JP2010282484A - Pointing device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a pointing device that is more compact and thinner than before, and produces a high operation feeling without creation of complicated correcting software. <P>SOLUTION: This pointing device includes: a swingable operation member including a magnet part 103; sensors 101a-101d detecting movement of the operation member to a prescribed direction; a signal processing part 106 performing signal processing of sensor output of the sensors; and an output control part 110 outputting a result of the signal processing of the signal processing part 106. In the magnet part 103, an area of an upper magnetic pole face is larger than that of a bottom magnetic pole face. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a pointing device, and more particularly, to a component constituting a pointing device used as an input means such as a personal computer or a mobile phone.

  As represented by a magnetic detection type pointing device, the pointing device moves an operation unit including a magnet, detects position information of the movement of the operation unit by a magnetic sensor such as one or a plurality of hall sensors, In the case where there are a plurality of sensors, a sensor that is obtained by relatively simple signal processing such as addition or difference is generally known. Such a pointing device is used as an effective input means for moving a displayed pointer or the like in a state close to a human sense (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  In recent years, with the downsizing / thinning of electronic devices such as digital home appliances, the demand for downsizing / thinning of pointing devices is increasing. In order to reduce the thickness of the mechanism part of the magnetic detection type pointing device, the magnetic sensor part can be realized by arranging it sideways instead of directly under the magnet. However, when the thickness is reduced, the size of the magnet and the positional relationship between the magnet and the magnetic sensor are limited. Therefore, in the movement of the operation unit including the magnet, the actual position and the above-mentioned signal of the magnetic sensor output depending on the moving direction. There was a difference in the information obtained by processing.

  For example, in a conventional magnet having the same area of the top magnetic pole surface and the bottom magnetic pole surface, the vertical magnetic field increases rapidly when the magnet approaches the Hall sensor. The difference magnetic flux density also increases rapidly. On the other hand, the increase in the difference magnetic flux density obtained when the magnet moves by the same distance in the oblique direction with respect to the X axis and the Y axis is not so abrupt. As a result, the difference magnetic flux density in the magnet movement direction is uniform. As a result, the operational feeling was greatly impaired.

  As a countermeasure against such a phenomenon, there is known a method of acquiring position information by performing a correction calculation process in addition to the above signal processing for the magnetic sensor output (see, for example, Patent Document 2).

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-287991 JP 2008-197997 A

  The correction calculation processing as described in Patent Document 2 described above has a problem that it is difficult to easily apply because it is necessary to construct dedicated hardware or complex software. Moreover, since the time difference between the operation and the display is increased due to the processing time resulting from performing the correction calculation process, there is a problem that the operational feeling is lowered.

  The present invention has been made in view of such a problem, and an object of the present invention is to provide a pointing device that can be easily reduced in thickness and has a good operational feeling.

  The present invention has been made to achieve such an object, and includes a magnet portion made of a magnetic material, a swingable operation member provided with the magnet portion, and a lower portion of the magnet portion. A sensor unit mounted on the printed circuit board that detects movement of the operation member in a predetermined direction, a signal processing unit that performs signal processing on the sensor output of the sensor unit, and outputs a signal processing result of the signal processing unit In the pointing device having the output control section, the magnet section has a top pole face area larger than a bottom pole face area.

  Further, the magnet part may be constituted by a single magnet or a magnet and a magnetic body.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to moderately increase the vertical component of the magnetic field in the vicinity of the Hall sensor when the magnet unit approaches the Hall sensor, and to improve the uniformity of the differential magnetic flux density with respect to the moving direction of the magnet unit. A good operational feeling can be obtained without performing complicated correction calculation processing for distortion of the sensor output signal due to the thinning of the pointing device.

It is a figure which shows the circuit structural example of the magnetic detection type pointing device 100 as a pointing device which concerns on this invention. It is a figure which shows the structural block of the signal processing part 106 of the magnetic detection type pointing device 100 which concerns on this invention. FIG. 3A is a schematic top view and FIG. 3B is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating a configuration of an embodiment of a magnetic detection type pointing device 100 according to the present invention. FIG. 4A to FIG. 4C show a configuration example of another embodiment of the magnet portion 103 of the present invention, in which the magnet portion 103 of the present invention is configured by a permanent magnet 104, and FIG. FIG. 4 (d) to FIG. 4 (f) are diagrams showing a configuration in which the magnet portion 103 is constituted by the permanent magnet 104 and the plate-like magnetic body 105. In the magnetic detection type pointing device 100 which concerns on this invention, it is a figure which shows the simulation result of the difference magnetic flux density [mT] in each of the X-axis and Y-axis when moving an operation part by the locus | trajectory of a circle with a radius of 1.0 mm. . FIG. 6A is a schematic top view and FIG. 6B is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating a configuration of a magnetic detection type pointing device 600 according to a comparative example. In the magnetic detection type pointing device 600 which concerns on a comparative example, it is a figure which shows the simulation result of the difference magnetic flux density [mT] in each of the X-axis and Y-axis when an operation part is moved by the locus | trajectory of a circle with a radius of 1.0 mm. .

The present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a circuit configuration example of a magnetic detection type pointing device 100 as a pointing device according to the present invention.
In FIG. 1, a pointing device 100 of the present invention includes a magnet portion 103, a swingable operation member (not shown) provided with the magnet portion 103, and predetermined directions (here, X, Y) of the operation member. The signal processing unit 106 that performs signal processing on the sensor outputs of the Hall sensors 101a to 101d in the respective axial directions for detecting movement in two axes), and an output that outputs a result of signal processing of the signal processing unit 106 It is comprised from the control part 110. FIG.

  The operation member corresponds to the operation portion of the pointing device, and can be composed of hard resin, metal, or the like. Also, the operation member can take various shapes in order to improve the operation feeling.

  The signal processing unit 106 and the output control unit 110 can be configured as a normal integrated circuit using silicon or the like. Further, the signal processing unit 106 and the output control unit 110 may be sealed in the four Hall sensors 101a to 101d and one package. Such a pointing device is used as an operation input means such as a personal computer or a mobile phone.

  The four Hall sensors 101a to 101d are arranged symmetrically two by two along the X axis and the Y axis (101a and 101b are arranged in the X axis direction, and 101c and 101d are arranged in the Y axis direction, respectively). The sensor outputs of the Hall sensors 101a to 101d in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction due to the movement of the operation member having the magnet unit 103 disposed above the Hall sensors 101a to 101d are input to the signal processing unit 106.

A typical example of the signal processing unit 106 is shown in FIG.
In FIG. 2, the signal processing unit 106 includes a differential amplifier unit 107, a sample / hold unit 108, and an A / D conversion unit 109. The signal processing unit 106 converts the analog signals input from the sensors 101a to 101d into digital X coordinate values and Y coordinate values. When the converted digital output value is input to the output control unit 110, the amount of movement of the cursor to be operated is determined.

The present invention will be described based on specific examples.
3A and 3B are diagrams showing a configuration of an embodiment of the magnetic detection type pointing device 100 according to the present invention, in which FIG. 3A is a schematic top view and FIG. 3B is a schematic cross-sectional view. In FIG. 3, the magnetic detection type pointing device 100 includes Hall sensors 101 a to 101 b, a printed circuit board 102, and a magnet unit 103. Here, the area of the top magnetic pole surface of the magnet portion 103 is larger than the area of the bottom magnetic pole surface.

  Hereinafter, parameter values of the magnetic detection type pointing device 100 shown in FIG. 3 will be described. The distance between the center of the magnetic sensing part of the first hall sensor 101a arranged on the X axis and the center of the magnetic sensing part of the second hall sensor 101b is set to Px = 13.4 [mm] and arranged on the Y axis. The distance between the center of the magnetic sensing part of the third hall sensor 101c and the center of the magnetic sensing part of the fourth hall sensor 101d is Py = 13.4 [mm]. The magnet portion 103 has a bottom surface diameter Db = φ10.0 [mm], a top surface diameter Dt = φ11.2 [mm], a center thickness L = 0.5 [mm], and an edge thickness t = 0.1 [ mm], the residual magnetic flux density is 1200 [mT], and the holding force is 910 [kA / m]. A distance g = 0.06 [mm] from the magnetic sensing parts of the four hall sensors 101a to 101d to the surface of the magnet part 103 facing the hall sensor. The simulation result at this time is shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 5, it can be seen that when the operation unit including the magnet unit 103 is moved in a circular locus with the above-described parameters, the difference magnetic flux density with respect to the X axis and the Y axis also changes in a circle. Since the Hall sensor outputs an output voltage proportional to the applied magnetic flux density, it goes without saying that the difference output voltage of the Hall sensor also changes in a circle.

  As described above, according to the pointing device including the magnet unit 103 according to the present invention, compared with the conventional pointing device shown in the following comparative example, the thinning is realized, and complicated correction software is created. Therefore, it is possible to realize a pointing device with extremely good circular characteristics and high operational feeling.

  In the present embodiment, the magnet portion 103 is composed of a permanent magnet having an edge on the upper surface and having an inverted convex cross section. However, the present invention is not limited to this shape. The configuration as shown in (f) can also be taken, and of course, it is not limited to the shape shown here. 4, the magnet unit 103 illustrated in FIGS. 4A and 4C includes a magnet 104, and the magnet unit 103 illustrated in FIGS. 4D to 4F includes the magnet 104 and magnetic properties. A body 105.

  Also, the width of the upper magnetic pole surface needs to be optimized by the configuration of the entire pointing device, but when the magnet unit 103 is at the origin position, the end of the upper magnetic pole surface is slightly near the center side from directly above the Hall sensor. It is preferable that it exists in. In addition, when the end portion of the upper phase is expanded like a plate as shown in FIGS. 4B to 4F, the thickness of the end portion is less than half the thickness of the central portion of the magnet portion, and the practical strength. In consideration of the above, it is preferable that the thickness is set to about 1/4 to 1/6 which is not so thin. Further, when the magnet unit 103 is composed of the permanent magnet 104 and the magnetic body 105, the magnetic body 105 is preferably a ferromagnetic body, and the area of the upper magnetic pole surface can be made larger than when composed of the single magnet 104. preferable.

[Comparative example]
6A and 6B are diagrams showing a configuration of a conventional pointing device 600. FIG. 6A is a schematic top view, and FIG. 6B is a schematic cross-sectional view. In FIG. 6, a conventional pointing device 600 includes Hall sensors 601 a to 601 b, a printed circuit board 602, and a magnet unit 603.

  In the conventional pointing device 600, compared with the magnetic detection type pointing device 100 of the present invention, the magnet portion 603 has a shape in which the edge portion is removed from the magnet portion 103 shown in FIG. Are using things. Other components are the same as those shown in FIG. FIG. 7 shows circular characteristics when the operation unit is moved along a circular trajectory having a radius of 1.0 mm using the conventional pointing device 600 with the same parameters as those of the embodiment shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the pointing device 600 having the conventional configuration shown in the comparative example has a significantly distorted circular characteristic as compared with the pointing device 100 having the magnet portion 103 according to the present invention, and the operational feeling is remarkably increased. It turns out that it is damaged.

  As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to realize a pointing device having a high operational feeling without creating a complicated correction software while realizing a thin shape.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a magnetic pointing device that is thinner than the conventional one and has a high operational feeling without constructing dedicated hardware or complicated software. It can be used as a thin input device in electronic devices such as game consoles, notebook PCs, and TV remote controllers.

101a to 101d Hall sensor 102 Printed circuit board 103 Magnet section 104 Magnet 105 Magnetic body 106 Signal processing section 107 Differential amplification amplifier 108 Sample & hold section 109 A / D section 110 Output control section

Claims (2)

A magnet portion made of a magnetic material;
A swingable operation member provided with the magnet portion;
A sensor unit mounted on a printed circuit board disposed below the magnet unit and detecting movement of the operation member in a predetermined direction;
A signal processing unit that performs signal processing on the sensor output of the sensor unit;
In a pointing device having an output control unit that outputs a signal processing result of the signal processing unit,
The pointing device according to claim 1, wherein an area of the upper magnetic pole surface is larger than an area of the bottom magnetic pole surface.   The pointing device according to claim 1, wherein the magnet unit is configured by a single magnet or a magnet and a magnetic body.

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