JP2023017539A - touch pad - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a touch pad capable of improving operability.SOLUTION: A touch pad 1 is roughly configured by comprising: a detection part 2 which detects a tracing operation on an operation screen 20; and a control part 3 which gradually increases/decreases a converted movement amount by using a correction value α selected from multiple predetermined correction values depending on the increase/decrease from a predetermined reference speed of the tracing operation when the detected movement amount of the tracing operation is converted into a converted movement amount of an operation object displayed in a display device. The touch pad 1 can improve operability.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

The present invention relates to touchpads.

2. Description of the Related Art As a conventional technique, there is known a vehicle operation device provided with a touch pad which is arranged on a steering wheel of a vehicle and is touch-operated by a driver (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

The touch pad of this vehicle operating device can detect a tracing operation.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2020-93591

In such a conventional vehicle operation device, the display screen of the display device is generally larger than the operation area of the touch pad, so the user's operational feeling during the tracing operation and the movement of the operation target are less linked, resulting in poor operability. is not good.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a touch pad capable of improving operability.

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a detection unit that detects a tracing operation performed on an operation surface; a control unit for stepwise increasing/decreasing a conversion movement amount using a correction value selected from a plurality of predetermined correction values in accordance with an increase/decrease from a predetermined reference speed. .

According to the present invention, operability can be improved.

FIG. 1(a) is a diagram showing an example of the inside of a vehicle, and FIG. 1(b) is an example of a block diagram of a touch pad. FIG. 2(a) is a diagram for explaining an example of speed calculation, and FIG. 2(b) is a graph showing an example of the relationship between speed and correction value. FIG. 3(a) is a diagram for explaining an example of a reference movement amount at a reference speed, and FIG. 3(b) is a diagram for explaining an example of a reference conversion movement amount with respect to the reference movement amount. . FIG. 4(a) is a diagram showing an example of a tracing operation, and FIGS. 4(b) to 4(d) are diagrams showing an example of a conversion movement amount of a cursor. FIG. 5 is a flow chart showing an example of the operation of the touchpad.

(Summary of embodiment)
A touch pad according to an embodiment includes a detection unit that detects a tracing operation performed on an operation surface, and a detection unit that converts the movement amount of the detected tracing operation into a conversion movement amount of an operation target displayed on a display device. a controller for stepwise increasing or decreasing the conversion movement amount using a correction value selected from a plurality of predetermined correction values in accordance with an increase or decrease from a predetermined reference speed of operation. ing.

With the touchpad, the amount of conversion movement of the operation target increases or decreases according to the speed of the tracing operation. It becomes easy to generate a sense of linkage between the user's operation feeling and the movement of the operation target during the tracing operation, and the operability is improved.

[Embodiment]
(Outline of touch pad 1)
FIG. 1(a) is a diagram showing an example of the interior of a vehicle in which a touch pad according to an embodiment is arranged, and FIG. 1(b) is an example of a block diagram of the touch pad. FIG. 2(a) is a diagram for explaining an example of speed calculation according to the embodiment, and FIG. 2(b) is a graph showing an example of the relationship between the speed of a tracing operation and a correction value. . FIG. 3(a) is a diagram for explaining an example of a reference movement amount at a reference speed applied to the touch pad according to the embodiment, and FIG. It is a figure for demonstrating an example of. Note that the ratios and shapes between figures in the drawings according to the embodiments described below may differ from the actual ratios and shapes. In FIG. 1(b), arrows indicate the flow of main signals and information.

The touch pad 1 of this embodiment is arranged on a steering wheel 84 of a vehicle 8, as shown in FIG. 1(a). The steering wheel 84 includes a base portion 840 on which an alarm or the like is arranged, a ring portion 841 to be gripped by the user, and left and right spoke portions 842 and 843 connecting the base portion 840 and the ring portion 841 . The touchpad 1 is arranged on the left spoke portion 842 and the right spoke portion 843 . The touch pad 1 arranged on the left spoke portion 842 will be mainly described below.

As shown in FIGS. 1(a) and 1(b), the touch pad 1 has a detection unit 2 for detecting a tracing operation performed on an operation surface 20, and displays the movement amount of the detected tracing operation on a display device. When converting to the conversion movement amount of the operation target, the conversion movement amount is converted using a correction value α selected from a plurality of predetermined correction values according to the increase or decrease from the predetermined reference speed of the tracing operation. and a control unit 3 for increasing or decreasing in stages.

The display device of the present embodiment is, as an example, a main display 82 arranged on a center console 80 as shown in FIG. A display 83, a head-up display, or the like may be used. As shown in FIG. 3A, the main display 82 has an XY coordinate system, which is an orthogonal coordinate system, with the upper left corner of the display screen 820 as the origin. The horizontal axis of the display screen 820 is the X axis, and the vertical axis is the Y axis. In the touch pad 1, the relationship between the operation surface 20 and the display screen 820 is a relative coordinate system.

Further, an operation target in the present embodiment is, for example, a cursor 821 displayed on a display screen 820 of the main display 82 as shown in FIG. 3B, but is not limited thereto. Also good.

Further, the plurality of correction values in the present embodiment are, as an example, correction values α ₀ to α ₇ as shown in FIG. In a region where the velocity V is large, the width between the correction values is predetermined so as to gradually narrow.

As shown in FIG. 2B, when the speed V of the tracing operation is slower than the reference speed, the control unit 3 calculates a new conversion movement amount using a correction value α that is smaller than the conversion movement amount at the reference speed. is configured to calculate

Further, as shown in FIG. 2B, when the speed V of the tracing operation is faster than the reference speed, the control unit 3 uses a correction value α that increases the amount of conversion movement at the reference speed to perform a new conversion movement. configured to calculate a quantity.

For the plurality of correction values, a plurality of branch points 35 for switching the correction value α are set according to the speed V of the tracing operation.

(Configuration of detection unit 2)
The detection unit 2 detects a position on the touched operation surface 20 by touching the operation surface 20 with a part of the user's body (for example, an operation finger) or a dedicated pen, for example. The user can operate the connected electronic device by operating the operation surface 20 . As the detection unit 2, for example, it is possible to use a touch sensor capable of detecting a tracing operation, such as an ultrasonic method, a resistive film method, an infrared method, or an electrostatic capacitance method. As an example, the detection unit 2 of the present embodiment is configured to detect coordinates touched by an operating finger using a capacitance-type and mutual-capacitance-type touch sensor.

The detection unit 2 has a plurality of drive electrodes and a plurality of detection electrodes that intersect under the operation surface 20 while maintaining insulation. The detection unit 2 scans all combinations of the plurality of drive electrodes and the plurality of detection electrodes to read the capacitance of _each combination, and periodically outputs detection information S1, which is information on the amount of change in capacitance. Output to the control unit 3 .

As shown in FIG. 3A, the detection unit 2 is set with an xy coordinate system as an orthogonal coordinate system with the upper left corner of the operation surface 20 as the origin. The horizontal axis of the operation surface 20 is the x-axis, and the vertical axis is the y-axis.

(Configuration of control unit 3)
The control unit 3 is composed of, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) that performs calculations and processing on acquired data according to a stored program, a semiconductor memory such as a RAM (Random Access Memory) and a ROM (Read Only Memory). It is a microcomputer that This ROM stores, for example, a program for operating the control unit 3 . The RAM is used, for example, as a storage area for temporarily storing calculation results and the like. The control unit 3 also has a means for generating a clock signal therein, and operates based on this clock signal.

The controller 3 has an electrostatic threshold value 30 and correction value information 31, as shown in FIG. 1(b).

When the amount of change in capacitance read by the detection unit 2 is equal to or greater than the electrostatic threshold value 30, the control unit 3 determines that an operating finger has been detected. For example, the control unit 3 calculates the coordinates touched by the operating finger by weighted averaging of the coordinates at which the amount of change in capacitance is equal to or greater than 30 electrostatic threshold values.

The correction value α changes according to the speed V of the tracing operation, and has a plurality of branch points 35 at which the correction value α is switched. As a modified example, the correction value α may be a function dependent on the velocity V. FIG. In this case, the correction value α can be expressed by the following equation, for example, where f is a function.
α=f(V)
The control unit 3 determines the correction value α based on the speed V of the tracing operation and the function f, and calculates the conversion movement amount.

When the tracing operation is faster than the reference speed, the control unit 3 corrects the conversion movement amount of the cursor 821 to be larger than the reference conversion movement amount, and when the tracing operation is slower than the reference speed, the conversion movement amount of the cursor 821 is used as the reference. Correct so that it is less than the conversion movement amount.

Here, the control unit 3 calculates the velocity V according to the time until the coordinate detection of the tracing operation and the amount of change in the coordinates. _{For example} , as _{shown in FIG .} When the coordinate detection times are T ₁ and T ₂ , the x velocity, which is the x-coordinate component of the velocity, and the y velocity, which is the y-coordinate component of the velocity, are calculated as follows.
When the coordinate detection time is T1 x speed = ₀ (because there is no change in the x coordinate)
y velocity = (y ₁ - y ₀ )/T ₁
When the coordinate detection time is T ₂ x velocity = (x ₁ - x ₀ )/(T ₁ + T ₂ ) (Because the x coordinate changes after T ₁ + T ₂ )
y velocity = (y ₂ - y ₁ )/T ₂
Note that time _T1 and time T2 _are integral multiples of the cycle of reading the capacitance.

As shown in FIG. 2(b), bifurcation points 35 are provided by velocity thresholds V ₀ to V ₇ . The control unit 3 has correction value information 31 that associates the speed threshold values V ₀ to V ₇ with the correction values α ₀ to α ₇ . The speed threshold values V ₀ to V ₇ and the correction values α ₀ to α ₇ are determined by experiments and simulations.

The speed thresholds are V ₁ <V ₀ <V ₂ <V ₃ <V ₄ <V ₅ <V ₆ <V ₇ as shown in FIG. 2(b). The reference speed V _a is a speed in the range of V ₀ ≦V _a <V ₂ where the correction value is α ₀ . Note that the correction value _α0 is ₁ because it is determined based on the reference speed threshold value V0.

The control unit 3 converts the reference movement amount la at the reference velocity _Va of the tracing operation into the reference conversion movement amount _La , which is the movement amount of the cursor ₈₂₁ displayed on the main display 82 .

_FIG . 3(a) shows a case where a tracing operation is performed from the start _point p1 to the end point p2. _The amount of movement from the start _point p1 to the end point _p2 is the reference movement amount la. The movement amount _xl and the movement amount _yl at this time are the _x component and the y component of the reference movement amount la.

When the control unit 3 converts the reference movement amount la into the reference conversion movement amount La of the cursor ₈₂₁ on the display screen ₈₂₀ , the calculation is performed by the following formula (1).
Reference conversion movement amount L _{a =} Reference movement amount la × β × α ₀ (1)
The reference conversion movement amount L _a can be decomposed into the movement amount X _L as the X component and the movement amount Y _L as the Y component as the following equations (2) and (3).
X _L =x _l ×β×α ₀ (2)
Y _{L =} y _l ×β×α0 (3)
This β is _a coefficient and indicates the ratio between the reference movement amount la and the reference conversion movement amount _La . The correction value α0 at the reference speed _Va is ₁ .
Therefore, the reference conversion movement amount L _a is the reference movement amount L _a ×β. Note that the cursor 821 moves from the start _point P1 to the end point P2, as shown in _FIG . 3(b). Further, the correction value α may be a different value for the movement amount _XL and the movement amount _YL based on the shape, arrangement, etc. of the operation surface 20 .

As described above, the control unit 3 calculates the movement amount l of the tracing operation and the conversion movement amount L of the cursor 821 when the correction value α is obtained from the equation (1) as follows.
Conversion movement amount L = movement amount l x β x α

This correction value α satisfies α ₁ <α ₀ <α ₂ <α ₃ <α ₄ <α ₅ <α ₆ <α ₇ as shown in FIG. 2(b). Since the correction value α ₀ is 1, the conversion movement amount L of the cursor 821 is smaller than the conversion movement amount L of the correction value α ₀ in the case of the correction value α ₁ (<1) from the above equation (1). For the correction values α ₂ to α ₇ , the conversion movement amount L of the cursor 821 is greater than the conversion movement amount L for the correction value α ₀ .

That is, the conversion movement amount L of the cursor 821 increases as the correction value α increases from the reference correction value α ₀ even if the distance of the tracing operation is the same. Also, the conversion movement amount L of the cursor 821 decreases as the correction value α decreases from the reference correction value α ₀ even if the distance of the tracing operation is the same.

Specifically, when the speed V of the tracing operation is within the range of V ₁ ≦V<V ₀ , the control unit 3 uses the correction value α ₁ as the correction value α. When the speed V of the tracing operation is within the range of V ₀ ≦V<V ₂ , the control unit 3 uses the correction value α ₀ as the correction value α. When the tracing operation speed V is within the range of V ₂ ≦V<V ₃ , the control unit 3 uses the correction value α ₂ as the correction value. Similarly, the control unit 3 sets the correction value α ₃ if the speed V of the tracing operation is within the range of V ₃ ≦V<V ₄ , and sets the correction value α ₄ if it is within the range of V ₄ ≦V<V ₅ . Correction value α ₅ is used when V ₅ ≤V<V ₆ , correction value α ₆ is used when V ₆ ≤V<V ₇ , and correction value α ₇ is used when V ₇ ≤V.

Note that the control unit 3 does not move the cursor 821 when the speed V of the tracing operation is smaller _than the speed V1. As a modified example, a plurality of correction values smaller than the correction value _α0 may be provided.

FIG. 4(a) is a diagram showing an example of a tracing operation according to the embodiment, and FIG. 4(b) shows an example of a conversion movement amount of a cursor when the speed of the tracing operation is within the reference speed range. FIG. 4C is a diagram showing an example of the amount of conversion movement of the cursor when a slow tracing operation is performed, and FIG. It is a figure which shows an example of conversion movement amount. _FIG . 4(a) shows a case where a tracing operation is performed along the x _- axis from the start point p1 to the end point p2.

When the speed V of the _tracing operation is within the reference speed range As shown in _FIG . Using the correction value _α0 , the conversion movement amount LA of the cursor 821 is calculated using equation ( ₁ ).
Amount of conversion movement L _A = Amount of movement l×β×α ₀

When the speed _V of the tracing operation is slower _than the reference speed _Va As shown in FIG. Using correction value α1 as an operation slower than velocity _Va , conversion movement amount L _B of cursor 821 is calculated using equation ( ₁ ).
Conversion movement amount L _B = movement amount l×β×α ₁

_When the speed of the _tracing operation is faster than the reference speed _Va As shown in FIG. Using the correction value α5 as an operation faster than _{V a} , the conversion movement amount L _C of the cursor 821 is calculated using Equation (1).
Conversion movement amount L _C = movement amount l×β×α ₅

As shown in FIGS. 4(b) to 4(d), even if the movement amount l of the tracing operation performed on the operation surface 20 of the touch pad 1 is the same, the conversion movement amount of the cursor 821 differs depending on the speed V of the tracing operation. . As shown in FIGS. 4(b) to 4(d), the touch pad 1 satisfies L _B <L _A <L _C , and the conversion movement amount of the cursor 821 can be changed according to the speed V of the tracing operation. .

An example of the operation of the touch pad 1 according to this embodiment will be described below with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

(motion)
The control unit 3 of the touch pad ₁ periodically acquires the detection information S1 from the detection unit ₂ and monitors whether the amount of change in capacitance based on the detection information S1 is equal to or greater than the electrostatic threshold value 30. FIG. If "Yes" is established in step 1, that is, if a tracing operation is detected (Step 1: Yes), the control unit 3 calculates the movement amount l and the speed V of the tracing operation (Step 2).

The control unit 3 selects the correction value α based on the calculated speed V and the correction value information 31 (Step 3). The control unit ₃ calculates the conversion movement amount L based on the movement amount l of the tracing operation and the selected correction value α, and outputs it as operation information S2 (Step 4).

If the tracing operation continues (Step 5: Yes), the control unit 3 advances the process to step 2 .

In step 5, when the tracing operation ends (step 5: No), the control unit 3 ends the process.

(Effect of Embodiment)
The touch pad 1 according to this embodiment can improve operability. Specifically, since the touch pad 1 switches the correction value α according to the speed V of the tracing operation, the display screen 820 of the main display 82 is larger than the area of the operation surface 20 compared to the case where this configuration is not adopted. In spite of the fact that , the user's operational feeling and the movement of the cursor are linked, and the operability is improved.

The touch pad 1 increases the correction value α for a tracing operation faster than the reference speed _Va , and decreases the correction value α for _a tracing operation slower than the reference speed Va. Compared to , when the cursor 821 is desired to be moved a lot, the operation is not required many times, and when the cursor 821 is desired to be moved only slightly, excessive movement of the cursor 821 can be suppressed.

Since the touch pad 1 has a plurality of branch points 35 at which the correction value α is switched, the conversion movement amount L of the cursor 821 changes more finely than when this configuration is not adopted, and the movement is closer to the movement intended by the user. As a result, the user's operational feeling and the movement of the cursor are linked to each other, and the operability is improved.

Since the touch pad 1 is arranged on the steering wheel 84 of the vehicle 8 , the operation surface 20 is very small with respect to the display screen 820 . Therefore, the user operates the operation surface 20 quickly when the user wants to move the cursor 821 a lot, and operates the operation surface 20 slowly when he wants to move the cursor 821 a little. Since the touch pad 1 switches between a plurality of correction values α according to the speed V of the tracing operation, there is no need for the user to move the cursor 821 by operating the cursor 821 many times even if the user does not intend to do so. It is possible to reduce the difficulty of the operation in which the cursor 821 moves only a little and cannot be stopped at the desired position.

The touch pad 1 according to the above-described embodiments and modifications, for example, is partly implemented by a computer-executed program, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), or the like, depending on the application. It may be realized.

Although some embodiments and modifications of the present invention have been described above, these embodiments and modifications are merely examples, and do not limit the invention according to the scope of claims. These novel embodiments and modifications can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, replacements, changes, etc. can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. Moreover, not all the combinations of features described in these embodiments and modifications are essential to the means for solving the problems of the invention. Furthermore, these embodiments and modifications are included in the scope and gist of the invention, as well as the invention described in the claims and the scope of equivalents thereof.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Touch pad, 2... Detection part, 3... Control part, 20... Operation surface, 35... Branch point, 82... Main display, 820... Display screen, 821... Cursor

Claims (4)

a detection unit that detects a tracing operation performed on the operation surface;
When converting the detected movement amount of the tracing operation into the conversion movement amount of the operation target displayed on the display device, a plurality of predetermined corrections according to an increase or decrease from a predetermined reference speed of the tracing operation. a control unit for stepwise increasing or decreasing the conversion movement amount using a correction value selected from the values;
with touchpad. When the speed of the tracing operation is slower than the reference speed, the control unit calculates a new conversion movement amount using the correction value that is smaller than the conversion movement amount at the reference speed.
The touchpad of claim 1. When the speed of the tracing operation is faster than the reference speed, the control unit calculates a new conversion movement amount using the correction value that increases from the conversion movement amount at the reference speed.
The touchpad according to claim 1 or 2. In the plurality of correction values, a plurality of branch points for switching the correction values are set according to the speed of the tracing operation.
The touchpad according to any one of claims 1-3.

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