JPH11296300A - Push-button switch and mouse device, controlling computer and instrumentation panel using the switch - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a push-button switch improving a man-machine interface function by adding additional information to contact on/off information. SOLUTION: The push-button switch is provided with a switch part S having on and off contacts and a means R for detecting the depression force of the switch part S and characterized by outputting a depression force signal of the switch part S together with a contact signal. In a mouse device provided with at least one push-button switch, the execution of a double click function is regarded when the depression force signal is strong and the execution of a click function is regarded when the depression force signal is weak. In the mouse device provided with at least one push-button switch, color density, color change, brightness or enlargement/reduction in a specified pixel area on the screen of a computer is changed by a depression force signal.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a push-button switch for generating ON / OFF of a contact, and more particularly to an improvement for extracting a resistance value that changes with a change in pressing force. Further, the present invention relates to improvement of a device using the push button switch.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIGS. 6A and 6B are circuit diagrams for explaining a conventional push button switch. FIG. 6A shows a momentary push button switch, and FIG. 6B shows an illuminated momentary push button switch. The push button switch has a structure in which a contact is turned on when pressed and turned off when released. An illuminated push-button switch is also used so that an operator can recognize ON / OFF of a contact.

[0003]

However, in a push button switch, there is information such as a pressing force in addition to ON / OFF of a contact. In addition, there is also a use such as a pointing device or a keyboard of a personal computer, in which information is separately added to the ON / OFF information of the contact to improve the man-machine interface function. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and has as its object to provide a push-button switch having an improved man-machine interface function by separately adding information to the contact on / off information.

[0004]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a push-button switch having a switch section having an on / off contact and a pressing force of the switch section. Means R, and outputs a pressing force signal of the switch section together with the contact signal. By using the pressing force signal, additional information to be added to the contact signal can be added.

The mouse device according to the second to fifth aspects of the present invention is equipped with at least one push button switch according to the first aspect. When the pressing force signal is strong, the function is regarded as a double-click function. When the pressing force signal is weak, the function is regarded as a click function. Color shading, color change, light / dark, enlargement / It changes the reduction, changes the moving speed of the designated pixel area on the computer screen, and changes the thickness of the line when drawing a line on the computer screen. Thereby, a flexible and highly expandable operation can be performed as compared with the conventional mouse device.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an instrument shown in FIG. 10 in which a process value PV of a process is displayed as a bar graph, and an output value MV and a set value SV of the process are displayed. And a control computer having an increase key 18 and a decrease key 19 for increasing / decreasing a set value, wherein the push key switch according to claim 1 is mounted on the increase key and the decrease key more flexibly than the conventional apparatus. Can perform highly scalable operations. Here, if the change rate of the output value or the set value per unit time is changed by the pressing force as in claim 7, the operation of changing the output value or the set value can be performed quickly.

An instrumentation panel according to an eighth aspect of the present invention includes a setting section 22 for setting a set value for a controlled object, a display section 24 for displaying an operating state of the controlled object, and increasing or decreasing the set value. Instrument panel having an increase / decrease key 26
The structure in which the push button switch according to claim 1 is attached to the increase / decrease key allows a more flexible and expandable operation as compared with the conventional device. Here, if the increase / decrease speed is changed by the pressing force, the setting value can be changed quickly.

[0008]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing one embodiment of the present invention.
Is a circuit diagram, and (B) is a perspective view showing a mechanism. The push button switch has a switch S connected between terminals A and C,
A variable resistor R is connected between terminals C and B. As the variable resistor R, it is preferable to use a variable resistor by using a piezoelectric element or expanding and contracting a switch spring.

In the device configured as described above, when the push button switch is pressed, the switch S is made to be turned on, and the connection between the terminals A and C is turned on. The resistance value of the variable resistor R changes according to the pressing force of the switch S. It can be taken out between B or between terminals A and B. When the push button switch is released, the switch S breaks, and the terminals A and C are turned off.

FIGS. 2A and 2B are explanatory diagrams when the present invention is applied to a mouse. FIG. 2A is a plan view of the mouse, and FIG. 2B is a side view. There are three mouse switch circuits: a left click switch L, a right click switch R, and a ball upper switch B. Here, the switches L, R, and B are shown in FIG.
Attach the push button switches shown in
The mouse function is improved by using a resistance value that changes according to the pressing force of R and B.

The functional enhancement includes, for example, the following. (i) When the pressing force is strong, it is regarded as a double-click function, and when the pressing force is weak, it is regarded as a click function. (ii) The color of the designated pixel area on the computer screen is changed by the pressing force of shading, color change, light and dark, and enlargement / reduction.
For example, when the pressing force is strong, the color is darkened, the color change is increased, the color is brightened, or the color is enlarged. On the other hand, when the pressing force is weak, the color is lightened, the color change is reduced, darkened or reduced. (iii) The moving speed of the designated pixel area on the computer screen is changed by the pressing force. (iv) In drawing a line on a computer screen, the thickness of the line is changed by the pressing force.

In order to improve the mouse function, the functions of a hardware interface circuit for a mouse and a mouse driver of a computer OS are improved. As described above, by using the pressing force, the function of the mouse can be greatly improved in drawing or a game on a computer, and the man-machine interface function can be improved.

FIGS. 3A and 3B are explanatory diagrams of the case where the present invention is applied to a control computer screen. FIG. 3A shows a screen, and FIG. 3B shows a keyboard. On the screen, the instrument diagram 10 is displayed. In the instrument diagram 10, the process value (PV) of the process to be displayed is displayed as a bar graph 12, and the output value (MV) is indicated by a triangle on the left side of the bar graph 12.
14 is displayed, and the set value (S
V) 16 is displayed. On the keyboard, the output value 14
The set value 16 can be increased or decreased by operating the increase key 18 or the decrease key 19.

The push button switch shown in FIG. 1 is attached to the increase key 18 and the decrease key 19. For example, by changing the changing speed of the output value 14 or the set value 16 per unit time by the force of pressing the key, the operation can be performed in a short time even when the output value 14 or the set value 16 is significantly changed.

FIGS. 4A and 4B are explanatory diagrams of the case where the present invention is applied to an instrumentation panel. FIG. 4A shows a field operation panel, and FIG. 4B shows signal connections between a field operation panel and a control computer. The on-site operation panel 20 includes, for example, a pump and an agitator.
And the like, which has a rotation speed setting unit 22, a rotation speed display unit 24, and an increase / decrease key 26. The push button switch shown in FIG.
For example, it is possible to change the increase / decrease speed by pressing the key.

Each part of the on-site operation panel 20 includes an equipment control circuit 3
0, a display 32 and a push button switch 34. The device control circuit 30 is connected to the voltage output card 40, and a set value output S such as 0 to 1000 RPM is converted into a voltage signal of 1 to 5 V by the voltage output card 40 and sent to the device control circuit 30 as a set value. . Display 32
Indicates that the set value output of 1 to 5 V of the voltage output card 40 is converted into a rotation speed and displayed. The push button switch 34 sends the contact signal of the switch S to the contact input card 36, and sends the resistance value of the variable resistor R to the resistance input card 38.
Send to

FIG. 5 is a logic diagram of a control computer adapted to the functions of FIG. The logic is activated at regular intervals (S10). First, if the increase key is on (S
12), read the resistance value R from the resistance input card 38 (S14). Then, the resistance value R is added to the previous set value output S to obtain a new set value output S (S16). Then, a new set value output S is sent from the voltage output card 40 to the device control circuit 30 (S18).

Next, if the decrease key is on (S2
0), the resistance value R is read from the resistance input card 38 (S)
22). Then, the resistance value R is subtracted from the previous set value output S to obtain a new set value output S (S24). And
A new set value output S is sent from the voltage output card 40 to the device control circuit 30 (S18). If both the increase key and the decrease key are off, the operation is returned.

In the above embodiment, the case of a mouse has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this.
Functions similar to (iv) may be improved.

[0020]

As described above, according to the push button switch of the first aspect, the switch section S having the ON / OFF contact and the means R for detecting the pressing force of the switch section are provided. In addition, since the pressing force signal of the switch unit is output, additional information to be added to the contact signal can be added by the pressing force signal.

According to the mouse device of the second aspect, the first aspect of the present invention is the first aspect.
At least one push button switch is installed, and when the pressing signal is strong, the double-click function is considered when the pressing signal is strong, and the click function is considered when the pressing signal is weak. Operation that is more flexible and scalable than that of.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a mouse apparatus having a structure for changing the density, color change, light and dark, and enlargement / reduction of a color of a designated pixel area of a computer screen. According to the mouse device of claim 5, the moving speed of the designated pixel area is changed, and the thickness of the line in drawing the line on the computer screen is changed, so that the mouse device is more flexible than the conventional mouse device. Can perform highly scalable operations.

According to the control computer of the sixth aspect,
An instrument diagram 10 in which the process value PV of the process is displayed as a bar graph, the output value MV and the set value SV of the process are displayed, and an increase key 18 and a decrease key 19 for increasing and decreasing the output value and the set value are provided. The control computer has a structure in which the push button switch according to the first aspect is attached to the increase key and the decrease key, so that a flexible and highly expandable operation can be performed as compared with the conventional apparatus. Here, if the change rate of the output value or the set value per unit time is changed by the pressing force as in claim 7, the operation of changing the output value or the set value can be performed quickly.

According to the instrumentation panel of the eighth aspect, the setting section 22 for setting a set value for the controlled object, the display section 24 for displaying the operating state of the controlled object, and increasing / decreasing the set value. In the instrumentation panel having the increase / decrease key 26, the push button switch according to claim 1 is mounted on the increase / decrease key, so that a flexible and expandable operation can be performed as compared with the conventional apparatus. Here, if the increase / decrease speed is changed by the pressing force, the setting value can be changed quickly.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram when the present invention is applied to a mouse.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram when the present invention is applied to a control computer screen.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram in a case where the present invention is applied to an instrumentation panel.

FIG. 5 is a logic diagram of a control computer adapted to the functions of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a circuit diagram illustrating a conventional push button switch.

[Explanation of symbols]

 S Switch part R Variable resistor

Claims (9)

[Claims] 1. A switch section having an on / off contact.
And a means (R) for detecting a pressing force of the switch section, and outputs a pressing signal of the switch section together with a contact signal. 2. A mouse device equipped with at least one push-button switch according to claim 1, wherein a strong push signal is regarded as a double-click function, and a weak push signal is regarded as a click function. A mouse device, characterized in that: 3. A mouse device equipped with at least one push-button switch according to claim 1, wherein the color of a designated pixel area of a computer screen is changed, the color is changed, the brightness is increased or decreased according to the pressing force signal. A mouse device characterized by changing the following. 4. A mouse device equipped with at least one push button switch according to claim 1, wherein a moving speed of a designated pixel area on a computer screen is changed according to the pressing force signal. . 5. A mouse device equipped with at least one push button switch according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of a line in drawing a line on a computer screen is changed according to the pressing force signal. Mouse device to do. 6. The process value (PV) of the process is displayed as a bar graph, and the output value (M
V) and an instrument diagram (10) on which a set value (SV) is displayed; and a control computer having an increase key (18) and a decrease key (19) for increasing / decreasing the output value and the set value. A control computer comprising the push button switch according to claim 1 attached to the key and the decrease key. 7. A change rate of an output value or a set value per unit time is changed according to the pressing force.
A control computer as described. 8. A setting section (22) for setting a set value for a controlled object, a display section (24) for displaying an operating state of the controlled object, and an increase / decrease key (26) for increasing / decreasing the set value. The instrumentation panel according to claim 1, wherein the push button switch according to claim 1 is attached to the increase / decrease key. 9. The instrumentation panel according to claim 8, wherein the increasing / decreasing speed is changed by the pressing force.