JPH05204539A - Computer device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To realize the computer device on which a pointing device is mounted without enlarging the scale. CONSTITUTION:In the computer device provided with the pointing device which moves a cursor or a pointer on a display device to an arbitrary position on the display device, a housing part 52 of the display device 51 is provided with a slider which can slide in an arbitrary direction, a detecting means which detects the extent of movement of the slider 53, and a switch corresponding to a mouse button which determines the position of the cursor or the pointer.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to computer systems. More specifically, the present invention relates to a computer device having a pointing device for moving a pointer or cursor on a display to an arbitrary position on the display.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as data input / output means in data processing, data such as characters and figures are displayed on the screen of a display such as a computer CRT, and a digitizer, mouse, light pen, trackball, etc. are input in addition to a keyboard. A method of creating data while performing an interactive operation via a means is used. For example, it is often used in CAD for performing graphic data processing and in the field of simulation.

In recent years, also in the fields of data processing and OA,
As data input / output devices, OSs and application software that perform interactive operations that require the use of a pointing device in addition to a keyboard are increasing due to their good operability. Examples include window operation and icon operation.

In the pointing device, the use environment is expanded, and it is required that the pointing device can be used not only for the operation by the conventional desk setting but also for portable use while the computer is on the knee or on the palm. ing. Therefore, the pointing device is
Unlike conventional mice, digitizers, etc., it does not require an installation area, and needs to be incorporated in a computer device. Since a portable computer needs to be lightweight, compact, and low in power consumption, a pointing device needs to be lightweight, compact, and low in power consumption, and has good operability.

[0005]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a computer device having a conventional pointing device. This is a portable personal computer, and comprises a device body 2 having a keyboard 1 and a housing portion 4 having a liquid crystal display 3 and the like, and the pointing device is provided in a part of the keyboard 1. Reference numeral 5 denotes a slider for operating the pointing device, and by sliding the slider 5, the cursor or pointer on the display 3 can be moved to an arbitrary position.

[0006]

The keyboard of a computer device cannot be ergonomically miniaturized, so that the keyboard also requires a certain size. However, in the computer device having the conventional pointing device, since the keyboard is provided with the pointing device, the keyboard becomes larger accordingly.
Along with that, there is a problem that the computer device also becomes large.

The present invention is intended to realize a computer device in which a pointing device is mounted so as not to increase in size.

[0008]

In the computer device of the present invention, a computer device having a pointing device for moving a cursor or a pointer on the display to an arbitrary position on the display, the display device of the display 51. A slider 53 slidable in an arbitrary direction on the housing 52, a detection means for detecting the amount of movement of the slider 53, and switches 72 to 74 corresponding to mouse buttons for determining the position of a cursor or a pointer. Is provided.

In addition to the above, the display 5
1 is a flat panel display such as a liquid crystal display panel or a plasma display panel. In addition to that, the slider 53 is provided on the front surface of the display housing part 52, and switches 72 to 74 corresponding to the mouse buttons are provided on the display housing part 5.
It is characterized in that it is provided on the back surface of No. 2 and that the slider 53 can be operated with the thumb and the switches 72 to 74 corresponding to the mouse buttons can be operated using the index finger or the middle finger.

In addition to the above, the switches 72 to 74 corresponding to the mouse buttons are provided with irregularities 75 on their surfaces so that each switch can be identified by touching with a finger. In addition to that, a plurality of switches 72 corresponding to the mouse buttons are provided.
It is characterized in that ˜74 fingers are arranged on a circumference having a radius as a length. By adopting this configuration, it is possible to obtain a computer device in which the pointing device is mounted so as not to increase the size.

[0011]

As shown in FIG. 5, since the pointing device including the slider 53 is provided in the display housing 52, the slider 53 can be easily operated as shown in FIG. Further, since the display housing portion has room for mounting the pointing device, it does not increase in size and the keyboard remains unchanged, so that the entire device does not increase in size.

[0012]

1 and 2 are views showing a pointing device used in an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is an assembled sectional view and FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view. In both figures, 10 is a slider, and the slider 10 comprises an elastic member 11 and a dome-shaped member 12 having a hole 12a in the center. Reference numeral 13 is a housing for supporting the slider 10 in a sliding manner, 1
4, 14 ′ is a magnetoelectric conversion element, 15 is a switch, 16 is a key top of the switch, 17 is a magnetoelectric conversion element 14, 1
A printed board on which the 4'and the switch 15 are mounted, 18 is a permanent magnet provided on the slider 10, and 19 is a case of the apparatus.

The elastic member 11 of the slider 10 may be made of an elastic material such as rubber in order to improve the touch feeling of the finger. In addition, the elastic member 11 and the dome-shaped member 12
Are connected to each other, and the permanent magnet 18 is provided at the lower center of the elastic member 11.
Is embedded. The permanent magnet 18 may be made of a plastic magnet and integrally processed with the elastic member 11. The housing 13 has a dome shape and a large hole 1 in the center.
3a is opened to support the slider 10 slidably. The magnetoelectric conversion elements 14 and 14 ′ and the switch 15 are mounted on the printed board 17 and fixed and arranged below the slider 10. The elastic member 1 of the slider 10
In order to improve the touch feeling of the finger in FIG.
As shown in (a), it is preferable to provide a crater-shaped recess 10a in the central portion.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of operation of the pointing device described above with a finger. FIG. 1A shows a case of operating the thumb, in which the thumb 26 is inserted into the recess 10 at the center of the slider 10.
Place it in a and operate. FIG. 2B shows a case where a finger other than the thumb, for example, the index finger is used, and the index finger 27 is placed in the recess 10a of the slider 10 as in the case of FIG. Manipulate.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the operating principle of this pointing device. In the figure, 18 is a slider 10.
Is a permanent magnet attached to the magnet, and is magnetized so that the N pole and the S pole come in the vertical direction. In addition, below the permanent magnet 18, four magnetoelectric conversion elements 14 are mounted on the printed circuit board so as to come to the X axis and the Y axis. Then, the magnetoelectric conversion element 14 detects only the magnetic field in the vertical direction, converts the change in the magnetic field density when the permanent magnet 18 moves together with the slider 10, and outputs the voltage. Magnetoelectric conversion element 14
The voltage change of the microprocessor module (MPU)
Is converted into a cursor movement signal and controls the pointer or cursor.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a computer device according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, 51 is a flat panel display such as a liquid crystal display panel or a plasma display panel, 52 is a display unit 52a for adjusting the brightness of the display and the brightness of the backlight, and a power lamp, a battery lamp, a disk driver lamp and the like. Is a housing part in which a pointing device is provided at the lower right of the housing part 52, and 53 is a slider thereof. Reference numeral 54 is a keyboard provided in the main body 55.

The portable computer as in this embodiment is
Generally, it is divided into a main body 55 and a display unit 56, and when the display unit 56 is opened, the keyboard 54 appears on the main body 55 side. A keyboard 54, a disk drive, a main board, and the like are mounted on the main body 55 side, while the display unit 56 side displays the display 51.
Since the operation lamp, the volume 52, etc. are only attached to the main body, there is more space than the main body side. Therefore, in this embodiment, the pointing device is provided at the lower right of the housing portion 52 of the display portion 56.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the embodiment of the present invention viewed from the rear. In the figure, reference numeral 55 is a main body portion, and 56 is a display portion.
3, 74 are provided. Reference numeral 75 is an unevenness for identifying the first, second, and third click buttons. The button switches 72, 73, 74 may be attached to one or two in accordance with the mouse, or three in accordance with the three-button mouse. Also, these button switches 72, 73, 7
The shape of No. 4 is a fan shape according to the finger of the hand, and the arrangement is arranged on an arc having a radius of the finger.

The present embodiment thus constructed is used as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. That is, when the cursor or the pointer is moved, the slider 53 of the pointing device is operated by using the thumb 26 of the right hand 57 as the hand as shown in FIG. Further, as shown in FIG. 8, while operating the slider 53 with the thumb 26 of the right hand, the button switches 72, 73, 74 on the rear surface of the display section are operated using the index finger 27 or the middle finger. In this way, since the display unit 56 is operated by grasping it with the thumb and fingers other than the thumb, it can be used without a feeling of strangeness.

Although the above embodiments have been described with reference to a portable computer, the present invention can of course be applied to a desktop computer using a CRT as a display. In that case, the slider and button switch are C
It must be located on the front or side of the RT housing.

[0021]

According to the present invention, by disposing the pointing device in the housing of the display, it is possible to avoid an increase in the size of the keyboard and to contribute to the downsizing of the computer device.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing a pointing device used in an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing a pointing device used in an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an operation example of a finger of the pointing device of FIG.

4 is a diagram for explaining the principle of the pointing device of FIG.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a rear view of the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a state in which the embodiment of the present invention is being operated.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a state in which an embodiment of the present invention is being operated.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a computer device having a conventional pointing device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Slider 11 ... Rubber member 12 ... Dome-shaped member 13 ... Housing 14, 14 '... Magnetoresistive element 15 ... Switch 16 ... Switch key top 17 ... Printed circuit board 18 ... Permanent magnet 19 ... Case 26 ... Thumb 27 ... Index finger 51 ... Flat type display 52 ... Housing part 53 ... Slider 54 ... Keyboard 55 ... Main body part 56 ... Display part 72, 73, 74 ... Button switch 75 ... Unevenness

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A computer device having a pointing device for moving a cursor or a pointer on a display to an arbitrary position on the display, wherein a housing portion (52) of the display (51) comprises:
A slider (53) slidable in an arbitrary direction, and detection means for detecting the amount of movement of the slider (53),
A computer device provided with switches (72 to 74) corresponding to mouse buttons for determining the position of a cursor or a pointer. 2. A computer device characterized in that the display (51) is a flat display such as a liquid crystal display panel or a plasma display panel. 3. The slider (53) is provided on the front surface of the display housing portion (52), the switches (72 to 74) corresponding to the mouse buttons are provided on the back surface of the display housing portion (52), and the slider ( 5
3. The computer device according to claim 2, wherein the switch (72 to 74) corresponding to the mouse button can be operated by operating 3) and using an index finger or a middle finger. 4. The plurality of switches (72 to 74) corresponding to the mouse buttons are provided with irregularities (75) on the surface, and each switch can be identified by touching with a finger. 3 computer devices. 5. The computer device according to claim 3, wherein a plurality of switches (72 to 74) corresponding to the mouse buttons are arranged on a circumference having a finger length as a radius.