JP2002041242A - Input device with drawing fade-out function and method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To solve the problem that positioning a relative position between a trace drawn earlier and the trace drawn later is difficult. SOLUTION: A pointing device 1 is provided with an LCD 6 under a touch panel 2. A control section 3 controls data processing and a flow. A touch panel control section 7 connected with the touch panel, sends the coordinate to the control section when an operator touches the touch panel. A display control section 5 connected with the LCD, draws the coordinate data sent from the control section on the LCD with the drawing density. A host 9, a memory section 8, and a timer section 4 connected with the control section, perform display to the outside, data storage, and timekeeping, respectively. The trace which the operator has drawn is left, and the trace becomes pale gradually along with passage of time (fades out), then the shade difference between the trace drawn earlier and the trace drawn later, comes out to be recognized, thereby overwriting in sequence, and drawing characters and figures on a determined area dynamically.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an input device and a method having a drawing fade-out function, and more particularly to a device in which a trajectory drawn by an operator remains and the trajectory gradually fades (fade out) with the passage of time. Inputs with a drawing fade-out function that allows you to distinguish between the previously drawn locus and the later drawn locus, so that you can overwrite one after another and draw characters and figures dynamically in a limited area It relates to an apparatus and a method.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a handwriting input method in a computer device is a diagram showing an input device of a conventional notebook personal computer shown in FIG. 9, but a slide pad and a pen mounted on the notebook personal computer as shown in FIG. There are methods and tablets to use. However, since these devices do not have a liquid crystal, FIG. 8 shows drawing and display using a conventional input device. However, as shown in FIG. 8A, a rectangle indicated by oblique lines on a slide pad of the input device. 8B, there is a problem that the display of the personal computer is displaced from the left-hand side of the hatched rectangle and overlaps, as shown in FIG. 8B. .

[0003] This is because the drawn locus cannot be confirmed at hand, and the sensation becomes confused as drawing is continued. In order to avoid this, it is necessary to move the viewpoint between the user and the screen of the personal computer as the host device, and draw the image while determining the relative position.

[0004] Further, since these devices have a limited drawing area, they cannot draw a large amount at a time. Therefore, it is necessary to perform an operation of erasing the trajectories one by one for the next drawing, but this is an act that hinders the natural flow of continuous drawing and is very difficult to draw.

[0005]

The first problem with the above-described conventional handwriting input method is that it is difficult to align the relative positions of the previously drawn locus and the subsequently drawn locus.

The reason is that the previously drawn locus disappears and it is not possible to know how far the drawn locus has been drawn.

[0007] The second problem is that overwriting cannot be performed when drawing a character or figure in a limited area.

[0008] The reason is that, since the drawing area is limited, it is not possible to draw a large amount at a time, and the trajectories are erased one by one for the next drawing.

An object of the present invention is to make the trajectory drawn by the operator remain, and the trajectory gradually fades (fade out) with the passage of time. Another object of the present invention is to provide an input device with a drawing fade-out function and a drawing method capable of dynamically writing characters and figures within a limited area by enabling overwriting to be performed one after another.

[0010]

According to the present invention, there is provided an input device and a method having a drawing fade-out function, which are provided under a touch panel.
A pointing device having a CD, a control unit for controlling data processing and flow of the pointing device,
A touch panel control unit that is connected to the touch panel and transmits the coordinates to the control unit when the operator is touching the touch panel. A display that is connected to the LCD and draws coordinate data received from the control unit on the LCD according to the drawing density A control unit, a host connected to the control unit for displaying on an external device, a memory unit for storing coordinate data received from the control unit and a connection attribute indicating whether a touch panel is touched or not, and a timer for measuring time Department and
An input device with a drawing fade-out function that gradually fades out the drawing on the LCD as time elapses from the point in time when the touch on the touch panel is detected, and the touch panel control unit scans the touch panel at regular time intervals, allowing the user to If touched, the coordinate data and connection attribute are transmitted to the control unit, and as long as the user keeps touching the touch panel, the coordinate data and connection attribute continue to be transmitted to the control unit. The connection attribute is transmitted as a series, and the connection attribute is expressed as information indicating discontinuity that stops when the user releases the touch panel or another information indicating that the user keeps touching the touch panel. Converts to absolute or relative data according to application request and sends to host An input method with an image fade-out function, the control unit sends the coordinate data and connection attributes transmitted from the touch panel control unit to the memory unit with the time information obtained from the timer unit, and the control unit transmits from the touch panel control unit The display control unit attaches the drawing density to the coordinate data and the connection attribute, and transmits the display data to the display control unit. In accordance with the connection attribute of the coordinate data received from the control unit, the display control unit performs drawing on the LCD with the drawing density. Scans each element of the storage vector data in the memory unit at predetermined time intervals in the order of the oldest recording time, calculates the elapsed time from the difference between the recording time and the current time obtained from the timer unit, and sets the elapsed time in advance by an operator or an application. Obtain the drawing density when redrawing by comparing with the fade-out setting data stored in the memory section , With a drawn density at the time of redrawing each element of the vector data, drawing fade function input method for performing repainting by sending to the display control unit.

[0011]

Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of an input device with a drawing fade-out function and a method according to the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, the pointing device 1 has an LCD 6 below the touch panel 2.
The control unit 3 is the center of the pointing device 1 and controls data processing and flow. The touch panel control unit 7 is connected to the touch panel 2, and when the operator touches the touch panel 2, the coordinates are transmitted to the control unit 3. The display control unit 5 is connected to the LCD 6 and draws the coordinate data received from the control unit 3 on the LCD 6 according to the drawing density. A host 9, a memory unit 8, and a timer unit 4 are connected to the control unit 3, and perform external display, data storage, and time measurement, respectively.

Next, the operation of the embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIG.

The touch panel control unit 7 scans the touch panel 2 at regular time intervals, and transmits the coordinate data and connection attributes to the control unit 3 when the user touches the touch panel 2.
As long as the user keeps touching the touch panel 2, the coordinate data and the connection attribute are continuously transmitted to the control unit 3, and stop when the user releases the coordinate data. Since the coordinate data is transmitted in chronological order, the connection attribute can be expressed by two patterns of 0 indicating discontinuity that stops when the user leaves the touch panel 2 or 1 that indicates that the user keeps touching the touch panel 2.

The control unit 3 converts the continuous coordinate data into data requested by the host 9 and transmits the data to the host 9. For example, this is the case when the data is converted into absolute coordinates or relative coordinates according to the application and transmitted.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an input device with a drawing fade-out function and a method of transmitting data to a memory unit according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 2, the control unit 3 includes a touch panel control unit. 7, the coordinate data (X0, Y0 / X1, Y1 / X2, Y2 / X3,
Y3) and the connection attribute (1/1/0/1) with the time (0/1/2/3) information obtained from the timer unit 4 and the memory unit 8
Send to

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the format of data transmitted to the display control unit according to one embodiment of the input device with a drawing fade-out function and the method of the present invention. Referring to FIG. The coordinate data (X0, Y0 / X1, Y1 / X2, Y
2 / X3, Y3) and the connection attribute (1/1/0/1) are appended with the drawing density (a / b / c / d) and transmitted to the display control unit 5. For the latest drawing process you just entered,
The drawing density is set to the highest density.

The display controller 5 draws the image on the LCD 6 in accordance with the drawing density in accordance with the connection attribute of the coordinate data received from the controller 3. That is, the first coordinate data is drawn at the drawing density, and the pointer is moved to the position of the second coordinate data. Here, if the connection attribute of the second coordinate data is the same as 1 representing the continuous touching of the touch panel 2, a straight line is drawn between the second coordinate data and the drawing density of the first coordinate data as the starting point. Is drawn, and the second coordinate data is drawn with the current drawing density. When the connection attribute changes from 1 to 0 indicating discontinuity that stops when the touch panel 2 is separated from the touch panel 2, drawing is performed in which the straight line ends.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing coordinate data and vector data consisting of a straight line connecting the coordinate data according to an embodiment of the input apparatus with a drawing fade-out function and the method of the present invention. An element is a set of two coordinate data and a unit obtained by interpolating a straight line between the two data (the element is a straight line between the unit grids X and Y of the two coordinates when the unit grid is moved). By the above process, the vector data 1 is converted into the element 1, the element 2,
.., The element n is drawn in order, and the straight line ends when the connection attribute changes from 1 to 0 when the connection attribute is separated from the touch panel 2 at the second coordinate of the element n. By touching the touch panel 2, the connection attribute becomes 1, and the straight lines from element 1 to element m are sequentially connected and drawn. As described above, the vector data 1 changes from 1 to 0 when the connection attribute is separated from the touch panel 2 at the second coordinate of the element n, and the first data of the element 1 when the vector data 2 is touched on the touch panel 2. Connection attribute is 1 in coordinates
The vector data 1 and the vector data 2 are not connected because they have different connection attributes.

As described above, the touch panel 2 touched by the user
Is displayed in black.

In the control unit 3, the following redrawing process operates in parallel with the latest drawing process based on the latest coordinate input just input from the touch panel control unit 7 described above.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing fade-out setting data according to an embodiment of the input device with a drawing fade-out function and the method according to the present invention. Referring to FIG. L according to the drawing feeling of
Drawing density (0/1/2/3) and time lapse (T) (0/1/2 /
Set 3). FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a characteristic curve of fade-out setting data of one embodiment of the input device with a drawing fade-out function and the method of the present invention. The parameters of the timer are operator-dependent and application-dependent. , FIG. 7A or FIG.
As shown in (b), the operator can set the timer parameters and freely adjust the degree of fading out the vector data. In addition, depending on the type of application, it is possible to set such that all images are drawn and then deleted at once without fading out during drawing.
Such a setting is effective when drawing a map or the like.

The control unit 3 scans each element of the storage vector data of the memory unit 8 at a fixed time interval in the order of the oldest recording time, and calculates the elapsed time (T) from the difference between the recording time and the current time obtained from the timer unit 4. Is calculated and compared with the fade-out setting data shown in FIG. 4 which is set by an operator or an application and recorded separately in advance in the memory unit 8 to obtain a drawing density at the time of redrawing. Then, the drawing density at the time of redrawing is attached to each element of the vector data, and is transmitted to the display control unit 5 to perform redrawing. Here, the control unit for fading out may be performed not for each element but for each vector data. Further, for each element or each vector data, the fade-out can be stopped or the progress at the time of the freeze-out and the progress of the fade-out can be stopped.

Since the fade-out setting data is set so that the drawing density becomes lighter with the lapse of time, the LCD
The figures and characters drawn in FIG. 6 fade over time. Further, the control section 3 deletes from the memory section 8 each element of the vector data whose time has sufficiently passed and which has exceeded the minimum density time. Here, the control unit to be erased may be performed not for each element but for each vector data.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing overwriting of an input device with a drawing fade-out function and a method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 5, the figures and characters drawn on the LCD are drawn earlier because the trajectory gradually fades (fade out) over time.
There is a difference in shade between the trajectory of "A" and the trajectory of "I" drawn later (in FIG. 5, the "I" is overwritten after a certain period of time after "A" is drawn). The locus of “a” drawn earlier is displayed as a pale line as indicated by the dotted line), so that it is possible to overwrite one after another, and to draw characters and figures dynamically within a limited area. Therefore, it is not necessary to perform the operation of deleting the trajectories one by one for the next drawing.

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described.

In the second embodiment of the present invention, the trajectory of the above-described embodiment is controlled not by a method of controlling a gradation color in which a trajectory gradually fades with time, but by controlling a trajectory by a change in color. But it can be realized in the same way.

[0030]

As described above, the input device and the method with the drawing fade-out function according to the present invention have the following first effects.
No special hardware or software is required, so it can be applied to any host.

The reason is that the pointing device operated by the operator does not perform character recognition or the like, and has only the function of transferring the continuous coordinate data to the host.

The second effect is that the operator can draw continuously without relying on the remaining trajectory without losing sight of the drawn trajectory or shifting the trajectory.

The reason is that the previously drawn trajectory remains without disappearing.

The third effect is that overwriting can be performed one after another, characters and figures can be drawn dynamically within a limited area, and an operation of erasing trajectories one by one for the next drawing is necessary. That is not.

The reason is that the trajectory gradually fades (fade out) with the passage of time, so that the trajectory drawn first and the trajectory drawn later can be distinguished from each other, so that the trajectory can be distinguished one after another. Can be overwritten, characters and figures can be drawn dynamically within a limited area, and there is no need for an operation to delete the trajectories one by one for the next drawing.

The fourth effect is that the degree to which vector data is faded out can be adjusted. Further, depending on the type of application, it is effective to draw all without fading out during drawing which is effective when drawing a map or the like. You can even delete them all at once.

The reason is that the parameters of the timer are set by the operator or the application.

A fifth effect is that the erasing unit can be erased for each vector data.

The reason is that the coordinate data constituting the vector data are connected with the same connection attribute, so that the coordinate data having the same connection attribute can be set to be deleted simultaneously.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing one embodiment of an input device with a drawing fade-out function and a method according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a format of data transmitted to a memory unit in an embodiment of the input device with a drawing fade-out function and the method according to the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a format of data transmitted to a display control unit according to an embodiment of the input device with a drawing fade-out function and the method of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing fade-out setting data according to an embodiment of the input device with a drawing fade-out function and the method of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing overwriting of an input device with a drawing fade-out function and a method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing coordinate data and vector data consisting of straight lines connecting the coordinate data according to an embodiment of the input device with a drawing fade-out function and the method of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a characteristic curve of fade-out setting data according to an embodiment of the input device with a drawing fade-out function and the method of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing drawing and display by a conventional input device.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an input device of a conventional notebook computer.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Pointing device 2 Touch panel 3 Control part 4 Timer part 5 Display control part 6 LCD 7 Touch panel control part 8 Memory part 9 Host

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification code FI Theme coat ゛ (Reference) G09G 3/36 G09G 3/36 F-term (Reference) 5B068 AA01 AA22 BD17 BE08 CC13 CC17 CD00 CD06 5B087 AA00 CC26 DD03 DD17 DE00 5C006 AA09 AC21 AF33 AF52 BB11 BC16 EC02 FA05 5C080 AA10 BB05 DD03 EE28 FF09 GG02 JJ01 JJ02 5E501 AA04 AC15 AC37 BA05 CA03 CB05 DA15 EA02 EB19 FA14 FB28

Claims (16)

[Claims] 1. A pointing device having an LCD below a touch panel, a control unit for controlling data processing and flow of the pointing device, and a coordinate connected to the touch panel when an operator touches the touch panel. A touch panel control unit for transmitting to the unit, a display control unit connected to the LCD and drawing coordinate data received from the control unit on the LCD according to the drawing density, a host connected to the control unit and displaying to an external device, A memory unit that stores the coordinate data received from the control unit and a connection attribute indicating whether or not the touch panel is touching, and a timer unit that measures time, the time from when the touch on the touch panel is detected A drawing fade characterized in that the drawing on the LCD gradually fades out with the passage of time. Input device with a do-out function. 2. An input method with a drawing fade-out function, wherein a drawing on an LCD is gradually faded out as time elapses from a point in time when a touch on a touch panel is detected. 3. The touch panel control unit scans the touch panel at regular time intervals, and transmits the coordinate data and the connection attribute to the control unit when the user touches the touch panel, and the coordinate data and the connection attribute as long as the user keeps touching the touch panel. Is continuously transmitted to the control unit, transmission is stopped when released, coordinate data is transmitted in chronological order, and the connection attribute is information indicating discontinuity that stops when the user leaves the touch panel or continuous when the user keeps touching the touch panel The control unit converts the continuous coordinate data into data of absolute coordinates or relative coordinates according to the request of the host application, and transmits the data to the host, which is characterized by a drawing fade-out function. Input method. 4. The control unit transmits the coordinate data and connection attribute transmitted from the touch panel control unit to the memory unit with the time information obtained from the timer unit, and the control unit transmits the coordinate data transmitted from the touch panel control unit. When the drawing is performed with the drawing density on the LCD according to the connection attribute of the coordinate data received from the control unit, the control unit transmits the image data to the display control unit with the drawing density added to the connection attribute. Each element of the storage vector data of the memory unit is scanned in the order of the oldest recording time at intervals, and the elapsed time is calculated from the difference between the recording time and the current time obtained from the timer unit. Obtain the drawing density at the time of redrawing by comparing it with the recorded fade-out setting data. An input method with a drawing fade-out function, wherein the drawing density at the time of redrawing is added to the image data, and the redrawing is performed by transmitting the drawing density to the display control unit. 5. An input method with a drawing fade-out function, comprising setting a drawing density and a time lapse for fading out a drawing on an LCD. 6. An input method with a drawing fade-out function, characterized in that all drawing is performed without fading out during drawing and then erased at a time. 7. An input method with a drawing fade-out function, wherein a control unit for fading out is controlled for each element. 8. An input method with a drawing fade-out function, wherein a control unit for fading out is controlled for each vector data. 9. An input method with a drawing fade-out function, wherein fade-out is not performed for each element. 10. An input method with a drawing fade-out function, wherein fade-out is not performed for each vector data. 11. An input method with a drawing fade-out function, characterized in that a fade-out is frozen at an arbitrary time for each element to stop the progress of the fade-out. 12. An input method with a drawing fade-out function, characterized in that a fade-out is frozen at an arbitrary time for each vector data to stop the progress of the fade-out. 13. An input method with a drawing fade-out function, wherein an element exceeding a minimum density time is erased from a memory unit. 14. An input method with a drawing fade-out function, wherein vector data exceeding the minimum density time is erased from a memory unit. 15. An input method with a drawing fade-out function, characterized by controlling a gradation color in which a fade-out trajectory gradually fades with time. 16. An input method with a drawing fade-out function, wherein a fade-out trajectory is controlled by a change in color as time passes.