JPH09288541A - Three-dimensional pointing device and detection of movement - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To simultaneously and easily give point position movement requests to an x-axis, a y-axis and a z-axis with one operation by one hand by providing specified balls and a means for detecting a specified direction component. SOLUTION: The movement requests in the directions of the x-axis and the y-axis are detected from the rotation quantity and the rotation direction of the movement request ball 8, and point position movement request quantity in the respective directions is reported to a computer main body 1. The movement request ball 7 and a z-axis direction movement detection circuit 4 are provided for the device. The movement request ball 7 is rotated by the thumb of the hand holding the three-dimensional pointing device. Thus, point position movement request quantity in the direction of the z-axis is generated and the request is detected in the z-axis direction movement detection circuit 4. Then, it is informed to the computer main body 1. Thus, the point position movement requests in the respective directions of the x-axis to the z-axis can simultaneously be generated by simultaneously operating the balls 7 and 8 with the thumb in such constitution.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a three-dimensional pointing device device, and more particularly to a three-dimensional pointing device device for a computer such as a personal computer or an engineering workstation.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional three-dimensional pointing device apparatus detects a request for moving a point position in two-dimensional coordinates in the x-axis direction and the y-axis direction by moving the body of the pointing device apparatus on a plane, and then the z-axis. The request for moving the point position with respect to the direction is made by a dial or switch attached to the pointing device or a keyboard type input device. An example of this type of pointing device capable of inputting a three-dimensional coordinate value is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. Hei 5
As disclosed in JP-A-282098, JP-A-63-63850, and JP-A-63-135433, is there a means for inputting coordinates of the third axis using a form such as a dial or a switch? Alternatively, JP-A-6
As disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 1-139824, means for inputting three-axis coordinates by three-dimensional movement of the pointing device main body has been used.

[0003]

The above-mentioned conventional three-dimensional pointing device apparatus uses both hands when pointing in the three-dimensional coordinate space, or x
Input a point position movement request in the axial direction and the y-axis direction, confirm them, and then make a point position movement request in the z-axis direction, or if you are not skilled in the operation of the pointing device described above, the x-axis , Y-axis, z-axis, and three-direction poit position movement requests cannot be input at the same time.

For example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-282098,
Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 63-63850, Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 63-1354.
As disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 33, in the case of inputting the coordinate of the third axis using a form such as a dial or a switch,
With the dial, the allowable range for the operation direction when rotating the dial at the input of the third axis is narrow and skill is used for operation, and with the switch, the change amount per unit time is operated when the coordinate value of the third axis is changed. Becomes difficult. Alternatively, as disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 61-139824, when three-axis coordinates are input by three-dimensional movement of the pointing device main body, other devices such as a pointing device and a keyboard device are used alternately. In such a case, there is a drawback that the coordinate values of the three axes change when the hand is released from the pointing device.

[0005]

A three-dimensional pointing device apparatus according to the present invention is a ball installed on the bottom surface of a main body for detecting a point position movement request in a first direction and a second direction, and a rotation amount of this ball. And the direction component is the first direction,
A means for detecting the point position movement request amount divided into the second direction, a ball installed on the side surface of the main body for detecting the point position movement request amount in the third direction, the rotation amount of this ball, and the third And means for detecting a direction component with respect to the direction.

[0006]

Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a three-dimensional pointing device device of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a top view thereof, and FIG. 3 is a left side view thereof.

According to the embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, a three-dimensional pointing device device is held in a palm like a conventional pointing device device called a mouse. Move the cursor on the table to move the poit position display cursor on the table, and move the ball on the side with your thumb at the same time to move the x-axis, y-axis, and z-axis.
It is possible to simultaneously generate point position movement requests in each direction of the axis.

The left button 5 and the right button 6 shown in the top view of the three-dimensional pointing device device of FIG. 2 have the same functions as the switches installed in a conventional pointing device device called a mouse, and these switches are pressed. The state is detected by the left button detection circuit 15 and the right button detection circuit 16 in the configuration diagram of the three-dimensional pointing device in FIG. 1, and the computer body 1 is notified.

A movement request ball 8, an x-axis direction movement detection circuit 2, and a y-axis direction movement detection circuit 3 shown in the configuration diagram of the three-dimensional pointing device apparatus of FIG. 1, the top view of FIG. 2 and the left side view of FIG. Is similar to the one incorporated in a conventional pointing device device called a mouse as described above, and a movement request in the x-axis and y-axis directions is detected from the rotation amount and rotation direction of the movement request ball 8 and points in each direction are detected. The computer 1 is notified of the position movement request amount.

Further, the movement requesting ball 7 and the z-axis direction movement detecting circuit 4 are unique to this embodiment, and the movement requesting ball 7 is rotated by the thumb of the hand holding the three-dimensional pointing device device. A point position movement request amount Δz in the z-axis direction shown in the image diagram showing the virtual coordinate image on the screen of FIG. 4 and the projection diagram showing the projection of the virtual coordinate image in FIG. 5 is generated, and the request is the z-axis direction movement detection circuit. It is detected in step 4, and the computer body 1 is notified.

[0012]

As described above, the three-dimensional pointing device device of the present invention can operate two balls simultaneously and easily with one hand, and as a result, the x-axis and the y-axis can be operated.
There is an effect that a point position movement request for the axes and the z-axis can be simultaneously made by one operation, and that the coordinate values of the three axes do not change even if the hand is released from the pointing device during the operation. .

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing an embodiment of a three-dimensional pointing device device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a top view of an embodiment of a three-dimensional pointing device device of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a left side view of an embodiment of a three-dimensional pointing device device of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an image diagram showing a virtual coordinate image of one embodiment of a three-dimensional pointing device device of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a projection view showing projection of a virtual coordinate image of an embodiment of a three-dimensional pointing device device of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 computer main body 2 x-axis direction movement detection circuit 3 y-axis direction movement detection circuit 4 z-axis direction movement detection circuit 5 left button 6 right button 7, 8 movement request ball 15 left button detection circuit 16 right button detection circuit

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A ball installed on a bottom surface of a main body for detecting a point position movement request in a first direction and a second direction, and a rotation amount and a directional component of the ball in a first direction and a second direction. Means for separately detecting the point position movement request amount, a ball installed on the side surface of the main body for detecting the point position movement request in the third direction, the rotation amount of this ball and the direction component in the third direction A three-dimensional pointing device device comprising means for detecting 2. A point position movement request amount in the z-axis direction on the screen is generated by rotating the movement request ball with the thumb of the hand holding the three-dimensional pointing device device,
A movement detecting method for a three-dimensional pointing device apparatus, wherein a point position movement request amount in the z-axis direction is detected by a z-axis direction movement request detection circuit and is notified to a computer body.