JP3422335B2 - Input controller - 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 operation device which can be used as an input means of a computer.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, a mouse or a joystick is often used as a computer input means. The mouse or the joystick can simultaneously transmit the angle signals in the X-axis and Y-axis directions, so that the cursor or the like can be moved smoothly, which improves the operability of the computer.

A mouse engages two rotary encoders for detecting rotations in the X and Y directions with a spherical manipulator, and rolls the spherical manipulator in a desired direction to move in the X and Y directions. It has a structure for transmitting an angle signal. Further, the joystick has a structure in which an operating rod is vertically supported on an operating console, and by tilting the operating rod in a desired direction, a contact provided in that direction is brought into contact with the joystick to transmit an angle signal.

[0004]

Since the mouse has a structure in which an angle signal is transmitted by a rotary encoder, an angle signal with good resolution can be transmitted. Further, since a speed signal can be transmitted in accordance with the speed at which the spherical operator rolls, the moving speed of the cursor displayed on the monitor can be changed, which is excellent as an input operation device. However, there is a drawback that the structure is complicated and expensive.

Further, since the joystick has about 4 to 8 contacts provided on the periphery of the operating rod, the resolution in the angular direction is rough. However, there is also a drawback that a signal corresponding to the operation speed cannot be transmitted only by the angle signal. Further, if a speed signal is to be transmitted in response to an operating force, expensive parts such as a pressure sensitive rubber or a strain detector must be used, which is expensive. Furthermore, if the pressure sensitive gum or strain detector is used to detect the operating force and transmit the speed signal, the detected signal is output as an analog signal, so this analog signal is input to the computer. Has to be input through an AD converter, and this is disadvantageous in that it becomes more expensive.

An object of the present invention is to propose an input manipulator which is inexpensive and can transmit an angle signal and a velocity signal with high resolution.

[0007]

In the first invention of this application, the operating element is supported so as to be tiltable in an arbitrary direction, and by this tilting operation, the contacts existing in the tilting direction come into contact with each other to transmit an angle signal. In the input manipulator, one of the contacts that come into contact by the tilting motion is composed of a plurality of strip contacts arranged in an annular shape along a circle centered on the supporting point of the tilting motion, and the other contact is this strip contact. It is composed of grouping contacts having a length in the circumferential direction that is equivalent to grouping by dividing the same into the same number in the circumferential direction.

[0008] And, the finely divided into groups by the grouping contacts.
The strip contacts should correspond to the positions of the strip contacts of other groups.
Commonly connected, this connecting line and the grouping contacts
To obtain a digitally encoded angle signal by
it can. In other words, the strip contacts and group contacts are matrix
A multi-point input switch having a structure is constructed. This math
The angle signal is digital due to the multi-point input switch
Since it is encoded and output, it is necessary to use an AD converter.
The angle signal can be digitally encoded.
Therefore, the input operation device can be manufactured at low cost.

According to the input operation device of the first aspect of the present invention, the angle signal can be transmitted by the contact between the grouping contact and the strip contact. Here, by reducing the fineness of the strip contacts and increasing the number of strip contacts arranged in a ring, it is possible to obtain an angle signal with high resolution in the angular direction. According to a second invention of this application, in the input operation device according to claim 1, the strip-shaped contacts arranged in an annular shape and the flexible insulating sheet in which the grouped contacts are arranged with a predetermined gap therebetween are provided. Adhesion is formed on the opposite surface, one of the insulating sheets is laminated on the substrate, the operating element is opposed to the other insulating sheet, and the other insulating sheet is directed toward the one insulating sheet by the tilting operation of the operating element. The structure is such that an angle signal is transmitted by pressing and contacting the strip contact and the grouping contact.

That is, the second invention proposes that an input operation device for transmitting an angle signal is constituted by a so-called membrane switch structure. Therefore this second
According to the invention, it is possible to propose an input operation device that can be manufactured at low cost by simplifying the structure .

In the third invention of this application, there is provided a detecting means for detecting the number of contacts of the strip contacts with respect to the grouped contacts, and a structure for transmitting a speed signal in accordance with the number of contacts of the strip contacts with respect to the grouped contacts. Is. In the fourth invention, the operating element itself is formed of an elastic body in order to transmit a speed signal, or in the input operating device proposed in the second invention, an elastic body is provided between the operating element and the insulating sheet constituting the membrane switch. It proposes an intervening structure.

According to the fourth aspect of the invention, since the operating element itself is formed of an elastic element or the elastic element is interposed between the operating element and one of the insulating sheets forming the membrane switch, the operating force for tilting operation is increased. The amount of deformation of the elastic body can be changed by changing the amount. By changing the amount of deformation of the elastic body, it is possible to change the number of contacts of the strip contacts with respect to the grouped contacts. As a result, the speed signal can be changed according to the tilting operation force applied to the operator. The speed signal can be treated as a digital signal because it is defined by the number of strip contacts for the grouped contacts. Therefore, the speed signal can be input to the computer without using the AD converter.

[0013]

1 shows an embodiment of an input operation device proposed in the first invention of this application. In the figure, 10 is an operation console such as a key board, and 20 is an operation rod supported by the operation console 10 in a vertical posture. The console 10 is, for example, the front panel 1
1 and the printed circuit board 12 and the back plate 13.

The operating rod 20 has an operating element 21 on the base end side,
The spherical surface 22 of the manipulator 21 engages with the hole formed in the front panel 11, and a rod-shaped elastic body 23 is fitted in the center of the lower surface of the manipulator 21, and the other end of the elastic body 23 is connected to the printed circuit board. By being planted in 12, the operating rod 20 is elastically supported so that it can be tilted. The operating element 21 and the operating rod 20 can be integrally formed of an insulating resin material. A conical surface 24 is formed on the lower surface of the operator 21, and the conical surface 24 has grouped contacts 31A to 31D shown in FIG. 2B.
To form. FIG. 2A shows a strip contact 30 formed on the printed circuit board 12. The strip contact points 30 are formed by arranging in a ring shape with their longitudinal direction facing the radial direction along a circle centered on the axis of the elastic body 23. As the arrangement pitch, for example, 40 strip contacts can be formed at equal intervals.

In this example, the grouped contacts 31A to 31D are divided into four strip contacts 30 at 90 ° intervals.
The case of grouping into two groups is shown. As in this embodiment, the strip contacts 30 are formed at 9 ° intervals, and the grouped contacts 31A are further formed.
When 31D touches across a plurality of strip contacts 30, it is determined that the contact is made across the directions and the direction of the center is determined, and even in the center between the two strip contacts 30. The input direction can be determined. Therefore, in this case, the resolution can identify the 40 × 2 direction.

Connection between the strip contacts 30 and other circuits can be made by wiring conductors formed on the printed board 12. On the other hand, since the electric connection of the grouped contacts 31A to 31D is a structure in which the operator 21 is movable, this example shows a case where the lead wire 33 is connected to the printed circuit board 12. In the present invention, the strip contacts 30 are grouped into a number of groups determined by the number of divisions of the grouped contacts 31A to 31D, and the strip contacts 30 of each group are connected in common as shown in FIG. However, this common connection structure constitutes an electrical connection structure in a matrix type multi-point switch circuit. FIG. 4 shows an electrical connection structure of the switch according to the present invention.

In the example shown in FIG. 3, ten common connecting lines L _{1 to} L are commonly connected between the respective strip contacts 30.
₁₀ shows the case where the strip contacts 30 of each group are commonly connected. The common connection line L ₁ ~L ₁₀ and grouping contacts 3 of the ten
An angle signal indicating a target direction can be transmitted by contact with 1A to 31D. Reference numeral 40 shown in FIG. 4 denotes a processing device such as a microcomputer. With this processing device 40, grouping contacts 31A to 31D,
The tilt direction of the operating rod 20 is determined from the combination of the contacts of the common connection lines L _{1 to} L ₁₀ , and the tilt direction is a signal θ which meets a communication standard equivalent to that of a normal mouse or joystick.
It is converted into and output, and input to a computer (not particularly shown).

Even if the manipulator 21 shown in FIG. 1 is made of a hard material, the grouped contacts 31A to 31D are the strip contacts 30.
One or two contact numbers can be taken for. Due to the number of contacts, the processing device 40 outputs the direction of the center of both strip contacts as an angle signal when at least two contacts are made. Along with this, the number of contacts of the strip contacts 30 with respect to the grouped contacts 31A to 31D is detected as proposed in the fourth invention of this application, and the speed signal V is transmitted according to the number of contacts. Therefore, in this example, since the number of contacts is one or two, the speed signal V is a two-wire switching speed signal. The speed signal V can also be a signal that conforms to the communication standard of the mouse or the joystick.

Reference numerals 34 and 35 shown in FIG. 4 denote a switch for determining an instruction at the moving position of the cursor displayed on the display of the computer and a switch for instructing cancellation. The switches 34 and 35 are provided at any position on the front panel 11 separately from the operating rod 20. The signals of these switches 34 and 35 are also sent from the processing device 40 to the computer as a contact signal S.

In this way, the angle signal θ that conforms to the communication standard between the mouse or joystick and the computer
By preparing the speed signal V and the contact signal S,
The input operation device according to the present invention can be connected to a computer using a normal mouse input port or a joystick input port. FIG. 5 shows an embodiment of the input operation device proposed in the second invention of this application. This second
The invention claims that the strip contact 30 and the grouped contacts 31A to 31D have a structure of a membrane switch.

That is, in FIG. 5, 14A and 14B represent flexible insulating sheets. These two insulating sheets are adhered to both surfaces of the spacer 15, and are arranged to face each other with a predetermined gap maintained in the ring-shaped space 15A formed in the spacer 15. The strip contacts 30 are provided on the surfaces of the insulating sheets 14A and 14B that are arranged to face each other and face each other.
And grouping contacts 31A to 31D are formed. Fine contact 3
0 and any of the grouped contacts 31A to 31D may be arranged on the upper side or the lower side. Desirably, the grouping contacts 31A to 3 are provided on the upper side (the side pressed by the operator 21).
1D should be placed. As a matter of course, a common connecting line L for connecting corresponding members of each group of the strip contacts 30.
Wirings for connecting _{1 to} L ₁₀ and the grouped contacts 31A to 31D to the outside are also formed on the insulating sheets 14B and 14A.

A laminate of the insulating sheets 14A and 14B is laminated on the back plate 13, and the front panel 1 is further formed thereon.
Put on 1. The front panel plate 11 is provided with an internally expanding hole, and the operator 21 is housed and held in this hole. A pin 16 protruding from the back plate 13 is engaged with the central portion of the operator 21, and is supported tiltably. An elastic body 17 such as rubber is annularly arranged between the operator 21 and the insulating sheet 14A, and a pressing force is applied to the insulating sheet 14A via the elastic body 17. The elastic body 17 is adhered to either the operator 21 or the insulating sheet 14A.

As described above, the structure in which the pressing force is applied to the insulating sheet 14A through the elastic body 17 makes it possible to adjust the number of contacts between the grouping contacts 31A to 31D and the strip contacts 30 by the tilting force applied to the operating rod 20. Can be controlled.
That is, when a large tilting force is applied, a large pressure contact force is applied to the elastic body 17, so that the elastic body 17 is largely compressed and deformed to press the insulating sheet 14A over a wide range. As a result, the grouped contacts 31A to 31D contact the strip contact 30 over a wide range, and the grouped contact 3
The number of strip contacts that contact 1A to 31D increases. When the tilting force applied to the operating rod 20 is weakened, the grouping contact points 31A to
The number of strip contacts 30 contacting 31D is reduced.

In this way, the operator 21 and the insulating sheet 14A
By inserting the elastic body 17 between and, it is possible to greatly change the number of the strip contacts 30 contacting the grouped contacts 31A to 31D. When the number of contacts of the strip contacts 30 changes, the angle signal θ determines the angle by the strip contacts at the center position of the strip contacts 30 in contact with the grouped contacts 31A to 31D. Furthermore, the speed signal V is distributed to the grouping contacts 31A
The moving speed of the cursor is changed in proportion to the number of the strip contact points in contact with 31D. An example of the relationship between the number of contacts of the strip contacts and the moving speed of the cursor is shown below.

Number of contact points Cursor movement speed 1 to 34 (count / second) 3 to 4 80 〃 5 to 6 300 〃 7 or more 800 〃 When the number of contact points is large, the non-contact part is in the contact range. It may occur. For example, if there are two non-contact portions adjacent to the five contact areas and one contact portion exists next to the contact area, the non-contact portion is determined to be the contact portion, and a total of eight non-contact portions. Judge as contact. In another example, if there are four non-contact portions in the four contact areas and two contact portions exist next to each other, the non-contact portion and the two contact portions are separated and Determined as 4 contacts.
By setting the determination algorithm in this way, it is possible to ensure the stability of the operation.

FIG. 6 shows a modified embodiment of the present invention. In this example, the operating element 21 is formed in a relatively large area, and the structure is such that the angle and the moving speed of the cursor can be input by pressing the peripheral edge of the operating element 21. Although the example shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrates the case where the elastic body 17 is interposed between the operator 21 and the insulating sheet 14A, the operator 21 should be formed of an elastic body such as rubber. Can also be considered. Further, the number of contact points for grouping is not limited to four and may be eight or more. It can be easily understood that when the number of grouped contacts is changed, the number of divisions of the strip contacts 30 is also changed accordingly.

[0027]

As described above, according to the present invention, a multipoint input switch group can be formed by the structure of the matrix switch. As a result, an angle signal with high resolution can be transmitted. In particular, the structure can be simplified by using the structure of the switch shown in FIG. 5 as the structure of the switch. Therefore, it can be manufactured at low cost. Further, by inserting the elastic body 17 in the pressing portion of the switch, it is possible to greatly control the number of contacts of the strip contacts 30. Thereby, a speed signal for controlling the moving speed of the cursor can also be transmitted. Further, when the structure of the membrane switch is adopted, the input operation device according to the present invention can be mounted integrally with the key board for input.

Therefore, it is possible to provide an input operation device that is inexpensive and has a function equivalent to that of an existing input means such as a mouse, and the effect is great for practical use.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing an embodiment of the present invention.

2A is a plan view showing a structure of a strip contact used in the embodiment of FIG. 1, and FIG. 2B is a plan view showing a structure of a grouped contact.

3 is a plan view for explaining an example of the connection structure of the strip contacts used in the embodiment of FIG.

FIG. 4 is a connection diagram for explaining an electrical connection structure of the input operation device according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view showing an embodiment of an input operation device proposed in the second invention of this application.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view showing a modified example of the input operation device proposed in the second invention of this application.

[Explanation of symbols] 10 console 11 Front panel board 12 printed circuit boards 13 Back plate 14A, 14B insulation sheet 15 Spacer 16 pin 17 Elastic body 20 Operation rod 21 Operator 30 strip contacts 31A to 31D Grouped contacts

Claims (4)

(57) [Claims] 1. An input operating device having a structure in which an operator can freely tilt in any direction, and the tilting motion causes a contact point present in the tilting direction to come into contact to transmit an angle signal. similar number is one of the contacts that contact is composed of a plurality of strip-contacts arranged annularly along a circle around the support point of the tilting operation, the contacts of the other side is the strip-contacts the circumferential direction by It is composed of grouping contacts with a length in the circumferential direction that is equivalent to dividing into groups and dividing into groups, and the strip contacts grouped by the above grouping contacts are other groups.
Connect the ones corresponding to the position of the strip contact of
The common connection line of the
An input operation device having a structure for transmitting a digitally encoded angle signal . 2. The input manipulator according to claim 1, wherein the strip-shaped contacts arranged in an annular shape and the flexible insulating sheet in which the grouping contacts are arranged with a predetermined gap therebetween are opposed to each other. Formed on the surface to be laminated, one of the insulating sheets is laminated on the substrate, the operator is opposed to the other insulating sheet, and the other insulating sheet is pressed toward the one insulating sheet by the tilting operation of the operator, An input operation device having a structure for transmitting an angle signal by bringing the strip contact and the grouping contact into contact with each other. 3. The input operation device according to claim 1 or 2 , further comprising contact number detection means for detecting the number of contact of the strip contact with the grouped contact, and operating according to the number of contact detected by the detection means. An input operation device having a structure for transmitting a speed signal. 4. The input operating device according to claim 2, wherein the operating element itself is formed of an elastic body, or an elastic body is inserted between the operating element and another insulating sheet, and an operating force applied to the operating element. The elastic body is deformed in accordance with the change of the elastic body, and the number of contact of the strip contact with the grouping contact is changed by the deformation of the elastic body. An input operation device characterized in that