Input device
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An input device comprising:
- a base having a slide surface;
a movable body slidable on the slide surface;
a light-emitting element for emitting light;
a reflective portion which is provided for the movable body and has a reflective surface for reflecting the light emitted by the light-emitting element; and
a plurality of light-receiving elements for receiving the light reflected by the reflective portion; and
a fixing portion provided on the base, wherein the movable body is supported by an elastic structure including an elastic body which expands/shrinks with a sliding of the movable body, wherein the elastic structure is linked to the base via the fixing portion, wherein the light-emitting element and the plurality of light-receiving elements are connected to the base, and wherein a variation of a total amount of light received by the plurality of light-receiving elements from the light reflected by the reflective portion as the movable body, which has at least a portion thereof in contact with the slide surface and which slides on the slide surface, is detected as a direction and an amount of two-dimensional movement of the movable body.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The input device of the present invention includes: a base having a slide surface; a movable body slidable on the slide surface; a light-emitting element for emitting light; a reflective portion which is provided for the movable body and has a reflective surface for reflecting the light emitted by the light-emitting element; and a plurality of light-receiving elements for receiving the light reflected by the reflective portion.
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Citations
45 Claims
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1. An input device comprising:
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a base having a slide surface;
a movable body slidable on the slide surface;
a light-emitting element for emitting light;
a reflective portion which is provided for the movable body and has a reflective surface for reflecting the light emitted by the light-emitting element; and
a plurality of light-receiving elements for receiving the light reflected by the reflective portion; and
a fixing portion provided on the base, wherein the movable body is supported by an elastic structure including an elastic body which expands/shrinks with a sliding of the movable body, wherein the elastic structure is linked to the base via the fixing portion, wherein the light-emitting element and the plurality of light-receiving elements are connected to the base, and wherein a variation of a total amount of light received by the plurality of light-receiving elements from the light reflected by the reflective portion as the movable body, which has at least a portion thereof in contact with the slide surface and which slides on the slide surface, is detected as a direction and an amount of two-dimensional movement of the movable body. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45)
wherein the fixing portion has a guide portion for guiding the movement of the movable body which is slidable on the slide surface. -
3. An input device according to claim 1, wherein the elastic body is a spiral spring.
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4. An input device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of light-receiving elements detect the light reflected by the reflective surface onto a first plane,
and wherein a spot diameter x of the light reflected by the reflective surface onto the first plane satisfies a relationship: - d≦
x≦
2r+2lmax,where d is a distance between two adjacent light-receiving elements of the plurality of light-receiving elements;
r is a diameter of a circle encircling and inscribing the plurality of light-receiving elements; and
lmax is a maximum movement distance of the movable body.
- d≦
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5. An input device according to claim 1, wherein the reflective surface has a reflection pattern,
and wherein when the reflected light is imaged by the plurality of light-receiving elements, the reflection pattern is turned into an imaging pattern which is symmetric in any of the upward, downward, leftward and rightward directions with respect to the light-receiving surfaces of the light-receiving elements. -
6. An input device according to claim 1, wherein the reflective surface has a reflection pattern in which a reflectivity in a center of the reflective surface is different from a reflectivity in an outer periphery of the reflective surface.
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7. An input device according to claim 1, wherein the movable body includes an operating portion to which a force is applicable by an operator.
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8. An input device according to claim 7, wherein the operating portion includes at least one protrusion.
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9. An input device according to claim 8, wherein the operating portion has an anti-slipping property.
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10. An input device according to claim 1, wherein at least one mark indicating an operation direction of the operating portion is provided for the movable body.
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11. An input device according to claim 10, wherein the mark is one of a convex one and a concave one which is formed when the movable body is molded from a resin.
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12. An input device according to claim 10, wherein the mark is one of a picture, a character and a pattern.
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13. An input device according to claim 1, wherein an indicator of a pointing device is provided for the movable body.
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14. An input device according to claim 1, wherein the elastic structure and the movable body are molded by either one of an insert molding technique and a two-color molding technique, and form a hermetic structure under an upper surface of the movable body.
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15. An input device according to claim 14, wherein when the elastic structure and the movable body are molded by either one of the insert molding technique and the two-color molding technique, at least a part of the surface of the movable body is covered with the same material as that of the elastic structure.
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16. An input device according to claim 1, wherein the material of the elastic structure is the same as that of the movable body.
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17. An input device according to claim 1, wherein the material of the elastic structure is the same as that of the fixing portion.
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18. An input device according to claim 7, wherein the material of the elastic structure is the same as that of the operating portion.
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19. An input device according to claim 1, wherein the movable body comes into contact with the base in accordance with a force applied by the elastic structure.
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20. An input device according to claim 1, wherein the movable body includes at least three protrusions contacting the base,
and wherein the at least three protrusions are one of spherical and hemispherical. -
21. An input device according to claim 1, wherein the base includes at least three protrusions contacting the movable body,
and wherein the at least three protrusions are one of spherical and hemispherical. -
22. An input device according to claim 1, wherein a flat plate is provided between the movable body and the base such that the movable body smoothly slides on the base.
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23. An input device according to claim 1, wherein a lubricant is applied between the movable body and the base such that the movable body smoothly slides on the base.
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24. An input device according to claim 1, wherein a stopper portion for restricting the movement of the movable body is provided for the base.
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25. An input device according to claim 1, wherein the movable body moves in two orthogonal directions.
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26. An input device according to claim 1, further comprising a pressure-sensitive sensor for detecting a force applied to the movable body in a Z-axis direction,
wherein the slide surface includes an X axis and a Y axis orthogonal to the X axis, and wherein the Z axis is orthogonal to the X axis and the Y axis. -
27. An input device according to claim 26, wherein the position of an object to be displayed on a display device is controlled in response to a detection signal output by the pressure-sensitive sensor.
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28. An input device according to claim 27, wherein a flat plate is disposed between the movable body and the base such that the movable body smoothly slides relative to the base,
and wherein the pressure-sensitive sensor is disposed between the flat plate and the base. -
29. An input device according to claim 26, wherein the pressure-sensitive sensor is disposed at a contact between the movable body and the base.
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30. An input device according to claim 26, wherein the input device starts to operate as a pointing device in response to a detection signal output by the pressure-sensitive sensor.
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31. An input device according to claim 1, wherein the slide surface is planar.
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32. An input device according to claim 1, wherein the slide surface is curved.
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33. An input device according to claim 7, wherein the operating portion is concave.
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34. An input device according to claim 7, wherein the operating portion is convex.
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35. An input device according to claim 10, wherein the at least one mark is colored.
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36. An input device according to claim 2, wherein the elastic structure, the fixing portion and the movable body are molded by either one of an insert molding technique and a two-color molding technique, and form a hermetic structure under an upper surface of the movable body.
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37. An input device according to claim 36, wherein when the elastic structure, the fixing portion and the movable body are molded by either one of the insert molding technique and the two-color molding technique, at least a part of the surface of the movable body is covered with the same material as that of the elastic structure.
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38. An input device according to claim 2, wherein the movable body includes an operating portion to which a force is applicable by an operator.
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39. An input device according to claim 38, wherein the material of the elastic structure is the same as that of the operating portion, and wherein the material of the elastic structure is the same as that of the fixing portion.
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40. An input device according to claim 1, wherein the movable body is pressed against the base by a force applied by the elastic structure.
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41. An input device according to claim 1, wherein the light-emitting element and the plurality of light-receiving element are integrally molded with the base.
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42. An input device according to claim 26, wherein the base has an upper surface and a lower surface,
and wherein the pressure-sensitive sensor is placed on either one of the upper surface and the lower surface of the base. -
43. An input device according to claim 26, wherein the pressure-sensitive sensor is disposed on a part of the movable body which is in contact with the base.
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44. An input device according to claim 30, wherein the start signal is output to a computer having a power save function.
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45. An input device according to claim 1, wherein the moveable body is supported by the elastic structure at an outer periphery of the movable body.
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Specification