Billiard game input device, billiard game system, game input device, and computer program

1. An input device for a billiard game comprising:

a simulative ball provided as an object to be shot by a player;

a link portion having a ball axis on which the simulative ball is mounted;

a support portion including a bearing base rotatable about a rotational axis running crosswise to said ball axis, the link portion being received to the bearing base so that the ball axis tilts over toward a shot direction which is directed crosswise to the rotational axis when the simulative ball is shot in said shot direction by rotation of said bearing base about said rotational axis, the link portion being engaged with the bearing base to be movable in a predetermined range linearly along an axial direction of the ball axis and rotatable around the ball axis in a manner permitting the simulative ball to spin thereabout, whereby both of a spinning motion of the simulative ball and a linear motion of the simulative ball along the axial direction of the ball axis are permitted; and

a signal output device for outputting at least one signal that corresponds to operation of the link portion.

2. The input device according to claim 1 , further comprising:

an engagement portion being provided at the link portion, said engagement portion being movably engaged with the bearing base in the axial direction of the ball axis; and

a stopper device for restricting a movement range of the ball axis relevant to the bearing base are provided at both ends of the engagement portion in the axial direction.

3. The input device according to claim 1 , wherein the link portion is supported by the support portion so that the ball axis is movable between a shot position at which the ball axis extends in a vertically downward direction from the simulative ball and a standby position at which the ball axis is inclined relative to said vertically downward direction when in the shot position.

4. The input device according to claim 3 , further comprising a buffering device for receiving the simulative ball when the link portion has moved from the shot position to the standby position and for absorbing motion energy of the simulative ball.

5. The input device according to claim 3 , further comprising a driving device for restoring the link portion from the standby position to the shot position.

6. The input device according to claim 3 , wherein said signal output device includes a sensor having an output which changes depending on whether or not the link portion exists at the shot position.

7. The input device according to claim 3 , wherein said signal output device includes two sensors having outputs which change depending on whether or not the link portion exists at a respective one of two detection portions set between the shot position and the standby position.

8. The input device according to claim 3 , wherein said signal output device includes:

a first sensor having an output which changes depending on whether or not the link portion exists at the shot position;

a second sensor having a second output which changes depending on whether or not the link portion exists at an intermediate detection position set adjacent to the shot position; and

a third sensor having a third output which changes depending on whether or not the link portion exists at the standby position.

9. The input device as claimed in claim 6 , further comprising a discrimination device for discriminating whether or not the simulative ball has been shot based on an output signal of the sensor.

10. The input device according to claim 7 , further comprising a speed computing device for detecting a time interval from a time when an output signal of one of the sensors changes to a time when an output signal of another of the sensors changes, and then, computing a speed at which the simulative ball has been shot based on a detection result.