JPH0659811A - Position input device - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Objective] To provide a mouse capable of efficiently performing three-dimensional coordinate input operation. [Structure] This mouse has two balls 1 and 2 rotating in an operating direction, and a rotary encoder 6 provided in contact with each of the balls 1 and 2 for detecting the amount of rotation in the Y-axis direction and the X-axis direction, 8, a Z-axis data generator 10 that detects the difference between these rotation amounts and generates movement amount data in the Z-axis direction based on the rotation amount data, and a cursor based on the rotation amount data in the Y-axis direction. A Y-axis data generation unit 7 that generates vertical movement amount data to be moved, and an X-axis data generation unit 9 that generates horizontal movement amount data to move the cursor based on rotation amount data in the X-axis direction. And a CPU 11 that obtains a coordinate position for displaying a cursor in the virtual space based on these movement amount data.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a position input device used in an information processing device such as a three-dimensional CAD.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, three-dimensional CAD using a position input device such as a mouse is well known. When inputting 3D data into this 3D CAD,
Since an input device other than the mouse is required, it is difficult to input data, resulting in a decrease in input efficiency. Further, on the display screen of this three-dimensional CAD, it is difficult to stereoscopically understand the position of the cursor, so improvement is desired.

Conventionally, on a display screen such as a three-dimensional CAD, a three-dimensional virtual space in which vertical, horizontal and depth are replaced by an X axis, a Y axis and a Z axis is formed. The figure and the image are displayed three-dimensionally.

For example, when drawing a figure or the like, a mouse and a trackball are used as position input devices when moving the cursor in the vertical and horizontal directions. To move the cursor in the remaining depth direction, Other input device,
For example, a keyboard is used.

In the case of this three-dimensional CAD, the operator operates a plurality of position input devices while watching the display screen to input three-dimensional data.

By the way, in order for an operator to operate a plurality of position input devices, not only the data input efficiency is low, but also the operator is required to have some skill.

There is also a demand from an operator who has an obstacle in one hand to be able to perform an input operation with only one position input device.

On the other hand, since the coordinate position of the three-dimensional virtual space on the display screen is designated by the two-dimensional (screen) cursor, it is difficult for the operator to understand the depth in the virtual space.

[0009]

As described above, in the above-mentioned conventional position input device, it is necessary to combine another input device with the instruction of the coordinate position in the three-dimensional virtual space to perform the input operation, and the data is input. It is difficult and the depth in the depth direction on the display screen is difficult to visually understand.

The present invention has been made to solve such a problem, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a position input device in which a coordinate position in a three-dimensional virtual space is easy for an operator to understand and an input operation can be efficiently performed while watching the coordinate position. Has an aim.

[0011]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the position input device of the present invention moves the cursor on the display screen in the operation direction by moving the operation surface, and the display screen is moved. In a position input device that indicates the coordinate position of a three-dimensional virtual space formed in the vertical, horizontal, and depth directions formed above, a plurality of spherical bodies that rotate in the operation direction when operated on the operation surface. A first rotation amount detecting means provided in contact with each of these spherical bodies and detecting a rotation amount in a first direction as the spherical body rotates, and provided in contact with each of these spherical bodies. Second rotation amount detecting means for detecting the rotation amount in the second direction orthogonal to the first direction as the spherical body rotates, and the rotation amount detected by each of the rotation amount detecting means. When a difference is detected, the Means for generating a movement amount data in the depth direction in the virtual space based on the rolling amount of data output,
A means for generating and outputting vertical movement amount data for moving the cursor based on the rotation amount data in the first direction inputted from the first rotation amount detecting means; and the second rotation amount detecting means. A means for generating and outputting lateral movement amount data for moving the cursor based on the inputted data of the rotation amount in the second direction, and for displaying the cursor in the virtual space based on these movement amount data. And means for obtaining the coordinate position of the.

Further, when the position input device indicates a coordinate position in the depth direction in the virtual space, the position input device generates a cursor whose inclination changes according to the depth of the coordinate in the depth direction, and displays the cursor together with a normal cursor. It further comprises a cursor display means.

This position input device rotatably supports a spherical body, and by operating this spherical body, a cursor on the display screen is moved in the operating direction to indicate a coordinate position on the display screen. In the position input device, a first rotation amount detecting means provided in contact with the spherical body and detecting the rotation amount of the spherical body in the first direction when the spherical body is operated in the first direction. And a second amount which is provided in contact with the spherical body and which detects a rotation amount of the spherical body in a second direction when the spherical body is operated in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction. Rotation amount detecting means and the spherical body, the spherical body being provided in contact with the spherical body when the spherical body is operated in a third direction orthogonal to the first direction and the second direction. Third rotation amount detecting means for detecting the rotation amount in the third direction, Means for converting data of each rotation amount detected by these rotation amount detecting means into data of movement amount for moving the cursor on the display screen, and on the display screen based on the data of each cursor movement amount. And means for obtaining the coordinate position in the virtual space formed in the above.

The position input device further comprises cursor display means for generating a cursor whose inclination changes according to the amount of movement in the third direction and displaying it together with a normal cursor.

[0015]

According to the present invention, when the position input device is operated in a desired direction while a plurality of spherical bodies are in contact with the operation surface, the first and second rotation amount detecting means detect the first direction and the second direction. The amount of rotation is detected respectively. When the difference between the rotation amounts is detected, the movement amount data in the depth direction in the virtual space is generated based on the rotation amount data having the difference.
Further, vertical movement amount data for moving the cursor is generated based on the rotation amount data in the first direction, and horizontal movement amount data for moving the cursor based on the rotation amount data in the second direction. Is generated.

A three-dimensional coordinate position in the virtual space is obtained based on these movement amount data, and a normal cursor and a cursor whose inclination changes according to the depth in the depth direction are displayed at that position.

That is, the position input device alone can be used to instruct the three-dimensional coordinate position on the display screen in a three-dimensional manner so that the input operation of the three-dimensional data can be efficiently performed.

[0018]

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a mouse as a position input device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an external view thereof.

In the figure, reference numerals 1 and 2 denote balls as spherical bodies rotatably provided on the mouse.
A part of 2 protrudes from the bottom of the mouse, and the balls 1 and 2 are rotated by operating the mouse on the operation surface. Each ball 1, 2 has a first, a second and a third roller 3, which are rotatably supported in three directions.
Nos. 4, 5 are provided in contact with each other. The first roller 3 and the second roller 4 are provided so that their rotation directions are substantially orthogonal to each other, and the rotation direction of the first roller 3 is
The Y axis on the display screen and the rotation direction of the second roller 4 correspond to the X axis on the display screen, respectively. The third roller 5 merely serves to rotatably support the respective balls 1 and 2. A Y-axis data generation unit 7 is connected to the first roller 3 via a rotary encoder 6 that detects the amount of rotation as the balls 1 and 2 rotate. An X-axis data generator 9 is connected to the second roller 4 via a rotary encoder 8 that detects the amount of rotation as the ball rotates. A Z-axis data generator 10 is connected to each rotary encoder 6 and 8. These Y-axis, X-axis and Z-axis data generators 7,
A central processing unit (hereinafter referred to as a CPU) 11 is provided in each of 9 and 10.
Are connected. A cursor display unit 12 is connected to the CPU 11. The cursor display unit 12 stores a plurality of cursor characters, such as an arrow-shaped cursor.

Next, the movement operation of the cursor on the display screen in response to the mouse operation will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4.

As shown in FIG. 3A, a three-dimensional virtual space consisting of an X axis (horizontal direction), a Y axis (vertical direction) and a Z axis (depth direction) is formed on the display screen 31. Cage,
A three-dimensional figure 32 is displayed. A cursor 33 is displayed in the vertical line portion of the graphic 32. In order to move the cursor 33 to a desired direction, for example, the coordinate position 34 as shown in FIG. 4B, the mouse balls 1 and 2 are brought into contact with the operation surface as shown in FIG. May be operated in the direction of arrow 41.

In this case, two balls 1, 2 are placed on the operation surface.
Are rotated in the same direction (the mouse is moved only horizontally and vertically), the cursor 33 on the display screen 31 moves the X-axis and Y-axis.
When moving in the direction of the axis and rotating the two balls 1 and 2 in different directions (rotating the mouse itself), the cursor 33
Moves in the direction of the Z axis. When the cursor 33 is moved in the Z-axis direction (depth direction), a cursor 35 that tilts according to the depth in the depth direction is newly displayed at the tip of the arrow of the cursor 33 (coordinate position indicated by the cursor 33). The depth in the depth direction can be seen even on the flat display screen 31. Next, referring to the flowchart of FIG. 5 and the vector diagram of FIG. 6, the movement operation of the cursor in this mouse will be described.

When the two balls 1 and 2 on the bottom of the mouse rotate, the rotary encoders 6 and 8 in contact with the two balls detect the amounts of rotation of the balls 1 and 2 in the vertical and horizontal directions (step 501). ). The two rotary encoders 6 in the vertical direction of the respective balls 1 and 2 generate data with a sign according to the rotation in the vertical direction, and these data are sent to the Y-axis data generation unit 7, respectively. If there is no difference between the two input Y-axis data (step 502), the Y-axis data generation unit 7 generates one data by selecting one of these data, and outputs this data. Is converted into data of a movement amount for moving the cursor in the Y-axis direction. Similarly, in the X-axis data generation unit 9, if there is no difference in the input X-axis data,
One piece of data is generated from these pieces of data, and this data is converted into movement amount data for moving the cursor in the X-axis direction (step 503).

On the other hand, the data from the two vertical and horizontal rotary encoders 6 and 7 provided on each ball 1 and 2 is Z
It is also sent to the axis data generation unit 10. In the Z-axis data generation unit 10, when there is a difference in the rotation amount of the input data (step 502), for example, the signs of the two X-axis data are different (positive and negative and negative and positive), and the rotation amount is If there is a difference in the value of, one data is generated from these data and this data is converted into the data of the movement amount for moving the cursor in the Z-axis direction (step 504).

After that, the data of the movement amounts of the X-axis, the Y-axis and the Z-axis converted by the data generators 7, 9, 10 are C.
The coordinate position of the stereoscopic virtual space on the display screen 33 is obtained based on these data input to the PU 11.

Further, in this CPU 11, as shown in FIG. 6, the moving amounts ma of the two balls 1 and 2 in different directions,
The rotation angle θ of the mouse is calculated from mb based on the following equation (step 505).

Rotation angle θ = tan ⁻¹ {(ma-mb) / H} where H is the distance between the two balls 1 and 2, ma and mb are the movement amounts, and the movement amount to the right is positive. And

The rotation angle θ obtained by this formula is
A normal cursor 33 is provided so that the coordinate designated position (depth in the depth direction) in the Z-axis direction can be visually recognized on the display screen 31.
Separately, it is used to display a cursor 35 indicating the depth in the depth direction.

As shown in FIG. 3A, when the designated coordinate in the virtual space is, for example, (x, y, 0), only the normal cursor 33 is displayed, as shown in FIG. As described above, when the designated coordinate is (x, y, z), the normal cursor 33 is located at the coordinate position and the cursor 35 having the rotation angle ω proportional to z from the normal cursor 33 centered on the coordinate position. And are displayed (step 506). In addition,
The rotation angle θ of the mouse and the rotation angle ω of the cursor 33 are in a proportional relationship, but they are not necessarily the same.

The CPU 11 then moves the cursor 33, 3 to the coordinate position of the virtual space on the display screen 31 obtained by the calculation.
The cursor display unit 12 is instructed to display 5.

As a result, the cursor 35 is tilted by the rotation angle ω with respect to the normal cursor 33 and displayed on the display screen 31.

As described above, according to the mouse of the present embodiment, the X-axis direction of the three-dimensional virtual space on the display screen 31 can be changed by simply operating the mouse horizontally, vertically, and rotating.
The cursor 33 can be moved in the Y-axis direction and the Z-axis direction, and this cursor 33 and the cursor 3 indicating the depth in the Z-axis direction.
Since 5 makes it easy to visually understand the three-dimensional coordinate position of the virtual space, the operator uses two cursors 33,
It becomes possible to efficiently perform the input operation by looking at 35. Further, since only the mouse is required to be operated, one-handed operation can be performed, and the remaining hands can be used for operations other than the input operation, for example, operations such as turning pages of the drawing.

Further, in this embodiment, the Z axis (point of z = 0) in the virtual space is the reference position in the depth direction, but the lowest point of the figure (point of z = z1) is the reference position. You can also In this case, the depth coordinate (z1 -z) and the rotation angle ω of the cursor have a proportional relationship. However, z is the coordinate of the cursor after the movement.

Further, in this mouse, even if the mouse is rotated while floating from the operation surface, the cursor on the display screen does not move.

Next, another embodiment of the position input device of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the configuration of a trackball as another embodiment, and FIG. 8 is a side view thereof.

In the figure, the same components as those of the mouse embodiment described above are designated by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted. Reference numeral 71 denotes a housing, and a part of the ball 1 as a spherical body projects from the upper portion. The ball 1 is rotatably supported by rollers 3, 4, 72 which are arranged in contact with each other in three directions. Therefore, when the protruding portion of the ball 71 is operated with a hand or the like, the ball 1 rotates. The roller 72 is arranged so as to be substantially orthogonal to the rollers 3 and 4, and the rotation direction of the roller 72 corresponds to the Z axis on the display screen. The Z-axis data generator 10 is connected to the roller 72 via a rotary encoder 73 that detects the amount of rotation as the ball 1 rotates.

In the case of this track ball, when the roller 72 is brought into contact with the ball 1 and the ball 1 rotates, the amount of rotation of the ball 1 in the Z-axis direction is directly detected by the rotary encoder 73. This rotation amount data is input to the Z-axis data generation unit 10 and converted into Z-axis movement amount data, which is CP.
It is sent to U11.

On the other hand, since the data of the movement amounts of the Y-axis and the X-axis are input to the CPU 11 as in the above-described mouse embodiment, the CPU 11 performs the same calculation as in the case of the mouse, and the display screen 31 is a normal cursor 33
Similarly, a cursor 35 indicating the depth in the depth direction is displayed.

According to the trackball of this embodiment, when the ball 1 is rotated in a desired direction, for example, the Z-axis direction, Z
Since the amount of movement in the axial direction is mechanically obtained from the amount of rotation of the roller 73 that abuts on the ball 1, it is possible to obtain three-dimensional coordinates with less error than in the case of a mouse.

As a result, it becomes possible to easily and surely perform the three-dimensional position pointing in the virtual space.

Although an arrow-shaped character is used as the cursor in the above embodiment, the shape may be a cross shape or a hair cross cursor, and the present invention is not limited to the shape of the cursor.

[0043]

As described above, according to the position input device of the present invention, when the position input device is moved in each direction,
The rotation amount detecting means detects the rotation amount of each of the plurality of spherical bodies in each direction, and the movement amount data in each direction is generated based on the rotation amount data. Then, the three-dimensional coordinate position of the virtual space is obtained based on these movement amount data, and the normal cursor and the cursor whose inclination changes in accordance with the depth in the depth direction are displayed at that position. The three-dimensional coordinate position of can be specified in a three-dimensional manner in an easy-to-understand manner.

As a result, the input operation of three-dimensional data can be efficiently performed only by this position input device.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a mouse according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the mouse in this embodiment.

FIG. 3A is a diagram showing a display screen before operating a mouse of this embodiment. (B) is a diagram showing a display screen when the mouse of this embodiment is operated.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an operation example on the operation surface of the mouse of this embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the operation of the mouse of this embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of detecting a movement amount of a mouse in a depth direction of this embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a configuration of a trackball as another embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a side view of FIG. 7.

[Explanation of symbols]

1, 2 ... Ball, 3 ... First roller, 4 ... Second roller, 5 ... Third roller, 6, 8 ... Rotary encoder,
7 ... Y-axis data generation unit, 9 ... X-axis data generation unit, 10 ...
Z-axis data generation unit, 11 ... CPU, 12 ... Cursor display unit.

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. Coordinates in a three-dimensional virtual space formed on the display screen by moving a cursor on the display screen in the operation direction by moving and operating the operation surface. In a position input device for indicating a position, a plurality of spherical bodies that rotate in the operating direction when they are operated on the operation surface, and are provided so as to abut on these spherical bodies, respectively. First rotation amount detection means for detecting the rotation amount in the first direction, and a second rotation amount detection means that is provided in contact with each of these spherical bodies and is orthogonal to the first direction as the spherical bodies rotate. When the difference between the rotation amount detected by the second rotation amount detecting means for detecting the rotation amount in the direction and the rotation amount detected by each of these rotation amount detecting means is detected, the depth direction in the virtual space is calculated based on the rotation amount data. Generate movement amount data Output means; means for generating and outputting vertical movement amount data for moving the cursor based on the rotation amount data in the first direction input from the first rotation amount detection means; Means for generating and outputting horizontal movement amount data for moving the cursor based on the rotation amount data in the second direction input from the rotation amount detecting means, and a virtual space based on these movement amount data. A position input device, comprising: means for obtaining a coordinate position for displaying a cursor. 2. A cursor display means for generating a cursor whose inclination changes according to the depth of the coordinate in the depth direction when indicating the coordinate position in the depth direction in the virtual space and displaying the cursor together with a normal cursor. The position input device according to claim 1, further comprising: 3. A position input device which rotatably supports a spherical body, and by operating the spherical body, a cursor on a display screen is moved in the operating direction to indicate a coordinate position on the display screen. A first rotation amount detection means that is provided in contact with the spherical body and detects the rotation amount of the spherical body in the first direction when the spherical body is operated in the first direction; The spherical body is provided in contact with the spherical body, and the spherical body is provided with the first body.
A second rotation amount detecting means for detecting a rotation amount of the spherical body in a second direction when operated in a second direction orthogonal to the direction; Third rotation amount detecting means for detecting a rotation amount of the spherical body in the third direction when the spherical body is operated in a third direction orthogonal to the first direction and the second direction. Means for converting the data of each rotation amount detected by these rotation amount detection means into data of the movement amount for moving the cursor on the display screen, and on the display screen based on the data of each cursor movement amount. A position input device, comprising: means for determining a coordinate position in the formed virtual space. 4. The position input device according to claim 2, further comprising cursor display means for generating a cursor whose inclination changes according to the amount of movement in the third direction and displaying it together with a normal cursor.