JPH07281827A - Coordinate input device for computer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain a coordinate input device which facilitates operation in a narrow range, coordinate input to a curved surface, etc., and small-sized, conveniently stored and carried, and used suitably for a portable personal computer by forming the device almost into a pen shape having a sphere top. CONSTITUTION:The coordinate input device 40 is equipped with a body part 10 almost in the pen shape and a spherical rotary body 12 which is held rotatably atop of it so that part of it projects. And, the device is equipped with a rotation detection part 14 which detects the rotation direction and rotation quantity of the spherical rotary body 12, a manual switch 34 which determines and inputs the coordinates of a cursor position displayed at a display part, and an electric circuit part 32 which sends the outputs of the rotation detection part 13 and manual switch 34 to a computer main body. The coordinate input device 40 is nearly a pen type, so the spherical rotary body 12 is usable not only on a flat desk top, but also on a soft curved surface.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention is connected to various computers to indicate a command icon on a display screen,
The present invention relates to a coordinate input device for a computer, which is used for inputting coordinates during drawing.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in various computers,
Various methods are used for instructing a command icon on the screen and for inputting coordinates at the time of drawing. For example, a method of numerically inputting XY coordinates on the screen from the keyboard, a method of moving the cursor up and down, left and right on the display screen by using the cursor keys provided on the keyboard, and an optical or magnetic coordinate area were prepared. A method of inputting coordinates on a surface using a dedicated pointing device (eg digitizer), a method of tracing a ball on an arbitrary surface or rotating by hand Converting the rotation of this ball into an electric signal and transmitting it to a computer (eg mouse , Trackballs) are the most common. In particular, except for the method of inputting numerical values from the keyboard, the X-axis and Y-axis coordinates can be instructed at the same time, and continuous movement of the coordinates can be transmitted to the computer. Therefore, it is widely used.

[0003]

However, the above-mentioned conventional coordinate input device such as a digitizer requires a plate-shaped instrument having a dedicated coordinate pointing area. Also, the mouse method requires a flat surface such as a desk in order to hold and trace with the palm. Furthermore, the trackball method makes the keyboard larger. For this reason, all of the conventional devices have problems that they are large in size, require a desk, and are inconvenient to handle. However, there is a problem that it is inconvenient and the place to operate is limited.

Accordingly, the present invention is directed to such conventional problems, and is small in size and easy to carry, for example, a coordinate input device for a computer, which can be operated anywhere on a knee, particularly a portable personal computer. A coordinate input device for computer suitable for a computer is provided.

[0005]

According to the invention, this object is connected to the computer body by means of an electric cable,
In a coordinate input device for a computer for moving a cursor displayed on a computer display unit and inputting coordinates, a substantially pen-shaped body portion and a rotatably held part of the body portion protruding at a tip thereof. Spherical rotating body,
A rotation detection unit provided in the body section for detecting a rotation direction and a rotation amount of the spherical rotating body, and a manual switch for confirming and inputting coordinates of a cursor position provided on the body section and displayed on the display section. And a coordinate input device for a computer, which comprises: an electric circuit unit for sending the outputs of the rotation detection unit and the manual switch to the computer body.

[0006]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the embodiments shown in the drawings. 1 is a perspective view showing an appearance of an embodiment of a coordinate input device for a computer according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing an outline of an internal structure, FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a configuration example of a rotation detection unit, and FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing the relationship between the device and the operation surface,
FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of the usage state.

In these drawings, reference numeral 10 is a substantially pen-shaped body portion having a thickness and a length that allow an operator to hold it like a pen. The body portion 10 is formed, for example, in a tubular shape having an open lower end. Reference numeral 12 is a rotating body, and 14 is a rotation detecting unit that holds the spherical rotating body 12 rotatably in all directions and detects the rotation direction and the rotation amount of the spherical rotating body 12.

The rotation detector 14 is constructed, for example, as shown in FIG. In FIG. 3, reference numeral 16 is a cylindrical case, the outer diameter of which is slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the body portion 10. At the lower end of the case 16, a part of the spherical rotating body 12 projects downward and is rotatably held. A small ball 18 rolling on the spherical rotating body 12 is held in the case 16.

The rotation axes of the small balls 18 are 90 ° with respect to each other.
Two rollers 20 and 22 intersecting at an angle of are in contact with each other. These rollers 20 and 22 have a slitted disk 2 in which a large number of slits at equal intervals are formed in the radial direction.
4, 26 are fixed. The rotation directions and the rotation amounts of the slits of the disks 24 and 26 are determined by the optical sensors 28 and 30.
Detected by.

Each of the optical sensors 28 and 30 has, for example, two light receiving elements arranged with a phase difference of 90 ° with respect to the slit spacing, and a light emitting element facing the light receiving elements with the slit in between. With. And 2
The rotation directions of the rollers 20 and 22 are discriminated from the phase difference between the signals detected by the two light receiving elements of the light passing through the slit. Further, the rotation amount is obtained by integrating the number of output pulses of the light receiving element. Two more optical sensors 28, 3
The rotation direction and rotation amount of the small ball 18 and the spherical rotating body 12 can be obtained by vector-synthesizing the rotation amount obtained by 0.

The rotation detecting section 14 thus configured
Is inserted into and fixed to the body portion 10 from the lower end. Prior to the rotation detection portion 14, the electric circuit portion 32 is attached to the body portion 10.
Has been inserted inside. The electric circuit section 32 amplifies the output detected by the rotation detection section 14, processes the signal, and sends it to the computer main body 44 described later. A manual switch 34 is provided on the side surface of the body portion 10 so that when the operator holds the body portion 10 in his / her hand, the operator can operate the body portion 10 with a fingertip, for example, an index finger. The electric circuit section 32 also sends the contact signal of the switch 34 to the computer main body 44.

The electric circuit portion 32 and the rotation detecting portion 14 are inserted into the body portion 10 in order from the bottom, and are fixed in the body portion 10 by an annular ring 36 attached to an opening at the lower end of the body portion 10. At this time, part of the spherical rotating body 12 projects downward from the ring 36.

The coordinate input device 40 configured as described above
Is connected to the computer body 44 by a cable 42 as shown in FIG. In this figure, 46 is a display unit and 48
Is a keyboard. When the coordinate input device 40 is used, a cursor (also referred to as a pointer) 50 indicating coordinates is displayed on the display unit 46.

The cursor 50 moves as the spherical rotating body 12 of the coordinate input device 40 rotates. That is, the cursor 50 moves in the same direction as the rotation direction of the spherical rotary body 12 by a distance proportional to the rotation amount of the spherical rotary body 12. When the cursor 50 is moved to a desired coordinate and the switch 34 is pressed once, the coordinate is confirmed and input to the computer main body 44.

Since the coordinate input device 40 is substantially pen-shaped, the spherical rotating body 12 can be used not only on a flat desk surface but also on a soft curved surface. FIG. 4 shows a state in which the device 40 is moved on the curved surface S. On such a curved surface S, the contact plane L of the contact point P of the spherical rotating body 12 may be greatly deviated from the angle θ formed by the center line C of the device 40 from 90 °.

However, also in this case, the spherical rotating body 12 can be rotated by the friction between the contact point P and the curved surface S which are separated from the position Q on the center line C. Even when the curved surface S is soft and the surface of the curved surface S is depressed by the pressing force of the device 40, the spherical rotating body 12 can be rotated and can be operated normally.

When gripping the device 40 with a hand, it is necessary to confirm the direction in which the body portion 10 is gripped. Therefore, it is desirable to make it easy to confirm which position is on the operator side and which position is right or left on the body portion 10. For example, the position of the switch 34 is set to a place where the fingertip of the index finger is located, that is, the side far from the operator. The body portion 10 may be provided with a display indicating the direction of the right side or the left side.

Further, the body portion 10 may be provided with a clip similar to that of a pen, and when not in use, the clip may be inserted into a pocket of an upper garment or the like so as to be fixed and portable. In this case, it is desirable that the cable 42 be attachable to and detachable from the body portion 10 with a socket. The body part 10 may be a straight tubular shape, and may be bent in a V shape near the middle or the bottom end, and the spherical rotating body of the tip (or the bottom end) when held in the hand is a body part. A structure that is more protruding so that only the spherical rotating body can contact the friction surface is included in the concept of the present invention.

[0019]

As described above, the coordinate input device for a computer according to the present invention has a substantially pen shape having a sphere at its tip, and therefore can be operated in a narrow range due to delicate movement of the fingertip. Not only is it possible to easily input coordinates on a curved surface or on a soft surface where the portion pressed by the coordinate input device is dented. Further, since it is small and convenient to store and carry, it is suitable for a portable personal computer.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the outer appearance of an embodiment of a coordinate input device for a computer according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing the outline of the internal structure.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a configuration example of a rotation detection unit.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the relationship between the device and the operation surface.

[Fig. 5] Overall configuration diagram in use

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 Body part 12 Spherical rotating body 14 Rotation detecting part 32 Electric circuit part 34 Manual switch 40 Coordinate input device 42 Cable 44 Computer main body 46 Display part 48 Keyboard 50 Cursor (pointer)

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A coordinate input device for a computer, which is connected to a computer main body by an electric cable to move a cursor displayed on a computer display unit to input coordinates, comprising: a substantially pen-shaped body portion; and a body portion of the body portion. A spherical rotating body that is rotatably held so that a part thereof protrudes at the tip, a rotation detecting section that is provided in the body section and that detects the rotation direction and the amount of rotation of the spherical rotating body, and is provided in the body section. And a manual switch for confirming and inputting the coordinates of the cursor position displayed on the display unit, and an electric circuit unit for sending the outputs of the rotation detection unit and the manual switch to the computer body. Coordinate input device for computer.