Input apparatus

• US 9,348,442 B2
• Filed: 01/24/2012
• Issued: 05/24/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Kitatani, Kenichi, Aoki, Hiroyuki, Katou, Yumi, Yagihashi, Ayumu, Murayama, Atsuhiko, Sugahara, Seiji
• Primary Examiner(s): Chatly, Amit
• Application Number:
  US13/980,206
• Publication Number:
  US 20130285967A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,582 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-178
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04101 2.5D-digitiser, i.e. digitiser detecting the X/Y position of the input means, finger or stylus, also when it does not touch, but is proximate to the digitiser's interaction surface and also measures the distance of the input means within a short range in the Z direction, possibly with a separate measurement setup
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/043 using propagating acoustic waves

Abstract

An input apparatus (for example, a mobile terminal apparatus (100)) includes a display unit (60) that displays a plurality of operation position displays (for example, operation position displays (61 to 66)); and a detection unit that contactlessly detects an operation which corresponds to an operation position set in a specific space of a front of the input apparatus in correspondence to each of the plurality of operation position displays. The detection unit includes a first piezoelectric element (an oscillation piezoelectric element (31)) that oscillates ultrasound toward the front space of the input apparatus; a second piezoelectric element (a reception piezoelectric element (21)) that detects the ultrasound which is oscillated by the first piezoelectric element; and a determination unit that determines whether or not an operation is performed on a certain operation position based on a result of detection performed by the second piezoelectric element.

Claims

1. An input apparatus comprising:

a display unit that displays a plurality of operation position displays; and

a detection unit that contactlessly detects an operation performed on an operation position which is set in a specific space of a front of the input apparatus, which corresponds to each of the plurality of operation position displays,

wherein the detection unit includes

a first piezoelectric element that oscillates ultrasound toward the front space of the input apparatus;

a second piezoelectric element that detects the ultrasound which is oscillated by the first piezoelectric element; and

a determination unit that determines whether or not an operation is performed on a certain operation position based on a result of detection performed by the second piezoelectric element, wherein

a tactile sensation provision control unit that performs control such that tactile sensation is provided using a second ultrasound to an object which performed the operation using the second piezoelectric element,

wherein the second piezoelectric element is configured to generate the second ultrasound at a time other than when the second piezoelectric element detects the ultrasound.

2. The input apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein at least one of the first piezoelectric element and the second piezoelectric element is in plural.

3. The input apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein the display unit has a rectangular shape, and

wherein at least one of the first piezoelectric element and the second piezoelectric element is arranged in each of positions which corresponds to one of four sides of the display unit.

4. The input apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein the second piezoelectric element is in plural.

5. The input apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein a distance from the display unit to the specific space is equal to or less than 5 cm.

6. The input apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the input apparatus is a mobile terminal apparatus.