EL LIGHT EMITTING TOUCH SWITCH

• US 20080265788A1
• Filed: 04/24/2008
• Published: 10/30/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha, Visteon Japan, Ltd. (Visteon Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha, Visteon Japan, Ltd. (Visteon Corporation)
• Inventors: YAMAUCHI, Kazuto, YAMANOUE, Kouichi, TANAKA, Sadahiko, TAKIZAWA, Keitaro, MURAYAMA, Yasunori
• Granted Patent: US 7,910,842 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 315/169.3
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/962 Capacitive touch switches
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/960795 using organic light emitting devices, e.g. light emitting polymer [OEP] or OLED
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 323/904 Touch systems

Abstract

A touch switch is composed of an EL light emitting layer configured by stacking a fluorescent layer and an insulation layer between first electrodes and a second electrode, a judgment means for making a judgment on touch manipulation with the first electrode by an operator and an EL driving unit for driving the EL light emitting layer for light emitting, with each of a plurality of first electrodes, each of plurality of fluorescent layers and each of plurality of insulation layers being provided as a set and the second electrode being provided as a single electrode with respect to the plurality of first electrodes, wherein the judgment means makes a judgment on which of the plurality of first electrodes has been touched by an operator on the basis of a high-frequency component inputted from the second electrode through the first electrode each time the touch switch is touched by an operator.

Claims

1. An EL light emitting touch switch comprising:

an EL light emitting layer configured by stacking a plurality of first electrodes, a second electrode placed in confronting relation to said plurality of first electrodes and provided in the form of a single electrode with respect to said plurality of first electrodes, fluorescent layers and insulation layers placed in confronting relation to said first electrodes between said first electrodes and said second electrode; and

judgment means for making a judgment which of said plurality of first electrodes has been touched by an operator on the basis of a high-frequency component inputted from said second electrode through the first electrode each time the touch switch is touched by an operator.

2. The EL light emitting touch switch according to claim 1, further comprising:

EL driving means connected to said judgment means for driving said EL light emitting layer for light emitting;

an EL driving power supply connected between said second electrode and said EL driving means;

a high-frequency signal source connected in series between said EL driving power supply and a ground electric potential for outputting a signal with a higher frequency than that of said EL driving power supply;

a first filter connected between each of said first electrodes and said EL driving power supply and made to pass an output of said EL driving power supply; and

a second filter connected between each of said first electrodes and said judgment means and made to pass an output of said high-frequency signal source.

3. The EL light emitting touch switch according to claim 1, further comprising:

EL driving means connected to said judgment means for driving said EL light emitting layer for light emitting;

an EL driving power supply connected between said second electrode and said EL driving means; and

a high-frequency signal source connected between said second electrode and said judgment means for outputting a signal with a higher frequency than that of said EL driving power supply,

said EL driving means having a function as an on-off switch which repeatedly controls a connection state on-off between said first electrodes and said EL driving power supply, and

the judgment on the touch manipulation by the operator being made on the basis of a variation of a high-frequency signal from said high-frequency signal source when said on-off switch is during an off state.

4. The EL light emitting touch switch according to claim 1, further comprising:

EL driving means connected to said judgment means for driving said EL light emitting layer for light emitting;

an EL driving power supply connected between said second electrode and said EL driving means for driving said EL light emitting layer for light emitting and for generating a rectangular wave;

a first filter connected between each of said first electrodes and said EL driving power supply for passing an output of said EL driving power supply; and

a second filter connected between each of said first electrodes and said judgment means.