JPS622680Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] This invention relates to a handwriting input device used in computer terminal equipment and the like.

Input devices other than keyboards for personal computers include handwritten character and figure input devices that use electrical signals to detect the positional coordinates of characters and figures handwritten on a predetermined input surface, and joysticks that are used to control cursors on CRT displays. be. The former type of handwritten character/graphic input device is called a data tablet or digitizer, and various structures have been put into practical use. The latter joystick detects the swing angle of a control lever that is supported so that it can freely precess and outputs it to a computer, and is often used in fields such as control sticks for video games and remote controls for industrial robots. .

When a single personal computer requires two types of input devices, such as a handwritten character/figure input device and a handwritten character/figure input device with different joysticks, conventionally the two types of input devices are
Since there is no single unit that combines all types of input devices, each type of input device has been installed independently and used accordingly. However, installing two different types of independent input devices requires a large installation space, and if one input device is placed in a location with good operability, the other input device will naturally be placed in a location with relatively poor operability. However, there were problems with operability.

The present invention has been devised in view of these problems, and provides a handwriting input device that has two different input functions: a handwritten character/figure input device and a joystick. Hereinafter, the present invention will be explained with reference to the drawings.

Figures 1 and 2 show the state when handwritten characters and figures are input into a computer.
3 is a support plate whose upper surface is used as a handwriting input surface 2; 3 is a support arm whose base end is rotatably supported on a part of the support plate 1 in a direction along a plane perpendicular to the support plate 1; 4 is a support arm This is a joy stick that is rotatably supported at the tip of the support arm 3 in a direction along the same plane as the rotation plane of the support arm 3. The support arm 3 is approximately 60 mm relative to the flat input surface 2 of the support plate 1.
It rotates between the position where it is tilted at a constant angle of 0° and the position where it is tilted onto the support plate 1 at an angle of approximately 0° (the chain line device in Figure 1), and is stabilized at each position of approximately 60° and approximately 0°. is maintained. The joystick section 4 is composed of one operation lever 5, a support section 6 that supports one end of the operation lever 5 so as to be able to freely precess, and an angle sensor 7, which will be described later, built into the support section 6. A pen 8 for inputting handwritten characters and figures is detachably attached to the holder.

A specific example of the support portion 6 of the joystick portion 4 is shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. To explain this, reference numeral 9 is a non-magnetic spherical body, such as a resin ball, fixed to one end of the operating lever 5. The center line of the operating lever 5 passes through the center point. Reference numeral 10 designates a first support member made of a non-magnetic material that supports the resin ball 9 rotatably about its center point, and reference numeral 11 designates a second support member in which the first support member 10 is fixed. The second support member 11 is an F-shaped member consisting of an upper part 11a that fixes the first support member 10, and a lower part 11b that is connected to the support arm 3 at an angle of about 120 degrees with the upper part 11a.
The lower part 11b rotates between a position extending in a straight line from the support arm 3 and a position overlapping the support arm 3 (see the chain line in FIG. 1), and is approximately 180 degrees from the support arm 3.
It is held stably at each of the positions forming an angle of 0° and 0°. That is, the support arm 3 and the first support member 11 are stably supported at the solid line position in FIG. 1, and the operating lever 5 is directed toward the input surface 2 at this time.

As the angle sensor 7 built into the support part 6, for example, the following permanent magnet 12 and two magnetoresistive elements 13 and 14 are used. The permanent magnet 12 is cylindrical and axially magnetized, and is embedded in the resin ball 9 coaxially with the operating lever 5 . The two magnetoresistive elements 13 and 14 are connected to the resin ball 9 in the first support member 10.
X that are perpendicular to each other at positions equidistant from the center point of
They are installed along the direction and the Y direction, respectively. The resistance value of each magnetoresistive element 13, 14 changes as the direction of the magnetic field from the permanent magnet 12 changes, _and the output voltage changes _. , θ _y , the output voltages V _x and V _y of both are obtained by the formula: V _x = 1/2aV _p Sin2θ _x V _y = 1/2 aV _p Sin2θ _y . However, a is a constant specific to the material. Here, since each magnetoresistive element 13, 14 is orthogonal to the X direction and the Y direction, by detecting the output voltages V _x and V _y , the inclination of the permanent magnet 12, that is, the swinging of the operating lever 5 can be determined. The angle is decomposed into right angle components and detected.

FIG. 5 shows an example of the mounting structure of the pen 8 that is detachably attached to the operating lever 5. Reference numeral 15 is a mounting tube that is coaxially inserted into the operating lever 5 and is detachably fixed with a screw 16. A slide tube 18 is fitted into the outer circumference of the mounting tube 15 so as to be slidable in the axial direction, and 18 is a flange 15' at the lower end of the mounting tube 15 and the slide tube 17.
A spring 19 fitted between the lower end faces of the pen holder is a pen holder fixed to the outer periphery of the slide tube 17, and the upper part of the pen 8 is removably chucked. When the pen 8 is held in the hand and the pen tip is run on the input surface 2, the operating lever 5 swings in accordance with the movement of the pen 8. The movement (coordinates) of the pen tip at this time is determined by the magnetoresistive element 13,
14 output voltages V _x and V _y are finally detected. still,
It is desirable to attach the operating lever 5 to the contact point of the pen tip on the input surface 2. The pen 8 also has a built-in sensor (not shown) that detects when the pen tip contacts the input surface 2, and the output of the angle sensor 7 is controlled by the output of this sensor.

Next, a case will be described in which the handwriting input device having the above structure is used as a normal joy stick. In this case, the form is changed as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. That is, when inputting handwriting, the mounting tube 15 is removed from the operating lever 5 to release the operating lever 5, and then the entire joystick section 4 is rotated upward to place the lower part 11b of the second support member 11 on the support arm 3. Stack the support arm 3 on the support plate 1.
Fold it up. Then, the upper part 11a of the second support member 11
projects upwardly at an angle of about 60° with respect to the support plate 1, and the operating lever 5 projects forward from this upper portion 11a, providing a joy stick with good operability of the operating lever 5.

Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments; for example, the input pen may be made into a pipe shape, and this may be coaxially inserted into the operating lever so as to be slidable in the axial direction, thereby simplifying the mounting structure. It is also possible to aim for It is also possible to make the supporting part of the operating lever have a universal joint structure.

Also, since both the joystick and handwriting input device have analog output, an A/D conversion circuit and an interface circuit are required, but by using the joystick and handwriting input device together, these circuits can be used without duplication. It can be used.

As explained above, according to the present invention, the handwriting input device can be used as a normal handwriting stick simply by changing the form such as tilting down the support arm.
Two different types of input devices are compacted into one, and when used in personal computers, etc., the installation space can be reduced and operability can be improved.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

1 and 2 are a side view and a front view showing an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the - line in FIG. 2, and FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along the - line in FIG. 3. 5 is an enlarged sectional view of a part of FIG. 1, and FIG.
FIG. 7 is a side view and a front view showing a modified example of the use of the present invention. 2...Input surface, 3...Support arm, 4...Joy stick section, 5...Operation lever, 6...Support section, 7...Angle sensor, 8...Pen.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] A support part that supports one end of the control lever in a precessional manner has a built-in angle sensor that decomposes the swing angle of the control lever into right-angle components and outputs the result.The support part of the control lever can be rotated at a fixed angle at one end. a support arm that is freely supported and whose other end is rotatably supported at a fixed angle on a part of an input surface with a fixed writing;
It is equipped with an input pen that is detachably attached to the operating lever of the Joystick part, and the support arm has a handwriting input function that holds the Joystick part in a fixed position above the input surface with the operating lever facing downward. A handwriting input device characterized in that it has a joystick function in which the joystick is used by tilting it down onto an input surface, tilting the joystick part onto a support arm, and pointing the operating lever upward.