KR20030039648A - Wearable glove type character input device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A wearable glove type character input device is provided to input a character during a movement instead of a conventional keyboard by applying a mechanism of a keyboard to a glove and pressing a plurality of input dots located on the other fingers through a movement of a thumb. CONSTITUTION: A glove type main body(11) comprises five fingers. One end dot(13) is located on the end of the thumb of a glove. A plurality of input dots(14,15,16,17) are distributed on the first finger, the middle finger, the medical finger, the little finger of the glove at regular intervals, connected to a conductor, and generates an electric signal by contacting to an end dot. An LED display unit(18) is located in the glove and displays a state of the current input mode. An interpreter is connected to a plurality of input dots through conductors, receives/interprets the electric signals, outputs a corresponding character signal, and drives the LED display unit(18). A communication device transmits a character signal from the interpreter to an external information device by wire/wireless. Thus, a character is inputted to an external information device by contacting the end dot of the thumb to one selected input dot out of the input dots of the other fingers.

Description

Wearable glove type character input device {Wearable glove type character input device}

The present invention relates to a portable character input device which can easily input characters while on the move for a computer or other information device.

With the development of technology, with the advent of portable computers and information devices, there is a need for a character input device for portable information devices. However, as the input device of such a portable information device is impossible to use a keyboard, which is an existing character input device, a new character input device using handwriting recognition and voice recognition technology that is easy to carry and can easily input characters while on the move. Was developed.

However, although the text input device using the handwriting recognition and voice recognition technology has the advantage of easy portability and text input while moving, due to the current technical limitations, the text recognition rate and the input speed do not reach the traditional keyboard. .

Other portable input devices have been developed to be worn on the hand and easy to operate and carry, but these are auxiliary input devices that assist the text input device, not the text input device. Such an auxiliary input device substitutes the function of a mouse in a computer environment, and there is a limit to convenient input of various characters at high speed due to functional limitations when used as a character input device.

Technical details of the input device currently worn on the hands are as follows.

First, when looking at the "computer input device used in the hand for the handicapped" disclosed in Korea Utility Model Publication No. 20-2000-0189661, the mouse is applied to the type of thimble worn on the hand. A useful auxiliary input that can be used as a substitute, but not a character input.

Second, referring to the "data auxiliary input device of a wrist worn terminal" disclosed in Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2000-0011777, a device for inputting a command by reading a change of an elastic body connected to the thimble of the fingertip and the auxiliary input device of the wrist It is not an input device but an auxiliary input device. In addition, the device is not only technically difficult to detect a small change in elasticity in one elastic body, but also an operator cannot perform a task of moving a finger to have a small change in elasticity. It can not be limited to the character input device that is required to produce dozens of different key inputs and can be used only as an auxiliary input device.

Third, looking at the "computer input device" disclosed in the Korean Utility Model Publication No. 20-2000-0222674, the mouse is designed to improve the pain of unnatural finger movement and operation, which is a problem of the Korean Utility Model Publication No. 20-2000-0189661 It is an auxiliary input device, not a character input device, instead of a mouse that changes the mechanical properties of balls and rollers with a switch.

Fourth, referring to "Data input glove having conductive finger pads and thumb pad, and use therefor" disclosed in US Patent US6141643, by installing a conductive pad (Pad) on the fingers and palms, Current senses the input as it flows. It consists of a structure in which the tips of four fingers move to contact the pad located on the palm, so the maximum input operation is limited to five equal to the number of fingers. Only available as a device. In particular, the device was invented as an auxiliary device to assist the communication of the disabled by being useful as an input device connected to an external computer and causing a specified operation of the computer.

The present invention has been invented to solve the above-described problem, and the sixth hand of the sixth hand, which is a calculation method of the six handed hands, which applies the mechanism of the keyboard to the long hand rather than the auxiliary input device that substitutes for the mouse. You can make a large number of input points by moving your thumb and pressing a number of input points located on the index finger, the middle finger, the weak finger and the little finger. It is to provide a glove-type character input device that can be entered into the character.

1 is an overall perspective view of a glove type character input device wearing the present invention

2 is a character arrangement diagram of input points according to an input mode according to the present invention;

Figure 3 is a functional block diagram of the present invention

4 is an implementation circuit diagram of the present invention.

Description of the main parts of the drawing

11: body in the shape of a glove 12: digital circuit

13: end point of thumb 14: entry point of forefinger

15: Input point of middle finger 16: Input point of weak finger

17: Input point of pinky 18: LED indicator

19: lead wire 20: input point

21: analyzer 22: communication device

23: RF antenna 24: serial communication port

25: external information device 30: parallel input port

31: LED signal output port 32: character signal output port

41: Character array for input points in RIGHT & Down-Shift mode

42: Character array for input points in LEFT & Down-Shift mode

43: Character array for input points in LEFT & Up-Shift mode

44: Character array for input points in RIGHT & Up-Shift mode

45: Lft / Rgt Key 46: Shift Key

Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings will be described in detail an embodiment for achieving the object of the present invention. In describing the present invention, detailed descriptions of related well-known functions or configurations are omitted in order not to obscure the subject matter of the present invention.

1 to 4 are diagrams for explaining the wearable character input device to wear according to the present invention.

First, Figure 1 is an overall perspective view of the present invention, five end finger 13 for making contact with the input point in the glove-shaped body 11 having a finger, the remaining four fingers, the index finger, A plurality of input points 20 are formed at the front and back nodes of the middle finger, the weak finger, and the little finger, and a connection line 19 is connected between the input points and the digital circuit unit 12.

When an electrical signal that can be interpreted as a digital logic signal, such as a voltage, is generated at an input point of each finger by the contact of the end point of the thumb, the signal is interpreted by a given path along the lead 19 connected to the input point. The input signal is input to the parallel input port 30, and the interpreter reads the signal, analyzes the input point in contact with the end point 13 of the thumb, and outputs the corresponding text signal to the communication device 22. The communication device 22 transmits a text signal to an external information device 25 such as an external computer by wire and wirelessly.

The digital circuit unit 12 converts an analyzer 21, a communication device 22, an antenna 23, and a serial communication port 14 into a PCB to form a wrist or long-handed body 11 formed of a microprocessor unit (MPU). Place it on the back of your hand.

The character input device configured as described above operates by contacting the input points 20 located on each finger by moving the end point 13 of the thumb. It is similar to the act of picking up (iii).

When picking up the six packs, move your thumb so that the end point (13) contacts the input points (4, 5, 6, 7). An electrical signal is generated at the input point, and the parallel input port of the analyzer (21) along the lead (19). When the input point is input of special functions such as 'Shift', 'Num Lock', 'Kor / Eng', the current Input Mode Status is displayed on the LED indicator. Helps to enter characters.

In the LED indicator, 'Shift Lock' displays the status after pressing the 'Shift' key on the keyboard. The letters input after the 'Shift Lock' display are interpreted as capital letters. 'Num Lock' is the same as 'Num Lock' on the keyboard and indicates whether the current input state is a character input state or a numeric input state. 'Kor / Eng' indicates whether the current character input state is English or Korean.

FIG. 2 illustrates an embodiment of a character array for each input point when 'LEFT MODE', 'RIGHT MODE', 'Up-Shift MODE', and 'Down-Shift MODE'. Shows how to arrange the 24 input keys.

By pressing the 'Lft / Rgt' key 45, 'LEFT MODE' and 'RIGHT MODE' are toggled, and the current input state is displayed on the 'Lft / Rgt' display of the LED indicator. Press 'Shift' key (46) to toggle 'Up-Shift MODE' and 'Down-Shift MODE' to toggle type, and the current input status is displayed on the 'Shift Lock' display of the LED indicator. . By pressing the mode switch key as described above and referring to the LED indicator indicating the current input state, the user can completely input the case of the alphabet using 24 input keys.

3 is a block diagram drawn by blocking the present invention by function,

The input point 20 is a part for receiving a key input and is located at the front and rear nodes of the four fingers of the jangja and transmits an electrical signal generated by the contact of the thumb to the analyzer through the conductor 19. In the configuration of the input point 20, it is possible to determine which input point an electrical signal is generated by using only eight input ports for 24 input points by connecting the wire connection between the input points in a matrix structure. To be able.

The interpreter 21 analyzes key inputs, periodically reads the values of the eight parallel input ports 30, analyzes the input states of the 24 input points, and classifies the input points in contact with the end points of the thumb. Outputs the text signal for the character at the input point. The analyzer is composed of MPU for easy analysis of input point and control of signal output.

The communication device 22 is a part for transmitting the text signal of the analyzer 21 to the external information device 25 in a wired and wireless manner, and the wired communication is PS / 2, RS-232C, RS-422, RS-485, USB. (Universal Serial Bus), connected to external computers and information devices through serial communication methods such as IEEE1394, wireless communication using technologies such as Bluetooth, IrDA (Ifrared Data Association), IEEE 802.11, HomeRF It is connected to external computers and information devices.

The external information device 25 is an external information device that wants to input characters using the above described wearable character input device, which refers to a portable computer and other information devices or a non-portable information device. Information devices that support wireless technology can be connected and used.

FIG. 4 is a circuit diagram of an embodiment of the present invention. The configuration includes input points formed of 24 conductive pads, conductive lines connecting the input points in a matrix configuration, and for determining the direction of current. It consists of 32 diodes, eight pull-down resistors to stabilize the logic level, four LEDs for status display, and one MPU for signal interpretation.

An input that was grounded by a pull-down resistor when the power supply was connected to the conductive pad, the thumb tip 34, and the thumb tip pad was in contact with one of the 24 input points, the conductive pads on the four fingers. An electrical signal is generated at this point, and the signal is transmitted to the parallel input port 30 in a constant form by 32 diodes. The MPU periodically reads this signal, interprets its input point when an input occurs, and outputs the corresponding text signal to the communication device 22 through the text signal output port 32.

In the configuration of the input point, the simplest wiring structure of the input point is to connect one input port per input point. However, as the number of input points increases, the connection structure increases the price of the entire system by acting as a hardware burden because the number of input ports increases proportionally. However, as shown in the input point 20 of FIG. 4, the input points are arranged in a row and a column, and the input points located in the same row and column are connected in common with one conductor to form two conductors for one input point. When the input points are wired in a matrix structure in which the conducting wires in the row direction and the conducting wires in the column direction are connected, a large number of input points can be distinguished using fewer input ports. The principle of the matrix structure is that when the end point 13 of the thumb of FIG. 4 contacts 'INP7', which is the input point 20, the value of the parallel input port is read as '01111110' as a logical signal and touched 'INP3'. In this case, since '00111100' is read and different input values are generated for each input point, it can be determined which input point is pressed by interpreting this. Using the matrix structure as described above, the number of parallel ports for distinguishing signals of 24 input points can be configured as 8 instead of 24 as shown in the example of FIG. 4.

In the example of FIG. 4, the input point is simply implemented by connecting a power line and an input line to a conductive pad exposed to the outside. However, to replace the configuration of the input point with a mechanical switch for a more reliable and safe configuration, it is composed of a protrusion having a strength that can easily press the switch without connecting the end point 3 of the thumb to a power source. So that the switch located at the input point can be easily pressed.

As an embodiment in which the input point is a switch, a parallel input port is connected to one side of the switch, which is the input point 20, and a power line is connected to the other side. At this time, when the switch is pressed, a voltage signal that can be interpreted as a digital logic signal is generated at the input point as current flows from the power supply to the input point through the contact point. In this configuration, the digital circuit unit 21 of FIG. 4 may be applied without modification.

The embodiments described above are merely illustrative of one embodiment of the present invention, and the scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and may be appropriately changed within the scope of the claims.

The present invention having the above-described configuration is carried while maintaining the high character recognition rate and fast input speed, which is an advantage of the keyboard (keyboard), which is an existing character input device, for text input to an increasing number of portable computers and other information devices in the information age. It is a useful invention that enables character input while moving.

Claims (4)

In the character input device, end. Glove-shaped body 11 consisting of five fingers, I. One endpoint (13) located at the thumb tip of the glove, All. A plurality of input points 14 which are distributed at intervals on the index finger of the glove, are connected to the conducting wires, and in which electrical signals are generated by the contact of the 'ga' end points, la. A plurality of input points 15 which are distributed at intervals on the middle finger of the glove, connected to the lead wires, and in which electrical signals are generated by the contact of the end points of the 'ga', hemp. A plurality of input points 16 which are distributed at intervals on the weak fingers of the glove, connected to the lead wires, and in which electrical signals are generated by contact of the end points of the 'ga', bar. A plurality of input points 17 which are distributed at intervals on the little finger of the glove, connected to the lead wires, and in which electrical signals are generated by the contact of the end of the 'ga', four. LED indicator (18) located on the glove to indicate the status of the current input mode, Ah. An analyzer that is connected to a plurality of input points by wires, receives and analyzes electrical signals generated at the input points, outputs corresponding character signals, and drives LED indicators, character. Consists of a communication device for transmitting the text signal output from the analyzer to the external information device by wire and wireless, The end point of the thumb of 'I' contacts a single input point selected from among input points distributed among four fingers of 'C', 'D', 'D', 'Bar'. Wearing armor type character input device, characterized in that the input. In claim 1, end. One conductive pad that is connected to the conducting wire at the end of the thumb of the glove and can be supplied with electric current, I. Conductive pads where the input points located on the forefinger of the glove are connected to the lead wires and current can flow by contacting the end of the 'ga', All. Conductive pads where the input points located on the middle finger of the glove are connected to the lead wires and current can flow by contacting the end of the 'ga', la. Conductive pads where the input points located on the weak finger of the glove are connected to the lead wires and current can flow through the contact of the 'ga' end point, hemp. The input points on the little finger of the glove are connected to the lead wire and consist of conductive pads through which current can flow by the contact of the 'ga' end point, One pad selected from among conductive pads in which the thumb pad (Pad) connected to the power supply of 'ga' is distributed among four fingers of 'I', 'da', 'la', and 'ma' Wearing glove type character input device, characterized in that the contact with the external information device can enter the character. In claim 1, end. High-strength protrusions at the end of the thumb of the glove to facilitate pressing of the switch, I. The switch where the input points located on the forefinger of the glove are connected to the lead wires, and a contact with the power source is formed by the contact of the end point of the 'ga' All. Input switch located in the middle finger of the glove is connected to the lead wire, and the contact is formed by the contact of the end point of the 'ga', the switch can flow current, la. The switch where the input points located on the weak finger of the glove are connected to the lead wires, and a contact with the power source is formed by the contact of the 'ga' end point, so that the current can flow. hemp. The input points located on the pinky finger of the glove are connected to the lead wires and are composed of a switch that can be connected to the power source by the contact of the end point of the 'ga' to flow the current. The protrusion of the thumb of the 'ga' presses one of the switches distributed among the four fingers of 'I', 'da', 'la', and 'ma' so that a character is input to the external information device. Glove type character input device, characterized in that it can be worn. In claim 1, The number of input ports of the analyzer by constructing a matrix structure of wirings between the input points located on the four fingers and the parallel input port of the analyzer to make a distinct current path for each input point at the time of input. Wearing armor type character input device, characterized in that the wiring structure to reduce the.