JPH10198507A - Pointing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To operate an arrow without an unnatural feeling compared with a POS operation by permitting a touch pad surface to be vertically movable, providing a switch under it and turning on the switch when more than fixed pressure force is added to the touch pad surface. SOLUTION: A spring 4 for pushing-up the touch pad 2 in order to permit the touch pad 2 surface to be vertically movable is provided in a lower part and also the switch 3 is fitted. The height of the touch pad 2 is aligned so as to be touched in standing work and formation is executed by inclining an angle. When more than fixed pressure force is added to the touch pad 2 surface by a finger, etc., it is lowered downwards, the switch 3 is depressed, the arrow on the screen of a liquid crystal pannel is operated and target data such as a job column, etc., is established. Thus, the arrow is operated without the unnatural feeling compared with the POS operation and also a pointing device is operated in a standing posture.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION A pointing device used in a POS, particularly a useful pointing device in standing operation of a POS.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A POS keyboard is used by modifying a computer keyboard for POS. This has been devised so that anyone can work easily and immediately without fail, in the same manner as a key arrangement conventionally used in a register. The keyboard is provided with keys for each business division. To enter information about the task, press the key and begin work. Then, instructions are displayed on the screen, and keys are pressed, numbers are entered, and cards are swung in accordance with the instructions. But POS
As the number of operations that can be performed by a user increases and the functions become more sophisticated, the number of keys corresponding to the operations increases. In such a case, key input becomes rather complicated. This is because it takes time to find the key to press. When the countermeasures and the spread of personal computers eliminate the discomfort of ordinary personal computer keyboards, the trend has been toward simplification of POS keyboards. As a method for this, a list of tasks is displayed on the screen, an arrow (or cursor) points to the field of the task, and the method has been changed to the next step, and the arrow is freely moved on the screen. For this purpose, it is most common to use the arrow keys to move, but in addition, the mouse, joystick, trackball, digitizer or touchpad, etc. are used to move them.
It's a pointing device.

[0003] However, the work environment where the POS is placed is narrow, and various operations are performed around the work environment. There is little room to use a mouse or trackball. The mouse has become the most popular input device for computers in recent years.
There is no space around the device to move the mouse, that is, a place to put the pad. There is also a problem that the mouse code hinders other operations and traffic around the POS. Even with a trackball, a large space is required to avoid touching other keys when moving the ball, but there is little room in a POS device.

[0004] Further, the conventional pointing device is designed to be used while sitting down, and there is a problem that it is difficult to use it while standing. In particular, in the case of a touch pad, an input device portion for moving a coordinate position on the screen by tracing the pad surface with a finger or the like and a switch (click button) for determining an operation instruction related to a program operation are separated. The operation of the program could not be performed by one operation like input, giving an impression that the operator was difficult to use. Also, it was difficult for those who could not run the program by double-clicking.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention solves these problems, and in particular, is to invent a pointing device capable of efficiently moving an arrow displayed on a POS screen while standing.

[0006]

In a pointing device for moving an arrow on a screen of a computer, a touch pad surface is moved up and down, a switch is provided below the touch pad surface, and a force of a certain pressure or more is applied to the touch pad surface. When added, the switch is turned on. Further, by pressing the switch, the same effect as double-clicking is obtained.

[0007]

By tracing the touch pad surface, the arrow on the screen of the computer is moved, and at the time of confirmation, a switch provided below the panel works by applying a force on the panel surface.

[0008]

FIG. 1 shows a pointing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. It shows a cross section. 1 is a housing. It shows a part of the housing. Reference numeral 2 denotes a touch pad, and reference numeral 3 denotes a switch. A step is provided inside the housing below the touch pad 2 and attached thereto. 4 is pushing up the touchpad with a spring. The touchpad 2 is provided with a projection on the side so that it does not protrude from the housing.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the embodiment of FIG. 1, showing the positional relationship between the switch and the spring. In this embodiment, four switches and four springs are provided at four corners of the touch pad. FIG. 3 is an overall view of the POS device. Reference numeral 1 denotes a housing in which the main body of the computer is placed. 2 is a touch pad. The height is adjusted so that the keyboard and touch pad can be touched while standing, and the angle is slightly inclined. 5 is a liquid crystal panel. While standing, it has an angle adjustment function for easy viewing.

When the finger is lightly traced on the touch pad, the arrow on the screen of the liquid crystal panel 5 moves in the traced direction. This is a normal operation of a known technique. A list of tasks is shown on the screen of the liquid crystal panel 5. For example, in the POS of a gas station, columns of operations such as gasoline lubrication, light oil lubrication, car washing, and oil replacement are arranged. Other work,
There are columns for in-store operations such as daily accounting, individual statistics, and monthly tallying. Align the arrow with the field for the task you want to work on and add more power to confirm. Then, the touch pad is lowered, and the switch 3 is pressed and entered, and is determined. After confirmation, the screen changes to the next screen and another list or instruction appears. Move the arrows on the touchpad accordingly,
Enter the numbers from the keyboard and proceed with the work.

When the position is determined by tracing the touch pad in this way, further force is applied to turn on the confirmation switch at any position, for example, at the lower right end or at the upper left end. You need to be able to switch on when you come. Therefore, in the embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIG.
The switch is put in the place. By doing so, switching can be performed reliably. In another embodiment, a panel that is electrically connected to the touch pad by pressing the same as the touch pad is attached to the touch pad. The difference from the touchpad is that conduction is not achieved unless further pressure is applied to the touchpad, and that the upper and lower surfaces are respectively integral conductors.
The panel is insulated and attached to the lower part of the touch pad and used as a switch. Note that a spring may be attached to obtain a click feeling. Further, in the third embodiment, the touch pad is supported by the link mechanism, so that the touch pad can be moved up and down without being tilted no matter where it is pressed, and the number of switches can be reduced to one.

In recent personal computers, it is devised to execute a program by double-clicking a mouse. However, it is required to press twice continuously within a certain time, which is difficult to use. In the POS according to another embodiment of the present invention, a switch is provided separately from the touch pad so that an unskilled part-time job can be operated. Pass a signal with a waveform that is recognized in the same way as a double-click signal,
Alternatively, an element for recognizing that a double-click signal is received when a signal is received through this switch is added, and when the switch is pressed, the same operation as a double-click is performed. If the switch 3 of FIG. 1 is used for this switch, a signal equivalent to a double click can be easily obtained.

As described above, the use area of the pointing device of the present invention can be reduced to a small range, and it can be used as a part of a POS input device. In addition, the arrow can be operated without a sense of incongruity with the conventional POS operation, and the operation can be performed while the pointing device is standing.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the present embodiment.

FIG. 3 is an overall view of a POS device using an embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 1 housing 2 touch pad 3 switch 4 spring 5 liquid crystal panel

Claims (2)

[Claims] In a pointing device for moving an arrow on a screen of a computer, when a touchpad surface is movable up and down, a switch is provided below the touchpad surface, and when a force of a certain pressure or more is applied to the touchpad surface, A pointing device characterized in that the switch is turned on. 2. The pointing device according to claim 1, further comprising a touchpad and another switch, wherein a waveform applied to the switch is made equal to a double-click signal waveform, and by pressing the switch, a program specified at that position is displayed. A pointing device characterized by performing execution.