Input device

• US 9,235,302 B2
• Filed: 07/16/2013
• Issued: 01/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai RIKA Denki Seisakusho
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai RIKA Denki Seisakusho
• Inventors: Shimizu, Tomomi
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Jr., Kenneth B
• Application Number:
  US13/943,268
• Publication Number:
  US 20140022207A1
• Time in Patent Office: 910 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04186 Touch location disambiguation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means

Abstract

An input device includes a selection circuit that is connected to a plurality of electrodes provided on a capacitive touch panel and selectively connects the plurality of electrodes, a calibration resistor connected to the selection circuit, a constant current source for supplying constant current power to the plurality of electrodes and the calibration resistor, an A/D converter connected to the selection circuit to measure capacitance of the plurality of electrodes and a measured value measured when the calibration resistor is connected, and a control unit controlling the selection circuit to make the A/D converter measure the capacitance of one of the plurality of electrodes and the measured value measured when the calibration resistor is connected, and determining a contact coordinate of the touch object on a touch panel by calculating a ratio of the capacitance to the measured value.

Claims

1. An input device, comprising:

a selection circuit that is connected to a plurality of electrodes provided on a capacitive touch panel and selectively connects the plurality of electrodes;

a calibration resistor connected to the selection circuit;

a constant current source for supplying constant current power to the plurality of electrodes and the calibration resistor;

an A/D converter connected to the selection circuit to measure capacitance of the plurality of electrodes and a measured value measured when the calibration resistor is connected; and

a control unit controlling the selection circuit to make the A/D converter measure the capacitance of one of the plurality of electrodes and the measured value measured when the calibration resistor is connected, and determining a contact coordinate of the touch object on a touch panel by calculating a ratio of the capacitance to the measured value,

wherein the measured value measured when the calibration resistor is connected is measured when disconnecting all of the plurality of electrodes, and

wherein the calibration resistor is connected in parallel with the plurality of electrodes to the selection circuit.

2. The input device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the selection circuit to disconnect the plurality of electrodes except the one electrode so that the A/D converter measures a first capacitance of the one of the plurality of electrodes and then to ground the plurality of electrodes except the one electrode so that the A/D converter measures a second capacitance of the one of the plurality of electrodes, and compares the first and second capacitances to determine whether or not a water droplet is present on a detection surface of the touch panel.

3. The input device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of electrode each comprise a pair of electrodes.

4. The input device according to claim 1, wherein the capacitance of the one of the plurality of electrodes is measured when disconnecting the plurality of electrodes except the one of the plurality of electrodes.

5. The input device according to claim 2, wherein when there is a difference between the first capacitance and the second capacitance, it is determined that the water droplet is present on the detection surface of the touch panel.