JP2001109569A - Pointing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a pointing device which can point by the slight movement of a finger enabling speedy input and prevent its click button from being misoperated. SOLUTION: This device has a ring part 10 and a pointing part 11 and a click button 12a at the outer periphery of the ring part 10, and also has a click button 12b at the inner periphery of the ring part 10. This constitution enables an operator to do speedy clock operation.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a pointing device for a computer and a network device, and more particularly to a pointing device for a finger.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An example of a finger-mounted pointing device of this type is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 10-301706 (title of the invention: mounted pointing device). FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of the pointing device described in this publication. This pointing device device includes a stick 220 for generating signals of X and Y two-dimensional coordinate components for moving the pointer, and a click switch 230 formed concentrically around the stick 220 and corresponding to a left click of a mouse. A click switch 231 corresponding to a right click of a mouse, and a transmitting device 21 for wirelessly transmitting these signals to the computer main body
3 and a click operation, a pointer movement, a drag / drop operation, and the like can be performed with one thumb.

[0003]

As described above, in the conventional pointing device, a click switch corresponding to a right click is arranged in parallel with a click switch corresponding to a left click, and each of them is a thumb switch.
It is decided to operate with one. In such a configuration, it is necessary to move the thumb along the index finger at the time of operation, so if the distance between the right click equivalent click button and the left click equivalent click button is not sufficient, In addition, the shift of the thumb is not sufficient, which may cause an erroneous operation. Conversely, if the distance between the right-click-equivalent click button and the left-click-equivalent click button is too large, it may be difficult to move the thumb. Further, it is a major premise that the users of the pointing device devices are not always the same, and if the users differ, the length and thickness of the finger naturally differ, so that the effectiveness of the pointing device device is lost. was there.

The present invention has been made in view of such a point, and a purpose thereof is to be able to point with a slight movement of a finger to enable quick input and to prevent erroneous operation of a click button. A device device is provided. Another object of the present invention is to provide a pointing device that can be used efficiently for power saving.

[0005]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, in a finger-mounted pointing device used for a computer device and a network device, a ring portion to be fitted to an operator's finger and an outer periphery of the ring portion are provided. It is characterized by comprising a pointing part and a click button provided on the inner periphery of the ring part. With this configuration, the operator can perform a quick click operation.

A second invention is directed to the pointing device according to the first invention, wherein the pointing device is further provided with a click button on the outer periphery of the ring portion. With this configuration, the click button having the left-click function and the click button having the right-click function are configured differently, so that the operator can prevent an erroneous operation and can perform a quick click operation.

A third aspect of the present invention is the pointing device according to the second aspect, wherein a click button provided on an outer periphery of the ring portion is integrated with the pointing portion. According to such a configuration, the click operation can be performed as it is with the finger that has operated the pointing unit, so that a quicker click operation is possible.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in a finger-mounted pointing device used for a computer device and a network device, a ring portion to be fitted to an operator's finger;
And a power switch provided on the inner periphery of the ring portion. With this configuration, the power can be turned on when the operator puts the pointing device on a finger, and thus the power consumption of the pointing device can be reduced.

A fifth invention is the pointing device according to the fourth invention, characterized in that click buttons are provided on the outer periphery and the inner periphery of the ring portion. With this configuration, a quick and accurate click operation can be performed without worrying about whether the power of the pointing device is turned on or off.

A sixth invention is the pointing device according to the fourth or fifth invention, wherein the position of the power switch provided is closer to the palm of the hand than the position of the click button provided on the inner periphery of the ring portion. It is characterized by.
In general, the thickness of the human body finger becomes thicker as it is closer to the palm than the fingertip, so with this configuration, the power switch always touches the back of the operator's finger, and the click button provided on the inner circumference of the ring part It is not affected by the movement of the finger of the operator who operates.

A seventh aspect of the present invention is the pointing device according to the first to sixth aspects, wherein the ring portion is fitted in the index finger of the operator and is located at a position which can be fixed by the middle finger of the operator. Features. With this configuration, it is possible to prevent the pointing device from vibrating due to a pointing operation or a click operation.

An eighth aspect of the present invention is the pointing device according to the first to seventh aspects, wherein the signal transmitting section is provided in a state inclined forward. With this configuration, the signal converted inside the pointing device can be transmitted to the signal receiving unit provided in the personal computer body.

[0013]

(Embodiment 1) Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1A is a perspective view when the wearable pointing device of one embodiment of the present invention is worn on a finger, and FIG. 1B is a perspective view of a personal computer main body. As shown in FIG. 1A, a pointing device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a ring portion 10 and a pointing portion 11 on the outer periphery of the ring portion 10.
And a click button 12a on the inner periphery of the ring portion 10. Also, the ring part 10
And a battery 14 inside. Further, the click button 12a provided on the outer periphery of the ring portion is located at the lower part of the pointing portion 11 as is clear from the front view when the pointing device device according to the embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. .

By operating the pointing unit 11 with the thumb, the pointing device 1 is switched to a signal generation circuit (not shown) for the X and Y two-dimensional coordinate components, and a switching signal circuit (FIG. 1) by operating the click buttons 12a and 12b. And a wireless signal circuit (not shown) for converting these signals into wireless signals. These signal processing circuits have the same configuration as that of the conventional example. As shown in FIG. 1B, the personal computer includes a signal receiving unit 15 that receives a signal from the signal transmitting unit 13 provided in the pointing device 1. The position where the signal receiving section 15 should be provided in the personal computer body is not particularly limited to this case, as long as it can appropriately receive a signal.

FIG. 3 is a front view of a pointing device according to another embodiment of the present invention. The power switch 20 is provided on the inner periphery of the ring portion 10. The power switch 20 is configured to face the back of the operator's finger.

Next, the operation of the embodiment of the present invention will be described.
This will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 1A, the pointing device 1 is attached to the index finger of the dominant hand of the operator. The positioning device 1 is positioned so as to be located between the first joint and the second joint of the index finger of the operator. The positioning means may be capable of appropriately adjusting the diameter of the ring portion 10 or may use an auxiliary member.

Since the pointing device 1 is set so as to be located between the first joint and the second joint of the index finger of the operator, the pointing unit provided on the outer periphery of the ring 10 of the pointing device 1 is provided. 1
1 and the click button 12a are located on the belly of the operator's thumb. As shown in FIG. 2, in order to secure the holding of the pointing device 1, a concave portion is provided in a portion of the outer periphery of the ring portion 10 which is held by the middle finger of the operator. The holding of the pointing device 1 may be ensured by changing the material of the contact surface with the middle finger.

With the pointing device 1 held by the index finger and the middle finger, the surface of the pointing unit 11 is traced with the belly of the thumb. X, Y generated by such operation
The signal of the two-dimensional coordinate component is transmitted from the signal transmitting unit 13 by a signal processing circuit built in the pointing device device 1, and the signal receiving unit 15 moves the pointer on the display of the personal computer that receives the signal. The signal transmitting unit 13 includes a signal receiving unit 1 provided in the personal computer main body.
Turn the transmitting face forward so that 5 can receive the signal properly. It is desirable that the inclination angle of the signal transmission surface with respect to the signal reception surface is larger than 0 degree and smaller than 180 degrees.

As shown in FIG. 3 and FIG.
The power switch 14 and the click button 12b are provided on the inner circumference of the power switch. The power switch 14 is provided at a position facing the back of the operator's finger, and the click button 12b is provided at a position facing the belly of the operator's finger. Power switch 14
Is provided on the inner periphery of the ring portion 10 at a position closer to the palm of the operator than the click button 12b. Since the diameter of the finger increases as it approaches the palm, the power switch 14 is pressed when the pointing device 1 is mounted, and the power is turned ON / OFF by this switch mechanism.
F is determined. Therefore, when the pointing device 1 is not mounted on the finger, no pressure is applied to the power switch and the power is turned off. If the power can be turned on / off by triggering a finger, the power switch 14 may not be a compression button but may use a sensing means such as a heat sensor.

The click button 12b is connected to the ring 1
It is provided at a position close to the fingertip on the inner circumference of 0. Since the pointing device 1 itself is held between the first joint and the second joint of the index finger of the operator, the operator can press the click button 12b simply by arbitrarily applying force to the finger. The switching signal obtained by pressing the click button 12b functions on the display via the signal transmission unit 13 and the signal reception unit 15 by a switching signal circuit or a wireless signal conversion circuit built in the pointing device 1. .

(Embodiment 2) As shown in FIG. 5, a click function is added to a pointing unit 11 provided on the outer periphery of a ring unit 10 of the pointing device device 1, so that the operation is made simpler and the device is downsized. May be planned.
By tracing the pointing part 11 with the thumb, X
By generating a signal of the Y two-dimensional coordinate component and further pressing the portion in the direction of arrow A, the function of a click button is performed and a switching signal is obtained.

[0022]

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1A is a perspective view when a wearable pointing device according to an embodiment of the present invention is worn on a finger, and FIG. 1B is a perspective view of a personal computer main body.

FIG. 2 is a front view of one embodiment of the present invention (when mounted).

FIG. 3 is a front view of one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a side view of one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a front view of another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a conventional pointing device device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 1 pointing device device 10 ring unit 11 pointing unit 12a click button 12b click button 13 signal transmission unit 14 battery 15 signal reception unit 20 power switch 220 stick 230 click switch 213 transmission device

Claims (8)

[Claims] A finger-mounted pointing device used for a computer device and a network device, wherein a ring portion to be fitted to an operator's finger, a pointing portion provided on the outer periphery of the ring portion, and an inner periphery of the ring portion are provided. A pointing device, comprising: a click button. 2. The pointing device according to claim 1, wherein a click button is provided on an outer periphery of the ring portion. 3. The pointing device according to claim 2, wherein a click button provided on an outer periphery of the ring portion is formed integrally with the pointing. 4. A finger-mounted pointing device used for a computer device and a network device, comprising: a ring portion fitted into an operator's finger; and a power switch provided on an inner periphery of the ring portion. Characteristic pointing device. 5. The pointing device according to claim 4, wherein click buttons are provided on the outer circumference and inner circumference of the ring portion. 6. The pointing device according to claim 4, wherein a position of a power switch provided on an inner periphery of the ring portion is closer to a palm than a position of a click button provided on an inner periphery of the ring portion. Device equipment. 7. The pointing device according to claim 1, wherein the ring portion can be fixed with an operator's middle finger while being fitted to the operator's index finger. 8. The pointing device according to claim 1, wherein the signal transmission section is provided in a state inclined forward.