JPH11288351A - Wireless type operation unit - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a wireless type operation unit capable of directly performing a desired operation in a suspension mode. SOLUTION: This wireless type operation unit 10 is provided with plural pieces of operation keys 12 disposed so as to respectively project head parts on the surface of a case 11, a control circuit 13 incorporated inside the case 11 and a transmission part 14 for transmitting control signals from the control circuit. The control, circuit 13 switches the control circuit and the transmission part to the suspension mode when the operation keys are not operated for fixed time. Then a human body sensing sensor 15 is provided inside the case 11, and since the human body sensing sensor is operated as a release key in detecting a human body, the control circuit 13 and the transmission part 14 are shifted from the suspension mode to the operation mode.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a wireless keyboard device, a mouse, a trackball, and the like for inputting data and the like and outputting control signals for various operations to a main body of a personal computer, a word processor, or the like.
The present invention relates to a wireless operation device such as a remote controller.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, wireless keyboard devices have
A case formed substantially flat, a plurality of operation keys arranged on the upper surface of the case so that the head protrudes, a keyboard control circuit built in the case, and a keyboard control circuit And an infrared transmitting unit for transmitting the control signal.

According to the wireless keyboard device having such a configuration, by appropriately pressing each operation key, a control signal corresponding to the operation key is transmitted from the infrared transmission unit and provided to a main body of a computer or the like. By receiving the received or connected infrared receiving unit and restoring the control signal, input of appropriate data and the like and various operations can be performed.

Incidentally, in the wireless keyboard device having such a configuration, for example, a battery built in a case is used as a power source. For this reason,
When the operation keys are not operated for a certain period of time so as to reduce battery consumption as much as possible, the keyboard control circuit and the infrared transmission unit are switched to a sleep mode (so-called sleep mode), so that power consumption can be reduced. I have. The sleep mode is released, for example, by operating a release key set in advance, and is switched to an operation mode (a so-called wake-up mode).

[0005]

However, in the wireless keyboard device having such a configuration, it is necessary to previously set the above-mentioned release key. For this reason, conventionally, for example, a selected one of a plurality of operation keys of a keyboard device is set to act as a release key in the sleep mode, or a dedicated independent release key is provided.

Accordingly, in order to release the sleep mode and shift to the wake-up mode for the wireless keyboard device that has been switched to the sleep mode without using the operation keys for a certain period of time, as described above, It is necessary to press the set release key. Therefore, it is necessary to perform an extra operation of pressing the release key before performing the original key operation, so that the key operation cannot be performed immediately and the operability is not so good.

In the case of a wireless mouse, for example, the right button is similarly set as a release key, and if no operation is performed for a predetermined time, the mode is switched to the sleep mode. To release the sleep mode, it is necessary to operate the right mouse button. For this reason, before performing the original key operation,
An extra operation of pressing the release key is required, so that the key operation cannot be performed immediately, and the operability is not so good.

In view of the above, it is an object of the present invention to provide a wireless operation device capable of performing a desired operation directly in a sleep mode.

[0009]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention, there are provided, according to the present invention, a plurality of operation keys arranged on a surface of a case so as to project heads, respectively; And a transmission unit for transmitting a control signal from the control circuit, wherein the control circuit is configured to switch the control circuit and the transmission unit to a sleep mode when the operation key is not operated for a predetermined time. In the wireless operation device, a human body sensor is provided in the case, and when the human body sensor detects a human body, the sensor operates as a release key, whereby the control circuit and the transmission unit operate from the sleep mode. This is achieved by a wireless operating device, which is characterized by a transition to a mode.

[0010] In the wireless operation device according to the present invention, preferably, the human body sensor is a small air pressure change detection sensor.

The wireless operation device according to the present invention is configured as a wireless keyboard device, a wireless mouse, a wireless trackball, or a wireless remote control device.

According to the above configuration, when the user brings his / her hand close to the surface of the case from a state in which the operation key is not operated for a certain period of time and the mode is switched to the sleep mode, a human body sensor such as a minute air pressure change detection sensor is activated. By detecting the approach of the hand, it operates as a release key and sends a detection signal to the control circuit. As a result, the control circuit and the transmission unit shift from the sleep state to the operation state. Therefore, even if the wireless operation device is in the sleep mode, the user can operate the sleep mode by releasing the sleep mode only by moving the hand close to the surface of the case without operating the release key as in the related art. Since the mode shifts, the desired key operation can be performed quickly, and the operability is improved. Further, it is not necessary to assign the function of the release key to the operation key or to provide a dedicated independent resume, so that the conventional operation key can be used as it is.

[0013]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail based on embodiments shown in the drawings. 1 to 4 show one embodiment of a wireless keyboard device to which the present invention is applied. 1 and 2, a wireless keyboard device 10 includes a case 11 formed substantially flat, a plurality of operation keys 12 arranged so that a head protrudes from the surface of the case, A control circuit 13 (see FIG. 4) built in the housing 11, a transmission unit 14 (see FIG. 4) for transmitting a control signal from the control circuit 13 to a main body of a computer or the like, and an opening on the surface of the case 11 And a human body sensor 15 built in the case 11 near the detection hole 11a.

The operation key 12 is a so-called 1
It is arranged as a 09 expression key. In the illustrated case, a so-called touch pad 16 for realizing an input operation similar to a mouse is provided between the operation keys 12.

The control circuit 13 includes the operation keys 12.
When the operation keys 12 are not operated for a certain period of time, the control circuit 13 and the transmission unit 14 are switched to the sleep mode, and the control signal is generated. The power consumption is reduced.

The transmitting section 14 is configured in a known manner so as to convert a control signal from, for example, the control circuit 13 into an optical signal of infrared rays and transmit the signal.

The above configuration is the same as that of the conventional wireless keyboard device. However, in the wireless keyboard device 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention, the case 1
1 has a built-in human body sensor 15. As the human body sensor 15, for example, as shown in FIG. 3, a micro air pressure change detection sensor is used. This minute air pressure change detection sensor is configured to detect a slight change in air pressure (for example, 0.1 mmH2O) and generate a signal, and is commercially available, for example, as "AS102" from Sumitomo Metal Mining Co., Ltd. . The control circuit 13 is configured to shift the control circuit 13 and the transmission unit 14 from the sleep mode to the operation mode based on the detection signal from the human body sensor 15.

The wireless keyboard device 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention is configured as described above. The wireless keyboard device 10 is normally in the operation mode, and the control circuit 13 controls the control signal 13 in response to the operated operation key 12. Is generated, and this control signal is converted into an infrared light signal by the transmission unit 14,
For example, it is transmitted to a receiving unit provided in a main body of a computer or the like. Thereby, the receiving unit restores the control signal from the received infrared light signal and sends out the control signal to the main body of the computer or the like. Thus, input of appropriate data or the like and various operations are performed on the main body of the computer or the like. Can be

Here, the wireless keyboard device 10
If the respective operation keys 12 are not operated for a certain period of time, the control circuit 13 switches the control circuit 13 itself and the transmission unit 14 from the operation mode to the sleep mode. Thereby, the control circuit 13
In addition, the power consumption of the transmitting unit 14 is reduced, and the consumption of a battery as a power supply built in the case 11 can be suppressed.

In such a sleep mode, the user operates the operation keys 12 of the wireless keyboard device 10.
When the user approaches the surface of the case 11, the human body sensor 15 detects a change in air pressure due to the approach of the user's hand through the detection hole 11a provided on the surface of the case 11. , Detects the approach of the human body,
The detection signal is sent to the control circuit 13.

As a result, the control circuit 13
3 and the transmission unit 14 are shifted from the sleep mode to the operation mode. Therefore, when the user operates each operation key 12, the control circuit 13 generates a control signal corresponding to the operation key 12 and sends it to the transmission unit 14. Thus, even in the sleep mode, switching from the sleep mode to the operation mode can be automatically performed by approaching the user's hand without operating the resume key as in the related art.
Therefore, even when the wireless keyboard device 10 is in the sleep mode, the user can operate the operation keys 12 directly and perform desired key operations without any consciousness. Input is possible.

In the above-described embodiment, a case has been described in which the present invention is applied to a wireless keyboard device. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a wireless mouse, a wireless trackball, or other wireless computer may be used. The present invention can be applied to various wireless operation devices, such as a wireless input device, a wireless remote control device, and the like.

[0023]

As described above, according to the present invention, when the user brings his / her hand close to the surface of the case from the state in which the operation key is not operated for a certain period of time and the mode is switched to the sleep mode,
A human body sensor, such as a micro air pressure change detection sensor, detects the approach of the hand and operates as a release key, thereby transmitting a detection signal to the control circuit. As a result, the control circuit and the transmission unit shift from the sleep state to the operation state. Therefore, even if the wireless operation device is in the sleep mode, the user can operate the sleep mode by releasing the sleep mode only by moving the hand close to the surface of the case without operating the release key as in the related art. Since the mode shifts, the desired key operation can be performed quickly, and the operability is improved. Further, it is not necessary to assign the function of the release key to the operation key or to provide a dedicated independent resume, so that the conventional operation key can be used as it is. Thus, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide an extremely excellent wireless operation device capable of performing a desired operation directly in the sleep mode.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view of an embodiment of a wireless keyboard device to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the wireless keyboard device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view showing a configuration example of a human body sensor used in the wireless keyboard device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of the wireless keyboard device of FIG. 1;

[Explanation of symbols]

Reference Signs List 10 wireless keyboard device 11 case 11a detection hole 12 operation key 13 control circuit 14 transmission unit 15 human body sensor (micro air pressure change sensor) 16 touch pad

──────────────────────────────────────────────────の Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁶ Identification code FI H03K 17/94 G01V 9/04 A

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A plurality of operation keys, each having a head protruding from a surface of a case, a control circuit built in the case, and a transmission unit for transmitting a control signal from the control circuit. And wherein the control circuit is configured to switch the control circuit and the transmission unit to a sleep mode when the operation key is not operated for a predetermined time, wherein a human body is detected in the case. A wireless operating device, comprising: a sensor; and operating as a release key when the human body detection sensor detects a human body, whereby the control circuit and the transmission unit shift from a sleep mode to an operation mode. . 2. The wireless operation device according to claim 1, wherein the human body sensor is a micro air pressure change detection sensor. 3. The wireless operating device according to claim 1, wherein the wireless operating device is configured as a wireless keyboard device. 4. The wireless operating device according to claim 1, wherein the wireless operating device is configured as a wireless mouse. 5. The wireless operating device according to claim 1, wherein the wireless operating device is configured as a wireless trackball. 6. The wireless operation device according to claim 1, wherein the wireless operation device is configured as a wireless remote control device.