Input apparatus

• US 8,531,407 B2
• Filed: 11/12/2008
• Issued: 09/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Automotive Systems Company of America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Tanaka, Tsuyoshi, Shitanaka, Hitokazu, Santo, Kouichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Lao, Lun-Yi
• Assistant Examiner(s): Siddiqui, Md Saiful A
• Application Number:
  US12/269,447
• Publication Number:
  US 20090140994A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,763 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 345/156, 345166-168, 345/179, 345/102, 345/104, 178 1801- 1806, 463 37- 38, 701/36, 701 41- 48
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 13/83 characterised by legends, e.g. Braille, liquid crystal displays, light emitting or optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2003/0293 with an integrated touch switch
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2217/032 Feedback about selected symbol, e.g. display
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2219/039 Selective or different modes of illumination
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2219/064 Optical isolation of switch sites
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2221/016 Lever; Rocker
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2231/026 Car
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2239/006 Containing a capacitive switch or usable as such

Abstract

An input apparatus includes: a display plate having a plurality of display sections; an electrostatic touch panel provided at a lower face of the display plate; an operation body on which the display plate and the electrostatic touch panel are placed; a plurality of light-emitting elements for illuminating the plurality of display sections of the display plate from a lower side of the display plate through the electrostatic touch panel; and a control section that is electrically connected to the electrostatic touch panel and the plurality of light-emitting elements, and that controls light emission of the plurality of light-emitting elements in accordance with touch operation to the electrostatic touch panel.

Claims

1. An input apparatus comprising:

a display plate having a plurality of display sections that comprises;

a plurality of shapes and a plurality of touch positions identified by symbols;

an electrostatic touch panel provided at a lower face of the display plate;

an operation body on which the display plate and the electrostatic touch panel are placed, the operation body being up-and-down moveable together with at least the plurality of touch positions, wherein a switch is operationally connected to the operation body and provides ON or OFF in accordance with an up-and-down movement of the operation body, and wherein the plurality of touch positions move up together and move down to ether in the up-and-down movement with the operation body;

a plurality of light-emitting elements for illuminating at least some of the plurality of display sections of the display plate from a lower side of the display plate through the electrostatic touch panel; and

a control section that is electrically connected to the electrostatic touch panel and the plurality of light-emitting elements, and

that controls illumination of an individual shape of the plurality of shapes, in response to a touch in a vicinity of a touch position of the plurality of touch positions on the display plate, wherein the touch position is in the vicinity of the individual shape, and

that does not cause, in response to said touch, illumination of an another shape of the plurality of shapes,

wherein the individual shape is illuminated by a light emitting element of the plurality of light-emitting elements in response to said touch, and then

that detects the ON or OFF of the switch in response to an up-and-down movement of the operation body together with all of the plurality of touch positions,

wherein all of the plurality of touch positions are illuminated in response to said touch such that the individual shape and all of the plurality of touch positions are illuminated in response to the same touch.

2. The input apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the plurality of display sections have a plurality of first display sections and a plurality of second display sections,

one of the plurality of second display sections comprises the individual shape and another one of the plurality of second display sections comprises the another shape,

the touch position is located at one of the plurality of first display sections, and

the plurality of second display sections are provided in the vicinity of the plurality of first display sections.

3. The input apparatus according to claim 2, wherein:

the plurality of light-emitting elements include a plurality of first light-emitting elements and a plurality of second light-emitting elements,

the plurality of the first light-emitting elements are provided respectively at positions corresponding to the plurality of the first display sections, and

the plurality of the second light-emitting elements are provided respectively at shapes of the plurality of shapes corresponding to the plurality of the second display sections.

4. The input apparatus according to claim 3, wherein:

the control section causes one of the plurality of second light-emitting elements to illuminate one of the plurality of second display sections in the vicinity of one of the plurality of first display sections, in response to the touch of said one of the plurality of first display sections.

5. The input apparatus according to claim 3, wherein:

said control section further controls a function of one or more vehicle devices that corresponds to the individual shape on the display plate, in response to said detected ON or OFF of the switch, wherein the individual shape is in the vicinity of the touch position, and a symbol at the touch position identifying the touch position provides a graphical representation of the function.

6. The input apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the display plate and the electrostatic touch panel have a circular arc-like shape.