Operation input device and electronic device

• US 20060109258A1
• Filed: 10/25/2005
• Published: 05/25/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Olympus Imaging Corporation (Olympus Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Olympus Imaging Corporation (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Takisawa, Hiroshi
• Application Number:
  US11/258,568
• Publication Number:
  US 20060109258A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means
• 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

Abstract

An operation input device or an electronic device equipped with the operation input device comprises an operation panel which includes a half mirror-deposited film being formed in one surface, and a plurality of touch input sensors of an electrostatic capacity detecting type arranged to face the surface in which the half mirror-deposited film is formed. The operation input device further comprises a light emitting display section which includes light emitting display elements to emit and display a light in positions of the plurality of arranged touch input sensors, and a light emitting display control section which permits light emission only from the light emitting display element corresponding to an operable touch input sensor among the plurality of touch input sensors. As a result, inoperable sections on the operation panel are made difficult to be seen from an operator.

Claims

1. An operation input device comprising:

an operation panel including a first surface and a second surface opposing to the first surface, the second surface being provided with a half mirror-deposited film;

a plurality of touch input sensors of an electrostatic capacity detecting type arranged to face the second surface of the operation panel;

a light emitting display section including light emitting display elements to emit and display a light in positions of the plurality of arranged touch input sensors; and

a light emitting display control section for making only the light emitting display element corresponding to an operable touch input sensor among the plurality of touch input sensors to emit light.

2. The operation input device according to claim 1, wherein an operation area of the first surface is a single smooth plane.

3. The operation input device according to claim 1, wherein the second surface is covered with a non-translucent layer except for translucent sections corresponding to the positions of the plurality of arranged touch input sensors.

4. The operation input device according to claim 3, wherein the light emitting display elements light the operation panel through the translucent sections.

5. The operation input device according to claim 4, wherein the light emitting display elements are individually arranged on the second surface side of the operation panel with respect to positions of the translucent sections.

6. The operation input device according to claim 5, further comprising a light-guide section for guiding light rays emitted from the light emitting display elements to the translucent sections.

7. The operation input device according to claim 3, wherein a light diffusion processing is applied to at least one of the translucent sections.

8. The operation input device according to claim 3, wherein the non-translucent layer is dark color or metal color of silver or gold such that the transparent sections become obscure when being looked from the first surface.

9. The operation input device according to claim 8, wherein the dark color is one selected from black, deep blue, deep green, deep brown, deep purple, and deep gray.

10. The operation input device according to claim 8, wherein brightness of color of the non-translucent layer is 30% or less.

11. The operation input device according to claim 1, wherein the operation panel is a transparent plate.

12. The operation input device according to claim 1, wherein the deposited film is nonconductive.

13. The operation input device according to claim 1, wherein the light emission elements are LED elements.

14. An electronic device comprising:

an operation panel including a first surface, and a second surface having a half mirror-deposited film formed therein;

a plurality of touch input sensors of an electrostatic capacity detecting type arranged to face the second surface;

light emitting display sections for emitting and displaying a light in positions of the plurality of arranged touch input sensors;

an operation control section for controlling an operation of the electronic device based on inputs from the touch input sensors;

a designation section for designating an operable touch input sensor among the plurality of touch input sensors based on the operation controlled by the operation control section; and

a light emitting display control section for making the light emitting display section corresponding to the touch input sensor designated by the designation section to emit light.

15. The electronic device according to claim 14, wherein the operation panel is formed integrally with a cover which covers an information display section to display operation state information of the electronic device.

16. The electronic device according to claim 14, wherein the second surface is covered with a non-translucent layer except for first translucence sections corresponding to the positions of the plurality of arranged touch input sensors and a second translucent section corresponding to the information display section.

17. The electronic device according to claim 16, wherein the second translucent section is higher in transparency than the first translucent sections.

18. The electronic device according to claim 14, wherein all the light emitting display elements emit lights for a certain time when a stopped state is changed to a normal operation state.