Measuring instrument

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9798445-B2
Application number	US-201514669240-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 26, 2015
Priority date	Apr 3, 2014
Publication date	Oct 24, 2017
Grant date	Oct 24, 2017

Abstract

A measuring instrument includes a main body casing, a detector on the main body casing and detecting an amount of stylus head displacement, a display on an outer surface of the casing; a plurality of key switches on the outer surface, a menu proximate the display on the outer surface, and a display controller controlling the display. The display includes a main display and a cursor display, which is arranged in a location alongside the menu and displays a cursor pointing to the menu, and performs control such that a measured value based on an amount of displacement is displayed, but the cursor is not displayed when in a measurement mode where the detector detects the amount of displacement, and such that a cursor is displayed so as to point to the menu corresponding to a selected menu when in a settings mode where measurement conditions are set.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A measuring instrument comprising:
a main body casing;
a detector provided on the main body casing and configured to detect an amount of stylus head displacement;
a display provided on an outer surface of the main body casing;
a plurality of key switches provided on the outer surface of the main body casing;
a menu comprising a plurality of menu indicia provided on the outer surface of the main body casing and proximate the display; and
a display controller configured to control the display, wherein the display comprises:
a main display region; and
a cursor display region arranged in a position alongside the plurality of menu indicia and configured to display a cursor pointing to the plurality of menu indicia,

wherein the display controller is configured to:
control the display such that a measured value based on the amount of displacement is displayed on the main display region, and such that the cursor is not displayed on the cursor display region when in a measurement mode where the detector detects the amount of displacement; and
display the cursor so as to point to a selected menu indicium of the plurality of menu indicia when in a settings mode where measurement conditions are set.

2. The measuring instrument according to claim 1 , wherein:
the display further comprises an operation guide display region proximate each of the plurality of key switches, and
the display controller is further configured to control the display such that, in the settings mode, a guide display corresponding to at least one assigned operation of the plurality of key switches for the selected menu indicium is displayed on the operation guide display region.

3. The measuring instrument according to claim 2 , wherein the display controller is further configured to control the display such that the guide displays are not displayed on the operation guide display region corresponding to key switches not assigned operations for the selected menu indicium.

4. The measuring instrument according to claim 3 , wherein the display controller is further configured to control the display such that, in the measurement mode, the guide displays are not displayed on the operation guide display region.

5. The measuring instrument according to claim 4 , further comprising:
a first indicium, indicating operations in which a press time of the key switches is shorter than a preset amount of time, located proximate to at least one of the plurality of key switches on the outer surface; and
a second indicium, indicating operations in which the press time of the key switches is equal to or longer than the preset amount of time, located proximate to the least one of the plurality of key switches on the outer surface.

6. The measuring instrument according to claim 5 , wherein:
the plurality of key switches are arranged on at least one of an upper and lower side of the display, and
the plurality of menu indicia is arranged on at least one of a left and right side of the display.

7. The measuring instrument according to claim 4 , wherein:
the plurality of key switches are arranged on at least one of an upper and lower side of the display, and
the plurality of menu indicia is arranged on at least one of a left and right side of the display.

8. The measuring instrument according to claim 3 , further comprising:
a first indicium, indicating operations in which a press time of the key switches is shorter than a preset amount of time, located proximate to at least one of the plurality of key switches on the outer surface; and
a second indicium, indicating operations in which the press time of the key switches is equal to or longer than the preset amount of time, located proximate to the least one of the plurality of key switches on the outer surface.

9. The measuring instrument according to claim 8 , wherein:
the plurality of key switches are arranged on at least one of an upper and lower side of the display, and
the plurality of menu indicia is arranged on at least one of a left and right side of the display.

10. The measuring instrument according to claim 3 , wherein:
the plurality of key switches are arranged on at least one of an upper and lower side of the display, and
the plurality of menu indicia is arranged on at least one of a left and right side of the display.

11. The measuring instrument according to claim 2 , wherein the display controller is further configured to control the display such that, in the measurement mode, the guide displays are not displayed on the operation guide display region.

12. The measuring instrument according to claim 11 , further comprising:
a first indicium, indicating operations in which a press time of the key switches is shorter than a preset amount of time, located proximate to at least one of the plurality of key switches on the outer surface; and
a second indicium, indicating operations in which the press time of the key switches is equal to or longer than the preset amount of time, located proximate to the least one of the plurality of key switches on the outer surface.

13. The measuring instrument according to claim 12 , wherein:
the plurality of key switches are arranged on at least one of an upper and lower side of the display, and
the plurality of menu indicia is arranged on at least one of a left and right side of the display.

14. The measuring instrument according to claim 11 , wherein:
the plurality of key switches are arranged on at least one of an upper and lower side of the display, and
the plurality of menu indicia is arranged on at least one of a left and right side of the display.

15. The measuring instrument according to claim 2 , further comprising:
a first indicium, indicating operations in which a press time of the key switches is shorter than a preset amount of time, located proximate to at least one of the plurality of key switches on the outer surface; and
a second indicium, indicating operations in which the press time of the key switches is equal to or longer than the preset amount of time, located proximate to the least one of the plurality of key switches on the outer surface.

16. The measuring instrument according to claim 15 , wherein:
the plurality of key switches are arranged on at least one of an upper and lower side of the display, and
the plurality of menu indicia is arranged on at least one of a left and right side of the display.

17. The measuring instrument according to claim 2 , wherein:
the plurality of key switches are arranged on at least one of an upper and lower side of the display, and
the plurality of menu indicia is arranged on at least one of a left and right side of the display.

18. The measuring instrument according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a first indicium, indicating operations in which a press time of the key switches is shorter than a preset amount of time, located proximate to at least one of the plurality of key switches on the outer surface; and
a second indicium, indicating operations in which the press time of the key switches is equal to or longer than the preset amount of time, located proximate to the least one of the plurality of key switches on the outer surface.

19. The measuring instrument according to claim 18 , wherein:
the plurality of key switches are arranged on at least one of an upper and lower side of the display, and
the plurality of menu indicia is arranged on at least one of a left and right side of the display.

20. The measuring instrument according to c

Assignees

• Mitutoyo Corp

Inventors

• Niwano Atsuya
• Ishizu Kazuhiro
• Hayashi Nobuyuki
• Tsujimoto Yasuhiro
• Kozawa Takashi
• Kiwada Takefumi
• Furuta Makoto
• Hiroshima Aki

Classifications

• G06F15/0275

  for measuring · CPC title

• G06F3/0482 Primary

  Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus · CPC title

• G06F3/04847

  Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials · CPC title

• G01B3/22

  Feeler-pin gauges, e.g. dial gauges (for measuring contours or curvatures G01B5/20) · CPC title

• G09G2340/145

  related to small screens · CPC title