INPUT APPARATUS

• US 20090065267A1
• Filed: 08/28/2008
• Published: 03/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: ALPS Electric Company Limited (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: ALPS Electric Company Limited (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Sato, Tadamitsu
• Application Number:
  US12/200,491
• Publication Number:
  US 20090065267A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 178/18.60
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 1/20 by measuring variations in ohmic resistance of solid materials or of electrically-conductive fluids of piezo-resistive materials G01L1/18; by making use of electrokinetic cells, i.e. liquid-containing cells wherein an electrical potential is produced or varied upon the application of stress
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means

Abstract

An input apparatus includes a surface plate, an electrostatic capacitive sensor disposed under the surface plate, and a strain sensor disposed between the electrostatic capacitive sensor and the surface plate and fixed to the back surface of the surface plate. As a first input operation, when a finger is moved on an operation area of the surface plate, the movement position can be detected by the electrostatic capacitive sensor. As a second input operation, when the operation area is pressed down, the pressing force can be detected by the strain sensor. A series of the first input operation and the second input operation can be performed without leaving the finger from the operation area. Therefore, the input operation can be simply performed.

Claims

1. An input apparatus operable to perform a series of a first input operation of detecting a movement position of an operation object on an operation area with an electrostatic capacitive sensor, and a second input operation of detecting a pressing force with a pressing force detecting means at the time of pressing the operation area down with the operation object, without leaving the operation object from the operation area.

2. The input apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a surface plate is disposed on the electrostatic capacitive sensor and has the operation area, a strain sensor as the pressing force detecting means is disposed between the electrostatic capacitive sensor and the surface plate and fixed to the back surface of the surface plate, the strain sensor is strained when the operation area is bent by the pressing of the operation object, and the pressing force is detected with change in output power based on change in resistance of the strain sensor.

3. An input apparatus comprising:

an electrostatic capacitive sensor;

a surface plate disposed on the electrostatic capacitive sensor and having an operation area; and

a strain sensor disposed between the electrostatic capacitive sensor and the surface plate and fixed to the back surface of the surface plate,

wherein a movement position of the operation object on the operation area is detected by the electrostatic capacitive sensor, the strain sensor is strained when the operation area of the surface plate is bent by the pressing of the operation object, and the pressing force is detected with change in output power based on change in resistance of the strain sensor.

4. The input apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the surface plate is provided with a support area in the operation area and on the side of the operation area, and the electrostatic capacitive sensor is disposed at a position opposed to the operation area in a height direction,

wherein a space is formed between the operation area and the electrostatic capacitive sensor to make the surface plate deformable down at the time of pressing down the operation area with the operation object, by which the operation area is supported to be bendable and deformable, and the support area is fixedly supported not to be bendable and deformable.

5. The input apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the surface plate is provided with an intermediate area between the operation area and the support area, and the intermediate area is bendable and deformable together with the operation area, and

wherein the strain sensor is fixed to the back surface of the intermediate area.

6. The input apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the operation area is a screen display unit.

7. The input apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the strain sensor is formed by printing on the surface of the electrostatic capacitive sensor, and the surface of the strain sensor is fixed to the back surface of the surface plate.

8. The input apparatus according to claim 7, wherein a concave portion is formed on the back surface of the surface plate to which the strain sensor is fixed, and the strain sensor is disposed in the concave portion.