Touch panel display apparatus, electronic device having touch panel display apparatus, and camera having touch panel display apparatus

• US 8,310,452 B2
• Filed: 07/17/2006
• Issued: 11/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Takenaka, Mikio, Maruyama, Shigeaki, Sekine, Junichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Sitta, Grant
• Application Number:
  US11/487,873
• Publication Number:
  US 20070035526A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,311 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-173
• 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 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a touch panel display apparatus including: a display panel; a movable panel unit including a touch panel and being flat plate-like in shape; a movable support section for supporting the movable panel unit on a support structure so as to permit the movable panel unit to be moved along a plane parallel to the panel surface of the movable panel unit; an actuator configured to drive the movable panel unit to vibrate; an actuator drive control section for outputting an actuator drive signal to drivingly control the actuator; an acoustic pressure generating member configured to generate an acoustic pressure by being driven by the actuator to vibrate; and a superposing section for superposing an acoustic signal on the actuator drive signal outputted by the actuator drive control section.

Claims

1. A touch panel display apparatus comprising:

a display panel unit including a touch panel;

movable support means for supporting said display panel unit so as to permit said display panel unit to be vibrated;

an actuator configured to drive said display panel unit to vibrate;

actuator drive control means for outputting an actuator drive signal to drive said actuator;

superimposing means for superimposing an acoustic signal on said actuator drive signal;

wherein said actuator vibrates said display panel unit laterally within a housing such that a tactile sensation is generated on a user'"'"'s fingertip making contact with said panel surface of said display panel unit, and said actuator also simultaneously drives an acoustic pressure generating member to vibrate according to said acoustic signal, whereby a sound is generated, and the lateral motion of the actuator drives the acoustic pressure generating member to generate the sound which is reflected toward a user, and further wherein the superimposing means is comprised of a mixing circuit that combines a selected waveform and an acoustic signal.

2. The touch panel display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said display panel is fixed on said support structure.

3. The touch panel display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said actuator drive control means drives said display panel unit to vibrate in a vibration pattern selected from a plurality of predetermined vibration patterns, and said plurality of predetermined vibration patterns generate different senses on the user'"'"'s fingertip making contact with said panel surface of said display panel unit.

4. The touch panel display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said actuator is a bending displacement type piezoelectric actuator being elongate plate-like in shape.

5. The touch panel display according to claim 4, wherein said acoustic pressure generating member is an elongate sheet member extending perpendicularly to a drive direction of said actuator.

6. The touch panel display according to claim 1, further comprising:

sound guide means for guiding the sound generated from said acoustic pressure generating member.

11. The touch panel display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said actuator is mechanically connected to the display panel unit and the acoustic pressure generating member in order to provide simultaneous vibration of each structure.

7. An electronic device comprising:

a casing or frame; and

a touch panel display apparatus;

wherein said touch panel display apparatus includes

a display panel unit including a touch panel,

movable support means for supporting said display panel unit on a support structure so as to permit said display panel unit to be vibrated,

an actuator configured to drive said movable panel unit to vibrate,

actuator drive control means for outputting an actuator drive signal to drive said actuator,

an acoustic pressure generating member configured to generate an acoustic pressure by being driven by said actuator to vibrate, and,

superimposing means for superimposing an acoustic signal on said actuator drive signal,

wherein said actuator drives said display panel unit laterally within a housing to vibrate, whereby a tactile sensation is generated on a user'"'"'s fingertip making contact with said panel surface of said movable panel unit, and said actuator simultaneously drives said acoustic pressure generating member to vibrate according to said acoustic signal, whereby a sound is generated, and the lateral motion of the actuator drives the acoustic pressure generating member to generate the sound which is reflected toward a user, and further wherein the superimposing means is comprised of a mixing circuit that combines a selected waveform and an acoustic signal.

8. The electronic device according to claim 7, wherein said display panel is fixed on said casing or frame.

12. The electronic device according to claim 7, wherein said actuator is mechanically connected to the display panel unit and the acoustic pressure generating member in order to provide simultaneous vibration of each structure.

9. A camera comprising:

a casing or frame; and

a display panel unit including a touch panel,

movable support means for supporting said display panel unit on a support structure so as to permit said display panel unit to vibrate,

an actuator configured to drive said display panel unit to vibrate laterally within a housing,

actuator drive control means for outputting an actuator drive signal to drive said actuator;

an acoustic pressure generating member configured to generate an acoustic pressure by being driven by said actuator to vibrate, and

superimposing means for superimposing an acoustic signal on said actuator drive signal,

wherein said actuator drives said display panel unit to vibrate, whereby a tactile sensation is generated on a user'"'"'s fingertip making contact with said panel surface of said movable panel unit, and said actuator simultaneously drives said acoustic pressure generating member to vibrate according to said acoustic signal, whereby a sound is generated, and the lateral motion of the actuator drives the acoustic pressure generating member to generate the sound which is reflected toward a user, and further wherein the superimposing means is comprised of a mixing circuit that combines a selected waveform and an acoustic signal.

10. The camera according to claim 9, wherein

said display panel is fixed on said casing or frame.

13. The camera according to claim 9, wherein said actuator is mechanically connected to the display panel unit and the acoustic pressure generating member in order to provide simultaneous vibration of each structure.