TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to an operation detection device and an operation detection method.

BACKGROUND ART

Patent Literature 1 discloses a holographic human machine interface (HMI) that detects an operation of an operator on an input device displayed as a holographic image. The HMI has an emitter/detector located behind the holographic image when viewed from the operator. The emitter/detector emits waves toward the holographic image. In this HMI, when an object (for example, an operator's finger) is present at a position where the holographic image appears, the wave from the emitter/detector is reflected by the object and is incident on the emitter/detector as a reflected wave. Due to this reflection, the emitter/detector detects an operation of the operator on the holographic image.

With this HMI, the operator's pressing operation on the input device displayed as a holographic image can be detected. The HMI can detect the operator's pressing operation on the input device by determining that the input device has been pressed when the object actually reaches the position of the input device.

CITATION LIST

Patent Literature

Patent Literature 1: Japanese Patent No. 4741488

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

Technical Problem

However, it may be difficult for the user (operator) to recognize the position where a virtual image, such as a holographic image, is formed. For this reason, a shift may occur between the position of the operation unit (input device) recognized by the user and the position of the operation unit that is actually formed as a virtual image. As a result, even if the user intends to press the operation unit with his or her finger or the like, the finger or the like may not actually reach the position of the operation unit. In this case, the above-described HMI does not determine that the operation unit has been pressed, even though the user thinks that the user has pressed the operation unit with his or her finger or the like. Therefore, with this HMI, the user may feel that the pressing operation on the operation unit is not performed as intended by the user.

With the above-described HMI, the user's pressing operation can be recognized when the object actually reaches the operation unit. In this HMI, since the operation of the device is started first when the object reaches the operation unit, the user may feel the reaction of the pressing operation slow. Therefore, the above-described HMI may cause the user to feel that the operability of the operation unit is not good.

It is an object of the present disclosure to provide an operation detection device and an operation detection method that allow a user to feel that the operability of an operation unit displayed as a virtual image is good.

Solution to Problem

An operation detection device according to an embodiment includes: a display unit that displays an operation unit as a virtual image; a sensor that detects a position of an object approaching the operation unit; and a determination unit that determines whether or not the operation unit has been pressed based on the position of the object detected by the sensor. The determination unit determines that the operation unit has been pressed before the object reaches the operation unit.

An operation detection method according to an embodiment includes: a step of detecting a position of an object approaching an operation unit displayed as a virtual image; and a step of determining that the operation unit has been pressed before the object reaches the operation unit.

In the operation detection device and the operation detection method described above, since the operation unit is displayed as a virtual image, the operation unit can be displayed as if the operation unit floats. By displaying the operation unit as if the operation unit floats in this manner, the visibility of the operation unit can be improved. In addition, in the operation detection device and the operation detection method described above, it is determined that the operation unit has been pressed before the object reaches the operation unit. That is, before the object reaches the operation unit, pressing determination indicating that the operation unit has been pressed is made. Therefore, the pressing determination is made before the object actually reaches the operation unit, and the operation of the device by the pressing operation on the operation unit can be performed early. As a result, the user can feel that the reaction of the pressing operation is good. By performing the pressing determination before the object reaches the operation unit, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of a phenomenon that the pressing determination is not made even though the user thinks that the operation unit has been pressed. Therefore, since it is possible to perform the pressing determination when the user thinks that the operation unit has been pressed, the user can feel that the pressing operation has been performed as intended by the user. Therefore, according to the operation detection device and the operation detection method described above, the user can feel that the operability of the operation unit is good.

The determination unit may determine that the operation unit has been pressed when the object reaches a pressing determination surface provided in front of the operation unit when viewed from the object. Therefore, it is possible to realize the pressing determination indicating that the object has been pressed with a simple configuration.

The determination unit may detect a speed of the object approaching the operation unit and determine whether or not the operation unit has been pressed based on the detected speed and the position of the object. For example, when the user slowly moves an object, such as a finger, to bring the object close to the operation unit, the user may recognize that the pressing determination has been made earlier than expected. On the other hand, as described above, when the pressing determination is performed based on the speed and the position of the object, the pressing determination can be performed based on the time-series change of the position of the object. Accordingly, the pressing determination can be performed after grasping the degree of progress of the operation of the object. Therefore, since it is possible to make a determination considering the prediction of the position of the object by performing the pressing determination on the operation unit based on the speed and the position of the object, it is possible to more accurately perform the pressing determination on the operation unit.

The sensor may be a depth sensor provided on a side opposite to the object with the operation unit interposed therebetween. Incidentally, when a deviation occurs between an approaching direction in which the object approaches the operation unit and each direction indicated by the coordinate axis of the depth sensor, it may be necessary to perform coordinate conversion processing on the coordinate system of the depth sensor in order to correctly detect the position of the object. On the other hand, when the depth sensor is provided on the side opposite to the object with the operation unit interposed therebetween, the depth sensor is disposed on the side opposite to the object when viewed from the operation unit, so that the load of the coordinate conversion processing described above can be reduced. Therefore, the processing load of the operation detection device can be reduced.

Advantageous Effects of Invention

According to the present disclosure, the user can feel that the operability of the operation unit displayed as a virtual image is good.

