Coordinate input device

• US 7,218,314 B2
• Filed: 06/04/2002
• Issued: 05/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ALPS Electric Company Limited (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: ALPS Electric Company Limited (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Itoh, Akihisa
• Primary Examiner(s): Hjerpe; Richard
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen; Kevin M.
• Application Number:
  US10/162,241
• Publication Number:
  US 20020186210A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,806 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-183, 345/157, 345/158, 345/156, 178/18.01, 178/18.02, 178/18.06, 178/19.07
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0418 for error correction or compensation, e.g. based on parallax, calibration or alignment
• 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 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

A coordinate input device includes a coordinate input element. The coordinate input element includes a transparent coordinate detector and a controller having a control circuit which drives and controls the coordinate detector and which corrects electrostatic capacitance noise disturbing the coordinate detector. The coordinate input device also includes a liquid crystal display device provided on the back side of the coordinate input element, a casing for holding the coordinate input element and the liquid crystal display device, and an L-shaped and a reverse L-shaped push button switches provided on the upper surface of the casing.

Claims

1. A coordinate input device comprising:

a coordinate detector including;

a first insulating layer which is transparent;

a second insulating layer which is transparent and which is formed on a lower surface of the first insulating layer;

a first electrode layer having a plurality of transparent electrodes formed in parallel and between the lower surface of the first insulating layer and an upper surface of the second insulating layer;

a second electrode layer having a plurality of transparent electrodes which are aligned in parallel and which extend in a direction orthogonal to the transparent electrodes of the first electrode layer, the second electrode layer being formed on a lower surface of the second insulating layer; and

a third insulating layer which is transparent and which is formed on a lower surface of the second electrode layer, and

a controller which is electrically connected to the two electrode layers of the coordinate detector so as to drive and control the electrode layers and which has a correction circuit to remove electrostatic capacitance noise that disturbs the coordinate detector, the controller including a reference signal storing circuit to store a reference signal, which is a detection signal obtained by scanning the electrodes of the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer while no operation is performed and a correction value calculating circuit to subtract the reference signal from a detection signal while an operation is performed, thereby correcting the detection signal during the operation.

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

a display device placed on a back side of the coordinate detector,

wherein a scanning frequency for scanning the electrodes of the coordinate input device is different from a driving frequency of the display device.

3. The coordinate input device according to claim 2, wherein a ground layer comprising a conductor is provided on a back side of the display device.

4. The coordinate input device according to claim 2, wherein the coordinate detector and the controller of the coordinate input device are connected by a flexible wiring board, and the flexible wiring board is placed on a side of the display device such that the controller is placed on a back side of the display device.

5. The coordinate input device according to claim 2, wherein the coordinate detector and the display device are held on a casing and at least one push button switch is provided on an upper surface of the casing.

6. The coordinate input device according to claim 2, further comprising a casing on which the coordinate detector and the display device are held and a plurality of push button switches provided on an upper surface of the casing.

7. The coordinate input device according to claim 6, wherein the push button switches are formed in an L-shape and a reverse L-shape to surround a portion of the display device.

8. The coordinate input device according to claim 6, wherein the push button switches are symmetrically formed around the portion of the display device.

9. The coordinate input device according to claim 6, wherein the push button switches comprise adjacent operation buttons.

10. The coordinate input device according to claim 6, wherein the push button switches comprise fixing portions fixed to the casing at a center of opposing sides of the display device.

11. The coordinate input device according to claim 10, wherein the second insulating layer has cutouts formed to accept the fixing portions.

12. The coordinate input device according to claim 2, wherein the display device is one of a liquid crystal display device and an EL display device in which electroluminescent elements are aligned.

13. The coordinate input device according to claim 1, wherein each of the first insulating layer, the second insulating layer, and the third insulating layer comprises a flexible resin substrate.

14. The coordinate input device according to claim 1, wherein the light transmittance of the coordinate detector is at least 90%.

15. The coordinate input device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first insulating layer, the second insulating layer, and the third insulating layer comprises a UV-cured or thermoset resin substrate.

16. The coordinate input device according to claim 1, wherein the first electrode layer is formed on the upper surface of the second insulating layer.

17. A coordinate input device comprising:

a coordinate detector including;

a first insulating layer which is transparent;

a second insulating layer which is transparent and which is formed on a lower surface of the first insulating layer;

a first electrode layer having a plurality of transparent electrodes formed in parallel and between the lower surface of the first insulating layer and an upper surface of the second insulating layer;

a second electrode layer having a plurality of transparent electrodes which are aligned in parallel and which extend in a direction orthogonal to the transparent electrodes of the first electrode layer, the second electrode layer being formed on a lower surface of the second insulating layer; and

a third insulating layer which is transparent and which is formed on a lower surface of the second electrode layer,

a display device placed on a back side of the coordinate detector, and

a flexible wiring board that connects the coordinate detector and a controller of the coordinate input device, the flexible wiring board placed on a side of the display device such that the controller is placed on a back side of the display device,

wherein the controller is electrically connected to the two electrode layers of the coordinate detector so as to drive and control the electrode layers and which has a correction circuit to remove electrostatic capacitance noise that disturbs the coordinate detector, the controller including a reference signal storing circuit to store a reference signal, which is a detection signal obtained by scanning the electrodes of the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer while no operation is performed and a correction valued calculating circuit to subtract the reference signal from a detection signal while an operation is performed, thereby correcting the detection signal during the operation,

wherein a scanning frequency for scanning the electrodes of the coordinate input device is different from a driving frequency of the display device.

18. The coordinate input device according to claim 17, wherein a ground layer comprising a conductor is provided on a back side of the display device.

19. The coordinate input device according to claim 17, wherein each of the first insulating layer, the second insulating layer, and the third insulating layer comprises a flexible resin substrate.

20. The coordinate input device according to claim 17, further comprising a casing on which the coordinate detector and the display device are held and a plurality of push button switches provided on an upper surface of the casing.

21. The coordinate input device according to claim 20, wherein the push button switches are formed in an L-shape and a reverse L-shape to surround a portion of the display device.

22. The coordinate input device according to claim 20, wherein the push button switches are symmetrically formed around the portion of the display device.

23. The coordinate input device according to claim 20, wherein the push button switches comprise adjacent operation buttons.

24. The coordinate input device according to claim 20, wherein the push button switches comprise fixing portions fixed to the casing at a center of opposing sides of the display device.

25. The coordinate input device according to claim 24, wherein the second insulating layer has cutouts formed to accept the fixing portions.

26. The coordinate input device according to claim 17, wherein at least one of the first insulating layer, the second insulating layer, and the third insulating layer comprises a UV-cured or thermoset resin substrate.

27. The coordinate input device according to claim 17, wherein the first electrode layer is formed on the upper surface of the second insulating layer.