JP4414476B1 - Home appliance operation assist device - Google Patents

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to provide a consumer electronics product operation auxiliary device that indirectly can be operated on the remote control direct operation only consumer electronics product I by the user.
A position coordinate data input unit 2 for inputting position coordinate data of an operation unit 23 on a remote controller 22 for controlling home appliances, and a user directly operates from position coordinate data input in advance. A user input unit 3 for inputting a signal, an operation target confirmation display unit 4 for displaying position coordinate data that can be selected for the user, and displaying position coordinate data currently selected by the user, and a control The robot arm unit 5 that directly operates the operation member 23 on the panel 22 and an area for storing position coordinate data are transmitted, a display signal is transmitted to the operation target confirmation display unit 4, and a control signal is transmitted to the robot arm unit 5. The home appliance operation assisting device 1 is characterized by having a control unit 6 for transmitting.
[Selection] Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a home appliance operation assisting device including input means using jaw movement for a physically handicapped person with disabilities.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, several assist devices that detect and use the movement of the head instead of the limbs have been disclosed as devices that assist the disabled with the use of home appliances.

Patent Document 1 discloses an invention related to an input device that can be used by persons with severe upper limb motor dysfunction under the name of “input device by irradiation selection”.
When the invention disclosed in Patent Document 1 is described using the reference numerals described in the document as they are, an irradiation permission unit 6 that outputs an irradiation permission signal only when the operator's situation is detected and a predetermined condition is satisfied. And a light transmission unit 1 for transmitting a light beam having directivity based on an irradiation permission signal, and one or more command selections for outputting a signal corresponding to the amount of received light, which means a command to be selected one by one When there is no irradiation permission signal, the signal receiving unit 21 retains the size obtained by calculating and processing the signal from each command selection light receiving unit, and when there is an irradiation permission signal, A processing unit that detects that a specific command selection light-receiving unit has received light compared to the signal, generates a signal indicating that the command corresponding to the command selection light-receiving unit has been selected, and sends the signal to an electrical / electronic device It is composed of 3 and .
According to the invention disclosed in Patent Document 1 having the above-described configuration, in a device for obtaining selective input information of an electric / electronic device, even a severely handicapped person can use a head motion to receive a command without being affected by ambient light. The effect is that the selection can be performed.

Patent Document 2 discloses an invention relating to an apparatus that obtains input information of an electric / electronic device that can be used even by a person with a severe motor disability in the upper limbs under the name “input device by head movement”.
The invention disclosed in Patent Document 2 is a pair for detecting information corresponding to the orientation of the operator's head in a non-constrained and non-contact manner, respectively, installed around the operator's head at positions generally facing each other. From the signals obtained from these head detection units and the pair of head detection units, as well as pre-processing for extracting direction information as necessary, and holding / calculating / comparing signals and reading data, or of them It is composed of a signal processing unit that estimates the head movement of which direction the operator's head is facing by generating a part of the process, and generates a command to the electrical and electronic equipment corresponding to that direction It is characterized by that.
According to the invention disclosed in Patent Document 2 having the above configuration, even a person with severe upper limb motor dysfunction can generate a signal corresponding to a pointing device such as a joystick or a mouse only with head movement. This has the effect of being able to handle electrical and electronic equipment having such an input device.

JP 2007-190330 A JP 2007-207201 A

However, the invention disclosed in Patent Document 1 has a problem that high operation accuracy is required when operating the light transmission unit. Usually, physically disabled people have a significantly reduced ability to exercise compared to healthy people, so it is extremely difficult to move the body part accurately.
For this reason, there is a possibility that a light beam having directivity may be mistakenly transmitted to the command selecting light receiving unit for performing another operation while the target operation is being performed. There was a problem that some electrical appliances malfunctioned.

In the invention disclosed in Patent Document 2, the disabled person has to move his / her head accurately in order to appropriately input the input information, which places a heavy burden on the disabled person.
In addition, in the invention disclosed in Patent Document 2, since continuous data such as face-facing position information is used as input information, it is considered suitable for continuous operation such as a personal computer mouse. There has been a problem that it is not suitable for the operation of sequentially selecting and determining (determining) a target one from a plurality of selection candidates.

  The present invention has been made in response to such a conventional situation, and an object of the present invention is to make home appliances with few malfunctions that allow a disabled person who is a user to directly input an operation signal related to selection or determination using a chin or cheek. It is to provide a product operation assistance device.

In order to achieve the above object, the home appliance operation assisting device according to the first aspect of the present invention provides a signal instructing registration of position coordinate data of an operation member on a control panel for controlling a household appliance obtained by calculation. A position coordinate data input section to be transmitted, a user input section for inputting an operation signal for selecting or determining target position coordinate data from position coordinate data registered in advance, and a user , An operation target confirmation display unit for displaying position coordinate data that can be selected and displaying the position coordinate data currently selected or determined by the user, and an operation member of the control panel on the position coordinate data determined by the user A robot arm that directly controls the robot and an area that stores position coordinate data based on commands from the position coordinate data input unit. The position coordinate data of the tip of the robot arm unit is calculated based on the calculated data, and the position coordinate currently selected or determined by the user for the operation target confirmation display unit in response to the operation signal transmitted from the user input unit It has a control unit that transmits a display signal for displaying data on the operation target confirmation display unit and a control signal for controlling the operation of the robot arm unit. The user input unit is displayed on the operation target confirmation display unit. a first switch or switches for which it is sequentially selected candidate position coordinate data, and a second switch for determining the position coordinate data separately selected from the first switch, the control unit from the user input unit Only when an operation signal to be determined is input, a control signal for directly operating the operation member on the position coordinate data determined by the user is transmitted to the robot arm unit. And it is characterized in and.
In the invention having the above-described configuration, the position coordinate data input unit instructs the control unit to transmit a control signal to the robot arm unit, and connects the control unit with a connection angle of individual parts constituting the robot arm unit. And based on the data regarding the rotation angle of the base part of the robot arm part with respect to the ground plane, there is an operation of transmitting a signal instructing to calculate the position coordinate data of the tip part of the robot arm part. Further, the position coordinate data input unit instructs the control unit to register the position coordinate data calculated by the control unit as “position coordinate data selectable by the user” in the storage area of the control unit. Also have.
Further, the user input unit has an operation of transmitting an operation signal for selecting or determining target position coordinate data to the control unit.
Furthermore, the operation target confirmation display unit displays position coordinate data that can be selected to the user based on the display signal transmitted from the control unit, and the position coordinate data currently selected or determined by the user. Is displayed.
Further, the robot arm unit has an action of operating in response to a control signal transmitted from the control unit. In addition, the robot arm unit receives the control signal transmitted from the control unit when the operation signal for determining the target position coordinate data is transmitted from the user input unit to the control unit. This has the effect of directly operating the operating member on the determined position coordinate data.
Then, the control unit calculates the position coordinate data of the tip of the robot arm unit based on data relating to the connection angle of the individual parts constituting the robot arm unit and the rotation angle of the base of the robot arm unit with respect to the ground plane. And the position coordinate data obtained by calculation based on a command from the position coordinate data input unit is stored in the storage area. Further, the control unit transmits a display signal for displaying the position coordinate data currently selected or determined by the user to the operation target confirmation display unit on the operation target confirmation display unit, and controls the robot arm unit. Has the effect of transmitting.
Further, the first switch has an effect that when the user touches, the position coordinate data registered in advance in the control unit is sequentially selected and the result is displayed on the operation target confirmation display unit.
Further, when the user touches the second switch, the second switch transmits an operation signal for determining the position coordinate data currently selected by the user as the target position coordinate data to the control unit. Have

The home appliance operation assisting device according to claim 2 is the home appliance operation assisting device according to claim 1, wherein the number of control panels is plural, and the operation target confirmation display unit is a liquid crystal monitor, The user input unit is characterized in that it can input a signal for displaying a menu screen that allows one target control panel to be selected from a plurality of control panels.
In addition to the same operation as that of the first aspect of the present invention, the operation target confirmation display unit is a liquid crystal monitor, so that when there are a plurality of control panels, a plurality of selections on each control panel are selected. It has an effect of enabling display of possible position coordinate data using one display unit.
Furthermore, the signal for displaying the menu screen transmitted from the user input unit has an effect of causing the control unit to transmit a display signal for displaying the menu screen on the operation target confirmation display unit.
In addition, the menu screen displayed on the operation target confirmation display unit has an effect of allowing the user to select one target control panel.

The home appliance operation assisting device according to claim 3 is the home appliance operation assisting device according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the home appliance operation assisting device detachably supports and fixes the control panel. It is characterized by providing.
In addition to the same operation as that of the first or second aspect of the invention, the holder has an operation of detachably supporting and fixing the control panel.

According to the invention of claim 1, wherein the present invention, only the user operates the user input unit directly, the operating member on the control panel for controlling the household appliances, with a robot arm portion indirect It has the effect that it can be operated.
In this case, when the user operates the user input unit , high operation accuracy is not required, so that the physical and psychological burden on the user can be greatly reduced.
Furthermore, since the operation signal is transmitted from the user input unit only when the user directly touches the first or second switch, no matter how the user moves in the process leading to the operation. Since there is no fear that the signal is transmitted to the control unit, it is possible to prevent the robot arm from malfunctioning due to unintended movement of the user. Therefore, the psychological burden on the user can be greatly reduced from this point.
In the invention described in claim 1, since the operation signal is transmitted only when the user performs a direct operation, the configuration for transmitting the operation signal can be simplified. Have. As a result, the configuration of the user input unit and the control unit in the first aspect of the invention can be simplified.
A first switch for sequentially selecting selectable position coordinate data displayed on the operation target confirmation display unit on the user input unit, and position coordinate data selected on the operation target confirmation display unit separately from the first switch. By providing the second switch for determining the target position coordinate data, the user can easily and reliably select and determine the target position coordinate data from among many selectable position coordinate data. Has the effect of being able to.
In other words, before the control signal is transmitted from the control unit to the robot arm unit, the intention of the user is confirmed twice, and the malfunction of the robot arm unit and the home appliance as the operation target is surely prevented. It has the effect of being able to.

The invention described in claim 2 of the present invention has the same effect as that of the invention described in claim 1 and , when the operation object confirmation display unit is a liquid crystal panel, when handling a plurality of control panels of home appliances at the same time. There is an effect that the operation target confirmation display unit for displaying the position coordinate data of the operation target that can be selected in each control panel can be made one.
In addition, the user input unit is configured so that a signal for displaying the menu screen can be transmitted, so that the user can display the menu screen on the operation target confirmation display unit and control the desired home appliance on this menu screen. The panel can be selected and determined.
As a result, the user can operate the control panels of a plurality of home appliances indirectly and freely by using one device according to claim 2 . For this reason, it has the effect that the versatility of invention of Claim 2 can be improved.

The invention described in claim 3 of the present invention has a holder in addition to the same effect as that of each of the inventions described in claim 1 or claim 2 , thereby providing a holder between the control panel and the invention described in claim 3. It has an effect that it is possible to prevent relative displacement.
As a result, after the position coordinate data of the operation target of the control panel is input by the position coordinate data input unit, when the user on the control panel actually operates the target operation target on the robot arm unit, the robot arm unit Has an effect of preventing an erroneous operation target from being operated.
Therefore, it has the effect that the malfunction of household appliances at the time of using invention of Claim 3 can be prevented more reliably.

It is a system block diagram of the household appliances operation assistance apparatus which concerns on this invention. It is a conceptual diagram lacking a part of household appliance operation assisting device according to the present invention. It is a use state figure which shows the mode of use of the household appliances operation assistance apparatus which concerns on this invention. It is a conceptual diagram of the position coordinate data input part which concerns on this invention. It is a conceptual diagram of the user input part which concerns on this invention. (A)-(c) is a use condition figure which shows the mode of use of the user input part which concerns on this invention. It is a conceptual diagram of the operation target confirmation display part which concerns on this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of an action | operation of the household appliances operation assistance apparatus which concerns on this invention.

  Hereinafter, home appliance operation assistance devices according to embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 1 to 8.

FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram of a home appliance operation assisting device according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram showing a part of the home appliance operation assisting device according to the present invention. Furthermore, FIG. 3 is a use state diagram showing a state of use of the home appliance operation assisting device according to the present invention.
First, the system configuration of the home appliance operation assisting apparatus 1 according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.
The home appliance operation assisting apparatus 1 according to the present invention is an apparatus for assisting the operation of a remote control (control panel) mainly when a physically handicapped person tries to operate a home appliance. As shown in FIG. 4, the control unit 6 includes a storage area that controls the entire apparatus, calculates position coordinate data of the operation buttons of the remote controller that is the operation target, and stores the position coordinate data obtained by the calculation. Position coordinate data input that is directly or indirectly connected to the control unit 6 and commands the control unit 6 to calculate the position coordinate data, and commands the control unit 6 to control the robot arm unit 5. A user input unit 3 that is directly or indirectly connected to the unit 2 and the control unit 6 so that the user directly inputs an operation signal using the chin or cheek, and transmits the input operation signal to the control unit; Messenger An operation target confirmation display unit 4 for displaying position coordinate data of the operation buttons of the remote control that can be selected by the user, as well as position coordinate data of the operation buttons of the remote control currently selected or determined by the user, and a control unit 6 The robot arm unit 5 is configured to actually operate the operation buttons of the remote controller based on the control signal transmitted from.
As shown in FIG. 2, the home appliance operation assisting device 1 as described above is connected to the main body unit 28 composed of the control unit 6 and the robot arm unit 5 through a connection cord or wireless communication equipment. A unit 2 (see FIG. 4 shown below), a user input unit 3 (see FIG. 5 shown below), and an operation target confirmation display unit 4 (see FIG. 7 shown below) are provided. .

Here, the main body 28 of the home appliance operation assisting apparatus 1 according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3.
The main body 28 of the home appliance operation assisting apparatus 1 according to the present invention is mainly composed of the control unit 6 and the robot arm unit 5, and the control unit 6 includes position coordinate data in a housing 24. It has an area for storing an input signal from the input unit 2, receives an operation signal from the user input unit 3, transmits a display signal to the operation target confirmation display unit 4, and sends an operation signal to the robot arm unit 5. A wiring board 25 including circuit wiring for transmitting is stored. The robot arm unit 5 is connected to a plurality of beams 5c, and is attached to the housing 24 of the control unit 6 via a connection unit 26.
The individual beams 5c constituting the robot arm unit 5 are configured such that the connection angle between the beams 5c can be adjusted by individual servo motors 7, and the robot arm unit 5 is further connected to a connecting portion on the fixed portion 5b. 26 is rotatable by a servo motor 7 accommodated in the housing 24 with the central axis as a base axis.
That is, according to the robot arm portion 5 as shown in FIG. 2, the tip portion 5a can be moved freely in the direction away from the vicinity of the fixed portion 5b, and the connecting portion 26 of the robot arm portion 5 is connected to the robot arm portion 5 in FIG. Can be freely rotated in the direction indicated by the symbol A. As a result, the tip 5a of the robot arm unit 5 can be easily moved onto arbitrary position coordinate data in the vicinity of the control unit 6.

More specifically, the robot arm unit 5 is actuated by a control signal transmitted from the control unit 6, and transmits data regarding the angle formed by each beam 5 c and the rotation angle of the connection unit 26 to the control unit 6. It is configured as follows. Then, the control unit 6 obtains the position coordinate data related to the current position of the tip 5a by calculation based on the data about the angle formed by the individual beams 5c transmitted from the robot arm unit 5 and the rotation angle of the connection unit 26, Based on the obtained position coordinate data of the tip portion 5a, the movement distance in the X direction and the Y direction required until the tip portion 5a reaches the target position is obtained by back calculation, and the robot arm unit is obtained as necessary. A control signal is transmitted to 5 to control its operation.
Further, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the home appliance operation assisting apparatus 1 according to the present invention includes a remote control holder 21 that slides on the ground surface 27 on the side surface of the housing 24. The remote controller 22 can be supported and fixed. In this way, by supporting and fixing the remote controller 22 using the remote controller holder 21, the position coordinate data input unit 2 inputs the position coordinate data of the operation button 23 by the position coordinate data input unit 2 and the robot according to the user's instruction. Since the position of the remote controller 22 does not change when the arm unit 5 actually operates the operation button 23, it is possible to prevent erroneous operation of the robot arm unit 5.
FIG. 3 shows a state in which the operation buttons 23 on the remote controller 22 are operated by the robot arm unit 5 as described above. In the home appliance operation assisting apparatus 1 according to the present invention, the distal end portion 5a of the robot arm portion 5 is moved onto the intended operation button 23 on the remote control 22 supported and fixed by the remote control holder 21, and the distal end portion thereof is moved. The target operation button 23 is operated in 5a.

Next, the position coordinate data input unit 2 of the home appliance operation assisting apparatus 1 according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
FIG. 4 is a conceptual diagram of a position coordinate data input unit according to the present invention. The same parts as those described in FIGS. 1 to 3 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description of the configuration is omitted.
As shown in FIG. 4, the position coordinate data input unit 2 of the home appliance operation assisting apparatus 1 according to the present invention includes, for example, an X on the input panel 2a and a tip 5a of the robot arm unit 5 near the control unit 6 and X. Dial 9a, 9b for freely moving in the Y direction and the position coordinate data of the tip 5a of the robot arm 5 adjusted by the dial 9a, 9b are transmitted to a storage area provided in the control unit 6 and registered. The tact switch 10 is provided.
In order to register the position coordinate data of the operation button 23 in the control unit 6 using the position coordinate data input unit 2 as described above, first, the position coordinate data input unit 2 is connected to the main body unit 28 with a connection code or wireless communication. The remote controller 22 is set in the remote controller holder 21 provided in the main body 28 while being connected by equipment. Note that the order of this work may be changed.
Thereafter, the dials 9a and 9b are operated to move the tip 5a of the robot arm unit 5 directly above the operation button 23 to register the position coordinate data (at this time, position coordinate data input). A signal instructing the control unit 6 to transmit a control signal to the robot arm unit 5 is transmitted from the unit 2 to the control unit 6. The position coordinate data is registered in the storage area of the control unit 6 by operating the tact switch 10. To do. At this time, data related to the angle formed by each beam 5c and the rotation angle of the connecting portion 26 is transmitted from the robot arm unit 5 to the control unit 6, and the tip of the robot arm unit 5 is transmitted to the control unit 6 based on this data. The position coordinate data of 5a is obtained by calculation, and further, the distal end portion of the robot arm unit 5 obtained by calculation in the control unit 6 upon receiving a signal transmitted from the position coordinate data input unit 2 by operation of the tact switch 10 The position coordinate data 5 a is registered in the storage area of the control unit 6 as “position coordinate data selectable by the user”.
By repeating this operation, the position coordinate data of the plurality of operation buttons 23 can be stored in the storage area of the control unit 6. Further, all the position coordinate data recorded in the storage area of the control unit 6 becomes position coordinate data that can be selected by the user. Further, the position coordinate data registered in the storage area of the control unit 6 as position coordinate data that can be selected by the user is assigned a number in the order of registration and stored together with the number assigned to the storage area of the control unit 6.
As described above, in the home appliance operation assisting apparatus 1 according to the present invention, the user indirectly selects a target coordinate operation on the remote controller 22 by selecting the position coordinate data registered in the storage area of the control unit 6. The button 23 can be selected.

In the present embodiment, after the position of the tip 5a of the robot arm 5 is operated by the dials 9a and 9b in the position coordinate data input unit 2, the tact switch 10 is used to turn the tip 5a of the robot arm 5 on. Although the case where the position coordinate data is registered in the control unit 6 has been described as an example, the registration of the position coordinate data of the distal end portion 5a of the robot arm unit 5 is not necessarily performed in this procedure. For example, the robot arm unit 5 Both the connecting portion of the beam 5c and the connecting portion 26 can be easily moved manually, and the operator first manually moves the tip portion 5a of the robot arm portion 5 onto the target operation button 23, and the position thereof. The coordinate data may be obtained by calculation and registered in the storage area of the control unit 6. In this case, there is no need to move the position of the distal end portion 5a of the robot arm portion 5 using the dials 9a and 9b, so that the input operation of the position coordinate data of the operation button 23 of the remote controller 22 can be simplified. Can be expected.
Further, in order to make it easy to understand the current position of the tip 5a of the robot arm 5 in the X and Y directions, a laser beam is configured to be emitted from the tip 5a of the robot arm 5, and the robot is placed on the remote controller 22. You may enable it to display the present position of the front-end | tip part 5a of the arm part 5 so that visual recognition is possible. In this case, since the operator can confirm the current position of the tip 5a of the robot arm 5 on the remote controller 22 in real time, not only can the position coordinate data be input quickly but also the position coordinate data. It can be expected that the malfunction of the home appliance due to the input error can be prevented.
Further, in the present embodiment, the case where the main body 28 (particularly the control unit 6) and the position coordinate data input unit 2 are configured separately has been described as an example, but the position coordinate data input unit 2 and the control are described. The body 6 may be configured by integrally configuring the unit 6 and attaching the robot arm unit 5 thereto.

Next, the user input unit 3 according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
FIG. 5 is a conceptual diagram of the user input unit according to the present invention, and FIGS. 6A to 6C are usage state diagrams showing how the user input unit according to the present invention is used. The same parts as those described in FIGS. 1 to 4 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description of the configuration is omitted.
As shown in FIG. 5, the user input unit 3 of the home appliance operation assisting device 1 according to the present invention has linear chain blocks 13, 13 installed on both sides of a cap 11 via a fixture 12. A determination switch 16 and a selection switch 15 are provided at each of the end portions of the chain blocks 13 and 13 that are not connected to the fixture 12, and the cap 11 further receives an operation signal transmitted from the selection switch 15 or the determination switch 16. A transmitter 17 for transmitting to the control unit 6 of the unit 28 is provided.
Although not particularly illustrated, the main body 28 shown in FIG. 2 includes a receiving facility for receiving a signal transmitted from the transmitter 17 of the user input unit 3.
Further, in the user input unit 3 shown in FIG. 5, the case where the operation signal is transmitted to the control unit 6 by the wireless communication facility (transmitter 17) is described as an example. The main body 28 may be connected with a connection cord as a wire.

The user input unit 3 as described above is for inputting an operation signal by attaching the cap 11 to the user's head.
In order for the user to send an operation signal to the main body 28 using the user input unit 3 shown in FIG. 5, a selection switch is attached to the head of the user and the cap 11 is attached to the tip of the chain block 13. 15 and the decision switch 16 are arranged at positions where the user touches the jaw or cheek when the user moves the lower jaw in the left or right direction, and then the user moves the lower jaw to the right or left side as necessary to move the jaw or cheek. Then, the selection switch 15 or the decision switch 16 may be touched or pressed to directly input an operation signal.
More specifically, as shown in FIG. 6A, when a user wearing the user input unit 3 on the head moves the lower jaw to the right side, the user's chin or cheek contacts the selection switch 15. Then, a “select” operation signal is transmitted from the transmitter 17 attached to the rear side of the cap 11 to the main body 28.
Further, as shown in FIG. 6C, when the user moves the lower jaw to the left, the user's chin or cheek comes into contact with the selection switch 15, and the transmitter 17 attached to the rear side of the cap 11 is connected to the main body. An operation signal “determine” is transmitted to the unit 28.
Further, as shown in FIG. 6B, when the user's chin or cheek does not touch either the selection switch 15 or the determination switch 16, no operation signal is transmitted from the transmitter 17. That is, any operation until the user's chin or cheek touches the selection switch 15 or the decision switch 16 is not involved in the transmission of the operation signal.

When the first “selection” operation signal is transmitted by the user's jaw or cheek contact with the selection switch 15, it is registered in advance in the storage area of the control unit 6 and the order is determined in advance. The first position coordinate data among the plurality of selectable position coordinate data is selected. Subsequently, when the second “selection” operation signal is transmitted by the contact of the user's chin or cheek to the selection switch 15, the second position registered in the storage area of the control unit 6. Coordinate data is selected. As described above, when the “select” operation signal is continuously transmitted, the first and second of the n selectable position coordinate data registered in the storage area of the control unit 6 in advance. The third, nth, and nth position coordinate data are sequentially selected.
When the “select” operation signal is transmitted again after the last n-th position coordinate data is selected, the first position coordinate data is selected again, and the subsequent “select” operation is performed. Each time a signal is transmitted, the second to nth position coordinate data are sequentially selected again.
That is, the user can call the selectable position coordinate data stored in the storage area of the control unit 6 one by one by repeating the transmission of the “select” operation signal by the user input unit 3. It can be done.

Then, in order to determine target position coordinate data from position coordinate data selectable by the user and cause the robot arm unit 5 to actually operate the operation button 23 on the position coordinate data, the user must In the state where the user input unit 3 is worn, the decision switch 16 may be brought into contact with its own chin or cheek to transmit a “determination” operation signal.
When the control unit 6 receives this “determination” operation signal, the control unit 6 moves the tip 5a of the robot arm unit 5 to the robot arm unit 5 on the position coordinate data intended by the user. Then, a control signal is transmitted so as to perform an operation of “pressing” the operation button 23 on the position coordinate data.
As a result, when the robot arm unit 5 operates the operation button 23 on the position coordinate data intended by the user, the user can indirectly operate the home appliance.

In the home appliance operation assisting apparatus 1 according to the present invention, the user input unit 3 operates the control unit 6 only when the user's chin or cheek and the selection switch 15 or the decision switch 16 are in direct contact with each other. A signal is transmitted. Therefore, an operation signal is sent from the user input unit 3 to the control unit 6 no matter how the user's head moves until the user's chin or cheek touches the switch 15 or the decision switch 16. Since it is not transmitted, the robot arm unit 5 and the home electric appliance do not malfunction due to an erroneous operation signal.
Further, like the user input unit 3 according to the present invention, the support material of the selection switch 15 and the decision switch 16 can be adjusted in position as in the chain block 13 shown in FIG. 5 and can be fixed as it is. By using the flexible material, the distance between the user's chin or cheek and the selection switch 15 or the decision switch 16 can be freely adjusted. As a result, it is possible to prevent the chin or cheek from touching the selection switch 15 or the decision switch 16 by simply moving the head of the user, thereby greatly reducing the possibility that an operation signal is erroneously transmitted. Can do.
In the home appliance operation assisting device 1 according to the present invention, the control signal for operating the robot arm unit 5 for the first time when the “select” operation signal and the “decision” operation signal are selected in this order. Is transmitted from the control unit 6 to the robot arm unit 5, it is possible to reliably prevent the robot arm unit 5 and home appliances from malfunctioning due to erroneous transmission of a user operation signal.

In FIGS. 5 and 6, the case where a combination of the cap 11 and the chain block 13 is used as the support structure of the selection switch 15 and the determination switch 16 is described as an example. However, the selection switch 15 and the determination switch 16 are determined. The support structure of the switch 16 need not be limited to that shown in the figure. For example, a headset for headphones may be used, and if the user cannot wear the cap 11 or headset, the user The selection switch 15 and the decision switch 16 may be supported by attaching a flexible material such as the chain block 13 that can be adjusted and fixed to a chair or bed that supports the body. In this case, the same effect can be expected.
Further, there is no need to provide the selection switch 15 and the decision switch 16 separately. For example, only one switch serving as both the selection switch 15 and the decision switch 16 is provided, and depending on the contact time of the user's chin or cheek to this switch. The “selection” operation signal and the “decision” operation signal may be discriminated and the respective operation signals may be transmitted. In this case, there is a merit that a user who can move the jaw only to the right or left due to paralysis or the like can also use the home appliance operation assisting device 1 according to the present invention.

Furthermore, it demonstrates in detail, referring FIG. 7 for the operation target confirmation display part 4 of the household appliance operation assistance apparatus 1 which concerns on this invention.
FIG. 7 is a conceptual diagram of the operation target confirmation display unit according to the present invention. The same parts as those described in FIGS. 1 to 6 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description of the configuration is omitted.
The operation target confirmation display unit 4 of the home appliance operation assisting device 1 according to the present invention is attached in a state where a plurality of indicators 18 (for example, light emitters such as LEDs) are arranged on the display panel 4a. It is a thing. Such an operation target confirmation display unit 4 may be connected to the main body unit 28 by a connection cord 20 as shown in FIG. 7 or may be connected to the main body unit 28 in a state where communication can be performed by wireless equipment. Good.
Further, each display 18 in the display panel 4a corresponds to each position coordinate data registered in advance in the storage area of the control unit 6, and the user sees the operation target confirmation display unit 4 so that he can present himself / herself. It is possible to confirm which position coordinate data is being selected (the operation button 23 on the remote controller 22).
Further, the function of the operation button 23 registered corresponding to the display device 18 may be described in the label 19 and pasted in the vicinity of each display device 18 of the display panel 4a. In this case, the user can understand and confirm the function of the operation button 23 of the remote controller 22 that he / she wants to operate simply by looking at the display panel 4a.

In addition, you may comprise the display panel 4a of the operation target confirmation display part 4 with a liquid crystal monitor, for example. When the position coordinate data of the operation button 23 is input by the position coordinate data input unit 2, the function of each of the operation buttons 23 is input as electronic data, so that each display on the display panel 4a of the operation target confirmation display unit 4 is displayed. 18 can be directly displayed on the liquid crystal panel, so that the work of replacing the label 19 can be omitted when the position coordinate data registered in the storage area of the control unit 6 is deleted or corrected. .
As a result, it becomes easy to use the home appliance operation assisting device 1 according to the present invention for a remote controller of a plurality of different home appliances, thereby enhancing the versatility of the home appliance operation assisting device 1 according to the present invention. it can.
FIG. 7 shows an example in which the position coordinate data of the operation button 23 of the television remote control 22 is registered in the home appliance operation assisting device 1 according to the present invention. For this reason, a label 19 describing a channel as a function when the operation button 23 is actually operated is attached in the vicinity of each display 18.

Here, the order in which the indicator 18 lights in the display panel 4a shown in FIG. 7 will be described.
For example, eight position coordinate data from the first to the eighth are registered in the storage area of the control unit 6, and these eight position coordinate data are displayed on the display panel 4a shown in FIG. (In the display panel 4a shown in FIG. 7, the first display 18, the second display 18 ... in order from the display 18 arranged on the left side of the drawing) In the above-described user input unit 3 shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the “select” operation signal is transmitted via the transmitter 17 to the control unit 6 by the user's operation. The first position coordinate data is selected by the control unit 6 and the display unit 18 (corresponding to the first position coordinate data from the control unit 6 to the operation target confirmation display unit 4). Turn on the first indicator 18) on the left side of the page. Are outgoing display signal, the first display 18 on the display panel 4a is turned on.
Subsequently, when a “selection” operation signal is transmitted again from the user input unit 3 to the control unit 6, the second position coordinate data is selected by the control unit 6 and at the same time, the operation target confirmation display unit 4. In response to this, a display signal for turning on the display 18 corresponding to the second position coordinate data (second display 18 from the left side of the drawing) is transmitted, and the first display 18 is turned off. The second indicator 18 lights up.
In this way, each time the “select” operation signal is transmitted from the user input unit 3, the display 18 on the display panel 4a corresponding to the position coordinate data selected by the control unit 6 is turned on. ing.

In the display panel 4a shown in FIG. 7, the display unit 18 corresponding to the first to eighth position coordinate data registered (stored) in the storage area of the control unit 6 is located on the left side of the page of the display panel 4a. Since it is arranged in a straight line in order from the first to the eighth, every time a “selection” operation signal is transmitted from the user input unit 3, the lighting position of the display 18 is changed from the left side to the right side of the page. After the eighth display 18 is turned on one by one, the light is turned on one by one again from the first display 18 toward the eighth display 18.
In this way, by linking the operation signal from the user input unit 3 and the display on the operation target confirmation display unit 4, the user can know exactly which position coordinate data is currently selected by the user. It can be done.

Furthermore, according to the home appliance operation assisting device 1 according to the present invention, a plurality of remote controllers 22 are supported and fixed to the remote control holder 21 of the main body 28 shown in FIG. 2 or FIG. For example, the position coordinate data of five operation buttons 23 is registered in the storage area of the control unit 6 from the remote controller for television), and further, for example, three operations are performed from the second remote controller 22 (for example, the remote controller for video deck). It is also possible to register the position coordinate data of the button 23 in the storage area of the control unit 6.
In this case, both the position coordinate data registered in advance from the first and second remote controllers 22 are displayed as selectable position coordinate data on the display panel 4 a of the operation target confirmation display unit 4.

When a “determine” operation signal is transmitted from the user input unit 3 to the control unit 6, the position coordinate data corresponding to the indicator 18 that is lit on the display panel 4 a is the target position of the user. It is determined (determined) as coordinate data, and the operation button 23 on the position coordinate data is practically operated by the robot arm unit 5.
For this reason, for example, the display 18 that is continuously lit on the display panel 4a is blinked so that the user can confirm on the display panel 4a that the control unit 6 has received the “determine” operation signal. Alternatively, a signal such as changing the color of the indicator 18 that is continuously lit may be transmitted from the control unit 6 to the operation target confirmation display unit 4. Alternatively, the display 18 on the display panel 4a is blinked until the “decision” operation signal is transmitted from the user input unit 3, and the display 18 blinks simultaneously with the “decision” operation signal being transmitted. It may be set to stop and turn on continuously.
Also, when the display panel 4a is constituted by a liquid crystal monitor, it is desirable to change the display method so that the user can clearly identify the position coordinate data being selected and the determined position coordinate data.

Further, the home appliance operation assisting device 1 according to the present invention includes a voice guide unit that informs the user of the position coordinate data currently selected or the determined position coordinate data by voice instead of the operation target confirmation display unit 4. May be. In this case, the voice guide device may be configured integrally with the main body 28. Such a voice guide device emits a voice guide that informs the user when a “selection” or “decision” operation signal is transmitted from the user input unit 3, and is particularly unsightly. The home appliance operation assisting device 1 according to the present invention can be used even for a free person.
Moreover, in the household appliance operation assistance apparatus 1 which concerns on this invention, you may provide both the operation target confirmation display part 4 and the above-mentioned audio | voice guide part.

Finally, a series of flows until the user operates the operation button 23 on the remote controller 22 by the home appliance operation assisting device 1 according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 8.
FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a flow of operation of the home appliance operation assisting device according to the present invention.
As shown in FIG. 8, in order for a user to operate a remote controller for electrical appliances with the robot arm unit 5 using the home appliance operation assisting device 1 according to the present invention, first, the present invention is used as shown in FIG. After the remote control 22 is supported and fixed to the remote control holder 21 of the home appliance operation assisting device 1 (step S1), the position coordinate data input unit 2 (see FIG. 4) connected to the main body unit 28 by wire or wireless is used. Then, the position coordinate data of the plurality of operation buttons 23 on the remote controller 22 is registered in the storage area of the control unit 6 (step S2). In addition, when the user of the home appliance operation assisting apparatus 1 according to the present invention is a physically handicapped person, the operations in steps S1 and S2 are, for example, healthy persons capable of operating the position coordinate data input unit 2 Need to do. In parallel with the operation of step S2, a label 19 may be pasted near the display 18 on the display panel 4a (see FIG. 7) corresponding to each registered position coordinate data.
In the embodiment of the present application, a storage area is provided in the control unit 6. However, the storage area is not particularly limited to the control unit 6, and other components can be used as long as information can be exchanged with the control unit 6. Alternatively, it may be provided so that it can be independently connected to the outside of the control unit 6 and further to the outside of the main body unit 28 by wire and wireless. Alternatively, the main body 28 may be detachable as a portable storage medium.

After completing this step S2, the user input unit 3 shown in FIG. 5 is mounted on the user's head, and the selection switch 15 and the decision switch 16 are pressed when the user points his / her chin to the right or left side. It is placed at a position where it can be operated with the jaw or cheek. Then, after the user input unit 3 is completely worn, the user looks at the operation target confirmation display unit 4 shown in FIG. 7 and puts the chin or cheek on the user input unit 3 as shown in FIG. The selection switch 15 is contacted to transmit a “selection” operation signal to the control unit 6, and the target position coordinate data is called by repeating this operation (step S 3).
When the position coordinate data intended by the user is called in step S3, the user touches his / her chin or cheek with the decision switch 16 of the user input unit 3 as shown in FIG. 6C. Then, a “determination” operation signal is transmitted to the control unit 6 to determine target position coordinate data (step S4).
Furthermore, when the “determination” operation signal from the user input unit 3 is received by the control unit 6, a control signal is transmitted from the control unit 6 to the robot arm unit 5, and the robot arm unit 5 is confirmed. The operation button 23 on the position coordinate data is operated by the tip portion 5a (step S5).
As a result, an operation signal is transmitted from the remote controller 22 to the home appliance, and the home appliance receiving the operation signal performs an operation intended by the user.

Thus, according to the home appliance operation assisting device 1 according to the present invention as shown in FIGS. 1 to 8, the user simply operates the user input unit 3 with the chin or cheek, and the robot arm unit 5 It is possible to operate the remote control of home appliances indirectly using the.
In this case, the “selection” or “decision” operation signal for the user to select and determine the target position coordinate data is directly transmitted between the user's chin or cheek and the device at the user input unit 3. Sent only when contact occurs. That is, there is no fear that an operation signal is transmitted no matter how the user's head moves before the operation. For this reason, there is an effect that the possibility that the robot arm unit 5 malfunctions can be greatly reduced.
Moreover, in the household appliance operation assistance apparatus 1 which concerns on this invention, since the movement of a user's head is quantitatively measured and an operation signal is not transmitted according to the measurement result, the user input part 3 In addition, the structure can be simplified and the weight can be reduced.
Further, the home appliance operation assisting apparatus 1 according to the present invention is configured such that a control signal is not transmitted from the control unit 6 to the robot arm unit 5 simply by selecting the target position coordinate data by the user. Has been. In other words, in the home appliance operation assisting apparatus 1 according to the present invention, after the target position coordinate data is selected, the position that becomes the basis of the operation of the robot arm unit 5 is not transmitted until another operation signal is transmitted. Since the coordinate data is determined, the possibility that the robot arm unit 5 malfunctions can be greatly reduced.
That is, in the home appliance operation assisting apparatus 1 according to the present invention, erroneous operation of the robot arm unit 5 is prevented by double confirmation of the user's intention when the robot arm unit 5 is operated.
Therefore, according to the home appliance operation assisting apparatus 1 according to the present invention as described above, even a person with a physical disability can easily operate the home appliance. As a result, the caregiver's labor can be reduced, and the user can freely operate the electric appliances and have an effect of being able to spend comfortably.

Finally, a modified example of the home appliance operation assisting device according to the present invention will be described.
The home appliance operation assisting device according to the modification of the present invention separately registers the position coordinate data of the operation buttons 23 of the plurality of remote controllers 22 and calls only the position coordinate data of the target remote controller 22 as necessary. It is configured to be selectable. Here, description will be made with emphasis on differences from the home appliance operation assisting device 1 shown in FIGS. In addition, a common part with the household appliances operation assistance apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 1 thru | or FIG. 8 is demonstrated using the same code | symbol.
The home appliance operation assisting device according to the modified example is used by supporting and fixing a plurality of remote controllers 22 to the remote control holder 21 of the main body unit 28, and the operation target confirmation display unit 4 is configured by a liquid crystal monitor. The user input unit 3 is configured to transmit an operation signal for “menu screen activation” in addition to an operation signal for “selection” and “decision”.
As a method for transmitting the operation signal for “menu screen activation”, for example, in addition to the selection switch 15 and the determination switch 16 in the user input unit 3, a menu screen activation switch is separately provided. The operation signal of “menu screen activation” may be transmitted only when the jaw is moved up and down and the jaw is directly brought into contact with the menu screen activation switch, or the frequency of use is higher than that of the selection switch 15. The operation signal of “menu screen activation” may be transmitted only when the user makes contact with the chin or cheek for a certain time or longer with the determination switch 16 having a lower value.

When the “menu screen activation” operation signal is transmitted to the control unit 6 by the above-described operation, the control unit 6 displays a menu screen display signal to the operation target confirmation display unit 4 including a liquid crystal monitor. Is displayed and a menu screen is displayed on the liquid crystal monitor so that only one target remote controller 22 can be selected from the plurality of remote controllers 22.
In this case, the user can select only one target remote controller 22 from the plurality of remote controllers 22 in the same procedure as when selecting and determining target position coordinate data from a plurality of selectable position coordinate data. it can.
Then, after the selection of the target remote controller 22 by the user is completed, the position coordinate data of the operation buttons 23 that can be selected on the target remote controller 22 is displayed on the operation target confirmation display unit 4 including the liquid crystal monitor. Thereafter, the operation may be performed according to the procedure from step S3 to step S5 shown in FIG.

According to the home appliance operation assisting device according to such a modification, the user has an advantage of being able to freely operate the remote controls of a plurality of home appliances according to the purpose.
That is, by using one home appliance operation assisting device according to the modified example, the user can, for example, perform the operation of the television, the operation of the video deck, and the operation of the air conditioner by himself / herself without depending on others. It becomes.
As a result, the work of the caregiver can be further reduced, and the user can freely operate the electrical appliance and spend more comfortably.

  As described above, the present invention is a home appliance operation assisting device that can indirectly operate a remote control of a home appliance only by direct operation using the user's chin or cheek, It can be used in the field of appliances.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Home appliance operation assistance apparatus 2 ... Position coordinate data input part 2a ... Input panel 3 ... User input part 4 ... Operation object confirmation display part 4a ... Display panel 5 ... Robot arm part 5a ... Tip part 5b ... Fixed part 5c ... Beam 6 ... Control unit 7 ... Servo motor 8 ... Receiving equipment 9a, 9b ... Dial 10 ... Tact switch 11 ... Cap 12 ... Fixing tool 13 ... Chain block (flexible support material) 14 ... Bread screw 15 ... Select switch 16 ... Determination switch 17 ... Transmitter 18 ... Indicator (eg, LED) 19 ... Label 20 ... Connection cord 21 ... Remote control holder 22 ... Remote control (control panel) 23 ... Operation button (operation member) 24 ... Housing 25 ... Wiring board 26 ... Connection 27 ... Grounding surface 28 ... Main body

Claims (3)

A position coordinate data input unit for transmitting a signal instructing registration of the position coordinate data of the operation member on the control panel for controlling the household appliance obtained by the calculation;
A user input unit for inputting an operation signal for selecting or determining the position coordinate data intended by the user from the position coordinate data registered in advance;
An operation target confirmation display unit that displays the position coordinate data that can be selected for the user, and that displays the position coordinate data currently selected or determined by the user;
A robot arm unit that directly operates the operation member of the control panel on the position coordinate data determined by the user;
An area for storing the position coordinate data based on a command from the position coordinate data input unit is provided, and position coordinate data of the tip of the robot arm unit is obtained by calculation based on data transmitted from the robot arm unit, In response to the operation signal transmitted from the user input unit, a display signal for displaying the position coordinate data selected or determined by the user on the operation target confirmation display unit is transmitted to the operation target confirmation display unit. And a control unit for transmitting a control signal for controlling the operation of the robot arm unit,
The user input unit determines a first switch for sequentially selecting candidates for the position coordinate data displayed on the operation target confirmation display unit, and the position coordinate data selected separately from the first switch. A second switch to be
Only when an operation signal to be determined is input from the user input unit to the control unit, a control signal for directly operating the operation member on the position coordinate data determined by the user is transmitted to the robot arm. appliances assist system that originated against parts characterized Rukoto. The number of the control panels is plural,
The operation target confirmation display unit is a liquid crystal monitor,
2. The home appliance operation assisting device according to claim 1 , wherein the user input unit is capable of inputting a signal for displaying a menu screen that enables a target control panel to be selected from the plurality of control panels. The home appliance operation assist device according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the home appliance operation assist device includes a holder that detachably supports and fixes the control panel.