JP2006061310A - Processor for touch panel and endoscope apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To realize a processor for an endoscope apparatus including a touch panel that effectively uses a display screen and a touch panel with high operability while clarifying the relationship between display buttons and improving operability.
SOLUTION: First to eighth display buttons 52A to H and first to eighth touch areas 54A to H for detecting a user's press are provided on a touch panel 40. Since the user tends to press the upper side of the first to eighth display buttons 52A to 52H, the first to eighth touch areas 54A to 54H are mainly located above the areas of the first to eighth display buttons 52A to 52H. This is an expanded area. The first to fourth display buttons 52A to 52D are all in contact with the other display buttons. Similarly, the fifth and sixth display buttons 52E and F are in contact with each other. Thus, by arranging the display buttons related to each other so as to contact each other, the operability of the touch panel 40 is improved, and a limited display screen can be used effectively.
[Selection] Figure 6

Description

  The present invention relates to a touch panel and an endoscope apparatus, and more particularly to a processor of an endoscope apparatus provided with a touch panel.

  A touch panel that allows a user to input data and displays a screen while changing the data in accordance with the data input is employed in electronic devices such as ATM devices. On the surface of the touch panel, a button indicating a range to be pressed by the user for performing a predetermined operation is displayed. And the touch sensor for detecting a press is provided in the inside of a touch panel, and a touch sensor produces a predetermined signal according to a press position. Based on this signal, a predetermined process is performed.

In general, when the user operates the touch panel from a direction that is not perpendicular to the touch panel, the position where the touch sensor can detect the pressure is set wider than the display button area because the pressing position tends to deviate from the display button area. Has been. In this case, an area that is likely to be erroneously pressed around the display button can be predicted depending on the position operated by the user. It is known to spread over an area that is easily pressed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
JP 2003-344086 A (FIGS. 6 and 8)

  On the other hand, the electronic endoscope apparatus includes a processor including a front panel provided with operation buttons and a video scope including an image sensor. The user inserts a video scope into the patient's body and images the body tissue while irradiating illumination light. Then, the video signal obtained by the image sensor is transmitted to the processor, and the processor performs a predetermined process on the video signal to display the subject image on the monitor. At this time, the user performs processing such as display state of the monitor, image recording, and the like by appropriately operating the front panel.

  When using the processor of an electronic endoscope device, the interior of the room is often darkened to make the monitor display easier to see, so the operability of the front panel becomes a problem in terms of the visibility of the operation buttons. There is.

  The user usually operates the front panel from above the processor. For this reason, when a touch panel is provided instead of the front panel on the front surface of the processor having the conventional front panel, the pressing position is easily shifted up and down of the display button, and the operability is lowered. In order to ensure operability, it is necessary to incline the front surface of the processor with respect to the bottom surface of the processor so that the user can operate from a direction perpendicular to the touch panel, resulting in an increase in the size of the apparatus.

  When all the display buttons are provided independently from each other on the touch panel, the number of display buttons that can be arranged is reduced, and there is a relationship between display buttons that are related to each other, such as a button for raising and lowering the same parameter. It becomes unclear and causes a decrease in operability.

  An object of the present invention is to realize a touch panel that makes effective use of a display screen while clarifying the relationship between display buttons and improves operability, and a processor for an endoscope apparatus including a touch panel with high operability. To do.

  The touch panel of the present invention is provided to include a plurality of display buttons indicating a range to be pressed by the user to perform a predetermined operation and the entire display button for each display button, and can detect a press by the user. A touch area that is a wide range, and at least two of the plurality of display buttons are provided so as to be in contact with each other without passing through the touch area.

  The touch area is preferably an area obtained by expanding a corresponding display button area along a predetermined direction. The touch area is preferably provided so as to be in contact with any other touch area.

  The touch area and the display button are, for example, rectangular.

  The processor of the endoscope apparatus according to the present invention includes a touch panel that includes a plurality of display buttons and a touch area for each display button, and is provided so that at least two of the plurality of display buttons are in contact with each other. It is provided on the surface.

  One side of the contour of the display button is preferably parallel to the bottom surface of the processor. In this case, it is more preferable that the tangent lines of the display buttons provided so as to be in contact with each other are perpendicular to the bottom surface of the processor. The touch area is preferably an area in which the area of the corresponding display button is expanded along a direction perpendicular to the bottom surface of the processor.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the processor of the endoscopic apparatus containing the touch panel which provided the range which can detect press effectively, and improved the operativity by clarifying the relationship between display buttons, and a touch panel. Can be realized.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a side view showing a processor of the electronic endoscope apparatus.

  The main body of the processor 30 of the electronic endoscope apparatus has a box shape, and the touch panel 40 is provided on the front surface 30F of the processor 30 perpendicular to the bottom surface 30B of the processor 30. The user performs processing such as monitor display state and image recording by operating operation buttons (not shown) of the touch panel 40.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the electronic endoscope apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment.

  The electronic endoscope apparatus 10 includes a video scope 20 used for imaging in a body cavity of a patient, and a processor 30 that supplies illumination light to the video scope 20 and processes an image signal transmitted from the video scope 20. Prepare. The video scope 20 is detachably connected to the processor 30. On the front surface 30F of the processor 30, a touch panel 40 that is operated by a user to perform predetermined processing is provided. A monitor 60 that displays a subject image is connected to the processor 30.

  The processor 30 is provided with a light source 32, a processor control circuit 50, and the like. The light source 32 is supplied with power from the light source power source 34 and emits illumination light for illuminating the subject. The illumination light passes through the light amount diaphragm 38 driven by the light amount diaphragm drive motor 46, and enters the incident end 12A of the light guide 12 through a light guide lens (not shown). The light guide 12 transmits illumination light to the distal end portion of the video scope 20 where the observation site is located, and the illumination light passing through the light guide 12 is emitted from the emission end 12B.

  The processor control circuit 50 controls the entire processor 30 and transmits a signal for controlling irradiation of illumination light to the light source power supply 34 and the light quantity diaphragm drive motor 46. Based on the signal from the processor control circuit 50, the light source power supply 34 adjusts the intensity of the illumination light emitted from the light source 32, and the light amount diaphragm drive motor 46 and the light amount diaphragm 38 adjust the intensity of the illumination light irradiated on the subject. Adjust the light intensity.

  Illumination light reflected from the observation site, which is a subject, reaches the light receiving surface of the CCD 22 through an objective lens (not shown) and a color filter (not shown). Then, electric charges generated by photoelectric conversion for forming an image signal of the subject image corresponding to the color passing through the color filter are accumulated on the light receiving surface of the CCD 22. Here, the NTSC system is applied as the color television system, and the image signals generated in the CCD 22 are sequentially read out every field period, that is, every 1/60 second interval, and sent to the initial signal processing circuit 24. .

  In the video scope 20, a scope control unit 26 that controls the entire video scope 20 and an EEPROM 28 in which data related to characteristics and signal processing of the video scope 20 are stored in advance are provided. The scope control unit 26 sends a control signal to the initial signal processing circuit 24 and reads data from the EEPROM 28 as appropriate.

  The initial signal processing circuit 24 amplifies the read image signal and further converts the analog image signal into a digital image signal. Various processes such as white balance adjustment are performed on the digital image signal to generate a luminance signal and a color difference signal. The luminance signal and the color difference signal are sent to the processor signal processing circuit 48 of the processor 30, converted into a video signal such as an NTSC signal, and output to the monitor 60. As a result, the subject image is displayed on the monitor 60.

  On the back side of the touch panel 40, an LED 36 serving as a backlight is provided. The panel control circuit 42 controls the touch panel 40 and the LED 36 based on an instruction from the processor control circuit 50. Under the control of the panel control circuit 42, light is emitted from the LED 36 and an image is displayed on the touch panel 40. The subject image can be displayed not only on the monitor 60 but also on the touch panel 40.

  The panel information memory 44 stores image data for displaying on the touch panel 40 display buttons to be pressed by the user to execute predetermined processing, various programs for controlling the touch panel 40, and the like. Based on instructions from the panel control circuit 42, display buttons and the like based on image data stored in the panel information memory 44 are displayed on the touch panel 40.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a first example of display buttons on the touch panel 40 and touch areas provided around the display buttons. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a second example of the display button and the touch area. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a plurality of display buttons on the touch panel 40 and a touch area provided for each display button.

  On the touch panel 40, a display button 52 that the user presses to execute a predetermined process is displayed. The display button 52 has a horizontally long rectangular shape so as to be efficiently disposed on a rectangular processor front surface 30F that is long in the direction parallel to the processor bottom surface 30B (horizontal direction), for example, 70 pixels vertically and 120 horizontally. It has an area for pixels.

  Around the display button 52, a touch area, which is an area for detecting a press by the user, is provided. Even when the user accidentally presses the area just outside the display button 52, the touch area detects the press and performs the same processing as when the corresponding display button 52 is pressed, It is for improving the property. For this reason, although the touch area is provided for each display button 52, the touch area is not displayed on the touch panel 40 and includes the entire area of the display button 52, so that the touch area is wider than the display button 52.

  Here, since the user operates the touch panel 40 from above the processor 30 indicated by the arrow A, the user tends to press the upper and lower areas of the display button 52, particularly the upper area. For this reason, the touch area 62 of the first example corresponding to the display button 52 has a rectangular shape in which the display button 52 is expanded along the vertical direction of the processor 30 indicated by the arrow A, that is, the direction perpendicular to the processor bottom surface 30B. For example, the region is 130 pixels vertically (35 pixels above the display button 52 and 25 pixels below), and 120 pixels horizontally.

  In addition, the touch area 64 of the second example corresponding to the display button 52 is an area (see FIG. 4) that extends the display button 52 mainly upward and also in the horizontal direction, that is, in the direction parallel to the processor bottom surface 30B. Yes, for example, an area of 110 pixels vertically (expanded by 40 pixels above the display button 52) and 140 pixels horizontally (expanded by 10 pixels on the left and right of the display button 52).

  On the touch panel 40, first to eighth display buttons 52A to 52H are displayed (see FIG. 5). The first to eighth display buttons 52A to 52H are all rectangular and are arranged along a direction parallel to the processor bottom surface 30B. Then, first to eighth touch areas 54A to 54H are provided around the first to eighth display buttons 52A to 52H. Among these, the first touch area 54A around the first display button 52A corresponds to the touch area 62 of the first example described above, and the fifth touch area 54E around the fifth display button 52E is the second touch area 62E. This corresponds to the touch area 64 in the example.

  All of the first to fourth display buttons 52A to 52D (hereinafter referred to as a first group) are in contact with other display buttons in the first group. Similarly, the fifth and sixth display buttons 52E and F (hereinafter referred to as the second group) are also in contact with each other. Each of the first and second groups is a display button for moving up and down the same parameter, or a button for executing a predetermined operation and a button for canceling, and includes a group of display buttons that are related to each other. And since these display button groups are in direct contact without going through the touch area, the user can easily recognize that the display button groups are related to each other, and the operability of the touch panel 40 is improved. improves. Furthermore, the limited display screen of the touch panel 40 can be effectively utilized by arranging the plurality of display buttons so as to contact each other.

  Each of the first group and the second group is arranged so as to have an outline on two straight lines parallel to the processor bottom surface 30B, and the tangent lines between the display buttons that are in contact with each other in the first group are both processor bottom surfaces. It is perpendicular to 30B. As described above, the first to eighth display buttons 52A to 52H are arranged along the direction parallel to the processor bottom surface 30B, and all of the first to eighth touch areas 54A to 54H are replaced with any one of the other touch areas. By arranging so as to be in contact with each other, more display buttons can be arranged on the touch panel 40, and the display screen can be effectively used.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to realize a touch panel that effectively utilizes a display screen and a processor of an endoscope apparatus including the touch panel while clarifying the relationship between display buttons and improving operability. .

  The number and arrangement of display buttons and touch areas are not limited to the present embodiment. For example, when the processor 30 is arranged with the side face down, the first to eighth touch regions 54A to 54H change the first to eighth display buttons 52A to 52H depending on the region where the user easily presses by mistake. It may be an area expanded mainly in a direction parallel to the processor bottom surface 30B. Further, when any one of the first to eighth display buttons 52A to 52H is large enough to prevent a pressing error by the user, the first to eighth display buttons 52A to 52H may be arranged so as to be in contact with a plurality of display buttons.

  FIG. 6 is a side view showing a processor as a comparative example in which a touch panel is provided on an inclined processor front surface 30F.

  In order to improve operability, the processor 70 provided with the touch panel 40 instead of the front panel is designed so that the user can operate from a direction perpendicular to the touch panel 40. That is, the processor front surface 70F provided with the touch panel 40 is not perpendicular to the processor bottom surface 70B, and the angle α formed by the processor front surface 70F and the processor bottom surface 70B is an acute angle. In the processor 70 having such a shape, it is difficult to effectively use the limited internal space, and thus the size of the apparatus tends to increase.

  In contrast, in the present embodiment, a touch panel 40 is provided on the front surface 30F of a general box-shaped processor 30 (see FIG. 1), and display buttons and the like displayed on the touch panel 40 are efficiently arranged. . For this reason, in this embodiment, it is possible to improve operability with a simplified structure.

It is a side view which shows the processor of the electronic endoscope apparatus of this embodiment. It is a block diagram of an electronic endoscope apparatus. It is a figure which shows the 1st example of the display button and touch area in a touch panel. It is a figure which shows the 2nd example of the display button and touch area in a touch panel. It is a figure which illustrates a plurality of display buttons in a touch panel, and a touch area provided for each display button. It is a side view which shows the processor as a comparative example which provided the touch panel in the inclined processor front surface.

Explanation of symbols

10 Electronic Endoscope Device (Endoscope Device)
20 Video Scope 30 Processor 30B Processor Bottom 40 Touch Panel 52A to H First to Eighth Display Buttons 54A to H First to Eighth Touch Area

Claims (9)

A plurality of display buttons indicating a range to be pressed by the user to perform a predetermined operation;
Each display button is provided so as to include the entire area of the display button, and includes a touch area that is a range in which a press by the user can be detected,
A touch panel, wherein at least two of the plurality of display buttons are provided so as to contact each other without passing through the touch area.   The touch panel according to claim 1, wherein the touch area is an area obtained by expanding a corresponding area of the display button along a predetermined direction.   The touch panel according to claim 1, wherein the touch area is provided so as to be in contact with any other touch area.   The touch panel according to claim 1, wherein the touch area is rectangular.   The touch panel according to claim 1, wherein the display button is rectangular.   A processor of an endoscope apparatus, wherein the touch panel according to claim 1 is provided on a surface perpendicular to a bottom surface of the processor.   The processor according to claim 6, wherein one side of the outline of the display button is parallel to a bottom surface of the processor.   The processor according to claim 7, wherein tangent lines of the display buttons provided so as to contact each other are perpendicular to a bottom surface of the processor. The processor according to claim 7, wherein the touch area is an area obtained by extending a corresponding area of the display button along a direction perpendicular to a bottom surface of the processor.