JP2000187555A - Xy coordinates input device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an X and Y coordinates input device which simplifies a configuration with a small number of parts and accordingly promote reduction in costs. SOLUTION: This device is provided with a circular bowl-shaped member 5 rotable along the spherical surface to tilt an operating part 8 projected at the top part, objects to be detected such as resistors 6 provided at two places corresponding to two large circles orthogonally crossing at the top part of the member 5, and a detecting means such as a brush 9 which detects the rotation direction and rotation quantity of the member 5 which are caused by the tilting operation of the part 8 based on the relative position to the objects to be detected. This XY coordinates input device with such a configuration can detect the rotation direction and rotation quantity of the member 5 as X and Y coordinates by such a manner that the detecting means detects the change of the relative positions to the objects provided in the member 5, such as to read the contact position of the brush 9 against the resistors 6 when the member 5 is rotated by performing an tilting operation of the part 8.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an XY coordinate input device for detecting an operation position when an operation unit is tilted as an X coordinate and a Y coordinate.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As this type of XY coordinate input device, a device called a stick controller is widely known. Such a stick controller converts the tilt direction and the tilt angle of the tilted operation lever into the rotation amounts of two rotating bodies whose rotation axes are set at right angles to each other, and converts the rotation amounts of these rotating bodies into a rotary type. The operation position of the tilted operation lever can be detected as an X coordinate and a Y coordinate by converting it into an electric signal by a variable resistor or an encoder.

[0003]

The above-mentioned stick controller comprises two rotating bodies whose rotation axes are set at right angles to each other in a housing which supports the operation lever so as to be tiltable, Since two rotary variable resistors and the like for detecting the amount of rotation of the body must be provided, there is a problem that the number of parts is large and it is difficult to simplify the configuration and reduce the cost.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned deficiencies of the prior art, and an object thereof is to provide an XY coordinate input device having a small number of parts and a simple configuration. .

[0005]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, an XY coordinate input device according to the present invention is provided with an operating portion protruding from an outer surface, and the operating portion can be tilted along a spherical surface. A bowl-shaped member that is allowed to move, two detection objects provided at two locations corresponding to two great circles orthogonal to each other at the top of the bowl-shaped member, and a relative position between the detection objects. Based on the change, a detecting means for detecting a rotation direction and a rotation amount of the bowl-shaped member as an X coordinate and a Y coordinate in accordance with the tilting operation of the operation unit is provided. For example, resistors to be detected are provided at two locations on an inner surface or an outer surface of a bowl-shaped member, and brushes (sliders) erected at two locations on a circuit board are slid on each resistor. What is necessary is just to set it as the structure to contact.

In the XY coordinate input device having such a configuration, when the operation unit is tilted and the bowl-shaped member is rotated, for example, a change in the contact position of the brush with respect to the resistor is electrically changed as a resistance value change. By detecting the change in the relative position with respect to the object to be detected provided on the bowl-like member by reading, the rotation direction and the amount of rotation of the bowl-like member accompanying the tilting operation of the operation unit are detected. Since it can be detected as an X coordinate and a Y coordinate, the number of parts is smaller than that of a conventional product such as a stick controller in which the tilt direction and tilt angle of the operation lever are converted into the amounts of rotation of two rotating bodies and then detected. It can be reduced and the configuration can be simplified.

[0007]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of an XY coordinate input device according to the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.
1 is a perspective view showing an internal configuration of an XY coordinate input device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a side view showing the XY coordinate input device shown in FIG. 1 mounted on a circuit board. 3 is an operation explanatory view showing a state of rotation of the bowl-shaped member when the operation unit of the XY coordinate input device shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is tilted, and FIG. 4 is an XY coordinate according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a partial cross-sectional side view showing an internal configuration of the input device, FIG. 5 is an external view of an XY coordinate input device according to still another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the XY coordinate input device shown in FIG. .

First, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

The XY coordinate input device shown in these figures has a housing 2 mounted and fixed on a circuit board 1 and a rotating shaft rotatably supported on opposing side surfaces of the housing 2. Part 3
A rocking body 4 pivotally supported at the center of the rotating shaft 3 and having a fitting projection 4a extending at an upper end thereof;
A fitting cylindrical portion 5a for fitting the fitting projection 4a is vertically extended from the ceiling surface, is disposed so as to cover the housing 2, and projects at two locations corresponding to two great circles orthogonal to each other at the top. Piece 5b,
A hemispherical bowl-shaped member 5 having a resistor 6 and a lead 7 applied and formed on its outer surface, and a protruding portion provided at the top of the bowl-shaped member 5 to be gripped during operation An operation unit 8,
A brush (slider) 9 erected on the circuit board 1 and slidably contacts the resistor 6 and the lead 7 of the bowl-shaped member 5. 4 is set so that the axis is orthogonal to the center of the sphere of the bowl-shaped member 5. Although not shown, the circuit board 1 is provided with a detection circuit for measuring a resistance value based on an electric signal input through the brush 9.

Since the bowl-shaped member 5 is supported by the housing 2 via the rotating shaft 3 and the swinging member 4, when the operation unit 8 is tilted as shown in FIG. Performs rotation about the intersection (center of the sphere) of the axis of the rotating shaft 3 and the axis of the rocking body 4. In other words, the bowl-shaped member 5 is allowed to rotate so that the operation portion 8 can be tilted along the spherical surface. When the bowl-shaped member 5 rotates, the contact position of the brush 9 with the resistor 6 provided on the outer surface of each of the protruding pieces 5b and 5c changes.
By electrically reading the change in the resistance value via the brush 9 that is in sliding contact with the resistor 6 on the b side, it is possible to read the change in the X coordinate associated with the rotation of the bowl-shaped member 5. Similarly, by electrically reading the change in the resistance value via the brush 9 that is in sliding contact with the resistor 6 on the protruding piece 5c side, it is possible to read the change in the Y coordinate due to the rotation of the bowl-shaped member 5. it can. That is, since the resistor 6 is disposed at two places corresponding to two great circles orthogonal to each other at the top of the bowl-shaped member 5, the bowl-shaped member 5
When the relative position between each resistor 6 and the brush 9 slidably in contact therewith changes with the rotation of the resistor, the resistance value measured based on the position change of one resistor 6 corresponds to the X coordinate, and the other The resistance value measured based on the position change of the resistor 6 can be made to correspond to the Y coordinate. Therefore, the XY coordinate input device is provided with the bowl-shaped member 5 associated with the tilting operation of the operation unit 8.
Can be detected as an X coordinate and a Y coordinate.

FIG. 3 shows a state of rotation of the bowl-shaped member 5 when the operation unit 8 is rotated by 45 degrees while maintaining a constant tilt angle, and is drawn on the protruding pieces 5b and 5c. The filled black circles indicate the contact positions of the brush 9. As is clear from FIG. 3, when the operation unit 8 is rotated by 360 degrees while maintaining a constant tilt angle, all the contact positions of the brush 9 with respect to each resistor 6 draw an eight-shaped locus.

Next, another embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

The XY coordinate input device shown in FIG.
And the leads 7 are formed by coating on the inner surface of the bowl-shaped member 5 (the protruding piece 5b, etc.), and the brushes 9 are set up at positions covered by the bowl-shaped member 5 as described above. This is significantly different from the embodiment. As described above, when the resistor 6 and the lead 7 are provided on the inner surface instead of the outer surface of the bowl-shaped member 5, the outer shape of the bowl-shaped member 5 can be freely selected and the resistor 6 and the lead 7 can be protected. In addition, there is an advantage that the assemblability is improved. Although not shown, also in this embodiment, the resistor 6 and the lead 7 are provided at two places on the inner surface corresponding to two great circles orthogonal to each other at the top of the bowl-shaped member 5. I have.

Next, still another embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

The XY coordinate input device shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 has a direction opposite to the operation unit 8 (downward) from the ceiling surface of the bowl-shaped member 5.
The supporting leg 10 is provided at the lower end of the supporting leg 10 so that the spherical portion 10a is located at the center of the sphere of the bowl 5; The spherical portion 10a is set at a position equidistant from the inner surface of the circuit board, and the spherical portion 10a is rotatably supported by a guide body 11 erected on the circuit board 1. . Engagement grooves 5d are formed at two places on the outer surface of the bowl-shaped member 5 positioned with the spherical portion 10a therebetween, so that the inside of the annular wall 12 erected on the circuit board 1 is formed. The regulating shaft portions 13 protruding at two places on the peripheral surface are respectively inserted into and engaged with the engagement grooves 5d. That is, a pair of elongated engagement grooves 5d are provided along one great circle passing through the top of the bowl-shaped member 5,
Since the regulating shaft 13 can be relatively moved along the longitudinal direction of the engagement groove 5d, the rotation along the great circle and the regulating shaft 13 are used as the rotation axis in the bowl-shaped member 5. Rotation in combination with rotation is allowed, so that the operation unit 8 can be tilted along the spherical surface. When such a support structure is employed, the housing 2, the rotating shaft 3, the rocking body 4, and the like incorporated in the previous embodiment can be omitted, so that the number of parts can be further reduced. There are advantages.

In the XY coordinate input device shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the formation locations of the resistor 6 and the lead 7 and the arrangement position of the brush 9 are almost the same as those of the XY coordinate input device shown in FIG. . In the XY coordinate input device shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the resistor 6 drawn when the operation unit 8 is tilted is operated.
The trajectory of the contact position of the brush 9 with respect to is linear.

In each of the above-described embodiments, the rotation direction and the rotation amount of the bowl-shaped member 5 associated with the tilting operation of the operation unit 8 are detected as the X coordinate and the Y coordinate.
The resistance value change based on the change in the relative position between the resistor 6 and the brush 9 is read, but an optical detection method using a combination of a slit-shaped reflector and a reflective interrupter,
Coordinate detection can also be performed by a magnetic detection method combining a magnetic stripe and a magnetic head or the like.

[0018]

As described above, XY according to the present invention is used.
When the coordinate input device tilts the operation unit to rotate the bowl-shaped member, for example, a change in the contact position of the brush with the resistor is electrically read as a resistance value change. By detecting a change in the relative position with respect to the object to be detected provided by the detecting means, the turning direction and the turning amount of the bowl-shaped member due to the tilting operation of the operation unit are detected as the X coordinate and the Y coordinate. The number of parts can be reduced compared to conventional products such as stick controllers that convert the tilt direction and tilt angle of the operation lever into the amount of rotation of the two rotating bodies and then detect the amount, thus simplifying the configuration. This has the effect of being able to be achieved, and it can be said that it is a large part that contributes to cost reduction.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an internal configuration of an XY coordinate input device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view in a state where the XY coordinate input device shown in FIG. 1 is mounted on a circuit board.

FIG. 3 is an operation explanatory diagram showing a state of rotation of a bowl-shaped member when an operation unit of the XY coordinate input device shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is tilted.

FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional side view showing an internal configuration of an XY coordinate input device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an external view of an XY coordinate input device according to still another embodiment of the present invention.

6 is a cross-sectional view of the XY coordinate input device shown in FIG.

[Description of Signs] 1 Circuit board 2 Housing 3 Rotating shaft 4 Oscillator 5 Cup-shaped member 5b, 5c Protrusion 5d Engagement groove 6 Resistor 8 Operating part 9 Brush (slider) 10 Support leg 11 Guide 13 Regulator shaft

Claims (3)

[Claims] An operating portion protrudes from an outer surface of the bowl, and the operating portion is allowed to rotate along a spherical surface. The detected objects provided at two places corresponding to the two great circles to be changed, and the rotation direction of the bowl-shaped member accompanying the tilting operation of the operation unit based on a change in the relative position between the detected objects. An XY coordinate input device comprising: a detection unit configured to detect a rotation amount as an X coordinate and a Y coordinate. 2. The XY coordinate input device according to claim 1, wherein said operation unit is provided at a top of said bowl-shaped member. 3. The XY coordinate input device according to claim 1, wherein a resistor is provided as an object to be detected on an inner surface or an outer surface of the bowl-shaped member, and the resistor is used as the detecting means. An XY coordinate input device, wherein the XY coordinate input device is brought into sliding contact with a constituent brush.