Input display device

Abstract

To provide an input display device capable of detecting tilting operation performed on a three-dimensional operation part without using a pressure-sensitive sensor.SOLUTION: An input display device 100 includes: a display 110 that displays an image; a capacitive touch sensor 120 disposed on the display 110; a three-dimensional operation part 132 disposed on the touch sensor 120; a touch detection unit 150 that detects a touch position of a finger F on the three-dimensional operation part 132; and an operation determination part 160 that determines whether the three-dimensional operation part has been tilted or not, based on a movement amount of the detected touch position.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an input display device having an interface function between a human and a machine, and more particularly to an input display device including a three-dimensional operation unit. [Background technology]

[0002] An input display device has been disclosed in which a protrusion is provided on a touch panel arranged so as to overlap a display, and an image such as an operation icon is displayed at a position overlapping with the protrusion (for example, Patent Document 1). A user performs an input by touching the protrusion. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-190832 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] For display devices that use capacitive touch operations, a user interface (hereafter referred to as 3D UI) has been proposed in which the cover glass is given an uneven shape, allowing the touch position to be recognized tactilely, and the touch position to be understood without the need to look closely.

[0005] FIG. 1(A) shows an example of operation of a conventional flat touch panel, in which a user U visually views an operation icon 12 displayed on a display 10 and performs an input by touching the position of the operation icon 12 (a musical note in the example shown).

[0006] FIG. 1(B) is an example of operation of a touch panel having a three-dimensional operation unit (three-dimensional parts) by a three-dimensional UI, and FIG. 1(C) is a schematic cross-sectional view of the three-dimensional operation unit. A transparent cover lens 26 including a three-dimensional operation unit with a concave-convex shape is attached on a touch sensor (touch panel) 24 including a capacitance type sensor, and the display 20 displays an operation icon 22 at a position overlapping with the cover lens 26. A user U inputs by touching the cover lens 26 with a finger. A highly sensitive electrostatic sensor that can detect the electrostatic capacitance (distance) of a finger even if it is far from the sensor is used for touch detection, and it is possible to determine the presence or absence of a touch even from above the thick cover lens 26. This makes it possible to reduce touch errors (operation errors) in situations where it is difficult to focus on the in-vehicle display while driving.

[0007] In a three-dimensional UI, by analyzing touch gestures, it is possible to provide a single concave-convex button with various operation methods. For example, in the case of the knob 60 having a rotary shape as shown in Fig. 2(A), in addition to pinching and turning with a finger F, it is possible to provide an operation of touching / pushing the top surface with a finger F in the direction of the arrow as shown in Fig. 2(B), a flick / swipe operation of the top surface with a finger F in the direction of the arrow as shown in Fig. 2(C), and an operation of pressing the side of the knob horizontally with a finger F as shown in Fig. 2(D) (hereinafter, the operation of pressing the side of the three-dimensional operation unit is referred to as a tilt operation). This makes it possible to detect various gesture operations and respond according to the gestures.

[0008] Such multi-functionality of uneven buttons contributes to improved operability and a reduction in the number of three-dimensional parts that need to be attached to a touch panel, and the more diverse the gestures that can be detected, the greater the multi-functionality of a single button.

[0009] In the rotary-shaped knob described above, gestures are determined by referring to the movement of the touch detection point and changes in detection capacitance. In particular, the tilt operation shown in FIG. 2(D) is an operation in which a force is applied in the up / down and left / right directions while the operating finger F is placed (fixed) on the side of the knob. A simple method for detecting the tilt operation is, for example, the use of a pressure sensor as shown in FIG. 3.

[0010] Fig. 3(A) is a schematic top view of the input display device, and Figs. 3(B) and (C) are schematic cross-sectional views thereof. An image display unit 40 including a display and a touch sensor and a cover glass 50 attached thereto are housed in a rectangular case 30. A rotary-shaped knob 60 is attached to the cover glass 50, for example, via an adhesive. Fig. 3(B) is a configuration example in which a pressure-sensitive sensor 70 is installed on the side of the image display unit 40, and Fig. 3(C) is a configuration example in which the pressure-sensitive sensor 70 is installed on the bottom of the image display unit 40. The pressure-sensitive sensor 70 detects, for example, a change in resistance according to pressure, or detects the distance to an object using a photoreflector including a light-emitting element and a light-receiving element.

[0011] During a tilt operation, when the side of the knob 60 is pressed horizontally with an operating finger F, a pressure sensor 70 detects the pressure or the distance to the finger F. However, adding a pressure sensor 70 to detect a tilt operation has many negative aspects, such as increased component costs and the need to optimize the installation structure, and therefore a detection method that does not rely on additional components such as a pressure sensor is required.

[0012] The present invention is intended to solve such conventional problems, and has an object to provide an input display device that can detect a tilt operation on a three-dimensional operation unit without using a pressure-sensitive sensor. [Means for solving the problem]

[0013] The input display device of the present invention comprises a display for displaying images, a capacitive touch sensor attached to the display, a three-dimensional operating unit attached to the touch sensor and capacitively coupled to the touch sensor, a detection means for detecting the touch position of an operating finger on the three-dimensional operating unit, and a determination means for determining whether or not a tilt operation has been performed on the three-dimensional operating unit based on the amount of movement in a specific direction of the touch position detected by the detection means.

[0014] In one aspect, the specific direction is determined according to a touch position of an operating finger on the three-dimensional operating unit. In one aspect, the determination means determines that a tilt operation has occurred when the amount of movement in the specific direction is equal to or greater than a threshold value. In one aspect, the three-dimensional operating unit is attached to the touch sensor via an elastic member that is elastically deformable in the horizontal direction. In one aspect, the three-dimensional operating unit is attached to a cover glass, and the cover glass is attached to the touch sensor via an elastic member that is elastically deformable in the horizontal direction. In one aspect, the detection means detects a touch position of an operating finger on a side surface of the three-dimensional operating unit, and the determination means determines whether or not a tilt operation has occurred based on the amount of movement of the touch position due to crushing of the operating finger when the side surface of the three-dimensional operating unit is pressed with the operating finger. Effect of the Invention

[0015] According to the present invention, the presence or absence of a tilt operation on the three-dimensional operation unit is determined based on the amount of movement of the touch position of the operating finger, so that a tilt operation can be detected with a low-cost and simple configuration without using a pressure sensor, thereby making it possible to realize even greater multi-functionality in the operation of the three-dimensional operation unit. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] FIG. 1(A) shows an example of operation of a flat touch panel, FIG. 1(B) shows an example of operation of a touch panel of a three-dimensional operation unit, and FIG. 1(C) is a schematic cross-sectional view of the three-dimensional operation unit. [Diagram 2]FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a number of examples of gestures assigned to a rotary-shaped knob. [Diagram 3] 11 is a diagram showing the configuration of an input display device provided with a pressure-sensitive sensor for detecting a tilt operation on a rotary-shaped knob. [Figure 4] 1 is a diagram illustrating an outline of an input display device according to the present invention; [Diagram 5] 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an input display device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 6] 11 is a flow diagram showing an algorithm for detecting a tilt operation on a three-dimensional operation unit according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] 11A and 11B are diagrams illustrating the relationship between a touch position on the three-dimensional operation unit and a moving direction of a finger. [Figure 8] 11A to 11C are diagrams illustrating an example of movement of a touch position detected when a rotary-shaped knob is tilted in four directions, up, down, left, and right. [Figure 9] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a three-dimensional operation unit having a tilt function according to another embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0017] The input display device of the present invention provides an interface between a person and a machine. The input display device of the present invention is applied to, but is not limited to, an electronic device equipped with a display with a touch panel. The electronic device equipped with a display with a touch panel is, for example, an in-vehicle device equipped with a navigation function, an audio-visual function, a television function, etc.

[0018] Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described. In this embodiment, when a tilt operation is performed on a three-dimensional operation unit (three-dimensional parts), the tilt operation is detected by utilizing the fact that the finger is crushed by pressing the finger against the three-dimensional operation unit. The principle is shown in Figures 4(A) and (B). A cover glass 130 is attached on a touch sensor 120, and a rotary-shaped knob 132 is attached on the cover glass 130. The capacitance-type touch sensor 120 is disposed directly under the cover glass 130, and detects the touch position on the cover glass 130 and the touch position on the knob 132 based on a change in capacitance.

[0019] 4(A) shows a state in which the side surface of knob 132 is touched with finger F. At this time, touch sensor 120 detects coordinates (detection point) P1 of finger F touching the side surface of knob 132. When performing a tilt operation on knob 132, the user presses the side surface of knob 132 in direction Q with finger F as shown in FIG. 4(B), causing finger F to be crushed. Touch sensor 120 detects coordinates (detection point) P2 of this crushed finger F. By observing the amount of movement (|P1-P2|) of the detection point (coordinate) caused by crushing of the finger during tilt operation, the tilt operation can be detected by touch sensor 120 alone.

[0020] The three-dimensional operation unit is not limited to a knob-type rotary shape, and may have other shapes that allow tilt operation. The three-dimensional operation unit (knob 132) may be integrally molded with the cover glass 130, or may be fixed to the cover glass 130 via an adhesive or the like. EXAMPLES

[0021] Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Fig. 5 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an input display device according to an embodiment of the present invention. The input display device 100 of this embodiment includes a display 110 for displaying images and videos, a touch sensor 120 including a capacitance type sensor mounted on the display 110, a cover glass 130 attached to the touch sensor 120, a three-dimensional operation unit (three-dimensional parts) 132 as a three-dimensional UI attached to the cover glass 130, and a controller 140 for controlling image display on the display 110 and touch detection / operation determination of the touch sensor 120.

[0022] Display 110 is not particularly limited, but may include, for example, a liquid crystal panel or an organic EL panel, and displays image data provided from controller 140. For example, an operation icon representing an input operation may be displayed at a corresponding position on three-dimensional operation unit 132.

[0023] The touch sensor 120 includes, for example, a plurality of sensors (detection units) formed at positions where a plurality of X-side and Y-side electrode lines intersect, and the sensors detect capacitance when a user's finger, hand, or the like approaches or touches the cover glass 130 or the three-dimensional operation unit 132. The touch sensor 120 provides an input interface that enables the user to input to icons and the like displayed on the display 110.

[0024] The cover glass 130 attached to the surface of the touch sensor 120 may be a part of the touch sensor 120 or may be prepared separately from the touch sensor 120 .

[0025] A three-dimensional operation unit 132 serving as a three-dimensional UI is attached on the cover glass 130. The three-dimensional operation unit 132 is made of a material that capacitively couples with the touch sensor 120, and an operation on the three-dimensional operation unit 132 is detected by the touch sensor 120.

[0026] The three-dimensional operation unit 132 includes a portion protruding from the surface of the cover glass 130, and this protruding portion enables the user to perform gesture operations at a position away from the cover glass 130. The three-dimensional operation unit 132 is not particularly limited in shape, size, thickness, etc., as long as tilt operation is possible. The three-dimensional operation unit 132 is, for example, a rotary-shaped knob, a rectangular parallelepiped protruding slider, a concave-convex button, a keyboard-like protrusion, etc., and tilt operation is performed by pressing the side of these three-dimensional parts with a finger. In addition, the three-dimensional operation unit 132 does not necessarily need to be transparent, and characters, symbols, figures, etc. representing the contents of the input operation may be drawn thereon.

[0027] The three-dimensional operation unit 132 may be formed integrally with the cover glass 130 as shown in Fig. 5(B), or may be separate from the cover glass 130 as shown in Fig. 5(C), and for example, the bottom surface of the three-dimensional operation unit 132 may be attached to the cover glass 130 by double-sided adhesive 134. In this case, the three-dimensional operation unit 132 may be made of a material different from that of the cover glass 130, and may be made of, for example, acrylic, polycarbonate, or the like.

[0028] The attachment position (coordinates) of three-dimensional operation unit 132 on touch sensor 120 is registered in the memory of controller 140, and when controller 140 detects the position of a finger approaching or touching touch sensor 120, it determines whether or not an operation is made on three-dimensional operation unit 132. Information regarding the external shape, size, height, etc. of three-dimensional operation unit 132 can also be registered in controller 140. Controller 140 can further display icons representing input operations near three-dimensional operation unit 132 via display 110, and the user visually recognizes the icons drawn on three-dimensional operation unit 132 or the icons displayed on display 110 and performs input operations via three-dimensional operation unit 132.

[0029] The controller 140 includes hardware and / or software resources, and is responsible for the overall processing of the input display device using, for example, a microcontroller including an arithmetic processing unit, ROM / RAM, etc. For example, it performs display processing of the display 110, touch detection and operation determination (detection of touch position, determination of tilt operation, etc.) from the output value of the touch sensor 120, and performs image display / image switching processing accordingly.

[0030] 5, the controller 140 includes a touch detection unit 150, an operation determination unit 160, and a display control unit 170. The touch detection unit 150 drives a plurality of electrode lines on the X side and / or Y side of the touch sensor 120, measures the capacitance of each detection unit (sensor) of the driven electrode lines, and detects the touch position, etc. based on the measurement results.

[0031] The operation determination unit 160 determines a touch operation on the display 110 or an operation on the three-dimensional operation unit 132 based on the detection result of the touch detection unit 150. For example, the operation determination unit 160 determines a touch operation on the display 110, a touch operation or a tilt operation on the three-dimensional operation unit 132, or the like.

[0032] Display control unit 170 causes display 110 to display images and videos, and, if necessary, causes icons to be displayed at positions corresponding to three-dimensional operation unit 132. When no icons are drawn on the operation surface of three-dimensional operation unit 132, display control unit 170 can cause display 110 to display icons representing the operation content of three-dimensional operation unit 132. Furthermore, display control unit 170 switches the image displayed on display 110 to a different image in response to the operation determination unit 160 determining that an operation has been performed.

[0033] Next, the detection algorithm of the tilt operation of the stereoscopic operation unit of the input display device according to this embodiment will be described with reference to the flow of Fig. 6. First, the touch detection unit 150 judges whether or not a touch has been detected based on the measured capacitance (S100). Specifically, when the capacitance is equal to or greater than a threshold, it is judged that a touch has been detected.

[0034] The detection result of touch detection unit 150 is provided to operation determination unit 160, and when a touch is detected, operation determination unit 160 determines whether or not there is one or more operating fingers around three-dimensional operation unit 132 (S110). Specifically, as shown in Fig. 4(A), operation determination unit 160 compares coordinate P1 of finger F touching the side surface of three-dimensional operation unit 132 with the outline of three-dimensional operation unit 132 (the outline is known from the attachment coordinates, external shape, and size of three-dimensional operation unit 132), and determines that finger F is around three-dimensional operation unit 132 if coordinate P1 is in the vicinity of the outline. In addition, when a multi-touch function for detecting multiple fingers is provided, it determines whether or not there is a finger around the three-dimensional operation unit for each finger.

[0035] If it is determined that there are operating fingers around the three-dimensional operation unit 132, the operation determination unit 160 determines whether the distance (amount of finger movement) between successive touch detection points (coordinate P1) of any of the operating fingers is equal to or less than a threshold (S120). This is done by determining whether the finger is placed (fixed) on the three-dimensional operation unit 132, thereby excluding cases where the finger is simply touched by rotation or feeling around the three-dimensional operation unit. In one embodiment, whether the finger is fixed is determined by looking at the variance of detection coordinates recorded for a certain period of time depending on the performance of the sensor, or by comparing the average distance between two points, etc.

[0036] When it is determined that a finger is placed on the three-dimensional operation unit 132, the operation determination unit 160 determines whether the detection point of any of the operating fingers has moved a distance equal to or greater than a threshold in any direction, up, down, left, or right (S130). In other words, it determines whether a tilt operation has been performed. In one embodiment, in order to prevent a reaction when the knob is simply gripped, the threshold for the amount of movement for determining that a tilt operation has been performed is set to, for example, the amount of movement that occurs when a load of about 4N is applied, referring to the load of a push-down mechanical switch (a load of about 3N is applied when lightly gripped).

[0037] It is also necessary to set in advance which direction the detection point coordinates are to be detected depending on the position where the finger is touching the three-dimensional operation unit 132. This is to prevent a rotation operation on the three-dimensional operation unit 132 from being mistakenly determined to be a tilt operation.

[0038] 7, the touch position of the finger is divided into four areas A, B, C, and D spaced 90 degrees apart from the center of knob 132, and three-dimensional operation unit 160 judges whether the movement distance of the finger in directions Da, Db, Dc, and Dd corresponding to areas A, B, C, and D is equal to or greater than a threshold. For example, if a finger is placed on area B and the movement distance of the finger in direction Db is equal to or greater than a threshold, it is judged as a tilt operation, but if the finger is rotated clockwise, even if the movement distance in direction Da is equal to or greater than the threshold, it is not judged as a downward tilt operation because it differs from direction Db at touch position B.

[0039] When the operation determination unit 160 determines that a tilt operation has been performed, the display control unit 170 performs feedback in response to the tilt operation (S140). For example, the display control unit 170 may draw a GUI on the display 110, or may output sound or vibration via a drive unit (not shown).

[0040] Next, the operation determination unit 160 determines whether or not the detection point has moved a certain distance or more from the position after the tilt determination (S150). This is a determination as to whether or not the tilt operation has ended. If it has moved a certain distance or more, the tilt operation is continuing, and the process returns to step S100. If it has not moved a certain distance or more, it is determined that the tilt operation has ended, and next, the operation determination unit 160 determines whether or not a touch has been detected based on the detection result of the touch detection unit 150 (S160). If touch detection is continuing, the process returns to step S150, and if touch detection is not performed (if the finger is removed), the process ends.

[0041] On the other hand, if no touch is detected in step S100, if one or more fingers are not detected in step S110, or if the amount of finger movement is less than the threshold in step S120, the process ends.

[0042] Figure 8 shows the change in the detection point when tilting the knob-shaped rotary part of the three-dimensional operation unit in four directions (up, down, left, right). The dashed lines show the external position of the knob, and the solid lines show the detection point (coordinates). As is clear from the figure, the detection point moves toward the inside of the knob rotary when tilting.

[0043] Thus, according to this embodiment, by determining a tilt operation on the three-dimensional operation unit based on the amount of movement of the detection point (coordinates) caused by crushing the finger, a pressure sensor is not required to determine the tilt operation, and with a low-cost and simple configuration, it is possible to realize further multi-functional operation of the three-dimensional operation unit and improve operability.

[0044] Next, another embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the above embodiment, the presence or absence of a tilt operation is determined based on the amount of movement of the detection coordinates due to crushing of the finger, but depending on the performance of the touch sensor, tilt determination may not be performed accurately from the amount of movement of the detection coordinates due to crushing of the finger. Therefore, in this other embodiment, a structure is adopted that amplifies the amount of movement of the detection coordinates due to crushing of the finger in order to detect the tilt operation more accurately.

[0045] For example, as shown in Figs. 9(A) and (B), a structure is used in which a cushion material 200 elastically deformable in the horizontal direction is sandwiched between a joint portion between a three-dimensional operation unit (e.g., a rotary-shaped knob) 132 and a cover glass 130. The material of the cushion material 200 is not particularly limited as long as it can be capacitively coupled to the touch sensor 120. The cushion material 200 is fixed between the three-dimensional operation unit 132 and the cover glass 130 using, for example, an adhesive. As shown in Fig. 9(A), when a finger F touches a side surface of the three-dimensional operation unit 132 and then presses the three-dimensional operation unit 132 in the horizontal direction Q during a tilt operation, as shown in Fig. 9(B), the finger F is crushed and the cushion material 200 is elastically deformed in the horizontal direction Q, and the amount of movement of the detection point (coordinates) by the touch sensor 120 is amplified, making it easier to set a threshold value for determining a tilt operation.

[0046] 9(C) and (D), a structure in which an elastically deformable cushion material 210 is sandwiched between the joint portion between the cover glass 130 and the touch sensor 120 can also be used. In this case, too, when a finger F is pressed in the horizontal direction Q during a tilt operation from the state of FIG. 9(C) as shown in FIG. 9(D), the finger F is crushed and the cushion material 210 is elastically deformed in the horizontal direction Q, amplifying the amount of movement of the detection point (coordinates) by the touch sensor 120. The number, arrangement, and shape of the cushion materials 210 are appropriately selected according to the degree of amplification of the amount of movement of the detection point.

[0047] Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the gist of the invention described in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0048] 100: Input display device 110: Display 120: Touch sensor 130: Cover glass 132: Three-dimensional operation unit (rotary-shaped knob) 134: Adhesive 140: Controller 200, 210: Cushioning material

Claims

1. a display for displaying an image; a capacitive touch sensor mounted on the display; A three-dimensional operation unit attached on the touch sensor and capacitively coupled to the touch sensor; A detection means for detecting a touch position of an operating finger on the three-dimensional operation unit; a determination means for determining whether or not a tilt operation is performed on the three-dimensional operation unit based on the amount of movement in a specific direction of the touch position detected by the detection means; An input display device having:

2. The input display device according to claim 1 , wherein the specific direction is determined according to a touch position of an operating finger on the three-dimensional operating unit.

3. The input display device according to claim 1 , wherein the determining means determines that the operation is a tilt operation when the amount of movement in the specific direction is equal to or greater than a threshold value.

4. The input display device according to claim 1 , wherein the three-dimensional operation unit is attached to the touch sensor via an elastic member that is elastically deformable in a horizontal direction.

5. The input display device according to claim 1 , wherein the three-dimensional operation unit is attached on a cover glass, and the cover glass is attached on the touch sensor via an elastic member that is elastically deformable in a horizontal direction.

6. the detection means detects a touch position of an operating finger on a side surface of the three-dimensional operation unit, The input display device according to claim 1 , wherein the determination means determines whether or not a tilt operation has been performed based on an amount of movement of a touch position caused by crushing of an operating finger when the operating finger presses a side surface of the three-dimensional operating unit.

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