JPH02201525A - Picture input device provided with coordinate input function - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve the operability by incorporating a coordinate input mechanism independently of a picture input mechanism and controlling this coordinate input mechanism with a rotating ball for coordinate input. CONSTITUTION:A picture input mechanism 3 and a coordinate input mechanism 4 are incorporated in a device main body independently of each other. Respective input operations of these mechanisms are performed in the same manner as conventional picture input mechanism and coordinate input mechanism provided independently of each other, that is, a picture is inputted by the moving operation of the device main body 2 due to a rotating roll 6, and coordinates are inputted by the rotating operation of a rotating ball 7. Thus, the operability is improved though one device is provided with plural functions.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] (a) Industrial application field This invention is an image input device that converts an image into an electric signal by manual operation, and a coordinate input mechanism that converts the amount of displacement of coordinates into an electric signal. The present invention relates to an image input device.

(B) Conventional technology In conventional computer systems, the input devices for coordinates and images are separate, and when attempting to use both input devices together, the cables of both input devices often get tangled. , it was inconvenient to handle.

Furthermore, as personal computers continue to become smaller, the use of a plurality of six auxiliary input devices as described above results in a lack of storage and portability.

In view of this, an image display device that can also be used for inputting coordinates, such as the one described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 134830/1983, has been proposed.

The device described in this publication reads changes in the pitch pattern due to the movement of the input device by placing the input device on a mat on which pitch lines are drawn in a predetermined pitch pattern and manually moving the input device. Obtain the rotation amount of the rotation roll for image input using the same processing method as for image input, and calculate X from both data.

It is configured to generate a coordinate input signal in the Y direction.

(c) Problems to be Solved by the Invention However, in the device described in the above-mentioned publication, the rotating roll which serves as a traveling means and image input of the device is used for inputting images in the -linear reciprocating direction (X Since the mechanism is structured so that it is easy to move only in the axial direction, there is a problem in that coordinate input operations that give movement in the Y-axis direction with respect to this movement direction cannot be performed smoothly.

In view of the above problems, the present invention does not use an image input processing method for coordinate input like the device described in the above publication, but has a built-in coordinate input mechanism separate from the image input mechanism, and uses this for manual coordinate input. Controlled by a rotating ball, easy to operate.
The purpose is to provide an image input device with a coordinate input function.

(d) Means for Solving the Problems This invention provides a device main body that includes a rotating ball for coordinate input that is rotated by manual operation, a coordinate input mechanism controlled by the ball, and this coordinate input mechanism and image input. The present invention is characterized by an image input device having a coordinate input function and integrally equipped with input mode switching means for switching and selecting a mechanism.

(E) Effect According to the present invention, when an image input mode is selected by the input mode switching means and the main body of the apparatus is moved by the rotating roll, the image input mechanism executes image input according to the amount of movement, Furthermore, when the coordinate input mode is selected and the rotational ball for coordinate input is operated to rotate, the coordinate input device executes coordinate input according to the amount of rotation operation.

(f) Effects of the invention In this way, the image input mechanism and the coordinate input mechanism are built into the main body of the device as separate units, and input operations for each function can be performed using the image input device and coordinate input, which were previously independent. Since it can be performed using the same operations as the device (that is, moving the device main body using a rotating roll when inputting an image, and rotating the rotating ball when inputting coordinates), the operability of each function input is improved.

(g) Examples Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of an image input device having a coordinate input function according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a schematic side view thereof.

The image input device (hereinafter referred to as input device) 1 equipped with this coordinate input function has an image input mechanism 3 built into the device body 2, and a coordinate input mechanism 4 separate from this mechanism.
is built in using an unused rear space of the case, and a switch 5 for switching and selecting both mechanisms 3 and 4 is provided on the top surface of the main body 1 of the device.

At the bottom of the image input mechanism 3 of the device main body 2, a rotating roll 6 that pops out downward from the device main body when image input is selected is mounted, and the coordinate input mechanism 4 is equipped with a rotating ball 7 for inputting coordinates. , when image input is selected, the rotating ball is drawn into the storage chamber 8 of the device main body 2, and as image input is selected, the rotating ball jumps out from the storage chamber 8 to the bottom of the device main body, and in conjunction with this, ξ The rotating roll 6 is configured to be drawn into the apparatus main body 2.

That is, as shown in FIG. 3A, a seesaw member 10 is provided in the main body 2 of the apparatus, and the seesaw member 10 holds the fulcrum shaft 9 between the rotating roll 6 and the rotating ball 7. The rotating roll 6 is held at one end of the seesaw member 10, and the rotating ball 7 is held at the other end.
When image input is selected, the rotating roll 6 is pushed out from the lower surface 12 of the device case and the rotating ball 7 is retracted, as shown in FIG. When the switch 5 is pressed down to select manual power, the force causes the rotating roll 6 and the rotating ball 7 to perform a seesaw movement so as to reverse the positional relationship as shown in FIG. 3.

As is well known, the rotating ball 7 is held so as to be able to freely rotate around its center, and the ball holding portion 13 shown in FIG. 1 maintains the free rotation using the force of the spring 14. There is. Further, the rotation of the rotating ball 7 is decomposed into coordinate displacement amounts on the X and Y axes, which are taken out by rotating rollers 15 and 16, and converted into pulse signals by rotary encoders 17 and 18 coaxial with each roller. It is input to the input mechanism 4. Similarly, the rotation of the rotating roll 6 is input to the image input mechanism 3.

FIG. 4 shows a control circuit, and the operation of the input device 1 will be explained using this diagram. When the image input mode shown in FIG. 3A is selected by the switch 5, the switching circuit 20 is The image input circuit 21
An image input mechanism 3 including an image processing circuit 22 is connected to a computer 24 via a cable 23. Therefore, when the input device 1 is moved while rotating the rotary roll 6, image data corresponding to the amount of rotation is extracted by the optical system of the image input mechanism 3 and transmitted to the computer 24.

On the other hand, when the coordinate manual mode in the state shown in FIG. 3 is switched and selected, the coordinate input circuit 25 and the coordinate data processing circuit 26
A coordinate input mechanism 4 including a coordinate input mechanism 4 is connected to a computer 24 via a cable 23. Therefore, when the input device 1 is moved so as to rotate the rotating ball 7, the coordinate input mechanism 4 processes the output signals of the rotary encoders 17 and 18, which resolve the rotational motion components of the rotating ball, and transmits the processed signals to the computer 24.

As described above, the image input operation method and coordinate manual operation method of the present invention can be applied to conventional image input devices (image scanners),
Because it is exactly equivalent to a coordinate input device (mouse),
- Although the device has multiple functions, its operability is extremely good.

Furthermore, since the image signal and the coordinate signal can be transmitted to the computer 24 through the same signal line, and only one cable 23 is required, the cables do not get entangled with each other, making handling easier.

In addition, the interface on the computer 24 side can be unified, and multiple functions can be provided to the computer 24 to improve storage and portability of input devices, and the purchase cost can be reduced compared to when multiple input devices are provided. It's coming low.

5 and 6 show another embodiment of the present invention, in which a rotating ball 7 for inputting coordinates is provided on the upper surface of the device main body 2, so that coordinates can be input without moving the entire input device 1. It is configured as follows. Therefore, in the case of this embodiment, the mechanism for reversibly raising and lowering the rotary roll 6 and rotary ball 7 by means of the seesaw member 10 of FIG. 3A is unnecessary, and the structure is simplified.

In the correspondence between the configuration of the present invention and the above-described embodiments, the image input device with the coordinate input function of the present invention corresponds to the input bag W1 of the embodiment, and similarly, the device main body is connected to the device main body 2. Correspondingly, the image input mechanism corresponds to the image input mechanism 3, the coordinate input mechanism corresponds to the coordinate input mechanism 4, the input mode switching means corresponds to the switch 5, and the rotation roll for image input corresponds to the rotation roll. 6, and the rotating ball for coordinate input corresponds to the rotating ball 7. However, the configuration of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The drawings show an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 1 is a plan view of the schematic configuration of the input device, FIG. 2 is a side view of the same schematic configuration, and FIG. FIG. 4 is a control circuit diagram, FIG. 5 is a schematic plan view of another embodiment, and FIG. 6 is a side view of another embodiment. 1... Input device 2... Device body 3...
Image input mechanism 4...Coordinate input mechanism 5...Switch 6...Rotating roll 7...Rotating ball Figure 3 included υ motor switching 0 operation stamp diagram (A) (B)

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) An image input device that uses an image input mechanism built into the device main body to input images with an image input rotary roll that rotates as the device main body runs, and the device main body has coordinates rotated by manual operation. An image input device having a coordinate input function, which is integrally equipped with a rotating ball for input, a coordinate input mechanism controlled by the ball, and an input mode switching means for switching and selecting between this coordinate input mechanism and the image input mechanism. Device.