Input device

• US 20050259081A1
• Filed: 05/19/2005
• Published: 11/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ALPS Electric Company Limited (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: ALPS Electric Company Limited (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Sato, Tadamitsu
• Granted Patent: US 7,893,921 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/169
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1662 Details related to the integrated keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0202 Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the input device
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/23 Construction or mounting of dials or of equivalent devices; Means for facilitating the use thereof by improving visibility H04M1/22

Abstract

An input device contains a plurality of push switch elements that are connected to a single switch signal line. When a switch signal is detected from the switch signal line, it is determined which push switch element is enabled based on coordinate data obtained from a primary input sensor. By using the coordinate data, only a single switch signal line is used to determine which push switch element is enabled.

Claims

1. An input device comprising:

a cover sheet having an operation surface on a surface thereof;

primary input means formed below the cover sheet, capable of inputting coordinates; and

secondary input means formed below the primary input means, having a plurality of push switch elements,

wherein the push switch elements are connected to a switch signal line, the number of switch signal lines being smaller than the number of push switch elements, and

when the operation surface is pressed towards the secondary input means to enable one of the push switch elements and a switch signal from the switch signal line is detected, the enabled push switch element is determined based on coordinate data obtained from the primary input means.

2. The input device according to claim 1, wherein all push switch elements are connected to a single switch signal line.

3. The input device according to claim 1, further comprising coordinate data correcting means for correcting for the coordinate data received from the primary input means by a predetermined algorithm.

4. The input device according to claim 3, wherein the coordinate data correcting means has an algorithm for averaging a plurality of previous coordinate data.

5. The input device according to claim 3, wherein the coordinate data correcting means has an algorithm for determining the coordinate data using only upper bits of bit data corresponding to the coordinate data while ignoring a predetermined lower bit.

6. The input device according to claim 1, wherein the primary input means comprises an electrostatic capacitance sensor.