Input device and mobile phone using the same

• US 20060044279A1
• Filed: 08/24/2005
• Published: 03/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Tanabe, Koji, Kawasumi, Akito, Nasu, Tetsutaro
• Application Number:
  US11/210,335
• Publication Number:
  US 20060044279A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/169
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1671 Special purpose buttons or auxiliary keyboards, e.g. retractable mini keypads, keypads or buttons that remain accessible at closed laptop G06F1/1666 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/169 the I/O peripheral being an integrated pointing device, e.g. trackball in the palm rest area, mini-joystick integrated between keyboard keys, touch pads or touch stripes G06F1/1643 takes precedence; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033
• 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 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2201/028 Indium tin oxide [ITO]
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2209/052 elastomeric
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2211/006 Individual areas
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2219/018 Electroluminescent panel
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2219/028 Printed information
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/22 Illumination; Arrangements for improving the visibility of characters on dials
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector

Abstract

An input device having a data entry section and a controller. The data entry section has a layered structure of “keyboard”-equipped printed input portion, EL device, and touch panel. The controller controls the EL device and the touch panel. Since the printed input portion has keyboard layout, users can input data with ease. Furthermore, the surface lighting of EL device can provide the input device with uniform lighting, increasing visibility of the entire device.

Claims

1. An input device comprising:

a data entry section including;

a printed input portion having a keyboard layout;

an electroluminescent (EL) device for lighting up the printed input portion; and

a touch panel having a structure in which an upper electrode disposed on a top substrate confronts a lower electrode disposed on a bottom substrate at a predetermined spaced interval, and having a usable area sized to be equivalent to, or greater than the printed input portion.

2. The input device of claim 1, wherein the EL device has a layered structure in which a light transmitting base substrate, a light transmitting electrode layer, a light-emitting layer, and rear electrode layer are disposed in a top-to-bottom order, and the touch panel is disposed under the EL device.

3. The input device of claim 2, wherein the printed input portion is formed on one of surfaces of the light transmitting base substrate of the EL device.

4. The input device of claim 1, wherein a transparent film is disposed on the EL device, the printed input portion is formed on one of surfaces of the transparent film, and the touch panels is disposed under the EL device.

5. The input device of claim 1, wherein the EL device contains a plurality of light-emitting layers each of which emits different color, whereby the printed input portion is illuminated with different colors.

6. The input device of claim 1, wherein the EL device is disposed under the touch panel, all components of the touch panel—

the top substrate;

the upper electrode;

the lower electrode; and

the bottom substrate—

are light transmitting, the EL device illuminates the printed input portion through the touch panel.

7. The input device of claim 1, wherein the EL device is disposed under the touch panel, all components of the touch panel—

the top substrate;

the upper electrode;

the lower electrode; and

the bottom substrate—

are light transmitting, a transparent film is disposed on the touch panel, the printed input portion is formed on one of surfaces of the transparent film, and the EL device illuminates the printed input portion through the touch panel.

8. The input device of claim 1 further includes a controller connected to the EL device and the touch panel, wherein the controller detects a pushed position in the touch panel and then relates the position to a corresponding key position of the printed input portion.

9. The input device of claim 8, wherein the controller detects pushing operations applied to the touch panel and turns on or off the EL device according to the pushing operations.

10. A mobile phone comprising:

a data entry section fixed to a housing of the mobile phone, the data entry section further including;

a printed input portion having a keyboard layout;

an EL device for illuminating the printed input portion; and

a touch panel having a structure in which an upper electrode disposed on a top substrate confronts a lower electrode disposed on a bottom substrate at a predetermined spaced interval, and having a usable area sized to be equivalent to, or greater than the printed input portion; and

a controller connected to at least the data entry section, which is responsible for lighting control of the EL device and for detecting a pushed position in the touch panel.

11. The mobile phone of claim 10, wherein the controller detects pushing operations applied to the touch panel and turns on or off the EL device according to the pushing operations.