Input device having coordinate-inputting unit and switching unit

• US 8,599,141 B2
• Filed: 06/08/2005
• Issued: 12/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2004
• 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: Soma, Masahiro
• Primary Examiner(s): FARAGALLA, MICHAEL A
• Application Number:
  US11/147,775
• Publication Number:
  US 20050275627A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,100 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/157, 345/158, 345/159, 345/160, 345/168, 345/169, 345/170, 345/172, 345/173, 345/174, 345/175, 345/176, 345/177, 345/178, 345/179, 345/180, 345/181, 345/182, 345/183, 345/184, 345/204, 345/163, 178/18.01, 178/18.03, 178/18.06, 178/20.01, 200/513, 341/5
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/169 the I/O peripheral being an integrated pointing device, e.g. trackball in the palm rest area, mini-joystick integrated between keyboard keys, touch pads or touch stripes G06F1/1643 takes precedence; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04809 Textured surface identifying touch areas, e.g. overlay structure for a virtual keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0445 using two or more layers of sensing electrodes, e.g. using two layers of electrodes separated by a dielectric layer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0446 using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes

Abstract

An input device is provided. The input device contains a face sheet, coordinate-inputting means opposing the lower portion of the face sheet, and switching means opposing the lower portion of the coordinate-inputting means. The face sheet, the coordinate-inputting means, and the switching means are laminated in a thickness direction. The coordinate-inputting means has X- and Y-direction electrodes opposing each other and arranged on both surfaces of a base sheet in a grid manner. The switching means has a substrate with a switch contact portions in a grid arrangement. The switch contact portions are switched by the inversion of invertible plates. Projections are disposed between the coordinate-inputting means and the invertible plates.

Claims

1. An input device comprising:

a face sheet;

coordinate-inputting means for detecting input received from a user of the input device, the coordinate-inputting means opposing a lower portion of the face sheet;

switching means for switching a respective operating state of a plurality of switch contact portions based on the input detected via the coordinate-inputting means, the switching means opposing a lower portion of the coordinate-inputting means, the switch contact portions disposed on a surface of the switching means in a grid configuration, wherein the surface of the switching means comprises a plurality of end portions located outside of the grid configuration;

bonding means for fixing the coordinate-inputting means to the switching means disposed at intermediate positions between two adjacent switch contact portions and at positions outside an area where the switch contact portions are arranged in a grid manner;

wherein the coordinate-inputting means comprises a plurality of electrodes in a first direction (first direction electrodes) and a plurality of electrodes in a second direction (second direction electrodes) where the first direction electrodes oppose the second direction electrodes and where the first direction electrodes are arranged on a first surface of a base sheet and the second direction electrodes are arranged on a second surface of the base sheet such that the first and the second direction electrodes are arranged in a grid manner;

wherein the switching means for switching a respective operating state of a plurality of switch contact portions based on the input detected via the coordinate-inputting means comprises a substrate having a plurality of switch contact portions in a grid arrangement, the switch contact portions being switched by an inversion of a plurality of invertible plates from a first state to a second state;

a plurality of projections disposed on the coordinate-inputting means and opposing the plurality of invertible plates;

a plurality of hemispherical protrusions protruding upward from an upper surface of the face sheet at positions where the plurality of hemispherical protrusions overlap the plurality of invertible plates and the plurality of projections;

wherein the convex protrusions protrude from the upper surface of the face sheet in a third direction; and

a male connector extending from an end portion of the coordinate-inputting means, the male connector comprising;

a first connector portion in connection with the end portion of the coordinate-inputting means;

a second connector portion having a shape that is the same as a shape of the first connector portion; and

a connecting portion connecting the first connector portion to the second connector portion;

wherein a plurality of direction electrode extension patterns extend from at least one of the first direction electrodes and the second direction electrodes and are formed on a surface of the first connector portion;

wherein the coordinate-inputting means further comprises a ground electrode, and wherein a ground extension pattern extends from the ground electrode and is formed on a base of the second connector portion;

wherein the male connector extends from the end portion of the coordinate-inputting means in one of the first direction and the second direction; and

wherein the male connector is formed by folding the first connector portion and the second connector portion along a plurality of axes, each of the plurality of axes extending in the one of the first direction and the second direction.

2. The input device according to claim 1, wherein at least either of the plurality of projections or the plurality of protrusions is formed with an ultraviolet curable resin.

3. The input device according to claim 1, wherein the base sheet of the coordinate-inputting means comprises a plurality of first positioning holes;

the substrate of the switching means comprises a plurality of second positioning holes;

and the base sheet and the substrate are positioned with respect to each other such that the first positioning holes of the plurality of first positioning holes are respectively aligned with the second positioning holes of the plurality of second positioning holes.

4. The input device of claim 1, further comprising:

a ground electrode provided at an area where the base sheet and the substrate oppose each other.