Touch panel input device

• US 20010013861A1
• Filed: 02/08/2001
• Published: 08/16/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Shimizu, Toshiyuki
• Granted Patent: US 6,628,269 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/045 using resistive elements, e.g. a single continuous surface or two parallel surfaces put in contact
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

A touch panel input device includes layers A and B. Layer A includes a first transparent film, a first transparent resistive film, a second transparent film, a second transparent resistive film, and first dot spacers. Layer B includes a second transparent film, a third transparent resistive film, a fourth transparent resistive film, a glass substrate, and second dot spacers. When the device is operated by a finger, the device detects a contact state of the transparent resistive films in layer A and a non-contact state of the transparent resistive films in layer B. When the device is operated by a finger, the device detects a contact state of the transparent resistive films in layer A and a contact state of the transparent resistive films in layer B. Regardless of the input mode, information of a position thus inputted can be detected. The touch panel input device detects, regardless of the input mode to use a pen or a finger, information of a position inputted by a pen or by a finger.

Claims

1. A touch panel input device, comprising:

a first touch panel; and

a second touch panel,

said first touch panel being laminated onto said second touch panel.

15. A determining method using the touch panel input device claimed in

claim 1

, comprising

a determining step, when said first and second transparent resistive films is in a contact state and said third and fourth transparent resistive films is in a non-contact state, that the input operation is conducted by a finger, and

a determining step, when said first and second transparent resistive films is in a contact state and said third and fourth transparent resistive films is in a contact state, that the input operation is conducted by a pen.

2. A touch panel input device, comprising:

a first touch panel; and

a second touch panel,

said first touch panel comprises;

a first transparent film;

a second transparent film;

a first transparent resistive film arranged on a lower surface of said first transparent film;

a second transparent resistive film arranged on an upper surface of said second transparent film; and

first dot spacers arranged between said first and second transparent resistive films, said first transparent resistive film opposing said second transparent resistive film; and

said first touch panel being laminated onto said second touch panel.

16. A determining method using the touch panel input device claimed in

claim 2

, comprising

a determining step, when said first and second transparent resistive films is in a contact state and said third and fourth transparent resistive films is in a non-contact state, that the input operation is conducted by a finger, and

a determining step, when said first and second transparent resistive films is in a contact state and said third and fourth transparent resistive films is in a contact state, that the input operation is conducted by a pen.

3. A touch panel input device, comprising:

a first touch panel; and

a second touch panel,

said first touch panel comprises;

a first transparent film;

a second transparent film;

a first transparent resistive film arranged on a lower surface of said first transparent film;

a second transparent resistive film arranged on an upper surface of said second transparent film; and

first dot spacers arranged between said first and second transparent resistive films, said first transparent resistive film opposing said second transparent resistive film;

said second touch panel comprises;

a third transparent resistive film arranged on a lower surface of said second transparent film;

a glass and/or a hard plastics substrate;

a fourth transparent resistive film arranged on an upper surface of said glass substrate; and

second dot spacers arranged with an equal interval between said third and fourth transparent resistive films, said third transparent resistive film opposing said fourth transparent resistive film; and

said first touch panel being laminated onto said second touch panel.

7. The touch panel input device claimed in

claim 3

, further comprising a touch panel controller for controlling said first and second touch panels,

said controller including determining means for determining, according to a contact state between said first and second transparent resistive films of said first touch panel and a contact state between said third and fourth transparent resistive films of said second touch panel, that an input operation is conducted by a fingertip or a pen.

11. The touch panel input device claimed in

claim 3

, further comprising a touch panel controller for controlling said first and second touch panels,

said controller including determining means for determining, according to a contact state between said first and second transparent resistive films of said first touch panel and a contact state between said third and fourth transparent resistive films of said second touch panel, that an input operation is conducted by a finger or a pen;

said determining means determines, when said first and second transparent resistive films is in a contact state and said third and fourth transparent resistive films is in a non-contact state, that the input operation is conducted by a finger, and

said determining means determines, when said first and second transparent resistive films is in a contact state and said third and fourth transparent resistive films is in a contact state, that the input operation is conducted by a pen.

17. A determining method using the touch panel input device claimed in

claim 3

, comprising

a determining step, when said first and second transparent resistive films is in a contact state and said third and fourth transparent resistive films is in a non-contact state, that the input operation is conducted by a finger, and

a determining step, when said first and second transparent resistive films is in a contact state and said third and fourth transparent resistive films is in a contact state, that the input operation is conducted by a pen.

21. A determining method using the touch panel input device claimed in

claim 7

, comprising

a determining step, when said first and second transparent resistive films is in a contact state and said third and fourth transparent resistive films is in a non-contact state, that the input operation is conducted by a finger, and

a determining step, when said first and second transparent resistive films is in a contact state and said third and fourth transparent resistive films is in a contact state, that the input operation is conducted by a pen.

4. A touch panel input device, comprising:

a first touch panel; and

a second touch panel,

said first touch panel comprises;

a first transparent film;

a second transparent film;

a first transparent resistive film arranged on a lower surface of said first transparent film;

a second transparent resistive film arranged on an upper surface of said second transparent film; and

first dot spacers arranged between said first and second transparent resistive films, said first transparent resistive film opposing said second transparent resistive film;

said second touch panel comprises;

a third transparent film;

a third transparent resistive film arranged on a lower surface of said third transparent film;

a glass and/or a hard plastics substrate;

a fourth transparent resistive film arranged on an upper surface of said glass substrate; and

second dot spacers arranged between said third and fourth transparent resistive films, said third transparent resistive film opposing said fourth transparent resistive film; and

said first touch panel being laminated onto said second touch panel.

8. The touch panel input device claimed in

claim 4

, further comprising a touch panel controller for controlling said first and second touch panels,

said controller including determining means for determining, according to a contact state between said first and second transparent resistive films of said first touch panel and a contact state between said third and fourth transparent resistive films of said second touch panel, that an input operation is conducted by a fingertip or a pen.

12. The touch panel input device claimed in

claim 4

, further comprising a touch panel controller for controlling said first and second touch panels,

said controller including determining means for determining, according to a contact state between said first and second transparent resistive films of said first touch panel and a contact state between said third and fourth transparent resistive films of said second touch panel, that an input operation is conducted by a finger or a pen;

said determining means determines, when said first and second transparent resistive films is in a contact state and said third and fourth transparent resistive films is in a non-contact state, that the input operation is conducted by a finger, and

said determining means determines, when said first and second transparent resistive films is in a contact state and said third and fourth transparent resistive films is in a contact state, that the input operation is conducted by a pen.

18. A determining method using the touch panel input device claimed in

claim 4

, comprising

a determining step, when said first and second transparent resistive films is in a contact state and said third and fourth transparent resistive films is in a non-contact state, that the input operation is conducted by a finger, and

a determining step, when said first and second transparent resistive films is in a contact state and said third and fourth transparent resistive films is in a contact state, that the input operation is conducted by a pen.

22. A determining method using the touch panel input device claimed in

claim 8

, comprising

a determining step, when said first and second transparent resistive films is in a contact state and said third and fourth transparent resistive films is in a non-contact state, that the input operation is conducted by a finger, and

a determining step, when said first and second transparent resistive films is in a contact state and said third and fourth transparent resistive films is in a contact state, that the input operation is conducted by a pen.

5. A touch panel input device, comprising:

a first touch panel; and

a second touch panel,

said first touch panel comprises;

a first transparent film;

a second transparent film;

a first transparent resistive film arranged on a lower surface of said first transparent film;

a second transparent resistive film arranged on an upper surface of said second transparent film; and

first dot spacers arranged between said first and second transparent resistive films, said first transparent resistive film opposing said second transparent resistive film;

said second touch panel comprises;

a third transparent resistive film arranged on a lower surface of said second transparent film;

a glass and/or a hard plastics substrate;

a fourth transparent resistive film arranged on an upper surface of said glass substrate; and

second dot spacers arranged between said third and fourth transparent resistive films, said third transparent resistive film opposing said fourth transparent resistive film;

said first dot spacers are arranged with an interval wider than that of said second dot spacers; and

said first touch panel being laminated onto said second touch panel.

9. The touch panel input device claimed in

claim 5

, further comprising a touch panel controller for controlling said first and second touch panels,

said controller including determining means for determining, according to a contact state between said first and second transparent resistive films of said first touch panel and a contact state between said third and fourth transparent resistive films of said second touch panel, that an input operation is conducted by a fingertip or a pen.

13. The touch panel input device claimed in

claim 5

, further comprising a touch panel controller for controlling said first and second touch panels,

said controller including determining means for determining, according to a contact state between said first and second transparent resistive films of said first touch panel and a contact state between said third and fourth transparent resistive films of said second touch panel, that an input operation is conducted by a finger or a pen;

said determining means determines, when said first and second transparent resistive films is in a contact state and said third and fourth transparent resistive films is in a non-contact state, that the input operation is conducted by a finger, and

said determining means determines, when said first and second transparent resistive films is in a contact state and said third and fourth transparent resistive films is in a contact state, that the input operation is conducted by a pen.

19. A determining method using the touch panel input device claimed in

claim 5

, comprising

a determining step, when said first and second transparent resistive films is in a contact state and said third and fourth transparent resistive films is in a non-contact state, that the input operation is conducted by a finger, and

a determining step, when said first and second transparent resistive films is in a contact state and said third and fourth transparent resistive films is in a contact state, that the input operation is conducted by a pen.

6. A touch panel input device, comprising:

a first touch panel; and

a second touch panel,

said first touch panel comprises;

a first transparent film;

a second transparent film;

a first transparent resistive film arranged on a lower surface of said first transparent film;

a second transparent resistive film arranged on an upper surface of said second transparent film; and

first dot spacers arranged between said first and second transparent resistive films, said first transparent resistive film opposing said second transparent resistive film;

said second touch panel comprises;

a third transparent film;

a third transparent resistive film arranged on a lower surface of said third transparent film;

a glass and/or a hard plastics substrate;

a fourth transparent resistive film arranged on an upper surface of said glass substrate; and

second dot spacers arranged between said third and fourth transparent resistive films, said third transparent resistive film opposing said fourth transparent resistive film;

said first dot spacers are arranged wider than that of said second dot spacers and

said first touch panel being laminated onto said second touch panel.

10. The touch panel input device claimed in

claim 6

, further comprising a touch panel controller for controlling said first and second touch panels,

said controller including determining means for determining, according to a contact state between said first and second transparent resistive films of said first touch panel and a contact state between said third and fourth transparent resistive films of said second touch panel, that an input operation is conducted by a fingertip or a pen.

14. The touch panel input device claimed in

claim 6

, further comprising a touch panel controller for controlling said first and second touch panels,

said controller including determining means for determining, according to a contact state between said first and second transparent resistive films of said first touch panel and a contact state between said third and fourth transparent resistive films of said second touch panel, that an input operation is conducted by a finger or a pen;

said determining means determines, when said first and second transparent resistive films is in a contact state and said third and fourth transparent resistive films is in a non-contact state, that the input operation is conducted by a finger, and

said determining means determines, when said first and second transparent resistive films is in a contact state and said third and fourth transparent resistive films is in a contact state, that the input operation is conducted by a pen.

20. A determining method using the touch panel input device claimed in

claim 6

, comprising

a determining step, when said first and second transparent resistive films is in a contact state and said third and fourth transparent resistive films is in a non-contact state, that the input operation is conducted by a finger, and

a determining step, when said first and second transparent resistive films is in a contact state and said third and fourth transparent resistive films is in a contact state, that the input operation is conducted by a pen.