Operation input device applied to three-dimensional input device
First Claim
1. An operation input device comprising:
- back-of-hand detection means which is mounted on a back of a hand of an operator to detect a motion or posture of the back of the hand of the operator;
spatial coordinate computation means for obtaining a position or posture of the back of the hand of the operator in a three-dimensional coordinate system on the basis of an output from said back-of-hand detection means;
finger posture detection means which is mounted near a tip of a finger of the operator and which has a uniaxial sensor that detects a posture of the finger of the operator in a one-axis direction;
finger shape estimation means for computing the posture of the finger with respect to the back of the hand of the operator from an output from said finger posture detection means by using an output from said spatial coordinate computation means;
hand shape estimation means for obtaining an overall shape of the hand of the operator on the basis of the outputs from said back-of-hand detection means and said finger shape estimation means; and
operation input analysis means for generating a command by a predetermined scheme on the basis of the outputs from said hand shape estimation means and said spatial coordinate computation means.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An operation input device includes a back-of-hand detection section, spatial coordinate computation section, finger posture detection section, finger shape estimation section, hand shape estimation section, and operation input analysis section. The back-of-hand detection section is mounted on the back of the hand of an operator to detect the motion or posture of the back of the hand. The spatial coordinate computation section obtains the position or posture of the back of the hand in a three-dimensional coordinate system on the basis of an output from the back-of-hand detection section. The finger posture detection section is mounted near the tip of a finger of the operator to detect the posture of the finger. The finger shape estimation section computes the posture of the finger with respect to the back of the hand of the operator from an output from the finger posture detection section by using an output from the spatial coordinate computation section. The hand shape estimation section obtains the overall shape of the hand of the operator on the basis of the outputs from the back-of-hand detection section and the finger shape estimation section. The operation input analysis section generates a command by a predetermined scheme on the basis of the outputs from the hand shape estimation section and the spatial coordinate computation section.
366 Citations
22 Claims
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1. An operation input device comprising:
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back-of-hand detection means which is mounted on a back of a hand of an operator to detect a motion or posture of the back of the hand of the operator;
spatial coordinate computation means for obtaining a position or posture of the back of the hand of the operator in a three-dimensional coordinate system on the basis of an output from said back-of-hand detection means;
finger posture detection means which is mounted near a tip of a finger of the operator and which has a uniaxial sensor that detects a posture of the finger of the operator in a one-axis direction;
finger shape estimation means for computing the posture of the finger with respect to the back of the hand of the operator from an output from said finger posture detection means by using an output from said spatial coordinate computation means;
hand shape estimation means for obtaining an overall shape of the hand of the operator on the basis of the outputs from said back-of-hand detection means and said finger shape estimation means; and
operation input analysis means for generating a command by a predetermined scheme on the basis of the outputs from said hand shape estimation means and said spatial coordinate computation means. - View Dependent Claims (2)
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3. An operation input device for performing an input operation on the basis of a shape, spatial position, posture, and motion of a hand of an operator, comprising:
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back-of-hand detection means for detecting a spatial motion or posture of a back of the hand of the operator;
spatial coordinate computation means for obtaining a position or posture in a three-dimensional space on the basis of information from said back-of-hand detection means;
finger posture detection means which has a uniaxial sensor that detects a bending motion or posture of a distal end portion extending from a first joint of each finger in a one-axis direction;
finger shape estimation means for estimating an overall shape of a finger by estimating a bending angle of the distal end portion of the finger with respect to the back of the hand on the basis of pieces of information detected by said spatial coordinate computation means and said finger posture detection means;
hand shape estimation means for estimating a shape of the hand on the basis of information of the overall shape of each finger from said finger shape estimation means; and
operation input analysis means for determining a command to be input by analyzing operation input information from pieces of information from said spatial coordinate computation means and said hand shape estimation means. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
thumb first posture detection means for detecting bending motions or postures of the first and second joints of the thumb in a bending direction; and
thumb second posture detection means for detecting a bending motion of the third joint of the thumb from the back of the hand to a palm or a posture of the third joint.
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5. A device according to claim 3, wherein said finger posture detection means further comprises an angular velocity sensor.
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6. A device according to claim 3, wherein said back-of-hand detection means comprises three acceleration sensors respectively disposed on three orthogonal axes, which detects a spatial translating motion and rotational posture of the back of the hand with said three angular velocity sensors.
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7. A device according to claim 3, wherein said finger posture detection means is mounted on only one finger other than the thumb, the thumb and another finger, the thumb and two other fingers, or the thumb and a plurality of other fingers.
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8. A device according to claim 4, further comprising joint angle estimation means for estimating relative bending angular states of first, second, and third joints of each finger by detecting only a bending angle of the distal end portion of each finger with respect to the back of the hand.
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9. A device according to claim 3, wherein said finger posture detection means is mounted on an upper surface of a thimble-like member or ring-like member mounted on the distal end portion extending from the first joint of each finger.
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10. A device according to claim 3, wherein said finger posture detection means is mounted on the nail of the distal end portion of each finger such that said means can be bonded to the nail.
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11. A device according to claim 3, wherein said back-of-hand detection means is mounted on a back of a fingerless glove.
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12. A device according to claim 3, wherein said operation input analysis means comprises collision detection means for analyzing and determining a collision operation pattern between a finger on which said posture detection means is mounted and a desk or lap or between fingers.
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13. A device according to claim 3, wherein said operation input analysis means comprises total collision detection means for analyzing and determining a collision operation pattern between all fingers and hand and a desk, floor, lap, or the like.
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14. A device according to claim 13, further comprising initialization reset means for forcibly changing angle information to that of an initial hand shape similar to the current hand shape when a collision is detected by said total collision detection means, wherein the initial hand shape data, fully open state (paper) hand shape data, and fully closed state (stone) hand shape data are stored in advance.
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15. A device according to claim 14, further comprising adaptive reset means for changing the current hand shape information to initial hand shape information representing a hand shape closest to the current hand shape when a collision is detected by said collision detection means, wherein several pieces of initial hand shape information are stored in advance.
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16. A device according to claim 3, further comprising initial reset means for forcibly changing angle information to that of an initial hand shape closest to the current hand shape when a fully open state (paper) of the hand and a fully closed state (stone) of the hand are continuously detected, wherein pieces of initial hand shape information of the fully open state (paper) of the hand and the fully closed state (stone) of the hand are stored in advance.
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17. A device according to claim 3, further comprising pseudo-2D mouse operation means in which a height range can be set,
(1) when an operator hand moves to perform pseudo-2D operation in a space within the height range, the pseudo-2D mouse operation means: -
updates mouse movement information of one axis corresponding to a speed or amount of a movement of the mouse in a back-and-forth direction, updates mouse movement information of another axis corresponding to a speed or amount of a movement of the mouse in a lateral direction, (2) when an operator hand moves to perform pseudo-2D operation in a space without the height range, the pseudo-2D mouse operation means does not update mouse information of any axis, and (3) uses detection information about a collision between the forefinger and the middle finger which is detected by said collision detection means as two pieces of button information, thereby allowing pseudo-2D mouse operation.
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18. A device according to claim 3, further comprising pseudo-joystick operation means for, when a hand moves to perform pseudo-joystick operation in a space, performing the pseudo-joystick operation by
setting information corresponding to a tilt or tilt amount of the wrist in a lateral direction as joystick lateral operation information, setting information corresponding to a tilt or tilt amount of the wrist in a back-and-forth direction as joystick back-and-forth operation information, and setting information corresponding to rotation or a rotation amount of the wrist in the lateral direction as joystick rotating operation information, thereby performing pseudo-joystick operation. -
19. A device according to claim 3, wherein said operation input analysis means comprises hand shape code processing means for, when several pieces of hand shape information and corresponding hand shape codes are stored in advance and a hand shape identical to one of the pieces of stored hand shape information is detected, transferring the corresponding hand shape code information.
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20. A device according to claim 3, wherein said operation input analysis means comprises three-finger-related code processing means for transferring finger identification mode information and link portion code information as finger-contact-related information indicating a specific portion of another finger which each finger touches or whether each finger does not touch any other fingers.
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21. An operation input device comprising:
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a back-of-hand detection sensor unit which is mounted on a back of a hand of an operator to detect a motion or posture of the back of the hand of the operator;
a spatial coordinate computation software element for obtaining a position or posture of the back of the hand of the operator in a three-dimensional coordinate system on the basis of an output from said back-of-hand detection sensor unit;
a finger posture detection sensor unit which is mounted near a tip of a finger of the operator and which has a uniaxial sensor that detects a posture of the finger of the operator in a one-axis direction;
a finger shape estimation software element for computing the posture of the finger with respect to the back of the hand of the operator from an output from said finger posture detection software element by using an output from said spatial coordinate computation software element;
a hand shape estimation software element for obtaining an overall shape of the hand of the operator on the basis of the outputs from said back-of-hand detection sensor unit and said finger shape estimation software element; and
an operation input analysis software element for generating a command by a predetermined scheme on the basis of the outputs from said hand shape estimation software element and said spatial coordinate computation software element.
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22. An operation input device for performing input operation on the basis of a shape, spatial position, posture, and motion of a hand of an operator, comprising:
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a back-of-hand detection sensor unit for detecting a spatial motion or posture of a back of the hand of the operator;
a spatial coordinate computation software element for obtaining a position or posture in a three-dimensional space on the basis of information from said back-of-hand detection sensor unit;
a finger posture detection sensor unit which has a uniaxial sensor that detects a bending motion or posture of a distal end portion extending from a first joint of each finger in a one-axis direction;
a finger shape estimation software element for estimating an overall shape of a finger by estimating a bending angle of the distal end portion of the finger with respect to the back of the hand on the basis of pieces of information detected by said spatial coordinate computation software element and said finger posture detection sensor unit;
a hand shape estimation software element for estimating a shape of the hand on the basis of information of the overall shape of each finger from said finger shape estimation software element; and
an operation input analysis software element for determining a command to be input by analyzing operation input information from pieces of information from said spatial coordinate computation software element and said hand shape estimation software element.
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Specification