Input device

• US 6,646,631 B2
• Filed: 07/26/1999
• Issued: 11/11/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ALPS Electric Company Limited (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: ALPS Electric Company Limited (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Suga, Seiichi, Suzuki, Katsutoshi, Komatsu, Masaru
• Primary Examiner(s): Chow, Dennis-Doon
• Assistant Examiner(s): Anyaso, Uchendu O.
• Application Number:
  US09/360,819
• Publication Number:
  US 20020122025A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,569 Days
• Field of Search: 345/161, 345/158, 345/160, 345/168, 341/20, 341/33, 341/22, 361/283.2, 737/18, 738/620.43, 318/488, 463/38, 200/6.A, 400/479
• US Class Current: 345/157
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0338 with detection of limited linear or angular displacement of an operating part of the device from a neutral position, e.g. isotonic or isometric joysticks

Abstract

An input device which provides excellent operability and reaction to a user, and which can be easily operated. The device comprises a casing, an operation unit supported parallel-movably in a direction along one surface of the casing, having a member to return to an initial position when the operation unit is not operated, and a signal generation portion which detects moving direction and moving amount of the operation unit, and generates a control signal to control moving direction and moving amount of an object to be operated on an image display device, in accordance with the detected moving direction and moving amount.

Claims

1. An input device comprising:

a casing having an opening in an upper surface thereof;

an operation unit inserted into and passed through said opening of said casing and supported to be movable in parallel in a direction along said upper surface of said casing, said operation unit having an operation disk placed on said upper surface of said casing, an electrode supporting plate disposed in said casing, and a connecting member interconnecting said operation disk and said electrode supporting plate;

an elastic member for use in recovering said operation unit back to its initial position when said operation unit is not operated; and

signal generation means for detecting a moving direction and a moving amount of said operation unit, and generating a control signal for controlling a moving direction and a moving amount of an object to be operated on an image display device, in accordance with the detected moving direction and moving amount of said operation unit,

wherein said signal generation means comprises a first electrode provided on a lower surface of said electrode supporting plate of said operation unit, and a second electrode fixedly provided in a position within said casing so as to oppose said first electrode across an air gap, one of said first and second electrodes being divided into plural electrodes having the same area, this divided area being formed with a common electrode showing no variation in capacitance even if said operation unit performs parallel movement, the first and second electrodes constituting a plurality of capacitors, and there is provided a detection unit that detects the moving direction and the moving amount of said operation unit based on capacitance changes of each of said plurality of capacitors caused by parallel movement of said operation unit.