INPUT DEVICE

• US 20110298735A1
• Filed: 05/19/2011
• Published: 12/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Yamamoto, Tamotsu, Okada, Hiroyasu, Nakamura, Takaya, Takagi, Naoyuki, KAMAEGUCHI, Shinji
• Granted Patent: US 9,046,969 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04101 2.5D-digitiser, i.e. digitiser detecting the X/Y position of the input means, finger or stylus, also when it does not touch, but is proximate to the digitiser's interaction surface and also measures the distance of the input means within a short range in the Z direction, possibly with a separate measurement setup
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04805 Virtual magnifying lens, i.e. window or frame movable on top of displayed information to enlarge it for better reading or selection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04164 Connections between sensors and controllers, e.g. routing lines between electrodes and connection pads
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04166 Details of scanning methods, e.g. sampling time, grouping of sub areas or time sharing with display driving Synchronisation with the driving of the display or the backlighting unit to avoid interferences generated internally G06F3/04184
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0445 using two or more layers of sensing electrodes, e.g. using two layers of electrodes separated by a dielectric layer
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus

Abstract

An input device includes an electrode part, a switching circuit, a driving circuit, a detecting circuit, and a controller. The electrode part includes a plurality of electrode pieces. The switching circuit is formed of a plurality of switches connected to the electrode pieces respectively. The driving circuit and the detecting circuit are connected to the electrode part via the switching circuit. The controller is connected to the driving circuit, the switching circuit, and the detecting circuit. The controller controls the respective switches such that the electrode pieces are individually opened or connected to one of the driving circuit and the detecting circuit.

Claims

1. An input device comprising:

an electrode part formed of electrode pieces;

a switching circuit formed of a plurality of switches connected to the electrode pieces respectively;

a driving circuit and a detecting circuit both of which are connected to the electrode part via the switching circuit; and

a controller connected to the driving circuit, the switching circuit, and the detecting circuit,

wherein the controller controls the respective switches such that the electrode pieces are individually opened or connected to one of the driving circuit and the detecting circuit;

the controller allows generating an electric field over at least first one of the electrode pieces, the at least first one electrode piece being connected to the driving circuit

the electric field is applied to the detecting circuit through at least second one of the electrode pieces via a space over the electrode part, the at least second one electrode piece being connected to the detecting circuit; and

the controller determines, based on a detection result of the detecting circuit, an electrode piece, among the electrode pieces, to which an object to be detected has gotten close.

2. The input device according to claim 1,

wherein the detecting circuit is a differential detection circuit.

3. The input device according to claim 1,

wherein the controller controls the switching circuit such that among the plurality of electrode pieces, the number of electrode pieces connected to the driving circuit decreases following a decrease in distance between the object to be detected and the electrode part.

4. The input device according to claim 1,

wherein the controller controls the switching circuit such that among the plurality of electrode pieces, the number of electrode pieces connected to the driving circuit at a first position close to the object to be detected is greater than the number of electrode pieces connected to the driving circuit at a second position farther from the object to be detected than the first position, and

the controller determines, based on a detection result of the detecting circuit, an electrode piece, among the electrode pieces, to which a second object to be detected has gotten close around the second position.