JPH0322015A - Three-dimensional instructing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To easily execute instructing operation without fail by spuriously reproducing drag to be generated when the instructing position of a three- dimensional instructing device is in contact with a solid object. CONSTITUTION:A position sensor 1-5 of a three-dimensional digitizer, aperture sensor 1-6 and side brake 1-4 are fitted to a bivalve-shaped pseudo drag generat ing part 1. When a position shown by the position sensor 1-5 and aperture shown by the aperture sensor 1-6 mean that the thumb and forefinger of a user pickup an imaginary solid object, the side brake 1-4 is immediately operat ed. In such a case, since the side brake 1-4 is operated with the aperture corre sponding to the size of the imaginary solid object, the pseudo drag is transmitted to the thumb and forefinger of the operator like picking-up the imaginary solid object. Since there is no braking effect for the side brake 1-4 a direction to open the pseudo drag generation part 1, no drag is transmitted when the opera tor separates the imaginary solid object. Thus, the imaginary solid object can be easily operated without fail.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (1) Technical field to which the invention pertains The present invention relates to a three-dimensional pointing device for pointing to an arbitrary part of a virtual three-dimensional object displayed as computer graphics or the like.

(2) Conventional technology A virtual three-dimensional object is projected and displayed on the display screen of a computer using computer graphics. Furthermore, as three-dimensional pointing methods for pointing to any part of a three-dimensional object projected and displayed, there are two-dimensional pointing devices such as a mouse, and three-dimensional digitizers that use magnetism or ultrasonic waves. Ta.

In a method that uses a mouse, when you move the mouse while holding down the button on the mouse, the coordinate values output by the mouse are assumed to be in the depth direction. When the button is not pressed, the coordinate values output by the mouse are normal two-dimensional coordinate values, and the indicated position in three-dimensional space is displayed on the screen from these coordinate values. The indicated position is indicated by an arrow, etc., but since this alone makes it unclear where the indicated position is in three-dimensional space, it is now possible to view the display screen stereoscopically using liquid crystal shutters, polarized glasses, etc. The indicated position is displayed in 3D. However, this method of specifying a pointing position with a mouse has the disadvantage that mouse button operations are complicated.

On the other hand, in the case of a three-dimensional digitizer that uses magnetism or ultrasonic waves, the sensor is held in the hand. It directly points to a three-dimensional space and reads its coordinate values. The method using a 3D digitizer directly indicates the 3D space, so there is no need to press buttons. However, even if the arrow representing the indicated position touches a three-dimensional object displayed on the screen. A three-dimensional digitizer does not reproduce the drag caused by touching an object at all. For this reason, it has the disadvantage that it is necessary to judge only by visual inspection which part of the three-dimensional object displayed on the screen is being pointed to. In fact, it is extremely difficult to accurately determine whether or not the arrow representing the indicated position is touching the surface of a three-dimensional object just by visual inspection.

(3) Purpose of the Invention The purpose of the present invention is to simulate the drag force that occurs when the indicated position of a three-dimensional indicating device touches a three-dimensional object, thereby providing feedback of the indicated position in three-dimensional space just by visual observation. The goal is to make it possible to use the sense of touch (the sense of touch with the hand) as well as to make the instruction operation easier and more reliable.

(4) Structure of the invention (4-1) Differences between features of the invention and the prior art FIG. 1 shows an example of the structure of the pseudo drag generating section used in the present invention. Figure 1 (
A) is a side view, and Figure 1 (B) is a view of Figure 1 (A) viewed from the left side with the position sensor removed.
Figure 1 (C) shows how it is used. In the present invention, as shown in FIG. 1, a three-dimensional digitizer position sensor 1-5, opening sensor 1-6, and single-sided brake 1-4 are attached to a bivalve-shaped pseudo-drag generating section 1. The bivalve-shaped pseudo-drag generating part l has a shape that allows the operator to hold it between the thumb and forefinger. Normally, it opens and closes according to the movement (opening degree) of the operator's thumb and index finger.

A single side brake 1-4 and an opening sensor 1-6 are attached to the hinge portion (joint portion) of the pseudo drag generating portion. An image representing a hand is displayed on the display screen using computer graphics, and the thumb and index finger of the hand image open and close according to the degree of opening detected by the degree of opening sensor.

A single-sided brake is a brake mechanism that exerts a braking effect only in one direction, and does not always produce a braking effect in the opposite direction. In the present invention, the braking effect is produced only in the direction in which the pseudo drag generating section closes. Assume that it does not occur in the opening direction. Single-sided brakes can be realized with a latch mechanism using serrated gears, as shown in Figure 2. The operator holds the pseudo-drag generator 1 in his hand and moves it. Performs the action of grasping a virtual three-dimensional object displayed on the screen using computer graphics, etc. with the thumb and index finger. Then, the image of the hand on the display screen is also displayed as if it were making an action of grasping the virtual three-dimensional object.

The position sensor 1-5 and the opening sensor 1-6 always output the position and opening of the pseudo drag generating section 1 in three-dimensional space. It is possible to detect whether the operator's thumb and index finger (that is, the pseudo drag generating unit 1) are grasping a virtual three-dimensional object. If the operator is not grasping the virtual three-dimensional object. Single side brake 1-4 does not operate. Therefore, the operator can freely open and close the pseudo-drag generator 1 while holding it, so no drag is transmitted to the operator's hands. If the position indicated by position sensor 1-5 and opening sensor 1-
If the opening indicated by 6 means that the user's thumb and forefinger have grasped a virtual three-dimensional object, the user immediately applies the single-sided brake 1-4. Since the single-sided brakes 1-4 operate at an opening degree that corresponds to the size of the three-dimensional object in the virtual space, the operator's thumb and index finger are subject to a pseudo drag force as if they had grasped the three-dimensional object in the virtual space. communicated. Furthermore, since the single-sided brake 1-4 has no braking effect at all in the direction in which the pseudo-drag generating section 1 opens, no drag is transmitted when the operator releases the virtual three-dimensional object.
Therefore, grab a virtual solid object. Move (or rotate)
It is possible to perform a series of operations such as pressing and releasing in a very natural manner.

If you are simply operating the position sensor and opening sensor by attaching them to your hand. Even if a hand grasps a virtual three-dimensional object, the finger passes through the area occupied by the three-dimensional object. Therefore, it is impossible to transmit the drag force generated by grasping a virtual three-dimensional object to the hand, and it is impossible to immediately and reliably inform the operator of the shape and size of the three-dimensional object that has been grasped. It was difficult.

However, in the present invention, by attaching a position sensor and an opening sensor to a bivalve-shaped pseudo-drag generator with a single-sided brake, it is possible to pseudo-transmit drag to the operator's hand. It becomes possible to easily and reliably manipulate three-dimensional objects in the virtual sky.

(4-2) Embodiment Figure 3 is a diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention, where ■ is a pseudo drag generating part, l-1 is an upper arm, 1-2 is a lower arm, and ■-3 is a joint. Department. 1-4 is a single side brake, 1-5 is a position sensor, l-6 is an opening sensor 2 is a drag control section, and 3 is an image display section. 3-1 is a display section, and 3-2 is a hand shape storage section. 3-3
3-4 is an image recording unit, and 3-4 is a virtual space occupied area storage unit.

The position sensor 1-5 is an existing 3D digitizer that uses magnetic fields, ultrasonic waves, etc. The opening sensor 1-6 is an existing sensor that uses an optical fiber or the like to detect the opening between the upper arm 1-1 and the lower arm 1-2.

Further, the hand shape storage section 3-2 stores shape information of a deformable human hand. The position coordinates of the position sensor 1-5 and the opening information of the opening sensor 1-6 are output to the drag control section 2 and the image display section 3-3 of the image display section 3.

The upper arm part 1-1 and the lower arm part i-2 of the pseudo drag generating part 1 are connected with the joint part 1-3 as a fulcrum, and the joint part 1-3
A weak force is applied by a spring or the like in the normal direction.

The image display section 3 is composed of a display section 3-1, an image control section 33, and a virtual space occupied area storage section 3-4.

Information on the area occupied by the virtual three-dimensional object displayed by the image display section 3 in three-dimensional space is stored in the virtual three-dimensional occupied area storage section 3-4.

The image production unit 3-3 reads the occupied area information of the virtual three-dimensional object stored in the virtual three-dimensional occupied area storage unit 3-4, performs projection conversion onto the screen surface and coloring process on the surface of the three-dimensional object. Image information obtained by projecting the virtual three-dimensional object onto the screen surface is generated and output to the display section 3-1.

Therefore, the image display section 3 can be easily constructed using existing computer graphics equipment. The pseudo drag generating section l includes an upper arm section 1-1, a lower arm section 1-2, a joint section l-3, a position sensor 1-5. Opening sensor l-6.
Consists of single-sided brakes 1-4. The upper arm part 1-1 and the lower arm part 1-2 are connected by a joint part 1-3, and can be opened and closed using the joint part 1-3 as a fulcrum.

In addition, a weak force is always applied to the joint portion 1-3 in the opening direction by a spring or the like, and the upper arm portion 1-1 and the lower arm portion 1-3 are constantly applied with a weak force in the opening direction.
It has a structure that opens 2. To drive this device. First, the operator supports the pseudo drag generating section 1 by placing the index finger along the upper arm section l-1 and the thumb along the lower arm section 1-2, and moves the pseudo drag generating section 1. Make movements to grasp objects.

The position sensor 1-5 detects the position coordinates and outputs them to the image generation section 3-3 and the drag control section 2.

At the same time, the opening sensor 1-6 detects the opening between the upper arm 1-1 and the lower arm toe 2, and detects the opening between the image generating section 3-3 and the drag control section 2.
Output to. The image production unit 3-3 reads the position coordinates output by the position sensor 1-5 and the opening degree output by the opening sensor 1-6, and applies the hand shape information read from the hand shape storage unit 3-2 to the corresponding position. It is deformed according to the opening degree and displayed at the corresponding position coordinates on the display section 3-1. At the same time, the image generation unit 3-3 reads the occupied area information of the virtual empty solid object from the virtual empty solid object occupied area storage unit 3-4,
Image information of the virtual three-dimensional object is generated and output to the display section 3-1. On the other hand, the drag control unit 2 reads the position coordinates output from the position sensor 1-5 and the opening output from the opening sensor 1-6. Furthermore, the occupied area information stored in the virtual space occupied area storage section 3-4 is read out. Then, the drag control unit 2 determines whether or not the operator's thumb and index finger grasp the area occupied by the virtual three-dimensional object, and immediately outputs a braking signal to the one-sided brake 1-4. When the single-sided brake 1-4 reads the braking signal, it immediately brakes the movement of the upper arm 1-1 and lower arm 1-2 in the closing direction. Further, the single-sided brake l-4 immediately stops braking if no braking signal is input. Single side brake 1
-4 is because the brake is not applied in the direction in which the upper arm 1-1 and lower arm 1-2 open. Even when the operator makes a motion to release the object, no drag is transmitted to the operator's fingers.

Because of this structure, a drag force is transmitted to the operator's thumb and index finger as if they were grasping the virtual three-dimensional object displayed on the display section 3-1. (5) Effects of the invention As explained above, according to the present invention. A three-dimensional digitizer can be given a pseudo-drag generation function, and the drag generated by the gravel gripping a virtual three-dimensional solid object displayed in computer graphics can be transmitted to the operator's hand. Therefore, the present invention enables the operator to easily and reliably direct and manipulate virtual three-dimensional objects.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Figure 1 shows an example of the structure of the pseudo drag generating section used in the present invention, and Figure 2 shows
The figure shows an example of a one-side brake configuration, and FIG. 3 shows an embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, 1 is the pseudo-drag generating part, and 1-4 is the single-sided brake.
1-5 is a position sensor. 1-6 represents an opening sensor, 2 represents a drag control unit, and 3 represents an image display unit. (A> (B)

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] An upper arm and a lower arm joined together using a joint as a fulcrum so as to open and close in response to opening/closing movements; an opening sensor that detects the opening of the upper arm and lower arm; a position sensor that detects the position of the joint in three-dimensional space; and a single arm that has a braking effect in only one direction of the opening and closing movement of the upper arm and lower arm and has no braking effect in other directions. a pseudo drag generating section having a brake, and means for determining whether the upper arm section and the lower arm section have grasped the virtual three-dimensional object;
It is characterized by having a means for outputting a predetermined braking signal to the one-way brake under the grasped state, and generating a drag force when the upper arm and lower arm grasp a temporary three-dimensional object. A three-dimensional indicating device.