JPH09128136A - Command input device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To attain command input without separating a hand from a keyboard and to speedily input keys by inputting a command to a pressure sensor sheet through the use of feet. SOLUTION: A command input device C11 is provided with the pressure sensor sheet 10, an interface cable 11 and a signal processing part 20. The signal processing part 20 is provided in a personal computer 2, and a display 1 and the personal computer 2 are mounted on a desk 12. The pressure sensor sheet 10 is installed under the desk 12, etc., to step by feet wearing shoes, etc., to output different commands corresponding to the way of this step. A signal inputted to the personal computer 2 from the pressure sensor sheet 10 through the interface cable 11 is stored in a memory on the personal computer 2 as a pressure distribution picture. Then the size and the centroid of the closed area are calculated and outputted as a command.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a device for inputting commands and the like in workstations, personal computers, word processors and the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventional command input devices include a mouse and a touch panel.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a conventional command input device CI2 using a mouse.

The command input device CI2 includes a display device 1, a personal computer 2, a keyboard 3,
It has a mouse 4 and a mouse button 5. The operator of the personal computer 2 performs a predetermined input using the keyboard 3 and the mouse 4, that is, by moving the mouse 4 forward, backward, leftward, and rightward, the mouse coordinates (hereinafter referred to as “mouse coordinates”) displayed on the screen. "Cursor" is moved,
Move the cursor to the desired location.

FIG. 8 is an example of a display screen showing how the coordinate position is selected using the mouse 4 in the conventional command input device CI2.

In FIG. 8, for example, the operation menu 6
When the cursor is moved up, a submenu 7 of one operation menu in which the cursor exists in the operation menu 6 is displayed, and the position of the one submenu is selected from the submenu 7 by the cursor. ,
The submenu is selected by pressing the mouse button 5.

FIG. 9 is a schematic view showing a conventional command input device CI3 using a touch panel.

The command input device CI3 is a display device 1.
1, a personal computer 2, a keyboard 3, a touch panel 8, and a pressed coordinate position calculation unit 9.

Command input device CI using a touch panel
3 is basically a command input device CI2 using a mouse.
The menu 6 displayed on the display device 1 is the same as
When one of these is pressed with a finger or the like via the touch panel 8,
The submenu 7 is displayed. Similarly, the desired position of the submenu 7 is pressed with a finger or the like to select the desired position.

[0010]

In the command input device CI2 using the mouse 4, when a menu or the like is changed while a sentence or the like is being input from the keyboard 3, the hand is released from the keyboard 3 and the mouse 4 is operated. Can change the menu. Command input device C
In I2, when a menu change or the like occurs in this way, it is necessary to once remove the hand from the keyboard and switch to the mouse 4, so there is a problem that it is difficult to quickly perform a key input operation. .

Also in the command input device CI3 using the touch panel 8, similarly, it is necessary to once release the hand from the keyboard 3 and touch the touch panel 8 installed on the front surface of the display device 1 with a finger or the like. However, there is a problem that it is difficult to quickly perform a key input operation.

Further, in the conventional command input device CI3 using the touch panel 8, since only the position coordinates are instructed and the place is touched to input the command,
Unlike the mouse 4, there is a problem in that it is not possible to express the difference in the input form due to one-click, double-click, etc., and therefore, it is not possible to input various state settings. Further, the command input device CI2 using the mouse 4 has a problem that only two types of input forms can be expressed, such as one-click and double-click.

In order to solve this problem, when a preset menu position is pressed with the mouse 4 or the touch panel 8 as shown in FIG. 8, a sub-menu appears and the mouse 4 or the touch panel 8 is pressed as it is. It is conceivable to shift the position as it is and select the desired position of the sub-menu again, but with this method, it is necessary to shift the position while pressing it with the mouse 4, the touch panel 8 or the like. There is a problem that it is difficult to input commands.

Further, recently, introduction of a personal computer or a word processor as a text or image input device for persons with physical disabilities has been considered, but when the mouse 4 and the touch panel 8 are used, the hands and fingers are basically free. Must. Therefore, there is a problem that it is difficult for a physically handicapped person who has a hand or finger disability to use the mouse 4 and the touch panel 8 as a command input method in a text or image input device.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a command input device in which quick key input operation is easy.

[0016]

According to the present invention, a pressure sensor sheet installed under a desk or the like where a personal computer or the like is installed, and pressure data output from the pressure sensor sheet are mapped on a memory and added. A feature amount calculation unit that calculates the area, center of gravity, and pressure value of the closed region surface of the pressed portion, and a command selection unit that selects a predetermined command based on the calculated area, position, and pressure value of the closed region surface. It consists of and.

That is, according to the present invention, the means for detecting the pressure of the stepped portion of the foot, the analyzed pressure surface range, the size of the pressure surface range, the central coordinate value of the pressure surface range,
Based on the means for determining the pressure magnitude of the pressure plane range, the obtained pressure plane range magnitude, the center coordinate value of the pressure plane range, and the pressure magnitude of the pressure plane range, It has a means for selecting.

[0018]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a command input device CI1 which is a first embodiment of the present invention.

The command input device CI1 has a pressure sensor sheet 10, an interface cable 11, and a signal processing section 20. The signal processing unit 20 is provided in the personal computer 2, and the display device 1 and the personal computer 2 are placed on the desk 12. The pressure sensor sheet 10 is installed under the desk 12 or the like, and is stepped on with the user wearing shoes or the like, and different commands are output depending on this stepping method.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the signal processing unit 20 in the command input device CI1.

The signal processor 20 includes an A / D converter 21 and
Memory M, feature amount calculation unit 30, command selection unit 25
And the feature amount calculation unit 30 includes a size calculation / determination unit 2
2, the center of gravity calculation / determination unit 23, and the pressure value calculation / determination unit 2
And 4.

A signal input from the pressure sensor sheet 10 to the personal computer 2 via the interface cable 11 and the A / D converter 21 is stored in the memory M on the personal computer 2 as a pressure distribution image.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the concept of the pressure distribution image stored in the memory M in the above embodiment.

For the pressure distribution image of the footprint 31, for example, stored in the memory M, the size calculation / determination unit 22 calculates the size of the closed region. When determining the calculated size of the closed region, for example, in the above-described embodiment, there are two types, large and small, and the large and small results are input to the command selection unit 25. Further, the center of gravity calculation / determination unit 23 calculates the center of gravity of the closed region.

For these calculations, there are a method of using labeling processing, a method of obtaining maximum and minimum values in the x and y directions, and an approximate calculation. In the case of determining the calculated barycentric coordinates of the closed region, in the above embodiment, there are four types of upper right, lower right, upper left, and lower left, and the upper right, lower right, upper left,
The lower left result is input to the command selection unit 25. The pressure value calculation / determination unit 24 calculates an average pressure value from the pressure distribution image. Similarly, when determining the magnitude of the calculated pressure in the closed region, for example, in the above-described embodiment, there are two types, large and small, and the large and small results are input to the command selecting unit 25.

The information from the size calculation unit / judgment 22, the center of gravity calculation unit / judgment 23, and the pressure value calculation / judgment unit 24 is input to the command selection unit 25, and a command is issued based on these input data. Select.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a combination of commands in the above embodiment.

In the above embodiment, two types of commands can be selected depending on the size of the footprint 31 and four types of commands can be selected depending on the position of the footprint 31.
Two types of commands can be selected depending on the magnitude of the pressure when the pedal is stepped on. By combining these, a total of 16 types of commands can be selected.
In order to change the size of the foot, it is sufficient to distinguish between the case where the pressure sensor sheet 10 is stepped on only by the toe and the case where the entire foot is stepped on. Further, in order to change the magnitude of the pressure, it is sufficient to distinguish between the case where the pressure sensor sheet 10 is lightly stepped on and the case where the pressure sensor sheet 10 is strongly pressed.

In order to execute the same operation in the above-described embodiment as when the mouse button is continuously pressed in the conventional example, the pressure sensor sheet 10 may be stepped on continuously.

In the above embodiment, the pressure sensor sheet 10 installed under the desk 12 on which a personal computer or the like is installed, and when the pressure sensor sheet 10 is pressed with a foot, the pressure sensor sheet 10 outputs the output. Pressure data to be mapped on the memory M to calculate the area of the closed region surface of the portion to which the pressure is applied (pressurized portion), the center of gravity, and the pressure value, and the calculated closed region. Surface area,
The command selection unit 25 selects a corresponding command from preset commands based on the position and the pressure value. With such a configuration, the desk 1
By stepping on the pressure sensor sheet 10 by preparing in advance a command that can be uniquely determined by the position on the pressure sensor sheet 10 below 2, the area at the time of stepping, and the magnitude of pressure. Then, it becomes possible to execute a desired command corresponding to the area, the barycentric position coordinate of the area, and the magnitude of the pressure according to the stepping.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory view of the second embodiment of the present invention, in which the toe portion 41 and the heel portion 4 are arranged on the pressure sensor sheet 10.
It is a figure which shows the state pressed by 2.

This second embodiment can be applied to the scroll movement process at the time of creating a document in a computer and the image reproduction process at the time of moving image reproduction / editing, that is, the scroll movement speed or moving image reproduction thereof. The speed can be changed in an analog manner.

Next, an example of a command input method by which the operating speed can be changed in an analog manner will be described.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the pressure stepped on with a foot and the command input to the computer in the second embodiment.

In the second embodiment, an example is shown in which 20 kinds of speed commands are output according to the pressure value that changes linearly when stepped on with a foot.

First, the operator begins to move the toe forward while stepping on the pressure sensor sheet 10 with the toe. When the toe is moved forward in this way, for example, when a document is created, a command to display the tip of the currently displayed document is generated. Generate a command to play forward in the forward direction. Conversely, pressure sensor sheet 1 on the heel
If you move the heel backward while stepping on 0, contrary to the above, a command to display the previous part of the currently displayed document is generated at the time of document creation, and editing is performed at the time of moving image playback. Occasionally, it issues a command to play the currently playing image in the reverse direction.

When the toe is moving forward, the center of gravity calculating / determining section 23 and the pressure value calculating / determining section 24 are operated by the toe section 41.
Position and pressure are calculated, and by the command selection unit 25,
A forward movement speed command is output according to the characteristics shown in FIG. For example, when the pressure sensor sheet 10 outputs the pressure A shown in FIG. 6 when the pressure sensor sheet 10 is stepped on with a toe, the personal computer 2
Select speed 5 as the speed command. Similarly, when the pressure sensor sheet 10 outputs the pressure B shown in FIG. 6, the personal computer 2 selects the speed 12 as the speed command.

Similarly to the above, when the heel is moved backward, the center of gravity calculation / determination unit 23, the pressure value calculation / determination unit 2
4 calculates the position and pressure of the heel portion 42, and the command selection unit 25 outputs a backward moving speed command according to the characteristics shown in FIG.

Similarly, when it is desired to stop the movement (that is, to input a stop command), the pressure sensor sheet 10 may be stepped on by, for example, the entire foot, whereby the stop command is input.

That is, in the computer to which the pressure sensor sheet for detecting the pressure on the plane is connected, the pressure area calculating means for calculating the pressure area where the pressure is applied on the pressure sensor sheet and the pressure area By providing a command selecting means for selecting a command to instruct the computer according to the command, the command can be input using the foot. Further, instead of the pressurizing area calculating means, the barycentric position calculating means for calculating the barycentric coordinate position of the pressure surface applied on the pressure sensor sheet may be provided to input the command using the foot. Further, instead of the pressurizing area calculating means, a command selecting means for selecting a command to instruct the computer according to the barycentric coordinate position of the pressure surface may be provided to input the command using the foot.

The pressure area calculating means and the pressure calculating means may be used together to select the command, or the pressure calculating means and the center of gravity position calculating means may be used together to select the command. Alternatively, the pressure area calculating means and the center-of-gravity position calculating means may be used together to select a command. Further, the pressure area calculating means, the pressure calculating means, and the center of gravity position calculating means may be used together to select a command.

In the above embodiment, the pressure sensor sheet 10 is used.
Is divided into four 2 × 2 field-shaped ranges (upper left, lower left,
Although it is divided into four areas (upper right and lower right), instead of doing this, by increasing the number of divisions such as 8x8 or 16x16, an input environment similar to a mouse is provided. be able to. In this case as well, pressure can be used as an input form corresponding to a mouse click. That is, the foot is brought into contact with the surface of the pressure sensor sheet 10 lightly, the foot is moved like a mouse, and the foot is pressed at a desired position with a feeling of a ton.

Further, as shown in Example 2, a mouse,
It is possible to realize variable-speed analog input that is difficult to input on a touch panel.
The operation method becomes more comfortable than the touch panel.

[0044]

According to the present invention, it is possible to input a command by using a foot, and therefore, in a workstation, a personal computer or the like, the command can be input simply by stepping on the pressure sensor sheet, so that the keyboard can be input. There is an effect that a command can be input without releasing the hand and a key can be quickly input. Further, according to the present invention, a handicapped person whose hands and fingers cannot enter,
It is possible to create sentences and drawings on a workstation, a personal computer or the like without using a keyboard and a mouse.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a command input device CI1 which is a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a signal processing unit 2 in a command input device CI1.
FIG.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a concept of pressure distribution images accumulated in the memory M in the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of command combinations in the above embodiment.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of pressure applied by a foot and a command input to a computer in the second embodiment.

FIG. 7: Conventional command input device CI using a mouse
FIG.

FIG. 8 is an example of a display screen showing a state of selecting coordinate positions using the mouse 4 in the command input device CI2.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a conventional command input device CI3 using a touch panel.

[Explanation of symbols]

 CI1 ... Command input device, 2 ... Personal computer, 10 ... Pressure sensor sheet, 11 ... Interface cable, 12 ... Desk, 20 ... Signal processing section, 21 ... A / D conversion section, 22 ... Size calculation / determination section, 23 ... gravity center calculation / determination unit, 24 ... pressure value calculation / determination unit, 25 ... command selection unit, 30 ... feature amount calculation unit, M ... memory.

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. A computer to which a pressure sensor sheet for detecting a pressure on a plane is connected, and a pressure area calculating means for calculating a pressure area to which pressure is applied on the pressure sensor sheet; In response to the,
A command input device comprising: command selecting means for selecting a command to command the computer. 2. A computer to which a pressure sensor sheet for detecting pressure on a plane is connected, and pressure calculating means for calculating the magnitude of the pressure applied on the pressure sensor sheet; according to the magnitude of the pressure. And a command selecting means for selecting a command for instructing the computer. 3. A computer to which a pressure sensor sheet for detecting pressure on a plane is connected, and a barycentric position calculating means for calculating a barycentric coordinate position of a pressure surface applied on the pressure sensor sheet; A command input device, comprising: command selecting means for selecting a command for instructing the computer in accordance with a barycentric coordinate position. 4. A computer to which a pressure sensor sheet for detecting pressure on a plane is connected, and a pressure area calculating means for calculating a pressure area to which pressure is applied on the pressure sensor sheet; Pressure calculating means for calculating the magnitude of the pressure applied above;
A command input device comprising: command selecting means for selecting a command for instructing the computer according to the pressure area and the magnitude of the pressure. 5. A computer to which a pressure sensor sheet for detecting pressure on a plane is connected, and pressure calculating means for calculating the magnitude of pressure applied to the pressure sensor sheet; A barycentric position calculating means for calculating the barycentric coordinate position of the pressure surface, and a command selecting means for selecting a command to command the computer according to the magnitude of the pressure and the barycentric coordinate position of the pressure surface. Command input device characterized by. 6. A computer to which a pressure sensor sheet for detecting pressure on a plane is connected, and pressure area calculating means for calculating a pressure area to which pressure is applied on the pressure sensor sheet; A barycentric position calculating means for calculating a barycentric coordinate position of the pressure surface applied above; command selecting means for selecting a command to command the computer according to the pressing area and the barycentric coordinate position. Command input device characterized by. 7. A computer to which a pressure sensor sheet for detecting a pressure on a plane is connected, a pressure area calculating means for calculating a pressure area to which pressure is applied on the pressure sensor sheet; and the pressure sensor sheet. Pressure calculating means for calculating the magnitude of the pressure applied above;
A barycentric position calculating means for calculating the barycentric coordinate position of the pressure surface applied on the pressure sensor sheet; and instructing the computer according to the pressing area, the pressure magnitude, and the barycentric coordinate position of the pressure surface. A command input device comprising: command selecting means for selecting a command;