Data input apparatus

• US 6,191,775 B1
• Filed: 07/21/1998
• Issued: 02/20/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ALPS Electric Company Limited (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: ALPS Electric Company Limited (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Suzuki, Katsutoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): WU, XIAO MIN
• Application Number:
  US09/119,814
• Time in Patent Office: 945 Days
• Field of Search: 345/157, 345/156, 345/158, 345/159, 345/160, 345/161, 345/163, 345/169, 345/168, 345/164, 345/165, 345/166, 345/167
• US Class Current: 345/167
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0312 for tracking the rotation of a spherical or circular member, e.g. optical rotary encoders used in mice or trackballs using a tracking ball or in mouse scroll wheels tracking relative movement in co-operation with a regularly or irregularly patterned surface, e.g. as in optical mice G06F3/0317; constructional details of scroll or thumb-wheels G06F3/0362; optical rotary encoders G01D5/3473
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03549 Trackballs G06F3/03541 takes precedence

Abstract

There is provided a track ball type data input apparatus which can input data showing the movement in the direction vertical to the image or the rotation around the axis vertical to the image and visually and easily assures the operation flexibility in the threedimensional inputs. In this apparatus, the first encoder and the second encoder are driven by rotating the spherical manipulator called a track ball and the pulse outputs obtained from the encoders cause an object displayed in the image to move or rotate. When the attitude sensor detects inclination of the body case, the coordinate axes are rotated depending on the direction and angle of inclination and are then converted. Thereby the object can be moved or rotated with reference to the converted coordinate axes. Moreover, the moving operation control mode and rotating operation control mode can be switched by manipulating the mode switching button.

Claims

1. A data input apparatus comprising:

a body case that can be held and inclined by hand;

a ball that is provided on said body case and can be manipulated by hand;

a pair of encoders for outputting two-axes manipulation signals depending on a manipulation of said ball;

sensor for detecting an inclination of said body case;

and a coordinate data producing means for converting the two-axes manipulation signals from said pair of encoders to a three-axes moving data on a coordinate axes inclined corresponding to an inclination direction of the body case or a three-axes rotating data on said coordinate axes on the basis of a body case inclination detecting signal from said sensor.

2. The data input apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said pair of encoders are provided for outputting said two-axes manipulation signals around two-axes, crossing in orthogonal with each other, depending on manipulation of the ball and said coordinate data producing means produces the moving data or rotating data on the orthogonal coordinates inclined corresponding to the inclination direction of the body case.

3. The data input apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said ball is formed in the spherical shape and said pair of encoders are operated to output the two-axes manipulation signals around said two axes depending on rotation of said ball.

4. The data input apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said body case is provided with a switching device for selecting either the three-axes moving data or the three-axes rotating data from the data produced by said coordinate data producing means.

5. The data input apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said pair of encoders and said sensor are provided on the body case side which can be held by hand and said coordinate data producing means is provided on a computer side for arithmetic operation of data.

6. The data input apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said body case is in a column shape that can be held and inclined by a hand, and said ball is moveably located on the top side of said body case.

7. The data input apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said three-axes moving data is selected when said switching device is in “

OFF”

position, and said three-axes rotating data is selected when said switching device is in “

ON”

position.

8. The data input apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of said pair of encoders includes a roller, a disc, and a photocoupler.

9. The data input apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said sensor is provided with a mercury switch which is filled with mercury to detect said inclination direction depending on a direction and acceleration of a movement of said mercury.