Information input device, image forming device, input control method, and computer-readable recording medium

• US 8,780,058 B2
• Filed: 04/23/2010
• Issued: 07/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Yabuuchi, Masayuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Shankar, Vijay
• Assistant Examiner(s): LAM, NELSON C
• Application Number:
  US12/765,934
• Publication Number:
  US 20100283751A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,544 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-179
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041661 using detection at multiple resolutions, e.g. coarse and fine scanning; using detection within a limited area, e.g. object tracking window
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0446 using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes

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.

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.

2. The information input device according to claim 1, wherein, when it is determined by the input sensing judgment unit that an input of the operation object is sensed, the sensor group selection unit selects the sensor group including the sensors having sensed the operation object.

3. The information input device according to claim 1, wherein, when the sensor group is selected by the sensor group selection unit, the sensor specifying unit specifies the sensors having sensed the operation object.

4. The information input device according to claim 1,

wherein the sensor group selection unit selects the sensor group including the sensors having sensed the operation object, based on the detection signals of the sensors which are supplied to the control unit through signal lines which are turned ON by the switching unit and different from signal lines having been turned ON at a time of determination of the input sensing by the input sensing judgment unit.

5. The information input device according to claim 4, wherein the sensor group selection unit selects the sensor group including the sensors having sensed the operation object, based on each of a plurality of sensor group detection signals which are supplied from the plurality of sensors to the control unit through signal lines turned ON by the switching unit.

6. The information input device according to claim 4, wherein the sensor specifying unit specifies the sensors having sensed the operation object, based on the detection signals of the sensors which are supplied to the control unit through signal lines which are turned ON by the switching unit and different from signal lines having been turned ON at a time of determination of the input sensing by the input sensing judgment unit and at a time of selection of the sensor group by the sensor group selection unit.

7. The information input device according to claim 6, wherein the sensor specifying unit specifies the sensors having sensed the operation object, based on detection signals of sensors included in the sensor group selected by the sensor group selection unit.

8. The information input device according to claim 7, wherein, when two or more sensor groups are selected by the sensor group selection unit, the sensor specifying unit specifies, for each of the selected sensor groups, the sensors having sensed the operation object, based on detection signals of sensors included in each of the selected sensor group.

9. The information input device according to claim 8, wherein the switching unit switches ON, for each of the selected sensor groups, signal lines to transmit detection signals of sensors included in each of the selected sensor group to the control unit, and the sensor specifying unit specifies the sensors having sensed the operation object, based on the detection signals which are supplied to the control unit through the signal lines turned ON by the switching unit for each of the selected sensor groups.

10. The information input device according to claim 4, further comprising an output unit to output a plurality of detection signals from the plurality of sensors to the control unit, wherein, when outputting the plurality of detection signals, the output unit sequentially outputs the plurality of detection signals to the control unit in accordance with a predetermined timing.

11. The information input device according to claim 4, further comprising an output unit to output a plurality of detection signals from the plurality of sensors to the control unit, wherein, when outputting the plurality of detection signals, the output unit converts the plurality of detection signals into a serial signal and outputs the serial signal to the control unit.

12. The information input device according to claim 1, further comprising an error judgment unit to determine an input error of the operation object, wherein, when the sensors included in the sensor group selected by the sensor group selection unit do not constitute one input line or two adjacent input lines, the error judgment unit determines the input of the operation object as being an error.

13. The information input device according to claim 1, further comprising an error judgment unit to determine an input error of the operation object, wherein, when the sensors included in the sensor group selected by the sensor group selection unit constitute two or more input lines that are not adjacent to each other, the error judgment unit determines the input of the operation object as being an error.

14. An image forming device including an image formation unit to form an image, wherein the image forming device comprises the information input device according to claim 1 and the image formation unit forms an image in accordance with information input by the information input device.

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.