DISPLAY/INPUT DEVICE

• US 20100188363A1
• Filed: 12/23/2009
• Published: 07/29/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: IKEDA, Tetsuo, Homma, Fuminori, Aoyama, Ryu, Tsurumi, Takehiko, Moriya, Shoichiro
• Granted Patent: US 8,570,298 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0446 using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes

Abstract

A display/input device is provided which includes a position sensor on which an electrode pattern in grid form is arranged, the position sensor being for specifying a position of an operating tool by detecting a capacitance changing at a contact part or a proximity part at a time the operating tool is made to contact the electrode pattern or is brought into proximity of the electrode pattern, and an outer frame portion forming an outer frame of a display screen provided with the position sensor. A boundary of an area where the position of the operating tool can be specified by the position sensor despite a non-presence of the electrode pattern is visually or haptically indicated at the outer frame portion.

Claims

1. A display/input device comprising:

a position sensor on which an electrode pattern in grid form is arranged, the position sensor being for specifying a position of an operating tool by detecting a capacitance changing at a contact part or a proximity part at a time the operating tool is made to contact the electrode pattern or is brought into proximity of the electrode pattern; and

an outer frame portion forming an outer frame of a display screen provided with the position sensor,

wherein

a boundary of an area where the position of the operating tool can be specified by the position sensor despite a non-presence of the electrode pattern is visually or haptically indicated at the outer frame portion.

2. The display/input device according to claim 1, wherein,

among areas included in the outer frame portion, the area where the position of the operating tool can be specified by the position sensor and an area where the position of the operating tool cannot be specified by the position sensor are formed from materials with respectively different feels.

3. The display/input device according to claim 1, wherein

a step is provided at a boundary portion between the area where the position of the operating tool can be specified by the position sensor and an area where the position of the operating tool cannot be specified by the position sensor, among areas included in the outer frame portion.

4. The display/input device according to claim 1, wherein

a boundary line is displayed at a boundary portion between the area where the position of the operating tool can be specified by the position sensor and an area where the position of the operating tool cannot be specified by the position sensor, among areas included in the outer frame portion.

5. The display/input device according to claim 1, wherein,

among areas included in the outer frame portion, the area where the position of the operating tool can be specified by the position sensor and an area where the position of the operating tool cannot be specified by the position sensor have respectively different colours.