JPH07110733A - Input device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide the input device where data is inputted with one operation and the data volume can be increased by generating input data in accordance with the plane position detected by a plane position detecting means and the position detected by a vertical position detecting means. CONSTITUTION:The whole of a map which tickets to destinations can be issued by a ticket vending machine is displayed on a display screen 1. When a user points the vicinity of a prescribed destination station with his finger in accordance with the guide or the display screen 1. X-axis and Y-axis positions, namely, the plane position of his finger (a) is first specified by sensors 2a, 2b, 3a, and 3b by this pointing. When the user byrigns his finger (a) closer to the display screen 1, the Z-axis position, namely, the vertical position of his finger (a) is specified, and a part of the map in the vicinity of the destination station is enlarged and displayed. When the user touches the destination station with his finger (a), that is, when the Z-axis position reaches a prescribed value, a passenger ticket to the destination station is issued. Since data is inputted three- dimensionailly in this manner, the input data volume is increased and the user can acquire the passenger ticket with one input operation.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an input device, and more particularly to an input device capable of vertical data input in the vertical axis direction in addition to horizontal data input in the horizontal axis and vertical axis directions.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a touch panel type input device provided in a map-type automatic ticket vending machine, an ATM or the like inputs plane data of a horizontal axis and a vertical axis (hereinafter, referred to as X axis and Y axis). Dimensional data input formula is adopted.

In this two-dimensional input device, two transparent conductive sheets for the X-axis and the Y-axis are stretched on the surface of the display screen, and the two sheets are used by the user. The data corresponding to the intersection points of the X-axis and the Y-axis of the portion pressed down by the finger and brought into close contact can be taken in as input data.

Further, instead of the above-mentioned sheet, as shown in, for example, Japanese Patent Publication No. 5-59446, the X-axis and Y-axis are used.
There is also proposed a device in which a large number of photoelectric elements are arranged in the axial direction so that two-dimensional input can be performed.

[0005]

However, since the conventional data input device described above is a two-dimensional planar data input, there is a limit to the amount of data that can be input.

Therefore, for example, when inputting an ATM, it is necessary to change the menu screen to a desired screen one by one and input each time, which results in a long input time.

Therefore, the present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned drawbacks, and an object thereof is to provide an input device in which the amount of data that can be input by one operation is increased.

[0008]

In order to achieve the above object, an input device according to the present invention has an X-axis and a Y-axis of a display screen.
Plane position detecting means for detecting the plane position of an object existing on the display screen from the light shielding state of a plurality of photoelectric elements arranged in the axial direction, image pickup means for picking up an image on the display screen, and the image pickup means A vertical position detecting means for calculating a distance from the display screen to the object from the data of the imaged object, and detecting a vertical position of the object; a plane position detected by the plane position detecting means; It is characterized by having a data generating means for generating input data from the vertical position detected by the position detecting means.

[0009]

In the above structure, the data generating means generates the input data from the plane position detected by the plane position detecting means and the vertical position detected by the vertical position detecting means.

[0010]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a front view of an embodiment of an input device according to the present invention when applied to a map-type automatic ticket vending machine, and FIG.
1 is a sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a front view after the display screen is changed.

In the figure, 1 is a display screen composed of the same display as that provided in a known map-type automatic ticket vending machine, and 2a, 2b and 3a, 3b are a large number of display screens arranged in front of the display screen 1. An optical sensor including a light emitting element and a light receiving element. Among them, the sensors 2a and 2b are configured to detect an object in the X-axis direction, that is, the user's finger, and the sensors 3a and 3b are The user's finger in the Y-axis direction can be detected.

Therefore, the sensors 2a, 2b, 3a, 3
b can detect the plane position of the finger of the user from the position of the intersection of the X axis and the Y axis.

In the figure, reference numeral 4 denotes an image pickup device (hereinafter referred to as a camera) including a CCD camera, which is located on the side of the front surface of the display screen 1 and is located on the front surface of the display screen 1. It is configured to be able to image the finger b.

The image pickup signal of the camera 4 is configured to be inputted and processed by a controller C (not shown in FIG. 1) composed of a microcomputer for controlling the main body of the automatic ticket vending machine. .

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of the controller C, which is a central processing unit (which performs arithmetic processing using a system program stored in the ROM 10 and working data stored in the RAM 11). CPU) 12
have.

The RAM 11 stores in advance map information in a range in which ticket vending can be performed by an automatic ticket vending machine and enlarged map information obtained by enlarging a part of the map.

The CPU 12 has an X-axis input driver 14 for inputting signals from the sensors 2a and 2b via an I / O unit 13, and a Y-axis input driver 15 for inputting signals from the sensors 3a and 3b. A Z-axis input driver 16 for inputting a signal from the image processing unit 4a, that is, a signal in the vertical axis (hereinafter, referred to as Z-axis) direction, and a display driver 17 for controlling the display screen 1 are connected.

Similar to well-known image processing, the image processing unit 4a binarizes the imaged data of the camera 4 to detect the tip position of the user's finger b, from the display screen 1 to the finger b. The distance, that is, the Z-axis position can be detected.

Next, the input control operation of the apparatus of this embodiment will be described with reference to the flow chart of FIG.

First, on the display screen 1, an entire map that can be issued by an automatic ticket vending machine is displayed (step 100).
Hereinafter, the step is referred to as S).

At this time, it is assumed that the user points to the vicinity of a predetermined target station (near the Tokyo station in the illustrated example) according to the guidance on the display screen 1. By this pointing, firstly, the sensors 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b specify the X-axis and Y-axis positions, that is, the plane position of the finger a (Yes at S102).

When the user further brings his or her finger closer to the display screen 1, the Z-axis position of the finger or finger, that is, the vertical position is specified, and the map near the target station is enlarged and displayed (S10).
4 affirmative, S106. (See FIG. 3).

Furthermore, when the user's finger touches the target station, that is, when the Z-axis position reaches a predetermined value, a ticket to the target station is issued (Yes at S108, S11).
0). Then, when the ticket issuing process is completed, the display screen 1 becomes the original general view, and the standby state for the next user is obtained (Yes in S112).

As described above, since the data input is three-dimensional in the apparatus of this embodiment, the input data amount is large, and the user can obtain the desired ticket with one input.

In the above embodiment, the input device is the input device of the automatic ticket vending machine, but the input device may be an input device of ATM or other vending machines.

[0026]

As described above, the input device according to the present invention can display X on the display screen.
A plane position detecting means for detecting a plane position of an object existing on the display screen from a light-shielded state of a plurality of photoelectric elements arranged in the axial and Y-axis directions, and an imaging means for imaging the display screen, From the data of the object imaged by the imaging means,
Vertical position detecting means for calculating the distance from the display screen to the object to detect the vertical position of the object, plane position detected by the plane position detecting means, and vertical position detected by the vertical position detecting means. Since it comprises the data generation means for generating the input data from the position, three-dimensional input is possible, and the amount of data that can be input by one input operation can be increased.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view when the device of the present invention is applied to an input device of an automatic ticket vending machine.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a front view after the display screen is changed.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of a controller.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a display control operation.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Display screens 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b Sensors (planar position detecting means) 4 Imaging device (camera, imaging means) 4a Image processing unit (vertical position detecting means) C Controller (data generating means)

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Hiroyuki Wada 1-13-8 Kamikizaki, Urawa-shi, Saitama Nihon Signal Co., Ltd. Yono Works

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A plane position detecting means for detecting the plane position of an object existing on a display screen from the light-shielding state of a plurality of photoelectric elements arranged in the horizontal and vertical directions of the display screen, and the display. An image pickup means for picking up an image on the screen; a vertical position detection means for calculating a distance from the display screen to the object to detect a vertical position of the object from data of the object picked up by the image pickup means; An input device, comprising: data generating means for generating input data from the plane position detected by the detecting means and the vertical position detected by the vertical position detecting means.