Information input device, image forming device, input control method, and computer-readable recording medium
First Claim
1. An information input device, comprising:
- a plurality of sensors arranged for an operation surface at predetermined intervals, each sensor detecting contact of an operation object with the operation surface in a vicinity of the sensor and outputting a detection signal according to a distance between the sensor and the operation object;
a control unit to control an input of the detection signal from the sensor;
a switching unit to switch ON/OFF of signal lines to transmit the detection signals from the plurality of sensors to the control unit according to a predetermined control signal that is sent from the control unit;
an input sensing judgment unit to determine whether an input of the operation object is sensed based on an integrated detection signal that is formed by integrating a plurality of detection signals output from the plurality of sensors;
a sensor group selection unit to select a sensor group including sensors having sensed the operation object, from among the plurality of sensors arranged for the operation surface, based on detection signals of the sensors having sensed the operation object by sequentially switching ON/OFF of each of the signal lines one after the other by the switching unit;
a sensor specifying unit to specify the sensors having sensed the operation object from the selected sensor group based on the detection signals of the sensors having sensed the operation object;
a position detecting unit to detect a position of the operation object on the operation surface based on the detection signals of the sensors specified by the sensor specifying unit, anda plurality of OR circuits arranged in a multilevel configuration for integrating the plurality of detection signals output from the plurality of sensors into the integrated detection signal,wherein the plurality of OR circuits includes a first OR circuit and a second OR circuit located at a level subsequent to the first OR circuit in the multilevel configuration, the second OR circuit having input ends wired to the first OR circuit and further wired to a part of the sensors through a signal line to transmit the detection signal that is directly output from the part of the sensors, the signal line not passing through the first OR circuit.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An information input device includes a plurality of sensors arranged for an operation surface at predetermined intervals, each sensor detecting contact of an operation object with the operation surface in a vicinity of the sensor and outputting a detection signal. An input sensing judgment unit determines whether an input of the operation object is sensed based on an integrated detection signal of the plurality of sensors. A sensor group selection unit selects a sensor group including sensors having sensed the operation object from among the plurality of sensors based on detection signals of the sensors. A sensor specifying unit specifies the sensors having sensed the operation object from the selected sensor group based on the detection signals of the sensors. A position detecting unit detects a position of the operation object on the operation surface based on the detection signals of the specified sensors.
-
Citations
16 Claims
-
1. An information input device, comprising:
-
a plurality of sensors arranged for an operation surface at predetermined intervals, each sensor detecting contact of an operation object with the operation surface in a vicinity of the sensor and outputting a detection signal according to a distance between the sensor and the operation object; a control unit to control an input of the detection signal from the sensor; a switching unit to switch ON/OFF of signal lines to transmit the detection signals from the plurality of sensors to the control unit according to a predetermined control signal that is sent from the control unit; an input sensing judgment unit to determine whether an input of the operation object is sensed based on an integrated detection signal that is formed by integrating a plurality of detection signals output from the plurality of sensors; a sensor group selection unit to select a sensor group including sensors having sensed the operation object, from among the plurality of sensors arranged for the operation surface, based on detection signals of the sensors having sensed the operation object by sequentially switching ON/OFF of each of the signal lines one after the other by the switching unit; a sensor specifying unit to specify the sensors having sensed the operation object from the selected sensor group based on the detection signals of the sensors having sensed the operation object; a position detecting unit to detect a position of the operation object on the operation surface based on the detection signals of the sensors specified by the sensor specifying unit, and a plurality of OR circuits arranged in a multilevel configuration for integrating the plurality of detection signals output from the plurality of sensors into the integrated detection signal, wherein the plurality of OR circuits includes a first OR circuit and a second OR circuit located at a level subsequent to the first OR circuit in the multilevel configuration, the second OR circuit having input ends wired to the first OR circuit and further wired to a part of the sensors through a signal line to transmit the detection signal that is directly output from the part of the sensors, the signal line not passing through the first OR circuit. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
-
-
15. An input control method for use in an information input device including a plurality of sensors arranged for an operation surface at predetermined intervals, each sensor detecting contact of an operation object and outputting a detection signal according to a distance between the sensor and the operation object, the input control method comprising:
-
controlling, by a control unit provided to the information input device, an input of the detection signal from the sensor; switching, by a switching unit provided to the information input device, ON/OFF of signal lines to transmit the detection signals from the plurality of sensors to the control unit according to a predetermined control signal that is sent from the control unit; determining, by an input sensing judgment unit, whether an input of the operation object is sensed based on an integrated detection signal of the plurality of detection signals that is formed by integrating a plurality of detecting signals output from the plurality of sensors; selecting, by a sensor group selection unit, a sensor group including sensors having sensed the operation object, from among the plurality of sensors arranged for the operation surface, based on detection signals of the sensors having sensed the operation object by sequentially switching ON/OFF of each of the signal lines one after the other by the switching unit; specifying, by a sensor specifying unit, the sensors having sensed the operation object from the selected sensor group based on the detection signals of the sensors having sensed the operation object; detecting, by a position detecting unit, a position of the operation object on the operation surface based on the detection signals of the sensors specified in the specifying, and integrating, by a plurality of OR circuits arranged in a multilevel configuration, the plurality of detection signals output from the plurality of sensors into the integrated detection signal, wherein the plurality of OR circuits includes a first OR circuit and a second OR circuit located at a level subsequent to the first OR circuit in the multilevel configuration, the second OR circuit having input ends wired to the first OR circuit and further wired to a part of the sensors through a signal line to transmit the detection signal that is directly output from the part of the sensors, the signal line not passing through the first OR circuit.
-
-
16. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium storing a program which, when executed by a computer, causes the computer to perform an input control method for use in an information input device including a plurality of sensors arranged for an operation surface at predetermined intervals, each sensor detecting contact of an operation object and outputting a detection signal according to a distance between the sensor and the operation object, the input control method comprising:
-
controlling, by a control unit provided to the information input device, an input of the detection signal from the sensor; switching, by a switching unit provided to the information input device, ON/OFF of signal lines to transmit the detection signals from the plurality of sensors to the control unit according to a predetermined control signal that is sent from the control unit; determining, by an input sensing judgment unit, whether an input of the operation object is sensed based on an integrated detection signal that is formed by integrating a plurality of detecting signals of the plurality of detection signals output from the plurality of sensors; selecting, by a sensor group selection unit, a sensor group including sensors having sensed the operation object, from among the plurality of sensors arranged for the operation surface, based on detection signals of the sensors having sensed the operation object by sequentially switching ON/OFF of each of the signal lines one after the other by the switching unit; specifying, by a sensor specifying unit, the sensors having sensed the operation object from the selected sensor group based on the detection signals of the sensors having sensed the operation object; detecting, by a position detecting unit, a position of the operation object on the operation surface based on the detection signals of the sensors specified in the specifying, and integrating, by a plurality of OR circuits arranged in a multilevel configuration, the plurality of detection signals output from the plurality of sensors into the integrated detection signal, wherein the plurality of OR circuits includes a first OR circuit and a second OR circuit located at a level subsequent to the first OR circuit in the multilevel configuration, the second OR circuit having input ends wired to the first OR circuit and further wired to a part of the sensors through a signal line to transmit the detection signal that is directly output from the part of the sensors, the signal line not passing through the first OR circuit.
-
Specification