JP2008269802A - Input device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an input device capable of giving a click feel when operating an operating member, and also capable of setting the click feel at any free position. <P>SOLUTION: A magnetic body 16 connected to the operating member 15, an electromagnet 17 provided in an actuating body 12 to attract the magnetic body 16 during the switching-on, and a controller 10 to control the switching-on and switching-off of the electromagnet 17 compose a click feel giving means 33. If the operating member 15 is operated so as to move it in a two-dimensional direction, the movement position of the operating member 15 is detected through a link mechanism 20 by a potentiometer 27, and the controller 10 controls the switching-on and switching off of the electromagnet 17 based on the detected information of the potentiometer 27 to give the click feel. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an input device capable of operating an operation member in a two-dimensional direction.

  For example, in a vehicle, a display system comprising an input device disposed on a center console, for example, a center console, and a display disposed on an instrument panel, such as an input device disposed on a center console. Has been proposed. The user moves the cursor displayed on the display by moving the operation member of the input device, selects one function item from a plurality of function items, displays a desired screen, or is provided on the vehicle. To operate the attached equipment. In this case, from the point of moving the cursor in the two-dimensional direction, the input device is required to operate the operation member in the two-dimensional directions of X and Y.

As this type of input device, for example, one having a configuration shown in Patent Document 1 is known. This case includes a case, a first moving body that is slidable in the X direction in the case, and a second movement that is slidable in the Y direction in the case in combination with the first moving body at a right angle. A body, an operating member (key top) having a shaft provided so as to penetrate the intersecting portion of the first and second moving bodies in the vertical direction, and the moving direction of the first and second moving bodies; Movement detection means (contactor and resistance circuit) for outputting an electric signal corresponding to the movement amount, and the first and second moving bodies are X when the operation member slides in the two-dimensional directions of X and Y. The movement detecting means outputs an electric signal corresponding to the moving direction and the moving amount of the first and second moving bodies. Thereby, the electrical signal according to the moving direction and moving amount of the operating member can be output.
JP 2006-216457 A

  The conventional input device described above has a drawback in that a sense of moderation cannot be obtained when operating the operation member. Accordingly, there is a problem that it is difficult to stop the cursor on the display at the target position.

In order to cope with this, for example, it is conceivable to provide a mechanical moderation mechanism between the case and the operation member. Specifically, for example, a moderation surface having a number of moderation recesses is provided on the case side, a moderation piece that slides on the moderation surface on the operation member side, and a spring that biases the moderation piece toward the moderation surface A member is provided, and the moderation piece slides on the moderation surface and engages with the moderation recess as the operation member moves.
With such a configuration, a sense of moderation can be imparted with the operation of the operation member. However, since the position of the moderation recess is determined, a sense of moderation can be given only at the determined position.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described circumstances, and the object thereof is to give a feeling of moderation when operating the operation member, and it is possible to set the moderation feeling at a free position. Is to provide a simple input device.

  In order to achieve the above object, an operation member provided so as to be movable in a two-dimensional direction, a movement detection means for detecting the movement direction and the movement amount of the operation member, and a sense of moderation when the operation member is moved. The moderation feeling imparting means includes an electromagnet, a magnetic material attracted to the electromagnet based on energization of the electromagnet, and the electromagnet. A control means for controlling power interruption, and one of the electromagnet and the magnetic body is provided on the operation member so as to move integrally therewith, and the other is provided to face the one, and the control The means is characterized in that when the operation member is moved, the electromagnet is controlled to be cut off based on detection information of the movement detection means.

  When the operation member is moved in a two-dimensional direction, the movement detection means detects the movement direction and amount of movement of the operation member, and the control means controls the electromagnet to be cut off based on the detection information of the movement detection means. At this time, when the electromagnet is cut off, the operation member can be freely moved. However, when the electromagnet is energized, the magnetic material is attracted to the electromagnet, thereby providing resistance to the operation member moving operation. A moderation feeling can be imparted during the movement operation. Further, the movement direction and amount of the operation member are detected by the position detection means, and when the operation member reaches a position where the moderation is desired to be applied, the electromagnet is energized to provide the moderation. Can be set at any position.

(First embodiment)
Hereinafter, a first embodiment in which the present invention is applied to an input device used in a display system of a vehicle will be described with reference to FIGS. This display system operates ancillary equipment of a vehicle such as an air conditioner, an audio, and a navigation system.
First, in FIG. 3, the display system 1 is disposed in a position that is easy for the user to operate in the passenger compartment, for example, the input device 2 disposed in the center console, and in a position that is easy for the user to view, for example, the instrument panel. And a display 3. Ancillary equipment includes an air conditioner, audio, car navigation, and the like.

  The input device 2 will be described with reference to FIGS. The case 5 of the input device 2 includes a case main body 6 having a rectangular container shape with an open upper surface, and a cover 7 attached to the upper portion of the case main body 6. A circular opening 8 is formed in the cover 7. A wiring board 9 is disposed in a fixed state at the bottom of the case body 6 so as to be positioned below the opening 8. On the upper surface of the wiring board 9, a control device 10 including a microcomputer and constituting the control means of the present invention is disposed, and an enter switch 11 comprising a tact switch is disposed at one end (left end in FIG. 1). It is installed. The operation element 11a of the enter switch 11 protrudes upward.

  In the case 5, a plate-like operating body 12 is disposed above the wiring substrate 9. One end (right end in FIG. 1) of the operating body 12 is rotatably attached to a support 13 provided on the case body 6 via a shaft 14, and the other end is the enter switch. 11 operator 11a. In the state of FIG. 1, the operating body 12 is arranged in a substantially horizontal state parallel to the bottom surface of the case body 6. The operation plate 12 constitutes a stationary part.

  An operation member 15 is disposed above the operating body 12 so as to be positioned in the opening 8. The operation member 15 has a short columnar operation portion 15 a and a shaft portion 15 b protruding from the lower surface of the operation portion 15 a, and is provided on the bottom surface of the case body 6 within the range of the opening 8. It is provided so as to be movable in a two-dimensional direction (X direction, Y direction, and diagonal direction in FIG. 3) along the flat plane. A disk-shaped magnetic body 16 is attached to the lower end portion of the shaft portion 15b. An electromagnet 17 is fixedly attached to the upper surface of the operating body 12 so as to be positioned below the magnetic body 16 and to face the magnetic body 16. A slide plate 18 is attached to the upper portion of the shaft portion 15 b of the operation member 15. The slide plate 18 slides in a two-dimensional direction integrally with the operation member 15 in a state in which the opening 8 is closed from below.

  As shown in FIG. 2, a pantograph type link mechanism 20 is connected to the shaft portion 15 b of the operation member 15. Specifically, the link mechanism 20 includes a pair of first arms 21 whose one end portions are rotatably connected to the shaft portion 15b, and the other end portions of the first arms 21 by pins 22 respectively. It has a pair of 2nd arm 23 connected so that movement was possible. The pair of second arms 23 intersect with each other in the middle portion in the longitudinal direction, and the intersecting portions are rotatably connected by the shaft portion 24. The shaft portion 24 is attached to a support base 25 provided on the case body 6. In the pair of second arms 23, rack members 26 are provided at the free ends opposite to the pins 22. Each rack member 26 has a tooth portion 26 a on the side surface opposite to the second arm 23. Here, when the operation member 15 is moved and operated in the two-dimensional direction, the link mechanism 20 expands and contracts around the shaft portion 24, and accordingly, each rack 26 swings around the shaft portion 24.

  In the case main body 6, a horizontal support wall 6a is provided on the left side of FIG. 1, and rotary first and second potentiometers 27 and 28 are disposed on the upper surface of the support wall 6a, respectively. Has been. The first and second potentiometers 27, 28 have rotating shafts 27a, 28a protruding upward, and gears 29, 30 rotate integrally with these rotating shafts 27a, 28a. Have been attached to do. Each gear 29 and 30 meshes with the tooth portion 26 a of the rack member 26.

  Therefore, when the rack member 26 swings around the shaft portion 24 as the operating member 15 is moved in the two-dimensional direction, the swinging motion is converted into the rotational motion of the rotary shafts 27a and 28a via the gears 29 and 30. Is done. The first and second potentiometers 27 and 28 output a rotation signal corresponding to the swing direction and swing amount about the rack member 26 and eventually the shaft portion 24 of the second arm 23. That is, the first and second potentiometers 27 and 28 output a rotation signal, which is a detection signal of a displacement amount of the operation member 15 in the two-dimensional direction (X direction and Y direction), as movement position information of the operation member 15. . The first and second potentiometers 27 and 28 function as movement detection means for detecting the movement direction and movement amount of the operation member 15. In this case, the first and second potentiometers 27 and 28 function as position detecting means for the operation member 15.

FIG. 4 shows an electrical configuration. In FIG. 4, the control device 10 is connected to the first and second potentiometers 27 and 28 and the enter switch 11. The controller 10 is connected to the electromagnet 17, the display 3, and a vehicle accessory device 32. The control device 10 controls disconnection of the electromagnet 17 based on signals from the first and second potentiometers 27 and 28 and the enter switch 11 and a control program prepared in advance, and controls the display 3 and the accessory device 32. Output a signal.
Here, in the present embodiment, the operation is performed by the magnetic body 16 connected to the operation member 15, the electromagnet 17 provided on the operating body 12 that is a stationary part, and the control device 10 that controls the interruption of the electromagnet 17. A moderation feeling imparting means 33 (see FIG. 1) for imparting a moderation feeling during the movement operation of the member 15 is configured.

Next, the operation of the above configuration will be described.
When the operating member 15 is slid in a two-dimensional direction (X direction, Y direction, and oblique direction), the rotary shafts 27a and 28a of the first and second potentiometers 27 and 28 are rotated via the link mechanism 20. The rotation signal (detection signal) is output to the control device 10. The control device 10 obtains the movement position of the operation member 15 as a relative coordinate value based on the detection signals of the first and second potentiometers 27 and 28, outputs the relative coordinate value to the display 3, and the relative coordinate value. The electromagnet 17 is controlled to be cut off based on the above.

  Here, the display 3 obtains a target position (coordinates) on the screen 3a of the cursor C displayed on the screen 3a based on the relative coordinate value from the control device 10, and moves the cursor C to the obtained target position. . At this time, when the electromagnet 17 is disconnected, the operation member 15 can be freely moved in the direction in which it is desired to operate with less resistance. However, when the electromagnet 17 is energized, the magnetic body 16 coupled to the operation member 15 By being attracted to the electromagnet 17, it becomes a resistance when the operation member 15 is moved. When the electromagnet 17 is turned off again, the adsorption of the magnetic body 16 by the electromagnet 17 is released, so that the operation member 15 can be freely moved with a small resistance. As described above, when the operation member 15 is moved, the electromagnet 17 is controlled to be cut off, so that a sense of moderation can be given. FIG. 5 shows an example in which moderation is given when the cursor CK on the screen 3a of the display 3 is moved. On the screen 3a, A1, A2 and A3 indicate positions where the electromagnet 17 is energized to generate a sense of moderation. In this case, after the electromagnet 17 is energized, for example, by controlling so that the power is cut off after about 1 second, a smooth movement is possible.

  Further, the control device 10 detects the moving speed of the operating member 15 by the first and second potentiometers 27 and 28, and when the moving speed of the operating member 15 is faster than a preset set speed, The position where the electromagnet 17 is energized is roughened so that the position where the moderation is applied is reduced. In this case, the operation member 15 can be moved more smoothly. On the contrary, when the moving speed of the operation member 15 is slower than a preset setting speed, the position where the electromagnet 17 is energized can be made finer, and the position where the moderation is given can be increased.

  When the operation member 15 is pressed downward while the cursor C on the screen 3a is at the position of the function item to be selected, the operating body 12 is pressed downward via the magnetic body 16 and the electromagnet 17. Then, the operating body 12 is tilted so that the other end of the operating body 12 rotates downward with the shaft portion 14 at one end as a fulcrum, and the operating element 11a of the enter switch 11 is pressed by the other end of the operating body 12. The enter switch 11 is turned on. When the control device 10 receives the ON signal of the enter switch 11, the control device 10 assigns the predetermined device assigned to the function item to the incidental device 32 corresponding to the function item on the screen 3a selected by the cursor C at this time. A control signal is output to perform the operation.

  When the pressing operation force on the operating member 15 is released, the operating element 11a returns to the off position by the return force of the operating element 11a of the enter switch 11, and the enter switch 11 is turned off. Further, the operating body 12 is also returned to the original horizontal state by the restoring force of the operation element 11a.

  According to the first embodiment described above, the following operational effects can be obtained. When the operation member 15 is moved in the two-dimensional direction, the movement position of the operation member 15 is detected by the first and second potentiometers 27 and 28, and the control device 10 detects the movement of the first and second potentiometers 27 and 28. A sense of moderation can be imparted by controlling disconnection of the electromagnet 17 based on the detection information. Further, the position of the operation member 15 is detected by the first and second potentiometers 27 and 28, and when the operation member 15 reaches the position where the moderation is desired to be applied, the electromagnet 17 is energized to provide the moderation. By doing so, it becomes possible to set a moderation feeling at a free position.

  In the first embodiment described above, the positions of the magnetic body 16 and the electromagnet 17 in the moderation giving means 33 may be reversed. Specifically, the magnetic body 16 is provided in a fixed state on the upper surface of the operating body 12, and the electromagnet 17 is connected to the lower end portion of the shaft portion 15 b of the operation member 15.

(Second Embodiment)
A second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the part same as 1st Embodiment, description is abbreviate | omitted, and a different part is demonstrated. That is, the electromagnet 17 in the moderation feeling imparting means 33 is not fixed to the upper surface of the operating body 12, and is moved in a two-dimensional direction by the spring member 35 formed of a torsion coil spring constituting elastic means on the upper surface of the operating body 12. It is kept in a movable state. In this case, as shown in FIG. 7, four spring members 35 are arranged around the electromagnet 17. Each spring member 35 is disposed between the electromagnet 17 and the inner side surface of the case body 6 or the side surface of the support base 25, and the electromagnet 17 is operated by the spring force of the four spring members 35. It is biased to the neutral position just below.

  In the configuration described above, when the operation member 15 is slid in the two-dimensional direction, the rotary shafts 27a and 28a of the first and second potentiometers 27 and 28 are connected via the link mechanism 20 as in the first embodiment. Is rotated, and this rotation signal (detection signal) is output to the control device 10. The control device 10 obtains the operation member 15 as a relative coordinate value based on the detection signals of the first and second potentiometers 27 and 28, outputs the relative coordinate value to the display 3, and based on the relative coordinate value. The electromagnet 17 is controlled to be cut off.

  At this time, when the electromagnet 17 is disconnected, the operation member 15 can be freely moved in the direction in which it is desired to operate with less resistance. However, when the electromagnet 17 is energized, the magnetic body 16 coupled to the operation member 15 By being attracted to the electromagnet 17, it becomes a resistance when the operation member 15 is moved. In this case, since the electromagnet 17 is not fixed to the operating body 12 and is only held by the four spring members 35, the operation member 15, together with the electromagnet 17, resists the spring force of the spring member 35. It can be moved a little. The control device 10 detects the movement of the operation member 15 after the electromagnet 17 is energized by the first and second potentiometers 27 and 28, and when the movement amount reaches a preset movement amount, the electromagnet 17. Disconnect the power. Thereby, the adsorption of the magnetic body 16 by the electromagnet 17 is released. In this way, a sense of moderation can be provided by controlling disconnection of the electromagnet 17. When the electromagnet 17 is disconnected, the electromagnet 17 is returned to the original neutral position by the spring force of the four spring members 35.

In the second embodiment as described above, basically the same operational effects as those of the first embodiment can be obtained.
Also in the second embodiment described above, the positions of the magnetic body 16 and the electromagnet 17 in the moderation giving means 33 may be reversed. Specifically, the magnetic body 16 is provided so as to be biased to the neutral position by the spring member 35 on the upper surface of the operating body 12, and the electromagnet 17 is connected to the lower end portion of the shaft portion 15 b of the operation member 15. Further, as the elastic means for biasing the electromagnet 17 to the neutral position, for example, rubber may be used instead of the spring member 35.

(Other embodiments)
The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be modified or expanded as follows.
Instead of detecting the position itself of the operation member 15 by the first and second potentiometers 27 and 28, the relative position is detected by detecting the movement direction and the movement amount of the operation member 15. May be.
The enter switch 11 does not have to have the operation element 11 a facing upward on the wiring board 9, as long as the operation element 11 a can be operated by pressing the operation member 15. Further, the place where the enter switch 11 is disposed is not limited to the wiring board 9 and may be provided in the operation portion 15 a of the operation member 15.
The mechanism used for detecting the moving direction and the moving amount of the operation member 15 is not limited to the pantograph type link mechanism 20, and a system using a linear slider or a wire may be used.

The longitudinal cross-sectional view of the input device which shows the 1st Embodiment of this invention Plan view of main parts Perspective view of display system Block diagram showing electrical configuration Front view showing the state of moving the cursor on the display FIG. 1 equivalent diagram showing a second embodiment of the present invention 2 equivalent diagram

Explanation of symbols

  In the drawings, 1 is a display system, 2 is an input device, 3 is a display, 5 is a case, 9 is a wiring board, 10 is a control device (control means), 11 is an enter switch, 12 is an operating body (stationary part), 15 Is an operating member, 16 is a magnetic body, 17 is an electromagnet, 18 is a slide plate, 20 is a link mechanism, 27 and 28 are first and second potentiometers (movement detecting means), 32 is an accessory device, and 33 is a feeling of moderation. Means 35 is a spring member (elastic means), and C is a cursor.

Claims (3)

An operation member provided so as to be movable in a two-dimensional direction, a movement detection means for detecting the movement direction and the movement amount of the operation member, and a moderation provided so as to provide a sense of moderation when the operation member is moved. In an input device provided with a feeling imparting means,
The moderation feeling imparting means includes an electromagnet, a magnetic material that is attracted to the electromagnet based on energization of the electromagnet, and a control means that controls the electromagnet to be cut off and on
One of the electromagnet and the magnetic body is provided on the operation member so as to move integrally therewith, and the other is provided so as to face the one, and the control means is configured to move the operation member when An input device characterized in that the electromagnet is controlled to be cut off based on detection information of the movement detection means.   The input device according to claim 1, wherein the other of the electromagnet and the magnetic body opposite to the one provided on the operation member is fixed to a stationary part.   The other of the electromagnet and the magnetic body opposite to the one provided on the operation member is biased to a neutral position by an elastic means in a state where the electromagnet and the magnetic body are movable in a two-dimensional direction. The input device according to claim 1.

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