Abstract:
To improve a user interface in using electronic equipment, a computer has a controller which has pressure-sensitive unit to sense a pushing pressure applied by the user of the controller to generate a pressure-sensing signal. A unit for changing the settings of various parameters in the electronic equipment is connected to the pressure-sensitive unit to change those parameters according to the pressure-sensing signal. A unit for vibrating a vibration generator of the controller in accordance with the changes in settings of various parameters is provided to transmit a “click” sensation to the user to let the user know of the changes.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The present invention relates to a computer, a method using the computer for changing the settings of various parameters, also a recording medium, and a controller used by the computer.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    In the case of changing the values of parameters of electronic equipment, for example, typically a button is pushed or held down by a user of the electronic equipment the same number of times as the parameter of the electronic equipment is to be incremented.  
           [0003]    On the other hand, the so-called pressure-sensitive type controllers are used as input devices for electronic equipment represented by computers, and as input devices for entertainment systems represented by game machines, for example. A pressure-sensitive controller is a unit wherein, when pressure is applied with a finger of a user directly to a control element connected to a pressure-sensitive device, the pushing pressure is provided as output as a pressure-sensing value. A specific example thereof is, for example, a pressure-sensitive type controller disclosed in the publication of examined Japanese utility model application No. JP-B-H1-40545, wherein pressure-sensitive output is provided as input to a VCO (variable control oscillator) and the output of the VCO is used for repeated fire in a game.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0004]    It is an object of the present invention to provide a method and a computer which in the case of changing the values of parameters, where the situation of incrementing is conventionally presented only visually, improves the user&#39;s interface even further.  
           [0005]    This and other objects of the present invention are attained by a recording medium on which is recorded a computer-readable and executable software program that performs processing by taking as instructions an output from a controller which has pressure-sensitive means, wherein the software program comprises a processing program that changes settings at a rate depending on the output of said controller.  
           [0006]    In a recording medium according to the present invention on which is recorded a computer-readable and executable software program that performs processing by taking as instructions the output from a controller which has pressure-sensitive means and vibration means, the software program comprises a processing program that vibrates said vibration means at a rate depending on the output of the controller.  
           [0007]    In an embodiment a recording medium according to the present invention or which is recorded a computer-readable and executable software program that performs processing by taking as instructions the output from a controller which has pressure-sensitive means and vibration means, the software program comprises a processing program that changes settings at a rate depending on the output of the controller, and also, at least vibrates the vibration means.  
           [0008]    A computer according to the present invention comprises a controller which has pressure-sensitive means; means for sensing a pushing pressure of a user on a control element of the computer by said pressure-sensitive means to generate a pressure-sensing signal; and  
           [0009]    means for changing settings of various parameters of the computer in accordance with said pressure-sensing signal.  
           [0010]    A computer according to the present invention comprises a controller which has pressure-sensitive means and vibration means, comprising: means for sensing a pushing pressure by said pressure-sensitive means to generate a pressure-sensing signal, means for changing the settings of various parameters corresponding to said pressure-sensing signal; and means for vibrating said vibration means corresponding to said changes in settings of various parameters.  
           [0011]    A method of using a computer according to the present invention comprises the steps of using a computer having a controller including pressure-sensitive means; sensing a pushing pressure of a user on the controller of the computer by said pressure-sensitive means to generate a pressure-sensing signal; and changing settings of various parameters of the computer in accordance with said pressure-sensing signal.  
           [0012]    Moreover, a method of using a computer according to the present invention comprises the steps of using a computer having a controller which has pressure-sensitive means and vibration means; sensing a pushing pressure applied by a user on said controller, by said pressure-sensitive means to generate a pressure-sensing signal; changing settings of various parameters of the computer in accordance with said pressure-sensing signal, and vibrating said vibration means in accordance with said pressure-sensing signal.  
           [0013]    A controller according to the present invention is connected to a computer and gives instructions to said computer, and comprises pressure-sensitive means that senses a pushing pressure applied by a user on the controller and provides a pressure-sensing signal as output to said computer; and vibration means that transmits vibration to the user, and which, when an adjustment of various parameters is performed in accordance with said pressure-sensing signal, vibrates said vibration means according to said adjustment.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0014]    [0014]FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of connection of a controller to an entertainment system in order to enable a user of the entertainment system to enjoy game software or videos;  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a screen display known as a “CONFIG screen” for setting various parameters at the time of execution of software;  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 3 is a table for selecting the ratio of stepping according to respective pressure-sensing values obtained in the controller;  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 4 is a flowchart of the processing of a parameter setting program including a program for incrementing the value of a parameter at a rate depending on the pressure-sensing value, and also, generating with vibration a “click” sensation that matches the incrementing;  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the controller connected to the entertainment system;  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing the overall entertainment system;  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 7 is a top view of the controller;  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of the second control part of the controller;  
         [0022]    FIGS.  9 A- 9 C are cross-sectional views of the second control part of the controller of FIG. 8;  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an equivalent circuit for a pressure-sensitive device consisting of a resistor and conducting member;  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 11 is a block diagram of the main parts of the controller;  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 12 is an exploded perspective view showing the constitution of the first control part of the controller;  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of the first control part of FIG. 12;  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 14 is a diagram showing a circuit configuration of a resistor;  
         [0028]    [0028]FIG. 15 is a graph showing the characteristics of the analog signal (voltage) outputted from the output terminal of the resistor;  
         [0029]    [0029]FIG. 16 is a block diagram showing an embodiment in which the analog signal (voltage) outputted from the resistor is provided as an input to an A/D converter;  
         [0030]    [0030]FIG. 17 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of the third control part of the controller;  
         [0031]    [0031]FIG. 18 is a perspective view showing a vibration generation system mechanism disposed on base sides of the first and second handle parts of the controller;  
         [0032]    [0032]FIG. 19 is an exploded perspective view of a vibration generation system mechanism;  
         [0033]    [0033]FIG. 20 is a perspective view of the vibration generation system mechanism, consisting of a motor with an eccentric member attached to a driveshaft; and  
         [0034]    [0034]FIG. 21 is a side view for explaining the situation in which vibrations of the motor are transmitted via the side walls to the handle parts, to transmit vibrations to the fingers of a user.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0035]    In a controller that uses a pressure-sensitive device, when the button which is the control element is pushed by a user, not only is the presence of a pressure-sensing output detected, for example, as the ON/OFF of a switch, but also a pressure-sensing value output which depends on the pushing pressure is also obtained. On the other hand, in software or games that use pressure-sensing value output, various processing or actions can be entered depending on the pressure-sensing value output. In this embodiment, even when setting parameter values by operating a control element, it is possible to change the parameter values depending on the pressure-sensing values based on the pushing operation of various control elements by the user, and moreover, it is possible for a “click” sensation which accompanies this change to be sensed bodily by the user.  
         [0036]    In the present embodiment, parameter values are increased or decreased depending on pressure-sensing value output when a controller which has a pressure-sensitive device is operated, and also, a “click” sensation corresponding to the unit incrementing/decrementing of the value of the parameter. Thereby, it is possible to transmit to the user the sensation of incrementing a parameter by the pushing a pressure-sensitive switch, and thus the user interface with the entertainment system can be improved even further.  
         [0037]    [0037]FIG. 1 shows connection of a controller to an entertainment system enable a user to enjoy game software or video. More specific examples are shown in FIG. 5 and the following figures.  
         [0038]    As shown in this FIG. 1, a controller  200  which has buttons connected to pressure-sensitive devices and a vibration generator consisting of a motor and a rotating member attached to the shaft of the motor such that it is asymmetric to the center of the shaft is connected to an entertainment system  500  used for playing games or enjoying DVD video or other types of video images, and the video output terminals are connected to a television monitor  408 .  
         [0039]    Here, the analog output from the pressure-sensitive devices is converted by an A/D converter to digital values in the range 0-255 and provided to the entertainment system  500 . In addition, based on a drive signal from the entertainment system  500 , the aforementioned motor is driven and the aforementioned member rotates, so the vibration due to this rotation is transmitted to the player through the case of the controller. Note that the controller  200  equipped with a pressure-sensitive switch and vibration generator are to be described in detail later.  
         [0040]    Here follows a description of the case of generating a “click” sensation by vibration at the time of operation of the controller  200 , with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3.  
         [0041]    [0041]FIG. 2 shows an example of a screen display known as a CONFIG (configuration) screen for setting various parameters at the time of execution of software, for example. This example is a CONFIG screen for setting the brightness of the monitor screen and the sound volume.  
         [0042]    For example, previous software and the like had adopted a method whereby parameters are changed by repeatedly pushing an ON/OFF switch to increment or decrement the values of a parameter a single unit value or several unit values at a time. With this method, it is necessary to repeatedly push a button a number of times until the desired parameter is reached.  
         [0043]    In this embodiment, this is changed so that the incrementing or decrementing of the value of a parameter is performed automatically at a rate depending on the magnitude of the pressure-sensing value from a pressure-sensitive controller, and moreover, a “click” sensation is generated in the controller or button to match its stepping.  
         [0044]    [0044]FIG. 3 shows a table for selecting the ratio of stepping corresponding to the pressure-sensing values of “0”, “1-20”, . . . , “241-255” respectively. Note that the “ratio of generation of click sensation” is also presented as a reference, but this is not included in the table. The values presented in the table as the ratio of stepping each refers to a number of frames.  
         [0045]    In addition, the “click” sensation is generated by the vibration generator of the controller  200 . For example, the “click” sensation may be generated by rotating the vibration-generating member attached to the shaft of the motor a stipulated number of times at a stipulated speed. Here, the number of rotations is taken to be 3, for example. The sensation of one “click” is given by rotating three times at a stipulated strength. Thus, in order to give the sensation of three “clicks,” it is sufficient to rotate three times at the stipulated strength (for the first “click” sensation), and after a stipulated time K which may be the same time or longer, rotate three times at the stipulated strength (for the second “click” sensation), and again after a stipulated time K, rotate three times at the stipulated strength (for the third “click” sensation). The drive signal may be a signal of a magnitude to rotate the motor at the stipulated speed, and be of a duration sufficient for three rotations.  
         [0046]    Next, in reference to FIG. 4, a parameter setting program will be described which includes a program for incrementing (decrementing is performed in the same manner) the value of a parameter depending on the pressure-sensing value and also generating with vibration a “click” sensation matching this incrementing. The flowchart in FIG. 4 shows the processing of a parameter setting program which includes a program for incrementing the value of a parameter depending on the pressure-sensing value and also generating with vibration a “click” sensation matching this incrementing.  
         [0047]    In FIG. 4, in Step S 1 , the pressure-sensing value is acquired from the controller  200 , and in Step S 2 , the variable F is set to the value of the ratio of stepping corresponding to the pressure-sense value. For example, if the pressure-sensing value is in the range “1-20” then a ratio of stepping of “60” is selected.  
         [0048]    In Step S 3 , the frame pulse is read, and in Step S 4 , “1” is subtracted from the variable F.  
         [0049]    In Step S 5 , a decision is made as to whether or not the variable F is “0” and if “YES” then control processing moves to Step S 6 , but if “NO” then control processing moves back to Step S 3 .  
         [0050]    The processing from Step S 3  to Step S 5  is performed so that incrementing is performed at a rate selected depending on the pressure-sensing value, and thus the number of frames indicated by the selected ratio of stepping are counted, and after the count value reaches the number indicated by the selected ratio of stepping, the stepping of the value of the parameter in Steps S 6  on is reflected in the screens, as when a screen showing “1” is changed to a screen showing “2” or the like, and for generating the “click” sensation.  
         [0051]    In Step S 6 , stepping of the value of the parameter is performed, and in Step S 7  a drive signal is output and thereby the motor is turned three times, generating a “click” sensation. Next, in Step S 8 , the stepping of the parameter is performed on the screen. In Step S 9 , a pressure-sensing value is acquired from the controller  200 , and in Step S 10  a decision is made as to whether or not it is “0,” and if “YES” then control processing moves to Step S 11 , but if “NO” then control processing moves back to Step S 2 .  
         [0052]    The reason why the pressure-sensing value is acquired in Step S 9  and the decision of whether or not this value is “0” is made in Step S 10  is to detect when the user has finished pushing the pressure-sensitive switch, namely when his/her finger has released the pressure-sensitive switch, or has completely relaxed. Thus, in such a case, stepping must be halted.  
         [0053]    In Step S 11 , the parameter value is entered. Note that it is possible to allocate a separate switch for giving the order to enter, so the parameter value need not be entered until such input is present. In this case, a step may be added where a decision is made as to whether or not the enter switch has been pushed by a user, so if “YES” then enter, but if “NO” then control processing moves back to Step S 1 .  
         [0054]    In Step S 12 , a decision is made as to whether or not the setting of a different parameter is requested and if “YES” then control processing moves back to Step S 1 , but if “NO” then end.  
         [0055]    As described above, with the present embodiment, the parameter is stepped at a rate depending on the pressure-sensing value and a matching “click” sensation is generated, so the user interface can be improved.  
         [0056]    [0056]FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the controller  200  connected to entertainment system  500 . The controller  200  is removably connected to the entertainment system  500 , and the entertainment system  500  is connected to television monitor  408 .  
         [0057]    The entertainment system  500  reads the program for a computer game from recording media upon which that program is recorded and by executing the program, displays characters on the television monitor  408 . The entertainment system  500  has various built-in functions for DVD (Digital Versatile Disc) playback, CDDA (compact disc digital audio) playback and the like. The signals from the controller  200  are also processed as one of the aforementioned control functions within the entertainment system  500 , and the content thereof may be reflected in the movement of characters and the like, on the television monitor  408 .  
         [0058]    While this depends also on the content of the computer game program, controller  200  may be allocated functions for moving the characters display on the television monitor  408  in the directions up, down, left or right.  
         [0059]    With reference to FIG. 6, here follows a description of the interior of the entertainment system  500  shown in FIG. 5. FIG. 6 is a block diagram of the entertainment system  500 .  
         [0060]    A CPU  401  is connected to RAM  402  and a bus  403 , respectively. Connected to bus  403  are a graphics processor unit (GPU)  404  and an input/output processor (I/O)  409 , respectively. The GPU  404  is connected via an encoder  407  for converting a digital RGB signal or the like into the NTSC standard television format, for example, to a television monitor (TV)  408  as a peripheral.  
         [0061]    Connected to the I/O  409  are a driver (DRV)  410  used for the playback and decoding of data recorded upon an optical disc  411 , a sound processor (SP)  412 , an external memory  415  consisting of flash memory, controller  200  and a ROM  416  which records the operating system and the like. The SP  412  is connected via an amplifier  413  to a speaker  414  as a peripheral.  
         [0062]    Here, the external memory  415  may be a card-type memory consisting of a CPU or a gate array and flash memory, which is removably connected via a connector  511  to the entertainment system  500  shown in FIG. 5. The controller  200  is configured such that, when a plurality of buttons provided thereupon are pushed, it gives instructions to the entertainment system  500 . In addition, the driver  410  is provided with a decoder for decoding images encoded based upon the MPEG standard.  
         [0063]    The description will be made now as to how the images will be displayed on the television monitor  408  based on the operation of controller  200 . It is assumed that data for objects consisting of polygon vertex data, texture data and the like recorded on the optical disc  411  is read by the driver  410  and stored in the RAM  402  of the CPU  401 .  
         [0064]    When instructions from the player via controller  200  are provided as an input to the entertainment system  500 , the CPU  401  calculates the three-dimensional position and orientation of objects with respect to the point of view based on these instructions. Thereby, the polygon vertex data for objects defined by X, Y, Z coordinate values are modified variously. The modified polygon vertex data is subjected to perspective conversion processing and converted into two-dimensional coordinate data.  
         [0065]    The regions specified by two-dimensional coordinates are so-called polygons. The converted coordinate data, Z data and texture data are supplied to the GPU  404 . Based on this converted coordinate data, Z data and texture data, the GPU  404  performs the drawing process by writing texture data sequentially into the RAM  405 . One frame of image data upon which the drawing process is completed, is encoded by the encoder  407  and then supplied to the television monitor  408  and displayed on its screen as an image.  
         [0066]    [0066]FIG. 7 is a top view of controller  200 . The controller  200  consists of a unit body  201  on the top surface of which are provided first and second control parts  210  and  220 , and on the side surface of which are provided third and fourth control parts  230  and  240  of the controller  200 .  
         [0067]    The first control part  210  of the controller is provided with a cruciform control unit  211  used for pushing control, and the individual control keys  211   a  extending in each of the four directions of the control unit  211  form a control element. The first control part  210  is the control part for providing movement to the characters displayed on the screen of the television receiver, and has the functions for moving the characters in the up, down, left and right directions by pressing the individual control keys  211   a  of the cruciform control unit  211 .  
         [0068]    The second control part  220  is provided with four cylindrical control buttons  221  (control elements) for pushing control. The individual control buttons  221  have identifying marks such as “◯” (circle), “×” (cross), “Δ” (triangle) and “□” (quadrangle) on their tops, in order to easily identify the individual control buttons  221 . The functions of the second control part  220  are set by the game program recorded upon the optical disc  411 , and the individual control buttons  221  may be allocated functions that change the state of the game characters, for example. For example, the control buttons  221  may be allocated functions for moving the left arm, right arm, left leg and right leg of the character.  
         [0069]    The third and fourth control parts  230  and  240  of the controller have nearly the same structure, and both are provided with two control buttons  231  and  241  (control elements) for pushing control, arranged above and below. The functions of these third and fourth control parts  230  and  240  are also set by the game program recorded upon the optical disc, and may be allocated functions for making the game characters do special actions, for example.  
         [0070]    Moreover, two joy sticks  251  for performing analog operation are provided upon the unit body  201  shown in FIG. 7. The joy sticks  251  can be switched and used instead of the first and second control parts  210  and  220  described above. This switching is performed by means of an analog selection switch  252  provided upon the unit body  201 . When the joy sticks  251  are selected, a display lamp  253  provided on the unit body  201  lights, indicating the state wherein the joy sticks  251  are selected.  
         [0071]    It is to be noted that on unit body  201  there are also provided a start switch  254  for starting the game and a select switch  255  for selecting the degree of difficulty or the like at the start of a game, and the like.  
         [0072]    In FIG. 7, as indicated by broken lines, the controller  200  is held by the left hand L and the right hand R of a user and is operated by the other fingers, and in particular the user&#39;s thumbs L 1  and R 1  are able to operate most of the buttons on the top surface.  
         [0073]    [0073]FIG. 8 and FIGS.  9 A- 9 C are, respectively, an exploded respective view and cross-sectional views showing the second control part of the controller.  
         [0074]    As shown in FIG. 8, the second control part  220  consists of four control buttons  221  which serve as the control elements, an elastic body  222 , and a sheet member  223  provided with resistors  40 . The individual control buttons  221  are inserted from behind through insertion holes  201  a formed on the upper surface of the unit body  201 . The control buttons  221  inserted into the insertion holes  201   a  are able to move freely in the axial direction.  
         [0075]    The elastic body  222  is made of insulating rubber or the like and has elastic areas  222   a  which protrude upward, and the lower ends of the control buttons  221  are supported upon the upper walls of the elastic areas  222   a . When the control buttons  221  are pressed, the inclined-surface portions of these elastic areas  222   a  flex so that the upper walls move together with the control buttons  221 . On the other hand, when the pushing pressure on the control buttons  221  is released, the flexed inclined-surface portions of elastic areas  222   a  elastically return to their original shape, pushing up the control buttons  221 . The elastic body  222  functions as a spring means whereby control buttons  221  which had been pushed in by a pushing action are returned to their original positions. As shown in FIGS.  9 A- 9 C, conducting members  50  are attached to the rear surface of the elastic body  222 .  
         [0076]    The sheet member  223  consists of a membrane or other thin sheet material which has flexibility and insulating properties. Resistors  40  are provided in appropriate locations on this sheet member  223  and these resistors  40  and conducting member  50  are each disposed such that they face one of the control buttons  221  via the elastic body  222 . The resistors  40  and conducting members  50  form pressure-sensitive devices. These pressure-sensitive devices consisting of resistors  40  and conducting members  50  have resistance values that vary depending on the pushing pressure received form the control buttons  221 .  
         [0077]    To describe this in more detail, as shown in FIGS.  9 A- 9 C, the second control part  220  is provided with control buttons  221  as control elements, an elastic body  222 , conducting members  50  and resistors  40 . Each conducting member  50  may be made of conductive rubber which has elasticity, for example, and has a conical shape with its center as a vertex. The conducting members  50  are adhered to the inside of the top surface of the elastic areas  222   a  formed in the elastic body  222 .  
         [0078]    In addition, the resistors  40  may be provided on an internal board  204 , for example, opposite the conducting members  50 , so that the conducting members  50  come into contact with resistors  40  together with the pushing action of the control buttons  221 . The conducting member  50  deforms, depending on the pushing force on the control button  221  (namely the contact pressure with the resistor  40 ), so as shown in FIGS. 9B and 9C, the surface area in contact with the resistor  40  varies depending on the pressure. To wit, when the pressing force on the control button  221  is weak, as shown in FIG. 9B, only the area near the conical tip of the conducting member  50  is in contact. As the pressing force on the control button  221  becomes stronger, the tip of the conducting member  50  deforms gradually so the surface area in contact expands.  
         [0079]    [0079]FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an equivalent circuit for a pressure-sensitive device consisting of a resistor  40  and conducting member  50 . As shown in this diagram, the pressure-sensitive device is inserted in series in a power supply line  13 , where the voltage V CC  is applied between the electrodes  40   a  and  40   b . As shown in this diagram, the pressure-sensitive device is divided into a variable resistor  42  that has the relatively small resistance value of the conducting member  50 , and a fixed resistor  41  that has the relatively large resistance value of the resistor  40 . Among these, the portion of the variable resistor  42  is equivalent to the portion of resistance in the contact between the resistor  40  and the conducting member  50 , so the resistance value of the pressure-sensitive device varies depending on the surface area of contact with the conducting member  50 .  
         [0080]    When the conducting member  50  comes into contact with the resistor  40 , in the portion of contact, the conducting member  50  becomes a bridge instead of the resistor  40  and a current flows, so the resistance value becomes smaller in the portion of contact. Therefore, the greater the surface area of contact between the resistor  40  and conducting member  50 , the lower the resistance value of the pressure-sensitive device becomes. In this manner, the entire pressure-sensitive device can be understood to be a variable resistor. It is to be noted that FIGS.  9 A- 9 C show only the contact portion between the conducting member  50  and resistor  40  which forms the variable resistor  42  of FIG. 10, but the fixed resistor of FIG. 10 is omitted form FIGS.  9 A- 9 C.  
         [0081]    In the preferred embodiment, an output terminal is provided near the boundary between variable resistor  42  and fixed resistor  41 , namely near the intermediate point of the resistors  40 , and thus a voltage stepped down from the applied voltage Vcc by the amount the variable resistance is extracted as an analog signal corresponding to the pushing pressure by the user on the control button  221 .  
         [0082]    First, since a voltage is applied to the resistor  40  when the power is turned on, even if the control button  221  is not pressed, a fixed analog signal (voltage) V min  is provided as the output from the output terminal  40   c . Next, even if the control button  221  is pressed, the resistance value of this resistor  40  does not change until the conducting member  50  contacts the resistor  40 , so the output from the resistor  40  remains unchanged at V min . If the control button  221  is pushed further and the conducting member  50  comes into contact with the resistor  40 , the surface area of contact between the conducting member  50  and the resistor  40  increases in response to the pushing pressure on the control button  221 , and thus the resistance of the resistor  40  is reduced so the analog signal (voltage) output from the output terminal  40   c  of the resistor  40  increases. Furthermore, the analog signal (voltage) output form the output terminal  40   c  of the resistor  40  reaches the maximum V max  when the conducting member  50  is most deformed.  
         [0083]    [0083]FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing the main parts of the controller  200 .  
         [0084]    An MPU  14  mounted on the internal board of the controller  200  is provided with a switch  18 , an A/D converter  16  and two vibration generation systems. The analog signal (voltage) output from the output terminal  40   c  of the resistor  40  is provided as the input to the A/D converter  16  and is converted to a digital signal.  
         [0085]    The digital signal output from the A/D converter  16  is sent via an interface  17  provided upon the internal board of the controller  200  to the entertainment system  500  and the actions of game characters and the like are executed based on this digital signal.  
         [0086]    Changes in the level of the analog signal output from the output terminal  40   c  of the resistor  40  correspond to changes in the pushing pressure received form the control button  221  (control element) as described above. Therefore, the digital signal outputted from the A/D converter  16  corresponds to the pushing pressure on the control button  221  (control element) from the user. If the actions of the game characters and the like are controlled based on the digital signal that has such a relationship with the pushing pressure from the user, it is possible to achieve smoother and more analog-like action than with control based on a binary digital signal based only on zeroes and ones.  
         [0087]    The configuration is such that the switch  18  is controlled by a control signal sent from the entertainment system  500  based on a game program recorded on an optical disc  411 . When a game program recorded on optical disc is executed by the entertainment system  500 , depending on the content of the game program, a control signal is provided as output to specify whether the A/D converter  16  is to function as a means of providing output of a multi-valued analog signal, or as a means of providing a binary digital signal. Based on this control signal, the switch  18  is switched to select the function of the A/D converter  16 .  
         [0088]    The MPU  14  includes two vibration generation systems; each of the two vibration generation systems consists of a driver  19  which has a D/A converter that takes drive signals supplied from the entertainment system  500  via an interface  17 , converts them to analog signals and amplifies them, a motor  20  driven by the output thereof, and an eccentric member  21  attached to the drive shaft of the motor  20 . The eccentric member  21  is of a different size. This is intended to generate vibrations by its rotation. The vibration generation systems are to be described in detail later.  
         [0089]    [0089]FIGS. 12 and 13 show an embodiment of the configuration of the first control part of the controller.  
         [0090]    As shown in FIG. 12, the first control part  210  includes a cruciform control unit  211 , a spacer  212  that positions this control unit  211 , and an elastic body  213  that elastically supports the control unit  211 . Moreover, as shown in FIG. 13, a conducting member  50  is attached to the rear surface of the elastic body  213 , and the configuration is such that resistors  40  are disposed at the positions facing the individual control keys  211   a  (control elements) of the control unit  211  via the elastic body  213 .  
         [0091]    The overall structure of the first control part  210  has already been made public knowledge in the publication of unexamined Japanese patent application No. JP-A-H8-163672. The control unit  211 , however, uses a hemispherical projection  212   a  formed in the center of the spacer  212  as a fulcrum, and the individual control keys  211   a  (control elements) are assembled such that they can push on the resistor  40  side (see FIG. 13).  
         [0092]    Conducting members  50  are adhered to the inside of the top surface of the elastic body  213  in positions corresponding to the individual control keys  211   a  (control elements) of the cruciform control unit  211 . In addition, the resistors  40  with a single structure are disposed such that they face the individual conducting members  50 .  
         [0093]    When the individual control keys  211   a  which are control elements are pushed, the pushing pressure acts via the elastic body  213  on the pressure-sensitive devices consisting of a conducting member  50  and resistor  40 , so that its electrical resistance value varies depending on the magnitude of the pushing pressure.  
         [0094]    [0094]FIG. 14 is a diagram showing the circuit configuration of the resistor. As shown in this diagram, the resistor  40  is inserted in series in a power supply line  13 , where a voltage is applied between the electrodes  40   a  and  40   b.    
         [0095]    The resistance of this resistor  40  is illustrated schematically, as shown in this diagram; the resistor  40  is divided into first and second variable resistors  43  and  44 . Among these, the portion of the first variable resistor  43  is in contact, respectively, with the conducting member  50  that moves together with the control key (up directional key)  211   a  for moving the character in the up direction, and with the conducting member  50  that moves together with the control key (left directional key)  211   a  for moving the character in the left direction, so its resistance value varies depending on the surface area in contact with these conducting members  50 .  
         [0096]    In addition, the portion of the second variable resistor  44  is in contact, respectively, with the conducting member  50  that moves together with the control key (down directional key)  211   a  for moving the character in the down direction, and with the conducting member  50  that moves together with the control key (right directional Key)  211   a  for moving the character in the right direction, so its resistance value varies depending on the surface area in contact with these conducting members  50 .  
         [0097]    Moreover, an output terminal  40   c  is provided intermediate between the variable resistors  43  and  44 , and an analog signal corresponding to the pushing pressure on the individual control keys  211   a  (control elements) is providing as output from this output terminal  40   c.    
         [0098]    The output from the output terminal  40   c  can be calculated from the ratio of the split in resistance value of the first and second variable resistors  43  and  44 . For example, if R 1  is the resistance value of the first variable resistor  43 , R 2  is the resistance value of the second variable resistor  44  and V CC  is the power supply voltage, then the output voltage V appearing at the output terminal  40   c  can be expressed by the following equation.  
           V=V   CC ×R 2 /(R 1 +R 2 )  
         [0099]    Therefore, when the resistance value of the first variable resistor  43  decreases, the output voltage increases, but when the resistance value of the second variable resistor  44  decreases, the output voltage also decreases.  
         [0100]    [0100]FIG. 15 is a graph showing the characteristics of the analog signal (voltage) outputted from the output terminal of the resistor.  
         [0101]    First, since a voltage is applied to the resistor  40  when the power is turned on, even if the individual control keys  211   a  of the control unit  211  are not pressed, a fixed analog signal (voltage) V 0  is provided as output form the output terminal  40   c  (at position 0 in the graph).  
         [0102]    Next, even if one of the individual control keys  221   a  is pressed, the resistance value of this resistor  40  does not change until the conducting member  50  contacts the resistor  40 , and the output from the resistor  40  remains unchanged at V 0 .  
         [0103]    Furthermore, if the up-directional key or left-directional key is pushed until the conducting member  50  comes into contact with the first variable resistor  43  portion of the resistor  40  (at position p in the graph), thereafter the surfaced area of contact between the conducting member  50  and the first variable resistor  43  portion increases in response to the pushing pressure on the control key  221   a  (control elements), and thus the resistance of that portion is reduced so the analog signal (voltage) output from the output terminal  40   c  of the resistor  40  increases. Furthermore, the analog signal (voltage) output form the output terminal  40   c  of the resistor  40  reaches the maximum V max  when the conducting member  50  is most deformed (at position q in the graph).  
         [0104]    On the other hand, if the down-directional key or right-directional key is pushed until the conducting member  50  comes into contact with the second variable resistor  44  portion of the resistor  40  (at position r in the graph), thereafter the surface area of contact between the conducting member  50  and the second variable resistor  44  portion increases in response to the pushing pressure on the control key  211   a  (control elements), and thus the resistance of that portion is reduced, and as a result, the analog signal (voltage) output from the output terminal  40   c  of the resistor  40  decreases. Furthermore, the analog signal (voltage) output form the output terminal  40   c  of the resistor  40  reaches the minimum V min  when the conducting member  50  is most deformed (at position s in the graph).  
         [0105]    As shown in FIG. 16, the analog signal (voltage) output from the output terminal  40   c  of the resistor  40  is provided as input to an A/D converter  16  and converted to a digital signal. Note that the function of the A/D converter  16  is shown in FIG. 16 is as described previously based on FIG. 11, so a detailed description shall be omitted here.  
         [0106]    [0106]FIG. 17 is an exploded perspective view of the third control part of the controller.  
         [0107]    The third control part  230  consists of two control buttons  231 , a spacer  232  for positioning these control buttons  231  within the interior of the controller  200 , a holder  233  that supports these control buttons  231 , an elastic body  234  and an internal board  235 , having a structure wherein resistors  40  are attached to appropriate locations upon the internal board  235  and conducting members  50  are attached to the rear surface of the elastic body  234 .  
         [0108]    The overall structure of the third control part  230  also already has been made public knowledge in the publication of unexamined Japanese patent application No. JP-A-H8-163672, so a detailed description thereof will be omitted. The individual control buttons  231  can be pushed in while being guided by the spacer  232 , the pushing pressure when the bottoms  231  are pressed acts via the elastic body  234  on the pressure-sensitive device consisting of a conducting member  50  and resistor  40 . The electrical resistance value of the pressure-sensitive device varies depending on the magnitude of the pushing pressure it receives.  
         [0109]    It is noted that the fourth control part  240  has the same structure as that of the third control part  230  described above.  
         [0110]    As shown in FIG. 18, the vibration generation system mechanism  22  is disposed on the base sides of the first and second handle parts  10  and  11  which are held by the fingers of the user when the controller  200  is held. As shown in FIG. 19, the vibration generation system mechanism  22  consists of a motor  20  driven by drive signals supplied from the entertainment system  500  and an eccentric member  21  attached to the driveshaft  20   a  of the motor  20 .  
         [0111]    The eccentric member  21  is a metallic member having a large weight, and consists of a semicircular weight  21   a  which is eccentric with respect to a mating hole  20   b  which serves as the center of rotation when mated to the drives shaft  20   a . As shown in FIG. 20, the motor  20  with the eccentric member  21  attached to its drive shaft  20   a  is attached to the inside of the first handle part  10 , mated to a motor housing  20   c  in a mating indentation  23  formed as a rectangular tube on the first handle part.  
         [0112]    With a vibration generation system mechanism  22  having such a structure, when the motor  20  is driven the eccentric member  21  rotates and the motor  20  vibrates as shown in FIG. 21, and these vibrations are transmitted to the first handle part  10  through the side walls  23   a  which form the mating indentation  23 , and thus the vibration are transmitted to the fingers holding the first handle part  10 .  
         [0113]    Here, the vibration generation system mechanisms  22  and  22  disposed on the first and second handle parts  10  and  11  are constituted such that the states of generation of vibrations thereof, are different. For example, the vibration generation system mechanisms  22  and  22  have different sizes of motors  20  and different eccentric members  21 , so when driven by a fixed driving voltage, by making the speed of rotation different, the speed of rotation of the eccentric members  21  is made different, and the frequency of vibrations can be made to be different.  
         [0114]    Within the aforementioned description, FIG. 4 shows a flowchart for incrementing the value of a parameter at a rate depending on the pressure-sensing value, and also, generating with vibration a “click” sensation that matches the incrementing, This program may be supplied either recorded alone upon an optical disc or other recording medium, or recorded upon said recording medium together with the game software as part of the game software.  
         [0115]    This program for incrementing the value of a parameter at a rate depending on the pressure-sense value, and also, generating with vibration a “click” sensation that matches the incrementing is run by the entertainment system  500  and executed by its CPU.  
         [0116]    Here, the meaning of supplying the program for incrementing the value of a parameter at a rate depending on the pressure-sensing value, and also, generating with vibration a “click” sensation that matches the incrementing recorded individually on a recording medium has the meaning of preparing it in advance as a library for software development. As is common knowledge, at the time of developing software, writing all functions requires an enormous amount of time.  
         [0117]    However, if the software functions are divided by the type of function, for example, for moving objects and the like, they can be used commonly by various types of software, so more functions can be included.  
         [0118]    To this end, a function such as that described in this preferred embodiment that can be used commonly may be provided to the software manufacturer side as a library program. When general functions like this are supplied as external programs in this manner, it is sufficient for the software manufacturers to write only the essential portions of the software,  
         [0119]    While an embodiment was described above, the present invention may also assume the following alternative embodiment. In the described embodiment, the pressure-sensing value as pushed by the user is used as is. However, in order to correct for differences in the body weights of users or differences in how good their reflexes are, it is possible to correct the maximum value of the user pressure-sensing value to the maximum game pressure-sensing value set by the program, and intermediate values may be corrected proportionally and used. This type of correction is performed by preparing a correction table. In addition, the user pressure-sensing value can be corrected based upon a known function. Moreover, the maximum value of the user pressure-sense value rate of change may be corrected to the maximum game pressure-sensing value rate of change set in the program, and intermediate values can be proportionally corrected and used. For more details about this method, refer to the present inventors&#39; Japanese patent application No. 2000-40257 and the corresponding PCT application JP ______ (Applicant&#39;s file reference No. SC00097).  
         [0120]    Due to this invention, in the case of changing the value of a parameter, for example, the situation of incrementing is not just presented visually by a screen display, so the user interface can be improved further.  
         [0121]    Moreover, by means of this invention, it is possible to increase or decrease parameter values depending on the pressure-sense values output when a controller which has a pressure-sensitive device is operated, and also, if desired, it is possible to give the user a “click” sensation corresponding to the unit incrementing/decrementing of the value of the parameter. Thereby, it is possible to transmit to the user the sensation of incrementing a parameter by the pushing of a pressure-sensitive switch, and thus the user interface can be improved even further.