Operation input device

• US 9,606,632 B2
• Filed: 08/23/2013
• Issued: 03/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Hatanaka, Shinji, Nishihashi, Shigeaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Ghebretinsae, Temesghen
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ketema, Benyam
• Application Number:
  US14/423,985
• Publication Number:
  US 20150212589A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,313 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 5/30 for measuring the deformation in a solid, e.g. mechanical strain gauge
• 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 2203/04105 Pressure sensors for measuring the pressure or force exerted on the touch surface without providing the touch position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0202 Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the input device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0227 Cooperation and interconnection of the input arrangement with other functional units of a computer G06F3/023 - G06F3/037 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/023 Arrangements for converting discrete items of information into a coded form, e.g. arrangements for interpreting keyboard generated codes as alphanumeric codes, operand codes or instruction codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0233 Character input methods
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0354 with detection of 2D relative movements between the device, or an operating part thereof, and a plane or surface, e.g. 2D mice, trackballs, pens or pucks
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0414 using force sensing means to determine a position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0489 using dedicated keyboard keys or combinations thereof

Abstract

An operation input device includes an operation body, a case holding the operation body, and at least three flexible bodies. The operation body includes an operation body movable part and a movable part driver. The operation body movable part has a touch surface having a predetermined touch surface region. The movable part driver causes the operation body movable part to move a touch surface position where the touch surface region is flush with a remaining region of the touch surface and a button position located above or below the touch surface position. Each flexible body is connected at one end to an outer edge of the operation body, connected at the other end to the case, and has a displacement-transmitting surface capable of being displaced according to a pressing operation force applied to the operation body by a pressing operation to the touch surface.

Claims

1. An operation input device comprising:

an operation body including an operation body movable part and a movable part driver;

a case holding the operation body;

at least three flexible bodies, each having a connector at one end, a fixing portion at the other end, and a middle portion between the connector and the fixing portion;

strain gauges, and

a processor, wherein

the operation body movable part has a touch surface to which a user applies a pressing operation, the touch surface having a predetermined touch surface region,

the movable part driver causes the operation body movable part to move a touch surface position where the touch surface region is flush with a remaining region of the touch surface and a button position located above or below the touch surface position,

the connector is connected to an outer edge of the operation body,

the fixing portion is connected to the case,

the middle portion has a displacement-transmitting surface configured to be displaced according to a pressing operation force applied to the operation body by the pressing operation to the touch surface,

each strain gauge is fixed to the displacement-transmitting surface of a corresponding flexible body to detect distortion of the displacement-transmitting surface caused by displacement of the flexible body,

when the pressing operation is applied to the touch surface except the touch surface region of the operation body movable part in the button position, the processor calculates a position and force of the pressing operation force, and

when the pressing operation force is applied to the touch surface region of the operation body movable part in the button position, the processor determines a presence of the pressing operation.

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

a position information reception device configured to receive position information indicative of which of the touch surface position and the button position the operation body movable part is in, wherein

regardless of whether the operation body movable part is in the touch surface position or in the button position, the processor firstly calculates the position and force of the pressing operation force in the touch surface by assuming that the operation body movable part is in the touch surface position,

the processor determines whether the pressing operation force is applied to the touch surface region of the operation body movable part in the button position based on the calculation result and the position information,

when determining that the pressing operation force is applied to the touch surface region of the operation body movable part in the button position, the processor accepts the pressing operation force to the operation body movable part as a push button operation input, and

when determining that the pressing operation force is applied to the touch surface region of the operation body movable part in the touch surface position, the processor accepts the pressing operation force to the operation body movable part as a touch operation input.

3. The operation input device according to claim 1, wherein

the movable part driver is a cam mechanism having a cam in contact with the operation body movable part and causing the operation body movable part to move between the touch surface position and the button position by a movement of the cam.

4. The operation input device according to claim 3, wherein

the operation body movable part is one of a plurality of operation body movable parts, and

the cam causes the plurality of operation body movable parts to move between the touch surface position and the button position by moving oneself.

5. The operation input device according to claim 4, wherein

the plurality of operation body movable parts is in contact with a cam surface of the cam at different positions in an extension direction of the cam,

the plurality of operation body movable parts moves within a movement area of the cam while being in contact with the cam surface, and

a contact section where each operation body movable part is contact with the cam surface has a touch surface position section for causing a corresponding operation body movable part to be in the touch surface position and a button position section for causing the corresponding operation body movable part to be in the button position.

6. The operation input device according to claim 5, wherein

the cam is one of a plurality of cams moving in an integrated manner, and

at least one of the plurality of operation body movable parts is placed on and in contact with the cam surface of each cam.

7. The operation input device according to claim 6, wherein

the movement area of the plurality of cams which move in the integrated manner has a plurality of predetermined reference stop positions common to each cam, and

the plurality of cams move by moving between the plurality of predetermined reference stop positions.

8. The operation input device according to claim 7, further comprising:

a cam fixing portion configured to detachably fix the plurality of cams which move in the integrated manner.

9. The operation input device according to claim 3, wherein

the cam is a straight member having a cam surface extending straight, and

the operation body movable part is arranged in a straight extension direction of the cam surface and in contact with the cam surface.

10. The operation input device according to claim 3, wherein

the operation body has a guide portion configured to guide a movement of the cam.

11. The operation input device according to claim 3, wherein

the cam is a straight member having a cam surface extending straight,

at least one operation body movable part is arranged in a straight extension direction of the cam surface and in contact with the cam surface,

the operation body has a guide portion configured to guide a movement of the cam, and

the guide portion guides a movement of the straight member in the straight extension direction.

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

a drive mechanism configured to drive the movable part driver, wherein

the drive mechanism includes a drive source and a drive force transmitter configured to transmit drive force generated by the drive source to the movable part driver.

13. The operation input device according to claim 12, wherein

the drive force transmitter transmits the drive force of the drive source to the movable part driver in a manner not to support the pressing operation force applied to the operation body by the pressing operation force to the touch surface.

14. The operation input device according to claim 13, wherein

the drive source is a rotation output device configured to rotate its output shaft around its axis, and

the drive force transmitter receives an input of a rotation output of the drive source through a gear mechanism and drives the movable part driver by converting the input of the rotation output to a movement force for causing the operation body movable part to move between the touch surface position and the button position.

15. The operation input device according to claim 14, wherein

the gear mechanism includes an operation-body-side gear and a drive-source-side gear which mate with each other in a direction perpendicular to a direction in which the pressing operation force is applied, and

the operation-body-side gear and the drive-source-side gear mate with each other so that when the pressing operation force is applied to the operation body, the operation-body-side gear and the drive-source-side gear move relative to each other in the perpendicular direction.