INPUT APPARATUS

• US 20160342215A1
• Filed: 08/05/2016
• Published: 11/24/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: ENDO, Yasuhiro, KAMATA, Yuichi, MIYAMOTO, Akinori, TANINAKA, Kiyoshi
• Application Number:
  US15/230,011
• Publication Number:
  US 20160342215A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/014 Force feedback applied to GUI
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/045 using resistive elements, e.g. a single continuous surface or two parallel surfaces put in contact

Abstract

An input apparatus is mountable on a vehicle. The input apparatus includes a touch panel connectable to a control unit mounted on the vehicle and configured to output a signal in accordance with a manipulation input performed on a manipulation input surface; a vibrating element configured to generate a vibration in the manipulation input surface; and a drive controlling part configured to drive the vibrating element by using a driving signal causing the vibrating element to generate a natural vibration in an ultrasound-frequency-band in the manipulation input surface.

Claims

1. An input apparatus mountable on a vehicle, the input apparatus comprising:

a touch panel connectable to a control unit mounted on the vehicle and configured to output a signal in accordance with a manipulation input performed on a manipulation input surface;

a vibrating element configured to generate a vibration in the manipulation input surface; and

a drive controlling part configured to drive the vibrating element by using a driving signal causing the vibrating element to generate a natural vibration in an ultrasound-frequency-band in the manipulation input surface.

2. The input apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the drive controlling part drives the vibrating element so as to vary an intensity of the natural vibration in accordance with a position of the manipulation input performed on the manipulation input surface and a temporal change degree of the position.

3. The input apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein a printed portion that represents a manipulation area in which the manipulation input to the control unit is performed, a concave-convex portion that represents the manipulation area, or a display part that displays the manipulation area by light illumination is formed on the manipulation input surface.

4. The input apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a top panel configured to cover a surface of the touch panel;

wherein the manipulation input surface is a surface of the top panel, and

wherein a printed portion that represents a manipulation area in which the manipulation input to the control unit is performed, a concave-convex portion that represents the manipulation area, or a display part that displays the manipulation area by light illumination is formed on the top panel.

5. The input apparatus as claimed in claim 1 further comprising:

a display part disposed on a back face side of the touch panel.

6. The input apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein the display part displays, on the manipulation input surface, a GUI input part representing a manipulation area in which the manipulation input to the control unit is performed.

7. The input apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein, in a case where the manipulation input is performed inside of the manipulation area, the drive controlling part drives the vibrating element by using the driving signal that causes a modulated vibration to occur, the modulated vibration being obtained by modulating the natural vibration in the ultrasound-frequency-band with a vibration of a designated pattern in an audible frequency band.

8. The input apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein, in a case where the manipulation input performed inside of the manipulation area represents an increase or decrease of a setting degree to the control unit, the drive controlling part drives the vibrating element so as to increase or decrease an intensity of the natural vibration.

9. The input apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein, in a case where the manipulation input performed inside of the manipulation area represents an increase or decrease of a setting degree to the control unit, the drive controlling part drives the vibrating element so as to increase or decrease a frequency of the vibration of the designated pattern.

10. The input apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the drive controlling part drives the vibrating element so as to vary an intensity of the natural vibration when a manipulation amount of the manipulation input in the manipulation area reaches a unit manipulation amount.

11. The input apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the drive controlling part drives the vibrating element so as to vary an intensity of the natural vibration when a position of the manipulation input moves across a boundary of the manipulation area or moves while the manipulation area is being manipulated.