JPH06119107A - Data input device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain the device with superior operability where more functions can be assigned with a smaller number of operating means of a pointing device(PD) by making the functions of the operating means different according to the positions about a main body. CONSTITUTION:When the PD4 is positioned on the right side of the main body, signals A-C are inputted to the main body 2 through electrodes 6 with click buttons 9-11 and when the PD4 is positioned on the left side of the main body 2, on the other hand, signals D-F are inputted to the main body 2 through electrodes 7 with the click buttons 9-11. Further, a PD position signal X1 or PD position signal X2 indicating that the PD4 is arranged on the right side or left side of the main body 2 is inputted to the main body 2. Thus, even when the number of the click buttons 9-11 provided on the PD4 is three, different functions are assigned to the click buttons 9-11 according to the PD4 is arranged on the right or left side, so that six functions can be assigned.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a data input device using a pointing device (hereinafter referred to as "PD") such as a mouse, a trackball or a joystick as an input means.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art PDs such as a mouse and a trackball are used to input necessary data and commands by operating a cursor moving means such as a built-in ball to move a cursor on a screen and operating a click button. Is to do. In this type of PD, normally, two to three click buttons are used, and these are operated by the index finger, middle finger and ring finger. The number of functions realized by PD is
Usually, it is determined by the number of click buttons and the like. Therefore, in order to allocate more functions to PD,
For example, the number of click buttons is increased or menus and the like are hierarchically configured, and different functions are assigned to the click buttons for each hierarchy.

[0003]

However, the number of click buttons of the PD is limited to three in consideration of operability, and it is essentially difficult to assign more functions to the PD. Also, if you configure the menu hierarchically, many steps are required to specify the function,
There is a problem of lack of operability.

The present invention has been made in order to solve such a problem, and provides a data input device having excellent operability in which more functions can be assigned with less operating means of a pointing device. The purpose is to provide.

[0005]

A data input device according to the present invention is a pointing device having a device body and a plurality of operating means for inputting data to the device body.
In the data input device including a device, the pointing device can be arranged at a plurality of positions with respect to the device main body, and the device main body is configured according to a position of the pointing device with respect to the device main body. It is characterized in that the function of the operating means is made different, and more functions than the number of the operating means are assigned to the pointing device.

Another data input device according to the present invention is a data input device comprising a device main body and a pointing device having a plurality of operating means for inputting data to the device main body. The pointing device can be arranged at a plurality of positions with respect to the apparatus body, and the apparatus body has means for recognizing the position of the pointing device with respect to the apparatus body, and the recognition result is It is characterized in that a predetermined function is executed at the time of switching.

[0007]

According to the first data input device of the present invention, since the function of the operating means is made to differ depending on the position with respect to the main body of the apparatus, even if the number of operating means is small, the number of operating means is the same. It is possible to assign double the function.

Further, according to the second data input device of the present invention, the position of the PD is recognized and a predetermined function is executed when the recognition result is switched.
The function can be executed by not only the operation of the operation means but also the operation of switching the position of the PD. Therefore, P
The functions assigned to D can be increased, and the operation becomes easier.

[0009]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a data input device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The data input device is a laptop computer, and a main body 2 with a keyboard 1, a thin liquid crystal display 3 that is openable and closable with respect to the main body 2, and a movable left and right direction toward the main body 2. Trackball type PD
4 and. The PD 4 is supported by a bar 5 provided in front of the main body 2 in the horizontal direction, and is slidably provided along the bar 5. Electrodes 6 and 7 are externally provided on both sides of the bar 5 excluding the central portion, and a signal from the PD 4 is taken into the main body 2 via the electrodes 6 and 7.

The PD 4 is provided with a trackball 8 and three click buttons 9, 10, 11 arranged on the back side thereof. The trackball 8 moves the cursor 12 displayed on the display 3, and the click buttons 9 to 11 give instructions for loading the coordinates of the position designated by the trackball 8 into the main body 2 and each button. It gives instructions for executing the functions assigned to 9-11.

The connection of the click buttons 9 to 11 is as shown in FIG. That is, when the PD 4 is located on the right side of the main body 2, the click button 9,
When the signals A, B, and C are taken into the inside of the main body 2 via the electrodes 6 by clicking 10 and 11, and the PD 4 is located on the left side of the main body 2, click buttons 9, 10, and By clicking 11 the signals D, E, F are taken into the main body 2 via the electrodes 7, respectively. When the PD 4 is arranged on the right side of the main body 2, the PD position signal X1 indicating that the PD 4 is arranged on the right side is taken into the main body 2 via the electrode 6, and the PD 4 is When it is arranged on the left side with respect to the main body 2, the PD position signal X2 indicating that the PD 4 is arranged on the left side is taken into the main body 2 via the electrode 7.

Next, the operation of the data input device thus constructed will be described. (1) When changing the functions of the click buttons 9 to 11 depending on the position of the PD4 As shown in FIG. 2, the number of the click buttons 9 to 11 provided on the PD4 is three, but the PD4 is arranged on the right side. Click button 9 depending on whether it is placed or on the left side
If different functions are assigned to ~ 11, six functions can be assigned to the left and right. Taking the CAD system as an example, Table 1 below shows an example of each signal and function.

[0013]

[Table 1]

(2) When the position signals X1 and X2 of the PD4 have one function As shown in FIG. 2, when the two drawing files F1 and F2 are simultaneously accessed, the position and access of the PD4 are performed. Corresponds to the specification of the file to be executed. For example,
When the PD 4 is arranged on the right side and the PD position signal X1 is active, the cursor 12 is located in the drawing file F1 on the right side, and drawing / editing for the drawing file F1 becomes possible. Also, PD4 is placed on the left side,
When the PD position signal X2 is active,
The cursor 12 is located in the drawing file F2 on the left side, and it becomes possible to draw / edit the drawing file F2. Further, not only access to such a multi-file, but also the menu may be switched depending on the position of the PD 4.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a data input device according to the second embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the body 21
The operation position of the mouse type PD 23 connected to the front surface of the main body 21 via the connection cable 22 is detected by the infrared sensors 24 and 25 arranged at the left and right ends of the front surface of the main body 21. When the PD 23 is detected by the infrared sensor 24, it is recognized that the PD 23 is operated on the right side toward the main body 21, and when the PD 23 is detected by the infrared sensor 25, the PD 23 is moved toward the main body 21. Recognize that it is operated on the left side. Further, the PD 23 is provided with two click buttons 26 and 27. When the click button 26 is clicked, as shown in FIG. 4A, it is determined whether the PD 23 is on the right side. (S
1), if right, function 1 is executed (S2), and if left, function 2 is executed (S3). Also, click button 27
When is clicked, as shown in Fig. 4 (b),
It is determined whether the PD 23 is on the right (S1). If the PD 23 is on the right, the function 3 is executed (S2), and if it is on the left, the function 4 is executed (S3). As a result, click buttons 26 and 27
Even though the number is two, four functions can be assigned to PD4. In addition, here, the infrared sensor 24,
Although the position of the PD 23 is detected using 25, this is an example, and another sensor such as an ultrasonic sensor may be used.

Although the present invention has been described above by taking the trackball type and mouse type PDs as examples, the present invention is also applicable to a data input device using another PD such as a joystick. Also, in the above embodiment, PD
Although the position of is moved to the left and right with respect to the apparatus main body to increase the function of the PD, the function of the PD may be increased by moving the position of the PD back and forth. In this case, if PDs are provided on both left and right sides of the keyboard and these PDs are respectively moved forward and backward, four times as many functions as the number of operating means can be assigned.

[0017]

As described above, according to the data input device of the present invention, many functions can be assigned to the PD regardless of the number of operation means provided in the PD.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of a data input device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining a connection relationship of PDs in the same apparatus.

FIG. 3 is an external perspective view of a data input device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart for explaining an input operation of the device.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... Keyboard, 2, 21 ... Main body, 3 ... Thin liquid crystal display, 4, 23 ... Pointing device (P
D), 5 ... bar, 6,7 ... electrode, 8 ... trackball,
9 to 11, 26, 27 ... Click button, 12 ... Cursor, 22 ... Connection cable, 24, 25 ... Infrared sensor.

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Toru Eshita Toru Eshita 3-3-3 Ikejiri, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo Muto Kogyo Co., Ltd. (72) Tadashi Yanagi 3-3-1-3 Ikejiri, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo Mutoh Kogyo Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Yoshio Takahashi 3 1-3 Ikejiri, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo Muto Kogyo Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Tetsuya Iwanaga 3 1-3 Ikejiri, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo Muto Kogyo Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Satoshi Kamazuda 3-1, 3 Ikejiri, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo, Muto Kogyo Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Shoichi Mikami 3- 1-3, Ikejiri, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo, Muto Kogyo Co., Ltd. ( 72) Inventor Takayuki Oyama 3-3 Ikejiri, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo Inside Muto Kogyo Co., Ltd.

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A data input device comprising: an apparatus main body; and a pointing device having a plurality of operating means for inputting data to the apparatus main body, wherein the pointing device is provided with respect to the apparatus main body. It is possible to dispose at a plurality of positions, the device main body, the function of the operating means is different depending on the position of the pointing device with respect to the apparatus main body, the pointing device more than the number of the operating means. A data input device characterized by assigning the functions of. 2. A data input device comprising a device body and a pointing device having a plurality of operating means for inputting data to the device body, wherein the pointing device is provided with respect to the device body. The device body has means for recognizing the position of the pointing device with respect to the device body, and executes a predetermined function when the recognition result is switched. A data input device characterized by being.