Multidirectional input device and electronic apparatus comprising it

• US 8,552,981 B2
• Filed: 08/10/2004
• Issued: 10/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Inoue, Hiroto, Okada, Hiroyasu, Yamamoto, Tamotsu, Sawada, Masaki, Kaizaki, Keiji
• Primary Examiner(s): Kumar, Srilakshmi K
• Application Number:
  US10/914,466
• Publication Number:
  US 20050007341A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,346 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-184, 200 5 C- 5 E, 200/600
• US Class Current: 345/160
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 2009/04722 elastic, e.g. flexible shaft
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 2009/04777 with additional push or pull action on the handle
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 9/047 the controlling member being movable by hand about orthogonal axes, e.g. joysticks for switches H01H25/04
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0338 with detection of limited linear or angular displacement of an operating part of the device from a neutral position, e.g. isotonic or isometric joysticks
• CPC Class Codes: H01C 10/26 resistive element moving H01C10/16, H01C10/24 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01C 10/345 the collector and resistive track being situated in 2 parallel planes
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2025/048 having a separate central push, slide or tumbler button which is not integral with the operating part that surrounds it
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2221/012 Joy stick type
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2239/078 Variable resistance by variable contact area or point
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 25/008 Operating part movable both angularly and rectilinearly, the rectilinear movement being perpendicular to the axis of angular movement
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 25/041 having a generally flat operating member depressible at different locations to operate different controls
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 3/0213 Combined operation of electric switch and variable impedance, e.g. resistor, capacitor H01H9/061 takes precedence

Abstract

A multidirectional input device includes ring-shaped resistance element layer 18, first conductive layer 22 and second conductive layer 23 shaping in arcs corresponding to resistance element layer 18, and knob 14 having ring-shaped protruded section 14D. Resistance element layer 18 has at least a pair of electrodes and is formed on flexible insulating substrate 16. Protruded section 14D brings resistance element layer 18 into contact with first conductive layer 22 or second conductive layer 23 when the knob is tilted. When a given voltage is applied to the electrodes and the knob is tilted, resistance element layer 18 comes in contact with first conductive layer 22 or second conductive layer 23, so that an output signal of a high resolution concerning a tilt angle can be obtained. The output signal is supplied to a microprocessor and calculated, then an angle or a direction is detected and recognized.

Claims

1. A multidirectional input device comprising:

an insulating substrate;

a ring-shaped resistance element layer formed on said insulating substrate, said ring-shaped resistance element layer having at least three terminals electrically coupled thereto, wherein said ring-shaped resistance element layer is continuously circular and each one of the at least three terminals extends radially from said ring-shaped resistance element layer to a position along a perimeter of the said insulating substrate and at 90 degree intervals;

a plane substrate spaced from said ring-shaped resistance element layer by an insulating space;

a conductive section disposed on said plane substrate;

an operating section operable to bring said ring-shaped resistance element layer into partial contact with said conductive section; and

a controller, said controller operable to perform;

a selection of a first pair of terminals from said at least three terminals,

an application of a given voltage to said ring-shaped resistance element layer by applying the given voltage between the first pair of terminals,

a first recognition of at least two contacted sections between said ring-shaped resistance element layer and said plane substrate based on the given voltage applied between the first pair of terminals,

a selection of a second pair of terminals from said at least three terminals,

an application of the given voltage between said second pair of terminals selected,

a second recognition of the at least two contacted sections between said ring-shaped resistance element layer and said plane substrate based on the given voltage applied between the second pair of terminals,

a comparison between a result of the first recognition with a result of the second recognition, and

a determination of an agreed upon contacted position between said ring-shaped resistance element layer and said plane substrate based on said comparison.

2. The multidirectional input device of claim 1, wherein said plane substrate comprises a conductive metal substrate functioning as said conductive section.

3. The multidirectional input device of claim 2, wherein:

said conductive metal substrate comprises an output terminal;

said plane substrate is fixed to a casing;

a conductive resilient leg fixed to the casing is operable to resiliently come into contact with a terminal of said ring-shaped resistance element layer; and

when said ring-shaped resistance element layer partially comes in contact with said plane substrate by an operation of said operating section, a voltage is applied alternately to input terminals of the casing corresponding to the resilient legs, so that the voltage is applied to said ring-shaped resistance element layer, and a signal is thus obtained from said output terminal.

4. The multidirectional input device of claim 3, further comprising a central switch, wherein:

said insulating substrate has an aperture corresponding to a center of said ring-shaped resistance element layer;

said central switch corresponds to the aperture and is disposed on said plane substrate; and

said operating section operates said central switch through the aperture.

5. The multidirectional input device of claim 1, further comprising a central switch beneath said ring-shaped resistance element layer and located at a center of said ring-shaped resistance element layer.

6. The multidirectional input device of claim 1, further comprising a central switch at a center of said ring-shaped resistance element layer of said insulating substrate.

7. The multidirectional input device of claim 1, wherein said operating section is operable to tilt, and said ring-shaped resistance element layer contacts said conductive section by tilting said operating section so that an operating direction is detected.

8. An electronic apparatus comprising:

a top casing having a through-hole; and

a multidirectional input device including,

an insulating substrate,

a ring-shaped resistance element layer formed on said insulating substrate and having at least three terminals electrically coupled thereto, wherein said ring-shaped resistance element layer is continuously circular and each one of the at least three terminals extends radially from said ring-shaped resistance element layer to a position along a perimeter of the said insulating substrate and at 90 degree intervals,

a plane substrate spaced from said ring-shaped resistance element layer by an insulating space,

a conductive section disposed on said plane substrate, wherein said ring-shaped resistance element layer contacts said conductive section,

an operating section operable to bring said ring-shaped resistance element layer into contact with said conductive section and disposed in the through-hole of said top casing, and

a controller, said controller operable to perform;

a selection of a first pair of terminals from said at least three terminals,

an application of the given voltage to said ring-shaped resistance element layer by applying the given voltage between the first pair of terminals,

a first recognition of at least two contacted sections between said ring-shaped resistance element layer and said plane substrate based on the given voltage applied between the first pair of terminals,

a selection of a second pair of terminals from said at least three terminals,

an application of the given voltage between said second pair of terminals selected,

a second recognition of the at least two contacted sections between said ring-shaped resistance element layer and said plane substrate based on the given voltage applied between the second pair of terminals,

a comparison between a result of the first recognition with a result of the second recognition, and

a determination of an agreed upon contacted position between said ring-shaped resistance element layer and said plane substrate based on said comparison.

9. The electronic apparatus of claim 8, further comprising a central contact section including a central switch.

10. The electronic apparatus of claim 8, wherein said operating section is operable to tilt, and said ring-shaped resistance element layer contacts said conductive section by tilting said operating section so that an operating direction is detected.

11. The electronic apparatus of claim 10, wherein when said ring-shaped resistance element layer contacts said conductive section by an operation of said operating section, a moving speed of one of a cursor and an icon along a direction corresponding to the contacted point is controlled such that the moving speed can change responsive to a result detected within a given time.

12. The electronic apparatus of claim 10, wherein when one of the signals from a substantially identical contacted point, at which said ring-shaped resistance element layer contacts said conductive section, is detected two times sequentially, and the signal is detected continuously for more than a given time, a moving speed of one of a cursor and an icon along a direction corresponding to the contacted point is controlled such that the moving speed can change.