Input device of rotational operation quantity and operating device using this

• US 20040052016A1
• Filed: 07/15/2003
• Published: 03/18/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wacoh Company
• Original Assignee: Wacoh Company
• Inventors: Takagi, Shigeo, Taniguchi, Nobumitsu, Okada, Kazuhiro
• Granted Patent: US 7,075,527 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/51
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 1/10 Details, e.g. of discs, knobs, wheels or handles G05G1/085 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 9/047 the controlling member being movable by hand about orthogonal axes, e.g. joysticks for switches H01H25/04
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0338 with detection of limited linear or angular displacement of an operating part of the device from a neutral position, e.g. isotonic or isometric joysticks
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry

Abstract

An efficient rotational-operation-quantity input device suitable to be built into a small electrical appliance is provided. An operational force applied by an operator is input in time series as a coordinate value (x, y) in an XY two-dimensional rectangular coordinate system by a two-dimensional force sensor 100, and is converted into a coordinate value (r, θ) by a polar-coordinate converting section 200. When a value r of the coordinate value (r, θ) obtained in time series is larger than a predetermined threshold rt, an operation-quantity recognizing section 300 recognizes the coordinate value (r, θ) as a significant coordinate value, and, when the value θ generates a variation Δθ exceeding a predetermined threshold θt with respect to a value “θbefore” immediately therebefore during a period during which a significant coordinate value (r, θ) is obtained continuously, it recognizes a value corresponding to the variation Δθ as an operation quantity indicating a rotation.

Claims

1. A rotational-operation-quantity input device for inputting an operation quantity indicating a predetermined rotation angle, comprising:

a two-dimensional force sensor for inputting an operational force applied by an operator in time series as a coordinate value (x, y) in an XY two-dimensional rectangular coordinate system;

a polar-coordinate converting section for sequentially converting the coordinate value (x, y) in the rectangular coordinate system given in time series into a coordinate value (r, θ

) in a polar coordinate system; and

an operation-quantity recognizing section for recognizing a variation in a value θ

of the coordinate value (r, θ

) obtained in time series as an operation quantity indicating a rotation angle.

2. The rotational-operation-quantity input device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the operation-quantity recognizing section recognizes the coordinate value (r, θ

) as a significant coordinate value when value r of the coordinate value (r, θ

) is larger than a predetermined threshold rt, and recognizes an operation quantity based on a variation in a value θ

in consideration of only a significant coordinate value (r, θ

).

3. The rotational-operation-quantity input device as set forth in claim 2, wherein the operation-quantity recognizing section recognizes an operation quantity based on a variation in value θ

during a continuous period when a significant coordinate value (r, θ

) is obtained continuously.

4. The rotational-operation-quantity input device as set forth in claim 3, wherein, when a value θ

generates a variation Δ

θ

exceeding a predetermined threshold θ

t with respect to a value “

θ

before”

immediately therebefore during a continuous period during which a significant coordinate value (r, θ

) is obtained continuously, the operation-quantity recognizing section recognizes a value corresponding to the variation Δ

θ

as an operation quantity.

5. The rotational-operation-quantity input device as set forth in any one of claims 1 through 4, wherein the two-dimensional force sensor includes a sensor body, an operating panel that can be inclined in an X-axis direction and in a Y-axis direction independently of each other with respect to the sensor body, and detection means for detecting a coordinate value x and a coordinate value y based on a degree of an inclination in the X-axis direction and in the Y-axis direction of the operating panel.

6. An operating device including the input device as set forth in any one of claims 1 through 5, having an operational function to specify an icon, comprising:

icon display means for annularly displaying a plurality of icons on a display screen;

distinguishing means for displaying an indicator to distinguish a specified icon on the display screen by receiving an instruction to specify one of the plurality of icons;

initial-icon specifying means for specifying any one of the plurality of icons as a first specified icon; and

specified-icon changing means for giving an instruction to change the specified icon into a new icon disposed at a position having an interval corresponding to an operation quantity recognized by the operation-quantity recognizing section of the input device.

7. An operating device including the input device as set forth in any one of claims 1 through 5, being used for volume control or for forwarding/rewinding control in reproducing sound, comprising:

rotation knob display means for displaying a rotation knob used to perform a volume control operation or a forwarding/rewinding control operation in reproducing sound on the display screen; and

control means for determining a rotation quantity of the rotation knob correspondingly with an operation quantity recognized by the operation-quantity recognizing section of the input device and causing the rotation knob display means to perform a display corresponding to the rotation quantity while performing volume control or forwarding/rewinding control correspondingly with the rotation quantity.

8. An operating device including the input device as set forth in any one of claims 1 through 5, being used for frame feed in reproducing moving image, comprising:

rotation knob display means for displaying a rotation knob used to perform a frame feed operation in reproducing moving image on the display screen; and

control means for determining a number of frames to be fed correspondingly with an operation quantity recognized by the operation-quantity recognizing section of the input device and causing the rotation knob display means to perform a display indicating a rotational operation corresponding to the number of frames.