JP2006011763A - Input device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To solve the problem that an input device, which performs an input operation by using the vibration generated when an input surface is touched by a pojnter, can only specify an instruction position. <P>SOLUTION: This input device comprises: a rugged pattern 2 installed on an input surface and generating vibration; a converting means 3 for converting vibration generated by the rugged pattern 2 into an electric signal; an envelope detection circuit 4 for extracting an envelope from the electric signal; and a recognizing means 5 for recognizing a signal from the envelope detection circuit 4, hereby detecting a vibration pattern having inherent vibration. Since the generated pattern itself of the vibration can be provided with meaning, it is possible to input desired information data by devising the arrangement of the projecting parts and flat parts of the rugged pattern 2. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an input device, and more particularly to an input device that performs input by vibration generated when an indicator rubs an input surface.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a keyboard, a mouse, a touch panel, and the like are widely known as devices for inputting to a computer, a portable terminal, and the like.

  The keyboard is provided with a switch and a spring member under a key pressed by a finger, and performs input by opening and closing the switch using the elasticity of the spring member.

  For example, the mouse is provided with a sphere and a means for detecting the rotation of the sphere in the housing, and inputs position information by rolling the sphere.

  The touch panel is arranged by placing two transparent resistive films with a gap between them, and using the fact that when touched, the gap is collapsed and the two transparent resistive films come into contact and the resistance value changes. .

  As described above, the input device has a mechanical movable part, requires a plurality of mechanical parts, and has a problem that the cost is high and the device is easily broken.

  In order to solve this problem, an input device that performs input using vibration generated when an indicator rubs the input surface is known, and many proposals are being seen (for example, see Patent Document 1).

A conventional input device disclosed in Patent Document 1 will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing a conventional input device disclosed in Patent Document 1. In FIG.
In FIG. 9, 101 is a pen, 102 is a boss, 103 is a propagation plate, and 104 and 105 are detection elements. The pen 101 serves as an indicator.

  The prior art input device disclosed in Patent Document 1 specifies the indicated position by detecting vibrations caused by the pen 101 rubbing the boss 102 which is a projection on the input surface by the detection elements 104 and 105. is there.

  The detection procedure will be described below. First, vibration occurs when the pen 101 rubs against the boss 102 on the input surface. This vibration reaches the detection element 104 disposed on the back side through the propagation plate 103. It also reaches the detection element 105 provided at the edge. A difference in arrival time based on the propagation speed of vibration appears between the detection element 104 near the generation point of vibration and the detection element 105 far away. The indicated position can be specified by calculation using the difference in arrival time.

JP-A-8-297534 (page 2-4, FIG. 1)

  However, since the input device of the prior art disclosed in Patent Document 1 uses the arrival time of vibration, there is a drawback that only the designated position can be specified.

  An object of the present invention is to solve the above problems, and to provide an input device that can input various information at a low cost and is not easily broken.

  In order to achieve the above object, the input device of the present invention adopts the following structure.

  An input device that performs input by vibration generated when the indicator rubs the input surface, and is generated by the concavo-convex pattern provided on the input surface and having projections and flat portions for generating vibration, and the concavo-convex pattern. It has a conversion means for converting vibration into an electric signal, an envelope detection circuit for extracting an envelope from the electric signal, and a recognition means for identifying a signal from the envelope detection circuit, To do.

  A plurality of concavo-convex patterns are provided, and an electrical signal is obtained from vibration corresponding to the plurality of concavo-convex patterns.

  A characteristic vibration is input to the conversion means by the arrangement of the protrusion and the flat part, and the characteristic vibration includes a vibration for desired information data to be input.

  The characteristic vibration includes a vibration for synchronization data for generating a synchronization signal and a vibration for check data for determining whether the characteristic vibration is accurate.

  The recognition means includes a phase synchronization circuit for generating a synchronization signal, a sampling circuit for sampling the signal based on the synchronization signal, a data buffer for temporarily storing the sampled data, and determining whether the data in the data buffer is accurate And a determination unit for calculating the input speed based on the synchronization signal.

  According to the input device of the present invention, by utilizing the vibration of the input surface, the mechanical structure can be simplified, the cost can be reduced, and the breakage can be prevented.

  Moreover, desired information can be input by arranging the concavo-convex pattern so that specific vibrations are input. Since a plurality of concavo-convex patterns can be provided, various information can be input.

  Furthermore, information on the concavo-convex pattern can be accurately input by providing synchronization data and check data.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows an input device of the present invention, FIG. 1 (a) is a configuration diagram, and FIG. 1 (b) is a waveform schematically showing a waveform output from the input device of the present invention. FIG. 2 and 3 are external views schematically showing an example of the uneven pattern of the input device of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining information obtained from the uneven pattern of the input device of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a circuit diagram of an envelope detection circuit of the input device according to the present invention. FIG. 6 is a waveform diagram schematically showing the waveform of the envelope detection circuit of the input device of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a block diagram of the recognition means of the input device of the present invention, and FIG. 8 is a block diagram of the phase synchronization circuit of the input device of the present invention.

[Description of structure: FIGS. 1-5, 7, 8]
First, the configuration of the input device of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5, 7, and 8. FIG.
In FIG. 1, 1 is an indicator. In FIG. 1, the indicator 1 is described as a finger, but the indicator is not limited to a finger and is a comprehensive concept including a stylus, an indicator stick, and the like. 2 is an uneven pattern and 3 is a conversion means. 4 is an envelope detection circuit, 5 is a recognition means, 16 is a digital signal after detection, 20 is a vibration pattern, 31 is a protrusion, 32 is a flat portion, 40 is a conversion means output signal, and 42 is an input information signal.
In the embodiment of the present invention, the conversion means 3 will be described as using a piezoelectric element. The piezoelectric element is an element that converts mechanical force into an electric signal, and converts vibration from the uneven pattern 2 into an electric signal. Of course, the conversion means 3 of the present invention is not limited to a piezoelectric element. For example, an electrical signal can be generated using sound generated by vibration, such as a speaker.

In the uneven pattern 2 in FIG. 1A, from the left of the drawing, two protrusions 31 are arranged, one flat part 32, one protrusion 31 and two flat parts 32 are continued, and the protrusion 31 and the flat part. 32 is shown as an example, and there are two protrusions 31 at the end. However, the present invention is not limited to this.
The input device of the present invention rubs the concavo-convex pattern 2 with the indicator 1 to generate vibration. Depending on the shape of the concavo-convex pattern 2, a specific vibration depending on the concavo-convex pattern 2 is generated. This characteristic vibration is detected as a vibration pattern 20 as shown in FIG. As will be described later, since the vibration pattern 20 itself can have a meaning as digital data, the concave-convex pattern 2 can be freely set in a desired shape, that is, by arranging the protrusions 31 and the flat portions 32. Freely create unique vibrations.

  In FIG. 2, 6 is an X-direction uneven pattern, and 7 is a Y-direction uneven pattern.

  In FIG. 3, 8 is a circumferential uneven | corrugated pattern.

  In FIG. 4, 50 is synchronization data, 51 is boundary data, 52 is information data, and 53 is check data.

  FIG. 5 is a circuit diagram showing the envelope detection circuit 4, wherein 9 is a diode, 10 is a resistor, 11 is a capacitor, 30 is a low-pass filter, and 41 is a rectified signal.

  FIG. 7 is a block diagram of the recognition means 5, wherein 12 is a phase synchronization circuit, 13 is a sampling circuit, 14 is a data buffer, 15 is determination means, 35 is a counter, 17 is a synchronization signal, 18 is a data signal, and 19 is A success / failure signal 36 is an input speed signal.

FIG. 8 is a configuration diagram of the phase locked loop circuit 12, in which 21 is a phase comparison circuit, 22 is a loop filter, 23 is a voltage controlled oscillator, and 24 is a frequency divider.
2, 3, 4, 5, 7, and 8, the same reference numerals are assigned to the same components as those in FIG. 1.

[Principle explanation: Fig.1, Fig.2, Fig.3]
First, the basic principle of detection of the input device of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
As shown in FIG. 1A, when the input surface is rubbed by the indicator 1, vibration is generated in the protrusion 31 and vibration is not generated in the flat portion 32. That is, a vibration pattern 20 that is a specific vibration depending on the uneven pattern 2 as shown in the waveform diagram of FIG. This vibration pattern 20 is converted into an electrical signal by the conversion means 3 and input to the envelope detection circuit 4 as a conversion means output signal 40.

The envelope detection circuit 4 converts the conversion means output signal 40, which is an electric signal that vibrates finely, into an envelope signal surrounding the conversion means output signal 40, digitizes it, and outputs it as a digital signal 16 after detection.

  Next, the post-detection digital signal 16 is input to the recognizing means 5 so that the concave / convex pattern 2 is identified and becomes an input information signal 42.

  Based on the above principle, it is possible to input desired information by providing a plurality of different uneven patterns. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, an input device such as a mouse can be realized by separately providing the X-direction uneven pattern 6 and the Y-direction uneven pattern 7.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 3, if the circumferential uneven pattern 8 is provided in a circumferential shape, an input device such as a jog dial can be realized.

[Description of operation: FIG. 1, FIG. 5, FIG. 6, FIG. 7]
Next, the detailed operation of detection by the input device of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1, 5, 6, and 7. FIG.
The conversion means output signal 40 obtained by converting the vibration generated by the indicator 1 by the conversion means 3 is input to the envelope detection circuit 4. As shown in FIG. 5, the envelope detection circuit 4 includes a half-end rectifier circuit composed of a diode 9 and a low-pass filter 30 composed of a resistor 10 and a capacitor 11.
The signal waveform will be described below. 6 is a waveform of the conversion means output signal 40, 62 is a waveform of the rectified signal 41, and 63 is a waveform of the digital signal 16 after detection.
A waveform 62 is obtained by half-rectifying the waveform 61 by the diode 9 shown in FIG. Next, the high-frequency component is removed from the rectified signal 41 by the low-pass filter 30 and is converted into an envelope signal surrounding the peak portion of the rectified signal 41, so that it has a shape like a waveform 63.

The post-detection digital signal 16 is input to the recognition means 5. As shown in FIG. 7, the recognition unit 5 includes a phase synchronization circuit 12, a sampling circuit 13, a data buffer 14, a determination unit 15, and a counter 35.
The phase synchronization circuit 12 generates a synchronization signal 17 based on the detected digital signal 16. The sampling circuit 13 reads the digital signal 16 after detection based on the timing of the synchronization signal 17 and sequentially stores the data in the data buffer 14. The judging means 15 judges whether the data in the data buffer 14 is accurate and generates a success / failure signal 19. The counter 35 calculates the input speed by counting the synchronization signal 17 for a predetermined time, and generates an input speed signal 36.

  A host computer (not shown) can detect an input by referring to an input information signal 42 including a data signal 18, a success / failure signal 19, and an input speed signal 36.

Next, a case where the generated vibration pattern 20 itself can have a meaning as digital data will be described. The digital data to be input is data having a specific meaning, for example, position information data, numerical data, a combination thereof, and various information data.
By making the number and arrangement of the protrusions 31 and the flat portions 32 constituting the uneven pattern 2 into a desired arrangement state, it is possible to create a vibration pattern 20 that is an arbitrary specific vibration.
The created vibration pattern 20 can be any digital data having a specific meaning by setting the portion corresponding to the protrusion 31 to “1” and the portion corresponding to the flat portion 32 to “0”. .
For example, digital data of “1011010” can be generated by arranging four protrusions 31 and arranging “1111”, and arranging four protrusions 31 and flat parts 32 by four in total. Of course, since the protrusion 31 and the flat part 32 can be provided until the size of the part where the uneven pattern 2 is provided is limited, the length of the digital data can be freely selected.
In this way, by devising the arrangement of the protrusions and flat portions constituting the concavo-convex pattern 2, an arbitrary vibration pattern 20 including vibrations for desired information data to be input is generated and has a specific meaning. Arbitrary digital data can be input.

In order to input arbitrary digital data having a peculiar meaning in practice, in addition to desired information data to be input, synchronization data, boundary data, and check data are included.
FIG. 4 shows the structure of arbitrary digital data. FIG. 4 shows the structure of data obtained from the concavo-convex pattern 2 in which the protrusion 31 shown in FIG. 1 is represented by “1” and the flat portion 32 is represented by “0”. 50 is synchronization data for synchronization, 51 is boundary data for data boundary, 52 is information data as desired data, and 53 is check data for checksum.

  The concave / convex pattern 2 that forms the vibration pattern 20 is packetized, and the configuration of one packet includes synchronization data 50, boundary data 51, information data 52, and check data 53. Accordingly, the uneven pattern 2 prepared in advance is used for the arrangement of the protrusions 31 and the flat parts 32 for the synchronization data 50, the arrangement of the protrusions 31 and the flat parts 32 for the boundary data 51, and the desired information data 52 to be input. The protrusions 31 and the flat portions 32 are arranged, and the check data protrusions 31 and the flat portions 32 are arranged.

[Synchronous operation description: FIG. 4, FIG. 7, FIG. 8]
Next, the operation of generating the synchronization signal 17 of the phase synchronization circuit 12 will be described with reference to FIGS.
The operation of generating the synchronization signal 17 is an operation of using the synchronization data 50 in the digital data to be input and generating the synchronization signal 17 having a phase synchronized with respect to a signal having a fixed period generated from the synchronization data 50 at the time of reading. That is.

In order to synchronize the phase, a phase synchronization circuit 12 generally used in a frequency synthesizer, an FM demodulator, or the like is used. This will be specifically described below.
The synchronization data 50 is composed of continuous “1” s. In FIG. 4, it is “11111111” as an example. In this case, the concavo-convex pattern 2 shown in FIG. 1 is a state in which eight protrusions 31 are arranged.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the post-detection digital signal 16 based on the synchronization data 50 is compared with the output of the frequency divider 24 by the phase comparison circuit 21, and the difference is integrated by the loop filter 22. The signal is fed back to the phase comparison circuit 21 via the frequency divider 24. As a result of this feedback, the phase comparison circuit 21 is controlled so that the two inputs become the same frequency signal in synchronization. That is, since the frequency at the input terminal of the frequency divider 24 is a frequency multiplied by the frequency division ratio, this frequency is used as the synchronization signal 17 that is the basis of the data acquisition timing of the sampling circuit 13 shown in FIG. Thereby, data can be sampled accurately regardless of the speed of friction by the indicator 1.

[Description of judgment operation: FIGS. 4 and 7]
Next, the determination operation of the determination unit 15 will be described with reference to FIGS.
In addition to the series of information data 52 (two information data 52 in FIG. 4), the determination operation adds checksum data 53 for checksum related to the series of information data 52, and if an error occurs during reading If the error occurs, the success or failure is determined by breaking the relationship between the series of information data 52 and the check data 53.

  This will be specifically described below. As shown in FIG. 4, boundary data 51 is arranged after the synchronization data 50. The boundary data 51 is data for identifying the boundary of the data with the synchronization data 50. However, the boundary data 51 can be used to determine the direction of friction by the indicator 1 by using data that is particularly asymmetrical in the longitudinal direction. In FIG. 4, it is “01011110” as an example. In this case, the concavo-convex pattern 2 shown in FIG. 1 is in a state in which there is a flat portion 32 and one protrusion 31, and then there are four flat portions 32 and four protrusions 31 are arranged.

  Any number of types of information data 52 can be used as long as they are different from the synchronization data 50 and the boundary data 51, and various information can be provided. The check data 53 is a checksum that is a value obtained by adding all the information data 52. As a result, as shown in FIG. 7, the determination unit 15 matches the value of the sampled check data 53 with the value added by the determination unit 15 based on all the information data 52 in the data buffer 14. The success / failure signal 19 is generated depending on whether or not.

The input device of the present invention can simplify the mechanical structure by utilizing the vibration of the input surface, and can reduce the cost and make it difficult to break. Moreover, desired information can be input by arranging the protrusions and flat portions of the concavo-convex pattern so that a vibration pattern that is a specific vibration can be input. Since a plurality of uneven patterns can be provided, various information can be input. Information on the concave / convex pattern can be input accurately by providing synchronization data and check data. Of course, addition of boundary data and the like can be performed arbitrarily according to the necessity of the data structure, so that more information can be input.
Of course, when there are a plurality of pieces of information to be input, the uneven pattern may not be provided independently for each piece of information. Even if it is different information, the arrangement | sequence which consists of a projection part and a flat part may be arranged continuously. In this case, the boundary of information desired to be input may be defined using boundary data.

  The input device of the present invention can be applied to a computer, an information terminal, and the like that are inexpensive, are not easily broken, and are required to input various information. In particular, since a mechanical movable part such as a switch is not required, it is suitable for a small portable information terminal.

It is a figure explaining the input device of this invention. It is an external view which shows typically the uneven | corrugated pattern of the input device of this invention. It is an external view which shows typically the uneven | corrugated pattern of the input device of this invention. It is a figure explaining the structure of the data obtained from the uneven | corrugated pattern of the input device of this invention. It is a circuit diagram of the envelope detection circuit of the input device of the present invention. It is the wave form diagram which showed typically the waveform of the envelope detection circuit of the input device of this invention. It is a block diagram of the recognition means of the input device of this invention. It is a block diagram of the phase locked loop of the input device of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows a prior art.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Indicator 2 Uneven pattern 3 Conversion means 4 Envelope detection circuit 5 Recognition means 6 X direction uneven pattern 7 Y direction uneven pattern 8 Circumferential uneven pattern 9 Diode 10 Resistance 11 Capacitor 12 Phase synchronization circuit 13 Sampling circuit 14 Data buffer 15 Judgment Means 16 Digital signal after detection 17 Synchronization signal 18 Data signal 19 Success / failure signal 20 Vibration pattern 21 Phase comparison circuit 22 Loop filter 23 Voltage controlled oscillator 24 Divider 30 Low pass filter 31 Protrusion 32 Flat part 35 Counter 36 Input speed signal 40 Conversion Means output signal 41 Signal after rectification 42 Input information signal 50 Synchronization data 51 Boundary data 52 Information data 53 Check data 61 to 63 Waveform

Claims (5)

An input device for inputting by vibration generated when the indicator rubs the input surface,
A concavo-convex pattern provided on the input surface and having a protrusion and a flat part for generating the vibration;
Conversion means for converting vibration generated by the uneven pattern into an electrical signal;
An envelope detection circuit for extracting an envelope from the electrical signal;
Recognition means for identifying the signal from the envelope detector circuit;
An input device comprising:   The input device according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the concavo-convex patterns are provided, and the electrical signal is obtained from vibration corresponding to the plurality of the concavo-convex patterns.   The specific vibration is input to the conversion means by the arrangement of the protrusion and the flat portion, and the specific vibration includes vibration for desired information data to be input. Input device.   The characteristic vibration includes vibration for synchronization data for generating a synchronization signal and vibration for check data for determining whether the characteristic vibration is accurate. Input device. The recognition means includes a phase synchronization circuit for generating the synchronization signal, a sampling circuit for sampling a signal based on the synchronization signal, a data buffer for temporarily storing sampled data, and data in the data buffer A determination means for determining whether or not it is correct; an input speed calculation means for calculating an input speed based on the synchronization signal;
The input device according to claim 1, further comprising:

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