JPH0588809A - Writing utensil type pointing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a writing utensil type pointing device which can perform the input to a computer of a character, etc., by a hand-writing operation easily and freely without using the auxiliary-implement such as a writing pressure detecting panel. CONSTITUTION:A writing utensil type pointing device 1 is formed in a hollow cylindrical shape or a hollow angle cylindrical shape, equipped with a pointing device main body 10 to constitute the outside shell, and at one end of the pointing device main body 10, a tip part 11 formed in a pen point shape is provided. In the pointing device main body 10, a contact condition detecting mechanism 12 to detect the contact condition with the tip part 11 and the writing surface, an inertia detecting mechanism 13 to detect the acceleration to occur accompanying the writing action and a communication mechanism 14 are stored.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a writing instrument type pointing device for inputting characters or the like to a computer by an operation of an operator who writes the characters or the like by hand.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as an input means for a computer, an input device has been developed in which an input person inputs a character by handwriting it. Examples of such a conventional input device include, for example, a writing pressure detection panel that detects writing pressure, a device that recognizes characters written by an input person with a writing instrument-type device, or an optical trigonometry method. There has been proposed a device in which the position of the tip (pen tip) of a writing instrument or the like is sequentially and optically detected and the character or the like written by the input person is recognized from the movement.

[0003]

However, among the above-mentioned conventional devices, the device using the writing pressure detection panel for detecting writing pressure requires a space for placing the writing pressure detection panel on a desk or the like, and However, there is a problem that the occupied area becomes large. Further, in a device in which the writing pressure detection panel is arranged on the surface of the display instead of an independent writing pressure detection panel, there is also a problem that the resolution and legibility of the display are reduced.

Further, in an apparatus for sequentially detecting the position of the tip of a writing instrument or the like by optical trigonometry or the like, if an optical obstacle exists between the writing instrument or the like and an optical measuring instrument, input cannot be performed, and There is a problem that the position detectable portion is limited to a relatively narrow space.

The present invention has been made in consideration of such a conventional situation, and it is easier and more flexible than before to use a handwriting operation for a computer such as a character without using an auxiliary tool such as a writing pressure detection panel. An object of the present invention is to provide a writing instrument type pointing device capable of inputting.

[0006]

That is, the writing instrument type pointing device of the present invention is a writing instrument type pointing device formed in the shape of an external writing instrument, and the contact state between the tip of the writing instrument type pointing device and the writing surface. Based on the information detected by the contact state detecting means for detecting, the inertial detecting means for detecting the acceleration caused by the writing operation, the contact state detecting means and the inertial detecting means,
Based on the calculation means for calculating how the tip of the writing instrument type pointing device has moved in contact with the writing surface, and the movement information calculated by the calculation means, it is written on the writing surface. It is characterized by comprising a recognition means for recognizing characters and the like.

[0007]

In the writing instrument type pointing device of the present invention having the above-described structure, the contact state detecting means detects the contact state between the tip portion (pen tip) and the writing surface, and the acceleration caused by the writing operation obtained by the inertia detecting means. From the above, the moving direction and the moving distance of the tip (pen tip) are calculated by the calculating means. Then, the recognition means recognizes the characters and the like written from these results.

Therefore, it is possible to perform input to the computer by handwriting more easily and freely than before without using auxiliary tools such as a writing pressure detection panel.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of a writing instrument type pointing device of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows the construction of a writing instrument type pointing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, reference numeral 1 is a writing instrument pointing device having an outer shape of a writing instrument such as a fountain pen or a ballpoint pen, and 2 is a host. The host device 2 is a device for calculating, based on the information from the writing instrument type pointing device 1, how the tip 11 to be described later has moved in contact with the writing surface (not shown).
And, based on the movement information calculated by this calculating means,
A recognition means (not shown) for recognizing characters, numbers, symbols, etc. written on the writing surface is provided.

The writing instrument type pointing device 1 is provided with a pointing device main body 10 which is formed in, for example, a hollow cylindrical shape or a hollow square tubular shape and constitutes an outer shell, and one end of the pointing device main body 10 has a pen tip. A tip portion 11 formed in a shape is provided. In addition, inside the pointing device body 10, a contact state detection mechanism 12 that detects a contact state between the tip portion 11 and the writing surface, and an inertial detection mechanism 13 that detects acceleration generated during writing operation.
And the communication mechanism 14 are housed.

In the present embodiment, the contact state detecting mechanism 12 is composed of a pressure sensor 15, as shown in FIG. That is, a guide hole 16 is provided at the tip of the pointing device body 10, and a movable member 17 that constitutes the tip portion 11 is arranged so as to penetrate the guide hole 16 and be movable in the direction of the arrow in the figure. .. When the movable member 17 comes into contact with the writing surface 18, the movable member 17 presses the pressure sensor 15 by the writing pressure, and the pressure sensor 15 can detect the pressure. For example, if the movable member 17 is provided with a writing function such as a ballpoint pen, it is possible to input characters or the like as described later while actually writing on a piece of paper or the like.

Further, the inertial detection mechanism 13 has the writing instrument type pointing device 1 in the same manner as a general writing instrument, and when writing a character or the like, the acceleration caused by the writing action is utilized by utilizing a so-called gyro characteristic. Is to be detected.

Here, in orthogonal coordinates as shown in FIG. 3, the measurement center of the inertial detection mechanism 13 is the origin, the contact portion between the movable member 17 and the writing surface 18 is D, and D is projected onto the xy plane. The angle formed by the x-axis (viewed from the x-axis in the y-axis direction) is the angle formed by θ and D and the projection (viewed in the z-axis direction from the xy plane).
Be φ. Further, the rotation angle of the axis of the writing instrument type pointing device 1 is ω. At this time, the position of D is D _x = r · cos φ · cos θ D _y = r · cos φ · sin θ D _z = r ·, where r is the distance from the measurement center of the inertial detection mechanism 13 to D. sin φ. Therefore, if the coordinates of the measurement center of the inertial detection mechanism 13 are (x ₀ , y ₀ , z ₀ ), the position of D is x = x ₀ + r · cos φ · cos θ y = y ₀ + r · cos φ · sin θ z = z ₀ + r · sin φ. With this, for example, when writing is started, the coordinate system of the inertial detection mechanism 13 is initialized manually or automatically, and the moving distance of the measurement center of the inertial detection mechanism 13,
By detecting the direction, the inclination of the writing instrument type pointing device 1, and the like, it is possible to calculate how the contact portion between the movable member 17 and the writing surface 18 has moved. In addition,
At this time, whether or not the movable member 17 and the writing surface 18 are in contact with each other is detected by a signal from the contact state detection mechanism 12 described above.

In this embodiment, the detection signals of the contact state detecting mechanism 12 and the inertial detecting mechanism 13 are sent to the host device 2 via the communication mechanism 14, and the calculating means of the host device 2 operates as described above. Calculate and write 18
The trajectory above is required. Then, by the recognition means of the host device 2, the letters, numbers, etc. written from the calculated locus,
Recognize symbols and perform input. Note that a means for calculating and recognizing such a locus on the writing surface 18 may be provided on the writing instrument type pointing device 1 side. Alternatively, the detection signal or the like may not be sent to the host device 2 by the communication mechanism 14, but may be sent by wire using a signal cable. In this case, the influence of noise or the like is less likely to occur, but the ease of use is impaired, for example, it disturbs writing.

As described above, in the writing instrument type pointing device 1 of the present embodiment, letters, numbers, and the like can be easily and freely handwritten on the host device 2 without using an auxiliary tool such as a writing pressure detection panel. It is possible to input symbols and the like.

Although the pressure sensor 15 is used as the contact state detecting mechanism 12 in the above embodiment, the light emitting element 20 and the wavelength are used as the contact state detecting mechanism 12 as shown in FIG. 4, for example. Selection filter 21,
An optical detection mechanism including the light receiving element 22 and the like can also be used. That is, the light emitted from the light emitting element 20 and reflected by the writing surface 18 is configured to be detected by the light receiving element 22 via the wavelength selection filter 21, and the tip portion 11 causes the writing surface to move depending on the intensity of the reflected light. It is detected whether or not it is in contact with 18. At this time, if the writing surface 18 having a scale, such as graph paper, is used, the light intensity detected by the light receiving element 22 varies in a pulsed manner with the writing operation. Part 11
The moving distance of can be detected. If such a detection signal is sent to the host device 2 together with the detection signal of the inertial detection mechanism 13, it is possible to more accurately recognize the character or the like. Further, as the contact state detection mechanism 12, a capacitance detection sensor or the like can be used in the same manner.

[0018]

As described above, according to the writing instrument type pointing device of the present invention, it is easier and more flexible than before to use a handwritten character for a computer without using an auxiliary tool such as a writing pressure detection panel. You can enter.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a writing instrument type pointing device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration of a contact state detection mechanism of the writing instrument type pointing device of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining a measurement principle by an inertial detection mechanism.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a configuration of a contact state detection mechanism of another embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Writing instrument type pointing device 2 Host device 10 Pointing device main body 11 Tip part 12 Contact state detection mechanism 13 Inertia detection mechanism 14 Communication mechanism

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A writing instrument type pointing device formed in the shape of an external writing instrument, comprising contact state detection means for detecting a contact state between a tip portion of the writing instrument type pointing device and a writing surface, and a contact state detection device. Inertia detection means for detecting acceleration, based on the information detected by the contact state detection means and the inertia detection means, how the tip of the writing instrument pointing device moved in contact with the writing surface A writing instrument-type pointing device, comprising: a calculating unit that calculates whether or not, and a recognizing unit that recognizes a character or the like written on the writing surface based on the movement information calculated by the calculating unit.