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

Abstract

A button device (10) comprising an exterior case (40) surrounding the outer periphery of a columnar space that extends in a prescribed axial direction, and an operation part (50) inserted with play into the columnar space and having a columnar body (51) that is movable between a first position and a second position along the prescribed axial direction of the columnar space, said button device (10) including a first magnetic field generation element that generates a magnetic field in the columnar space, and a second magnetic field generation element (53) that is disposed on the columnar body (51) and generates a magnetic field that interacts with the first magnetic field generation element.

Description

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

[0001] The present invention relates to a button device having a button that accepts operational input from a user, and an information processing system, an information processing method, and a program that utilizes the user's operational input to the button 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 having operation members such as buttons so that the information processing device can receive various operation inputs from a user.

[0003] In the above-described conventional techniques, the positions and structures of buttons provided on an operation device are usually fixed, and it is not easy to change the positions of the buttons or the operation feel.

[0004] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and one of its purposes is to provide a button device that allows the position and operational feel of buttons for accepting operational input to be adjusted relatively easily, as well as an information processing system, information processing method, and program that utilizes user operational input to the button device.

[0005] A button device according to one aspect of the present invention includes an exterior portion surrounding the outer periphery of a columnar space extending in a predetermined axial direction, and an operating portion having a columnar body that is inserted into the columnar space with some play and is movable between a first position and a second position along the predetermined axis of the columnar space, and the button device further includes a first magnetic field generating element that generates a magnetic field within the columnar space, and a second magnetic field generating element that is disposed on the columnar body and generates a magnetic field that interacts with the first magnetic field generating element.

[0006] An information processing system according to one aspect of the present invention includes a button device and an information processing device, wherein the main body of the button device includes an exterior portion surrounding the outer periphery of a columnar space extending in a predetermined axial direction, and an operation unit having a columnar body that is inserted into the columnar space with some play and is movable between a first position and a second position along the predetermined axis of the columnar space, and further includes a first magnetic field generating element that generates a magnetic field within the columnar space, and a second magnetic field generating element that is disposed on the columnar body and generates a magnetic field that interacts with the first magnetic field generating element, and the information processing device identifies the position of the operation unit, accepts information about the position as a user operation input to the button device, and executes information processing in accordance with the accepted operation input.

[0007] An information processing method according to one aspect of the present invention is an information processing method executed by an information processing device that accepts operation input from a button device comprising: an exterior portion surrounding the outer periphery of a columnar space extending in a predetermined axial direction; an operation portion having a columnar body that is inserted into the columnar space with play and is movable between a first position and a second position along the predetermined axis of the columnar space; a first magnetic field generating element that generates a magnetic field within the columnar space; and a second magnetic field generating element that is disposed on the columnar body and generates a magnetic field that interacts with the first magnetic field generating element. The information processing method includes the steps of: identifying the position of the operation portion and accepting information about the position as operation input from a user to the button device; and executing information processing in accordance with the accepted operation input.

[0008] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a program for controlling an information processing device that receives an operation input from a button device including: an exterior part surrounding an outer periphery of a columnar space extending in a predetermined axial direction; an operation unit having a columnar body inserted into the columnar space with play and movable between a first position and a second position along the predetermined axis of the columnar space; a first magnetic field generating element that generates a magnetic field in the columnar space; and a second magnetic field generating element disposed on the columnar body that generates a magnetic field that interacts with the first magnetic field generating element. The program causes the information processing device to execute the steps of: identifying a position of the operation unit and accepting information about the position as a user operation input to the button device; and executing information processing in accordance with the accepted operation input. This program may be provided by being stored on a computer-readable, non-transitory information storage medium.

[0009] 1 is a perspective view showing an example of the appearance of a button device according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a plan view of the button device; FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the exterior part of the button device as seen from the bottom side; FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the operation part of the button device as seen from the top side; FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the button device when a user is not operating it; FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the button device when a user is operating it; FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of an example of a button device to which an adjustment magnet has been added; FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of an example of a button device in which a magnet is arranged in a base; FIG. 9 is a plan view of an example of a button device comprising a plurality of operation parts; FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of an example of a button device comprising a display unit; FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing an example of an information processing system in which an information processing device and a base for the button device are integrally formed; FIG. 12 is a configuration block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the information processing device; FIG. 13 is a functional block diagram showing an example of the functions of the information processing device.

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

[0011] An information processing system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a button device 10 that accepts operational input from a user, and an information processing device 100 that operates in response to the operational input from the user. The button device 10 and the information processing device 100 are connected to each other so that data communication is possible.

[0012] A button device 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a main body 20 and a base 30. The main body 20 of the button device 10 includes two components: an exterior casing 40 and an operation unit 50. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of the exterior of the button device 10, and FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the button device 10 of FIG. 1 as viewed from above. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the exterior casing 40 of the button device 10 shown in FIG. 1 as viewed from the bottom, and FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the operation unit 50 as viewed from the top. Furthermore, FIGS. 5 and 6 are cross-sectional views of the button device 10 taken along line V-V in FIG. 2. FIG. 5 shows the button device 10 when not being operated by a user, and FIG. 6 shows the button device 10 when being operated by a user. Note that the interior of the base 30 is shown in simplified form in FIGS. 5 and 6.

[0013] The base 30 is a member that supports the main body 20, and is configured to include a base 31 and a support 32. A sensor 33 and a communication unit 34 are also disposed inside the base 30.

[0014] The base 31 is a member having a flat upper surface, and the main body 20 is disposed on the upper surface of the base 31. As a specific example, the base 31 is formed in a substantially regular hexagonal shape in plan view to match the shape of the main body 20.

[0015] The support portion 32 is a portion that surrounds the periphery of the base portion 31 and is formed to protrude above the upper surface of the base portion 31. The support portion 32 supports the main body portion 20 so that it does not shift in the left-right direction (direction parallel to the upper surface of the base portion 31).

[0016] The sensor 33 is a sensor used to identify the position of the operation unit 50. Details of the measurements made by the sensor 33 will be described later.

[0017] The communication unit 34 is a communication interface for performing data communication with the information processing device 100. In this embodiment, the communication unit 34 is wirelessly connected to the information processing device 100 and periodically transmits the measurement results of the sensor 33 to the information processing device 100.

[0018] The exterior part 40 includes a columnar space forming part 41 , an upper surface part 42 , and a plurality of magnets 43 , and is disposed on the upper surface of the base part 31 .

[0019] The columnar space forming portion 41 has a cylindrical shape extending in a predetermined axial direction, and defines a columnar space therein. Hereinafter, the columnar space formed inside the columnar space forming portion 41 will be referred to as a columnar space S. The extension direction of the columnar space S (i.e., the central axial direction of the columnar space forming portion 41) will be referred to as an operation direction D. Here, the operation direction D is assumed to coincide with the direction perpendicular to the top surface of the base portion 31.

[0020] In this embodiment, the inner surface of the columnar space forming portion 41 has a substantially hexagonal shape in plan view, and the columnar space S formed therein has a substantially hexagonal prism shape. More specifically, the shape of the inner surface of the columnar space forming portion 41 in plan view is close to a regular hexagon as a whole, but three non-adjacent sides of this regular hexagon slightly protrude outward relative to the other three sides. In other words, the inner surface of the columnar space forming portion 41 that forms the columnar space S is roughly composed of six flat surfaces that form a hexagonal prism, and of these, the three non-adjacent sides are recessed inward relative to the other three sides.

[0021] The top surface portion 42 is a member that constitutes the top surface of the exterior portion 40 and is formed to protrude inward (toward the columnar space S) from the upper end of the columnar space forming portion 41. A through hole H is formed approximately in the center of the top surface portion 42. As a specific example, the through hole H is assumed to be circular. The upper end of the columnar space S is blocked by the top surface portion 42 except for the location where the through hole H is formed. Note that, on the bottom side of the exterior portion 40, no member is present inside the columnar space forming portion 41, and the columnar space S may remain open. In this case, since the exterior portion 40 is disposed on the upper surface of the base portion 31, the lower end of the columnar space S is blocked by the base portion 31.

[0022] The multiple magnets 43 are magnetic field generating elements that generate a magnetic field within the columnar space S. Specifically, the magnets 43 are arranged within the columnar space forming portion 41 at approximately equal intervals along the circumferential direction of the columnar space S, with the same poles facing the columnar space S. In this embodiment, of the six inner surfaces of the columnar space forming portion 41 that form the columnar space S having a substantially hexagonal columnar shape, a magnet 43 is arranged on each of three flat surfaces that are recessed relative to the other surfaces. That is, in this embodiment, the three magnets 43 are arranged along the circumferential direction of the columnar space forming portion 41 so as to form an angle of approximately 120° in a plan view.

[0023] The operation unit 50 includes a columnar body 51, a head 52, and a plurality of magnets 53. The operation unit 50 is a member that is separate and independent from both the exterior unit 40 and the base 30.

[0024] The pillar 51 is a pillar-shaped member extending along the operation direction D, and is housed in the pillar space S inside the pillar space forming portion 41. Specifically, the pillar 51 has a shape (here, a substantially hexagonal shape) that is approximately the same as the inner surface of the pillar space forming portion 41 in a plan view, and its side surface faces the inner surface of the pillar space forming portion 41 with some play within the pillar space S. Furthermore, the length of the pillar 51 along the operation direction D is shorter than the length of the pillar space S. Therefore, the pillar 51 is movable within the pillar space S along the operation direction D.

[0025] Head 52 is formed to protrude upward from the top surface of columnar body 51. Head 52 has substantially the same shape (circular in this case) as through-hole H on the top surface of exterior unit 40 in a plan view, and is disposed so as to protrude upward through through-hole H when the user is not operating operation unit 50. In other words, the upper portion of head 52 protrudes from top surface 42 of exterior unit 40, and its top surface is exposed.

[0026] The multiple magnets 53 are magnetic field generating elements that generate a magnetic field that interacts with the magnets 43 arranged in the exterior part 40. Specifically, the magnets 53 are arranged inside the columnar body 51 at approximately equal intervals along the circumferential direction thereof, with the same poles facing outward.

[0027] In this embodiment, magnets 53 are arranged on three of the six flat surfaces that form the side surface of the approximately hexagonal pillar 31. In particular, magnets 53 are arranged on three of the six flat surfaces that protrude further than the adjacent surfaces. As a result, the three magnets 53 arranged in the pillar 51 are arranged to face the three magnets 43 in the pillar space forming portion 41 in a plan view.

[0028] Furthermore, the pole facing outward of the magnet 53 is the same as the pole facing the columnar space S of the magnet 43. Therefore, the magnetic field generated by the magnet 43 interacts with the magnetic field generated by the magnet 53, generating a repulsive force between them. This repulsive force causes the magnet 53 to move away from the magnet 43, urging the operation unit 50 upward. At this time, if the user is not touching the operation unit 50 and no external force is applied to the operation unit 50, the top surface of the columnar body 51 contacts the bottom surface of the upper surface portion 42 and presses against it, causing the operation unit 50 to remain stationary. Figure 4 shows the position of the operation unit 50 in this state. Hereinafter, the state in which the user is not applying force to the operation unit 50 and the operation unit 50 is positioned at the uppermost position shown in Figure 4 is referred to as the non-operated state. The position of the operation unit 50 at this time is referred to as the reference position.

[0029] When a user operates the button device 10, the user touches the top surface of the head 52 with a finger or the like and presses the operation unit 50 downward. This causes the operation unit 50 to move downward along the operation direction D while resisting the repulsive force generated between the magnets 43 and 53. When the bottom surface of the columnar body 51 finally contacts the top surface of the base 31 and is pressed against the base 31, the user can no longer press the operation unit 50 further. Figure 5 shows the position of the operation unit 50 in this state. Hereinafter, the state in which the user operates the operation unit 50 to the maximum and the operation unit 50 is at the lowest position shown in Figure 5 is referred to as the maximum operation state. The position of the operation unit 50 at this time is referred to as the maximum operation position.

[0030] If the user stops the pressing operation by, for example, removing their finger from head 52 while performing the pressing operation, operation unit 50 is again urged upward by the repulsive force between magnets 43 and 53, and returns to the reference position. Therefore, the user can operate operation unit 50 as a push button by pressing and releasing operation unit 50. Furthermore, by adjusting the force applied to operation unit 50, operation unit 50 can be moved along operation direction D to any position between the reference position and the maximum operation position.

[0031] In this embodiment, the sensor 33 is a magnetic sensor that measures the strength of the magnetic field generated by the magnet 53. The sensor 33 is disposed below the operation unit 50 within the base 30. Here, three sensors 33 are disposed corresponding to the three magnets 53 so as to overlap the positions of the magnets 53 in a plan view. When the user presses the operation unit 50 downward, the magnets 53 gradually approach the base 30. Each sensor 33 measures the strength of the magnetic field generated by the magnet 53. This measurement result is transmitted to the information processing device 100 as an operation signal indicating the content of the user's operation input to the button device 10. By using this operation signal, the information processing device 100 can determine the distance from the sensor 33 to the magnet 53 at the time the measurement result is obtained, and thus the position of the operation unit 50 between the reference position and the maximum operation position. Based on this identification result, the information processing device 100 identifies whether or not the user has operated the operation unit 50, and the amount of operation (pressing amount) with which the operation unit 50 has been pressed, and performs information processing according to the result.

[0032] As is clear from the above description, in this embodiment, the exterior part 40 is disposed on the base 30, but there are no components that operate mechanically in conjunction with components within the base 30, and no electrical signals are transmitted or received. Similarly, the operation unit 50 does not electrically transmit or receive signals with the exterior part 40 and the base 30; the magnetic field generated by the magnet 53 interacts with the magnet 43, and the strength of the magnetic field is simply measured by the sensor 33. Therefore, the exterior part 40 may be a separate and independent component from the base 30, or may be configured to be detachable from the base 30.

[0033] Specifically, in this embodiment, the exterior part 40 is simply placed on the base part 31 of the base 30. In this state, the exterior part 40 is surrounded by the support part 32, so it does not shift left or right, and the user can use the button device 10 with the magnet 53 in the operation unit 50 positioned above the sensor 33. Furthermore, because the exterior part 40 is not physically fixed to the base 30, the user can easily separate the exterior part 40 from the base 30.

[0034] Furthermore, the method of placing the exterior part 40 on the base part 31 of the base 30 is not limited to the method using the support part 32. For example, downwardly protruding tabs may be provided on the bottom surface of the exterior part 40, and the tabs may be inserted into insertion parts formed on the top surface of the base 30, thereby detachably fixing the exterior part 40 to the base 30. Furthermore, as long as the exterior part 40 can be placed in a position where the strength of the magnetic field generated by the magnet 53 can be measured by the sensor 33, the exterior part 40 may simply be placed on the top surface of the base 30 without any member for fixing the exterior part 40 to the base 30. In this case, it is desirable to prevent the position of the exterior part 40 from shifting during use of the button device 10 by, for example, placing a member that generates friction, such as a rubber foot, on the bottom surface of the exterior part 40.

[0035] Making the exterior 40 detachable from the base 30 makes it possible to easily replace one or both of the exterior 40 and the operation unit 30 housed in the columnar space S formed by the exterior 40 with other components. This allows, for example, the magnet 43 or the magnet 53 to be replaced with a different type of magnet that generates a different magnetic field strength. If the magnetic field strength differs, the repulsive force generated between the magnets 43 and 53 also changes, and therefore the force required for the user to press the operation unit 30 also changes. Therefore, by changing the type of magnet, the user can relatively easily change the operational feel when operating the button device 10.

[0036] Furthermore, by replacing the operation unit 50 with a different member, it is easy to change the shape or size of the operation unit 50 that is the target of operation by the user. For example, the operation unit 50 may be replaced with a different member having a different shape of the head 52 or a different length along the operation direction D.

[0037] Furthermore, instead of replacing the exterior part 40 or the operation part 50 themselves with different components, the magnet 43 inside the exterior part 40 or the magnet 53 inside the operation part 50 may be made replaceable with a different type of magnet. This allows the repulsive force generated between the magnet 43 and the magnet 53 to be changed.

[0038] Furthermore, instead of replacing the magnet 43 with a different type of magnet, the strength of the repulsive force generated between the magnet 43 and the magnet 53 may be changed by changing the position of the magnet 43. To achieve such control, the exterior 40 may be provided with a mechanism for moving the position of the magnet 43 along the radial direction of the columnar space forming portion 41. Moving the magnet 43 closer to the columnar space S strengthens the effect of the magnetic field generated by the magnet 43 on the magnet 53, while moving the magnet 43 away from the columnar space S weakens the effect of the magnetic field. Therefore, by changing the position of the magnet 43, the amount of force required for the user to press the operating unit 30 can be changed. As a specific example, the exterior 40 may be provided with a sliding mechanism for moving the magnet 43 and a switch linked to the sliding mechanism, and the user may operate the switch located on the surface of the exterior 40 to change the position of the magnet 43 via the sliding mechanism linked to the switch.

[0039] Furthermore, instead of replacing the magnet 43 arranged in the exterior part 40 with a different type of magnet, an adjustment magnet may be added separately from the magnet 43. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example in which an adjustment magnet 44 is added to the exterior part 40, and similarly to FIG. 5 , it shows a cross section of the button device 10. In this example, the adjustment magnet 44 is added to the outside of the magnet 43 (the side opposite the columnar space S). The adjustment magnet 44 is positioned so that its poles are aligned with those of the magnet 43. This allows the combination of the magnet 43 and the adjustment magnet 44 to generate a stronger magnetic field in the columnar space S than when the adjustment magnet 44 is not arranged.

[0040] In the explanation so far, a repulsive force is generated between the magnet 43 placed in the exterior part 40 and the magnet 53 placed in the operating part 50, but instead of or in addition to the magnet 43 in the exterior part 40, a magnet that generates a repulsive force between itself and the magnet 53 may be placed in the base 30.

[0041] FIG. 8 shows an example in which a magnet 35 is disposed within the base 30. In this example, similar to the previous examples, multiple magnets 43 are disposed in positions facing the columnar space S of the exterior 40. However, unlike the previous examples, only one magnet 53 is disposed facing the bottom surface of the operation unit 50, approximately in the center in a plan view. A single sensor 33 is disposed within the base 31 at a position overlapping the central axis of the operation unit 50 in a plan view (i.e., facing the magnet 53). Furthermore, a magnet 35 is disposed within the base 31 at a position further below the sensor 33, overlapping the magnet 53 and the sensor 33 in a plan view. The magnet 35 is disposed such that the pole of the magnet 35, facing downward (toward the base 30) of the magnet 53, faces upward (toward the columnar space S). This allows the magnet 53 to generate a repulsive force between itself and the magnet 43 and also between itself and the magnet 35. This allows the operation unit 50 to be urged upward with a stronger force.

[0042] In the above description, the button device 10 has one operation unit 50, and the operation of pressing this operation unit 50 is used as an operation input to the information processing device 100. However, this is not limited to this, and the button device 10 may have multiple operation units 50 that can be operated independently of each other. In this case, the position, size, shape, etc. of each of the multiple operation units 50 can be adjusted by replacing the exterior unit 40 or any of the multiple operation units 50 with a different member.

[0043] 9 is a plan view showing an example of a button device 10 having four operation units 50. In this example, the four operation units 50a-50d are arranged in a grid pattern of two by two. These four operation units 50a-50d each have a columnar body 51a-51 that is approximately rectangular in plan view and a head portion 52a-52d that is approximately circular in plan view.

[0044] To accommodate these four pillars 51a-51d independently, four pillar spaces S1-S4, each having a substantially rectangular shape in plan view, are formed inside pillar space forming portion 41 of exterior portion 40. Four through holes H1-H4, each having a substantially circular shape in plan view, are formed above pillar spaces S1-S4, respectively.

[0045] In the example shown in this figure, two magnets 43 are arranged within the exterior 40 relative to one operation unit 50, sandwiching the operation unit 50 vertically or horizontally. That is, two magnets 43a are arranged horizontally across operation unit 50a, two magnets 43b are arranged vertically across operation unit 50b, two magnets 43c are arranged vertically across operation unit 50c, and two magnets 43d are arranged horizontally across operation unit 50d. Furthermore, magnets 53 are arranged within the pillars 51 of each operation unit 50 so as to face these magnets 43. That is, two magnets 53a are arranged side by side in the horizontal direction within pillar 51a, two magnets 53b are arranged vertically within pillar 51b, two magnets 53c are arranged vertically within pillar 51c, and two magnets 53d are arranged horizontally within pillar 51d. Here, between two operation units 50 that are arranged adjacent to each other in the vertical and horizontal directions, two magnets 53 are arranged in directions perpendicular to each other. This allows the magnets 43 to be arranged sandwiching each operation unit 40 so that the magnets 43 are less likely to interfere with each other within the exterior part 40.

[0046] In the example of this figure, although not shown, four sensors 33 are arranged at positions corresponding to the four operation units 50 in the base 30. By measuring the strength of the magnetism generated by the magnets 53 in the operation units 50 that are arranged at positions facing each of these sensors 33, it is possible to determine how far each of these four operation units 50 has been pressed.

[0047] In the above description, each component constituting the main body 20 of the button device 10 has been described as being made of an opaque material. However, this is not intended to be limiting. Among the components constituting the button device 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention, at least one of the exterior 40 (excluding the magnet 43) and the operation unit 50 (excluding the magnet 53) may be made of a light-transmitting material, such as acrylic resin. More specifically, the columnar body 51 and head 52 of the exterior 40, as well as the columnar space-forming portion 41 and top surface 42 of the exterior 40, may all be made of a colorless, transparent material. This allows the main body 20 of the button device 10, which is disposed above the base 30, to be transparent, except for the magnet 43 and magnet 53, allowing the user to view the top surface of the base 31 that overlaps the main body 20.

[0048] Furthermore, in this case, a display unit 36 ​​may be disposed on the upper surface of the base unit 31. The display unit 36 ​​displays an image corresponding to a video signal received from the information processing device 100. While viewing the image displayed on the display unit 43, the user can operate the operation unit 50 disposed in a position overlapping the image. In this example, the information processing device 100 may perform control such as changing the display content of the display unit 36 ​​when an operation on the operation unit 50 is detected. A specific example of image display control by the information processing device 100 when the main body 20 of the button device 10 is disposed overlapping the display unit 36 ​​will be described later.

[0049] 10 is a partial cross-sectional view of the button device 10 in this example. In the example shown in this figure, a display unit 36 ​​is disposed on the top surface of a base 30, and a plurality of sensors 33 and magnets 35 are disposed at regular intervals within the base 30. In this example, the pairs of sensors 33 and magnets 35 are disposed in approximately the same position in a plan view. The exterior 40 and operation unit 50 of the button device 10 are formed from transparent materials, and a magnet 53 is disposed inside the operation unit 50 as before, but no magnet 43 is disposed inside the exterior 40.

[0050] In this example, the main body 20 of the button device 10 can be placed anywhere on the display unit 36. By arranging magnets 35 at regular intervals within the base 30, regardless of where the main body 20 is placed, the magnets 53 repel the magnets 35 placed below the main body 20, thereby urging the operation unit 50 upward. Furthermore, by arranging sensors 33 at regular intervals, regardless of where the main body 20 is placed, changes in the strength of the magnetic field generated by the magnets 53 can be detected by the sensors 33 placed near the magnets 53. Therefore, the information processing device 100 can estimate changes in the position of the operation unit 50 by using the measurement results of the multiple sensors 33.

[0051] Furthermore, in this example, magnet 35, which interacts with magnet 53, and sensor 33, which measures the strength of the magnetic field generated by magnet 53, are both located below (on the back side of) display unit 36, so these components do not obstruct the view when the user views the image displayed on display unit 36. Also, in this example, magnet 43 is not located on exterior unit 40, and magnet 53 is the only opaque component above display unit 36, so the user can see most of the image displayed in the position where main unit 20 is located.

[0052] In the above description, the button device 10 including the base 30 is a separate and independent device from the information processing device 100, and operation signals indicating operations performed on the operation unit 50 are transmitted to the information processing device 100 via wireless communication. However, the base 30 of the button device 10 may be integrally configured with the information processing device 100. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of the appearance of such an information processing system 1. In this example, the information processing device 100 is a tablet or a portable game console, and a display unit 36 ​​is disposed on the top surface of the housing. In this example, the information processing device 100 is integrally configured with the base 30, and the housing of the information processing device 100 itself functions as the base 30 of the button device 10.

[0053] 11, similarly to the example of Fig. 10, a plurality of sensors 33 and magnets 35 are arranged at regular intervals on the back side of at least a portion of the display unit 36 ​​(hereinafter referred to as the button arrangement area). Note that these sensors 33 and magnets 35 are arranged at regular intervals (i.e., in a grid pattern) in the button arrangement area in both the vertical and horizontal directions of the display surface of the display unit 36. This allows the main body 20 to be arranged at any position within the button arrangement area, and allows the operation content of the operation unit 50 to be detected.

[0054] In the example shown in this figure, the main body 20 of the button device 10 is equipped with four operation units 50, similar to the example shown in Figure 9. Furthermore, the exterior 40 does not have a magnet 43, and the exterior 40 and operation units 50 are made of transparent material except for the magnet 53. Therefore, the user can generally see the image displayed at a position on the display unit 36 ​​where it overlaps with the main body 20.

[0055] Furthermore, in this example, a support portion 37 is fixed to the left end of the housing of the information processing device 100, and this support portion 37 supports the main body portion 20 of the button device 10. This prevents the main body portion 20 from shifting in a direction parallel to the surface of the display portion 36. By changing the position and size of this support portion 37, the placement position of the main body portion 20 on the display portion 36 can be adjusted to any position. Note that the portion of the support portion 37 that overlaps with the display portion 36 may also be made of a transparent material. The information processing device 100 determines the extent to which the operation portion 50 at a particular position has been operated, depending on the extent to which the measurement value of a particular sensor 33 has changed among the multiple sensors 33 arranged in the button placement area.

[0056] An example of the configuration and functions of the information processing device 100 according to this embodiment will be described below. A configuration in which the information processing device 100 also functions as the base 30 of the button device 10, as shown in FIG. 11 , will be described below. In this example, the information processing device 100 includes a control unit 101, a storage unit 102, an interface unit 103, multiple sensors 33, and a display unit 36, as shown in FIG. 12 . Note that in this example, because the information processing device 100 itself functions as the base 30, a communication unit 34 for wirelessly transmitting the measurement results of the sensors 33 to the information processing device 100 is not required. In this example, the measurement results of each sensor 33 are transmitted to the control unit 101 via the interface unit 103 via wired data communication.

[0057] 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.

[0058] The interface unit 103 is an interface for data communication between the multiple sensors 33 and the display unit 36. The control unit 101 receives measurement results from each sensor 33 via the interface unit 103. In addition, a video signal is transmitted to the display unit 36 ​​via the interface unit 103.

[0059] Functions realized by the information processing device 100 in this embodiment will be described below with reference to the functional block diagram of FIG. 13. Functionally, the information processing device 100 is configured to include a button position identification unit 111, an operation information acceptance 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 in a computer-readable, non-transitory information storage medium such as an optical disk.

[0060] The button position identification unit 111 identifies the position where the main body 20 of the button device 10 is placed. In this example, the user can place the main body 20 of the button device 10 at any position within the button placement area of ​​the display unit 36. As described above, the multiple sensors 33 are arranged at regular intervals in a plan view on the back side of the button placement area of ​​the display unit 36. The button position identification unit 111 identifies the position where the main body 20 of the button device 10 is placed by referring to the measurement results of these multiple sensors 33. When the main body 20 is placed on the display unit 36, the measurement value of the sensor 33 located below the position where the main body 20 is placed changes due to the influence of the magnetic field generated by the magnet 53. Therefore, the button position identification unit 111 can estimate the position of the main body 20 by monitoring the degree of change in the measurement value of each of the multiple sensors 33 arranged at regular intervals.

[0061] The operation information receiving unit 112 detects that the user has pressed each operation unit 50 of the button device 10, and receives this as user operation information. Specifically, the operation information receiving unit 112 refers to the measurement results of the sensor 33 disposed below the main body 20, and identifies changes in the distance from the top surface of the display unit 36 ​​to each operation unit 50 based on the changes.

[0062] However, the absolute value of the measurement value of the sensor 33 changes depending on the positional relationship between each operation unit 50 and the sensor 33. In other words, the measurement value of the sensor 33 varies depending on the degree of positional deviation between the sensor 33 and the operation unit 50 in a planar view. Therefore, it is difficult to accurately predict in advance the measurement value of the sensor 33 when each operation unit 50 is in the reference position and the maximum operation position. Therefore, the operation information receiving unit 112 may perform calibration in advance to identify the measurement value of the sensor 33 when each operation unit 50 is in the reference position and the maximum operation position.

[0063] Specifically, when the operation information receiving unit 112 first detects that the main body unit 20 has been placed on the display unit 36, it identifies the measurement values ​​of each sensor 33 at that time as measurement values ​​(reference values) when all operation units 50 are in the reference position. Then, a message is displayed on the display unit 36 ​​urging the user to sequentially press each of the operation units 50 to its limit. In response to this message, the operation information receiving unit 112 identifies the measurement values ​​when the user moves each operation unit 50 to its maximum operation position as maximum operation values. Thereafter, the operation information receiving unit 112 compares the reference values ​​and maximum operation values ​​with the latest measurement values ​​of the sensors 33 to determine whether or not the user has operated each operation unit 50 at that time, how far the operation of the operation unit 50 was performed, and so on.

[0064] Furthermore, the operation information receiving unit 112 may perform calibration in advance to determine how far the user must press the operation unit 50 before determining that a pressing operation has been performed. When the operation unit 50 is used as a binary input of on / off, the operational feel changes depending on how far the operation unit 50 must be pressed before determining that a pressing operation has been performed. Therefore, the user is prompted to perform a pressing operation on the operation unit 50, and the position pressed by that operation is determined as the position at which a pressing operation is determined to have been performed. This allows the user to complete the pressing operation by simply pressing lightly, depending on their preference.

[0065] The processing execution unit 113 executes processing such as a game according to the operation content received by the operation information reception unit 112. The processing execution unit 113 may also execute processing to estimate the state of the user by analyzing the operation content received by the operation information reception unit 112.

[0066] For example, the processing execution unit 113 performs processing to estimate the user's emotions based on time-series data of operation details received by the operation information receiving unit 112. The primary data received by the operation information receiving unit 112 is data indicating changes over time in the position of the operation unit 40, and by analyzing the content of this data, the processing execution unit 113 can identify the speed, strength, frequency, etc., of the user operating the operation unit 40. Based on this data, the processing execution unit 113 estimates the user's current state, such as whether they are calm or angry.

[0067] Furthermore, the processing execution unit 113 may use a machine learning model to estimate such a user state. By using a machine learning model generated by performing machine learning using time-series data on the position of the operation unit 40 as input, it becomes possible to estimate the user's emotions with high accuracy. The processing execution unit 113 performs processing such as changing the content of the message presented to the user according to the estimation result.

[0068] Furthermore, the processing execution unit 113 may control the content of the video to be displayed on the display unit 36 ​​in accordance with the position of the main body unit 20 identified by the button position identification unit 111. As an example, the processing execution unit 113 displays an object to be operated by the button device 10 at the position where the main body unit 20 of the button device 10 is located. This allows the user to perform operation input with the feeling of directly operating the object.

[0069] Furthermore, when a user performs an operation input on the operation unit 50, the processing execution unit 113 changes the image displayed at the position where the operation unit 50 is located at that timing. For example, when a specific operation unit 50 is operated, an effect indicating this is displayed at the position where the operation unit 50 is located on the screen of the display unit 24. This allows the user to intuitively understand that the operation input they performed has been reflected.

[0070] As described above, with the button device 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention and the information processing system 1 including the button device 10, the main body 20 of the button device 10 and some of its components can be easily replaced with other components, making it easy to adjust the shape, position, and operational feel of the button to be operated by the user. Furthermore, by forming the main components of the main body 20 of the button device 10 from a light-transmitting material, the top surface of the base 31 of the button device 10 can be made visible.

[0071] The embodiments of the present invention are not limited to those described above. For example, the shapes and sizes of the components constituting the button device 10, the arrangement of the magnets 43 and 53, and the like are merely examples, and may vary within the scope of the present invention.

[0072] In the above description, the button device 10 is wirelessly connected to the information processing device 100 for communication, or the information processing device 100 and the base 30 of the button device 10 are integrally configured, but the button device 10 and the information processing device 100 may be connected to each other by wire for communication. Also, the main body 20 of the button device 10 may be placed on the display surface of a display device that is independent of the main body of the information processing device 100, and this display device may function as the base 30 of the button device 10.

[0073] The button device 10 may also be part of a controller that includes various operating members used to input operations to the information processing device 100. In this case, the housing of the controller functions as the base 30 of the button device 10, and the main body 20 of the button device 10 is placed on the housing. Even in this case, the main body 20 of the button device 10 does not need to send or receive information to or from the information processing device 100, so the main body 20 can be made detachable from the housing of the controller and replaceable with another member of a different size or shape.

[0074] Furthermore, in the above explanation, the sensor 33 is a magnetic sensor that measures the strength of the magnetic field generated by the magnet 53, but this is not limited to this, and a different type of sensor may be used as long as it is a sensor that can identify the position of the operating unit 50.

[0075] It should be noted that the information processing functions performed 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 perform 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.

[0076] 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.

[0077] The present disclosure may include the following aspects: [Item 1] A button device comprising: an exterior part surrounding an outer periphery of a columnar space extending in a predetermined axial direction; and an operating part having a columnar body inserted into the columnar space with play and movable between a first position and a second position along the predetermined axis of the columnar space, the button device further comprising: a first magnetic field generating element that generates a magnetic field in the columnar space; and a second magnetic field generating element that is disposed on the columnar body and generates a magnetic field that interacts with the first magnetic field generating element. [Item 2] The button device according to item 1, wherein the operation unit includes a head connected to one end of the columnar body, the first position being a position where the head protrudes from an opening on one end side of the columnar space formed in the exterior part, and the second position being a position where the head is pressed into the columnar space in the predetermined axial direction, the button device further including a base disposed on the other end side of the columnar space, the base including a sensor that identifies the position of the operation unit, and the measurement result of the sensor is used to detect an operation on the operation unit. [Item 3] The button device according to item 2, wherein the sensor is a sensor that measures the strength of the magnetic field generated by the second magnetic field generating element. [Item 4] The button device according to item 2, wherein at least one of the operation unit and the exterior part is formed of a light-transmitting material. [Item 5] The button device according to item 4, wherein a display unit that displays an image is disposed on an upper surface of the base. [Item 6] The button device according to item 1, wherein the first magnetic field generating element is disposed in the exterior part. [Item 7] The button device according to item 6, wherein the first magnetic field generating element is supported within the exterior part so as to be movable along a direction toward the columnar space. [Item 8] The button device according to item 6, further comprising a third magnetic field generating element that is detachably disposed within the exterior part and that generates a magnetic field in the columnar space together with the first magnetic field generating element.[Item 9] The button device according to item 2, wherein the first magnetic field generating element is disposed inside the base. [Item 10] The button device according to item 2, wherein a plurality of the sensors are disposed within the plane of the base. [Item 11] An information processing system including a button device and an information processing device, wherein a main body of the button device includes: an exterior part surrounding an outer periphery of a columnar space extending in a predetermined axial direction; and an operation unit having a columnar body that is inserted into the columnar space with play and is movable between a first position and a second position along the predetermined axis of the columnar space, wherein the information processing device includes: a first magnetic field generating element that generates a magnetic field within the columnar space; and a second magnetic field generating element that is disposed on the columnar body and generates a magnetic field that interacts with the first magnetic field generating element, and the information processing device includes circuitry configured to: identify a position of the operation unit, accept information about the position as an operation input by a user to the button device, and execute information processing according to the accepted operation input. [Item 12] The information processing system according to Item 11, further comprising a display unit that displays an image, wherein at least one of the operation unit and the exterior unit is formed from a light-transmitting material, wherein the main body of the button device is disposed on top of a display surface of the display unit, and wherein the circuit identifies a position where the main body of the button device is disposed and displays a predetermined image at a position on the display unit that corresponds to the identified position. [Item 13] An information processing method executed by an information processing device that accepts operation input from a button device comprising: an exterior part that surrounds the outer periphery of a columnar space extending in a predetermined axial direction; and an operation part having a columnar body that is inserted into the columnar space with play and is movable between a first position and a second position along the predetermined axis of the columnar space, wherein the button device includes: a first magnetic field generating element that generates a magnetic field in the columnar space; and a second magnetic field generating element that is disposed on the columnar body and generates a magnetic field that interacts with the first magnetic field generating element, the information processing method comprising: identifying a position of the operation part; accepting information about the position as operation input from a user to the button device; and executing information processing according to the accepted operation input.[Item 14] A computer-readable, non-transitory information storage medium storing a program for controlling an information processing device that receives operation input from a button device comprising: an exterior part that surrounds the outer periphery of a columnar space extending in a predetermined axial direction; an operation part having a columnar body that is inserted into the columnar space with play and is movable between a first position and a second position along the predetermined axis of the columnar space; a first magnetic field generating element that generates a magnetic field in the columnar space; and a second magnetic field generating element that is disposed on the columnar body and generates a magnetic field that interacts with the first magnetic field generating element, the program causing the information processing device to identify the position of the operation part, accept information about the position as operation input from a user to the button device, and execute information processing according to the accepted operation input.

[0078] 1 Information processing system, 10 Button device, 20 Main body, 30 Base, 31 Base, 32 Support, 33 Sensor, 34 Communication unit, 35 Magnet, 36 Display unit, 37 Support, 40 Exterior, 41 Columnar space forming unit, 42 Top surface, 43 Magnet, 44 Adjustment magnet, 50 Operation unit, 51 Columnar body, 52 Head, 53 Magnet, 100 Information processing device, 101 Control unit, 102 Memory unit, 103 Interface unit, 111 Button position identification unit, 112 Operation information reception unit, 113 Processing execution unit.

Claims

1. A button device comprising: an exterior part surrounding the outer periphery of a columnar space extending in a predetermined axial direction; and an operating part having a columnar body that is inserted into the columnar space with some play and is movable between a first position and a second position along the predetermined axis of the columnar space, the button device also comprising: a first magnetic field generating element that generates a magnetic field within the columnar space; and a second magnetic field generating element that is disposed on the columnar body and generates a magnetic field that interacts with the first magnetic field generating element.

2. A button device according to claim 1, wherein the operating part comprises a head connected to one end of the columnar body, the first position being a position where the head protrudes from an opening on one end side of the columnar space formed in the exterior part, and the second position being a position where the head is pressed in the predetermined axial direction toward the columnar space, the button device further comprising a base placed on the other end side of the columnar space, the base including a sensor that identifies the position of the operating part, and the measurement results of the sensor are used in a detection process for operation on the operating part.

3. A button device according to claim 2, wherein the sensor is a sensor that measures the strength of the magnetic field generated by the second magnetic field generating element.

4. A button device according to claim 2, wherein at least one of the operating section and the exterior section is made of a light-transmitting material.

5. A button device according to claim 4, wherein a display unit for displaying an image is disposed on the upper surface of the base.

6. A button device according to claim 1, wherein the first magnetic field generating element is disposed on the exterior portion.

7. A button device according to claim 6, wherein the first magnetic field generating element is supported within the exterior portion so as to be movable in a direction toward the columnar space.

8. A button device according to claim 6, further comprising a third magnetic field generating element that is detachably disposed within said exterior portion and that generates a magnetic field in said columnar space together with said first magnetic field generating element.

9. A button device according to claim 2, wherein the first magnetic field generating element is disposed inside the base.

10. A button device according to claim 2, wherein a plurality of the sensors are arranged within the plane of the base.

11. An information processing system including a button device and an information processing device, wherein the main body of the button device comprises: an exterior part surrounding the outer periphery of a columnar space extending in a predetermined axial direction; and an operation unit having a columnar body that is inserted into the columnar space with play and is movable between a first position and a second position along the predetermined axis of the columnar space; a first magnetic field generating element that generates a magnetic field within the columnar space; and a second magnetic field generating element that is disposed on the columnar body and generates a magnetic field that interacts with the first magnetic field generating element; and the information processing device identifies the position of the operation unit, accepts information about the position as a user operation input to the button device, and executes information processing in accordance with the accepted operation input.

12. An information processing system as claimed in claim 11, further comprising a display unit for displaying images, wherein at least one of the operation unit and the exterior unit is formed from a light-transmitting material, the main body of the button device is placed on top of the display surface of the display unit, and the information processing device identifies the position where the main body of the button device is placed and displays a predetermined image at a position on the display unit corresponding to that position.

13. An information processing method executed by an information processing device that receives operation input from a button device comprising: an exterior part that surrounds the outer periphery of a columnar space extending in a predetermined axial direction; an operation part having a columnar body that is inserted into the columnar space with play and is movable between a first position and a second position along the predetermined axis of the columnar space; a first magnetic field generating element that generates a magnetic field within the columnar space; and a second magnetic field generating element that is disposed on the columnar body and generates a magnetic field that interacts with the first magnetic field generating element, the information processing method including the steps of: identifying the position of the operation part and receiving information on the position as operation input from a user to the button device; and executing information processing in accordance with the received operation input.

14. A program for controlling an information processing device that receives operation input from a button device comprising: an exterior part that surrounds the outer periphery of a columnar space extending in a predetermined axial direction; an operation part having a columnar body that is inserted into the columnar space with play and is movable between a first position and a second position along the predetermined axis of the columnar space; a first magnetic field generating element that generates a magnetic field within the columnar space; and a second magnetic field generating element that is disposed on the columnar body and generates a magnetic field that interacts with the first magnetic field generating element, the program causing the information processing device to execute the steps of: identifying the position of the operation part and receiving information on the position as a user operation input to the button device; and executing information processing in accordance with the received operation input.

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