JP2007083785A - Switch device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To perform determination of an operation direction with less operation load and sufficient accuracy capable of being provided at low cost without particularly ensuring a space and being not affected by an environmental factor. <P>SOLUTION: In a control part 2 of a navigation device 1, when a pressure of a finger added to a pressure-sensitive touch panel 12 of a monitor 3 is inputted and an inclination by the minimum square method of pressure distribution applied to a switch 11 part is positive, it is determined that the operation is performed from a passenger side and a signal output from the switch 11 is allowed. On the contrary, when the inclination by the minimum square method of the pressure distribution applied to the switch part is negative, it is determined that the operation is performed from a driver side, the signal output from the switch 11 is not allowed and non-allowance of the signal out is informed. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention particularly relates to a switch device used in a vehicle-mounted navigation device or the like.

  In recent years, in a switch device used, there is a case where it is desired to determine ON / OFF according to the direction in which an operator who operates the switch device exists, in addition to a simple ON-OFF function. For example, in a touch panel type on-vehicle navigation device, the driver may not be able to concentrate on driving, so that the navigation device cannot be operated while traveling. However, when it is assumed that there is a passenger and the driver is lost, it is very inconvenient that the passenger cannot operate.

Therefore, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-67031, an infrared camera is provided, and the center of gravity of the operator's hand extracted from an image captured by the infrared camera is in the left area of the reference line set in the image or in the right area. A technique for discriminating whether the operator is a driver or a passenger depending on whether the driver is a driver or a passenger and controlling the permitted range of the operation items based on the discrimination result and the vehicle speed is disclosed.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-67031

  However, when an infrared camera is newly provided as in Patent Document 1 described above, there is a problem that the cost is increased and an appropriate space for the camera must be secured. Further, in the image processing from the camera, there is a process of obtaining the position of the finger from the image acquisition-image information by the camera and calculating, and there is a problem that it takes time for the calculation. Furthermore, in image processing, erroneous recognition and erroneous detection due to factors such as external light can be considered, and there is a possibility that recognition cannot be performed in nighttime situations.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances. In particular, the operator can be provided at low cost without securing a space, the calculation load is small, and the direction in which the operator exists with high accuracy without being affected by environmental factors. An object of the present invention is to provide a switch device that can determine the above.

  The present invention relates to a pressure detection means for detecting a pressure applied to the surface, and an operation for determining the direction of presence of the operator who applied pressure to the surface with respect to the pressure detection means based on the pressure distribution detected by the pressure detection means. And a switch means for outputting a switch signal based on the presence direction of the operator determined by the operator presence direction determination means.

  According to the switch device according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a low cost without particularly securing a space, the calculation load is small, and the presence direction of the operator is accurately determined without being influenced by environmental factors. It becomes possible.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
1 to 8 show an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of a vehicle-mounted navigation device, FIG. 2 is a flowchart of an operation direction determination program, and FIG. 3 is an example of a switch operation from a driver. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of switch operation from a passenger, FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram when determining the slope of the pressure distribution region by the least square method, and FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of an example of operation of a joystick type switch FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of an example in which the present switch is applied to various parts in the vehicle interior, and FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram of an example in which the present switch is applied to an elevator switch.

  In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a vehicle navigation device. A control unit 2 that is a computer unit of the navigation device 1 has a monitor 3 having both a display function and an input function, and a CD (Compact Discs, DVDs (Digital Versatile Discs), HD (Hard Disks), and other drive devices 4, and GPS (Global Positioning System) satellites orbiting around the earth. Are connected to a GPS antenna 5, a gyro 6 for detecting the rotational angular velocity of the vehicle, a vehicle speed sensor 7 for detecting the vehicle speed V, and a speaker 8 for generating guidance by voice or the like.

  And the control part 2 is each information from the GPS antenna 5, the gyroscope 6, and the vehicle speed sensor 7 according to the destination input from the monitor 3, and various driving conditions (whether the highway can be used, a waypoint, etc.). Based on the above, the current position of the host vehicle is displayed on the monitor 3. In addition, the control unit 2 performs automatic calculation of a route from the current position to the destination, displays route guidance on the monitor 3, and performs notification by voice from the speaker 8.

  The monitor 3 is configured to include a known pressure-sensitive touch panel 12 as a pressure detection unit that includes a switch 11 as a switch unit, and the control unit 2 travels according to an operator presence direction determination program described later. Even when the switch 11 is in the middle, if it is determined that the presence direction of the operator with respect to the switch 11 is the passenger side, the input by the switch 11 is permitted. When it is determined that the operator is present on the switch 11 while traveling, a notification such as “Please operate after stopping” is given through the monitor 3 or the speaker 8. Do.

  That is, when the driver operates the switch 11, as shown in FIG. 3A, the driver's fingertip is a pressing operation in which the switch 11 is directed from the lower right to the upper left. The pressure distribution is as shown by the isobaric line in FIG. 3B (in the case of a right-hand drive vehicle).

  On the other hand, when the passenger operates, as shown in FIG. 4A, the passenger's fingertip is pressed from the lower left to the upper right of the switch 11, and the pressure distribution at this time is shown in FIG. 4B. Is the same pressure line (for right-hand drive cars). In the case of a left-hand drive vehicle, the right and left are reversed.

  Therefore, it can be determined from the slope t of the pressure distribution area acting on the switch 11 whether the person who operated the switch 11 is present on the driver side or the passenger. Hereinafter, an example of obtaining the slope t of the pressure distribution will be described with reference to FIG.

  First, in a limited region including the switch 11, a pressure distribution region to which a pressure equal to or higher than a preset threshold is applied is extracted.

  Then, in the vertical direction (y-axis direction), a portion where only one boundary point where the pressure is positive from 0 exists in the range of 0 <x <xmax (maximum x value) (point A: x = x1). Furthermore, scanning is performed in the positive direction (at this stage, there are two boundary points α and β as indicated by x = xs), and there is only one boundary point where the pressure changes from positive to zero. To be extracted (point B: x = x2).

  Next, in the lateral direction (x-axis direction), a portion where only one boundary point where the pressure is positive from 0 exists in the range of 0 <y <ymax (maximum y value) (point C: y). = Y1). Furthermore, scanning is performed in the positive direction (at this stage, there are two boundary points γ and δ as indicated by y = ys), and there is only one boundary point where the pressure changes from positive to zero. To be extracted (point D: y = y2).

  The least square method is applied to the closed region thus obtained, that is, the region surrounded by (x1, y1), (x1, y2), (x2, y1), (x2, y2), and the gradient t is calculated. .

That is,
t = (n · Σ ⁿ _{i = 1} (xi · yi) −Σ ⁿ _{i = 1} (xi) · Σ ⁿ _{i = 1} (yi))
/ (N · Σ ⁿ _{i = 1} (xi ² ) − (Σ ⁿ _{i = 1} (xi)) ² ) (1)

  If the slope t calculated by the above equation (1) is positive (upward to the right), it can be determined that the operator is present on the passenger side, and if negative (upward to the left), the operator is present on the driver side. Can be determined. Thus, the control unit 2 is configured to have the function of the operator presence direction determination unit.

  Next, the operation direction determination program executed by the control unit 2 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. First, in step (hereinafter abbreviated as “S”) 101, it is determined whether or not the vehicle speed V is greater than 0. If the vehicle speed V is greater than 0, it is determined that the vehicle is traveling and the process proceeds to S102. If the vehicle speed V is 0 or less, it is determined that the vehicle is not running and the program is exited.

  When it is determined that the vehicle is traveling in S101 and the process proceeds to S102, it is determined whether or not a pressure equal to or higher than a preset threshold value is detected in the switch 11 portion of the pressure-sensitive touch panel 12 of the monitor 3.

  If the pressure is not detected as a result of this determination, the program exits as it is, and conversely, if the pressure is detected, the process proceeds to S103.

  In S103, as described above, the slope t is calculated by applying the least square method according to the equation (1) to the closed region obtained from the pressure distribution.

  Next, the process proceeds to S104 to determine whether or not the inclination t is positive. If the inclination t is positive, the process proceeds to S105, where the operator is present on the left side with respect to the switch 11 and the operation is performed by the passenger. Allow the signal input and exit the program.

  On the other hand, if the inclination t is not positive as a result of the determination in S104, the process proceeds to S106, where the presence direction of the operator is on the right side of the switch 11 and the operation is performed by the driver. Is not permitted, the process proceeds to S107, and a notification such as “Please operate after stopping” is given through the monitor 3 or the speaker 8 to exit the program.

  In this embodiment, in the case of an operation on the driver side during traveling, this is notified, but if not notified, the processing of S106 and S107 can be omitted, and the program can be exited as it is. Just do it.

  Further, although the present embodiment has been described with reference to the example applied to the switch 11 of the monitor 3 having the pressure-sensitive touch panel 12, it can also be applied to a joystick type switch 15 as shown in FIG. . That is, when the operation (thumb operation) on the joystick type switch 15 is an operation from the driver side, as shown in FIG. 6A, the finger pressing operation from the lower left to the upper right of the joystick type switch 15 is performed. It becomes. Conversely, in the case of an operation (thumb operation) on the joystick type switch 15 from the passenger side, as shown in FIG. 6B, a finger pressing operation from the lower right side to the upper left side of the joystick type switch 15 It becomes. In the case of a left-hand drive vehicle, the right and left are reversed. Therefore, by determining the direction of the operator based on the difference in the slope of the pressure distribution area acting on the switch 15, the operation from the driver side or the operation from the passenger side can be determined. It is possible to determine whether the switch signal is permitted or not.

  Further, the present invention is not limited to the vehicle navigation device 1 and can be applied to various on-vehicle devices. For example, the present invention can be applied to an operation switch of a room lamp 21 in a vehicle compartment as shown in FIG. 7 provided with a lamp that illuminates the driver side and a lamp that illuminates the passenger side. In this case, it is determined whether the operator exists on the driver side or the passenger side with respect to the operation switch based on the distribution region of the pressure acting on the operation switch, and the lamp that illuminates the driver side according to the determination result And a switch signal is selectively output to any one of the lamps illuminating the passenger. With this configuration, it is possible to manage the ON / OFF of two lamps with a single switch, reducing the number of switches in the vehicle interior, securing space, reducing costs, simplifying wiring, etc. Is possible.

  Further, the present invention is applied to the operation switch of the spot map lamp 22 shown in FIG. 7, and is configured to output a switch signal indicating an irradiation direction together with an ON-OFF instruction so as to irradiate the determined presence direction side of the operator. You can also

    Further, as shown in FIG. 8, it is possible to operate only the elevator on the side where the operator is present and to improve the convenience of the user by applying it as an elevator switch 25 provided in addition to the vehicle. Become. In particular, for a user such as a wheelchair or a user who transports luggage, the travel distance is reduced, and an elevator that is easier to use can be realized.

    As described above, according to the embodiment of the present invention, the direction in which the switch is operated is determined based on the pressure distribution acting on the surface, and the switch signal output determination is performed not only based on the ON / OFF state of the switch but also based on the operation direction. I do. For this reason, large-scale equipment such as a camera is not required, space is not particularly secured, cost is low, calculation load is small, and the operation direction is accurately determined without being affected by environmental factors. Therefore, the convenience of the in-vehicle navigation device and the like can be further improved.

Overall configuration diagram of in-vehicle navigation system Operation direction determination program flowchart Explanatory drawing showing an example of switch operation from the driver Explanatory drawing showing an example of switch operation from the passenger Explanatory drawing when calculating the slope of the pressure distribution region by the method of least squares Illustration of operation example of joystick type switch Explanatory diagram of an example of applying this switch to various parts of the passenger compartment Illustration of an example of applying this switch to an elevator switch

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Navigation apparatus 2 Control part (operator presence direction determination means)
3 Monitor 7 Vehicle speed sensor 8 Speaker 11 Switch (switch means)
12 Pressure-sensitive touch panel (pressure detection means)

Claims (4)

Pressure detecting means for detecting pressure applied to the surface;
An operator presence direction determination means for determining the presence direction of the operator who applied pressure to the surface based on the pressure distribution detected by the pressure detection means with respect to the pressure detection means;
Switch means for outputting a switch signal based on the presence direction of the operator determined by the operator presence direction determination means;
A switch device comprising:   2. The switch device according to claim 1, wherein the switch means outputs the switch signal only when the operator presence direction determination means determines that the operator exists in a preset direction. .   The operator presence direction determining means obtains a pressure distribution area in which pressure equal to or higher than a preset threshold detected by the pressure detecting means is distributed, obtains an inclination of the pressure distribution area, and determines the operator's direction according to the direction of the inclination. The switch device according to claim 1, wherein the direction of presence is determined.   The pressure detecting means is a pressure-sensitive touch panel provided on a screen, and the switch means is a switch of an in-vehicle navigation device displayed on the screen. Switch device.

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