JP6188151B2 - Input system and input method capable of determining input information based on phase difference of signals propagated through body - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to information input technology for information equipment.

  Conventionally, for information devices such as smartphones and tablet computers equipped with a touch panel, by specifying the position on the touch panel by touching with a finger etc., the user selects menus, drawn characters, symbols, figures, etc. There are technologies that make it possible.

  However, with such an input technology, it is difficult to reduce the size of the device because the touch panel itself requires a certain size. Furthermore, since it is necessary to hold the touch panel during the input operation, it is not convenient for the user as an input device in a wearable computer such as a head mounted display (HMD).

  As a technique for solving such a problem, for example, Patent Document 1 is a body-mounted input system that is worn on a user's finger, and detects contact between the finger and another body part using a current sensor. In addition, an input system that calculates a trajectory of a character or the like by a finger using a three-axis acceleration sensor is disclosed.

JP, 2010-204724, A

  In the prior art, a considerably complicated device system or system is required to input information such as characters. For example, in the input system described in Patent Document 1, it is necessary to use a combination of two types of sensors such as a current sensor and a triaxial acceleration sensor in order to calculate a trajectory of a character or the like.

  Furthermore, in the prior art, for example, as an input in a wearable computer, it is difficult to accurately calculate the position of a finger or the like during an input operation. For example, in the technique of Patent Document 1, the position is calculated by integrating the three-axis component measurement value of acceleration by the three-axis acceleration sensor twice in the time direction. In this case, if the direction of the finger wearing this input system changes, the direction of each axis of acceleration also changes accordingly. Here, the triaxial acceleration sensor measures not only the acceleration accompanying the movement of the finger but also the gravitational acceleration. For this reason, since the direction of the gravitational acceleration component also changes due to the change in the direction of the finger, it is difficult to extract the acceleration due to the movement of the finger from the measured three-axis component values of the acceleration. As a result, it is very difficult to calculate the position with the required accuracy.

  Accordingly, the present invention provides an input system and an input method that can generate desired input information even if the orientation of a body part used for input does not require a device having a region for drawing a trajectory. The purpose is to do.

According to the present invention, at least one transmitter capable of transmitting a signal using the body as a propagation medium;
At least two receiving units capable of receiving the signal;
Phase difference calculating means for calculating a phase difference between the signals received by at least two receiving units;
A position of the first body part can output a site outside the signal transmitted from the at least one transmission unit, and enter into the site so as to be received by the person said signal it said at least two receiving portions The position of the first body part relative to the second body part to be obtained is determined by at least two receivers when the propagation path of the signal to the at least two receivers in the second body part is within a predetermined range. Position calculation means for calculating based on the power of the received signal, otherwise calculating based on the phase difference of the signal received by at least two receiving units;
Based on the position calculated at each time point, a motion calculating means for exiting calculate the motion for the second body part of the first body part,
An input system is provided that includes input information determination means for determining input information corresponding to the calculated motion.

  In addition, as an embodiment of the input system, the input system further includes a trajectory management unit that acquires a trajectory due to the movement of the first body part with respect to the second body part, and the input information determination unit includes It is also preferable to maintain a relationship between the pattern and predetermined input information, and to determine input information corresponding to the acquired trajectory based on this relationship.

  Further, in the embodiment having the trajectory management means, the input information determination means holds a relationship between the trajectory pattern related to the trajectory due to the movement and application input information that causes a predetermined application to start or operate. It is also preferable to determine the application input information corresponding to the acquired trajectory based on it.

  Further, in the embodiment having the trajectory management means, the input information determination means holds a relationship between the trajectory pattern related to the trajectory due to the movement and the character, symbol, or figure as the input information, and based on this relationship It is also preferable to determine a character, symbol or figure according to the acquired trajectory.

Further, as another embodiment of the input system of the present invention, based on the phase difference of the signals at each of a plurality of positions relative to the second body part of the first body part, and the plurality of positions and the phase difference In addition to the above-described calibration unit, the position calculating unit generates the position of the first body part with respect to the second body part. It is also preferable to calculate based on the phase difference between the signals received by at least two receiving units.

  Furthermore, as another embodiment of the input system of the present invention, the first body part is based on the change in power at different times and / or the power at each time in the signals received by the at least two receivers. Contact determining means for determining whether the second body part is in contact with the second body part, and the motion calculating means is determined to be in contact with the first body part and the second body part. It is also preferable to calculate the relative movement at the time.

  According to another embodiment of the input system of the present invention, the motion calculation means includes the second phase of the first body part based on the calculated phase difference and the power of the signal received by at least two receiving units. It is also preferable to calculate the movement with respect to the body part.

  The input system according to the present invention preferably further includes an input information transmitting unit that transmits the determined input information to an external device.

According to the present invention, there is further provided an input method in an input system capable of determining input information by a movement of a body part,
The input system includes at least one transmission unit and at least two reception units,
The above input method is
A first step of transmitting a signal with the body as a propagation medium from at least one transmitter;
A second step of receiving the signal by at least two receiving units;
A third step of calculating the phase difference of the received the signal by two receiving portions even without low,
A position of the first body part can output a site outside the signal transmitted from the at least one transmission unit, and enter into the site so as to be received by the person said signal it said at least two receiving portions The position of the first body part relative to the second body part to be obtained is determined by at least two receivers when the propagation path of the signal to the at least two receivers in the second body part is within a predetermined range. A fourth step of calculating based on the power of the received signal, and otherwise calculating based on the phase difference of the signal received by at least two receiving units;
Based on the position calculated at each time point, a fifth step of leaving calculate the motion for the second body part of the first body part,
And a sixth step of determining input information corresponding to the calculated motion.

  According to the input system and the input method of the present invention, a device having a region for drawing a trajectory is not required, and desired input information can be generated even if the orientation of a body part used for input changes. it can.

It is the schematic which shows the usage condition in one Embodiment of the input system by this invention. It is a functional block diagram which shows the function structure in one Embodiment of the transmitter which concerns on this invention, and a receiver. It is a graph for demonstrating the method of the contact determination in a contact determination part. It is a graph for demonstrating the phase difference of the signal received by the 1st receiving part and the 2nd receiving part, when the finger | toe of a transmission side is contacting the palm of a receiving side. It is the schematic of the palm which shows the calibration point used for calibration. It is a schematic diagram for demonstrating the relationship between the calculated phase difference and the "movement" with respect to the 2nd body part of a 1st body part. It is a graph for demonstrating one Example in the calculation method of the position of the contact point using the calibration result which concerns on a phase difference. It is a schematic diagram for demonstrating the relationship between the magnitude | size of the calculated electric power, and the "movement" with respect to the 2nd body part of a 1st body part. It is a graph for demonstrating one Example in the calculation method of the position of the contact point using the calibration result which concerns on received power. It is the schematic which shows one Embodiment which starts and complete | finishes an application with the input information based on the "motion" calculated by the motion calculation part. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating one embodiment of a method for determining input information using a character template.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[Input system]
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing how the input system according to an embodiment of the present invention is used.

According to FIGS. 1A and 1B, the user wears on the body the transmission device 1 and the reception device 2 that constitute the input system of the present embodiment. In particular,
(A) Wearing a transmission device 1 including at least one transmission unit (first transmission unit 101 in the present embodiment) capable of transmitting a signal using a body such as a human body as a propagation medium, on the right wrist;
(B) The receiving device 2 including at least two receiving units (in this embodiment, the first receiving unit 201 and the second receiving unit 202) capable of receiving the signal is attached to the left wrist.

  Here, the transmission device 1 can be formed into a belt-like shape that wraps around the wrist as a whole, and an electrode serving as a transmission interface of the first transmission unit 101 is exposed on the inner surface of the belt, and when worn, Contact. The receiving device 2 can also be formed in a belt shape that is wound around the wrist as a whole, and electrodes serving as receiving interfaces of the first receiving unit 201 and the second receiving unit 202 are exposed on the inner surface of the belt, and are attached Sometimes in contact with the body.

  Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 1A, the index finger of the right hand wearing the transmission device 1 can output the signal transmitted from the first transmission unit 101 to the outside of the index finger via the path P1. It is a part. Further, the palm of the left hand wearing the receiving device 2 receives the second body that can receive the signals input into the palm by the first receiving unit 201 and the second receiving unit 202 via paths P2 and P3, respectively. It is a part.

  The signal can be obtained by, for example, applying a weak alternating current of 1 GHz to a body that is a dielectric and modulating the current. The waveform of the signal is preferably a sine wave, but may be, for example, a sawtooth wave, a triangular wave, a trapezoidal wave, or a composite wave thereof.

  In the input system according to the present embodiment, the relative movement of the index finger (first body part) of the right hand and the left palm (second body part) is determined based on the first receiving unit 201 and the second receiving unit 202. Is calculated based on the change in the phase difference of the received signal. Accordingly, for example, while tracing the left palm with the index finger of the right hand, the index finger can be moved in a predetermined direction, or a predetermined trajectory, a character, a symbol, a figure, or the like can be operated with the index finger. . Furthermore, these movement directions, trajectories, characters, symbols, figures, and the like can be used as input information to an external device, for example. As a result, it is possible to generate desired input information without requiring a device having an area for drawing a locus such as a touch panel.

  Here, when tracing the palm with a finger, the finger is the finger of the hand wearing the transmitting device 1 (the index finger of the right hand in this embodiment), and the palm is the palm of the hand wearing the receiving device 2 (in this embodiment). The palm of the left hand is preferred. As a result, the change in the phase difference of the signals received by the first receiving unit 201 and the second receiving unit 202 behaves differently depending on the contact position on the palm of the finger. Becomes easier.

  In the present usage mode shown in FIG. 1, the transmitter 1 is attached to the wrist. However, the transmitter 1 is not necessarily required to be attached to the wrist as long as it is close to the transmitting finger. Here, close refers to the range from the fingertip to the elbow or the second arm. Furthermore, the receiving device 2 does not necessarily have to be worn on the wrist as long as it is close to the position (palm) where characters, figures, etc. are drawn. Again, near refers to the range from the palm being drawn to approximately the elbow or the upper arm. Further, the position where the finger is moved or the character or figure is drawn is not necessarily limited to the palm, but may be a position close to the receiving device 2. For example, it may be a finger, the back of the hand, or a position within the arm.

  According to FIG. 1 (B), the index finger (first body part) of the right hand and the left palm (second body part) are initially separated from each other. Even in this state, the signal transmitted from the activated transmission device 1 is received by the activated reception device 2 via the path P4, for example. That is, each of the first receiving unit 201 and the second receiving unit 202 of the receiving device 2 detects the power of the received signal.

  Next, it is assumed that the user brings the index finger of the right hand into contact with the left palm as shown in FIG. At this time, signals via paths P1-P2 and P1-P3, which are considerably shorter than the path P4, further reach the receiver 2. As a result, the first receiving unit 201 and the second receiving unit 202 each detect a change from the power of the signal received before the contact to a larger power. The receiving device 2 can determine contact of the index finger of the right hand with the left palm by this change.

  Further, when the user moves the index finger by tracing the left palm with the index finger of the right hand or draws a character, a figure or the like with the index finger, the position detected by the first receiving unit 201 and the second receiving unit 202 is detected. The phase difference changes in different ways. This change corresponds to the fact that the lengths of the paths P1-P2 and P1-P3 change in different forms depending on the change of the contact position on the palm of the finger. Thus, by measuring the change in the phase difference detected by each of the first receiving unit 201 and the second receiving unit 202, it is possible to calculate the “movement” of the finger, and further the trajectory.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, “movement” and further a trajectory are calculated by using the changes in the paths P1-P2 and P1-P3 according to the change in the contact position on the palm of the finger. That is, the finger movement itself is not measured using, for example, an acceleration sensor. Therefore, the change of the finger orientation itself does not affect the “movement”. As a result, it is possible to generate desired input information even if the orientation of the body part used for input changes.

  As will be described in detail later, it is possible to further improve the detection accuracy of the “movement” of the finger and the contact position using the power of the signals detected by the first receiving unit 201 and the second receiving unit 202, respectively. It becomes.

  Thereafter, the user ends the operation of moving the index finger or drawing a character, a figure or the like with the index finger, and separates the finger from the palm. At this time, the signals via the paths P1-P2 and P1-P3 do not reach the receiving device 2, and a change from the larger power of the received signal to the original smaller power is detected when the finger touches the palm. Will do. The receiving device 2 can determine the separation of the index finger from the palm based on this change.

  As described above, the input system according to the present invention includes the first body part that can output the signal transmitted from the “at least one transmission unit” that propagates through the body to the outside of the part, and the input to the inside of the part. The relative “movement” with respect to the second body part where the signal can be received by “at least two receivers” is calculated based on the phase difference change of the signal received by “at least two receivers” To do. This makes it possible to generate desired input information even if the orientation of the body part used for input changes without requiring a device having a region for drawing a trajectory.

  Furthermore, in the input system according to the present invention, whether or not the first body part and the second body part are in contact with each other based on a change in power in the signal received by the “at least two receiving units”. Determine the “movement” of the first body part with respect to the second body part or the “trajectory” of the contact position when it is determined that the first body part and the second body part are in contact with each other. It is also preferable to calculate.

[Transmitter 1 and Receiver 2]
FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing a functional configuration in an embodiment of the transmission device and the reception device according to the present invention.

  According to FIG. 2, the transmission device 1 includes a first transmission unit 101 and a processor memory including a signal transmission control unit 111. The transmission apparatus 1 preferably further includes a second transmission unit 102. Here, the processor memory realizes its function by executing a program for causing the computer mounted in the transmission apparatus 1 to function.

  The signal transmission control unit 111 instructs the first transmission unit 101 to transmit a signal using the body as a propagation medium. The waveform of this signal is preferably a sine wave, but may be, for example, a sawtooth wave, a triangular wave, a trapezoidal wave, or a synthesized wave thereof. Moreover, when the 2nd transmission part 102 is installed, it is also preferable to make the 2nd transmission part 102 transmit another high frequency signal different from the high frequency signal transmitted by the 1st transmission part 101. FIG. For example, it is also preferable to transmit a signal having a frequency (eg, 1.3 GHz) different from the frequency (eg, 1 GHz) of the signal from the first transmission unit 101. As a result, the receiving device 2 can calculate the “movement” and position of the finger palm independently of each other using two types of signals, and by comparing the two and selecting one or averaging Thus, a calculation result with higher accuracy can be obtained. For example, it is also preferable to select one of the “movement” and position measured / calculated in parallel and having less noise or not showing an abnormal value.

  The 1st transmission part 101 is a means which can transmit the signal which made the body the propagation medium, and the electrode used as a transmission interface is attached to the position which can contact a body (skin). Specifically, it is also preferable that the first transmitter 101 sends a weak alternating current of, for example, 0.1 to 5 GHz that is modulated to the body, which is a dielectric, from this electrode. For example, the transmission power may be about −30 dBm (1 μW). Thus, the current method can be adopted as the signal transmission method.

  The frequency of the transmitted signal is such that the phase does not become the same for points within the movement range of the finger (first body part) on the palm (second body part). It is also preferable to set so that it can be specified. This corresponds to setting the wavelength of the signal in the body to be sufficiently larger than the movement range of the finger, but is effective when calculating the phase difference of the signal in the phase difference calculation unit 212 described later. Setting.

  The second transmission unit 102 also has the same function as the first transmission unit 101, but transmits another high-frequency signal (for example, having a different frequency) from the high-frequency signal transmitted by the first transmission unit 101. When such a second transmission unit 102 is installed, each of the first reception unit 201 and the second reception unit 202 of the reception device 2 described later includes two filters, for example, two bands having different pass bands. It is also preferable to provide a pass filter. Thereby, in each receiving part, it becomes possible to isolate | separate and process the high frequency signal transmitted from the 1st transmission part 101 and the 2nd transmission part 102. FIG. This filter may be, for example, a SAW (Surface Acoustic Wave) filter or a dielectric filter.

  In addition, it is also preferable that the transmission apparatus 1 has many more transmission parts, for example, four transmission parts. For example, the transmission device 1 is in the form of a belt wound around the wrist, and is installed so that four first to fourth transmission units that transmit different high-frequency signals (for example, frequencies) are arranged around the wrist. Is also preferable. In this case, depending on the movement of the wrist, some of the four types of signals received by the first receiving unit 201 and the second receiving unit 202 may show a large noise or an abnormal value. By excluding such problematic results and obtaining the “movement” and position of the finger palm from the normal results, a more accurate calculation result can be obtained. Here, when four transmission units are installed, it is preferable that each reception unit of the reception device 2 includes four band-pass filters having different pass bands.

  Similarly, according to FIG. 2, the reception device 2 includes a first reception unit 201, a second reception unit 202, a communication interface 203, and a processor memory. Here, the processor memory realizes its function by executing a program for causing the computer mounted in the transmission apparatus 1 to function.

  Here, the processor memory includes a contact determination unit 211, a phase difference calculation unit 212, a calibration unit 213, a motion calculation unit 214, a position calculation unit 215, a trajectory management unit 216, and an input information determination unit 217. And a communication unit 221. In addition, according to FIG. 2, the flow of the process which connected each function structure part with the arrow is understood also as one Embodiment of the input method by this invention.

  The 1st receiving part 201 and the 2nd receiving part 202 are receiving means which can receive the signal transmitted from transmitting device 1, and the electrode used as a receiving interface is attached to the position where it can contact a body (skin). Yes. Specifically, each receiving unit can detect an alternating current modulated through this electrode from a body that is a dielectric, and can measure the power, current value, or phase thereof.

  The communication interface 203 uses the input information determined by the input information determination unit 217 based on an input operation on the palm of the user's finger as an external information device, for example, a wearable device such as an HMD3, a tablet type, a notebook type, or an installation type. Send to a computer etc. The information device such as the HMD 3 that has received the input information activates an operation corresponding to the received input information, for example, activation of a predetermined application or character input.

  The contact determination unit 211 determines whether or not the transmission side is based on “change in power at different time points” and / or “power at each time point” in the signals received by the first receiving unit 201 and the second receiving unit 202. It is determined whether the first body part (the index finger of the right hand) and the second body part (the left palm) on the receiving side are in contact with or separated from each other. The “power” used for this determination may be one of the signals received by the first receiving unit 201 and the second receiving unit 202, and may be a total value (or average value) of the powers of both signals. Also good. Here, the power calculation unit 211a included in the contact determination unit 211 calculates the power value of each of the signals received by the first reception unit 201 and the second reception unit 202 or the total value (or average value) thereof.

  FIG. 3 is a graph for explaining a contact determination method in the contact determination unit 211.

  The graph of FIG. 3 repeated the state where the index finger of the right hand is in contact with the left palm (near the base of the middle finger) (contact state) and the state where the index finger is separated from the palm (non-contact state). The actual measurement value of the time change of the power (reception power) of the signal received by the first reception unit 201 is shown. The unit of the received power is decibel (dB) based on the power (transmission power) of the signal transmitted from the first transmission unit.

According to FIG. 3, the received power in the non-contact state has a value of less than about −46 dB, while the received power in the contact state has a value of about −43 dB or more. That is, there is a difference of at least about 1.25 times in received power between the contact state and the non-contact state. Therefore, contact / non-contact can be determined based on the power value at each time point. For example, as a value between the threshold T _R and -46dB and -43 dB, determines that the received power value is a contact state as long as the threshold value T _R above, with the non-contact state is less than the threshold T _R Can be determined.

As another form of contact determination, contact / non-contact can be determined based on changes in the power value at different times. For example, when the rate of change (inclination of the graph) α of the received power value is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value T _α1 (> 0), it is determined that a contact state has occurred, and is less than the predetermined threshold value T _α2 (<0). In such a case, it can be determined that a non-contact state has occurred. In yet another embodiment, the rate of change of the received power value α is a predetermined threshold value T _{[alpha] 1} or more, and it is also preferable to determine that the received power value from that point is only contact with the case where the threshold T _R or . In this case, more reliable contact determination can be performed.

  Returning to FIG. 2, the phase difference calculation unit 212 calculates the phase difference of the signals received by the first reception unit 201 and the second reception unit 202. Next, calculation of the phase difference will be described.

  FIG. 4 is a graph for explaining a phase difference between signals received by the first receiving unit 201 and the second receiving unit 202 when the transmitting-side finger is in contact with the receiving-side palm.

  First, it is assumed that the sine wave signal shown in FIG. This signal reaches the first receiving unit via the finger-to-palm path P1-P2 (FIG. 1A) and is received as a sine wave signal of the same frequency shown in FIG. 4B. This received signal has a phase difference (90 ° in FIG. 4B) corresponding to a time delayed by the amount propagated through the path P1-P2. Here, this phase difference is observed as a deviation from the time when the transmission signal becomes maximum (or minimum) at the time when the reception signal becomes maximum (or minimum). Similarly, a sine wave signal having the same frequency that has reached the second receiver via the finger-to-palm path P1-P3 (FIG. 1A) also corresponds to the delay time as shown in FIG. 4C. Phase difference (180 ° in FIG. 4C).

  In each receiving unit, at the time of calibration (or at the time of product shipment), the phase reference is set as indicated by a dotted line in FIGS. 4B and 4C, and is synchronized with the signal of the transmitting unit. It is also preferable. Therefore, the phase difference between the first receiving unit 201 and the second receiving unit 202 can be regarded as a difference between the phase of the received signal and the phase at the time of calibration (or at the time of product shipment).

Here, the phase difference between the two signals is also different by the difference in the path length (and the dielectric state of the path) depending on the contact position of the finger. As a result, the difference in phase difference between the two signals (180 ° − 90 ° = 90 °). Specifically, the difference dp of phase difference between the two signals, the time of the maximum of the signal received by the first receiver and t _1, the time of the maximum of the signal received by the second receiving unit and t _2, the received signal If the period of Tr is Tr,
(1) dp = 360 ° × (t ₂ −t ₁ ) / Tr
Can be calculated as The time change of the phase difference difference dp is calculated, and information in which the phase difference difference dp is associated with each time point can be determined as “movement” of the palm of the finger. When calculating the phase difference or the phase difference described above, a local minimum time may be used instead of the local maximum time. Further, even when the signal waveform is other than a sine wave, for example, a sawtooth wave, a triangular wave, a trapezoidal wave, or a composite wave thereof, the phase difference or the phase difference difference can be calculated in the same manner.

  Returning to FIG. 2, the calibration unit 213 is based on the phase difference of signals at each of a plurality of contact positions (calibration points) of the first body part (index finger of the right hand) with respect to the second body part (left palm). Thus, a “calibration result” that associates the plurality of calibration points with the phase difference is generated and held. Here, the calibration result holding unit 213a of the calibration unit 213 stores and holds the “calibration result”.

  FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of the palm showing the calibration points used for calibration.

  According to FIG. 5, four first to fourth calibration points are shown on the left palm. In the present embodiment, the left palm is an area in which any trajectory, character, symbol or figure can be drawn with the index finger of the right hand, and the first to fourth calibration points are the left palm area. It is the vertex of a quadrilateral with many parts inside.

  During calibration, the user sequentially brings the index finger of the right hand into contact with four positions that form approximately rectangular vertices near the four corners on the left palm. The four positions determined by the user are the first to fourth calibration points. For example, the first calibration point, the second calibration point, the third calibration point, and the fourth calibration point shown in FIG. 5 may be contacted in this order. At this time, the movement from one calibration point to the next calibration point is preferably performed while the index finger is separated from the palm.

  Here, returning to FIG. 2, the calibration unit 213 receives the reception at the first reception unit 201 and the second reception unit 202 at the time of each contact determination when the four contact determinations are made sequentially after the start of the calibration process. Acquire and store information on the phase (and power) of the signal. Thereby, a “calibration result” in which a plurality of calibration points (first to fourth calibration points) and phase differences are associated with each other is generated.

  The number of calibration points is preferably four or more, but may be two. Further, the number of reception units included in the transmission device 2 is not necessarily limited to two, and may be three, four, or more, for example. As described above, various combinations of the number of receiving units and the number of calibration points can be employed.

  The calibration is preferably performed periodically or as appropriate. Since the body's dielectric properties can change over time, calibration also serves to compensate for the change. In the present embodiment, it is possible to easily perform calibration using a body part used at the time of input operation without using any special external device. Here, it is also preferable that the receiving device 2 enters the calibration mode and can execute the calibration process by performing a preset “movement” for changing the mode on the palm with a finger.

  Returning to FIG. 2, the motion calculation unit 214 calculates the relative “movement” between the first body part (the index finger of the right hand) and the second body part (the left palm) and the first reception unit 201 and the first body part. 2 Calculated based on a change in phase difference of the signal received by the receiving unit 202 Here, in particular, it is preferable to calculate a relative “movement” when the determination information that the first body part and the second body part are in contact is input from the contact determination unit 211. Further, the phase difference information of the signal is acquired from the phase difference calculation unit 212.

  Further, the motion calculation unit 214 determines that the first body part (forefinger of the right hand) with respect to the second body part (left palm) based on the “phase difference” of the received signal and the “power” of the received signal. “Motion” may be calculated.

  FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram for explaining the relationship between the calculated phase difference and the “movement” of the first body part with respect to the second body part.

  According to FIG. 6, the contour of the phase difference at the first receiving unit 201 centered on the position of the first receiving unit 201 and the second receiving unit 202 centered on the position of the second receiving unit 202. Contour circles of the phase difference are shown. A point on one contour circle can be a position that takes a certain phase difference, and can be a position that is separated from the position of the receiver at the center of the circle by a distance corresponding to the radius of the contour circle.

  Here, consider a case where the index finger (first body part) of the right hand is in contact with the left palm (second body part). Assuming that the phase difference of the first receiver 201 is 76.8 ° and the phase difference of the second receiver 202 is 50.4 °, the contact point of the finger has two contour circles corresponding to the respective phase differences ( This is the intersection of the solid line circles in FIG.

  Next, it is assumed that the finger moves on the palm, the phase difference at the first receiving unit 201 becomes 69.6 °, and the phase difference at the second receiving unit 202 becomes 69.6 °. This change is due to the fact that the phase difference becomes larger (smaller) as the path length from the contact point to each receiving unit becomes longer (shorter). The contact point after the movement is an intersection of two contour circles (dotted circles in FIG. 6) corresponding to the phase differences after the change. As described above, the movement of the contact point, that is, the “movement” of the finger can be calculated by obtaining the “change in phase difference” in the first receiving unit 201 and the second receiving unit 202.

  Returning to FIG. 2, the position calculation unit 215 receives the position of the first body part (index finger of the right hand) relative to the second body part (left palm) by the first reception unit 201 and the second reception unit 202. Calculation is performed based on the phase difference of the obtained signals. In particular, the position calculation unit 215 preferably calculates the position using the “calibration result” generated by the calibration unit 215 based on the phase difference.

  FIG. 7 is a graph for explaining an example in the method of calculating the position of the contact point using the calibration result relating to the phase difference.

  FIG. 7 shows the positions of the first receiving unit 201, the second receiving unit 202, the first calibration point, the second calibration point, the third calibration point, and the fourth calibration point. Further, the phase difference at the first receiving unit 201 when the first body part (the index finger of the right hand) contacts the first calibration point is 24.0 °, and the phase difference at the second receiving unit 202 is 75.9. °. At the second calibration point, the phase difference at the first receiving unit 201 was 75.9 °, and the phase difference at the second receiving unit 202 was 24.0 °. The third calibration point was 120.0 ° and 139.9 °, respectively, and the fourth calibration point was 139.9 ° and 120.0 °, respectively.

  Here, the index finger (first body part) of the right hand is in contact with the left palm (second body part). At this time, the phase difference at the first receiving unit 201 is 58.6 °, and the second receiving unit Is a phase difference of 67.3 °. Hereinafter, the contact position of the finger is calculated using the calibration results at the four calibration points.

  First, considering an axis connecting the first calibration point and the second calibration point, a position 31 on this axis corresponding to the phase difference (58.6 °) in the first receiving unit 201 is calculated. Similarly, considering an axis connecting the first calibration point and the third calibration point, a position 32 on this axis corresponding to the phase difference (58.6 °) in the first receiving unit 201 is calculated. Here, the calculated position on the straight line passing through the position 31 and the position 32 can be approximated as a position substantially corresponding to the phase difference (58.6 °) in the first receiving unit 201. The reason why the first calibration point and the third calibration point are used as one combination of calibration points related to the first receiving unit 201 is that both calibration points are calibration points on the first receiving unit 201 side.

  Next, considering the axis connecting the first calibration point and the second calibration point, the position 41 on this axis corresponding to the phase difference (67.3 °) in the second receiving unit 202 is calculated. Similarly, considering an axis connecting the second calibration point and the fourth calibration point, a position 42 on this axis corresponding to the phase difference (67.3 °) at the second receiving unit 202 is calculated. Here, the calculated position on the straight line passing through the position 41 and the position 42 can be approximated as a position substantially corresponding to the phase difference (67.3 °) in the second receiving unit 202. The reason why the second calibration point and the fourth calibration point are used as one combination of calibration points related to the second receiving unit 202 is that both calibration points are calibration points on the second receiving unit 202 side.

  Finally, the intersection of the calculated straight line corresponding to the phase difference (58.6 °) at the first receiving unit 201 and the straight line corresponding to the phase difference (67.3 °) at the second receiving unit 202 is determined as the contact point. Position. In this way, by interpolating using the calibration value of the phase difference at each calibration point, the finger contact position can be calculated from the phase difference between the first receiving unit 201 and the second receiving unit 202.

  Returning to FIG. 2, the position calculation unit 215 determines the first body part (the index finger of the right hand) by the “power” calculated by the power calculation unit 211a in addition to the reception “phase difference” described above. The position relative to the second body part (left palm) can be calculated. Specifically, the position calculation unit 215 receives the position of the first body part (the index finger of the right hand) relative to the second body part (the left palm) by the first reception unit 201 and the second reception unit 202. It is also preferable to calculate based on both the phase difference and power of the signal. Furthermore, the position calculation unit 215 preferably calculates the position using the “calibration result” generated by the calibration unit 215 based on the phase difference and the power.

  FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram for explaining the relationship between the calculated magnitude of power and the “movement” of the first body part relative to the second body part.

  According to FIG. 8, the contour of the received power at the first receiving unit 201 centered on the position of the first receiving unit 201 and the second receiving unit 202 centered on the position of the second receiving unit 202. Contour circles of received power are shown. A point on one contour circle can be a position that takes a certain received power value, and can be a position that is separated from the position of the center of the circle by a distance corresponding to the radius of the contour circle.

  Here, consider a case where the index finger (first body part) of the right hand is in contact with the left palm (second body part). If the received power of the first receiving unit 201 is −46.0662 dB and the received power of the second receiving unit 202 is −42.2973 dB, the contact point of the finger has two contours corresponding to the respective received powers. This is the intersection of the circles (solid circles in FIG. 8).

  Next, it is assumed that the finger moves on the palm, the received power at the first receiving unit 201 is −45.4856 dB, and the received power at the second receiving unit 202 is −44.4856 dB. This change is due to the fact that the degree of signal attenuation increases (decreases) and the decrease in received power increases (decreases) as the path length from the contact point to each receiving unit becomes longer (shorter). The contact point after the movement is an intersection of two contour circles (dotted circles in FIG. 8) corresponding to the received power after the change. As described above, the movement of the contact point, that is, the “movement” of the finger can be calculated by obtaining “change in received power” in the first receiving unit 201 and the second receiving unit 202.

  FIG. 9 is a graph for explaining an example in the method of calculating the position of the contact point using the calibration result relating to the received power.

  FIG. 9 shows the positions of the first receiving unit 201, the second receiving unit 202, the first calibration point, the second calibration point, the third calibration point, and the fourth calibration point. The received power at the first receiving unit 201 when the first body part (the index finger of the right hand) contacts the first calibration point is −38.6969 dB, and the received power at the second receiving unit 202 is It was −42.0144 dB. At the second calibration point, the reception power at the first reception unit 201 was −42.0144 dB, and the reception power at the second reception unit 202 was −38.6969 dB. The third calibration point was −43.5849 dB and −46.0215 dB, respectively, and the fourth calibration point was −46.0215 dB and −43.5849 dB, respectively.

  Here, the index finger (first body part) of the right hand contacts the left palm (second body part), and at that time, the received power at the first receiver 201 is −41.6457 dB, the second receiver Suppose the received power at -39.5827dB. Hereinafter, the contact position of the finger is calculated using the calibration results at the four calibration points.

  First, considering an axis connecting the first calibration point and the second calibration point, a position 11 on this axis corresponding to the received power value (−41.6457 dB) at the first receiving unit 201 is calculated. Similarly, considering an axis connecting the first calibration point and the third calibration point, a position 12 on this axis corresponding to the received power value (−41.6457 dB) at the first receiving unit 201 is calculated. Here, the calculated position on the straight line passing through the position 11 and the position 12 can be approximated as a position substantially corresponding to the received power value (−41.6457 dB) at the first receiving unit 201. The reason why the first calibration point and the third calibration point are used as one combination of calibration points related to the first receiving unit 201 is that both calibration points are calibration points on the first receiving unit 201 side.

  Next, considering the axis connecting the first calibration point and the second calibration point, the position 21 on this axis corresponding to the received power value (−39.5827 dB) at the second receiving unit 202 is calculated. Similarly, considering an axis connecting the second calibration point and the fourth calibration point, a position 22 on this axis corresponding to the received power value (−39.5827 dB) at the second receiving unit 202 is calculated. Here, the calculated position on the straight line passing through the position 21 and the position 22 can be approximated as a position substantially corresponding to the received power value (−39.5827 dB) at the second receiving unit 202. The reason why the second calibration point and the fourth calibration point are used as one combination of calibration points related to the second receiving unit 202 is that both calibration points are calibration points on the second receiving unit 202 side.

  Finally, the intersection of the calculated straight line corresponding to the received power value at the first receiving unit 201 (−41.6457 dB) and the straight line corresponding to the received power value at the second receiving unit 202 (−39.5827 dB) is obtained. The position of the contact point. As described above, by interpolating using the calibration value of the received power at each calibration point, the finger contact position can be calculated from the received power values at the first receiving unit 201 and the second receiving unit 202.

  The calibration result as described above may be an initial value stored in advance at the time of product shipment, for example. In this case, it is possible to calculate the contact position of the finger without performing a calibration process by the user.

Returning to FIG. 2, as yet another embodiment of the position calculation, the position calculation unit 212 relates to a signal propagation path to the first reception unit 201 and the second reception unit 202 in the left palm.
(A) When the propagation path is within a predetermined range, the position of the index finger of the right hand relative to the left palm is calculated based on the “power” of the signals received by the first receiver 201 and the second receiver 202 And
(B) In other cases (when the propagation path is outside the predetermined range), the position of the index finger of the right hand with respect to the left palm is indicated by “1” of the signals received by the first receiver 201 and the second receiver 202. It is also preferable to calculate based on “phase difference”. In general, “power” becomes weaker as a signal propagates farther away, so it can be said that it is suitable for position determination in a region near the transmission source. On the other hand, since the “phase difference” does not attenuate with the distance from the transmission source, the “phase difference” is more suitable for position determination than “power” in a region far from the transmission source.

In this case, for example, if the total value of the power of the signals received by the first receiving unit 201 and the second receiving unit 202 is less than the predetermined threshold T _A , the position is based on “power” as in (a) above. It calculates, if more than a predetermined threshold value T _a, it is also preferable to calculate the position based on the "phase difference" as described above (b).

The trajectory management unit 216 acquires a “trajectory” based on “movement” of the index finger (first body part) of the right hand with respect to the left palm (second body part). Here, the trajectory management unit 216
(A) The position (position coordinates) information at each time point calculated by the position calculation unit 215 may be input, and information that associates the position (position coordinates) for each time point may be used as “trajectory” information.
(B) “Change in phase difference” and / or “Change in power” calculated based on the phase difference and / or power (calculated by the contact determination unit 211 and / or the phase difference calculation unit 212) in the motion calculation unit ”As“ trajectory ”information by entering“ movement ”as“
(C) The “movement” calculated based on the position (position coordinates) at each time point (calculated by the position calculation section 215) in the movement calculation section 214 may be input as “trajectory” information.

The input information determination unit 217 determines input information corresponding to the calculated “movement”. In addition, the input information determination unit 217 holds a relationship between the trajectory pattern related to the “trajectory” by “movement” and predetermined “input information”, and based on this relationship, the input information corresponding to the acquired trajectory is input. It is also preferable to determine. Specifically, the input information determination unit 217
(A) Store the relationship between the phase difference and / or received power temporal change pattern (trajectory pattern) related to the “trajectory” due to “movement” and “application input information” that causes the activation or operation of a predetermined application. It is also preferable to leave
(A) It is also preferable to have a trajectory template holding unit 217a that stores a relationship between a trajectory template as a trajectory pattern related to a “trajectory” by “movement” and “application input information” that causes activation or operation of a predetermined application. ,Also,
(C) It has a character template holding unit 217b that stores a relationship between a character template as a character pattern (trajectory pattern) related to a “trajectory” by “movement” and a character, symbol, or figure as “input information”. Is also preferable.

Here, the input information determination unit 217
(A) “Change in phase difference” and / or “power change” calculated based on the phase difference and / or power (calculated by the contact determination unit 211 and / or the phase difference calculation unit 212) in the motion calculation unit 214 “Movement” as “change” may be input, and “input information” associated in advance with this “movement” may be determined,
(B) The motion calculation unit 214 inputs “movement” calculated based on the position (position coordinates) at each time point (calculated by the position calculation unit 215), and is associated with the “motion” in advance. You may decide "input information"
(C) The “input information” may be determined using the trajectory template or the character template based on the “trajectory” acquired from the “movement” (calculated by the motion calculation unit 214) in the trajectory management unit 216.

  In the above (a) and (b), “input information” is previously associated with “movement”, and a phase change and / or received power time change pattern (trajectory pattern), trajectory template or character template is used. May be. In addition, the “input information” determined using the character template in the above (c) can be, for example, a character, a symbol, a figure, or the like.

  The communication unit 221 transmits the “input information” determined by the input information determination unit 217 to an external information device such as the HMD 3. It is also preferable to perform various communications such as exchange of data and commands with this external information device.

[Input information determination method]
FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing an embodiment in which an application is activated and terminated by input information based on the “movement” calculated by the movement calculation unit 214 (FIG. 2).

According to FIG. 10, the input information determination unit 217 (FIG. 2) receives “movement” information corresponding to “◯” or “×” on the left palm with the index finger of the right hand from the motion calculation unit 214 (FIG. 2). As
(A) Time change information of the phase difference of the received signal at the first receiving unit;
(A) The time change information of the phase difference of the received signal at the second receiving unit is input.

  Here, the input information determination unit 217 associates the phase difference pattern related to “◯” with the activation of the predetermined application, and further associates the phase difference pattern related to “x” with the end of this application. I remember.

  Next, using this correspondence, based on the input information (a) and (b), the corresponding “input information” for activation or termination is determined, and this “input information” is determined as the communication unit 221 and the communication interface. It is transmitted to an external information device such as HMD3 via 203 (FIG. 2). The external information device is equipped with an application, and when “input information” determined corresponding to “○” is received, this application is started and “input” determined corresponding to “×” When the “information” is received, the running application is terminated.

As specific examples of the input processing to the application as described above, for example, there are the following two methods A and B.
<A: When a phase difference change pattern (trajectory pattern) is registered in advance>
(A1) A correct answer symbol or trajectory for determination is stored in advance in the memory of the application. For example, “◯” and “×” are stored at the time of factory shipment.
(A2) When the symbol or trajectory “◯” or the symbol or trajectory “×” as “input information” received from the receiving device 2 is the same as the registered symbol or trajectory, the application is operated.
<B: When a user registers a phase difference change pattern (trajectory pattern)>
(B1) A setup for associating the “movement” (trajectory) on the palm of the finger with the operation of the application is performed. Specifically, the time change pattern of the phase difference acquired when a circle is drawn on the palm of the hand wearing the receiving device 2 with the finger of the hand wearing the transmitting device 1 is represented by the symbol (trajectory) “○”. , Registered in association with application activation (input).
(B2) When the symbol or trajectory restored from the phase difference acquired by “movement” on the palm of the finger is the same as the registered symbol or trajectory (“◯”), the application is operated.

  In the above-described method B, a plurality of “movements” on the palm of the finger can be associated with a plurality of actions in the application by performing a plurality of setups. Further, when “trajectory” is registered in association with each other, the “trajectory” does not need to be a character or symbol that is generally used, and may be a user-specific symbol, for example.

  Such an application of the input method according to the present invention to application activation / operation can take various embodiments. For example, only when the user registers in advance a “finger” of a specific finger, a character, a symbol, or a figure, and draws the registered “movement” or character on the palm with the index finger, the application for personal authentication is It may be activated (or by inputting the identity information into the activated user authentication application) so that an external information device or a predetermined application mounted on the information device can be accessed.

  In addition, when a specific “movement” is input using a predetermined finger using the change of the length of the path P1 (FIG. 1A) depending on which finger is used in the hand wearing the transmission unit It is also possible to set so that an application for personal authentication is activated and operated.

  Furthermore, for example, if the finger is paid to the top, bottom, left, or right on the palm, the web (Web) page displayed on the information device or the page of the electronic book can be sent (turned) in a predetermined direction. Also good. Such an embodiment is also realized by inputting the generated input information to a web browser or an electronic book application.

  FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram illustrating one embodiment of a method for determining input information using a character template.

  According to FIG. 11A, in the input information determination unit 217 (FIG. 2), for each character to be recognized, a character template (..., “Hi”, “fu”, “he”, “ho”, ...) are prepared in advance. Here, “trajectory” information generated by “movement” on the palm of the finger is input from the trajectory management unit 216 (FIG. 2). This “trajectory” information includes the position coordinate value of each point on the “movement” trajectory. The input information determination unit 217 compares the position coordinate value of each point on the locus with each character (trajectory) pattern of the character template, and determines the most similar character (trajectory) as “input information”.

  Here, it is also preferable to perform template matching based on a DTW (Dynamic Time Warping) distance as a method of determining the most similar character (trajectory). Hereinafter, this method will be described.

  As shown in FIG. 11A, the input “trajectory” information includes point x (1), point x (2), point x (3),... Point x (m) (m is 2 or more). Natural number) sequence A. The character pattern of the character template is also expressed as a sequence B of points y (1), points y (2), points y (3),... Points y (n) (n is a natural number of 2 or more). . The DTW distance between the two sequences is calculated, and the character of the character template having the shortest DTW distance with the input “trajectory” information is determined as “input information”.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 11B, a time warping matrix having a distance D (i, j) between a point x (i) and a point y (j) as an (i, j) component is considered. In this matrix, consider the shortest path from D (1,1), which is the upper left (1,1) component, to D (m, n), which is the lower right (m, n) component. Here, the DTW distance D _TW (A, B) is expressed by the following equation:
(2) D _TW (A, B) = D (m, n)
Where D (i, j) = | x (i) -y (j) | + min (D (i, j-1), D (i-1, j), D (i-1, j-1 )
D (0,0) = 0, D (i, 0) = D (0, j) = ∞
i = 1,2, ..., m, j = 1,2, ..., n
It is represented by

That is, the DTW distance D _TW (A, B) starts from D (1,1) which is the upper left (1,1) component and D (m, n) which is the lower right (m, n) component. In the meantime, the value of one component D (i, j) that has been reached is calculated by using the smallest result among the immediately preceding components.

  Of course, the method for obtaining the character (trajectory) of the character template most similar to the “trajectory” information is not limited to the method using the DTW distance described above. For example, various known methods for measuring the degree of similarity between time series data can be applied.

  As described above in detail, according to the input system and the input method of the present invention, the relative “movement” between the first body part (the index finger of the right hand) and the second body part (the left palm). Is calculated based on the change in the phase difference of the signals received by the plurality of receiving units. Thus, for example, while tracing the left palm with the index finger of the right hand, this index finger is moved in a predetermined direction, or a predetermined path, character, symbol, figure, etc. is drawn with this index finger, and the direction of these movements , Trajectories, characters, symbols, graphics, and the like can be used as input information to an external information device, for example. As a result, for example, desired input information can be generated without requiring a device having a region for drawing a locus such as a touch panel.

  Further, for example, “movement” and further “trajectory” are calculated by the change of the contact position on the palm of the finger, and therefore, for example, the change of the finger orientation itself does not affect the “movement”. As a result, desired input information can be generated even if the orientation of the body part used for input changes.

  Furthermore, since the input system according to the present invention can generate input information only by moving a body part without using a special external device or apparatus, for example, an input system for a wearable computer such as an HMD or a wristwatch type apparatus. As very suitable.

  For the various embodiments of the present invention described above, various changes, modifications, and omissions in the technical idea and scope of the present invention can be easily made by those skilled in the art. The above description is merely an example, and is not intended to be restrictive. The invention is limited only as defined in the following claims and the equivalents thereto.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Transmission apparatus 101 1st transmission part 102 2nd transmission part 111 Signal transmission control part 2 Reception apparatus 201 1st reception part 202 2nd reception part 203 Communication interface 211 Contact determination part 211a Power calculation part 212 Phase difference calculation part 213 Calibration part 213a Calibration result holding unit 214 Motion calculation unit 215 Position calculation unit 216 Trajectory management unit 217 Input information determination unit 217a Trajectory template holding unit 217b Character template holding unit 221 Communication unit 221
3 HMD

Claims (9)

At least one transmitter capable of transmitting a signal using the body as a propagation medium;
At least two receiving units capable of receiving the signal;
A phase difference calculating means for calculating a phase difference between the signals received by the at least two receiving units;
Wherein a position of the first body part can output a site outside the signal transmitted from the at least one transmission unit, enter the person said signal to said at least two in the site so as to be received by the receiver The position of the first body part with respect to the second body part that can be obtained is determined when the propagation path of the signal to the at least two receiving units in the second body part is within a predetermined range. Position calculation means for calculating based on the power of the signal received by the two receiving units; otherwise, calculating based on the phase difference of the signal received by the at least two receiving units;
Based on the position calculated at each time point, a motion calculating means for de San motion relative to the second body part of the first body part,
An input system comprising: input information determining means for determining input information corresponding to the calculated motion. A trajectory management means for acquiring a trajectory due to movement of the first body part relative to the second body part;
The input information determination means holds a relationship between a locus pattern related to a locus caused by the movement and predetermined input information, and determines input information corresponding to the acquired locus based on the relationship. The input system according to claim 1.   The input information determination means holds a relationship between a trajectory pattern related to a trajectory caused by the movement and application input information that causes activation or operation of a predetermined application, and an application input corresponding to the acquired trajectory based on the relationship The input system according to claim 2, wherein the information is determined.   The input information determining means holds a relationship between a trajectory pattern related to a trajectory caused by the movement and characters, symbols, or figures as input information, and based on the relationship, a character, a symbol, or a character corresponding to the acquired trajectory is stored. 4. The input system according to claim 2, wherein a figure is determined. Calibration that generates and holds a calibration result that associates the plurality of positions with the phase difference based on the phase difference of the signal at each of the plurality of positions of the first body part with respect to the second body part. Further comprising means,
In the other cases , the position calculation means calculates the position of the first body part relative to the second body part using the calibration result and the position of the signal received by the at least two receiving units. The input system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the input system is calculated based on a phase difference. The first body part and the second body part are in contact with each other based on a change in power at different time points and / or power at each time point in the signals received by the at least two receiving units. Contact determining means for determining whether or not
The motion calculation means any of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that to calculate the relative movement of the time of the first body part and said second body part is determined to be in contact The input system according to claim 1. The movement calculating means calculates the movement of the first body part relative to the second body part based on the calculated phase difference and the power of the signal received by the at least two receiving units. The input system according to any one of claims 1 to 6 , characterized in that: The input system according to any one of claims 1 to 7 , further comprising an input information transmission unit configured to transmit the determined input information to an external device. An input method in an input system capable of determining input information by movement of a body part,
The input system includes at least one transmission unit and at least two reception units,
The input method is:
A first step of transmitting a signal using the body as a propagation medium from the at least one transmitter;
A second step of receiving the signal by the at least two receiving units;
A third step of calculating a phase difference between the signals received by the at least two receiving units;
Wherein a position of the first body part can output a site outside the signal transmitted from the at least one transmission unit, enter the person said signal to said at least two in the site so as to be received by the receiver The position of the first body part with respect to the second body part that can be obtained is determined when the propagation path of the signal to the at least two receiving units in the second body part is within a predetermined range. A fourth step of calculating based on the power of the signal received by the two receiving units, otherwise calculating based on the phase difference of the signal received by the at least two receiving units;
Based on the position calculated at each time point, a fifth step of de San motion relative to the second body part of the first body part,
And a sixth step of determining input information corresponding to the calculated motion.

Images