POSITION INPUT APPARATUS

• US 20120032907A1
• Filed: 01/19/2010
• Published: 02/09/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Inventors: Koizumi, Yoshiaki, Hibara, Naoyuki, Kikuta, Toshiaki, Higuma, Toshiyasu, Nakai, So
• Granted Patent: US 9,046,956 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0414 using force sensing means to determine a position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

As for a position input apparatus that, when a user applies a pressure to an operation area, determines a pressed position where the pressure is applied, the manufacturing cost of the position input apparatus is reduced. An operation plate is a flat plate having the operation area on one surface. A plurality of pressure sensors (pressure detection devices) detect, at respectively different pressure detection positions, a detection position pressure generated by the pressure applied to the pressed position. A pressed position determination device determines the pressed position, based on a plurality of detection position pressures detected by the plurality of pressure sensors.

Claims

1-15. -15. (canceled)

16. A position input apparatus that determines a pressed position where a pressure is applied within an operation area, the position input apparatus comprising:

an operation plate that is of a flat plate shape and has the operation area on one surface;

at least two pressure detection devices, each of which detects, at a pressure detection position different from one another, a detection position pressure generated by the pressure applied to the pressed position, the pressure detection position being located outside the operation area on the operation plate; and

a pressed position determination device that determines the pressed position, based on at least two detection position pressures detected by the at least two pressure detection devices.

17. The position input apparatus according to claim 16, comprising at least three pressure detection devices, wherein

at least three pressure detection positions respectively corresponding to the at least three pressure detection devices form a polygon enclosing at least a part of the operation area, and

the pressed position determination device determines the pressed position, based on a ratio of at least three detection position pressures detected by the at least three pressure detection devices.

18. The position input apparatus according to claim 16, wherein

the pressed position determination device determines a pressure detection device that has detected a largest detection position pressure among the at least two pressure detection devices, and determines that the pressed position is a position proximate to the pressure detection position corresponding to the determined pressure detection device among at least two of the pressure detection positions.

20. The position input apparatus according to claim 16, further comprising a detection position support portion that supports the operation plate at the pressure detection position, wherein

the pressure detection device detects through the detection position support portion the detection position pressure at the pressure detection position.

21. The position input apparatus according to claim 16, further comprising an operation plate support portion that supports the operation plate at a position different from the pressure detection position.

22. The position input apparatus according to claim 21, further comprising an operation plate support adjustment portion that adjusts at least either one of a height, a position, a width, and an extent of the operation plate support portion supporting the operation plate.

23. The position input apparatus according to claim 16, further comprising an out-of-area protection portion that is located at an operation area side of the operation plate, and covers a portion of the operation plate other than the operation area so as to prevent a pressure from being applied to the portion of the operation plate other than the operation area.

24. The position input apparatus according to claim 16, further comprising a detected pressure adjustment device that adjusts the detection position pressure to be detected by the pressure detection device.

25. The position input apparatus according to claim 16, further comprising a detected pressure correction device that corrects the detection position pressure detected by the pressure detection device, wherein

the pressed position determination device determines the pressed position, based on the detection position pressure corrected by the detected pressure correction device.

26. The position input apparatus according to claim 16, wherein

the operation plate is transparent, and

the position input apparatus further comprises an operation screen display device that is located at an opposite side of the operation area side of the operation plate, and displays an operation screen visually viewable through the operation area of the operation plate.

27. The position input apparatus according to claim 16, wherein

the operation plate is an operation screen display device that displays an operation screen in the operation area.

28. The position input apparatus according to claim 16, further comprising an operation switch that corresponds to any one of the pressure detection devices, and by pressing the operation switch, a detection position pressure is applied to a corresponding pressure detection device, wherein

the pressed position determination device determines whether the operation switch or the operation plate has been pressed, based on at least two detection position pressures detected by the at least two pressure detection devices.

29. The position input apparatus according to claim 28, wherein

the pressed position determination device, when the pressure detection device corresponding to the operation switch detects a detection position pressure larger than a predetermined pressing determining threshold, treats the detection position pressure detected by the pressure detection device corresponding to the operation switch as a pressing candidate pressure, treats the detection position pressure detected by another pressure detection device as a non-pressing candidate pressure, and then determines that the operation switch has been pressed in at least one of three cases, the three cases being a case that the non-pressing candidate pressure is smaller than a predetermined non-pressing determining threshold, a case that a ratio of the non-pressing candidate pressure to the pressing candidate pressure is smaller than a predetermined pressure ratio threshold, and a case that a difference obtained by subtracting the non-pressing candidate pressure from the pressing candidate pressure is larger than a predetermined pressure difference threshold.

30. The position input apparatus according to claim 16, further comprising

a numerical value memory device that stores a numerical value, and

a numerical value changing device that, when the pressed position determination device determines that a pressure has been applied to a predetermined position within the operation area, determines a difference and a time interval for changing the numerical value stored by the numerical value memory device based on the detection position pressure detected by the pressure detection device, and based on the determined time interval, periodically adds or subtracts the determined difference to or from the numerical value stored by the numerical value memory device.

19. A position input apparatus that determines a pressed position where a pressure is applied within an operation area, the position input apparatus comprising:

an operation plate that is of a flat plate shape and has the operation area on one surface, the operation area having a plurality of separated areas separated from one another;

at least two pressure detection devices each of which detects, at a pressure detection position different from one another, a detection position pressure generated by the pressure applied to the pressed position, the pressure detection position being located between the plurality of separated areas on the operation plate; and

a pressed position determination device that determines which one of the plurality of separated areas includes the pressed position, based on at least two detection position pressures detected by the at least two pressure detection devices.

31. The position input apparatus according to claim 19, further comprising a detection position support portion that supports the operation plate at the pressure detection position, wherein

the pressure detection device detects through the detection position support portion the detection position pressure at the pressure detection position.

32. The position input apparatus according to claim 19, further comprising a detected pressure adjustment device that adjusts the detection position pressure to be detected by the pressure detection device.

33. The position input apparatus according to claim 19, further comprising an operation plate support portion that supports the operation plate at a position different from the pressure detection position.

34. The position input apparatus according to claim 33, further comprising an operation plate support adjustment portion that adjusts at least either one of a height, a position, a width, and an extent of the operation plate support portion supporting the operation plate.

35. The position input apparatus according to claim 19, further comprising

a numerical value memory device that stores a numerical value, and

a numerical value changing device that, when the pressed position determination device determines that a pressure has been applied to a predetermined position within the operation area, determines a difference and a time interval for changing the numerical value stored by the numerical value memory device based on the detection position pressure detected by the pressure detection device, and based on the determined time interval, periodically adds or subtracts the determined difference to or from the numerical value stored by the numerical value memory device.