Position information input device and position information input method

• US 8,743,079 B2
• Filed: 06/25/2009
• Issued: 06/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Norieda, Shin
• Primary Examiner(s): Shalwala, Bipin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ketema, Benyam
• Application Number:
  US13/000,859
• Publication Number:
  US 20110134074A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,804 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/173, 345/174
• US Class Current: 345/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/045 using resistive elements, e.g. a single continuous surface or two parallel surfaces put in contact

Abstract

A position information input device is provided with input positions assumed to be some positions of the surface of a conductive object, one or more signal receiving electrodes provided in other positions on the conductive object correspondingly thereto, for receiving a positioning signal inputted to each input position, and a signal input transfer module for transferring the same positioning signal specific to the input position. A signal generation/output module is provided together with the signal input transfer module, for generating the positioning signal in which a plurality of signals having different frequencies are defined as one group. The position information input device calculates path resistance values between the input position and the signal receiving electrodes from the respective values of the positioning signals received by the signal receiving electrodes and specifies the input position from the differences thereof.

Claims

1. A position information input device being a terminal, comprising:

an input unit formed with a single or a plurality of signal transmitting units for dispatching an electric signal in response to one part of a body that holds the terminal directly touching another part of the body for making an input and a plurality of signal receiving units for detecting the electric signal and outputting detection data;

a dispatch/generation module which generates the electric signal for the signal transmitting unit(s), outputs the generated signal as dispatch data, and outputs output chronic timing thereof and a state of the generated signal as generation data; and

an input information specifying module which specifies a contact position by referring to the detection data, the generation data, and accumulation data in a database set in advance, and outputs the position as input information specification data, wherein

the input information specifying module calculates electric impedance properties from electric current values and voltage values as the detection data based on timings showing each frequency as the generation data, calculates an electric impedance as a target based on physical electric properties of at least one of bones, muscles, tendons, joints, skin, and blood of the body by referring to the accumulation data of the database set in advance, and specifies the contact position from the electric impedance.

2. The position information input device as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the signal transmitting unit(s) and the signal receiving units are disposed to be in contact with a part of the body such as a hand that holds the terminal, a fingertip, and a base of the finger; and

the signal receiving units detect the electric current values and the voltage values of the electric signal dispatched from the signal transmitting unit(s) based on the physical electric properties of at least one of the bone structures, the muscles, the tendons, the joints, and the skin of the body.

3. The position information input device as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the input unit includes conductive electrode pads at a part to be in contact with the body as the signal transmitting unit(s) and the signal receiving units, and a casing made with an insulator for blocking electrical connections in other parts.

4. The position information input device as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the casing of the input unit is in a wristwatch shape;

and

the signal transmitting unit of the input unit is disposed on a surface of the casing, and three signal receiving units described above of the input unit are disposed on a back face side of the casing.

5. The position information input device as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the casing of the input unit is in a wristwatch shape; and

the signal transmitting units and the signal receiving units are disposed at positions to be in contact with the body on a surface of a terminal of the casing, and the signal transmitting units and the signal receiving units are disposed at the positions to be in contact with the body at three points on a back face side of the terminal of the casing.

6. The position information input device as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the casing of the input unit is in a wristwatch shape, and the signal transmitting unit is disposed on a surface of the casing; and

two signal receiving units described above are disposed on a back face side of the casing.

7. The position information input device as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the dispatch/generation module generates the electric signals to be AC currents as the electric signals dispatched from the signal transmitting units, and outputs the electric signals in order by a specific time unit from a lower frequency to a higher frequency.

8. The position information input device as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the input information specifying module calculates model fitting to the impedance properties by an electric equivalent circuit based on cells of the body in particular in order to specify the contact position from the electric impedance, and calculates an electric pure resistance power of the body to specify the contact position.

9. The position information input device as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the database records the electric resistance power of the body that performs input operations and a contact resistance power at the contact part as the accumulation data.

10. The position information input device as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the database records the electric resistance power of the body that performs input operations and a contact resistance power at the contact part as the accumulation data, and further records a relation between the electric pure resistance power of the body and length of the body.

11. A position information input method for inputting position information to a terminal, comprising:

a dispatch/generation step which generates an electric signal, outputs the generated signal as dispatch data, and outputs output chronic timing thereof and a state of the generated signal as generation data;

a signal transmitting step for dispatching the electric signal in response to a part of a body that holds a terminal contacting another part of the body for making an input;

a signal receiving step for detecting the electric signal and outputting detection data; and

an input information specifying step which specifies a contact position by referring to the detection data, the generation data, and accumulation data in a database set in advance, and outputs the position as input information specification data, wherein

the input information specifying step calculates electric impedance properties from electric current values and voltage values as the detection data based on timings showing each frequency as the generation data, calculates an electric impedance as a target based on physical electric properties of at least one of bones, muscles, tendons, joints, skin, and blood of the body by referring to the accumulation data of the database set in advance, and specifies the contact position from the electric impedance.

12. The position information input method as claimed in claim 11, wherein

the detection data detected in the signal receiving step is data generated based on the electric current values and the voltage values.

13. The position information input method as claimed in claim 11, wherein

the dispatch/generation step generates the electric signals to be AC currents as the electric signals dispatched in the signal transmitting step, and outputs the electric signals in order by a specific time unit from a lower frequency to a higher frequency.

14. The position information input method as claimed in claim 11, wherein

the input information specifying step calculates model fitting to the impedance properties by an electric equivalent circuit based on cells of the body in particular in order to specify the contact position from the electric impedance, and calculates an electric pure resistance power of the body to specify the contact position.

15. The position information input method as claimed in claim 11, wherein

the accumulation data in the database that is referred in the input information specifying step is data in which the electric resistance power of the body that performs input operations and a contact resistance power at the contact part are recorded.

16. The position information input method as claimed in claim 11, wherein

the accumulation data in the database that is referred in the input information specifying step is data in which the electric resistance power of the body that performs input operations and a contact resistance power at the contact part are recorded, and a relation between the electric pure resistance power of the body and length of the body is further recorded.

17. A position information input device, comprising:

an input unit formed with a single or a plurality of signal transmitting means for dispatching an electric signal in response to one part of a body that holds the terminal directly touching another part of the body for making an input and a plurality of signal receiving means for detecting the electric signal and outputting detection data;

dispatch/generation means for generating the electric signal for the signal transmitting unit(s), outputting the generated signal as dispatch data, and outputting output chronic timing thereof and a state of the generated signal as generation data; and

input information specifying means for specifying a contact position by referring to the detection data, the generation data, and accumulation data in a database set in advance, and outputting the position as input information specification data, wherein

the input information specifying means calculates electric impedance properties from electric current values and voltage values as the detection data based on timings showing each frequency as the generation data, calculates an electric impedance as a target based on physical electric properties of at least one of bones, muscles, tendons, joints, skin, and blood of the body by referring to the accumulation data of the database set in advance, and specifies the contact position from the electric impedance.