JP6593864B2 - Non-contact input system and optical input device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a non-contact type input system for performing an input operation using light, and an optical input device used therefor.

  In recent years, in order to ensure food safety, food manufacturers have begun to adopt a food hygiene management system called “HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point)”. In HACCP, important control points are set in each process such as arrival of raw materials, production of food, and shipment, and monitoring and recording are performed at the set important control points.

  The recording at the important control point is usually performed by an operator's input operation via a keyboard, recording on a recording sheet, or the like. However, in order to perform these operations, the operator needs to attach and detach gloves and disinfect the hands. Therefore, the recording at the important control point is a troublesome work for the worker, and there is a possibility that the work efficiency is lowered.

  In order to solve such a problem, for example, a system that enables non-contact input operation has been proposed (for example, see Non-Patent Document 1). Specifically, the system disclosed in Non-Patent Document 1 is composed of an infrared light source that emits infrared light at the user's hand, two infrared cameras installed on the ceiling, a computer, and a display device. ing.

  With this configuration, the computer can detect the position of the user's finger based on the image taken by the infrared camera. Therefore, when the user moves his / her finger up / down / left / right in front of the screen, the computer moves the cursor on the screen according to the detected position of the finger. When the user moves his / her finger back and forth, the computer determines that a selection operation has been performed.

  As described above, according to the system disclosed in Non-Patent Document 1, the user can perform an input operation without touching the input device or the like, so that the above-described problem can be solved.

Takenaka Corporation “Developed a non-contact input device that allows users to click on the display from a distance” “Hand Pointing System” exhibited at the “International Food Industry Exhibition”, [online], June 5, 1998, Takenaka Corporation Store, [Search March 6, 2015], Internet <URL: http: //www.takenaka.co.jp/news/pr9806/m9806_02.htm>

  However, the system disclosed in Non-Patent Document 1 has a problem that it is necessary to first install an infrared camera on the ceiling, and the cost for introduction is very high. In addition, since it is necessary to perform operations in a space, it is difficult for an operator to determine where the space can be operated, so there is a problem that the input of the operation is not reliable and the operability is poor. is there.

  An example of an object of the present invention is a non-contact type that can improve the operability by improving the certainty of operation input while suppressing the introduction cost when solving the above-mentioned problems and realizing non-contact input. An input system and an optical input device used therefor are provided.

In order to achieve the above object, a non-contact input system according to one aspect of the present invention includes:
An optical input device and a receiving device;
The light input device includes a light source, and an attachment member for mounting the light source on an operator's head,
The receiving device is:
A light receiving unit that receives light emitted from the light source, and a signal output unit that outputs a signal in response to light reception in the light receiving unit,
It is characterized by that.

In order to achieve the above object, an optical input device according to one aspect of the present invention includes:
A light source and an attachment member for mounting the light source directly or indirectly on an operator's head are provided.

  As described above, according to the present invention, when realizing non-contact input, it is possible to improve the operability by increasing the certainty of the operation input while suppressing the introduction cost.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an external configuration of a non-contact input system and an optical input device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of the non-contact input system and the optical input device in the embodiment of the present invention.

(Embodiment)
Hereinafter, a non-contact type input system and an optical input device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

  First, the external configuration of the non-contact input system and the optical input device in this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an external configuration of a non-contact input system and an optical input device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the non-contact input system 100 according to the present embodiment includes an optical input device 10 and a receiving device 20. Among these, the optical input device 10 includes a light source 11 and an attachment member 12. The attachment member 12 is used for mounting the light source 11 on the head of the operator 30. The receiving device 20 includes a light receiving unit 21 that receives light emitted from the light source 11 and a signal output unit (not shown in FIG. 1) that outputs a signal in response to light received by the light receiving unit 21. .

  Thus, in the present embodiment, when the operator 30 emits light from the optical input device 10 mounted on the head toward the receiving device 20, the receiving device 20 receives the light and receives the received light. A signal is output in response to. That is, the operator 30 can perform an input operation without contact without using a hand. Further, since the input device 10 and the receiving device 20 can be realized with a small and simple structure, the introduction cost can be reduced. Furthermore, the operator 30 can grasp which position is irradiated with the light spot emitted from the light source 11, so that the reliability of the operation input is improved and the operability is improved.

  Next, specific configurations of the non-contact input system and the optical input device in the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 2 in addition to FIG. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of the non-contact input system and the optical input device in the embodiment of the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the optical input device 10 includes a sensor unit 13 and a drive unit 14 in addition to the light source 11 and the attachment member 12. The sensor unit 13 detects one or both of the tilt and orientation of the optical input device 10.

  Specifically, the sensor unit 13 includes a triaxial angular velocity sensor, a triaxial acceleration sensor, and a triaxial geomagnetic sensor, and detects the inclination and orientation of the light input device 10 using these. Further, since the optical input device 10 is mounted on the head of the operator 30, the tilt and orientation detected by the sensor unit 13 correspond to the tilt and orientation of the head.

  The drive unit 14 drives the light source 11 according to the inclination and orientation detected by the sensor unit 13. For example, the drive unit 14 turns on the light source 11 when the operator 30 swings his / her head vertically twice, and turns off the light source 11 when the operator 30 swings his / her head vertically twice.

  Further, the drive unit 14 can specify the inclination of the optical axis of the light source 11 from the inclination detected by the sensor unit 13. Then, the drive unit 14 determines whether the inclination of the specified optical axis is within a range set with respect to the horizontal (a range that can be said to be substantially horizontal, for example, within a range from 5 degrees above to 5 degrees below). It can be judged. In this case, the drive unit 14 causes the light source 11 to stop emission if the optical axis is within the set range. On the other hand, the drive unit 14 causes the light source 11 to emit light if the optical axis exceeds the set range.

  In other words, if the direction of the optical axis of the light source 11 and the direction of the face of the operator 30 match, the drive unit 14 causes the operator 30 to turn the face while the power source of the light source 11 is on. If the light is directed upward or downward, the light source 11 can emit light. Further, the drive unit 14 can cause the light source 11 to stop emitting light when the operator 30 faces the face in the horizontal direction.

  Thus, in the present embodiment, the sensor unit 13 and the drive unit 14 allow the operator 30 to control the light input device 10 by changing the tilt or orientation of the neck without using a hand. it can. For this reason, the operability is improved and the situation where light is unnecessarily emitted from the optical input device 10 is avoided, and safety between operators is ensured.

  The sensor unit 13 may detect only the tilt or the direction of the optical input device 10. In this case, the drive unit 14 drives the light source 11 based on only the tilt or only the direction.

  In the present embodiment, a laser light source that emits laser light is used as the light source 11. However, the light source 11 is not limited as long as it is a light source capable of emitting light with secured directivity.

  In the present embodiment, the mounting member 12 has a structure in which the head is sandwiched by elastic force, but the structure of the mounting member 12 is not particularly limited. The attachment member 12 may have a structure that is hooked on the ear of the operator 30 or may have a structure that is attached to the eyewear of the operator 30.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, in the present embodiment, the receiving device 20 includes a plurality of light receiving units 21, a display unit 22, and a signal output unit 23. Moreover, these are accommodated in the housing | casing 20a.

  When the light receiving unit 21 receives the light emitted from the light input device 10, it outputs a signal indicating that the light has been received. Specifically, the light receiving unit 21 includes a photodiode, and the photodiode outputs a voltage signal whose level changes according to the intensity of the received light. Therefore, when a photodiode is used as the light receiving unit 21, the light receiving unit 21 outputs a voltage signal having a level equal to or higher than a set value as a signal indicating that light has been received.

  Each light receiving unit 21 is arranged such that the light receiving surface is exposed from the housing 20a. Furthermore, an operation is assigned to each light receiving unit 21, and as shown in FIG. 1, a symbol indicating the assigned operation is given beside each light receiving unit 21 in the housing 20 a.

  Since the signal output unit 23 is assigned a different operation for each light receiving unit 21, the signal output unit 23 outputs a different signal for each light receiving unit 21 according to light reception. Specifically, when a signal indicating that light is received from the light receiving unit 21 that has received light from the optical input device 10, the signal output unit 23 performs an operation assigned to the light receiving unit 21. Outputs the specified signal.

  In the present embodiment, the receiving device 20 is connected to the management device 30 as shown in FIG. Therefore, the signal output unit 23 outputs a signal specifying the above-described operation to the computer 40.

  The computer 40 receives an operation specified by the output signal and executes various processes according to the received operation. Moreover, the computer 40 can display various information on the display unit 22 of the receiving device 20 according to the content of the processing.

  A specific example of the computer 40 is a computer used for management in a food manufacturing process. In this case, for example, the computer 40 causes the display unit 22 to display items to be recorded, a message for prompting recording, and the like. A specific example of the display unit 22 is a liquid crystal display panel.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, the operator 30 can perform an input operation on the computer 40 without using a hand. For this reason, if the non-contact type input system 100 in this Embodiment is used for the manufacturing process of a foodstuff, for example, an operator can perform required recording, without attaching / detaching gloves. In addition, the non-contact type input system 100 according to the present embodiment can be used without particular limitation as long as the operator needs to perform an input operation without using a hand.

  As described above, according to the present invention, when realizing non-contact input, it is possible to improve the operability by increasing the certainty of the operation input while suppressing the introduction cost. The present invention is particularly useful in the food field.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Optical input device 11 Light source 12 Mounting member 13 Sensor unit 14 Drive part 20 Receiving device 21 Light receiving part 22 Display part 30 Operator 40 Computer

Claims (3)

And a light source,
A mounting member for mounting the light source on the operator's head ;
A sensor unit for detecting tilt or orientation or both;
When it is determined that the operator is pointing the face upward or downward based on the detected inclination and / or orientation, the light source is driven, and the operator is pointing the face horizontally. A light input device having a drive unit that stops driving the light source and ensures safety between the operators,
Has a light receiving portion for receiving the light emitted from the front Symbol light source and a signal output section for outputting a signal in response to receiving at the light receiving portion, and the receiving device,
A non-contact type input system comprising: The receiving device includes a plurality of the light receiving units,
The signal output unit outputs a different signal according to light reception for each of the plurality of light receiving units.
The non-contact input system according to claim 1. A light source;
A mounting member for mounting the light source directly or indirectly on an operator's head;
A sensor unit for detecting tilt or orientation or both;
When it is determined that the operator faces the face upward or downward using the detected inclination and / or orientation, the light source is driven and the operator turns the face horizontally. A drive unit that stops driving the light source and ensures safety between the operators,
An optical input device comprising:

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