INPUT DEVICE AND METHOD FOR DETECTING LOADS ON MULTIPLE POINTS USING THE INPUT DEVICE

• US 20140062956A1
• Filed: 11/07/2013
• Published: 03/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: ALPS Electric Company Limited (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: ISHIZONE, Masahiko, GORAI, Yukihiro, UMETSU, Eiji, KANEKO, Masafumi, SATO, Takashi
• Granted Patent: US 9,239,645 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04105 Pressure sensors for measuring the pressure or force exerted on the touch surface without providing the touch position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04106 Multi-sensing digitiser, i.e. digitiser using at least two different sensing technologies simultaneously or alternatively, e.g. for detecting pen and finger, for saving power or for improving position detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04142 the force sensing means being located peripherally, e.g. disposed at the corners or at the side of a touch sensing plate
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means
• 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

Abstract

An input device includes a capacitance type touch panel sensor configured to detect positional coordinates of multiple pressing points that are simultaneously pressed on an operation face, load detection sensors configured to detect barycentric coordinates of and a barycentric load on the pressing points, and a controller configured to calculate loads on the pressing points on the basis of the positional coordinates of, the barycentric coordinates of, and the barycentric load on the pressing points.

Claims

1. An input device comprising:

a position detection sensor configured to detect respective positions of multiple pressing points on an operation face that are simultaneously pressed;

a load detection sensor configured to detect a position of a barycenter of the multiple pressing points and a load on the barycenter; and

a controller configured to calculate respective loads on the multiple pressing points based on coordinates of the positions of the multiple pressing points, coordinates of the position of the barycenter, and the load on the barycenter.

2. The input device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a panel having a front surface which is the operation face and a back surface,

wherein the load detection sensor includes a plurality of load detection sensors provided in a periphery region of on the back surface of the panel.

3. The input device according to claim 1, wherein the position detection sensor is a capacitance type touch panel sensor.

4. The input device according to claim 1, wherein, if simultaneously-pressed three pressing points are all on a same straight line, the controller corrects the coordinates of the position of one of the pressing points and the coordinates of the position of the barycenter so as to the respective loads on the pressing points.

5. The input device according to claim 4, wherein if x-coordinates of the pressing points match one another, the controller shifts one of the x-coordinates;

if y-coordinates of the pressing points match one another, the controller shifts one of the v-coordinates; and

if a direction of the straight line on which the pressing points are aligned is diagonally tilted with respect to an x-axis and y-axis, the controller shifts one of the x-coordinates or one of the v-coordinates of the pressing points.

6. A multiple point load detecting method for obtaining respective loads of a plurality of pressing points on an operation face which are simultaneously pressed using a position detection sensor and a load detection sensor the method comprising:

obtaining respective positions of the plurality of pressing points based on an output of the position detection sensor;

obtaining a position of a barycenter of the plurality of pressing points and a load on the barycenter based on an output of the load detection sensor; and

calculating respective loads on the plurality of pressing points based on coordinates of the positions of the plurality of pressing points, coordinates of the position of the barycenter, and the load on the barycenter.

7. The multiple point load detecting method according to claim 6, further comprising, after obtaining the respective positions and before calculating the respective loads:

detecting whether or not three pressing points that are simultaneously pressed are all on the same straight line;

if it is detected that all of the three pressing points are on a same straight line, correcting the coordinates of the position of one of the plurality of pressing points and coordinates of position of the barycenter; and

if it is not detected that all of the pressing points are on the same straight line, proceeding to the calculating the respective loads,

wherein, when the correcting the coordinates is performed, the calculating the respective loads uses the corrected coordinates of the one of the positions of the pressing points and the corrected coordinates of the position of the barycenter.

8. The multiple point load detecting method according to claim 7, further comprising:

if the correcting the coordinates is performed, determining whether or not each of the calculated loads on the pressing points is greater than 0 and less than the load of the barycenter; and

,

if the calculated load on any of the pressing points is less than or equal to 0 or greater than or equal to the load of the barycenter, repeating the correcting the coordinates by changing a correction value for the coordinates of the barycenter, and performing the calculating the respective loads again using the changed correction value.