INPUT DEVICE AND INPUT METHOD FOR ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENTS

• US 20120249460A1
• Filed: 03/28/2012
• Published: 10/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Minebea Company Limited (MinebeaMitsumi Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Minebea Company Limited (MinebeaMitsumi Inc.)
• Inventors: MIZUTANI, Kosuke, KOBAYASHI, Tsunehisa, KITANO, Takamichi
• Application Number:
  US13/432,620
• Publication Number:
  US 20120249460A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0418 for error correction or compensation, e.g. based on parallax, calibration or alignment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04186 Touch location disambiguation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means

Abstract

An input device for an electronic equipment includes: an input operation surface; an operation unit with a touch sensor detecting input operation on the input operation surface; and a control circuit unit to which detected signals from the touch sensor arranged in the operation unit are input. The input operation surface has at least one coordinate thereon; the control circuit unit includes a first decision information deciding a start of the input operation to a position designated by the coordinate based on a first regulation of the detected signals; the control circuit unit also includes a second decision information deciding a termination of the input operation to a position designated by the coordinate based on a second regulation of the detected signals; and presence of the input operation to the input operation surface is determined based on the decision of the start and the termination of the input operation.

Claims

1. An input device for an electronic equipment, the input device being composed of:

an input operation surface;

an operation unit including a touch sensor that detects input operation on the input operation surface; and

a control circuit unit to which detected signals output from the touch sensor arranged in the operation unit are input,

wherein the input operation surface has at least one coordinate thereon;

the control circuit unit includes a first decision information that decides a start of the input operation to a position designated by the coordinate based on a first regulation of the detected signals;

the control circuit unit also includes a second decision information that decides a termination of the input operation to a position designated by the coordinate based on a second regulation of the detected signals; and

presence of the input operation to the input operation surface is determined based on the decision of the start and the termination of the input operation.

2. An input device according to claim 1, wherein the first decision information includes a first reference value of the first regulation;

the second decision information includes a second reference value of the second regulation; and

the control circuit unit is composed of a memory unit that stores the first and the second reference values to each of the at least one coordinate, and a data processing unit that determines presence of the input operation at each coordinate, the data processing unit being configured to work as follows;

1) both the first regulation and the second regulation are applied to determine as an average regulation at a predetermined time of the detected signals that have been input to the control circuit unit;

2) the first reference value to the coordinate corresponding to the detected signals is compared with the first regulation, and when a result that is determinable as the start of the input operation is obtained at least one time based on the comparison, decision, in which the input operation to a position designated by the coordinate starts, is determined; and

3) the second reference value and the second regulation of the coordinate corresponding to the detected signals are compared to each other, and when a result that is determinable as the termination of the input operation is obtained at least one time based on the comparison, decision, in which the input operation to a position designated by the coordinate terminates, is determined.

3. An input device according to claim 2, wherein the control circuit unit performs the following operation to each of the at least one coordinate arranged on the input operation surface:

1) from a decision where the input operation to the coordinate starts to a decision where the input operation to the coordinate terminates, the input operation to the coordinate is determined as being present; and

2) from a decision where the input operation to the coordinate terminates to a decision where the input operation to the coordinate starts, the input operation to the coordinate is determined as being not present.

4. An input device according to claim 2, wherein the control circuit unit is configured as that the first and the second reference values to the at least one coordinate provided on the input operation surface are allowed to be set to the whole coordinate uniformly or to each coordinate individually, and the data processing unit performs at least one of the following operation:

1) when determining that an input operation to at least one of the coordinates has started, the first reference value is reset so as to update the whole coordinate uniformly or each coordinate individually according to a size of the first regulation of the detected signals based on the determination; and

2) when determining that an input operation to at least one of the coordinates has terminated, the second reference value is reset so as to update the whole coordinate uniformly or each coordinate individually according to a size of the second regulation of the detected signals based on the determination.

6. An input device according to claim 3, wherein the control circuit unit is configured as that the first and the second reference values to the at least one coordinate provided on the input operation surface are allowed to be set to the whole coordinate uniformly or to each coordinate individually, and the data processing unit performs at least one of the following operation:

1) when determining that an input operation to at least one of the coordinates has started, the first reference value is reset so as to update the whole coordinate uniformly or each coordinate individually according to a size of the first regulation of the detected signals based on the determination; and

2) when determining that an input operation to at least one of the coordinates has terminated, the second reference value is reset so as to update the whole coordinate uniformly or each coordinate individually according to a size of the second regulation of the detected signals based on the determination.

5. An input method of an input device for an electronic equipment, the input device being composed of:

an input operation surface;

an operation unit including a touch sensor that detects input operation to the input operation surface; and

a control circuit unit to which detected signals of the touch sensor in the operation unit is input, the input method comprising the following step in each of at least one coordinate arranged on the input operation surface;

1) determining a start of an input operation to a position designated by the at least one coordinate arranged on the input operation surface based on a first regulation of the detected signals;

2) determining a termination of the input operation to the position designated by the at least one coordinate based on a second regulation of the detected signals; and

3) determining presence of the input operation to the input operation surface based on the determination of the start and the termination of the input operation.