JP4355017B1 - Information transmitting apparatus and information transmitting / receiving apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

An information transmission apparatus or information transmission / reception apparatus by one-hand operation that can easily transmit abundant information is provided.
An information transmission device (1) has a gripping housing (2) having a three-dimensional shape that can be gripped with one hand of a user, a finger contact surface (31) for placing a specific finger on one hand, and operating a finger Detects the reciprocal displacement of each of the plurality of operation units 3a and 3b mounted on the outer surface of the gripping housing and the plurality of operation units so that the reciprocating displacement in the direction along the outer surface of the gripping housing is possible. And a means for converting into an electric signal corresponding to the reciprocal displacement and transmitting the electric signal to the outside. The information transmission / reception apparatus includes a tactile part whose rotation or stop state is controlled at a central part of the operation part.
[Selection] Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to an information transmission apparatus having a transmission function for transmitting information input by a finger operation, and an information transmission / reception apparatus having a reception function for sensing received information by the sense of touch of a finger in addition to the transmission function. .

  There are various types of relatively small information transmission apparatuses that input information by manual operation and transmit the information to a predetermined processing apparatus or external device in a wired or wireless manner. Since it is relatively small, the entire apparatus can be operated with both hands or one hand, and if it is a wireless transmission type, it can be easily portable. For example, remote controllers such as radio-controlled devices, game machines, and home appliances are well known. If attention is focused only on the input function by manual operation, and it is widely understood, a mobile phone, a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), a computer of the size of a palm, etc. can be said to be this type of information transmission apparatus.

  Patent Document 1 (FIGS. 2 and 9) discloses a radio control transmitter including a pair of stick mechanisms that reciprocate in the vertical and horizontal directions. The pair of sticks are arranged so as to be separated from each other on the left and right sides, and are usually operated using fingers of both hands and hold the transmitter housing with fingers not used for the operation. A conventional technique (FIGS. 8 and 9) of Patent Document 2 also describes a two-hand operation type controller.

  Patent Document 2 discloses a controller that is operated with one hand. Patent Document 2 (FIGS. 1 to 6) describes a controller for a game machine in which a plurality of operation keys are arranged within a range that can be operated with a finger of the same one hand with respect to a housing that can be held by the palm of one hand. ing.

Patent Document 3 (FIGS. 1 to 4) discloses a communication terminal device that performs information transmission and information reception in which a plurality of keys are arranged at a position where a user's finger hits a housing held with one hand. ing. Each key can be moved back and forth (vibrated) in a direction perpendicular to the housing surface. In information transmission, a specific key is pressed with a finger in accordance with a predetermined combination, thereby being converted into a transmission code signal and transmitted. In information reception, a specific key is driven to move forward and backward (vibrates) according to the received code signal, and the user senses a combination of a vibrating key and a stopped key by touching a finger. .
JP-A-8-107588 JP-A-9-75544 JP 2006-24436 A

The conventional information transmitting apparatus or information transmitting / receiving apparatus has the following problems.
The type that needs to be operated with both hands as in Patent Document 1 cannot be used for other operations because both hands are blocked. In general, the two-hand operation type is more inconvenient to carry because it is bulkier than the one-hand operation type.
The one-handed operation controller disclosed in Patent Document 2 has keys arranged in an operable range. However, since one finger must handle a plurality of keys, the finger is frequently moved from key to key. I have to let it. As a result, an advanced operation technique is required, and the worker's fatigue level increases.
In addition, in each of Patent Documents 2 and 3, since one key is a pushbutton switch, only one piece of binary information ("ON" or "OFF") can be input with one key. It is not possible to input information of three or more values or continuous information.
Furthermore, most of the conventional one-hand operation type devices are specialized for the right hand or the left hand when the key arrangement in consideration of the operability depending on the positional relationship between the thumb and the other finger is performed. No device could be operated in the same way with either the right or left hand.
In addition, in a one-handed operation type device that is used with a device, it is necessary to support the device itself at the same time as transmitting by finger operation or receiving by tactile sense of the finger. It must be used for support, and it has been difficult to use all fingers to send or receive information.

  In view of the above problems, the present invention makes it easy to operate by reducing the movement of fingers as much as possible, and all fingers can be used for transmission or reception of information, and at the same time, the apparatus can be supported stably. It is another object of the present invention to provide an information transmitting apparatus or information transmitting / receiving apparatus that is operated by one hand. It is another object of the present invention to provide an information transmission apparatus or information transmission / reception apparatus that can be used for both the right hand and the left hand by one-hand operation.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides the following configurations. The numbers in parentheses are reference numerals in the drawings to be described later, and are attached for reference.
A first aspect of the present invention is an information transmission device that transmits information, and includes a gripping housing (2) having a three-dimensional shape that can be gripped by one hand of a user, and a specific finger (51a) in the one hand Each having a finger contact surface (31) for placing a finger and mounted on the outer surface of the gripping housing so that the finger can be reciprocated in a direction along the outer surface of the gripping housing by operating the finger. A plurality of control units (3a, 3b),
Means (6, 7, 8) for detecting a state of reciprocal displacement of each of the plurality of operation units, converting the electric signal into an electric signal corresponding to the reciprocating displacement, and transmitting the electric signal to the outside. Features.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an information transmitting / receiving apparatus for transmitting and receiving information, a gripping housing (2) having a three-dimensional shape that can be gripped by one hand of a user, and a specific finger ( 51a) on the outer surface of the gripping housing so that it has a finger contact surface (31) for placement and can be reciprocated in the direction along the outer surface of the gripping housing by operation of the finger. Each of the plurality of operation units (3a, 3b) attached thereto and the plurality of operation units (3a, 3b) is driven to rotate about a rotation axis that is exposed on the finger contact surface and is perpendicular to the finger contact surface. A plurality of tactile parts (9) each having a tactile head (91) and an electrical signal corresponding to the state of the reciprocal displacement by detecting the reciprocal displacement state of each of the plurality of operation parts (3a, 3b). A means (6, 7A1, 8A) for converting the electric signal to the outside, and the plurality of tactile sections (9) based on the received signal received from the outside And means (7A2,8A) for controlling to cause the haptic head (91) to rotate the drive or stop, respectively, in people, characterized by comprising a.

In the first or second aspect , the outer surface of the gripping housing (2) bulges away from each other in the opposite direction, and the first palm contact surface (2a1) and the second Two palm contact surfaces (2a2) and a peripheral side surface (2b) connecting the peripheral edges of these palm contact surfaces, and the plurality of operating portions (3a, 3b) are mounted on the peripheral side surface (2b). A first half portion including the first palm contact surface and the second palm contact surface in an outer shape including the gripping housing (2) and the plurality of operation portions (3a, 3b). And the second half including the plane is symmetrical with respect to the center plane.
In a further preferred aspect of each of the first and second aspects, the following structure is provided.
Each of the plurality of operation parts (3a, 3b) has an initial position and is provided with elasticity for automatically returning the operation part to the initial position when the operation parts are displaced from the initial position by the operation of the finger. Force means (33).
Further, the plurality of operation units (3a, 3b) are provided for respectively placing a plurality of fingers including a thumb, and the direction of reciprocal displacement of the operation unit (3b) for placing a finger other than the thumb is The reciprocating displacement direction of the operation portion (3a) for placing the thumb is the second direction different from the first direction.
Further , a fixing band (4) for turning around the back of the hand is provided on the gripping housing.

  An information transmission apparatus according to the present invention includes a gripping housing and a plurality of operation units attached on an outer surface of the gripping housing, and each finger is placed on the finger contact surface of the operation unit to perform reciprocal displacement. Thus, the state of reciprocal displacement of each operation unit is detected, converted into an electric signal, and transmitted to the outside. Various information can be expressed by combinations of displacement states (eg, presence / absence of displacement, displacement direction (positive or negative), displacement amount, displacement speed or acceleration, etc.) Become. Such information can be transmitted to any external device. This apparatus can be used as an information input apparatus in various fields.

  Since the gripping housing can be gripped with one hand of the user, it can be operated while being gripped so as to wrap the entire apparatus. Therefore, it is not necessary to support a part of the apparatus with a desk, a table, etc., it is possible to operate in a lifted state and it is not necessary to support it with both hands. Therefore, the hand that does not hold the device can perform another work or have another device that is the same as the device. If the device is held with both hands, a wealth of information transmission becomes possible.

  Each of the plurality of operation units has a finger contact surface for placing a specific finger in one hand. “Specific” means that it is provided exclusively for placing a specific finger (for example, thumb). That is, one operation unit is dedicated to one specific finger. Therefore, since one finger operates only one operation unit, it is not necessary to move the finger from the operation unit to the operation unit, and the operation can be performed while the apparatus is held. When this apparatus is used, it is not necessary to use a finger for supporting the apparatus and a finger for operating the apparatus separately, and each finger plays a role of supporting and operating the apparatus at the same time.

  The operation unit is reciprocally displaced in a direction along the outer surface of the gripping housing. Therefore, if the direction of displacement coincides with the direction along the natural bending / extending motion of the finger in charge, the operation unit can be easily operated by the bending / extending motion of the finger.

Next, an information transmitting and receiving apparatus according to the present invention includes a gripping housing, a plurality of operation units attached on the outer surface of the gripping housing, and a tactile sensor that is provided in each operation unit and is rotationally driven. With. Similar to the information transmission device described above, the operation unit can transmit a variety of information to the outside by a reciprocal displacement caused by a finger operation.
Further, in the reception function, the tactile sensation of the finger senses the movement and can recognize the information from the outside by rotating or stopping the tactile head based on the information received from the outside. Various information can be represented by a combination of rotation states (for example, presence / absence of rotation, direction of rotation or rotation speed) of a plurality of tactile units. Note that tactile information recognition is particularly useful for people with visual or auditory impairments.
Thus, the information transmitting / receiving apparatus of the present invention can transmit various information to an arbitrary external device and conversely receive it from the arbitrary external device. Therefore, this apparatus can be used as an information input / output apparatus in various fields.

  As described above, the information transmission apparatus (or information transmission / reception apparatus) according to the present invention is provided with five operation units (or five operation units with tactile units) corresponding to each of five fingers at the maximum. be able to. Even when the maximum number of operation units is provided, there is no problem in supporting the device with one hand. All fingers can be used for information transmission (or information transmission / reception) with the device lifted with one hand. It is optional to provide two to four operation units (or two to four operation units with tactile units) as necessary.

Furthermore, according to the suitable aspect of the information transmission apparatus (or information transmission / reception apparatus) by this invention, there exist the following effects.
When the operation unit has an initial position in the reciprocal displacement and includes an elastic biasing means that automatically returns to the initial position when the operation unit is displaced, an operation for returning to the initial position after the displacement operation is performed. Since it becomes unnecessary, the operation becomes easier. Also in the displacement operation, it is easier to adjust the amount of displacement with a finger if there is some elastic resistance.

  Also, a plurality of operation units are provided for respectively placing a plurality of fingers including the thumb, and the direction of reciprocal displacement of the operation unit for placing a finger other than the thumb and the operation unit for placing the thumb When the configuration is different from the direction of the reciprocating displacement, it is possible to realize an optimal ergonomic operation unit arrangement. Since the bending and stretching operations of the four fingers other than the human thumb are performed almost in parallel, the operation units for these fingers are preferably attached so as to reciprocate in the same direction. On the other hand, since the human thumb is intended to face other fingers, the direction of the thumb's bending / extending motion is different from that of the other fingers. Therefore, if the displacement direction of the operation unit for the thumb is different from the displacement direction of the operation unit for the other fingers (for example, substantially vertical), natural reciprocation is possible for any finger. Can be secured, and smooth information input operation becomes possible.

  Furthermore, the outer surface of the gripping housing is made up of a pair of palm contact surfaces that bulge in opposite directions apart from each other and each have a substantially elliptical periphery and peripheral side surfaces that connect the periphery of these palm contact surfaces, A plurality of operation parts are mounted on the peripheral side surface, and the half part including one palm contact surface and the half part including the other palm contact surface are configured in an outer shape that is plane-symmetric with respect to the center plane. In this case, one apparatus can be used for both right-handed operation and left-handed operation. This eliminates the need to make separate devices for the right hand and the left hand.

  Furthermore, when the gripping housing is provided with a fixed band for turning on the back of the hand, there is no fear of removing the device, and the device can be operated more stably.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings showing examples of the present invention. The illustrated embodiment is an example, and the present invention is not limited to the specific shape shown.

First, an information transmitting apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of an embodiment of an information transmission apparatus 1 according to the present invention, and FIGS. 2A to 2E are six views of the information transmission apparatus 1 of FIG.
As shown in FIG. 1, the information transmission device 1 includes a gripping housing 2 having a three-dimensional shape that can be gripped with one hand of a user, and five operation units 3 a and 3 b attached to the outer surface thereof. . One operation unit 3a is for the thumb, and four operation units 3b are for the index finger, the middle finger, the ring finger, and the little finger, respectively.

  The gripping housing 2 has a three-dimensional shape that can be entirely wrapped with one hand. In the illustrated example, the gripping housing 2 has a shape in which a substantially ellipsoid is slightly crushed. A first palm contact surface 2a1 appearing in FIG. 1 is a surface with which the palm abuts when the apparatus 1 is held with the left hand. Although not visible in FIG. 1, as shown in FIG. 2, there is a second palm contact surface 2a2 on the back side of the first palm contact surface 2a1. The first palm contact surface 2a1 and the second palm contact surface 2a2 have a substantially elliptical periphery. The outer surface of the gripping housing 2 is formed by the pair of palm contact surfaces and the peripheral side surface 2b that circulates by connecting these peripheral edges. The outer surface of the gripping housing 2 is preferably smooth. For this reason, the boundary lines between the palm contact surfaces 2a1, 2a2 and the peripheral side surface 2b are rounded, and the boundary between the surfaces is not always clear.

  In the illustrated example, five operation units 3a and 3b are attached on the peripheral side surface 2b. As will be described later, each finger of one hand is placed on each operation unit and is operated exclusively by that specific finger. The outer shapes of the operation units 3a and 3b are substantially rectangular so as to match the shape of the fingertip. The operation portion 3a for the thumb and the operation portions 3b for the other four fingers have different mounting directions (detailed later).

  Positioning protrusions 2c and 2d protrude from the outer surface of the gripping housing 2 on both sides of each operation portion 3a and 3b. The pair of positioning protrusions 2c of the operation portion 3a extend along the boundary line between the palm contact surfaces 2a1, 2a2 and the peripheral side surface 2b, and the positioning protrusions 2d of the other operation portions 3b cross the peripheral side surface 2b. It extends to. These positioning projections 2c and 2d are guide walls when placing a specific finger on each operation portion 3a and 3b, and also serve as a support wall for preventing the position of the finger from being shaken after placement. Yes. Thereby, operability is improved.

2 are (A) front view, (B) top view, (C) bottom view, (D) right side view, (E) left side view (the rear view is symmetrical with the front view). It is omitted because there is) As shown in the front view of (A), the first palm contact surface 2a1 (the same applies to the second palm contact surface 2a2) has a substantially elliptical peripheral edge, and the peripheral side surface 2b connects these peripheral edges. is doing. As shown in the top view of (B), the first palm contact surface 2a1 and the second palm contact surface 2a2 are spaced apart from each other and bulge in opposite directions to form smooth curved surfaces, respectively.
Five operation parts 3a and 3b are attached on the peripheral side surface 2b. In the figure, the turning direction of the peripheral side surface 2b and the direction perpendicular thereto are indicated by black double arrows. The thumb operation unit 3a is attached such that its longitudinal direction is along the circumferential direction. The four operation units 3b for the index finger to the little finger are attached in parallel to each other so that the longitudinal direction thereof is along the direction perpendicular to the circumferential direction.

As shown in FIG. 2A, in the outer shape including the gripping housing 2 and the plurality of operation units 3a and 3b in the information transmission device 1, the first half including the first palm contact surface 2a1, The second half including the two palm contact surfaces 2a2 is plane-symmetric with respect to the center plane. Thereby, as shown in FIG. 3 to be described later, the apparatus 1 can be operated with either the right hand or the left hand.
In addition, the top view of FIG. 2A shows a state where the operation unit 3b for the ring finger is removed. In the peripheral side surface 2b, slide holes 2b2 are formed at the mounting positions of the respective operation portions. Each slide hole 2 b 2 passes through the housing wall of the gripping housing 2. The slide hole 2b2 of the operation part 3b for the index finger to the little finger extends in a direction perpendicular to the circumferential direction. The slide hole of the operation portion 3a for the thumb extends in the circumferential direction.

  The surface of each operation part 3a, 3b forms a finger contact surface 31 for placing the fingertip of each finger. On the finger contact surface 31, a slip stopper made of fine irregularities is formed, and the abdominal surface of the fingertip is difficult to slip. As shown by broken lines in FIGS. 2A and 2B, a rod-shaped slide shaft portion 32 projects vertically from the back surface of each operation portion 3a, 3b. The slide shaft portion 32 is inserted into the slide hole 2 b 2 and extends into the gripping housing 2. The slide shaft portion 32 moves integrally with the operation portions 3a and 3b and moves along the slide hole 2b2.

  FIG. 3 is an external perspective view showing a state when the information transmitting apparatus 1 is operated. (A) is a state in which the apparatus 1 is held with the left hand 51, and the first palm contact surface 2a1 is in contact with the palm. (B) is a state in which the apparatus 1 is held with the right hand 52, and the second palm contact surface 2a2 is in contact with the palm.

  As shown in FIG. 3 (A), the gripping housing is gripped so as to be wrapped with one hand, the thumb is placed on the finger contact surface of the operation unit 3a, and the other four fingers are placed on the four operation units 3b. Place. At the time of operation, the operation portions 3a and 3b are reciprocally displaced by bending and extending each finger. The movement of each finger during operation is indicated by a white arrow. The thumb moves along the circumferential direction of the peripheral side surface of the gripping housing, and the other fingers move in a direction perpendicular to the circumferential direction. Each finger plays the role of holding the device itself as well as operating each operation unit. And it can be operated regardless of the orientation of the device.

  FIG. 4A is an example of a modified form of the information transmitting apparatus 1. FIG. 2A is an external perspective view of a form in which a fixed band 4 is attached to the gripping housing 2 of the information transmission apparatus 1. Both ends of the belt-like fixed band 4 are located on the peripheral side surface 2b of the gripping housing 2 (on the intersection line with the central surface in FIG. 2A). (B) is an external perspective view of the state in which the fixed band 4 is turned around the back of the hand. The fixing band 4 is formed of an elastic material rich in stretchability, and freely stretches when attached / detached, and closely contacts the back of the hand when worn. Thereby, this apparatus 1 can be hold | gripped more stably and operativity improves. Further, even when the apparatus 1 is changed from the left hand to the right hand, the front and back surfaces of the fixed band 4 are simply switched, and can be turned around in the same manner.

The external shape of the information transmission apparatus 1 shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 is a preferred example, but various modifications are possible.
In the preferred example, the outer shape of the right hand / left hand is symmetrical, but the outer shape of the right hand or the left hand may be specially matched to the shape of the right hand or left hand. In that case, there is only one palm contact surface, and the shape of the opposite surface is not so important.
Further, in the preferred example, five operation units are provided in order to use all five fingers for the operation, but only two to four operation units may be provided as necessary. For example, two for thumb and index finger, three for index finger, middle finger, and ring finger, or four for thumb, index finger, middle finger, and ring finger. In this case, the finger not used for the operation is placed directly on the peripheral side surface and plays only the role of gripping the device.
Furthermore, the mounting position of each operation unit on the gripping housing is not limited to the above example, and may be a preferable arrangement based on an ergonomic viewpoint in both gripping of the apparatus and finger operation.

  FIG. 5 is a vertical cross-sectional view schematically showing a configuration inside the housing of the information transmission apparatus 1 shown in FIGS. The housing of the information transmitting apparatus 1 can be formed by molding a lightweight plastic material, for example. Mechanical parts and electronic circuits necessary for the apparatus can be incorporated in the cavity inside the housing.

  During operation, the abdominal surface of the finger 51a is brought into contact with the finger contact surface 31 of the operation unit 3b. The direction of reciprocal displacement of the operation unit 3b is indicated by a white arrow. A slide shaft portion 32 projects vertically on the back surface of the operation portion 3b. The slide shaft portion 32 extends through the inside of the housing through the slide hole 2b2 formed in the housing. Inside the housing, the slide shaft portion 32 is sandwiched between a pair of coiled return springs 33. The pair of return springs 33 hold the slide shaft portion 32 (that is, the operation portion 3b) at an initial position in the middle of the slide hole. Regardless of the direction in which the operation unit 3b is displaced by the finger 51a, the initial position is automatically returned by the elastic force of the return spring 33.

  The tip end portion 32a of the slide shaft portion 32 moves exactly the same as the operation portion 3b (see small white arrow). Using the movement of the distal end portion 32a, the state of the reciprocating displacement of the operation portion 3b is converted into an electrical signal. This is performed by the displacement detection unit 61 of the input unit 6. As a method for detecting the displacement of the object and converting it into an electric signal, there are various known methods such as a resistance method, a magnetic method, and an optical method, and any method may be used. For example, a sensor such as a displacement transducer, an optical position sensor (PSD: Position Sensitive Detector), or a magnetic position sensor may be used. However, a method that can be built in a housing that can be held with one hand is adopted.

  The illustrated displacement detection unit 61 is an example, and the displacement of the operation unit 3b is converted into an electrical signal by interlocking the tip 32a with the movable terminal of the variable resistor VR. A predetermined DC voltage is applied between the fixed terminals at both ends of the variable resistor VR. When the movable terminal moves in conjunction with the distal end portion 32a, the potential extracted from the movable terminal varies.

  The illustrated switch SW is a manual switch that switches between a right hand operation and a left hand operation. Although not shown, the manual operation unit of the switch SW is provided outside the housing. First, when the device 1 is operated with the left hand, it is assumed that the switch SW is in the illustrated state. In this case, a positive potential + V is applied to the left end of the variable resistor VR, and a negative potential −V is applied to the right end. The power source for applying these positive and negative potentials and driving the electronic circuit is, for example, a battery built in the housing. When the operation unit 3b is in the initial position, the movable terminal is at the same potential as the ground potential (0 V). When the operation unit 3b is displaced to the left (bending the finger), a positive potential is output from the movable terminal, and when the operation unit 3b is displaced to the right (extending the finger), a negative potential is output from the movable terminal. .

  Next, it is assumed that the device 1 is operated with the right hand. If the switch SW shown in the figure is left as it is, the relationship between the positive and negative of the finger bending and the potential acquired from the variable resistance is reversed from that in the left hand operation (the negative potential is obtained when the finger is bent and the finger is stretched). Positive potential). However, it is complicated to operate with the fingers bent and stretched in the left hand operation and the right hand operation. Therefore, the switch SW is switched when changing the operating hand. Then, a negative potential −V is applied to the left end of the variable resistor VR, and a positive potential + V is applied to the right end. As a result, the same displacement detection signal can be obtained by operating with either the left or right hand.

  The electrical signal acquired by the displacement detection unit 61 of the input unit 6 is subjected to appropriate signal processing by an amplifier and / or waveform converter 62 and the like, and is sent to the control unit 7 as a displacement detection signal. The control unit 7 generates a transmission signal based on the displacement detection signal and sends it to the transmission unit 8. The transmission unit 8 transmits a transmission signal to the outside.

  FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a more detailed configuration example of the electronic circuit portion shown in FIG. Actually, the input unit 6 is provided separately for each of the five operation units 3a and 3b shown in FIG. A displacement detection signal of each operation unit is sent to the control unit 7 from each of the first to fifth input units 6a to 6e provided separately. The control unit 7 includes, for example, a one-chip microprocessor (not shown) such as a PIC, and constitutes a digital circuit that operates at an appropriate operating frequency. Each of the first to fifth signal processing units 7a to 7e, which is an input stage of the control unit 7, receives the displacement detection signals sent from the input units 6a to 6e, respectively, and appropriately converts them into signal formats suitable for subsequent processing. Convert (analog / digital conversion, etc.). The five converted signals are sent to the multiplexer 71. The multiplexer 71 collects the five signals into a series of digital signals and sends them to the transmission signal generator 72. The transmission signal generator 72 generates a transmission signal to be sent to the transmitter 8 based on the digital signal sent from the multiplexer 71. The transmission unit 8 includes an antenna 81, which drives the antenna based on the transmission signal to perform wireless transmission.

  FIG. 7 is an example of a transmission signal generated by the transmission signal generation unit 72 of FIG. One cycle includes, for example, signals s1, s2, s3, s4, and s5 each having 8 bits. Each 8-bit signal indicates the state of reciprocal displacement of each operation unit on which the thumb, index finger, middle finger, ring finger, and little finger are placed. Since the operating frequency of the microprocessor of the control unit 7 is usually on the order of MHz to GHz, the length of one cycle is on the order of μS to nS. The transmission signal generation unit 72 can continuously transmit the state of the reciprocal displacement of each operation unit by repeatedly generating such a periodic transmission signal.

  The reciprocating displacement states of the operation units 3a and 3b include “displacement presence / absence”, “displacement direction (positive or negative direction)”, “displacement amount”, or “displacement speed (or acceleration). ) ”Can be detected. A known appropriate detection method and signal processing method may be selected in accordance with the detection target. For example, when detecting “presence / absence of displacement”, binary information of “initial position” and “displacement in an arbitrary direction” can be obtained. When detecting the “direction of displacement”, ternary information of “initial position”, “displacement in the positive direction”, and “displacement in the negative direction” can be obtained. Further, for example, by detecting the “displacement amount”, it is possible to obtain information of an arbitrary value within a continuous range from a predetermined positive value to a negative value.

  In addition, abundant information can be transmitted by combining the displacement states of the two to five operation units. For example, when one operation unit generates ternary information, information of 5 to the 5th power can be generated by the entire five operation units.

  Although the embodiment of the information transmission apparatus shown in FIGS. 1 to 7 is a form in which the transmission unit 8 performs wireless transmission, the present invention can also be applied to a form in which wired transmission is performed. In that case, external wiring is connected to a position where there is no hindrance to gripping the gripping housing.

  Next, an information transmitting / receiving apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. This information transmitting / receiving apparatus is obtained by adding an information receiving function to the information transmitting apparatus 1 described above. Therefore, since the information transmission function is almost the same as that of the information transmission apparatus 1, the same reference numerals are used in the drawing for the components common to the information transmission apparatus 1.

  FIG. 8 is an external perspective view of an embodiment of the information transmitting / receiving apparatus 1A according to the present invention. Since the configuration of the gripping housing 2, the first palm contact surface 2a1 (same as the second palm contact surface), the peripheral side surface 2b, and the positioning protrusions 2c and 2d in the information transmitting / receiving device 1A is the same as the information transmitting device 1 described above. The description is omitted. The operation unit 3a for the thumb and the four operation units 3b for the other fingers are slightly different from those of the information transmission device 1 described above, but information input is performed by reciprocating the operation of the finger. It is the same in performing.

  The information transmitting / receiving apparatus 1A includes a tactile sense unit 9 at the center of each finger contact surface of the operation units 3a and 3b as an information receiving function. The user can recognize information by sensing the rotation and stop state of the tactile part 9 exposed on a part of the finger contact surface with the tactile sense of the finger.

FIG. 9 is a longitudinal sectional view schematically showing a configuration inside the housing of the information transmitting / receiving apparatus 1A of FIG.
FIG. 10 is a detailed view of one operation unit 3b (same operation unit 3a) and tactile unit 9 in FIG. 8 or FIG. 9, (A) is a top view, and (B) is an X sectional view of (A). , (C) is a perspective view of the tactile head 91.

  As shown in FIG. 9, the tactile sense part 9 is accommodated in the inside of the cylindrical slide shaft part 32 attached to the back surface center part of the operation part 3b. Accordingly, the tactile sense part 9 is reciprocally displaced integrally with the operation part 3b (see the white arrow). This means that the presence of the haptic unit 9 does not affect the transmission operation using the operation unit 3b.

  Referring to FIG. 10B, the tactile sense unit 9 has a motor 94 built in a cylindrical motor housing 93. The motor 94 can be rotated clockwise or counterclockwise by the control, and can be stopped by the control. The control wiring 95 of the motor 94 is taken out from the hole in the cylindrical wall of the slide shaft portion 32. The control wiring 95 is connected to a reception control unit 7A2 of the control unit 7A described later. Since the control wiring 95 is flexible and has a sufficient length, the control wiring 95 absorbs the position fluctuation of the tactile sense part 9 due to the reciprocal displacement of the operation part 3b. A substantially cylindrical tactile head 91 is attached to the motor shaft 92 of the motor 94. It is preferable that the upper end of the tactile head 91 protrudes slightly from the finger contact surface 31 of the operation unit 3b. As shown in FIG. 10 (A), the finger contact surface 31 of the operation unit 3b has a depressed central portion, and has a shape that allows easy placement of the finger. The finger contact surface 31 is formed with a non-slip 31 a made of fine irregularities. The tactile head 91 is disposed at the bottom of the depression of the finger contact surface 31. Therefore, when the finger is placed along the depression, the tactile head 91 slightly presses the abdominal surface of the finger. This makes it easier to sense the movement of the tactile head 91 with the tactile sense of the finger.

  As shown in FIGS. 10A and 10C, predetermined unevenness is formed on the upper surface of the substantially cylindrical tactile head 91. In the circumferential direction, steep slopes 91a and gentle slopes 91b are alternately arranged (three pairs in the illustrated example). The boundary between the steep slope 91a and the gentle slope 91b is formed by a ridge line 91c and a valley line 91d extending from the center to the periphery in the radial direction. When the tactile head 91 is rotated clockwise, the gentle slope 91b rotates while hitting the abdominal surface of the finger, and when it is rotated counterclockwise, the steep slope 91a rotates while hitting the abdominal surface of the finger. As a result, the right rotation and the left rotation can be distinguished by the sense of touch of the finger. Thereby, it is possible to transmit ternary information of “right rotation”, “left rotation”, and “stop”.

  The shape of the upper surface of the tactile head 91 is not limited to the illustrated example. Although it may be flat, it is easier to distinguish between rotation and stop when there is unevenness or inclination. When only “rotation” and “stop” are distinguished, binary information can be transmitted. Furthermore, “rotational speed” can be distinguished. The rotation speed can be freely changed by control. For example, ternary information of “slow rotation”, “fast rotation”, and “stop” can be transmitted.

  In addition, abundant information can be transmitted by the combination of the rotation states of the two to five tactile units 9. For example, when one haptic part transmits ternary information, information of 3 5 powers can be transmitted by the entire five haptic parts.

  Referring to FIG. 9 again, the input unit 6 that detects the reciprocal displacement of the operation unit 3b and outputs a displacement detection signal is basically the same as that shown in FIG. In FIG. 9, the switch SW shown in FIG. 5 is omitted, but this may be provided. The electrical signal acquired by the displacement detection unit 61 of the input unit 6 is subjected to appropriate signal processing by an amplifier and / or waveform converter 62 and the like, and is sent to the control unit 7A as a displacement detection signal. The control unit 7A is provided with a transmission control unit 7A1 and a reception control unit 7A2. The transmission control unit 7A1 generates a transmission signal based on the displacement detection signal and sends it to the transmission / reception unit 8A. The transmission / reception unit 8A can perform both transmission and reception, and transmits the transmission signal transmitted from the transmission control unit 7A1 to the outside.

  FIG. 11 is a longitudinal sectional view schematically showing an example of a modification of the information transmitting / receiving apparatus of the present invention. In the information transmitting / receiving apparatus 1B of FIG. 11, the reciprocating displacement of the operation unit 3b (same as the operation unit 3a) is not a linear motion but a swinging motion around the center 32b on the extension line of the slide shaft portion 32. The semicircular frame body at the tip end portion 32a of the slide shaft portion 32 performs the same swinging motion as the operation portion 3b. By utilizing the swing motion of the tip 32a and detecting the change in the swing angle with the movable terminal of the variable resistor VR, the state of the reciprocating displacement of the operation portion 3b is converted into an electrical signal.

  Also in the information transmitting / receiving apparatus 1B, the initial position of the operation unit 3b is held by the elastic biasing means. A pair of return springs 33, which are coil springs, are attached to both ends of the semicircular frame at the tip 32a of the slide shaft. These return springs 33 are automatically returned to their initial positions by an elastic force regardless of which direction the tip 32a (that is, the operation portion 3b) swings.

  FIG. 12 is a block diagram of a configuration example showing the electronic circuit part shown in FIG. 9 in more detail. The input unit 6 is actually provided separately for each of the five operation units 3a and 3b shown in FIG. The displacement detection signals of the operation units 3a and 3b are respectively sent from the first to fifth input units 6a to 6e provided separately to the transmission control unit 7A1 of the control unit 7A. The transmission control unit 7A1 is the same as the control unit 7 shown in FIG.

The transmission signal generated by the transmission signal generation unit 72 of the transmission control unit 7A1 is sent to the transmission / reception mode switching unit 73. The transmission / reception mode switching unit 73 has a function of switching between the transmission mode and the reception mode of the present apparatus. The specific configuration of the transmission / reception mode switching unit 73 is various.
As an example, by switching a manual switch provided in the casing of the apparatus, the apparatus is made a transmission-only apparatus or a reception-only apparatus.
In another example, the transmission mode and the reception mode are switched by an external control signal. For example, when information is transmitted to the apparatus from the outside, first, a control signal for setting the apparatus to the reception mode is sent, and subsequently desired information is transmitted. When the information transmission is completed, a control signal for setting the apparatus to the transmission mode is sent from the outside to set the apparatus to the transmission mode.
In yet another example, the transmission mode and the reception mode are switched by an internal control signal. For example, if the transmission / reception unit 8A detects that an external signal has been received, the apparatus automatically switches to the reception mode and performs reception. When reception is completed, it automatically switches to transmission mode.

  When the present apparatus is in the transmission mode, the transmission signal generated by the transmission signal generation unit 72 is transmitted to the transmission / reception unit 8A and transmitted from the antenna 81 to the outside.

  When the present apparatus is in the reception mode, a signal received by the transmission / reception unit 8A from the outside is sent to the reception control unit 7A2 via the transmission / reception mode switching unit 73. The reception signal processing unit 74 appropriately converts the reception signal into a signal format suitable for subsequent processing. The converted received signal is sent to the demultiplexer 75. The received signal at this point includes control signals for five tactile parts as a series of signals. The demultiplexer 75 distributes one received signal into individual received signals for each of the five haptic units 9. Each distributed reception signal is sent to signal generation units 7f to 7j provided one for each tactile unit 9. Each of the signal generation units 7f to 7j generates a control signal for controlling the motor of each tactile unit based on each received signal. This control signal includes information for setting the rotation or stop of the motor, the rotation direction, the rotation speed, and the like. The generated control signals are sent to the motor drive units 7k to 7o. Each motor drive unit 7k-7o generates an electrical signal necessary for actually driving the motor based on each control signal, and sends it to the motor of each tactile unit. As a result, each motor is in a predetermined rotational state or stopped state, and the user senses this by touching the finger.

  FIG. 13 is an example of the transmission signal generated by the transmission signal generation unit 72 of FIG. 12 and the reception signal processed by the reception signal processing unit 74. One cycle of the transmission mode includes, for example, signals s1, s2, s3, s4, and s5 each having 8 bits. Each 8-bit signal indicates the state of reciprocal displacement of each operation unit on which the thumb, index finger, middle finger, ring finger, and little finger are placed. One cycle of the reception mode includes, for example, signals r1, r2, r3, r4, and r5 each having 8 bits. Each 8-bit signal indicates the state of rotation or stop of each tactile part of the thumb, index finger, middle finger, ring finger, and little finger. Since the operating frequency of the microprocessor of the control unit 7A is usually on the order of MHz to GHz, the length of one cycle is on the order of μS to nS. The transmission signal generation unit 72 and the reception signal processing unit 74 can continuously transmit the state of the reciprocal displacement of each operation unit to the outside by repeatedly generating such a periodic transmission signal and reception signal. It is also possible to continuously control the rotation or stop state of each tactile part.

  8 to 13 is a mode in which the transmission / reception unit 8A performs wireless transmission / reception, but the present invention can also be applied to a mode in which wired transmission / reception is performed. In that case, external wiring is connected to a position where there is no hindrance to gripping.

It is an external appearance perspective view of one Example of the information transmitter by this invention. (A)-(E) are the six views of the information transmitter of FIG. It is an external appearance perspective view which shows the state at the time of operation of an information transmitter. (A) is the state gripped with the left hand, and (B) is the state gripped with the right hand. (A) is an external perspective view of a form in which a fixed band is attached to the information transmitting device, and (B) is an external perspective view in a state where the fixed band is turned around the back of the hand. It is the longitudinal cross-sectional view which showed typically the structure inside the housing | casing of the information transmitter shown in FIGS. FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a more detailed configuration example of the electronic circuit portion shown in FIG. 5. It is an example of the output signal produced | generated by the output signal production | generation part of FIG. It is an external appearance perspective view of one Example of the information transmitter / receiver by this invention. It is the longitudinal cross-sectional view which showed typically the structure inside the housing | casing of an information transmitter / receiver. FIG. 10 is a detailed view of one operation unit and a tactile unit in FIG. 8 or FIG. 9, (A) is a top view, (B) is an X sectional view of (A), and (C) is a perspective view of the tactile head. It is the longitudinal cross-sectional view which showed typically an example of the modification of the information transmitter / receiver of this invention. FIG. 10 is a block diagram of a more detailed configuration example of the electronic circuit portion shown in FIG. 9. 13 is an example of a transmission signal generated by a transmission signal generation unit in FIG. 12 and a reception signal processed by a reception signal processing unit.

Explanation of symbols

1: information transmission device 2: gripping housing, 2a1: first palm contact surface, 2a2: second palm contact surface, 2b: peripheral side surface, 2b1: mounting surface, 2b2: slide hole, 2c, 2d positioning projections 3a, 3b : Operation part, 31: Finger contact surface, 31a: Non-slip, 32: Slide shaft part, 32a: Slide shaft tip part, 33: Return spring 4: Fixed band 51: Left hand, 51a: Finger, 52: Right hand 6: Input 61: Displacement detection unit 62: Signal conversion unit 7: Control unit 71: Multiplexer 72: Output signal generation unit 8: Transmission unit 81: Antenna 1A, 1B Information transmission / reception device 7A: Control unit 7A1: Transmission Control unit, 7A2: reception control unit, 71: multiplexer, 72: transmission signal generation unit, 73: transmission / reception mode switching unit, 74: reception signal processing unit, 75: outgoing round value plexer 8A: transmission / reception unit, 81: antenna 9: Haptic part 91: Tactile head, 91a: steep slope, 91b: gentle slope, 91c: ridge line, 91d: valley line, 92: drive shaft, 93: motor housing, 94: motor, 95: control wiring

Claims (8)

A gripping housing (2) having a three-dimensional shape that can be gripped with one hand of the user,
It has a finger contact surface (31) for placing a specific finger (51a) in the one hand and can be reciprocated in the direction along the outer surface of the gripping housing by the operation of the finger. A plurality of operation units (3a, 3b) respectively attached on the outer surface of the gripping housing;
Means (6, 7, 8) for detecting the state of reciprocal displacement of each of the plurality of operation parts, converting the electric signal corresponding to the state of the reciprocating displacement, and transmitting the electric signal to the outside,
The outer surface of the gripping housing (2) bulges away in the opposite direction and bulges in the opposite direction, the first palm contact surface (2a1) and the second palm contact surface (2a2) each having a substantially elliptical periphery, and these It consists of a peripheral side surface (2b) that connects the peripheral edges of the palm contact surface,
The plurality of operation parts (3a, 3b) are attached on the peripheral side surface (2b),
In an outer shape including the gripping housing (2) and the plurality of operation portions (3a, 3b), a first half including the first palm contact surface and a second half including the second palm contact surface An information transmitting apparatus characterized in that the half of 2 is plane-symmetric with respect to the central plane .   Each of the plurality of operation parts (3a, 3b) has an initial position and is provided with elasticity for automatically returning the operation part to the initial position when the operation parts are displaced from the initial position by the operation of the finger. 2. The information transmitting apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an urging means (33).   The plurality of operation parts (3a, 3b) are provided for placing a plurality of fingers including the thumb, respectively, and the reciprocating displacement direction of the operation part (3b) for placing a finger other than the thumb is first. The information transmission device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the direction of reciprocal displacement of the operation unit (3a) for placing the thumb is a second direction different from the first direction. . The information transmitting device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein a fixing band (4) for turning the back of the hand is provided on the gripping housing. A gripping housing (2) having a three-dimensional shape that can be gripped with one hand of the user,
It has a finger contact surface (31) for placing a specific finger (51a) in the one hand and can be reciprocated in the direction along the outer surface of the gripping housing by the operation of the finger. A plurality of operation units (3a, 3b) respectively attached on the outer surface of the gripping housing;
A plurality of tactile units (91) each having a tactile head (91) that is exposed on the finger contact surface in each of the plurality of operation units (3a, 3b) and is driven to rotate about a rotation axis perpendicular to the finger contact surface ( 9) and
Means (6, 7A1, 8A) for detecting the state of reciprocal displacement of each of the plurality of operation parts (3a, 3b), converting it to an electric signal corresponding to the state of the reciprocating displacement, and transmitting the electric signal to the outside When,
A means (7A2, 8A) for controlling to drive or stop the haptic head (91) in each of the plurality of haptic sections (9) based on a received signal received from the outside , and
The outer surface of the gripping housing (2) bulges away in the opposite direction and bulges in the opposite direction, the first palm contact surface (2a1) and the second palm contact surface (2a2) each having a substantially elliptical periphery, and these It consists of a peripheral side surface (2b) that connects the peripheral edges of the palm contact surface,
The plurality of operation parts (3a, 3b) are attached on the peripheral side surface (2b),
In an outer shape including the gripping housing (2) and the plurality of operation portions (3a, 3b), a first half including the first palm contact surface and a second half including the second palm contact surface An information transmission / reception apparatus characterized in that the half of 2 is plane-symmetric with respect to the center plane . Each of the plurality of operation parts (3a, 3b) has an initial position and is provided with elasticity for automatically returning the operation part to the initial position when the operation parts are displaced from the initial position by the operation of the finger. 6. The information transmitting / receiving apparatus according to claim 5 , further comprising an urging means (33). The plurality of operation parts (3a, 3b) are provided for placing a plurality of fingers including the thumb, respectively, and the reciprocating displacement direction of the operation part (3b) for placing a finger other than the thumb is the first. The information transmission / reception according to claim 5 or 6 , wherein the direction of reciprocal displacement of the operation portion (3a) for placing the thumb is a second direction different from the first direction. apparatus. The information transmitting / receiving apparatus according to any one of claims 5 to 7 , wherein a fixed band for turning the back of the hand is provided on the gripping housing.

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