Manual operating device, game apparatus using the same, game method and computer readable medium

Abstract

A manual operating device including a joystick lever tiltably supported by a bearing provided on a support plate, a control unit for controlling and detecting tilt displacement of the control lever, and a stimulation-imparting mechanism provided in the joystick lever for vibrating the joystick lever to impart stimulation. This simple arrangement of the manual operating device enables not only that an action command made by an operator due to the operation of the joystick lever is imparted to characters displayed on a screen but also that a stimulation corresponding to contents of images displayed on the screen is imparted from the control unit to the operator. A game apparatus using the manual operating device, a game method and a computer readable medium are also disclosed.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A manual operating device comprising a control lever tiltably supported by a bearing provided on a support plate; and a detection mechanism for detecting tilt displacement of said control lever, 
 wherein a stimulation-imparting mechanism for vibrating said control lever to impart stimulation is provided in said control lever.    
     
     
         2 . A manual operating device comprising a control lever provided with a knob on the head thereof; and a detection mechanism for detecting tilt displacement of said control lever, 
 wherein a stimulation-imparting mechanism for vibrating said control lever to impart stimulation is provided in the knob of said control lever.    
     
     
         3 . A manual operating device according to  claim 1  or  2 , wherein said stimulation-imparting mechanism is a motor with an eccentric weight.  
     
     
         4 . A game apparatus in which a game is played on the basis of an operation command corresponding to tilt displacement of a tiltably supported control lever, said game apparatus comprising: 
 a manual operating device having a control lever tiltably supported by a bearing provided on a support plate, and a detection mechanism for detecting tilt displacement of said control lever, wherein a stimulation-imparting mechanism for vibrating said control lever to impart stimulation is provided in said control lever; and    control means for controlling said stimulation-imparting mechanism so as to be vibratingly driven in response to a game situation.    
     
     
         5 . A game apparatus in which a game is played on the basis of an operation command corresponding to tilt displacement of a tiltably supported control lever, said game apparatus comprising: 
 a manual operating device having a control lever provided with a knob on the head thereof, and a detection mechanism for detecting tilting displacement of said control lever, wherein a stimulation-imparting mechanism for vibrating said control lever to impart a stimulation is provided in the knob of said control lever; and    control means for controlling said stimulation-imparting mechanism so as to be vibratingly driven in response to a game situation.    
     
     
         6 . A game apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein said stimulation-imparting mechanism is a motor with an eccentric weight.  
     
     
         7 . A game apparatus according to  claim 4 ,  5 , or  6 , wherein said control means drives and controls said stimulation-imparting mechanism at least in one of an amount of vibration and a type of vibration, in response to the game situation.  
     
     
         8 . A method of playing a game on the basis of an operation command corresponding to tilt displacement of a tiltably supported control lever, wherein a stimulation-imparting mechanism provided in said control lever is vibratingly driven in response to a game situation.  
     
     
         9 . A method of playing a game on the basis of an operation command corresponding to tilt displacement of a tiltably supported control lever, wherein said stimulation-imparting mechanism is driven and controlled at least in one of an amount of vibration and a type of vibration, in response to the game situation.  
     
     
         10 . A computer readable medium storing a control program which, when playing a game on the basis of tilt displacement of a control lever, executes a step for controlling a stimulation-imparting mechanism so as to be vibratingly driven in response to a game situation.  
     
     
         11 . A computer readable medium storing a control program which executes a step for driving and controlling said stimulation-imparting mechanism at least in one of an amount of vibration and a type of vibration, in response to the game situation.