INPUT APPARATUS

• US 20120126962A1
• Filed: 07/28/2010
• Published: 05/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Inventors: Ujii, Junichi, Kuwabara, Megumi
• Granted Patent: US 9,590,624 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/407.2
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2800/00 Details, accessories and auxiliary operations not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2800/424 against unintended use, e.g. protection against vandalism or sabotage
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/9625 using a force resistance transducer
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/96062 with tactile or haptic feedback

Abstract

An input apparatus capable of preventing a user'"'"'s unintentional input by notifying the user of a change in a pressure load is provided.

The input apparatus has a touch face configured to receive a touch operation, a load detection unit configured to detect a pressure load of the touch operation to the touch panel, a vibration unit configured to vibrate the touch face, and a control unit, when the load detection unit detects a pressure load satisfying a standard load to receive an input, configured to perform a control to receive the input by the touch operation. When the load detection unit detects a pressure load satisfying a standard load, lower than the standard load to receive an input, the control unit controls the vibration unit to vibrate.

Claims

1. An input apparatus comprising:

a touch face configured to receive a touch operation;

a load detection unit configured to detect a pressure load of the touch operation on the touch face;

a vibration unit configured to vibrate the touch face; and

a control unit configured to perform a control to receive an input by the touch operation when the load detection unit detects a pressure load satisfying a standard load to receive an input, wherein

the control unit controls the vibration unit to vibrate when the load detection unit detects a pressure load satisfying a standard load lower than the standard load to receive an input.

6. The input apparatus according to claims 1 to 3, wherein

the control unit, after vibrating the vibration unit, controls magnitude of vibration in accordance with a change in the pressure load detected by the load detection unit.

2. An input apparatus comprising:

a touch face configured to receive a touch operation;

a load detection unit configured to detect a pressure load of the touch operation on the touch face;

a vibration unit configured to vibrate the touch face; and

a control unit configured to perform a control to receive an input by the touch operation when the load detection unit detects a pressure load changing from a state satisfying a standard load to receive an input to a state failing to satisfy the standard load, wherein

the control unit controls the vibration unit to vibrate when the load detection unit detects a pressure load changing from a state satisfying a standard load, higher than the standard load to receive an input, to a state failing to satisfy the standard load.

3. An input apparatus comprising:

a touch face configured to receive a touch operation;

a load detection unit configured to detect a pressure load of the touch operation on the touch face;

a vibration unit configured to vibrate the touch face; and

a control unit configured to perform a control to receive an input by the touch operation when the load detection unit detects a pressure load changing from a state failing to satisfy a standard load to receive a first input to a state satisfying the standard load, and when the load detection unit detects a pressure load changing from a state satisfying a standard load to receive a second input, lower than the standard load to receive the first input, to a state failing to satisfy the standard load to receive the second input, wherein

the control unit controls the vibration unit to vibrate when the load detection unit detects a pressure load changing from a state failing to satisfy a standard load, lower than the standard load to receive the second input, to a state satisfying the standard load, and when the load detection unit detects a pressure load changing from a state satisfying another standard load, higher than the standard load to receive the second input, to a state failing to satisfy the another standard load.

4. The input apparatus according to claim 3, wherein

the control unit controls the vibration unit to vibrate in different vibration patterns when the load detection unit detects the pressure load changing from the state failing to satisfy the standard load, lower than the standard load to receive the first input, to the state satisfying the standard load, and when the load detection unit detects the pressure load changing from the state satisfying the another standard load, higher than the standard load to receive the second input, to the state failing to satisfy the another standard load, respectively.

5. The input apparatus according to claim 3, wherein

the control unit, after a predetermined period following reception of the input by the touch operation, controls the vibration unit to vibrate when the load detection unit detects the pressure load changing from the state failing to satisfy the standard load, lower than the standard load to receive the first input, to the state satisfying the standard load, and when the load detection unit detects the pressure load changing from the state satisfying the another standard load, higher than the standard load to receive the second input, to the state failing to satisfy the another standard load.