Touch-sensitive sheet member, input device and electronic apparatus

• US 8,547,341 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2008
• Issued: 10/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Takashima, Kouichiro, Kayama, Shun, Sawada, Takashi, Shimizu, Yukiko, Takahashi, Tsutomu
• Primary Examiner(s): OLSON, JASON C
• Application Number:
  US12/340,063
• Publication Number:
  US 20090160813A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,747 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 21/004 Details of particular tactile cells, e.g. electro-mechanical or mechanical layout

Abstract

A touch-sensitive sheet member contains a body having predetermined hardness and a sheet shape and a sense-of-touch-representing unit that represents a sense of touch. The sense-of-touch-representing unit has a predetermined size and is arranged at positions of the body or at a predetermined position of the body. The touch-sensitive sheet member also contains a medium-supplying unit that supplies medium to the sense-of-touch-representing unit.

Claims

1. An input device that inputs information by any one of a slide operation and a press operation of an operation body, the input device comprising:

a display unit having an operation surface;

a detection unit that detects any one of a slide position and a press position of the operation body, the detection unit being provided at the display unit; and

a transparent touch-sensitive sheet member on which any one of slide operation along the operation surface of the display unit and the press operation to the operation surface of the display unit is executed, the touch-sensitive sheet member covering at least a portion of the detection unit,

wherein the touch-sensitive sheet member includes;

a body having a predetermined hardness and a sheet shape;

a sense-of-touch-representing unit that represents a sense of touch, the sense-of-touch-representing unit having a predetermined size and being arranged at positions of the body or at a predetermined position of the body; and

a medium-supplying unit that supplies a medium to the sense-of-touch-representing unit,

wherein the sense-of-touch-representing unit contains an aperture having an aperture diameter of a predetermined size, the aperture being perforated at a predetermined position of the body and being used for representing the sense of touch,

wherein the medium-supplying unit includes an air-circulating unit that sends air to the aperture or takes in air from the aperture,

wherein the air-circulating unit contains a programmable function that sends the air to the apertures perforated in the body individually or for every group or takes in the air from the apertures individually,

wherein the body includes a flow channel panel that introduces the air to the apertures perforated at the body,

wherein the air-circulation unit includes an air pressure adjustor using a piezoelectric device,

wherein the air pressure adjustor is connected to the flow channel panel, and

wherein the air pressure adjustor sends the air to the apertures of the body individually or for every group through the flow channel panel or takes in the air from the apertures individually or for every group through the flow channel panel.

2. An input device that inputs info illation by any one of a slide operation and a press operation of an operation body, the input device comprising:

a display unit having an operation surface;

a detection unit that detects any one of a slide position and a press position of the operation body, the detection unit being provided at the display unit; and

a transparent touch-sensitive sheet member on which any one of slide operation along the operation surface of the display unit and the press operation to the operation surface of the display unit is executed, the touch-sensitive sheet member covering at least a portion of the detection unit,

wherein the touch-sensitive sheet member includes;

a body having a predetermined hardness and a sheet shape;

a sense-of-touch-representing unit that represents a sense of touch, the sense-of-touch-representing unit having a predetermined size and being arranged at positions of the body or at a predetermined position of the body; and

a medium-supplying unit that supplies a medium to the sense-of-touch-representing unit,

wherein the sense-of-touch-representing unit includes a bag portion that represents the sense of touch, the bag portion having a predetermined size and being arranged at a predetermined position of the body,

wherein the medium-supplying unit includes a ventilation unit that ventilates air to the bag portion,

wherein the ventilation unit contains a programmable function that sends the air to a plurality of bag portions arranged at the body individually or for every group,

wherein the body includes a flow channel panel that introduces the air to the plurality of bag portions arranged at the body,

wherein the ventilation unit includes an air pressure generator using a piezoelectric device,

wherein the air pressure generator is connected to the flow channel panel, and

wherein the air pressure generator sends compressed air to the plurality of bag portions arranged at the body individually or for every group through the flow channel panel.

3. An input device that inputs information by any one of a slide operation and a press operation of an operation body, the input device comprising:

a display unit having an operation surface;

a detection unit that detects any one of a slide position and a press position of the operation body, the detection unit being provided at the display unit; and

a transparent touch-sensitive sheet member on which any one of slide operation along the operation surface of the display unit and the press operation to the operation surface of the display unit is executed, the touch-sensitive sheet member covering at least a portion of the detection unit,

wherein the touch-sensitive sheet member includes;

a body having a predetermined hardness and a sheet shape;

a sense-of-touch-representing unit that represents a sense of touch, the sense-of-touch-representing unit having a predetermined size and being arranged at positions of the body or at a predetermined position of the body; and

a medium-supplying unit that supplies a medium to the sense-of-touch-representing unit,

the input device includes a combination of;

a first touch-sensitive sheet member in which the sense-of-touch-representing unit contains an aperture having an aperture diameter of a predetermined size, the aperture being perforated at a predetermined position of the body and being used for representing the sense of touch, and the medium-supplying unit includes an air-circulating unit that sends air to the aperture or takes in air from the aperture,

a second touch-sensitive sheet member in which the sense-of-touch-representing unit includes a bag portion that represents the sense of touch, the bag portion having a predetermined size and being arranged at a predetermined position of the body, and the medium-supplying unit includes a ventilation unit that ventilates air to the bag portion, and

a third touch-sensitive sheet member in which the sense-of-touch-representing unit includes conductive polymer material that represents the sense of touch, the polymer material having predetermined sized electrodes and being arranged at a predetermined position of the body, and the medium-supplying unit includes a power supply unit that applies a driving voltage to the electrodes of the polymer material.