JPH05298022A - Mouse device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve operability by arranging the two pairs of detectors to detect movement in the same plane at least in one case while separating them. CONSTITUTION:On the side faces of an A ball 2 and a B ball 3 to be rotated with the movement of a horizontal plane, two encoders 21 and 22 and an encoder 31 are arranged to detect the rotating amounts of the respective balls in two directions orthogonal each other. The encoders 21 and 31 respectively detect the rotating amounts in parallel directions. In this case, when a main body case 1 is moved while being rotated, moving amounts DELTAX and DELTAY per unit time and a rotating angle DELTAQ of the main body case 1 are calculated by DELTAX=DELTAXA or DELTAX=(DELTAXA+DELTAXB)/2, DELTAY=DELTAYA, DELTAQ=(DELTAXA-DELTAXB)/D and theta=SIGMADELTAtheta. Namely, since the two pairs of move detectors are built in the main body case 1, when the main body case 1 is moved while being rotated, graphics can be rotated synchronously with this rotation.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a mouse used for inputting coordinates of an information processing apparatus such as a computer or a workstation, and more particularly to a structure of a mouse capable of inputting an angle in addition to XY coordinate values.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a conventional mouse, for example, horizontal and vertical rotation detectors arranged on the side surface of a sphere are used to obtain the two-dimensional movement amount of the mouse itself.

[0003]

This conventional mouse not only can detect the amount of movement of the mouse in the horizontal and vertical directions, but also has the following problems.

1) As shown in FIG. 5A, when the mouse is moved in a normal posture, the moving direction of the mouse and the trajectory of the cursor on the display device coincide with each other, and the movement is as intended by the operator. However, when the mouse is moved in a tilted state as shown in FIG. 5B, the movement of the mouse and the trajectory of the cursor do not match, and the operability is remarkably deteriorated.

2) As shown in FIG. 5C, even if the mouse is rotated, the trajectory of the cursor is as shown in the figure, and the rotation amount cannot be detected at all. For this reason, it has been impossible to rotate the figure in synchronization with the rotation of the mouse with a CAD device or the like.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and at least two sets of movement detection devices on the same plane are arranged in a single case at a distance. Then, the in-plane rotation angle of the case is calculated and output from the movement detection data of the two sets of movement detection devices.

[0007]

EXAMPLE FIG. 1 is a side sectional view of a double mouse which is an example of the present invention. 1 is a body case of a double mouse, 2 and 3 are rotated by movement of the body case 1 in a horizontal plane A
Two encoders 21 and 22 and an encoder 31 are arranged on the side surfaces of the A ball 2 and the B ball 3, respectively, for detecting the rotation amounts of the balls in two directions orthogonal to each other. The encoders 21 and 31 detect the amount of rotation in parallel directions.

Reference numeral 4 denotes a rotary shaft, which is as described in claim 2, and is vertically movable at an intermediate position between the A ball 2 and the B ball 3 of the main body case 1 and is slidable on the tip 41 of the operation console side. A rubber member for prevention is attached to the upper end by a holding member 42, and is normally raised by a spring or the like. However, if the holding member 42 is pushed, the tip end portion 41 is brought into close contact with the operation console, and the main body case 1 is rotated by the rotating shaft 4 It is possible to rotate about. Reference numeral 5 is a cable for extracting detection values, 6 is a normal spacer, and 7 is a plurality of switch buttons.

Next, the principle of data detection of the double mouse will be described with reference to FIGS.

First, the straight line connecting the centers of the two A balls 2 and B balls 3 is taken as the Y axis, and the direction orthogonal thereto is taken as the X axis, and the encoders 21 and 31 are the X balls of the A balls 2 and B balls 3, respectively.
It is assumed that the encoder 22 detects the direction movement values ΔXA and ΔXB and the Y direction movement value ΔYA of the A ball 2.

When the main body case 1 moves in parallel without rotating, the A ball 2 and the B ball 3 shown in FIG.
Since the rotation of is exactly the same, the detected value at this time ΔXA,
ΔXB shows the same value. However, when the main body case 1 moves while rotating, ΔXA and ΔXB become different. Assuming that D is the distance between the centers of the A ball 2 and the B ball 3, the movement amounts ΔX, ΔY and the rotation angle Δθ of the main body case 1 of the double mouse are ΔX = ΔXA from FIG. It can be seen that ΔX = (ΔXA + ΔXB) / 2 ΔY = ΔYA Δθ = (ΔXA−ΔXB) / D θ = ΣΔθ However, it is assumed that the body case 1 is reset by the reset (initialization) means so that θ is set to 0 when it is not tilted. (Claim 4) The reset means is a switch button provided on the upper surface of the mouse body case or a switch that is activated when the mouse body provided on the lower surface of the body case is lifted from the operation console.

Therefore, the movement amounts ΔX and ΔY and the rotation angle Δθ can be obtained by the arithmetic circuit shown in the block diagram of FIG. (Claim 3) As shown in FIG. 2, the coordinate system of the operation console plane is such that the vertical direction is the U axis and the horizontal direction is the V axis, and the body case 1 with respect to the U axis is
Where θ is the inclination angle of ΔU, ΔU and ΔV of the main body case 1 in the UV coordinate system are ΔU = ΔY · Cosθ + ΔX · Sinθ ΔV = ΔX · Cosθ−ΔY · Sinθ Can be obtained by

Although the embodiment described above is for a mechanical mouse for detecting coordinates by rotating a rotating ball, the present invention is not limited to other detection principles such as optical type, ultrasonic type or electromagnetic type. May be.

In the embodiment described above, the B-ball 3 does not use the encoder for detecting the movement in the Y-axis direction, but it may be used.

[0015]

As described above, since the double mouse according to the present invention has two sets of coordinate detecting devices built in the main body case 1, the inclination angle of the main body case 1 can be known. Even if the mouse is moved in a tilted state as shown in FIG. 5B, the movement of the mouse and the trajectory of the cursor of the display device can be matched, and the operability can be significantly improved.

2) When the mouse is rotated as shown in FIG. 5-c (top), the trajectory of the cursor is rotated in synchronization with the mouse rotation as shown in the same figure (bottom). It becomes possible to do. Further, by using the detected angle data as a Z coordinate value of a three-dimensional CAD device or a simulator system, it can be provided as a three-dimensional coordinate input device having excellent operability.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view of a double mouse which is an embodiment of the present invention.

[Fig. 2] An explanatory diagram of the coordinate detection principle of the double mouse

[Figure 3] Double mouse data output circuit block diagram

[Fig.4] Double mouse movement and cursor trajectory

FIG. 5: Movement of conventional mouse and trajectory of cursor

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Body Case 2 A Ball for Rotation Detection 3 B Ball for Rotation Detection 21, 31 X Value Detection Encoder 22 Y Value Detection Encoder 4 Rotation Shaft 41 Rotation Shaft Tip 42 Rotation Shaft Suppression 5 Output Cable 6 Spacer 7 Operation Button 71 Angle Reset means

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A mouse device, wherein movement detecting devices for detecting movement within the same plane are arranged in one case at least two sets apart from each other. 2. The mouse device according to claim 1, wherein the case body is provided with a rotation shaft that allows the case body to rotate in a horizontal plane with respect to the operation table, and is vertically movable in the body case. 3. A rotation angle in a plane of the main body case is calculated and output from movement detection data of two sets of movement detection devices arranged at a distance to detect movement in the same plane. Item 2. A mouse device according to item 1. 4. The mouse device according to claim 3, further comprising reset signal generating means for resetting a rotation angle output value of the main body case inside the case main body.