SENSOR DEVICE, INPUT DEVICE, AND ELECTRONIC APPARATUS

• US 20160011691A1
• Filed: 02/06/2014
• Published: 01/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Shinkai, Shogo, Tsukamoto, Kei, Katsuhara, Tomoko, Kawaguchi, Hiroto, Hasegawa, Hayato, lida, Fumihiko, Tanaka, Takayuki, Suzuki, Tomoaki, Nishimura, Taizo, Mizuno, Hiroshi, Abe, Yasuyuki
• Application Number:
  US14/771,918
• Publication Number:
  US 20160011691A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04102 Flexible digitiser, i.e. constructional details for allowing the whole digitising part of a device to be flexed or rolled like a sheet of paper
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04103 Manufacturing, i.e. details related to manufacturing processes specially suited for touch sensitive devices
• 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 2203/04107 Shielding in digitiser, i.e. guard or shielding arrangements, mostly for capacitive touchscreens, e.g. driven shields, driven grounds
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0445 using two or more layers of sensing electrodes, e.g. using two layers of electrodes separated by a dielectric layer
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0447 Position sensing using the local deformation of sensor cells
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0448 Details of the electrode shape, e.g. for enhancing the detection of touches, for generating specific electric field shapes, for enhancing display quality

Abstract

[Object] To provide a sensor device capable of detecting an operation position and pressing force with high accuracy.

[Solution] A sensor device includes a first conductor layer having flexibility, a second conductor layer, an electrode substrate that is provided between the first conductor layer and the second conductor layer and has flexibility, a plurality of first structural bodies that separate the first conductor layer and the electrode substrate, and a plurality of second structural bodies that separate the electrode substrate and the second conductor layer. The electrode substrate includes a plurality of first electrodes and a plurality of second electrodes that intersect the plurality of first electrodes. A plurality of unit regions are provided to correspond to respective intersections between the first electrodes and the second electrodes. At least two of the first structural bodies and/or at least two of the second structural bodies are included in each unit region.

Claims

1. A sensor device comprising:

a first conductor layer having flexibility;

a second conductor layer;

an electrode substrate that is provided between the first conductor layer and the second conductor layer and has flexibility;

a plurality of first structural bodies that separate the first conductor layer and the electrode substrate; and

a plurality of second structural bodies that separate the electrode substrate and the second conductor layer,

wherein the electrode substrate includes a plurality of first electrodes and a plurality of second electrodes that intersect the plurality of first electrodes,

wherein a plurality of unit regions are provided to correspond to respective intersections between the first electrodes and the second electrodes, and

wherein at least two of the first structural bodies and/or at least two of the second structural bodies are included in each unit region.

2. The sensor device according to claim 1,

wherein at least two of the first structural bodies are included in each unit region.

3. The sensor device according to claim 1,

wherein the first structural bodies and the second structural bodies are arranged symmetrically with respect to a center of the intersection.

4. The sensor device according to claim 1,

wherein the first structural bodies and the second structural bodies are provided without overlapping in a thickness direction.

5. The sensor device according to claim 2,

wherein the second structural bodies are provided between the unit regions.

6. The sensor device according to claim 2,

wherein the unit regions are two-dimensionally arranged in a first direction and a second direction, and

wherein the second structural bodies are provided between the unit regions adjacent in a direction between the first direction and the second direction.

7. The sensor device according to claim 2,

wherein the first structural bodies are provided to be shifted from centers of the unit regions.

8. The sensor device according to claim 2,

wherein the plurality of first structural bodies are two-dimensionally arranged in a first direction and a second direction which are orthogonal to each other, and

wherein the first structural bodies are arranged at equal intervals in both the first direction and the second direction.

9. The sensor device according to claim 1,

wherein the electrode substrate includes a plurality of detection units that are formed in respective intersecting regions between the plurality of first electrodes and the plurality of second electrodes and have a capacity that is variable according to a relative distance to each of the first conductor layer and the second conductor layer.

10. The sensor device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a first frame that is provided between the first conductor layer and the electrode substrate and provided along a circumference of the electrode substrate; and

a second frame that is provided between the second conductor layer and the electrode substrate and provided to face the first frame.

11. The sensor device according to claim 9,

wherein an outer circumference of the detection unit is inside an outer circumference of one of the unit regions, and at least two of the first structural bodies included in the unit region are arranged between the outer circumference of the detection unit and the outer circumference of the unit region.

12. The sensor device according to claim 2,

wherein four of the first structural bodies are included in each unit region.

13. The sensor device according to claim 1,

wherein the electrode substrate is capable of electrostatically detecting a change in a distance to each of the first conductor layer and the second conductor layer.

14. An input device comprising:

an operation member having flexibility;

a conductor layer;

an electrode substrate that is provided between the operation member and the conductor layer and has flexibility;

a plurality of first structural bodies that separate the operation member and the electrode substrate; and

a plurality of second structural bodies that separate the conductor layer and the electrode substrate,

wherein the electrode substrate includes a plurality of first electrodes and a plurality of second electrodes that intersect the plurality of first electrodes,

wherein a plurality of unit regions are provided to correspond to respective intersections between the first electrodes and the second electrodes, and

wherein at least two of the first structural bodies and/or at least two of the second structural bodies are included in each unit region.

15. The input device according to claim 14,

wherein the operation member includes a conductor layer that is provided in a surface facing the conductor layer.

16. The input device according to claim 14,

wherein the operation member includes a display unit.

17. The input device according to claim 14,

wherein the operation member includes a plurality of key regions.

18. The input device according to claim 17,

wherein the electrode substrate includes a plurality of detection units that are formed in respective intersecting regions between the plurality of first electrodes and the plurality of second electrodes and have a capacity that is variable according to a relative distance to each of the conductor layer and the operation member.

19. The input device according to claim 18, further comprising:

a control unit configured to generate a signal according to an input operation with respect to each of the plurality of key regions based on a change in electrostatic capacitance of the plurality of detection units.

20. The input device according to claim 17,

wherein the plurality of second structural bodies are provided along a boundary between the plurality of key regions.

21. The input device according to claim 17,

wherein some of the plurality of first structural bodies and the plurality of second structural bodies are provided to overlap in a thickness direction in a boundary between the plurality of key regions.

22. An electronic apparatus comprising:

an operation member having flexibility;

a conductor layer;

an electrode substrate that is provided between the operation member and the conductor layer and has flexibility;

a plurality of first structural bodies that separate the operation member and the electrode substrate;

a plurality of second structural bodies that separate the conductor layer and the electrode substrate; and

a control unit configured to generate a signal according to an input operation with respect to the operation member based on a change in electrostatic capacitance of the electrode substrate,

wherein the electrode substrate includes a plurality of first electrodes and a plurality of second electrodes that intersect the plurality of first electrodes,

wherein a plurality of unit regions are provided to correspond to respective intersections between the first electrodes and the second electrodes, and

wherein at least two of the first structural bodies and/or at least two of the second structural bodies are included in each unit region.

23. A sensor device comprising:

a first conductor layer having flexibility;

a second conductor layer that is provided to face the first conductor layer;

an electrode substrate that is provided between the first conductor layer and the second conductor layer and has flexibility;

a plurality of first structural bodies that separate the first conductor layer and the electrode substrate; and

a plurality of second structural bodies that separate the electrode substrate and the second conductor layer,

wherein the electrode substrate includes a plurality of first electrodes and a plurality of second electrodes that intersect the plurality of first electrodes,

wherein a plurality of unit regions are provided to correspond to respective intersections between the first electrodes and the second electrodes, and

wherein at least two of the first structural bodies are included in each unit region.

24. A sensor device comprising:

a first layer having flexibility;

a second layer;

an electrode substrate that is provided between the first layer and the second layer and has flexibility;

a plurality of first structural bodies that separate the first layer and the electrode substrate; and

a plurality of second structural bodies that separate the electrode substrate and the second layer,

wherein at least one of the first layer and the second layer includes a conductor layer,

wherein the electrode substrate includes a plurality of first electrodes and a plurality of second electrodes that intersect the plurality of first electrodes,

wherein a plurality of unit regions are provided to correspond to respective intersections between the first electrodes and the second electrodes, and

wherein at least two of the first structural bodies and/or at least two of the second structural bodies are included in each unit region.

25. The sensor device according to claim 24,

wherein at least two of the first structural bodies are included in each unit region, and

wherein the first layer and the second layer include a conductor layer.

26. An input device comprising:

a first layer that includes an operation member and has flexibility;

a second layer;

an electrode substrate that is provided between the first layer and the second layer and has flexibility;

a plurality of first structural bodies that separate the first layer and the electrode substrate; and

a plurality of second structural bodies that separate the electrode substrate and the second layer,

wherein at least one of the first layer and the second layer includes a conductor layer,

wherein the electrode substrate includes a plurality of first electrodes and a plurality of second electrodes that intersect the plurality of first electrodes,

wherein a plurality of unit regions are provided to correspond to respective intersections between the first electrodes and the second electrodes, and

wherein at least two of the first structural bodies and/or at least two of the second structural bodies are included in each unit region.

27. An electronic apparatus comprising:

a first layer that includes an operation member and has flexibility;

a second layer;

an electrode substrate that is provided between the first layer and the second layer and has flexibility;

a plurality of first structural bodies that separate the first layer and the electrode substrate;

a plurality of second structural bodies that separate the second layer and the electrode substrate; and

a control unit configured to generate a signal according to an input operation with respect to the operation member based on a change in electrostatic capacitance of the electrode substrate,

wherein at least one of the first layer and the second layer includes a conductor layer,

wherein the electrode substrate includes a plurality of first electrodes and a plurality of second electrodes that intersect the plurality of first electrodes,

wherein a plurality of unit regions are provided to correspond to respective intersections between the first electrodes and the second electrodes, and

wherein at least two of the first structural bodies and/or at least two of the second structural bodies are included in each unit region.

28. A sensor device comprising:

a first layer having flexibility;

a second layer;

an electrode substrate that is provided between the first layer and the second layer and has flexibility;

a plurality of first structural bodies that separate the first layer and the electrode substrate; and

a plurality of second structural bodies that separate the electrode substrate and the second layer,

wherein at least one of the first layer and the second layer includes a conductor layer,

wherein the electrode substrate includes a plurality of first electrodes having a plurality of first unit electrode bodies and a plurality of second electrodes having a plurality of second unit electrode bodies,

wherein a detection unit is configured as a combination of the first electrode bodies and the second electrode bodies,

wherein a plurality of unit regions are provided to correspond to the detection unit, and

wherein at least two of the first structural bodies and/or at least two of the second structural bodies are included in each unit region.

29. The sensor device according to claim 28,

wherein the first electrode bodies and the second electrode bodies are arranged to face each other.

30. The sensor device according to claim 29,

wherein the plurality of first electrodes and the plurality of second electrodes intersect each other.

31. The sensor device according to claim 28,

wherein the first unit electrode body includes a plurality of first sub-electrodes,

wherein the second unit electrode body includes a plurality of second sub-electrodes, and

wherein the detection unit includes the plurality of first sub-electrodes and the plurality of second sub-electrodes which are alternately arranged on the same plane.