Patent Grant
9360939
The present invention is a technical method related to a button of a remote control for a video game to allow a simulated experience that provides an experience of tactile sense corresponding to video game software to allow a reaction.
As a literature that discloses this type of technique, there is Patent Document 1. The fishing simulator disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a control board, an operation panel, a fishing rod with a reel, a video disc player device, a winding and feeding mechanism for a fishing line, a lateral swinging mechanism for a fishing line, a tension measuring mechanism for a fishing line, and similar member.
In this fishing simulator, an operator holds a fishing rod in hand and pulls up the fishing rod when a fish is caught while referring to the playback image of a video disc.
The control board determines success and failure of matching based on the timing when a float goes underwater and the timing when the motion of the fishing rod is matched.
In the case where the matching is determined to succeed, the state where the fish acts aggressively is virtually reproduced by the display contents on a screen and the control of the tension of the fishing line. According to this Patent Document 1, the operator can enjoy a hit of fish and feeling of pulling, which are the best part of fishing, in the room.
Patent Document 1: JP-A-7-248723
Video game software products include various types and can employ remote controls corresponding to respective video game machines so as to be played by button operations of the remote controls. The term “buttons of remote controls for video games” is a collective term of the buttons used in the remote controls for video games, for example, push buttons, touch buttons, lever buttons, and dial buttons. However, ordinary buttons of the remote controls for video games have not allowed simulated experience of tactile sense.
It is a problem of the present invention to achieve buttons of a remote control for a video game to concentrate techniques only on a button function of the remote control of a video game machine and to allow simulated experience of tactile sense corresponding to the content of a video game.
Corresponding to the content of the video game, virtual tactile sense is created using tools and a mechanical device. The created virtual tactile sense is experienced by a human operator, and a reaction is provided by the power level of the human operator so as to generate a load. The generated load is quantified as a value, and the quantified value is converted into an operation of the button portion of the remote control for the video game to be transmitted to the remote control for the video game as a signal, so as to achieve a video game that allows simulated experience of tactile sense.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a technical method to allow simulated experience of tactile sense corresponding to the content of a video game while playing the video game by replacing the button portion of a remote control for the video game with tools and a mechanical device that allow operation by the power level of the human operator while experiencing tactile sense corresponding to the content of the video game.
A specific method to solve this problem will be described below using a fishing video game as video game software.
The fishing video game is applied to
The built-in computer device C has a feature to perform a first control, a second control, and a third control. The first control receives the signal of a motion of a fish from a video game device 5 to calculate a predicted power consumption. The second control rotates respective motors 13, 22, 32, and 34 corresponding to the signal of the motion of the fish to create tactile sense for the motion of the fish inside the fish-shaped experience machine 4, and transmits the created tactile sense from the fishing line 3 to the fishing rod 2. The third control receives power consumptions of the respective motors 13, 22, 32, and 34 receiving loads due to operations of the fishing rod 2 and the fishing line 3, from respective power meters 13a, 22a, 32a, and 34a, calculates and quantifies the loads from the predicted power consumptions and the power consumptions, and converts the quantified value into a button operation of the remote control for the video game, so as to transmit the button operation to a remote control device R as a signal.
Like
Rotation of the reeling roller 33 in the forward direction pulls the fishing line 3, which is extracted to the outside of the fish-shaped experience machine 4, into the fish-shaped experience machine 4 using the small movable ring 11 as a pull-in point, so as to cause the force pulling the fishing line 3 between the reeling roller 33 and the fishing rod 2 in their opposing directions. Like
When the small movable ring 11 moves along the inner peripheral surface of a rack 21 to rotate the large movable ring 12, the pull-in point moves in front to back and side to side directions.
Accordingly, the present invention allows a player J to use the fishing rod 2, the fishing line 3, and the fish-shaped experience machine 4 so as to obtain tactile sense corresponding to the content of the video game. The operations of tools of the fishing rod 2 and the fishing line 3 by the player J causes loads on the respective motors 13, 22, 32, and 34. The built-in computer device C receives power consumptions from the respective power meters 13a, 22a, 32a, and 34a. Then, the built-in computer device C calculates and quantifies the loads from the predicted power consumptions and the power consumptions, and converts the quantified value into an operation of the button portion of the remote control for the video game, so as to transmit the operation to the remote control device R as a signal. The remote control device R transmits a button operation signal to the video game device 5.
A video game device 5 is premised to transmit a video game's signal, which is transmitted to a display device 6, to the built-in computer device C at the same time.
The following describes embodiments of the present invention with reference to the drawings.
Like
The built-in computer device C calculates and quantifies the loads as a value X from the predicted power consumptions and the power consumptions of the respective motors 13, 22, 32, and 34, and converts the value X into a button operation of a remote control for the video game so as to transmit the signal of the button operation to the remote control device R.
The calculating formula of this load and one converted example into a button operation are shown below.
Load=(Power Consumption/Predicted Power Consumption 1)×100=X%
Press the button for 1 second, 5≧X>0, 0≧X>−5
Press the button for 2 seconds, 10≧X>5, −5≧X>−10
Press the button for 3 seconds, 20≧X>10, −10≧X>−20
Press the button for 4 seconds, 25≧X>20, −20≧X>−25
Press the button for 5 seconds, 30≧X>25, −25≧X>−30
Not press the button, X>30, −30≧X
These six kinds of button operations are repeated in a cycle of 5 seconds.
In the button operation of the six kinds of buttons, a binary number is quantified such that a numerical value of 1 is given to an action for pressing a button and a numerical value of 0 is given to an action for not pressing a the button or such that a the numerical value of 0 is given to an the action for pressing a the button and a the numerical value of 1 is given to an the action for not pressing a the button.
X becomes −X % in the case where the fourth motor 34 rotates the reeling roller 33 in the reverse direction.
*Regarding this load, compared to an automobile, an engine and a motor rotate on a downward slope and an upward slope, but the respective energy efficiency are good or poor. The load is calculated by, for example, a method that derives the inclination angle of the slope from good or bad of the energy efficiency.
A fishing-experience remote control button allows the player J to experience tactile sense in the simulated experience of fishing, and can provide the reaction of the player J in response to the experience of the tactile sense. Like
The fish-shaped experience machine 4 has the appearance of a fish.
The fish-shaped experience machine 4 includes a base portion 7a. The base portion 7a has a shape where the top side of a quadrangular pyramid is cut off. Then, in the base portion 7a, a top surface P1 and an inferior surface P2 face each other in parallel lines at a distance. There is a side surface P3 between the top surface P1 and the inferior surface P2. The top surface P1 has a quadrangular shape having 40 cm in longitudinal width and 40 cm in lateral width. The inferior surface P2 has a quadrangular shape having 50 cm in longitudinal width and 50 cm in lateral width. The side surface P3 has a trapezoidal shape.
The body 7 is fixed to the top surface P1 of the base portion 7a. The body 7 has a cylindrical shape, which is a shape whose mouth is opened upward and a shape whose lower portion is gradually narrowed. The opening portion has a diameter of 50 cm, and the body 7 has a height of 45 cm.
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Here,
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The large movable ring 12 has: an inner peripheral surface where teeth are formed over the whole circumference; and an outer peripheral surface where a flange 12a is formed. The inferior surface and the side surface of the flange 12a are supported by a plurality of supporting members 15, which are mounted at intervals on the inner peripheral surface of the body 7.
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A retaining ring 18 is put on the top surface of the flange 12a and fixed with bolts 17. The retaining ring 18 avoids dropping off of the large movable ring 12 from the fish-shaped experience machine 4.
The first motor 13 is mounted on a bracket 19 on the inner surface of the body 7, and has a rotation axis having a distal end portion on which a pinion 20 engaging with the teeth on the inner peripheral surface of the large movable ring 12 is mounted.
The power meter 13a for detecting power consumption is mounted on the first motor 13.
The power meter 13a electrically couples to the built-in computer device C using a signal line, and transmits the power consumption to the built-in computer device C.
The moving arm 14 and the rack 21 are mounted on the large movable ring 12. The rack 21 has an arc shape having the supporting point of the moving arm 14 in the center, and has an inner peripheral surface where teeth are formed.
The moving arm 14 includes the second motor 22, which moves the moving arm 14 along the inner peripheral surface of the rack 21.
The second motor 22 is mounted on the top surface of the moving arm 14. Its rotation axis passes through the moving arm 14, and a pinion 23 engaging with the teeth of the rack 21 is mounted on the distal end of this rotation axis.
The power meter 22a for detecting power consumption is mounted on the second motor 22.
The power meter 22a electrically couples to the built-in computer device C using a signal line, and transmits the power consumption to the built-in computer device C.
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The vibration device 9 is constituted of: a plurality of support rods 26 integrated with the inferior surface of the small fixed ring 25; a lower plate 27 mounted under these support rods 26; and side portion plates 28 and 29 mounted between these support rods 26 to face each other.
Inside the vibration device 9, a fixing rod 30 is mounted between the opened support rods 26 without the side portion plates 28 and 29. Between the side portion plates 28 and 29, the vibrating body 31 is mounted on a disc plate 8 in a rotatable state approximately parallel to the fixing rod 30. This disc plate 8 couples to the third motor 32. The internal configuration includes the fixing rod 30, the vibrating body 31, the disc plate 8, and the third motor 32.
The vibrating body 31 has a shape whose intermediate portion is curved upward as a curved portion 31a. The fishing line 3 passing through the inside of the small fixed ring 25 from above to below passes through the upper side of the fixing rod 30 from the lower side of the curved portion 31a and couples to the reeling roller 33.
On the distal end of the rotation axis of the third motor 32, the disc plate 8 is mounted. In the position apart from the rotational center of this disc plate 8, the vibrating body 31 is coupled in a rotatable state. The power meter 32a for detecting power consumption is mounted on the third motor 32.
The power meter 32a electrically couples to the built-in computer device C using a signal line, and transmits the power consumption to the built-in computer device C.
The vibrating body 31 is bonded to the side portion plate 28. When the third motor 32 rotates the disc plate 8, the vibrating body 31 integrally rotates while having the portion fixed to the side portion plate 28 as a supporting point.
In the state where the fishing line 3 has a tension, when the integral rotation of the vibrating body 31 cause movement of the curved portion 31a in the above-below direction, vibration is given to the fishing line 3.
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The power meter 34a for detecting power consumption is mounted on the fourth motor 34.
The power meter 34a electrically couples to the built-in computer device C using a signal line, and transmits the power consumption to the built-in computer device C.
The fishing line 3 is wound around the reeling roller 33. The fishing line 3 passes through the upper side of the fixing rod 30 from the reeling roller 33, passes through the lower side of the curved portion 31a of the vibrating body 31, passes through the inside of the small fixed ring 25 from below to above, and passes through the inside of the small movable ring 11 from below to above, to be coupled to the fishing rod 2.
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The display device 6 is a device that outputs images and audio, and outputs images and audio based on the signal transmitted from the video game device 5.
The video game device 5 transmits the signal of the motion of the fish to the built-in computer device C and the display device 6 at the same time. The video game device 5 couples to the remote control device R, the built-in computer device C, and the display device 6, using signal lines.
The built-in computer device C performs motor control and calculates the load on the motor.
The motor control is a control that rotates the respective motors 13, 22, 32, and 34 while predicting power consumptions so as to create tactile sense of the motion of the fish corresponding to the content of the video game inside the fish-shaped experience machine 4.
Like
The following describes the operation according to this embodiment. In this embodiment, like
The player J operates the fishing rod 2, the reel 2a, and the fishing line 3 while watching the motion of the fish on the display screen of the display device 6.
When receiving the signal of the motion of the fish from the video game device 5, the built-in computer device C rotates the respective motors 13, 22, 32, and 34 to create virtual motions of the fish, for example, the pulling force, the moving force, and the vibration due to movement of the fin of the fish inside the fish-shaped experience machine 4.
In this process, the built-in computer device C rotates the reeling roller 33 in the forward direction or the reverse direction, so as to rotate the disc plate 8 in the forward direction.
When the reeling roller 33 rotates in the forward direction, the fishing line 3 is pulled in the fish-shaped experience machine 4 while having the small movable ring 11 as the pull-in point. Then, a tension occurs in the fishing line 3 between the reeling roller 33 and the fishing rod 2.
In this state, rotation of the disc plate 8 causes motion of the curved portion 31a, on which the fishing line 3 of the vibrating body 31 is wound, in the above-below direction such that frequent changes occur in the tension of the fishing line 3 and transmit to the fishing rod 2 as vibration.
Furthermore, the rotations of the first motor 13 and the second motor 22 at the same time combine the movement of the small movable ring 11 with the rotational movement of the large movable ring 12. This allows moving the pull-in point in various directions in the whole area within the circle of the large movable ring 12.
Accordingly, the player J can use the fishing rod 2 and the fishing line 3 to experience tactile sense corresponding to the content of the video game.
In response to the experienced tactile sense, the player J operates tools of the fishing rod 2 and the fishing line 3 such that the respective motors 13, 22, 32, and 34 receive loads. The built-in computer device C receives power consumptions from the respective power meters 13a, 22a, 32a, and 34a. Then, the built-in computer device C calculates and quantifies the loads from the predicted power consumptions and the power consumptions, and converts the quantified value into an operation of the button portion of the remote control for the video game, so as to transmit the operation to the remote control device R as a signal.
The video-game-use simulated-experience remote control button is obtained by replacing a button portion of a remote control for a video game without allowing virtual experience of tactile sense corresponding to the content of the video game with tools and a mechanical device that allow: creating tactile sense corresponding to the content of a video game; an operator to experience the created tactile sense; and providing a reaction in response to the experienced tactile sense. The operator operates the tools and the mechanical device by the power level of the human while experiencing the tactile sense corresponding to the content of the video game. Like
Then, the generated load is quantified as a value X. When the value X is converted into a button operation of the remote control for the video game, the following relationship is constantly satisfied.
Load=X=Button Operation
This formula achieves a video-game-use simulated-experience remote control button that allows operation by the power level of the operator.
In this embodiment, the opening portion of the fish-shaped experience machine 4 is covered with a safety cover 35 as a movable material having a hole that allows passage of the fishing line 3 so as to prevent injury during contact with the fish-shaped experience machine 4 inside the machine.
The following describes a second embodiment of the present invention.
In the first embodiment, the built-in computer device C rotates the motor using the signal from the video game device 5.
However, in the case where only a signal of the water surface is obtained from the video game device 5 and the motion of the fish under the water surface is unclear, in this embodiment, a random number is used to determine which direction in front, back, right, left, above, and below directions the fish moves. The motor is rotated corresponding to the determined direction of the movement of the fish.
Specifically, in this embodiment, the built-in computer device C determines the position of the fish after movement based on a random number. Subsequently, the built-in computer device C calculates the moving direction and the angle of the moving arm 14 and the rotation direction and the angle of the large movable ring 12, which are required to move to this position, and rotates the second motor 22 and the first motor 13 to move the moving arm 14 so as to rotate the large movable ring 12.
In addition, the rotation direction of the fourth motor 34 is determined to rotate the reeling roller 33.
The third motor 32 is rotated in the forward direction so as to move the vibrating body 31.
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This embodiment can also provide an advantageous effect similar to that of the first embodiment.
While the first and second embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the following modifications may be applied to these embodiments.
The shape of the fish-shaped experience machine 4 has the appearance of the simulated fish. However, this shape may be another shape.
The respective mechanical devices of the display device 6, the video game device 5, the remote control device R, and the fish-shaped experience machine 4 need not be independently separated from one another, but may be integrally provided with one another. The signal lines coupling all the mechanical devices may be any of a wired line and a wireless line.
Here, the present invention may employ the following ideas.
Not only the fishing-simulated-experience video game using fishing tools, but also various types of simulated-experience video games using other tools and mechanical device can be achieved.
The following describes the examples.
In the case where a strength training machine is applied to
Alternatively,
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013-259735 | Dec 2013 | JP | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/JP2014/068487 | 7/10/2014 | WO | 00 |
| Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| WO2015/093084 | 6/25/2015 | WO | A |
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9190021 | Tan | Nov 2015 | B2 |
| 20120038742 | Robinson | Feb 2012 | A1 |
| 20120274727 | Robinson | Nov 2012 | A1 |
| Entry |
|---|
| International Search Report for PCT/JP2014/068487 dated Sep. 22, 2014. |
| PCT written openion dated Sep. 22, 2014. |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20150362996 A1 | Dec 2015 | US |
