JP2658851B2 - Input device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus,
The present invention relates to an input device that provides a user with a tactile user interface. In particular, the present invention relates to an information input / output device that provides shape input in a computer-aided design system and pseudo contact feedback in a virtual reality system to improve reality.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Hitherto, in this type of information input / output device, a device for feeding back tactile sensation to a user is known as an input / output device such as a computer-aided design system.
In this method, the head unit moves in accordance with the direction of the force applied by the user to the head unit of the input device, and the tactile feedback is provided to the user. For example, JP-A-2-22
The thing described in the 7777 gazette "computer-aided design system" is known. FIG. 4 shows a configuration diagram of the computer-aided design system of the above publication.

[0003] The head portion of the XY recorder which can be controlled to move has an input operator for manual operation. The operator has a force for measuring in which direction the operator is moving. A sensor is attached. In this system, if no shape is defined, the head is controlled to move in the direction of the force applied by the operator. However, if the shape is defined in the direction in which the head moves, the head is suppressed and the movement is controlled.

[0004]

In the conventional device for generating a tactile sensation, the position of the head is controlled by measuring the force applied by an operator. Therefore, in a computer-aided design system or the like, the shape is directly changed with a finger. You cannot get a slippery feel. Further, in the case where the shape is automatically updated in a fixed time, the state of the change in the shape cannot be provided to the operator as tactile information.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the foregoing, it is an object of the present invention to use a sphere whose rotation can be controlled in a portion corresponding to a conventional operation element, and allow a user to slide a finger on a shape or to move a shape. The goal is to realize a man-machine interface that provides the tactile sensation that the user is touching.

[0006]

According to the input device of the present invention, there is provided an input device having a position detecting device of an information processing device, wherein a hole is provided in a portion in contact with a finger of an operator, and a user is provided in the hole. A sphere is provided at such a position as to be in contact with the finger, and a servo function for controlling the rotation of the sphere and a servo mechanism for controlling the position in the direction perpendicular to the plane tangent to the operator's finger are provided. Connect with the unit. When the position of the input device is in contact with or overlaps the shape defined by the information processing device, the information processing device outputs a control signal in a vertical direction to the sphere, and controls the sphere so that the operator's finger touches the sphere. Further, when the position of the input device or the shape is changed, a vector of the relative position movement direction of the shape and the input device is calculated,
A control signal is output from the information processing device so as to rotate the sphere in a direction opposite to the vector.

[0007]

The position of the input device in the coordinate system defined by the information processing device (referred to as a pointer), which is calculated from the position detection device attached to the input device, is in contact with the position of the shape defined in advance in the information processing device. In the case of overlap, a signal is output from the information processing device such that the position of the sphere is controlled so as to be in contact with the operator's finger. Further, when the operator moves the input device or the data of the shape defined in the information processing device is updated, the position of the input device calculated in the information processing device and the relative position of the shape data are changed. If it has been changed, the information processing apparatus calculates the movement vector of the relative position change, and outputs a signal for controlling the rotation of the sphere in the opposite direction.

Accordingly, the user is fed back with a tactile sensation as if he were sliding his finger on the shape or the shape was moving.

[0009]

Next, the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows the configuration of the present invention.

As shown in the figure, the input device 1 of the present invention comprises:
Used by being connected to the information processing device 7. The apparatus is provided with a position detection unit 2, which allows the user to change the position (pointer) of the apparatus 1 in the coordinate space defined by the information processing apparatus 7 by moving the apparatus. it can. As shown in the figure, a movable sphere 5 is provided at a portion where the user's finger 6 and the device 1 are in contact with each other, and the rotation and position of the sphere are controlled by the sphere rotation control unit 3 and the sphere position control unit 4. The sphere rotation control unit 3 and the sphere position control unit 4 are connected to the information processing device 7 and process control signals output from the information processing device 7.

If no shape is defined in the coordinate space defined by the information processing device 7, or if a shape is defined but the position of the shape does not overlap the pointer position, a sphere Reference numeral 5 denotes a position not in contact with the user's finger 6.

On the other hand, if a shape in the coordinate space defined by the information processing device 7 is defined, and the position of the shape overlaps the pointer position, the information processing device 7 gives the sphere position control unit 4 A control signal is output so that the user's finger 6 comes into contact with the sphere 5, and the sphere 5 moves to a position where the sphere 5 touches the user's finger.

Further, if the pointer position or the position of the defined shape is changed, that is, the apparatus 1 is moved, or the information processing apparatus 7 is programmed to update the defined shape with the passage of time. Or, if the shape is changed by other input means, calculate the movement vector of the relative position of the pointer and the defined shape position,
A control signal is output from the information processing device 7 to the sphere rotation control unit 3 so that the portion that becomes the contact point between the user's finger 6 and the sphere 5 moves in the direction opposite to the movement vector.

For ease of explanation, FIG. 2 shows a configuration diagram when the present invention is applied to a two-dimensional information input device.

Two-dimensional coordinates are defined as shown in FIG. 2 so that the tangent plane between the user's finger 6 and the sphere 5 is the xy plane. A hole is provided in the portion where the finger 6 and the sphere are in contact as shown in the figure. For controlling the position of the sphere, a sphere z-direction control unit 13 is provided, and the position of the sphere 5 touching the finger 6 is controlled by controlling the position of the sphere rotation control housing 8 including the sphere rotation control unit in the z-axis direction. , Or to a position where a finger does not touch. Since the sphere rotation control unit housing 8 is a two-dimensional input / output device, an x-axis rotation rod 10a that contacts the sphere and rotates around the x-axis direction, an x-axis rotation control unit 9a that controls the rotation, and a sphere And a y-axis rotation rod 10b that rotates around the y-axis direction in contact with the y-axis, a y-axis rotation control unit 9b that controls the rotation, and a restraint 11 that keeps the position of the sphere 5 in the housing constant. . x-axis rotation control sphere 9a,
The y-axis rotation control unit 9b and the z-direction control unit 13 are controlled by signals output from the information processing device 7, and use the D / A converter 12 on the way if necessary.

Next, an example of use will be described with reference to FIG. The monitor 13 connected to the information processing device 7 displays a coordinate space defined in the information processing device.
Shows a defined shape D and a pointer A indicating the position in the coordinate space of the input device 1 using the present invention. When the apparatus 1 is moved in the direction of the arrow, the pointer A moves in the direction of the arrow in the monitor. When the input device 1 is moved and the pointer reaches B, the shape defined as the pointer position overlaps. Therefore, a control signal is sent from the information processing device to the sphere z-direction control unit 10 to move the sphere 5 upward. Is output, and the sphere 5 touches the finger 6 of the user.

Further, when the apparatus 1 is moved in the direction of the arrow,
The relative position of the shape defined as the pointer changes.
(X, y) = (a, b)
In this case, the information processing device 7 outputs a rotation control signal such that the rotation speed in the y-axis direction: the rotation speed in the x-axis direction = −a: b, by the x-axis rotation control unit 9a and the y-axis rotation control unit. 9b
Output to In other words, the x-axis rotation bar and the y-axis rotation bar rotate in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 2 and the rotation control is performed so that the contact point between the finger 6 and the sphere 5 moves in the direction opposite to the moving direction. Therefore, the user can obtain a feeling of sliding the finger on the shape.

Next, when the input device 1 is moved and the pointer reaches the position of C, the shape defined as the pointer position does not overlap.
A control signal is output to the direction control unit 10 to move the sphere 5 downward, and the user's finger 6 is separated from the sphere 5.

According to the above-described method, the user can obtain tactile feedback on the shape of the information processing apparatus.

Note that even if the defined shape is programmed to change automatically, or the shape is updated by some other means, and the relative position of the defined shape changes with the pointer position, Can be used.

Further, it is possible to use the apparatus as a means for feeding back the change of the shape without moving the apparatus, and in this case, the position detecting unit 2 becomes unnecessary.

[0023]

According to the input device of the present invention described in detail above, an input device with tactile feedback can be constituted by using an input means such as a normal mouse or tablet as a position detecting section of the present device. . In this case, in an information processing apparatus such as a computer, it is possible to know a subtle change in position while feeling a defined shape with a finger, which is useful in systems such as computer design support and a graphical user interface.

Further, in the information processing apparatus, even when the shape is automatically updated by a program or another operator updates the shape through a network, the user may feel the change in the shape tactilely with a finger. it can. In a device that generates a pseudo sensation such as a virtual reality system, it is possible to improve the sense of realism.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram when the present invention is used together with a two-dimensional input device.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram when the present invention is used together with a two-dimensional input device.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a conventional computer-aided design system having tactile feedback.

[Explanation of symbols]

Reference Signs List 1 input device 2 position detection unit 3 sphere rotation control unit 4 sphere position control unit 5 sphere 6 user's finger 7 information processing device 8 sphere rotation control unit housing 9a x-axis direction rotation control unit 9b y-axis direction rotation control unit 10a x-axis rotating rod 10b y-axis rotating rod 11 sphere suppression 12 D / A conversion 13,31 monitor 21 XY recorder 22 head unit 23 head body 24 operator 25a, 25b load cell 26a, 26b elastic spacer 27a, 27b distortion amplifier 28a, 28b A / D converter 29 Arithmetic processing unit 30a, 30b D / A converter A Initial position of pointer B Position where pointer is moved to overlap with defined shape C Pointer is moved so as not to overlap with defined shape Position D Definition shape

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. An input device connected to an information processing device, comprising: a movable sphere, a shape defined in the information processing device, and a positional relationship between the input device and a change in position. An input device comprising: means for controlling movement and rotation.