JP2003122501A - Ball type input device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a ball type input device to facilitate reduction of size and thickness, achieve operational stabilization and facilitate maintenance by simplifying a structure. SOLUTION: In this ball type input device, a ball 11 is rotated according to a position selected by an operator, and a signal corresponding to the rotating position of the ball 11 is taken. The ball 11 is formed of material freely rotated in a fixed place and capable of transmitting light. A designated pattern for shielding light is provided on at least either the surface or the interior. The ball includes LEDs D1, D2 and photo transistors T1, T2 disposed at both ends passing the substantially central part of the ball 11, whereby the rotating position of the ball 11 is detected according to a change of a light signal depending on the light transmitting part and light shielding part of the ball 11 between the LEDs D1, D2 and the photo transistors T1, T2.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an input device as a pointing device typified by a mouse, a trackball, etc. for inputting, for example, a personal computer (PC), a terminal device (PDA) and a mobile phone. , A technique for simplifying the structure of an input device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art For example, in a PC, a pointing device typified by a mouse, a trackball or the like is generally used as an input device for selecting an icon or the like displayed on a display.

FIG. 13 is a schematic mechanical view of a conventional pointing device as disclosed in JP-A-11-259233. In this figure, the ball 1 rotates as the operator of the PC moves or operates the pointing device. An X-axis roller 2 and a Y-axis roller 3 are arranged so as to be in contact with the ball 1 along XY axes that are orthogonal to each other with respect to the ball 1.

An X-axis slit disk 5 having slits 4 provided at regular intervals is provided at the tip of the shaft of the X-axis roller 2, and slits 4 are provided at regular intervals at the tip of the shaft of the Y-axis roller 3. The Y-axis slit disk 6 is attached, and the X-axis slit disk 5 and the Y-axis slit disk 6 also rotate according to the rotation of the ball 1.

In order to maintain the contact between the ball 1 and the X-axis roller 2 and the Y-axis roller 3, a pressing roller (not shown) is installed in a direction of 45 degrees with respect to these X-Y axes. ing.

An X-axis light emitting diode D1 as an X-axis light emitting element and an X-axis phototransistor T1 as an X-bearing optical element are provided on both sides of the X-axis slit disk 5, and a Y-axis is provided on both sides of the Y-axis slit disk 6. A Y-axis light emitting diode D2 as a light emitting element and a Y axis phototransistor T2 as a Y bearing optical element are installed. That is, a light emitting element and a light receiving element are installed on both X and Y axes. In such a conventional pointing device, two axes (X-axis and Y-axis) that are orthogonal to and in contact with the ball 1 are used.
The slits 4 provided on the disks 5 and 6 on the axis) detect the rotational position of the ball 1 based on the change in the optical signal between the light emitting portion and the light receiving portion provided with the disks 5 and 6 sandwiched therebetween. ing.

That is, the rotation direction of the ball 1 is detected by the change of the optical signal between the light emitting portion and the light receiving portion, and necessary signals of the X-axis roller 2 and the Y-axis roller 3 are simultaneously obtained.

[0008]

However, in such a conventional pointing device, the disks 5, 6 are arranged on the two shafts (X-axis roller 2 and Y-axis roller 3).
Since the discs 5 and 6 are provided with the slits 4, the internal structure is complicated.

For this reason, it is difficult to reduce the size and thickness, and the X-axis roller 2 and the Y-axis roller 4 that come into contact with the ball 1 are in contact.
Therefore, dust, foreign matter, etc. are likely to adhere to the X-axis roller 2 and the Y-axis roller 3, so that the operation is likely to be unstable, and periodic cleaning may be required. There was a problem that it took time to maintain.

Conventionally, some pointing devices have a structure in which the rotational position of the ball is detected by reading the change in light reflection in a certain set pattern on the ball, but the circuit and optical mechanism are complicated. There is a problem to turn.

Therefore, the present invention has a structure for detecting the rotational position by a change in the optical signal between the light emitting portion and the light receiving portion provided on both sides of the disc by means of a slit provided on the disc on the axis in contact with the ball. Abolished, instead of this, by changing the structure for identifying the rotational position of the ball, the shaft and disk are omitted, the structure is simplified, downsizing and thinning are facilitated, and stable operation is achieved. At the same time, it is an object to provide a ball type input device that can be easily maintained.

[0012]

Therefore, the invention according to claim 1 is, in a ball type input device for rotating a ball according to a position selected by an operator and for extracting a signal according to the rotational position of the ball, The ball is made of a light-transmissive material that is freely rotatable in a fixed place, and has a structure having a predetermined pattern for shielding light on at least one of the surface and the inside thereof, while the substantially central portion of the ball The ball includes a light emitting portion and a light receiving portion arranged at both ends on a straight line passing through the ball. Is detected.

The invention according to claim 2 is characterized in that the rotational position of the ball is detected by detecting the rotational direction of the ball and extracting both X-axis and Y-axis signals orthogonal to each other.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, both the X-axis signal and the Y-axis signal extracted due to the change of the optical signal are independently counted, and the axis signal that reaches earlier by a predetermined numerical value is output, At the same time, all the count values are reset and the counting operation is repeated.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a ring-shaped printed circuit board in which the ball is rotatably fitted, and the printed circuit board is connected to the printed circuit board and faces each other with the ball interposed therebetween. The light emitting unit and the light receiving unit are attached.

The invention according to claim 5 is characterized in that the printed circuit board is placed and supported on a step portion formed in a circumferential direction inside a case for accommodating balls.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, the pattern is formed by forming the entire ball with a material capable of transmitting light, and forming a portion of the surface of the ball excluding a window portion with a material capable of shielding light. Is characterized by.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, the ball is entirely made of a light-transmitting material, and a member having a window portion and made of a light-shielding material is provided inside the ball to form the pattern. It is characterized by

According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, the ball as a whole is formed of a light-transmitting material, and the ball is made of a light-shielding material, and the first frame portion and the second frame portion are formed. The above-mentioned pattern is formed by internally providing a mesh member made of

The invention according to claim 9 is characterized in that the light-transmittable material is glass and the pattern is formed of metal.

According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided switch means which is interposed in a current supply circuit for driving a detection circuit for detecting the rotational position of the ball and which turns on / off the current supply circuit. It is characterized in that it is configured to be turned on / off by the pushing operation of the ball.

The invention according to claim 11 is characterized in that elastic means for pushing up the ball is provided in order to return the ball to the original position from the pushing operation.

The invention according to claim 12 is characterized in that a ball holding plate for holding the ball rotatably is provided swingably, and the switch means is operated by the ball holding plate.

According to a thirteenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an illuminating means that is turned on to illuminate the ball.

According to a fourteenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided switch means which is interposed in a current supply circuit for driving a detection circuit for detecting the rotational position of the ball and which turns on / off the current supply circuit. And a lighting means which is configured to be turned on / off by a pushing operation of the ball and which is turned on so as to illuminate the ball, and the lighting means is interlocked with the operation of the switch means. .

The operation of the invention will be described below.
In the invention according to, on the optical axis between the light emitting unit and the light receiving unit,
A ball provided by combining a portion that transmits light and a portion that blocks light is installed to detect the rotational position.

Therefore, since the shaft, the disk on the shaft, and the slit of the disk are not provided, the internal structure is simplified, the size and the thickness can be easily reduced, and the shaft contacting the ball is not required, so that dust or foreign matter is not present. It is easy to maintain because it is hard to adhere to them, can be stabilized in operation, and need no periodic cleaning.

In the invention according to claim 2, the rotation position of the ball is detected by detecting the rotation direction of the ball and
Both X-axis and Y-axis signals that are orthogonal to each other are extracted and performed.
Therefore, not only the right-angled direction but also the diagonal direction is detected.

In the invention according to claim 3, a cross key type mouse or the like often used in a mobile phone or the like can be formed with a simple structure, and the device can be made compact. As a result, the mobile phone or the like can be made smaller and thinner. It will be easier and easier to maintain.

In the invention according to claim 4, since the printed circuit board is provided and the light emitting section and the light receiving section are mounted on the printed circuit board, the apparatus can be more effectively made compact.

In the invention according to claim 5, since the printed circuit board is placed and supported on the stepped portion inside the case of the apparatus, the apparatus can be more effectively made compact.

In the inventions according to claims 6 to 8, the function as a ball peculiar to the present invention is surely maintained.

In the invention according to claim 9, the ball can be easily formed by using a material with a finer texture.

In the invention according to claim 10, in order to reduce the power consumption of the device, when the ball is used, the ball is pushed, the power supply circuit is turned off by the switch means, and when the ball is used again, the ball is Press,
The switch means turns on the power supply circuit.

In the invention according to claim 11, the ball is returned to the original position from the pushing operation by the elastic means.

In the twelfth aspect of the invention, the pushing operation of the ball is transmitted to the switch means via the ball holding plate.

In the thirteenth aspect of the invention, the ball is illuminated by the illuminating means, and the state can be clearly known.

In the invention according to claim 14, in order to reduce the power consumption of the device by interlocking the lighting means with the operation of the switch means, when the ball is used, the ball is pushed and the power supply circuit is switched by the switch means. While turning off, the lighting means is turned off, and when the ball is used again, the ball is pushed to turn on the power supply circuit by the switch means and turn on the lighting means.

[0039]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. First, the pointing device as the ball type input device according to the present invention eliminates the unstable operation due to dust and foreign matter, which has been a problem in the past, and realizes the size reduction and the number of parts. It is characterized in that a ball provided by combining a portion that transmits light and a portion that shields light is installed on the optical axis between the parts to detect the rotational position.

A specific structure of the ball type input device will be described with reference to FIGS. In FIG. 1, the pointing device 10 rotates the ball 11 according to the position selected by the operator, and inputs the position selected by the operator based on the rotating position of the ball 11.

In the present embodiment, the rotational position of the ball 11 is detected by detecting the rotational direction of the ball 11 and extracting both X-axis and Y-axis signals orthogonal to each other. The ball 11 is formed of a light-transmittable material that is freely rotatable in a fixed place.

At least one of the surface and the inside of the ball 11 is provided with a predetermined pattern for shielding light. Note that this pattern will be described later.

Light emitting diodes (hereinafter referred to as LEs) as light emitting portions arranged at both ends on a straight line passing through the substantially central portion of the ball 11.
D) D1 and D2 and phototransistors T1 and T2 as light receiving portions.

In this case, the LEDs D1 and D2 and the phototransistors T1 and T2 are respectively provided on two straight lines of the X axis and the Y axis which are orthogonal to each other.

Then, the rotation direction of the ball 11 is detected and the rotation direction of the ball 11 is detected by the change of the optical signal due to the light transmitting portion and the light shielding portion of the ball 11 between the LEDs D1 and D2 and the phototransistors T1 and T2. Both signals are taken out.

Here, the case 12 of the pointing device 10 is constructed such that the inside thereof can be opened, and a circular opening 13 is formed in the center of the upper surface. Case 1
A ball 11, a circuit board portion 14, and a ball fulcrum member 15 are housed inside the unit 2. That is, the circuit board unit 14 includes the printed circuit board 16, the circuit component 17, and the two LEs.
It comprises DD1 and D2 and two phototransistors T1 and T2.

The printed circuit board 16 is, as shown in FIG.
It is formed in a circular ring shape, and two LEDs D1 and D2 facing each other and two phototransistors T1 and T2 facing each other are attached to the peripheral portion of the upper surface.
Further, on the upper surface of the printed circuit board 16, other circuit parts 17
Is attached.

The ball 11 is rotatably fitted and assembled in the central hole 18 of the printed circuit board 16.

The printed circuit board 16 is placed and supported on the step portion 19 formed in the case 12 in the circumferential direction. Further, the upper portion of the ball 11 is projected to the outside from the upper surface opening 13 of the case 12.

The bottom of the ball 11 is rotatably supported by a spherical recess 20 formed in the inner bottom of the case 12 and a plurality of ball fulcrum members 15 arranged in the inner bottom of the case 12. FIG. 3 is a circuit block diagram of the pointing device 10 of the above, in which the LEDs D1 and D2 and the phototransistors T1 and T2 are opposed to each other with the ball 11 interposed therebetween.
1, T2 are respectively connected to the arithmetic circuit 21.
Signals from the LEDs D1 and D2 and the phototransistors T1 and T2 are output to the arithmetic circuit 21.

When the ball 11 rotates, the output direction of the phototransistors T1 and T2 generated by the light transmitting portion and the light shielding portion provided on the ball 11 causes the arithmetic circuit 21 to change the rotating direction of the ball 11. The rotational position signal is calculated and output.

4 to 6 show an example of the structure of the ball 11. Each of the balls 11 is made of a material capable of transmitting light and a material capable of shielding light. Although not shown, the outermost peripheral portion of the ball 11 fixes the installation position of the ball 11 and smoothly rotates. In order to obtain, it is covered with a material suitable for lubrication, if necessary. Further, for example, glass is used as the light transmissive material, and metal is used for forming the pattern that blocks light.

In the structure shown in FIG. 4, the ball 11 is entirely made of a light-transmitting material 22 and the surface of the ball 11 except a large number of circular window portions 23 is made of a light-shielding material 24. The pattern described above is formed.

In the structure shown in FIG. 5, the entire ball 11 is made of a light-transmissive material 22, and a large number of circular window portions 25 are formed.
A member 26 made of a light-shielding material having the above is provided inside to form the above-mentioned pattern.

In the structure shown in FIG. 6, the entire ball 11 is made of a light-transmitting material 22 and made of a light-shielding material, and includes 20 regular hexagonal frame portions 27 and 12 regular hexagonal frames 27. 5
A mesh member 29 including a rectangular frame portion 28 is provided inside to form the above-described pattern.

The ball 11 of the embodiment shown in FIGS.
In the above, only one of the surface and the inside can be shielded from light, but both the surface and the inside of the ball 11 may be shielded from light.

7 and 8 show the ball 11 and the LEDD.
Also, an example of the relationship between the photo transistor T and the rotation of the ball 11 and the output waveform of the photo transistor T is shown.

As shown in FIG. 7, the light emitted from the LEDD passes through the inside of the ball 11 and reaches the phototransistor T.

In the case of right rotation, one phototransistor Ta of the phototransistors T is turned on first, and then the other phototransistor Tb is turned on.

Further, when rotated rightward, light is applied to the light shielding portion 30 of the ball 11, the phototransistor Ta is turned off, and then the phototransistor Tb is turned off.
Output is performed as in the output waveform of (A).

In the case of the counterclockwise rotation, the output of the phototransistor T is opposite to that in the clockwise rotation, and the output is performed as the output waveform of FIG. 8B.

The pointing device 1 of this configuration
In No. 0, the ball 11 provided by combining a light transmitting part and a light blocking part is installed on the optical axis between the light emitting part and the light receiving part to detect the rotational position of the ball 11. Since the configuration is adopted, the two axes (X axis and Y axis), the disk on the two axes and the slit of this disk are not required, and the internal structure is simplified.

Therefore, it becomes easy to make the device compact and thin,
Further, since the shaft contacting the ball 11 is not required, dust and foreign matter are unlikely to adhere to the ball 11, the operation can be stabilized, and periodic cleaning is not required.

This embodiment also has the following advantages (1) to (5). (1) The rotation position of the ball 11 is detected by detecting the rotation direction of the ball 11 and extracting both signals of the X axis and the Y axis which are orthogonal to each other. The diagonal movement of can also be detected.

(2) A ring-shaped printed board 16 in which the ball 11 is rotatably fitted is provided, and the printed board 16 is connected to the board 16 and faces the ball 11 with the ball 11 interposed therebetween. LED D1, D
2 and the phototransistors T1 and T2 are attached, the device can be more effectively made compact.

(3) The printed circuit board 16 has a step portion 19 formed in the circumferential direction inside the case 12 for accommodating the balls 11.
Since it is mounted on and supported by the device, the device can be more effectively made compact.

(4) The entire ball 11 is made of a light transmissive material 22, and a large number of circular window portions 2 on the surface of the ball 11 are formed.
A portion other than 3 is formed of a light-shielding material 24, or the entire ball 11 is formed of a light-transmitting material 22, and a member 26 made of a light-shielding material having a large number of circular window portions 25 is formed inside. Or a regular hexagonal frame portion 27 and twelve regular pentagonal frame portions 28, which are made of a light-shielding material by forming the entire ball 11 with a light-transmitting material 22. Since the net-like member 29 made of is provided inside to form the pattern, the function of the ball peculiar to the present invention can be reliably maintained.

(5) Since the light-transmissive material is glass and the pattern is made of metal, the ball can be easily formed of a more familiar material.

Next, another embodiment of the ball type input device of the present invention will be described. A mouse usually used as a ball-type input device generates change signals in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction, and detects not only the right-angled direction but also the diagonal movement of the mouse.

In the present embodiment, the ball-type input device of the present invention is configured to take out only one signal of the X-axis or the Y-axis in order to realize a cross key type mouse used in a mobile phone or the like. ing. That is, in FIG. 9, after the optical signal is waveform-shaped by the waveform shaping unit 31, the rotation direction determination unit 32 determines the rotation direction, and the output (either X + or X- of the coordinates in FIG. 10). Or Y + or Y-) to a counter (counting means) 33.

The counter 33 outputs each time an input exceeding a preset numerical value is input, and the output of the counter 33 causes the counter reset 34 to reset the entire counter 33.
To zero.

The inputs to the four counters are not opened at one time, but are operated so as to be opened sequentially. Therefore, by counting each independently and outputting only one signal of the X-axis or the Y-axis that has reached earlier, the rotation direction of the ball is one of the coordinates X +, X-, Y +, Y- of the coordinates in FIG. I know if it is. In FIG. 9, reference numeral 35 is a light shielding portion of the ball 11.

In such an embodiment, a cross key type mouse which is often used in a mobile phone or the like can be formed with a simple structure, and the mouse can be made compact. As a result, the mobile phone or the like can be easily miniaturized and thinned. Further, there is an advantage that the maintenance is easy.

FIG. 11 shows still another embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, a pointing device represented by a mouse is provided with an additional function.

The pointing device 10 is the ball 1
In addition to rotating 1, the pushing force is used to turn the switch means 36 on or off when the ball 11 is pushed.

In FIG. 11, a current supply circuit for driving a detection circuit for detecting the rotational position of the ball 11 is provided,
The switch means 36 for turning on / off the current supply circuit,
When the head of the ball 11 is pushed, it is turned on or off, and when the pushing operation is stopped, it is pushed up by a return spring (not shown) built in as elastic means to return to the original position. There is. The return spring may be provided separately from the switch means 36. Also,
The switch means 36 is also used as a (click) switch when the icon on the display is clicked using the mouse.

In this embodiment, the ball holding plate 37 having the spherical recess 20 for rotatably supporting the bottom of the ball 11 and having the plurality of ball fulcrum members 15 is swung in the vertical direction in the figure by the fulcrum 38. The ball holding plate 37 is provided so that it can be pushed by one end of the switch means 36. In FIG. 11, 39 is a ball upper cover,
Reference numeral 40 denotes a ball lower cover.

In this embodiment, for example, when there is no rotation signal from the ball 11 for a predetermined time, the switch means 36 is turned off, the power supply circuit is turned off, and the ball 11 is used again. , The ball 11 is pushed, the power supply circuit can be turned on by the switch means 36,
The power consumption of the device can be reduced and the ball 1
The switch means can be easily operated by pushing 1.

Since the ball 11 is configured to return from the pushing operation to the original position by the return spring, the ball 11 is automatically returned to the original position by releasing the hand after the pushing operation. It's convenient. Further, since the pushing operation of the ball 11 is transmitted to the switch means 36 through the ball holding plate 37, the holding of the ball 11 and the pushing mechanism can be formed by a single member, which simplifies the construction.

FIG. 12 shows still another embodiment of the present invention. Also in this embodiment, the mouse is provided with an additional function. That is, at a position near the ball 11,
An illumination element 41 as an illumination means that is turned on to illuminate the ball 11 is provided so as to be supported by a support plate 42.

As described above, the ball 11 is made of a light-transmissive material, and its state can be easily understood by illuminating the ball 11. In the vicinity of the ball 11, LEDs D1 and D2 and phototransistors T1 and T2 are provided.
2 is provided, the illumination element 41 is provided so as not to interfere with them.

According to such an embodiment, the ball 11 is illuminated by the illumination element 41, and the state can be clearly known. In addition, the lighting element 41 is the switch unit 3 described above.
6 may be interlocked, and in this case, in order to reduce the power consumption of the device, the lighting device 41 is turned off while the power supply circuit is turned off by the switch means 36, and the ball 11 is used again. At this time, the ball 11 is pushed to turn on the power supply circuit by the switch means 36 and the lighting element 41 can be turned on.
No special switch or the like is required, which makes the operation easier.

[0083]

As described above, according to the ball type input device of the invention according to claim 1, there are a light transmitting portion and a light shielding portion on the optical axis between the light emitting portion and the light receiving portion. Since the ball is installed in combination to detect the rotational position, there is no axis, no disk on the axis and no slit on this disk, and the internal structure is simple, making it easy to reduce the size and thickness. In addition, since the shaft that contacts the ball is not required, dust and foreign matter are unlikely to adhere to the ball, the operation can be stabilized, and regular cleaning is not required. Therefore, maintenance is easy.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the rotational position of the ball is detected and the rotational direction of the ball is detected.
Since both X-axis and Y-axis signals that are orthogonal to each other are extracted and performed, not only the right-angled direction but also the diagonal direction can be detected together.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, a cross key type mouse or the like often used in a mobile phone or the like can be formed with a simple structure, and the device can be made compact. As a result, the mobile phone or the like can be made smaller and thinner. It becomes easier to maintain and easier to maintain.

According to the invention of claim 4, since the printed circuit board is provided and the light emitting portion and the light receiving portion are mounted on the printed circuit board, the device can be more effectively made compact.

According to the invention of claim 5, the printed circuit board is mounted and supported on the stepped portion inside the case of the device, so that the device can be more effectively made compact.

According to the inventions of claims 6 to 8, the function as a ball peculiar to the present invention can be reliably maintained.

According to the ninth aspect of the present invention, the ball can be easily formed of a more familiar material.

According to the tenth aspect of the present invention, the power consumption of the device can be reduced, and the switch means can be easily operated by pushing the ball, and the operability is excellent.

According to the eleventh aspect of the invention, since the ball is configured to return from the pushing operation to the original position by the elastic member, the ball is automatically moved to the original position by releasing the hand after the pushing operation. It is convenient because it is located at.

According to the twelfth aspect of the invention, since the pushing operation of the ball is transmitted to the switch means through the ball holding plate, the ball holding and pushing mechanism can be formed by a single member, Simple to configure.

According to the thirteenth aspect of the invention, the ball can be illuminated by the illuminating means, and the state can be clearly known.

According to the fourteenth aspect of the invention, since the lighting means is linked with the operation of the switch means, the lighting means is turned off by the switch means in order to reduce the power consumption of the apparatus. When the ball is turned off again and used again, the ball can be pushed to turn on the power supply circuit by the switch means and the lighting means can be turned on. It will be easy.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an embodiment of a ball type input device according to the present invention, in which (A) is a plan view and (B) is a front sectional view.

2A and 2B are diagrams showing a relationship between a ball and a printed circuit board in the above ball type input device, in which FIG. 2A is a plan view and FIG.
Is the front view

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a circuit unit of the ball input device of the above.

4A and 4B are diagrams showing an embodiment of a ball structure in the same ball type input device, in which FIG. 4A is a plan view and FIG. 4B is a sectional view.

5A and 5B are views showing another embodiment of the structure of the ball in the ball type input device, wherein FIG. 5A is a plan view and FIG.
Cross section

FIG. 6 is a view showing still another embodiment of the structure of the ball in the above ball type input device, (A) is a plan view,
(B) is a sectional view

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a relationship between a ball, an LED, and a phototransistor.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the relationship between the rotation of the ball and the output waveform of the phototransistor.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram of a circuit unit according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10: Coordinates for explaining the above embodiment

FIG. 11 is a vertical cross-sectional view of still another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a vertical sectional view of still another embodiment of the present invention.

13A and 13B are diagrams showing an outline of a conventional example, where FIG. 13A is a plan view and FIG. 13B is a front view of the disk in FIG. 13A.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 pointing device 11 balls D1, D2 LED T1, T2 phototransistor 12 cases 16 printed circuit board 22 Light-transmissive material 23 Circular window part 24 Light shieldable material 25 Round window part 26 Members made of materials that can shield light 27 frame 28 frame 29 Mesh members 30 Light shielding part 31 Wave shaping section 32 Rotation direction discriminating unit 33 counter 34 Counter reset 36 switch means 37 Ball holding plate 38 fulcrum 41 Lighting element

Claims (14)

[Claims] 1. A ball-type input device for rotating a ball according to a position selected by an operator and extracting a signal according to the rotating position of the ball, wherein the ball can freely rotate and transmit light at a fixed place. A light-emitting portion and a light-receiving portion, which are formed of a material and have a predetermined pattern for shielding light on at least one of the surface and the inside thereof, are arranged at both ends on a straight line passing through the substantially central portion of the ball. The ball-type input device is configured to include the ball-type input device, and the rotational position of the ball is detected by a change in an optical signal due to a light transmitting portion and a light shielding portion of the ball between the light emitting portion and the light receiving portion. . 2. The rotation position of the ball is detected by detecting the rotation direction of the ball and at the same time, the X axis and the Y axis orthogonal to each other.
2. Both axes signals are extracted and performed.
The ball-type input device described. 3. The X-axis signal and the Y-axis signal extracted by the change of the optical signal are independently counted, and the axis signal which reaches earlier by a predetermined numerical value is output, and at the same time, all the counted values are calculated. The ball input device according to claim 2, wherein the ball input device is reset and the counting operation is repeated. 4. A ring-shaped printed circuit board in which the ball is rotatably fitted, and a light emitting section and a light receiving section which are connected to the printed circuit board and face each other with the ball interposed therebetween. The ball-type input device according to claim 1, wherein the ball-type input device is attached. 5. The ball type input device according to claim 4, wherein the printed circuit board is mounted and supported on a step portion formed in a circumferential direction inside a case for accommodating balls. 6. The pattern is formed by forming the entire ball with a material capable of transmitting light and forming a portion of the surface of the ball excluding a window portion with a material capable of shielding light. The ball type input device according to any one of 1 to 5. 7. The pattern is formed by forming the ball as a whole with a light-transmitting material and providing a member having a window portion with a light-shielding material inside the ball. Item 6. The ball type input device according to any one of items 1 to 5. 8. The ball is made of a material capable of transmitting light, and the ball is made of a material capable of shielding light.
The ball-type input device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein a net-like member including a first frame portion and a second frame portion is provided inside to form the pattern. . 9. The light transmissive material is glass, and the pattern is formed of metal.
The ball type input device according to any one of to 8. 10. A switch means which is interposed in a current supply circuit for driving a detection circuit for detecting the rotational position of the ball and which turns on / off the current supply circuit is provided, and the switch means is used to push the ball. The ball type input device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the ball type input device is configured to be turned on / off by a. 11. The ball type input device according to claim 10, further comprising elastic means for pushing up the ball so as to return the ball to the original position from the pushing operation. 12. A ball holding plate for rotatably holding the ball is swingably provided, and the switch means is operated by the ball holding plate.
Alternatively, the ball type input device according to item 11. 13. The ball type input device according to claim 1, further comprising a lighting unit that is turned on to illuminate the ball. 14. A switch means is provided which is interposed in a current supply circuit for driving a detection circuit for detecting a rotational position of the ball and which turns on / off the current supply circuit. The switch means is used to push the ball. 10. The illumination means is configured to be turned on / off by means of, and is provided with lighting means for illuminating the ball, and the illumination means is interlocked with the operation of the switch means. The ball type input device according to any one of the above.