JPH0378016A - Xy-directional input device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To simplify a structure and to suppress a malfunction by detecting the rotational quantity and the sliding quantity of an operation body by the relative movement between a magnetism pattern magnetized on the operation body and a magneto-resistance sensor which is arranged opposite the operation body. CONSTITUTION:When an operator rotates the operation body 19 of a holder 16 with fingers, magnetic fields by respective magneto-resistance elements of a 1st magneto-resistance sensor 20 and a 1st magnetism pattern 23 are displaced relatively. Consequently, the resistance value of a 1st magneto-resistance sensor 20 varies, so the rotational quantity of the operation body 19, i.e. Y-axial displacement quantity of the operation body 19 is detected. When the operator slides the operation body 19 to the right or left with fingers, magnetic fields by respective magneto-resistance elements of a 2nd magneto-resistance sensor 21 and a 2nd magnetism pattern 24 are displaced relatively. Consequently, the resistance value of the 2nd magneto-resistance sensor 21 varies, so the slide quantity of the operation body 19, i.e. X-axial displacement quantity of the operation body 19 is detected.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to an X-Y direction input device for moving a cursor on a screen in any direction, and particularly relates to an X-Y direction input device attached to a keyboard. Regarding input devices.

[Conventional technology]

As an X-Y direction input device that controls the movement of a cursor displayed on the screen of a display device in any direction,
Something called a "mouse" has been known for some time.

When an operator moves a case containing a ball on the base, signals in the X-axis and Y-axis directions are extracted by the rotation of the ball, and based on these signals, the cursor on the screen is moved to a desired position. It is an x-y direction input device that moves.

However, such an X-Y direction input device has a drawback in terms of operability, since the operator must move his hand from the keyboard to the mouse each time he wants to control the cursor by pressing the operating keys on the keyboard.

Furthermore, since a dedicated base for moving the mouse is required, there is also the problem that the area occupied by the entire graphic display device becomes large.

Therefore, in order to solve these problems, the present applicant has previously proposed an X-Y direction input device that can be incorporated into a keyboard in Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 62-9839 and Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 62-28251. .

In the X-Y direction input device according to these proposals, a drive shaft is pivotally supported inside the keyboard, and a cylindrical operating body spline-coupled to the drive shaft is slid along the drive shaft to input data in the X-axis direction. The displacement amount in the Y-axis direction is detected by rotating the drive shaft in conjunction with the rotation operation of the operating body.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

According to the above-mentioned x-y direction input device proposed by the present applicant, by rotating or sliding the cylindrical operating body exposed from the top surface of the keyboard with a finger, the user can input data according to the amount of operation of the operating body. Since the amount of displacement in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction is detected, the operator can perform keyboard key operations and cursor position control with a sense of unity, which is advantageous in terms of operability and occupied space. However, since it is necessary to transmit the rotational motion and sliding (direct vA) motion of the operating body to displacement detection parts such as encoders and potentiometers via a power transmission mechanism, the structure becomes complicated and large, and the power transmission There are problems in that malfunctions are likely to occur due to slippage of the mechanism.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned state of the prior art, and its purpose is to provide an X-Y direction input device that has a simple structure and is less likely to malfunction.

[Means to solve the problem]

To achieve the above object, the present invention provides an X-Y direction input device for moving a cursor displayed on a display device in any direction, in which a cylindrical operating body is rotatable relative to a holding body and axially A first magnetization pattern in which magnetic poles are arranged in the circumferential direction of the operating body and a second magnetization pattern in which magnetic poles are arranged in the axial direction are formed on the operating body; a first magnetoresistive sensor facing the first magnetization pattern with a predetermined interval;
The present invention is characterized in that a second magnetoresistive sensor is disposed to face the second magnetization pattern with a predetermined distance therebetween.

[Effect]

When the operating body is rotated, the resistance value of the first magnetoresistive sensor changes due to the first magnetization pattern.
The amount of displacement in the axial direction is detected. Furthermore, when the operating body is slid, the resistance value of the second magnetoresistive sensor changes due to the second magnetization pattern, so that, for example, the amount of displacement in the X-axis direction is detected.

〔Example〕

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below based on the drawings.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of an entire graphic display device including an x-y direction input device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In the figure, a display device 2 equipped with a screen, a controller, a data channel, etc., and a keyboard 4 equipped with an X-Y direction input device 3 according to an embodiment of the present invention are placed on a table 1. ing. This keyboard 4 displays a display pattern 7 such as characters and figures on the screen 6 of the display device 2, or performs desired calculations, by pressing a large number of operation keys 5 arranged on its top surface. and, on the other hand, the above X-Y
The direction input device 3 moves, for example, a cursor 8 displayed on the screen 6 to an arbitrary position.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the X-Y direction input device f3, FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line ■-■ in FIG. 1, and FIG.
■It is a sectional view along the line.

In these figures, reference numeral 9 indicates a frame-shaped main body with an open upper end, and a printed circuit board 10 is fixed to the inner bottom surface of the main body 9. This printed circuit board 10 has a first. Circuit components including second and third bushing switches 11, 12, and 13 are soldered to each other, and these first to third bushing switches 11 to 13 are arranged in order from the left in FIG. There is.

A first key top 14 and a second key top 14 are provided at both left and right ends of the main body 9.
key tops 15 are arranged to be movable up and down, the lower surface of the first key top 14 is connected to the first bushing switch 11, and the lower surface of the second key top 15 is connected to the third button switch 11. They each face the switch 13. Furthermore, a holder 16 is disposed in the center of the main body 9 so as to be movable up and down, and the center of the lower surface of the holder 16 is located at the second
It faces the bushing switch 12. This holding body 1
6 has a holding hole 17 penetrating through it in the longitudinal direction, and knobs 18 are provided protruding from both ends, and these knobs 18
A stopper protrusion 18a is formed on the lower surface. Further, the holding hole 17 of the holding body 16 has flanges 19 at both ends.
A cylindrical operating body 19 having a shape a is rotatably and slidably held, and the upper half of the central portion of the operating body 19 is exposed between the two knobs 18 .

Both ends of this operating body 19 are inserted through the first and second key tops 14.15, and when the collar portion 19a abuts against the protrusion 18a, the operating body 19 is moved to the first and second key tops 14.15 with respect to the center position. It is designed to be able to slide vertically to the left and right as shown in Figure 2. On the other hand, the holding body 16
A first magnetoresistive sensor 20 and a second magnetoresistive sensor 21 are fixed to both ends of the inner bottom surface of the board, and these magnetoresistive sensors 20 and 21 are connected to the printed circuit board 10 via a flexible connector 22. There is.

The operating body 19 is composed of, for example, a metal core and a plastic magnet attached to the outer periphery of the metal core, and as shown in FIG. A first magnetization pattern 23 and a second magnetization pattern 24 are respectively magnetized and formed in the region. This region Lt is set to more than twice the amount Ll of the operating body 19 that can be moved in the left-right direction (in this embodiment, t, z = 50 mm), and when the operating body 19 is at the center position,
The first magnetoresistive sensor 20 is located at the center of the first magnetization pattern 23, and the second magnetoresistive sensor 21 is located at the center of the second magnetization pattern 24. As shown in FIG. 5, the first magnetization pattern 23 maintains a magnetization pitch of p in the circumferential direction of the operating body 19 and has a magnetization pitch of N.

The second magnetization pattern 24 is magnetized in the axial direction of the operating body 19, as shown in FIG. It is magnetized as N, S, N, S......S (magnetized) while maintaining a magnetization pitch of p.

FIG. 8 is a circuit diagram showing the configuration of the first magnetoresistive sensor 20, and as is clear from the figure, the magnetoresistive element A
1 and A are connected in series between the bias voltage Vc application terminal C and the ground, and magnetoresistive elements B1 and Bg are connected in series with each other in parallel to the series connection circuit of these magnetoresistive elements AI and Ax. The connection point between the elements A+ and At is the output terminal At, and the connection point between the magnetoresistive elements Bl and Bx is the output terminal Bt.

The first magnetoresistive sensor 20 configured in this way has a magnetoresistive element At, as shown in FIGS. 7(a) and 7(b).
, At and the magnetoresistive elements B+ and Bg are respectively 〃・
They are provided on the substrate so as to have an arrangement pitch of p, and are arranged opposite to the first magnetization pattern 23 at a predetermined distance as described above.

The second magnetoresistive sensor 21 is also the first magnetoresistive sensor 20
The structure is similar to that of the second magnetization pattern 24, and as shown in FIGS. Ru.

In the X-Y direction input device configured as described above, when the operator rotates the operating body 19 exposed on the top surface of the holder 16 with a finger, each of the magnetoresistive elements A+, At, of the first magnetoresistive sensor 20 Since the magnetic fields generated by B+, Bz and the first magnetization pattern 23 are displaced relative to each other, the resistance values of each magnetoresistive element A+, At, B+, and Bt change, and the output terminals At and Bt in FIG. 7(C) change. Output signal A, such as
B is obtained. These output signals A and B change almost sinusoidally with respect to the rotation angle of the operating body 19, and the difference in phase angle between the output signals A and H is 2·input p, so this output signal A
, B by the processing circuit on the printed circuit board 10, the amount of rotation of the operating body 19, in other words, Y of the operating body 19 is calculated.
The amount of axial displacement is detected. Note that the operating body 19 described above
During the rotation, there is no change in the magnetic field due to the second magnetization pattern 24 for each magnetoresistive element of the second magnetoresistive sensor 21, and no detection signal of the amount of movement is generated from the second magnetoresistive sensor 21.

On the other hand, when the operator slides the operating body 19 with his finger in the left-right direction in FIG. 2, each of the magnetoresistive elements A+, A! , Bt, Bz and the magnetic field of the second magnetization pattern 24 are relatively displaced, and the output terminal A
Since output signals A and B as shown in FIG. 7 and 10) are obtained from t and Bt, the amount of slide of the operating body 19, in other words, the amount of displacement of the operating body 19 in the X-axis direction is detected from these output signals A and B. .

The detection signals of the first and second magnetoresistive sensors 20 and 21 are input to, for example, the controller of the display device 2 via signal lines, and are processed to move the cursor 8 on the screen 6 to the position desired by the operator. You can move to the desired position. It should be noted that the rotation operation and sliding operation of the operating body 19 described above can of course be performed independently of each other, and the cursor 8 can also be moved diagonally by performing the re-operation at the same time.

When the knob 18 is pressed down with the cursor 8 on the screen 6 moved to a predetermined position, the second bushing switch 12 is turned on by the holder 16, and the on signal from the second bushing switch 12 turns on the cursor. 8 is input, and a menu corresponding to the position of the cursor 8 is displayed on the screen 6, for example. On the other hand, the first
Alternatively, when the second key top 14.15 is pressed to turn on the first or third bushing switch 11.13, the on signal of these bushing switches 11.13 cancels, for example, the selected menu. be done.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, according to the present invention, the rotation amount and sliding amount of the operating body can be determined by the relative movement between the magnetization pattern magnetized on the operating body and the magnetoresistive sensor disposed opposite to the operating body. Therefore, the structure can be simplified and slips in the power transmission mechanism can be eliminated, and an x-y direction input device that is suitable for downsizing and has fewer malfunctions can be provided.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

The figures all relate to embodiments of the present invention; FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the X-Y direction input device, FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line ■-■ in FIG. 1, and FIG. A cross-sectional view along the ■-■ line, Figure 4 is an explanatory diagram of the operating body, and Figure 5 is the first magnetized part of the operating body.
FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of the second magnetization pattern magnetized to the operating body, FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of the magnetization pattern and the operation of the magnetoresistive sensor, and FIG. 8 is the magnetoresistive sensor. FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a graphic display device including an X-Y direction input device. 2...Display device, 3...X-
Y direction input device, 4...Keyboard, 5...
...Operation keys, 6...Screen, 7...
...Display pattern, 8...Cursor, 9...
...Main body, 10...Printed circuit board, 11.
...First bushing switch, 12...
Second bushing switch, 13...Third bushing switch, 14...First key top, 1
5...Second key top, 16...Holding body, 17...Holding hole, 18...Knob, 18a...Protrusion , 19... operating body,
19a... Flange part, 20... First magnetoresistive sensor, 21... Second magnetoresistive sensor,
22...Flexible connector, 23...
...First magnetization pattern, 24...Second magnetization pattern. 2nd cause 7th ward 8 Figure 94 Figure 11I5 Figure 116 Figure 5NS ------N Figure 9

Claims (1)

[Claims] In an X-Y direction input device that moves a cursor displayed on a display device in any direction, a cylindrical operating body is held rotatably and slidably in the axial direction with respect to a holding body, and the operating body is A first magnetization pattern in which magnetic poles are arranged in the circumferential direction and a second magnetization pattern in which magnetic poles are arranged in the axial direction are formed, and the holding body is spaced from the first magnetization pattern at a predetermined interval. An X-Y direction input device, comprising a first magnetoresistive sensor facing each other and a second magnetoresistive sensor facing the second magnetization pattern with a predetermined distance therebetween.