JPH08171447A - Information input device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To provide an information input device with which an operator can easily perform the key input and coordinate input operations with his both hands always put on a keyboard (home position) and also can improve the working efficiency for input of various information on characters, coordinates, graphics, etc. CONSTITUTION: Two sheets of resistance films 21 and 23 and a sheet of conductive material 24 are put on each other. Then the coordinates of a part where the finger of an operator touches are detected by film 21, and the coordinates of a part which is pressed by the finger of the operator is detected by the touches of the film 23 and the element 24. In a key input mode, the coordinates of the pressed part are converted into a code like a character, etc., and outputted. Then the coordinates of the finger touched part are outputted in a coordinate input mode.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an information input device that can be used when inputting information to an information processing device such as a computer.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a computer is basically programmed to receive a command of a character string input from a keyboard and process them, so that the computer can be operated without using any input device other than the keyboard. I was able to do it.

However, in recent years, graphical user interfaces (hereinafter referred to as GUI) have been actively developed, and not only a keyboard but also a coordinate input device such as a touch panel, a mouse or a tablet is used as an input means. Came to be.

As a user interface of a computer, a GUI has made remarkable progress, especially in terms of easiness of understanding, as compared with a conventional character string only. In addition, by taking advantage of the coordinate input device and the dramatic screen display, a computer has come to be used in the field of drawing drawing.

[0005]

However, due to such a fashion of GUI, an input operation from a coordinate input device is required in addition to an input operation from a keyboard even when operating an editor for programming or document creation. Came to be.

[0006] Therefore, for an operator who is accustomed to key typing, it is necessary to use the coordinate input device even in a portion where the keyboard alone can sufficiently perform the work. However, there is a problem in that the work efficiency must be reduced, because it must be moved remarkably between the coordinate input device and the like.

In consideration of the above problems of the conventional apparatus, the present invention allows the operator to easily perform key input and coordinate input with both hands constantly placed on the keyboard (home position), and character information and coordinate information can be input. An object of the present invention is to provide an information input device capable of further improving work efficiency in the case of inputting various kinds of information such as or graphic information.

[0008]

According to the present invention of claim 1, the information input surface portion for inputting information and the position coordinates of contact of a predetermined object with respect to the information input surface portion are substantially continuously changed. Position coordinate detection means for detecting as position coordinate information, or position coordinate detection means for detecting the position coordinates of contact of the predetermined object in block units divided and formed on the information input surface portion, and any one of the detection by the position coordinate detection means or , An information input device including detection mode instructing means for instructing whether to detect both.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the position coordinate detecting means includes a first resistance film, a second resistance film provided below the first resistance film at a predetermined distance, and further below the predetermined resistance film. Has conductors that are provided with an insulation distance of
When the operator contacts the information input surface portion, the first position coordinates of the contact portion of the first resistance film where the operator has contacted, and the operator further strongly presses the information input surface portion downward. The information input device detects the second position coordinate of the contact portion by contacting the second resistive film with the conductor.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided an information input device, wherein the surface of the information input surface portion is provided with at least one push button-shaped convex portion corresponding to the position of the predetermined block.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, a flexible plate having the first resistance film on its upper surface and a member having elasticity between the second resistance film are provided, and the operator has the first resistance film. This is an information input device in which the flat plate is deformed when pressure is applied on the resistance film of.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an information input device comprising symbol converting means for converting at least the position coordinates detected in the block unit by the position coordinate detecting means into symbols.

[0013]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, information is input from the information input surface portion, and the position coordinate detecting means substantially continuously changes the position coordinate of contact of a predetermined object with respect to the information input surface portion. Detected as information, or detecting the position coordinates of the contact of the predetermined one in block units divided and formed in the information input surface section, the detection mode instructing means, any one of the detection in the position coordinate detecting means, or Indicate whether to detect both.

[0014]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is an external perspective view showing an input device as an information input device according to one embodiment of the present invention. The structure of this embodiment will be described with reference to the same drawing.

In the figure, 11 is a touch panel and 12
A housing, 13 is a push button switch, and 14 is a cord. Here, the touch panel 11 is manufactured by depositing a resistance film on the surface of a flexible material such as polyester resin. And the touch panel 11 is
It is a means for detecting the coordinates of the position touched by a finger as a predetermined part of the present invention by a resistance value, and includes the position coordinate detecting means of the present invention. In addition, because the shape raises the part corresponding to the position of each key on the keyboard so that it is close to a normal keyboard, the operator feels that his or her finger is on the key just by touching it, or the gap between the keys. Can be determined. The portions corresponding to the positions of the raised keys correspond to the divided blocks of the present invention. The push button switch 13 as the detection mode instructing means of the present invention is a function switching switch between the keyboard and the touch panel. Information such as detected coordinates is output to a computer or the like via the code 14, but the side of the code 14 connected to the computer is a bifurcated plug (see FIG. 4), one of which is used for the keyboard of the computer. Connect the other terminal to the terminal for the computer mouse. Here, the information input surface portion of the present invention includes the surface portion of the polyester resin touch panel 11 of the present embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the alternate long and short dash line Y in FIG.

In FIG. 2, 11 is the touch panel described in FIG. 1, 21 is a first resistance film, 22 is a foam,
Reference numeral 23 is a second resistance film, and 24 is a third resistance film as a conductor. Reference numeral 25 denotes an insulator, which is for preventing the second resistance film 23 and the conductor 24 from conducting when pressure is not applied. Incidentally, as a means for preventing the second resistance film 23 and the conductor 24 from being electrically conductive in this way, it is also possible to inject and insulate a gel-like insulator. Reference numeral 26 indicates the fingertip of the operator who is in contact with the surface of the touch panel 11.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the input device according to the present embodiment.
It is a block diagram of the system which displays input information on a screen.

Here, reference numeral 31 denotes a detection unit, which corresponds to the touch panel 11 (see FIG. 1) for detecting the coordinates of the position touched by the operator and its control unit (not shown). Reference numeral 32 denotes a calculation unit as a symbol conversion unit of the present invention, which is the coordinate information obtained from the detection unit 31 according to the information from the determination unit 33, which will be described later, or the coordinate information converted into character information, which will be described later. Output to the processing unit 34. A determination unit 33 is a push-button switch 13 (see FIG. 1) for selecting whether the operator inputs coordinates or characters.
Equivalent to. The detection unit 31 to the determination unit 33 correspond to the input device of this embodiment.

Reference numeral 34 is a processing unit provided in the computer main body 41 described above. In the computer main body 41 such as a personal computer, the processing unit 34 receives from the arithmetic unit 32 through the mouse terminal for coordinate information and through the keyboard terminal for character information (see FIG. 4). In this way, when the coordinate information is input, the processing unit 34 moves the cursor on the screen accordingly,
Further, it has a function of displaying the character on the screen when the character information is input.

FIG. 4 is an external view of the input device and the processing section (computer) 34 of this embodiment.

In the figure, the touch panel 11, the casing 12, the push button switch 13, and the cord 14 are the same as those explained in FIG. 1, and the same reference numerals are given.

Reference numeral 41 is a computer main body, 42 is a display housing, and 43 is a screen.
The coordinates of the position on the resistance film 21 correspond to the coordinates of the position on the screen 43 on a one-to-one basis.

The operation of the input device of the present embodiment constructed as above will be described.

First, in the case of inputting coordinate information, which has conventionally been input from a mouse or the like, using the input device of this embodiment, the operator pushes a push button switch in order to inform the device that the coordinate input is to be performed. While pressing 13, the finger is brought into contact with an arbitrary position on the touch panel 11. Then, the touch panel 11 detects the coordinates of the finger on the first resistive film 21. Since the calculation unit 32 indicates that the determination unit 33 should process the coordinate input (that is, the push button switch 13 is pressed by the operator), the coordinate (coordinate 1) is processed via the code 14. It is output to the unit 34. Here, the coordinate 1 corresponds to the substantially continuously changing position coordinate information of the present invention.

For example, when the computer of the processing unit 34 is executing a program for moving the cursor on the screen 43 to the input coordinates, the operator touches the finger on the upper left of the touch panel 11 shown in FIG. If you do, screen 43
The top cursor is displayed at the top left of the screen. If the operator slides the finger to the right while keeping his / her finger on the touch panel 11, the cursor on the screen 43 will also move to the right accordingly. Touch panel 11
Since the detection resolution of can be made much finer than that of the key-shaped protrusion, the cursor can be moved smoothly if the finger is moved smoothly.

Further, FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the touch panel when the operator not only makes a finger contact but also applies a pressure, and the conductor is the second resistance film 23 and the third resistance film. 24 is in contact, and the coordinates (coordinate 2) of the contacted portion can be obtained independently of the first coordinates. Here, the coordinate 2 corresponds to the position coordinate detected by the position coordinate detection means of the present invention in units of blocks divided and formed on the information input surface portion.

Therefore, as in the case of using a mouse in a window system, there is a conventional operation of moving the mouse to move the cursor on the screen and pushing (clicking) the mouse button at an arbitrary position. In the present embodiment, the cursor is moved while touching the touch panel 11 with a finger (this corresponds to moving a conventional mouse), the finger is stopped at an arbitrary position, and the touch panel is pressed as it is (this is This can be done by stopping the mouse and clicking the button).

Next, when a character is input, the operator does not press the push button switch 13 in order to inform that the character will be input, and a finger or the like is placed on the touch panel 11 at the position of the button-like protrusion to be input. Apply pressure with. At this time, the touch panel 11 first detects the coordinates (coordinates 2) of the portion where the second resistance film 23 and the conductor 24 are in contact with each other. Then, the calculation unit 32 indicates that the determination unit 33 should process as character input (that is, the push button switch 13 is pressed by the operator), so that the coordinates (coordinate 2) on the keyboard. It is converted into a key symbol and this symbol is output to the processing unit 34 via the code 14. Here again, the coordinate 2 corresponds to the position coordinate detected by the position coordinate detection means of the present invention in units of blocks divided and formed on the information input surface portion. That is,
When pressure is applied to the position of the button-shaped protrusion with a finger or the like, no matter where it is pressed on the same button-shaped protrusion, the same coordinates are detected. This is completely different from the case of the above-described coordinate 1 which is detected as position coordinate information that continuously changes with respect to the change in the position of the touching finger. This is because in the case of character input, the detection resolution of the touch panel 11 may be lower than that in the case of coordinate input.

As described above, according to this embodiment, the two resistive films and the conductor are arranged so as to overlap each other, and push-button-shaped ridges are provided on the surface to detect the coordinates of the contact portion, and Since an input device composed of a touch panel that detects the coordinates of a portion to which pressure is applied normally operates as a pseudo keyboard, the operator normally inputs characters as usual and pushes the push button switch 13 to the left or right. Coordinates can be input as a touch panel only when the thumb or the like of one of the hands is pressed.

As a result, the operator can perform key input and coordinate input without moving both hands from the home position, and work efficiency is further improved.

That is, according to this embodiment, the following effects can be obtained. (1) Since the operator can input coordinate information without moving his or her hand from the home position to the mouse or the like, work efficiency is further improved. (2) Since the surface of the touch panel is raised above the buttons of the keyboard, it can be used with a feeling similar to that of a normal keyboard, and the feeling of discomfort of the conventional touch panel is eliminated.

In the above embodiment, the contact coordinate detection is detected by the resistance voltage division of the voltage applied in the vertical and horizontal directions of the touch panel, but the present invention is not limited to this.
Other methods such as capacitance can be used as well.

Further, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the case where the switch between the character input and the coordinate input is the push button switch has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this, and a touch panel may be used, for example, and various modifications of the present invention can be made. It does not exclude it from the range.

Also, the conversion from the coordinate information to the character information does not necessarily have to be made according to the JIS Kana keyboard.
Any other conversion method such as WERTY keyboard, DVORAK keyboard or the like is possible.

Further, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the case where the shape of the surface of the touch panel is made uneven so as to be close to the shape of an ordinary keyboard has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, a flat plate having no unevenness. A touch panel (or tablet) that detects the position of a finger touching the top is used as a coordinate input device, and if necessary, the touch panel (or tablet) is viewed as a keyboard and touched by the detection mode instructing means. Of course, a configuration may be used in which the key input device that discriminates the input character is used by switching from the designated position.

Further, in the above embodiment, the position coordinate detecting means has a multi-layer structure having the first resistance film, the second resistance film, and the conductor, and the contact by the fingertip Although the case where the coordinates 1 and the coordinates 2 are independently detected by the pressurization has been described, the present invention is not limited to this, and the position coordinate detection means may be composed of only the first resistance film, for example. In this case, when the predetermined data is input, if the predetermined data is not continuously input for a predetermined period, the process is performed as an instruction to confirm the input data,
The input data is fixed by releasing the fingertip from the surface of the information input surface section.

[0039]

As is clear from the above description, according to the present invention, when various information such as character information and coordinate information is input, the work efficiency can be further improved as compared with the conventional art. It has advantages.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of an input device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of an input device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram of an input device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an external view of an input device and a treatment section (computer) according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of an input device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 11 Touch Panel 12 Case 13 Push Button Switch 21 First Resistive Film 22 Foam 23 Second Resistive Film 24 Conductor 25 Insulator 31 Detector 32 Calculator 33 Judgment 34 Processor 41 Computer Main 42 Display 43 screen

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. An information input surface portion for inputting information, and a position coordinate of contact of a predetermined object with respect to the information input surface portion is detected as position coordinate information that changes substantially continuously, or the predetermined coordinate. Position coordinate detection means for detecting the position coordinates of the contact of the object in units of blocks formed in the information input surface portion, or any one of the detection in the position coordinate detection means, or
Detection mode instructing means for instructing whether to detect both,
An information input device comprising: 2. The position coordinate detecting means includes a first resistance film,
The second resistance film is provided below the second resistance film at a predetermined distance, and the conductor is further provided below the second resistance film at a predetermined insulation distance. In the case of contact, the first position coordinate of the contact portion of the first resistance film where the operator has contacted, and when the operator further strongly presses the information input surface portion downward, The information input device according to claim 1, wherein the second resistance film detects the second position coordinate of the contact portion when the second resistance film comes into contact with the second resistance film. 3. The surface of the information input surface portion has at least one push-button-shaped convex portion aligned with the position of the predetermined block.
The information input device according to claim 1, wherein the information input device is provided individually. 4. A flexible flat plate having a first resistance film on its upper surface and a member having elasticity between the second resistance film and an operator applying pressure on the first resistance film. The information input device according to claim 2, wherein the flat plate is deformed when added. 5. The information input device according to claim 1, further comprising a symbol converting unit for converting at least a position coordinate detected by the position coordinate detecting unit in the block unit into a symbol.