Input device including movable touch pad

• US 9,063,598 B2
• Filed: 02/20/2013
• Issued: 06/23/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: ALPS Electric Company Limited (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Oshita, Kazuhito
• Primary Examiner(s): Lao, Lun-Yi
• Assistant Examiner(s): DEADERICK, ELLIOTT J
• Application Number:
  US13/772,132
• Publication Number:
  US 20130229369A1
• Time in Patent Office: 853 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-174, 345/156, 345/169, 345/108, 178/18.01, 178/18.03, 178 1805- 1807, 178/19.01, 178/19.03, 178/19.04, 715/702, 715/708
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means

Abstract

An input device includes a touch pad which is rotatably supported and has an upper surface as an input operation surface, a switch element located on a lower side of the touch pad, and a control unit configured to perform a continued-ON state control during an operation of an operation body (finger, etc.) moving on the input operation surface and pressing the input operation surface downwardly to cause the switch element to be in an ON state, the continued-ON state control maintaining the ON state even if the ON state of the switch element is released while the operation of the operation body continues on or in a vicinity of the input operation surface.

Claims

1. An input device comprising:

a movable touch pad rotatably supported and having an upper surface as an input operation surface, the movable touch pad rotating about a hinge portion;

a switch element located on a lower side of the touch pad; and

a control unit configured to perform a continued-ON state control during an operation of an operation body moving on the input operation surface and pressing the input operation surface downwardly to cause the switch element to be in an ON state, the continued-ON state control maintaining the ON state even if the ON state of the switch element is released while the operation of the operation body continues on or in a vicinity of the input operation surface,

wherein the control unit maintains the continued-ON state control under a condition that a movement distance of the operation body on the input operation surface is greater than a threshold L, the threshold L being changeable according to a moving direction of the operation body with respect to the hinge portion such that a first threshold is set for the moving direction directly approaching the hinge portion, a second threshold is set for the moving direction obliquely approaching the hinge portion, and a third threshold is set for the moving direction substantially parallel to the hinge portion, the first threshold being smaller than the second threshold which is smaller than the third threshold.

2. The input device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit maintains the continued-ON state control under a condition that an operation coordinate (X,Y) of the operation body is within a specific region defined on the input operation surface.

3. The input device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit maintains the continued-ON state control under a condition that the ON state of the switch element is released when the operation body is located within a specific region defined on the input operation surface, and an operation start position of the operation body is located in a non-specific region outside the specific region.

4. The input device according to claim 2, wherein the specific region is set in a vicinity of a hinge portion rotatably supporting the touch pad.

5. The input device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit releases the continued-ON state control based on a predetermined condition.

6. The input device according to claim 5, wherein the predetermined condition includes at least one of:

a continuation time of the ON state;

a number of times of data indicating that the operation body does not touch or come close to the input operation surface; and

a number of times of polling.

7. The input device according to claim 1, wherein a drag operation is continued on a display body displayed on a display apparatus by the continued-ON state control maintained by the control unit.

8. The input device according to claim 1, wherein the hinge portion is provided along a first end portion of the movable touch pad, while the switch element is provided in a vicinity of a second end portion of the movable touch pad opposite to the first end portion.