JPH0793091A - pointing device - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Purpose] Miniaturizing the pointing device, and
To improve operability. [Structure] The operation unit of the pointing device 1 is
Interior with a pick 2, a joint ball 3 and an electromagnet 6.
It is composed of a cup 7. In addition, the joint body
3 is fitted to the frame 4 of the computer control panel
The lower part of the operation part is
The hook 2 is urged to return to the upright position. or,
The electromagnet 6 has a frequency f_oAC current is applied,
A wire holder 19 is installed around the electromagnet 6.
Amorphous magnetic wire 1 in the four cut grooves 19b
8 is inserted. Then, operate the stick 2.
By the electromagnet 6 and the amorphous magnetic wire
The distance from 18 changes, and the Amteucci effect causes the
Frequency 2f output from the fass magnetic wire 18 _oof
The pulse voltage value changes. Therefore, the pulse voltage value
Convert to a control value and control the cursor etc.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a pointing device, and particularly to an amorphous magnetic wire.
The present invention relates to a pointing device using the Matteucci effect.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventional pointing devices of this type include a mouse, a trackball and a joystick. However, since the mouse and joystick require a space for operation and are large in size, they are used as external devices of a computer.
Further, since the trackball also needs a space for manual operation, its mounting position on the operation panel or the like is restricted in relation to other electronic parts. Therefore, there is a limit to miniaturization of the pointing device which uses a switch, a slide resistor, etc. and is formed by a mechanical mechanism.

Therefore, at present, downsizing of a pointing device and improvement of operability are being promoted. As one example, a pointing device using an MR element having a characteristic that its resistance value changes depending on the strength of a magnetic field is proposed. Has been done.

[0004]

As described above, the conventional pointing device has the following problems due to its size and operational restrictions.
Generally, it is used by being connected to the computer as an external operation device of the computer. Further, a pointing device using an MR element is smaller than a conventional one using a switch, a slide resistor or the like, but further miniaturization is difficult due to the limit of the magnetic flux detection sensitivity of the MR element. Become.

Therefore, there is a technical problem to be solved in order to downsize the pointing device by increasing the magnetic flux detection sensitivity and increasing the detection output, and the present invention solves the problem. The purpose is to resolve.

[0006]

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION The present invention is proposed in order to achieve the above-mentioned object, and an electromagnet is provided below the operating portion of a joystick, and an amorphous magnetic wire is provided around the electromagnet in the X-axis direction and Y direction. One or more are provided in each of the axial directions, and means for applying an alternating current to the electromagnet is provided.
A pointing device configured to control a cursor by a pulse output voltage of the amorphous magnetic wire is provided.

[0007]

Function: An electromagnet to which an alternating current is applied is provided below the operation portion of the joystick. An amorphous magnetic wire is arranged around the electromagnet. After that, the electromagnet moves on the XY coordinate plane by operating the operation part of the joystick.

Thus, the distance between the electromagnet and the amorphous magnetic wire changes as the electromagnet moves,
The pulse voltage output from both ends of the amorphous magnetic wire changes due to the Matteucci effect. Therefore, after the pulse voltage is amplified and A / D converted, it is converted into an XY coordinate numerical value by a computer, and the numerical value controls a cursor or the like on the computer screen.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 show the pointing device 1. First, the components of the joystick will be described. Reference numeral 2 is a stick, and the stick 2 is provided above the joint ball 3.
A circular hole 4a for loosely fitting the joint ball 3 is formed in the frame 4 of the computer control panel. Thus, the hole 4a is divided into two, and the joint ball 3 is loosely fitted and both are joined.

A receiving seat 4b for the return spring 5 is vertically provided near the loose fitting portion on the lower surface of the frame 4. Thus, the cup 7 containing the electromagnet 6 is provided below the joint ball 3 with the return spring 5 interposed. The return spring 5 is formed in a spiral shape and a mortar shape, the upper portion of which is fitted into the receiving seat 4b of the frame 4, and the lower portion of which is locked to the flange 7a of the cup 7. After the tilting operation of the stick 2, the stick 2 is returned to the upright position of the frame 4 by the bias of the return spring 5.

Another embodiment of the joystick is shown in FIG.
7 to FIG. FIG. 3 shows a system in which the stick 2 returns by its coil spring after its operation as in FIGS. 1 and 2. The stick 2 is provided above the joint ball 3, and the joint ball 3
Is loosely fitted in the hole 4a provided in the frame 4. Further, a cup 8 containing the electromagnet 6 is provided below the joint ball 3. The cup 8 has a disk-shaped flange 8a, and a coil spring 10 is interposed between the flange 8a and a substrate 9 arranged on the lower surface of the flange 8a. The stick 2 is biased to the upright state.

Next, FIGS. 4 to 5 show an example in which an elastic body such as rubber is used in place of the coil spring 10 to return the stick 2 to the upright state after the stick 2 is tilted. In FIG. 4, reference numeral 11 denotes a cup, and the cup 11 has a circular flange 11a at the upper portion and is formed of an elastic body such as rubber having a T-shaped cross section. The flange 11a of the cup 11 is fitted in the hole 4a formed in the frame 4, the stick 2 is inserted in the upper portion of the cup 11, and the electromagnet 6 is attached in the lower portion.
Is decorated. In FIG. 5, the stick 2 is fitted and inserted in the center of an elastic body 12 such as rubber fitted in the hole 4 a provided in the frame 4, and the lower part of the stick 2 is placed in the frame 4. An electromagnet 6 is fitted to the lower part of the stick 2 while protruding from the lower surface of the stick 4.

6 and 7 show an example in which a slider system is used for the operation unit. In FIG. 6, reference numeral 13 denotes a circular slider having a substantially T-shaped cross section, and the circular slider 13 is slidably fitted into the large diameter hole 4b and the small diameter hole 4c provided in the frame 4, respectively. Has an upper piece 13a and a lower piece 13b, and the upper piece 13a is connected to the large diameter hole 4b.
Also, the lower piece 13b is slidably fitted into the small diameter hole 4c.

A donut-shaped elastic body 14 is adhered to the lower surface of the small diameter hole 4c, and the lower portion of the lower piece 13b of the slider 13 is fitted to the elastic body 14, and
The slider 13 is urged so as to return to the central portions of the large diameter holes 4b and the small diameter holes 4c. Further, the electromagnet 6 is fitted to the lower piece 13b of the slider 13.

In FIG. 7, numeral 15 indicates a dome type slider. The dome-shaped slider 15 is loosely fitted in a hole 4d formed in the frame 4 and slidably fitted in the hole 4d in any direction. In addition, the dome-shaped slider 15 is erected on a substrate (not shown), and is on the upper surface of the receiving body 16 of the dome-shaped slider 15 corresponding to the dome-shaped slider 15. Be guided. Further, an opening 16a is provided in an upper portion of the receiving body 16, and a lower piece 15a vertically provided at a central portion of a lower surface of the dome-shaped slider 15 is inserted into the opening 16a and the lower portion is formed. The electromagnet 6 is fitted on the piece 15a, and the spring 17 urges the dome-shaped slider 15 to return to the center of the hole 4d.

Next, the disposition of the amorphous magnetic wire will be described with reference to FIGS. The figure shows an example in which the amorphous magnetic wires 18 formed by folding back in a hairpin shape are horizontally provided in four directions centering on the electromagnet 6, respectively. Thus, the wire holder 19 made of a material such as a regular square prism synthetic resin is provided with a square center hole 19a that vertically penetrates the prism.
Further, along the vicinity of the inner edge of the prism, the grooves 19b,
19b, 19b, 19b are opened. The wire holder 19 is fixed to a substrate (not shown), and the grooves 19b, 19b, 19b, 19 at the four locations are fixed.
b, the amorphous magnetic wires 18, 1 respectively.
8, 18, 18 are inserted. Therefore, the amorphous magnetic wires 18, 18, 18, 18 are arranged around the electromagnet 6 in a square shape so that the distances from the electromagnet 6 are equidistant.

Another method of disposing the amorphous magnetic wire 18 will be described with reference to FIG. Figure 8 (a)
(B) shows the case where the number of the amorphous magnetic wires 18 is two. FIG. 8A shows an example in which the amorphous magnetic wires 18, 18 are arranged below the electromagnet 6 in a horizontal cross shape. Further, FIG. 8B shows an example in which the amorphous magnetic wires 18, 18 are arranged laterally of the electromagnet 6 at equal intervals of approximately 90 degrees.

Further, FIGS. 8C and 8D show the case where the number of the amorphous magnetic wires 18 is four. Figure 8
In (c), the amorphous magnetic wires 18, 18, 18, 18 standing upright around the electromagnet 6 are spaced from the electromagnet 6 at equal intervals, and the electromagnet 6 is centered at 90 °, respectively. It is arranged to have an angle of degrees.
Further, in FIG. 8D, four amorphous magnetic wires 18, 18, 18, 18 are radially arranged around the electromagnet 6 at equal intervals in the orthogonal direction.

Next, the pointing device 1 of the present invention
The operation will be described with reference to FIGS. 1, 2 and 9. An electromagnet 6 is incorporated in the cup 7, and four grooves 19 b, 19 b, 1 of the wire holder 19 are provided around the electromagnet 6.
Amorphous magnetic wires 18, 18 on 9b, 19b,
18, 18 are horizontally installed. Then, the electromagnet 6 is applied with an alternating current having a frequency f _o.

At this time, the amorphous magnetic wires 18, 18, 18, 18 are excited by the external alternating magnetic field of the electromagnet 6, and the frequency f _{o is} caused by the Matteucci effect.
A pulse voltage having a frequency of 2f _o , which is twice that of the above, is generated in the amorphous magnetic wires 18, 18, 18, 18. The amorphous magnetic wires 18, 18, 18, 18 are folded back in a hairpin shape because the amorphous magnetic wires 18, 18, 18, due to induction of the electromagnet 6.
This is to cancel the pulse of the frequency f _o generated at 18. Further, the pulse voltage value generated does not change even if the AC magnetic field generation source, that is, the electromagnet 6 is moved in the lengthwise direction of the amorphous magnetic wire 18, but when it is moved in the direction perpendicular to the amorphous magnetic wire 18, it becomes sharp. The vertical Matteucci effect in which the pulse voltage value increases and decreases is used. Furthermore,
In order to stably generate a pulse voltage of frequency 2f _o generated by the Matteucci effect, a direct current of about several mA is applied to the amorphous magnetic wire 18 from the bias power source 21.

By operating the stick 2, the amorphous magnetic wires 18, 18, 18, 18
And the distance between the electromagnet 6 and the change in the distance,
The influence of the AC magnetic field of the electromagnet 6 on the amorphous magnetic wires 18, 18, 18, 18 is different. As a result, the pulse voltage of frequency 2f _o generated in the amorphous magnetic wire 18 is large when the magnetic field strength is large (the distance from the electromagnet 6 is small), and the magnetic field strength is small (the distance from the electromagnet 6 is large). Is small when. Then, the pulse voltage detected from both ends of the amorphous magnetic wires 18, 18, 18, 18 is converted into control numerical values by the arithmetic unit 24 via the amplifiers 22, 22, 22, 22, and the analog-digital converter 23, The control value controls the cursor on the computer screen.

The amorphous magnetic wire 18 is
Even if the length of the folded back portion is about 2 mm, the Matteucci effect characteristics are good, and therefore space is saved. In addition, an embodiment in which the pointing device 1 is installed on the operation panel is shown in FIG.
It will be described according to 0. As shown in the figure, an arbitrary key is selected from the keys 26, 26 ... Of the operation panel 25, and the selected key is used as a pointing key 27. The pointing key 27 is formed smaller than the other keys 26, 26 ... And the pointing key 27 is provided with a slide mechanism on the XY plane in addition to the conventional type-in mechanism.
Further, as described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 9, a pointing device mechanism based on the Matteucci effect using an amorphous magnetic wire is provided below the pointing key 27.

Since the pointing key 27 has the functions of both a normal type-in and a pointing device, the transition from typing to pointing can be performed quickly, and at the same time, the pointing device is separately provided outside. There is no need. The present invention can be variously modified without departing from the spirit of the present invention, and it goes without saying that the present invention extends to the modified one.

[0024]

As described in detail in the above one embodiment, the present pointing device using the Matteucci effect of the amorphous magnetic wire has a much higher magnetic flux detection sensitivity than the pointing device using the MR element. Is obtained, resulting in space saving.

In this way, the pointing device can be mounted on any place such as the operation panel of the computer without being restricted by other electronic parts, so that the miniaturization of the computer can be promoted and the operability and portability can be improved. It is an invention that achieves various kinds of effects such as being achieved.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a pointing device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional front view of a pointing device.

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional front view showing another embodiment of the pointing device.

FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional front view showing still another embodiment of the pointing device.

FIG. 5 is a vertical sectional front view showing still another embodiment of the pointing device.

FIG. 6 is a vertical sectional front view showing still another embodiment of the pointing device.

FIG. 7 is a vertical sectional front view showing still another embodiment of the pointing device.

8A to 8D are plan views showing other examples of disposition of amorphous magnetic wires.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing the operation of the pointing device.

FIG. 10 is a main part plan view showing an embodiment in which a pointing device is installed on an operation panel.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Pointing Device 2 Stick 3 Joint Ball 4 Frame 5 Return Spring 6 Electromagnet 7 Cup 18 Amorphous Magnetic Wire 19 Wire Holder 19b Groove

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An electromagnet is provided below a joystick operation unit, and one or more amorphous magnetic wires are provided around the electromagnet in each of the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction, and an alternating current is applied to the electromagnet. A pointing device comprising means for controlling a cursor by a pulse output voltage of the amorphous magnetic wire.