JP4244784B2 - Driving force generator - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a driving force generator that can be suitably used in a tactile information transmission system or a tactile information receiving device that transmits various information through a tactile sense such as a human finger.

Of the bodily sensation information that is perceived using the receptive organs such as the eyes, ears, nose, hands, and fingers, the tactile sense is often the final decisive factor when recognizing and judging an object. In other words, it is thought that by touching the object with a hand or a finger, it is understood and convinced that the surface of the object is rough, uneven, or heavy, and various decisions are made later.
On the other hand, information on products and exhibits displayed on the screens of televisions and personal computers that cannot be touched directly with fingers, or information on products introduced in documents such as magazines, brochures, and catalogs Even if the object can be recognized linguistically and visually, it is difficult to sense the atmosphere and body sensation. For this reason, humans guess and store missing parts of this information in the brain.
Accordingly, the depth of recognition based on information in a single visual style tends to be shallower than that with tactile sensation. As a result, there are problems such as ambiguity as memory and mistakes in judgment.

  However, the development and popularization of information communication equipment so far has been mainly based on the visual system such as the Internet, and information transmission using visual and conventional auditory information is becoming widespread. Therefore, it is expected that the demand for tactile information transmission will increase after the visual information communication equipment is sufficiently developed and spread.

Braille used by visually impaired people has long been known as a means for transmitting information through touch. Further, as a means for transmitting or recognizing graphic shape information such as a map, a semi-three-dimensional resin document that is press-replicated based on an original mold is also known.
Furthermore, attempts have been made to transmit such character information or shape information by electronic information equipment. For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 59-198483 (Patent Document 1) and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 2-
No. 5081 (Patent Document 2), Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 5-333765 (Patent Document 3), Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 5-96863 (Patent Document 4), and US Pat. No. 5,625,576 (Patent Document 5). There is something.

The devices described in JP-A-59-198483, JP-A-2-5081, and JP-A-5-333765 display Braille, and a plurality of pins are operated and protruded. Alternatively, the braille code is output by being controlled in the retracted state.
The device described in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 5-96863 functions as a three-dimensional display, and each of a plurality of pins arranged in a matrix is driven in the vertical direction by a driving source, and the height of each pin is arranged. The position of the direction is controlled. Therefore, a character, a figure, etc. are displayed in three dimensions by a set of a plurality of pins.

The device described in US Pat. No. 5,625,576 is configured to present tactile information to the fingertip, and includes a robot manipulator using a link mechanism, and a sac for inserting the finger at the tip of the manipulator. The operator can feel the shape and hardness of the object on the screen by putting his fingertip on the sack and moving the finger while referring to the pointer appearing on the computer screen.

  On the other hand, there is known an input device that associates a displayed image with vibrations felt by a hand or a finger to make a user perceive (product name DUALSHOCK, manufactured by Sony Corporation). This device generates various feelings in a pseudo manner by selecting the frequency and interval of vibration.

  In addition, a device for driving a mouse by applying electromagnetic force from a mouse pad to a mouse that selects an image or the like with a pointer displayed on a display has been disclosed (technical name FEELitMOUSE, manufactured by Immersion). According to this, information is transmitted to the user by tactile sensation such as the texture of the display image where the pointer overlaps or the vibration corresponding to the unevenness of a virtual object such as a button or window according to the movement of the mouse. The structure of this device is presumed to be that a dedicated mouse is placed on a dedicated mouse pad with a built-in processor for performing tactile sensations, and this mouse is moved using an electromagnetic mechanism. Details of the structure are not disclosed.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 7-191798 (Patent Document 6) discloses a device that feeds back tactile information to an input person by controlling the rotation of a sphere provided in the input device.
This device rotates the sphere in a state where the user's finger or hand is in contact with the sphere, and it is as if the finger is slid on the predetermined shape, or the predetermined shape is moving. It gives a touch.
JP 59-198483 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2-5081 JP-A-5-333765 Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 5-96863 US Pat. No. 5,625,576 JP-A-7-191798

However, the conventional apparatus as described above has the following problems.
The devices described in JP-A-59-198483, JP-A-2-5081, and JP-A-5-333465 have only a binary expression ability of a state in which a pin or the like protrudes and a state in which it retracts. Because there is no code, it must be expressed by code information called Braille. Therefore, all information is transmitted through language, and it is not possible to express a form like an analog contour line or an operation that can be grasped sensuously.

The device described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-96863 has a structure for controlling the positions of a large number of pins, so that it can express a three-dimensional shape or the like, but can be used in a stationary state. It is a premise and cannot be expressed dynamically.
In addition, since this apparatus operates a large number of pins independently and needs to control each of them, the structure is complicated and complicated control is required.

In addition, the device described in US Pat. No. 5,625,576 presents tactile force information to one fingertip, and can present a shape and stiffness, but an operator can move his / her wrist or arm by himself / herself. , Feel the reaction force on the movement extension. That is, the hand searches for information in the virtual space, and information cannot be acquired unless the operator performs an active action.
In addition, in order to obtain a driving force in a plurality of directions, the rotation of an electromagnetic motor provided in each direction is converted into a swing rotation of a plurality of swinging arms (arms). A large volume is required. In addition, this configuration has a long distance from the motor that is the driving source to the arm tip that is touched by humans, and transmits force to the various places via connecting members, making it difficult to present fine vibrations and displacements. It is. Therefore, although it is possible to express a rough shape / contour and stiffness, it is difficult to present a fine frequency movement or the like.

  On the other hand, in order to present information that can be sensed by touch as described above, the presenter is often operated based on electronic information. As a drive source for operating the presenter, a conventionally known one such as a solenoid can be used. However, in order to reduce the size of the device and also allow free dynamic presentation, the drive device It is also desirable that the size be reduced and the operation can be easily controlled. Then, considering that the presenter is operated in two directions, the conventional drive device is provided with a drive device in each direction, and these operations give the presenter motion in a plane.

  In addition, in a device that reproduces the tactile sensation by changing the period and amplitude of vibration, since the vibration wave is a simple vibration with no directionality, there is a limit to the subtle reproduction of the tactile sensation, such as the hand, arm, or the entire body. It stops to give the same level of stimulation as you can feel.

  A device that moves the mouse by electromagnetic force is suitable for expressing the tactile sensation felt by the entire hand and the entire palm, but because the palm cannot distinguish the subtle tactile sense, Must move. In addition, a pointing device such as a mouse can move a large distance pointer on the display with a small input operation, which is a great advantage for improving the efficiency of input work. Therefore, it is necessary to move the entire mouse, and a small input operation must be sacrificed. In addition, the user has to work on a dedicated mouse pad, and there are many restrictions on use.

  Furthermore, in a device that rotates a sphere and feeds back a tactile sensation to an input person, the abdomen of the finger that contacts the sphere gradually shifts as the sphere rotates. For this reason, there is a problem that the sense of shape of the sphere is superimposed on the tactile information and transmitted to the input person, and the reproducibility of the tactile sensation is reduced.

  The invention according to the present application has been made in view of the circumstances as described above, and the purpose thereof is a drive suitable for driving an information sensing device capable of giving a user a sufficient tactile sensation even if it is small. It is to provide a force generator.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a magnetic field generating means for generating a magnetic flux in the Z-axis direction of the X axis, the Y axis, and the Z axis, which are orthogonal to each other, and the magnetic field generating means the magnetic flux, a first coil group part of the winding comprises one or more coils which are disposed to cross the X-axis direction, the magnetic flux generated by said magnetic field generating means, said part of the winding A second coil group including one or more coils arranged so as to cross the Y-axis direction, and a drive for supplying an independently controlled current to the first coil group and the second coil group It includes a power supply, a fingertip is placed, the sensing part of the movement is rotatably supported to a direction substantially parallel to the finger location of the contact surface, one of said magnetic field generating means or coils fixed The sensor unit is a contact detection sensor that detects a fingertip contact. And is supported so that relative movement in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction can be performed with respect to a base portion to which the other of the magnetic field generating means or the coil group is fixed. A driving force generator is provided that is controlled so as to stop the supply of current from the driving power source to the coil group when it is detected that the fingertip has moved away from the coil .

  In such a driving force generator, the driving force in the Y-axis direction acts on the first coil group by energizing the first coil group. Further, when the second coil group is energized, a driving force in the X-axis direction acts. Therefore, by performing energization control to the first coil group and the second coil group, it becomes possible to apply a driving force in any direction within the XY plane. In addition, when the coil is wound flat in the XY plane direction, the dimension in the Z-axis direction can be reduced and driven in the X direction and the Y direction in a stable state. Furthermore, the first coil group and the second coil group can be arranged so as to overlap each other, and a large driving force can be obtained with a small size.

  In the present invention, it is desirable to use a magnet as the magnetic field generating means, but a magnetic field may be generated by a coil or a coil group different from the first and second coil groups.

  The driving force generator as described above can be used for driving an information sensing device that transmits information by the operation of the sensing unit on which the fingertip is placed. The sensing part is supported so as to be able to move in a direction substantially parallel to the contact surface of the fingertip, and current is supplied to the coil group in accordance with an operation signal including information indicating the displacement direction of the sensing part. The sensing unit is driven.

The sensing unit includes a contact detection sensor that detects a contact of a user's fingertip and transmits a contact detection signal.

  Whether or not a part of the human body is in contact with the contact detection sensor can be detected. Based on the contact detection signal output from the contact detection sensor, it is possible to cope with a load fluctuation caused by the contact and separation of the fingertip. it can. That is, when a part of the human body is separated and the load is suddenly reduced, it is possible to perform control such as reducing the driving force corresponding to the load or stopping the driving.

In the information sensing device using the driving force generating device, the sensing part on which the fingertip is placed moves in a direction substantially parallel to the contact surface of the fingertip based on the operation signal, so that the fingertip with a sharp tactile feel is The tactile sensation is given by being guided to the sensory part. Therefore, a highly sensitive tactile sensation possessed by the fingertip is effectively used to provide a rich tactile sensation and a sense of power even if the movement of the sensing part is small. At this time, since the fingertip is induced by the frictional force between the sensing part and the user thinks that he / she does not want to feel the tactile sensation, the user can easily release the guidance by releasing the finger from the sensing part. There is no danger of being forced to move your finger, and it is safe when a malfunction occurs.

  In addition, at least one of the first coil group or the second coil group has two or more coils, and at least two of the coils of the first coil group have positions where the coil centers are different in the X direction. Or at least two of the coils included in the second coil group are provided at positions where the coil centers are different in the Y direction, and two or more coils included in the first coil group or the second coil group. Different currents may be supplied to the coils.

In this case, by supplying different amounts of current to two or more coils included in the first coil group, for example, a difference can be provided in the driving force in the Y-axis direction acting on each coil. Further, the driving force in the Y-axis direction can be reversed. Then, two or more coils having a difference in driving force are provided at positions shifted in the X-axis direction, so that a couple acts and generates a rotational driving force around the Z-axis in the coil holding portion. be able to.
Further, even if the amount of current supplied to two or more coils included in the second coil group is controlled to provide a difference in driving force in the X-axis direction, the same function can be achieved. Furthermore, both the first coil group and the second coil group may include two or more coils, and a rotational driving force may be generated in each of the coil groups.

  Further, the coil included in the first coil group and the coil included in the second coil group may be arranged so as to cross a unidirectional magnetic flux generated by a single magnetic field generating means.

  In such a case, the direction of crossing the magnetic flux is different between the coil included in the first coil group and the coil included in the second coil group, and these directions are perpendicular to each other. A driving force in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction can be generated only by the magnetic flux from one magnet or the like. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the size of the apparatus with a simple structure and obtain a large driving force.

  The magnetic field generating means has a plurality of magnetic field generating members arranged in the X-axis direction or the Y-axis direction, and these adjacent magnetic field generating members generate magnetic fluxes in the direction opposite to the Z-axis. The coils may be arranged such that portions facing each other across the center of the winding cross the magnetic flux in the opposite direction.

  In such a driving force generator, a current in the reverse direction is generated in the part facing the center of the coil winding, but the direction of the magnetic flux traversed by these parts is also reversed. The driving force in the same direction acts on the part to be performed. Therefore, a large driving force is generated in one coil, and the device can be made small and have a large driving force.

  Further, it may be provided with position information input means for acquiring position information in accordance with a user operation. In this case, it can be used as a pointing device that provides position information to a device to which the information sensing device is connected. As a method of inputting position information by the user's movement, a pointing device is moved like a mouse to detect the relative movement amount (ball + rotary encoder), and the time change of the finger contact position on the pad is detected. A method of detecting the movement direction and associating it with the coordinates (detection of the pressed position on the pressure-sensitive pad), a method of calculating the position based on the tilt direction and time of the stick (the bending direction of the stick by the pressure sensor) For example, a known method used as a pointing device can be used. The position information is not limited to the case where the coordinates are directly indicated, but may be information whose position can be obtained by performing a predetermined process.

  This connection may be a wired connection or a wireless connection, and the signal input unit or signal output unit includes an interface corresponding to the form. Further, when the position input device is built in the main body like a notebook personal computer, an interface may be provided inside and connected.

When inputting / outputting information through the wired connection, an electrical signal can be transmitted by an optical signal using an optical cable in addition to transmitting an electrical signal through a conductive line.
The wireless connection may use light, ultrasonic waves, or the like in addition to information transmission using electromagnetic waves.

  The information sensing device includes a displacement detection means for detecting a displacement of the sensing part based on a user's operation or a displacement of a part interlocked with the displacement of the sensing part, and the detection information of the displacement sensing means is output as the signal. If it is configured to output via the means, the detection information can be transmitted to an apparatus connected to the device by performing an operation of displacing the sensing part with a fingertip that the user feels tactile. it can.

In such a device, it is possible to receive information by tactile sense and output an operation signal by fingertip movement.
That is, the sensory part senses tactile information from the sensory part when the sensory part is driven by the driving force, and the user moves the sensory part by moving the fingertip. Is output as As a specific form of the device, for example, when the sensing part is forcibly displaced by an external force, a control for applying a restoring force proportional to the displacement is possible. More specifically, it is conceivable to provide a sensing unit of an information sensing device on a click button of a mouse. Further, a scroll roller disposed between the buttons of the two-button mouse can be used as a sensing part, and the roller can be driven to rotate and can be provided with a mechanism that moves in the direction of the rotation axis based on an operation signal. With this configuration, the user can immediately receive and respond to information by touch. In addition, by detecting the displacement of the sensing part and comparing it with the planned movement amount of the sensing part, it can be set to a displacement suitable for the user, or retained as personal information for each user for the next use It can also be used to identify a person.

  In addition, by configuring the sensory part to be displaced in a direction in which the placed finger is bent and in a direction in which the finger orthogonal to this is shaken, the user's finger can be flexed with a high degree of freedom. Guidance is made to swing. At this time, if the amount of displacement is large, the finger cannot follow the displacement of the sensing part, and the user cannot quickly move to the next operation. Therefore, it is desirable that the amount of displacement be 3 cm or less.

  The information sensing device as described above is used together with an information processing device, and the operation signal is input from the information processing device via a signal input unit of the information sensing device, and is used as a tactile information transmission system. can do.

  In such an information transmission system, an operation signal is input from the information processing device via the signal input unit of the information sensing device, and a driving force for displacing the sensing unit acts on the information sensing device. Works. As a result, the sensing unit can perform various operations in conjunction with the information processing apparatus. And a beneficiary who has a part of the human body in contact with the sensation unit can sense the movement of the sensation unit, and can obtain various information by the operation pattern, operation timing, displacement, etc. it can. The signal input unit and the information processing apparatus transmit signals by wired connection or wireless connection.

  Further, the information sensing device is provided with position information input means, the inputted position information is inputted to the information processing device, and an operation signal corresponding to the position information is outputted from the information processing device to the information sensing device. be able to.

  Thus, by using the operation signal corresponding to the position information input from the position information input means, the virtual space set by the information stored in the information processing apparatus can be associated with the tactile sensation. . Therefore, the user can perceive the structure of the virtual space by touch. At this time, when the information transmission system includes a display device, image information displayed on the display device can be obtained visually, and at the same time, information can be obtained from the information sensing device by touch. Therefore, the receiver can recognize and understand information from the visual sense and information from the tactile sense, and can acquire information different from the case of visual or auditory sense alone. Even when a display device is not used, the user can perceive the virtual space by tactile sensation, and tactile information corresponding to visual information can be presented to the fingertip. As an example, a visually handicapped person who has been able to recognize characters only in braille can recognize normal words and characters in a continuous motion. In addition, in a situation where it is difficult to perform a predetermined operation on the information processing device while viewing visual information, it is possible to perform an operation while obtaining information by tactile sensation.

  Further, a display device having a display device has a function of displaying a pointer superimposed on an image displayed on the display device, and the sensor unit is provided on the basis of an operation signal corresponding to the position of the pointer in the image. It can be driven.

  In such a tactile information transmission system, a tactile sensation corresponding to the position of the pointer in the image displayed on the image display device can be obtained from the sensor unit, and visual information and tactile sense from the image are more closely related. It becomes possible to recognize it in association with. Further, when the pointer is moved in the image, it is possible to obtain a tactile sensation corresponding to the position of the pointer, and recognition based on the displayed image and a plurality of tactile sensations is possible.

  In addition, with such information, it is possible to move the pointer in the image while acquiring information by tactile sense using the information receiving device, and continuously sense the tactile sense corresponding to the position of the pointer. Therefore, it is possible to obtain a tactile sensation corresponding to a form that continuously changes on the image shown on the display device from the sensing unit of the information sensing device.

Furthermore, in such an information transmission system, it is possible to operate the information sensing device based on information transmitted from a remote location via a network, and to transmit information by tactile sensation between persons at remote locations. It becomes possible.
This transmission of information can be performed in so-called real time, or information can be stored once and tactile information can be sensed later. In addition, the information transmitted via the network may be only an operation signal related to the tactile sense, or only the display information is transmitted, and the information processing apparatus that receives this display information transmits the operation signal to the obtained display image. You may associate.

  In the information transmission system as described above, the operation signal for driving the information sensing device can arbitrarily control the rest of the sensing unit, the amount of movement, the moving speed, the acceleration, etc. At the same time, these amounts can be changed. For example, it may be one that includes spatial coordinate data indicating the position or region in which the sensor unit is operated, or one that includes a function that uses coordinates as a parameter, and includes time data that determines the speed or acceleration during movement. It may be a thing. By driving the sensing part based on such an operation signal, a predetermined motion is transmitted from the sensing part to the finger simply by placing the finger on the sensing part, and the user can Can recognize information.

  In addition, when the pointer is likely to go out of the range of the tactile force presentation position or the presentation area in the virtual space set in the information processing device, the sensing part approaches the boundary of the presentation position or the presentation area You may make it operate | move so that the feeling to do may be given. As a result, it is possible to determine whether or not the finger is in an area where information is presented without looking at the screen, and the information can be recognized without the pointer being out of the predetermined information presentation area. . Such recognition means that does not use vision is in a work environment where the line of sight cannot be removed or deflected, for example, during speeches to the audience or camera, during machine work, video camera shooting through the viewfinder, etc. It is also effective as an information acquisition method.

  In addition, when the pointer is overlapped at a location where text information displayed on the display or image information such as figures or photos and tactile information are linked, the sensor unit is operated, or depending on the distance from the link part. The sensing part may be displaced. This enables tactile stimulation to occur when the cursor is over a point of interest in a document or text or graphic areas that are linked to other text information, image information, or another home page, such as Hyper Text on an Internet home page. Sensing is possible.

  In addition, if the displacement amount, speed, acceleration, or the like of the sensing part is visualized and displayed on the display device, a tactile stimulus corresponding to the position of the pointer in the image displayed on the display device is acquired from the sensing part. From the image, visual information corresponding to the tactile stimulus can be obtained. By simultaneously sensing visual information and tactile sensation in this way, it becomes possible to recognize these senses more closely related to each other. In addition, by visually displaying the output state of the tactile stimulus, it is possible to visually determine the relationship between the pointer and the object, that is, how the object set in the virtual space and the finger are in pseudo contact. It becomes possible to recognize.

  As described above, in the driving force generator of the present invention, the driving force can be generated in the X direction and the Y direction with a small and thin device. And, by using the drive mechanism of the sensing part of the information sensing device by tactile sense, a small and thin information sensing device that could not be achieved in size with the conventional rotary motor and arm type transmission mechanism. The driving force generator can guide the direction of movement of the hand or finger, and simultaneously present tactile information to a fingertip or the like that is a typical receiving organ of the hand. Therefore, the present invention can passively acquire information by placing a finger as compared with the conventional technique in which the finger is only actively moved. And since it gives a tactile sensation to the sensitive part of the fingertip, it can make the user feel a rich tactile feeling despite the small movement, while high frequency vibration is required because only a small movement is necessary. However, the sensory part can be displaced, enabling a variety of expressions.

  Moreover, in the information transmission system using the driving force generator of the present invention, it is possible to present a two-dimensional tactile stimulus using an information sensing device having a relatively small area on which a fingertip or the like is placed. . Then, tactile sensation information corresponding to the feeling of unevenness or rough slipping can be given as a reaction force stimulus to the fingertip by freely displacing the fingertip in two dimensions. For this reason, various tactile sensation information can be reproduced more accurately by combining not only simple vibration as in the prior art but also slow displacement tracing motion and high-frequency vibration.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the invention according to the present application will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing an information sensing device using a driving force generator according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 (a) is a plan view, and FIG. 1 (b) is FIG. It is sectional drawing in the AA line in a).
This information sensing device is supported by a plate-like base portion 2 whose side edge portion protrudes upward, a magnet fixed to the base portion, and a plurality of coils are fixed and movable in the horizontal direction on the magnet. The main part is composed of the sensitive part 1 and the elastic member 3 connecting the sensitive part 1 to the base 2.

  The elastic member 3 is provided at four locations around the sensing part 1, one end being joined to the sensing part 1 and the other end being joined to the side edge of the base 2. In the state where the coil is not energized, the sensing unit 1 is held at the reference position by the elastic member. However, when the horizontal direction in FIG. 1 is the X axis and the vertical direction is the Y axis, the X will be described later. It is supported so as to allow displacement in the axial direction, Y-axis direction, or rotational direction.

FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a driving force generating device which is a driving unit of the sensing unit 1 and is an embodiment of the invention according to the present application.
As shown in FIG. 2A, the drive unit includes four magnets 12, 13, 14, and 15 fixedly arranged on the base 2 as magnetic field generating means. These magnets 12, 13, 14, and 15 are arranged from the first quadrant to the second quadrant, the third quadrant, and the fourth quadrant, respectively, considering the XY rectangular coordinate system for convenience. Has been placed. The direction of the magnetic field generated by these magnets is generated in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the base 2, and the magnets 12 and 14 are polarized with the S pole at the top and the N pole at the bottom. On the contrary, the magnet 13 and the magnet 15 are polarized with the N pole at the top and the S pole at the bottom.

As shown in FIG. 2B, the magnets 12, 13, 14, and 15 are fixed on the base 2, and the sensing part 1 is movably supported thereon. Four coils 16, 17, 18, and 19 are fixed to the sensing unit 1, and the coil 16 is disposed at a position straddling the first quadrant and the fourth quadrant, and against the magnetic fields of the magnet 12 and the magnet 15. The current is fixed so as to cross substantially parallel to the X axis. Similarly, the coil 17 is disposed at a position straddling the second quadrant and the third quadrant, and is disposed such that the current intersects the magnetic field of the magnet 13 and the magnet 14 in the X-axis direction. In contrast, the coil 18 is disposed at a position straddling the first quadrant and the second quadrant, and is fixed so that the current intersects the magnetic field of the magnet 12 and the magnet 13 in the Y-axis direction. The coil 19 is the same as the coil 18. At this time, the coils 16 and 17 are a first coil group, and the coils 18 and 19 are a second coil group. These coils 16, 17, 18, and 19 are integrated with the sensing part 1, and the sensing part 1 is connected to the base by an elastic member 3 and is movable.
Each of the coils 16, 17, 18, and 19 includes a drive power supply 10 that supplies current independently, and a control device 11 that controls an output current or voltage from the drive power supply 10.

  Sliding portions 22 and 23 are provided between the sensing portion 1 and the magnets 12, 13, 14, and 15, respectively, so that both can slide. For these sliding portions 22 and 23, a fluororesin layer (for example, polytetrafluoroethylene) which is a low friction material is used. The material of the sliding part is not limited to the fluororesin, and a resin or metal impregnated with a lubricating oil can be used besides this. Further, lubricating oil may be applied between the sliding portions 22 and 23. Further, a sphere using a non-magnetic material may be interposed, and the sensitive part may be moved by rolling the sphere.

  As shown in FIG. 2B, the upper surface of the sensing part 1 is finished flat so that a receiving organ such as a human finger or a palm can be brought into contact with or separated from the receiving part. In the present embodiment, the fingertip is placed near the center of the upper surface of the sensing unit 1.

  In the vicinity of the center of the surface layer 21 of the sensing part 1, as shown in FIG. 3, a pressure sensing part 26 that detects that a human fingertip has been touched is provided. The pressure sensing unit 26 detects the contact pressure when the fingertip comes into contact. As a method of detecting contact, a method of converting pressure into a change in electrical resistance is used. That is, the pressure-sensitive part 26 includes a pressure-sensitive conductive rubber 27 using a material obtained by mixing silicone rubber and conductive powder, and includes conductive plastic layers 28 and 29 on both sides thereof. A voltage is applied between the conductive plastic layers 28 and 29, and the presence or absence of contact is detected by reducing the electrical resistance due to the contact pressure when the fingertip touches the pressure sensitive portion 26. And this contact detection signal is transmitted to the control apparatus 11, and the drive power supply 10 is controlled based on this signal.

  In addition to this, as a method for detecting contact, although not shown, a charge accumulating unit for maintaining a predetermined charge is provided in the sensing unit, and the charge is caused to flow out to the person's finger by contact with the person's finger. Thus, the amount of change in charge can be detected to detect contact. Alternatively, two flexible electrodes may be supported such that the distance between them is variable, and the capacitance existing between the electrodes may be detected to change due to the pressure at the time of contact.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 2 (b), the base 2 is provided with displacement detection sensors 30 and 31 for detecting the relative displacement amount with the sensing part 1. The displacement detection sensors 30 and 31 are light reflection type photo interrupters. This is because an optical pattern 35 is provided on the lower surface of the sensing part 1, and the phototransistor 34 reflects the light 33 emitted from the LED 32 to the optical pattern 35 on this surface as shown in FIG. It is something to detect. Thereby, a voltage change due to light shading obtained from the optical pattern 35 is detected by, for example, a collector output type circuit, and converted into a movement amount of the sensing unit 1 based on the frequency. If such a displacement detection sensor is installed in the X-axis and Y-axis directions, it is possible to detect the amount of movement of the sensing unit 1 that moves in a plane. This displacement signal is transmitted to the control device 11 so that the drive power supply 10 is controlled. The optical pattern 35 is generally a light and shade pattern at equal intervals, but may be a pattern in which checkered patterns are finely arranged or a ladder pattern.

  As another method of reading the optical pattern and detecting the movement amount, a method using laser speckle can also be adopted. This is because a fine uneven state is formed on the surface of the sensing part, a laser beam is applied to the surface to produce a light speckle pattern by interference, and the pattern is observed with a two-dimensional image sensor. The amount of movement is measured. In addition to the above method, it is also possible to provide a rotating body that contacts the sensing unit itself and detect the amount of rotation using an encoder. This method is similar to the mouse movement amount detection method.

  In the driving force generator as described above, the magnets 12, 13, 14, and 15 should have a large coercive force and residual magnetic flux density, and are made of rare earth neodymium magnets currently used for driving hard disks and the like. Is suitable, but other magnets may be used. The coils 16, 17, 18, and 19 generally use copper wires, but copper clad aluminum wires may be used to reduce their own weight. In this case, the weight can be reduced to 40% or less as compared with a single copper wire.

Next, the operation of the information sensing device shown in FIG. 1 will be described.
The coils 16, 17, 18, and 19 operate based on Fleming's left-hand rule (current is the middle finger, magnetic field is the index finger, and the thrust is in the thumb direction). Considering the coil 16, as shown in FIG. 2, a current in the z-axis direction, which is the vertical direction of the base portion 2, passes through the current in the X-axis direction, thereby generating a thrust in the Y-axis direction. For this reason, when a clockwise current is passed through the coil 16, the coil 16 generates thrust in the + Y-axis direction. The direction of the thrust can be changed by changing the direction of the current, and the thrust can also be changed by making the current value variable.

Similar to the coil 16, the coil 17 that generates thrust in the Y-axis direction may pass a current in the counterclockwise direction in order to generate thrust in the same direction as the coil 16.
Therefore, the coil 16 and the coil 17 can apply current so as to generate thrust in the same direction. As the method, the method of connecting both coils in series as one circuit is the easiest in mounting. As another method, the coils may be individually connected, and a current may be applied to each of the coils in a predetermined direction.
The coils 18 and 19 can also generate thrust in the X-axis direction with the same action.

  Furthermore, the direction in which the thrust is generated is not simply the X-axis or Y-axis direction, and for example, a force in a direction rotating about the Z-axis can be generated. In this case, if a clockwise current is applied to the coil 16 and a clockwise current is also applied to the coil 17, they attempt to move in opposite directions, and as a result, a rotational moment acts on the sensing unit 1. To do. In this case, if the same amount of current is applied with the sign reversed, it becomes a rotational force about the Z axis, but if the amount of current is changed between the coil 16 and the coil 17, the center of rotation is intentionally shifted. Can do.

  Such thrust in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction can be generated at an arbitrary timing by controlling the drive power supply 10 by the control device 11. Due to such thrust, the sensing unit 1 moves in various directions within the XY plane. Then, a receiver who makes his / her fingertip contact the sensor unit 1 can feel the movement of the sensor unit 1. Using this action, various virtual surface images can be reproduced. This example will be described later.

FIG. 5 is a schematic configuration diagram showing contact detection means used in the information sensing apparatus as described above.
Embedded in the surface layer 43 of the sensing part 41 is a light receiving element 44 that causes a change in resistance by receiving light 45a from the outside. Normally, in a state where a human hand or finger is not in contact, the light 45a from the outside is received and a non-contact state is detected. In addition, another light receiving element 46 is embedded in the base portion 42 at a position where it receives external light 45b under substantially the same conditions.

  In such a device, when the fingertip touches the sensing part 41, it is detected that the light receiving element 44 has become dark, and the other light receiving element 46 has not changed, so that the finger touches the sensing part 41. I understand that. When both the light receiving elements 44 and 46 detect darkness, it is determined that there is no light from the outside, and no malfunction occurs. Therefore, the drive unit is driven based on the signal when it is detected that the fingertip is in contact with the sensing unit 41, and the drive is performed based on the signal when it is detected that the fingertip is separated from the sensing unit 41. The drive power supply can be controlled to stop the operation.

Next, the result of measuring the driving force by the coil and the magnet using the information sensing device shown in FIG. 1 will be described.
The size of each coil used in this experiment is as follows: coil wire diameter is 0.15 [mm], coil cross-sectional area is 1 × 2 [mm ² ], vertical is 16 [mm], and horizontal is 8 [mm]. is there. The magnet is a neodymium magnet with a thickness of 2 [mm]. The results of measuring the driving force by these coils and magnets are shown in FIG.

As shown in this figure, it can be seen that the driving force increases with linearity as the applied voltage increases. It can also be seen that a driving force of about 18 [gf] per 1 [V] is generated, and a driving force of about 90 [gf] is generated when 5 [V] is applied. When this is converted into a current value, the coil resistance is about 10 [Ω], so it is 0.5 [A], and the power is 2.5 [W].
With regard to this driving force, when the fingertip touches the sensory part with a certain degree of strength equal to or higher than that used to operate the keyboard and mouse operation buttons, the information sensor device applies 20-40 [gf It is confirmed that a sufficient in-plane displacement can be induced to the fingertip when a driving force in the in-plane (tangential) direction is applied. Therefore, it can be said that if the driving force is obtained, it is functionally sufficient as an information receiving device.

FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining a driving state of the sensing unit in the information sensing device.
This information sensing device supplies various currents controlled independently from the drive power supply 10 to the coils 16, 17, 18, and 19, and varies depending on the operation pattern, operation timing, displacement, and the like of the sensing unit 1. Information can be made to be perceived by a sensation person. For example, various analog waveforms shown in FIGS. 7A, 7B, 7C, and 7D can be reproduced. FIG. 7 (a) shows an operation in which a finger rubs an object, FIG. 7 (b) shows an operation of tracing a smooth surface, and FIG. 7 (c) reproduces a feeling of tracing a rough surface. The waveform in FIG. 7D can be considered as a reproduction of symbolic information rather than reproduction of real tactile information. If these various tactile information waveforms are prepared as a new expression method that replaces the conventional Braille characters, they can be used as numerical values, symbols, and commands.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example in which a sense of shape is reproduced by the movement of the sensing unit 1.
The presence of the gap 53 is reproduced as a tactile sensation by tracing over the material information 50 composed of the plate 51 and the plate 52 arranged with a gap 53 as shown in FIG. In this case, the sensor unit 1 gives the fingertip the movement of the Lissajous trace waveform 54 shown in FIG. The fingertip is moved following the movement, but the two fingertips in the figure can make the fingertip feel a step difference. As a result, the existence of the gap 53 can be recognized by the close association with the image of FIG. 8A displayed on the screen.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a single coil used in a driving force generator according to another embodiment of the present invention.
As can be seen from the cross-sectional view, the coil 70 includes a thick portion 70a having a small thickness and a portion 70b having a half thickness and a double width. By setting it as such a shape, it becomes possible to overlap a 1st coil group and a 2nd coil group by the thickness for one coil.

FIG. 10 is a schematic configuration diagram showing an information sensing device using a driving force generation device according to another embodiment of the present invention, which is a usage example of the coil shown in FIG. 9.
This information sensing device is provided with four magnets 72, 73, 74, 75 on the base 62, and the sensing unit in which four coils 76, 77, 78, 79 are fixed to the upper part of these magnets. 61 is movably supported with respect to the base 62. These coils 76, 77, 78, and 79 have the same shape as that shown in FIG. 9, and as shown in FIG.

  At this time, if the width and thickness of the coils are uniform as shown in FIG. 2B, the coils 16 and 17 that are the first coil groups that generate a driving force in the Y-axis direction as they are, Any one of the coils 18 and 19, which are the second coil group that generates the driving force in the X-axis direction, is arranged in a different step. As a result, the gap between the coil and the magnet is different, and even if the same voltage is applied, a difference occurs in the driving force in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction. As a countermeasure, if the applied voltage is corrected in advance according to the driving direction, it is possible to balance both axial directions. In order to eliminate the difference basically, the first coil group and the second coil group Are preferably arranged in the same plane.

  In the apparatus shown in FIG. 10, since the coil thickness is changed at the portion where the coils 76, 77, 78, 79 overlap, as shown in FIG. Can be accommodated in the thickness of the single coil as a whole. The driving method of this driving force generator is the same as in FIG. 2, and the sensing part can be arbitrarily driven.

FIG. 11 is a schematic configuration diagram showing another example of the driving force generator according to the present invention.
This driving force generator includes, as magnetic field generating means, a magnet 82 with an S pole disposed at the top, and a magnet 83 with an N pole disposed at the periphery thereof. On these magnets 82 and 83, a sensing part 84 to which four coils 86, 87, 88 and 89 are fixed is supported so as to be movable with respect to the base part. The coils 86 and 87 and the coils 88 and 89 generate driving forces in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction, respectively. This device is different from the device shown in FIG. 2 in that the coils arranged in the X-axis direction generate thrust in the X-axis direction, and the coils arranged in the Y-axis direction generate thrust in the Y-axis direction. This is the point. Also in such a driving force generator, the sensing part 84 can be arbitrarily driven by controlling the current applied to each coil.

FIG. 12 is a schematic configuration diagram illustrating another arrangement example of magnets and coils used in the driving force generation device.
FIG. 12 (a) shows the minimum unit of the driving force generator, in which one magnet 101 and two coils 102 that generate thrust in the X-axis direction and Y-axis direction are arranged on the upper part. is there. In FIG. 9B, two magnets 103 are arranged, and two coils 104 that generate thrust in the Y-axis direction are arranged in series in the same direction on top of these magnets, and thrust is applied in the X-axis direction. One generated coil is arranged. In FIG. 9C, three coils 106 are arranged in the upper part of the two magnets 105 with their coil centers shifted in the Y-axis direction instead of in series. As described above, various magnet and coil layouts can be applied. In addition, the thick arrow in each figure shows the direction of the driving force which each coil generates.

FIG. 13 is a schematic configuration diagram illustrating an arrangement example of magnets and coils in a driving force generator using a plurality of coils and magnets.
Here, the arrangement of the magnets 107 is made into 3 rows and 3 columns, and accordingly, the number of coils 108 through which a current crossing the magnetic field flows is increased. Functionally, a driving force equivalent to that of a large coil can be generated by increasing the number of small coils and arranging the magnets 107 and coils 108 in a matrix. Further, it can be considered that the distance from the magnet can be shortened as the coil can be made smaller and thinner, and the efficiency of the driving force can be improved. FIG. 14 shows an example in which the magnet 109 and the coil 110 are arranged in the middle of the arrangement portion of FIG. The thick arrows in FIGS. 13 and 14 indicate the direction of the driving force generated by each coil, and a driving force having an arbitrary direction and magnitude can be generated by controlling the current applied to each coil. it can.

FIG. 15 is a schematic configuration diagram illustrating another example of a driving force generator using a large number of coils and magnets.
In this apparatus, a large number of magnets 112 serving as magnetic field generating means are arranged in a matrix on a base 111, and a coil holding part 114 including four coils 113 is movably supported thereon. The coil holding portion 114 moves from one magnet to the adjacent magnet within a range where the magnets 112 are arranged in a matrix. In other words, by reversing the direction of the current flowing through the coil 113 in accordance with the time when the coil 113 is moved by the electromagnetic force and moved to the position where the magnetic field changes, the magnetic field generated by the adjacent magnet further continues. You can move. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 15, by arranging the magnets 112 so that the magnetic fields are alternately reversed, the coil holding part 114 can move continuously in a plurality of magnetic fields in a two-dimensional manner. Can be greatly increased.

FIG. 16 is a schematic configuration diagram showing another example of an information sensing device using the driving force generating device of the present invention.
This information sensing device includes a plurality of sensing units 121 described so far, and senses information by tactile sense of a plurality of fingers. The sensing unit is arranged at a position where the tip of each finger comes. The tactile information is reproduced for each finger. In this way, by arranging a plurality of sensing units 121, driving the sensing unit with a time delay from finger to finger, and presenting information, the feeling that the object is passing under the finger Can be played. In addition, since the entire fingertip can be perceived with a single tactile information, more information can be transmitted.

FIG. 17 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an information transmission system in which the driving force generator according to the present invention is used.
In this information transmission system, a CPU 202 formed into a microcircuit, a main memory 203 corresponding to a ROM storing fixed information such as an OS and a RAM storing variable information, a flexible disk device, a hard disk device, a CD-ROM An external storage device 204 including a device, an MO device, an image display 205 for displaying an image such as a CRT or a liquid crystal, a keyboard 206 as an input means, a mouse, a touch pad (also referred to as a finger pad), a pointer such as a trackball The pointing means 207 that can move the information, the information sensing device 208 provided with the sensing unit 253, and the communication device 209 that communicates with the outside through a network are connected by a bus. And it is comprised so that communication with the information transmission system 210 provided with the other communication apparatus 211, CPU212, etc. is possible.

FIG. 18 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an embodiment of a perception operation unit including an information perception device used in the information transmission system and pointing means for moving a pointer on the display screen.
FIG. 18A shows a state before the operation, and the information sensing device 208 is supported by the support member 222 attached to the grip portion 223 so as to be elastically deformable. An input operation switch 224 and a signal processing circuit 225 are arranged below the information sensing device 208, and the information sensing device 208 is pressed in the direction of the arrow 229 as shown in FIG. Thus, the input operation switch 224 can be turned on / off to send the signal to the CPU side. In other words, it functions as a click button. A detection means 226 for detecting coordinate information is provided so as to be rotatable with respect to a base surface 228 such as a desk or a mouse pad, and the rotation information is sent to the CPU side by the processing circuit 227. As a result, the pointer on the display screen can be moved.

  Accordingly, the input operation switch 224, the signal processing circuit 225, the detection means 226, and the processing circuit 227 constitute the pointing means 207 shown in FIG. In this example, a contact rotation type coordinate input mechanism is shown. However, a non-contact type optical mouse may be used in which the base surface and the detecting means for optically detecting the density of the base surface to obtain the movement amount are used.

  FIG. 18C shows a state in which the operator senses a tactile stimulus according to the object on the finger. A wide range of pseudo-tactile stimuli can be applied in the in-plane direction of the surface in contact with the finger, that is, in the direction indicated by the arrow 230, from slow movement to high-frequency vibration depending on the object. Further, the input operation shown in FIG. 18B can be performed in this state.

FIG. 19 is a block diagram showing a signal flow in the information transmission system. Hereinafter, the flow of signals will be described with reference to this figure.
In this information transmission system, a display information processing unit 248 is set in the CPU 202. Further, a signal for sequentially generating predetermined tactile information based on display information from the display information processing unit 248, boundary information on the display area such as a figure frame, a layout frame, and a window boundary, and coordinate information from the pointing means 207 A generation unit 247 is set. In addition, in response to the tactile information signal, the displacement / vibration frequency or the control gain to be driven for the information sensing device 208 including the driving force generating device 252 and the sensing unit 253 is calculated to obtain a driving signal. A control unit 246 for creating the above is set. Here, the signal is converted from digital information into analog voltage information via the A / D converter 245, and the driving force generator 252 is actually driven by the driving circuit 243. At this time, the displacement of the sensing unit 253 presenting tactile information is detected by the position sensor 251 and returned to the control unit 246 to perform feedback control.

The coordinate information obtained from the pointing means 207 is displayed as display information by the CPU 202 and displayed on the image display 205 in the form of a pointer.
Display information processed by this system can also be input from an external computer via the communication device 209 as shown in FIG. Therefore, information that can be browsed and obtained on the Internet is also included in the objects displayed by this system. Furthermore, it goes without saying that content information distributed on a CD-ROM or the like can be input using the external storage device 204.

FIG. 20 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a usage example of the information transmission system using the sense of touch.
In this system, as shown in FIG. 20 (a), tactile information of an object 262 output to an image display 205 of a computer is obtained using a perception operation unit 242 provided with an information perception device 208. is there. The amount of movement of the sensory operation unit 242 is performed by a method similar to the known method of detecting the amount of movement of the mouse, and the amount of movement is displayed as the amount of movement of the pointer 263 in the display 205. Then, when the pointer 263 scans or traces the target information, the information receiving device 208 is driven in synchronism with it, and the rough feeling or unevenness of the target 262 is reproduced by the movement of the receiving unit. Is. The object 262 is not particularly limited to those having a characteristic in the surface state, and a pattern such as characters and symbols can be recognized with a feeling of tracing by guiding the fingertip with the information sensing device 208. Can also be used.

  FIG. 20B shows an example in which the tactile information of the object displayed on the image display 205 is reproduced. As the object 262, a material in which a large number of fine convex portions 265 are arranged on the surface is assumed. is doing. FIG. 20C is a partial cross-sectional view of the object 262. When the pointer 263 is traced on the reproduction surface of the object 262, each time the pointer 263 reaches the convex portion 265, the pointer 263 and the sensing unit try to move around to avoid it. Or it is also possible to give a sense of resistance to the sensitive part so as to get over the convex part 265 with some resistance. This delicate detouring operation and overriding operation of the fingertip can be recognized by the movement of the information sensing device 208.

FIG. 21 is a flowchart for explaining an operation procedure using the information transmission system.
In this system, an operation will be described as an example in which the user grasps the sensory operation unit 242 and moves the object 262 displayed on the image display 205 with a pointer. The right side in FIG. 21 shows the flow of the user's operation, and the left side shows the state of the information transmission system.

  “Operation start” 280 is a stage in which the user starts the operation with the sensory operation unit 242. “Move pointer” 281 is a stage in which the user moves the pointer for displaying the position on the screen by the moving operation (282) of the pointing means and moves toward the target image portion. The sensor unit 253 does not operate.

  Then, by “put in the image plane” 283, the computer recognizes that the pointer position has entered a specific boundary area from the position coordinates of the pointer, and enters the state of “pointer shape change” 284. This is to change the shape of the pointer, which is a normal mark (eg, arrow), to another form (eg, finger shape) so that the CPU can visually recognize that it has entered the area where tactile stimulation is presented. It is.

  At the same time, “the information receiving device is driven to move in a plurality of directions corresponding to the image” 285 is entered, and driving vibration and displacement are applied to the receiving unit 253 corresponding to the uneven expression image of the object. This driving state continues while the pointer moves in the corresponding image area. Accordingly, the user can receive the tactile information on the finger while tracing the image information with the pointer (286). When the user moves the pointing means and the pointer on the screen moves out of the image area (287), the presentation of the tactile sensation is terminated (288).

In addition, by connecting this information transmission system to an information processing device at a remote location by communication means, the same tactile information can be presented at multiple locations, or the movement of the information sensing device can be transmitted from a distance by communication means. The operator can obtain tactile information of the object at a remote place.
The power for driving the sensing unit may be supplied from the connected computer side. However, in the case of wireless connection, it is better to incorporate a power source such as a battery in the information sensing device.

FIG. 22 shows another embodiment of the information transmission system using the driving force generating device of the present invention, which is an information transmission system having a different use from the presentation of rough feeling and stiffness of target information. That is, it is intended to output character information and symbol / code information to the fingertip using the information sensing device.
In this information transmission system, a sensory operation unit 320 is connected to an information processing device 319, and a CD-ROM drive that is an external storage device is incorporated in the information processing device as storage means. The haptic information signal is read from the CD-ROM 322 into the main storage device of the information processing device 319. And there exists the sensory part 321 by which a finger is mounted in the outer surface part of the sensory operation part 320, and if a finger | toe is put here and the presentation start button 323 is turned ON, this sensory part 321 will be a predetermined position. It operates based on the data and its travel time, and transmits information 324 to be output to the operator's finger by movement. The operator can recognize a character or a code by a tactile stimulus set in advance by tactile information reproduced on the fingertip in time series. You can also repeat as many times as you like.

In this case, the storage means need not be a CD-ROM, and may be a magnetic disk, smart media, magnetic card, or a storage code printed on various media such as paper or a card such as a barcode. Absent.
Furthermore, in this embodiment, in addition to the output together with the visual information on the display, the sensing part can be operated even without the display, and various information can be recognized without depending on the visual sense. Become.
In addition, the tactile sensation information signal can also be obtained from a remote location by communication, and in that respect, two operators can exist at different locations and communicate with each other. I can do it. In this case, since this information transmission system can also serve as an input means for transmitting tactile information, that is, a means for inputting movement information of the fingertip, for example, the operator A moves the sensory part with his / her finger, The movement information is transmitted, and it becomes possible for the operator B to receive the movement with a finger at another place.

  FIG. 23 is a partially enlarged view showing the operation of the information transmission system shown in FIG. 22, and is an operation example when the alphabet letter “A” is recognized by the fingertip. FIG. 23A shows that when the sensor unit 321 is at the home position 330, writing of “A” is started. First, as shown in FIG. 23 (b), the sensitive part is moved to a position 331 where the reference point is at the apex of “A”, and from here, as shown in FIG. 23 (c), to the position 332 where the left oblique line is traced. Moving. After all the tracing operations are completed in this manner, the home position is returned to and the operation for the next information is started. At this time, there are a process of tracing a line existing as a character and a process of moving from one line to the next line. In order to distinguish this, the moving speed of tracing the line is changed between the two, or a line existing as a character is detected. In this case, the distinction becomes clear by changing the tactile stimulus such as superimposing a minute vibration.

  FIG. 24 shows another example of an information transmission system in which the driving force generator of the present invention is used. The information transmission system 300 includes a display 301 as a display means and an information sensing device 302 in a personal computer main body. 303 is connected. The information sensing device 302 is integrally formed with a mouse portion 304 that is a pointing means. This information transmission system presents a tactile sensation to the information receiving device and displays the tactile sensation as visual information on a graphic user interface screen 305 (hereinafter abbreviated as GUI). It is something that can be done.

This information transmission system operates as follows.
When the cursor 310 is on the GUI screen and is overlaid on certain image information (in this case, the icon diagram), the tactile force signal is driven from the relationship between the image information and the cursor coordinates so that the overlap can be recognized by touch. The information receiving apparatus 302 is driven corresponding to a pseudo tactile sense.
In this case, it is possible to give the fingertips a pseudo rough feeling to get over the icon so that the icon has a thickness in the height direction. In addition, when clicking on an icon to move a location, it is also possible to give the icon a sense of inertia, and this value may be variable in relation to the size of the file capacity, for example. .
At the same time, the tactile stimulus generated by providing the state display unit 306 on the display 301 is also visually expressed as a displacement amount, a speed, an acceleration, or a function thereof.

  FIG. 25 is an enlarged view of the status display unit 306 of FIG. 24, and displays the amount corresponding to the virtual icon height as a bar graph so that the length of the bar 307 becomes variable over time.

  FIG. 26 shows another example of the status display, in which the virtual unevenness amount is expressed as a bar graph 308 when the image that outputs the tactile stimulus has virtual height information. .

  FIG. 27 is another example of the status display unit. The driving force generated by the information sensing device is represented by an arrow shape 309, and the color of the arrow is changed by increasing or decreasing the force in the x and y directions. When the cursor is at a position not related to the tactile force display object on the displayed screen, the arrow on the state display section does not change.

  FIG. 28 is an enlarged view of a pointer (cursor) in another embodiment of the status display unit. This is a state in which a state display unit 311 is added to the cursor 310 itself in FIG. 24, and the reaction force to be felt when the center of the pointer approaches, overlaps, or intersects with an object having tactile sensation information. It is expressed as a change in the color of the arrow provided in

Next, the display method of the arrow in FIG. 28 will be described.
FIG. 29 is a diagram illustrating a case where the arrow shown in FIG. 28 changes. This figure shows a case 313 where the pointer moves from the upper right 313 and overlaps the displayed object 312. In this case, since the touch stimulus in the horizontal direction of the screen and the touch stimulus in the vertical direction of the screen are combined, both the horizontal and vertical arrows are colored as shown in FIG. The direction of the four arrows indicates the plus or minus direction of each axis.

  FIG. 30 is a schematic diagram for explaining tactile sensation presentation associated with an Internet homepage in the information transmission system. On the Internet, hyperlinks (also simply referred to as links) are usually set for related documents and related URLs using hypertext. The list in the figure is an HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language) document.

Looking at recent homepages here, recent pages have a large amount of text and image information posted, and many have links in various places. And if the text is densely posted (especially English pages often have small fonts), moving the line of sight and reading the document was a factor in eye fatigue and stress. In particular, when it is desired to determine whether or not there is a link destination in a specific word or image, it is necessary to concentrate on the line of sight because it can be recognized only when the shape of the cursor changes.
The above information transmission system can solve such problems of the prior art. When the cursor is over the phrase (underlined for convenience) shown in FIG. It is designed to give tactile stimulation to the feeling device.

  FIG. 31 shows a region to which tactile stimulation is applied in the example of FIG. When entering the presenting area (400), (401), (402) of the phrase with the link, the information receiving device gives a tactile stimulus. Then, depending on the phrase, for example, by making a difference in advance between how to move the tactile stimulus in the case of product information (401) and how to move in the case of linking to personal information or contact address (402), It is possible to make a variety of information discrimination.

  In addition, when the cursor is likely to deviate from the region surrounding the above phrase, for example, when approaching the boundary of the region, the link information can be changed by changing the moving amount or moving speed of the sensing unit of the information sensing device. The user can recognize the existence range of As a result, not only can the cognitive efficiency be improved, but it can be applied as a human-friendly interface that can reduce stress without relying solely on vision.

It is a schematic block diagram which shows the information sensing apparatus using the driving force generator which is one Embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic block diagram which shows the driving force generator used with the information sensing apparatus shown in FIG. It is an enlarged view which shows the contact detection sensor used with the information sensing apparatus shown in FIG. It is a schematic block diagram which shows the displacement detection sensor used with the information sensing apparatus shown in FIG. It is a schematic block diagram which shows the other example of the contact detection sensor used with the information sensing apparatus shown in FIG. It is a graph which shows the relationship between the voltage applied to the coil of the driving force generator shown in FIG. 2, and driving force. It is a figure which shows the example of the operation | movement reproduced | regenerated by the perception part of the information perception apparatus shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows the example which reproduces | regenerates a shape feeling with the information sensing apparatus shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows the other example of the coil used with the drive force generator shown in FIG. It is a schematic block diagram which shows the other example of the driving force generator which concerns on this invention. It is a schematic block diagram which shows the other example of the driving force generator which concerns on this invention. It is a schematic block diagram which shows the example of arrangement | positioning of the magnet and coil which are used with the drive force generator which concerns on this invention. It is the schematic which shows the other example of arrangement | positioning of the magnet and coil which are used with the drive force generator which concerns on this invention. It is the schematic which shows the modification of arrangement | positioning of the magnet and coil shown in FIG. It is a schematic block diagram which shows the other example of the driving force generator which concerns on this invention. It is a schematic block diagram which shows the other example of the information sensing apparatus with which the driving force generator of this invention was used. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an information transmission system in which a driving force generator of the present invention is used. It is a schematic block diagram which shows the perception operation part used with the information transmission system shown in FIG. FIG. 18 is a block diagram showing a detailed configuration and signal flow of the information transmission system shown in FIG. 17. It is the schematic which shows the usage example of the information transmission system shown in FIG. It is a flowchart figure which shows operation | movement of the information transmission system shown in FIG. It is a schematic block diagram which shows the other example of the information transmission system with which the driving force generator of this invention was used. It is the schematic explaining the function of the information transmission system of FIG. It is a schematic block diagram which shows the other example of the information transmission system with which the driving force generator of this invention was used. It is the schematic which shows the state instruction | indication part of the information transmission system shown in FIG. It is the schematic which shows another Example of a state instruction | indication part. It is the schematic which shows another Example of a state instruction | indication part. It is the schematic which shows the Example which provided the state instruction | indication part in the pointer part. It is a schematic block diagram explaining the display method of a state instruction | indication part. It is the schematic which shows the example of the internet homepage displayed on the display of the information transmission system. It is the schematic showing the tactile information presentation area | region of the internet homepage shown in FIG.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1,41 Sensitive part 2,42 Base 3 Elastic member 10 Drive power supply 11 Control device 12, 13, 14, 15, 72, 73, 74, 75, 82, 83 Magnet 16, 17, 18, 19, 70, 76 , 77, 78, 79 Coils 21, 43 Surface layer of the sensing part 22, 23 Sliding part 26 Pressure sensitive part 27 Pressure sensitive conductive rubber 28, 29 Conductive plastic layer 30, 31 Displacement detection sensor 32 LED
33 Light 34 Phototransistor 44, 46 Light receiving element 51, 52 Plate 53 Gap 54 Trace waveform 55 Discontinuous point 86, 87, 88, 89 Coil 101, 103, 105, 107, 109 Magnet 102, 104, 106, 108, 110 Coil 111 Base 112 Magnet 113 Coil 114 Coil holding part 121 Sensitive part 222 Support member 223 Grasping part 224 Input operation switch 225 Signal processing circuit 226 Detection means 227 Processing circuit 228 Base surface 229 Arrow indicating the pressing direction 230 Arrow indicating the vibration direction 262 Object 263 Pointer 265 Protruding part 300 Information transmission system 301 Display 302 Information sensing device 303 PC main body 304 Mouse part 305 Graphic user interface screen 306 Status display part 307 Bar 308 Bar Graph 309 Status display unit 310 Cursor 311 Status display unit 312 Object 313 Pointer movement direction 319 Information processing device 320 Sensitive operation unit 321 Sensitive unit 322 CD-ROM
323 Presentation start button 324 Output information 330 Operation part home position 331 Position 332 where the reference point overlaps the apex of “A” Position 332 tracing the left diagonal line of “A” 400 Area 401 where a link with company information of hypertext is set 401 Hyper Area 402 in which a link with text product information is set Area in which a link with hypertext personal information is set

Claims (4)

Magnetic field generating means for generating a magnetic flux in the Z-axis direction of the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis, each orthogonal to each other;
A first coil group including one or more coils arranged so that a part of the winding crosses the magnetic flux generated by the magnetic field generating means in the X-axis direction;
A second coil group including one or more coils arranged so that a part of the winding crosses the magnetic flux generated by the magnetic field generating means in the Y-axis direction;
A driving power source for supplying an independently controlled current to the first coil group and the second coil group ;
One of the magnetic field generating means and the coil group is fixed to the sensing part on which the fingertip is placed and supported so as to be movable in a direction substantially parallel to the contact surface of the fingertip,
The sensing part has a contact detection sensor that detects contact of a fingertip, and can be relatively moved in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction with respect to a base part to which the other of the magnetic field generating means or the coil group is fixed. Supported,
The driving force , wherein the contact detection sensor is controlled so as to stop the supply of current from the driving power source to the coil group when it is detected that the fingertip is separated from the sensing unit. Generator. At least one of the first coil group or the second coil group has two or more coils,
At least two of the coils of the first coil group are provided at positions where the coil centers are different in the X-axis direction, or at least two of the coils of the second coil group have a coil center in the Y-axis direction. Provided in different positions,
2. The driving force generator according to claim 1, wherein the driving power supply supplies different currents to two or more coils included in the first coil group or the second coil group.   The coil included in the first coil group and the coil included in the second coil group are arranged so as to cross a unidirectional magnetic flux generated by a single magnetic field generating means. The driving force generator according to claim 1. The base is grasped on the side of the hand comprising a finger is placed on the sensing part, claim 1, characterized in that is movable on a plane, according to claim 2, or claim 3 The driving force generator described.