JPH05165565A - Coordinate input system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To simply and precisely perform the input of three-dimensional coordinates with this system similarly as a two-dimensional coordinate input device. CONSTITUTION:A mouse 5 for two-dimensional coordinate input used in a conventional system is used as a coordinate input device 1 by adding a button 6 for coordinate switching. Coordinate input(Z-axis component is fixed) on an X-Y plane and the one(Y-axis component is fixed) on an X-Z plane can be switched depending on the state of the switching button 6. Therefore, a cursor control mechanism 2 which finds the three-dimensional coordinates based on coordinate data from the coordinate input device 1 and the state of the button for coordinate switching, and a display control mechanism 3 which plots a coordinate instruction cursor on a display device 4 by the instruction of the cursot control mechanism 2 are provided.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a coordinate input method,
In particular, the present invention relates to a coordinate input method suitable for inputting coordinates to a computer system that handles three-dimensional graph graphics, three-dimensional image data and the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, the coordinate input method according to the prior art is one in which coordinates are input using a coordinate input device such as a mouse, a tablet, or a trackball, and the coordinate input device is placed on a plane such as a desk. By moving the cursor two-dimensionally, the coordinate cursor on the display screen is moved two-dimensionally in accordance with the operation of the input device to allow the operator to specify the two-dimensional coordinates.

As a conventional technique relating to this type of coordinate input method, for example, "Information Processing Vol. 25, No. 2 (19)
(February 1984) "(p. 103 to p. 109)," Technology for constructing workstation user interface "is known.

[0004]

The above-mentioned prior art is premised on that the space represented on the display device is a two-dimensional plane, and the two-dimensional operation is performed in conjunction with the two-dimensional operation of the coordinate input device. It is possible to input dimensional coordinates.

However, in the above-mentioned prior art, when expressing a pseudo three-dimensional space on a display device, no consideration is given to specifying coordinates in three dimensions, and input of three-dimensional coordinates is performed. It has a problem that it is not possible.

An object of the present invention is to provide means for designating a three-dimensional coordinate by a simpler operation, and thereby inputting a three-dimensional coordinate to a computer system capable of expressing a pseudo three-dimensional space on a display device. It is to provide a coordinate input method that enables the operator to provide a more natural user interface.

[0007]

According to the present invention, the object is to add a coordinate switching button to a two-dimensional coordinate input device, and input a coordinate on the XY plane (Z-axis depending on the state of the switching button). This is achieved by switching between the fixed component) and the coordinate input on the XZ plane (the Y-axis component is fixed).

Further, the above-mentioned object is to newly provide a cursor control mechanism for controlling the coordinate cursor in order to express the movement of the coordinate input device as the movement of the coordinate cursor on the display screen. In order to make the display device, which is originally a two-dimensional space, look like a three-dimensional space in a pseudo manner, the size of the coordinate pointing cursor is changed to express the depth, and the position of the coordinate cursor is accurately transmitted to the operator. This is achieved by making it possible to display an auxiliary horizontal plane or a vertical plane.

Further, a display control mechanism is provided for controlling the above-mentioned display, and the display control mechanism controls the drawing of the coordinate designating cursor, the drawing of an auxiliary plane, etc. in response to a command from the cursor control mechanism. To do.

[0010]

The coordinate input device is a device for inputting two-dimensional coordinate data, and the operation of the input device by the operator is reported to the cursor control mechanism of the computer as a hardware interrupt. In addition to the coordinate data, the coordinate input device also reports ON / OFF information of the button added to the coordinate input device to the cursor control device.

The cursor control mechanism interprets the input coordinate data in one state of the switching button as coordinates on the XZ plane based on the information obtained from the coordinate input device, and determines the other of the switching buttons. Input coordinate data in the state,
Interpreted as coordinates on the XY plane.

As described above, since the data switching between the XZ plane and the XY plane is performed by the cursor control mechanism,
It is not necessary to provide the logic for switching the coordinates by hardware.

The cursor display mechanism uses the display control mechanism to perform cursor display in order to display the coordinate value obtained from the coordinate input device as a coordinate cursor on the display device. The shape and size of the cursor are changed in association with the coordinate value of the Z-axis component so that the operator can feel the depth.

[0014]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the coordinate input method according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an embodiment of a computer system to which the present invention is applied, FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the shape of a coordinate input device, and FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the data output from the coordinate input device. 6 is a diagram for explaining the format, FIG. 4 is a flow chart for explaining the process for obtaining the coordinates, FIG. 5 is a flow chart for explaining the operation for controlling the display of the cursor, and FIG.
FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a display screen. 1 and 2, 1 is a coordinate input device, 2 is a cursor control mechanism, 3 is a display control mechanism, 4 is a bitmap display, 5 is a mouse, and 6 is a coordinate switching button.

As shown in FIG. 1, a computer system according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a coordinate input device 1 equipped with a coordinate switching button, coordinate data reported from the coordinate input device 1, and coordinate switching. A display for reading the button information and obtaining a coordinate value according to the state of the coordinate switching button, and a coordinate pointing cursor drawn on the display device (bitmap display) 3 by an instruction from the cursor control mechanism 2. And a control mechanism 4.

As shown in FIG. 2, the coordinate input device 1 is constructed by adding a coordinate switching button 6 to a mouse 5 which is normally used. The coordinate input device 1 enables three-dimensional coordinate input without impairing the operability of the conventional two-dimensional coordinate device, and the operability is 2 when the coordinate switching button 6 is not pressed. It is exactly the same as the dimensional coordinate input device. In the example shown in FIG. 2, the coordinate switching button 6 is attached to a right-handed operator at a position where the thumb can be operated, but a coordinate switching button can be attached to the opposite side surface for a left-handed operator. Is.

The data reported from the coordinate input device 1 is
It has a fixed format as shown in FIG. 3, and is composed of an x coordinate field 7, ay coordinate field 8, a button A field 9, a button B field 10 and a button C field 11. In the embodiment of the present invention, since a normal "two-button mouse" to which the coordinate switching button 6 is added is used as the coordinate input device, there are three button data fields.

This input data is reported to the cursor control mechanism according to the mouse operation of the operator. Mouse operation is ON / OFF of each button and movement of the mouse. When the mouse is moved, the coordinate data is set in the x-coordinate field 7 and the y-coordinate field 8 as a relative offset from the time of the previous report at a rate of once every predetermined time, for example, 20 ms. Each button is O in the button fields 9, 10 and 11.
The discriminating value of N state or OFF state is set.

In this example, it is assumed that the button A is the coordinate switching button 6 provided by the present invention and the buttons B and C are conventionally provided buttons.

Next, referring to the flow chart of FIG. 4, a process in which the cursor control mechanism obtains three-dimensional coordinates based on the data reported from the coordinate input device 6 will be described.

(1) First, data is read from the coordinate input device 1. At this time, the value of the x coordinate field 7 is x, and the value of the y coordinate field 8 is y (step 12).

(2) Next, it is determined whether or not the coordinate switching button 6 is pressed. That is, ON / OFF of the button A field 9 is checked (step 13).

(3) If the button A is ON in step 13, it means that the coordinate input is on the XZ plane, so that each of the x, y, and z components of the three-dimensional coordinate obtained previously is X. _p , Y _p , Z _p , x, y of three-dimensional coordinates to be newly obtained,
Assuming that each of the z components is X, Y, and Z, X = X _p + x,
Y = Y _p and Z = Z _p + y are obtained, and the coordinate value is newly updated (step 14).

(4) In step 13, button A is turned off
In the case of, it means that the coordinate input is on the XY plane. Therefore, as in the case of step 14, X = X _p + x, Y
= Y _p + y, Z = Z _p , the coordinate value is obtained, and the process returns to step 12 (step 15).

The above process is repeatedly executed every 20 ms.

In this embodiment, when button A is ON, X
-When inputting coordinates on the Z plane and button A is OFF,
The coordinates are input on the XY plane, but button A is OF
In the case of F, the coordinates may be input on the XZ plane, and when the button A is ON, the coordinates may be input on the XY plane.
Further, two coordinate switching buttons may be provided, and when one of the buttons is pressed, the coordinate input on the XY plane may be performed, and when the other button is pressed, the coordinate input on the XY plane may be performed. ..

The cursor control mechanism 2 performs a process of changing the shape and size of the cursor according to the coordinates obtained above, that is, the position of the coordinate cursor. The processing for this is shown in the flow of FIG. 5, and will be described below.

(1) First, the z coordinate component of the cursor coordinate obtained by the flow described with reference to FIG. 4 is read (step 16).

(2) Next, the pattern data of the coordinate cursor corresponding to the value of the z coordinate component is selected. This pattern data is prepared by being stored in a plurality of types of memories in advance, and when the cursor is in the front in the three-dimensional space, large cursor pattern data is selected, and when the cursor is in the back, small cursor pattern data is selected. Is selected (step 17).

(3) Finally, the cursor control mechanism 2 registers the cursor pattern data in the display control mechanism 3,
Request the display (step 18).

FIG. 6 shows a state in which the auxiliary horizontal plane is displayed on the display 4 in order to improve the accuracy of the cursor operation according to the above-described embodiment of the present invention.

In this example, in the three-dimensional space 19 represented on the display device, the Y plane 2 on which the coordinate pointing cursor is present.
0 is displayed by moss. When the coordinate switching button 6 of the coordinate input device 1 is ON,
The plane is shaded and the coordinate pointing cursor 21 moves to Y
It moves two-dimensionally on the plane. By displaying this auxiliary plane, the operator can move the coordinate pointing cursor 2
It is possible to accurately know the position of 1 in the three-dimensional space.

The display of the auxiliary plane 20 can be suppressed by specifying an option when the cursor control mechanism 2 is activated.

The above-described embodiment of the present invention can also be applied to a three-dimensional multi-window display device, and in this case, the above-mentioned Y-plane 20 ghost display is performed using a three-dimensional multi-window display mechanism. be able to.

According to the above-described embodiment of the present invention, the operator who has mastered the operation of the existing two-dimensional coordinate input device can very easily input the three-dimensional coordinate.
Also, since the button attached to the main body of the coordinate input device is used to specify the three-dimensional coordinates,
Similar to the conventional two-dimensional coordinate input device, the operation can be performed with one hand, and the business process is not interrupted by the coordinate instruction operation.

Further, according to the above-described embodiment, since the coordinates of the three-dimensional space can be designated by an operation using a plane such as a desk, it is possible to save the operation place. it can. Further, by using the auxiliary plane on the display screen, the instruction of the XZ coordinate on the Y plane, which is problematic to the operator for accuracy, can be performed while avoiding erroneous operation.

[0038]

According to the present invention, which is controlled as described above, 3
You can specify the dimensional coordinates by a simpler operation,
It is possible to easily input three-dimensional coordinates to a computer system capable of expressing a pseudo three-dimensional space on a display device.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an embodiment of a computer system to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the shape of a coordinate input device.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a format of data output from a coordinate input device.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a process of obtaining coordinates.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of controlling display of a cursor.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a display screen.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 coordinate input device 2 cursor control mechanism 3 display control mechanism 4 bitmap display 5 mouse 6 coordinate switch button

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. In a coordinate input method for an information processing device that handles three-dimensional information, a coordinate switching button is provided on the two-dimensional coordinate input device, and XY is operated by operating the coordinate switching button.
A coordinate input method, wherein three-dimensional coordinates are input by switching between coordinate input on a plane and coordinate input on an XZ plane.