Input device and electronic device using the input device

• US 7,663,604 B2
• Filed: 08/19/2003
• Issued: 02/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kimura, Keiichi, Motoyama, Shigeki, Maruyama, Shigeaki, Poupyrev, Ivan
• Primary Examiner(s): Mengistu; Amare
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chow; Yuk
• Application Number:
  US10/525,792
• Publication Number:
  US 20070080951A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,373 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/173, 310/367, 367/160
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1637 Details related to the display arrangement, including those related to the mounting of the display in the housing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/014 Force feedback applied to GUI
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2215/028 alterable
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2215/052 piezoelectric
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/96015 Constructional details for touch switches for capacitive touch switches see H03K2217/9607
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/960755 Constructional details of capacitive touch and proximity switches

Abstract

An input device includes a touch panel with which a user performs an input operation of information by touching the touch panel. The input device further includes a vibration generation device for feeding back, to the user, various kinds of sense of touch in accordance with the type of the information through the touch panel. Additionally, the input device includes a vibration control circuit for allowing the vibration generation device to generate various forms of vibrations in accordance with the type of the information. The vibration generation device is a bimorph piezoelectric actuator including a first actuator unit and a second actuator unit stacked on the first actuator unit in which when one of the first and second actuator units expands, the other contracts. Further, each of the first and second actuator units has a multi-layered piezoelectric element layer.

Claims

1. An input device, comprising:

a support frame;

a touch panel configured to receive an input operation of information by a pressure exerted on the touch panel;

a vibration generation device configured to generate various forms of vibrations, in accordance with the information, through the touch panel;

a plurality of tapered projections constructed to contact a face of the touch panel closest to the support frame and to contact the vibration generation device;

a touch panel support member constructed to contact the touch panel and the support frame and to extend farther from the touch panel to the support frame than a face of the vibration generation device farthest from the touch panel extends to the support frame; and

a vibration control circuit configured to control the vibration generation device to generate the various forms of vibrations in accordance with the information, the vibration generation device being a bimorph piezoelectric actuator including a first actuator unit and a second actuator unit stacked on the first actuator unit in which when one of the first actuator unit and the second actuator unit expands, an other of the first actuator unit and the second actuator unit contracts, each of the first actuator unit and the second actuator unit having a multi-layered piezoelectric element layer.

2. The input device according to claim 1, further comprising:

an image display unit configured to display information, wherein,

the input operation of information is performed by exerting the pressure on a portion on the touch panel corresponding to a position at which the information of the image display unit is displayed, and

the vibration generation device is disposed in the image display unit.

3. The input device according to claim 2, wherein electrodes are disposed on both sides of each piezoelectric element included in the first actuator unit and the second actuator unit.

4. The input device according to claim 2, wherein,

a first of the plurality of tapered projections is constructed to contact one end portion of the bimorph piezoelectric actuator and the touch panel;

a second of the plurality of tapered projections is constructed to contact an other end portion of the bimorph piezoelectric actuator and the touch panel; and

a third of the plurality of tapered projections is constructed to contact a center of the bimorph piezoelectric actuator and the support frame.

5. The input device according to claim 2, wherein a spindle is fixed to an intermediate portion of the bimorph piezoelectric actuator.

6. The input device according to claim 4 wherein,

the first of the plurality of tapered projections has a soft adhesive for fixing the first of the plurality of tapered projections to the bimorph piezoelectric actuator and the touch panel,

the second of the plurality of tapered projections has a soft adhesive for fixing the second of the plurality of tapered projections to the bimorph piezoelectric actuator and the touch panel, and

the third of the plurality of tapered projections has a soft adhesive for fixing the third of the plurality of tapered projections to the bimorph piezoelectric actuator and the support frame.

7. The input device according to claim 2, wherein the image display unit includes a liquid crystal display unit and has a dust seal constructed to prevent dust from entering between the touch panel and the liquid crystal display unit.

8. The input device according to claim 2, wherein,

the vibration control circuit is configured to store a plurality of vibration control waveform patterns for the bimorph piezoelectric actuator, and

the plurality of vibration control waveform patterns correspond to the information displayed on the image display unit.

9. The input device according to claim 8, wherein one of the plurality of vibration control waveform patterns stored in the vibration control circuit can be rewritten.

10. The input device according to claim 8, wherein the vibration generation device includes an electromotive force detection device configured to detect an electromotive force which is generated depending on a pressing force applied to the bimorph piezoelectric actuator.

11. An electronic apparatus having an input device for inputting information, the input device comprising:

a support frame;

a touch panel configured to receive an input operation of information by a pressure exerted on the touch panel;

a vibration generation device configured to generate various forms of vibrations, in accordance with the information, through the touch panel;

a plurality of tapered projections constructed to contact a face of the touch panel closest to the support frame and to contact the vibration generation device;

a touch panel support member constructed to contact the touch panel and the support frame and to extend farther from the touch panel to the support frame than a face of the vibration generation device farthest from the touch panel extends to the support frame; and

a vibration control circuit configured to control the vibration generation device to generate the various forms of vibrations in accordance with the information, the vibration generation device being a bimorph piezoelectric actuator including a first actuator unit and a second actuator unit stacked on the first actuator unit in which when one of the first actuator unit and the second actuator unit expands, an other of the first actuator unit and the second actuator unit contracts, each of the first actuator unit and the second actuator unit having a multi-layered piezoelectric element layer.

12. The electronic apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising:

an image display unit configured to display information, wherein

the input operation of information is performed by exerting the pressure on a portion on the touch panel corresponding to a position at which the information of the image display unit is displayed, and

the vibration generation device is disposed in the image display unit.

13. The electronic apparatus according to claim 12, wherein electrodes are disposed on both sides of each piezoelectric element included in the first actuator unit and the second actuator unit.

14. The electronic apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the electronic apparatus is a portable electronic apparatus.