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

• US 7,554,246 B2
• Filed: 12/07/2006
• Issued: 06/30/2009
• 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: Sekine, Junichi, Maruyama, Shigeaki, Poupyrev, Ivan
• Primary Examiner(s): Leung; Quyen
• Assistant Examiner(s): ROSENAU, DEREK JOHN
• Application Number:
  US11/567,810
• Publication Number:
  US 20070080608A1
• Time in Patent Office: 936 Days
• Field of Search: 310/338, 310/316.01, 310/317, 310/318, 310330-332, 310/328, 310/365, 310/366
• US Class Current: 310/338
• 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 30/101 with electrical and mechanical input and output, e.g. having combined actuator and sensor parts
• 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. A piezoelectric composite device comprising:

a first laminate and a second laminate each of which is formed by laminating three or more lead electrodes and two or more piezoelectric elements, and having two leads alternately connected to the three or more lead electrodes;

a third laminate having three or more lead electrodes, two or more piezoelectric elements laminated together and three leads alternately connected to the three or more lead electrodes, said third laminate positioned between said first laminate and said second laminate; and

piezoelectric elements positioned between said first laminate and said third laminate and between said second laminate and said third laminate functioning as cushion elements,

wherein,

the three or more lead electrodes of each of said first laminate and said second laminate are alternately connected to each other within said piezoelectric composite device,

the three or more lead electrodes of said third laminate are alternately connected to each other within said piezoelectric composite device,

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

when an external contact force is applied to said piezoelectric composite device by an operating object, the piezoelectric elements of said third laminate output a force detection signal from the lead electrodes of said third laminate.

2. The piezoelectric composite device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a control device connected to the lead electrodes of each of said first laminate, said second laminate, and said third laminate,

wherein,

said control device supplies power to the lead electrodes of each of said first laminate and said second laminate according to a preset control signal, and

supplies power to the lead electrodes of said third laminate or detects a force detection signal from the lead electrodes of said third laminate.

3. A method of manufacturing a piezoelectric composite device, comprising the steps of:

forming an overall laminate with a plurality of piezoelectric elements and electrodes;

electrically dividing said laminate to demarcate at least three laminates each having two or more piezoelectric elements;

drawing out three or more electrodes from piezoelectric elements situated in a central laminate of the demarcated laminates;

drawing out two or more electrodes from piezoelectric elements of the other laminates situated on both sides of said central laminate; and

alternately connecting within the piezoelectric composite device the electrodes of the other laminates situated on both sides of said central laminate,

wherein,

when power is supplied to the electrodes of said laminates situated on both sides of said central laminate, the piezoelectric elements of said laminates situated on both sides of said central laminate vibrate, and

when an external contact force is detected by said central laminate in response to a contact by an operating object, the piezoelectric elements of said central laminate output a force detection signal from the lead electrodes of said central laminate.

4. A method of controlling a piezoelectric composite device including (1) a first laminate and a second laminate each of which is formed by laminating three or more lead electrodes, two or more piezoelectric elements, and having two leads alternately connected to the three or more lead electrodes, which three or more lead electrodes of each of said first laminate and said second laminate are alternately connected to one another within the piezoelectric composite device, (2) a third laminate having three or more lead electrodes, two or more piezoelectric elements laminated together and three leads alternately connected to the three or more lead electrodes, said third laminate positioned between said first laminate and said second laminate, (3) piezoelectric elements positioned between said first laminate and said third laminate and between said second laminate and said third laminate functioning as cushion elements, and (4) a control device connected to the lead electrodes of each of said first laminate, said second laminate, and said third laminate, the method comprising the steps of:

supplying power via said control device to the lead electrodes of each of said first laminate and said second laminate according to a preset control signal so that the piezoelectric elements of said first laminate and said second laminate vibrate, and

supplying power to the lead electrodes of said third laminate or detecting a force detection signal from the lead electrodes of said third laminate when a contact force is applied to said piezoelectric composite device by an operating object.

5. The method of controlling a piezoelectric composite device as claimed in claim 4, further comprising:

controlling said first laminate and said second laminate as an actuator.

6. An input-output device comprising:

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

a tactile sense providing and information determining unit for (1) providing a tactile sense to said operating object operating said input unit, and (2) detecting a force at the contact position of said operating object and determining said input information, said tactile sense providing and information determining unit including a piezoelectric composite device,

wherein,

said piezoelectric composite device includes

a first laminate and a second laminates each of which is formed by laminating three or more lead electrodes and two or more piezoelectric elements, and each having two leads alternately connected to the corresponding three or more lead electrodes,

a third laminate having three or more lead electrodes, two or more piezoelectric elements laminated together and three leads alternately connected to the three or more lead electrodes,

said third laminate positioned between said first laminate and said second laminate, and

piezoelectric elements positioned between said first laminate and said third laminate and between said second laminate and said third laminate functioning as cushion elements.

7. The input-output device as claimed in claim 6, 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

when a force is applied to said third laminate, the one or more piezoelectric elements of said third laminate output a force detection signal from the lead electrodes of said third laminate.

8. The input-output device as claimed in claim 6, further comprising:

a control device connected to the lead electrode of each of said first laminate, said second laminate, and said third laminate,

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 supplies power to the lead electrode of said third laminate or detects a force detection signal from the lead electrodes of said third laminate.

9. The input-output device as claimed in claim 8, 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 electrodes of said third laminate.

10. An input-output device comprising:

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

a tactile sense providing and information determining section for providing a tactile sense to said operating object operating said input section, and detecting a force at the contact position of said operating object and determining said input information, said tactile sense providing and information determining section includes a piezoelectric composite device,

wherein,

said piezoelectric composite device includes a first laminate and a second laminate each of which is formed by laminating three or more lead electrodes, two or more piezoelectric elements, and having two leads alternately connected to the three or more lead electrodes, three or more lead electrodes of each of said first laminate being connected to one another within the piezoelectric composite device,

three or more lead electrodes of each of said second laminate being alternately connected to each other within said piezoelectric composite device, a third laminate having three or more lead electrodes, two or more piezoelectric elements laminated together and three leads alternately connected to the three or more lead electrodes, said third laminate positioned between said first laminate and said second laminate, and piezoelectric elements positioned between said first laminate and said third laminate and between said second laminate and said third laminate functioning as cushion elements,

a predetermined voltage can be supplied to the lead electrodes of said first laminate and the lead electrodes of said second laminate, and

a force detection signal based on an external force can be extracted from the lead electrodes of said third laminate.