Data glove and data glove set

Abstract

This data glove comprises first sensors (L1-L8, R1-R8) which are provided to first finger parts and detect contact of fingers, and second sensors (L9, R9) which are provided to second finger parts and detect the direction of movement of contacted fingers. Preferably, a plurality of the first sensors (L1-L8, R1-R8) are provided to the first finger parts. More preferably, the first sensors (L1-L8, R1-R8) are provided to corresponding portions between the joints of the first finger parts.

Description

Data Gloves and Data Glove Set

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a data glove and a data glove set.

[0002] A glove-type input device worn on the hand, i.e., a data glove, has been proposed. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an input device that includes a switch worn on at least one of five fingers of the hand, and a canceller worn on the finger adjacent to the finger on which the switch is worn, which cancels input to the switch when the switch is touched.

[0003] Patent No. 6044723

[0004] In one aspect, an object is to provide a data glove or the like that allows suitable input.

[0005] In one aspect, the data glove includes a first sensor provided on a first finger portion for detecting finger contact, and a second sensor provided on a second finger portion for detecting the direction of movement of the contacting finger.

[0006] In one aspect, input can be performed preferably.

[0007] FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically illustrating the appearance of a data glove set according to the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example configuration of a data glove according to the present disclosure. FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of the vicinity of a second sensor of a right-hand glove. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of an input operation using a data glove according to the present disclosure. FIG. 5 is a table showing examples of characters and symbols corresponding to combinations of operations on a first sensor and operations on a second sensor. FIG. 6 is a system overview diagram illustrating an example of a control system including a data glove. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing procedure executed by a control system. FIG. 8 is a diagram schematically illustrating the appearance of a data glove set according to Modification 3.

[0008] The data glove according to the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings showing an embodiment thereof. However, the use of the data glove according to the present disclosure is not limited to the following examples. (Embodiment) FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic view of the exterior of a data glove set according to the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example configuration of a data glove 1 according to the present disclosure. The data glove set consists of a pair of data gloves. Data glove 1 consists of gloves and various components mounted on the gloves. For ease of understanding, in this disclosure, the data glove 1 for the left hand (first data glove) will also be referred to as left-hand glove 1L, and the data glove 1 for the right hand (second data glove) will also be referred to as right-hand glove 1R.

[0009] The left and right gloves are used to secure various components to the user's hands. The shape and material of the left and right gloves are not particularly limited as long as they can be worn by the user's fingers. For example, while the example in FIG. 1 shows a glove that completely covers the user's hand, the glove may have holes in the fingertips, back of the hand, and / or evenly distributed across the hand. For example, the tip of the thumb of the glove may be exposed or may be made of conductive fabric. The left and right gloves may also be separated into multiple parts. For example, the part covering the back and palm of the hand may be separate from the part covering the fingers.

[0010] The left and right gloves may each have a double-layer structure. In this case, the portions that come into contact with the user's hands may be waterproof. When the gloves have a double-layer structure, at least a portion of the first sensors L1-L8, R1-R8 and / or the second sensors L9, R9 may be sandwiched and secured between the two layers of gloves. Specifically, the first sensors L1-L8, R1-R8 and / or the second sensors L9, R9 may be disposed in the space between the inner layer (the side that comes into contact with the user's hand) and the outer layer of the glove, and the first sensors L1-L8, R1-R8 and / or the second sensors L9, R9 may be secured to either or both of these two layers. The portions of the gloves where the first sensors L1-L8, R1-R8 and the second sensors L9, R9 are mounted may be made of conductive fiber, or the detection surfaces of the sensors may be partially exposed from the glove.

[0011] The left glove 1L and the right glove 1R each include a battery 11, a control unit 12, a communication unit 13, a vibration device 14 and / or a haptic device 15, a tracking sensor 16, first sensors L1 to L8, R1 to R8, and second sensors L9 and R9. The battery 11, the control unit 12, and the communication unit 13 are housed in a first housing 20 provided on the back of the hand. The vibration device 14 and / or the haptic device 15, and the tracking sensor 16 are housed in a second housing 30 provided on the back of the hand. Note that the tracking sensor 16, the vibration device 14, and the haptic device 15 are not essential components of the left glove 1L and the right glove 1R. In addition to the above-described configuration, the left-hand glove 1L and the right-hand glove 1R may also include circuits for pre-processing and / or post-processing of signals from the first sensors L1 to L8, R1 to R8 and / or the second sensors L9, R9, as well as a memory unit.

[0012] Battery 11 is the power source for left glove 1 L and right glove 1 R. There are no particular limitations on the type of battery 11, but for example, a lithium ion battery or the like can be used.

[0013] Communication unit 13 performs processing related to communication between left hand glove 1L and right hand glove 1R. There are no particular limitations on the physical configuration and communication method of communication unit 13. For example, communication unit 13 may be a device with a built-in antenna compatible with Bluetooth (registered trademark), particularly BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) or Wi-Fi (registered trademark).

[0014] Vibration device 14 is a device that generates vibrations to allow a user wearing left glove 1L or right glove 1R to experience the vibrations. There are no particular limitations on the specific number, configuration, and arrangement of vibration devices 14. For example, vibration device 14 may be a resonant device that vibrates using resonance or an electromagnet.

[0015] The left glove 1L and the right glove 1R may be equipped with a haptic device 15. The haptic device 15 is a device that allows a user wearing the left glove 1L or the right glove 1R to experience a tactile sensation through some kind of output (including vibrations from a vibration device). Methods of transmitting a tactile sensation other than vibration include changes in physical structure (such as changing the unevenness of the device surface by driving a motor), temperature (hot and cold sensations), and weak current. Like the vibration device 14, the number, configuration, and arrangement of the haptic devices 15 are not particularly limited.

[0016] The tracking sensor 16 is a sensor for capturing the movement in real space of each of the left hand glove 1L and the right hand glove 1R (motion capture). The tracking sensor 16 is electrically connected to the control unit 12. The motion capture method and specific examples of the tracking sensor 16 are not particularly limited.

[0017] For example, when infrared motion capture is performed, an infrared sensor or a CMOS (Complementary-MOS) sensor is used as tracking sensor 16. Then, by detecting infrared rays output from another infrared output device using tracking sensor 16, it is possible to identify the distance and angle between the infrared output device and left-hand glove 1L or right-hand glove 1R.

[0018] Furthermore, for example, a gyro sensor and an acceleration sensor may be combined as tracking sensor 16. Furthermore, a geomagnetic sensor may also be combined as tracking sensor 16. When using these tracking sensors 16, calibration is performed in advance to set the initial positions of left hand glove 1L and right hand glove 1R. Then, tracking sensor 16 acquires the amount of change in acceleration and rotation from the initial positions (and orientation information). This makes it possible to identify the position and orientation of left hand glove 1L or right hand glove 1R.

[0019] Alternatively, a conventional tracking method such as Microsoft Kinect (registered trademark) and a tracking sensor for that method may be used.Moreover, without providing tracking sensors 16 in left glove 1L and right glove 1R, motion capture may be performed by photographing left glove 1L and / or right glove 1R with a camera or the like.

[0020] The first sensors L1-L8 and R1-R8 are sensors for detecting contact with the user's fingers (mainly the thumbs of both hands). The first sensors L1-L8 and R1-R8 are each electrically connected to the control unit 12. Specific examples of the first sensors L1-L8 and R1-R8 are not particularly limited. For example, the first sensors L1-L8 and R1-R8 can be implemented using pressure sensors such as capacitance sensors, semiconductor sensors, and strain sensors. A capacitance sensor detects finger contact as a change in capacitance. A semiconductor sensor detects finger contact as a change in pressure. A strain sensor detects strain caused by finger contact. The first sensors L1-L8 worn on the left glove each output a signal to the control unit 12 mounted on the left glove. The first sensors R1-R8 worn on the right glove each output a signal to the control unit 12 mounted on the right glove.

[0021] The first sensors L1-L8 and R1-R8 are provided on the first finger portions of the left and right gloves, respectively. In the example of FIG. 1, the "first fingers" refer to the middle finger, ring finger, and little finger. The "first finger portions" refer to the portions of the gloves corresponding to the middle finger, ring finger, and little finger. In FIG. 1, three first sensors L1-L6 and R1-R6 are provided on the left and right gloves corresponding to the third finger (middle finger) and the fourth finger (ring finger), respectively, and two first sensors L7, L8 and R7, R8 are provided on the left and right gloves corresponding to the fifth finger (little finger). In the data gloves according to the present disclosure, the first sensors L1-L8, R1-R8 and / or the second sensors L9, R9 are preferably provided on the side of one of the fingers of the glove. For example, in this embodiment, the first sensors L1-L8 and R1-R8 are each provided on the thumb-side side so that they can be easily touched by the thumb. In this way, it is more desirable that the first sensors L1 to L8, R1 to R8 and / or the second sensors L9, R9 be provided on the side of the glove near the finger that will touch or move over the sensor (i.e., the finger that performs the input operation). Furthermore, the first sensors L1 to L8, R1 to R8 are each provided so as to be located in the area between the joints of each finger of the glove (the distal phalanges, middle phalanges, or proximal phalanges). However, the locations and number of the first sensors L1 to L8, R1 to R8 are not limited to the example shown in FIG. 1.

[0022] The second sensors L9 and R9 are sensors for identifying the direction of movement of the user's fingers in contact with the detection surfaces of the second sensors L9 and R9. The second sensors L9 and R9 are provided on the second finger portions of the left and right gloves, respectively. In the example of FIG. 1, the "second fingers" refer to the index fingers. The "second finger portions" refer to the portions of the gloves corresponding to the index fingers. The second sensors L9 and R9 are electrically connected to the control unit 12. The second sensors L9 and R9 may be sensors of a different type from or the same type as the first sensors L1 to L8 and R1 to R8. When the second sensors L9 and R9 are realized using sensors of the same type as the first sensors L1 to L8 and R1 to R8, they can be realized, for example, by using pressure sensors similar to the first sensors L1 to L8 and R1 to R8, but with a larger area than the detection surfaces of the first sensors L1 to L8 and R1 to R8.

[0023] FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of the area around the second sensor R9 of the right-hand glove 1R. The circles in FIG. 3 represent exemplary finger contact points, and the arrows represent exemplary finger movement directions (e.g., the direction of a flick input) after contact. The second sensors L9 and R9 are positioned with a predetermined detection area, for example, on the thumb-side side of the index finger of each glove, between the tip and the second joint. The second sensor R9 is designed with a larger detection surface than the first sensors R1 to R8, allowing it to detect changes in contact pressure of the user's fingers (e.g., the right thumb). This allows the second sensor R9 to generate an output indicating the user's finger movement. The second sensor L9 worn on the left glove outputs a signal to the control unit 12 mounted on the left glove. The second sensor R9 worn on the right glove outputs a signal to the control unit 12 mounted on the right glove. Each control unit 12 identifies the user's finger movement based on the output of the second sensors L9 and R9. The type of movement to be identified is not particularly limited, but for example, up, down, left, or right flicks may be identified. Furthermore, each control unit 12 may determine, from the output of the second sensors L9 and R9, that the user's finger is not moving (is stationary) on the detection surface of the second sensors L9 and R9.

[0024] The detection method of the second sensors L9 and R9 described above is merely an example, and the method by which the second sensors L9 and R9 identify the movement of the user's finger is not limited to this. For example, the second sensors L9 and R9 may be realized as a small touch screen. In this case, the second sensors L9 and R9 detect the trajectory of the finger on the detection surface and output it to the control unit 12.

[0025] Control unit 12 comprehensively controls the operation of left-hand glove 1L and right-hand glove 1R. For example, control unit 12 is realized by a microcomputer or an IC (integrated circuit), etc. Control units 12 of the left and right gloves respectively acquire output signals from first sensors L1 to L8, R1 to R8 and / or second sensors L9, R9.

[0026] In this disclosure, the control unit 12 that executes the main control process for identifying an input operation is referred to as the “main control unit,” and the control unit 12 that does not execute this control process is referred to as the “sub-control unit.” As an example, the control unit 12 mounted on the right-hand glove 1R is the main control unit, and the control unit 12 mounted on the left-hand glove 1L is the sub-control unit.

[0027] The sub-controller acquires the output signals of the first sensors L1 to L8 and / or the second sensor L9 provided in the glove (left hand glove) on which it is equipped, and transmits the output signals to the main controller via the communication unit 13.

[0028] The main control unit acquires output signals from the first sensors R1 to R8 and / or the second sensor R9 provided in the glove (the glove for the right hand) on which it is installed. The main control unit receives output signals from the first sensors L1 to L8 and / or the second sensor L9 acquired in the other gloves from the sub-controller. The main control unit identifies operations performed by the user with the left hand and operations performed by the right hand from the output signals from these first sensors L1 to L8, R1 to R8 and / or the second sensors L9, R9. Note that "operation" here may include results such as "no contact" and / or "no movement (or trajectory)."

[0029] The main control unit further identifies the user's input content from a combination of the operations of the left and right hands. For example, the main control unit may identify the characters entered by the user from a combination of the input content of the right hand and the input content of the left hand. Character input using a data glove will be described below with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5.

[0030] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of an input operation using the data glove 1 according to the present disclosure. The arrows in FIG. 4 schematically indicate the direction of movement of a finger in contact with the second sensor R9. In FIG. 4, the notation of components other than the first sensor L2 and the second sensor R9 touched by the user is simplified. FIG. 5 is a table showing examples of characters and symbols corresponding to combinations of operations on the first sensors L1-L8 and R1-R8 and operations on the second sensors L9 and R9. Blank and shaded areas in the table indicate that no characters or symbols are assigned. A glove equipped with a main control unit may be equipped with a memory unit storing such a data table. Furthermore, in addition to each column in the table, or instead of the "no input" column, a character or symbol corresponding to the case when the second sensors L9 and R9 detect a "stationary" state may be assigned. Furthermore, the correspondence between the characters or symbols and operations shown in FIG. 5 may be freely changed by the user.

[0031] As shown in Fig. 4, the first sensors L1-L8, R1-R8 and the second sensors L9, R9 are primarily operated with the thumb of the hand on which the respective sensors are located. In the example of Fig. 4, the user is holding (contacting) the first sensor L2 with the thumb of their left hand and performing an upward flick input on the second sensor R9 with the thumb of their right hand. When such an input is performed, the main control unit determines the input character based on which of the first sensors L1-L8 is contacted and the type of finger movement detected by the second sensor R9. In the case of the operation shown in Fig. 4, "there is an output from the first sensor L2, and the flick direction detected by the second sensor R9 is upward," so the hiragana character "ku" is identified as the input character, as shown in the table of Fig. 5.

[0032] The main control unit transmits the identified input content to another control device (for example, a control unit of an HMD (head mounted display), a personal computer (PC), a game console, a server, a smartphone, a tablet, etc.) via the communication unit 13. The main control unit and / or the sub-control unit may also receive control instructions from another control device via the communication unit 13 and cause the left and right gloves to perform operations in accordance with the control instructions. For example, the main control unit and / or the sub-control unit may vibrate the vibration device 14 of the glove on which the control unit is mounted, based on a control instruction received from a game console, etc. The main control unit and / or the sub-control unit may also perform processing related to the tracking function.

[0033] FIG. 6 is a system schematic diagram showing an example of a control system including the data glove 1. As shown in FIG.

[0034] Data glove 1 according to this embodiment communicates between left-hand glove 1L and right-hand glove 1R. In the example of Figures 1 to 6, output signals from first sensors L1 to L8 and / or second sensor L9 are transmitted from communication unit 13 of left-hand glove 1L, which is equipped with a sub-controller, to communication unit 13 of right-hand glove 1R, which is equipped with a main controller. The main controller of right-hand glove 1R identifies the operation and / or input content from the output signal received from left-hand glove 1L and the output signal from first sensors R1 to R8 and / or second sensor R9 of right-hand glove 1R, and transmits the identified operation and / or input content to control device 2.

[0035] The control device 2 is a device that receives input from the data glove 1 and executes processing. The content of the "processing" referred to here is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, character input and / or cursor operation. The control device 2 may be, for example, a personal computer (PC), a game console, a server, a smartphone, or a tablet. The control device 2 has a communication unit 21 that communicates with the data glove 1, and a control unit 22 that executes control processing according to output from the data glove 1.

[0036] The control device 2 may be connected to a display 3 as shown in Fig. 6. Alternatively, the control device 2 and the display 3 may be integrated. The display 3 displays the processing results of the control device 2, etc. This makes it possible to present the processing results according to the input from the data glove 1 to the user. The display 3 may be a wearable device such as an HMD or an eyeglass-type display.

[0037] Although the above example describes a method for inputting Japanese hiragana, the use of the data glove 1 according to the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, the data glove 1 according to the present disclosure can also be used as a controller for VR (virtual reality) games or regular home games. The data glove 1 according to the present disclosure can also be used as a controller for remotely operating an object, such as inputting instructions to a robot in a clean room or operating a drone.

[0038] FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a processing procedure executed by the control system.

[0039] The sub-controller of the left-hand glove 1L acquires an output signal from the first sensors L1 to L8 or the second sensor L9 (step S11), and transmits the acquired output signal to the right-hand glove 1R (step S12).

[0040] The main control unit of the right-hand glove 1R acquires output signals from the first sensors R1 to R8 or the second sensor R9 (step S13). The main control unit identifies the input content based on a combination of the output signals of the first sensors L1 to L8 or the second sensor L9 received from the left-hand glove 1L and the output signals of the first sensors R1 to R8 or the second sensor R9 acquired in step S13 (step S14). The main control unit transmits the identified input content to the control device 2 (step S15).

[0041] The control unit 22 of the control device 2 executes control processing according to the input content received from the right-hand glove 1R (step S16). The control unit 22 displays the processing result on the display 3 (step S17), and ends the series of processing.

[0042] In this embodiment, the main control unit mounted on the right-hand glove 1R identifies the input content from the output signals of the first sensors L1 to L8, R1 to R8 and the second sensors L9 and R9, but this embodiment is not limited to this. For example, the data glove 1 may simply send the output signals of each sensor to the control device 2, and the control device 2 may identify the input content.

[0043] (Variation 1) In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which a pair of data gloves 1, 1 is used to perform input by combining operations with both hands. However, the data glove 1 according to the present disclosure may be for only one hand, either the right or left. Alternatively, input may be possible using only the data glove 1 for one hand out of the pair of data gloves 1.

[0044] For example, input may be received only from the right glove 1R. Specifically, the main control unit of the right glove 1R may identify the input content based on which of the first sensors R1 to R8 arranged on the right glove has detected contact, and send the content to the control device 2. The control device 2 may then execute control processing according to the input content. Furthermore, the main control unit of the right glove 1R may identify the input content based only on the finger movement detected by the second sensor R9, and send the content to the control device 2. The control device 2 may then execute control processing according to the input content.

[0045] In the above-described embodiment, the left glove 1L and the right glove 1R are each equipped with the first sensors L1 to L8, R1 to R8 and both the second sensors L9 and R9. However, the first sensors L1 to L8 or R1 to R8 and the second sensor L9 or R9 may be equipped in only one glove. For example, the data glove set disclosed herein may be configured as a pair consisting of a left glove 1L equipped with the first sensors L1 to L8 and a right glove 1R equipped with the second sensor R9.

[0046] (Variation 2) As described in the above embodiment, the data glove 1 according to the present disclosure is capable of motion capture. Therefore, the data glove 1 according to the present disclosure is also capable of input operations that combine the sensor outputs of the left hand glove 1L and the right hand glove 1R with the position and / or posture of the hands determined by motion capture. This allows the user to easily perform a wider variety of input operations.

[0047] (Variation 3) In the above-described embodiment, the input content is identified based on a combination of whether or not a finger is in contact with the first sensors L1 to L8, R1 to R8 and the type (direction) of movement of the finger that is in contact with the second sensors L9, R9. However, the first sensors L1 to L8, R1 to R8 and the second sensors L9, R9 may be integrated into one sensor, allowing input of characters and the like with one hand.

[0048] 8 is a diagram showing a schematic view of the exterior of a data glove set according to Modification 3. A left-hand glove 1L and a right-hand glove 1R according to this modification are equipped with sensors L11 to L18 and R11 to R18, respectively. Sensors L11 to L18 and R11 to R18 are configured as pressure sensors such as capacitance sensors, similar to the first sensors L1 to L8 and R1 to R8 and second sensors L9 and R9 of the previously described embodiment.

[0049] Sensors L11 to L18 and R11 to R18 are provided on specific finger portions of the left and right gloves. Specifically, sensors L11, L12, and R11 and R12 are provided on the second finger (index finger) of each glove, sensors L13, L14, R13, and R14 are provided on the third finger (middle finger) of each glove, sensors L15, L16, R15, and R16 are provided on the fourth finger (ring finger) of each glove, and sensors L17, L18, R17, and R18 are provided on the fifth finger (little finger) of each glove. Each of sensors L11 to L18 and R11 to R18 is provided on the side of the thumb side of each of the second to fifth fingers so that it can be easily contacted by the thumb.

[0050] The sensors L11 to L18 and R11 to R18 are designed to have a wider detection surface than the first sensors L1 to L8 and R1 to R8 of the above-described embodiment. The sensors L11 to L18 and R11 to R18 detect contact with a finger (thumb) and the type (direction) of movement of the contacting finger. The main control unit of the right-hand glove 1R identifies the input content (characters, symbols, etc.) based on a combination of whether or not a finger is in contact with each sensor L11 to L18 and R11 to R18 and the type of movement of the contacting finger.

[0051] In this modification, the input content can be identified based on a combination of, for example, the type of sensor pressed (contacted by a finger) by the user among sensors L11-L18 and R11-R18 and the subsequent direction of movement (flick direction) on the detection surface of the pressed sensor. For example, in FIG. 5 of the embodiment, the input character is identified as the character written at the intersection of the row corresponding to the first sensors L1-L8 and R1-R8 where the input occurred and the column corresponding to the input direction for the second sensors L9 and R9. In this modification, each row in FIG. 5 can be replaced with the row of sensors L11-L18. That is, the input character is identified as the character written at the intersection of the row corresponding to the sensor where the input occurred among sensors L11-L18 and the column corresponding to the input direction for that sensor. For example, to input the hiragana character "i," the user touches sensor L11 of the left-hand glove 1L, which is assigned to input the "a" row, with their thumb and flicks it leftward. When the sensor L11 detects a leftward flick input, the main control unit identifies the input character as "I."

[0052] In this way, by detecting finger contact and finger movement with each of the sensors L11 to L18 and R11 to R18, input can be performed using only one sensor. This eliminates the need to use both hands as in the previously described embodiment, allowing input of characters and the like using only one hand. Even when using the data glove and data glove set of this modified example, the operation and / or input content may be determined based on a combination of whether or not a finger is in contact with one of the sensors L11 to L18 and the direction of the finger's movement in contact with another sensor, as shown in the embodiment. In other words, although the sensor configurations in FIGS. 1 and 8 are different, the method of determining the operation and / or input content may be the same. Furthermore, the user may be able to freely switch between these determination methods.

[0053] The effects of the data glove 1 according to the present disclosure will be described below.

[0054] First, a comparison will be made between the data glove 1 according to the present disclosure and a stick controller. A stick controller is an input device used to realize virtual reality (VR) and the like. Because a stick controller is held in the hand, the number of buttons that can be arranged on it is limited. Therefore, when using a stick controller to realize inputs that have a wide variety of selection options, such as character input, or inputs related to game play that require complex and diverse operations, a list of selection options and a virtual keyboard must be displayed on the display, and cursor and decision operations must be performed using the stick controller, making the input process cumbersome.

[0055] On the other hand, it is also possible to allocate more buttons to a stick-type controller by reducing the size of each button. However, if the buttons are made smaller, the user will need to check the buttons at hand each time they make an input in order to input accurately. Checking the buttons at hand each time is troublesome and time-consuming. Furthermore, when using an HMD and a stick-type controller together, the user is wearing the HMD, making it difficult to check the buttons at hand. Note that while the above explanation has used a "stick-type" controller as an example, the same problem occurs with controllers that are held with both hands, such as typical controllers for consumer games.

[0056] On the other hand, in the case of the data glove 1 according to the present disclosure, it is possible to quickly input the desired item from a wide variety of input candidates (characters, symbols, etc.), as in the character input described in the embodiment. Furthermore, since character input can be performed by simply touching the fingers of either hand (mainly the thumbs) to the sensor or moving them while keeping them in contact, there is no need to check your hands to input characters.

[0057] Therefore, the data glove 1 according to the present disclosure can realize input operations such as selecting a desired candidate from a large number of selection candidates, which was difficult to do with a stick-type controller.

[0058] Next, a comparison will be made between the data glove 1 according to the present disclosure and a keyboard. When a general keyboard is used for character input, functions that can be realized with a data glove (e.g., a tracking function) may not be realized. Furthermore, users who cannot touch type must look at their hands to input characters. Furthermore, when a keyboard and an HMD are used together, it is difficult for the user to check the keys at hand, as with a stick-type controller, making it difficult to input characters using the keyboard.

[0059] On the other hand, with the data glove 1 according to the present disclosure, it is possible to quickly input the desired item from a wide variety of input candidates (such as letters and symbols), as in the character input described in the embodiment. Furthermore, since character input can be performed simply by touching the fingers of either hand (mainly the thumbs) to the sensor or by moving them while keeping them in contact, there is no need to check your hands to input characters. Therefore, the data glove 1 according to the present disclosure allows for easier input with more functions than with a keyboard.

[0060] As described above, the data glove 1 according to the present disclosure allows a wide variety of input operations to be performed quickly. Furthermore, even when the user cannot see their hands, such as when wearing an HMD, the data glove 1 according to the present disclosure allows accurate and easy input operations. The data glove 1 according to the present disclosure can be used for input operations in general, but is particularly suitable for use as a VR input device for experiencing the Metaverse space, for example.

[0061] The embodiments disclosed herein are to be considered as illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims, not by the above meaning, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims.

[0062] The features described in each embodiment can be combined with each other. In addition, the independent claims and dependent claims described in the claims can be combined with each other in any and all combinations regardless of the form of reference.

[0063] 1 Data glove 1L Left hand glove 1R Right hand glove 11 Battery 12 Control unit 13 Communication unit 14 Vibration device 15 Haptic device 16 Tracking sensors L1 to L8, R1 to R8 First sensor L9, R9 Second sensor L11 to L18, R11 to R18 Sensor 2 Control device 21 Communication unit 22 Control unit 23 Memory unit 3 Display

Claims

1. A data glove comprising: a glove; a first sensor provided on a first finger portion of the glove for detecting finger contact; and a second sensor provided on a second finger portion of the glove for detecting a direction of movement of the contacting finger.

2. The data glove according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the first sensors are provided on the first finger portion.

3. The data glove according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first sensor is provided at a portion corresponding to a portion between the joints of the first finger portion.

4. The data glove according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the detection surface of the second sensor is larger in area than the detection surface of the first sensor.

5. The data glove according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the first sensor and / or the second sensor is provided on a portion of the glove corresponding to a side of a finger.

6. The data glove according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the first finger portion and the second finger portion correspond to fingers of the glove other than the thumb.

7. The data glove according to claim 6, wherein the first sensor and the second sensor are provided on portions of the glove corresponding to the thumb side sides of the first and second fingers.

8. A data glove according to any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising a communication section for transmitting and / or receiving an output signal of the first sensor or the second sensor between the data glove and another data glove.

9. The data glove according to any one of claims 1 to 8, further comprising a control unit that identifies input contents based on a combination of output signals from the first sensor and the second sensor.

10. A data glove according to any one of claims 1 to 9, comprising a vibration device or a tactile device.

11. A data glove according to any one of claims 1 to 10, comprising a tracking sensor for tracking hand movements.

12. A data glove set consisting of a first and second data glove, comprising: a first sensor provided on a first finger portion of the first and / or second data glove, for detecting finger contact; and a second sensor provided on a second finger portion of the first and / or second data glove, for detecting a direction of movement of the contacting finger.

13. The data glove set according to claim 12, wherein the first sensor is provided in one of the first and second data gloves, and the second sensor is provided in the data glove not provided with the first sensor out of the first and second data gloves.

14. A data glove comprising: a glove; and a sensor provided on a specific finger portion of the glove for detecting finger contact and a direction of movement of the touching finger.

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