Input device, information processing device, remote control device, and input device control method

• US 7,728,819 B2
• Filed: 11/12/2004
• Issued: 06/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Inokawa, Hiroyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Shalwala; Bipin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ketema; Benyam
• Application Number:
  US10/579,497
• Publication Number:
  US 20070146334A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,027 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 345/156
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0414 using force sensing means to determine a position

Abstract

An input apparatus including a sensor section that confirms whether a pressing or touching operation is performed on a panel'"'"'s front surface with a detected data value that varies depending on which operation is performed, a position determination process section that generates a control signal corresponding to the detected data value, and a control section that generates a signal waveform of a drive voltage supplied to a drive section to deform the panel with the control signal. When an operator performs a pressing or touching operation, the panel is deformed corresponding to a signal waveform having a first amplitude. If the pressing operation is confirmed, the panel is deformed with a signal waveform having a second amplitude larger than the first amplitude. Thus, an operator feels a stroke sense from the weak vibration after the touching operation and a click sense from the strong vibration after the pressing operation.

Claims

1. An input apparatus for performing an input operation on a front surface of a panel, comprising:

input detection means for detecting an input operation performed on the front surface of the panel, and for determining whether the input operation is a pressing operation or a touching operation by determining whether a signal from the panel becomes stable for at least a predetermined period of time, the signal from the panel being generated based on the input operation;

waveform generation means for generating a first signal waveform having a first amplitude while the input detection means detects that the input operation is being performed, and generating a second signal waveform having a second amplitude which is larger than the first amplitude based on a determination by the input detection means that the signal from the panel has become stable for at least the predetermined period of time, thus indicating the input operation is the pressing operation; and

panel deforming means for deforming the panel based on the signal waveforms generated by the waveform generation means.

2. The input apparatus as set forth in claim 1,

wherein the first signal waveform generated by the waveform generation means has a higher frequency than the second signal waveform generated by the waveform generation means.

3. The input apparatus as set forth in claim 1,

wherein the input detection means detects the signal from the input operation and the signal changes as the input operation is being performed on the front surface of the panel, and

wherein the waveform generation means generates the first signal waveform after the signal from the input operation is detected by the input detection means and starts changing, and generates the second signal waveform after the signal from the input operation becomes stable so as to confirm the pressing operation.

4. The input apparatus as set forth in claim 1,

wherein the waveform generation means varies the first signal waveform after the input operation is performed until the pressing operation is confirmed.

5. The input apparatus as set forth in claim 1,

wherein when the input detection means detects that the input operation is being performed on a portion of the front surface of the panel where a pressing operation will not be recognized by the input detection means, the waveform generation means generates only the first signal waveform after the input operation is started until the pressing operation is confirmed.

16. The input apparatus as set forth in claim 3, wherein the signal from the input operation changes based on a change in a coordinate location of the input operation on the front surface of the panel and the signal from the input operation is stable if the coordinate location of the input operation on the front surface of the panel does not change.

6. An information process apparatus having an input apparatus for performing an input operation on a front surface of a panel, comprising:

input detection means for detecting an input operation performed on the front surface of the panel, and for determining whether the input operation is a pressing operation or a touching operation by determining whether a signal from the panel becomes stable for at least a predetermined period of time, the signal from the panel being generated based on the input operation;

waveform generation means for generating a first signal waveform having a first amplitude while the input detection means detects that the input operation is being performed, and generating a second signal waveform having a second amplitude which is larger than the first amplitude based on a determination by the input detection means that the signal from the panel has become stable for at least the predetermined period of time, thus indicating the input operation is the pressing operation; and

panel deforming means for deforming the panel based on the signal waveforms generated by the waveform generation means.

7. A remote control apparatus having an input apparatus for performing an input operation on a front surface of a panel, comprising:

input detection means for detecting an input operation performed on the front surface of the panel, and for determining whether the input operation is a pressing operation or a touching operation by determining whether a signal from the panel becomes stable for at least a predetermined period of time, the signal from the panel being generated based on the input operation;

waveform generation means for generating a first signal waveform having a first amplitude while the input detection means detects that the input operation is being performed, and generating a second signal waveform having a second amplitude which is larger than the first amplitude based on a determination by the input detection means that the signal from the panel has become stable for at least the predetermined period of time, thus indicating the input operation is a pressing operation; and

panel deforming means for deforming the panel based on the signal waveforms generated by the waveform generation means.

8. A control method of an input apparatus for performing an input operation on a front surface of a panel, the method comprising:

detecting an input operation performed on the front surface of the panel;

generating a signal from the panel based on the input operation;

determining whether the input operation is a pressing operation or a touching operation by determining whether the signal from the panel becomes stable for at least a predetermined period of time;

generating a first signal waveform having a first amplitude while the input operation is detected;

generating a second signal waveform having a second amplitude which is larger than the first amplitude based on a determination that the signal from the panel has become stable for at least the predetermined period of time, thus indicating the input operation is the pressing operation; and

deforming the panel corresponding to the generated signal waveforms.

9. An input apparatus for performing an input operation on a front surface of a panel, comprising:

input detection means for detecting an input operation performed on the front surface of the panel, and for determining whether the input operation is a pressing operation or a touching operation by determining whether a signal from the panel becomes stable for at least a predetermined period of time, the signal from the panel being generated based on the input operation;

time period measurement means for measuring a time period starting at when the input operation is detected until a determination by the input detection means that the signal from the panel has become stable for at least the predetermined period of time, thus indicating the input operation is the pressing operation;

waveform generation means for generating a signal waveform having characteristics based on a length of the time period measured by the time period measurement means; and

panel deforming means for deforming the panel corresponding to the signal waveform generated by the waveform generation means.

10. The input apparatus as set forth in claim 9,

wherein the signal waveform generated by the waveform generation means has an amplitude reversely proportional to the length of time period measured by the time period measurement means.

11. The input apparatus as set forth in claim 9,

wherein the signal waveform generated by the waveform generation means when the length of the time period measured by the time period measurement means is shorter than a predetermined length of time has an amplitude which is larger than an amplitude of the signal waveform generated by the waveform generation means when the length of the time period measured by the time period measurement means is longer than the predetermined length of time.

12. The input apparatus as set forth in claim 9,

wherein the input detection means detects the signal from the input operation and the signal varies as the input operation is being performed on the front surface of the panel, and

wherein the time period measurement means determines the pressing operation is being performed when the signal that varies while the input operation is performed becomes stable.

17. The input apparatus as set forth in claim 9, wherein

the waveform generation means generates another signal waveform while the time period measurement means measures the time period, and

the panel deforming means deforms the panel corresponding to the another signal waveform until the time period has been measured, and then deforms the panel corresponding to the signal waveform based on the length of the measured time period after the time period has been measured.

18. The input apparatus as set forth in claim 12, wherein the signal from the input operation varies based on a change in a coordinate location of the input operation on the front surface of the panel and the signal from the input operation is stable if the coordinate location of the input operation on the front surface of the panel does not change.

13. An information process apparatus having an input apparatus for performing an input operation on a front surface of a panel, comprising:

input detection means for detecting an input operation performed on the front surface of the panel, and for determining whether the input operation is a pressing operation or a touching operation by determining whether a signal from the panel becomes stable for at least a predetermined period of time, the signal from the panel being generated based on the input operation;

time period measurement means for measuring a time period starting at when the input operation is detected until a determination by the input detection means that the signal from the panel has become stable for at least the predetermined period of time, thus indicating the input operation is the pressing operation;

waveform generation means for generating a signal waveform having characteristics based on a length of the time period measured by the time period measurement means; and

panel deforming means for deforming the panel corresponding to the signal waveform generated by the waveform generation means.

14. A remote control apparatus having an input apparatus for performing an input operation on a front surface of a panel, comprising:

input detection means for detecting an input operation performed on the front surface of the panel, and for determining whether the input operation is a pressing operation or a touching operation by determining whether a signal from the panel becomes stable for at least a predetermined period of time, the signal from the panel being generated based on the input operation;

time period measurement means for measuring a time period starting at when the input operation is detected until a determination by the input detection means that the signal from the panel has become stable for at least the predetermined period of time, thus indicating the input operation is the pressing operation;

waveform generation means for generating a signal waveform having characteristics based on a length of the time period measured by the time period measurement means; and

panel deforming means for deforming the panel corresponding to the signal waveform generated by the waveform generation means.

15. A control method of an input apparatus for performing an input operation on a front surface of a panel, the method comprising:

detecting an input operation performed on the front surface of the panel;

generating a signal from the panel based on the input operation;

determining whether the input operation is a pressing operation or a touching operation by determining whether the signal from the panel becomes stable for at least a predetermined period of time;

measuring a time period starting at when the input operation is detected until a determination by the input detection means that the signal from the panel has become stable for at least the predetermined period of time, thus indicating the input operation is the pressing operation;

generating a signal waveform with a waveform generating unit, the signal waveform having characteristics based on a length of the measured time period; and

deforming the panel corresponding to the signal waveform generated by the waveform generation unit.