JP3063626B2 - Pointing 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 an input device for inputting position coordinates on a display screen of a display device provided in an information processing apparatus such as a personal computer or a work station, and more particularly, to inputting position coordinates by a finger operation. The present invention relates to a pointing input device capable of inputting.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In an information processing apparatus such as a personal computer or a work station, a cursor is displayed to indicate position coordinates on a display screen of a display device. The cursor is usually moved by a keyboard or a mouse. Has been taken. On the other hand, a pointing input device for setting the position of a cursor with a finger or a pen has been proposed. For example, JP-A-60-21743
In Japanese Patent Publication No. 0, using a resistor sheet, a part of the resistor sheet is pressed with a mouse to detect the coordinate position of the pressed portion, and the cursor is moved to the coordinate position on the display screen corresponding to the detected position. There has been proposed a coordinate position detecting device for performing the above operation.

[0003]

However, in this coordinate position detecting device, if the coordinate position detecting device is set to a size corresponding to the display screen, the coordinate position detecting device becomes large and difficult to use on a desk. . In addition, when the cursor is largely moved, it is necessary to largely move the mouse on the coordinate position detecting device or to repeatedly move the mouse, which deteriorates the operability. On the other hand, when the coordinate position detecting device is downsized relative to the display screen, a slight movement of the mouse on the coordinate position detecting device moves the cursor largely on the display screen. It is difficult to set the position with high accuracy and easily.

An object of the present invention is to provide a pointing input device which enables a coordinate position of a cursor on a display screen to be set with high accuracy and easily.

[0005]

A pointing input device according to the present invention can be moved while a finger or the like is in contact with the surface of the device, outputs the amount of movement of the finger or the like as a coordinate signal, and displays the coordinate on a display screen based on the output. Is configured to be able to move a display mark such as a cursor by a corresponding amount, and a frame portion is provided around an area where a finger or the like contacts, and when the finger or the like contacts this frame portion, A signal for continuously moving a display mark is output as a coordinate signal. This frame portion has a configuration in which a frame-shaped convex portion or concave portion is formed around the surface to be touched by a finger or the like . That is, the pointing seat for detecting the amount of finger or the like is moved in contact, and a Touching sheet provided integrally on the surface of the pointing sheet bending formed Oite touch ring sheet to the frame position To form a frame.

[0006]

Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of an information processing apparatus including a pointing input device of the present invention.
This information processing apparatus includes a personal computer body 1,
It comprises a display device 2 such as a CRT, a keyboard 3, and a pointing input device 4. And the display device 2
Cursor 5 as a display mark displayed on the display screen of
Can be moved arbitrarily in the X direction and the Y direction by moving a finger or a pen or the like on the surface of the pointing input device 4 while touching a key on the keyboard 3 or the like, so that the position can be set. Be composed.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the pointing input device 4, and FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. In the pointing input device 4, a pointing sheet 12 is integrally formed on a rectangular circuit board 11, and a touching sheet 13 is provided on the pointing sheet 12.
Are laminated. The pointing sheet 12 is 3
The lower electrode 121 and the upper electrode 122 on the lower side are stacked so as to oppose each other with a small interval via an intermediate spacer 123. The upper electrode 122 is formed as a plane electrode made of copper or the like, and the lower electrode 121 is formed as a resistance sheet. Spacer 1
Reference numeral 23 is made of an insulating sheet, and has a number of relatively large holes. Here, a mesh-shaped hole is formed as a result by using a grid-like insulating sheet rather than a configuration in which a hole is formed.

The upper electrode 122 and the lower electrode 1
Numeral 21 is electrically connected to the circuit board 11, and an XY coordinate position corresponding to an electric resistance value generated on a resistance sheet as the lower electrode 121 is calculated by an arithmetic circuit constructed on the circuit board 11, and a corresponding electric signal It is configured to be output as The touching sheet 13 is configured as a protective film for the upper electrode 122, and is formed of a thin resin film or the like. The surface of the touching sheet 13 is bent so as to have a convex cross section in the vicinity of the peripheral portion of the pointing sheet 12, and the convex portion forms a rectangular frame 6 protruding in the surface direction. Have been.

In the pointing input device configured as described above, when the surface of the touching sheet 13 is touched with a finger, the upper electrode 122 is elastically deformed downward together with the touching sheet 13 as shown in an enlarged manner in FIG. Is done. As a result, the upper electrode 122 is brought into contact with the lower electrode 121 opposed thereto via the spacer 123, and the upper and lower electrodes are electrically connected at this position. As described above, the lower electrode 121 is formed of a resistance sheet, and is electrically connected to the circuit board 11 together with the upper electrode 122. Are detected in the X direction and the Y direction of the lower electrode 121 in the region where the contact is made. Accordingly, the coordinate movement amount can be detected from the contact length of the finger on the pointing input device 4 and the XY directions on the circuit board 11, and a signal corresponding to the coordinate movement amount is output to the display device 2 of the information processing device, and the display screen is displayed. The upper cursor 5 can be moved.

Further, in the pointing input device 4, when a finger comes into contact with the area of the touching sheet 13 where the frame 6 is formed, the circuit of the circuit board 11 detects the resistance value of the pointing sheet 12 at that time. Correspondingly, it is configured to output a signal for continuously moving the cursor 5 in either or both of the X direction and the Y direction. For this reason, the touching sheet 13
When performing an operation of moving the cursor 5 on the display screen while moving the finger above, when the finger is moved to the frame portion 6, the finger touches the frame portion 6 without moving the finger thereafter. The cursor 5 can be continuously moved on the display screen only by maintaining the state. When the finger is released from the frame 6, the cursor is stopped at that position.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart for explaining the above-mentioned operation by the circuit constructed on the circuit board. The circuit of the circuit board 11 determines whether or not a finger is in contact with the touching sheet 13 from the electrode contact state of the pointing sheet 12 (S11). When the finger is in contact, the amount of movement of the finger and the X and Y directions are detected from the resistance value at the position where the upper and lower electrodes are in contact and the resistance value changed with the movement of the finger. Then, a new X coordinate and Y coordinate position of the cursor is calculated according to the detected movement amount and the XY directions, and a signal of the X and Y coordinate positions is output to the display device (S12). As a result, the input XY is displayed on the display device.
The cursor is moved in the X and Y directions according to the coordinate signal (S13). Then, it is determined whether or not the finger is in contact with the frame (S14). When the finger is in contact with the frame, that is, when the detected resistance value is a predetermined value, a continuous movement signal in each of the X direction and the Y direction is output. Output to the display device,
The cursor movement is continued (S13). And
When the finger is not in contact with the frame, the cursor is set to a new X coordinate and Y coordinate position (S15), and the process returns to step S11.

Therefore, in this pointing input device, the user touches the touching sheet 1 in the region surrounded by the frame 6.
3 is moved in a state in which the cursor 5 is in contact with the finger 5 in the X and Y directions within the area of the frame 6.
Can be moved on the display screen. At this time, by appropriately setting the operation coefficient of the circuit on the circuit board 11, the moving amount of the finger and the moving amount of the cursor on the display screen can be arbitrarily set, for example, set to 1: 1. By doing so, the cursor can be moved by an amount equal to the moving amount of the finger, and the operability of cursor movement can be improved. On the other hand, when the finger comes into contact with the frame 6, the cursor can be continuously moved thereafter, so that the cursor 5 can be moved regardless of the XY dimensions of the pointing input device.
Can be largely moved on the display screen. As a result, even when the pointing input device is downsized,
The position of the cursor can be set with high precision in an area within the size, and the cursor can be moved over the entire display screen. In addition, when the cursor is continuously moved, the finger is brought into contact with the frame portion 6, so that the operator can recognize the state with a touch feeling of the finger.

In the above-described embodiment, an example is described in which one of the upper and lower electrodes is formed of a resistance sheet as a pointing sheet. However, a large number of upper and lower electrodes are formed in a different structure in different directions, and are obtained by contact between the two electrodes. A configuration that outputs a coordinate signal based on matrix coordinates, or another position detection configuration may be employed. Further, in the above embodiment, a part of the touching sheet is formed as a frame portion in a convex shape, but may be formed in a groove shape so that the frame portion can be recognized with a sense of a finger. If there is, it is not limited to these configurations.

[0014]

As described above, according to the present invention, the display mark such as the cursor on the display screen can be moved by a corresponding amount when the finger or the like is moved while contacting the surface of the pointing input device. In addition, a signal as a coordinate signal for continuously moving the display mark is output when the finger or the like comes into contact with a frame portion provided therearound, so that the pointing input device can be reduced in size. With this configuration, the position of the cursor can be set with high accuracy in the vicinity area where the current cursor is located, the cursor can be largely moved, and the size of the pointing input device can be reduced. Higher accuracy and easier movement can be realized. Also, the frame
Is a touch-on device that forms part of the pointing input device.
Formed by bending part of the sheet into a convex or concave shape
Compared to the case where the frame is formed by a separate member.
It is possible to prevent an increase in the number of parts.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing the overall configuration of an information processing apparatus provided with a pointing input device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the pointing input device of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view of a main part for describing an operation.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the pointing input device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Personal computer main body 2 Display device 3 Keyboard 4 Pointing input device 5 Cursor 6 Frame part 11 Circuit board 12 Pointing sheet 13 Touching sheet 121 Lower electrode 122 Upper electrode 123 Spacer

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] Claims: 1. A finger can be moved while contacting a surface thereof,
In a pointing input device configured to output a movement amount of the finger or the like as a coordinate signal and to move a display mark such as a cursor on a display screen by a corresponding amount based on the output, the finger or the like is contacted. To determine the amount
Pointing sheet to be issued and this pointing
With a touching sheet provided integrally on the surface of the
A frame is provided around a region where the finger or the like is in contact, and a signal for continuously moving the display mark is output as the coordinate signal when the finger or the like is in contact with the frame , The frame portion is a frame portion of the touching sheet.
Bend at the position, a frame-shaped convex portion or around the surface.
Is a pointing input device formed as a recess . 2. The pointing sheet includes an upper electrode and a lower electrode stacked via a spacer,
The pointing input device according to claim 1, wherein the upper electrode is elastically deformed when a finger or the like is brought into contact with the lower electrode, and outputs an electric signal corresponding to a change in the contact position.