JPH06110602A - Joy stick device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent the sense of incompatibility caused by the dispersion of joy sticks at the time of operating an operating lever. CONSTITUTION:The minimum and maximum values of respective outputs provided in the operating range of a pair of variable resistors 1 and 2 for detecting the oscillation of joy sticks 3 provided with an operating lever 10, which is elastically stopped in a standing state, in (x) and (y) directions are stored in a memory 21 and the central value is operated by a processing circuit 7. Then, the outputs of the respective variable resistors 1 and 2 are corrected by the operated value, and performance difference corresponding to a product level caused by the dispersion in the single body of the joy stick is eliminated.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a joystick device, and more particularly to a structure for correcting its output.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A joystick is an input device called a finger stick or a stick controller, which has a structure for deriving an output of a pair of variable resistors corresponding to the posture of a swinging operating rod. The operation coordinates can be detected by the change in the resistance value of the two axes. Due to variations in the accuracy of the joystick itself, variations in assembling into a product, and the like, a deviation occurs in the center coordinates of the x and y axes and the outermost range, resulting in a performance difference at the product level. Therefore, the electrical output operation of the joystick and the operator who operates the operating rod of the joystick feel uncomfortable.

[0003]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a novel joystick device capable of correcting the output from the joystick regardless of variations in the accuracy of the joystick itself or variations in assembly into products. Is to provide.

[0004]

According to the present invention, the operating rod is swung to change the outputs of a pair of variable resistors, and the operating rod is elastically held in a predetermined posture when no external force is applied. A joystick, a memory for storing the minimum value and the maximum value of the output of each variable resistance obtained in the operating range of the operating rod, and the stored contents of the memory are calculated to calculate the operating rod when the operating rod is in the predetermined posture. The joystick device is characterized by including a calculating means for obtaining an output value of each variable resistor, and a means for correcting the output of each variable resistor by the output value obtained by the calculating means.

Further, the correction means of the present invention includes a reference value memory for storing a plurality of respective coordinates formed by a combination of two pairs of reference values, and the output value and the reference value memory obtained by the calculating means. The present invention is characterized by including: comparison means for comparing each stored reference value of predetermined coordinates with each other to obtain a correction value, and addition means for adding the correction value to the output of each variable resistor to correct it. .

[0006]

According to the present invention, the operating rod of the joystick is operated to store the minimum and maximum values of the outputs of the pair of variable resistors obtained in the operating range in the memory, and the stored contents of the memory are stored. It is calculated by the calculation means. For example, when the operating stick of the joystick is not operated, that is, in a standing posture in which no external force is applied, the computing means calculates the central values of the minimum value and the maximum value of the output of each variable resistor. Calculate and obtain. The correction means performs the correction by adding to the output of each variable resistor the difference between each value at the center obtained by the calculation means as a correction value. In this way, even if there is a variation in the output of the joystick, it is possible to prevent the variation in the electric signal corresponding to the attitude of the operating rod obtained from the correction means.

[0007]

FIG. 1 is an electric circuit diagram of an embodiment of the present invention. The output from the joystick 3 including the pair of x-direction variable resistance 1 and y-direction variable resistance 2 is the lines 4 and 5.
Is supplied to the analog / digital converter 6 and converted into a digital value, and then supplied to the processing circuit 7 such as a microcomputer. This processing circuit 7 can be implemented, for example, in order to visually display on the display means 8 a map for traveling to a destination mounted on an automobile by operating the joystick 3, and the map is stored in the map memory 9. ing.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the joystick 3. When no external force is applied to the operating rod 10, the operating rod 10 is elastically held in a predetermined posture, for example, in a standing posture extending in the z direction perpendicular to the x and y directions in this embodiment. The operating rod 10 is operated by the housing 11 so as to be swingable in the x and y directions. As a result, the component in the x direction when the operating rod 10 is swung is the variable resistor 1 for the x direction.
The y-direction component is detected by the y-direction variable resistor 2.

FIG. 3A shows x, y coordinates stored in advance in the reference value memory 12 connected to the processing circuit 7. Hexadecimal notations 0 to F are respectively defined for the x direction and the y direction, and thus a plurality of respective coordinates are defined by the combination of two paired reference values in the x direction and the y direction. The coordinates of the median value P defined in the reference value memory 12 are (x1, y1), and in this embodiment, x1 = 7 and y1 = 7.

A circular region 13 obtained from the variable resistors 1 and 2 when no external force is applied to the operating rod 10 and when the operating rod 10 is swung by a slight external force, and the left and right of the region 13 in the x direction. And arc-shaped regions 14, 15; 16, 17 are defined above and below the y-direction, and these regions 1
The processing circuit 7 operates so as to perform the address operation of the map search of the map memory 9 every 3 to 17.

Due to variations in the accuracy of the joystick 3, variations in assembly into products, etc., instead of the central coordinates P predetermined in the processing circuit 7, the x-axis is referred to as reference numeral 18.
, And the y-axis is displaced as indicated by reference numeral 19 to determine the actual center coordinates Q (x2, y2) of the joystick 3, and the electric output operation of the joystick 3 and the operating rod are determined by this. It is necessary to prevent discomfort with the operator who operates 10. Thus a new x-axis 18
The corrected coordinates obtained by and the new y-axis 19 are
This is shown in FIG. 3 (2). In this way, the coordinate values of the outputs obtained from the variable resistors 1 and 2 of the joystick 3 in the coordinate system shown in FIG. 3 (2) are corrected to obtain the reference value of the reference value memory 12 shown in FIG. 3 (1). The coordinates are converted into a combination, and the map memory 9 is searched by this. For such correction, the correction operation switch 20 is provided in the processing circuit 7
Connected to.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart for explaining the operation of the processing circuit 7. Step a1 to step a
When the correction operation switch 20 is operated in step 2, the input operation to the memory 21 is performed in step a3. The operating rod 10 of the joystick 3 is rocked and operated in the maximum possible operating range in the x and y directions, and when the operating rod 10 is operated, the outputs of the variable resistors 1 and 2 form a pair in the memory 21. Stored.

At step a4, the minimum value x3 and the maximum value x4 of the coordinate values in the x direction stored in the memory 21 are detected. At step a5, the minimum value y3 and the maximum value y4 of the coordinate values in the y direction stored in the memory 21 are detected.

At step a6, the above-mentioned steps a4 and
Using the detection result of a5, the central coordinates Q (x2, y2), which are the respective median values in the x direction and the y direction, are calculated and calculated according to equations 1 and 2.

[0015]

[Equation 1]

[0016]

[Equation 2]

This defines the coordinate system of the single unit of the joystick 3 shown in FIG. 3 (2).

At step a7, the output values x2 and y2 of the central coordinate Q of the joystick 3 and the reference value memory 12 are stored.
Each reference value x1, of the predetermined coordinate P stored in
y1 is compared, and in step a8, the correction values Δx, Δ
y is determined and calculated in accordance with Equations 3 and 4.

[0019]

## EQU3 ## Δx = x2-x1

[0020]

## EQU00004 ## .DELTA.y = y2-y1 Thus, a series of operations is finished at step a9.

FIG. 5 shows the correction value Δ obtained in FIG.
6 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the processing circuit 7 that performs a correction calculation of the outputs obtained from the variable resistors 1 and 2 of the joystick 3 using x and Δy. The process moves from step b1 to b2, and the outputs x5 and y5 of the variable resistors 1 and 2 of the joystick 3 are read. In the next step b3, the correction values Δx and Δy are set to the outputs x5 and y in step b2.
5 is added to each to perform the operations of the following equations 5 and 6.

[0022]

## EQU00005 ## x = x5 + .DELTA.x

[0023]

[Mathematical formula-see original document] y = y5 + [Delta] y Thus, the values x and y obtained by the equations 5 and 6 correspond to the coordinate values of the coordinate system in FIG. 3 (1) of the reference value memory 12 shown in step b4. It will be.

A map search operation by operating the operation stick 10 of the joystick 3 using the coordinates defined in the reference value memory 12 will be described with reference to FIG.
Moving from step c1 to step c2, the processing circuit 7 responds to the outputs of the variable resistors 1 and 2 obtained by operating the operating rod 10 of the joystick 3, and the processing circuit 7 is operated as shown in FIG.
Then, the operation shown in FIG. 5 is performed, and the corrected values x and y in the coordinate system of the reference value memory 12 are obtained. Therefore, from the values x and y after the correction by the operation of the operation rod 10, FIG.
Areas 13 to 17 corresponding to the coordinates of the coordinate value memory 12 shown in (1) are determined.

At step c3, the address of the map currently being displayed in the map memory 9 displayed on the display means 8 is read from the address memory 22. In step c4, the address calculation operation corresponding to each of the determined areas 13 to 17 is performed at regular intervals of 0.5 seconds, for example. For example, when the operating rod 10 of the joystick 3 is hardly operated and therefore the outputs obtained from the variable resistors 1 and 2 are in the central area 13, the address memory 2
The address value of 2 does not change, so the address of the map memory 9 is not changed, and the map displayed by the display means 8 remains stationary. The operating rod 10 is operated, the outputs of the variable resistors 1 and 2 are changed by this, and the coordinate which is the combination of the corrected values x and y is, for example, the region 14.
In the case of, the x-direction address of the map memory 9 is subtracted from the address stored in the address memory 22 at the constant time intervals, and thus the address displayed by the display means 8 is subtracted.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing in simplified form the contents stored in the map memory 9. The map currently displayed by the display means 8 is indicated by reference numeral 24. If the area 14 is selected by operating the joystick 10, the address of the address memory 22 is subtracted as described above, and therefore the map displayed on the display means 8 is moved to the left in FIG. According to the resistance values of the resistors 1 and 2, the reference numeral 24a is scrolled. Similarly, by operating the joystick 10,
When the area 15 is selected, the address in the x direction is added to the stored contents of the address memory 22 in which the address of the map 24 is stored, and therefore the display means 8 is displayed on the right side of FIG. The map by is moved and scrolled like the reference numeral 24b. Similarly, when the area 16 or 17 is selected by operating the joystick 10, the address of the address memory 22 is added in the y direction and subtracted in the y direction, and the map 24 is displayed.
Is moved above or below the reference mark 24, respectively.
It will be scrolled like c and 24d. Thus, when the areas 13 to 17 are changed in step c5, the operation mode of subtraction and addition in the x and y directions is changed, and the desired map is read from the map memory 9 and displayed on the display means 8. .

It will be appreciated that the present invention is not only implemented in connection with scrolling maps, but can be widely implemented in other applications.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram of another embodiment of the present invention. This embodiment is similar to the previous embodiment, and corresponding parts bear the same reference numerals. It should be noted that in this embodiment, the correction calculation of the outputs of the variable resistors 1 and 2 of the joystick 3 in the processing circuit 7 is performed by turning on the power switch 44. The power of the power supply 45 is supplied to the processing circuit 7, the analog-digital converter 6, the variable resistors 1 and 2 of the joystick 3, the display unit 8, and the like.

FIG. 9 is a flow chart for explaining the operation of the processing circuit 7 in the embodiment shown in FIG. When it is determined from step d1 to step d2 that the power switch 44 has been operated to turn on the power, the initial setting operation of the processing circuit 7 and the like is performed at step d3. In the next step d4, the time W of the timer is set and the clocking operation is performed. This time W may be, for example, about 1 minute. In step d5, the outputs of the variable resistors 1 and 2 forming a pair when the operation rod 10 of the joystick 3 is operated during this period W are read, input to the memory 21 and stored. After the time W elapses in this way, step d7-
At d12, steps a4 to a9 shown in FIG. 4 described above.
The same operation is performed. Other operations are the same as those in the above-mentioned embodiment. According to such an embodiment, FIG.
~ Correction operation switch 2 in the embodiment shown in FIG.
By omitting 0, the configuration can be simplified.

FIG. 10 is a sectional view of the joystick 3, FIG. 11 is a sectional view taken along the section line XI-XI of FIG. 10, and FIG. 12 is an exploded perspective view of the joystick 3. The operation rod 10 is attached to a support body 26 so as to be angularly displaceable around a support shaft 25 extending in the x direction. The support body 26 is provided in the housing 11 by a support shaft 27 so as to be angularly displaceable, and a locking piece 28. Is locked in the locking groove 29 of the variable resistor 1. The outer casing of the variable resistor 1 is fixed to the housing 11. In this way, the support 26 can be angularly displaced around the axis of the pin 27 and the support piece 28 extending in the y direction. The operating rod 10 is the long hole 3 of the swing member 30.
Insert 1. The locking piece 32 of the swing member 30 is locked in the locking groove 33 of the variable resistor 2. The outer casing of the variable resistor 2 is fixed to the housing 11. End 3 of swing member 30
The pin 36 is inserted into the insertion hole 35 of the housing 4,
Mounted on. In this way, the swing member 30 is attached to the housing 11 so as to be swingable around the axis of the locking piece 32 and the pin 36 extending in the x direction.

A spring receiving member 38 abuts on the base end portion 37 of the operating rod 10, and a compression spring 40 is interposed between the spring receiving member 38 and the bottom plate 39 attached to the housing 11. In this way, the operation of the operating rod 1 by the action of the compression spring 40
0 can be held in an elastically upright posture. By swinging the operating rod 10 to the left and right in FIG. 10, the support body 26 swings, and thereby the resistance value of one variable resistor 1 changes. Further, by swinging the operation rod 10 in the left-right direction in FIG. 11, the swing member 30 is angularly displaced, and the resistance value of the other variable resistor 2 changes.

Operation hole 4 formed in the housing 11
1 and the variable resistors 1 and 2 define the operating range of the operating rod 10, and thus cause a variation in the accuracy of the joystick 3 alone. In the present invention, the reference value memory 12 responds to the outputs of the variable resistors 1 and 2 regardless of such variations in the accuracy of the joystick 3 as a single unit and variations in the joystick 3 when assembled to be configured as a product. It is possible to perform the operation without any discomfort to the operator by correcting and converting the coordinate values to.

[0033]

As described above, according to the present invention, the minimum value and the maximum value of the output of each pair of variable resistors obtained within the range where the joystick operating rod is operated are stored in the memory,
The stored contents are calculated to obtain an output value when the operating rod is elastically held in a predetermined posture when no external force is applied to the operating rod, and the output value is obtained. Since the resistance output is corrected, even if there is variation in the operation of the joystick, the variation of the electric signal obtained from the correction means is eliminated, and this enables the operation of the joystick and the operator who operates the operating rod to You will be able to eliminate the sense of incongruity.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a joystick 3.

FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining a coordinate system and a correction coordinate system of a reference memory 12.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart for explaining an operation for determining correction values Δx and Δy by a processing circuit 7.

5 is a flowchart for explaining a correction calculation operation by the processing circuit 7. FIG.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart for explaining a scroll display operation of a map.

FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining an operation when operating the operation stick 10 of the joystick 3 to scroll using the stored contents of the map memory 9.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram of another embodiment of the present invention.

9 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the processing circuit 6 of the embodiment shown in FIG.

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the joystick 3.

11 is a cross-sectional view of the joystick 3 as seen from a section line XI-XI in FIG.

FIG. 12 is an exploded perspective view of the joystick 3.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 x-direction variable resistance 2 y-direction variable resistance 3 joystick 6 analog / digital converter 7 processing circuit 8 display means 9 map memory 10 operation stick 12 reference value memory 13 to 17 area 21 memory 22 address memory

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A joystick that swings an operating rod to change the outputs of a pair of variable resistors, and the operating rod is elastically held in a predetermined posture when no external force is applied, and the operating rod is operated. A memory that stores the minimum value and the maximum value of the output of each variable resistance obtained in the range and the stored contents of the memory are calculated to obtain the output value of each variable resistance when the operating rod is in the predetermined posture. A joystick device comprising: an arithmetic means and a means for correcting the output of each variable resistor by the output value obtained by the arithmetic means. 2. The correction means stores a reference value memory for storing a plurality of respective coordinates composed of a combination of two pairs of reference values, and the output values obtained by the calculation means and the reference value memory. 7. Comparing each reference value of predetermined coordinates to obtain a correction value, and adding means for adding the correction value to the output of each variable resistor to correct. 1. The joystick device described in 1.