Touch-sensitive sheet member, input device and electronic apparatus

• US 8,223,130 B2
• Filed: 11/12/2008
• Issued: 07/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Takashima, Kouichiro, Kayama, Shun, Shimizu, Yukiko, Sawada, Takashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Dharia, Prabodh M
• Application Number:
  US12/269,498
• Publication Number:
  US 20090135150A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,343 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-184, 345/156, 345/157, 178 1801- 1811, 178 1901- 1907, 359/601, 200/243, 200/16.C, 399/329, 463/37, 463/38, 708/143
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/412 Transparent
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/51 Elastic
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2457/00 Electrical equipment
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2457/20 Displays, e.g. liquid crystal displays, plasma displays
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2457/202 LCD, i.e. liquid crystal displays
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2457/208 Touch screens
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 25/08 of synthetic resin
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 25/20 comprising silicone rubber
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/08 of synthetic resin
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/302 comprising aromatic vinyl (co)polymers, e.g. styrenic (co)polymers
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/34 comprising polyamides
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/36 comprising polyesters
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/365 comprising polycarbonates
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04809 Textured surface identifying touch areas, e.g. overlay structure for a virtual keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24983 Hardness

Abstract

A touch-sensitive sheet member contains a first raw material member having predetermined hardness and a second raw material member that presents sense of touch. The second raw material member is disposed in the first raw material member. The second raw material member has hardness different from the hardness of the first raw material member.

Claims

1. A touch-sensitive sheet member comprising:

a first raw material member having predetermined hardness; and

a second raw material member being disposed in the first raw material member,

wherein the second raw material member has hardness different from the hardness of the first raw material member, and

wherein the first raw material member and the second raw material member are configured to present an operator with a sliding sense of touch including at least one of a repeated concavity feeling and a repeated convexity feeling in response to a sliding operation across the touch-sensitive sheet member.

2. The touch-sensitive sheet member according to claim 1, wherein the first raw material member and the second raw material member have approximately equal refractive index and have different bending elasticity.

3. The touch-sensitive sheet member according to claim 1, wherein the first raw material member and the second raw material member have approximately equal transmissivity and have different bending elasticity.

4. The touch-sensitive sheet member according to claim 1, wherein the first raw material member and the second raw material member have approximately equal refractive index and transmissivity and have different bending elasticity.

5. The touch-sensitive sheet member according to claim 1, wherein one or more kinds of the second raw material members are disposed in the first raw material member.

6. An input device comprising:

a display unit;

a detection unit that is provided on the display unit and detects a slide position inputted based on a sliding operation by an operation body, the detection unit having an operation surface; and

a transparent touch-sensitive sheet member that covers at least a portion of the detection unit and is operated along the operation surface of the detection unit,

wherein the touch-sensitive sheet member includes;

a first raw material member having predetermined hardness;

a second raw material member being disposed in the first raw material member; and

the second raw material member has hardness different from the hardness of the first raw material member, and

wherein the first raw material member and the second raw material member are configured to present an operator with a sliding sense of touch including at least one of a repeated concavity feeling and a repeated convexity feeling in response to the sliding operation across the touch-sensitive sheet member.

7. The input device according to claim 6, further comprising a transparent protection film that is provided on the touch-sensitive sheet member, the transparent protection film having transmissivity and refractive index approximately equal to the transmissivity and refractive index of the touch-sensitive sheet member.

8. The input device according to claim 6, wherein the second raw material member of the touch-sensitive sheet member has hardness less than the hardness of the first raw material member of the touch-sensitive sheet member.

9. The input device according to claim 6, wherein the second raw material member is disposed at least at a portion of the touch-sensitive sheet member on a display region of the display unit displaying an input image, the portion of the touch-sensitive sheet member being surrounded by the first raw material member.

10. The input device according to claim 6, wherein the second raw material member is disposed at a portion of the touch-sensitive sheet member on a portion of the display unit obtained by partitioning a display region of an input image of the display unit, the portion of the touch-sensitive sheet member being partitioned by the first raw material member.

11. The input device according to claim 6, wherein a boundary region at which the first raw material member and the second raw material member are joined forms a slant-shape.

12. The input device according to claim 6, wherein a boundary region at which the first raw material member and the second raw material member are joined forms a semi-cylindrical or hemisphere shape hung down toward the display unit.

13. The input device according to claim 6, wherein a boundary region at which the first raw material member and the second raw material member are joined forms a semi-cylindrical or hemisphere shape extending toward an upper portion from the display unit.

14. The input device according to claim 6, wherein a transparent silicon rubber member of hardness 60°

to 80°

is used for the first raw material member of the touch-sensitive sheet member, and

wherein a transparent silicon rubber member of hardness 20°

to 40°

is used for the second raw material member of touch-sensitive sheet member.

15. The input device according to claim 6, wherein polycarbonate-based transparent material is used for the first raw material member of the touch-sensitive sheet member, and

wherein a transparent silicon rubber member of hardness 20°

to 40°

is used for the second raw material member of the touch-sensitive sheet member.

16. The input device according to claim 6, wherein polyethylene terephthalate-based transparent material is used for the first raw material member of the touch-sensitive sheet member, and

wherein a transparent silicon rubber member of hardness 20°

to 40°

is used for the second raw material member of the touch-sensitive sheet member.

17. The input device according to claim 6, wherein polyethersulfone-based transparent material is used for the first raw material member of the touch-sensitive sheet member, and

wherein a transparent silicon rubber member of hardness 20°

to 40°

is used for the second raw material member of the touch-sensitive sheet member.

18. The input device according to claim 6, wherein a transparent optical member is used for the first raw material member of the touch-sensitive sheet member, and

wherein a transparent silicon rubber member of hardness 20°

to 40°

is used for the second raw material member of the touch-sensitive sheet member.

19. The input device according to claim 6, wherein the second raw material member of the touch-sensitive sheet member has hardness higher than the hardness of the first raw material member of the touch-sensitive sheet member.

20. The input device according to claim 19, wherein the second raw material member is disposed at least at a portion of the touch-sensitive sheet member on a display region of the display unit displaying an input image, the portion of the touch-sensitive sheet member being surrounded by the first raw material member.

21. The input device according to claim 19, wherein the second raw material member is disposed at a portion of the touch-sensitive sheet member on a portion of the display unit obtained by partitioning a display region of an input image of the display unit, the portion of the touch-sensitive sheet member being partitioned by the first raw material member.

22. The input device according to claim 19, wherein a boundary region at which the first raw material member and the second raw material member are joined forms a slant-shape.

23. The input device according to claim 19, wherein a boundary region at which the first raw material member and the second raw material member are joined forms a semi-cylindrical or hemisphere shape hung down toward the display unit.

24. The input device according to claim 19, wherein a boundary region at which the first raw material member and the second raw material member are joined forms a semi-cylindrical or hemisphere shape extending toward an upper portion from the display unit.

25. The input device according to claim 19, a transparent silicon rubber member of hardness 20°

to 40°

is used for the first raw material member of the touch-sensitive sheet member, and

wherein a transparent silicon rubber member of hardness 60°

to 80°

is used for the second raw material member of touch-sensitive sheet member.

26. The input device according to claim 19, wherein a transparent silicon rubber member of hardness 20°

to 40°

is used for the first raw material member of the touch-sensitive sheet member, and

wherein polycarbonate-based transparent material is used for the second raw material member of the touch-sensitive sheet member.

27. The input device according to claim 19, wherein a transparent silicon rubber member of hardness 20°

to 40°

is used for the first raw material member of the touch-sensitive sheet member, and

wherein polyethylene terephthalate-based transparent material is used for the second raw material member of the touch-sensitive sheet member.

28. The input device according to claim 19, wherein a transparent silicon rubber member of hardness 20°

to 40°

is used for the first raw material member of the touch-sensitive sheet member, and

wherein polyethersulfone-based transparent material is used for the second raw material member of the touch-sensitive sheet member.

29. The input device according to claim 19, wherein a transparent silicon rubber member of hardness 20°

to 40°

is used for the first raw material member of the touch-sensitive sheet member, and

wherein a transparent optical member is used for the second raw material member of the touch-sensitive sheet member.

30. An input device comprising:

a housing;

an operation unit that is provided at the housing, has an operation surface, and inputs position information by operating the operation surface; and

a detection unit that detects the position information inputted by the operation unit,

wherein the operation unit is constituted by a first material having lower hardness than a second material constituting the housing, and

wherein the first material and the second material are configured to present an operator with a sliding sense of touch including at least one of a repeated concavity feeling and a repeated convexity feeling in response to a sliding operation across the operation surface.

31. The input device according to claim 30, wherein opaque polymeric material is used for the operation unit.

32. The input device according to claim 31, wherein the polymeric material is any one of an elastomer, a plastic, a skin and a fiber.

33. An electronic apparatus comprising:

a housing; and

an input device that is provided at the housing and inputs information depending on an operation by an operation body,

wherein the input device includes;

a display unit;

a detection unit that is provided on the display unit and detects a slide position by an operation body, the detection unit having an operation surface; and

a transparent touch-sensitive sheet member that covers at least a portion of the detection unit and is operated along the operation surface of the detection unit, and

wherein the touch-sensitive sheet member includes;

a first raw material member having predetermined hardness;

a second raw material member that presents sense of touch, the second raw material member being disposed in the first raw material member; and

the second raw material member has hardness different from the hardness of the first raw material member, and

wherein the first raw material member and the second raw material member are configured to present an operator with a sliding sense of touch including at least one of a repeated concavity feeling and a repeated convexity feeling in response to a sliding operation across the touch-sensitive sheet member.