphery of the right side surface 21c of module 20a to emit red light, and the two lower (negative z-axis) light-emitting elements 35 adjacent to the bottom surface 21f to emit blue light. In the figure, the light-emitting elements 35 with diagonal lines indicate that they are emitting red light, and the light-emitting elements 35 with dotted shading indicate that they are emitting blue light. Light-emitting elements 35 without any hatching indicate that they are not emitting light. Similarly, the information processing device 100 causes the upper two light-emitting units 35 adjacent to the top surface 21a of the four light-emitting units 35 arranged on the outer periphery of the left side surface 21d of the module 20b to emit red light, and the lower two light-emitting units 35 adjacent to the bottom surface 21f to emit blue light. This allows the user to connect the two modules 20 so that the red light-emitting units 35 face each other and the blue light-emitting units 35 face each other, thereby connecting the two modules 20 so that the top surfaces 21a of both units face upward and both operation members 22 are lined up on the upper surfaces.

[0041] Similarly, when the right side surface 21c of module 20a and the left side surface 21d of module 20b are to be connected in different orientations, the information processing device 100 changes the color of light emitted by each light-emitting unit 35. Specifically, it is assumed here that the operation member 22 of module 20a is to be positioned upward and the operation member 22 of module 20b is to be positioned closer to the user (front side) than the user. In this case, as shown in FIG. 6 , the information processing device 100 causes the two upper light-emitting units 35 (on the positive z-axis side) adjacent to the top surface 21a of the four light-emitting units 35 on the outer periphery of the right side surface 21c of module 20a to emit red light, and the two lower light-emitting units 35 (on the negative z-axis side) adjacent to the bottom surface 21f to emit blue light. On the other hand, of the four light-emitting units 35 on the outer periphery of the left side surface 21d of the module 20b, the two light-emitting units 35 on the far side (positive y-axis direction) adjacent to the rear surface 21e are illuminated red, and the two light-emitting units 35 on the near side (negative y-axis direction) adjacent to the front surface 21b are illuminated blue. In this case, if the user connects the two connecting flat surfaces so that the light-emitting units 35 emitting the same color face each other, as in the previous example, the two modules 20b will be connected with the module 20b rotated 90 degrees toward the front compared to the previous example. In this way, the information processing device 100 can use the light-emitting colors of the light-emitting units 35 to guide the user on the orientation when connecting the two modules 20.

[0042] In the above description, four light-emitting units 35 are arranged on the periphery of each connecting flat section, two of which are illuminated in a first color (here, red) and the other two in a second color (here, blue). However, one light-emitting unit 35 may be illuminated in the first color and the remaining three in the second color. Furthermore, each light-emitting unit 35 may be configured to be able to emit light in three or more colors. In this case, the information processing device 100 can easily show the user the correspondence between the connecting flat sections when connecting two modules 20 by causing the four light-emitting units 35 on the periphery of one connecting flat section to emit light in three or four colors.

[0043] The module 20a may be provided with an identification mechanism for identifying the type of another module 20 connected to the connecting plane portion that the module 20a is provided with.

[0044] As an example, an identification tag capable of contactless short-range wireless communication based on a standard such as NFC may be disposed near each connecting flat section within the main body 21. This identification tag records identification information for identifying each module 20. When another module 20 is connected to a connecting flat section, the module 20a can identify the type of the other module connected to the connecting flat section by reading the identification information recorded on the identification tag in the connected module 20 via wireless communication.

[0045] The module 20a may also receive identification information from the other connection partner via an optical signal. In this example, a light-emitting unit that transmits an optical signal such as infrared light and a light-receiving unit that receives the optical signal transmitted from the light-emitting unit of the other connection partner are disposed on the surface of each connecting flat portion. In this example, the light-emitting unit and the light-receiving unit are disposed in the center of the connecting flat portion so that optical signals can be transmitted and received between the other connection partners regardless of the orientation of the connected partners.

[0046] Furthermore, when the connection mechanism 34 of each module 20 is configured with a claw portion and an insertion portion, terminal portions capable of transmitting and receiving electrical signals may be disposed on the claw portion and the insertion portion. In this example, when two modules 20 are connected, the claw portion of one module is inserted into the insertion portion of the other module, and at that time, the terminal portions of the other module come into physical contact, enabling direct transmission and reception of electrical signals with the connected module 20. Module 20a can receive identification information from the connected module through communication via this terminal portion.

[0047] Furthermore, the module 20a may be provided with a mechanism for identifying the orientation of the other module 20 when the other module 20 is connected to the connecting plane portion.

[0048] Specifically, magnets and magnetic sensors for identifying the orientation of the connected components may be disposed on the connecting plane. For example, magnets 36 are disposed near two of the four vertices of the connecting plane, and magnetic sensors 37 are disposed near the other two vertices. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the positional relationship between the magnets 36 and the magnetic sensors 37 when two connecting planes face each other. In this diagram, the connecting plane on the left side represents the right side surface 21c of module 20a, and the connecting plane on the right side represents the left side surface 21d of module 20b. Furthermore, two magnets 36 are disposed near the upper vertex (positive z-axis side) of the connecting plane, and two magnetic sensors 37 are disposed near the lower vertex (negative z-axis side).

[0049] As shown in Figure 7(a), when the opposing connecting flat surfaces are oriented in the same direction, the magnets 36 and the magnetic sensors 37 face each other, so that the magnets 36 of module 20b are not present in front of either of the two magnetic sensors 37 arranged in module 20a. As shown in Figure 7(b), when the connecting flat surface of the connected module is rotated 90 degrees clockwise as viewed from module 20a, the magnet 36 arranged in the connected module 20b is present in front of the magnetic sensor 37 on the negative y-axis side of module 20a, and no magnet 36 is present in front of the magnetic sensor 37 on the positive y-axis side. Conversely, as shown in Figure 7(c), when the coupling flat surface of the coupling partner is rotated 90° counterclockwise (i.e., rotated 270° clockwise), the magnet 36 of the coupling partner is not present in front of the magnetic sensor 37 on the negative y-axis side of module 20a, and the magnet 36 arranged on the left side surface 21d of module 20b is present in front of the magnetic sensor 37 on the positive y-axis side. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 7(d), when the coupling flat surface of the coupling partner is rotated 180°, the magnet 36 of the coupling partner is present in front of both of the two magnetic sensors 37 provided on module 20a. Therefore, the orientation of the coupling partner can be estimated by referring to the magnetic detection results of each magnetic sensor 37 and determining whether the magnet 36 of the coupling partner is present in front of each magnetic sensor 37.

[0050] The identification mechanism for identifying the orientation of the coupled device may be a combination of a light-emitting unit and a light sensor instead of the combination of the magnet 36 and the magnetic sensor 37. As with the combination of the magnet 36 and the magnetic sensor 37 described above, by combining a light-emitting unit that emits light and a light sensor that detects that light, it is possible to identify whether or not a light-emitting unit is present in front of the two light sensors, and thereby estimate the orientation of the coupled device.

[0051] Specific examples of components included in the special module are described below. Module 20e includes a speaker 23 for emitting sound as a special-purpose component, instead of the operation member 22 included in module 20a. Like the operation member 22, the speaker 23 is disposed on the top surface 21a of the main body 21 of module 20e. Module 20e emits sound from the speaker 23 in accordance with an audio signal transmitted from the information processing device 100.

[0052] The module 20f has a vibration mechanism 24 for generating vibrations built into the main body 21. The vibration mechanism 24 generates vibrations in response to a control command from the information processing device 100, so that the vibrations can be presented to a user holding the module 20f and any module 20 directly or indirectly connected thereto. Unlike the other modules 20, the top surface 21a of the module 20f does not have any special-purpose components arranged thereon, and is a flat surface like the other surfaces.

[0053] The module 20g also includes a rotating member 25 rotatably connected to the main body 21. The rotating member 25 is connected to the upper surface 21a of the main body 21 of the module 20g. More specifically, the rotating member 25 has a disk shape, and its upper surface 25a is disposed in a direction parallel to the upper surface 21a of the main body 21. The rotating member 25 is connected to be rotatable around a rotation axis that is perpendicular to the upper surface 21a. That is, the rotating member 25 rotates in the xy plane around the z-axis direction as its rotation axis.

[0054] Furthermore, the upper surface 25a of the rotating member 25 functions as a connecting plane portion that can be connected to other modules 20. That is, the rotating member 25 is provided with a connecting mechanism 34 similar to that provided on each connecting plane portion of the other modules 20, and the other modules 20 can be connected via this connecting mechanism 34. FIG. 8 shows an example of a state in which a module 20a is connected to the upper surface 25a of the rotating member 25. The rotating member 25 is rotatably connected to the main body 21 while the other modules 20 remain connected. Therefore, as indicated by the block arrow in the figure, the module 20a connected to the upper surface 25a of the rotating member 25 can be rotated together with the rotating member 25 around the z-axis direction as the center of rotation. As a result, for example, the front surface 21b of the module 20a can be connected to the rotating member 25, and the operating member 22 arranged on the upper surface 21a of the module 20a can be used by changing its orientation in any direction, such as forward, backward, leftward, or rightward.

[0055] By using this module 20g, the user can use the operation device 10 in a state in which the orientation of the other module 20 connected to the rotating member 25 of module 20g has been changed to a desired orientation. Furthermore, the user can use the operation of changing the orientation of the module 20 connected to the rotating member 25 as an operation input to the information processing device 100. In this case, module 20g functions as an operation module. The content of this operation input may be identified using the detection result of the attitude sensor 33 of the module 20 connected to the rotating member 25. Alternatively, module 20g itself may be equipped with a sensor that measures the rotation direction and amount of rotation of the rotating member 25, and the content of the operation input may be identified using the measurement result of that sensor.

[0056] The user can prepare an operation device 10 in which various types of operation members 22 are arranged in various positions by arbitrarily connecting the above-described multiple modules 20 in response to instructions from the information processing device 100 or according to the user's preferences. Operation signals indicating the content of operation inputs made by the user to each operation member 22 are individually transmitted from each module 20a to the information processing device 100. The information processing device 100 performs various information processes based on these operation signals.

[0057] The configuration and functions of the information processing device 100 according to this embodiment will be described below.

[0058] The information processing device 100 is, for example, a home game console or a personal computer, and as shown in Fig. 1, includes a control unit 101, a storage unit 102, and an interface unit 103. The information processing device 100 is also connected to a display device 104.

[0059] The control unit 101 includes at least one processor such as a CPU, and executes various information processing by executing programs stored in the storage unit 102. Specific examples of the processing executed by the control unit 101 in this embodiment will be described later. The storage unit 102 includes at least one memory device such as a RAM, and stores the programs executed by the control unit 101 and data processed by the programs.

[0060] The interface unit 103 is an interface for data communication between the operation device 10 and the display device 104. The information processing device 100 is capable of wireless data communication with each of the multiple modules 20 that make up the operation device 10 via the interface unit 103. The interface unit 103 also includes a multimedia interface for transmitting a video signal supplied by the information processing device 100 to the display device 104.

[0061] The display device 104 displays on a screen an image corresponding to the video signal supplied from the information processing device 100. The display device 104 may be a stationary display device such as a home television receiver, or may be a portable display device.

[0062] Functions realized by the information processing device 100 in this embodiment will be described below with reference to the functional block diagram of FIG. 9. Functionally, the information processing device 100 is configured to include a module state identification unit 111, an operation information reception unit 112, and a process execution unit 113. These functions are realized by the control unit 101 operating in accordance with one or more programs stored in the storage unit 102. These programs may be provided to the information processing device 100 via a communication line such as the Internet, or may be provided by being stored on a computer-readable, non-transitory information storage medium such as an optical disk.

[0063] The module state identification unit 111 identifies the state of each module 20 based on the information received from each module 20. As described above, each module 20 constituting the operation device 10 is individually connected to the information processing device 100 via wireless communication. While the user is using the operation device 10, each module 20 periodically transmits information relating to its own state to the information processing device 100.

[0064] In particular, the module state identification unit 111 acquires information from each module 20 as to whether or not other modules 20 are connected to each connecting plane portion of the module 20, and if so, what type of module 20 it is, and in what orientation the modules 20 are connected. Based on this information, the module state identification unit 111 identifies the overall orientation and connection of each module 20. The identification result is reflected in the processing content by the processing execution unit 113, which will be described later.

[0065] The module state identification unit 111 may identify which module 20 the user is using and identify the connection state of each module 20 based on the posture information received from each module 20 .

[0066] The operation information receiving unit 112 receives operation signals from the modules 20 a that constitute the operation device 10 , thereby receiving the contents of the user's operation.

[0067] The process execution unit 113 is realized by the control unit 101 executing a game program or the like, and executes a process according to the operation content received by the operation information reception unit 112. The process execution unit 113 may also determine the process content according to the state of each module 20 identified by the module state identification unit 111.

[0068] In particular, when a user uses a plurality of modules 20 in a state in which the modules 20 are connected in an arbitrary manner, the processing execution unit 113 may execute processing that reflects this connection state. For example, when a user connects a plurality of modules 20 to configure an operation device 10 shaped like a gun, the processing execution unit 113 causes an item such as a weapon that reflects that shape to appear in the game.

[0069] The process execution unit 113 may also identify modules 20 that are connected to each other as the module 20 the user is using, and determine the process content according to the module's type. For example, if the user connects module 20b with multiple buttons to another module 20, it may infer that module 20b is used to indicate direction, and if the user connects module 20d with an analog stick to another module 20 and uses it, it may infer that module 20d is used to indicate direction. In this way, by executing a process according to the type of module 20 that is connected, the user can select the module 20 to use according to their own preferences, etc.

[0070] Furthermore, the processing execution unit 113 may refer to the detection results of the orientation sensor 33 built into the module 20 to identify how the user is moving the operation device 10, and execute processing in accordance with the identification results. In this case, the processing execution unit 113 does not need to refer to all of the detection results of the orientation sensor 33 of each of the multiple modules 20 that are connected to each other, but may identify a representative module 20 and refer to the detection results of the orientation sensor 33 to identify how the user is moving the operation device 10 made up of these connected modules 20.

[0071] Furthermore, the processing execution unit 113 may change the content of the processing depending on the result of identifying the orientation of the connected modules 20. For example, the processing execution unit 113 may identify the orientation of a specific module 20 relative to the user, and then change the direction indicated by the user depending on the identification result, or change the position or orientation of an effect that occurs in the game depending on the user's operation input.

[0072] Furthermore, the process execution unit 113 may execute a process that prompts the user to connect multiple modules 20 as the process progresses. Specifically, for example, when the user acquires a new ability or item as the game progresses, the process execution unit 113 prompts the user to connect an additional module 20 having an operation member 22 for instructing the user to use the ability or item in the game to the operation device 10 currently being used by the user. This allows the number of modules 20 available to the user to be gradually increased as the process progresses.

[0073] Furthermore, in this case, as described above, the processing execution unit 113 can guide the user as to which connecting flat surface to connect and the direction of connection by causing the light emitting unit 35 corresponding to the connecting flat surface to be connected of the modules 20 to be connected to emit light in multiple colors. Note that the processing execution unit 113 can check whether the user is connecting the modules 20 as instructed by the processing execution unit 113, by referring to the connection state of each module 20 identified by the module state identification unit 111.

[0074] Furthermore, the process execution unit 113 may perform control to release the connection of connected modules 20 as the process progresses. For example, if the connection mechanism 34 is equipped with a locking mechanism that keeps the claw portion inserted in the insertion portion, and if this locking mechanism can be released by an actuator or the like in response to a control signal from the control unit 31, the process execution unit 113 can issue a control command to each module 20 to release the connection. This allows the connection to be released at any timing, and multiple modules 20 that were previously connected to automatically return to a separated state. This type of control can be used for game effects, etc.

[0075] As described above, according to the operation device 10 and information processing system 1 of the present embodiment, the user can use the operation device 10 in a state in which a plurality of modules 20 are connected arbitrarily according to the user's preferences, etc., to perform operation input to the information processing device 100. Furthermore, the information processing device 100 can allow the user to configure the operation device 10 in a state in which the operation members 22, etc., are provided according to the process being executed by prompting the user to connect a specific module 20 according to the content of the process being executed.

[0076] In the above description, a user performs operation input using a single operation device 10 in which multiple modules 20 are connected together as an integrated unit. However, this is not limited to this, and some of the modules 20 can be used separately. For example, a user may perform operation input by holding a module set in which some operation modules are connected in their right hand and other operation modules in their left hand. Alternatively, some operation modules may be placed on the floor and operated with their feet or other body parts. Furthermore, one user may hold and use a module set consisting of some modules 20, while another user may hold and use a module set consisting of other modules 20. This allows for operation input that is originally intended to be performed by a single user to be shared among multiple users.

[0077] The embodiments of the present invention are not limited to those described above. For example, the shapes and configurations of the modules 20 constituting the operation device 10 are merely examples. The operation device 10 may include a module 20 having a shape other than a cube, but having a connecting plane portion of substantially the same shape as the connecting plane portion of each module 20 described above. Specifically, the operation device 10 may include a module 20 having a substantially triangular prism shape or a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape.

[0078] Furthermore, the positions and number of connecting flat portions arranged in each module 20 are not limited to those described above. For example, some modules 20 may have the operating member 22 arranged on each of the multiple flat portions, thereby reducing the number of connecting flat portions. Furthermore, there may be modules 20 in which the bottom surface 21f can be used as a connecting flat portion.

[0079] Furthermore, the operation members 22 provided in the operation modules described above are merely examples, and operation modules may have other types of operation members. Furthermore, the special-purpose members provided in the special modules are not limited to those described above. Furthermore, the special modules may have no special-purpose members and may only have a mechanism for connecting to other modules 20. By connecting and using such a special module with other modules 20, it is possible to adjust the position of the operation members 22 provided in a specific operation module or make it easier for the user to grip the operation device 10.

[0080] In the above description, the information processing device 100 is assumed to be located relatively close to the user and directly connected to the operation device 10 and the display device 104. However, the present invention is not limited to this. Instead of a client device directly connected to the operation device 10 and the display device 104 used by the user, a server device connected to the client device via a communication network may function as the information processing device 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention. In this case, the information processing device 100 receives operation signals from each operation module constituting the operation device 10 via the communication network, and transmits control commands to cause the light-emitting unit 35 of each module 20 to emit light.

[0081] It should be noted that the functions provided by the components described herein may be implemented by any circuitry or processing circuitry, including general-purpose processors, application-specific processors, integrated circuits, ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuits), CPUs (Central Processing Units), conventional circuits, and / or combinations thereof, configured or programmed to provide the described functions. A processor includes transistors and other circuits and is considered to be a circuitry or processing circuitry. A processor may also be a programmed processor that executes a program stored in a memory.

[0082] In this specification, a circuit, unit, or means is hardware that is programmed to realize a described function or that performs that function. The hardware may be any hardware disclosed in this specification or any hardware that is programmed to realize or known to perform the described function. If the hardware is a processor, which is considered to be a type of circuit, the circuit, means, or unit is a combination of hardware and software used to operate the hardware and / or processor.

[0083] The present disclosure may include the following aspects. [Item 1] An operation device including a plurality of modules that are separate and independent from one another, wherein at least some of the plurality of modules include an operation member for receiving operation input from a user, and each of the plurality of modules includes at least one connecting plane portion equipped with a connecting mechanism for connecting to other modules. [Item 2] The operation device according to item 1, wherein each of the plurality of modules includes a plurality of light-emitting units arranged on the outer periphery of the connecting plane portion. [Item 3] The operation device according to item 2, wherein the connecting plane portion has a substantially square shape, and the plurality of light-emitting units are arranged at a plurality of vertices of the connecting plane portion. [Item 4] The operation device according to item 3, wherein at least one of the plurality of modules includes two connecting plane portions that are adjacent to each other and can be connected to different modules, and wherein a plurality of light-emitting units that are visible from a direction facing either of the two adjacent connecting plane portions are arranged between the two adjacent connecting plane portions. [Item 5] The operation device according to any one of items 2 to 4, wherein the plurality of modules are each connected to an information processing device, and each of the plurality of light-emitting units emits light in one of at least two colors in response to an instruction from the information processing device. [Item 6] The operation device according to item 1, wherein at least some of the modules have a substantially cubic shape, the operation member is arranged on one of six outer surfaces of the module, and at least a portion of the other outer surfaces functions as the connecting plane section. [Item 7] The operation device according to item 1, wherein each of the plurality of modules is equipped with an attitude sensor that detects the attitude of the module. [Item 8] The operation device according to item 1, wherein at least one module of the plurality of modules is equipped with a mechanism for identifying other modules connected to the connecting plane section.[Item 9] The operation device according to item 8, wherein the at least one module comprises a mechanism for identifying the coupling orientation of another module coupled to the coupling plane section. [Item 10] The operation device according to item 1, wherein at least one module of the plurality of modules comprises a main body and a rotating member, the rotating member is rotatably coupled to the main body, and a surface of the rotating member functions as the coupling plane section. [Item 11] An information processing system including an operation device including a plurality of modules separate and independent from one another, and an information processing device connected to the operation device, wherein at least some of the plurality of modules include operating members for receiving operation input from a user, and each of the plurality of modules includes at least one coupling plane section equipped with a coupling mechanism for coupling to other modules, and the information processing device comprises circuitry configured to receive, from each of the at least some of the modules, operation signals indicating the content of the operation input for the operating members, and perform information processing in accordance with the operation signals. [Item 12] The information processing system according to item 11, wherein the circuit identifies modules of the plurality of modules that are connected to each other, and performs information processing according to the type of the identified module. [Item 13] The information processing system according to item 11, wherein each of the plurality of modules includes a plurality of light-emitting units arranged on the outer periphery of the connecting plane portion, and wherein the circuit, when a user connects two of the plurality of modules, causes the light-emitting units arranged on the outer periphery of the connecting plane portion of each of the two modules to be connected to emit light. [Item 14] The information processing system according to item 13, wherein each of the plurality of light-emitting units emits light in one of at least two colors, and the circuit causes the light-emitting units arranged on the outer periphery of the connecting plane portion of each of the two modules to be connected to emit light in colors different from each other.[Item 15] An information processing method executed by an information processing device connected to an operation device including a plurality of modules that are separate and independent from one another, at least some of the plurality of modules including an operation member for receiving operation input from a user, and each of the plurality of modules including at least one connecting flat surface with a coupling mechanism for coupling to other modules, the information processing method comprising: receiving, from each of the at least some of the modules, an operation signal indicating the content of the operation input made to the operation member included in the module; and executing information processing in accordance with the received operation signal. [Item 16] A computer-readable, non-transitory information storage medium storing a program for controlling an information processing device connected to an operation device including a plurality of modules that are separate and independent from one another, at least some of the plurality of modules including an operation member for receiving operation input from a user, and each of the plurality of modules including at least one connecting flat surface with a coupling mechanism for coupling to other modules, the program comprising: receiving, from each of the at least some of the modules including an operation signal indicating the content of the operation input made to the operation member included in the module, and executing information processing in accordance with the received operation signal.

[0084] 1 Information processing system, 10 Operation device, 20 Module, 21 Main body, 22 Operation member, 23 Speaker, 24 Vibration mechanism, 25 Rotation member, 31 Control unit, 32 Communication unit, 33 Attitude sensor, 34 Linking mechanism, 35 Light-emitting unit, 100 Information processing device, 101 Control unit, 102 Memory unit, 103 Interface unit, 104 Display device, 111 Module state identification unit, 112 Operation information reception unit, 113 Processing execution unit.

Claims

1. An operating device including a plurality of modules that are separate and independent from one another, wherein at least some of the plurality of modules include operating members for receiving operation input from a user, and each of the plurality of modules includes at least one connecting plane portion equipped with a connecting mechanism for connecting to other modules.

2. An operating device according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of modules comprises a plurality of light emitting units arranged on the outer periphery of the connecting flat surface portion.

3. An operating device according to claim 2, wherein the connecting plane portion has a substantially square shape, and the plurality of light emitting portions are arranged at a plurality of vertices of the connecting plane portion.

4. An operating device according to claim 3, wherein at least one of the plurality of modules includes two connecting plane sections that are adjacent to each other and can be connected to different modules, and a plurality of light-emitting sections are arranged between the two adjacent connecting plane sections so as to be visible from the direction opposite either of the two connecting plane sections.

5. An operating device according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the plurality of modules are each connected to an information processing device, and each of the plurality of light-emitting units emits light in one of at least two colors in response to an instruction from the information processing device.

6. An operating device according to claim 1, wherein at least some of the modules have a substantially cubic shape, the operating member is disposed on one of six outer surfaces of the module, and at least a part of the other outer surfaces functions as the connecting flat surface portion.

7. An operating device according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of modules is provided with an attitude sensor that detects the attitude of the module.

8. An operating device according to claim 1, wherein at least one module among the plurality of modules is provided with a mechanism for identifying other modules connected to the connecting plane section.

9. An operating device according to claim 8, wherein the at least one module is provided with a mechanism for identifying the orientation of another module connected to the connecting plane section.

10. An operating device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of modules comprises a main body and a rotating member, the rotating member being rotatably connected to the main body, and the surface of the rotating member functioning as the connecting plane portion.

11. An information processing system including an operating device including a plurality of modules that are separate and independent from one another, and an information processing device connected to the operating device, wherein at least some of the plurality of modules include operating members for receiving operation input from a user, and each of the plurality of modules includes at least one connecting plane portion equipped with a connecting mechanism for connecting to other modules, and the information processing device receives, from each of the at least some of the modules, an operation signal indicating the content of the operation input to the operating member, and performs information processing in accordance with the operation signal.

12. An information processing system according to claim 11, wherein the information processing device identifies modules that are connected to each other among the plurality of modules, and executes information processing according to the type of the identified module.

13. An information processing system as described in claim 11, wherein each of the plurality of modules comprises a plurality of light-emitting units arranged on the outer periphery of the connecting plane portion, and wherein the information processing device, when a user connects two of the plurality of modules, causes the light-emitting units arranged on the outer periphery of the connecting plane portion of each of the two modules to be connected to emit light.

14. An information processing system according to claim 13, wherein each of the plurality of light-emitting elements emits light in at least two colors, and the information processing device causes the plurality of light-emitting elements arranged on the outer periphery of the connecting plane portions of each of the two modules to be connected to emit light in mutually different colors.

15. An information processing method executed by an information processing device connected to an operation device including a plurality of modules that are separate and independent from one another, at least some of the plurality of modules including an operation member for receiving operation input from a user, and each of the plurality of modules including at least one connecting flat portion equipped with a connecting mechanism for connecting to other modules, the information processing method including the steps of: receiving, from each of the at least some of the modules, an operation signal indicating the content of the operation input to the operation member equipped in that module; and executing information processing according to the received operation signal.

16. A program for controlling an information processing device connected to an operation device that includes a plurality of modules that are separate and independent from one another, at least some of the modules including an operation member for receiving operation input from a user, and each of the plurality of modules including at least one connecting flat portion equipped with a connecting mechanism for connecting to other modules, the program causing the information processing device to execute the steps of: receiving, from each of the at least some of the modules, an operation signal indicating the content of the operation input to the operation member equipped in that module; and executing information processing in accordance with the received operation signal.

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