JPH075980A - Rotational motion input method - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Object] An object of the present invention is to provide a rotational movement input method in a three-dimensional 6-degree-of-freedom pointing device capable of inputting an arbitrary rotational movement in a three-dimensional space by a finger touch operation. . According to the present invention, in a three-dimensional 6-degree-of-freedom pointing device in which a sensor 1 for detecting contact is arranged on a spherical or cylindrical surface and the position and orientation are input by touching the surface, the sensor 1 The movement of the contact position of one point on the surface is detected by this, and this movement is converted into the rotational momentum conversion method 2.
Is converted into rotational momentum and output to the computer 3.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method of inputting rotational movement in a 6-DOF pointing device using tactile information, which is used as an input device for a computer or a control device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there are the following devices as a rotary motion input method in a pointing device of a computer or a control device.

(1) A pointing device for exclusively inputting a two-dimensional translation amount such as a mouse, a trackball or a joystick is used to rotate the input translation amount about a rotation axis fixed in advance. A method of inputting rotary motion by converting it into a quantity.

(2) By using a plurality of dials with one degree of freedom,
A method of inputting rotary motion by converting the amount of rotation of each dial into the amount of rotation around a fixed rotation axis.

(3) By using a plurality of devices such as keys on a keyboard that can be turned on and off, the length of time each key is pressed (on state) can be determined by measuring the time around a rotation axis fixed in advance. A method of inputting rotational motion by converting it into the amount of rotation.

(4) A method in which a three-dimensional absolute posture is obtained by a sensor using magnetism, ultrasonic waves, etc., and rotational movement is input by posture displacement at fixed time intervals.

(5) A method of inputting a rotary motion by determining the posture of the rotary shaft from the positions of two contact points on the spherical surface (Japanese Patent Application No. 4-117716).

[0008]

In a system for operating a three-dimensional position or posture such as a three-dimensional CAD system, it is necessary to support six degrees of freedom.

The conventional 6-degree-of-freedom pointing device utilizing magnetism has a drawback that a wide space is required for operation.

In addition, a device in which a pointing device having one or two degrees of freedom is combined has to be instructed for each degree of freedom, which causes a problem of poor operability.

Further, in the device for converting the parallel movement amount into the rotational momentum, it is necessary for an operating person to convert and input the original rotational momentum into the parallel movement amount, which causes a problem of poor operability.

In addition, the conventional method has a problem that the position of the rotary shaft cannot be input.

Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and it is possible to input an arbitrary amount of rotation about an arbitrary rotation axis, and there is an operation space of a limited size or magnetic fluctuation. An object of the present invention is to provide a rotary motion input method in a three-dimensional 6-degree-of-freedom pointing device that can be used in an operation space and can instruct a rotary motion to be input by an operator in an intuitive manner. .

[0014]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a fixed spherical or cylindrical device surface with a sensor for detecting contact, and when the device surface is touched with a finger. The contact position of one or a plurality of points on the device surface is detected. Then, the rotational axis and the rotational momentum are obtained from the detected contact point position information or the movement information of the contact point position. At this time, the relationship between the motion of the finger for movement and the interpreted rotational motion is the same as the motion of gripping and rotating the object with the fingertip in the three-dimensional real world.

[0015]

According to the present invention, it is possible to detect information on an arbitrary rotational movement in a three-dimensional world from contact position information from a sensor mounted on a spherical or cylindrical surface and detecting a contact. Therefore, it is possible to perform arbitrary attitude control in an environment where the electromagnetic field changes and where the installation space is limited.

Further, according to the method of claims 1 and 2, the operation of the fingertip on the sensor is similar to the operation of pinching and twisting an object in the real world, so that the operability can be enhanced. become.

According to the method of claim 3, not only the attitude of the rotary shaft but also the position of the rotary shaft can be input.

[0018]

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a structural explanatory view showing an embodiment of the present invention. A contact position detector (sensor) 1 for detecting a contact is provided on a spherical or cylindrical surface, and a three-dimensional 6-DOF pointing device is used to input the position and orientation by touching the surface. The contact position detector 1
It is detected that there is a contact on a spherical or cylindrical surface, and the number of contact positions and the coordinates of each contact position are transmitted to the rotational momentum conversion method 2. In this rotary momentum conversion method 2, the position and orientation of the rotary shaft and the rotary momentum around the rotary shaft are obtained by the method described in the following Examples 1, 2, and 3, and these are transmitted to the computer 3.

When n points on the sphere are touched at time ^t , the position of the contact point P _i ^t (i = 0, ..., N-1) is changed to (x _i ^t , y _i ^t , z _i). ^t )). For simplicity (x
_i ^t , y _i ^t , z _i ^t ) are unit vectors.

(Embodiment 1) FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a rotary motion input method for moving one contact point.

The movement of the contact position of one point on the surface of the sphere is converted into the rotational momentum as follows. One point P ₀ ^tj (x ₀ ^tj , y ₀ ^tj , z ₀ ^tj ) 4 is touched at time ^tj , and one point P ₀ ^{tj + 1} (x ₀ ^{tj + 1} , y ₀ ^{tj + 1} , at time ti ^{+ 1} .
z ₀ ^{tj + 1} ) 5. At this time, it is interpreted that the rotational motion for matching P ₀ ^tj 4 with P ₀ ^{tj + 1} 5 is input between the times tj and tj + 1. An example of such an interpretation can be realized by setting the rotation axis 6 to be a vector orthogonal to both P ₀ ^tj and P ₀ ^{tj + 1} , and the rotation amount being an angle formed by P ₀ ^tj and P ₀ ^{tj +1.} . By such a rotational movement, P ₀ ^tj 4 can be matched with P ₀ ^{tj + 1} 5.

(Embodiment 2) FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of a rotary motion input method for moving an n-contact point.

The movement of the contact positions of a plurality of points on the surface of the sphere is converted into rotational momentum as follows. At time tj, n points P _i ^tj (x _i ^tj , y _i ^tj , z _i ^tj ) (i = 0,
, N-1), and n point P _i ^{tj + 1 at time tj + 1}
It is assumed that the user has moved to (x _i ^{tj + 1} , y _i ^{tj + 1} , z _i ^{tj + 1} ).
At this time, P _i ^{tj is set} to P _i during the time tj to tj + 1.
It is interpreted that the rotational motion corresponding to ^{tj + 1} is input.

This method is characterized in that, regardless of where the positions of a plurality of points that first come into contact with each other, arbitrary rotational movements can be input by subsequent movement operations.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of a rotary motion input method for moving two contact points.

Here, an example of how to obtain the rotational movement when the number of contact points is two is shown.

First, a contact position and a contact attitude, which are obtained from two contact points, are defined as follows. The vector representing the contact position (called the contact position vector) is P ₀
^{It is} assumed that the average of ^tj and P ₁ ^tj is obtained and this is normalized. A vector representing the contact attitude (referred to as a contact attitude vector) is obtained by ^obtaining an orthogonal component of P ₀ ^{tj with} respect to the contact position vector and normalizing this.

The contact position vector 7 at time t is
The rotational motion that matches the contact position vector 8 at t + 1 and the contact attitude vector 9 at time t to the contact attitude vector 10 at time t + 1 can be uniquely determined, and this rotational motion is input. Interpret as

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of the process of the rotary momentum conversion method 2 based on the rotary motion input method of moving two contact points. That is, the initial contact point position is first acquired, and the new contact point position due to the current contact is acquired in the state where there is no old contact point position. The new contact point position is acquired again as no position. On the other hand, if it is determined that there is a new contact point position, but there is no old contact point position, the new contact point position is acquired at the next time point with the new contact point position as the old contact point position. If it is determined that there is a new contact point position at the next time point and there is an old contact point position, the rotation axis and rotation are performed from the new and old contact point positions based on the rotary motion input method of moving the two contact points in FIG. The amount is calculated, and the rotation axis and the rotation amount are output to the computer 3. After outputting to the computer 3, the new contact point position becomes the old contact point position, and the new contact point position at the next time point is acquired.

(Embodiment 3) FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of a rotary motion input method for designating a rotary axis by two contact points.

Using the contact position of two points on the surface of the sphere as the axis of rotation, conversion into rotational momentum is performed as follows. First, 2
By touching points 11 and 12 at the same time, the rotary shaft 13 is input. The rotating shaft 13 is a straight line connecting the two contact points 11 and 12. Next, one of the two points 11 and 12 is released. The rotation direction is determined by which one of the points is released, and the rotation amount is instructed according to the contact time and the contact strength.

FIG. 7 is a flow chart of the process of the rotary momentum conversion method 2 based on the rotary motion input method of designating the rotary axis by two contact points. That is, first, in the state where the rotation axis is undefined, there is a two-point contact, and the rotation axis is determined from two points. Repeat the decision. On the other hand, if one point of the two-point contact is released and the one-point contact is made and the rotation axis has already been determined from the previous two-point contact, based on the rotary motion input method of designating the rotation axis by the two contact points in FIG. And outputs the rotation axis and the rotation amount to the computer 3. After the output to the computer 3, the presence or absence of the next two-point contact is determined. When the two points of two-point contact are released or the rotation axis is undecided, the rotation axis returns to the undefined state.

FIG. 8 shows a rotary motion input method in which a rotary axis is designated by two contact points. After releasing one of the two points,
It is explanatory drawing of the rotary motion inputting method which makes it possible to correct a rotating shaft during a rotating operation by moving the other point which is still in contact. An example will be described in which the point 14 of the two points 14 and 15 is released and the point 15 remains in contact. When the point 14 is released, the rotation axis 16 connecting the points 14 and 15 is determined, and the rotation operation about the rotation axis 16 is started. At this time, the position of the point 14 is stored. If point 15 is moved to the position of point 17 during the rotating operation,
A straight line connecting the stored position of the point 14 and the moved point 17 is set as a new rotation axis 18, and the rotational momentum around the new rotation axis 18 is obtained.

FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram of a rotary motion input method in which the position of one contact point is detected and a straight line connecting this one point and the center of a sphere or a cylinder is used as the rotation axis to specify the rotation axis. That is, one contact point 19 on the surface is detected and
A straight line connecting the point and the center 20 of the sphere or cylinder is the rotation axis 2
Set to 1. The rotation amount is instructed according to the contact time and the contact strength. In this case, the rotation direction is determined to be right (or left) with respect to the vector from the contact point 19 to the center 20. Even in the method of designating the rotation axis by one contact point, it is possible to correct the rotation axis during the rotation operation. That is, by moving the one contact point 19 to the point 22 during the rotation operation, the vector connecting the moved point 22 and the center 20 is set as the new rotation axis 23, and thus the rotation momentum about the new rotation axis 23 is set. Ask for.

[0036]

As described above, according to the present invention, by using a sensor that detects a contact point on a spherical or cylindrical surface, an arbitrary rotary motion in a three-dimensional space can be performed by a finger touch operation. You can enter. Therefore, it is possible to input an arbitrary rotary motion in an environment where the electromagnetic field changes and where the installation space is limited.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a structural explanatory view showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a rotary motion input method for moving one contact point according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of a rotary motion input method for moving an n-contact point according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of a rotary motion input method for moving two contact points according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of processing of a rotary momentum conversion method based on a rotary motion input method of moving two contact points according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of a rotary motion input method for designating a rotary axis by two contact points according to the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart of a process of a rotary momentum conversion method based on a rotary motion input method of designating a rotary axis by two contact points according to the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a rotational motion input method for designating a rotation axis by two contact points according to the present invention, in which one of the two points is released, and then the other contact point is moved to perform a rotating operation. It is explanatory drawing of the rotary motion input method which makes it possible to correct a rotation axis to FIG.

FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram of a rotary motion input method according to the present invention in which a position of one contact point is detected and a straight line connecting the one point and the center of a sphere or a cylinder is used as a rotation axis to specify the rotation axis. Is.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... Contact position detector (sensor), 2 ... Rotational momentum conversion method, 3 ... Calculator.

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A three-dimensional 6-degree-of-freedom pointing device in which a sensor for detecting contact is arranged on a spherical or cylindrical surface and the position and orientation are input by touching this surface A rotary motion input method characterized by detecting movement of a contact position and converting this movement into rotary momentum. 2. A three-dimensional 6-degree-of-freedom pointing device in which a sensor for detecting contact is arranged on a spherical or cylindrical surface, and the position and orientation are input by touching the surface, a plurality of points on the surface are provided. Detects the movement of the contact position,
A rotary motion input method characterized by converting this motion into rotary momentum. 3. A three-dimensional 6-degree-of-freedom pointing device in which a sensor for detecting contact is arranged on a spherical or cylindrical surface and the position and orientation are input by touching this surface A rotary motion input method characterized by determining the position and orientation of a rotation axis by detecting a contact position and using a straight line connecting these two points as a rotation axis. 4. A three-dimensional 6-degree-of-freedom pointing device in which a sensor for detecting contact is arranged on a spherical or cylindrical surface and the position and orientation are input by touching this surface A rotary motion input method characterized by determining the position and orientation of a rotation axis by a method of detecting a contact position and using a straight line connecting the point and the center of a sphere or a cylinder as a rotation axis.