JPH0454251B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to a data input device for inputting data for instructing movement of a cursor in an information processing device using a display such as a personal computer.

2. Description of the Related Art In information processing devices such as personal computers and word processors, displays are used to input data, confirm content, and the like. Here, the display refers to a device that visually displays data, such as a CRT, liquid crystal display, electroluminescence display, or plasma display. Data input, correction, and other operations are usually performed while specifying a position on the display screen with a cursor.

(Prior Art) Cursor keys have been widely used in the past to move a cursor to a desired position on a display. The cursor consists of four keys for moving the cursor in up, down, left and right directions. Therefore, although the operation is easy when moving in any of these directions, there is a drawback that it takes a lot of effort when moving in an oblique direction.

To solve this problem, there is a data input device using a pointing device that moves on a desk. FIG. 1 shows an information processing device using this data input device. The control unit main body 12 integrated with the display 11 and the keyboard 13 are connected by a connection cord 14, and the pointing device 15 is connected to the keyboard 1.
3 and another connection cord 16. The connection cord 16 may connect the pointing device 15 and the control unit main body 12. FIG. 2 is a top view of the pointing device. The pointing device 15 has two operation buttons 1
7 and 18 are arranged. These operation buttons 17 and 18 are used, for example, to cause the control unit main body 12 to start processing data at the cursor stop position. The pointing device 15 is equipped with a ball rotating body inside thereof, and this is adapted to be in constant contact with the surface of the desk. When the operator holds the pointing device with his hand and moves it on the desk,
The ball rotating body rotates, and the amount of movement in the X direction and direction is detected in association with the XY coordinates. The transferred amount is exchanged into electrical signals related to each of these directions and sent to the control section main body 12. For this purpose, the connection cord 16 includes two wires for the power supply of the pointing device 15, two wires each for signals transmitting the amount of movement in each of the X and Y directions, and one wire each for the operation buttons 17 and 18. It houses eight electric wires. Therefore, if the pointing device 15 is used frequently, the connection cord 16 may be damaged, such as disconnection, and in this case, there is a problem in that it takes time and effort to replace it.
Another problem was that the smooth movement of the pointing device 15 was obstructed by the connecting cord 16.

(Object of the Invention) An object of the present invention is to provide a data input device that allows input operations to be performed using a pointing device that does not require a connection code.

(Means for Achieving the Object) In the present invention, the pointing device is provided with an oscillator that emits a signal corresponding to the direction and amount of movement of the pointing device as well as the pressed state of a button, and the pointing device is configured to transmit and receive a packet signal. Further, a cursor movement instruction means for decoding this signal and instructing the movement of the cursor is provided on the keyboard side or the input section on the control unit main body side,
The above object is achieved by moving a cursor in accordance with the movement of the pointing device.

The present invention will be explained in detail with reference to Examples below.

(Embodiment) FIG. 3 shows an information processing apparatus using the data input device of this embodiment. A control unit main body 12 integrated with a display 11, a keyboard 22, and a pointing device 23 are arranged on the desk 21. Control unit main body 12 and keyboard 2
A connection cord 24 is connected between the two. An ultrasonic receiving port 25 is provided on the front surface of the keyboard 22 and is configured to receive ultrasonic waves 26 emitted from the pointing device 23.

FIG. 4 is a top view of the inside of the pointing device, and FIG. 5 is a side view of the pointing device. The pointing device 23 has a main ball 28 disposed therein that can rotate in any direction. main ball 2
8 partially protrudes from the bottom of the pointing device main body 29, and this protruding portion comes into contact with the surface of the desk 21. Near the main ball 28, there are two rollers 33, 34 with rotating shafts 31, 32 arranged in the Y-axis direction (longitudinal direction) or the X-axis direction (perpendicular direction to the longitudinal direction), respectively.
is located. Sub-balls 35 and 36, which transmit the rotational state of the main ball 28, are sandwiched between the flat surface of each of the rollers 33 and 34 and the spherical surface of the main ball 28. A tachometer generator 3 for detecting movement in the Y-axis direction or the X-axis direction is provided on each of the rotating shafts 31 and 32.
7 or 38 is attached. The output of each tachogenerator 37, 38 is connected to an analog/digital converter 41, which is provided correspondingly.
42 and is converted into a digital signal. Switches 43, which are linked to these digital signals and operation buttons 17, 18,
The switch status signal output from 44 is input to a packet signal generator 45 to generate a packet signal. The generated packet signal is converted into an ultrasonic wave 26 by an ultrasonic oscillator 46. Power is supplied to each electrical component from a plurality of AA batteries 47.

When moving the cursor 48 on the display 11 shown in FIG. 3, the operator of the information processing device operates the power switch (not shown) of the pointing device 23 to put it into operation. Then, the desk 21 is placed so that the side to which the ultrasonic oscillator 46 is attached is almost facing the direction of the ultrasonic receiving port 25.
A pointing device 23 is arranged in a space provided in front of a keyboard 22. Now, assume that the cursor 48 is moved in the X-axis direction (scanning line direction) of the display 11. In this case, the pointing device 23 is held in the hand and moved on the desk in the same direction. Then, the main ball 28 rotates according to this movement, and the two sub balls 35 and 36 also rotate.

FIGS. 6 and 7 are for explaining the rotational relationship between each sub-ball and the roller at this time. The sub-ball 35 rotates about an axis perpendicular to the contact surface with the roller 35 in the direction indicated by the arrow in FIG. Therefore, the roller 33 that is in point contact with the sub-ball 35 does not rotate. On the other hand, the other sub-ball 34 rotates with the radial direction of the roller 34 as an axis. Therefore, in this case the roller 34
receives a rotational force and rotates in the direction of the arrow in FIG.

Each of the tachometer generators 37 and 38 within the pointing device main body outputs a voltage corresponding to the rotational direction and amount of rotation of the respective rollers 33 and 34. Further, each of the analog-to-digital converters 41 and 42 which input these voltages supplies a digital signal corresponding to the input voltage to a packet signal generator 45. Therefore, when the pointing device 23 is moved in the X-axis direction, a digital signal that changes depending on the amount of movement is supplied only from the analog-to-digital converter 42 to the packet signal generator 45.

FIG. 8 shows the structure of the packet signal created by the packet signal generator. The packet signal generator 45 inputs in parallel the signals output from the two analog-to-digital converters 41, 42 and the two switches 43, 44, and creates a packet signal 51 as serial data therefrom. The packet signal 51 is repeatedly output at a predetermined period. The packet signal 51 has a start bit b(1) at its leading end and a stop bit b(4) at its trailing end. Also data bit b
A parity bit b(3) for error correction is arranged between stop bit b(2) and stop bit b(4). Data bit b (2) includes bit b (21) representing the direction of rotation in the X-axis direction, bit b (22) representing the amount of rotation, bit b (23) representing the direction of rotation in the Y-axis direction, and bit b (23) representing the amount of rotation. bit b (24) representing on/off of switch 43, bit b (25) representing on/off of switch 44
They are arranged in the order of (26).

This packet signal 51 is supplied to the ultrasonic oscillator 46 and modulated using the ultrasonic wave as a carrier wave. The ultrasonic wave 26 enters the keyboard 22 from the ultrasonic receiving port 25 and is received by a harmonic wave receiver (not shown). This received signal is decoded and sent to the control section main body 12. In the main body of the control unit, a built-in cursor control unit controls the movement of the cursor 48 based on the decoded signal. In this example, as the pointing device 23 moves in the X-axis direction, the cursor 48 also moves in the X-axis direction. When the cursor 48 moves to the desired position, the pointing device 23 is stopped, and the operator presses the desired operation button 1.
Press 7 or 18. As a result, a signal indicating the on state is sent from the switch 43 or 44 to the control section main body 12 side, and information processing using the cursor 48 is performed.

Next, a case in which the pointing device 23 is moved in another direction will be briefly described. When the pointing device 23 is moved in the Y-axis direction (forward), the roller 33 rotates and the other roller 34
does not rotate. When the roller 33 is moved in the direction opposite to the Y-axis direction (backwards), the roller 33 rotates in the opposite direction. In this case, the voltage output from the tachometer generator 37 is inverted. Electric signals accompanying the rotation of the roller 34 are similarly converted into ultrasonic waves, and the cursor 48 is moved in the Y-axis direction or in the opposite direction. When the pointing device 23 is moved in a diagonal direction with respect to the X and Y axes, the rollers 33 and 34 rotate according to the angle. At this time, the moving direction and amount of movement of both axes are sequentially transmitted to the keyboard 22 by the same packet signal 51, and the cursor 48 is controlled to move diagonally. That is, the cursor 48 can be freely moved on the display 11 according to the direction and amount of movement of the pointing device 23.

Although interference between pointing devices has not been explained in the embodiments described above, by assigning ultrasonic or radio wave frequencies to each information processing device and incorporating a password for specifying the other party into the packet signal, Interference can be prevented.

(Effects of the Invention) As described above, in the present invention, since the connection cord is removed from the pointing device, the area where the pointing device can be used is not limited to the area very close to the keyboard. It is also possible to control cursors on displays placed on other desks.

Furthermore, since the present invention transmits packet signals, various signals can be combined into a single packet and transmitted. For example, when transmitting by setting a unique communication path for each signal, It has the advantage that radio waves can be used more effectively and there is less possibility of interference. Furthermore, in the present invention, by incorporating a parity bit into the packet signal, data input can be performed stably against noise. Furthermore, in the present invention, the signal can be decoded in synchronization with the start bit incorporated in the packet signal, so even if the pointing device side and the cursor movement instruction means side are not synchronized, the data can be read without any problem.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a layout diagram of an information processing device using a conventional data input device, Fig. 2 is a plan view of a conventional pointing device, and Figs. 3 to 8 illustrate an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 is a layout diagram of an information processing device using a data input device, Figure 4 is a schematic configuration diagram showing the inside of the pointing device, and Figure 5 is a side view of the pointing device. , 6 and 7 are side views showing the rotational relationship between the sub-ball and the roller, and 8 is a configuration diagram of the packet signal. 11...Display, 12...Control unit main body,
22...Keyboard, 23...Pointing device, 46...Ultrasonic oscillator, 48...Cursor,
51...Packet signal.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. It can be moved freely on the desk according to the movement of the hand, and data representing the direction and amount of movement of the X-axis and Y-axis and the on/off status of the attached button can be set as a start bit. a pointing device that transmits wirelessly as a packet signal every unit time by incorporating the packet into one packet divided by stop bits; cursor movement instruction means for instructing the movement of the cursor in response to the cursor displayed on the display; and button press state determination means for receiving and decoding the packet signal to determine whether the button is on or off. 1. A data input device for inputting data regarding the movement of a pointing device and on/off of a button attached to a pointing device.