Touch panel device

• US 20030222858A1
• Filed: 04/25/2003
• Published: 12/04/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pioneer Corporation
• Original Assignee: Pioneer Corporation
• Inventors: Kobayashi, Hiroshi
• Granted Patent: US 7,154,483 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0418 for error correction or compensation, e.g. based on parallax, calibration or alignment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

A touch panel device includes a screen that has a plurality of display areas in a first layer, and a plurality of touch areas in a second layer. The second layer lies over the first layer. One touch area is superposed over one display area. The touch area is generally larger than the display area. A position of each touch area is slightly offset from the corresponding display area, depending upon a relative positional relationship between the touch panel device and a user of the touch panel device. The offsetting may be determined based on ergonomics in order to effectively. prevent an erroneous operation of a user to the touch panel device. The user is a vehicle driver if the touch panel device is used in a car navigation machine.

Claims

1. A touch panel device for an electronic device, comprising:

a touch panel screen including a plurality of display areas and a plurality of touch areas such that each display area is associated with each touch area, each display area displaying information;

a pressure detector for detecting a pressure applied to each of the touch areas to generate a detection signal representing the pressure;

a signal generator for generating an operation command based on the detection signal; and

a relative relation adjuster for adjusting a relative relation between at least one display area and the associated touch area in terms of at least one of positional relationship and size relationship between the display area and the associated touch area in accordance with a predetermined condition.

2. The touch panel device according to claim 1, wherein the relative relation adjuster offsets a center of the touch area from a center of the associated display area in accordance with the predetermined condition.

3. The touch panel device according to claim 1 further comprising an input unit that allows a user to enter the predetermined condition.

4. The touch panel device according to claim 3, wherein the input unit is one of the plurality of display areas and an associated touch area defined on the touch panel screen.

5. The touch panel device according to claim 2, wherein the relative relation adjuster offsets the center of the display area from the touch area, or vice versa, based on ergonomics.

6. A display/input device provided in an automobile having a steering wheel, the display/input device comprising:

a touch panel unit;

the touch panel unit including;

a touch panel screen including a plurality of display areas and a plurality of touch areas such that each display area is associated with each touch area, each display area displaying information,

a pressure detector for detecting a pressure applied to each of the touch areas to generate a detection signal representing the pressure,

a signal generator for generating an operation command based on the detection signal, and

a relative relation adjuster for offsetting a center of a touch area from a center of an associated display area in accordance with a steering wheel position.

7. The display/input device according to claim 6, wherein the relative relation adjuster offsets the center of the touch area at least leftwards or upwards from the center of the display area, when the automobile is a right-hand drive automobile.

8. The display/input device according to claim 6, wherein the relative relation adjuster offsets the center of the display area at least rightwards or downwards from the center of the associated touch area, when the automobile is a right-hand drive automobile.

9. The display/input device according to claim 6, wherein the relative relation adjuster offsets the center of the touch area at least rightwards or upwards from the center of the display area, when the automobile is a left-hand drive automobile.

10. The display/input device according to claim 6, wherein the relative relation adjuster offsets the center of the display area at least leftwards or upwards from the center of the touch area, when the automobile is a left-hand drive automobile.

11. The display/input device according to claim 6, wherein the relative relation adjuster offsets the center of the touch area from the display area, or vice versa, based on ergonomics.

12. The display/input device according to claim 7, wherein the touch area is a larger size than the display area, and the touch area overlaps the entire display area even after the touch area is offset.

13. The display/input. device according to claim 8, wherein the touch area is a larger size than the display area, and the touch area overlaps the entire display area even after the display area is offset.

14. The display/input device according to claim 9, wherein the touch area is a larger size than the display area, and the touch area overlaps the entire display area even after the touch area is offset.

15. The display/input device according to claim 10, wherein the touch area is a larger size than the display area, and the touch area overlaps the entire display area even after the display area is offset.