JPS6180419A - Position indication controller - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To shift a cursor in an optional direction at an optional speed and to indicate quickly an optional point by using a detector to cover a part of a surface of an optical sensor which is irradiated by a light source and detecting the vertical direction of a ball by the output of the optical sensor. CONSTITUTION:The vertical direction of a ball 51 is detected as follows. That is, the light which is always delivered from a light source 64 is detected by an optical sensor 65. When the ball 51 is pushed downward, a box 62 is also pushed down to cover the upper part of the sensor 65. Thus the detected light quantity is reduced at the upper part of the sensor 65, and the position of the ball 51 is known by the degree of reduction of said light quantity. Based on the position information on the ball 51, the shift speed of a cursor is changed on a screen. At the same time, shift control is possible for a 3-dimensional substance displayed on the screen. This enables a user to indicate more quickly an optional point on a screen than a case where a convertional pointing device is used.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Technical Field) The present invention provides a terminal device or a personal
The cursor on the Combiator screen can be moved in any direction at any speed, and can also be used to control the movement of objects displayed on the Combiator terminal in three-dimensional space. The present invention relates to a position indicating control device.

(Prior art) ; Pointing used in computer terminals, personal combiators, etc., where a cursor on the screen is moved to indicate a specific point, and a position indicating control device for manipulating or controlling images on the screen. Devices include Jiji stick,
There are trackballs, cats, mice, etc.

A conventional digital stick has a structure as shown in Figure 1. Here, 11 is a button switch, 12 is a stick, and 13 is a main body. The user moves the cursor on the terminal screen by tilting the stick 12 forward, backward, left, right, or diagonally. The digital stick does not require much space to install, is easier to operate than the normal medium or funk stick on a keyboard, and has one switch at the tip of the stick.
1 can be operated simultaneously with cursor movement, but when used for cursor movement, it has the disadvantage that only two-dimensional planar movement can be controlled and the cursor movement speed t cannot be adjusted.

Some trackballs, as shown in Figure 2, have a ball 21 slightly protruding from the main body 22, and this ball 21t-
By moving it, you can move the cursor on the screen. Trackballs have the advantage of not taking up much space and making it easy to position the cursor, but they have the disadvantage of not being able to change the speed of cursor movement.

Figure 3 shows Cat 31. A keyboard 32 is shown.

The cat 31 is a circular flat surface on the right side of the board 32, and is covered with soft rubber or the like. When the user presses a part of the cat with their finger, the cursor on the screen moves in the corresponding direction. Although the medium-sized Yacht does not take up much space, it has the disadvantage that it is somewhat difficult to align the cursor with the desired position, and, similar to a trackball, it is difficult to press the buttons and move the cursor at the same time.

Next, a mouse is shown in FIG. Here, 41 is the mouse body, 42 is a button switch, and 43 is a connection cord with the terminal. A ball is embedded in the bottom of the mouse, and by holding the body of the mouse with your hand and sliding it on a flat surface, you can
It moves the cursor on the screen. Mouse body 4
Since the button 42 is attached to the button 1, the cursor can be moved and the button operated at the same time, and the cursor can be positioned relatively easily. However, although the mouse itself is small, it requires a certain amount of space next to the device in order to move the mouse. It has the disadvantage of being the cause.

(Object of the Invention) The object of the present invention is to eliminate such conventional drawbacks, to move the cursor on the screen of a comviator terminal in any direction at any speed, and to move the cursor on the screen of a comviator terminal etc. An object of the present invention is to provide a position pointing control device that can also be used to control the movement of an object in a three-dimensional space.

(Structure of the Invention) According to the first aspect of the present invention, a spherical ball, a detection device for detecting the rotational direction of the ball, a spring that fully supports the detection device, an optical sensor, and a light source that illuminates the optical sensor The detection device tvc detects the entire position of the ball in the vertical direction based on the output of the optical sensor. A position indicating control device is obtained.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, the invention includes a spherical ball, a detection device that detects the rotational direction of the ball, a spring that supports the detection device at one end, and a pressure detection device that supports the other end of the spring. In addition, there is obtained a position indicating control device characterized in that the position of the ball in the vertical direction is detected based on the output of the pressure detecting device.

(Example) First, FIG. 5 shows a ball rotation detection device used in an example of the present invention. In Fig. 5, 51 is a control ball, 52
．． 53 is a disk made of a soft and adhesive material such as rubber, and 54 is a rotation detector. When the ball 51t is moved by hand, the disk 52 detects rotation in the horizontal direction (X direction) in the figure, and the disk 53 detects rotation in the vertical direction (Y direction). When the ball is rotated diagonally, the disks 52 and 53 rotate at the same time, so the direction in which the ball is rotated can be determined from the respective rotation directions, rotation speeds, or rotation angles.

FIG. 6 is a configuration diagram of an embodiment of the first invention.

Here, 62 is a rotation detection device (FIG. 5) for detecting the rotation of the ball 510, 63 is a spring, 64 is a light source, 65 is a light sensor, and 66 is a transparent glass.

The vertical position of the ball 51 is detected as follows. Light is always emitted from the light source 64, and the light is sent to the optical sensor 6.
5 is detected. When the ball 51 is pushed down, the box 6
2 is also pushed down, the upper part of the optical sensor 65 is hidden, and the amount of light detected by the upper part of the optical sensor is reduced, so the position of the ball 51 can be determined from the amount of decrease.

Based on this information, the moving speed of the cursor on the screen can be changed and the movement of the three-dimensional object displayed on the screen can be controlled.

Next, FIG. 7 shows a configuration diagram of the second embodiment of the invention. Here, 71 is a pressure detection device. When the ball 51 is pushed down, the spring 63 is compressed, and pressure is applied to the lower part of the spring according to the amount pushed down. By detecting this pressure with the pressure detection device 171, the position of the ball can be determined.

(Effects of the Invention) As explained above, the present invention allows the cursor on the screen of a combiator terminal to be moved in any direction at any speed. You can point to any point above.

Furthermore, the present invention can be used not only to control the movement of the cursor position, but also to control the movement of objects displayed on the comviator terminal in a three-dimensional space.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Figures 1 through 4 show conventional examples; Figure 1 is a diagonal stick, Figure 2 is a trackball, Figure 3 is a cat, Figure 4 is a perspective view of a mouse, and Figure 5 is a book. FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a ball rotation detection device used in an embodiment of the invention, FIG. 6 is a block diagram of an embodiment of the first invention, and FIG. 7 is a block diagram of an embodiment of the invention @2. In the figure, 11 is a button switch, 12 is a stick, 13 is a main body, 21 is a ball, 22 is a main body, 31 is a cat, 32 is a keyboard, 41 is a mouse main body, 42 is a button switch, 43 is a connection connecting the terminal and the mouse 62 is a ball rotation detection device, 63 is a spring, 64 is a light source, 65 is a light sensor, 6
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Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) a spherical ball, a detection device that detects the rotational direction of the ball, and a spring that supports the detection device;
It has an optical sensor and a light source that illuminates the optical sensor, the detection device covers a part of the surface of the optical sensor irradiated by the light source, and the vertical position of the ball is detected by the output of the optical sensor. A position instruction control device characterized in that: (2) A spherical ball, a detection device that detects the rotation direction of the ball, a spring that supports the detection device at one end, and a pressure detection device that supports the other end of the spring; A position instruction control device, characterized in that the position of the ball in the vertical direction is detected by the output of the device.