Input device

Abstract

Provided is an input device capable of coping with an operation element having different rotation angles (step numbers) to be detected per rotation. A knob (20A) for KoD according to the present invention comprises: a fixed portion (40) attached to a touch sensor (30) / cover glass (32) via an adhesive (34); a rotating portion (60) rotatably attached to the fixed portion (40) via a rotating shaft (50); and a conductor (70) provided inside the rotating portion (60), the conductor (70) having low-dielectric-constant members (80) provided at equal intervals on the bottom surface (40A) of the fixed portion (40), the number of low-dielectric-constant members (80) corresponding to the number of steps. When the knob (20A) rotates, the rotation angle of the knob (20A) is detected on the basis of a change in capacitance caused by the low dielectric constant member (80).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an input device having an interface function between a human and a machine, and in particular to an input device having a touch panel and an operating element. Background Art

[0002] The practical application of a knob display (Knob on Display: KoD) in which buttons and knobs are provided on the cover glass of a capacitive touch panel display is advancing (for example, Patent Document 1). Figure 1 As shown in (A), a knob 20 is mounted on the surface of the touch panel 10. The knob 20 is an operating member having a rotating mechanism like a mechanical switch. Figure 1 As shown in (C), the user rotates the knob 20 with a finger F and inputs the rotation amount.

[0003] In the KoD of Patent Document 2, a pressing electrode pad and a rotating electrode pad are included on the bottom side of a body such as an electrically insulating material (e.g., acrylic), and these electrodes are fixed close to the touch screen and can rotate. The position, angle, and / or button pressing of the KoD are detected by a control circuit (e.g., a microcontroller) via a touch sensor panel.

[0004] In the KoD of Patent Document 3, a substantially cylindrical knob has a hollow portion, and three conductive posts are provided inside the knob. The three conductive posts are detected as three touch points on the touch panel when the knob is arranged in the display area of ​​the display.

[0005] Figure 2 (A) and (B) are schematic cross-sectional views showing an example of a rotation mechanism of the knob of the KoD. A cover glass 32 is arranged on the touch sensor 30, and the knob 20 is composed of: a cylindrical fixed part 40 fixed to the cover glass 32 by an adhesive 34; and a cylindrical rotating part 60 mounted on the fixed part 40 via a shaft 50. In order to detect the rotation of the rotating part 60, a Figure 2 In the touch detection when the knob 20 is grasped, the touch sensor 30 detects the presence or absence of a touch on the knob side and the finger position on the knob periphery through the conductive path K to the touch sensor 30 via the conductive body 70 .

[0006] [Prior art literature]

[0007] [Patent Document]

[0008] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2021-120782

[0009] [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-544231

[0010] [Patent Document 3] Patent Publication No. 7003225 Summary of the invention

[0011] The knob of KoD can be installed later, and has excellent customization such as changing the setting position on the touch panel and replacing the knob itself with a knob of another design. In addition, in order to feedback whether there is rotation and the amount of rotation, it also has a function of rotating the knob 20 from the Figure 3 The state of (A) is rotated to Figure 3 (B) is a mechanism that produces a click feeling.

[0012] Due to the customizability of KoD, it is envisioned that various knobs may be replaced according to each car model or user's preference. In this case, the rotation angle (resolution) until the feedback based on the aforementioned click feeling is generated may differ depending on the type of knob. For example, in Figure 4 When the knob is rotated to produce five levels of clicks per turn as shown, the calculation unit is set to make a rotation determination when the knob is rotated 72 degrees as one step of rotation angle. If it is 10 levels, the rotation angle is set to 36 degrees per step, and if it is 20 levels, the rotation angle is set to 18 degrees per step, and the calculation unit makes a rotation determination.

[0013] When setting a knob with different rotation angles, it is necessary to change the rotation determination setting of the rotation detection algorithm installed on the computing unit side of the product each time, which creates a burden for replacing the knob, thereby damaging the customization. Based on the above, a method is required that can perform rotation determination without resetting the rotation angle when replacing a knob with a different number of steps, that is, a knob with a different rotation angle to be detected each time it is rotated.

[0014] The present invention is to solve such conventional technical problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an input device capable of handling an operating member having different rotation angles to be detected per one rotation.

[0015] The input device of the present invention comprises: an electrostatic capacitance type touch sensor; an operating member mounted on the touch sensor in a rotatable manner, the operating member internally comprising at least one conductor capable of capacitive coupling with the touch sensor and rotating when the operating member rotates, and in the operating member, a plurality of electrostatic capacitance changing parts are arranged in a space overlapping with an area where the conductor rotates and moves, and a detection unit, which detects the rotation angle of the operating member based on a change in the electrostatic capacitance of the electrostatic capacitance changing part when the operating member rotates.

[0016] In one embodiment, the plurality of electrostatic capacitance changing portions are arranged at intervals corresponding to the rotation angle to be detected per rotation. In one embodiment, the electrostatic capacitance changing portion is an insulating component provided on the operating member. In one embodiment, the insulating component is made of a material having a lower dielectric constant than the operating member. In one embodiment, the electrostatic capacitance changing portion is a region that changes the thickness of the operating member in the direction of the touch sensor. In one embodiment, the operating member includes a fixed portion fixed to the touch sensor and a rotating portion rotatably mounted to the fixed portion, and the electrostatic capacitance changing portion is provided on the fixed portion. In one embodiment, the electrostatic capacitance changing portion is provided on the bottom surface of the fixed portion.

[0017] [Effects of the Invention]

[0018] According to the present invention, by providing a plurality of electrostatic capacitance changing portions in the region where the conductor of the operating member rotates and moves, the rotation angle of the operating member can be detected based on the change in electrostatic capacitance caused by the electrostatic capacitance changing portions. Thus, even when an operating member is installed in which a different rotation angle to be detected per rotation is installed, the rotation angle of the operating member can be automatically detected without changing the detection setting of the rotation angle on the computing unit side. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] Figure 1 The figure schematically shows the overall structure of a conventional display with a knob.

[0020] Figure 2 (A) and (B) are schematic cross-sectional views for explaining an example of a rotation mechanism of a knob.

[0021] Figure 3 A diagram illustrating the click feeling when the knob is rotated.

[0022] Figure 4 This is a diagram for explaining the technical problems of the conventional KoD.

[0023] Figure 5 (A) is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of a knob according to a first embodiment of the present invention. Figure 5 (B) is a top view of the knob viewed from the bottom.

[0024] Figure 6 (A) is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of a knob according to a second embodiment of the present invention. Figure 6 (B) is a top view of the knob viewed from the bottom.

[0025] Figure 7 It is a block diagram showing the structure of the input device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 8This is a diagram showing an example in which an insulating tape is provided on a knob according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] Fig. 9 Yes Figure 8 This is a graph showing the change in capacitance when the knob is rotated.

[0028] Fig.10 This is the detection algorithm flow of the knob rotation operation of this embodiment.

[0029] Fig.11 This is a diagram showing an example of setting a threshold value used for touch determination and the like in a detection algorithm for a rotation operation.

[0030] Fig.12 This is a diagram showing an example of an algorithm for detecting the rotation angle of the knob according to the present embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] The embodiment of the present invention is described. The input device of the present invention relates to a KoD mounted on a display including a capacitive touch panel (touch sensor), providing an input interface between a person and a machine. The KoD can be detachably installed at any position on the display, and its shape, size, number, etc. are not particularly limited.

[0032] Figure 5 (A) is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of a knob according to a first embodiment of the present invention. Figure 5 (B) is a top view of the knob when viewed from the bottom. Figure 2 The same structures in (A) and (B) are denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0033] The knob 20A of the first embodiment is mounted at an arbitrary position on the touch panel including the touch sensor 30 and the cover glass 32 using an adhesive 34 or the like. The knob 20A is configured to include a cylindrical fixed portion 40 and a cylindrical rotating portion 60 rotatably mounted to the fixed portion 40 via a shaft 50. A plurality of low dielectric constant components 80 are mounted on the bottom surface of the fixed portion 40, and the plurality of low dielectric constant components 80 are fixed to the cover glass 32 via an adhesive 34.

[0034] The fixed part 40 and the rotating part 60 are made of an electrically insulating material, and a conductor 70 made of metal, for example, is provided inside the rotating part 60. The conductor 70 is arranged inside the rotating part 60 in a manner that allows capacitive coupling with the touch sensor 32. The conductor 70 includes, for example, a thin plate-shaped circular part having a diameter substantially equal to that of the rotating part 60, and a columnar part extending in a vertical direction from a part of the thin plate-shaped circular part, and the front end of the columnar part exceeds the bottom surface of the rotating part 60 and contacts or approaches the surface of the fixed part 40. When the rotating part 60 rotates around the axis 50, the conductor 70 also rotates together, and the front end of the conductor 70 moves in a manner that draws an arc on the surface of the fixed part 40. When the user grasps the side of the knob 20A with a finger F, a conductive path K between the finger F and the conductor 70 is formed, and the touch sensor 30 detects the presence or absence of a touch on the knob, the rotation of the knob, etc. based on the change in electrostatic capacitance on the conductive path where the conductor 70 is located.

[0035] In the first embodiment, a plurality of low dielectric constant members 80 are installed at equal intervals on the bottom surface 40A of the fixed portion 40 according to the number of steps of the knob 20A, that is, the rotation angle to be detected per one rotation of the knob. The low dielectric constant member 80 is installed in a space overlapping with the circumferential region where the front end of the conductor 70 rotates and moves. In a certain embodiment, the low dielectric constant member 80 is made of a material having a lower dielectric constant than the fixed portion 40, and, for example, such an insulating sheet is attached to the bottom surface 40A of the fixed portion 40.

[0036] exist Figure 5 In the examples (A) and (B), the number of steps of the knob 20A is 5 (the rotation angle to be detected per one rotation is 72°), and correspondingly, five low dielectric constant components 80 are evenly attached at intervals of 72 degrees around the axis 50. The shape and size of the low dielectric constant component 80 are not particularly limited. For example, as shown in the figure, rectangular insulating sheets of the same size are radially attached to the bottom surface 40A, and the insulating sheets are in a positional relationship overlapping with the circumferential movement area of ​​the front end of the conductor 70.

[0037] The electrostatic capacitance on the conductive path detected is different when the tip of the conductor 70 is located on the low dielectric constant component 80 and when it is not located on the low dielectric constant component 80. For example, when the tip of the conductor 70 is located on the low dielectric constant component 80, the electrostatic capacitance on the conductive path detected becomes relatively small, and when it is not located on the low dielectric constant component 80, the electrostatic capacitance on the conductive path detected becomes relatively large.

[0038] In addition, in the above example, the low dielectric constant component 80 is provided, but it is not limited to this. As long as the change of electrostatic capacitance can be detected, it does not have to be a material with a lower dielectric constant than the fixed part 40. For example, it can also be a material with a higher dielectric constant than the fixed part 40. Furthermore, in the above example, a rectangular low dielectric constant component 80 is installed, but as long as the change of electrostatic capacitance can be detected, its planar shape is arbitrary. In addition, when an insulating sheet is attached as the low dielectric constant component 80, a plurality of insulating sheets can be stacked.

[0039] By providing the knob 20A with a number of low dielectric constant members 80 corresponding to the rotation angle to be detected per one rotation, the capacitance value detected when the knob 20A is rotated is varied in magnitude (in Figure 5 In the example of FIG. 1 , when the knob 20A is rotated one circle, the electrostatic capacitance value changes 5 times. By observing the change in the electrostatic capacitance on the computing unit side, it is possible to determine whether the knob 20A has been rotated 1 step.

[0040] Figure 6 (A) is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of a knob according to a second embodiment of the present invention. Figure 6 (B) is a top view of the knob when viewed from the bottom. Figure 2 The same reference numerals are used to designate the same structures. In the second embodiment, instead of installing the low dielectric constant member 80 as in the first embodiment, the capacitance of the fixing portion 40 is changed by changing the thickness of the fixing portion 40 to provide a distance from the touch sensor 30 .

[0041] exist Figure 6 In the examples (A) and (B), in order to make the thickness of the fixed part 40 relatively large, a plurality of protrusions 90 corresponding to the number of steps are provided on the bottom surface 40A. The number of steps of the knob 20B illustrated here is 5, and correspondingly, five protrusions 90 are formed evenly at intervals of 72 degrees around the rotation axis. The protrusions 90 are generated, for example, by forming a groove of a certain depth in an area other than the protrusion of the fixed part 40. The shape and size of the protrusions 90 are not particularly limited. For example, as shown in the figure, rectangular protrusions 90 of the same size are radially formed on the bottom surface 40A, and the protrusions 90 are in a positional relationship overlapping with the circumferential area where the front end of the conductor 70 rotates and moves.

[0042] The electrostatic capacitance on the conductive path detected is different when the tip of the conductor 70 is located on the convex portion 90 and when it is not located on the convex portion 90. For example, when the tip of the conductor 70 is located on the convex portion 90, the electrostatic capacitance on the conductive path detected becomes relatively small, and when it is not located on the convex portion 90, the electrostatic capacitance on the conductive path detected becomes relatively large. The thickness of the convex portion 90 is appropriately selected to a value that can detect the change in electrostatic capacitance.

[0043] In the above example, the convex portion 90 is provided, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and a concave portion may be provided to reduce the thickness of the fixing portion 40. In this case, the fixing portion 40 having a certain thickness is prepared in advance, and the concave portion is generated by forming a groove in the fixing portion 40. The technical function of the concave portion is equivalent to that of the convex portion 90, and the electrostatic capacitance changes depending on whether the front end of the conductor 70 is located on the concave portion.

[0044] Furthermore, the first embodiment and the second embodiment may be combined to change the electrostatic capacitance. For example, the low dielectric constant member 80 may be attached to the protrusion 90 of the fixing portion 40 .

[0045] In this way, when the knob is replaced with a knob with a different number of steps and a different rotation angle to be detected per rotation, the calculation unit can determine the rotation of the knob by one step simply by observing the electrostatic capacitance value without resetting the rotation angle to be detected one by one.

[0046] [Example]

[0047] Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail. Figure 7 The input device 100 of the present embodiment includes a capacitive touch panel 110, a knob 120 mounted on the surface of the touch panel 110, a detection controller 130 for detecting the operation of the touch panel 110 and the knob 120, a display 200, and an image controller 210.

[0048] The touch panel 110 includes, for example, a plurality of detection sensors formed at positions where a plurality of electrode lines on the X side and the Y side intersect, and the detection sensors detect changes in electrostatic capacitance when a user's finger or hand approaches or contacts the touch panel 110. The touch panel 110 is mounted on the display 200 and provides a user input interface for input buttons such as icons displayed on the display 200. The image controller 210 generates images such as icons displayed on the display 200, and is mounted in, for example, a vehicle-mounted device.

[0049] The knob 120 and the touch panel 110 provide a user input interface together. Physical operation information when the user operates the knob 120 is expressed as a change in the electrostatic capacitance of the touch panel 110, and the change in the electrostatic capacitance is detected.

[0050] The knob 120 is, for example, Figure 5 , Figure 6As shown, the knob 120 is composed of a circular rotating operating element (rotary encoder). The knob 120 can be installed at any position of the touch panel 110, for example, by sticking the bottom of the knob 120 to the surface of the touch panel 110 with a double-sided adhesive. The installation position of the knob 120 is determined by the coordinates of the rotation center of the knob 120, for example.

[0051] The knob 120 includes, for example, a housing made of an insulating material such as plastic, and a conductor (for example, a conductive body) that rotates with the rotation of the knob 120 is provided inside or near the surface of the housing. Figure 5 , Figure 6 The conductor 70 shown in the figure). The method and position of setting the conductor are arbitrary, but when the user pinches the knob 120 with his fingers and rotates the knob 120, the conductor also rotates.

[0052] The material, shape, and size of the conductor disposed in the knob 120 are arbitrary, but the conductor is capacitively coupled to the detection sensor of the touch panel 110, and when the finger F touches the knob 120 or the knob 120 is rotated, the electrostatic capacitance of the detection sensor capacitively coupled to the conductor changes. Furthermore, when the user grasps the knob 120 with the finger F, the electrostatic capacitance of the detection sensor capacitively coupled to the conductor changes according to the number of fingers F touching.

[0053] The detection controller 130 is electrically connected to the touch panel 110, controls the overall operation of the touch panel 110, and detects the user's operation on the touch panel 110 and the knob 120. The detection controller 130 is composed of hardware and / or software, for example, a controller including ROM / RAM, and the ROM / RAM is loaded with software for controlling the touch panel 110. Figure 7 As shown, the detection controller 130 is configured to include a driving / measuring unit 132 , an operation detecting unit 134 , and a control unit 136 .

[0054] The driving / measuring unit 132 drives a plurality of electrode lines on the X side and / or the Y side of the touch panel 110, and measures the electrostatic capacitance of each detection sensor of the driven electrode line. The operation detecting unit 134 detects the operation of the touch panel 110 and the operation of the knob 120 based on the electrostatic capacitance measured by the driving / measuring unit 132. For example, when the user's finger F approaches or contacts the touch panel 110, the operation detecting unit 134 detects the touch position based on the change in the electrostatic capacitance of the corresponding detection sensor. In addition, when the user's finger F contacts the knob 120, the electrostatic capacitance of the detection sensor corresponding to the position of the conductor changes, and the change in the electrostatic capacitance is detected by the operation detecting unit 134. The change in the electrostatic capacitance when the finger F contacts the knob 120 also changes according to the number of roots contacted by the finger F, and the change in the electrostatic capacitance is detected by the operation detecting unit 134. Furthermore, if the knob 120 is rotated, the position of the conductor changes, and the electrostatic capacitance of the detection sensor corresponding to the position of the conductor changes, and the change in the electrostatic capacitance is detected by the operation detecting unit 134. That is, the operation detection unit 134 detects a touch position on the touch panel 110 , a contact on the knob 120 , a rotation operation of the knob 120 , and the like based on a change in electrostatic capacitance.

[0055] The control unit 136 receives the detection result of the operation detection unit 134 , and controls the operation of the input device 100 or the image controller 210 according to the detection result.

[0056] Figure 8 The example in which insulating tape 122 is attached as a low dielectric constant member at four locations on bottom surface 120A of knob 120 is shown. In this example, the number of steps is 4, and rectangular low dielectric constant members 122 are attached radially at equal intervals of 90 degrees.

[0057] Fig. 9 is used Figure 8 The knob shown is a graph of the capacitance value observed by rotating the knob on the touch sensor. The vertical axis is the capacitance value and the horizontal axis is time (ms). In this example, the conductor in the knob is a single object.

[0058] It is known that Figure 8 The electrostatic capacitance value drops sharply at the portion indicated by the arrow. It can be seen that this point is when the conductor inside the knob passes directly above the insulating tape 122. Depending on the presence or absence of the insulating tape 122, the detection value of the electrostatic capacitance has a clear difference. This difference can be used to set the threshold for rotation determination.

[0059] When installing the product, the number and spacing of the bands are adjusted according to the angle of each step of the knob and the location where the touch occurs, and the electrostatic capacitance value is observed during operation to determine whether it is below the threshold, thereby determining whether the rotation of one step is performed. In addition, when the insulating band portion is expanded, it is also possible to "observe whether the electrostatic capacitance value is above the threshold during operation" on the contrary.

[0060] then, Fig.10 The process of the detection algorithm of the knob rotation operation of this embodiment is shown in FIG. Fig.11 2 is an example of setting the thresholds in the detection algorithm. Threshold A is a threshold for determining whether a touch has been made, and threshold B is a threshold for determining whether a touch has passed a low dielectric constant component provided to the knob.

[0061] First, the operation detection unit 134 detects whether a finger touches the knob 120 (S100). Fig.11 As shown in the graph, when the electrostatic capacitance is above the threshold value A, a touch is detected. Next, the operation detection unit 134 records the position angle (1) of the conductor before the operation (S110). Then, when the user rotates the knob 120, the electrostatic capacitance exceeds the threshold value B while the conductor passes through the area outside the low dielectric constant component, but the electrostatic capacitance decreases while the conductor passes over the low dielectric constant component. The operation detection unit 134 determines whether the electrostatic capacitance decreases below the threshold value B and is above the threshold value A (S120). If the electrostatic capacitance becomes below the threshold value A, it is determined that the hand is released (the operation is completed).

[0062] When the electrostatic capacitance is below the threshold value B and above the threshold value A, the operation detection unit 134 records the current position angle (2) of the conductor (S130), then compares the position angle (2) with the position angle (1), determines whether the knob is rotated right or left (S140), then updates the position angle (1) to the value of the position angle (2) (S150), and repeats the processing from step S120.

[0063] Fig.12 An example of an algorithm for detecting the rotation angle of a knob is shown. Fig.12 As shown in (A), the coordinates of the center point of the knob are set to the 0 degree position as the reference. Here, an example of setting is shown in which the right side is set to 0 degrees and the angle is increased counterclockwise. Fig.12 As shown in (B), the position angle of the conductor built into the knob is calculated. For example, if there is a conductor between 0° and 90°, 45° is detected. Fig.12 As shown in (C), when the position of the conductor moves from 45° to 90°, it is determined that the rotation amount is 45°.

[0064] Thus, according to this embodiment, by providing a low dielectric constant component or the like at the bottom of the knob for changing the detected electrostatic capacitance according to the number of steps of the knob, that is, the rotation angle to be detected per one rotation, the rotation angle of one step of the knob can be determined. Therefore, even when the knob is replaced with a knob with a different number of steps, there is no need to re-set the calculation unit side. Thus, the convenience of the knob with excellent customization can be improved.

[0065] As mentioned above, although the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiment, and various modifications and changes can be made within the scope of the gist of the invention described in the claims.

[0066] [Explanation of Reference Numerals]

[0067] 100: Input device

[0068] 110: Touch panel

[0069] 120: Knob

[0070] 122: Insulation sheet

[0071] 130: Detection controller

[0072] F: Finger.

Claims

1. An input device, comprising: Electrostatic capacitive touch sensor; an operating member rotatably mounted on the touch sensor, the operating member internally including at least one conductive body capable of capacitive coupling with the touch sensor and rotating when the operating member rotates, and a plurality of electrostatic capacitance changing portions are provided in the operating member in a space overlapping with a region where the conductive body rotates; and The detection unit detects a rotation angle of the operation element based on a change in electrostatic capacitance caused by the electrostatic capacitance changing portion when the operation element rotates.

2. The input device according to claim 1, The plurality of capacitance changing sections are arranged at intervals corresponding to a rotation angle to be detected per one rotation.

3. The input device according to claim 1, The electrostatic capacitance changing unit is an insulating member provided on the operating element.

4. The input device according to claim 3, The insulating member is made of a material having a lower dielectric constant than that of the operating member.

5. The input device according to claim 1, The electrostatic capacitance changing portion is a region where the thickness of the operating element in the direction of the touch sensor changes.

6. The input device according to claim 1, The operating member includes a fixed portion fixed to the touch sensor and a rotating portion rotatably mounted to the fixed portion. The electrostatic capacitance changing portion is provided in the fixed portion.

7. The input device according to claim 6, The electrostatic capacitance changing portion is provided on a bottom surface of the fixed portion.

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