JPH0323933B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a mouse that indicates the position on the screen of an image display device such as a CRT of a computer.

[Conventional technology]

Conventionally, a mouse has been constructed as shown in FIG.

That is, the mouse has a mouse body 6, and this mouse body 6 is provided with a rotatable sphere 1 therein. Driven wheels 2a and 2b that rotate as the sphere 1 rotates are arranged around the outer circumference of the sphere 1 so as to press the sphere 1. Shafts 3a and 3b are pivotally connected to the driven wheels 2a and 2b, and these shafts 3
Bearings 4a, 4b and bearing 4 are provided at both ends of a and 3b.
c, 4d are installed.

Also, the rotation angle of the shaft 3a is set at the end of the bearing 4b.
Rotation sensors 5a and 5b are installed at the end of the bearing 4d to respectively detect the rotation angle of the shaft 3b. These rotation sensors 5a, 5b are connected to the shaft 3a,
By detecting the rotation angle of 3b, X of sphere 1,
The distance traveled in the Y-axis direction is detected.

When the mouse is moved onto a table or mat (both not shown), the sphere 1 rotates due to friction. According to this rotation, the driven wheels 2a, 2b rotate by a component in the X direction and a component in the Y direction, and the shafts 3a, 3
b also rotates by the amount of rotation of the driven wheels 2a and 2b. At this time, the rotation sensors 5a and 5b are connected to the shafts 3a and 3b.
The rotation angle of the sensor is detected and converted into an electrical signal, and this electrical signal is input to the CRT.

However, since this mouse uses bearings as mechanical elements in its movable parts, the movable parts are damaged due to wear of the bearings, resulting in a shortened lifespan. For this reason, there was a problem in that the reliability of the mouse decreased.

Furthermore, if dust adheres to the shaft or enters the rotation sensor, rotational defects will occur, so regular inspections are required to prevent this.

Furthermore, there were other problems such as a limit to cost reduction due to the complicated structure.

Therefore, in order to solve the above problem, Figures 3 and 4
The mouse shown in the figure has been proposed. This mouse includes a pad 7 and a mouse body 8, and the pad 7 has an
Grid lines 11 perpendicular to the axial direction and the Y-axis direction, respectively
a, 11b. Grid lines 11a, 11b
It is made of silver, nickel, etc. and is formed to reflect light well. The mouse body 8 is the Y of the mouse.
The LED 9a and the light receiving element 10a that detect the moving distance in the axial direction, and the LED 9a and the light receiving element 10a
It is equipped with condensing lenses 12a and 13a for emitting and receiving light.

The mouse body 8 also includes an LED 9b and a light receiving element 10b that detect the moving distance of the mouse in the X-axis direction.
A condensing lens 12 that condenses these emitted and received lights.
b, 13b.

In this mouse, when the mouse body 8 is moved back and forth and left and right on the pad 7, the light emitted from the LEDs 9a and 9b is focused on the grid lines 11a and 11b on the pad 7 by the condenser lenses 12a and 12b. At this time, the reflected light on the grid lines 11a, 11b passes through the condenser lenses 13a, 13b to the light receiving element 10.
Focus on points a and 10b. Therefore, by calculating the number of grids based on the presence or absence of reflected light, the moving distance of the mouse body 8 can be detected.

In this case, even if the moving direction of the mouse body 8 is oblique, the moving distance will be reflected by the light receiving element 10 as an X-axis component or a Y-axis component as shown in FIG.
a, 10b.

Furthermore, in order to solve the above-mentioned problem, a method described in Japanese Patent Publication No. 60-49428, shown in FIG. 5, has been proposed. Its contents are as follows. An optical pattern P (a dotted optical pattern arranged at approximately constant intervals) is formed on the entire surface of a spherical MD for detecting the amount of movement of a conventional mouse.
It may be Px. ), decomposes into components in two directions orthogonal to each other, and generates a signal corresponding to the magnitude of each component.
The optical detection devices PGx and PGy provided opposite the optical pattern P (Px) convert the amount of movement of the housing (mouse body) A of the position pointing device into the movement of a display cursor on the CRT.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

However, since the above-mentioned mouse requires a dedicated pad, it not only requires a dedicated space on the desk to install the pad, but also has problems such as the pad being relatively expensive. Furthermore, it is difficult to identify the above-mentioned optical pattern P, and the dot-like optical pattern is arranged at approximately constant intervals.
In the case of Px, the amount of optical reflection cannot be detected when it passes the edge of the point, and the error between the amount of movement and the amount of detection becomes large, and since it is sufficient to see only the movement of the display cursor on the CRT, the error itself is is not a problem, but since there is a large difference in the movement of the mouse body compared to the constant movement of the cursor, you may end up moving too far or not enough and have to move the mouse body many times to match. This invention was made in view of the above problems, and its purpose is to provide a mouse that does not require a pad, has improved reliability, and does not require periodic inspection.

[Means for solving problems]

In order to achieve this object, the present invention consists of X and Y grid lines created on the surface of a sphere so as to intersect each other at right angles, and two detectors for detecting each of these grid lines. It is a feature.

[Effect]

When the mouse is moved, the sphere rotates due to friction, and the X and Y grid lines also move accordingly. When each detector detects the number of grid lines, the moving distance and direction of the mouse can be detected. Furthermore, the amount of movement of the mouse and the movement of the display cursor on the CRT have a more constant relationship than dotted optical patterns, improving operability. Therefore, the pad is not only unnecessary, but also its structure is simplified.

〔Example〕

The present invention will be explained below with reference to FIG. 1 showing one embodiment thereof. This mouse includes a spherical body 20, which is housed in a mouse body (not shown) so as to be able to freely roll in a three-dimensional direction while protruding slightly from the bottom surface of the mouse body.

This sphere 20 has a plurality of X lattice lines 21 and Y lattice lines formed on its surface so as to cross each other at right angles.
lattice lines 22. These X and Y grid lines 21 and 22 are made of silver, nickel, or the like which reflects light well, and the surface of the sphere 20 between the grid lines 21 and 22 is treated so that no light is reflected.

Moreover, two detectors 23 are installed outside the sphere 20,
24 are arranged. These detectors 23, 24
The apparatus optically detects the number of each grid line 21 and 22 by detecting the reflected light of the X and Y grid lines 21 and 22, and is constructed as follows.

That is, one detector 23 functions as a light emitting element.
It is formed by an LED 25, a condenser lens 26 that projects the emitted light onto the grating surface, a condenser 27 that condenses the reflected light on the grating surface, and a light receiving element 28 that receives this light.

The other detector 24 is similarly formed of an LED 29, condensing lenses 30 and 31, and a light receiving element 32. These detectors 23 and 24 are arranged so that the center lines of the incident light and reflected light are perpendicular to the surface of the sphere 20, and detect the reflected light on the grating lines 21 and 22 as the sphere 20 rotates. The calculated quantity is detected, and the direction and amount of rotation of the sphere 20 are detected.

Next, the effect will be explained.

In the present invention having the above configuration, the movement of the grating lines 21 and 22 due to the rotation of the sphere 20 is detected by the presence or absence of reflected light on these grating lines 21 and 22.
Furthermore, this detection can be easily carried out using the detectors 23 and 24, and the detected value can be converted into an electrical signal and input to the CRT. Therefore, the conventional pads are no longer necessary.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, this invention is based on the X, Y
It is characterized by consisting of grid lines and two detectors that detect each of these grid lines, so if the two detectors detect the number of X and Y grid lines when the sphere rotates, the sphere can be detected. The direction and amount of rotation are detected. Therefore, a dedicated pad is not required, and a dedicated space on the desk for installing this pad is also not required.

Furthermore, since the detector does not use moving parts such as shafts or bearings, not only is there no need for periodic inspections to check for the presence of dust, etc., but rotation failures due to dust and the like do not occur. Therefore, the life span or durability is significantly improved and the reliability of the mouse is also improved. Furthermore, since component parts are eliminated, it is also possible to reduce costs.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing one embodiment of the present invention, Figs. 2 and 3 are schematic diagrams of a conventional example, and Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention.
An explanatory diagram of the mouse movement distance detected in the conventional example shown in the figure, and FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram showing another conventional example. 20: sphere, 21: X grid lines, 22: Y grid lines, 23, 24: detector.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A sphere held so as to be able to freely roll in three dimensions;
In a mouse equipped with a detection means for detecting the direction and amount of rotation of the sphere, the detection means is connected to X, Y grid lines formed on the surface of the sphere so as to intersect with each other at right angles;
A mouse comprising two detectors that respectively detect X and Y grid lines. 2. Form the X, Y grid lines from a light-reflective material,
Claim 1, wherein each detector is formed of a light emitting element that projects light in the direction of the X and Y grid lines and a light receiving element that receives reflected light from the X and Y grid lines. mouse of.