JP3473989B2 - Information 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 information input device which has an input tool to be held and used in the hand and which inputs operation information and the like to a main body device. For example, the present invention is applied to an infrared remote control device that inputs operation information to a television receiver that is a main device. Alternatively, it is applied to menu selection of a game device having a display, a personal computer, a word processor, or the like. Further, the present invention is applied to inputting information on figures and handwritten characters or inputting information on movement, rotation, movement, etc. of an object displayed on a display.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a conventional information input device, a digitizer composed of a combination of a stylus and a tablet is widely used. For example, an electromagnetic signal is exchanged between the stylus and the tablet, the two-dimensional coordinate position of the stylus tip is detected, and a desired figure or handwritten character is input. This digitizer is an absolute position detection type that detects the two-dimensional coordinates of the stylus on the tablet. A mouse is also widely used as a conventional information input device. By moving the mouse on a pad, the displacement is detected and input to a computer or the like to control a cursor. The mouse is an instrument for inputting variable information that increases / decreases incrementally to a computer based on the amount of change in the movement amount, and is an increase / decrease detection type unlike an absolute position detection type digitizer.

[0003]

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION Problems to be Solved by the Invention Conventional digitizers and mice require a tablet or pad arranged on a workbench, etc., and the use environment and use conditions are limited. It was not possible to input pointing information etc. by freely operating the input tool. On the other hand, while a light source is provided on the manually operated input tool, a TV camera is provided on the computer main body side, and the position of the light source is optically detected to input pointing information according to the free spatial operation of the input tool. A method has been proposed, and is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 6-598075. However, since the television camera is relatively expensive, there is a problem that it is not suitable for a popular information input device. This information input device is called an optical pointer or the like, and can detect the absolute position of an input tool containing a light source. However, it is not necessary to detect the absolute position of the input tool for menu selection or cursor control, and it is sufficient if the variable information that incrementally increases or decreases can be input. Therefore, an information input device using an expensive television camera or the like is often unnecessary in a popular personal computer or the like.

In addition to the above-mentioned problems, in a system in which a light source built in a manually operated input tool is optically position-detected to input pointing information and the like, disturbance is mixed and an extreme fluctuation of a detection signal level occurs. There is a problem. The distance between the computer on the main body side and the input tool on the operator side greatly changes depending on the use environment and use conditions. As the distance increases, noise such as ambient light and thermal noise is mixed, and there is a risk of malfunction. Further, there is a problem that the level of the detection signal on the main body side largely changes according to the distance of the input tool, and it is necessary to cope with an extremely wide dynamic range.

[0005]

In view of the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, the present invention has a simple and inexpensive structure and is capable of inputting variable information using light as a medium by a free hand operation of an input tool. The purpose is to provide a device. or,
An object of the present invention is to provide an information input device that can perform a stable input operation without depending on the distance between the input tool and the main body computer and without being affected by a disturbance factor. The following measures have been taken in order to achieve this object. That is, the information input device according to the present invention basically comprises a combination of an input tool and a detector. The input tool is manually operated relative to a predetermined reference point, and the azimuth and position change. The detector uses light as a medium to detect changes in the azimuth and position of the input tool. This information input device inputs variable information that increases or decreases incrementally to the main device based on this change. At least one light source is provided on either one of the input tool and the reference point, and the light is projected toward the other. On the other hand, a detector is provided at either the input tool or the reference point so as to receive the projected light. This detector comprises spatial modulation means, light receiving means and processing means. The spatial modulation means has an optical pattern having a periodicity, spatially modulates the light projected from the light source, and moves in accordance with the change in the azimuth and position accompanying the manual operation of the input tool. Form a bright and dark image. The light receiving means has at least two light receiving regions juxtaposed with each other with a predetermined spatial phase difference, and receives the moving bright-dark image and outputs an electric signal that changes periodically. Finally, the processing means processes the electric signal to extract the change in the orientation and the position of the input tool and sends it to the main device as variable information. In practice, in addition to the above-mentioned components, the input tool is provided with a switch means for instructing the processing means of the detector as to when to start extracting the change.

In one aspect of the present invention, the light source is provided at the reference point, while the detector is provided integrally with the input tool. In this configuration, the light receiving direction of the light projected on the detector changes in accordance with the manual operation of the input tool. In another aspect, the light source is integral with the input tool while the detector is located at the reference point. In this configuration, the light receiving position of the light projected on the detector changes in accordance with the manual operation of the input tool. As a specific example, for example, the input tool is an infrared remote control tool and is used for inputting desired variable information to a television receiver as a main device. Further, in the improved example, the light receiving means has an additional light receiving region arranged around the light receiving region, and outputs an auxiliary electric signal according to the spatial average intensity of the light projection. The processing means processes the main electric signal using the auxiliary electric signal, and accurately extracts the change. In a development of the invention,
The spatial modulation means has an optical pattern having a two-dimensional periodicity. Further, the light receiving means has at least four light receiving regions arranged two-dimensionally. The processing means processes the electric signal and extracts a change in a two-dimensional direction.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the light source emits light which is periodically modulated, while the processing means included in the detector has a local oscillation circuit and a synchronous detection circuit. The local oscillator circuit outputs a predetermined periodic signal. The synchronous detection circuit is adapted to multiply the electric signal by the periodic signal to remove a disturbance component. In this case, the processing means further includes an arithmetic circuit that calculates the amplitude level of the multiplied electric signal, and an adjustment circuit that automatically controls the amplitude level of the periodic signal so that the amplitude level falls within a predetermined dynamic range. May be included.

[0008]

According to the present invention, the operator first holds the input tool by hand and points it at the reference point. Next, the azimuth and position of the input tool are changed while pressing a switch means such as a button switch provided on the input tool. When the button switch is pressed, the start point of extraction of the change is instructed, and the light source is turned on while the button switch is pressed. Then, the relative positional relationship between the light source and the detector changes as the input tool moves. As a result, in the optical path from the light source to the light receiving surface of the light receiving means, the passage portion of the optical pattern having periodicity formed in the spatial modulation means moves, so that the position of the bright and dark image projected on the light receiving surface changes. In the present invention, since the slits, holes, etc. are periodically arranged to form the optical pattern, the amount of light received by the light receiving means changes periodically. Therefore, the electric signal output from the light receiving means also changes periodically. While the button switch of the input tool is being pressed, a periodic change in the electrical signal is detected, and based on this, the change in the orientation and position of the input tool is extracted. Similar effects can be obtained when a lens array is used instead of the periodic array of slits and pinholes. In the present invention, the light receiving means has a pair of light receiving regions juxtaposed with each other with a predetermined spatial phase difference, and extracts not only the change in the azimuth and position of the input tool but also the change direction. Thereby, the variable information according to the hand operation of the input tool is obtained. Compared with an image pickup device such as a CCD incorporated in a television camera which has been conventionally used, the light receiving unit according to the present invention is sufficient as long as it has at least a pair of light receiving regions, which is economically advantageous. The bright and dark image projected by the spatial modulation means is a pattern in which peaks and valleys are periodically repeated, and it is possible to know which side of the mountain is currently located by the value of the electric signal output from the pair of light receiving regions. When the bright and dark image moves, its direction can also be detected. Every time a mountain or valley is crossed, the amount of change can be accumulated and sent to the main unit as variable information. In addition, an additional light receiving area is provided around the pair of main light receiving areas to output an auxiliary electric signal according to the spatial average intensity of the projected light. By calculating the ratio between this auxiliary electric signal and the main electric signal, it is possible to immediately distinguish the peaks and valleys contained in the main electric signal, and it is possible to detect the change in the orientation and position of the input tool more accurately.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT A preferred embodiment of an information input device according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram showing a first embodiment of an information input device according to the present invention. As shown in the figure, this information input device comprises a combination of an input tool 1 and a detector 2. The input tool 1 is manually operated relative to a predetermined reference point, and its azimuth and position spatially change. The detector 2 detects changes in the azimuth and position of the input tool 1 using light as a medium. This information input device inputs variable information that increases or decreases incrementally based on this change amount to a main device (not shown). In this information input device, at least one light source is provided at either one of the input tool 1 and the reference point, and the light projection 4 is incident toward the other.
On the other hand, the detector 2 receives the light projection 4 so that the input tool 1
And the reference point. LE in this example
The light source 3 including D and the like is provided integrally with the input tool 1, while the detector 2 is arranged at the reference point, and the light projection 4 is incident on the detector 2 when the input tool 1 is manually operated. The position changes. This reference point is set, for example, at a predetermined location on the main device. However, the setting position of the reference point is not limited to the main body device.

The detector 2 comprises a spatial modulation means, a light receiving means and a processing means. In this embodiment, the spatial modulation means is composed of the multi-slit plate 5, which has an optical pattern having a periodicity and spatially modulates the light projection 4 incident from the light source 3 so that the input tool 1 is manually operated. It forms a bright and dark image that moves according to changes in direction and position. As the spatial modulation means, a cylindrical lens array or the like can be used instead of the multi-slit plate 5. The light receiving means is composed of a two-divided light receiving element 7, has at least two light receiving areas A and B arranged with a predetermined spatial phase difference, and receives a moving bright and dark image and a pair of periodically changing light receiving areas. Electrical signal Ia,
Each Ib is output. The processing means 8 receives the electric signals Ia and Ib via the amplifiers 9 and 10 and the switching circuit 11,
By processing these, the change in the direction and position of the input tool 1 is extracted and sent to the main device as variable information. In this embodiment, a remote controller receiver 6 is provided in addition to the input tool 1 and the detector 2, and is provided on the detector 2 side. The remote control receiver 6 receives the switch information transmitted from the input tool 1 using the modulated light projection 4 as a medium, decodes it, and sends it to the main device. Further, a part of the switch information is input to the processing means 8 as a start signal, and the extraction start time of the above-mentioned change is instructed at any time. The input tool 1 is provided with switch means such as a button switch for transmitting the above-mentioned switch information at any time.

In this embodiment, the reference point is set on the main device side, and the detector 2 is incorporated in the main device. On the other hand, the input tool 1 is arranged apart from the main body device, and from a practical point of view, it is desirable to set the reaching distance of the light projector 4 as large as possible. In order to meet this requirement, the dynamic range of the received light intensity in the detector 2 must be large. Electric signal I output as photocurrent from the two-divided light receiving element 7
Since a and Ib change, for example, from several nA to several tens of μA, it is necessary to perform appropriate calculation based on this signal level to obtain the variable information that increases / decreases incrementally. Further, when the distance between the input tool 1 and the main body device is large, it is necessary to eliminate the influence of noise such as ambient light or thermal noise, and the filtering technique becomes important. In view of this point, in the present embodiment, the light source 3 incorporated in the input tool 1 emits the light projection 4 which is periodically modulated according to a predetermined periodic waveform. On the other hand, the processing means 8 included in the detector 2 has a local oscillation circuit 12 and a synchronous detection circuit 13. The local oscillator circuit 12 outputs a predetermined periodic signal. Input cycle 1
It is the same as the periodic waveform used for the periodic modulation of the light projection 4 on the side.
The synchronous detection circuit 13 multiplies the electric signals Ia and Ib output from the two-divided light receiving element 7 by this periodic signal to remove the disturbance component from the electric signal. The processing means 8 is further A / D
A microcomputer 15 connected to the synchronous detection circuit 13 via a converter 14 and a level adjusting circuit 16 interposed between the synchronous detection circuit 13 and the local oscillation circuit 12 are provided. The microcomputer 15 constitutes an arithmetic circuit and processes a pair of electric signals Ia and Ib to extract a change in the azimuth and position of the input tool 1 and also an amplitude level of the multiplied electric signals Ia and Ib. To calculate. Further, based on the calculation result, the control data Vc is fed back to the level adjusting circuit 16 so that the amplitude level of the electric signal is A
The amplitude level of the periodic signal output from the local oscillation circuit 12 is automatically controlled so that the predetermined dynamic range of the / D converter 14 is entered.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an application example of the information input device shown in FIG. In this application example, the television receiver 21 is adopted as the main body device to which the variable information is input. An infrared remote control tool (remote control tool) is used as the input tool 1 for inputting variable information to the television receiver 21. The input tool 1 has a built-in infrared light emitting diode and also serves as a light source 3 for emitting a light projection 4.
On the other hand, the television receiver 21 has a screen 22, and the detector 2 and the remote control receiver 6 described above are provided below the screen 22. The input tool 1 includes, for example, a channel button switch 23 for selecting a channel and a volume button switch 24 for adjusting the volume. When the channel button switch 23 is pressed, the coded infrared light projection 4 is emitted from the light source 3 according to the selected channel number. The infrared light projection 4 is received by the remote control receiver 6 on the side of the television receiver 21 and decodes the selected channel number. On the other hand, by operating the input tool 1 at hand, the direction and position of the light source 3 change. The detector 2 is provided with the spatial modulation means having the optical pattern having the periodicity as described above, and spatially modulates the light projection 4 incident from the light source 3 to obtain the azimuth associated with the manual operation of the input tool 1. It forms a bright and dark image that moves according to changes in position. Further, the light receiving means receives a moving bright and dark image and outputs an electric signal which changes periodically, and the processing means processes the electric signal to extract a change in the azimuth and position of the input tool to receive a television image as variable information. To the machine 21. Since infrared rays are used as the light projection 4 in this application example, an infrared transmission filter is attached to the front surface of the detector 2 in order to remove disturbance factors such as ambient visible light.

Next, with reference to FIG. 3, an example of inputting volume information as variable information in accordance with a hand operation of the input tool 1 will be described. While pressing the volume button switch 24, the screen 2
The display of the volume bar 25 appears at 2. When the input tool 1 is moved to the left or right by hand, the bar display expands or contracts according to the movement. At this time, the volume naturally changes according to the change in the bar display. When the volume button switch 24 is turned off, the bar 2
The display of No. 5 disappears from the screen 22 and is fixed at the volume immediately before. As can be understood from the above description, the volume button switch 24 provided in the input tool 1 constitutes a switch means for instructing the detector 2 at any time to start the extraction of the change.

Next, the variable information extraction process of the information input device shown in FIG. 1 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. FIG. 4 shows a relative positional relationship between the bright and dark image 26 formed by the spatial modulation means such as the multi-slit plate 5 and the pair of light receiving regions A and B provided in the two-divided light receiving element 7. As shown in the figure, the bright and dark image 26 is composed of a repeating pattern of bright and dark portions, and moves according to the hand operation of the input tool 1. On the other hand, the pair of light receiving regions A and B provided in the two-divided light receiving element 7 are juxtaposed with a predetermined spatial phase difference,
The moving bright / dark image 26 is received and the electrical signals Ia and Ib that change periodically are output. For example, when the bright and dark image 26 moves from the right side to the left side in the drawing as shown by the arrow, the light receiving amount of the light receiving region A changes periodically as the bright and dark parts pass, and the signal intensity also changes periodically. Changes to. Similarly, the signal intensity of the light receiving area B also changes periodically, but since a predetermined spatial phase difference is provided with respect to the light receiving area A, the signal intensity change of the light receiving area B is accordingly changed. Be ahead of change. When the bright and dark image 26 moves in the direction opposite to the arrow, the signal intensity change in the light receiving area B is
Is delayed compared to the change in the signal strength of. In this way, the moving direction of the input tool can be detected based on the phase relationship between both signal strength changes. Of course, the movement amount of the input tool can also be detected based on the signal strength change itself.

FIG. 5 is a schematic graph showing the relationship between the bright and dark image space and the signal intensity. Since the incident light is diffracted by the multi-slit plate in the bright-dark image space, it is represented by a gentle waveform including alternating peaks and valleys. Corresponding to this, the signal strength represented on the vertical axis also has a gentle waveform. For ease of explanation, if the bright and dark image space is fixed, it can be seen that the light receiving regions A and B are traveling on a corrugated waveform with a predetermined spatial phase difference. For example, when the bright and dark image 26 moves from right to left as shown in FIG. 4, the light receiving areas A and B travel from left to right along the corrugations as shown in FIG. When the amount of travel of the light-receiving regions A and B is stored together with the polarities during the hand operation of the input tool, desired variable information can be obtained. Actually, the variable information can be obtained by accumulating the change amount of the signal strength.

Next, the variable information calculation process will be described in detail with reference to the flowchart of FIG. After starting the information input device, the initial values of Ia and Ib are sampled as a and b in step S1. Next, in step S2, a = old
It is stored as a, b = oldb. Then step S3
Then, the values of Ia and Ib are newly sampled and designated as a and b. Next, in step S4, the changes a-olda and b-ol
Calculate db. Further, it is determined whether the sign of the variation a-olda and the sign of the variation b-oldb are the same. As can be understood with reference to FIG. 5, it can be understood that the sampled data a and b are both located in the middle of the slope when the signs of both are the same. On the contrary, when the signs are not the same, it means that the sampled data a and b are located in a mountain or a valley.

If the decision result in the step S4 is YES, the process advances to a step S5, and Δold = oldb-olda.
To calculate. Furthermore, the variation d = [(a-olda) + (b-oldb)] / 2Δo normalized in step S6.
Calculate ld. Next, in step S7, the value of the counter D is increased by d. D is an accumulation or integration of the change amount d from the past to the present, and represents the present change amount. Next, in step S8, it is determined whether the switch provided on the input tool has changed from OFF to ON. If the result of this determination is NO, the process proceeds to step S9 and the current variable D is sent to the main device. On the other hand, step S
If the result of the determination at 8 is YES, the process proceeds to step S10 and the value of the counter D is reset to 0. After this, the process proceeds to step S9. When one sampling is completed in this way, the process returns from step S9 to step S2 to perform the next sampling.

On the other hand, if the decision result in the step S4 is NO, the sampled data a and b are located in a mountain or a valley, and it is necessary to distinguish them. Therefore, the process proceeds to step S11, where (a-olda) and (oldb-
Among b), the one with a larger absolute value is Δaorb.
Next, in step S12, it is determined whether the average value (a + b) / 2 of the sampled data is larger than the average value of the sampled data. If the result of this determination is YES, it is determined that the current data a and b are located in the mountains, and the process proceeds to step S13. Here, the normalized variation d = α · Δaorb / | Δold | is calculated. Note that α is a constant for adjusting the point where the slope in the vicinity of the mountain differs from the slope in the slope. In the above equation, the normalized variation d is not necessarily obtained accurately, but there is no problem in calculating the variation information. Step S1
After 3, the process advances to step S7 to update the counter D. On the other hand, if the decision result in the step S12 is NO, it is decided that the sampled data a and b are located in the valley, and the process advances to the step S14. Normalized variation d = β here
Calculate (-Δaorb) / | Δold | Note that β
Is a constant for adjusting the point where the slope near the valley is different from the slope. After step S14, the process proceeds to step S7 to update the counter D.

Next, with reference to FIG. 7, a concrete configuration example of the synchronous detection circuit 13 and the local oscillation circuit 12 shown in FIG. 1 will be described. The synchronous detection circuit 13 is composed of a pair of multipliers 33 and 34 and a pair of low-pass filters (LPF) 35 and 36. The electric signals Ia and Ib are alternately switched and input to one input terminal of the multiplier 33. Multiplier 33
To the other input terminal of the periodic signal W from the local oscillator circuit 12.
_I is supplied and multiplied with the electrical signal Ia or Ib described above. The multiplier 33 is composed of, for example, an analog double balanced mixer. Similarly, the electric signal Ia or Ib is supplied to one input terminal of the multiplier 34, and the periodic signal W _Q is supplied from the local oscillation circuit 12 to the other input terminal of the multiplier 34, so that they are multiplied together. The pair of periodic signals W
_I and W _Q are 90 ° out of phase with each other. The multiplication result supplied from the output terminal of the multiplier 33 is A through the LPF 35.
It is input to the / D converter 14I. Multiplier 33 and LP
F35 cooperates to transmit the electric signal Ia or Ib to the periodic signal W _I.
Since the product-sum calculation is performed in step A, the A / D converter 14I supplies the product-sum calculation result to the microcomputer 15 as digital data S _I. Similarly, the LPF 36 is connected to the microcomputer 15 via the A / D converter 14Q and supplies the product-sum operation result using the periodic signal W _Q to the microcomputer 15 as digital data S _Q. In this specific example, the synchronous detection circuit 13 has an analog configuration, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the synchronous detection circuit 13 may be wholly or partially digitally configured.

The microcomputer 15 calculates the amplitude level of each of the electric signals Ia and Ib using the above-mentioned product-sum operation results S _I and S _Q. The amplitude level is | S _I | + | S _Q |
The coefficient Vc is set so that its value falls within a predetermined dynamic range. This coefficient Vc is field-backed to the local oscillator circuit 12 side as control data. The microcomputer 15 further calculates I
The variable information is calculated based on a and Ib according to the flowchart shown in FIG. 6 and sent to the main device side.

The local oscillator circuit 12 includes a timing generator 37.
And a pair of analog switches 38, 39 and polarity reversal device 40
It consists of and. The control data Vc output from the microcomputer 15 is input to the local oscillation circuit 12 via the D / A converter 41. The D / A converter 41 constitutes the level adjusting circuit described above. The voltage level Vc output from the D / A converter 41 and its inverted level are supplied to one analog switch 38. Similarly, a predetermined voltage level and its inverted level are also input to the other analog switch 39. These analog switches 38 and 39 alternately switch a predetermined voltage level and an inversion level in accordance with the clock signal output from the timing generator 37, and respectively form rectangular periodic signals W _I and W.
Synthesize _Q. The switching timings of the analog switches 38 and 39 are 90 ° out of phase with each other, so that one periodic signal W _Q is delayed by 90 ° from the other periodic signal W _I.

Next, the operation of the circuit shown in FIG. 7 will be described in detail with reference to the timing chart of FIG. As described above, the light emitted from the light source built in the input tool is periodically modulated according to a predetermined periodic waveform. Therefore, the electric signals Ia and Ib obtained on the detector side are also accompanied by the period modulation. In this example, the electric signals Ia and Ib change according to a rectangular periodic signal having a frequency of 38 kHz. On the other hand, the local oscillating circuit 12 also produces a periodic signal W _I having a frequency of 38 kHz and a periodic signal W _Q whose phase is delayed by 90 °.
The amplitude levels of the periodic signals W _I and W _Q are adjusted according to the above-mentioned control data Vc. On the other hand, the electric signal I
The amplitude levels of a and Ib change greatly depending on the distance between the input tool and the detector.

The multiplier 33 multiplies the electrical signals Ia and Ib by one of the periodic signals W _I. As a result, homodyne-like detection is performed to extract only the modulation components contained in the electric signals Ia and Ib, while the disturbance components can be removed. When the amplitude levels of the electric signals Ia and Ib are small, the amplitude level of the periodic signal W _I is adjusted upward to perform automatic gain control. Therefore, according to the present invention, it is not necessary to separately prepare an automatic gain controller (AGC), and the amplitude level of the periodic signal is feedback-controlled to be adjusted within the dynamic range of the A / D converter.

The electrical signal I is also applied to the other periodic signal W _Q.
The multiplication processing is performed on a and Ib so that only the modulation component is extracted. As described above, a pair of periodic signals W _I ,
The phases of W _Q are different from each other by 90 °, and a quadrature component can be extracted from the original electric signals Ia and Ib by performing a multiplication process. The extracted orthogonal components are smoothed by the LPF to obtain product-sum operation results S _I and S _Q , respectively. When both the electric signal and the periodic signal are rectangular waves, the combined amplitude level of the electric signal is given by | S _I | + | S _Q |. Note that the present invention is not limited to this, and it goes without saying that synchronous detection may be performed using a sine waveform. or,
Since synchronous detection is performed using orthogonal decomposition in this embodiment, there is no need to preliminarily synchronize the phases of the electric signal and the periodic signal that are multiplied with each other. In addition, in this embodiment, the modulation frequency of the electric signal and the frequency of the periodic signal are set to be the same to perform homodyne synchronous detection, but the present invention is not limited to this and performs heterodyne synchronous detection. Of course, it is okay.

Next, a second embodiment of the information input device according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIG. This embodiment applies the information input device to menu selection and cursor movement of a television receiver. A screen 62 is provided on the television receiver 61 which is the main device, and the desired menu 6
3, cursor 64 for selection, bar 65 for volume display
Etc. are projected. A light emitting diode 66 is incorporated in the lower part of the screen 62 to form a light source. That is, in this embodiment, the light source is arranged at a predetermined reference point set on the main device side. On the other hand, as the input tool, the remote control operation tool 6
No. 8 is used, and the azimuth or position is changed by manual operation relative to the light emitting diode 66 described above. The remote control operation tool 68 has a built-in detector and receives a light projection 69 emitted from the light emitting diode 66. In addition to this, the remote control operation tool 68 includes a two-step switch 70 for switch input and a grip 71 for hand operation. In addition, modulated infrared light 6 serving as a medium for transmitting information to the television receiver 61.
It has a built-in remote control transmitter that emits 0.

FIG. 10 shows the remote control operation tool 6 shown in FIG.
8 is a schematic diagram showing a specific configuration of No. 8. As shown in the figure, a hole array 72 is attached to the front surface of the operation tool 68 and constitutes a spatial modulation means. This hole array 72 has an optical pattern having a periodicity in the two-dimensional direction,
The light projected from the light source is spatially modulated to form a two-dimensional bright-dark image that moves according to the change in the azimuth and the position associated with the manual operation of the operating tool 68. Of course, a lattice slit plate or a microlens array may be used instead of the hole array 72. A six-divided light receiving element 73 is arranged behind the hole array 72, receives a moving bright and dark image, and outputs an electric signal which changes periodically. The hole array 72 and the six-division light receiving element 73 form a detector. In addition, a first contact 74, a second contact 75, and a transmitter 76 for modulated infrared light, which are controlled to be opened and closed by the two-stage switch 70, are provided. As can be understood from the configuration of the detector shown in the figure, by changing the direction and the like of the remote control operation tool 68, the six-divided light receiving element 73 is arranged with respect to the optical axis of the light projection 69 emitted from the light emitting diode 66 on the reference point side. The light-receiving surface tilts. Therefore, the bright and dark image converted by the hole array 72 moves relatively largely with respect to the light receiving surface by a minute hand operation.
Therefore, it is possible to input variable information that can be followed in response to a minute operation.

FIG. 11 is a schematic plan view showing a specific structural example of the six-divided light receiving element 73. Six-split light receiving element 73
Is at least four light receiving areas A, B, which are two-dimensionally arranged.
C and D are provided so that the change in the two-dimensional direction of the bright and dark image 77 can be extracted. The six-divided light receiving element 73 has additional light receiving areas E, F arranged around the light receiving areas A, B, C, D located at the center, and the auxiliary electric power corresponding to the spatial average intensity of the projected light. Output a signal. By using this auxiliary electric signal, the electric signals output from the central light receiving regions A, B, C, D can be processed to accurately extract the change in the bright and dark image 77.

FIG. 12 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a circuit incorporated in the remote control operating tool shown in FIG. As shown in the figure, the light receiving areas A, B, and
C, D, E, and F respectively output electric signals Ia, Ib, Ic, Id, Ie, and If which periodically change according to the movement of the bright and dark image. The electric signals Ia, Ib, Ic, and Id output from the four light-receiving regions located at the center are respectively corresponding amplifiers 7.
It is supplied to the switching device 79 via 8A, 78B, 78C and 78D. The electric signals output from all the light receiving areas including the peripheral light receiving areas E and F are added to each other by the adder 80 and then supplied to the switch 79. The switch 79 sequentially selects the input electric signals and inputs them to the microcomputer 81 via the A / D converter 80. The microcomputer 81 performs arithmetic processing on the supplied electric signal to extract a change in the azimuth or position of the remote control operating tool 68, and sends it as variable information to the television receiver 61 on the main device side.
To this end, the remote control transmitter 76 described above is provided, and in this example, infrared rays are coded according to variable information from the microcomputer 81 and transmitted to the television receiver 61 side.
The first contact 74 of the two-stage switch inputs a start signal to the microcomputer 81 to activate the variable amount information calculation process, and the contact opening / closing information (switch information) is also sent to the television receiver 61 side via the remote control transmitter 76. Sent. Similarly, the opening / closing information of the second contact 75 is also transferred to the television receiver 61 side via the transmitter 76.

Next, the operation of the circuit shown in FIG. 12 will be described with reference to FIG. In this embodiment, the variable information is calculated separately for the X direction and the Y direction. The process is basically performed by the routine shown in the flowchart of FIG. First, in the variable calculation in the X direction, the total value of the electric signal Ia output from the light receiving area A and the electric signal Ic output from the light receiving area C is used here as the sampling data a used in step S2 of the flowchart of FIG. .
Similarly, as the other sampling data b used in step S2, the total value of the electric signal Ib output from the light receiving area B and the electric signal Id output from the light receiving area D is assigned here. Furthermore, the total value of the electric signals output from all the light receiving regions A to F is used here as the average value of the data so far used in step S12. When the routine shown in FIG. 6 is performed under such setting conditions, the current variable D in the X direction can be obtained in step S9. On the other hand, when the variable calculation in the Y direction is performed, the total value of Ia and Ib is used as the sampling data a in step S2, and the total value of Ic and Id is used as the sampling data b. As the average value of the data used so far in step S12, the total value of the electric signals output from all the light receiving areas A to F is applied. By doing so, it is possible to obtain the current variable D in the Y direction in step S9.

In the process shown in FIG. 6, in the case of the first embodiment described above, in step S12, the average value of the data so far is used to distinguish between the peak and the valley. Therefore, when the information input device is activated, the average value of the data so far does not exist, and an indefinite state occurs momentarily. On the other hand, in the second embodiment, additional light receiving areas E and F are provided to obtain the spatial average intensity of the projected light. As a result, the control operation can be performed immediately after the information input device is started up.

FIG. 14 shows a modification of the layout of the four light receiving areas A, B, C and D located at the center. In this example, the two-dimensional bright and dark image 77 is relatively large, and the area of each light receiving region is enlarged accordingly.

Finally, the processing on the television receiver 61 side will be described in detail with reference to the flowchart of FIG. After the start, first in step R1, it is determined whether or not the first contact point on the remote control operation tool 68 side is turned on. This judgment is made by decoding the switch information fetched via the remote control receiver 67. When the determination result is YES, the process proceeds to step R2, the light emitting diode 66 is turned on, and the light emission 69 for detecting the variation is emitted. At the same time, in step R3, the menu 63 and the cursor 64 are displayed on the screen 62. Next, in step R4, the cursor 64 is moved according to the change in the azimuth and position of the remote control operating tool 68. Next, in step R5, it is determined whether or not the second contact 75 is turned on. Judgment result is Y
In the case of ES, the process proceeds to step R6, and the process according to the contents of the menu displayed by the cursor is executed. On the other hand, if the determination in step R5 is no, the process returns to step R1. On the other hand, if the decision result in the step R1 is NO, the process is divided into a step R7 and the broadcast image is displayed on the screen 62 of the television receiver 61.

[0033]

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to input an analog amount or pointing information according to a change in the direction or position of the manually operated input tool. As described above, it is possible to control the main body device by simply swinging the input tool with one hand without requiring a workbench, and there is an effect that the operability is excellent. In particular, since a relatively inexpensive two-divided light receiving element is used to detect the position of the light source incorporated in the input tool, the cost performance is excellent. By using the four-division light receiving element instead of the two-division light receiving element, it is possible to easily input two-dimensional variable information. Further, by using the six-division light receiving element having a pair of peripheral light receiving regions, there is an effect that the variable information can be extracted more accurately. By arranging the light source at the reference point on the main device side and incorporating the detector on the input tool side, the orientation or orientation of the input tool can be detected, so the variability information with good responsiveness and followability can be obtained with a smaller hand operation amount. The effect is that you can enter. Furthermore, by integrating the input tool with the remote control operation tool of the television receiver, there is an effect that it is possible to perform information input suitable for multimedia, which will surely spread in the future. In this case, by arranging the detector on the side of the television receiver, the light source for position detection can be used also as the light source for infrared transmission, so that there is an effect that the conventional remote control operation tool can be used as it is. . In addition, by modulating the light emitted from the light source and performing synchronous detection and amplitude level adjustment, noise such as ambient light and thermal noise can be removed, and the dynamic range for digital calculation can be expanded. Therefore, there is an effect that the distance between the main body device and the input tool can be expanded to a practical range.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a first embodiment of an information input device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an application example of the first embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram for explaining the operation of the application example shown in FIG.

FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a specific configuration example of a two-divided light receiving element adopted in the first embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a graph for explaining the operation of the first embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the first embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing a specific circuit configuration example of a detector used in the first embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a waveform diagram for explaining the operation of the circuit shown in FIG.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing a second embodiment of the information input device according to the invention.

FIG. 10 is a partial perspective view showing a specific configuration example of a remote control operating tool used in the second embodiment.

FIG. 11 is a plan view showing a specific configuration example of a six-division light receiving element incorporated in the second embodiment.

FIG. 12 is a block diagram showing a circuit configuration of a detector incorporated in the second embodiment.

FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram for explaining the operation of the second embodiment.

FIG. 14 is a schematic plan view showing another example of the multi-segment light receiving element.

FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing information processing on the main device side of the second embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 input tool 2 detector 3 light sources 4 Projection 5 Multi slit plate (spatial modulator) 7 Two-divided light receiving element (light receiving means) 8 processing means 12 Local oscillation circuit 13 Synchronous detection circuit 14 A / D converter 15 Microcomputer 16 level adjustment circuit

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (56) Reference JP-A-6-59807 (JP, A) JP-A-3-176718 (JP, A) JP-A-56-76009 (JP, A) JP-A-5- 87590 (JP, A) JP-A-5-126570 (JP, A) Actual development Sho 61-172339 (JP, U) (58) Fields investigated (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) H04Q 9/00-9 / 16

Claims (9)

(57) [Claims] 1. A combination of an input tool that is manually operated relative to a predetermined reference point to change the azimuth and position, and a detector that detects the change in the azimuth and position of the input tool using light as a medium. A device for inputting to the main body device variable information that incrementally increases or decreases based on the change amount, wherein at least one light source is provided at either one of the input tool and the reference point, Injecting light projection, the detector is composed of a spatial modulation means, a light receiving means, and a processing means, and is provided on the other of the input tool and the reference point so as to receive the light projection, The spatial modulation means has an optical pattern having a periodicity, spatially modulates the light projected from the light source, and moves in accordance with the change in the azimuth and position accompanying the manual operation of the input tool. A light and dark image is formed, and the light receiving means is It has at least two light receiving regions juxtaposed with each other with a phase difference, receives the moving bright and dark images, and outputs electric signals that change periodically, and the processing means processes the electric signals. An information input device, characterized in that a change in direction and position of the input tool is extracted and sent to a main unit as variable information. 2. The information input device according to claim 1, wherein the input tool comprises a switch means for instructing the processing means of the detector as to when to start extracting the change. 3. The light source is provided integrally with the input tool, while the detector is arranged at the reference point, and the light source which is incident on the detector when the input tool is manually operated. The information input device according to claim 1, wherein the light receiving position is changed. 4. The light source is provided at the reference point,
2. The information according to claim 1, wherein the detector is provided integrally with the input tool, and a light receiving direction of light projected on the detector is changed in accordance with a manual operation of the input tool. Input device. 5. The input tool is an infrared remote control tool,
The information input device according to claim 1, wherein the information input device is used for inputting desired variable information to a television receiver as a main device. 6. The light receiving means has an additional light receiving area arranged around the light receiving area, outputs an auxiliary electric signal according to a spatial average intensity of the light projection, and the processing means The information input device according to claim 1, wherein the auxiliary electric signal is used to process the electric signal to accurately extract the variation. 7. The spatial modulation means has an optical pattern having a periodicity in a two-dimensional direction, and the light receiving means has at least four light receiving regions arranged two-dimensionally,
2. The information input device according to claim 1, wherein the processing means processes the electric signal to extract a change in a two-dimensional direction. 8. The light source emits light that is periodically modulated, while the processing means included in the detector multiplies the local signal by a local oscillation circuit that outputs a predetermined periodic signal and the electrical signal. The information input device according to claim 1, further comprising a synchronous detection circuit, for removing a disturbance component from the electric signal. 9. The processing means further comprises an arithmetic circuit for calculating the amplitude level of the multiplied electric signal, and an adjustment for automatically controlling the amplitude level of the periodic signal so that the amplitude level falls within a predetermined dynamic range. The information input device according to claim 8, further comprising a circuit.