Patent ID: 8622833

Claim:
A user interface apparatus comprising: an input unit, which acquires an acceleration value detected from a sensor of an input device of a movement of the body of the input device; an operation history storage unit, which retains, for a history period measured from a present time minus a predetermined amount of time in the past, the detected acceleration value of the input unit as part of operation history data on the movement of the body of the input device by the user; a pattern storage unit, which stores a plurality of sensitivity characteristic patterns, each of which having minimum and maximum threshold values to measure different reaction sensitivity based on detected movement of the body of the input device by a user when measured against the acquired detected acceleration value, wherein a current sensitivity characteristic pattern is selected to adjust an operation amount to be applied to a movement within a virtual environment; an operation amount determining unit, which continuously monitors the operation history data retained within operation history storage unit, wherein, the operation amount determining unit determines, within the history period, whether or not detected acceleration values retained as part of the operation history data exceed a given threshold value of the current sensitivity characteristic pattern a predetermined number of times; a pattern selector, which selects a new sensitivity characteristic pattern when the operation amount determining unit determines that the given threshold value of the current sensitivity characteristic pattern has been exceeded a predetermined number of times within the history period; an adjustor, which refers to the new sensitivity characteristic pattern thus selected and adjusts the operation amount to be applied to the movement within the virtual environment based on the new sensitivity characteristic pattern.