JP2009059254A - Rolling type input device and tactile feeling linked program - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a rolling type input device capable of adding a tactile feeling of repulsive force to the operation of a touch panel by detachably mounting the rolling type input device to an existing apparatus equipped with the touch panel or wearing it on the finger for use, and to provide a tactile feeling linked program allowing the executed situation of a program to be acquired in a tactile sense through the repulsive force by operating the program to be linked with the repulsive force and enhancing a realistic feeling by the linkage of power felt by the finger with power in a game scene. <P>SOLUTION: A rolling element is interposed between the finger and the touch panel, and repulsive force is given to the finger when the rolling element is deformed to be crushed or rolls. A contact position detecting means of the touch panel is used to estimate the repulsive force, and the program is operated in linkage with the estimated repulsive force. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

The present invention relates to a user interface operated based on a tactile sensation and an input device and program used for a game.

In recent years, contact position detection devices (hereinafter collectively referred to as touch panels) that are operated by touching with a finger or a stylus such as a touch pad, a touch panel, and a touch display have become widespread. In such a device, the coordinates of the contact point are input by touching the surface of the touch panel with a finger or an instrument. In the present invention, a mechanism called a rolling element is interposed between the finger and the touch panel, and the input device such as a dial, a wheel, a button, a cross key, or a keyboard is not limited to simply inputting coordinates. A device and program for inputting various information to control the progress of the game while returning to the finger the reaction force (repulsive force) and unevenness according to the contents of the game. give. Since the surface of the touch panel is flat and rigid, there is no special tactile sensation to know the position and reaction even when touched, but the tactile stimuli such as repulsive force and unevenness are being manipulated by interposing the rolling elements. By operating the program in conjunction with these tactile stimuli in addition to the finger, it is possible to operate the program and the game intuitively and easily while confirming the operation position and response through the tactile sense.

Conventionally, coordinate information is input by touching the surface of the touch panel with a pen-like instrument called a finger or a stylus. However, in any case, since there is a shortage of tactile cues, it is necessary to visually check the contact position, and also when confirming whether the input is correctly performed as a result of the contact, visual or auditory It was necessary to check through.

In order to deal with this problem, the present invention improves the user interface and game operability and realism by enabling the user to check the input content such as the contact position and the response to the input through tactile sense as well as visual and auditory senses. An input device interposed between a finger and a touch panel and a tactile sensation-linked program that effectively uses the input device are provided. Various tactile feedback devices have been developed in the past, but there has been no attempt to solve the above problem through a device interposed between a touch panel and a finger, and this is the novelty of the present invention.

Patent documents related to the present invention are shown below.
JP-A-9-128149 JP 2001-306238 A

Patent Documents 1 and 2 show a method of inputting data and commands by an operation of rolling a roller-shaped rolling element on a touch panel. However, none of the methods uses rolling elements only as a means for inputting information, and does not use it as a means for adding tactile cues.

In contrast, in the present invention, the rolling element is used as a means for applying a repulsive force as well as a feeling of unevenness to the finger, and by making the program operate in synchronism with such tactile cues, the operation of the program is tactile. The user interface can be operated and the ambience of the game is improved. Further, in the present invention, a rolling input device is separately attached to a touch panel that functions by itself and can be operated by a finger or a stylus as needed, or attached to the finger side. . For this purpose, a structure for enabling the detachable input device to be attached to and detached from the touch panel or the finger is provided. However, in the prior art, there is no structure for detachably attaching the rolling input device to the touch panel or the finger. . In this way, by using the sensor function (contact position detection mechanism) of the existing touch panel to detect rolling, the sensor function on the rolling input device side can be omitted and the device cost can be greatly reduced. Became possible. Further, in one embodiment of the present invention, a structure for attaching the rolling input device to the finger is provided, but conventionally, the idea itself that the rolling input device is attached to the finger and the touch panel is operated. Did not exist. Some conventional joysticks or the like may have a structure that can be interpreted as a rolling element on a sensor having a position detection function depending on the way of viewing, but the data is input unlike the present invention. Since the sensor function is built in itself, the structure is complicated and the cost is increased.

The present invention has been devised in view of the above situation, and for a touch panel operation that lacks a tactile cue, a special instrument is interposed between the finger and the touch panel to operate the finger during operation. By controlling the program to synchronize with the tactile sensation of the repulsive force and unevenness, the operability of the user interface and the realism of the game are improved, and the sensor function of the touch panel is further utilized. An object of the present invention is to provide a rolling input device and a tactile sensation linked program that can be realized at low cost.

The rolling input device according to claim 1 of the present invention devised to achieve the above object is a panel provided with contact position detecting means such as a touch panel, a touch screen, and a touch display, which function by itself. In addition, the rolling element is detachably mounted so that the rolling element part comes on the panel, and the rolling element rolls while directly or indirectly contacting the panel, and the rolling element is prevented from rolling motion. Repulsive force generation means for generating a force acting in the direction opposite to the direction is provided. Here, indirect contact means that contact is made with a film or cloth that easily deforms between the rolling elements and the panel.

The rolling input device according to claim 2 is mounted on a finger, pressed against a panel having a contact position detecting means by the finger, and directly or indirectly contacting the panel. A rolling element that rolls along with the movement, and a repulsive force generation means that generates a force acting in a direction opposite to the rolling direction so as to prevent the rolling motion of the rolling element.

A tactile sensation-linked program according to claim 3 is a program used together with the rolling input device according to claim 1 or 2, and is an amount or vector (for example, cursor operation speed or direction) set in the program. Variable and vector values that determine the magnitude and direction of virtual force applied to virtually set objects in the game) The repulsive force is determined in association with the magnitude or direction of the repulsive force (for example, the magnitude and angle are approximately proportional to each other so that a correspondence can be taken between the magnitude relation and direction of both).

The tactile sensation-linked program according to claim 4 is the tactile sensation-linked program according to claim 3, wherein the magnitude or direction of the repulsive force is calculated based on the contact position detected by the contact position detecting means. It is characterized by that.

Further, in the rolling input device according to claim 5, in the rolling input device according to claim 1 or 2, the rolling input device is configured by a mechanism or a material that deforms according to a force applied from a finger. According to the degree of deformation, it is provided with means for generating a repulsive force so as to return to its original shape or elasticity, and the degree of deformation is input through contact position detecting means provided in the panel. . For example, some resistive film type and capacitive type touch panels detect a center of gravity position in which a contact area is added to a contact point when a plurality of points touch the panel at the same time. In such a panel, while the reference contact is in contact with one point on the panel at a certain area, the rolling element is in direct or indirect contact with the panel at another point, and the size of the contact area is the size of the rolling element. If it changes according to the degree of deformation, the position of the center of gravity of the two touching points changes depending on the degree of deformation, so that the degree of deformation can be detected through the position of the center of gravity detected by the panel.

Further, the tactile sensation-linked program according to claim 6 is a program used together with the rolling input device according to claim 5, and determines a predetermined variable value in the program in association with the degree of deformation (for example, It is determined to be approximately proportional).

Finally, in the rolling input device according to claim 7, in the rolling input device according to claim 1, a direction perpendicular to the rolling direction of the rolling element is provided at a portion in contact with the finger on the upper surface of the rolling element. Is provided with means for rotating or swinging (hereinafter simply referred to as a rotating body). If the curved surface is curved not only in the rolling direction (front-rear direction) but also in the direction orthogonal to the rolling surface (front-rear direction), the finger is placed on the rotating body while rotating the rotating body. When the finger is moved to the left or right, the position of the pressure applied by the finger on the rolling element changes in the left-right direction, so the position where the curved surface curved in the left-right direction at the bottom of the rolling element contacts the panel changes in the left-right direction. The movement of the finger on the rolling element in the left-right direction can be detected by the change in the contact position. In this way, various information can be input by distinguishing various movements of the finger.

In the present invention, by using the sensor capability of the existing touch panel, a detachable or finger-mounted rolling input device that can significantly reduce the cost by omitting the sensor function is provided, and the amount of rolling and deformation can be reduced. By adding a mechanism that feeds back to the operator through the repulsive force and using a program that operates in conjunction with the repulsive force, the operator can grasp the operation content and operation amount tactilely through the magnitude and direction of the repulsive force. In addition, by associating the magnitude and direction of the force applied to an object such as a game program with the magnitude and direction of the repulsive force, the sense of realism during game play was improved.

The rolling input device of the present invention is used in combination with a panel provided with a contact position detecting means prepared separately. Hereinafter, the panel provided with the contact position detecting means will be referred to as a touch panel. The rolling input device 80 according to claim 1 of the present invention is attached to a separate device provided with the touch panel 2 as needed through a detachable mounting mechanism. For example, in the configuration example shown in FIG. 8, the rolling input device 80 connects the rolling element 1, the arm 5 for installing the rolling element at a predetermined interval from the touch panel 2, and the arm 5 and the rolling element 1. The base 4 is provided at one end of the spring 4 and the arm 5 and is fixed to the touch panel 2. By inserting the base 6 of the arm 5 of the rolling input device 80 into the slot 7 provided in the separate device 100 having the touch panel 2, the rolling input device 80 is mounted, and the base 6 is inserted into the slot. The rolling input device 80 can be removed by pulling it out. The arm 5 is bent in a U shape and protrudes on the surface of the touch panel 2, and both ends of the rolling element 1 are pulled to both sides through the spring 4 from the tip of the arm 5, so that the rolling element 1 has a predetermined height from the touch panel surface. And a predetermined gap is maintained between the touch panel surface and the lower surface of the rolling element by the tension of the spring 4.

Here, the touch panel 2 has electrodes arranged in a matrix so as to detect the pressurization position through the contact relationship between the electrodes, a resistance film that changes a resistance value according to the contact position, and a finger approach position through a change in capacitance. The position where the rolling element 1 which rolls on its surface is in contact with the panel directly or indirectly is detected. In the case of using a capacitive touch panel, it is desirable that the rolling elements or film that come in contact with the touch panel have an appropriate dielectric constant or conductivity. In the configuration examples shown below, only FIG. 10 shows a configuration example in which the rolling elements indirectly contact the panel, and all other configurations are examples in which they are in direct contact. In the case of direct contact, the surface of the rolling element lower part 8 is in direct contact with the surface of the touch panel 2, but in the case of indirect contact, the rolling element is a material having flexibility such as rubber or cloth. Touch the touch panel with a film or band made of In the configuration example of FIG. 10, the silicon rubber film 50 is stretched with a predetermined gap from the surface of the touch panel 2, and the rolling element 31 pressed by the finger pushes the silicon rubber film at different positions as it rolls, The pressed and deformed silicon rubber film comes into contact with the touch panel, and information on the contact position (51, 52) is input.

1, 5, 6, and 9, the rolling elements (via barrel type rolling element 1, spherical rolling element 31, and rolling element 75 with wheels) are placed on the panel with elastic strings such as springs 4 and rubber 20. The lower surface of the rolling element is brought into contact with the panel by pressing the predetermined position of the rolling element with a finger and pressing it against the panel (FIGS. 2A and 2D). . Then, by moving the finger while being pressed against the panel, the rolling element is rotated so as to roll so that the contact position moves (FIGS. 2B and 2E). Further, if necessary, the structure is such that the rolling element is inclined when the position of pressurization on the rolling element is changed, and the contact position is also changed by this inclination in the direction perpendicular to the rolling direction (FIG. 4B). d)). Alternatively, the lower part of the rolling element is hemispherical, and when the rolling element is shaken by moving the rolling element back and forth with a finger in contact with the upper part of the rolling element, the lower hemisphere rolls on the panel so that the contact position between the two moves back and forth and right and left ( 9-12).

As described above, the elastic string is pulled and stretched as the rolling element rolls, and a repulsive force is applied so that the string returns to the original length with the force of returning the original string. This is a repulsive force generating means. By controlling the program so as to be linked / synchronized with the repulsive force, the operator can grasp the operation status of the program through the repulsive force. In addition, through the magnitude and direction of the repulsive force, it is possible to confirm that the operation being applied is correct and to adjust the magnitude and direction of the applied force. Here, when the rolling element is hung so that two strings are stretched side by side as shown in FIG. 5, when the finger is released from the rolling element 1 to return to the neutral state, the same surface of the rolling element is always the panel. The posture of the rolling element can be maintained so as to face the side. If an attempt is made to generate a repulsive force using a single spring as shown in FIG. 1, the constituent material may be deformed due to fatigue or the like while the spring is used, and the original neutral point may not be restored. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 5, in the method of pulling both ends of the rolling element with two silicone rubber strings, it is possible to reliably return the rolling element to the neutral point, and the repulsive force can be generated reliably. It functions more effectively as a repulsive force generating means.

Specifically, in the configuration example of FIG. 1, the rolling element is moved to the panel 2 by pulling both ends of the rolling element lower part 8 to the left and right with springs 4 connected to the supporting arm 5 protruding on the surface of the panel 2 by screws 9. It is suspended above. Here, there is a minute gap between the surface of the rolling element lower portion 8 and the surface of the touch panel 2. Further, the rolling element is provided with a ridge 3 so that the position touched with a finger can be confirmed. FIG. 2 shows a state in which the rolling element is rolled with a finger. First, when the center of the rolling element is pressed with a finger as shown in (a), the lower part of the rolling element is placed on the touch panel 2 as shown in a side view (d). Touch at the position. As can be seen from (d), (e) and (f), the cross-sectional shape of the panel contact portion at the bottom of the rolling element is an arc, so when the finger is moved in the front-rear direction while pressing the rolling element against the surface of the touch panel 2, The rolling element rolls back and forth within a range of a predetermined angle, and the contact position with the touch panel moves to positions 11 of (e) and 12 of (f). If the rolling element is rolled in the direction of the black arrow while pressing the rolling element against the touch panel as shown in (b), the spring 4 extends and a repulsive force F1 is generated in the direction of the white arrow so as to return it. Since the magnitude of the repulsive force F1 is determined depending on the length of the movement amount D at this time, the magnitude of the repulsive force F1 can be obtained by measuring the length D through the position detecting means 82 of the touch panel 2. it can. Similarly, (c) and (f) show the state when the rolling element is rolled in the opposite direction. In this case, the direction of the repulsive force F1 is reversed, and the magnitude is also the length of the movement amount D. It depends on you.

In FIG. 3, in the rolling input device 80 of FIG. 1, the upper part 1 of the rolling element is slid in the left direction in the figure with respect to the lower part 8, and the contact point between the lower part of the rolling element 8 and the touch panel is slid The state of moving from 11 of (b) to 13 of (c) after the slide movement is shown. The important point in the shape of the rolling element is that the surface shape of the lower part of the rolling element is the curved shape of the rugby ball, and the surface is curved not only in the rolling direction but also in the direction perpendicular to it. The point of contact with is limited to one. Since the lower surface of the rolling element is curved in the direction perpendicular to the rolling direction as described above, if the finger is put on the rolling element upper portion 1 and moved in the direction of the arrow 14 as shown in FIG. The moving body upper part 1 slides relative to the lower part 8, the barycentric point of the pressure applied from the finger to the rolling element also moves in the direction 14, and the contact point between the rolling element lower part 8 and the panel moves from 11 to 13. This sliding movement occurs when the operator applies a force in the direction of the black arrow 14 with the finger. When the finger is released, the upper part 1 of the rolling element returns to its original position by the action of a spring loaded inside the rolling element. This spring functions as a repulsive force generating means for applying a repulsive force F3 to the finger in the direction of the white arrow in the figure.

In FIG. 4, when the finger first touches the rolling element, the position of the raised portion 3 at the upper part of the rolling element is touched as shown in (a), and the lower part of the rolling element is pushed down as shown in FIG. The finger is moved in the direction of the arrow 17 as shown in FIG. Here, the raised portion 3 is provided to give the operator a tactile clue regarding the position of the finger. In this case as well, it is important that the surface of the rolling element lower portion 8 is curved in a rugby ball shape. For this reason, the rolling element lower portion 8 contacts the touch panel at the center of gravity 15 of the force applied from the finger to the rolling element. become. When the finger is further moved in the direction of 17 as shown in (c), the rolling element upper part 1 slides relative to the lower part 8, and the contact point moves to 16 together with the center of gravity. A repulsive force F3 is applied to the finger.

In the configuration example of FIG. 5, the rolling elements similar to those of FIG. 1 are suspended on the touch panel 2 by the silicon rubber 20 instead of the springs 4. Here, 22 is a plate for holding and holding the string of silicon rubber, 23 is a screw for fastening the plate, and 21 is a frame. If two silicon rubbers are attached to each of both ends of the rolling element as shown in FIG. 5 and pulled, the posture of the rolling element can be easily kept constant when neutral.

In the rolling input device 80 according to claim 7 of the present invention, a rotating body that rotates in a direction orthogonal to the rolling direction of the rolling element is provided in a portion of the upper surface of the rolling element that contacts the finger. In this way, the finger can move back and forth by rolling the rolling body back and forth while touching the upper surface of the rolling body, and can also be moved left and right by rotating the rotating body left and right at the same time. If the position of the pressure point applied to the rolling element from the finger moves left and right when the finger moves left and right on the rolling element, the contact point between the rolling element and the touch panel when the lower surface of the rolling element is a curved surface curved left and right The position of also moves left and right. Therefore, if the finger is pressed against the touch panel with the finger and the finger is moved left and right by the rotation of the rotating body, the contact point to the touch panel moves to the left and right with the rolling element and the panel in contact with each other. Accordingly, it is possible to detect the movement of moving the finger left and right on the rotating body separately from other movements, and to input commands and data corresponding to the operation. For example, in the configuration example of FIG. 6, instead of the mechanism for slidingly moving the rolling element upper part 1 used in FIGS. 1 and 5 with respect to the lower part 8, a wheel 71 is introduced, and a rotating shaft provided on the rolling element upper part is provided. The wheel 71 rotates around the wheel 72, and a finger placed on the wheel applies a downward force so as to press the rolling element against the touch panel 2, while rotating the wheel (in a direction orthogonal to the rolling direction of the rolling element). It can be moved in the direction of movement). When the finger is placed on the rolling element and moved in the direction of wheel rotation, the position of the center of gravity of the force applied to the rolling element from the finger also moves with the finger, and the contact point between the lower part of the rolling element 8 and the touch panel 2 rolls. Move in a direction perpendicular to the direction. In this way, the contact point with the touch panel can be freely moved in either the rolling direction (the rolling direction of the rolling element) or the direction orthogonal to the rolling direction (the rotating direction of the wheel 71).

Here, there are a method shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B and a method shown in FIGS. 7C and 7D as methods for installing the wheels on the rolling elements. (A) In the method shown in (b), the bearing 70 of the rotating shaft 72 of the wheel is sandwiched between two wheels 71a and 71b. Therefore, when turning a wheel with a finger, a finger is hard to collide with a bearing. On the other hand, in the methods shown in (c) and (d), since the bearing 70 of the rotating shaft 72 of the wheel 71 is outside the wheel, the finger is likely to collide with the bearing when the finger is moved on the wheel.

In the above configuration example, a rolling element having a rugby ball shape is used. However, in the configuration example shown in FIG. 9, the rolling element 31 has a spherical shape. If it has a spherical shape, the ball itself rolls back and forth, left and right without introducing a mechanism for sliding the upper part of the rolling element relative to the lower part and without providing a wheel on the upper part of the rolling element. The contact point can be moved two-dimensionally. In the configuration example of FIG. 9, not only the ball 31 but also the arm 33 and the string 32 that connects the arm and the rolling element are integrally formed of silicon rubber that is flexibly deformed. Therefore, when the ball 31 is rolled, the arm 33 and the string 32 are deformed to change the posture of the ball, and when the deformed silicon rubber material tries to return to its original shape, a repulsive force against the rolling is generated, which is repelled. It will function as a force generation means.

In the above configuration examples, the rolling element is supported by being lifted on the touch panel by pulling both ends of the rolling element on both sides with a spring or silicon rubber. On the other hand, FIG. 10 shows a different method of supporting the rolling elements. FIG. 10 shows a cross-sectional view in which the ball-shaped rolling element 31 is vertically split. The ball-shaped rolling element 31 is formed with a cylindrical hole from the bottom, and a spring 44 is accommodated therein. The upper end of the spring is attached to the upper part of the cylindrical hole with a mounting bracket 45. The lower end of the spring is connected to the silicon rubber film 50 via the attachment member 41. The silicon rubber film 50 is stretched with a certain gap from the panel surface of the touch panel 2. When the upper part of the ball-shaped rolling element 31 is pushed downward with a finger, the silicon rubber film is deformed as shown in FIG. The lower part of the ball-shaped rolling element is in contact with the touch panel 2 at a position 51 with a silicon rubber film or an attachment member 41 interposed therebetween. Further, as shown in (c), when the finger is moved to the left while pressing the ball-shaped rolling element 31 against the touch panel 2, the spring 44 is extended and the ball-shaped rolling element 31 is moved to the left side. The surface of the touch panel is brought into contact with the position of 52 through the silicon rubber film which is rolled and pushed and deformed. At this time, the spring 44 tries to return to its original length, and a repulsive force F1 is applied to the finger in the direction of the arrow in the figure, which functions as a repulsive force generating means of this system. The magnitude of the repulsive force can be calculated based on the contact position 52 on the touch panel. As shown in FIG. 17, elastic silicon rubber 77 is used instead of the spring 44, which is integrally formed with a film 50 made of silicon rubber, and a thin tip portion 78 of 77 is shown in FIG. After passing through the hole of the ball-shaped rolling element 31 made of silicon rubber, as shown in the drawing, by pulling this, 77 bulging portions 76 are formed in the hollow portion inside the ball-shaped rolling element 31 as shown in FIG. The structure shown in (a) can be easily produced at low cost by dragging to 75 and joining 77 and 31 and then cutting 78 by the broken line 79 in (d).

The rolling input device 80 according to claim 2 of the present invention is characterized in that the rolling element is attached to a finger. In the rolling input device 80 according to claim 1, the rolling element is mounted on the touch panel side and operated with a finger. However, in the rolling input device 80 according to claim 2, the rolling element is mounted on the finger side, When the touch panel is touched, the rolling element is sandwiched between the finger and the touch panel, and the touch panel is contacted via the rolling element. Even if the rolling element is attached to the finger, the rolling element is fixed so as to be attracted to the finger by the elasticity of a spring or a rubber string, for example, so as to have a degree of freedom to roll on the surface of the finger. An example of the configuration of such a rolling input device 80 is shown in FIG. Here, the ball-shaped rolling element 31 has the same structure as that shown in FIG. 10, and is attached to the band 42a wound around the finger side via the attachment member 41 based on the same principle as FIG. 43 is a band buckle, and band 42b is an extension part after passing through the buckle of 42a, which is not included in the drawing, but the end on the extension is connected to the housing of the touch panel 2, and a rolling input device While preventing loss of 80, it also functions as a strap that prevents the touch panel housing from falling. (B) shows a side view of (a) viewed from the tip side of the thumb.

FIG. 12 shows a cross section of the ball-shaped rolling element of FIG. 11 and the principle of rolling. (A) is the side view seen from the front end side of the thumb, and about the ball-shaped rolling element 31, the cross section when it divides vertically is shown. Reference numeral 42 c denotes a band wound around the thumb, and one end of a spring 44 is attached to the band via an attachment member 41. This spring passes through a cylindrical hole formed in the ball-shaped rolling element 31, and the other end is joined to the bottom of the hole by a mounting bracket 45. (B) shows a side view of the thumb viewed from the side. 46 is a point where the rolling element 31 is in contact with the panel 2 before rolling. (C) shows the state when the ball-like rolling element is rolled by moving the finger sideways, and (d) shows the state when the ball-like rolling element is rolled by moving the finger backward. Show. In any case, the ball-shaped rolling element rolls with the movement of the finger, and the contact point moves to 47. At this time, the spring 44 is extended, and a repulsive force is generated that pushes the finger in the F1 direction so that the spring 44 contracts and returns. This functions as a repulsive force generation means.

In the rolling input device 80 according to the fifth aspect, the rolling element is deformed when the rolling element is hit or crushed, and a repulsive force is generated according to the deformation amount. For example, if the surface of the rolling element in contact with the touch panel is formed into a curved surface with a material having flexibility and elasticity such as silicon rubber, the curved surface is crushed when pressure is applied to the rolling element and pressed against the touch panel, Touch the touch panel over a wide area. It also returns a repulsive force to the finger when it tries to return. Further, the amount of deformation of the rolling element, the pressure applied to the rolling element, and the repulsive force returning to the finger can be calculated through the contact area with the touch panel. Of course, another pressure sensor such as a piezoelectric element may be prepared, the pressure applied to the touch panel may be detected, and the repulsive force returning to the finger from there may be calculated. The contact area between the rolling element and the touch panel can be detected through a resistance value or a capacitance value detected by a sensor on the touch panel side, the number of conductive electrodes, or the like. FIG. 13 shows a rolling input device 80 based on such a principle. Here, the circular cross section 55 may be regarded as the cross section of the rugby ball-shaped rolling element described above, or may be regarded as the cross section of the ball-shaped rolling element. In any case, when the rolling element is formed of a material that is easily deformed, such as hollow rubber, the contact point 56 between the rolling element and the panel when pressed against the panel 2 with a light force as shown in FIG. The contact area at the contact point 57 between the rolling element and the panel increases when the rolling element is pressed by a strong force and deformed and crushed as shown in FIG. In (b), the crushed rolling element 55 tries to return to its original shape, and a repulsive force F2 is generated. The magnitude of the repulsive force can be calculated by measuring the contact area of 57 by some method.

For example, when a resistive film type touch panel touches the touch panel at two points at the same time, a position (center of gravity position) obtained by weighting and averaging the contact area at these contact point positions is detected as a contact position. Therefore, as shown in 58, when the reference contact is always in contact with one point on the panel with a constant area, the contact area of 56 is almost the same as the contact area of 58 as shown in (a). When the touch position is detected, the touch position detected by the touch panel is the center of gravity obtained by weighting these two touch positions with the same touch area and averaging them, that is, the position of P in the figure which is approximately between the points 56 and 58. Become. When the contact area of 57 is larger than the contact area of 58 as shown in (b), the touch position detected by the touch panel is weighted by 57 of these two contact positions. Since the position of the center of gravity is obtained, the position of Q in the figure closer to the 57 side is obtained. If the size of the contact area changes according to the degree of deformation of the rolling element in this way, the position of the center of gravity of the two touching points changes depending on the degree of deformation, so the degree of deformation is detected through the position of the center of gravity detected by the touch panel. It becomes possible to do.

In any of the rolling type input devices 80 described above, when a finger is moved while pressing the rolling element against the touch panel, a spring or rubber string that supports the rolling element extends, and the rolling element is sandwiched between the finger surface and the touch panel surface. As it is, it rolls while changing the contact point between these two surfaces. At this time, if the contact point on the touch panel is detected, the rolling amount of the rolling element can be calculated. In addition, since the spring and the rubber string are stretched when rolling, a repulsive force is generated as they return to their original length. This repulsive force can be calculated through the movement amount (change amount) of the contact position when the rolling element contacts the touch panel and then rolls in contact with the contact point to move, so it is synchronized with the repulsive force. You can control the program to do so. In the rolling input device 80 according to the first aspect, instead of indirectly calculating the repulsive force by the amount of movement of the contact position, the tension of the string that pulls the rolling element is directly detected by a force sensor, a strain sensor, or the like. Although the force can be calculated, since the rolling input device 80 according to claim 2 is worn on the finger side, it is difficult to supply power or communicate signals, as described above. It is desirable to calculate the repulsive force through the amount of movement of the contact point that can be detected on the panel side.

In the tactile sensation-linked program according to claim 3 of the present invention, the operation content can be grasped through the repulsive force by associating the repulsive force calculated as described above with a predetermined variable value in the program (associating and determining). Or improve the realism of the game. In other words, the operator knows how large the value set for a given variable in the program is based on the magnitude of the repulsive force felt by the finger when rolling the rolling element, and also determines the value during the program through the direction of the repulsive force. It is also possible to grasp how the direction of the predetermined vector is determined. Of course, instead of the vector, the value of the variable that determines the angle may be determined according to the direction of the repulsive force. In games, for example, the strength of the force of shooting a ball or ball in a shooting game is related to the repulsive force, or the shooting direction is determined according to the direction of the repulsive force, so that the force felt by the finger and the object in the game are The acting force can be matched to enhance the sense of reality. The repulsive force generated by the rolling input device 80 of the present invention is particularly important in games where the sense of repulsive force or repelling when actually pulling or releasing an elastic string such as pachinko is important for operation. Because it is similar to the actual resilience, the sense of reality is high.

For example, FIG. 14 shows a game scene in which the ball 61 is hit with the bat 60. The angle at the time of holding the bat, the swing amount 62, the strength at which the bat hits the ball, etc. When the amount of rolling and the repulsive force that the rolling input device 80 returns to the finger are determined so as to correspond to the magnitude relationship, the game player determines the angle of pulling the bat and the strength of hitting the ball through the repulsive force applied to the finger. I can grasp. That is, since the power in the game can be grasped with real power, the presence of the game is enhanced. In addition, you can grasp the angle of the bat and the strength of hitting the ball tactilely by adjusting the force without paying attention to the angle of the bat in the screen. Reference numeral 63 denotes a trajectory of the ball. It is preferable that the speed when the ball hits and hits the bat and the force for swinging the bat are determined according to the speed and force when the rolling element is pulled and released. Whether the ball and the bat collide should be determined based on the time when the rolling element is released and the repulsive force applied to the finger immediately before releasing the ball. It can be detected by the position detection function.

In the tactile sensation-linked program according to claim 6, as shown in FIG. 13, variable values in the program are determined in association with (associated with) the deformation amount and the repulsive force when the rolling elements are deformed by applying pressure. For example, when an element for hitting or crushing an object in a boxing game or a mole-tapping game is included in the game play content, the rolling type input device 80 according to claim 5 is used to hit the rolling element. Detecting the amount of deformation and repulsive force when crushed, and determining the variable value such as damage to the opponent and moles in relation to the amount of deformation and repulsive force, the operation to be applied to the contents of the game and rolling elements Will be able to cooperate intuitively and the game will become more realistic.

FIG. 18 is a functional block diagram of a computer device 89 that inputs data using the rolling input device 80 described above. The computer device 89 includes an input unit 85 that inputs data, an arithmetic processing unit 87 that executes arithmetic processing using the input data, a display unit 86 that outputs arithmetic results, and a storage unit 88 that stores data. ing. The input unit 85 includes a touch panel 2 including a panel 81 and a contact position detection unit 82 and a rolling input device 80 that inputs data via the touch panel 2. The computer device 89 may be a general-purpose personal computer or a dedicated game machine.

Next, an example of a program that operates in the arithmetic processing unit 87 of the computer device 89 will be described. 15 and 16 show flowcharts of an embodiment of the program of the present invention. These are one example of a program used in combination with the rolling input device 80 of the present invention. First, FIG. 15 shows a flowchart of the main program. In Step 1, the values of various variables determined in relation to the repulsive force applied to the finger from the rolling elements are initialized. In Step 2, various measurement values J given from the rolling input device 80 (for example, the directly measured repulsive force, the coordinate value indicating the contact position of the rolling element related to the repulsive force, the amount of change thereof, the rolling element touch panel, In step 3, the values of the variables whose initial values are determined in step 1 are periodically updated based on the values obtained by accessing. Alternatively, in Step 3 ′, the magnitude and direction of the repulsive force are calculated from the position P and the contact area S of the contact point between the rolling element and the touch panel, and these variables are updated based on the result. Next, the program G (a specific application program as shown in FIG. 16) is executed in Step 4. In some cases, Step 3 and Step 3 ′ are omitted, and the program G is directly executed depending on the value of J. You may do it. After the program G is executed for a predetermined step, until the end condition is satisfied in Step 5, the process returns to Step 2 periodically, the value of J is repeatedly scanned, and the above procedure is repeated.

FIG. 16 shows the contents of the program G described in Step 4 of FIG. The program G changes depending on the contents of the application, but the point that the program is operated so as to be linked to the repulsive force that the rolling element gives to the finger or some detection amount that depends on it is common regardless of the application. Since it becomes an essential element of the invention, it is not lacking. The program G shown in FIG. 16 is a program related to the game of hitting the ball with the bat shown in FIG. 14 in particular. Here, the angle at which the bat is pulled and held, the acceleration and speed of the bat swing, The strength of hitting the ball, the acceleration and speed of the ball, the movement condition of the ball, the collision condition of the ball and the bat, and the like are determined so as to be linked with the repulsive force received by the finger from the rolling element. In the program G, first, after being called from the main program in FIG. 15, the contact state of the rolling element with the touch panel is confirmed in Step G1. When the rolling element is in contact with the touch panel, based on the repulsive force F1 applied to the finger by the rolling element (this is calculated based on the amount that the rolling element moves while in contact with the touch panel for the first time). Determine the angle to draw when holding the bat. Subsequently, in Step G8, the position of the ball is obtained based on the equation of motion, etc., and the collision condition between the two is also examined using the angle of the bat determined in Step G2, and the ball and the bat are displayed on the screen of the display unit 86. .

On the other hand, when it is confirmed in Step G1 that the rolling element is not in contact with the touch panel, in Step G3, the following three procedures are executed after paying attention to whether each execution condition is satisfied. (1) If the rolling element is in contact with the touch panel at the previous time point, the motion of swinging the bat is started at a speed or acceleration corresponding to the magnitude of F1, and the bat swing start flag is set to 1. (2) If the bat swing start flag is 1, continue the bat motion. (3) If the rolling element is not in contact with the touch panel at the previous time and the exercise start flag is 0, the process proceeds to the next step without doing anything here. After this step, the process proceeds to Step G4, where it is confirmed whether the bat swing end condition is satisfied. For example, when it is confirmed that the bat has been shaken off after a predetermined time from the start of the swing, the bat swing has been started in Step G5. Set the flag to 0. If the bat swing end condition is not satisfied, it is confirmed in Step G6 whether the ball collision condition is satisfied. If the collision condition between the ball and the bat is determined by checking the movement condition of the ball and the bat, in Step G7, the ball movement condition is changed to the movement condition after the collision based on the repulsive force F1 and the movement condition of the bat and the ball. In Step G7, the posture of the bat, the position of the ball, etc. are obtained by the equation of motion and displayed on the screen. If the collision condition is not satisfied in Step G6, Step G8 is entered with the previous ball motion condition, and the ball and bat are also displayed on the screen. After Step G8 ends, the process returns to the main program and the procedure is continued.

In the rolling input device and the tactile sensation-linked program described above, the user interface can be used more effectively by using the vibration generated by the vibration generator in addition to the amount of repulsion that the rolling element applies to the finger. And the operability and presence of the game can be improved. For example, this vibration generator is used when the rolling angle of the rolling element reaches a predetermined amount, when the contact position of the rolling element on the panel reaches a predetermined position, or when a repulsive force is generated by a predetermined amount. When a predetermined condition is satisfied in the program, such as when the ball hits the bat, or when a predetermined command is given from an external device, the finger is vibrated to achieve an operation or to generate a specific event during the game A message for notifying may be notified by vibration. Particularly in the user interface, it is preferable to use vibration for the purpose of notifying through an operator's tactile sense that a predetermined operation has been performed and the input has been accepted. For example, it may occur each time the rolling element rolls a predetermined angle, or may be vibrated when the cursor reaches the target point in synchronization with the display content of the display.

1 (a) is a top view, (b) is a front side view, and (c) is a lateral side view of an embodiment of the rolling input device of the present invention. It is a figure which shows a mode that the rolling body is rolled by moving a finger | toe back and forth in the Example of a rolling type | mold input apparatus of FIG. 1, and the repulsive force which arises in that case. (A) (b) (c) is a top view of a rolling input device being operated with a finger, and (d), (e), and (f) are lateral surfaces corresponding to (a), (b), and (c), respectively. FIG. It is a figure which shows a mode that the finger | toe is moved right and left by the Example of the rolling type | mold input apparatus of FIG. 1, and the repulsive force produced in that case is slid. (A) is a top view, (b) (c) is a front side view, (d) (e) is a lateral side view corresponding to (b) (c). In the embodiment of the rolling input device of FIG. 1, the left bulge of the rolling element is touched with a finger so that the rolling element comes into contact with the touch panel, and then the finger is moved left and right to slide and move the upper part of the rolling element. It is a figure which shows a mode and the repulsive force which arises in that case. (A) is a top view, (b) (c) is a front side view, (d) (e) is a lateral side view corresponding to (b) (c). FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a repulsive force generating means in which a rolling element is suspended by two silicon rubber strings instead of a spring in order to improve the repulsive force generating means of the rolling input device of FIG. 1. It is a perspective view which shows the rolling element which introduce | transduced the wheel instead of the upper slide mechanism of the rolling part of FIG. 1, and was able to move a finger | toe smoothly from side to side, pressing a rolling element so that a touch panel may be contacted. . It is a figure which compares and shows the different system which installs a wheel in the rolling element of FIG. (A) is a configuration in which the axle bearing is less likely to hit the finger, (b) is a front side view of the configuration in which the axle bearing is likely to hit the finger, and (b) and (c) are lateral sides corresponding to (a) and (b), respectively. FIG. It is the side view and top view which show the mechanism which attaches the rolling element input device of this invention to a panel so that attachment or detachment is possible. It is a perspective view which shows the Example of the rolling type | mold input device which integrally formed the spherical rolling element, the arm which supports it, and the string | stuck with silicon rubber. By attaching the spherical rolling element to the elastic film stretched on the touch panel so as to be attracted by a single spring, the spherical rolling element can be rolled with the same force symmetrically in both the front, rear, left and right directions, and the repulsive force is also It is side surface sectional drawing which shows the rolling type | mold input device made to produce | generate isotropic. (A) is a neutral state, (b) is a state where the rolling element is pushed downward with a finger, and (c) is a state where the rolling element is rolled. It is a figure which shows the type with which it mounts | wears with a finger among the rolling type input devices of this invention. (A) is a lateral side view, and (b) is a side view as seen from the front of a finger in a state where the band is attached to the thumb. It is a figure which shows a mode that the finger mounting type rolling element shown in FIG. 11 is rolled. (A) is a side view before rolling by contacting the touch panel, and (b) is a side view of the state after rolling as seen from the front of the finger. (B) is a lateral side view corresponding to (a), and (d) is a lateral side view showing rolling in another direction. It is a figure which shows a means to detect the deformation | transformation amount at the time of deform | transforming by rolling a rolling element with a finger through the change of the contact area with the touch panel of a rolling element. (A) is a state before deformation, and (b) is a side view after deformation. It is a figure which shows 1 scene displayed on the screen by the game which hits a ball with a bat. It is a figure which shows an example of the main program of a tactile sense interlocking type program with a flowchart. It is a figure which shows an example of the application program called from the main program of a tactile sense interlocking type program with a flowchart. It is a figure which shows the method of producing the rolling type input device shown in FIG. 10 at low cost using the silicone rubber integrated with the film | membrane instead of the spring. It is a functional block diagram of the computer apparatus using the rolling input device by embodiment of this invention.

Claims (7)

A repulsion body that is detachably mounted on a panel provided with a contact position detecting means, and that generates a force acting in a direction opposite to the rolling direction so as to prevent the rolling motion of the rolling element. A rolling input device comprising force generating means. A rolling element mounted on a finger and rolling on a panel provided with a contact position detecting means; and a repulsive force generating means for generating a force acting in a direction opposite to the rolling direction so as to prevent the rolling motion of the rolling element. A rolling input device with A tactile sensation-linked program for use with the rolling input device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a predetermined variable value in the program is determined in association with the magnitude or direction of the repulsive force. . The tactile sensation-linked program according to claim 3, wherein the tactile sensation-linked program calculates the magnitude and direction of the repulsive force based on a contact position detected by the contact position detecting means. In the rolling input device, the rolling element is composed of a mechanism or a material that deforms according to a force applied from a finger, and generates a repulsive force so as to return to its original shape according to the degree of deformation. The rolling input device according to claim 1, wherein the rolling input device is provided with means or elasticity, and the degree of deformation is input through a contact position detecting means of the panel. 6. A tactile sensation-linked program for use with the rolling input device according to claim 5, wherein a predetermined variable value in the program is determined in association with the degree of deformation. 2. The rolling input device according to claim 1, wherein means for rotating or swinging in a direction perpendicular to the rolling direction of the rolling element is provided at a portion of the upper surface of the rolling element that contacts the finger. .

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