Touch-panel input device having a function for providing vibration and method for providing vibration in response to input operation
First Claim
1. A touch-panel input device having a function for providing vibrations, the device comprising:
- a touch panel for receiving an operation on an operation item displayed on a display panel;
an operation detector for detecting an operation on the touch panel; and
a vibration-controlling unit for vibrating the touch panel for providing force feedback upon detecting an operation on the touch panel and for vibrating the touch panel so as to produce sounds;
wherein the sounds produced by vibrating the touch panel are generated from audio signals supplied by a sound source, the volume of sounds produced by vibrating the touch panel is adjustable by an operator, and when the magnitude of vibrations for producing the sounds is greater than the magnitude of vibrations for force feedback, the vibration-controlling unit controls the magnitude of vibrations so that the magnitude of vibrations for producing the sounds is less than the magnitude of vibrations for force feedback in response to a touch of the operator on the touch panel while the touch panel vibrates to produce the sounds, upon detecting an operation on the touch panel by the operation detector.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A touch-panel input device having a function for providing vibrations includes a touch panel receiving an operation on an operation item on a display panel, a vibration-controlling unit vibrating the touch panel, an operation detector detecting an operation on the touch panel, and an operation-mode controlling unit setting an operation mode of the touch panel to an input operation mode for vibrating the touch panel upon detecting a touch on the touch panel, or either a speaker mode for vibrating the touch panel to produce sounds or a microphone mode for allowing voice input by transmitting vibrations generated on the touch panel when the operator speaks to the touch panel. The operation-mode controlling unit changes the operation mode to the input operation mode when the operation mode is set to the speaker mode or the microphone mode upon detecting an operation on the touch panel.
-
Citations
16 Claims
-
1. A touch-panel input device having a function for providing vibrations, the device comprising:
-
a touch panel for receiving an operation on an operation item displayed on a display panel; an operation detector for detecting an operation on the touch panel; and a vibration-controlling unit for vibrating the touch panel for providing force feedback upon detecting an operation on the touch panel and for vibrating the touch panel so as to produce sounds; wherein the sounds produced by vibrating the touch panel are generated from audio signals supplied by a sound source, the volume of sounds produced by vibrating the touch panel is adjustable by an operator, and when the magnitude of vibrations for producing the sounds is greater than the magnitude of vibrations for force feedback, the vibration-controlling unit controls the magnitude of vibrations so that the magnitude of vibrations for producing the sounds is less than the magnitude of vibrations for force feedback in response to a touch of the operator on the touch panel while the touch panel vibrates to produce the sounds, upon detecting an operation on the touch panel by the operation detector. - View Dependent Claims (2)
-
-
3. A touch-panel input device having a function for providing vibrations, the device comprising:
-
a touch panel for receiving an operation on an operation item displayed on a display panel; an operation detector for detecting an operation on the touch panel; a filtering unit for selectively performing a filtering process on audio signals supplied from a sound source; and a vibration-controlling unit for vibrating the touch panel for providing force feedback upon detecting an operation on the touch panel and for vibrating the touch panel so as to produce sounds based on the audio signals; wherein, upon detecting an operation on the touch panel by the operation detector, the filtering unit removes a frequency band of vibrations for force feedback from the frequency band of the sounds to be produced, and the vibration-controlling unit generates the sounds based on a frequency band of vibrations for producing the sounds that does not include a frequency band of vibrations for force feedback in response to a touch of the operator on the touch panel while the touch panel vibrates to produce the sounds, whereas when an operation on the touch panel is not detected by the operation detector, the filtering unit does not remove the frequency band of vibrations for force feedback from the frequency band of the sounds to be produced. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
-
-
10. A method for providing vibrations for force feedback in response to an input operation on a touch panel, the method comprising:
-
vibrating the touch panel to produce sounds based on audio signals supplied by a sound source; adjusting a volume of the sounds produced by vibrating the touch panel in response to a request by an operator; detecting an operation by an operator on the touch panel; when the magnitude of vibrations for producing sounds is greater than the magnitude of vibrations for force feedback, controlling the magnitude of vibrations of the touch panel so that the magnitude of vibrations for producing sounds is less than the magnitude of vibrations for force feedback in response to a touch of an operator on the touch panel when the operation on the touch panel is detected; and producing the sounds at the magnitude of vibrations as adjusted in the controlling act and vibrating the touch panel in response to a touch of the operator on the touch panel. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14)
-
-
15. A method for providing vibrations for force feedback in response to an input operation on a touch panel, the method comprising:
-
detecting an operation on the touch panel; and when the operation on the touch panel is detected, removing a frequency band of vibrations for force feedback in response to a touch of an operator on the touch panel from a frequency band of vibrations for producing sounds on the touch panel, and generating sounds having the frequency band other than the removed frequency band and vibrating the touch panel at a frequency in the removed frequency band in response to a touch of the operator on the touch panel; whereas when an operation on the touch panel is not detected, the frequency band of vibrations for force feedback is not removed from the frequency band of vibrations of sounds to be produced. - View Dependent Claims (16)
-
Specification