Input device for a computer and the like and input processing method

• US 5,943,233 A
• Filed: 12/22/1995
• Issued: 08/24/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Fujita, Akihiro, Mizoguchi, Takatoshi, Ono, Nobumasa, Kawanishi, Shinya, Kobachi, Mitsuo, Ebina, Kiyoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Grant, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): Garland, Steven R.
• Application Number:
  US08/577,242
• Time in Patent Office: 1,341 Days
• Field of Search: 364/190, 345/157-161, 345/163, 345/165, 345/166, 250/221, 250/229, 74/471 XY, 341/31
• US Class Current: 700/85
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 2009/04759 Light-sensitive detector, e.g. photoelectric
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0304 Detection arrangements using opto-electronic means constructional details of pointing devices not related to the detection arrangement using opto-electronic means G06F3/033; optical digitisers G06F3/042
• 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 3/03548 Sliders, in which the moving part moves in a plane
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0362 with detection of 1D translations or rotations of an operating part of the device, e.g. scroll wheels, sliders, knobs, rollers or belts
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/042 by opto-electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0428 by sensing at the edges of the touch surface the interruption of optical paths, e.g. an illumination plane, parallel to the touch surface which may be virtual sensing beam interruptions in a planar beam grid of an optical touch-screen G06F3/0421

Abstract

The input device which includes a reflection type optical sensor having light emitting means and light receiving means; an operation section disposed facing the optical sensor, the operation section being tilted when a load is applied thereto; and output means for detecting a tilt status of the operation section based on signals from the light receiving means and outputting detected results to a computer body as positional information.

Claims

1. An input device for a computer comprising:

a movable body which displaces upon receipt of a load in a two-dimensional direction;

a fixed light emitting element for emitting light; and

a light receiving element for receiving an image of the light from the fixed light emitting element, the image of light shifting in association with displacement of the movable body,

wherein the movable body, the fixed light emitting element, and the light receiving element are integrally formed and wherein a unitary movable section of the movable body encloses the fixed light emitting element and the light receiving element such that all light from the fixed light emitting element and to the light receiving element travel within the unitary movable section.

2. An input device according to claim 1, wherein the movable body includes a movable section which displaces by an operation of a user and a fixing section for fixing the movable section to the computer, and the light receiving element is attached to the fixing section so as to face the movable section.

3. The input device according to claim 2, wherein the movable section is cylindrical and encloses a detector which includes the fixed light emitting element, the light receiving element, and a converging lens integrally, the detector being attached to the fixing section.

4. The input device according to claim 2, wherein either the movable section or the fixing section is rigid, while the other is elastic.

5. The input device according to claim 2, wherein the movable section and the fixing section are molded with materials of the same type or different types.

6. The input device according to claim 2, wherein a surface of the movable section facing the light receiving element is a surface-finished reflection surface.

7. The input device according to claim 1, wherein either the light emitting element or the fixed light receiving element is disposed on the movable body, while the other is disposed facing the movable body.

8. The input device according to claim 1, wherein the movable body is disposed in a space surrounded by a plurality of keys of a keyboard of the computer.

9. The input device according to claim 1, further comprising control means for changing the shift direction, speed and moving size of a cursor on a display of the computer according to the displacement of the movable body.

10. The input device according to claim 1, wherein the movable body includes a movable section which displaces by an operation of a user and a fixing section for supporting the movable section, the fixing section is disposed separately from the computer, and the light receiving element is attached to the fixing section so as to face the movable section.

11. The input device according to claim 10, wherein the movable body is large enough to be handled with the palm of the user, and the movable section is tilted upon receipt of a load applied by the user in a two-dimensional direction.

12. An input processing method for an input device for a computer, comprising:

detecting a shift of an image of light emitted from a light emitting element and shifting in association with a displacement of a movable body;

simultaneously determining from the shift of the image of light vectors in two directions crossing each other at right angles corresponding to a direction and amount of the displacement; and

synthesizing the vectors in the two directions to obtain a synthesized vector and calculating a direction and amount of operation from the synthesized vector.

13. The input processing method according to claim 12, further comprising operating the light emitting element to emit light intermittently, wherein in the step of detecting the shift of the image of light, the shift of the image of light is detected in synchronization with emission of the light emitting element.

14. The input processing method according to claim 12, further comprising altering a speed of indication of input on the computer in accordance a magnitude of the synthesized vector.

15. The input processing method according to claim 12, wherein the detecting occurs on a plurality of contiguous light detectors and the determining includes using signals from all of the contiguous light detectors for determining the shift in each of the two directions.