JP2001154799A - Pointing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To realize a pointing device capable of easily and efficiently controlling pressure when a ball for transfer detection is pressed by a ball halting means. SOLUTION: This pointing device is provided with a roller supporting lever 32 to be operated as a lever, a roll 15 to be rotatably installed on a working point of the roller supporting lever 32, a magnet 42 to be installed on a power point of the roll supporting lever 32 and an electromagnetic coil 41 to generate electromagnetic force by feeding current and to be installed so that the ball 10 is pressed by the roll 15 by repulsion between the electromagnetic force and the magnet 42.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a pointing device such as a trackball and a mouse used as an input device for a personal computer or the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, GUs have been used to improve the operability of PCs.
I (Graphical User Interface) is adopted,
A mouse, a pointing device, and the like are frequently used as a coordinate input device for designating an icon or the like on a display screen. Currently commonly used mice are:
In most cases, the amount of operation in the X-axis and Y-axis directions and the operation of two click switches are output by the user.

FIG. 1 is a structural view of a conventional mouse. The ball 10 is rotated by the operation of the mouse 1 by the user. An X-direction shaft 11 and a Y-direction shaft 12 are arranged so as to contact the ball 10 along an X-axis and a Y-axis orthogonal to the ball 10. In order to maintain contact between the ball 10 and the X-direction shaft 11 and between the ball 10 and the Y-direction shaft 12, a roller 15 is provided for pressing the ball 10 in a direction of 45 degrees with respect to the X axis and the Y axis.

[0004] X direction shaft 11 and Y direction shaft 1
An X-axis rotary encoder 20 and a Y-axis rotary encoder 21 are attached to the front end of the second 2, and detect the rotation direction and the rotation amount of the ball 10 separately in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction. The X-axis rotary encoder 20 has an X-axis slit disk 13, an X-axis light emitting element 16 and an X-bearing optical element 17, and the Y-axis rotary encoder 21 has a Y-axis slit disk 14, a Y-axis light emitting element 18 and a Y-bearing optical element 19. To
Prepare each. The X-axis slit disk 13 and the Y-axis slit disk 14 are provided with slits at fixed angles, respectively, and the light emitted from the X-axis light emitting element 16 and the Y-axis light emitting element 18 emits the X-axis slit disk 13 and the Y-axis light, respectively. The light passes through the Y-axis slit disk 14 and is received by the X-bearing optical element 17 and the Y-bearing optical element 19.

FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the rotary encoder, and FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the direction and amount of rotation of the shaft. Here, in order to simplify the description, the light emitting element 51, the light receiving element 52, and the slit disk 53 of FIGS.
Respectively correspond to the X-axis light-emitting element 16 and the Y-axis light-emitting element 18, the X-bearing light element 17 and the Y-bearing light element 19, and the X-axis slit disc 13 and the Y-axis slit disc 14, respectively, in FIG. . That is, FIGS. 2 and 3 can explain the rotation in both the X direction and the Y direction.

[0006] As shown in FIG.
Two optical light receiving elements, for example, photoconductors 54 and 55 are provided side by side. Assuming that the pulses detected by the photoconductors 54 and 55 and converted into electric signals are a pulse A and a pulse B, respectively, FIG.
Since the phase relationship between the pulse A and the pulse B changes depending on the rotation direction of the slit disk 53 as shown in FIG. 2B, the rotation direction of the slit disk 53 can be detected. Further, the rotation amount of the slit disk 53 can be detected by counting the pulse A or the pulse B.

FIG. 4 is a structural view showing a conventional method of stopping a ball. In order for the operation amount and operation direction of the mouse at the time of mouse operation to be normally reflected in each function of the application, it is necessary to always maintain contact between the ball and each shaft. For this reason, in the conventional example shown in FIG. 1, a roller 15 for pressing the ball in a direction of 45 degrees with respect to the X axis and the Y axis is provided as a stopping means for keeping the ball at a desired position.

In order to press the roller 15 against the ball 10, for example, there is a method utilizing the principle of leverage. In this method, as shown in FIG. 4, a roller supporting lever 32 that supports the roller 15 and operates as a lever as a whole is provided. The fulcrum 33 of the roller support lever 32 is fixed to the inner wall of the mouse case 34, the roller 15 is rotatably installed at the point of action of the roller support lever 32, and the spring 31 is
Are combined. In the conventional example, the roller 15 is pressed against the ball 10 in the horizontal direction by the elastic force of the spring 31, and the ball 10 is
So that you can always maintain contact with them.

FIG. 5 is a circuit diagram of a conventional mouse. The X-axis rotary encoder 20 and the Y-axis rotary encoder 21 are connected to a control block 22 built in the mouse 1. Similarly, signal lines (not shown) from the left and right click switches of the mouse 1 are also connected to the control block 22.

The control block 22 detects the moving direction and the moving amount of the mouse 1 from the outputs from the X-axis rotary encoder 20 and the Y-axis rotary encoder 21, and, together with the information from the left and right click switches, stores the information in a predetermined format. To be transmitted.

[0011]

In recent years, the size and weight of the mouse have been reduced, and it is common to use a synthetic resin or the like to further reduce the weight of the mouse movement detection ball. . When the weight of the ball is reduced, there is a problem that even when the mouse is operated, the ball spins on the floor surface on which the mouse is placed, and becomes slippery in a state where the rotation is locked. For example, in FIGS. 1 and 2, when the pressure of the roller 15 for holding the ball 10 in the horizontal direction is strong, when the ball 10 is lightweight, the frictional force between the ball 10 and the X-direction shaft 11 and the Y-direction shaft 12 increases. When the mouse is moved, the ball 1
This is because the zero and the floor surface easily slip. Therefore, as the weight of the ball is reduced, the pressure of the roller pressing the ball must be reduced. In general, when the mouse 1 is accelerated or decelerated, the ball 10 is easily separated from the X-direction shaft 11 or the Y-direction shaft 12 by inertia force,
The rotation of the ball 10 may not be transmitted to the X-direction shaft 11 or the Y-direction shaft 12 in some cases. For this reason, it is desirable to control the force with which the ball stopping means presses the ball to an appropriate magnitude to prevent the ball from spinning. However, in the above-described conventional example, the pressure at which the ball stopping means presses the ball cannot be precisely adjusted.

Furthermore, in PC applications or simulation games that are becoming more and more diversified, the mouse may be operated so that the user can often feel weight or vibration when operating the mouse in response to the progress. . Such a feeling of weight or vibration is generally realized by changing the frictional force between the ball of the mouse and the floor surface to intentionally make the movement of the ball difficult. That is, the change in the frictional force is controlled by a command from the host, and is made by adjusting the force with which the ball parking means mounted above the ball presses the ball. Such a mouse is particularly called a feedback mouse.

As a solution to the problem relating to such a ball parking means, for example, as disclosed in JP-A-62-75830 and JP-A-01-267721, a ball body is made of a magnetic material. A method of controlling the force applied to the ball by applying an electromagnetic force to the ball using an electromagnetic coil has been considered. In this case, since the force applied to the ball is an electromagnetic force, it can be easily variably controlled. However, since the material of the ball is a magnetic material, there is a limit to weight reduction. Further, as described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 08-50534, a method has been considered in which a friction pad is pressed from above the ball by an electromagnetic coil to control the force applied to the ball. Therefore, it can be said that there is a problem in durability. There is also a disadvantage that it is difficult to control the force applied to the ball to a desired magnitude.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a pointing device that can easily and efficiently control a force of pressing a ball for movement detection by a ball parking means.

[0015]

In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, as a ball stopping means, a roller supporting lever which operates as a lever and a roller supporting lever which is rotatably installed at an action point of the roller supporting lever. The roller, a magnet installed at the point of force of the roller support lever, and an electromagnetic coil that is generated so that the roller presses the ball by generating an electromagnetic force by flowing an electric current and repelling the electromagnetic force with the magnet. Prepare.

According to the present invention, it is possible to easily and variably control the pressure with which the ball holding means presses the ball, so that the ball for detecting the movement of the mouse can be prevented from spinning, and applications and the like can be prevented. It is also possible to easily operate the mouse so that the user can often feel a feeling of weight or vibration when operating the mouse in response to the progress of the mouse.

[0017]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Utilizing the principle of leverage, the position of the ball is adjusted by adjusting the force that presses the roller against the ball using the force of the interaction between the electromagnetic force and the magnet generated by applying current to the electromagnetic coil at the point of force of the roller support lever. Control. FIG. 6 is a structural diagram showing a first embodiment according to the present invention.

The ball stopping means according to this embodiment shown in FIG. 6 operates so that the roller 15 presses the ball 10 by the force generated by the interaction between the electromagnetic force generated by the electromagnetic coil 41 and the magnet 42. It is. The ball parking means includes a roller support lever 32 that operates as a lever. The fulcrum 33 of the roller support lever 32 is fixed to the inner wall of the mouse case 34, the roller 15 is rotatably installed at the point of action of the roller support lever 32, and the magnet 42 is installed at the point of force of the roller support lever 32. An electromagnetic coil 41 is provided adjacent to the magnet 42, and an electromagnetic force generated by flowing a current through the electromagnetic coil 41 interacts with the magnet 42 to generate a force. The magnet 4
2 may also be constituted by an electromagnetic coil.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG.
The roller 15 operates to hold down the ball 10 by the repulsive force of the magnet 42 and the electromagnetic force generated by the electromagnetic coil 41. As shown in FIG.
May be disposed on the ball 10 side, and the roller 15 may operate to press the ball 10 by the electromagnetic force and the attraction force of the magnet 42. In addition, the second
The same applies to the embodiments Nos. 1 to 4.

FIG. 7 is a circuit configuration diagram according to a first embodiment of the present invention. An X-axis rotary encoder 20 and a Y-axis rotary encoder 21 are connected to a control block 22 built in the mouse 1. Similarly, signal lines (not shown) from the left and right click switches of the mouse 1 are also connected to the control block 22.

The control block 22 according to the present embodiment includes an electromagnetic coil for controlling a current flowing through the electromagnetic coil 41, in addition to a processing unit for detecting the normal amount and direction of rotation of the ball and the operating state of the left / right click switch. And a current control unit 25. The electromagnetic coil current controller 25 is connected to the electromagnetic coil 41 via a current generation block 43. The current generation block 43 is a current source including a DA converter, a buffer, an amplifier, and the like. The magnet 42 is provided adjacent to the electromagnetic coil 41.

The operation principle of the mouse according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. Control block 2 shown in FIG.
2 detects a moving direction and a moving amount of the mouse 1 based on signals output from the X-axis rotary encoder 20 and the Y-axis rotary encoder 21, and, together with information from a left / right click switch, a host in a predetermined format. To be transmitted.

The current control unit 25 for the electromagnetic coil of the control block 22 performs a control based on signals output from the rotary encoder 20 for the X axis and the rotary encoder 21 for the Y axis.
The magnitude of acceleration / deceleration of the mouse 1 is determined, and the current control signal 10
1 is generated. The generation of the current control signal 101 is realized by using a current control signal generation table stored in the electromagnetic coil current control unit 25 in advance. The current control signal generation table lists current control signals that instruct to generate a current corresponding to the magnitude of acceleration / deceleration of the mouse 1. The magnitude of acceleration / deceleration of the mouse 1 is detected based on signals output from the X-axis rotary encoder 20 and the Y-axis rotary encoder 21 by a method described later.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the relationship between the magnitude of acceleration / deceleration and the current control signal in the first embodiment of the present invention.
As shown in FIG. 8, when the acceleration / deceleration of the mouse 1 is large,
The ball 10 is moved by an inertia force to the X-direction shaft 11 or Y
The current control signal 10 increases the current flowing through the electromagnetic coil 41 because the current control signal 10
1 is generated. By increasing the current flowing through the electromagnetic coil 41, the magnitude of the electromagnetic force generated by the electromagnetic coil increases, so that the force repelling the magnet 42 increases.
Will be strongly pressed. Roller 15 is ball 10
Is limited to a predetermined amount,
When the magnitude of deceleration is greater than a predetermined size Acc ₁ sends a i _max as shown in Figure 8 as a current control signal 101 to the current generation block 43. Also,
Since the roller 15 needs to press the ball 10 even when the mouse 1 is stationary, the current control signal 1
Then, i ₀ as shown in FIG. 8 is sent to the current generation block 43 as 01.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart for detecting the magnitude of acceleration / deceleration of the mouse and generating a current control signal. X-axis rotary encoder 20 and Y-axis rotary encoder 2
The moving direction and the moving amount in the X direction and the Y direction at predetermined time intervals, which are calculated based on the signal output from 1, are count values X and Y, and the previous count values in the X direction and the Y direction are X
The difference between 0, Y0, and the count value from the previous time is represented by ΔX (= X−X
0), ΔY (= Y−Y0), and the magnitude of acceleration / deceleration is Acc.

First, in step 201, X0 = 0 and Y0 = 0 as initialization processing, and in step 202, a timer is started. Next, in step 203, X
Based on signals output from the rotary encoder 20 for the axis and the rotary encoder 21 for the Y axis,
The moving direction and the moving amount of the direction are detected as count values X and Y at predetermined time intervals until the timer is over in step 204. This detection is performed by counting the pulses as described with reference to FIGS.

Next, in step 205, the electromagnetic coil current control unit 25 in FIG. 7 calculates ΔX = XX−0 and ΔY = Y−Y0 as the difference between the count value and the previous value. In step 206, the electromagnetic coil current control unit 25 calculates Acc = (ΔX ² + ΔY ² ) as the magnitude of acceleration / deceleration. Next, in step 207, the electromagnetic coil current control unit 25 generates the current control signal 101 corresponding to the acceleration Acc by using the current control signal generation table described with reference to FIG. Block 43
Send to

In step 208, control block 2
2 transmits the count values X and Y as the moving direction and the moving amount of the mouse 1 together with the information from the left and right click switches to the host via the cable 24 in a predetermined format. Then, in step 209, the count value X,
Y is set to X0, Y0 as the previous count value, and the count values X, Y are cleared, and the process returns to step 202.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the current control signal 101 is generated using the current control signal generation table. As an alternative, the X-axis rotary encoder 20 may be used.
And a signal output from the Y-axis rotary encoder 21 and may be generated by arithmetic processing in a logic circuit or the like. The current generation block 43 generates a desired current based on the current control signal 101 and sends the generated current to the electromagnetic coil 41. An electromagnetic force corresponding to the magnitude of the flowing current is generated in the electromagnetic coil 41. That is, when the current flowing through the electromagnetic coil 41 is increased, the generated electromagnetic force increases. The current generation block
This can be realized by a known technique.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the current generation block. The current generation block 43 according to the present embodiment includes
As shown by 0, a current generating circuit in which four constant current circuits each including two transistors are connected in parallel is used.
The control CPU 45 in the current generation block 43 sends a signal for controlling on / off of each of the transistors Tr ₂ , Tr ₄ , Tr ₆ , Tr ₈ to each port P ₁ , P so that a current corresponding to the current control signal 101 is generated. ₂ , P ₃ and P ₄ respectively. The resistance value of each constant current circuit is R ₁ =
R _2/2 = is related to _{R 3/4 = R 4/} 8, is possible to generate a current having a magnitude of ways total 16 by on-off control of the transistors _{Tr 2, Tr 4, Tr 6} , Tr 8 it can. For example, when the current control signal 101 has the maximum value i
_{When max} , the transistors Tr ₂ , Tr ₄ , Tr
_6, all Tr ₈ is turned on, generates a maximum current value I _max. Further, for example, the transistor Tr ₂ and Tr ₈ on, turning off the Tr ₄ and Tr _6, the I _max 9/1
A current of magnitude 6 is generated. In this embodiment, 4
Although the number of the constant current circuits is used, the more the number is, the more finely the current can be generated.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing another example of the current generation block. In this embodiment, digital data from the control CPU 45 in the current generation block 43 is converted into an analog voltage value by a digital-to-analog converter 46, and a current is output by a current converter 47. The electromagnetic force repels the magnet 42 by the current generated in this manner, and the repulsive force presses the roller 15 at the point of action against the ball 10 so that the ball 10 moves during acceleration and deceleration.
Keep away from the directional shaft 12.

As described above, the ball parking means according to the present embodiment uses the electromagnetic force of the electromagnetic coil 44 to press the roller 15 against the ball 10, so that the current flowing through the electromagnetic coil 41 increases during acceleration / deceleration. The current always flows through the electromagnetic coil 41 regardless of the movement of the mouse. The second embodiment according to the present invention combines the elastic force of the spring and the force generated by the interaction between the electromagnetic force and the magnet as the force for pressing the roller against the ball. That is, in this embodiment, the roller is pressed against the ball using only the elastic force of the spring except during acceleration / deceleration, and the roller is used during acceleration / deceleration using the elastic force of the spring and the repulsive force between the electromagnet and the magnet. Press against the ball.

FIG. 12 is a structural view showing a second embodiment according to the present invention. The configuration of the control circuit in the mouse according to the present embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment in FIG. FIG.
As shown in FIG. 7, in this embodiment, a spring 31 and a magnet 42 are provided at the point of action of the roller support lever 32. The electromagnetic coil current control unit 25 determines whether or not the mouse 1 is accelerating or decelerating based on signals output from the X-axis rotary encoder 20 and the Y-axis rotary encoder 21. Generate The generation of the current control signal 101 is realized by using a current control signal generation table stored in advance in the electromagnetic coil current control unit 25 as in the first embodiment. The detection of the acceleration of the mouse is performed by the same method as that described with reference to FIG. 9 in the first embodiment.

The mouse 1 is displayed in the current control signal generation table.
A current control signal instructing to generate a current corresponding to the magnitude of the acceleration / deceleration is listed. That is, the presence or absence of acceleration / deceleration of the mouse 1 is detected based on signals from the X-axis rotary encoder 20 and the Y-axis rotary encoder 21, and if it is determined that the mouse 1 is not being accelerated / decelerated,
When it is determined that no current flows through the electromagnetic coil 41 and the mouse 1 is being accelerated or decelerated, a current corresponding to the magnitude of the acceleration or deceleration is caused to flow.

FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the relationship between the magnitude of acceleration / deceleration and the current control signal in the second embodiment of the present invention. In the present embodiment, the spring 3
The roller 15 is pressed against the ball 10 with only one elastic force. When the mouse 1 is accelerating and decelerating, an electromagnetic force is generated by flowing a current according to the magnitude of the acceleration and deceleration to the electromagnetic coil 41, and a repulsive force generated between the electromagnetic force and the magnet 42 and a spring are generated. Since the roller 15 is pressed against the ball 10 with the elastic force of 31, the current control signal 101 such that the current flowing through the electromagnetic coil 41 becomes 0 as shown in FIG.
Generate In this embodiment, the electromagnetic coil 41 is used only during acceleration / deceleration.
Therefore, the current consumption is improved as compared with the first embodiment.

The electromagnetic coil current control unit 25 generates a current control signal 101 using the current control signal generation table, and outputs it to the current generation block 43. In the present embodiment, the current control signal 1 is set using the current control signal generation table.
01, but as an alternative, the rotary encoder 20 for the X axis and the rotary encoder 21 for the Y axis
May be generated by arithmetic processing in a logic circuit or the like using the signal output from

The current generation block 43 corresponds to FIG.
In the same manner as described with reference to FIG.
01, and a desired current is generated and supplied to the electromagnetic coil 41. An electromagnetic force corresponding to the magnitude of the flowing current is generated in the electromagnetic coil 41. That is, when the flowing current increases, the generated electromagnetic force increases. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 6, a roller 15 is used as the ball stopping means according to the first and second embodiments so that the ball 10 does not separate from the X-direction shaft 11 and the Y-direction shaft 12 during acceleration and deceleration. Although the ball is pressed horizontally against the ball 10, in the third embodiment of the present invention, the force of the ball 10 is also applied to the ball 10 in the vertical direction by providing the ball stopping means obliquely above the ball. To do. As a result, the magnitude of the frictional force between the floor surface and the ball 10 can be adjusted, so that it is possible to provide a mouse that allows the user to experience a feeling of weight or vibration when operating the mouse in accordance with the progress of an application or the like. .

FIG. 14 is a structural view showing a third embodiment according to the present invention. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 14, the fulcrum 33 of the roller support lever 32 is installed diagonally above the ball 10, and the repulsive force generated between the electromagnetic coil 41 and the magnet 42 is applied to the roller support lever 32. The structure is such that the roller 15 at the point of action presses the ball 10 obliquely downward by applying it to the point of force. That is, according to the present embodiment, the ball 10 can be pressed not only in the horizontal direction but also in the vertical direction. As long as the roller 15 can press the ball 10 obliquely downward, the fulcrum 33 and the point of force of the roller support lever 32 may be at positions other than those shown in FIG.

The roller 15 is positioned at the point of action of the roller support lever 32.
Is installed rotatably, and a magnet 42 is installed at the point of force of the roller support lever 32. Further, an electromagnetic coil 41 is provided adjacent to the magnet 42, and an electromagnetic force generated by applying a current to the electromagnetic coil 41 interacts with the magnet 42 to generate a force. Note that the magnet 42 may also be configured by an electromagnetic coil.

FIG. 15 is a circuit configuration diagram according to a third embodiment of the present invention. X-axis rotary encoder 20 and Y
The shaft rotary encoder 21 is connected to a control block 22 built in the mouse 1. Similarly, mouse 1
The respective signal lines (not shown) from the left and right click switches are also connected to the control block 22.

The control block 22 according to the present embodiment includes an electromagnetic coil for controlling a current flowing through the electromagnetic coil 41, in addition to a processing unit for detecting a normal amount and direction of rotation of the ball and a left / right click switch operating state. And a current control unit 25. The electromagnetic coil current controller 25 is connected to the electromagnetic coil 41 via a current generation block 43. The current generation block 43 is a current source including a DA converter, a buffer, an amplifier, and the like. The magnet 42 is provided adjacent to the electromagnetic coil 41.

In this embodiment, a cable 26 for transmitting a feedback signal from the host to the control block 22 is further provided in addition to the cable 24 for transmitting normal mouse operation information to the host. The feedback signal is
The instruction is to instruct the user to increase the frictional force between the ball of the mouse and the floor so that the user can feel the feeling of weight or vibration when operating the mouse, and is calculated in advance in the host computer and sent through the cable 26. .

Referring to FIGS. 14 and 15, the principle of operation of the ball parking means according to the present embodiment will be described. The electromagnetic coil current control unit 25 generates a current control signal 101 based on signals from the X-axis rotary encoder 20 and the Y-axis rotary encoder 21 and a feedback signal sent from the host via the cable 26. I do. As described with reference to FIG. 9, the X-axis rotary encoder 20
And the acceleration / deceleration of the mouse 1 is detected based on the signal from the Y-axis rotary encoder 21. The generation of the current control signal 101 is realized by using a current control signal generation table stored in the electromagnetic coil current control unit 25 in advance.

The mouse 1 is displayed in the current control signal generation table.
A current control signal for instructing to generate a corresponding current based on the information on acceleration / deceleration of the vehicle and the information on feedback sent from the host is listed.
That is, the force by which the roller 15 presses the ball 10 in the horizontal direction is based on the magnitude of this acceleration / deceleration in the manner described with reference to FIG. 8, and the force by which the roller 15 presses the ball 10 in the vertical direction. Is based on the feedback signal. In the present embodiment, the current control signal 101 is generated so that the resultant force in these two directions becomes a desired force when the ball parking means presses the ball.

The current control unit 25 for the electromagnetic coil uses the current control signal generation table to generate a desired current control signal 10.
1 is generated and output to the current generation block 43. As described above, in the present embodiment, the current control signal 101 is generated using the current control signal generation table. As an alternative example, the signals output from the X-axis rotary encoder 20 and the Y-axis rotary encoder 21 are generated. It may be generated by arithmetic processing using a logic circuit or the like.

The current generation block 43 corresponds to FIG.
In the same manner as described with reference to FIG.
01, and a desired current is generated and supplied to the electromagnetic coil 41. An electromagnetic force corresponding to the magnitude of the flowing current is generated in the electromagnetic coil 41. That is, when the current flowing through the electromagnetic coil 41 is increased, the generated electromagnetic force increases. The electromagnetic force generated in this way repels the magnet 42, and the roller 15 at the point of action is pressed obliquely downward onto the ball 10 by the repulsive force.

In this embodiment, similarly to the first embodiment, the roller 15 is pressed against the ball 10 using only the electromagnetic force of the electromagnetic coil 44, so that the current is applied to the electromagnetic coil 41 regardless of the movement of the mouse. Will always flow. In addition, the magnitude of the current changes based on not only the magnitude of acceleration / deceleration of the mouse but also a feedback instruction from the host.

The fourth embodiment according to the present invention is an alternative to the third embodiment described with reference to FIGS.
In the present embodiment, the ball parking means is divided into a horizontal direction and a vertical direction so that the ball idling prevention and the feedback function are individually controlled. FIG. 16 is a structural diagram showing a fourth embodiment according to the present invention.

The horizontal ball stopping means is for preventing the ball from spinning, and presses the ball 10 in the horizontal direction so as to always contact the X-direction shaft 11 and the Y-direction shaft 12. A fulcrum 33 of the roller support lever 32 is fixed to the inner wall of the mouse case 34, and the roller support lever 32
The roller 15 is rotatably installed at the point of application of the force, and the magnet 42 is installed at the point of force of the roller support lever 32. An electromagnetic coil 41 is provided adjacent to the magnet 42, and an electromagnetic force generated by flowing a current through the electromagnetic coil 41 interacts with the magnet 42 to generate a force. Note that the magnet 42 may also be configured by an electromagnetic coil.

Further, the ball stopping means for the vertical direction has a purpose of a feedback function, and changes the frictional force between the ball 10 and the floor surface by adjusting the force pressing the ball 10 in the vertical direction. As shown in FIG. 16, the roller support lever 32 ′ is provided at right angles to the horizontal roller support lever 32, that is, the roller 15 ′ rotatably installed at the point of action of the roller support lever 32 ′ is provided on the ball 10. Are arranged so that the can be pressed vertically. A magnet 42 'is installed at the point of force of the roller support lever 32'. Also,
An electromagnetic coil 41 'is provided adjacent to the magnet 42'. Note that the magnet 42 'may also be constituted by an electromagnetic coil.

FIG. 17 is a circuit diagram according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. X-axis rotary encoder 20 and Y
The shaft rotary encoder 21 is connected to a control block 22 built in the mouse 1. Similarly, mouse 1
The respective signal lines (not shown) from the left and right click switches are also connected to the control block 22.

The control block 22 according to the present embodiment includes a processing unit for detecting the amount and direction of normal rotation of the ball and the operating state of the left / right click switch, and a horizontal direction for controlling the current flowing through the electromagnetic coil 41. It further includes an electromagnetic coil current controller 25 and a vertical electromagnetic coil current controller 25 'for controlling the current flowing through the electromagnetic coil 41'. The current control unit 25 for the horizontal electromagnetic coil and the current control unit 25 ′ for the vertical electromagnetic coil respectively receive the electromagnetic coil 41 and the electromagnetic coil 41 via the current generator 43 for the horizontal direction and the current generator 43 ′ for the vertical. 'Connected. Horizontal current generation block 4
3 and the vertical current generation block 43 ′ are respectively
It is a current source including a DA converter, a buffer, an amplifier, and the like. The magnets 42 and 42 'are disposed adjacent to the electromagnetic coils 41 and 41', respectively.

In this embodiment, a cable 26 for transmitting a feedback signal from the host to the control block 22 is further provided in addition to the cable 24 for transmitting normal mouse operation information to the host. The operation principle of the mouse according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. The current control unit 25 for the horizontal electromagnetic coil uses the same method as that of the first embodiment to rotate the X-axis rotary encoder 20 and the Y-axis encoder.
Based on the signal output from the rotary encoder 21 for the shaft, the current corresponding to the magnitude of the acceleration / deceleration of the mouse 1 is calculated using the current control signal generation table in the same manner as the method described with reference to FIG. A control signal 101 is generated.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the current control signal 101 is generated by using the current control signal generation table. As an alternative, the X-axis rotary encoder 20 may be used.
And a signal output from the Y-axis rotary encoder 21 and may be generated by arithmetic processing in a logic circuit or the like. The vertical electromagnetic coil current control unit 25 'generates a current control signal 101' based on a feedback signal sent from the host via the cable 26. The generation of the current control signal 101 ′ is realized using a table as in the case of the horizontal direction, but as an alternative example, the current control signal 101 ′ may be generated by arithmetic processing using a feedback circuit and a logic circuit.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the current control signal 101 for the horizontal direction and the current control signal 10 for the horizontal direction are used.
By generating 1 ′, the electromagnetic force in the horizontal direction and the electromagnetic force in the vertical direction can be individually controlled. The horizontal current generation block 43 and the vertical current generation block 43 ′ generate a desired current based on the current control signals 101 and 101 ′, respectively, using the method described with reference to FIG. Electromagnetic coils 41 and 41 '
Pour Electromagnetic forces corresponding to the magnitudes of these currents are generated. When the current flowing through each of the electromagnetic coils 41 and 41 'is increased, the generated electromagnetic force is increased. Each generated electromagnetic force generates a repulsive force between the magnets 42 and 42 '.

The electromagnetic force generated by the electromagnetic coil 41 and the magnet 4
As shown in FIG. 16, the horizontal repulsive force between the roller 2 and the roller 2 pushes the roller 15 at the point of action of the roller support lever 32 against the ball 10 so that the ball 10 is accelerated and decelerated. The ball 10 is prevented from spinning while not leaving the shaft 12. Also, the electromagnetic coil 4
The vertical repulsion between the electromagnetic force generated by 1 'and the magnet 42' presses the roller 15 'at the point of action of the roller support lever 32' against the ball 10. In this way, the frictional force between the ball 10 and the floor is adjusted, and the feedback is performed. For example, in order to allow the user to feel heavy when operating the mouse, the current flowing through the electromagnetic coil 41 'may be increased to increase the electromagnetic force. Also,
In order to allow the user to feel the vibration, the magnitude of the current flowing through the electromagnetic coil 41 'may be precisely controlled, and the magnitude of the generated electromagnetic force may be fluctuated little by little.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the rollers for pressing the ball are divided into those for the horizontal direction and those for the vertical direction, so that the prevention of the idling of the ball and the feedback function can be individually controlled. In this embodiment, in the horizontal direction, the roller 15 is pressed against the ball 10 by using only the repulsive force between the electromagnetic force generated by the electromagnetic coil 41 and the magnet 42, and therefore, regardless of the movement of the mouse. Therefore, a current always flows through the electromagnetic coil 41. As an alternative, a spring (not shown) may be further connected to the point of action of the roller support lever 32 shown in FIG. 16 as in the second embodiment described above. The current control signal generation table in this case is the same as the method described with reference to FIG. 13, that is, the roller is pressed against the ball using only the elastic force of the spring except when the mouse 1 is being accelerated or decelerated. During acceleration / deceleration, an electromagnetic force is generated by flowing a current corresponding to the magnitude of the acceleration / deceleration to the electromagnetic coil 41, and the repulsive force generated between the electromagnetic force and the magnet 42 and the elastic force of the spring 31. Then, the roller 15 is pressed against the ball 10 in the horizontal direction. By doing so, a current flows through the electromagnetic coil 41 only during acceleration / deceleration in the horizontal direction, so that current consumption can be improved.

Also, those skilled in the art can easily imagine that the present invention can be applied to a trackball.

[0059]

As described above, according to the present invention,
Since the pressure at which the ball parking means presses the ball can be easily adjusted, the ball for detecting the movement of the pointing device can be prevented from spinning, and the operation of the pointing device can be prevented in accordance with the progress of the application or the like. The pointing device can be easily operated so that the user can often feel the feeling of weight or vibration.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a structural diagram of a conventional mouse.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an operation of a rotary encoder.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a rotation direction and a rotation amount of a shaft.

FIG. 4 is a structural view showing a ball parking method according to a conventional example.

FIG. 5 is a circuit configuration diagram of a conventional mouse.

FIG. 6 is a structural diagram showing a first embodiment according to the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a circuit configuration diagram according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the relationship between the magnitude of acceleration / deceleration and a current control signal in the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart of detecting the magnitude of acceleration / deceleration of a mouse and generating a current control signal.

FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a current generation block.

FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating another example of the current generation block.

FIG. 12 is a structural diagram showing a second embodiment according to the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the relationship between the magnitude of acceleration / deceleration and a current control signal in a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 14 is a structural diagram showing a third embodiment according to the present invention.

FIG. 15 is a circuit configuration diagram according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 16 is a structural diagram showing a fourth embodiment according to the present invention.

FIG. 17 is a circuit configuration diagram according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Mouse 10 ... Ball 11 ... X direction shaft 12 ... Y direction shaft 13 ... X axis slit 14 ... Y axis slit 15 ... Roller 16 ... X axis light emitting element 17 ... X bearing light element 18 ... Y axis light emitting element 19 ... Y Bearing optical element 20 ... Encoder for X axis 21 ... Encoder for Y axis 22 ... Control block 24, 26 ... Cable 25 ... Current control block for electromagnetic coil 31 ... Spring 32 ... Roll support lever 33 ... Support point 41 ... Electromagnetic coil 42 ... Magnet 43 ... Current generation block

Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. A ball, first and second shafts installed orthogonally to each other for detecting a moving amount and a moving direction of the ball, and a first ball for holding the ball at a desired position A first ball holding means that operates as a lever, and a first roller supporting lever rotatably installed at an action point of the first roller supporting lever. A first roller, a first magnet installed at a point of force of the first roller support lever, and a first electromagnetic coil that generates a first electromagnetic force by flowing a first current. The first electromagnetic coil includes a first electromagnetic coil that presses the ball with the first roller by a force generated by an interaction between the first electromagnetic force and the first magnet. Pointing pointing device . 2. The pointing device according to claim 1, wherein the first ball stopping means presses the ball to make the ball always contact the first and second shafts. 3. The first ball stopping means presses the ball to constantly contact the ball with the first and second shafts, and places the ball at a lower surface of the ball. The pointing device according to claim 1, wherein the pointing device is pressed down. 4. A second method for stopping the ball at a desired position.
3. The pointing device according to claim 2, further comprising: a second roller supporting lever that operates as a lever; and a second roller supporting lever that operates as a lever. 4. A second roller rotatably installed at the point of action, a second magnet installed at the point of force of the second roller support lever, and generating a second electromagnetic force by flowing a second current. A second electromagnetic coil, the second electromagnetic coil being pressed by the second roller against the ball by a force generated by an interaction between the second electromagnetic force and the second magnet. A pointing device comprising: an electromagnetic coil, wherein the second ball parking means presses the ball and presses the ball against a floor located below the ball. 5. The pointing device according to claim 1, wherein the first electromagnetic force is adjusted by controlling the first current according to a moving state of the ball. 6. The pointing device according to claim 4, wherein the second electromagnetic force is adjusted by controlling the second current according to a moving state of the ball. 7. The first ball stopping means further includes a spring at a force point of the roller supporting lever, and an elastic force generated by the spring and a first electromagnetic force generated by the first electromagnetic coil. The pointing device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the ball is pressed using a force generated by an interaction between the ball and the first magnet. 8. The pointing device according to claim 1, wherein the magnitude of the electromagnetic force can be controlled from a host side.