TOUCHPAD COMPRISING STRUCTURE FOR TACTILE SENSATION AND TOUCH SENSOR USING THE SAME

• US 20100188359A1
• Filed: 06/07/2007
• Published: 07/29/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: ATLab, Inc.
• Original Assignee: ATLab, Inc.
• Inventors: Lee, Bang Won
• Application Number:
  US12/439,718
• Publication Number:
  US 20100188359A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0443 using a single layer of sensing electrodes

Abstract

Provided are a touchpad and a touch sensor using the same. The touchpad includes: a printed circuit board (PCB); a plurality of conductors; and a non-conductive board disposed on one surface of the PCB and having a plurality of protrusions respectively including the conductors therein. In addition, the touch sensor includes: the touchpad; and a contact signal generation unit having a plurality of digital contact controllers for sensing delay due to a change in impedance between the conductors in the protrusions and the PCB and outputting a digital signal according to the delay. An apparatus having the touchpad as an input device enables a user to feel the touchpad better.

Claims

1. A touchpad comprising:

a printed circuit board (PCB);

a plurality of conductors; and

a non-conductive board disposed on one surface of the PCB and having a plurality of protrusions, each of the plurality of protrusions including each of the plurality of conductors therein.

2. A touch sensor comprising:

a touchpad comprising a printed circuit board (PCB), a plurality of conductors, and a non-conductive board disposed on one surface of the PCB and having a plurality of protrusions, each of the plurality of protrusions including each of the plurality of conductors therein; and

a contact signal generation unit comprising a plurality of digital contact controllers for sensing delay due to a change in impedance between each of the plurality of conductors in each of the plurality of protrusions and the PCB to output a digital signal.

3. The touch sensor according to claim 2, wherein the changed impedance is one of an electrostatic capacitance, and an inductive capacitance and a resistance.

4. The touch sensor according to claim 2, wherein each of the digital controllers comprises:

a delay time varying unit for generating a reference signal having a fixed delay time and a sensing signal having a delay time that varies according to an impedance of a signal applied from outside; and

a delay time calculating and data generating unit for calculating a difference in delay time between the reference signal and the sensing signal, and generating digital data having a value corresponding to the calculated difference in delay time.

5. The touch sensor according to claim 4, wherein the delay time varying unit comprises:

a measurement signal generator for generating a measurement signal;

a fixed delay for delaying the measurement signal for a predetermined time period and generating the reference signal; and

a variable delay for changing a delay time according to the impedance of the signal applied from outside, delaying the measurement signal according to the varied delay time, and generating the sensing signal.

6. A touchpad comprising:

a printed circuit board (PCB);

a plurality of PCB electrodes disposed on one surface of the PCB;

a non-conductive flat board disposed on the PCB electrodes and covering one entire surface of the PCB except portions at which the PCB electrodes are disposed; and

a plurality of conductive buttons put into the uncovered portions of the non-conductive flat board and having respective upper parts protruding above a surface of the non-conductive flat board.

7. A touch sensor comprising a touchpad and a contact signal generation unit, wherein the touchpad comprises:

a printed circuit board (PCB);

a plurality of PCB electrodes disposed on one surface of the PCB;

a non-conductive flat board disposed on the PCB electrodes and covering one entire surface of the PCB except portions at which the PCB electrodes are disposed; and

a plurality of conductive buttons put into the uncovered portions of the non-conductive flat board and having respective upper parts protruding above a surface of the non-conductive flat board, and

the contact signal generation unit comprises a plurality of digital contact controllers for sensing delay due to a change in impedance between the conductive buttons and the PCB electrodes caused by external contact to output a digital signal.

8. The touch sensor according to claim 7, wherein the changed impedance is one of an electrostatic capacitance, an inductive capacitance and a resistance.

9. The touch sensor according to claim 8, wherein each of the digital controllers comprises:

a delay time varying unit for generating a reference signal having a fixed delay time and a sensing signal having a delay time that varies according to an impedance of a signal applied from outside; and

a delay time calculating and data generating unit for calculating a difference in delay time between the reference signal and the sensing signal, and generating digital data having a value corresponding to the calculated difference in delay time.

10. The touch sensor according to claim 9, wherein the delay time varying unit comprises:

a measurement signal generator for generating a measurement signal;

a fixed delay for delaying the measurement signal for a predetermined time period to generate the reference signal; and

a variable delay for varying a delay time according to the impedance of the signal applied from outside, delaying the measurement signal according to the varied delay time to generate the sensing signal.

11. A touchpad comprising:

a printed circuit board (PCB);

a plurality of PCB electrodes disposed on one surface of the PCB; and

a non-conductive board disposed on the PCB electrodes and having a plurality of depressed portions and embossed portions corresponding to the PCB electrodes.

12. A touch sensor comprising a touchpad and a contact signal generation unit, wherein the touchpad comprises:

a printed circuit board (PCB);

a plurality of PCB electrodes disposed on one surface of the PCB; and

a non-conductive board disposed on the PCB electrodes and having a plurality of depressed portions and embossed portions corresponding to the PCB electrodes, and

the contact signal generation unit comprises a plurality of digital contact controllers for sensing delay due to a change in impedance between bottoms of the depressed portions and the PCB electrodes caused by external contact and outputting a digital signal.

13. The touch sensor according to claim 12, wherein the changed impedance is one of an electrostatic capacitance, an inductive capacitance and a resistance.

14. The touch sensor according to claim 13, wherein each of the digital controllers comprises:

a delay time varying unit for generating a reference signal having a fixed delay time and a sensing signal having a delay time that varies according to an impedance of a signal applied from outside; and

a delay time calculating and data generating unit for calculating a difference in delay time between the reference signal and the sensing signal, and generating digital data having a value corresponding to the calculated difference in delay time.

15. The touch sensor according to claim 14, wherein the delay time varying unit comprises:

a measurement signal generator for generating a measurement signal;

a fixed delay for delaying the measurement signal for a predetermined time period and generating the reference signal; and

a variable delay for changing a delay time according to the impedance of the signal applied from outside, delaying the measurement signal according to the varied delay time, and generating the sensing signal.