INPUT DEVICE AND ELECTRONIC APPARATUS USING THE SAME

• US 20070132724A1
• Filed: 12/12/2006
• Published: 06/14/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: ALPS Electric Company Limited (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: ALPS Electric Company Limited (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Muranaka, Tetsuo
• Application Number:
  US11/609,769
• Publication Number:
  US 20070132724A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/156
• 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 1/169 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 3/023 Arrangements for converting discrete items of information into a coded form, e.g. arrangements for interpreting keyboard generated codes as alphanumeric codes, operand codes or instruction codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface

Abstract

An input device having a substrate having a first region and a second region. The first region is configured to receive movement operations by an input mechanism, such as to control a pointer or cursor on a display. The second region has an input pad, such as a number pad, to generate absolute signals in response to contact by the input mechanism.

Claims

1. An input device that detects variation of electrostatic capacitance between a plurality of electrodes extending in the X and Y directions of a substrate caused by an input mechanism comprising:

a substrate divided into at least a first region and a second region;

a data processing unit that, in the first region, when it is sensed that an operated portion at which electrostatic capacitance has varied moves, generates a relative coordinate output signal based on a detection signal with respect to the movement of the operated portion and in the second region, when the operated portion is detected or it is sensed that the operated portion moves, generates an absolute coordinate output signal based on a detection signal with respect to the operated portion.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the relative coordinate output comprises a movement signal to indicate the movement and a direction of the input mechanism, and the absolute coordinate output comprises a position signal to indicate a position of the input mechanism.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the movement signal further indicates a distance.

4. An electronic apparatus comprising:

an input device including;

a substrate divided into at least a first region and a second region;

a data processing unit that, in the first region, when it is sensed that an operated portion at which electrostatic capacitance has varied moves, generates a relative coordinate output signal based on a detection signal with respect to the movement of the operated portion and in the second region, when the operated portion is detected or it is sensed that the operated portion moves, generates an absolute coordinate output signal based on a detection signal with respect to the operated portion

a display panel; and

a central control processing unit that controls details of display of the display panel by processing a relative coordinate output and an absolute coordinate output applied from the input device.

5. The electronic apparatus according to claim 4,

wherein, when the relative coordinate output is applied to the central control processing unit, an instruction mark displayed on a screen of the display panel moves toward a movement direction of the operated portion with any position on the screen as a reference.

6. The electronic apparatus according to claim 4,

wherein, when the absolute coordinate output is applied to the central control processing unit, a display on the screen of the display panel moves on X-Y coordinate on the screen in corresponds to a coordinate to which the operated portion has moved.

7. The electronic apparatus according to claim 4,

wherein, when the absolute coordinate output is applied to the central control processing unit, the central control processing unit recognizes the absolute coordinate output as a switch input corresponds to the position of the operated portion on the X-Y coordinate.