JPH09330167A - Pointing input device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide the pointing input device which make it possible to easily set the coordinate position of a cursor on a display screen with high precision. SOLUTION: The pointing input device 4 which outputs the movement quantity of a finger as a coordinate signal when the finger is moved in contact with the surface and moves the cursor on the display screen by a corresponding quantity according to the output consists of a circuit board 11, a pointing sheet 12, and a touching sheet 13; and a frame part 6 is provided in the circumferential area of the surface and when the frame part 6 is touched with the finger, a signal for continuously moving the cursor on the display screen is outputted. A state wherein the frame part is recognized with the sensation of the finger is maintained to make it possible to continuously move the cursor, the cursor can be moved large without making the input device large in size, and the cursor can be moved with high precision.

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 inputting position coordinates on a display screen in a display device provided in an information processing device such as a personal computer or a workstation, and more particularly to inputting position coordinates by finger operation. The present invention relates to a pointing input device capable of inputting.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In information processing devices such as personal computers and workstations, a cursor is displayed to show the position coordinates on the display screen of the display device. However, this cursor is usually moved by a keyboard or a mouse. It is taken. On the other hand, a pointing input device for setting the position of a cursor with a finger or a pen has also been proposed. For example, JP-A-60-21743
In the publication No. 0, a resistor sheet is used, a part of the resistor sheet is pressed with a mouse to detect the coordinate position of the pressed portion, and the cursor is moved to the coordinate position of the display screen corresponding to the detected position. There has been proposed a coordinate position detection device.

[0003]

However, in this coordinate position detecting device, if the coordinate position detecting device is set to a size corresponding to the display screen, the coordinate position detecting device becomes large and it becomes difficult to use it on a desk. . In addition, when the cursor is largely moved, it is necessary to largely move the mouse on the coordinate position detecting device or repeatedly move the mouse, which deteriorates operability. On the other hand, when the coordinate position detecting device is downsized with respect to the display screen, the cursor is greatly moved on the display screen by a slight movement of the mouse on the coordinate position detecting device. It becomes difficult to set the position accurately and easily.

An object of the present invention is to provide a pointing input device capable of accurately and easily setting the coordinate position of a cursor on a display screen.

[0005]

The pointing input device of the present invention can be moved while bringing a finger or the like into contact with the surface thereof, and outputs the movement amount of the finger or the like as a coordinate signal, and on the display screen based on this output. The display mark such as the cursor is moved by a corresponding amount, and a frame portion is provided around the area where the finger or the like comes into contact, and when the finger or the like comes in contact with the frame portion, A feature is that a signal for continuously moving the display mark is output. It is preferable that the frame portion has a frame-shaped convex portion formed around the surface on which a finger or the like comes into contact. For example, it is provided with a pointing sheet that detects the amount of contact and movement of a finger or the like, and a touching sheet that is integrally provided on the surface of the pointing sheet, and the touching sheet is projected toward the front side at the frame position. Then, the frame portion is formed by bending.

[0006]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of an information processing apparatus including a pointing input device of the present invention.
This information processing apparatus includes a personal computer main body 1,
It is composed of a display device 2 such as a CRT, a keyboard 3, and a pointing input device 4. And the display device 2
5 as a display mark displayed on the display screen of
Can be moved in the X and Y directions by operating the keys on the keyboard 3 or by moving a finger or a pen on the surface of the pointing input device 4 in order to set its position. Composed.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the pointing input device 4, and FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line AA. In the pointing input device 4, a pointing sheet 12 is integrally formed on a rectangular circuit board 11, and a touching sheet 13 is formed on the pointing sheet 12.
Are laminated. The pointing sheet 12 is 3
It has a layered structure, and the lower electrode 121 on the lower side and the upper electrode 122 on the upper side are laminated so as to face each other with a minute gap therebetween via an intermediate spacer 123. The upper electrode 122 is configured as a plane electrode made of copper or the like, and the lower electrode 121 is configured as a resistance sheet. Also, the spacer 1
Reference numeral 23 is made of an insulating sheet and has a large number of relatively large holes. Here, the grid-like insulating sheet is used rather than the structure in which the holes are formed, so that the grid-like holes are formed.

Then, the upper electrode 122 and the lower electrode 1
Reference numeral 21 is electrically connected to the circuit board 11, and an XY coordinate position corresponding to an electric resistance value generated in the resistance sheet as the lower electrode 121 is calculated by an arithmetic circuit built in the circuit board 11 and a corresponding electric signal is obtained. Is output as. The touching sheet 13 is formed as a protective film for the upper electrode 122, and is formed of a thin resin film or the like. The surface of the touching sheet 13 is bent to have a convex cross section in the vicinity of the peripheral portion of the pointing sheet 12, and the rectangular frame portion 6 protruding in the surface direction is formed by the convex portion. Has been done.

In the pointing input device constructed as described above, when the surface of the touching sheet 13 is touched with a finger, the upper electrode 122 is elastically deformed downward together with the touching sheet 13, as shown in the enlarged view of the main part in FIG. To be done. As a result, the upper electrode 122 is brought into contact with the lower electrode 121 which is opposed via the spacer 123, and the upper and lower electrodes are electrically connected at this location. The lower electrode 121 is composed of the resistance sheet as described above, and is electrically connected to the circuit board 11 together with the upper electrode 122. Therefore, when the lower electrode 121 is moved while contacting with the finger as described above, the upper electrode 122 is moved. The resistance values of the lower electrode 121 in the X direction and the Y direction in the region contacted with are detected. Accordingly, the circuit board 11 can detect the coordinate movement amount from the contact length of the finger in the pointing input device 4 and its XY directions, and outputs a signal corresponding to the coordinate movement amount to the display device 2 of the information processing device to display the display screen. The cursor 5 on the top can be moved.

Further, in this pointing input device 4, when a finger touches the area of the touching sheet 13 where the frame portion 6 is formed, the circuit of the circuit board 11 changes the resistance value of the pointing sheet 12 at that time. Correspondingly, it is configured to output a signal for continuously moving the cursor 5 in either or both of the X direction and the Y direction. Therefore, the touching sheet 13
When an operation of moving the cursor 5 on the display screen while moving the finger is moved up to the frame portion 6, the finger touches the frame portion 6 without moving the finger thereafter. The cursor 5 can be continuously moved on the display screen only by holding the state. When the finger is released from the frame portion 6, the cursor will be stopped at that position.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart for explaining the above-mentioned operation by the circuit built on the circuit board. The circuit of the circuit board 11 determines whether or not a finger is in contact with the touching sheet 13 from the electrode contact state of the pointing sheet 12 (S11). When in contact, the amount of movement of the finger and the XY directions are detected based on the resistance value at the position where the upper and lower electrodes are in contact and the resistance value that changes with the movement of the finger. Then, the new X-coordinate and Y-coordinate positions of the cursor are calculated in correspondence with the detected movement amount and the XY directions, and the signals of the X and Y coordinate positions are output to the display device (S12). As a result, the input XY is displayed on the display device.
The cursor is moved in the X and Y directions according to the coordinate signal (S13). Then, it is determined whether or not the finger is in contact with the frame portion (S14), and when the finger is in contact, that is, when the detected resistance value is a predetermined value, the continuous movement signals in the X direction and the Y direction are output. Output to the display device,
The cursor movement described above is continued (S13). And
When the finger is not in contact with the frame portion, the cursor is set at each of new X coordinate and Y coordinate positions (S15), and then the process returns to step S11.

Therefore, in this pointing input device, the finger is touched on the touching sheet 1 in the area surrounded by the frame portion 6.
3 in the state of being in contact with the cursor 3, the cursor 5 corresponding to the amount of movement of the finger in the X direction and the Y direction in the area of the frame portion 6.
Can be moved on the display screen. At this time, by appropriately setting the operation coefficient of the circuit of the circuit board 11, the moving amount of the finger and the moving amount of the cursor on the display screen can be arbitrarily set, for example, set to 1: 1. By doing so, the cursor can be moved by an amount equal to the moving amount of the finger, and the operability of moving the cursor can be improved. On the other hand, when the finger touches the frame portion 6, the cursor can be continuously moved thereafter. Therefore, the cursor 5 can be moved regardless of the XY dimensions of the pointing input device.
Can be greatly moved on the display screen. As a result, even if the pointing input device is downsized,
The cursor can be positioned with high accuracy in the area within the dimension, and the cursor can be moved over the entire display screen. Further, when the cursor is continuously moved, the finger is brought into contact with the frame portion 6, so that the operator can recognize the state by the touch feeling of the finger.

In the above embodiment, the example in which one of the upper and lower electrodes is made of a resistance sheet as the pointing sheet has been described. However, a plurality of upper and lower electrodes are formed in different directions, and the upper and lower electrodes are obtained by contacting both electrodes. A configuration that outputs a coordinate signal based on matrix coordinates, or another position detection configuration may be adopted. Further, in the above-described embodiment, a part of the touching sheet is bent and formed as a convex portion as the frame portion, but a separately formed frame member may be bonded or may be recessed in a groove shape. The configuration is not limited to these as long as the frame portion can be recognized by the sense.

[0014]

As described above, the present invention is configured so that the display mark such as the cursor on the display screen can be moved by a corresponding amount when the finger is touched on the surface of the pointing input device. In addition, since the display mark is continuously moved when the finger or the like is brought into contact with the frame portion provided around it, even if the pointing input device is configured to be small, The position of the cursor can be set with high accuracy in the vicinity area where the cursor is located, and it is also possible to move the cursor greatly, making the pointing input device smaller and making the cursor moving operation more accurate and easy. Can be realized.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing the overall configuration of an information processing apparatus including a pointing input device of the present invention.

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

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main part for explaining the operation.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the pointing input device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Personal Computer Main Body 2 Display Device 3 Keyboard 4 Pointing Input Device 5 Cursor 6 Frame Part 11 Circuit Board 12 Pointing Sheet 13 Touching Sheet 121 Lower Electrode 122 Upper Electrode 123 Spacer

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A surface can be moved while touching a finger or the like,
In the pointing input device configured to output the movement amount of the finger or the like as a coordinate signal and move the display mark such as the cursor on the display screen by a corresponding amount based on the output, the finger or the like is touched. The pointing input device is characterized in that a frame portion is provided around a region to be moved, and a signal for continuously moving the display mark is output when the finger or the like touches the frame portion. 2. The pointing input device according to claim 1, wherein the frame portion has a frame-shaped convex portion formed around a surface on which a finger or the like comes into contact. 3. A pointing sheet for detecting the amount of movement of a finger or the like in contact, and a touching sheet integrally provided on the surface of the pointing sheet,
The pointing input device according to claim 2, wherein the touching sheet is bent and formed so as to project to the front side at the position of the frame portion to form the frame portion. 4. The pointing sheet is composed of an upper electrode and a lower electrode laminated with a spacer interposed therebetween. When a finger or the like is contacted, the upper electrode is elastically deformed to contact the lower electrode. 4. The pointing input device according to claim 1, wherein the pointing input device is configured to output an electric signal corresponding to the fluctuation.