Sensor device and information processing device

• US 9,146,642 B2
• Filed: 07/30/2010
• Issued: 09/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Yamano, Ikuo
• Primary Examiner(s): SHERMAN, STEPHEN G
• Application Number:
  US12/847,122
• Publication Number:
  US 20110057904A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,887 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-178, 345/104, 178 1801- 1809, 178/18.11
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04105 Pressure sensors for measuring the pressure or force exerted on the touch surface without providing the touch position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04107 Shielding in digitiser, i.e. guard or shielding arrangements, mostly for capacitive touchscreens, e.g. driven shields, driven grounds
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0445 using two or more layers of sensing electrodes, e.g. using two layers of electrodes separated by a dielectric layer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0447 Position sensing using the local deformation of sensor cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 5/16 using variation of distance between electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/960765 Details of shielding arrangements

Abstract

A sensor device is provided which includes a pressure-sensitive sensor which changes shape in response to pressing of an operation tool and which detects change in capacitance due to the change in shape, and a barrier which covers at least a part of the pressure-sensitive sensor and which prevents change in capacitance of the pressure-sensitive sensor due to capacitive coupling that occurs with approach between the pressure-sensitive sensor and the operation tool.

Claims

1. A sensor device comprising:

a pressure-sensitive sensor including an elastic body aligned with and sandwiched between two electrodes and configured to change shape in response to pressing of an operation tool so as to detect change in capacitance due to the change in shape; and

a barrier which covers an entire periphery of the pressure-sensitive sensor and which prevents change in capacitance of the pressure-sensitive sensor due to capacitive coupling that occurs with approach between the pressure-sensitive sensor and the operation tool when the operation tool approaches to the pressure-sensitive sensor from respective directions normal to sides of the pressure-sensitive sensor,

wherein the change in capacitance detected by the pressure-sensitive sensor is caused by a change in a distance between the two electrodes due to the pressing of the operation tool, and

wherein the two electrodes and the elastic body of the pressure-sensitive sensor each have substantially same sizes in both a length direction and a width direction, the two electrodes and the elastic body are all directly aligned in a stacked configuration in a stacking direction, and the two electrodes and the elastic body all have substantially same shapes and cross-sectional areas in respective planes taken perpendicular to the stacking direction.

2. The sensor device according to claim 1,

wherein the barrier is an electric conductor connected to a ground, and

wherein the electric conductor prevents the change in the capacitance of the pressure-sensitive sensor due to the capacitive coupling between the operation tool and the pressure-sensitive sensor.

3. The sensor device according to claim 2,

wherein the pressure-sensitive sensor includes a first elastic body, and

wherein the barrier includes a second elastic body which changes form with the first elastic body while being integrated with the first elastic body, according to the pressing of the operation tool.

4. The sensor device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a touch panel which includes an input operation surface and which detects a pressing position of the operation tool on the input operation surface,

wherein the pressure-sensitive sensor changes form according to the pressing position on the input operation surface of the touch panel, and

wherein the pressure-sensitive sensor detects the change in the capacitance due to the change in shape while preventing false detection of the pressure-sensitive sensor due to the operation tool near the pressure-sensitive sensor by using the barrier.

5. The sensor device according to claim 4,

wherein the barrier covers the pressure-sensitive sensor from the input operation surface side and from a surface side perpendicular to the input operation surface.

6. The sensor device according to claim 5,

wherein the barrier includes a first barrier which covers the pressure sensitive sensor from the input operation surface side and a second barrier which covers the pressure-sensitive sensor from the surface side perpendicular to the input operation surface,

wherein the first barrier and the second barrier are physically separated, and

wherein the first barrier is movable according to the change in form.

7. The sensor device according to claim 6,

wherein the first barrier is a thin film.

8. The sensor device according to claim 6,

wherein the second barrier covers, among surfaces of the pressure-sensitive sensor, a surface on the opposite side of the touch panel side.

9. The sensor device according to claim 6,

wherein the second barrier is formed with a distal end higher than a position of the input operation surface.

10. The sensor device according to claim 1,

wherein the pressing of the operation tool changes the shape of the elastic body sandwiched between the two electrodes in a contracting manner.

11. The sensor device according to claim 1,

wherein the pressing of the operation tool changes the shape of the elastic body sandwiched between the two electrodes in a stretching manner.

12. The sensor device according to claim 1,

wherein the pressure-sensitive sensor is formed as a substantially rectangular frame.

13. The sensor device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of pressure-sensitive sensors each including a respective elastic body aligned with and sandwiched between two respective electrodes,

wherein each one of the pressure-sensitive sensors is configured to change shape in response to pressing of the operation tool so as to detect change in capacitance due to the change in shape.

14. The sensor device according to claim 1,

wherein the elastic body is aligned with and sandwiched between only two electrodes.

15. The sensor device according to claim 1,

wherein the barrier covers a first side of the pressure-sensitive sensor and also covers a second side of the pressure-sensitive sensor, and

wherein the first side and the second side are normal and adjacent to each other.

16. The sensor device according to claim 1,

wherein the barrier covers at least three sides of the pressure-sensitive sensor.

17. The sensor device according to claim 1,

wherein the barrier covers at least four sides of the pressure-sensitive sensor.

18. An information processing device comprising:

a pressure-sensitive sensor including an elastic body aligned with and sandwiched between two electrodes and configured to change shape in response to pressing of an operation tool so as to detect change in capacitance due to the change in shape;

a barrier which covers an entire periphery of the pressure-sensitive sensor and which prevents change in capacitance of the pressure-sensitive sensor due to capacitive coupling that occurs with approach between the pressure-sensitive sensor and the operation tool when the operation tool approaches to the pressure-sensitive sensor from respective directions normal to sides of the pressure-sensitive sensor; and

a controller which processes information according to operation of the operation tool based on the change in the capacitance detected by the pressure sensitive sensor,

wherein the change in capacitance detected by the pressure-sensitive sensor is caused by a change in a distance between the two electrodes due to the pressing of the operation tool, and

wherein the two electrodes and the elastic body of the pressure-sensitive sensor each have substantially same sizes in both a length direction and a width direction, the two electrodes and the elastic body are all directly aligned in a stacked configuration in a stacking direction, and the two electrodes and the elastic body all have substantially same shapes and cross-sectional areas in respective planes taken perpendicular to the stacking direction.

19. The information processing device according to claim 18,

wherein the pressing of the operation tool changes the shape of the elastic body sandwiched between the two electrodes in a contracting manner.

20. The information processing device according to claim 18,

wherein the pressing of the operation tool changes the shape of the elastic body sandwiched between the two electrodes in a stretching manner.

21. The information processing device according to claim 18,

wherein the pressure-sensitive sensor is formed as a substantially rectangular frame.

22. The information processing device according to claim 18, further comprising:

a plurality of pressure-sensitive sensors each including a respective elastic body aligned with and sandwiched between two respective electrodes,

wherein each one of the pressure-sensitive sensors is configured to change shape in response to pressing of the operation tool so as to detect change in capacitance due to the change in shape.

23. The information processing device according to claim 18,

wherein the elastic body is aligned with and sandwiched between only two electrodes.