JP2001175411A - Image controller - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image controller which can be easily operated using a single one device. SOLUTION: This image controller 1 is provided with a cross key 21 for instructing the movement of a place and an attitude angle detecting device 4 for instructing the movement of a point of view.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image control apparatus which is connected to a personal computer (hereinafter referred to as a personal computer) or the like, and is used for moving a place or a viewpoint in a three-dimensional space projected on a screen such as a display. About.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 4 shows a state in which a conventional image control device is connected to a personal computer. As shown in FIG. 4, the image control device 11 and the mouse 41 are connected to the main body 50 of the personal computer.

[0003] The image control device 11 is provided with a cross key 21 and a button 31. The cross key 21 is
For example, the button 31 is used to move a place, and the button 31 is used to give an instruction such as selection or determination of an item.

[0004] In addition, when changing the viewpoint, the mouse 41
For example, it is used to look up and down.

Therefore, when moving in a three-dimensional space or changing a viewpoint on software of a personal computer, for example, in a virtual art museum or the like, an image control device and a mouse must be used together. That is, complicated operations such as going straight by the image control device and looking up with the mouse have been required.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to solve the above-mentioned problems and to provide an image control apparatus which can be easily operated by one apparatus.

[0007]

The image control apparatus according to the present invention is characterized in that it has a posture angle detecting device for instructing the movement of a viewpoint in a three-dimensional space on a display.

The present inventors have previously proposed a posture angle detecting device in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-212474. The attitude angle detection device is used for controlling and detecting the attitude of a moving object, and includes three gyroscopes, two acceleration sensors, and two magnetic azimuth sensors, and outputs angular velocities output by three gyroscopes. Motion angle calculating device for detecting a motion angle based on acceleration, two acceleration sensors, a static angle calculating device for detecting an attitude angle based on acceleration and geomagnetism output from two magnetic bearing sensors, and a static angle detection And a posture angle calculation device that calculates a posture angle to be output using the results of the motion angle calculation device and the stationary angle calculation device in accordance with the calculation result of the determination device. Things.

The attitude angle calculated from the output of the gyroscope causes an integration error because of the integration calculation. The influence of the integration error means that, for example, when the sensor is slightly moved from a certain position and returned to the original position, the calculated attitude angle does not return to the original state. In addition, the attitude angle calculated from the output of the acceleration sensor and the output of the magnetic direction sensor does not show a correct output when linear motion acceleration is applied in addition to the gravitational acceleration, and the electrical noise and camera shake There is a problem that the system is not stabilized at rest due to an influence or the like. Therefore, the above-described posture angle detection device performs a correction process. By this correction processing, the defects of each sensor are interpolated with each other to ensure accuracy.

In the present invention, the principle of detecting the attitude angle around the three axes is applied to the detection around the two axes, and is applied to the movement of the viewpoint in a three-dimensional space on the display.

That is, according to the present invention, 3
An image control apparatus for instructing movement in a three-dimensional space, comprising: a direction instructing unit for instructing movement of a place; and a posture angle detection apparatus for instructing movement of a viewpoint, wherein the posture angle detection apparatuses are orthogonal to each other. An image control device for detecting a rotation angle around two or more axes, comprising two or more gyroscopes, one or more acceleration sensors, and one or more magnetic azimuth sensors. .

Also, in the present invention, the attitude angle detecting device may be arranged such that axes orthogonal to each other in a horizontal plane are an X axis and a Y axis.
When the axis orthogonal to the Y axis is the Z axis, Y
A gyroscope that detects angular velocity around the axis, a gyroscope that detects angular velocity around the Z axis, an X-axis acceleration sensor that detects an inclination angle around the Y axis, and a geomagnetism that detects X-axis and Y-axis directions The image control device as described above, further comprising a magnetic azimuth sensor for calculating an azimuth angle around the Z axis.

Further, according to the present invention, the angle of the two axes of the posture angle detecting device is determined by using a mouse X counter and a Y counter according to the angle.
The above image control device is output as a counter signal.

Therefore, the present invention also has the function of a conventional mouse, so that a single device can be used to move the front, rear, left and right places, and move the viewpoint up, down, left, and right with simple operations. Further, since a small attitude angle detection device is used, the image control device having the above configuration can be realized without changing the size and appearance of the conventional device. In addition, since a mouse is not required, the space around the personal computer is not required, and the space can be saved.

[0015]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a state in which the image control device of the present invention is connected to a personal computer. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the image control device of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an arrangement state of each sensor in the attitude angle detecting device of the image control device of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 2, the image control device 1 of the present invention is provided with a cross key 21 and a button 31 on the upper surface of a case. Further, an attitude angle detecting device 4 is installed inside the case.

The cross key 21 is used to move the place, and is used to move forward, backward, back and forth, and so on. The button 31 is used for performing operations such as selection and determination of an item. The attitude angle detection device 4 is used to operate the movement of the viewpoint, and is used for moving the viewpoint up, down, left, and right, such as looking up.

As shown in FIG. 3, an axis orthogonal to the horizontal plane is defined as an X-axis and a Y-axis in the attitude angle detecting device 4.
A gyroscope 6 for detecting an angular velocity about the Y-axis on an XY plane when an axis orthogonal to the axis and the Y-axis is set to the Z-axis.
And a gyroscope 7 for detecting angular velocity around the Z axis
An acceleration sensor 8 for detecting a tilt angle around the Y axis (that is, acceleration in the X axis direction), and a magnetic direction sensor 9 for detecting geomagnetism in the X axis and Y axis directions and calculating a direction around the Z axis. Is arranged. Piezoelectric vibrating gyroscopes were used for the gyroscopes 6 and 7, a semiconductor acceleration sensor was used for the acceleration sensor 8, and an MR geomagnetic sensor was used for the magnetic direction sensor 9. In FIG. 2, directions parallel to the Y axis and directions parallel to the Z axis are indicated by arrows, respectively.

The pitch angle and yaw angle of the attitude angle detecting device are configured to be output as X and Y counter signals of a mouse corresponding to the angles. Here, the pitch angle is set to correspond to the movement of the upper and lower viewpoints, and the yaw angle is set to correspond to the movement of the left and right viewpoints.

As shown in FIG. 1, when the image control device 1 of the present invention is connected to the main body 50 of a personal computer, the user moves the front, rear, left and right places in the three-dimensional space on the software by using the cross key. According to 21, the movement of the viewpoint in the up, down, left, and right directions can be operated by the posture angle detecting device 4, and the image can be controlled more intuitively.

Similarly, although relative, a three-dimensional object is moved with the cross key 2 while keeping the viewpoint constant.
The rotation or the like of the object can be operated by the posture angle detection device 4.

Further, since the gyroscope, the acceleration sensor, and the magnetic azimuth sensor compensate each other, the responsiveness is good and the reproducibility is good.

In the above embodiment, an example of the cross key has been described, but a four-way switch such as a so-called joystick or a track ball may be used.

[0025]

As described above, according to the present invention,
An image control device that can be easily operated with one device could be provided.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a state in which an image control device of the present invention is connected to a personal computer.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the image control device of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a state of arrangement of each sensor in a posture angle detecting device of the image control device of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a state in which a conventional image control device is connected to a personal computer.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1, 11 Image control apparatus 4 Attitude angle detection apparatus 6, 7 Gyroscope 8 Acceleration sensor 9 Magnetic direction sensor 21 Cross key 31 Button 41 Mouse 50 Main body

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page F term (reference) 2F069 AA03 AA06 AA83 AA93 BB40 DD27 DD30 GG06 GG15 GG41 GG59 HH30 2F105 AA10 BB17 BB20 5B087 AA07 AA09 AE00 BC05 BC13 BC19 BC26 BC31 BC34

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. An image control apparatus for instructing movement in a three-dimensional space projected on a screen, comprising: a direction instructing means for instructing movement of a place; and a posture angle detecting apparatus for instructing movement of a viewpoint. The attitude angle detection device detects a rotation angle around two or more axes orthogonal to each other,
An image control device comprising two or more gyroscopes, one or more acceleration sensors, and one or more magnetic direction sensors. 2. The attitude angle detecting device according to claim 1, wherein an axis orthogonal to the horizontal plane is an X axis and a Y axis, and an axis orthogonal to the X axis and the Y axis is a Z axis. A gyroscope that detects angular velocity around the axis, a gyroscope that detects angular velocity around the Z axis, an X-axis acceleration sensor that detects an inclination angle around the Y axis, and a geomagnetism that detects X-axis and Y-axis directions 2. The image control device according to claim 1, further comprising a magnetic azimuth sensor for calculating an azimuth angle around the Z axis. 3. An angle of two axes of the attitude angle detecting device is:
3. The image control device according to claim 2, wherein the signals are output as X counter and Y counter signals of a mouse corresponding to the angle.