JPH0413726Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] <Industrial application field> This invention is used in the field of screen display of figures used in underwater and submarine exploration equipment, medical tomography equipment, etc. This invention relates to a three-dimensional trackball that specifies a position on a screen.

<Conventional technology> Trackball uses the horizontal axis (X axis) to indicate the position on the screen.
It is used to output and specify numerical values on the vertical axis (Y-axis).The operator places the palm or fingertips of the ball in close contact with the ball, rotates it, and plots the trajectory of the ball on the X-axis. It is possible to decompose it into components in the direction and Y-axis direction, add the magnitude to the position before rotation, and output it as a digital signal of an X-axis position output and a Y-axis position output.

<Problems to be solved by the invention> Although such a trackball is easy to use when generating position output signals in the X-axis direction and Y-axis direction, when displaying a three-dimensional figure, it is difficult to use the It has been difficult to generate an axial position output signal. Therefore, in the case of three-dimensional display, the conventional method is to add a rotary encoder dedicated to the Z-axis and obtain the Z-axis position output from this rotary encoder, or to add a separate track ball dedicated to the Z-axis. There was a method to obtain the Z-axis position output using the function of one axis.

In both of the conventional methods described above, it is necessary to add expensive components such as rotary encoders and track balls, and the operator also has to install the track ball side for the X and Y axes and the rotary encoder for the Z axis (or It is difficult to operate as it requires moving back and forth between the trackballs) with one hand.
Using both hands to avoid this has the disadvantage of making handling inconvenient.

This idea was made in view of the above points,
An object of the present invention is to provide a three-dimensional track ball that can be easily operated by an operator with one hand without adding expensive components such as a rotary encoder or track ball.

<Means for solving the problems> The structure of the present invention for achieving the above object will be explained using FIGS. 1 to 5 corresponding to the embodiments.
A recess 11 is provided on the surface of the track ball operation panel 10 of the track ball capable of outputting an X-axis position output and a Y-axis position output, and is large enough to allow the insertion of a fingertip 12 and in which a portion of the ball 1 is exposed. A fingertip 12 for operating the trackball 1 is provided in the recess 11.
Detecting devices 4a, 5a detecting that the
This is a three-dimensional track ball in which one movement output is switched as a Z-axis position output by a switching circuit 6 controlled by the detection outputs of the detection devices 4a and 5a, and the Z-axis position output is also output. .

<Function> By means of the above-mentioned means, the present invention functions as a two-dimensional track ball when the fingertip 12 placed on the track ball 1 is at a position above the surface of the operation panel 10, and the track ball 1 functions as a two-dimensional track ball. When the fingertip 12 that operates is inserted into the recess 11 provided on the surface of the operation panel 10, the light from the emitter 4a of the detection devices 4a and 5a is blocked by the fingertip 12 and does not reach the light receiver 5a. When the switching circuit 6 is turned off, the Y-axis encoder 3b switches to the Z-axis encoder and generates a Z-axis movement output.

<Example> Next, an example of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a three-dimensional trackball according to the present invention. FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the electronic circuit section of the embodiment of FIG. 1. In FIGS. 1 and 3, 1 is a ball, which is supported by ball bearings or balls at five points: left and right, front and rear, and bottom, so that it can rotate freely in all directions. In addition, the rotation of the ball 1 is controlled by placing two rollers 2a and 2b in directions 90 degrees apart and making them contact the surface of the ball 1. The signals are separated and transmitted in the X, Y, and Z directions, respectively.

The rotations of roller 2a and roller 2b are converted into digital signals by X and Y shaft encoders 3a and 3b and a logic circuit, respectively, and output. Note that the movement output signals of these X, Y, Z shaft encoders 3a, 3b are divided into an A signal and a B signal shifted by 90 degrees from this A signal, as shown in FIG. Output as a set of signals.

In FIG. 2 and FIG. 2B, 11 is the operation panel 1
A recess 11 is provided on the side opposite to the operator on the surface 0, and the inside of the recess 11 is large enough for a fingertip to be inserted, and detection devices 4a and 5a are attached to the side wall thereof.

The detection devices 4a and 5a use a light emitting diode circuit 4 using a light emitting diode 4a as a floodlight,
A phototransistor circuit 5 using a phototransistor 5a is used as a light receiver. The light emitting diode circuit 4 and the phototransistor circuit 5 are mounted with a light emitting diode 4a and a phototransistor 5a facing each other at a constant interval, and are arranged at a position where the operator's fingertip 12 inserted into the recess 11 can be easily detected. (FIG. 2B), other circuit sections are stored in the electronic circuit storage section. The movement output of the X-shaft encoder 3a is taken out by the up-down discrimination circuit 7a and the up-down counter 8a via the switching circuit 6, and is supplied to the X-axis position output terminal 9a.
The movement output b passes through the switching circuit 6, and the up-down discrimination circuit 7b and the up-down counter 8b take out the Y-axis position output and supply it to the Y-axis position output terminal 9b. The switching circuit 6 is controlled by a detection device, and uses the output of the phototransistor circuit 5 when light is cut off to convert the movement output signals of the X and Y shaft encoders 3a and 3b into an up-down discrimination circuit 7.
This is a switch that cuts off the supply to the Y-shaft encoder 3b and supplies the movement output of the Y-shaft encoder 3b to the up-down discrimination circuit 7c. Up-down discrimination circuit 7
The output of c becomes the Z-axis position output by the up-down counter 8c, and is supplied to the Z-axis position output terminal 9c.

The up-down discrimination circuits 7a, 7b, and 7c are the same, and as explained in FIG. A discrimination circuit is used in which the AND circuit output of the shot pulse signal and the B signal is used as the up pulse signal, and the AND circuit output of the one shot pulse signal and the B signal at the inverted rising edge of the A signal is used as the down pulse signal.

In this way, the embodiment of the present invention provides the detection device 4
When the light from the light-emitting diodes 4a of a and 5a is incident on the phototransistor 5a, the counter output signals of the X-axis position output terminal 9a and the Y-axis position output terminal 9b change due to pulses, and as shown in FIG. B
As shown in FIG. 3, when the light from the light emitting diode 4a is interrupted by the insertion of the fingertip 12 operating the trackball 1, the Z-axis position output terminal 9c changes. At this time, the values of the Y-axis position output and the X-axis position output do not change.

Furthermore, although the description has been made using a light emitting diode and a phototransistor as an example of a detection device, the present invention is not different from the case of other detection devices that utilize ultrasonic waves or infrared rays, for example.

The embodiment of the present invention has been described above as an example in which the Y-axis movement output is changed to the Z-axis movement output.
The same applies when converting the axis movement output to the Z-axis movement output. It is also possible to install two sets of detection devices, one for Y-axis→Z-axis conversion and the other for X-axis→Z-axis conversion.

Although the embodiments considered to be representative of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not necessarily limited to the structures of these embodiments. It can be implemented with appropriate modification within the scope of achieving the following effects.

<Effect of the invention> Since the present invention has the above-described configuration, the detection device that detects insertion of the fingertip 12 operating the track ball 1 converts the Y-axis movement output or the X-axis movement output into the Z-axis movement output. It becomes a three-dimensional trackball that can be converted and displayed accurately.

Therefore, the production cost is lower than that of the conventional three-dimensional track ball, and the ball has the advantage of being able to be operated with one hand in contact with the ball.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a partially cutaway explanatory view of the main part of Fig. 1, Fig. 2B
3 is a block diagram explaining the electronic circuit section of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 4 is an up-down discrimination circuit diagram, and FIG. 5 is an output of the rotary encoder. It is a waveform explanatory diagram explaining a waveform. In the figure, 1 is a ball, 4a, 5a are detection devices, 6
10 is a switching circuit, 10 is an operation panel, 11 is a recess, and 12 is a fingertip.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] Trackball operation plate 1 for a two-dimensional trackball that can output X-axis position output and Y-axis position output
The size is such that the fingertip 12 can be inserted into the 0 side,
and a recess 1 in which a part of the ball 1 is exposed.
1, and detecting devices 4a and 5a for detecting the inserted fingertip 12 are arranged in the recess 11,
A three-dimensional trackball in which a switching circuit 6 controlled by the detection outputs of the detection devices 4a and 5a switches one movement output as a Z-axis movement output, and also outputs a Z-axis position output.