JPH056701B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Field of Application) The present invention relates to an optical mouse, and particularly to an optical mouse that can move a cursor to any position on a display surface of a cathode ray tube or the like.

(Prior art) A mouse is an
This is a Y-coordinate position indicating control device, and its details are described in, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 51-83737.

FIG. 1 shows an example of a conventional mouse. Rollers 2 and 3 are provided in contact with the large ball 1. These rollers 2 and 3 are arranged with their axes perpendicular to each other (eg, roller 2 in the X direction and roller 3 in the Y direction). Thick disks 6 and 7 are fixed to each of the rollers 2 and 3 via shafts 4 and 5. On the circumferential surfaces of disks 6 and 7,
Conducting parts (white parts in the figure) and non-conducting parts (black parts in the figure) are made alternately at equal intervals. Then, on the circumferential surface of the disk, for example, there are four
Brushes 8, 9 made of real conductors are brought into contact. The direction and amount of rotation of the rollers 2 and 3 are detected by the brushes 8 and 9 using electrical signals, and the electrical signals are sent to a CRT drive circuit (not shown).

In the mouse having such a configuration, the rotation ratio and amount of rotation of the rollers 2 and 3 are determined depending on the direction and amount of rotation of the large ball 1. Therefore, when the large ball 1 is rotated, for example, by hand, in an arbitrary direction and by an arbitrary amount, an electric signal corresponding to the direction and amount of rotation is obtained from the brushes 8 and 9. By using the outputs of the brushes 8 and 9 to move a cursor on the display surface of the cathode ray tube, the cursor can be moved to an arbitrary position in correspondence with the large ball 1.

However, since the conventional mouse described above uses the brushes 8 and 9, there is a drawback that the brushes are easily damaged due to friction with the circumferential surfaces of the disks 6 and 7.

(Objective) The present invention has been made to eliminate the above-mentioned drawbacks, and its object is to provide an optical mouse that does not have the risk of brush damage.

(Overview) In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a mouse comprising a large ball, first and second rollers that contact the large ball and are provided in directions orthogonal to each other. First and second disks or cylinders that rotate together with the first and second rollers and have a uniform pattern drawn on their circumferential surfaces, a light emitting body that irradiates light onto the pattern, and light reflected from the pattern. It is characterized by having at least two photoreceptors that receive the light and convert it into an electrical signal.

(Example) The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, 10 and 11 are disks or cylindrical bodies (hereinafter abbreviated as disks) with a checkered pattern on the circumferential surface of which black and white patterns are alternately drawn at equal intervals, 12a,
12b is a light emitting element, and 13a and 13b are light receiving elements that receive light emitted from the light emitting elements 12a and 12b and reflected on the circumferential surface of the disk. Also, 14a, 14b
15a and 15b are light emitting elements, and 15a and 15b are light emitting elements 14.
This is a light-receiving element that receives the light that comes out from a and 14b and is reflected on the circumferential surface of the disk 11. Note that the symbols other than those mentioned above indicate the same ones as in FIG.

FIG. 3 shows the checkered pattern drawn on the circumferential surface of the disk 10, the light emitting elements 12a, 12b and the light receiving element 1.
3a and 13b; FIG.
The light receiving elements 13a and 13b have white and black widths of l.
When , they are arranged so that their centers are separated by 2/3×l. Moreover, the light receiving elements 13a, 13
b is designed to receive the reflected light directly below them.

In FIG. 4, when the disk 10 rotates, the light receiving element 1
The electrical signals output from 3a and 13b will be explained.

It is now assumed that the positional relationship between the light receiving elements 13a, 13b and the checkered pattern on the circumferential surface of the disk 10 is as shown in FIG. From this state, the disc 10 becomes
If it rotates in the direction of arrow A, the light receiving element 13a
The signal output from 13b is as shown in FIG. 4A. Therefore, the amount of rotation of the disk 10 can be determined by counting the number of pulses of the light receiving element 13a or 13b. Also, disk 10
If the output signal of the light receiving element 13b is latched at the time when the output signal of the light receiving element 13a rises, an "L" level signal can be obtained, thereby making it possible to detect the rotating direction of the disk 10. can.

On the other hand, when the disk 10 is rotated in the direction of arrow B, the waveform of the signal output from the light receiving elements 13a and 13b is as shown in FIG. 4B. The amount of rotation of the disc 10 can be determined by counting the number of pulses output from the light receiving elements 13a and 13b in the same manner as described above. Furthermore, the rotation direction is determined by the light receiving element 13a.
If the output signal of the light-receiving element 13b is latched at the time when the output signal rises, an "H" level signal is obtained, so that the direction of rotation of the disk 10 can be determined.

As described above, in this embodiment, the number of rotations of the rollers 2 and 3, as well as the direction and amount of rotation of the large ball 1, can be detected based on the signal obtained by the light receiving element. Therefore, by moving the cursor using the signal obtained from the light receiving element, the cursor can be moved in accordance with the movement of the large ball 1.

FIG. 5 shows another embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment, the pattern on the circumferential surface of the disk 10 is a checkered pattern in which black and white squares of the same size are alternately arranged. The light receiving element 13a is arranged to receive the reflected light from the upper white and black rows, and the light receiving element 13b is arranged to receive the reflected light from the lower white and black rows.
Moreover, the centers are spaced apart by a distance of 2/3 of the width l of white and black.

The output signals of the light-receiving elements 13a and 13b in this embodiment are as shown in FIG. 6A when the disc 10 rotates in the direction of arrow A, and the same as shown in FIG. It will look like Figure B. It is obvious that the amount and direction of rotation of the disc 10 can be detected by the output signals of the light receiving elements 13a and 13b, as in the first embodiment.

In each of the above embodiments, the distance between the two light receiving elements is
Separated by 2/3 of the width l of the white and black patterns,
Although the example of receiving reflected light from a pattern 2/3 x l apart is explained, the present invention is not limited to this. The light reflected from the pattern may be received. Further, the light receiving elements may be installed at intervals of 2/3×l×n or 1/3×l×n (where n is a positive integer). Furthermore, 1/2×l×m (however, m is an odd number) may be used,
Alternatively, an interval other than the above may be used. In short, disk 10
Any interval is sufficient as long as the direction of rotation can be detected.

Further, although each of the above embodiments uses two light emitting elements, the present invention is not limited to this and may use only one light emitting element.

Further, the pattern formed on the circumferential surface of the disk 10 is not limited to the above-described checkered pattern, and various patterns can be considered. Furthermore, it goes without saying that the pattern may be drawn using not only the two colors of white and black, but also other colors.

(Effects) As is clear from the above description, according to the present invention, unlike the conventional device, a brush is not used, so there is no fear that the brush will be damaged. Also,
This also has the effect of extending the life of the mouse and improving its performance.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a block diagram of a conventional mouse, Fig. 2 is a block diagram of a first embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 3 is a block diagram of a first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of the main parts of the embodiment, and FIG. 4 is a time chart of the signal output from the light receiving element in FIG. 3.
The figure is an explanatory diagram of the main part of the second embodiment of the present invention,
The figure shows a time chart of a signal output from the light receiving element of FIG. 1...Large ball, 2, 3...Roller, 1
0, 11...Disc, 12a, 12b, 14a, 1
4b...Light emitting element, 13a, 13b, 15a, 1
5b... Light receiving element.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A mouse equipped with a large ball and first and second rollers that are in contact with the large ball and are provided in directions orthogonal to each other, together with the first and second rollers. rotate,
first and second disks or cylindrical bodies, each of which has an optical pattern drawn on its circumferential surface, the optical reflectance of which changes periodically in the rotational direction; A light emitter that irradiates an optical pattern with two lines of light at intervals different from the periodic interval of the optical pattern, and at least two light receivers that receive reflected light from the optical pattern and convert it into an electrical signal. An optical mouse characterized by having a body.