JPH04370639A - Analysis equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To carry out a moving operation to seek for the field of view in the same feeling as using a conventional joy stick by using another pointing device of a mouse and the like, even though a joy stick is not connected in particular. CONSTITUTION:This is an operating instruction display system of an analysis device 1 by connecting a data process device 2 and a display device 3 to the analysis device 1 and to observe a sample by displaying a sample image on a picture screen, and a pointing device 4 connected to the data process device, the first signal process means 6 (movement signal processor) to convert the operation signal of the pointing device 4 into a vector signal furnishing the direction and the size, and display it on the picture screen of the display device 3, and the second signal process device 7 (display signal processor) to convert the vector signal into an operation signal furnishing the direction and the size corresponding the vector signal are provided. And while the operation signal is given to the analysis device 1 depending on the operation of the pointing device 4, the vector is superposed and displayed on the sample image on the picture screen of the display device 3.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an operation display instruction method for an analyzer that performs operations such as searching a field of view of a specimen image obtained by an analyzer and displays the same.

0002

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a conventional configuration of an analysis device equipped with a data processing device, and FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a configuration in which the analysis device is connected to other data processing devices via a network.

In electron microscopes and other analyzers that analyze a sample by irradiating the sample with quantum beams such as electron beams and X-rays, a field of view is searched to find a necessary analysis position on the sample. In this field of view search, move the XY stage in the X direction and Y direction.
There is a method in which a motor is provided to drive the sample in the direction, the sample is held on an XY stage, and the XY stage is moved based on movement instructions. There is a method of deflecting rays, light rays, ion beams, X-rays, etc.).

[0004] In any of the above systems, a joystick is used as a movement instruction means for smoothly performing a movement operation for searching the field of view in the analysis apparatus. this is,
This is because the joystick allows movement operations such as searching the field of view to be performed much more smoothly than operations using other knobs, levers, cursor keys, or the like. Therefore, in the analyzer, a joystick 33 is connected to the analyzer 31 by a cable as shown in FIG. It consists of such hardware.

[0005]

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, when the joystick is used as a movement instruction means for searching the field of view as described above, the data processing device is adjacent to and substantially integrated with the analysis device, and the data processing device faces the operator and performs the processing. There is no problem if the data processing device is configured to perform the following, but a problem arises if the data processing device equipped with a display is configured separately from the analysis device. In other words, since the sample image is observed on the display screen, if the data processing device is configured separately from the analyzer, it will be difficult for the operator to perform movement operations to search for the field of view while observing the sample image on the display screen. requires remote control. However, if the cable connecting the joystick and the main unit becomes long,
Physical constraints or noise problems arise. Therefore,
In reality, a problem arises in that the joystick cannot be connected and smooth movement instructions cannot be given.

[0006] Furthermore, the analysis device 31 is a data processing device 32.
Even if the data processing device 34 is integrated with the analyzer 31, there is a separate data processing device 34 via a network as shown in FIG. In an environment where images can be observed and manipulated, the analyzer 31 and operators are arranged in a one-to-one to N-to-N ratio. In such a case, multiple joysticks 3 may be used as shown in the figure.
In practice, it is extremely difficult to spread 3 all over the place due to the problems mentioned above.

Furthermore, when a workstation is used as a processing device, there is a problem in that connecting a hardware interface for a suitable joystick to the workstation complicates the configuration and increases costs.

[0008] The present invention solves the above-mentioned problems, and allows movement operations for searching the field of view with the same feeling as using a conventional joystick with a pointing device such as a mouse without a special joystick being connected. The purpose of the present invention is to provide an operating instruction display method for an analyzer that can perform the following operations.

[0009]

[Means for Solving the Problems] To this end, the present invention provides an operation instruction display method for an analyzer that connects a data processing device and a display device to display a sample image on a screen to observe a sample. a pointing device connected to the device; a first signal processing means for converting the operation signal of the pointing device into a vector signal having a direction and magnitude and displaying the signal on the screen of a display device; and a direction and magnitude corresponding to the vector. The present invention is characterized by comprising a second signal processing means for converting into an operation signal, and configured to give an operation signal to the analyzer based on the operation of the pointing device and to display the vector superimposed on the sample image on the screen of the display device. shall be.

0010

[Operation] In the operation instruction display method of the analyzer of the present invention, the operation signal of the pointing device is converted into a vector on the screen of the display device by the first signal processing means and the second signal processing means, and the vector is superimposed on the sample image. Furthermore, since a window is set and a vector is displayed superimposed on the sample image along with the window, a corresponding direction and magnitude operation signal is given to the analyzer, so the operation of the pointing device on the sample image can be viewed as a vector. Can be done. therefore,
Even if a mouse is used as a pointing device, it can be simulated in the same way as a joystick, unlike the conventional display in which a cursor moves, so smooth movement instructions can be given.

[0011]

Embodiments Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining one embodiment of an operation instruction display method for an analyzer according to the present invention.

In FIG. 1(A), an analysis device 1 is an electron microscope or other device that analyzes a sample by irradiating it with quantum beams, and a data processing device 2 controls the operation of the analysis device 1 and performs analysis. The analysis data collected by the device 1 is input and processed. The display device 3 displays an observed image of a sample obtained from the analyzer 1 via the data processing device 2, and displays data processed by the data processing device 2. The mouse signal processing unit 5
operations (mouse button on/off, mouse movement, etc.)
The analyzer 1 detects the signal and processes the signal.
When performing a movement operation on a mouse, the movement signal processing unit 6 converts the mouse operation signal into a movement signal to be given to the analysis device 1, and the movement signal processing unit 6 converts it into a signal for displaying the joystick window on the display device 3. is the display signal processing section 7.

When searching the field of view using the sample image on the display device 3 obtained from the analyzer 1, the movement instruction operation using the joystick, which has been conventionally adopted, requires the tilting direction and its angle as shown in (b). moving direction X, Y by
and moving speeds vx and vy are set. Therefore, by tilting the joystick in the direction you want to move the field of view while looking at the observation image, and by changing the angle of tilt depending on the speed you want to move, you can intuitively operate the joystick in the direction and speed of movement. can be made to correspond to the movement of the field of view of the sample. However, the mouse 4 is different from the joystick that is familiar to conventional analyzers, and the mouse icon is displayed to move in response to the movement of the mouse 4. For example, the direction and speed of movement of the mouse icon can be used to Even if you give movement instructions to the robot, it is difficult to understand intuitively.

Therefore, in the present invention, when searching the field of view, the display signal processing section 7 performs signal conversion processing in accordance with the operation of the mouse 4, and a joystick window as shown in (c) is displayed on the display screen of the observed image. Display over the . In this joystick window, vectors are displayed by simulating the projected image of the joystick on a concentric scale, and the display signal processing unit 6 makes the direction and length correspond to the moving direction and moving speed (vx, vy). The data is supplied to the analyzer 1. That is, by displaying the operation of the mouse 4 in conjunction with the joystick window and moving the analyzer, the operator can perform the movement operation with the same feeling as using a conventional joystick.

Next, the present invention will be further explained in detail with reference to a specific example of signal processing using a mouse. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a signal processing system by mouse operation, and FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the relationship between a movement instruction, a stage movement direction, and an image movement direction.

In FIG. 2, 11 is a mouse, 12 is a mouse position detection circuit, 13 is a window drawing circuit, and 14 is an X
directional movement signal generation circuit, 15 is a Y-direction movement signal generation circuit, 16 is an X-axis amplifier, 17 is a Y-axis amplifier, 18 is an X-axis drive motor, 19 is a Y-axis drive motor, 20 is an XY stage, 21 is a display device , 22 indicates a joystick window.

The display device 21 displays the sample image obtained from the analyzer using a display circuit (not shown), and also superimposes a joystick window 22 on the observed image in accordance with a signal from the window drawing circuit 13 when searching for a field of view. It is something. The XY stage 20 is located in the analyzer and holds an observation sample, and is driven by an X-axis drive motor 18 and a Y-axis drive motor 19 to move it in the X direction and Y direction, respectively. be.

The mouse position detection circuit 12 detects the mouse position corresponding to the movement of the mouse 11. The window drawing circuit 13 is a joystick window 2
2 is a circuit for displaying a vector having the direction and speed of movement according to the operation of the mouse 11 on the screen of the display device 21, and decomposes the instruction of the direction and speed of movement corresponding to the vector into X and Y components. It is X that generates and outputs
Direction movement signal generation circuit 14, Y direction movement signal generation circuit 1
It is 4.

When searching the field of view in the sample observation mode using the analyzer, there are two types of movement operations for the sample stage: moving in an arbitrary direction and centering at an arbitrary position (direct movement function). Explain the operation.

First, when a field search mode is entered by a specific operation such as an operation using a function key, the window drawing circuit 13 displays the joystick window 22 on the screen on which the sample image is displayed.

In the case of movement in any direction, the operator first moves the mouse icon to the area of the joystick window 22 using the mouse 11, and then presses the mouse button. As a result, the window drawing circuit 13
Now, the display of the mouse icon is moved to the area of the joystick window 22 in response to the movement of the mouse 11, and when the mouse button is pressed, the display position of the mouse icon is further moved to the center of the joystick window 22, for example, the circle mark. joystick icon. During this time, the XY stage is in a stopped state, and the display position of the joystick icon corresponds to the position of the mouse 11.

Therefore, when the operator moves the mouse 11 in any direction while holding down the mouse button by drag operation, the window drawing circuit 13 moves the center of the joystick window 22 (X0
, Y0) to the movement position (X, Y) of the mouse 11. This is the direction corresponding to the movement of the mouse 11,
A vector is represented by its length. At the same time, the X-direction movement signal generation circuit 14 calculates the movement speed of the X-direction component from the origin (X0, Y0) and mouse position (X, Y) detected by the mouse position detection circuit 12, Vx = Fx (X-X0 ，
Y-Y0), and the Y-direction movement signal generation circuit 15 similarly calculates the movement speed of the Y-direction component Vy =Fy (X-
X0, Y-Y0).

These outputs are amplified by an X-axis amplifier 16 and a Y-axis amplifier 17, and then supplied to an X-axis drive motor 18 and a Y-axis drive motor 19 as drive signals for the XY stage 20. As a result, the XY stage moves in a direction and at a speed corresponding to the drawn vector, and in accordance with this movement, the position of the sample image displayed on the screen also moves. FIG. 3 shows the relationship between the mouse position, vector, stage movement direction, and image movement direction.

Therefore, the operator can arbitrarily change the moving speed of the sample image by further moving the mouse 11 and changing the length of the vector, and similarly, by changing the angle of the vector, the moving direction of the sample image can be changed. can be changed arbitrarily. Then, when the operator releases the mouse button after moving the desired field of view to near the center of the screen, the window drawing circuit 13 returns the joystick icon to the original mouse icon and
The direction movement signal generation circuit 14 and the Y direction movement signal generation circuit 15 stop the XY stage with appropriate deceleration.

Centering is performed when, after moving the desired field of view within the screen as described above, any point on the desired sample image is moved to the center of the screen without making any troublesome fine adjustments. be exposed. This centering is done when the operator uses a click operation. In this case, the operator moves the mouse icon to a desired position within the area of the joystick window 22 by moving the mouse 11 and clicks a button. When this operation is performed, the window drawing circuit 13 performs the process shown in FIG.
As shown in b), change the mouse icon to a crosshair cursor and draw an arrow from that position to the center of the joystick window 22. At the same time, the X-direction movement signal generation circuit 14 and the Y-direction movement signal generation circuit 15 generate a movement amount Ix = -Gx (
X-X0, Y-Y0), Iy = -Gy (X-X0,
Y-Y0), a motor movement command is issued, and the XY stage 20 is moved by accelerating and decelerating by the specified movement amount. When the movement is completed, the window drawing circuit 13 erases the arrow on the joystick window 22 and returns the crosshair cursor to the original mouse icon.

Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible. For example, in the above embodiment, the sample stage is the control target, but the position of the electron beam is moved by controlling the deflection coil, and a part of it is cut out and displayed from an image memory larger than the display screen. It may also be used to move the field of view on an image. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the joystick window 22 is displayed near the upper left of the screen, but it may be displayed in the center, or the joystick window 22
2 may be made movable.

Alternatively, concentric circles and vectors may not be displayed, and the mouse display shape and mouse operation method may be different.

[0028] Furthermore, as a pointing device,
In addition to a mouse, you can also use a device that captures the position of a tracking ball, light pen, tablet, etc.
Widows suitable for each may be used. For example, in a device that uses a tablet, the device may be changed to display a tablet window.

Further, vectors may be displayed on the entire screen without providing any particular window.

Furthermore, as the display device, it goes without saying that in addition to the CRT, other display devices capable of graphical display, such as a liquid crystal display device or a plasma display device, can be similarly used.

[0031]

As explained above, according to the present invention, a mouse normally provided in a data processing device is used, and movement instructions by the mouse are displayed in a joystick window on the screen, so that it is not possible to use a conventional joystick. Movement instructions can be given in the same way. Therefore, it is not necessary to provide a special device such as a joystick or a tablet to the analyzer, and the configuration of the analyzer can be simplified. In addition, it is now possible to operate the device from a general workstation, and multiple analyzers and multiple processing devices can be connected remotely via a network in a 1:N manner.
M:1 or M:N connection is possible. Furthermore, since operations by pointing devices used in each device are displayed in a window suitable for each purpose, an easy-to-use environment can be provided even when various systems are combined.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining one embodiment of an operation instruction display method for an analyzer according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a signal processing system operated by a mouse.

FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the relationship between a movement instruction, a stage movement direction, and an image movement direction.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a conventional configuration example of an analysis device including a data processing device.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a configuration in which an analysis device is connected to other data processing devices via a network.

[Explanation of symbols]

1... Analyzer, 2... Data processing device, 3... Display device, 4
... Mouse, 5... Mouse signal processing section, 6... Movement signal processing section, 7... Display signal processing section

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An operation instruction display method for an analyzer that connects a data processing device and a display device to display a sample image on a screen and performs sample observation, comprising: a pointing device connected to the data processing device; a first signal processing means that converts a device operation signal into a vector signal having a direction and magnitude and displays it on the screen of a display device; and a second signal processing means that converts the device operation signal into a vector signal having a direction and magnitude corresponding to the vector. An operation instruction display method for an analyzer, comprising a processing means, configured to give an operation signal to the analyzer based on an operation signal from a pointing device, and to display a vector superimposed on a sample image on the screen of a display device. .