JP2977370B2 - Signal input device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a signal input device mounted on a copying machine for use in designating a copy area in a document, for example.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Recently, copiers having an editing function for partially copying an original have been developed. In a copying machine equipped with such an editing function, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No.
As disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 244068, a signal input device that applies vibration to a board-shaped operation surface and specifies the vibration position is used. The signal input device disclosed in the publication includes a board-shaped operation surface that propagates vibration input to an arbitrary position, a plurality of vibration sensors arranged at predetermined positions on the operation surface, A calculation unit for specifying a vibration input position on the operation surface using the output. The vibration applied to an arbitrary position on the operation surface propagates through the operation surface and is detected by a plurality of vibration sensors. The calculation unit calculates a distance from the signal input position to each vibration sensor based on a time difference at a time when the plurality of vibration sensors detect the vibration, thereby identifying coordinates of the position where the vibration is given. Has become.

[0003]

Such a signal input device has an advantage that it can be easily integrated with a copying machine because a glass table on which an original is placed can be used as an operation surface. However, for example, when one of the plurality of vibration sensors is out of order, the signal input position cannot be specified based on the time difference between the vibration sensors capturing the vibration.

At this time, the calculation unit can determine that there is an abnormality in the time difference calculated when the vibration is detected by each of the vibration sensors. It is not possible to determine the cause of an abnormality such as whether it is due to a defect.

An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems, and an object of the present invention is to make each vibration sensor function normally even when information on a vibration position is not normally calculated due to a time difference between vibration timings of the vibration sensors. An object of the present invention is to provide a signal input device capable of easily determining whether the signal input is performed.

[0006]

According to the present invention, there is provided a signal input device, comprising: an operation surface on which vibration input to an arbitrary position is transmitted; and an operation surface for detecting the vibration transmitted on the operation surface. At least one pair of vibration sensors arranged at a predetermined position, and means for determining whether or not a calculation based on a time difference between vibration detection timings in each vibration sensor is normal;
Based on time difference of vibration detection timing in vibration sensor
If the calculation is judged to be normal, the vibration input position
And a vibration detection tie for each vibration sensor.
Calculation based on the time difference of the mining was determined to be abnormal
The vibration sensor is operating normally.
Means for cutting off , whereby the above object is achieved.

[0007]

According to the present invention, when a deviation of the vibration detection timing is detected by a pair of vibration sensors, information on the vibration input position is calculated based on the detection result.
When the calculated value is abnormal, it is confirmed that each vibration sensor is functioning normally by capturing the vibration.

[0008]

The present invention will be described below with reference to examples.

The signal input device of the present invention is provided, for example, in a copying machine and is used for setting a copy area of a document. As shown in FIG. 1, the signal input device has an operation surface constituted by a table glass 10 on which a document is placed in a copying machine. At the four corners of the table glass 10, two pairs of vibration sensors 20a to 20d are provided.
Each is attached. Each vibration sensor 20a and 2
0b make a pair, and each of the vibration sensors 20c and 20d
And are paired. Each of the vibration sensors 20a to 20d
It is composed of, for example, a piezoelectric sensor, a strain sensor, an ultra-small microphone, etc., which convert the vibration into a voltage difference and output it.

When vibration is input to an arbitrary point P on the table glass 10, the vibration propagates through the table glass 10 and is detected by each of the vibration sensors 20a to 20d. Examples of a method of inputting vibration to the table glass 10 include a method of hitting the table glass 10 with a pen tip or the like, a method of bringing a pen-shaped oscillator into contact with the table glass 10, and the like.

FIG. 2 shows a part of a signal processing circuit in the signal processing device. The vibration sensor 20a outputs an electric signal corresponding to the vibration, and the output signal is given to the amplifier / filter circuit 21a. The amplifier / filter circuit 21a amplifies the output of the vibration sensor 20a and removes unnecessary noise. The signal that has passed through the amplifier / filter circuit 21a has a waveform close to a sine wave, and this signal passes through a comparator 22a.
It is provided to a flip-flop 23a. The comparator 22a binarizes the output signal from the amplifier / filter circuit 21a into a high level and a low level based on a predetermined reference level, and the flip-flop 23a outputs the output signal of the amplifier / filter circuit 21a at a predetermined reference level. In the above case, the gate circuit 24 and the CPU
26 is supplied with a high level signal. When the output signal of the amplifier / filter circuit 21a has not reached the predetermined reference level, the flip-flop 23a supplies a low-level signal to the gate circuit 24 and the CPU 26.

Similarly, the output of the vibration sensor 20b is also supplied to the flip-flop 23b via the amplifier / filter circuit 21b and the comparator 22b.
0b, a high-level or low-level signal is output from the flip-flop 23b to the gate circuit 2b.
4 and the CPU 26. Further, output signals of the other vibration sensors 20c and 20d are similarly supplied to one gate circuit via an amplifier / filter circuit, a comparator, and a flip-flop, and also to the CPU 26.

The gate circuit 24 includes a flip-flop 23
when only one of the outputs a and b is at a high level, that is, when one of the vibration sensors 2
When 0a and 20b detect vibration, a low-level signal is output to the counter 25,
A clock signal is simultaneously output to the counter 25 so that the output time can be calculated when the low-level signal is output. When both outputs of the flip-flops 23a and 23b are at a high level, that is, when both of the vibration sensors 20a and 20b detect a vibration, a high-level signal is output to the counter 25. The counter 25 counts the clock signal from when the low level signal changes to the high level signal, and outputs the count value to the CPU 26. C
PU 26 has flip-flops 23a and 23b
Is also directly input.

Similarly, regarding the vibration sensors 20c and 20d, a clock signal counted during the time difference between the detection of vibrations by each of the vibration sensors 20c and 20d, and the vibration sensors 20c and 20d detect the vibration. And the output of the flip-flop indicating the fact is input to the CPU 26. Then, the CPU 26 executes a predetermined arithmetic processing according to the procedure stored in the ROM based on the count number of these clock signals and the output signal of each flip-flop.

FIG. 3 shows a processing procedure of the CPU 26. When a vibration is applied to the point P of the table glass 10, each of the vibration sensors 20a to 20d captures the vibration,
When a high-level signal is input from any of the flip-flops to the CPU 26 (Step S1 in FIG. 3, the same applies hereinafter), the clock signal generated during the timing shift when each of the vibration sensors 20a and 20b detects a vibration. Based on the count number, P
Distance La to the point and L from the vibration sensor 20b to the point P
b), the absolute value | La−Lb |
The distance Lc from the vibration sensor 20c to the point P and the Ld from the vibration sensor 20d to the point P are calculated based on the count number of the clock signal generated during the difference between the timings at which the vibration sensors 20c and 20d detect the vibration. The absolute value of the difference | Lc−Ld |
2).

Next, the CPU 26 controls the vibration sensors 20
It is determined whether each of the calculated values is obtained by normal operation of a to 20d (step S3).
When it is determined that each of the calculated values is obtained by the normal operation of each of the vibration sensors 20a to 20d, the coordinates of the point P are calculated using each of the calculated values (step). S4).

On the other hand, when it is determined that each calculated value is abnormal, it is sequentially determined whether each of the vibration sensors 20a to 20d is operating normally. That is, when the vibration sensor 20a outputs a predetermined signal by detecting the vibration, and the output of the flip-flop 23a is at a high level (step S5), the vibration sensor 23a operates normally. If the vibration sensor 20a does not output a predetermined signal and the output of the flip-flop 23a is at a low level, it is determined that the vibration sensor 20a has failed ( In step S6), it is displayed that the sensor has failed (S13). Next, similarly, the vibration sensor 2
0b operates normally and outputs a predetermined signal based on the output of the flip-flop 23b (S
7) If the output of the flip-flop 23b is at a low level, it is determined that the vibration sensor 20b is out of order (S8), and the fact that the sensor is out of order is displayed (S13). When the vibration sensor 20b is also operating normally, similarly, the vibration sensors 20c and 20d are sequentially determined whether or not they are normal based on the output of each flip-flop, and any one of them is determined. If it is determined that the vibration sensors 20c and 20d are out of order, it is displayed that the sensors are out of order (S
13). Then, when it is determined that all the vibration sensors 20a to 20d are operating normally, it is determined that there is a problem other than the vibration sensors 20a to 20d, and a predetermined process is performed ( Step S14).

As described above, each of the vibration sensors 20a to 20d
When an abnormality is found in the calculation of the vibration point based on the time difference between the vibration detection timings in each of the vibration sensors 20a
It is checked whether ~ 20d is operating normally,
The cause of the abnormality can be easily determined. In addition,
In such a signal input device, it is possible to check by the simulation function that each of the vibration sensors 20a to 20d is operating normally.

[0019]

According to the signal input device of the present invention,
The information about the vibration input position is calculated based on the time difference based on the vibration detection timing detected by the paired vibration sensors.Even if the calculated value is abnormal, each vibration sensor can normally detect the vibration. Since it is confirmed that the abnormality has been detected, the abnormality can be quickly and easily treated.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a configuration of an operation surface in a signal input device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a circuit configuration of the signal input device.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a control procedure of a CPU.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 Table glass 20a-20d Vibration sensor 26 CPU

Continuation of front page (72) Inventor Nobuyuki Ueda 22-22 Nagaikecho, Abeno-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka Inside Sharp Corporation (56) References JP-A-3-276223 (JP, A) JP-A-4-31919 (JP) , A) (58) Field surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁶ , DB name) G06F 3/03

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. An operation surface on which vibration input to an arbitrary position is propagated, and at least one pair of vibration sensors arranged at a predetermined position on the operation surface so as to detect the vibration transmitted on the operation surface. , based on the time difference between the vibration detection timings at the vibration sensors
Based on the time difference between the vibration detection timings of the vibration sensors.
If the calculation is determined to be normal, the vibration input
Based on the time difference between the vibration detection timings of the vibration sensors.
If it is determined that the calculation based on
And means for determining whether service is operating normally
Signal input device.