Input device which allows button input operation and coordinate input operation to be performed in the same operation plane

• US 6,704,005 B2
• Filed: 08/03/2001
• Issued: 03/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ALPS Electric Company Limited (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: ALPS Electric Company Limited (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Sato, Tadamitsu, Soma, Masahiro, Hagiwara, Yasuji, Kato, Katsumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Hjerpe, Richard
• Assistant Examiner(s): FATAHI YAR, MAHMOUD
• Application Number:
  US09/922,110
• Publication Number:
  US 20020021280A1
• Time in Patent Office: 949 Days
• Field of Search: 345/168, 345/173, 345/174, 178/18.03, 178/18.05
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0202 Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the input device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/045 using resistive elements, e.g. a single continuous surface or two parallel surfaces put in contact
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/047 using sets of wires, e.g. crossed wires
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 13/785 characterised by the material of the contacts, e.g. conductive polymers
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 13/807 characterised by the spatial arrangement of the contact sites, e.g. superimposed sites
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2215/006 Only mechanical function
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2215/012 Positioning of individual dome
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2225/002 superimposed
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2225/024 Common site to all actuators, e.g. auxiliary
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2237/00 Mechanism between key and laykey
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2239/05 Mode selector switch, e.g. shift, or indicator
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2239/078 Variable resistance by variable contact area or point
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0202 Portable telephone sets, e.g. cordless phones, mobile phones or bar type handsets constructional features of telephone transmitters or receivers, e.g. of speakers or microphones H04M1/03
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/23 Construction or mounting of dials or of equivalent devices; Means for facilitating the use thereof by improving visibility H04M1/22
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041

Abstract

An input device includes a pressure-sensitive or capacitive planar input unit with an indicator sheet which has input sections being secured to the surface of the planar input unit. A tactile feedback generator is provided at the back side of the planar input unit. The tactile feedback generator includes dome-shaped inversion plates that are separately provided at locations corresponding to the input sections and provide feedback to the operator. When an input section is pressed, an operation signal in accordance with what is indicated at the pressed input section is generated.

Claims

1. An input device comprising:

a planar input that generates a coordinate input operation;

an indicator section provided at a surface of the planar input, the indicator section having a plurality of input sections; and

a control section that generates an operation signal in accordance with an input signal that the control section has received from the planar input,

wherein, when the input device is set in ma first input mode, the control section detects that any one of the input sections has been touched, and generates an operation signal in accordance with a prescribed item of the input section, and, wherein, when the input device is set in a second mode, the control section recognizes the input signal from the planar input as coordinate data regardless of what is indicated at the touched input section.

2. An input device according to claim 1, further comprising a display mechanism disposed beside the planar input, wherein, when the input device is set in the second mode, the display mechanism provides a display in correspondence with the coordinate data.

3. An input device according to claim 1, further comprising a tactile feedback generator that transmits a pressing reaction force produced when any of the input sections is pressed.

4. An input device according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of tactile feedback generators, each tactile feedback generator individually provided at a location of a corresponding input section and transmitting a pressing reaction force produced when the corresponding input section is pressed.

5. An input device according to claim 3, wherein the tactile feedback generator is provided at only one location at a back side of the planar input.

6. An input device according to claim 4, wherein the tactile feedback generators comprise dome-shaped inversion plates disposed at a back side of the planar input.

7. An input device according to claim 6, wherein the inversion plates perform a switch input operation.

8. An input device having a first mode and a second mode, the input device comprising:

a planar input having an upper surface that includes a plurality of input sections, each input section generating a signal when operated; and

a control section that determines the mode of the input device and generates an operation signal corresponding to a combination of the mode and the signal received from the planar input, the control section generating a first operation signal when the input device is in the first mode and a second operation signal when the input device is in the second mode, the first operation signal corresponding to a particular function indicated by the contacted input section and the second operation signal corresponding to coordinate data of the contacted input section, the coordinate data independent of the particular function indicated by the contacted input section.

9. The input device of claim 8, further comprising a display mechanism disposed separately from the planar input, the display mechanism providing a display in correspondence with the coordinate data when the input device is in the second mode.

10. The input device of claim 8, further comprising a single tactile feedback generator that produces uniform tactile feedback when any of the input sections is pressed.

11. The input device of claim 10, the tactile feedback being reactive force that resists deformation of the pressed input section.

12. An input device according to claim 10, the tactile feedback generator disposed at a single location at a back side of the planar input.

13. The input device of claim 8, further comprising a plurality of tactile feedback generators, each tactile feedback generator individually provided at a location of a corresponding input section.

14. The input device of claim 13, each tactile feedback generator generating a reactive force that resists deformation of the pressed input section.

15. The input device of claim 14, the reactive forces being uniform with each other.

16. The input device of claim 13, the tactile feedback generators comprising dome-shaped inversion plates disposed at a back side of the planar input.

17. The input device of claim 16, the inversion plates performing a switch input operation.

18. An input device having a first mode and a second mode, the input device comprising:

a planar input having an upper surface that includes a plurality of input sections, each input section generating a signal when operated;

a control section that automatically controls the mode of the input device and generates an operation signal corresponding to a combination of the mode and the signal received from the planar input, the control section generating a first operation signal when the input device is in the first mode and a second operation signal when the input device is in the second mode, the first operation signal corresponding to a particular function indicated by the operated input section and the second operation signal corresponding to coordinate data of the operated input section, the coordinate data independent of the particular function indicated by the contacted input section;

a display mechanism disposed separately from the planar input, the display mechanism providing a display in correspondence with the coordinate data when the input device is in the second mode; and

a single tactile feedback generator disposed at one location at a back side of the planar input, the tactile feedback generator producing a uniform reactive force that resists deformation of the operated input section when any of the input sections are pressed.

19. An input device having a first mode and a second mode, the input device comprising:

a planar input having an upper surface that includes a plurality of input sections, each input section generating a signal when operated;

a control section that automatically controls the mode of the input device and generates an operation signal corresponding to a combination of the mode and the signal received from the planar input, the control section generating a first operation signal when the input device is in the first mode and a second operation signal when the input device is in the second mode, the first operation signal corresponding to a particular function indicated by the operated input section and the second operation signal corresponding to coordinate data of the operated input section, the coordinate data independent of the particular function indicated by the contacted input section;

a display mechanism disposed separately from the planar input, the display mechanism providing a display in correspondence with the coordinate data when the input device is in the second mode; and

a plurality of dome-shaped inversion plates disposed at a back side of the planar input, each inversion plate individually provided at a location of a corresponding input section and generating a reactive force that resists deformation of the operated input section, the reactive forces of the inversion plates being uniform with each other.

20. A method of increasing operability of an input device, the method comprising:

operating an input section of a planar input;

generating a signal corresponding to the operation of the input section;

automatically controlling a mode of the input device;

generating a first operation signal corresponding to a particular function indicated by the operated input section when the input device is in a first mode and a second operation signal corresponding to coordinate data of the contacted input section when the input device is in a second mode; and

ignoring the particular function indicated by the contacted input section when the input device is in the second mode.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising displaying the coordinate data when the input device is in the second mode in an area separated from the planar input.

22. The method of claim 20, further comprising uniformly generating feedback for the operated input section via a single feedback mechanism provided for the entire planar input.

23. The method of claim 20, further comprising uniformly generating feedback for the operated input section via an independent feedback mechanism provided for each input section.

24. The method of claim 22, the generating of feedback comprising generating a reactive force that resists deformation of the input section.

25. The method of claim 23, the generating of feedback comprising generating a reactive force that resists deformation of the operated input section.