INPUT APPARATUS

• US 20120105369A1
• Filed: 10/27/2011
• Published: 05/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Nakamura, Naoki
• Granted Patent: US 8,743,084 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/174
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/962 Capacitive touch switches
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/94026 Automatic threshold calibration; e.g. threshold automatically adapts to ambient conditions or follows variation of input
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/96079 using a single or more light guides

Abstract

An input apparatus includes a base material facing the outside and configured to serve as an operation surface of the input apparatus; a substrate arranged so as to be on the inner side, i.e., the opposite side to the operation surface of the input apparatus, and so as to face the base material; at least one first pad arranged on the substrate so as to face the base material via a dielectric member and configured to detect a capacitance; at least one second pad arranged on the substrate so as to face the base material with an air layer therebetween and configured to detect a capacitance; and a control section connected to the first and second pads, and configured to control the first and second pads.

Claims

1. An input apparatus comprising:

a base material configured to serve as an operation surface of the input apparatus;

a substrate arranged so as to face the base material;

at least one first pad arranged on the substrate so as to face the base material with a dielectric member therebetween and configured to detect a capacitance;

at least one second pad arranged on the substrate so as to face the base material without a dielectric member therebetween and configured to detect a capacitance; and

a control section connected to the first and second pads, and configured to control the first and second pads.

2. The input apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the second pad is configured to determine a correction value, with which the control section or a central processing unit connected to the control section adjusts an output of the first pad on the basis of an output of the second pad.

3. The input apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the second pad is arranged on a surface of the substrate, the surface facing the base material.

4. The input apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the second pad is arranged on a surface of the substrate that is on the opposite side to the surface of the substrate that faces the base material.

5. The input apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the dielectric member is in contact with the base material as well as the first pad.

6. The input apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the second pad is arranged at a position where a measurement condition for an output of the second pad is worse than in the first pad.

7. The input apparatus according to claim 6,

wherein wiring interconnecting the second pad and the control section is longer than wiring interconnecting the first pad and the control section.

8. The input apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the dielectric member is a light guide material configured to guide light from a light source disposed on the substrate to the base material, and a portion of the base material facing the dielectric member allows the light from the light source to be transmitted.

9. The input apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the input apparatus is any one of a printer, a scanner, a copier, and a multi-functional device.