JPH06202793A - Three-dimensional position inputting device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To highly precisely input the three-dimensional position of each part on the surface of a stereoscopic object to a computer or the like, and to house this device so as to be compact in nonuse. CONSTITUTION:Respective substrates 2 and 3 are connected through a link mechanism 5 as a parallel motion mechanism in parallel so that an interval can be extended and contracted. Each coordinate axis of X, Y, and Z is set on the surface of the substrate 2, and ultrasonic wave receivers 11-14 are provided at each corner of a square, and respective wave transmitter 15-18 are provided on the opposed faces of the substrate 3. An ultrasonic wave transmitter 1 is provided at the top end of a pen-shaped indicating bar 4, and moved along the surface of the stereoscopic object 10. A data processor 6 is equipped with a range finding part 7, arithmetic part 8, and outputting part 9. The range finding part 7 calculates a distance between the wave transmitter 1 and each on a reaching time when the ultrasonic wave from the wave transmitter 1 is received by at least three of each wave receiver 11-14, and the arithmetic part 8 calculates each coordinate of the wave transmitter 1 based on the distance.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a three-dimensional position input device for inputting the three-dimensional position of each position on the surface of a three-dimensional object to a data processing device such as a computer.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional example will be described with reference to a perspective view of FIG. This conventional example is a two-dimensional position input device for processing graphic data, and is a pen-shaped indicator rod having a substrate 20 having X and Y coordinate axes set on the surface and an ultrasonic wave transmitter 21 at the tip. It consists of 22 and. The tip of the indicator rod 22 is the substrate
Once positioned on the surface of 20, the X, Y associated with that position
Each coordinate value of 1 is obtained based on the time required for the ultrasonic wave transmitted from the ultrasonic wave transmitter 21 to reach each of the X and Y coordinate axes. In addition, in Figure 5, the required time was measured and
The distance measuring unit and the arithmetic unit, which calculate the X and Y coordinate values based on this, are not shown. The X and Y coordinate values designated by the pointing rod 22 are digitally input to a computer or a data processing device and used to process the required graphic data.

[0003]

The conventional position input device is only a two-dimensional position input device for processing graphic data. In recent years, data processing related to a three-dimensional object is required for problem analysis and optimization related to a three-dimensional object such as a contour shape of an automobile, and a demand for three-dimensional position input for that is increasing.

An object of the present invention is to solve the above problems of the prior art and to enable highly accurate input of the three-dimensional position of each position on the surface of a three-dimensional object to a data processing device such as a computer. It is to provide a three-dimensional position input device that is compact when not in use.

[0005]

A three-dimensional position input device according to a first aspect of the present invention is a pen-shaped device having two substrates arranged in parallel to face each other: a first base point for distance measurement is provided at the tip. An indicator rod; at least three second base points for distance measurement that are not on the same straight line and are set on the opposite surfaces of the respective substrates;
Distance measuring means capable of measuring a distance between the base point and each of the second base points; an opposing space of each substrate based on each distance between the first base point and at least three of the second base points Position calculating means for obtaining the three-dimensional position of the first base point in.

A three-dimensional position input device according to a second aspect is the device according to the first aspect, wherein an ultrasonic transmitter is provided at the first base point and an ultrasonic receiver is provided at each second base point. , Installed respectively. A three-dimensional position input device according to a third aspect of the present invention is the device according to the first or second aspect, in which two substrates are opposed to each other so that they can extend and contract via a parallel motion link mechanism.

[0007]

In the three-dimensional position input device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, at least one of the first base point and the second base point in each substrate facing space positioned by the pointing rod by the distance measuring means. Each distance between the three substrates is measured, and the three-dimensional position of the first base point in the facing space of each substrate is obtained by the position calculation means based on each distance.

Particularly, in the three-dimensional position input device according to the second aspect, the ultrasonic wave transmitted from the ultrasonic wave transmitter of the first base point is received by at least three ultrasonic wave receivers of the second base point. Each distance between the first base point and at least three of the second base points is measured based on the required arrival time until reception. Particularly, in the three-dimensional position input device according to the third aspect, the two substrates can reduce or extend the facing distance via the parallel movement link mechanism connecting the two substrates.

[0009]

Embodiments of the three-dimensional position input device according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the embodiment. In FIG. 1, 2 is the lower substrate,
Reference numeral 3 denotes an upper substrate, which is arranged in parallel and opposed to each other via a link mechanism 5 as a parallel movement mechanism,
It is connected so as to be capable of expanding and contracting the facing interval. X on the surface of the substrate 2,
Each coordinate axis of Y is set, and ultrasonic wave receivers (hereinafter, simply referred to as “wave receivers”) 11 to 14 are provided at each corner of the rectangle whose sides coincide with each coordinate axis. The wave transmitters 15 to 18 are provided on the facing surface of the substrate 3 so as to face the wave receivers 11 to 14, respectively. Further, the Z axis is set vertically upward from the origin, which is the intersection of the X and Y coordinate axes of the substrate 2. Reference numeral 4 is a pen-shaped indicator rod, on the tip of which an ultrasonic wave transmitter (hereinafter simply referred to as a wave transmitter) 1 is provided.

A three-dimensional object 10 is placed on the surface of the substrate 2. 6 is a data processor, which includes a distance measuring unit 7 and an arithmetic unit 8
And an output unit 9. The distance measuring unit 7 determines whether the ultrasonic wave transmitted from the transmitter 1 is received by at least three of the wave receivers 11 to 18 based on the arrival time. Calculate the distance between. Here, the case where at least three are received will be described in detail later. The calculation unit 8 uses the transmitter 1 based on each distance.
X, Y, and Z coordinates are calculated and output to the outside as a coordinate signal via the output unit 8. Therefore, the three-dimensional position of each position when the tip of the pointing rod 4 is moved following the surface of the object 10 is input to the data processing device such as a computer via the data processing device 6.

By the way, the wave receivers provided on the respective facing surfaces of the two substrates 2 and 3 have at least a shape not on the same straight line.
Three is enough. This requires three distances between the transmitter and three receivers on any one of the substrates to determine the position of the transmitter in the facing space of each substrate 2,3. Because it is. To be exact, it is enough that there are a total of three wave receivers on two boards, but in reality there may be a wave receiver that is behind the target object and cannot receive the ultrasonic waves from the wave transmitter. For each board to be used, at least three wave receivers are required. In addition, by placing the wave receivers of the substrates 2 and 3 at the corners of the square as in the embodiment,
The coordinate calculation can be simplified.

The configuration of the embodiment will be supplementarily described with reference to the configuration diagram of FIG. In FIG. 2, the wave transmitter 1 is provided at the tip of the indicator rod 4, and moves along the surface of the object 10. On the other hand, a total of eight wave receivers 11 to 18 are spatially arranged. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 1, each wave receiver 11-
14 is provided on the upper surface of the lower substrate 2, and the wave receivers 15 to 18 are provided on the upper surface of the upper substrate 3 facing the substrate 2. The ultrasonic wave transmitted from the transmitter 1 is transmitted to each of the receivers 11 to 18
Will be received at. The time required for the ultrasonic waves to reach the wave receivers 11 to 18 from the wave transmitter 1 is measured by the distance measuring unit 7.
Here, the ultrasonic waves are not received by all the wave receivers, and some of them are behind the object 10 and cannot reach them. Also the transmitter
In order to determine the spatial position of 1, that is, each coordinate of X, Y, and Z, at least three transmitter-receiver distances are necessary, but if there are as many distances as possible, the coordinate The accuracy can be increased. Based on at least three distances obtained by the distance measuring unit 7, the spatial position of the transmitter 1, that is, each coordinate of X, Y, and Z is obtained by the arithmetic unit 8, and the external position is obtained via the output unit 9. It is sent to a data processing device such as a computer.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view when the embodiment is pressed and reduced, and FIG. 4 is a side view of the embodiment. In FIG. 4, the link mechanism 5 is composed of a pair of links that are rotatably connected at the central portion, and the right end of each link is the right end of each of the front and rear end surfaces of each substrate 2 and 3. The left end of each link is rotatably supported by the section, and is guided straight by a play between a guide pin fixed thereto and a groove provided along the end face of each substrate 2, 3. Therefore, each board 2, 3
Is when the facing distance can be moved in parallel so as to expand and contract, when the solid line is in the used state, extends to take the regular facing distance, and the broken line is in the unused state, and is the most contracted state. FIG. 3 shows a case where the substrates 2 and 3 are pressed and reduced to be integrated so that they can be stored compactly when the embodiment is not used.

[0014]

In the three-dimensional position input device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, of the first base point and the second base point in each substrate facing space positioned by the pointer by the distance measuring means. Each distance between at least three of the
The three-dimensional position of the first base point in the facing space of each substrate is obtained. Therefore, using this input device, the three-dimensional position of each position on the surface of a three-dimensional object can be input to a data processing device such as a computer with high accuracy. It can be applied to

Particularly, in the three-dimensional position input device according to the second aspect, the ultrasonic wave transmitted from the ultrasonic wave transmitter of the first base point is received by at least three ultrasonic wave receivers of the second base point. Since each distance between the first base point and at least three of the second base points is measured based on the required arrival time until reception, there is a high possibility of realization or cost reduction. , Practicality is great.

Particularly, in the three-dimensional position input device according to the third aspect, since the two substrates can be reduced or extended in the facing distance via the parallel motion link mechanism connecting the two substrates, the two substrates are pressed when not in use, It can be reduced to be compact.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of an embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view when the embodiment is pressed and reduced.

FIG. 4 is a side view of the embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Ultrasonic Wave Transmitter 2 Substrate (Lower Side) 3 Substrate (Upper Side) 4 Pointing Rod 5 Link Mechanism 6 Data Processor 7 Distance Measuring Section 8 Calculation Section 9 Output Section 10 Target 11-18 Ultrasonic Receiver

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. Two substrates arranged in parallel to face each other:
A pen-shaped indicator rod having a first base point for distance measurement provided at its tip; and at least three second base points for distance measurement that are not on the same straight line and are set on opposing surfaces of the respective substrates; Distance measuring means capable of measuring the distance between the first base point and each second base point;
Position calculating means for determining a three-dimensional position of the first base point in the facing space of each substrate based on each distance between the first base point and at least three of the second base points. 3D position input device. 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an ultrasonic wave transmitter is installed at the first base point and an ultrasonic wave receiver is installed at each second base point. Three-dimensional position input device. 3. The apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein
The two substrates are connected to each other through a parallel motion link mechanism so that the facing distance between them can be expanded and contracted.
Dimensional position input device.