JP2005059812A - Interface for controlling instrument - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a system and method for controlling instruments, by which system and method, a user can much more intuitively and simply carry out the operation for controlling the instruments, by eliminating the danger of malfunction of the instruments when the functions of a large number of the instruments are realized by means of a small number of operating devices. <P>SOLUTION: The method for controlling the operations of a plurality of the instruments comprises a step of specifying an objective instrument for the control based on the contact detected signals detected by a plurality of contact detecting sections related with different instruments respectively, a step of specifying the movement of the objective instrument for the control at least based on the movement pattern, shown by the movement detected signals detected by movement detecting sections for detecting the movement of the objects which are gripped or worn by an user, and a step of operating the specified objective instrument in accordance with the specified movement. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a system that controls various devices, and more specifically, a system that configures a user interface that controls various devices by a user holding or wearing an operation unit and contacting the operated unit. About.

  Various kinds of recent devices, in particular, AV equipment such as TV, video and audio, and in-vehicle equipment such as car navigation and car audio have become very multifunctional. Along with this, the number of operation devices such as keys and joysticks mounted on the apparatus main body and the remote controller is also increasing. However, the increase in operation devices makes the user's operation complicated and difficult to understand. In addition, it is impossible to arrange input devices corresponding to functions of several tens or hundreds in a limited space.

  In order to solve this problem, as in Patent Document 1, a user can move and / or rotate a remote controller or an apparatus main body provided with an acceleration sensor or an angular acceleration sensor by holding it in his / her hand. There is a system that can detect the direction of movement and rotation, the amount of change, and the number of times, and thereby input a user instruction.

  On the other hand, as disclosed in Patent Document 2, in order to realize many functions with a small number of input devices, a user inputs a speech rhythm of a word and corresponds to the speech pattern data of a predefined word. A rhythm input interface for detecting words has been devised.

  However, the apparatus similar to the above-mentioned Patent Document 1 has a problem that the risk of malfunction is large. For example, if the accelerometer or angular accelerometer detects an accidental touch of the remote controller or if it is inadvertently dropped from the desk, it sends a command that the user did not intend to the device. It can happen. In this regard, Patent Document 1 also discloses an example in which the sensor does not respond to a signal when it is not used by the user's operation (that is, the command is not executed). It must always be confirmed whether it is a use mode or a use prohibition mode, and the setting and / or confirmation can be troublesome.

  Further, when it is desired to control a plurality of operation target devices with a uniform operation pattern, it is necessary for the user to designate the device for which the operation such as rotation or movement performed by the user is intended. For this purpose, it is conceivable to set the operation mode according to the operation target device, but the setting and / or confirmation may be bothersome for the user.

  On the other hand, the apparatus of Patent Document 2 has a drawback that the vocabulary that can be used is limited because the difference between a plurality of different words having the same voice rhythm cannot be determined. For example, the two words “television” and “radio” have the same audio rhythm, and therefore cannot be distinguished by the audio rhythm.

In addition, since there is no concept of direction and / or orientation in rhythm input, it is difficult to satisfy the user's request to fine-tune the currently input value, and such direction and / or It is also unintuitive to finely adjust the direction with rhythm input. For example, when the operation of slightly raising or lowering the temperature of an air conditioner is performed by a rhythm, the rhythms of the words “raise” and “lower” overlap, and the concepts of “up” and “down” directions Cannot be expressed intuitively by rhythm. In such a case, it is more intuitive to shake the remote controller “up and down” or rotate the jog dial “up and down” as in the interface described in Patent Document 1.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 06-4208 JP 2002-268798 A

  Therefore, the present invention eliminates the risk of malfunction of a device when realizing functions of many devices with a small number of operation devices, and makes the operation for controlling the device more intuitive and simple for the user. An object of the present invention is to provide a device control system and a device control method.

  The present invention provides a device control system that controls the operation of a plurality of devices. The device control system is arranged in association with different devices. When a contact of an object is detected, the device control system outputs a contact detection signal for the corresponding device, and a user holds or wears the device control system. A motion detection unit that detects a motion of an object to be detected and outputs a motion detection signal for indicating the detected motion pattern, and a control unit that is communicably connected to each contact detection unit and the motion detection unit. Here, the control unit is configured to receive an information receiving unit for receiving a contact detection signal from the contact detection unit and an operation detection signal from the operation detection unit, and an operation condition based on at least an operation pattern indicated by the operation detection signal. When a control table storage unit storing a control table in which device control details are defined, and when an information reception unit receives a contact detection signal and an operation detection signal, the contact detection signal of the control table stored in the control table storage unit And a command section that transmits a control command to the device according to the control content defined for the operation condition that matches the operation pattern indicated by the motion detection signal.

  Preferably, the control unit is communicably connected to the contact detection unit by wireless communication means.

  Preferably, the control unit is communicably connected to the operation detection unit by wireless communication means.

  Preferably, the wireless communication means is a wireless LAN transmitter / receiver, an infrared emitter / receiver, or an ultrasonic transmitter / receiver.

  More preferably, the contact detection unit is provided on the corresponding device or its vicinity, or on an object that symbolizes the device.

  More preferably, the contact detection unit includes at least one of a touch pad, a contact type switch, a piezoelectric element, a barcode reader, a contact type IC chip reader, and a non-contact type IC chip reader.

  More preferably, the motion pattern indicated by the motion detection signal is characterized by at least one of angular acceleration, acceleration, velocity, and position of an object held or worn by the user.

  More preferably, the operation pattern is characterized by an operation intuitively associated with the operation of the control target device.

  Even more preferably, the motion detection unit is incorporated in an object that is gripped or worn by the user. More preferably, the motion detection unit includes at least one of an acceleration sensor, an angular acceleration sensor, a GPS, and a gyroscope.

  More preferably, the contact of the object gripped or worn by the user with the contact detection unit is distinguished from the contact of any other object with the contact detection unit.

  More preferably, the operation condition is based on a combination of a contact pattern indicated by the contact detection signal and an action pattern indicated by the action detection signal.

  More preferably, the contact pattern indicated by the contact detection signal is characterized by at least one of contact intensity, contact frequency, and contact rhythm.

  More preferably, the operation condition is based on a combination of a contact pattern indicated by the contact detection signal and an action pattern indicated by the action detection signal, which are received by the control unit within a predetermined time.

  More preferably, the control unit receives a combination of the contact pattern indicated by the contact detection signal and the operation pattern indicated by the operation detection signal, and the contact detection signal and the operation detection signal received by the control unit within a predetermined time. Based on the time order to receive.

  The present invention further provides a method for controlling the operation of a plurality of devices. This method includes a step of identifying a control target device based on contact detection signals detected by a plurality of contact detection units each associated with a different device, and an operation detection unit that detects an operation of an object held or worn by a user The step of specifying the operation of the device to be controlled based on at least the operation pattern indicated by the operation detection signal detected by, and the step of operating the specified device to be controlled according to the specified operation.

  The present invention further provides a device control program that causes a computer to control the operation of the device. This program includes a process for identifying a control target device based on a contact detection signal detected by a plurality of contact detection units each associated with a different device, and an operation detection unit that detects an operation of an object held or worn by a user. Causes the computer to execute processing for specifying the operation of the control target device based on at least the operation pattern indicated by the operation detection signal detected by the computer and processing for operating the specified control target device based on the specified operation.

(Definition of terms)
The term “motion pattern” used in this specification refers to a detection pattern (or a user input pattern) of values such as angular acceleration, acceleration, velocity, and position of an object detected by the motion detection unit. Various detection patterns correspond to operations of the operation unit such as “shake”, “turn”, and “move”. Specifically, for example, a detection pattern in which the angular acceleration is equal to or greater than a threshold value for a certain time may be matched with an operation in which the user “shakes” the operation unit.

  The term “contact pattern” used in this specification refers to a detection pattern (or a user input pattern) of values such as a contact rhythm, strength, and number of contacts detected by the contact detection unit. For example, the voice pattern “Waltz” is “the average of the strength of the third contact and the contact strength of the second contact and the third contact, and the time interval between the contacts is within a threshold value. It is possible to match with a contact pattern of “larger than a threshold value compared with a value”. Note that a contact pattern only once is included in the contact pattern in this specification.

  The contact detection unit in the device control system of the present invention is arranged directly on an individual device, in the vicinity thereof, or provided on an object that symbolizes it, and is associated with different devices. When the contact of the object is detected, a contact detection signal for the corresponding device is output. Accordingly, by detecting the contact detection signal, the system can clearly recognize which device the user's operation is for, and each contact detection unit is arranged in association with the corresponding device. When a contact signal is input, the device to be controlled can be grasped intuitively and is easy for the user to use.

  Further, when the information receiving unit of the control unit in the device control system according to the present invention receives the contact detection signal and the operation detection signal, the command unit corresponds to the contact detection signal in the control table stored in the control table storage unit. The control target device is clearly determined because the control command is transmitted to the device according to the control content defined for the operation condition that matches the operation pattern indicated by the operation detection signal with reference to the operation condition related to the device. At the same time, variations of the control contents can be expressed in various ways by at least the operation pattern. Furthermore, by including the contact pattern in the operation conditions, variations of the control contents can be further diversified. Further, by setting the operation pattern in association with the control content of the device, the operation information input operation on the device becomes intuitive and easy for the user to understand.

  Furthermore, since the command unit transmits a control command to the device only after receiving both the contact detection signal and the motion detection signal, the risk of malfunction of the device is minimized.

  As described above, according to the present invention, when realizing the functions of many devices with a small number of operation devices, the risk of device malfunction is eliminated, and operations for device control are made more intuitive and simple. , A device control system, a device control method, and a device control program are provided.

  Hereinafter, representative embodiments of the present invention will be described. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a system configuration of a device control interface according to an embodiment of the present invention.

  In FIG. 1, the entire system includes an operation unit 100, an operated unit 200, a control unit 300, and a control target device 400.

  The operation unit 100 is an object that itself moves or rotates in accordance with the movement of the user, and here, a representative example is a rod-shaped remote controller. However, the shape is not limited to this, and may be any shape that can be gripped by the user's hand or finger, or can be worn on the hand, finger, arm, or the like (for example, an attachment such as a glove or a bracelet). . The operation unit 100 further includes an operation detection unit 101 and a transmission unit 102 inside. Note that the motion detection unit 101 and the transmission unit 102 may be separated from the operation unit 100. For example, the operation detection unit 101 may be configured to capture the operation of the operation unit 100 as an image and detect the operation of the operation unit 100 by analyzing the image (not illustrated). In addition, although there is usually one operation unit 100 for one system, a plurality of operation units may be used as necessary. For example, when using the device control system of the present invention in a car, there may be one for the driver and one for the rear seat.

  The motion detection unit 101 includes an acceleration sensor or an angular acceleration sensor, a GPS, a gyroscope, and the like, and detects an operation such as movement and / or rotation performed on the operation unit 100 by the user. Here, there are several possible operations that the user performs on the operation unit 100, such as “shake”, “turn”, and “twist”. In this specification, for the sake of simplicity, “operation” and “activate”. Or, it will be described as “operating” in a unified manner.

  The transmitting unit 102 includes a LAN adapter, an infrared light emitting unit, an ultrasonic transmitter, and the like, and transmits information related to the operation detected by the operation detecting unit 101 to the control unit 300.

  The operated unit 200 is a part that detects that another object such as the operating unit 100 has come into contact, and is usually a part or all of the control target device or an object (metaphor) that symbolizes the control target device. Object). Since the operated units 200 are normally associated with one device, there are usually the same number of devices as the number of devices. However, one operated unit may correspond to a plurality of controlled devices as necessary. In that case, the system is configured such that one control target device is specified by a combination with an “operation detection signal” (described later). The operated unit 200 further includes a contact detection unit 201 and a transmission unit 202. Note that the operated unit 200 may be separated from the contact detection unit 201 or the transmission unit 202.

  The contact detection unit 201 includes a contact-type switch, a piezoelectric element, and the like, and detects operations such as tapping, stroking, and pressing performed on the operated unit 200 by the user. Here, there are several possible operations that the user performs on the operated unit 200, such as “striking”, “stroking”, and “pressing”. However, in this specification, for convenience, “contact” and “contact” are performed. ”Or“ contact ”.

  The transmission unit 202 includes a LAN adapter, an infrared light emitting unit, an ultrasonic transmitter, and the like, and transmits information related to the contact detected by the contact detection unit 201 to the control unit 300.

  The control unit 300 determines an instruction to the control target device 400 based on a user operation detected by the operation unit and the operated unit. The control unit 300 includes a reception unit 301, an instruction unit 302, and a control table storage unit 303.

  The receiving unit 301 includes a LAN adapter, an infrared light receiving unit, an ultrasonic receiver, and the like. The receiving unit 301 receives information related to the operation detected by the operation detecting unit 101 and information related to the contact detected by the contact detecting unit 201 and receives instructions. Send to unit 302.

  The control table storage unit 303 is configured by a storage device such as a memory or a hard disk, and shows a correspondence relationship between detected operation detection signals and contact detection signals, and instructions to the operation target device 400 executed in response thereto. Is stored.

  The command unit 302 includes an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), a RAM and / or a ROM, and the control stored in the control table storage unit 303 based on the operation detection signal and the contact detection signal received by the reception unit 301. A command to the operation target device is determined while referring to the table, and the command is transmitted to the operation target device 400.

  FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram illustrating one specific configuration example of the present control system. Here, in order to make the explanation easy to understand, an interface system for operating devices in the vehicle such as a car air conditioner, a power window, a car audio, and a car navigation system will be described. However, the scope of the present invention is limited to such an embodiment. Not.

  In FIG. 2, the bar-shaped remote controller indicated by 100 a is an example of the operation unit 100. The remote controller 100a incorporates an acceleration sensor and / or an angular acceleration sensor inside, and can detect an operation that the user swings, twists or turns.

  In FIG. 2, portions indicated by 200 </ b> A to 200 </ b> E are an example representing the arrangement of the operated unit 200. 200 A of to-be-operated parts are installed in the blower outlet of a car air conditioner, and if a user contacts this part, a system will recognize a car air conditioner as a control object apparatus. For example, the car air conditioner can be “ON / OFF switched” by an operation of “tapping twice” on the air conditioner outlet 200A with the remote controller 100a. In this case, the user's operation of “tapping twice” on the air outlet 200A of the car air conditioner with the remote controller 100a includes, as operation conditions, a contact pattern of “contact twice” 200A and an operation of tapping twice. Is recognized by the system as a combination with an operation pattern of “shake twice”. In addition, in order to input a contact pattern to the contacted part 200, any other object instead of the operation part 100 may be used. Preferably, detection is made as an input of a contact pattern only when the operation unit 100 is used to contact the operated unit 200 as in the present embodiment. By doing so, the malfunction of an apparatus can be prevented more reliably. Specifically, for example, when a barcode is provided in each operation unit 200 and a barcode reader capable of communicating with the control unit 300 is provided in the operation unit 100 and a contact pattern is input by the operation unit 100, respectively. What is necessary is just to specify a control object apparatus by reading the barcode of the to-be-operated part. Alternatively, a contact-type IC chip or a non-contact-type IC chip is provided in the operated unit 200, and an IC chip reader is provided in the operation unit 100 so that information on the IC chip is read when the operation unit inputs a contact pattern. Thus, a system that identifies the device to be controlled may be used. When using a barcode or a non-contact type IC chip or the like, if the purpose is only to specify the device to be controlled, instead of the input information “contact once”, “bar code reading” Or “reading of a non-contact type IC chip” can be substituted. Therefore, in this specification, the input of the input information “contact once” includes such “bar code reading” or “non-contact type IC chip reading”. (Of course, when touching a plurality of times, the barcode or IC chip may be read a plurality of times.) In this case, the contact pattern is input via the barcode reader or the IC chip reader. Done. That is, the contact detection unit 201 corresponds to a barcode reader or an IC chip reader, and the transmission unit 202 is on the barcode reader or IC chip reader side (that is, the operation unit 100 is provided with a barcode reader or an IC chip reader). In this case, it is provided on the operation unit 100 side.

  Alternatively, a barcode reader or an IC chip reader may be provided in the operated unit 200. In that case, the bar code or the IC chip is provided in the operation unit 100.

  Referring to FIG. 2 again, the operated part 200B is built in the upper part of the steering wheel, and the input of the user's contact pattern to this part identifies the light or wiper located in front of the vehicle as the control target device. Means that. For example, the user's action of “tapping once” (or “contact once”) with the remote controller 100a and the user's action of “shaking the remote control 100a to the left and right” are combined, It can correspond to the control of “operation”. Similarly, the user operation on the operated unit 200C built in the audio speaker is made to correspond to the control of the car audio, and the user operation on the operated unit 200D built in the armrest of the door is controlled by the window and the door lock. The operation on the operated part 200E built in the display of the car navigation can be made to correspond to the control of the car navigation.

  As described above, it is assumed that the operation target unit is arranged on the control target device itself or an object that is a metaphor thereof, and the control target device is specified by performing a user operation of inputting a contact pattern on the operation target unit. Thus, the user can intuitively recognize the control target device. Furthermore, a more intuitive interface can be constructed by inputting the operation pattern of the user by the operation of the operation unit that can intuitively recognize the operation of the control target device.

  In addition, although control of equipment in a vehicle has been described here as an example, the scope of the present invention is not limited to such an embodiment. For example, control of AV equipment such as an indoor TV, video, audio, etc. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that, when used for control of any device in any other environment, it is within the scope of the present invention.

  Next, input of an operation pattern to the operation detection unit 101 provided in the operation unit 100 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically illustrating a waveform detected by the motion detection unit 101 when a motion pattern is input by the user. Here, a waveform is shown when the user grips the operation unit 100 and shakes it upward. In FIG. 3, a waveform 501 is the acceleration of the vertical component detected by the acceleration sensor provided in the motion detection unit. A positive waveform occurs in the first half when the user starts swinging upward, and a negative waveform occurs in the second half where the user finishes swinging up and decelerates. If the time sum of the acceleration waveform 501 is taken in sequence, a velocity waveform 502 and a displacement waveform 503 are obtained. Therefore, for example, in order to detect that “the user has swung up”, it is checked whether or not the maximum value of the displacement waveform 503 is equal to or greater than a threshold value. This can be “detected”.

  In addition, the user needs to move the operation unit 100 down again in order to return it to the original position after shaking the operation unit 100 once. In order to ignore the motion without considering it, a separate switch may be provided in the operation unit 100, and the motion detection target may be only while the switch is being pressed, or the acceleration 501 or the speed 502 has a maximum value that exceeds a certain threshold value. When the operation unit 100 is slowly lowered (for example, when the acceleration 501 or the speed 502 is less than the threshold), the motion detection target is only the case (that is, only when it is moved quickly). It is sufficient to detect “do not” as “shake down”.

  Next, the input of the contact pattern to the contact detection unit 201 provided in the operated unit 200 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5.

  FIG. 4A is a diagram illustrating a waveform of an input signal when a user inputs a contact pattern using a digital input device such as a touch pad or a contact switch. As the contact occurs, a pulse is generated from the zero level 601 toward the hit level 602. The rise of the pulse is defined as a key-down timing 603a, and the fall of the pulse is defined as a key-up timing 604a. These parameters are necessary when detecting the number of times of contact, the interval of contact, the time of contact, and the like. It should be noted that such a timing parameter is not necessarily required when only a single contact is detected, such as when the contact detection unit of the operated unit is simply touched for the purpose of specifying the control target device.

  FIG. 4B is a diagram illustrating a waveform of an input signal when a user inputs a contact pattern using an analog input device such as a piezoelectric sensor. As the “contact” by the user occurs, a waveform is generated. A threshold value 605 for determining key-down and a threshold value 606 for determining key-up are determined in advance, and a key-down timing 603b and a key-up timing 604b are determined when the amplitude of the waveform is equal to or greater than the threshold. In this case as well, these parameters are required when it is desired to detect the number of contact times, the contact interval, and the contact time, but these are not always necessary when only one contact is detected. Does not require any parameters.

  Next, the operation of the contact detection unit 201 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the processing operation of the contact detection unit 201 when detecting a simple rhythm input in which a rhythm pattern is composed of two types of intervals, a long interval and a short interval.

  First, when the contact detection unit 201 detects the first contact, the process of FIG. 5 starts. When detecting this first contact, the key-down timing shown in FIG. 4 can be used. Next, in step S201, the contact detection unit 201 determines whether or not the next contact is detected within the end time (step S201). Here, the “end time” is a time threshold for considering that a series of rhythm inputs have ended when a time longer than this has elapsed, and is usually at most several tens of seconds, more usually at most several seconds (for example, 3 seconds). If the next contact cannot be detected within a predetermined time in step S201, the contact pattern based on the input so far is determined in step S205, and the detection process is terminated. For example, this corresponds to a case where only one contact is detected. On the other hand, when the next contact is detected within a predetermined time in step S201, it is further determined whether or not the time interval between the contacts is within a predetermined threshold (step S202). The “threshold value” here is a time for determining whether the time interval between one contact and the next contact is a short interval or a long interval in a contact pattern input as a rhythm pattern. Is the threshold value. Therefore, if the contact time interval is shorter than this threshold, it is determined as “short interval”, and if it is longer, it is determined as “super interval”. Usually, for example, this threshold is set to “400 milliseconds”. If it is within the threshold value in step S202, the contact interval is assumed to be a short interval (step S203), and the process returns to step S201 to wait for the next contact detection. On the other hand, if it is equal to or greater than the threshold value in step S202, the contact interval is assumed to be a long interval (step S204), and the process returns to step S201 to wait for the next contact detection. In this way, the rhythm pattern of contact can be recognized.

  Next, the control table storage unit 303 provided in the control unit 300 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. FIG. 6 shows an example of data stored in the control table storage unit 303.

  In FIG. 6, a column 701 represents the control target device 400, and a column 702 represents the position of the operated unit 200 that contacts when the control target device 400 is designated. As described above, when the power window is a control target device, it corresponds to the window frame, and when the audio is the control target device, such as a speaker, the position of the controlled unit 200 is associated with each other. If the operated unit 200 is provided on an object that becomes a metaphor representing the device to be controlled or a metaphor representing the device to be controlled, the user can intuitively specify the device to be controlled.

  A column 703 represents the control content for the control target device 400, and a column 704 represents a user action performed when the control content is designated. In this case, the user may set an operation that can be easily and intuitively associated with the actual control content of the device. For example, the operation of opening the power window is “shake up” (because the power window opens up), and the operation of closing is “shake down”. In this way, by making the user's operation an operation that becomes a metaphor representing the control content of the device that is actually controlled, an operation command for the device becomes intuitive and easy for the user to understand.

  A column 705 and a column 706 indicate a contact pattern and an operation pattern corresponding to the user's operation 704, respectively. For example, when the device to be controlled is “power window” and the control content is “full open or fully closed”, the user's action of “tapping twice” on the “window frame” that is the operated portion using the operation unit 100 ( Column 704) indicates that it corresponds to a combination of a contact pattern of “touching twice” on the window frame and an operation pattern of “shaking twice” on the operation unit (actually, the operation unit is operated by the operation unit). The user's action of hitting the unit twice can be divided into an event of “contacting the operated unit twice” and an event of “shaking the operation unit twice”). In addition, for example, the operation condition corresponding to the control content of “opening” the “power window” includes the operation pattern “shake up” of the operation unit and the “window” which is the operated unit in order to identify the control target device. This indicates a combination with a contact pattern of “contact once” to “frame”. Note that FIG. 6 does not show in detail the case where the contact pattern is input in a specific rhythm pattern. For example, the contact pattern is distinguished depending on whether the contact interval is short or long. It is also possible to distinguish the contact pattern by the strength of “contact”. Further, the operation condition includes a “temporal order” (or a temporal order of input by the user) in which the reception unit 301 of the control unit 300 receives the contact detection signal indicating the contact pattern and the operation detection signal indicating the operation pattern. , “Contact detection signal” → “motion detection signal” received in the order (or input by the user) and “motion detection signal” → “contact detection signal” in the order received (or input by the user) Even if the same contact detection signal and action detection signal are combined, if the order received by the receiving unit 301 (or the order of input by the user) is different, the operation conditions are different (therefore, the control contents are different). It is good.

  Next, the operation of the command unit 302 of the control unit 300 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 7 (a) and 7 (b). FIG. 7A and FIG. 7B are flowcharts showing the detailed processing operation of the command unit 302 of the control unit 300.

  First, referring to FIG. 7A, the receiving unit 301 in the control unit 300 receives the first detection signal (the operation detection signal from the operation unit 100 or the contact detection signal from the operated unit 200). When the command unit 302 reads the information, the process of FIG. Simultaneously with the start, in step S301, a timer is started. This is for determining in a later step whether or not the second detection signal is received within a certain time from the reception of the first detection signal. Next, in step S302, it is determined whether the receiving unit 301 has received a second detection signal (operation detection signal or contact detection signal). If the second detection signal has not been received (S302: No), then, in step S303, it is determined whether or not a predetermined time has already elapsed since the first detection signal was received. If the predetermined time has elapsed (step S303: Yes), the process of FIG. When the predetermined time has not yet elapsed (step S303: No), the process returns to step S302. Here, the “certain time” in step S303 means that when the next detection signal is received after a lapse of more time, the detection signal is not regarded as the second detection signal (thus, the first detection signal). It is a threshold value of time to be regarded as a signal), and is usually set to several tens of seconds, more usually several seconds at most.

  On the other hand, if the second detection signal is received in step S302 (S302: Yes), then in step S304, the type of the first detection signal and the second detection signal (contact detection signal or motion detection). Signal) is the same. If the first detection signal and the second detection signal are the same type (for example, the first detection signal is a contact detection signal and the second detection signal is also a contact detection signal) ( S304: Yes), the process ends. This is to request that at least a combination of the contact detection signal and the motion detection signal is received as a precondition for transmitting the control command to the device. In this way, by preventing the device from operating with only the contact detection signal or the motion detection signal, the risk of malfunction of the device can be minimized.

  On the other hand, when the types of the first detection signal and the second detection signal are different (for example, when the first detection signal is a contact detection signal and the second detection signal is an operation detection signal) ( (S304: No), and then, the process proceeds to step S305, in which the operation condition for the device corresponding to the contact detection signal in the control table stored in the control table storage unit 303 is referred to, and at least the operation pattern indicated by the operation detection signal It is determined whether or not a matching operation condition exists in the control table. Here, the reason for “at least the operation condition that matches the operation pattern indicated by the operation detection signal” is, for example, when the contact detection signal is used only for specifying the control target device (for example, “1 degree This is because it is not always necessary to provide a contact pattern as a variation as an operation condition for the specified device in the control table. However, for example, when it is desired to increase the variation of the operation condition by the contact detection signal using a contact rhythm pattern, for example, the operation condition is determined by the contact pattern indicated by the contact detection signal and the operation detection signal indicated by the action detection signal. Set.

  If there is no matching operation condition in step S305 (step S305: No), the process is terminated. On the other hand, if there is a matching operation condition (step S305: Yes), the control content defined for the operation condition is confirmed as the control content of the device (step S306). A control command is transmitted to the device according to the control content.

  In addition, before a fixed time passes in step S303 in FIG. 7A (or before the control content is confirmed in step S306 or before the control command is transmitted to the control target device in step S307), another device is used. When the receiving unit 301 of the control unit 300 receives a contact detection signal corresponding to the above, the process of FIG.

  In FIG. 7A, the first detection signal received at the start is usually a contact detection signal, and the second detection signal received at step S302 is an operation detection signal. A detection signal may be received, and the contact detection signal may be received in step S302. However, preferably, a contact detection signal is received at the start, and an operation detection signal is received in step S302. By doing so, it is possible to follow a natural flow of first specifying the device to be controlled and then specifying the control content. Further, when the contacted part 200 detects “contact” and the information is transmitted to the control part 300, the user is informed that the device corresponding to the contacted part has been selected as the control target. Also good. For this purpose, for example, a lamp may be provided on the operated unit, and a notification function may be provided to notify that the device corresponding to the operated unit is selected as a control target by lighting or blinking. Good. Alternatively, a separate display may be provided to display a message notifying that a specific device has been selected on the screen, or an operation unit that the user holds or wears vibrates in a specific pattern depending on the device to be controlled. You may do it. Alternatively, a guidance voice (for example, “Air conditioner has been selected” or the like) may be used to notify that a specific device has been selected. In this way, the user can confirm whether or not his / her input operation is correctly performed, and can prevent malfunction of the device due to erroneous operation.

  FIG. 7B is a flowchart showing processing performed by the command unit 302 of the control unit 300 when the notification function as described above is used. The difference from FIG. 7A is that the control unit 300 first receives the “contact detection signal” as the first detection signal, whereby the processing of FIG. The detection signal is an “motion detection signal” (see step S403)), and after receiving the contact detection signal, the user selects that the device corresponding to the contact detection signal is selected as the control target device in step S402. There is a step to notify. This notification to the user may be performed by the method described in the immediately preceding paragraph. Further, in FIG. 7A, after receiving the second detection signal in step S302 (step S302: Yes), in step S304, it is determined whether or not the types of the first and second detection signals are the same. Step S304 exists, but in the flowchart of FIG. 7B, it is assumed that the first detection signal is a contact detection signal and the second detection signal is an operation detection signal. The step corresponding to step S304 is not necessary.

  As described above, since the device is configured to operate only when both the contact detection signal and the motion detection signal are received, the command is received only by receiving the touch detection signal or only the motion detection signal. The unit 302 does not transmit a control command to the control target device. In this way, it is possible to prevent malfunction of the device due to an operation not intended by the user. In addition, by configuring a control table using a combination of operation patterns and contact patterns as operation conditions, operation variations increase compared to configuring a control table with only operation patterns or only contact patterns, and more types of control. Can be done. Furthermore, when setting the operation conditions, the position of the operated unit where the user inputs the contact pattern and the operation method of the operating unit used to input the operation pattern are reminiscent of the actual control target device and the control content. By defining them as things, it is possible to construct a more intuitive command system, and it is possible to maintain ease of use even if the types of commands increase.

  Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described with reference to the drawings, the scope of the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and various changes and modifications can be made within the scope of the invention described in the claims. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that this is possible.

  The device control system, the device control method, and the device control program according to the present invention eliminate the risk of device malfunction when realizing many device functions with a small number of operation devices, and perform operations for device control. It is useful for applications such as a user interface for controlling various devices.

The figure showing the system configuration | structure of the apparatus control interface which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. Conceptual diagram showing one specific configuration example of the control system The figure which represented typically the waveform which the operation | movement detection part 101 detects when an operation pattern is input by the user. (A) It is the figure showing the waveform of the input signal when a user inputs a contact pattern using digital input devices, such as a touchpad and a contact-type switch. (B): A diagram showing a waveform of an input signal when a user inputs a contact pattern using an analog input device such as a piezoelectric sensor. The flowchart which showed the processing operation of the contact detection part 201 in the case of detecting the simple rhythm input from which the pattern of a rhythm is comprised by two types of space | interval of a long space | interval and a short space | interval Example of data stored in control table storage unit 303 The flowchart showing the detailed processing operation of the command unit 302 of the control unit 300 The flowchart which shows the process which the command part 302 of the control part 300 performs when using a notification function

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 ... Operation part 100a ... Operation part 101 ... Operation | movement detection part 102 ... Transmission part 200 ... Operated part 200A-E ... Operated part 201 ... Contact detection part 202- .. Sending unit 300... Control unit 301... Reception unit 302 .. Command unit 303... Control table storage unit 400 .. Control target device 501. ... Displacement waveform 601 ... Rest level 602 ... Beating level 603a, 603b ... Key down timing 604a, 604b ... Key up timing 605 ... Key down threshold 606 ... key up Threshold value 701 ... Control target device column 702 ... Operated part position column 703 ... Control content column 704 ... User action column 705 ... Contact pattern column 706 ... sequence of operation patterns

Claims (17)

A device control system for controlling the operation of a plurality of devices,
A plurality of contact detection units that are arranged in association with different devices and detect contact of an object, and output a contact detection signal for the corresponding device;
An operation detection unit that detects an operation of an object held or worn by a user and outputs an operation detection signal for indicating the detected operation pattern;
A control unit communicably connected to the contact detection unit and the operation detection unit,
The controller is
An information receiving unit for receiving the contact detection signal from the contact detection unit and the operation detection signal from the operation detection unit;
A control table storage unit that stores a control table in which the control content of the device is defined with respect to an operation condition based on at least the operation pattern indicated by the operation detection signal;
When the information receiving unit receives the contact detection signal and the operation detection signal, the operation detection signal is referred to an operation condition related to the device corresponding to the contact detection signal in the control table stored in the control table storage unit. And a command unit that transmits a control command to the device according to the control content defined for the operation condition that matches the operation pattern indicated by   The system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is communicably connected to the contact detection unit by wireless communication means.   The system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is communicably connected to the operation detection unit by wireless communication means.   The system according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the wireless communication means is a wireless LAN transmitter / receiver, an infrared emitter / receiver, or an ultrasonic transmitter / receiver.   The system according to claim 1, wherein the contact detection unit is provided on the corresponding device or the vicinity thereof, or on an object that symbolizes the device.   The contact detection unit includes at least one of a touch pad, a contact type switch, a piezoelectric element, a barcode reader, a contact type IC chip reader, and a non-contact type IC chip reader. The system described.   The motion pattern indicated by the motion detection signal is characterized by at least one of angular acceleration, acceleration, velocity, and position of an object held or worn by the user. system.   The system according to claim 7, wherein the operation pattern is characterized by an operation intuitively associated with an operation of the control target device.   The system according to claim 8, wherein the motion detection unit is incorporated in an object held or worn by the user.   The system according to claim 9, wherein the motion detection unit includes at least one of an acceleration sensor, an angular acceleration sensor, a GPS, and a gyroscope.   The system according to claim 10, wherein contact of the object gripped or worn by the user with the contact detection unit is distinguished from contact of any other object with the contact detection unit.   The system according to claim 1, wherein the operation condition is based on a combination of a contact pattern indicated by the contact detection signal and an action pattern indicated by the action detection signal.   The system according to claim 12, wherein the contact pattern indicated by the contact detection signal is characterized by at least one of contact intensity, contact frequency, and contact rhythm.   The system according to claim 1, wherein the operation condition is based on a combination of a contact pattern indicated by a contact detection signal and an operation pattern indicated by an operation detection signal received by the control unit within a predetermined time.   The operation condition includes a combination of a contact pattern indicated by a contact detection signal and an operation pattern indicated by an operation detection signal, received by the control unit within a predetermined time, and the contact detection signal and the operation detection signal. 15. The system according to claim 14, wherein the system is based on a temporal order received by. A method for controlling the operation of a plurality of devices,
Identifying a device to be controlled based on a contact detection signal detected by a plurality of contact detectors each associated with a different device;
Identifying the operation of the device to be controlled based at least on an operation pattern indicated by an operation detection signal detected by an operation detection unit that detects an operation of an object held or worn by a user;
Operating the identified control target device according to the identified operation. A device control program for causing a computer to control the operation of the device,
A process of identifying a control target device based on a contact detection signal detected by a plurality of contact detection units each associated with a different device;
A process of identifying the operation of the control target device based at least on an operation pattern indicated by an operation detection signal detected by an operation detection unit that detects an operation of an object held or worn by a user;
A device control program for causing a computer to execute a process of operating the specified control target device based on the specified operation.

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