JPS5985912A - Three dimensional position inputting device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To output displacement data selectively, by providing switching means which select the first mode wherein an electric signal that is outputted in correspondence with the displacement of a housing is made to be the displacement data on a horizontal plane and the second mode wherein the electric signal is used as the displacement data in the vertical direction. CONSTITUTION:When a sphere 52 is moved on a horizontal plane, with the contact with a plane 50 being maintained by the weight of the sphere, disks 70 and 72 are rotated at the numbers of rotations corresponding to the direction and the number of rotation of the sphere 52, and the numbers of rotations are detected by encoders 78 and 80. When displacement occurs under the state a push button switch 86 is not depressed, the displacement is substituted to the displacements on the (y) axis and the (x) axis. The displacements are converted into electric signals by operator 172 and 180, respectively. By the action of the switch 86, the electric signals are outputted through a (y) axis output stage 182 and an (x) axis output stage 184. When the device is operated and displaced on the plane under the state the push button switch 86 being pushed, the displacement detection on the side of the encoder 78 is outputted as a (z) axis output through a (z) axis output stage 186, since movable contact points 86a and 86d are contacted with the sides of contact points 86c and 86f, respectively.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of Industrial Application The present invention relates to a position input device used for providing position information to a combination compiler, etc. A position input device as shown in US Pat. No. 3,835,464 has been considered, which inputs a position by converting the movement of a sphere moving on a plane into a signal to obtain position information.

This apparatus is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

A ball 6 is housed within the housing 4, and the ball 6 projects beyond the opening 4a on the lower surface of the housing 4 and comes into contact with the flat surface 2. Further, the housing 4 is movably supported on the plane 2 by this ball 6, a ball 8 provided on the lower surface of the housing 4, and a ball 1o. The beam 6 is in contact with the disks 12, 14, 16, 18 and supported from the horizontal direction, and is also supported from above by the ball 4o. The discs 16 , 18 are each rotatably supported on shafts 24 , 26 , which are each mounted on angles 36 , 38 attached to the housing 4 . The discs 12,14 are each mounted on the shaft 20,22 of a potentiometer 28,30 for detecting the angle of rotation, which potentiometer 28,30 is connected to an angle 32, in each case fixed to the housing 4. It is installed at ゜34.

Next, the operation of this device will be explained.

When the housing 4 is moved on the plane 2, the ball 6 also moves while rolling on the plane 2 in accordance with the movement of the housing 4. Due to this rotation of the ball 6, the disks 12, 14, 16, and 18 that are in contact with the ball 6 also rotate, and the disk 12 also rotates.
．． 14 also rotates the shaft 20.22 of the potentiometer 28.30. At this time, the ball 6 has a meter ε):
/G 4 rolls in the same direction as the moving direction of 2
It rolls by an amount of rotation corresponding to the amount of movement of one housing 4. Further, the disks 12, 14 rotate by a rotation angle corresponding to the direction and amount of rotation of the ball 60. Therefore, by detecting the rotation angle of the disk 12.14 using the potentiometer 28.30, a signal corresponding to the direction and amount of movement of the nousing 4 can be detected.

The problem with the above device is that it only has the function of inputting coordinate positions on a plane, and cannot input three-dimensional positions. The problem with the prior art, as exemplified by this prior art example, is that there is no method for easily inputting three-dimensional positions.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION The present invention obviates these conventional drawbacks,
The object of the present invention is to provide an inexpensive device that allows three-dimensional position input with simple operations.

Structure of the Invention The three-dimensional position input device of the present invention replaces a displacement on a plane of a housing that is movable on a plane with a displacement on coordinates specified for this housing (for example, the x+7 coordinate), and converts this into an electrical signal. a first mode in which the electric signal output in accordance with the displacement of the housing is used as displacement information on the plane (for example, a mode in which the electric signal is used as displacement information on the x, y coordinates); A switch means is provided for selecting a second mode that provides displacement information in a direction perpendicular to the plane (for example, a mode that provides displacement information on two coordinates orthogonal to the x, y coordinate plane). Based on the displacement on the plane, information on displacement on the plane and information on displacement in a direction perpendicular to the plane can be selectively output.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the three-dimensional position input device of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

First, explanation will be given using FIGS. 3 to 6.

Balls 62, 64, 66, 68 are provided on the bottom surface of the substrate 64 to support the device on the plane 6o. Also, 6
Reference numeral 6 denotes a case serving as a housing. Its size is such that it can be held in one hand, and a ball 62 is housed in the case. The ball 62 protrudes beyond the opening 5aa provided on the bottom surface of the substrate 54 and comes into contact with the flat surface 5o. are doing. The diameter of this opening 541L is smaller than the diameter of the ball 62 to prevent the ball 52 from falling off when the device is lifted. The sphere 62 is supported by a support 60 having a cylindrical inner surface. The clearance between the ball 62 and the support surface of the support body 60 is minute. The support 60 is fixed to the substrate 54, and an opening 601L, sob, is provided on the side surface of the support 60 at an angle of 90o from the center of the support 6o. Opening 6 of support 60
0&, sob are penetrated by disks 70, 72 and in contact with the ball 52.

The discs 70, 72 are respectively connected to the shaft 74 of the encoder 78.
．． The encoder 80 is attached to the shaft 76, and the encoders 78,80 are each attached to support plates 82,84 fixed to the substrate 64. The encoders 78, 80 are only for detecting the rotation angle of the discs 70, 72, respectively, and a signal corresponding to the rotation angle of the discs 70, 72 is derived therefrom. The portions of the discs 70, 72 that contact the ball 52 are made of a flexible material such as sponge, and are pressed against the ball 52 in a slightly bent state.

Therefore, even if the ball 62 is slightly rattled inside the support body 6o due to the clearance, the disks 70 and 72 can always maintain contact with the ball 52.

Also, at this time, since the ball 52 is supported by the support 6o, the amount of deflection of the discs 7o and 72 hardly changes, and the distance from the center of the disc to the point of contact with the ball hardly changes, so the ball 52 The amount of rotation of the disks 70, 72 with respect to the amount of rotation of is almost unchanged. Therefore, there is almost no change in the amount of reading due to a difference in the operating direction, and highly accurate reading can be performed. Encoder 78 and encoder 80 are mounted so that their respective axes 74 and 76 are perpendicular, that is, disc 62 and disc 64 are perpendicular.

With the above configuration, when the ball 62 moves on the plane while maintaining contact with the plane 5o due to its own weight, the ball □ 62 is supported by the support 60 in the device and rotates in the direction of movement of the ball 62, and the ball 52 and The contacting discs 70 and 72 are balls 6
The rotation direction and amount of rotation correspond to the rotation direction and amount of rotation of 2. For this reason, the shaft 74.76 of the encoder 78°80 connected to the disc 70.72 also rotates, and the encoder 78.
The amount of rotation of each disc 70, 72 is detected by 8°80.

A switch stand 90 is fixed to the board 64, a switch stand 9o is fixed to it, and a push button switch 8 is fixed to the switch stand 90.
6.88 is installed.

The push button switch 86 will be explained later, but the functional explanation of the push button switch 88 will be omitted.

FIG. 6 shows the internal structure of encoder 78.

The shaft 74 is rotatably supported by a bearing (not shown) attached to an encoder 78.

Further, a light shielding plate 150 is fixed to the shaft 74. The light shielding plate 150 is made of a material that does not transmit light, and the light shielding plate 150 is provided with slits at equal intervals on the circumference. A light emitting diode 162 and a phototransistor 154 are attached to sandwich the light shielding plate 150 in correspondence with the slit positions of the light shielding plate 150.

As shown in the circuit of FIG. 7, the light emitting diode 162 is supplied with a constant voltage from the power source 15 so that it emits light with a constant amount of light at all times.
Added from 3. In addition, the phototransistor 15
4, the output voltage at the terminal 160 changes depending on the amount of light received. Therefore, the light shielding plate 1 between the phototransistor 154 and the light emitting diode 1520
When the position of the slit 50 changes, the amount of transmitted light changes, so the output voltage of the phototransistor 154 also changes.
Change accordingly. That's all, light shielding plate 160
As the motor rotates with shaft 74, the output voltage at terminal 160 changes as shown in FIG. 80).

Further, a light shielding plate 150 is sandwiched between the encoder 78,
A different light emitting diode 166° phototransistor 168 is installed as shown in FIG. This light emitting diode 166 and phototransistor 15
8 is mounted at a position where the output voltage of the phototransistor 168 and the output voltage of the phototransistor 164 differ by approximately 90 degrees in phase. The drive circuit system for the light emitting diode 166 and the phototransistor 158 is the same as that shown in FIG. therefore,
For example, when the light shielding plate 160 is rotated in the inward direction shown in FIG. 6, the output voltage of the phototransistor 164 becomes as shown in FIG.
The output voltage of 8 is the output of the phototransistor 154 as shown in Figure 8 @! The phase changes with a 90° delay relative to the pressure. On the contrary, the light shielding plate 150 force 2. When rotated in the direction B shown in FIG. 6, the output voltage of the phototransistor 168 is
7 Ototo 2/The phase is 9 with respect to the output voltage of the register 154.
Changes in advance of 00.

As shown in FIG. 9, the phototransistors 154 and 1 sso output voltage are amplified by amplifiers 162 and 164, respectively, and then shaped into a rectangular wave by waveform shapers 166 and 168. After this, the phase comparator 170
By comparing the phases of the two signals, the rotation direction of the light shielding plate 150 is detected, and the rotation angle of the light shielding plate 1600 is detected by adding the number of waves of one signal by the arithmetic unit 172. can do. The signal computed by the computing unit 172 is subjected to signal processing, which will be described later, and then connected to a device such as a converter for processing.

The configuration of encoder 80 is similar to the configuration of encoder 78, so a description thereof will be omitted.

With the above configuration, the rotation direction and rotation angle of the disk To and 72 can be detected.

Next, a configuration for processing the electrical signal of the arithmetic unit 172 described in FIG. 9 as an output of this three-dimensional position input device will be described. The arithmetic unit 172 in FIG. 10 generates a signal based on the displacement of the encoder 78 described in FIG.
Similarly, a displacement of 8 degrees of the encoder is set as a signal by the arithmetic unit 180.

The push button switch 86 is shown in FIG. 4 or 6 and is a two-circuit, two-contact interlocking switch.

Each movable contact 861L and sa of the push button switch 86
d are connected to arithmetic units 172 and 180, respectively.

Of the remaining four contacts of this switch, seb is connected to the y-axis output stage 182, 86 c Id is connected to the Z-axis output stage 186, and 8 is connected to the Z-axis output stage 186.
615 are respectively connected to the X-axis output stage. contact s
ef is open. And output terminal 1 B2J 18
61L, 184& are terminals for connecting to equipment such as a computer, and correspond to y-axis output, 2-axis output, and X-axis output, respectively.

The x+3'+z axes mentioned here are the coordinate axes shown in FIG. That is, the X-axis 174 and the Y-axis 176 are coordinates specified on the device in Cartesian coordinate axes parallel to the plane 50 shown in FIG. A detailed explanation will be given later.

Further, the two axes 178 are coordinate axes orthogonal to the x and y axes, and are axes in a direction perpendicular to the plane 60 in FIG. 2.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be explained.
When operated on 0, the ball 62 is supported within the device by the support 6o and moves with the device. At this time, the ball 52
is in contact with the plane 5° due to its own weight, and is given a rotational force by the frictional force between the sphere 62 and the plane 6o, and moves while rolling. At this point, the direction of rotation of the ball 62 still coincides with the direction of movement of the ball 52. Disc 70 in contact with ball 62 as ball 52 rotates. The disks 70 and 72 also rotate, but at this time, the disks 70 and 72 rotate by an amount corresponding to the angle formed by each disk with the traveling direction of the ball 62. That is,
If the distance traveled by the ball 52 on a plane is L, and the angle between the traveling direction of the ball 62 and the disk 7o is θ, then the disk 7o is
The rolling distance traveled on the circumference is L cog θ, and the rolling distance traveled on the circumference by the disc 72 mounted perpendicular to the disc 70 is L gin θ. At this time, the rotation angle of the disks To, 72 has a value corresponding to the rolling distance that these disks have moved on the circumference. Here, the straight line connecting the center of the sphere 62 and the center of the disk TO is the y-axis, and the sphere '62
If the straight line connecting the center of the sphere 52 and the center of the disk 72 is the X axis, then the value of the movement distance on the circumference of the disk described above is exactly
are equal to the distance moved in the y-axis direction and the x-axis direction, respectively. Therefore, by detecting the rotation angle of the disk To, 72 with the encoder, 78° 80, the direction and amount of movement of the ball 62 can be measured separately in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction. The signals detected by the encoders 78 and 80 are processed through the circuits shown in FIGS. 9 and 10. Here, with reference to FIG. 10, three-dimensional position input, which is a feature of this invention, is Explain the operation.

FIG. 10 shows a state in which the push button switch 86 is not pressed, and in this state the device is on a flat surface (see 50 in FIG. 2).
When the is operated and displaced, the displacement is caused by the above-mentioned ball 62 and encoders 78 and 80, and the displacement is caused by the y-axis and the X-axis shown in FIG.
This is replaced by a displacement on the axis, and converted into an electric signal by computing units 172 and 180, respectively. The electrical signals are then output via the y-axis output stage 182 and the x-axis output stage 184 under the action of the switch 86, respectively. This mode will be referred to as the first mode. Next, when the device is operated and displaced on a plane while the push button switch 86 is pressed, the displacement is replaced with the displacement on the y-axis and the X-axis in FIG. In this case, the push button switch 8 is converted into an electrical signal.
6 movable contacts 86&, 86d are contacts 86C and 5, respectively.
Since it is in contact with the efO side, displacement detection on the encoder 78 side is output as a biaxial output via the biaxial output stage 186, and is not output on the encoder 80 side. This mode is the second
We will call this mode. Push button switch 8 mentioned above
In order to clarify the first mode and the second mode selected according to the suppression state of the push button switch 86, the output from the device in the non-pressed state (first mode) and the pressed state (second mode) of the push button switch 86 is shown. The relationship with the displacement information provided is shown in the table below.

That is, the first mode is a mode known in the prior art, and is a mode in which the output of two-dimensional displacement information is input to a converter or the like outside the apparatus. The second mode is a mode that outputs displacement information in the coordinate axis direction orthogonal to the two dimensions, and these two modes can be used selectively by simply pressing the push button switch 86 with one hand. , it can function as a device for inputting a three-dimensional position. In either mode, the magnitude of positional displacement can be input in accordance with the amount by which the housing of the device is moved on a plane, and the operation can be performed with one hand.

Effects of the Invention As described above, the three-dimensional position input device of the present invention allows three-dimensional position input to be performed with a simple operation, and its configuration is simple. It has a very effective effect.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partially sectional side view of a conventional position input device, FIG. 2 is a partially sectional plan view thereof, FIG. 3 is a partially sectional side view of an embodiment of the position input device of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a partially sectional side view thereof. 6 is a partially cutaway perspective view, FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the inside of the encoder, FIG. 7 is an electrical circuit diagram of the main part of the encoder, FIG. 8 is a waveform diagram of the encoder output, and FIG. FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing a signal processing circuit of the same position input device, and FIG. 10 is a block diagram of a digital processing system for three-dimensionalizing the encoder output of the same position input device. 62...Ball, 54...Substrate, 56...
...Case, 60...Support, 70.72
...Disc, 78.80...Encoder, push button, 86...Switch, 182...
・Y-axis output stage, 184...X-axis output stage, 186
...2-axis output stage. Name of agent: Patent attorney Toshio Nakao and 1 other person = 8
7 Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4 Figure 5 Figure 6 Figure 8

Claims (1)

[Claims] a converting means for replacing the displacement 1 of the above-mentioned above-mentioned above-mentioned above-mentioned above-mentioned above-mentioned above-mentioned above-mentioned above-mentioned above-mentioned first-rowing with the displacement on the coordinate specified by above-mentioned above-mentioned 1-using, and converting this into an electric signal; A first method that uses an electric signal as displacement information on the plane.
and a second mode in which the displacement information is in a direction perpendicular to the plane.
Based on the displacement of the housing on the plane, displacement information on the plane and displacement information in a direction perpendicular to the plane can be selectively output. Position input device.