JP7624455B2 - Rotational control, detection method and program - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a detection device, a detection method, and a program.

2. Description of the Related Art There is known a detection device for detecting the rotation operation of a rotary operator such as a jog dial or an effect knob in an audio device (for example, see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-233636).
In the optical disc reproducing device described in Patent Document 1, a shutter section that is larger in diameter than the jog dial is provided on the jog dial, and a photointerrupter is combined with the shutter section, and rotation of the jog dial is detected based on a control pulse output from the photointerrupter.

JP 2003-249064 A

In addition to the demand for high detection accuracy, there are various demands for detection devices depending on the application. For example, in the case of detection devices used in the above-mentioned audio devices, there are also many demands for a good operability of the rotary operator, durability, space saving, and low cost.
SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT EMBODIMENTS In view of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide a detection device, a detection method, and a program that are highly convenient when detecting the rotation angle of a rotary operator.

[1] A detection device comprising: an output value selection unit that selects one of the output values of a plurality of potentiometers that rotate in conjunction with each other and in different phases in response to the rotation of a rotary operator; and a detection unit that detects the rotation angle of the rotary operator based on the selected output value.
[2] The detection device according to [1], further comprising a rotation transmission means having a plurality of potentiometers and a plurality of gears having the same gear ratio, for transmitting rotation of the rotary operator to the plurality of potentiometers.
[3] The detection device according to [1] or [2], in which a different detection range is assigned to each of the multiple potentiometers within the rotation range of the rotary operator, and the entire rotation range of the rotary operator is complemented by the detection ranges of each of the multiple potentiometers.
[4] A detection device described in any of [1] to [3], wherein the multiple potentiometers include a first potentiometer and a second potentiometer, and the output value selection unit selects the output value of the second potentiometer when the output value of the first potentiometer is outside a predetermined range.
[5] A method for detecting a rotation angle of a rotary operator, the method including the steps of: selecting one of output values of a plurality of potentiometers which rotate in conjunction with each other and in different phases in response to the rotation of the rotary operator; and detecting the rotation angle of the rotary operator based on the selected output value.
[6] A program for causing a computer to function as a detection device having an output value selection unit that selects one of the output values of a plurality of potentiometers that rotate in conjunction with each other in different phases in response to the rotation of a rotary operator, and a detection unit that detects the rotation angle of the rotary operator based on the selected output value.

1 is a cross-sectional view showing the overall configuration of a detection device according to one embodiment of the present invention and a rotary operator whose rotation angle is detected by the detection device. FIG. 2 is a top view of the potentiometer. FIG. 5A and 5B are diagrams illustrating the relationship between the rotation angle of a rotary operator and the output value of a potentiometer in the embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of a detection device according to an embodiment of the present invention; 4 is a flow chart illustrating a detection method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this specification and the drawings, components having substantially the same functional configurations are designated by the same reference numerals, and duplicated explanations will be omitted.

1 is a cross-sectional view showing the overall configuration of a detection device according to an embodiment of the present invention and a rotary operator 2, the rotation angle of which is detected by the detection device. The detection device 1 according to this embodiment is configured integrally with a rotary operator 2.
As shown in FIG. 1, the detection device 1 includes two potentiometers 11A and 11B that detect a rotation angle, rotating gears 12A and 12B that correspond to the potentiometers 11A and 11B, respectively, and a sliding gear 13 that transmits the rotation of the rotary operator 2 to the rotating gears 12A and 12B.
As shown in Fig. 1, the rotary operator 2 includes a rotary operation member 21 that can be gripped and rotated by the user, and a rotary shaft portion 22. As shown in Fig. 1, the rotary operation member 21 and the rotary shaft portion 22 are rotated about a rotary axis _Ax2 . The rotation range of the rotary operator 2 exceeds 360° and is unlimited, and the rotary operator 2 can rotate both clockwise and counterclockwise.

FIG. 2A is a top view of potentiometers 11A and 11B, and FIG. 2B is a top view of rotating gears 12A and 12B.
The potentiometers 11A and 11B are variable resistors that output values according to the rotation angle of a detection target portion (not shown). The detection target portions of the potentiometers 11A and 11B are rotated in conjunction with each other about rotation axes _Ax11A and _Ax11B , respectively, as shown in FIG. 2A.
The rotating gears 12A and 12B have the same gear ratio, and transmit the rotation of the rotary operator 2 transmitted from the sliding gear 13 to the potentiometers 11A and 11B to rotate the detection target portions of the potentiometers 11A and 11B. As shown in Fig. 2A, the rotating gears 12A and 12B are rotated in conjunction with each other about the rotation axes _Ax11A and _Ax11B , respectively. In other words, the potentiometer 11A and the rotating gear 12A are positioned with the rotation axis _Ax11A as the rotation center, and the potentiometer 11B and the rotating gear 12B are positioned with the rotation axis _Ax11B as the rotation center.

3 is a diagram illustrating the relationship between the rotation angle of the rotary operator 2 and the output values of the potentiometers 11A and 11B. In Fig. 3, the horizontal axis represents the rotation angle of the rotary operator 2, and the vertical axis represents the output values.
In Fig. 3, a graph showing the change in the output value V _A of the potentiometer 11A is shown by a dashed line, and a graph showing the change in the output value V _B of the potentiometer 11B is shown by a dashed line. Note that the graph shown in Fig. 3 is normalized because the rotating gears 12A and 12B rotate in opposite directions due to their mechanism.
The output value _VA of the potentiometer 11A and the output value _VB of the potentiometer 11B change in tandem with each other but in different phases, as shown in Fig. 3. This is because the potentiometers 11A and 11B are rotated in tandem with each other but in different phases.
3, T1 indicates the upper limit of the output values of potentiometers 11A and 11B, and T2 indicates the lower limit of the output values of potentiometers 11A and 11B. In other words, if the angle is equal to or greater than T2 and less than T1, it is possible to detect the rotation angle of rotary operator 2 based on output value _VA of potentiometer 11A or output value _VB of potentiometer 11B. In this example, different detection ranges are assigned to potentiometers 11A and 11B out of the rotation range of 360° of rotary operator 2, and the detection ranges of potentiometers 11A and 11B complement the entire 360°.

In the detection device 1 and the rotary operator 2 configured as described above, when a user grips and rotates the rotary operation member 21, the rotary shaft portion 22 rotates about the rotary axis _Ax2 . The rotation of the rotary shaft portion 22 is transmitted in this order to the rotary gears 12A and 12B by the sliding gear 13. When the rotary gears 12A and 12B rotate, the detection target portions of the potentiometers 11A and 11B rotate, and the output values V _A and V _B are output from the potentiometers 11A and 11B, respectively. The sliding gear 13 and the rotary gears 12A and 12B rotate in conjunction with each other, and function as a rotation transmission means that synchronously transmits the rotation of the rotary operator 2 to the potentiometers 11A and 11B.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the detection device 1 shown in FIGS.
The detection device 1 includes a control section 14 and an output section 15 in addition to the potentiometers 11A and 11B described with reference to FIGS.
The control unit 14 is implemented in the detection device 1 by, for example, a communication interface, a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), and a memory that serves as a working area, and controls the operation of the detection device 1. The control unit 14 includes an acquisition unit 141, an output value selection unit 142, and a detection unit 143 that are realized by the processor operating in accordance with a program stored in the memory or received via the communication interface.

The acquisition unit 141 acquires the output values V _A and V _B from the potentiometers 11A and 11B, respectively.
The output value selection unit 142 selects either the output value V _A or the output value V _B acquired by the acquisition unit 141 .
The detection section 143 detects the rotation angle of the rotary operator 2 based on the output value selected by the output value selection section 142 .
The output unit 15 outputs the rotation angle detected by the detection unit 143 .

3, the selection of the output value by the output value selection unit 142 will be described. Note that the following describes the selection of the output value by the output value selection unit 142 when the rotary operator 2 is rotated clockwise.
As described above, different detection ranges are assigned to the potentiometers 11A and 11B, and the detection ranges of the potentiometers 11A and 11B complement the entire 360° described above. Therefore, when one of the output values V _A and V _B is outside the predetermined range determined by the upper limit value T1 and the lower limit value T2, the other output value is always within the predetermined range.
Therefore, the output value selection unit 142 compares the output value _VA and the output value _VB with the upper limit value T1 and the lower limit value T2, and if one of the output values _VA and _VB is outside a predetermined range, selects the other output value. In other words, the output value selection unit 142 selects the output value _VB when the output value _VA is outside the predetermined range, and selects the output value _VA when the output value _VB is outside the predetermined range.
Furthermore, when the selected output value reaches the upper limit T1, the output value selection unit 142 selects the non-selected output value. That is, when the output value V _A reaches the upper limit T1, the output value selection unit 142 selects the output value V _B , and when the output value V _B reaches the upper limit T1, the output value selection unit 142 selects the output value V _A. The graph of the change in the output value V _C selected by the output value selection unit 142 in this manner is shown by the bold line in FIG. 3.

Although the selection of the output value by the output value selection unit 142 when the rotary operator 2 is rotated clockwise has been described here, the same can be considered when the rotary operator 2 is rotated counterclockwise. That is, when the selected output value reaches the lower limit T2, the output value selection unit 142 selects the unselected output value. That is, when the output value V _A reaches the lower limit T2, the output value selection unit 142 selects the output value V _B , and when the output value V _B reaches the lower limit T2, the output value selection unit 142 selects the output value V _A.

Next, a method for detecting the rotation angle of the rotary operator 2 in one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.
The acquiring unit 141 acquires the output values V _A and V _B from the potentiometers 11A and 11B, respectively (step S101). The output value selecting unit 142 compares the acquired output value V _A with the upper limit value T1 and the lower limit value T2, and determines whether the output value V _A is equal to or greater than the upper limit value T1 or less than the lower limit value T2, that is, whether the output value _{V A} is outside a predetermined range (step S102).
When it is determined that the output value _VA is outside the predetermined range (YES in step S102), the output value selection unit 142 selects the output value _VB of the potentiometer 11B as the detection value used to detect the rotation angle (step S103).

When it is determined that the output value V _A is not outside the predetermined range (NO in step S102), the output value selection unit 142 compares the output value V _B acquired in step S101 with the upper limit value T1 and the lower limit value T2, and determines whether the output value V _B is equal to or greater than the upper limit value T1 or less than the lower limit value T2, that is, whether _the output value V _B is outside the predetermined range (step S104).
When it is determined that the output value _VB is outside the predetermined range (YES in step S104), the output value selection unit 142 selects the output value _VA of the potentiometer 11A as the detection value used to detect the rotation angle (step S105).

If it is determined that the output value VB is not outside the predetermined range (NO in step S104), the output value selection unit 142 determines whether the movement directions of the output value VA and the output value VB acquired in step S101 are the same ( step S106).
If it is determined that the movement directions of the output value VA and the output value VB are not the same (NO in step S106) , the output value selection unit 142 returns to step S101.
If it is determined that the movement directions of the output values VA and VB are the same (step S106 YES) , the output value selection unit 142 determines whether the output value VA is greater than the output value VB and whether the difference value between the output values VA and VB, |VA-VB|, is greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold value T3 (step S107).

If it is determined that the output value V _A is greater than the output value V _B and |V _A -V _B |≧T3 (YES in step S107), the output value selection unit 142 returns to step S105 and selects the output value V _A of the potentiometer 11A as the detection value to be used for detecting the rotation angle.
If it is determined that the output value V _A is smaller than the output value V _B or |V _A -V _B |<T3 (NO in step S107), the output value selection unit 142 determines whether the output value V _A is smaller than the output value V _B and whether the difference value |V _A -V _B | between the output value V _A and the output value V _B is greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold value T3 (step S108).

If it is determined that the output value V _A is greater than the output value V _B or |V _A -V _B |<T3 (NO in step S108), the output value selection unit 142 returns to step S101.
If it is determined that the output value V _A is smaller than the output value V _B and |V _A -V _B |≧T3 (YES in step S108), the output value selection unit 142 returns to step S103 and selects the output value V _B of the potentiometer 11B as the detection value to be used for detecting the rotation angle.

When the output value selection unit 142 selects the detection value to be used for detecting the rotation angle in step S103 or step S105, the detection unit 143 detects the rotation angle of the rotation operator 2 based on the selected detection value (step S109), and the output unit 15 outputs the rotation angle (step S110).
The detection device 1 repeats the processes from step S101 to step S110 at a predetermined time interval, thereby being able to detect and output the rotation angle of the rotary operator 2.

According to one embodiment of the present invention as described above, one of the output values of potentiometers 11A and 11B which rotate in conjunction with each other but in different phases in response to the rotation of rotary operator 2 is selected, and the rotation angle of rotary operator 2 is detected based on the selected output value. Therefore, it is possible to realize a highly convenient detection device which is capable of detecting the rotation angle by utilizing the output values of a plurality of potentiometers in a complementary manner.

Furthermore, according to one embodiment of the present invention, potentiometers 11A and 11B, which are multiple potentiometers, are each assigned a different detection range within the rotation range of rotary operator 2, and the entire rotation range of rotary operator 2 is complemented by the detection ranges of potentiometers 11A and 11B, which are multiple potentiometers. Therefore, even if a potentiometer that cannot cover the entire rotation range of rotary operator 2 by itself is used, it is possible to realize a detection device that can complement the entire rotation range of rotary operator 2.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the output value selection unit 142 selects the output value of a second potentiometer when the output value of a first potentiometer of the multiple potentiometers, potentiometers 11A and 11B, is outside a predetermined range. Therefore, the rotation angle of the rotary operator 2 can be detected by appropriately switching between the output values of the multiple potentiometers and selecting the output value.

The configuration of each part of the detection device 1 in the above embodiment is merely an example, and is not limited to this example. For example, although the configuration including two potentiometers 11A and 11B as the multiple potentiometers has been shown, the configuration including three or more potentiometers may be used.
In addition, the arrangement of the potentiometers 11A and 11B is not limited to the example of the above embodiment. For example, in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 1, the potentiometers 11A and 11B may be arranged on both sides of the rotary operator 2.
In addition, in the above embodiment, two gears having the same gear ratio are used as an example of a rotation transmission means, but instead of or in addition to gears, a rotation transmission means using a belt, contact rubber, magnetism, a motor, etc. may be used.

Furthermore, the detection device having the above-mentioned functions may be used in any device or apparatus that detects the rotation angle of a rotary operator. For example, when the detection device of this embodiment is used in an audio device, it is expected to provide effects in terms of the operability, durability, space saving, and cost reduction of the rotary operator.

Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings, the present invention is not limited to such an example. It is clear that a person having ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the present invention pertains can conceive of various modified or altered examples within the scope of the technical ideas described in the claims, and it is understood that these also naturally belong to the technical scope of the present invention.

1...detection device, 2...rotary operator, 11A, 11B...potentiometer, 12A, 12B...rotary gear, 13...sliding gear, 21...rotary operation member, 22...rotary shaft portion, 14...control portion, 15...output portion, 141...acquisition portion, 142...output value selection portion, 143...detection portion.

Claims (4)

A rotary operator having a rotary operating member that rotates over 360° ,
a first potentiometer that outputs a first output value according to a rotation angle of a first detectable part that rotates in response to rotation of the rotary operation member, the first output value increasing from a minimum value to a maximum value as the rotation angle of the first detectable part increases, and then increasing again from the minimum value to the maximum value as the rotation angle further increases ;
a second potentiometer that outputs a second output value having a phase different from that of the first potentiometer in accordance with a rotation angle of a second detectable part that rotates in response to the rotation of the rotary operation member, and the second output value increases from the minimum value to the maximum value as the rotation angle of the second detectable part increases, and then increases again from the minimum value to the maximum value as the rotation angle further increases;
a rotation transmitting means having a first gear and a second gear having the same gear ratio, and transmitting the rotation of the rotation operating member to a first detected portion of the first potentiometer and a second detected portion of the second potentiometer, respectively ;
an output value selection unit that selects the second output value when the first output value is outside a predetermined range defined by an upper limit value smaller than the maximum value and a lower limit value larger than the minimum value, selects the first output value when the second output value is outside the predetermined range, selects one of the first output value and the second output value based on a difference between the first output value and the second output value when each of the first output value and the second output value is not outside the predetermined range and the respective moving directions of the first output value and the second output value are the same, and does not select either the first output value or the second output value when each of the first output value and the second output value is not outside the predetermined range and the respective moving directions of the first output value and the second output value are not the same;
a detection unit that detects a rotation angle of the rotary operator based on an output value selected from the first output value and the second output value . 2. The rotary operator according to claim 1, wherein the first potentiometer and the second potentiometer are assigned different detection ranges within a rotation range of the rotary operator, and the detection ranges of the first potentiometer and the second potentiometer complement the entire rotation range of the rotary operator. a first potentiometer that outputs a first output value in response to a rotation angle of a first detectable part that rotates in response to rotation of the rotary operation member, the first output value increasing from a minimum value to a maximum value as the rotation angle of the first detectable part increases, and repeating an increase from the minimum value to the maximum value again as the rotation angle further increases; a second potentiometer that outputs a second output value having a phase different from that of the first potentiometer in response to a rotation angle of a second detectable part that rotates in response to rotation of the rotary operation member, the second output value increasing from the minimum value to the maximum value as the rotation angle of the second detectable part increases, and repeating an increase from the minimum value to the maximum value again as the rotation angle further increases; and a rotation transmission means having a first gear and a second gear having the same gear ratio, and transmitting rotation of the rotary operation member to the first detectable part of the first potentiometer and the second detectable part of the second potentiometer,
selecting the second output value when the first output value is outside a predetermined range defined by an upper limit value smaller than the maximum value and a lower limit value larger than the minimum value, selecting the first output value when the second output value is outside the predetermined range, selecting one of the first output value and the second output value based on a difference between the first output value and the second output value when each of the first output value and the second output value is not outside the predetermined range and the moving directions of the first output value and the second output value are the same, and selecting neither the first output value nor the second output value when each of the first output value and the second output value is not outside the predetermined range and the moving directions of the first output value and the second output value are not the same;
detecting a rotation angle of the rotary operator based on a selected output value of the first output value and the second output value . A program for causing a computer to execute each step of the method for detecting a rotary operator according to claim 3 .

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