Input device

Abstract

Provided is an input device having a simple structure and suppressing cost increase. The input device includes: a housing having an operation surface on the upper surface side, a surface opposite to the operation surface, a lower side surface provided around the operation surface, and an internal space extending from an opening portion provided on the lower side of the side surface toward the opposite surface; a substrate disposed along the opposite surface within the internal space; an upper surface operation detection unit including a first electrode pattern disposed on the upper surface side of the substrate, the upper surface operation detection unit detecting a change in capacitance of the first electrode pattern generated by capacitive coupling with an operation body based on the approach or contact of the operation body with the operation surface; a side surface operation detection unit disposed on the side surface side lower than the upper surface operation detection unit of the substrate, detecting a change in capacitance generated by a side surface operation of the operation body on the side surface of the housing; and a control unit outputting an operation signal based on the detection results of the upper surface operation detection unit and the side surface operation detection unit.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an input device. Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, there has been a portable information terminal, characterized by including: a capacitive touch sensor that detects a touch operation on a display surface provided on one main surface of a thin shell; a backlight that illuminates the display surface from the back side; a contact-type operation key that detects a user operation; a grip state determination unit that determines whether a hand is in a grip state of contacting the side surface of the thin shell based on an output of the touch sensor; and a display control unit that switches the backlight from an off state to an on state based on an operation of the operation key and a determination result of the grip state. In addition, as another method, there is also a portable information terminal in which a touch sensor for detecting a grip state is provided inside the side surface of the thin shell in order to detect the grip state (for example, refer to Patent Document 1 (particularly FIG. 9)).

[0003] Prior Art Documents

[0004] Patent Documents

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-174631 Summary of the Invention

[0006] -Problems to be Solved by the Invention-

[0007] In the conventional portable information terminal, since the touch sensor for detecting the grip state is arranged at both ends of the capacitive touch sensor for detecting a touch operation on the display surface and the backlight, the arrangement is difficult, the design becomes complicated, and an increase in cost is anticipated, so there is an unrealistic problem.

[0008] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an input device with a simple structure and suppressed cost increase.

[0009] -Means for Solving the Problems-

[0010] An input device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a housing having an operation surface on the upper surface side, a surface opposite to the operation surface, a lower side surface provided around the operation surface, and an internal space extending from an opening provided on the lower side of the side surface toward the opposite surface; a substrate disposed along the opposite surface within the internal space; an upper surface operation detection unit including a first electrode pattern disposed on the upper surface side of the substrate, the upper surface operation detection unit detecting a change in the capacitance of the first electrode pattern generated by capacitive coupling with an operation body based on the approach or contact of the operation body with the operation surface; a side surface operation detection unit disposed on the side surface side lower than the upper surface operation detection unit of the substrate, the side surface operation detection unit detecting a change in capacitance generated by a side surface operation of the operation body on the side surface of the housing; and a control unit that outputs an operation signal based on the detection results of the upper surface operation detection unit and the side surface operation detection unit.

[0011] -Advantages of the Invention-

[0012] An input device with a simple structure and cost growth suppressed can be provided. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] Figure 1 FIG. is a diagram showing the input device 100 according to the embodiment.

[0014] Figure 2 FIG. is a diagram showing Figure 1 a sectional view taken along line A-A of

[0015] Figure 3 FIG. is a block diagram showing the circuit structure of the input device 100.

[0016] Figure 4 FIG. is a diagram showing the substrate 130.

[0017] Figure 5 FIG. is an example of a diagram showing output waveforms of the upper surface electrode patterns 131X (X1 to X5) and 131Y (Y1 to Y5) during upper surface operation.

[0018] Figure 6 FIG. is an example of a diagram showing output waveforms of the upper surface electrode patterns 131X (X1 to X5) and 131Y (Y1 to Y5) during upper surface operation.

[0019] Figure 7 FIG. is an example of a diagram showing output waveforms of the side surface electrode patterns 132X (X1 to X5) and 132Y (Y1 to Y5) during side surface operation.

[0020] Figure 8 FIG. is a diagram for explaining the effects of the input device 100. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0021] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the input device to which the present invention is applied will be described.

[0022] <Embodiment>

[0023] Figure 1 FIG. is a diagram showing the input device 100 of the embodiment. Figure 2 It represents Figure 1 FIG. is a sectional view taken along the A-A direction. Hereinafter, it will be described using the XYZ coordinate system. For convenience of explanation, the Z direction is regarded as the up-and-down direction. However, the Z direction does not represent the general up-and-down direction.

[0024] In Figure 1 and Figure 2 it represents the finger of the user as the operating body. Here, the operation method using the finger of the user will be described, but parts other than the finger can also be used for operation.

[0025] As an example, the input device 100 is mounted on a vehicle and is used for remotely operating the operation unit of the GUI (Graphic User Interface) displayed on the operation screens of various devices such as a navigation device and an air conditioner displayed on a display panel arranged around the dashboard. The input device 100 is arranged, for example, at the hand of the driver or the passenger in the co-driver's seat like the center console of the vehicle. However, the usage mode of the input device 100 is not limited to such a usage mode.

[0026] As Figure 2 shown, the input device 100 includes a base 110, a support portion 120, a substrate 130, an IC (Integrated Circuit) chip 140, and a knob 150. The IC chip 140 is an example of a control unit, and the knob 150 is an example of a housing.

[0027] The base 110 is a member for fixing the input device 100 to the center console 10 of the vehicle, and has a groove portion 111, a cylindrical portion 112, and a through hole 113. The base 110 is a ring-shaped member centered on the central axis C.

[0028] The groove portion 111 is recessed from the lower side to the upper side, and is thereby fitted and fixed to the protrusion 11 of the center console 10. The cylindrical portion 112 is provided along the outer periphery of the upper side of the base 110, and is a portion that slides with the inner peripheral surface of the knob 150 to form a rotation axis. The through hole 113 vertically penetrates the center of the base 110.

[0029] The support portion 120 has a cylindrical portion 121 and a circular plate portion 122. The cylindrical portion 121 is inserted into and fixed to the through hole 113 of the base portion 110. The circular plate portion 122 is connected to the upper end of the cylindrical portion 121 and extends larger in the radial direction (radial direction with respect to the central axis C) than the cylindrical portion 121. A concave portion is provided at the center of the upper surface of the circular plate portion 122 so as to be able to accommodate the IC chip 140 provided on the substrate 130 described later.

[0030] The substrate 130 is a circular plate-shaped wiring substrate having a plurality of wiring layers and a plurality of insulating layers. The substrate 130 is fixed to the support portion 120. As the substrate 130, for example, a wiring substrate of FR-4 (Flame Retardant type 4, 4-type flame retardant) specification can be used. The substrate 130 is provided with electrode patterns for detecting the operation of the knob 150, but are omitted in Figure 2 this description.

[0031] The IC chip 140 is provided at the center of the lower surface of the substrate 130 and is connected to the upper surface electrode patterns 131X, 131Y and the side surface electrode patterns 132X, 132Y included in the substrate 130, and is connected to a control unit (ECU: Electronic Control Unit, electronic control unit) such as a vehicle navigation device and an air conditioner via a wire harness (not shown). The upper surface electrode patterns 131X, 131Y are provided to detect changes in capacitance caused by the upper surface operation described later, and the side surface electrode patterns 132X, 132Y are provided to detect changes in capacitance caused by the side surface operation described later.

[0032] The IC chip 140 detects contact or approach operations on the operation surface 151 of the knob 150, or contact or approach operations on the outer peripheral surface 153 of the knob 150 described later, and rotation operations based on changes in capacitance generated by capacitive coupling between the user's finger and the electrode pattern detected by the electrode pattern. The IC chip 140 outputs an operation signal indicating the operation content to a control unit such as the vehicle ECU.

[0033] The knob 150 has an operation surface 151, an opposite surface 152, an outer peripheral surface 153, an opening 154, and an internal space 155. The knob 150 can rotate about the central axis C with the cylindrical portion 112 of the base portion 110 as the rotation axis. In addition, since the knob 150 is fixed to the support portion 120 in a state separated from the substrate 130, the substrate 130 does not rotate even when the knob 150 rotates.

[0034] The operation surface 151 is the upper surface of the knob 150, and the opposite surface 152 is the surface on the side opposite to the operation surface 151. The outer peripheral surface 153 is an example of the side surface provided on the lower side around the operation surface 151. The opening 154 is an opening surrounded by the lower end of the outer peripheral surface 153 and communicates with the internal space 155. The internal space 155 extends from the opening 154 toward the opposite surface 152 and houses the base 110, the support portion 120, the substrate 130, and the IC chip 140 therein.

[0035] Figure 3 is a block diagram showing the circuit configuration of the input device 100. The two ends of the series circuit of the upper surface electrode pattern 131X and the side surface electrode pattern 132X are connected to the IC chip 140, and the two ends of the series circuit of the upper surface electrode pattern 131Y and the side surface electrode pattern 132Y are also connected to the IC chip 140.

[0036] That is, the upper surface electrode pattern 131X and the side surface electrode pattern 132X of the substrate 130 are connected in parallel to the upper surface electrode pattern 131Y and the side surface electrode pattern 132Y with respect to the IC chip 140.

[0037] Actually, there are multiple (five as an example) series circuits of the upper surface electrode pattern 131X and the side surface electrode pattern 132X, and there are multiple (five as an example) series circuits of the upper surface electrode pattern 131Y and the side surface electrode pattern 132Y. Therefore, ten series circuits of the upper surface electrode pattern and the side surface electrode pattern are connected in parallel to the IC chip 140.

[0038] Although the details will be described later, the IC chip 140 can detect which series circuit has performed either the upper surface operation or the side surface operation based on the capacitance detected through these ten series circuits of the upper surface electrode pattern 131X and the side surface electrode pattern 132X and the upper surface electrode pattern 131Y and the side surface electrode pattern 132Y.

[0039] Figure 4 is a diagram showing the substrate 130. In Figure 4 (A) shows the uppermost wiring layer of the substrate 130, and in Figure 4 (B) shows an inner layer (one of the multiple inner layers) arranged lower than the uppermost layer shown in Figure 4 (A), and in Figure 4 (C) shows a cross-sectional view taken along the line B - B in Figure 4 (A).

[0040] The substrate 130 has upper surface electrode patterns 131X (X1 to X5) and 131Y (Y1 to Y5), side surface electrode patterns 132X (X1 to X5) and 132Y (Y1 to Y5), and insulating layers 133A, 133B, and 133C.

[0041] The substrate 130 has the following structure: from the lower side to the upper side, an insulating layer 133A, side electrode patterns 132X (X1 to X5) and 132Y (Y1 to Y5), an insulating layer 133B, an insulating layer 133C, and upper surface electrode patterns 131X (X1 to X5) and 131Y (Y1 to Y5) are stacked. Since in Figure 4 in (C) of Figure 4 in order to show the B-B direction cross-sectional view of (A) of

[0042] As Figure 4 shown in (A) and (C) of

[0043] the upper surface electrode patterns 131X (X1 to X5) and 131Y (Y1 to Y5) are arranged in the uppermost layer. The upper surface electrode patterns 131X (X1 to X5) and 131Y (Y1 to Y5) are an example of the first electrode pattern. The upper surface electrode patterns 131X (X1 to X5) and 131Y (Y1 to Y5) as an example of the first electrode pattern are also an example of the upper surface operation detection unit.

[0043] The upper surface electrode patterns 131X (X1 to X5) and 131Y (Y1 to Y5) are provided to detect the operation (upper surface operation) of the operation surface 151 of the knob 150. As an example, the upper surface electrode patterns 131X (X1 to X5) and 131Y (Y1 to Y5) are made of copper foil.

[0044] The upper surface electrode pattern 131X (X1 to X5) is a striped five-electrode pattern that is spaced at equal intervals in the X-axis direction and linearly extends from the end on the -Y direction side to the end on the +Y direction side of the substrate 130 along the Y-axis direction.

[0045] The upper surface electrode pattern 131Y (Y1 to Y5) is a striped five-electrode pattern that is spaced at equal intervals in the Y-axis direction and linearly extends from the end on the -X direction side to the end on the +X direction side of the substrate 130 along the X-axis direction.

[0046] The upper surface electrode patterns 131X (X1 to X5) are arranged at equal intervals in the X-axis direction, and the upper surface electrode patterns 131Y (Y1 to Y5) are arranged at equal intervals in the Y-axis direction.

[0047] The upper surface electrode patterns 131X (X1 to X5) and 131Y (Y1 to Y5) are insulated from each other and are connected to the IC chip 140 via wirings (not shown). The upper surface electrode patterns 131X (X1 to X5) and 131Y (Y1 to Y5) are located on the uppermost layer of the substrate 130, and the substrate 130 is disposed directly below the opposite surface 152 of the knob 150 with a minimum gap therebetween.

[0048] Therefore, the upper surface electrode patterns 131X (X1 to X5) and 131Y (Y1 to Y5) perform capacitive coupling with a finger that approaches or touches the operation surface 151 of the knob 150, and can detect changes in capacitance corresponding to the position, movement direction, and movement amount of the finger that approaches or touches the operation surface 151 in the XY plane.

[0049] In addition, in the substrate 130, on an inner layer further below the upper surface electrode patterns 131X (X1 to X5) and 131Y (Y1 to Y5), as Figure 4 shown in (B) and (C) thereof, side surface electrode patterns 132X (X1 to X5) and 132Y (Y1 to Y5) are disposed.

[0050] The side surface electrode patterns 132X (X1 to X5) and 132Y (Y1 to Y5) are an example of the second electrode pattern. The side surface electrode patterns 132X (X1 to X5) and 132Y (Y1 to Y5) as an example of the second electrode pattern are also an example of the side operation detection unit. As an example, the side surface electrode patterns 132X (X1 to X5) and 132Y (Y1 to Y5) are made of copper foil.

[0051] The side surface electrode patterns 132X (X1 to X5) and 132Y (Y1 to Y5) are provided to detect an operation on the outer peripheral surface 153 of the knob 150 (side operation).

[0052] The side surface electrode patterns 132X (X1 to X5) are disposed along the outer peripheral end portion of the substrate 130 and, as an example, have a rectangular shape in a top view. The side surface electrode patterns 132X (X1 to X5) are disposed at equal intervals (72-degree intervals) along the outer periphery of the substrate 130. The side surface electrode patterns 132X (X1 to X5) may also be provided to reach the outer peripheral surface of the substrate 130.

[0053] In addition, the side surface electrode patterns 132Y (Y1 to Y5) are disposed along the outer peripheral end portion of the substrate 130 and, as an example, have a rectangular shape in a top view. The side surface electrode patterns 132Y (Y1 to Y5) are disposed at equal intervals (72-degree intervals) along the outer periphery of the substrate 130.

[0054] The side electrode patterns 132X (X1 to X5) and the side electrode patterns 132Y (Y1 to Y5) are alternately arranged at equal intervals along the outer peripheral end of the substrate 130. That is, as the side electrode patterns 132X (X1 to X5) and 132Y (Y1 to Y5), ten conductors are arranged along the outer peripheral end of the substrate 130 in the same plane.

[0055] For detecting side operations, it is preferable that the ten conductors are separated to some extent. Therefore, as an example, the length in the outer peripheral direction of the side electrode patterns 132X (X1 to X5) and 132Y (Y1 to Y5) is preferably less than half of the length obtained by dividing the length of the outer periphery of the substrate 130 into 10 parts.

[0056] The side electrode patterns 132X (X1 to X5) and 132Y (Y1 to Y5) are provided for detecting side operations. Therefore, it is not necessary to expand the radial width of the substrate 130 so wide, and as long as the conductor is longer in the circumferential direction than in the radial direction.

[0057] The side electrode patterns 132X (X1 to X5) and 132Y (Y1 to Y5) are respectively connected and integrated with the upper surface electrode patterns 131X (X1 to X5) and 131Y (Y1 to Y5) shown in (A) of Figure 4 via vias (not shown) for interlayer connection of the substrate 130, wirings, etc.

[0058] That is, the upper surface electrode pattern 131X (X1) and the side electrode pattern 132X (X1) are one conductor inside the substrate 130, and both ends of the upper surface electrode pattern 131X (X1) and the side electrode pattern 132X (X1) are connected to the IC chip 140 via wirings not shown. The same applies to the upper surface electrode patterns 131X (X2 to X5) and 131Y (Y2 to Y5) and the side electrode patterns 132X (X2 to X5) and 132Y (Y2 to Y5).

[0059] The side electrode patterns 132X (X1 to X5) and 132Y (Y1 to Y5) are located at a position lower than the upper surface electrode patterns 131X (X1 to X5) and 131Y (Y1 to Y5), and when observed from the operation surface 151, they are located on the back side of the upper surface electrode patterns 131X (X1 to X5) and 131Y (Y1 to Y5). Therefore, compared with the upper surface electrode patterns 131X (X1 to X5) and 131Y (Y1 to Y5), it is difficult to perform capacitive coupling with fingers approaching or contacting the operation surface 151.

[0060] Since the side electrode patterns 132X (X1 to X5) and 132Y (Y1 to Y5) are close to the outer peripheral surface 153 of the knob 150 and there is no conductor between them and the outer peripheral surface 153, capacitive coupling occurs with the finger that approaches or touches the outer peripheral surface 153 of the knob 150.

[0061] Therefore, the side electrode patterns 132X (X1 to X5) and 132Y (Y1 to Y5) can detect the position of the finger that approaches or touches the outer peripheral surface 153 of the knob 150, the moving direction in the rotational direction, and the change in capacitance corresponding to the moving amount. In addition, the side electrode patterns 132X (X1 to X5) and 132Y (Y1 to Y5) may also have a positional relationship with other wiring layers sandwiched between them and the uppermost layer where the upper surface electrode patterns 131X (X1 to X5) and 131Y (Y1 to Y5) are provided. This is because the influence of the upper surface electrode patterns 131X (X1 to X5) and 131Y (Y1 to Y5) on the side electrode patterns 132X (X1 to X5) and 132Y (Y1 to Y5) can be reduced.

[0062] Figure 5 is a diagram showing an example of the output waveforms of the upper surface electrode patterns 131X (X1 to X5) and 131Y (Y1 to Y5) during upper surface operation. In Figure 5 In (A) and (B), below the substrate 130, the time change of the waveform of the output (detection value) of the upper surface electrode pattern 131X (X1 to X5) is shown, and on the left side of the substrate 130, the time change of the waveform of the output (detection value) of the upper surface electrode pattern 131Y (Y1 to Y5) is shown. Each waveform diagram shows the relationship between the amplitude (detection value) of the waveform and the position. In addition, the detection value represents the count value obtained by digitally converting the voltage value.

[0063] As Figure 5 As shown in (A) of, if the finger in contact with the operation surface 151 moves along the upper surface electrode pattern 131X (X3) from the +Y direction side to the -Y direction side, then as shown below the substrate 130, the output of the upper surface electrode pattern 131X (X1 to X5) becomes a sine-wave-shaped pulse with the position (X3) of the finger as the peak, and it remains fixed without changing even when the finger moves. In addition, at this time, as shown on the left side of the substrate 130, for the output of the upper surface electrode pattern 131Y (Y1 to Y5), a sine-wave-shaped pulse with the position of the finger as the peak moves from the +Y direction side to the -Y direction side.

[0064] In addition, as Figure 5As shown in (B), if the finger in contact with the operation surface 151 is moved along the upper surface electrode pattern 131Y (Y3) from the -X direction side to the +X direction side, as shown on the left side of the substrate 130, the outputs of the upper surface electrode patterns 131Y (Y1 to Y5) become sinusoidal pulses with the position of the finger (Y3) as the peak, and do not change even when the finger is moved and become fixed. Further, at this time, as shown on the lower side of the substrate 130, for the outputs of the upper surface electrode patterns 131X (X1 to X5), sinusoidal pulses with the position of the finger as the peak move from the -X direction side to the +X direction side.

[0065] Figure 6 is a diagram showing an example of the output waveforms of the upper surface electrode patterns 131X (X1 to X5) and 131Y (Y1 to Y5) during upper surface operation. In Figure 6 shows the output waveforms of the upper surface electrode patterns 131X (X1 to X5) and 131Y (Y1 to Y5) when the finger in contact with the operation surface 151 is moved in a direction inclined 45 degrees with respect to the X-axis and the Y-axis. The display mode of the waveforms is the same as that in Figure 5 Same.

[0066] As Figure 6 shown in (A), if the finger in contact with the operation surface 151 is moved obliquely from the -X direction side and +Y direction side of the substrate 130 to the +X direction side and -Y direction side, the outputs of the upper surface electrode patterns 131X (X1 to X5) and 131Y (Y1 to Y5) become waveforms in which sinusoidal pulses with the position of the finger as the peak move along the moving direction of the finger.

[0067] In addition, as Figure 6 shown in (B), if the finger in contact with the operation surface 151 is moved obliquely from the -X direction side and -Y direction side of the substrate 130 to the +X direction side and +Y direction side, the outputs of the upper surface electrode patterns 131X (X1 to X5) and 131Y (Y1 to Y5) become waveforms in which sinusoidal pulses with the position of the finger as the peak move along the moving direction of the finger.

[0068] As Figure 5 and Figure 6 shown, if the finger in contact with the operation surface 151 is moved, the outputs of the upper surface electrode patterns 131X (X1 to X5) and 131Y (Y1 to Y5) become waveforms in which sinusoidal pulses continuously change according to the movement of the X component and Y component of the finger.

[0069] Figure 7 is a diagram showing an example of the output waveforms of the side surface electrode patterns 132X (X1 to X5) and 132Y (Y1 to Y5) during side surface operation. Figure 7(A) shows a case of operating the side surface of the substrate 130. In Figure 7 (B1) to (B8) of

[0070] show the time change of the output waveforms of the side electrode patterns 132X (X1 to X5) and 132Y (Y1 to Y5). Figure 5 and Figure 6 Similarly show the relationship between the amplitude (detection value) of the waveform and the position.

[0071] As an example, assume that the knob 150 is rotated by side operation, and the position of the finger moves clockwise from the side electrode pattern 132X (X1) to the side electrode pattern 132Y (Y2). The waveforms at this time, as indicated by the arrows, show that the position of the finger respectively moves from Figure 7 (B1) of Figure 7 to

[0072] (B8) of Figure 7 and shifts by one to adjacent electrode patterns.

[0073] First, as shown in Figure 7 (B1) of

[0074] the output (detection value) of the side electrode pattern 132X (X1) becomes the maximum, and the outputs (detection values) of the side electrode patterns 132X (X2 to X5) are approximately zero. In addition, the adjacent side electrode patterns 132Y (Y1) and 132Y (Y5) of the side electrode pattern 132X (X1) become outputs (detection values) that are half of the output (detection value) of the side electrode pattern 132X (X1). Figure 7 (B2) of

[0075] Next, as shown inFigure 7 As shown in (B4), the output (detection value) of the side electrode pattern 132Y (Y4) becomes the maximum, and the outputs (detection values) of the side electrode patterns 132Y (Y1 - Y3, Y5) are approximately zero. In addition, the adjacent side electrode patterns 132X (X5) and 132X (X4) of the side electrode pattern 132Y (Y4) have outputs (detection values) that are half of the output (detection value) of the side electrode pattern 132Y (Y4).

[0076] Next, as Figure 7 shown in (B5), the output (detection value) of the side electrode pattern 132X (X4) becomes the maximum, and the outputs (detection values) of the side electrode patterns 132X (X1 - X3, X5) are approximately zero. In addition, the adjacent side electrode patterns 132Y (Y4) and 132Y (Y3) of the side electrode pattern 132X (X4) have outputs (detection values) that are half of the output (detection value) of the side electrode pattern 132X (X4).

[0077] Next, as Figure 7 shown in (B6), the output (detection value) of the side electrode pattern 132Y (Y3) becomes the maximum, and the outputs (detection values) of the side electrode patterns 132Y (Y1 - Y2, Y4 - Y5) are approximately zero. In addition, the adjacent side electrode patterns 132X (X4) and 132X (X3) of the side electrode pattern 132Y (Y3) have outputs (detection values) that are half of the output (detection value) of the side electrode pattern 132Y (Y3).

[0078] Next, as Figure 7 shown in (B7), the output (detection value) of the side electrode pattern 132X (X3) becomes the maximum, and the outputs (detection values) of the side electrode patterns 132X (X1 - X2, X4 - X5) are approximately zero. In addition, the adjacent side electrode patterns 132Y (Y3) and 132Y (Y2) of the side electrode pattern 132X (X3) have outputs (detection values) that are half of the output (detection value) of the side electrode pattern 132X (X3).

[0079] Finally, as Figure 7 shown in (B8), the output (detection value) of the side electrode pattern 132Y (Y2) becomes the maximum, and the outputs (detection values) of the side electrode patterns 132Y (Y1, Y3 - Y5) are approximately zero. In addition, the adjacent side electrode patterns 132X (X3) and 132X (X2) of the side electrode pattern 132Y (Y2) have outputs (detection values) that are half of the output (detection value) of the side electrode pattern 132Y (Y2).

[0080] As described above, in the case of side operation, the side electrode patterns 132X (X1 to X5) and 132Y (Y1 to Y5) are interrupted in the outer peripheral direction of the substrate 130. Therefore, not only is the output waveform a continuous sine wave as shown in Figure 5 and Figure 6 , but it is different from the output waveform during upper surface operation.

[0081] More specifically, the changes in the capacitance of the upper surface electrode patterns 131X (X1 to X5) and 131Y (Y1 to Y5) generated during continuous operation of the finger on the operation surface 151 and the changes in the capacitance of the side electrode patterns 132X (X1 to X5) and 132Y (Y1 to Y5) generated during continuous operation of the finger on the outer peripheral surface 153 become different transition patterns. In other words, an output waveform clearly different from that during continuous upper surface operation can be obtained.

[0082] Therefore, if data representing the output waveform shown in Figures 5 to 7 is pre-stored in the internal memory of the IC chip 140, when an output waveform representing the detection results of the upper surface electrode patterns 131X (X1 to X5) and 131Y (Y1 to Y5) or the side electrode patterns 132X (X1 to X5) and 132Y (Y1 to Y5) is input to the IC chip 140 during upper surface operation or side operation, the IC chip 140 can determine whether the output waveform has undergone upper surface operation or side operation based on the pattern.

[0083] In addition, based on the output waveform representing the detection results of the upper surface electrode patterns 131X (X1 to X5) and 131Y (Y1 to Y5) or the side electrode patterns 132X (X1 to X5) and 132Y (Y1 to Y5), the position, movement direction, and movement amount of the finger based on upper surface operation or side operation can be detected.

[0084] Moreover, the discrimination between such upper surface operation and side operation can be performed based on the output waveform representing the detection results of the upper surface electrode patterns 131X (X1 to X5) and 131Y (Y1 to Y5) or the side electrode patterns 132X (X1 to X5) and 132Y (Y1 to Y5) provided on the substrate 130.

[0085] The substrate 130 has upper surface electrode patterns 131X (X1 to X5) and 131Y (Y1 to Y5) on the outermost layer and side electrode patterns 132X (X1 to X5) and 132Y (Y1 to Y5) on the inner layer. Therefore, the structure is simple and it can be manufactured at low cost.

[0086] Therefore, an input device 100 with a simple structure and suppressed cost increase can be provided.

[0087] In addition, according to the embodiment, as described above, the input device 100 capable of discriminating between the upper surface operation and the side surface operation can be provided. As long as it is an upper surface operation performed on the upper surface of the knob 150, regardless of the position where it is performed, the input device 100 can detect the position (coordinates), movement direction, and movement amount of the finger. In addition, in this embodiment, an example where the finger is one is shown, but detection can be similarly performed even when there are two or more fingers. Thus, it is also possible to discriminate a rotation operation performed while grasping the knob 150.

[0088] Figure 8 It is a diagram for explaining the effect of the input device 100. Figure 8 (A) of is a diagram showing a side surface operation of rotating the knob 150, Figure 8 (B) of is a diagram showing an upper surface operation.

[0089] Figure 8 The upper surface operation shown in (B) of is the following upper surface operation: One finger touches the vicinity of the outer peripheral end of the operation surface 151 of the knob 150, and from the position of the finger indicated by the dotted line to the position of the finger indicated by the solid line, input is performed in an arc shape while keeping the finger touching the operation surface 151 unchanged.

[0090] If such an upper surface operation is performed, as shown in Figure 5 and Figure 6 shown, the output waveforms of the upper surface electrode patterns 131X (X1 to X5) and 131Y (Y1 to Y5) become waveforms continuous in a sine wave shape. In addition, at this time, even if there are outputs from the side surface electrode patterns 132X (X1 to X5) and 132Y (Y1 to Y5) and they overlap with the output waveforms of the upper surface electrode patterns 131X (X1 to X5) and 131Y (Y1 to Y5), as long as they are relatively weak compared to the output waveforms of the upper surface electrode patterns 131X (X1 to X5) and 131Y (Y1 to Y5), there will be no problem for discriminating between the upper surface operation and the side surface operation.

[0091] In addition, as shown in (A) of Figure 8 , when a side surface operation is performed, as shown in Figure 7 shown, output waveforms as shown are input from the side surface electrode patterns 132X (X1 to X5) and 132Y (Y1 to Y5) to the IC chip 140. Figure 7 The output waveform shown in is the same as Figure 5 and Figure 6The output waveforms shown are completely different. In addition, in the case of side operation, since the finger touches the outer peripheral surface 153 at a position lower than the operation surface 151 of the knob 150, even if there is an output from the upper surface electrode patterns 131X (X1 to X5) and 131Y (Y1 to Y5), it is weaker compared to the output from the upper surface electrode patterns 132X (X1 to X5) and 132Y (Y1 to Y5).

[0092] Therefore, as shown in (B) of Figure 8 , even if a single finger touches near the outer peripheral end of the operation surface 151 of the knob 150 and moves in an arc shape, it can be distinguished from the side operation shown in (A) of Figure 8 . In addition, this is the same when the upper surface is operated with two fingers, and it is also the same when the side of the knob 150 is rotated with a single finger for side operation.

[0093] Furthermore, for the upper surface operation where only the finger touches near the outer peripheral end of the operation surface 151 without moving it in an arc shape, it is mainly detected as a change in the capacitance value of the upper surface electrode patterns 131X (X1 to X5) and 131Y (Y1 to Y5). For the side operation where the finger only touches the outer peripheral surface 153 of the knob 150, it mainly detects a change in the capacitance value of the side electrode patterns 132X (X1 to X5) and 132Y (Y1 to Y5). Therefore, by comparing the output values of the capacitance based on the upper surface electrode patterns 131X (X1 to X5) and 131Y (Y1 to Y5), and the side electrode patterns 132X (X1 to X5) and 132Y (Y1 to Y5), these operations can also be discriminated.

[0094] According to the embodiment, an input device 100 that can discriminate between upper surface operation and side operation as described above can be provided.

[0095] In addition, since the upper surface electrode patterns 131X (X1 to X5) and 131Y (Y1 to Y5) and the side electrode patterns 132X (X1 to X5) and 132Y (Y1 to Y5) can be mounted on a single substrate 130, it can be realized in a way that there is substantially no addition of components, and an input device 100 that can discriminate between upper surface operation and side operation with a simple structure can be provided.

[0096] In addition, since the side electrode patterns 132X (X1 to X5) and 132Y (Y1 to Y5) are disposed at a position lower than the upper surface electrode patterns 131X (X1 to X5) and 131Y (Y1 to Y5), space saving can be achieved as compared with disposing each electrode pattern on the substrate 130 in the XY plane direction. In addition, the side electrode patterns 132X (X1 to X5) and 132Y (Y1 to Y5) may also be disposed on the lowermost layer of the substrate 130 ( Figure 4 the lower surface of the insulating layer 133A shown in (C)). Space saving can be similarly achieved in this case.

[0097] In addition, the upper surface electrode pattern 131X (X1 to X5) and the side electrode pattern 132X (X1 to X5) are each realized by one conductor inside the substrate 130, and the upper surface electrode pattern 131Y (Y1 to Y5) and the side electrode pattern 132Y (Y1 to Y5) are each realized by one conductor inside the substrate 130. Moreover, both ends of one conductor of each of the upper surface electrode pattern 131X (X1 to X5) and the side electrode pattern 132X (X1 to X5) are connected to the IC chip 140. In addition, both ends of one conductor of each of the upper surface electrode pattern 131Y (Y1 to Y5) and the side electrode pattern 132Y (Y1 to Y5) are connected to the IC chip 140.

[0098] Therefore, even when using two electrode patterns (the upper surface electrode patterns 131X (X1 to X5) and 131Y (Y1 to Y5) and the side electrode patterns 132X (X1 to X5) and 132Y (Y1 to Y5)), it is possible to discriminate the upper surface operation and the side operation and perform detection by one control unit. That is, there is no need to provide two control units inside the IC chip 140 for discriminating the upper surface operation and the side operation and detecting the position (coordinates), moving direction, and moving amount of a finger. In addition, it is not necessary to provide two IC chips 140.

[0099] In addition, since the two electrode patterns (the upper surface electrode patterns 131X (X1 to X5) and 131Y (Y1 to Y5) and the side electrode patterns 132X (X1 to X5) and 132Y (Y1 to Y5)) have mutually different patterns when viewed from above, the detection accuracy of each other can be improved.

[0100] In addition, above, a method in which five upper surface electrode patterns 131X (X1 to X5) and 131Y (Y1 to Y5) for detecting the upper surface operation are arranged in the X direction and the Y direction, respectively, has been described. However, the number of roots can be appropriately set and may be different in the X direction and the Y direction.

[0101] In addition, the method of arranging the side electrode patterns 132X (X1 to X5) and 132Y (Y1 to Y5) for ten detection side operations has been described above, but the number of electrodes can be appropriately set according to the size and resolution of the knob 150.

[0102] In addition, the method by which the knob 150 can rotate relative to the base 110 has been described above, but the knob 150 may not be rotatable but fixed. In this case, the knob 150 and the substrate 130 may be arranged in non-separable contact. In addition, when the knob 150 is fixed, a rotation operation can be performed by tracing the outer peripheral surface 153 of the knob 150 with a finger.

[0103] The input device according to the exemplary embodiments of the present invention has been described above, but the present invention is not limited to the specifically disclosed embodiments, and various modifications and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the claims.

[0104] In addition, this international application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2019-122076 filed on June 28, 2019, and the entire content thereof is incorporated herein by reference.

[0105] -Symbol Explanation-

[0106] 100 Input device

[0107] 130 Substrate

[0108] 131X (X1 to X5), 131Y (Y1 to Y5) Upper surface electrode pattern (first electrode pattern)

[0109] 132X (X1 to X5), 132Y (Y1 to Y5) Side electrode pattern (second electrode pattern)

[0110] 140 IC chip (control unit)

[0111] 150 Knob (housing)

[0112] 151 Operating surface

[0113] 152 Opposite surface

[0114] 153 Outer peripheral surface

[0115] 154 Opening

[0116] 155 Internal space.

Claims

1. An input device, comprising: A housing having an operation surface on the upper surface side, a surface opposite to the operation surface, a side surface on the lower side disposed around the operation surface, and an internal space extending from an opening on the lower side of the side surface toward the opposite surface; A substrate disposed along the opposite surface within the internal space; An upper surface operation detection unit including a first electrode pattern disposed on the upper surface side of the substrate, the upper surface operation detection unit detecting a change in the electrostatic capacitance of the first electrode pattern generated by capacitive coupling with an operation body based on the approach or contact of the operation body to the operation surface; A side surface operation detection unit disposed on the side surface side lower than the upper surface operation detection unit of the substrate, detecting a change in the electrostatic capacitance generated by a side surface operation of the operation body on the side surface of the housing; And A control unit outputting an operation signal based on the detection results of the upper surface operation detection unit and the side surface operation detection unit, The side surface operation detection unit is composed of a second electrode pattern disposed on the inner layer or the lower surface layer of the substrate lower than the first electrode pattern, detecting a change in the electrostatic capacitance with the operation body based on the approach or contact of the operation body to the side surface, The second electrode pattern is longer in the circumferential direction than in the radial direction, and is connected and integrated with the first electrode pattern via a via hole connecting the layers of the substrate, The second electrode pattern includes a plurality of electrodes disposed at equal intervals along the outer peripheral end of the substrate in the same plane, and the plurality of electrodes are respectively capacitively coupled with the operation body.

2. The input device according to claim 1, wherein The first electrode pattern includes a plurality of electrodes respectively capacitively coupled with the operation body, The changes in the electrostatic capacitances of the plurality of electrodes of the first electrode pattern generated during continuous operation of the operation body on the operation surface and the changes in the electrostatic capacitances of the plurality of electrodes of the second electrode pattern generated during continuous operation of the operation body on the side surface have different transition patterns, The control unit discriminates the approach or contact of the operation body to the operation surface and the side surface operation based on the difference in the transition patterns.

3. The input device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein The housing can be rotated in a direction along the periphery of the operation surface, The side surface operation detection unit can detect the rotation operation as the side surface operation.

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