Digitizing tablet

• US 20030231170A1
• Filed: 04/15/2003
• Published: 12/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Instrument Corporation (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.), SMK Corporation
• Original Assignee: SMK Corporation
• Inventors: Yoshikawa, Osamu, Ishibashi, Hirotoshi
• Granted Patent: US 7,119,798 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0441 using active external devices, e.g. active pens, for receiving changes in electrical potential transmitted by the digitiser, e.g. tablet driving signals
• 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 3/0446 using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes

Abstract

A digitizing tablet that can control the vibration of an operation panel or a support substrate is disclosed. A piezoelectric substrate having a pair of drive electrodes fixed to the front and rear surfaces of the piezoelectric substrate is fixed directly or via one of the drive electrodes to the operation panel or the support substrate. A drive voltage is applied to the pair of drive electrodes after an input as been detected, and the drive voltage causes the expandable piezoelectric substrate to vibrate the operation panel or the support substrate. An additional vibration source is not required. Therefore, the vibration energy is not dissipated and there is no time delay in transmission since the operation panel or the support substrate are vibrated directly by the piezoelectric substrate. The expansion and contraction of the piezoelectric substrate can be controlled so that the vibration can be controlled precisely.

Claims

1. A digitizing tablet comprising:

an operation panel having an input surface and a rear surface,

a support substrate under said rear surface of said operation panel,

an input position detector adapted to detect an input received via said input surface and an input position of said input and to output data regarding said input position,

a pair of drive electrodes fixed to front and rear surfaces of an expandable piezoelectric substrate that is fixed, directly or via said drive electrode, to said operation panel or said support substrate, and

whereby, upon detection of said input, a drive voltage is applied to said pair of drive electrodes to cause said piezoelectric substrate to vibrate said operation panel or said support substrate thereby generating a feeling of said input.

2. The digitizing tablet according to claim 1, wherein said piezoelectric substrate is disposed in a space between opposing surfaces of said operation panel and said support substrate and is fixed to either one of said opposing surfaces.

3. The digitizing tablet according to claim 1, wherein said piezoelectric substrate is fixed to a rear surface of said support substrate directly or via said drive electrode.

4. The digitizing tablet according to claim 1, wherein said drive voltage is an output voltage appearing across a coil and is caused by an input low-voltage trigger pulse.

5. The digitizing tablet according to claim 2, wherein said drive voltage is an output voltage appearing across a coil and is caused by an input low-voltage trigger pulse.

6. The digitizing tablet according to claim 3, wherein said drive voltage is an output voltage appearing across a coil and is caused by an input low-voltage trigger pulse.

7. The digitizing tablet according to claim 1, wherein said drive voltage is applied at an audible band frequency to said pair of drive electrodes to expand and contract said piezoelectric substrate and thus vibrate said operation panel or said support substrate at said audible band frequency, thereby producing a sound indicative of the detection of said input.

8. The digitizing tablet according to claim 2, wherein said drive voltage is applied at an audible band frequency to said pair of drive electrodes to expand and contract said piezoelectric substrate and thus vibrate said operation panel or said support substrate at said audible band frequency, thereby producing a sound indicative of the detection of said input.

9. The digitizing tablet according to claim 3, wherein said drive voltage is applied at an audible band frequency to said pair of drive electrodes to expand and contract said piezoelectric substrate and thus vibrate said operation panel or said support substrate at said audible band frequency, thereby producing a sound indicative of the detection of said input.

10. The digitizing tablet according to claim 4, wherein said drive voltage is applied at an audible band frequency to said pair of drive electrodes to expand and contract said piezoelectric substrate and thus vibrate said operation panel or said support substrate at said audible band frequency, thereby producing a sound indicative of the detection of said input.

11. The digitizing tablet according to claim 5, wherein said drive voltage is applied at an audible band frequency to said pair of drive electrodes to expand and contract said piezoelectric substrate and thus vibrate said operation panel or said support substrate at said audible band frequency, thereby producing a sound indicative of the detection of said input.

12. The digitizing tablet according to claim 6, wherein said drive voltage is applied at an audible band frequency to said pair of drive electrodes to expand and contract said piezoelectric substrate and thus vibrate said operation panel or said support substrate at said audible band frequency, thereby producing a sound indicative of the detection of said input.

13. A digitizing tablet comprising:

an operation panel having a top surface and a rear surface,

a support substrate under said rear surface of said operation panel,

an input position detector adapted to detect an input received in proximity to said top surface and an input position of said input and to output data regarding said input position,

a pair of drive electrodes fixed to front and rear surfaces of an expandable piezoelectric substrate that is disposed between said operation panel and said support substrate, said drive electrode being disposed between said operation panel and said support substrate, said drive electode being fixed to one member of the group consisting of said operation panel and said support substrate, and

whereby, upon detection of said input, a drive voltage is applied to said pair of drive electrodes to cause said piezoelectric substrate to vibrate said member thereby generating a feeling of said input.