Input device

• US 6,307,465 B1
• Filed: 04/13/2000
• Issued: 10/23/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kayama, Shun, Kataoka, Yasuhiro, Munekata, Kenji
• Primary Examiner(s): Hofsass, Jeffery
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tai T.
• Application Number:
  US09/549,025
• Time in Patent Office: 558 Days
• Field of Search: 340/407.2, 345/167, 345/162, 345/157, 345/156, 345/163, 250/221, 250/229
• US Class Current: 340/407.2
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 13/705 characterised by construction, mounting or arrangement of operating parts, e.g. push-buttons or keys
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2239/05 Mode selector switch, e.g. shift, or indicator
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2300/054 Application timeslot: duration of actuation or delay between or combination of subsequent actuations determines selected function

Abstract

The invention provides a thin and small input device that improves a tactile operation sensation and a luxurious appearance. An input device to which an operator enters a desired command by operating it with a finger and which has a case, switch contacts disposed in the case, rotatable operation members disposed rotatably corresponding to the switch contacts that are partially projected from the holes of the case and pressed by an operator, and support members 44 for supporting the rotatable operation members by pressing it onto the case side and for operating the switch contacts when an operator presses the rotatable operation member against the pressing force.

Claims

1. An input device info which an operator enters desired commands by operating with a finger comprising;

a case,

a switch contact provided in the inside of said case having a hole communicating to the outside of said case,

an rotatable operation member provided rotatably to said switch contact and disposed partially projecting from said hole of said case, and

a support member for supporting said rotatable operation member by pressing it onto said hole of said case side and actuating electrodes provided to said switch contact to be connected when said rotatable operation member is pressed from the outside of said case.

2. The input device as claimed in claim 1, wherein a slit is formed on said case, and said rotatable operation member is disposed in said slit.

3. The input device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said input device has a plurality of said switch contacts, a plurality of said operation rotatable members, and a microcomputer for selecting an operation mode from among different operation modes by operating an arbitrary switch selectively from among said plurality of switch contacts.

4. The input device as claimed in claim 3, wherein said operator moves a finger along said slit thereby to operate an arbitrary switch contact selectively from among said plurality of switch contacts for activating an operation mode.

5. The input device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said each switch is assigned to one operation type.

6. The input device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the moving direction of a finger of said operator is the first direction along the longitudinal direction of said slit or the second direction that is opposite to said first direction.

7. The input device as claimed in claim 3, wherein when said switch is operated a plurality of times in a predetermined time, said device is operated in an operation mode corresponding to the number of repeated operations.