KR101460028B1 - Keyboard having non-contact operating apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

Provided is a keyboard having a non-contact operating device which has low power consumption, has a fast algorithm for motion recognition, reduces production costs, and has a simple motion recognition process. The keyboard includes: at least one non-contact sensor module and a micro control unit. The non-contact sensor module includes: a light emitting unit which irradiates an object with light; and a light receiving unit which receives the light reflected from the object and converts an optical signal for the object into an electrical signal. The micro control unit receives the electrical signal converted by at least one non-contact sensor module, and calculates spatial coordinates for the object from the received electrical signal.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a keyboard having a non-contact operating apparatus,

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a keyboard, and more particularly, to a keyboard having a contactless operation device capable of providing a new and various interface to a user through position and / or motion recognition processing.

According to the rapid change of IT technology, there are various control methods through motion recognition for convenient use in various situations. In the above control methods, motion recognition is implemented using an image sensor (camera). In order to recognize the operation with the image sensor, since power must be always connected, much power is wasted unnecessarily. Also, since the image sensor requires a series of processes for extracting a plurality of images and performing image processing in the operation recognition process, the burden on the processor is large, and the device implementation and processing algorithm are complicated. Therefore, in order to implement the motion recognition with the image sensor, the manufacturing cost is also increased.

Patent Publication No. 10-2013-0025540 (March 3, 2013)

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a non-contact operation device that solves various problems including the above problems and has a low consumed power, a fast algorithm for recognizing motion, a low manufacturing cost, and a simple operation recognition process, And a keyboard provided with such a noncontact operating device. However, these problems are exemplary and do not limit the scope of the present invention.

A keyboard having a contactless operation device according to one aspect of the present invention can be provided. The keyboard includes a contactless operation device, and includes a light emitting portion capable of irradiating an object with irradiation light, a light receiving portion capable of receiving the reflected light reflected from the object and converting an optical signal for the object into an electric signal, At least one contactless sensor module; And a micro control unit for receiving the electric signal converted by the at least one non-contact sensor module and calculating spatial coordinates of the object from the electric signal.

In the keyboard provided with the contactless operation device, the at least one non-contact sensor module is disposed to be exposed to the outside of the keyboard, and the micro control unit may be disposed inside the keyboard.

Wherein the keyboard equipped with the noncontact operation device has a first state in which the basic input key of the keyboard can be used and a second state in which the position or movement of the object can be grasped by the noncontact sensor module and the micro control unit And may further include a toggle key for selecting one state.

The keyboard including the contactless operation device may further include a display window for confirming at least one of the first state and the second state.

In the keyboard equipped with the contactless operation device, the light receiving unit may include a plurality of optical sensors arrayed in a longitudinal and a transverse array, and may include optical sensors for detecting the intensity of the reflected light and information about the light receiving angle, Signal to the electrical signal.

In the keyboard equipped with the noncontact operation device, the light receiving unit may include: a first photosensor unit including a plurality of photodiodes arranged in a horizontal array; And a second photosensor portion composed of a plurality of photodiodes arranged in a vertical array, and wherein the optical signal for the object is obtained by multiplying the horizontal component of the movement of the object detected by the first photosensor portion Optical signal for; An optical signal for a vertical component of the movement of the object detected by the second photosensor section; And an optical signal for a height component of a motion of the object detected by the first photosensor and the second photosensor.

In the keyboard equipped with the noncontact operation device, the at least one noncontact sensor module may be one noncontact sensor module including the light emitting portion and the light receiving portion.

In the keyboard having the contactless operation device, the at least one or more noncontact sensor modules may be at least two noncontact sensor modules each having the light emitting portion and the light receiving portion and being spaced apart from each other.

In the keyboard having the contactless operation device, the at least two non-contact sensor modules may include a first contactless sensor module and a second contactless sensor module, and the microcontroller may include at least two contactless sensor modules The spatial coordinates of the object can be calculated from the electrical signals of at least one non-contact sensor module among the at least two non-contact sensor modules. In this case, the micro control unit may include: a distance between the first and second non-contact sensor modules; And a light receiving angle of the reflected light received by the light receiving portions of the first and second non-contact sensor modules, respectively, to calculate a height component of the spatial coordinates of the object.

In the keyboard provided with the contactless operation device, the micro control unit can use the space coordinates to determine a gesture operation corresponding to the movement of the object, and generate a control signal corresponding to the gesture operation. The control signal may include a signal for operating the keyboard or a computer connected to the keyboard, or a signal for controlling software installed in the keyboard or the computer connected to the keyboard.

In the keyboard provided with the contactless operation device, the light emitting unit may include an infrared light emitting diode (IRED), and the light receiving unit may include a photodiode.

A keyboard having a contactless operation device according to another aspect of the present invention can be provided. The keyboard equipped with the contactless operation device includes a light emitting portion capable of irradiating an object with irradiation light; At least one light-receiving unit capable of receiving the reflected light reflected from the object and converting the optical signal for the object into an electric signal; And a micro control unit which receives the electric signal converted by the at least one light receiving unit and calculates spatial coordinates of the object.

In the keyboard equipped with the contactless operation device, the light receiving unit may include a plurality of optical sensors arrayed in a longitudinal and a transverse array, and may include optical sensors for detecting the intensity of the reflected light and information about the light receiving angle, Signal to the electrical signal.

In the keyboard equipped with the noncontact operation device, the light receiving unit may include: a first photosensor unit including a plurality of photodiodes arranged in a horizontal array; And a second photosensor portion composed of a plurality of photodiodes arranged in a vertical array, and wherein the optical signal for the object is obtained by multiplying the horizontal component of the movement of the object detected by the first photosensor portion Optical signal for; An optical signal for a vertical component of the movement of the object detected by the second photosensor section; And an optical signal for a height component of a motion of the object detected by the first and second photosensor units.

In the keyboard equipped with the contactless operation device, the at least one light-receiving unit may include at least two light-receiving units including a first light-receiving unit and a second light-receiving unit, And the spatial coordinates of the object may be calculated from the electrical signals of at least one light-receiving unit of the at least two light-receiving units. In this case, the micro control unit may include: a distance between the first light receiving unit and the second light receiving unit; And a light receiving angle of the reflected light received by the first and second light receiving portions, respectively, to calculate a height component of the spatial coordinates of the object.

In the keyboard equipped with the noncontact operation device, the at least one light receiving unit is disposed so as to be exposed to the outside of the keyboard, and the micro control unit may be disposed inside the keyboard.

Wherein the keyboard having the noncontact operation device is provided with a first state in which the basic input key of the keyboard can be used and a second state in which the position or movement of the object can be grasped by the light emitting portion, And may further include a toggle key for selecting any one of the states.

The keyboard including the contactless operation device may further include a display window for confirming any one of the first state and the second state.

According to an embodiment of the present invention as described above, it is possible to provide a keyboard equipped with a contactless operation device having a low consumed power, a fast algorithm for recognizing an operation, a low manufacturing cost, and a simple operation recognition process . Of course, the scope of the present invention is not limited by these effects.

1 is a configuration diagram illustrating a configuration including a contactless operation apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a diagram illustrating a noncontact sensor module in a noncontact handling apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figs. 3 and 4 are diagrams respectively illustrating the concept of detecting an optical signal with respect to the horizontal component of the motion of the object in the first optical sensor unit in the contactless operation device according to the embodiment of the present invention. Fig.
Figs. 5 and 6 are diagrams each illustrating a concept of detecting an optical signal for a longitudinal component of a motion of a second optical sensor attachment object in the contactless operation device according to the embodiment of the present invention. Fig.
7 is a diagram illustrating a concept of the non-contact sensor module in the non-contact gesture manipulation apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, which detects an optical signal with respect to a height component of movement of an object.
8 is a configuration diagram illustrating a configuration including a contactless operation apparatus according to a modified embodiment of the present invention.
9 is a diagram illustrating a concept of calculating spatial coordinates of an object by an optical signal detected by a first photosensor unit and a second photosensor unit in a contactless operation apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
10 is a configuration diagram illustrating a configuration including a contactless operation apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention.
11 is a diagram illustrating a concept of calculating a height component in space coordinates for an object using a distance between two non-contact sensor modules and a receiving angle of reflected light in a non-contact operation apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention.
12 is a configuration diagram illustrating a configuration including a contactless operation apparatus according to another modified embodiment of the present invention.
13 is a diagram illustrating a keyboard having a contactless operation device according to some embodiments of the present invention.
14-17 illustrate exemplary movements of an object that may be implemented on a keyboard with a contactless manipulation device in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed. The present invention is not limited to the embodiments. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be more thorough and complete, and will fully convey the concept of the invention to those skilled in the art. Also, for convenience and clarity of description, elements shown in the figures may be exaggerated or at least partially exaggerated without being mutually proportional in size.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used herein, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" include singular forms unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Also, the term " comprise "when used in this specification is taken to specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, elements and / , Operation, absence, presence of elements and / or groups. As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the listed items.

Although the terms first, second, etc. are used herein to describe various elements, parts, regions, layers and / or sections, these elements, parts, regions, layers and / It is obvious that no. These terms are only used to distinguish one member, component, region, layer or section from another region, layer or section. Thus, a first member, component, region, layer or section described below may refer to a second member, component, region, layer or section without departing from the teachings of the present invention.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings schematically showing ideal embodiments of the present invention. In the figures, for example, variations in the shape shown may be expected, depending on manufacturing techniques and / or tolerances. Accordingly, embodiments of the present invention should not be construed as limited to any particular shape of the regions shown herein, but should include variations in shape resulting, for example, from manufacturing.

Fig. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration including a noncontact operating device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 2 is a diagram illustrating a noncontact sensor module in a noncontact operating device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

1 and 2, a contactless operation apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a light emitting portion 10 and a light receiving portion 20, and is provided with an object (for example, , Fig. 7, or Fig. 11 (S)) into an electrical signal. The noncontact sensor module 30 includes a light emitting portion 10 and a light receiving portion 20.

The light emitting portion 10 can irradiate the object S with irradiation light. For example, the light emitting portion 10 may be a light emitting element such as a light emitting diode (LED) capable of irradiating light, and the light emitting portion 10 may be a light emitting element such as an infrared light emitting diode (IRED). The light emitting portion 10 may be configured such that irradiation light is emitted only when necessary by the user's choice. This is to prevent unnecessary consumption of electric power because the continuous irradiation light is emitted even in the idle period that the user does not use.

The light receiving unit 20 can receive the reflected light reflected by the object S using the light emitting unit 10 as a light source. The light receiving portion 20 may include, for example, arrayed laterally and vertically, and a plurality of optical sensors. Such an optical sensor may be a light receiving element capable of converting an optical signal for the object S into an electric signal, and may include, for example, a photodiode. For example, the light receiving section 20 includes a first photosensor section 20a composed of a plurality of photodiodes 25 arranged in a transverse array, and a second photosensor section 20b composed of a plurality of vertically arrayed photodiodes 25 And an optical sensor unit 20b.

The light receiving unit 20 can convert an optical signal for the object S into an electric signal. The optical signal refers to all signals related to light in a broad sense and refers to optical signals that can be converted into various electrical signals capable of measuring voltage, current, and power in a narrow sense. Further, according to the technical idea of the present invention, the optical signal for the object S is obtained, for example, by a signal (not shown) implemented by extracting a plurality of images with respect to the position and / But may refer to a signal having information on the intensity of reflected light and / or the angle of reflected light reflected and received by the static position of the object S and / or the dynamic motion. That is, the optical signal for the object S may include information about the intensity of the reflected light received, for example, as shown in FIG. 4 or 6, and the light receiving angle ∠θ ₁ , ∠θ ₂ ).

Further, the contactless manipulation apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a micro control unit (MCU) 40 that receives the electric signals and calculates space coordinates for the object S. Further, the micro control unit 40 determines the static position of the object S using the space coordinates, determines the gesture operation corresponding to the dynamic movement of the object S, and determines the static position and / A control signal corresponding to the gesture operation can be generated.

On the other hand, the above-mentioned object S may include at least a body part of the user using the contactless operation device 1 and / or the terminal device 120. [ In addition, the object S may include tools, devices, instruments and / or devices that the user has or wears. The object S can be fixed in position in space for a predetermined time, and further, the position on the space can be varied. Therefore, when the position of the object S is fixed in space for a predetermined period of time, the noncontact handling apparatus 1 may include a position sensor for detecting the position of the object S, The contactless operation device 1 may include a motion sensor or a gesture sensor for recognizing the movement of the object S and discriminating the corresponding gesture operation.

Herein, the motion of the object S refers to movement of the user's finger, palm, hand, hand, arm, head, face, eye, Eye movements, eyelid movements, mouth movements, lip movements, tongue movements, shoulder movements, torso movements, leg movements, toe movements, and foot movements. Further, the movement of the object S may include movement of the above-mentioned user's body, as well as movement of tools, devices, instruments, and / or devices that can be varied in position by the wearer or wearer. For example, when a user wears a ring on which a light to be irradiated by the light emitting unit 10 can be reflected, movement of the object S may mean movement of the ring.

The contactless operation apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include a communication unit 50 for transmitting the control signal generated by the micro control unit 40 to the terminal device 120 . Further, the communication unit 50 may transmit and receive information data to and from the terminal device 120. [

The terminal device referred to in the present specification is a device that is connected to a central computer device through a communication network and inputs data or outputs a processing result, as well as a device that inputs or processes data independently or independently of a central computer device And a device capable of outputting the result. The terminal device 120 may be a computer, a laptop, a tablet PC, a tablet mobile communication device, a smart phone, a mobile phone, a smart pad, a game device, a virtual experience device, a portable multimedia player, HUB), a mouse, a keyboard, a monitor, and a headset.

The control signal transmitted to the terminal device 120 by the communication unit 50 is a signal for controlling software installed in at least one hardware or terminal device 120 constituting the terminal device 120, . ≪ / RTI > For example, when the terminal device 120 is a keyboard, the control signal may be a signal capable of operating the keyboard or the computer connected to the keyboard, or a signal capable of controlling software installed in the computer connected to the keyboard or the keyboard . ≪ / RTI >

The communication unit 50 may include at least one of a wireless communication unit 52 and a wired communication unit 54. [ The wireless communication unit 52 can use, for example, Bluetooth communication or Zigbee communication. The communication method applied to the wireless communication unit 52 is not limited to the Bluetooth method or the Zigbee method. For example, the communication method applied to the wireless communication unit 52 may be a variety of methods such as RFID (Radio Frequency Identification), NFC (Near Field Communication) A communication method can also be applied. For the Bluetooth communication or ZigBee communication, setting is required between the contactless operation device 1 and the terminal device 120. Accordingly, the terminal device 120 may include a module for supporting Bluetooth communication or Zigbee communication. If the terminal device 120 does not have such a module, a separate communication repeater, e.g., a dongle 220, may be additionally provided to the terminal device 120. [ The dongle 220 may include, for example, a USB dongle that can be connected to a USB port of the terminal device 120, but is not particularly limited to a form connected to the terminal device 120. The wired communication unit 52 may be configured to support a wired cable connecting the non-contact operation device 1 and the terminal device 120, for example. The wired cable may include, for example, a USB cable or an extension cable, and may connect the connection port portion of the noncontact operation device 1 and the connection port portion of the terminal device 120. [

In some embodiments of the present invention, at least a part of the contactless operation device 1 may be provided in the form of being attached to the surface of the terminal device 120 or embedded therein. For example, some of the components constituting the noncontact handling device 1 are disposed inside the terminal device 120, and another part of the components constituting the noncontact handling device 1 is connected to the terminal device 120, respectively. For example, the light emitting unit 10 and / or the light receiving unit 20 constituting the noncontact sensor module 30 may be arranged to be exposed on the surface of the terminal device 120, And may be disposed in the form of being embedded inside the apparatus 120.

The components constituting the noncontact operation device 1 may be disposed apart from each other in the terminal device 120 without forming a single integral body. Of course, the components constituting the contactless operation device 1 may alternatively be provided in the terminal device 120 while forming a single integral part. Further, the noncontact operation device 1 may be provided separately from the terminal device 120 separately from the terminal device 120. [

Hereinafter, the concept of detecting the optical signal and calculating the spatial coordinates corresponding to the position of the object S and / or the motion of the object S will be described.

FIGS. 3 and 4 are diagrams each illustrating a concept of detecting an optical signal with respect to a horizontal component of a motion of a first optical sensor attachment object in a contactless operation device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIGS. 5 and 6 FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating the concept of detecting an optical signal with respect to a longitudinal component of a motion of an object in the second optical sensor unit in the contactless operation apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, In the gesture manipulation apparatus, the non-contact sensor module detects the optical signal for the height component of the motion of the object.

2 to 6, the light receiving unit 20 receives reflected light reflected by the position of the object S and / or the movement of the object S using the light emitting unit 10 as a light source, And a plurality of optical sensors 25 arranged in an array. The photodetector 20 includes a first photodetector portion 20a and a photodiode 25 in which photodiodes 25 are arrayed along the horizontal axis (x axis) and photodiodes 25 arranged in the vertical axis (y axis) 2 optical sensor unit 20b. Alternatively, in the modified embodiment of the present invention, the first photosensor portion 20a and the second photosensor portion 20b may be disposed adjacent to each other instead of being separately arranged and spaced apart from each other. Further, Or may be disposed in a mixed manner.

3 and 4, in the first photosensor section 20a, a plurality of photodiodes 25 arrayed in the horizontal axis are used to perform lateral movement (movement in the direction parallel to the x axis) of the object S Can be detected. Or, in the first photosensor section 20a, by the plurality of photodiodes 25 arrayed in the horizontal axis, the horizontal component (the component in the direction parallel to the x axis) of the arbitrary direction movement of the object S The optical signal can be detected.

For example, when the object S moves from left to right in FIG. 3, the intensity of the optical signal of the reflected light received by the first photosensor portion 20a is lower than the intensity of the optical signal of the other photosensor 20a in the first photosensor portion 20a As shown in Fig. 4, with reference to the reference numerals 25a, 25b, and 25c. That is, as the object S moves closer and closer to the photodiode 25a, the intensity A of the reflected light received by the photodiode 25a increases gradually. As the object S moves closer to the photodiode 25a, The intensity A of the optical signal of the reflected light received by the diode 25a forms a peak and the optical signal of the reflected light received by the photodiode 25a becomes smaller as the object S moves away from the photodiode 25a The strength (A) decreases gradually. The distribution of the intensity (B) of the optical signal over time appears in the photodiode 25b on the same principle, and the distribution of the intensity C of the optical signal over time appears in the photodiode 25c. On the other hand, since the object S moves, the separation distance between the object S and each of the photodiodes 25a, 25b and 25c sequentially varies with time, and the intensity of the optical signals A, B and C The distribution varies sequentially with time. By analyzing and analyzing both the intensity and the angle of the optical signal detected in each of the plurality of photodiodes 25 arrayed in this way, it is possible to analyze the lateral motion of the object S or the lateral component of the random movement of the object S The vector information such as the moving distance, speed, acceleration, start point and end point of the motion can be grasped.

5 and 6, in the second photosensor section 20b, a plurality of photodiodes 25 arrayed in a vertical axis are arranged to move longitudinally (in a direction parallel to the y-axis) Can be detected. Or, in the second photosensor section 20b, by the plurality of photodiodes 25 arrayed in the vertical axis, the vertical component (the component in the direction parallel to the y axis) of the arbitrary direction movement of the object S The optical signal can be detected.

For example, when the object S moves from the upper side to the lower side in parallel with the y-axis direction as shown in Fig. 5, the optical signal intensity of the reflected light received by the second photosensor unit 20b is lower than that of the second photosensor unit 20b As shown in FIG. 6, with respect to any of the photodiodes 25d, 25e, 25f, and 25g in FIG. That is, as the object S moves closer and closer to the photodiode 25d, the optical signal intensity D of the reflected light received by the photodiode 25d gradually increases, and at the position nearest to the photodiode 25d, The intensity D of the optical signal of the reflected light received by the photodiode 25d forms a peak and the intensity of the optical signal of the reflected light received by the photodiode 25d increases as the object S moves further away from the photodiode 25d D) is gradually decreased. The distribution of the optical signal intensity E over time appears in the photodiode 25e on the same principle and the distribution of the optical signal intensity F over time appears in the photodiode 25f, The distribution of the optical signal intensity (G) according to the distribution of the optical signal intensity. The distance S between the object S and each of the photodiodes 25d, 25e, 25f and 25g sequentially changes with time and the optical signal intensity D, E, F, G) varies sequentially with time. By analyzing and analyzing both the intensity and the angle of the optical signal detected in each of the plurality of photodiodes 25 arrayed in this manner, the vertical motion of the object S or the vertical component of the random movement of the object S The vector information such as the moving distance, speed, acceleration, start point and end point of the motion can be grasped.

7, in the light receiving unit 20 including the first photosensor unit 20a and / or the second photosensor unit 20b, a plurality of photodiodes 25 arranged in an array in the horizontal axis and / or the vertical axis (Movement in the direction parallel to the z-axis) of the object S can be detected. Or the light receiving unit 20 including the first photosensor unit 20a and the second photosensor unit 20b is provided with a plurality of photodiodes 25 arrayed in the horizontal and / (Component in the direction parallel to the z-axis) of the arbitrary direction movement of the light source. For example, when the object S moves from the high point to the low point as shown in FIG. 7, the reflected light (light) received by the light receiving section 20 including the first photosensor section 20a and / or the second photosensor section 20b The intensity of the optical signal of the light source is increased. By analyzing and analyzing both the intensity and the angle of the optical signal detected in each of the plurality of photodiodes 25 arrayed in this manner, the height of the object S or the height component of the movement of the object S in any direction The vector information such as the moving distance, speed, acceleration, start point and end point of the motion can be grasped.

The optical signal (or the electric signal converted from the optical signal) for the arbitrary movement of the object S in the space is converted into the electric signal of the object S detected by the first photosensor unit 20a as described with reference to Figs. (Or an electrical signal converted from an optical signal) for the horizontal component of the motion of the object S; As described with reference to Figs. 5 and 6, an optical signal (or an electric signal converted from an optical signal) for a vertical component of the motion of the object S detected by the second photosensor section 20b; As described with reference to Fig. 7, the optical signal (or the electric signal converted from the optical signal) for the height component of the motion of the object S detected by the first photosensor portion 20a and the second photosensor portion 20b Signal) can be integrated and implemented.

The integrated optical signal (or the electrical signal converted from the optical signal) reflects the time information and the vector information such as the moving distance, velocity, acceleration, and the starting and ending points of movement of the object S in an arbitrary direction . Therefore, the non-contact sensor module 30 including the light emitting portion 10 and the light receiving portion 20 can measure the angle and the intensity of the light reflected and received by the object S without using the image sensor It is possible to detect an accurate locus of the position and motion of the object S in the space.

The micro control unit 40 receives an optical signal for the object S detected by the non-contact sensor module 30 and an electrical signal obtained by converting the optical signal and outputs the spatial coordinates Can be implemented. Further, the spatial coordinates may be used to determine a gesture operation corresponding to the position and / or movement of the object S, and generate a control signal corresponding to the gesture operation. The micro control unit 40 may include a database unit for storing the gesture operation and the corresponding control signal, respectively, in order to generate the control signal. In addition, the micro control unit 40 may include a comparison determination unit for determining a gesture operation corresponding to the position and / or motion of the object S using the spatial coordinates.

For example, when the gesture operation forms a circle in the clockwise direction, the micro control unit 40 generates a control signal corresponding to at least one hardware or terminal device 120 constituting the terminal device 120, And a data portion which is set to a control signal that enables a function of zooming up the software installed in the computer. Such a database part can be configured so that the user can arbitrarily set it.

In addition, for example, the micro control unit 40 can determine the shape of the actual movement of the object S in the space, even if the start point and the end point do not exactly coincide with each other, Considering the time information and the vector information such as the moving distance, speed, acceleration, curvature, motion start point and end point of the motion of the object, the motion of the object S can be determined by a gesture operation that forms a clockwise circle. Section. The comparison determination unit calculates an error between the motion of the object S and the gesture motion and classifies an motion of the object S into a gesture motion stored in the database unit and determines an error within a predetermined error range .

8 is a configuration diagram illustrating a configuration including a contactless operation apparatus according to a modified embodiment of the present invention. 1, the light emitting unit 10 and the light receiving unit 20 are connected to the noncontact sensor module 30 and the light receiving unit 20, respectively, in the contactless operation apparatus 1 according to the modified embodiment of the present invention, They can be disposed apart from each other without forming the same single module. Since the light emitting portion 10 and the light receiving portion 20 do not constitute a single module, the light emitting portion 10 and the light receiving portion 20 can be freely arranged independently in the noncontact handling device 1, Effect can be expected. Of course, since the light emitting unit 10 and the light receiving unit 20 are formed as one module in FIG. 1, an advantageous effect of being easily arranged and handled in the noncontact handling apparatus 1 can be expected. The concept of detecting the optical signal and calculating the spatial coordinates corresponding to the position of the object S and / or the movement of the object S using the light emitting portion 10 and the light receiving portion 20 is the same as in Fig. 1, The description of the control unit 40 and the communication unit 50 is also identical to that of FIG. 1, and therefore will not be described here.

Hereinafter, according to other embodiments of the present invention, when a plurality of the non-contact sensor modules 30 are provided as at least two or more, or when a plurality of the light receiving portions 20 are provided as at least two or more, The spatial coordinates of the target object can be calculated more precisely.

4 and 9, for example, at time T ₁ , the optical signal intensity of the reflected light received by the photodiodes 25a, 25b, and 25c in the first photosensor section 20a is the optical signal C, , The optical signal (B), and the optical signal (A). That is, the position of the object S at time T ₁ may correspond to any point on the plane closest to the photodiode 25c and the most distant from the photodiode 25a. Therefore, the position of the object S at time T ₁ is determined by the first photosensor section 20a to be perpendicular to the xy plane, perpendicular to the x-axis, May correspond to any one point on the side-by-side plane (P _x ).

6 and 9, the optical signal intensity of the reflected light received by the photodiodes 25d, 25e, 25f, and 25g in the second photosensor section 20b at time T ₁ , for example, (F), the optical signal (E), the optical signal (G), and the optical signal (D). That is, the position of the object S at the time T ₁ is the position closest to the photodiode 25f, next to the photodiode 25e, and the most distant from the photodiode 25d Or the like. 9, the position of the object S at time T ₁ is perpendicular to the xy plane, perpendicular to the y-axis, and perpendicular to the x-axis and the z-axis by the second photosensor section 20b, May correspond to any one point on the side-by-side plane (P _y ).

4, 6, and 9, for example, at time T ₁ , the position of the object S is determined by the first photosensor section 20a in the xy plane Corresponds to any one point on the plane (P _x ) which is perpendicular to the x-axis and parallel to the y-axis and the z-axis, perpendicular to the xy plane by the second photosensor portion 20b, and y is perpendicular to the axis, it can correspond to the x-axis, and any one point on the parallel planes (P _y) to the z-axis, the time position in the T _1, the object (S), the plane (P _x) and the plane ( May correspond to any one point on the intersecting line (L _z ) where the intersecting lines (P _y , P _y ) intersect.

Accordingly, on one non-contact sensor module 30, the first photosensor section (20a) and the second cross-line position of the object (S) by the optical sensor unit (20b) (L _z) which is provided in any of the It can correspond to any one point. However, it is not easy to accurately grasp the height component (z component) among the spatial coordinates of the object S by only one non-contact sensor module 30. [ Of course, as the object S moves away from the non-contact sensor module 30 in the height direction (z-axis direction), the absolute value of the intensity of the optical signal shown in Figs. 4 and 6 is relatively small, As the absolute value of the intensity of the optical signal shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 6 becomes relatively larger in the height direction (z axis direction) in the non-contact sensor module 30, the absolute value of the height component (z component) It is not easy to grasp.

As described above, there is a problem in that it is difficult to accurately calculate the exact position coordinates of the object S when using one independent contactless sensor module composed of the light emitting portion 10 and the light receiving portion 20. In addition, when the size of the object S is large, reception of the reflected light is blocked at the coordinates of some sections according to the left and right and up and down movements, so that it is difficult to grasp the accurate spatial coordinates and error may occur in recognizing the movement of the object . The noncontact operating device 1 according to another embodiment of the present invention includes a plurality of noncontact sensor modules to solve such a problem.

10 is a configuration diagram illustrating a configuration including a contactless operation apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention. 11 is a diagram illustrating a concept of calculating a height component in space coordinates for an object using a distance between two non-contact sensor modules and a receiving angle of reflected light in a non-contact operation apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 10, at least two or more non-contact sensor modules 31 include a first non-contact sensor module 30-1 and a second non-contact sensor module 30-2. Each of the first and second non-contact sensor modules 30-1 and 30-2 is the same as the non-contact sensor module 30 described above. 11, the distance D between the first non-contact sensor module 30-1 and the second contactless sensor module 30-2 and the distances D between the non-contact sensor modules 30-1 and 30-2 (∠θ ₁ , ∠θ ₂ , unit: degree (°)) of the reflected light (R ₁ , R ₂ ) received by the light receiving portion 20 provided in the light receiving portion The middle-height component (H) can be calculated by the triangular method as shown in Equation (1).

[Equation 1]

H = D / (tan (90 -? ₁ ) + tan (90 -? ₂ )

In addition, by arranging the plurality of non-contact sensor modules 31, accurate position coordinates can be calculated irrespective of the size of the object S. 10 and 11 illustratively illustrate the case where the noncontact sensor modules 31 are two noncontact sensor modules, but further, a larger number of the plurality of noncontact sensor modules 31 may be disposed in the lateral and / The positional coordinates of the object S can be calculated more accurately.

The light receiving angle of the reflected light is detected by a plurality of photodiodes 25 arrayed in the horizontal axis in the first photosensor section 20a and a plurality of photodiodes 25 arranged in the vertical axis array in the second photosensor section 20b The intensity distribution of the optical signal of the reflected light received by the light receiving element can be comprehensively analyzed. On the other hand, slit portions (not shown) capable of selectively blocking and passing reflected light are disposed on the first photosensor portion 20a and the second photosensor portion 20b to facilitate the calculation of the acceptance angle . For example, the slit portions may be formed of a plurality of bars arranged in parallel to each other. The direction of the slit portion on the first photosensor portion 20a and the direction of the slit portion on the second photosensor portion 20b may be directions intersecting with each other.

Finally, the spatial coordinates of the object S can be calculated by combining the height component H of the space coordinate calculated with reference to Fig. 11 and the intersection line L _z calculated with reference to Fig. The micro control unit 40 receives the optical information of the reflected light detected by the plurality of non-contact sensor modules 31 and the distance information D between the plurality of non-contact sensor modules 31, Can be mounted and an accurate coordinate data can be output.

Further, the micro control unit 40 can determine the gesture motion for the motion of the object S using the spatial coordinates indicating the position of the calculated object S, and generate the control signal corresponding to the gesture motion have. To this end, the apparatus may further include a database unit that selectively stores a gesture operation and a corresponding control signal. In addition, the micro control unit 40 may further include a comparison determination unit for determining a gesture operation with respect to the object S motion.

For example, when the gesture operation forms a circle in the clockwise direction, the corresponding control signal is transmitted to at least one hardware or terminal device 120 And a data portion which is set as a control signal for enabling a function of zooming up the software installed in the computer. Such a database part can be configured so that the user can arbitrarily set it. The micro control unit 40 is configured to move the movement of the object S in the horizontal, vertical, and vertical components of the actual movement of the object S even if the shape formed by the actual movement of the object S in the space does not exactly coincide with the start point and the end point. Considering time information and vector information such as distance, velocity, acceleration, curvature, motion start and end points, and the like, the actual motion of the object S includes a comparison determination unit that can be determined as a gesture motion forming a clockwise circle . The comparison determining unit calculates an error between the actual motion of the object S and the gesture motion and calculates an algorithm for classifying the actual motion of the object S into a gesture motion stored in the database unit within a predetermined error range . ≪ / RTI >

12 is a configuration diagram illustrating a configuration including a contactless operation apparatus according to another modified embodiment of the present invention.

10, the light emitting unit 10 and the light receiving unit 20 are connected to the noncontact sensor module 30 and the contactless sensor module 30 in the contactless operation device 1 according to the modified embodiment of the present invention, They can be disposed apart from each other without forming the same single module. Since the light emitting portion 10 and the light receiving portion 20 do not constitute a single module, the light emitting portion 10 and the light receiving portion 20 can be freely arranged independently in the noncontact handling device 1, Effect can be expected. Furthermore, unlike FIG. 10, at least two light receiving portions 21 include a first light receiving portion 20-1 and a second light receiving portion 20-2. Each of the first light receiving section 20-1 and the second light receiving section 20-2 is the same as the light receiving section 20 described above. In this case, the height component H of the spatial coordinates with respect to the object S is the distance D between the first light receiving portion 20-1 and the second light receiving portion 20-2 and the distance D between the first light receiving portion 20-1 (∠θ ₁ , ∠θ ₂ , unit: degree (°)) of the reflected light (R ₁ , R ₂ ) received by the _first light receiving part 20-2 and the second light receiving part 20-2, Can be calculated. The concept of detecting the optical signal and calculating the spatial coordinates corresponding to the position of the object S and / or the motion of the object S using the light emitting portion 10 and the plurality of light receiving portions 21 is the same as in Fig. 10 The description of the micro control unit 40 and the communication unit 50 is the same as that of FIG. 10, and will not be described here.

The noncontact manipulation apparatus 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention improves the problems of the conventional image sensor (camera) method and provides a new and various interface to the user through a low-power and low-cost motion recognition algorithm have. Conventionally, the non-contact gesture motion recognition method is implemented by a camera module method. The camera module method is a method of capturing the movement of a user with a CMOS camera and recognizing an image captured by a sensor integrated circuit (IC). It takes a relatively long time to recognize and detect the movement of the image captured by the Simos camera to the sensor integrated circuit, and there is a disadvantage that the recognition sensitivity is much lower. In addition, there is a drawback in that it is very difficult to simultaneously process various operations because the recognition sensitivity is greatly reduced. Furthermore, since the camera module must be operated in order to recognize the operation, there is a disadvantage that the power consumption is large. In addition, since the camera module is used, the manufacturing cost is very high. On the other hand, in the embodiments of the present invention, since the operation recognition is performed by using the infrared light emitting diode (IRED), the photodiode, and the micro control unit, Can be solved.

Meanwhile, the technical idea of the present invention as described above improves the problems of the image sensor (camera) method, and provides a new and various interface to the user through a low power and low cost position and / or motion recognition algorithm. In the following, a configuration applied to a keyboard will be described.

Conventional general keyboards have various user interfaces by providing a track ball, a touch pad, and a pointing stick. The interface using the trackball has a problem in that it is inexpensive but has a low sensitivity and a large volume, and a relatively high cost is required in order to obtain sensitivity higher than a predetermined performance. The interface using the touch pad has many disadvantages in that it is malfunctioning due to weak heat and accurate capturing of the pointer, and there is a drawback in that it is difficult to select a pointer even when drawing a picture. The interface using the pointing stick is a pressure sensor that uses a method of moving the mouse cursor on the screen at a speed proportional to the pressure applied by the user, and relatively fine adjustment is possible, but it is not easy to cope with various movements of the user. Therefore, existing input methods such as trackball, touch pad, and pointing stick have many disadvantages to replace the mouse in terms of fine adjustment and quick response. In the embodiments of the present invention, it is attempted to overcome these disadvantages by embedding at least a part of the above-described contactless controlling apparatus 1 in a conventional keyboard.

13 is a diagram illustrating a keyboard equipped with a contactless operation device according to the embodiments of the present invention. Referring to Fig. 13, a keyboard 120 having a noncontact handling device according to the embodiments of the present invention is provided with the contactless operation device 1 according to the various embodiments described with reference to Figs. 1 to 12 Keyboard. At least a part of the contactless controlling device 1 is arranged so as to be exposed at the surface of the keyboard 120 and the remaining part of the contactless controlling device 1 is arranged to be built in the inside of the keyboard 120. [ For example, the first contactless sensor module 30-1 and the second contactless sensor module 30-2 shown in FIG. 10 are disposed so as to be exposed to the outside of the keyboard 120, and the microcontroller 40, The communication unit 50 and the like can be disposed inside the keyboard 120. [ The positions of the first contactless sensor module 30-1 and the second contactless sensor module 30-2 shown in the figure are illustrative and can be appropriately changed according to the application or shape of the keyboard. In a similar manner, the light emitting portion 10 and the light receiving portion 20 in the contactless operation device 1 shown in Figs. 1, 8, and 12 may be disposed so as to be exposed to the outside of the keyboard 120. [ In the modified embodiment, at least a part of the functions implemented by the micro control unit 40 constituting the noncontact handling apparatus 1 is realized by being interlocked with a computer (not shown) connected to the keyboard 120 .

The keyboard 120 having the contactless operation device may include a frame 124a, a basic input key 124b, a special function key 124c, a switch key 124d, and a display window 124e. The keyboard 120 provided with the contactless operation device is provided with a first state in which the basic input key 124b can be used and a second state in which the position and / or movement of the object S can be grasped by the non- It may be necessary to clearly distinguish the states. The first state refers to a normal keyboard use state using a general basic input key 124b such as a character input key, a numeric input key, an enter input key, a space input key, and the like. The second state means a state in which the position and / or motion of the object S can be grasped by the non-contact operation device 1, as shown in Figs. 14 to 17. Fig.

For example, in the keyboard 120 provided with the noncontact handling device, even when the user approaches the keyboard to press the general input key 124b, the noncontact handling device 1 is activated to move the user's palm If a gesture operation is identified and a control signal is generated, it may not be easy to use a conventional keyboard in some cases. In order to overcome such a problem, a first state in which the basic input key 124b of the keyboard 120 can be used and a position and movement of the object S are detected by the non-contact sensor module 30 and the micro control unit 40 The switch key 124d can be provided separately from the existing basic input key 124b. The switch key 124d can be understood as a toggle key that can toggle the first state and the second state. That is, as the toggle key 124d is sequentially depressed, the first state is activated and the second state is deactivated, a second step in which the first state is deactivated and the second state is activated And can be configured to be implemented sequentially.

According to the above description, the first state in which the basic input key 124b of the keyboard 120 can be used and the position and movement of the object S by the non-contact sensor module 30 and the micro control unit 40 The toggle key 124d is configured such that the first state and the second state in which the first state and the second state can be simultaneously activated are configured. However, in the modified embodiment of the present invention, the first state and the second state may be simultaneously activated. For example, in a process of performing a simulation game or the like, a step of inputting an enter key, which is a basic input key of a keyboard, for shooting, and a step of replacing a joystick with a position or a position of an object S by a non- It may be necessary that the step of grasping the movement be carried out simultaneously. In this case, the non-contact sensor module 30 can detect the left hand of the user who inputs the enter key, which is the basic input key of the keyboard, and the right hand of the user who expresses the movement of the object S, And the algorithm of the micro control unit 40 and the like can be finely adjusted. Accordingly, in a modified embodiment of the present invention, as the toggle key 124d is sequentially depressed, the first state is activated and the second state is deactivated, the first state is deactivated and the second state is deactivated, The second state in which the first state is activated and the third state in which the first state and the second state are simultaneously activated are sequentially implemented. Of course, the order of the above steps can be arbitrarily changed.

13, each of the steps may be sequentially implemented by sequentially pressing a single toggle key 124d. However, in another modified embodiment of the present invention, two switch keys 124d Can be provided. That is, it is possible to provide a first switch key, in which activation and deactivation of the first state can be sequentially toggled, and a second switch key, in which activation and deactivation of the second state can be sequentially toggled. Therefore, the first to third steps may be implemented by a combination of the first switch key and the second switch key, respectively.

The first state in which the basic input key 124b of the keyboard 120 can be used and the second state in which the position or movement of the object S can be grasped by the non-contact sensor module 30 and the micro- Other configurations capable of giving switching functions between states are also possible. For example, the switching function may be given to any one of the special function keys 124c. In addition, for example, a separate switching device may be provided on the frame 124a of the keyboard 120. [ Further, it may be configured to implement the switching function with a specific gesture operation corresponding to a specific movement of the object S separately from the hardware switch.

On the other hand, information on the activated state can be displayed on the display window 124e so that the user of the keyboard 120 can easily recognize whether the first state and / or the second state is activated. That is, at least one selected from among a first state in which the basic input key 124b of the keyboard 120 can be used and a second state in which the position or movement of the object S can be grasped by the non- A display window 124e for confirming the status can be provided. For example, when it is indicated that the first state is activated in the display window 124e, the noncontact handling apparatus 1 is activated by depressing the above-described toggle key 124d to detect the position and / or movement of the object S . Further, for example, when it is indicated that the second state is activated in the display window 124e, the non-contact operation device 1 is deactivated by depressing the above-described toggle key 124d so that the normal basic input key 124b Can be used.

14-17 illustrate exemplary movements of an object that may be implemented on a keyboard with a contactless manipulation device in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention.

For example, referring to FIG. 14, when the user's hand S is moved from the left side to the right side without being in contact with the keyboard 120 on the keyboard 120 provided with the contactless operation device, The control signal transmitted to the computer device (not shown) connected to the keyboard 120 is transmitted to the keyboard 120 through the keyboard 120, And may be a signal corresponding to the right direction key.

15, the user's hand S is separated from the keyboard 120 without touching the keyboard 120 on the keyboard 120 provided with the contactless operation device, The gesture operation determined by the micro control unit 40 of the noncontact operation device 1 can be divided into a linear movement toward the upper side so that the computer device connected to the keyboard 120 May be a signal corresponding to the upward direction key of the keyboard 120. [

16, when the user's hand S moves away from the keyboard 120 and moves from the highest point to the lowest point in the height direction, on the keyboard 120 having the contactless operation device, The gesture operation determined by the micro control unit 40 of the noncontact operation apparatus 1 can be divided into a linear movement in the direction of the gravity and thus the control signal transmitted to the computer (not shown) connected to the keyboard 120 May be a signal corresponding to an Enter key of the keyboard 120 or a click of a mouse button.

17, when the user's hand S is moved on the keyboard 120 provided with the contactless operation device so as to be inclined with respect to the keyboard face of the keyboard without being in contact with the keyboard 120, A control signal transmitted to a computer (not shown) connected to the keyboard 120 may be a signal corresponding to a direction of pulling the joystick toward the user.

Of course, the relationship between the above-described gesture operation and the corresponding control signal can be arbitrarily set by the manufacturer at the time of shipment of the keyboard, and further, the user of the keyboard can arbitrarily change the setting.

The keyboard 120 provided with the contactless control device described above can replace the functions of the trackball, the touch pad, and the pointing stick employed in the conventional keyboard, and additionally can be used for a control requiring a detailed operation like a game It has the advantage that the size and interface of the keyboard can be dramatically simplified in implementing this function while supporting the joystick function at the same level or more. In addition, a physical interface (for example, a USB interface) used by an existing keyboard can be used at an additional cost, and a physical interface (for example, a USB interface) It is possible to provide the power of the noncontact handling apparatus 1 through the contactless operation device 1.

In the keyboard having the contactless operation device according to one embodiment of the present invention, a motion-joystick function fused with a conventional keyboard as a conventional input device allows a conventional keyboard to function as a trackball, a touch pad, A user interface function (for example, a user intuitive interfacing function in a game, a presentation, a movie player, etc.) which can not be expressed by a function of a stick or the like becomes possible.

Further, in the keyboard provided with the non-contact operation device according to the embodiments of the present invention, an additional interface device that can replace the function of the trackball, the touch pad, and the pointing stick can be added to the existing keyboard product at an inexpensive additional cost I have.

Further, the keyboard provided with the contactless operation device according to one embodiment of the present invention has an advantage that the joystick function can be additionally supported in addition to the functions of the existing additional interface devices such as the trackball, the touch pad, and the pointing stick I have.

Further, the keyboard having the contactless operation device according to the embodiments of the present invention has an advantage that it can support the user's request for the quick interface through the non-contact interface.

Further, in the keyboard provided with the noncontact operation device according to the embodiments of the present invention, in a situation where the user is difficult to directly touch the keyboard (for example, when there is dirt on the hand or an unspecified number of (For example, movement of the cursor left or right or enter key input) function can be supported even in a case where the probability of bacterial infection due to contact is high).

While the present invention has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments, but, on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the true scope of the present invention should be determined by the technical idea of the appended claims.

1: Non-contact operation device 10:
20: light receiving unit 30: non-contact sensor module
30-1: first non-contact sensor module 30-2: second non-contact sensor module
40: micro control unit 50: communication unit
120: terminal device (keyboard)

Claims (15)

And a light receiving unit capable of receiving the reflected light reflected from the object and converting an optical signal to the object into an electric signal, the light receiving unit being capable of emitting light to the object, Sensor module; And
And a micro control unit for receiving the electric signal converted by the at least one non-contact sensor module and calculating spatial coordinates of the object from the electric signal,
The light receiving unit includes: a first photosensor unit including a plurality of photodiodes arranged in a horizontal array; And a second photosensor part composed of a plurality of photodiodes arranged in a vertical array, and converting an optical signal for the object having the intensity of the reflected light and information about the light receiving angle into the electric signal Can,
The first photosensor unit and the second photosensor unit are not arranged in a mixed manner but are separately arranged while being separated from each other,
Wherein the optical signal for the object is an optical signal for a horizontal component of the motion of the object detected by the first photosensor portion; An optical signal for a vertical component of the movement of the object detected by the second photosensor section; And an optical signal for a height component of a motion of the object detected by the first photosensor and the second photosensor,
Wherein the optical signal for the height component includes an intensity of an optical signal detected at each of the plurality of photodiodes included in the first photosensor portion and each of the plurality of photodiodes included in the second photosensor portion, And acquires,
Wherein the micro control unit comprises: a separation distance between the first photosensor unit and the second photosensor unit; And a contactless operation device for calculating a height component of space coordinates with respect to the object by using the light reception angle of the reflected light received by the first photosensor portion and the second photosensor portion, respectively. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the at least one non-contact sensor module is disposed so as to be exposed to the outside of the keyboard, and the micro control unit is disposed inside the keyboard. The method according to claim 1,
A toggle key for selecting at least one of a first state in which the basic input key of the keyboard can be used and a second state in which the position of the object or the movement can be grasped by the microcontroller unit and the non- wherein the keyboard further comprises a toggle key. The method according to claim 1,
A display state in which at least one state selected from among a first state in which the basic input key of the keyboard can be used and a second state in which the position or movement of the object can be grasped by the microcontroller unit and the non- Further comprising a contactless operation device. delete delete The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the at least one non-contact sensor module is one non-contact sensor module including the light emitting portion and the light receiving portion. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the at least one non-contact sensor module includes at least two non-contact sensor modules each having the light emitting portion and the light receiving portion and spaced apart from each other. delete delete The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the micro control unit determines a gesture operation corresponding to the movement of the object using the space coordinates and generates a control signal corresponding to the gesture operation. 12. The method of claim 11,
Wherein the control signal includes a signal capable of operating the keyboard or a computer connected to the keyboard or a signal capable of controlling software installed in the keyboard or a computer connected to the keyboard. delete delete delete

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