JPS62281025A - Position data input device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To eliminate possibility to generate puzzlement even in case of moving a cursor momentarily, and to improve operability, by setting an arbitrary coordinate system at a device itself. CONSTITUTION:An azimuth signal generating device 2 samples an output signal from an azimuth sensor 1 setting the leading edge of a memory signal from a signal generating and editing reference time generating device 7 as an origin, and sends it to a signal editing device 6 as a reference azimuth signal. At the same time, a motion signal generating device 4 samples the signal from a moving quantity sensor 3 setting the leading edge of a pulse signal from the signal generating and editing reference time generating device 7 as the origin, and generates a moving quantity signal by taking a difference between a position signal sampled just before, and sends it to the signal editing device 6. Therefore a reference direction is decided regardless of the position of a main body, and a coordinate corresponding to the reference direction is set, and a position data outputted directly from a coordinate position instructing means is converted and outputted so as to correspond to the coordinate system.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] 3. Detailed Description of the Invention [Object of the Invention] (Industrial Application Field) The present invention is directed to displaying figures, cursors, etc. on the screen of computers, CAD/CAM terminal devices, etc. The present invention relates to a position data input device that should be used by connecting to a functional electronic device.

(Prior Art) Traditionally, CRT-type image display devices (hereinafter referred to as CRTs) have been connected to computers and CAD/CAM terminal devices, etc., to indicate the position on the CRT screen, and to display information such as directions. Many position data input devices have been developed, but all conventional devices are configured to generate movement amount and azimuth signals according to a Cartesian coordinate system preset on the device body, and the device body and the use of this There were many constraints on the relative positional relationship with the user.

In particular, the mouse, which is most commonly used as a positional data input device, has a problem in that the user must always be aware of the direction the mouse is pointing, and is often confused when moving the cursor at a moment's notice. .

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and does not require the user to be conscious of the direction in which the main body is pointed, and can be used even when moving the cursor on a moment's notice. The purpose is to provide a position data input device that does not cause confusion.

[Structure of the Invention] (Means for Solving the Problems) The position data input device of the present invention is capable of being manually displaced, and at least detects a physical quantity radiated from a certain external direction and outputs information indicating the direction of the radiation. a reference direction detection means for
A main body comprising a coordinate position indicating means for outputting information indicating an arbitrary coordinate position in accordance with the displacement of the movable part, and a coordinate system to which the coordinate position should be made to correspond is set based on the information outputted by the reference direction detecting means. and information processing means for converting and outputting information output by the coordinate position indicating means.

(Function) In the position data input device of the present invention, a reference direction is determined regardless of the orientation of the main body, a coordinate system corresponding to this reference direction is set, and the position data directly output by the coordinate position indicating means is set in the coordinate system. Since the images are converted and output in a corresponding manner, it is possible to set a polar coordinate system centered on the user's elbow, for example, and there is no confusion when the cursor is suddenly moved.

(Example) Hereinafter, details of an example of the present invention will be described based on the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of an apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In the figure, 1 is built into a manually displaceable main body, and is a physical quantity (magnetism, electromagnetic waves,
2 is a direction signal generator that outputs an electrical signal indicating the radiation direction of the physical quantity detected by the direction sensor 1 as a reference direction; 3 is the main body; 4 is a movement signal generator that outputs the amount of movement sensed by the movement amount sensor 3 as an electrical signal; 5 is a movement signal generator for setting a reference direction when the device is started to be used; 6 is a signal editing device that edits each signal output from the azimuth signal generator 2 and the movement signal generator 4 as will be described later; This is a standard time generator for signal generation and editing that generates pulse signals (sampling pulses) at time intervals.

In the device of this embodiment, the direction signal generator 2 is the direction sensor 1.
The output signal from the signal generation/editing standard time generating device 7 is sampled starting from the rising edge of the pulse signal from the signal generation/editing standard time generating device 7, and is sent to the signal editing device 6 as a standard azimuth signal.

At the same time, the movement signal generator 4 samples the signal from the movement amount sensor 3 using the rising edge of the pulse signal from the signal generation/editing reference time generator 7 as a starting point, and calculates the difference from the position signal sampled immediately before. is taken as a movement amount signal and sent to the signal editing device 6.

The signal editing device 6 resets the internal information when the user presses the interrupt switch 5, and outputs the azimuth signal and movement amount generated at each rise of the pulse signal generated by the signal generation/editing reference time generator 7. Combine the signals, re-edit each signal according to the #I formula specified by the program from the host device, and send the direction signal, movement amount signal, and termination code as one set to the host device to which the main body is connected. It has a function that does not send out all the time.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the apparatus of this embodiment in more detail.

In this figure, the direction sensor 1 includes a compass 1a that responds to geomagnetism and a perforated disk 1b, and an optical sensor 1C.
It is configured to detect rotational displacement of the perforated disc 1b.

On the other hand, the movement amount sensor 3 has rubber balls 3a and 3b whose rotation axes are orthogonal to each other, and is configured to detect the amount of rotation of each ball with tachometers 3c and 3d.

Then, when the signal generated by the interrupt switch 5 is sent to the mobile information editing device (microcomputer) 8,
The direction in which the compass 1a is facing at that time is taken as the reference direction. Thereafter, the signals sent from the movement amount sensor 3 and the direction sensor 1 are processed by the method set in the movement information editing device 8, regardless of the attitude of the device main body, and the relative Amount of movement, Zunawara ball 3a
and a signal corresponding to the rotation amount of 3b is output.

For example, when a program that executes information on the length from the user's elbow to the hand and conversion processing between Cartesian coordinates and polar coordinates is sent from the host device to the movement information editing device 8, the amount of rotation of the balls 3a and 3b is determined by the user's information. It is converted to position data corresponding to a polar coordinate system centered on the elbow and output.

Thus, in the past, in order to send horizontal linear motion data to the host device, the mouse had to be moved in a straight line in a direction perpendicular to the sides of the mouse. If used instead, by simply setting the distance from the user's elbow to the wrist and a program that executes the conversion process between the Cartesian coordinate system and the polar coordinate system, the circular motion when operating the device of this embodiment while standing on the elbow will be horizontal. The data is converted into linear motion data and sent to the host device.

Therefore, position data can be input by natural movements.

In the above-mentioned embodiment, the case where the conversion between the orthogonal coordinate system and the polar coordinate system is performed was explained, but in short, in the position data input device of the present invention, the reference direction can be set regardless of the orientation of the main body of the device. By using a calculation program set in the movement information editing device 8, an arbitrary coordinate system can be converted into an arbitrary coordinate system and position data can be output.

Furthermore, in the embodiment described above, the reference direction is determined by detecting the earth's magnetism using the compass 1a, but a means for emitting light in a certain direction is provided independently of the main body of the device, and a means for emitting light in a certain direction is provided to detect this light and emit light. The radial direction may be the reference direction.

[Effect of the invention 1 As explained above, according to the position data human-powered device of the present invention, an arbitrary coordinate system can be set on the body of the device, so the user can input position data without being conscious of the posture of the device. can do.

As a result, there is no possibility of confusion occurring when the cursor is moved at a moment's notice, and operability is dramatically improved.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of an apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a block diagram specifically showing a part of the apparatus according to the embodiment. 1... Direction sensor 2... Direction signal generator 3...
...Movement amount sensor 4...Movement signal generator 5...
...Interrupt switch 6...Signal editing device 7...Standard time generating device for signal generation/editing 8...Movement information editing device applicant
Toshiba Corporation Representative Patent Attorney Sasa Suyama − 10 −

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) Reference direction detection means that can be manually displaced and at least detects a physical quantity radiated from a certain external direction and outputs information indicating the direction of radiation, and information that indicates an arbitrary coordinate position according to the displacement of the movable part. A main body including a coordinate position indicating means to output, and a coordinate system to which the coordinate position should correspond according to information outputted by the reference direction detecting means, converting and outputting the information outputted by the coordinate position indicating means. 1. A position data input device comprising: information processing means for processing information;