ELECTRONIC DEVICE AND COORDINATE DETECTING METHOD

• US 20150042603A1
• Filed: 02/07/2014
• Published: 02/12/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: TAKANO, Tomoki, YAMAGUCHI, Takeshi, TAKIZAWA, Yuuichi
• Granted Patent: US 9,141,245 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/174
• 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 3/04186 Touch location disambiguation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means

Abstract

Disclosed is an electronic device including: a display section that displays information; an electrostatic-capacitance touch panel layer that allows visible light corresponding to display contents of the display section to pass through the touch panel layer and that determines a two-dimensional coordinate indicated by an indicator having conductivity; glass that protects the touch panel layer and that allows visible light corresponding to display contents of the display section to pass through the glass; a depression sensor that detects deformation of the glass; and a control section that validates a two-dimensional coordinate when a plurality of two-dimensional coordinates are determined by the touch panel layer and when deformation is detected by the depression sensor, the two-dimensional coordinate being determined last among the plurality of two-dimensional coordinates.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a housing;

a display section that is disposed inside the housing and that displays predetermined information;

an electrostatic-capacitance touch panel section that allows visible light corresponding to display contents of the display section to pass through the touch panel section and that determines a two-dimensional coordinate indicated by an indicator having predetermined conductivity;

a transparent member that protects the touch panel section and that allows visible light corresponding to display contents of the display section to pass through the transparent member;

a depression detecting section that detects deformation of the transparent member; and

a control section that validates a two-dimensional coordinate when a plurality of two-dimensional coordinates are determined by the touch panel section and when a predetermined amount of deformation is detected by the depression detecting section, the two-dimensional coordinate being determined last among the plurality of two-dimensional coordinates.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the control section maintains the validation of the two-dimensional coordinate until an indicator which indicates the validated two-dimensional coordinate moves away from the touch panel section at a predetermined distance.

3. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein, when the plurality of two-dimensional coordinates are determined by the touch panel section and the predetermined amount of deformation is detected by the depression detecting section, the control section validates all two-dimensional coordinates determined within a predetermined time period that includes a time point when the deformation is detected, among the plurality of two-dimensional coordinates.

4. The electronic device according to claim 3, wherein the control section maintains the validation of the two-dimensional coordinates until all indicators which indicate the validated two-dimensional coordinates move away from the touch panel section at a predetermined distance.

5. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein, when a vertical distance between the indicator and the touch panel section is equal to or less than a predetermined value, the touch panel section determines the two-dimensional coordinate indicated by the indicator.

6. The electronic device according to claim 5, wherein the predetermined value is zero.

7. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the depression detecting section is disposed between the transparent member and the touch panel section and allows visible light corresponding to display contents of the display section to pass through the depression detecting section.

8. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the depression detecting section is disposed between the display section and part of the housing.

9. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the transparent member and the touch panel section are integrated into one piece.

10. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein at least part of the depression detecting section is disposed while being overlapped with the display section.

11. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the depression detecting section and the touch panel section are integrated into one piece.

12. A coordinate detecting method for an electronic device that includes:

a housing;

a display section that is disposed inside the housing and that displays predetermined information;

an electrostatic-capacitance touch panel section that allows visible light corresponding to display contents of the display section to pass through the touch panel section and that determines a two-dimensional coordinate indicated by an indicator having predetermined conductivity;

a transparent member that protects the touch panel section and that allows visible light corresponding to display contents of the display section to pass through the transparent member; and

a depression detecting section that detects deformation of the transparent member,

the method comprising validating a two-dimensional coordinate when a plurality of two-dimensional coordinates are determined by the touch panel section and when a predetermined amount of deformation is detected by the depression detecting section, the two-dimensional coordinate being determined last among the plurality of two-dimensional coordinates.