JPH0926851A - Coordinated input device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To input the coordinate values of a polar coordinate system smoothly, independently and intuitively by making the translation quantity of a reference point and the distance between the reference point and a prescribed position in the polar coordinate system on a three-dimensional space correspond to a first means and the angle of rotation and the angle of elevation to a second means. SOLUTION: This device is provided with the first means which detects the moving quantity of a mouse 10 in directions of X, Y and only right and left click buttons 21, 220 on a personal computer side when the operating mode of this coordinate input device is set in a mouse mode, and the second means which detects the rotating amount of a track ball 110 in the directions of X, Y and only the operation of the right and left click buttons 210, 220 on the personal computer side when the operating mode is set in a track ball mode. The detected results are made correspond to the first means as the translation quantity of the reference point in the polar coordinate system and the distance between the reference point and the prescribed position on the three-dimensional space, and to the second means as the angle of rotation and the angle of elevation, respectively.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a coordinate input device suitable for inputting various coordinate data required for projective display of a three-dimensional object.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a general personal computer equipped with a mouse or a trackball type pointing device, the coordinate data necessary for the above-mentioned three-dimensional projection display is input on a screen provided by the software displaying the display. This has been done by operating the 3D coordinate input indicator.

The position of the indicator is generally determined with respect to the X, Y, Z coordinates of the position of the eye or the viewpoint.

[0004]

However, the kind of indicator on the screen in the above-mentioned conventional example is not generally easy to use and is not satisfactory in terms of smooth input of coordinate data. Moreover, it is impossible to intuitively understand the relative positional relationship of the visual position with respect to the object on the display screen.

This is because a coordinate input device such as a mouse or a trackball originally inputs a relative movement amount of one point on a two-dimensional plane represented by an XY coordinate system. , This is because it is not suitable for a device that intuitively inputs coordinate data in a polar coordinate system, which is one coordinate system in the three-dimensional world.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a coordinate input device capable of smoothly, independently and intuitively inputting coordinate values in a polar coordinate system when two-dimensionally projecting and displaying a three-dimensional object. To provide.

[0007]

In order to achieve such an object, the invention according to claim 1 is the first means for detecting the movement amounts of the main body of the coordinate input device in the X and Y directions, respectively. , And second means for detecting the amount of movement of the trackball in the X and Y directions, and the detection results of the first means and the second means in the X and Y directions are respectively polar coordinates in a three-dimensional space. The parallel movement amount of the reference point and the distance between the reference point and the predetermined position in the system correspond to the first means, and the rotation angle and the elevation angle correspond to the second means.

The invention according to claim 2 is the same as the first aspect.
And a third means for selecting any one of the second means, and the detection result of the selected means is made to correspond to the coordinate value of the two-dimensional space.

The invention according to claim 3 further includes two left and right sides.
One click button of the two click buttons is operated, and an instruction to select the larger detection result in the X and Y directions of the first means is selected, and the two click buttons are operated. By operating the other click button of the buttons, it is instructed to select one having a larger detection result in each of the X and Y directions of the second detection means.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, by providing the coordinate input device body such as a mouse with a trackball, it is possible to increase the types of input parameters and to input three-dimensional coordinates.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the conventional two-dimensional coordinate input can be performed by selecting one of the main body of the coordinate input device and the trackball.

According to the third aspect of the invention, a large value can be selected from the movement amounts in the X and Y directions in association with the operation of the click button.

[0013]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 is a mechanism block diagram of an embodiment of the present invention seen through from above. Reference numeral 10 in the figure is the body of the mouse. Reference numeral 20 denotes a roller that detects the amount of rotation of the mouse 10 in the X coordinate axis direction. Reference numeral 30 denotes a roller that detects the amount of rotation of the mouse 10 in the Y coordinate axis direction.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a mechanism of the embodiment of the present invention seen through from above. In the figure, 110 is a trackball. Reference numeral 120 denotes a roller that detects the amount of rotation of the trackball 110 in the X coordinate axis direction. A roller 130 detects the amount of rotation of the trackball 110 in the Y coordinate axis direction. The rotation amount of these rollers is converted into an electric signal by a pulse generator or the like and sent to a personal computer.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the mechanism of the embodiment of the present invention seen through from above. In the figure, 210 is a left click button. 220 is a right click button. A three-pole switch (not shown) for designating the operation mode of the coordinate input device is also provided.

In FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the mouse can be the mouse found in mouse type pointing devices currently installed in many personal computers.
As the trackball, the one found in the trackball type pointing device currently installed in many personal computers can be used.

When a two-dimensional projection display of a three-dimensional object is carried out on a personal computer by using such a coordinate input device, the coordinate values of the eyes and the viewpoint in the polar coordinate system are smoothly and independently input. It becomes possible. When the operation mode of the coordinate input device is mouse mode,
Movement amount of mouse 10 and left and right click buttons 210 and 22
Only 0 is detected on the personal computer side. When the operation mode of the coordinate input device is the trackball mode, only the rotation amount of the trackball 110 and the operation of the left and right click buttons 210 and 220 are detected on the personal computer side.

When the operation mode of the coordinate input device is the three-dimensional coordinate input mode, the amount of movement of the mouse 10, the amount of rotation of the trackball 110, and the left and right click buttons 210,2.
All 20 operations are detected on the personal computer side. The rotation amount of the X roller 20 of the mouse 10 is read as the parallel movement amount of the observation point (reference point). The amount of rotation of the Y roller 30 of the mouse 10 is read as R (distance) in polar coordinates, that is, the increase or decrease in the distance between the observation point and the desired position, which is reduced by pushing the mouse 10 and increased by pulling. To do. The X roller 120 of the trackball 110 is read as an increase / decrease in θ (rotation angle) in polar coordinates. It increases when the trackball 110 is rotated to the right, and decreases when it is rotated to the left. The Y roller 110 of the trackball 110 is read as an increase / decrease in Φ (elevation angle) in polar coordinates. It decreases when the trackball is rotated to the front side and increases when it is rotated to the other side.

All of the above input means are very close to intuition when considering the case of observing a three-dimensional object.

When the mouse is moved while pressing the left click button 210, only the X-roller or the Y-roller having the larger movement amount is transmitted. When the trackball 110 is moved while pressing the right click button 220, either the X roller or the Y roller, whichever has the larger movement amount, is transmitted. By providing this mode,
It is possible to easily change only a single parameter.

In this case, the movement amounts of the X roller and the Y roller of the mouse and the trackball are input on the personal computer side, and the input data corresponding to the instructions of the left and right click buttons are compared.

The mouse-only mode and the trackball-only mode can be used for inputting coordinate positions in a two-dimensional space. For example, it is possible to use the mouse mode in the first window on the display screen and the track mode in the second window screen.

[0023]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the invention, the coordinate input device main body such as a mouse is equipped with a trackball, which enables intuitive three-dimensional coordinate input.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the conventional two-dimensional coordinate input can be performed by selecting either one of the main body of the coordinate input device and the trackball.

According to the third aspect of the invention, a large value can be selected from the movement amounts in the X and Y directions in association with the operation of the click button.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view showing the structure of a mouse.

FIG. 2 is a side view showing a trackball structure.

FIG. 3 is a top view showing the overall structure.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 mouse 20 roller 30 roller 110 trackball 120 roller 130 roller 210 left click button 220 right click button

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A first means for detecting the amount of movement of the main body of the coordinate input device in the X and Y directions, and a second means for detecting the amount of movement of the trackball in the X and Y directions. The detection results of the first means and the second means in the X and Y directions are used as the first and second values, respectively, for the parallel movement amount of the reference point in the polar coordinate system in the three-dimensional space and the distance between the reference point and the predetermined position. 2. The coordinate input device according to claim 2, wherein the rotation angle and the elevation angle correspond to those of the second means. 2. A third means for selecting one of the first means and the second means is further provided, and a detection result of the selected means is associated with a coordinate value in a two-dimensional space. The coordinate input device according to claim 1, wherein 3. Having two left and right click buttons,
By operating one of the two click buttons, it is instructed to select the larger one of the detection results in the X and Y directions of the first means, and by operating the other click button of the two click buttons. 2. The coordinate input device according to claim 1, wherein an instruction is made to select one having a larger detection result in each of the X and Y directions of the second detection means.