JPH06266500A - Input device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve the operability from the viewpoint of human interface in an input device. CONSTITUTION:A movement quantity detection part 12 detects quantity of movement in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction of a mobile part 11 moved on a plane in accordance with the operation of an operator an sends them to a control part 13. A selecting switch 15 receives the instruction of the operator on whether on whether standardized normal input should be execute or special input should be executed. An input part 14 inputs the instruction of the operator by depression of buttons 14a, 14b, and 14c. The control part 13 refers to the selecting switch 15 to invert plus/minus of position coordinates determined according to inputted quantity of movement or change the function assignment to buttons 14a to 14c in accordance with the indication inputted to the selecting switch 15.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an input device for information equipment such as a personal computer, and more particularly to an input device for inputting the position of a display surface.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as an input device for information equipment such as a personal computer, there is a mouse as a device for inputting position information on a two-dimensional plane. The mouse is provided with a detection unit that detects movements in the X and Y directions that are orthogonal to each other, and by moving the mouse on a flat surface on a plate, coordinates for moving on a two-dimensional plane are given.

Further, normally, 1 to 3 push button switches are arranged side by side on the back of the mouse. The buttons on the back are used for generating latch information output from the mouse and for selecting and releasing buttons when a software program is being executed on the personal computer.

Such a mouse is unified in one form or standard in order to standardize the operability, such as the relationship between the moving direction of the operator and the moving direction of the designated coordinate position, and the assignment of functions to the button switches. There is. As a result, the operator, who is skilled in certain operations, can handle the equipment in the same manner as the conventional one even if the equipment to be used is changed, thus improving the versatility of the mouse.

[0005]

Generally, when the operator uses the dominant hand for input operation as the dominant hand, when the input operation is switched to the hand opposite to the dominant hand for some reason, the operator unconsciously inputs with the dominant hand. Often, the input operation is performed with the same finger. However, in the above-mentioned conventional method, since the moving direction of the mouse and the moving direction of the designated coordinate position, the function assigned to the button switch, and the like are unified, it becomes difficult to input using the dominant hand, which is the opposite of the dominant hand. When performing an input operation using the hand of the operator, the operator needs to be aware of the moving direction of the coordinate position, the function of the button switch, and the like.

The present invention has been made in view of the above conventional circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide an input device capable of improving convenience without impairing versatility in consideration of a human interface. .

[0007]

An input device according to the present invention comprises an operation input means for indicating a position on a two-dimensional plane by an operator's operation, and X-axis orthogonal to each other according to an operation amount of the operation input means. And a detection means for detecting each operation amount in the Y-axis direction, a selection switch for inputting a special operation instruction, and an operator's instruction based on each operation amount in the X-axis and Y-axis directions detected by the detection means. Control for deciding the coordinate position to be performed and inverting the sign of one or more values of the X-axis coordinate value and the Y-axis coordinate value of the determined coordinate position when a special operation instruction is input to the selection switch. And means.

Further, according to the present invention, the operation input means is provided with a plurality of buttons to which specific functions are respectively assigned, and the control means is configured to operate the respective buttons when the selection switch is in a special operation instruction state. The feature is that the assignment of the function to the button is changed.

[0009]

When the operator indicates the position on the plane, the operator moves the operation input means on a flat surface or changes the position state. The detection means detects each operation amount in the X-axis and Y-axis directions orthogonal to each other according to the operation amount of the operation input means. Further, the selection switch inputs a special operation instruction in advance when the operator moves the operation input means with the hand opposite to the dominant hand.

The control means controls the X detected by the detection means.
The coordinate position designated by the operator is determined based on each operation amount in the axial direction and the Y-axis direction. Further, the control means refers to the selection switch, and when a special operation instruction is input, inverts the positive or negative value of one or more of the X-axis coordinate value and the Y-axis coordinate value of the determined coordinate position. To do.

Further, the control means refers to the selection switch,
If a special operation instruction has been input, change the function assignment to each button.

As a result, the input device can cope with the unconscious characteristics of the operator, and the operator
The input work becomes difficult, and even when the input work is performed using the hand opposite to the dominant hand, the same finger use as the dominant hand is possible.

[0013]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The configuration of the input device according to the present invention is shown in FIG. The movable portion 11 is moved by a flat surface on the plate by the operation of the operator. The movement amount detection unit 12 includes the movable unit 11
The amount of movement in the X-axis direction and the amount of movement in the Y-axis direction, which are orthogonal to each other, are detected from the amount of movement of (1) and sent to the control unit 13.

The input unit 14 includes buttons 14a, 14
b and 14c. These buttons 14a, 14b,
And 14c, in a personal computer or the like,
Each function on the application software is assigned when the application software operates. The input unit 14 inputs an operator's instruction by pressing each button.

The selection switch 15 is used, for example, by the operator to use the input device 1 with the dominant hand (normal operation) or with the hand opposite to the dominant hand (special operation), that is, with a unified standard setting. Or, accepts an instruction as to whether to use with non-standard setting.

The control unit 13 determines the coordinate position designated by the operator based on the detection value of the movement amount detection unit 12.
Further, the control unit 13 inverts the sign of the value of the determined coordinate position in the X-axis direction or changes the function assignment to the buttons 14a, 14b, and 14c according to the content instructed by the selection switch 15.

Next, FIG. 2 shows the hardware configuration of the input device 1, particularly the configuration of the movable portion 11 in the X-axis direction. The movement amount detector 12 has photocouplers 12a and 12b for detecting the movement amount in the X-axis direction. Each of the photocouplers 12a and 12b has a light emitting element D1 and a light receiving element D2, and is supplied with a voltage V via a protective resistor r1 or r2.
cc is supplied. Further, the photocoupler 12a detects the amount of movement of the X-axis in the positive direction and the amount of movement of the photocoupler X-axis in the negative direction, and sends this to the control unit 13. The hardware configuration for detecting the movement amount in the Y-axis direction can be configured similarly to the hardware configuration in the X-axis direction described above.

The control unit 13 inputs the amount of movement of the X-axis in the positive direction detected by the photocoupler 12a from the port 13a, and the amount of movement of the X-axis in the negative direction detected by the photocoupler 12b from the port 13b. Further, the control unit 13 has a port 13 for inputting a movement amount in the positive direction of the Y axis.
A port 13d is provided for inputting the amount of negative movement of the c and Y axes.

The selection switch 15 has a switch 15s.
Is provided. This switch 15s has a protection resistor r
The voltage Vcc is supplied via 3 and the end of the switch 15s to which the voltage Vcc is not supplied is grounded. The selection signal input port S of the control unit 13 is connected between the protection resistor r3 and the switch 15.

The switch 15 shows a normal input in the off (open) state and a special input in the on (closed) state.
That is, when the voltage is supplied from the port S when the switch 15s is turned off, the control unit 13 determines that the input is a normal input, and when the switch 15s is turned on, the protection resistor r3 is grounded, and the voltage is applied to the port S. If is not supplied, it is judged as a special input.

Next, the operation of the present invention relating to the coordinate position movement will be described with reference to the flow chart of FIG. The movement amount detection unit 12 detects the movement amounts in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction according to the movement of the movable unit 11 by the operator, and the control unit 13
Send to. The control unit 13 determines the position in the Y-axis direction and the position in the X-axis direction of the coordinate position designated by the operator based on the input data (steps S11 and S13). After this,
By checking whether or not the voltage is supplied to the port S, it is determined whether or not the switch 15s is on / off (steps S15 and S17).

When the switch 15s is off (step S17, YES), the controller 13 outputs the determined coordinate position as it is to an external device such as a personal computer (step S21). When the switch 15s is on (step S17, NO), the positive / negative of the determined coordinate position in the X-axis direction is inverted and output (steps S19, S21).

If the switch 15s is turned off by the above processing, the input device 1 as shown in FIG.
Is moved to the right, the arrow indicating the coordinate position on the display screen is also moved to the right, and if the switch 15s is turned on, the input device 1 is moved to the right as shown in FIG. 4B. When moved to, the arrow on the display screen moves to the left.

Further, by turning on the switch 15s, the assignment of functions to the buttons 14a, 14b and 14c provided on the input device 1 is changed. For example, when the switch 15s is off, as shown in FIG. 5A, the buttons 14a, 1 provided on the back of the input device 1 are provided.
Functions F1, F2, and F3 are assigned to 4b and 14c, respectively. However, when the switch 15s is turned on, the button 14a is F3, the button 14b is F2, and the button 14c is F1 as shown in FIG. 5B.
However, the allocation is opposite to the allocation shown in FIG.

By the above processing operation, the standardized setting of the input device 1 can be changed to a mirror-symmetrical setting with respect to the standardized setting of left and right.

In this embodiment, the positive / negative of the movement amount in the X-axis direction is reversed, but it goes without saying that the same processing can be performed also in the Y-axis.

In this embodiment, the selection switch 15 is provided in the input device 1. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the selection switch 15 is provided in the main body of the personal computer or the like to which the input device 1 is connected. The input device 1 may be configured to receive an instruction from the main body side.

Further, in this embodiment, the input device for inputting and instructing the position of the two-dimensional plane, that is, the mouse has been described, but the present invention is not limited to the mouse, and may be applied to a trackball, a touch sensor panel and the like. it can.

[0029]

As described above in detail, according to the present invention,
Provided with a switch for receiving a special operation instruction from the operator, by inverting the positive / negative of the detected value of the coordinate position corresponding to the setting of this switch or changing the function assignment to the button, without impairing versatility, The convenience can be improved from the viewpoint of human interface. For example, when operating the input device with the hand opposite to the dominant hand, it is possible to cope with the unconscious characteristics of humans such as performing the input operation using the same finger as that used with the dominant hand.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an input device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram showing a part of hardware of an input device in this embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of this embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the relationship between the moving direction of the input device and the coordinate position corresponding to this in this embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the assignment of functions to buttons provided on the back of the input device in this embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Input device, 11 ... Movable part, 12 ... Movement amount detection part, 1
3 ... Control unit, 14 ... Input unit, 15 ... Selection switch.

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. An operation input means for instructing a position on a two-dimensional plane by an operator's operation, and each operation quantity in the X-axis and Y-axis directions orthogonal to each other is detected according to the operation quantity of this operation input means. A detection unit, a selection switch for inputting a special operation instruction, and a coordinate position designated by the operator based on each operation amount in the X-axis and Y-axis directions detected by the detection unit. An input device, comprising: a control unit that inverts the sign of at least one of the X-axis coordinate value and the Y-axis coordinate value of the determined coordinate position when an operation instruction is input. . 2. The operation input means is provided with a plurality of buttons to which specific functions are respectively assigned, and the control means, when the selection switch is in a special operation instruction state,
The input device according to claim 1, wherein a function assignment to each of the buttons is changed.