JPH096525A - Position input device and image display device connected thereto - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Abstract] [PROBLEMS] To provide a position input device with good operability and an image display device that can improve the operability of the position input device by allowing the input position to be clearly and easily recognized. [Structure] A position input device 10 comprises an input board 5 and a signal output section 8 for converting an output from each pressing position into a voltage and outputting the voltage. The input board 5 includes a protective sheet 1 on the uppermost layer, a touch sensation board 2 on the second layer, an intermediate board 3 on the third layer,
The pressure board 4 is arranged and laminated on the fourth layer. Signal output unit 8
Comprises a first output section 6 for outputting a touch sensation signal and a second output section 7 for outputting a pressure sensation signal. The display control of the CRT display device 20 includes the contact sensation signal indicating the coordinate position of the contact sensation sensor in the area contacted with a pressure equal to or higher than a certain value, and the pressure sensation signal indicating the location and the degree of the pressure which are relatively strongly pressed. Through the unit 11, the CRT display 12
The second images are displayed in a superimposed manner.

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 for inputting a position on the basis of skin sensation in robot technology, and more particularly to an input board having a three-layer structure of a touch sensation board, a buffer intermediate board and a pressure sensation board. And a position input device having good operability for inputting based on the contact of the operator's finger / palm on the front-side touch sensation board and the pressure of the finger on the pressure sensation board, and a finger connected to this position input device. -By displaying the two images corresponding to the contact area of the palm and the degree of finger pressing, the input position can be clearly and easily recognized, and the operability of the position input device is also improved. The present invention relates to an image display device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A position input device is also called an image position pointing device and is a device for selecting, for example, a menu or icon previously displayed on the screen of a connected image display device through a cursor or an arrow. . Conventionally, there are methods such as a track ball, a mouse, a light pen, a touch screen, a keyboard (general purpose / dedicated), and a joystick, which have been appropriately used according to the purpose.

[0003]

The conventional position input device and image display device have some drawbacks as follows. The track ball method has the advantage that it does not take up a lot of space, but it is somewhat lacking in operability (quickness) for selection. Although the mouse method is low in cost and easy to operate, it has a disadvantage that it is relatively inaccurate and takes up a relatively large space. The light pen method has high accuracy and therefore allows detailed designation of graphic elements, but has a drawback of high cost. The touch screen method has a drawback that the accuracy is slightly lower due to its structure and that the screen is easily dirty because a finger directly touches the screen. The keyboard method naturally has a drawback that the general-purpose type lacks operability, and the dedicated type has a limited range of application, resulting in poor operating rate and high cost. The joystick method is mainly applied to games and is not operationally suitable for selection of menus and icons on the screen.

The problem to be solved by the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art and to provide a position input device having good operability, and to recognize the input position clearly and easily when connected to the position input device. An object of the present invention is to provide an image display device that can improve the operability of the position input device.

[0005]

In a position input device according to the present invention, a contact sensation board in which contact sensation sensors are distributed and arranged in a plane, an intermediate board made of a cushioning material, and a pressure sensation sensor in the form of a plane. The pressure board is distributed and arranged, and the input board is formed by sequentially stacking the touch board on the front side.

Further, the image display device according to the present invention is connected to the position input device, and also has a first image corresponding to the presence or absence of an output signal for each position of the touch sensation board,
The configuration is such that a display control unit is provided that displays the second image corresponding to the magnitude of the output signal at each position of the pressure board in a superimposed manner on the screen. Here, the first
The image is, for example, a warm-colored light color such as red or yellow, and the second image is the same as or different from the first image, for example, a cold-colored system such as blue, with a color having a darkness according to the magnitude of the output signal. Preferably there is.

[0007]

In the position input device according to the present invention, when the operator's fingers and the entire palm are lightly placed on the touch sensation board belonging to the input board, signals are output from the touch sensation sensors at each position included in the contact area. It is output, and the contact area of the finger / palm can be known from this output signal. Next, by pressing with a finger, a signal is output from the pressure sensor of the pressure board at the pressed portion via the contact sensation board and the intermediate board, and the output location can determine the pressed location and the degree of pressing of the finger. Here, when the finger / palm makes a slight strong contact, the contact pressure is transmitted to the pressure sensation board and is not confused with the degree of pressing by the finger in the subsequent stage. Transmission can be blocked.

In the image display device according to the present invention, a base graphic for position input, for example, a menu or icon for selecting with the position input device is displayed on the screen in advance. Now, via the display control unit, the first image showing the contact area of the finger / palm is displayed on the screen in correspondence with the presence or absence of the output signal relating to each position of the contact sensation board of the connected position input device. . In addition, a second image indicating the location and degree of pressing by the finger is displayed on the screen via the display control unit in accordance with the magnitude of the output signal for each position of the pressure board. Moreover, since the first and second images are displayed on the screen in a superimposed manner, the outline of the relationship with the position to be input is sought by the first image, and based on this, the tip of the finger to be pressed. The position is corrected, press this position to input with your finger,
At the same time, its position can be confirmed on the second image. In particular, when the first image is a light color and the second image is a color having a darkness according to the magnitude of the output signal, the touched area is dark against the background of the light-colored contact area and is the same as or different from the first image. By being displayed in color, it is easier to recognize.

[0009]

Embodiments of a position input device and a display device connected thereto according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the embodiment. In the figure, a position input device 10 includes an input board 5 which is an input medium, and a signal output unit 8 which converts an output from each position thereof into a voltage and outputs the voltage to a CRT display device 20.
Consists of

The input board 5 is a medium for inputting the position based on the skin sensation (contact sensation / pressure sensation) of the robot technology. As shown in the exploded perspective view, the protective sheet 1 and the second protective sheet are provided on the uppermost layer. The touch-sensitive board 2 is arranged in a layer, the intermediate board 3 is arranged in a third layer, and the pressure-sensitive board 4 is arranged in a fourth layer. By the way, skin sensations of robots are generally classified into three types: touch sensation, pressure sensation, and force sensation. Usually, the sense of touch captures the contact pressure as a binary value of on and off, the sense of pressure captures the pressure acting on the surface as an analog amount, and the sense of force senses the force acting on the surface as a vector amount having magnitude and direction. is there. In this embodiment, two types of touch sensation and pressure sensation are used.

The contact sensation board 2 and the pressure sensation board 4 are used in common, for detecting contact sensation and pressure sensation, respectively, and for example, a plate-like felt made of carbon fiber is sandwiched by electrodes from both sides. This is based on the principle that when a part of the surface is pressed, the electric resistance between the electrodes is reduced. Here, it is considered that fine contact sensation sensors and pressure sensation sensors are distributed and arranged in a plane on the felt plate. Here, the sense of contact corresponds to when the degree of compression is relatively weak, and the presence or absence of contact is defined by the electrical resistance being below a certain value or above. The sense of pressure corresponds to the case where the degree of pressing is relatively strong, and the degree of pressing is determined according to the electric resistance of the pressed portion (narrow area).

Returning to the original, the protective sheet 1 is a flexible thin sheet, and in some cases, a frame or mark for assisting position input is printed. The touch sensation board 2 and the pressure sensation board 4 are
As mentioned above, a carbon fiber felt plate sandwiched from both sides with electrodes is used, but as another method, a method using an assembly of fine pressure-sensitive semiconductors, piezoelectric elements, strain sensors, etc., Alternatively, a method using conductive rubber or the like is applied. For example, the method using conductive rubber is as follows. The conductive silicon rubber rods and the metal rods are arranged in a matrix, and the terminals of the silicon rubber rods and the metal rods are independently connected to the control unit to sequentially check the electrical resistance between the terminals. When a certain point on the matrix is pressed by an external force, only the contact resistance between the silicon rubber rod and the metal rod whose intersection is the point is abnormally reduced. The position of the compression point is detected by detecting the combination of the silicon rubber rod and the metal rod which is scanned by the control unit and causes the abnormal decrease. The intermediate board 3 is a plate-shaped member made of a cushioning material such as rubber, and has a function of absorbing the contact pressure acting on the contact sensation board 2 and preventing the contact pressure from being transmitted to the pressure sensation board 4.

Next, the signal output unit 8 comprises a first output unit 6 corresponding to the output of the touch sensation board 2 and a second output unit 7 corresponding to the output of the pressure sensation board 4. A touch sensation signal output from the first output unit 6, that is, a signal indicating the coordinate position of a touch sensation sensor located in a region contacted with a pressure equal to or higher than a certain value, and a pressure sensation signal output from the second output unit 7. In other words, the CRT display device 2 which will be described in detail later refers to a portion (a narrow area) that receives relatively strong pressure and a signal that indicates the degree of pressure.
No. 0 is input to the display control unit 11 that controls the image displayed on the CRT display 12.

Here, in the position input device 10, the fingers and palms of both hands are lightly placed on the touch-sensitive board 2 belonging to the input board 5 (accurately through the protective sheet 1),
A signal is output from the touch sensor of each location included in the contact area, and the contact area of the finger / palm can be known from the output signal. Then, by strongly pressing with a finger, a signal is output from the pressure sensor of the pressed portion of the pressure board 4 via the touch-sensitive board 2 and the intermediate board 3, and the output signal indicates the pressed portion of the finger and the degree of pressing. Recognize. It should be noted that when the finger / palm makes a slight strong contact, the contact pressure is transmitted to the pressure sensation board 4 and is not confused with the degree of pressing by the finger in the subsequent stage. It is possible to prevent the pressure from being transmitted to the pressure sensing board 4.

The CRT display device 20 comprises a display control section 11 and a CRT display 12. The display control unit 11 relates to each position of the pressure sensation board 4 and the first image corresponding to the presence or absence of the sensor output related to each position of the touch sensation board 2 based on the touch sensation signal and the pressure sensation signal described above. The second image corresponding to the magnitude of the sensor output is superimposed and displayed on the screen of the CRT display 12. For example, the first image is displayed in a light color, and the second image has the same color as the first image or a different color with a darkness according to the magnitude of the output signal.

The first and second images on the screen of the CRT display 12 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 2A and 2B are screen images of the display device, FIG. 2A is an exemplary view of a contact area, and FIG. 2B is an exemplary view of a contact area and a pressed portion. It is assumed that the screen 13 of the CRT display 12 (see FIG. 1) has previously displayed a base figure for position input, such as a menu or icon for selecting with the position input device 10. In Figure 2 (a),
The designated position 14 indicated by the triangle mark and the designated position 15 indicated by the ⋄ mark are previously displayed as images. By lightly placing the fingers and palms of both hands on the touch sensation board 2, the first images 16 and 17 hatched on the screen 13 are displayed on the screen via the display control unit 11. This first image 1
Reference numerals 6 and 17 denote contact areas of the fingers and palms of the left and right hands, respectively, which are displayed in a pale color (for example, warm colors such as red and yellow that give a psychologically warm and light feeling).

Next, as shown in FIG. 2 (b), corresponding to the magnitude of the output signal at each position of the pressure-sensitive board 4, the second images 18 and 19 showing the position and degree of pressing by the finger, respectively. Is displayed on the screen. Moreover, since the first and second images 16 to 19 are displayed in a superimposed manner on the screen 13, the first images 16 and 17 can be used to find out the outline of the relationship with the position to be input. I mean, I have a rough idea. Based on this, the positions of the fingers and palm are slightly shifted, and the positions of the tips of the nearest fingers are made to coincide with the designated positions 14 and 15, respectively, and then the input board 5 (to be exact, the force sense board 4) is moved with each finger. It is possible to confirm the position by pressing the second image 18 and 19 on the screen 13 with cross hatching. When each of the second images 18 and 19 is displayed in the same color as the first image or in a different color (for example, a blueish cold color that gives a feeling of being cold and heavy psychologically), the lightness is light when the second images 18 and 19 are dark. Since the pressed portion is displayed in a dark color with the color contact area as the background, the ease of recognition is further increased.

[0018]

According to the position input device of the present invention, the following effects can be expected. (1) The relationship between the approximate position where the finger / palm is lightly placed and the position to be input is searched by the touch sensor, and based on this, the pressure position of the finger can be finally and accurately determined by the signal of the pressure sensor. Therefore, the operability can be improved. The reason is that when both fingers and palm are placed lightly on the touch sensation board, signals are output from the touch sensation sensors at each location included in the contact area, and the contact area of the finger / palm is known. This is because when the finger is pressed, a signal is output from the pressure sensor of the pressed portion, and the pressed portion and the pressing degree of the finger are known.

According to the image display device of the invention,
The following effects can be expected when connected to the position input device. (1) By displaying the two images corresponding to the contact area of the palm and the degree of pressing of the finger in an overlapping manner, the input position can be clarified.
Since it can be easily recognized, it is possible to support improvement in operability of the position input device. The reason is that the outline of the relationship with the position to be input is searched by the first image, and based on this, the position pressed by the finger is slightly corrected and then determined. (2) In particular, the first image has a light color (for example, warm colors such as red and yellow that give a psychologically warm and light feeling), and the second image
When the image is of the same color as the first image or a different color (for example, a bluish cold color that gives a feeling of being cold and heavy psychologically), the contact area of a light color is used as the background. , The pressed points are shown in dark color,
It will be easier to recognize.

[Brief description of drawings]

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

FIG. 2A is a schematic diagram of a contact area, and FIG. 2B is a schematic diagram of a contact area and a pressed portion in the screen image of the display device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Protective Sheet 2 Contact Board 3 Intermediate Board 4 Pressure Board 5 Input Board 6 1st Output Section 7 2nd Output Section 8 Signal Output Section 10 Position Input Device 11 Display Control Section 12 CRT Display 13 Screen 14 Specified Position (△ Mark) 15 Designated position (marked with ◇) 16, 17 First image (contact area) 18, 19 Second image (pressed portion) 20 CRT display device

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁶ Identification code Internal reference number FI Technical display location G09G 5/08 9377-5H G09G 5/08 K

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A contact sensation board comprising a contact sensation board in which contact sensation sensors are distributed and arranged in a plane, an intermediate board made of a cushioning material, and a pressure sensation board in which pressure sensation sensors are distributed and arranged in a plane. A position input device comprising an input board formed by sequentially stacking the boards so that the boards are on the front side. 2. A first image, which is connected to the position input device according to claim 1 and corresponds to the presence or absence of an output signal related to each position of the touch sensation board, and to each position of the pressure sensation board. A second image corresponding to the magnitude of the output signal,
An image display device comprising a display control unit for displaying the image on the screen in an overlapping manner. 3. The display device according to claim 2, wherein
The image display device is characterized in that the image has a light color and the second image has a color having a darkness corresponding to the magnitude of the output signal.