Input apparatus

• US 8,947,388 B2
• Filed: 07/28/2011
• Issued: 02/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Inventors: Furukawa, Takashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Abdulselam, Abbas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jones, Shawna Stepp
• Application Number:
  US13/812,447
• Publication Number:
  US 20130120306A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,286 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/173, 455/403
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04106 Multi-sensing digitiser, i.e. digitiser using at least two different sensing technologies simultaneously or alternatively, e.g. for detecting pen and finger, for saving power or for improving position detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2330/12 Test circuits or failure detection circuits included in a display system, as permanent part thereof

Abstract

While detecting a contact as well as a pressure load to a touch sensor, to deal with a problem of the pressure load detection, an input apparatus 1 includes a touch sensor 11, a load detection unit 12 for detecting the pressure load on the touch sensor 11, a problem detection unit 16 for detecting the problem with the load detection unit 12, and a control unit 15 for controlling switchover between a first input mode for performing a predetermined operation when the touch sensor 11 detects the contact and a second input mode for performing the predetermined operation when the load detection unit 12 detects a pressure load satisfying a predetermined standard load while the touch sensor 11 is detecting the contact. The control unit 15, when the problem detection unit 16 detects the problem with the load detection unit 12, prevents switching to the second mode.

Claims

1. An input apparatus comprising:

a touch sensor;

a load detection unit configured to detect a pressure load on the touch sensor;

a problem detection unit configured to detect a problem with an ability of the load detection unit to detect a pressure load; and

a control unit configured to control switchover between a first input mode for executing a predetermined operation when the touch sensor detects a contact and a second input mode for performing the predetermined operation when the load detection unit detects a pressure load satisfying a predetermined standard load while the touch sensor is detecting the contact, wherein

the control unit, when the problem detection unit detects the problem with the load detection unit, controls to prevent an operation to switch to the second input mode.

2. The input apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit, when the problem detection unit detects the problem with the load detection unit upon receiving an input to switch to the second input mode, controls to prevent the operation to switch to the second input mode.

3. The input apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit, when the problem detection unit detects the problem with the load detection unit at the start of an operation, controls to prevent the operation to switch to the second input mode.

4. The input apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the control unit, when the problem detection unit detects the problem with the load detection unit at activation of the input apparatus, controls to start the operation in the first input mode.

5. The input apparatus according to any one of claim 1, further comprising a tactile sensation providing unit configured to vibrate a touch face of the touch sensor, wherein

the control unit, when the load detection unit detects the pressure load satisfying the predetermined standard load while the touch sensor is detecting the contact, controls the tactile sensation providing unit to provide a tactile sensation to a pressing object pressing the touch face.