INPUT DEVICE, VIBRATION DEVICE AND INPUT DETECTION METHOD

• US 20120075086A1
• Filed: 09/22/2011
• Published: 03/29/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Minebea Mitsumi, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Minebea Company Limited (MinebeaMitsumi Inc.)
• Inventors: TAKASU, Shigeru
• Granted Patent: US 8,723,657 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/407.2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user

Abstract

An input device includes an input operation unit, on which an input operation is performed; an input operation detection unit that detects at least one of acceleration and pressure to the input operation unit; an input determination unit that determines whether the at least one of acceleration and pressure detected by the input operation detection unit is an effective input operation; and a vibration unit that, when the at least one of acceleration and pressure is detected by the input operation detection unit, starts to vibrate before the input determination unit outputs a determination result.

Claims

1. An input device comprising:

an input operation unit, on which an input operation is performed;

an input operation detection unit that detects at least one of acceleration and pressure to the input operation unit;

an input determination unit that determines whether the at least one of acceleration and pressure detected by the input operation detection unit is an effective input operation; and

a vibration unit that, when the at least one of acceleration and pressure is detected by the input operation detection unit, starts to vibrate before the input determination unit outputs a determination result.

2. The input device according to claim 1,

wherein a time period during which the vibration unit vibrates is different depending on the determination result of the input determination unit.

3. The input device according to claim 2,

wherein the vibration unit stops the vibration when the input determination unit determines that the at least one of acceleration and pressure is not an effective input operation.

4. The input device according to claim 2,

wherein, when the input determination unit determines that the acceleration or pressure is an effective input operation, the vibration unit continues to vibrate for a predetermined time period and then stops the vibration.

5. The input device according to claim 1,

wherein the input operation unit is a touch panel, on which an input operation is performed by touching a predetermined position on a surface thereof.

6. An input device comprising:

an input operation unit, on which an input operation is performed;

an input operation detection unit that detects at least one of acceleration and pressure to the input operation unit;

an input determination unit that determines whether the at least one of acceleration and pressure detected by the input operation detection unit is an effective input operation; and

a vibration unit that generates vibration,

wherein when the at least one of acceleration and pressure is detected by the input determination unit, the vibration unit starts to vibrate before the input determination unit outputs a determination result, and

wherein, even when the at least one of acceleration and pressure is not detected by the input operation detection unit, when the input determination unit determines that there is the effective input operation, the vibration unit generates the vibration for a predetermined time period thereafter.

7. A vibration device that is to be attached to an input device comprising an input operation unit on which an input operation is performed and an input determination unit that detects whether an effective input operation is performed on the input operation unit, the vibration device comprising:

an input operation detection unit that detects at least one of acceleration and pressure to the input operation unit; and

a vibration unit, which starts to vibrate when the at least one of acceleration and pressure is detected by the input operation detection unit, and which stops the vibration when the effective input operation to the input operation unit is not detected in a predetermined time period after the at least one of acceleration and pressure is detected.

8. An input detection method of using an input device having a vibration unit, the method comprising:

detecting at least one of acceleration and pressure to an input operation unit;

starting vibration of the vibration unit when the at least one of acceleration and pressure is detected;

determining whether the detected at least one of acceleration and pressure is an effective input operation; and

stopping the vibration of the vibration unit or continuing the vibration for a predetermined time period, depending on a result of determining whether the detected at least one of acceleration and pressure is the effective input operation.