Signal generating apparatus, signal inputting apparatus and force-electricity transducing apparatus

• US 6,025,832 A
• Filed: 09/27/1996
• Issued: 02/15/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Shimano, Kenji, Takahara, Tamane, Koga, Akihiro, Sudo, Hajime
• Primary Examiner(s): Hjerpe, Richard A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Laneau, Ronald
• Application Number:
  US08/722,465
• Time in Patent Office: 1,236 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/157, 345/158, 345/161, 345/163, 345/173, 345/179, 345/159
• US Class Current: 345/158
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0384 Wireless input, i.e. hardware and software details of wireless interface arrangements for pointing devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0354 with detection of 2D relative movements between the device, or an operating part thereof, and a plane or surface, e.g. 2D mice, trackballs, pens or pucks
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• 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 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04892 Arrangements for controlling cursor position based on codes indicative of cursor displacements from one discrete location to another, e.g. using cursor control keys associated to different directions or using the tab key arrangements for controlling cursor position based on coordinate signals G06F3/038

Abstract

A cursor can be operated continuously from a picture now being displayed to another picture not yet displayed. Further, an icon area arranged in another picture not yet displayed can be pointed out accurately without depending upon the operational characteristics of operators. When depressed by an operator, a pad-type input section (5) detects the two-dimensional position and the magnitude of the depression force at a pressure point. The detected data are applied to an encode section (14) through a signal amplifier (13). The encode section (14) detects the two-dimensional coordinates and the pressure value at the pressure point. On the other hand, a domain registering section (15) registers respective partitions on each of a plurality of pictures (8) as a domain group (11) of three-dimensional position domains. Therefore, when the output of the encode section (14) is compared by a comparing section (17) with respect to the positional data, if both match, the data detected by the pad-type input section (5) are assigned to a representative position (12) in a picture of the domain group (11), so that it is possible to accurately allow an input applied onto the pad-type input section (5) to correspond to a two-dimensional area of each of a plurality of pictures (8).

Claims

1. A signal inputting apparatus, comprising:

input detecting means comprising transducing elements functioning as strain gauge, a number of the elements being smaller than that of X-Y coordinate points, for detecting two dimensional coordinates of a pressure point of an inputted depression force on the basis of a direction of a force applied to the input detecting means and a bending angle of the input detecting means, and pressure coordinates on the basis of the inputted compression force; and

coordinate detecting means for detecting a positional domain within a three-dimensional domain on the basis of the detected two dimensional coordinates and the detected pressure coordinates, and for assigning a representative point to each detected positional domain.

2. The signal inputting apparatus of claim 1, wherein said coordinate detecting means includes domain registering means for registering three-dimensional domains composed of a plurality of pictures corresponding to the pressure coordinates and partitioned pictures corresponding to the two-dimensional coordinates, and representative points each corresponding thereto.

3. The signal inputting apparatus of claim 2, wherein said input detecting means includes registering means for registering conversion coefficients used to convert the depression force to the two-dimensional coordinates and the pressure coordinates, respectively.

4. The signal inputting apparatus of claim 3, wherein said input detecting means and said coordinate detecting means both include data varying with the lapse of time as parameters, respectively.

5. The signal inputting apparatus of claim 1, wherein in said input detecting means, a group composed of a plurality of pressure detecting elements are arranged at each of a plurality of positions;

the pressure coordinates are detected on the basis of angular data at the detection positions obtained by the pressure detecting elements; and

a depression force is detected on the basis of all the outputs of said pressure detecting elements.

6. A signal inputting apparatus having a pressure receive portion for receiving an inputted depression pressure, a force-electricity converting section for converting pressure data sensed by the pressure receive portion into an electric signal, and a display unit for displaying a picture corresponding to the electric signal converted by the force-electricity converting section, which comprises:

encoding means provided between the force-electricity converting section and the display unit, for designating two-dimensional codes related to a display position on a picture displayed on the display unit and any operation codes other than the two-dimensional codes at the same time, on the basis of the pressure data converted into the electric signal; and

means for allowing a plurality of codes generated by said encoding means to correspond to spatial picture domains, respectively, the spatial picture domains being composed of present picture domains obtained by dividing a picture now being displayed on the display unit and hidden picture domains obtained by dividing each picture now not yet displayed on the display unit but displayed by an input operation.

7. The signal inputting apparatus of claim 6, which further comprises depression data storing means for storing time-series change of the inputted depression force, said encoding means forming a time-series depression pattern on the basis of contents stored in said depression data storing means.

8. The signal inputting apparatus of claim 7, which further comprises a registering and reproducing section for registering and reproducing the contents of the encoding means, or a section for connecting said encoding means to a registering and reproducing apparatus.

9. The signal inputting apparatus of claim 6, wherein at least two sets of the force-electricity converting sections are mounted on the pressure receive portion in such a way that the pressure receive portion is supported by each set of the force-electricity converting sections in cantilever fashion, two axial lines of the two sets of the force-electricity converting sections substantially intersecting each other in a cantilever area on a plane including the pressure receive portion.

10. A signal inputting apparatus, comprising:

a depressed portion having an area to which a force is applied as an input;

a force-electric signal detecting section for detecting a force applied to said depressed portion and converting the detected force into an electric signal;

a data outputting section for outputting data indicative of at least a magnitude and a position of the force applied to said depressed portion on the basis of the electric signal outputted by said force-electricity signal detecting section; and

an arithmetic section for deciding characteristics of the inputted force on the basis of the data outputted by said data outputting section, and for executing various calculations to set switching operations and to display the decided result and a designated position on a picture on the basis of the decided characteristic result, said arithmetic section comprising;

a repetitive arithmetic control section for controlling predetermined calculating processing repeatedly for each elapse of predetermined time;

a cumulative calculating section for calculating an cumulative addition of the magnitudes and the positions of the inputted depression forces, respectively and outputting the calculated results;

a subtraction calculating section for subtracting a value from the calculated result of said cumulative calculating section and outputting the calculated result;

a dividing section for dividing the output of the subtracting calculating section by a predetermined value and outputting the divided result; and

an addition section for adding the output of said dividing section to a present designated position, and outputting the added result as an updated designated position, said cumulative calculating section, said subtracting calculating section, said dividing section and said adding section being all controlled with respect to time by said repetitive arithmetic control section.

11. The signal inputting apparatus of claim 10, wherein in all said cumulative calculating section, said subtracting calculating section, said dividing section and said adding section, data are calculated being divided into x-axis direction components and y-axis direction components, respectively.

12. A signal inputting apparatus, comprising:

a depressed portion having an area to which a force is applied as an input;

a force-electric signal detecting section for detecting a force applied to said depressed portion and transducing the detected force into an electric signal;

a data outputting section for outputting data indicative of at least a magnitude and a position of the force applied to said depressed portion on the basis of the electric signal outputted by said force-electricity signal detecting section; and

an arithmetic section for deciding characteristics of the inputted force on the basis of the data outputted by said data outputting section, and for executing various calculations to set switching operations and to display the decided result and a designated position on a picture on the basis of the decided characteristic result, said arithmetic section comprising;

a mode deciding section for deciding an input mode as a mode A when change in the force applied position is large, the magnitude of the compression force is small; and

change in magnitude of the compression force is small;

as a mode B when change in the compression position is small, the magnitude of the compression force is large; and

change in magnitude of the compression force is small; and

as a mode C when change in the compression position is large, the magnitude of the compression force is large or small; and

change in magnitude of the compression force is large; and

a designated position calculating section for deciding a designated position in such a way that the compression force and the compression position correspond to a moving speed of the designated portion when said mode deciding section decides the input mode as the mode A;

a designated position in such a way that the compression position correspond to a position of the designated portion when said mode deciding section decides the input mode as the mode B; and

for deciding a designated position in such a way that the compression force and the compression position correspond to an acceleration of the designated portion when said mode deciding section decides the input mode as the mode C.

13. The signal inputting apparatus of claim 12, wherein said mode deciding section comprises:

a compression position change rate calculating section for calculating a change rate of the compression position;

a compression force change rate calculating section for calculating a change rate of the compression force;

a first deciding section for deciding whether the calculated compression position change rate is smaller or larger than a predetermined value; and

a second deciding section for deciding whether the calculated compression force change rate is smaller or larger than a predetermined value.

14. A signal inputting apparatus of a remote controller for a personal computer such that a cursor on a picture displayed on a separated display unit can be shifted by applying a tracing force onto a pointing device, wherein the cursor can be shifted on the picture by a distance at an acceleration determined on the basis of a compression force applied onto the pointing device, a shift direction of the compression force on the pointing device, a compression time, a virtual inertia of a previously set cursor mass, and a virtual friction generated by the cursor movement on the previously set picture,

wherein the acceleration can be determined by an expression as:

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">(compression force-virtual friction)/ virtual inertia.

15. A signal inputting apparatus of a remote controller for a personal computer such that a cursor on a picture displayed on a separated display unit can be shifted by applying a tracing force onto a pointing device, wherein the cursor can be shifted on the picture by a distance at an acceleration determined on the basis of a compression force applied onto the pointing device, a shift direction of the compression force on the pointing device, a compression time, a virtual inertia of a previously set cursor mass, and a virtual friction generated by the cursor movement on the previously set picture,

wherein the distance can be determined by an expression as:

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">cursor acceleration×

compression time×

compression time.

16. A signal transducing apparatus, having a pressure receive portion for receiving pressure, and a force-electricity transducing section connected to the pressure receive portion to convert pressure received by the pressure receive portion into an electric signal corresponding thereto:

said force-electricity transducing section is provided with at least four unit transducing elements functioning as a strain gauge all fixed to a member rigid enough against pressure received by the pressure receive portion;

wherein the pressure receive portion is mounted on the force-electricity transducing section and has an overhanging structure.

17. The signal transducing apparatus of claim 16, wherein the pressure receive portion has a lengthy shape and the both ends thereof are overhang portions.

18. The signal transducing apparatus of claim 17, wherein the unit elements of the force-electricity transducing section are arranged in a matrix form.

19. The signal transducing apparatus of claim 17, wherein the pressure receive portion is formed with a plurality of projections.

20. A signal transducing apparatus, comprising:

a pressure receive portion for receiving pressure;

a force-electricity transducing section composed of at least four unit elements and connected to said pressure receive portion, for transducing pressure received by said pressure receive portion into electric signals corresponding thereto;

a base fixed to said force-electricity transducing section and so formed as to be rigid enough against pressure applied to a plurality of said unit elements via said pressure receive portion; and

a calculating section for allowing pressure data received by said pressure receive portion to correspond to a specific operation command on the basis of output signals of said force-electricity transducing section,

wherein said calculating section processes the electric signals converted by the unit elements of said force-electricity transducing section by adding vectors of the electric signals according to the following steps S1-S3;

S1;

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">X-AXIS IMPULSE=PRECEDING X-AXIS IMPULSE+X-AXIS PRESSURE×

COEFFICIENT

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">Y-AXIS IMPULSE=PRECEDING Y-AXIS IMPULSE+Y-AXIS PRESSURE×

COEFFICIENT

S2;

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">X-AXIS IMPULSE=PRECEDING X-AXIS IMPULSE-X-AXIS FRICTION FORCE Y-AXIS IMPULSE=PRECEDING Y-AXIS IMPULSE-Y-AXIS FRICTION FORCE

S3;

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">X-AXIS COORDINATES OF PICTURE=X-AXIS COORDINATES ON PRECEDING PICTURE+X-AXIS IMPULSE/ X-AXIS VIRTUAL INERTIA×

COEFFICIENT

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">Y-AXIS COORDINATES OF PICTURE=Y-AXIS COORDINATES ON PRECEDING PICTURE+Y-AXIS IMPULSE/ Y-AXIS VIRTUAL INERTIA×

COEFFICIENT.