Sensor apparatus and electronic apparatus

• US 8,913,031 B2
• Filed: 11/05/2010
• Issued: 12/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Honda, Hidetoshi, Kanehira, Hiroki, Kawaguchi, Hiroto, Miyata, Kazutomo, Ishigaki, Masato, Wada, Yutaka, Akama, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Wang, Quan-Zhen
• Assistant Examiner(s): DICKE, CHAD M
• Application Number:
  US12/940,309
• Publication Number:
  US 20110175845A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,502 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-178, 178 1801- 2004
• US Class Current: 345/174
• 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 3/0447 Position sensing using the local deformation of sensor cells

Abstract

A sensor apparatus includes: a display cover including an operation area that is pressed by an operator and a circumferential area located on the circumference of the operation area; a frame including an opening covered by the operation area and a fixing portion that fixes the circumferential area; a touch panel that is supported by the display cover to be positioned at the opening and detects a position at which the operator comes into contact with the operation area; and a pressure-sensitive sensor that is provided between the display cover and the frame, includes a first electrode and a second electrode opposed to the first electrode, and detects a pressing force with respect to the operation area based on a change of a capacitance between the first electrode and the second electrode that corresponds to a deflection amount of the display cover.

Claims

1. A sensor apparatus, comprising:

a display cover including an operation area that flexes in response to a pressing force of an operator on the operation area and a circumferential area located on the circumference of the operation area;

a frame including an opening covered by the operation area and a fixing portion extending inwardly from an outer portion of the frame and arranged to fix the circumferential area of the display cover, wherein the outer portion of the frame does not support, above the outer portion, the circumferential area of the display cover, wherein a joint of the circumferential area and the fixing portion is configured to act as a fulcrum in response to the pressing force of the operator on the operation area, wherein the fixing portion of the frame is arranged to support above the fixing portion, a pressure-sensitive sensor and the circumferential area of the display cover;

a touch panel, which is supported by the display cover, wherein the touch panel is configured to detect a position at which the operator comes into contact with the operation area; and

the pressure-sensitive sensor, which is provided between the display cover and the fixing portion of the frame, wherein the pressure-sensitive sensor includes a first electrode, a second electrode opposed to the first electrode, wherein the second electrode is connected to the fixing portion of the frame via an adhesive, and a spacer provided between the display cover and the fixing portion of the frame to create a gap between the first electrode and the second electrode, and wherein the pressure-sensitive sensor is configured to detect a pressing force with respect to the operation area based, at least in part, on a change of a capacitance between the first electrode and the second electrode that corresponds to a deflection amount of the display cover.

2. The sensor apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the pressure-sensitive sensor further includes

the first electrode provided in the circumferential area,

the second electrode provided on the fixing portion, and

the spacer provided between the circumferential area and the fixing portion.

3. The sensor apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein the pressure-sensitive sensor further includes

a third electrode provided between the first electrode and the circumferential area while being opposed to the first electrode,

a connection layer, which is provided between the first electrode and the third electrode, to restrict a change of a distance between the first electrode and the third electrode, and

an operation circuit to detect a change rate of a difference between the capacitance between the first electrode and the second electrode and a second capacitance between the first electrode and the third electrode.

4. The sensor apparatus according to claim 3,

wherein the pressure-sensitive sensor further includes a conductive layer that is provided between the third electrode and the circumferential area while being opposed to the third electrode and to which a ground potential is connected.

5. The sensor apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein the pressure-sensitive sensor further includes

a third electrode provided between the second electrode and the fixing portion while being opposed to the second electrode,

a connection layer, which is provided between the second electrode and the third electrode, to restrict a change of a distance between the second electrode and the third electrode, and

an operation circuit to detect a change rate of a difference between the capacitance between the first electrode and the second electrode and a second capacitance between the second electrode and the third electrode.

6. The sensor apparatus according to claim 5,

wherein the pressure-sensitive sensor further includes a conductive layer that is provided between the first electrode and the circumferential area while being opposed to the first electrode and to which a ground potential is connected.

7. The sensor apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the touch panel includes a first surface fixed to the display cover and a second surface provided on the other side of the first surface, and

wherein the pressure-sensitive sensor further includes

the first electrode provided on the second surface,

the second electrode provided on the fixing portion,

a third electrode provided on the first surface while being opposed to the first electrode, and

an operation circuit to detect a change rate of a difference between the capacitance between the first electrode and the second electrode and a second capacitance between the first electrode and the third electrode.

8. The sensor apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the touch panel includes a first surface fixed to the display cover and a second surface provided on the other side of the first surface, and

wherein the pressure-sensitive sensor further includes

the first electrode provided on the second surface,

the second electrode provided on the fixing portion, and

a conductive layer that is provided on the first surface while being opposed to the first electrode and to which a ground potential is connected.

9. The sensor apparatus according to claim 8,

wherein the first electrode and the second electrode are formed annularly along an edge of the display cover.

10. The sensor apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the display cover is rectangular, and

wherein the first electrode and the second electrode are provided on at least one side of the display cover.

11. The sensor apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the gap between the first electrode and the second electrode includes, at least in part, an air gap.

12. The sensor apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising

a display panel including a first surface fixed to the touch panel and a second surface provided on the other side of the first surface,

wherein the pressure-sensitive sensor is provided on the second surface.

13. The sensor apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the gap is greater than or equal to 10 μ

m and less than or equal to 30 μ

m when the pressing force of an operator is not applied to the operation area.

14. The sensor apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the spacer comprises an adhesive.

15. The sensor apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the spacer does not change thickness in response to the pressing force of the operator applied to the operation area.

16. An electronic apparatus comprising:

a display cover including an operation area that flexes in response to a pressing force of an operator on the operation area and a circumferential area located on the circumference of the operation area;

a frame including an opening covered by the operation area and a fixing portion extending inwardly from an outer portion of the frame and arranged to fix the circumferential area of the display cover, wherein the outer portion of the frame does not support, above the outer portion, the circumferential area of the display cover, wherein a joint of the circumferential area and the fixing portion is configured to act as a fulcrum in response to the pressing force of the operator on the operation area, wherein the fixing portion of the frame is arranged to support above the fixing portion, a pressure-sensitive sensor and the circumferential area of the display cover;

a touch panel, which is supported by the display cover, wherein the touch panel is configured to detect a position at which the operator comes into contact with the operation area;

the pressure-sensitive sensor, which is provided between the display cover and the fixing portion of the frame, wherein the pressure-sensitive sensor includes a first electrode, a second electrode opposed to the first electrode, wherein the second electrode is connected to the fixing portion of the frame via an adhesive, and a spacer provided between the display cover and the fixing portion of the frame to create a gap between the first electrode and the second electrode, and wherein the pressure-sensitive sensor is configured to detect a pressing force with respect to the operation area based, at least in part, on a change of a capacitance between the first electrode and the second electrode that corresponds to a deflection amount of the display cover; and

a control unit configured to process a first signal received from the touch panel to determine a contact position within the operation area and a second signal received from the pressure-sensitive sensor to determine a pressing force within the operation area.