Piezoelectric composite device, method of manufacturing same, method of controlling same, input-output device, and electronic device

• US 7,446,456 B2
• Filed: 12/07/2006
• Issued: 11/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Maruyama, Shigeaki, Poupyrev, Ivan, Sekine, Junichi
• Primary Examiner(s): SanMartin; J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ROSENAU, DEREK JOHN
• Application Number:
  US11/567,807
• Publication Number:
  US 20070096594A1
• Time in Patent Office: 698 Days
• Field of Search: 310/338, 310/316.01, 310/317, 310/318, 310330-332, 310/328
• US Class Current: 310/328
• 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 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/9643 using a plurality of detectors, e.g. keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 30/053 by integrally sintering piezoelectric or electrostrictive bodies and electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 30/1071 with electrical and mechanical input and output, e.g. having combined actuator and sensor parts
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 30/50 having a stacked or multilayer structure
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 30/874 embedded within piezoelectric or electrostrictive material, e.g. via connections

Abstract

A piezoelectric composite device including: a feeding electrode; a common electrode; a signal detecting electrode; a first piezoelectric element joined between the feeding electrode and the common electrode; and a second piezoelectric element joined between the common electrode and the signal detecting electrode; a predetermined voltage being supplied between the feeding electrode and the common electrode; and a force detection signal based on an external force being extracted from the detecting electrode.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

an input-output device, including;

input means for detecting a contact position of an operating object and outputting input information; and

tactile sense providing and information determining means for providing a tactile sense to said operating object operating said input means, and detecting a physical pressing force at the contact position of said operating object and determining said input information;

wherein said tactile sense providing and information determining means of said input-output device includes a piezoelectric composite device; and

wherein said piezoelectric composite device includes;

a first laminate and a second laminate each having a lead electrode and formed by laminating one or more piezoelectric elements, and

a third laminate having another lead electrode and having one or more piezoelectric elements laminated between said first laminate and said second laminate,

wherein when power is supplied to the lead electrodes of said first laminate and said second laminate, the piezoelectric elements of said first laminate and said second laminate vibrate, and

wherein when the physical pressing force is applied to said third laminate from the operating object applying the physical pressing force from external to the first laminate or the second laminate, the one or more piezoelectric elements of said third laminate output a physical pressing force detection signal from the lead electrode of said third laminate.

2. The electronic device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a control device connected to the lead electrode of each of said first laminate, said second laminate, and said third laminate, and

wherein said control device supplies power to the lead electrode of each of said first laminate and said second laminate according to a preset control signal, and detects a force detection signal from the lead electrode of said third laminate.

3. The electronic device as claimed in claim 2,

wherein said control device controls feeding to the lead electrodes of said first laminate and said second laminate on a basis of the force detection signal from the lead electrode of said third laminate.

4. The electronic device as claimed in claim 2, further comprising display means for displaying said input information, and

wherein said control device detects the physical pressing force of the operating object selecting an input item displayed by said display means, and determines that said input item is selected on a basis of the detected force of the operating object.

5. The electronic device as claimed in claim 4,

wherein said control device determines that said input item is selected on a basis of the force detection signal obtained from the lead electrode of said third laminate, and then gives a tactile stimulus to said operating object by controlling feeding to the lead electrodes of said first laminate and said second laminate.