Input device

Abstract

Input device (100) comprising: an operation input part (70); a palm rest portion (80) arranged to span the operation input portion (70); and a fixed part (30) containing the operation input part (70) and the palm rest part (80), and where the palm rest part (80) includes: a spanning portion (82) spanning the operation input part (70), and a first leg (84) and a second leg (86) at respective opposite ends of the spanning portion (82), the first leg (84) and the second leg being attached to the fixed part (30), and wherein - the palm rest part (80) further includes a third leg (88) attached to the fixed part (30), or - the second leg (86) has an opening (89) inside the leg, wherein the palm rest part (80), the first leg (84), the second leg (86) and the third leg (88) or the leg-inside opening (89) enable the user to hold the operation input part (70) with his or her fingertips at three locations, two locations being located on either side of the spanning region (82) and one location being located between the second leg (86) and the third leg (88) or through the leg-inside opening (89).

Description

Technical field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an input device used, for example, to operate on-board devices mounted on or in a vehicle. Technical background

[0002] An input device has been proposed to favorably maintain the operability of an operation input part, thereby preventing misoperation. The proposed conventional input device includes a plate-shaped palm rest main body with a curved surface arranged to extend above an operation input part (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] Patent Document 2 discloses a vehicle computer system with a monitor for displaying selection menus and information, a computer unit that provides the selection menus and information to be displayed, and an operating unit for moving a selection mark on the monitor and for selecting individual items in the selection menus. The operating unit comprises a rotatable control element and a first switching element. The vehicle computer system is characterized in that the control element is designed as a first adjusting wheel located in a vertical plane, the operating unit comprises a second rotatable adjusting wheel located in a horizontal plane, the first adjusting wheel enabling movement of the cursor in the y-direction and the second adjusting wheel enabling movement in the x-direction, and the second adjusting wheel is preferably mounted so as to be movable in the direction of its rotational axis (vertical direction), the first switching element being arranged such that it is actuated by this movement.

[0004] Patent Document 3 discloses a remote operation device comprising a first operation accepting portion provided as a mechanism for accepting an external operation and having a rotary dial that is slidably and rotatably supported, a second operation accepting portion formed of a touch pad provided on an outer surface of the rotary dial, and a control portion. The control portion accepts a displacement of the rotary dial from a preliminarily determined neutral position as an external operation, accepts a rotation angle of the rotary dial as an external operation, and accepts an operation on the second operation accepting portion as an external operation. The control portion operates an in-vehicle device through remote control by transmitting contents of accepted operations to the in-vehicle device. BibliographyPatent literature Patent Document 1: Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication No. 2013-98133 Patent document 2: Laid-open specification DE 10105 177 A1 Patent document 3: Publication US 2017 / 0131792 A1 Summary of the invention

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to provide an input device that further reduces the possibility of misoperation by the user.

[0006] An input device according to one aspect of the present disclosure is defined in claim 1. Preferred embodiments are defined in the dependent claims.

[0007] In the input device according to the present disclosure, the palm rest portion is arranged to straddle the operation input portion. This arrangement further reduces the possibility of inadvertent operation by a user, even if the user places their hand close to the operation input portion to operate the operation input portion by tapping while keeping their eyes on the road ahead. Short description of the drawings Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an input device according to an exemplary embodiment. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the input device according to the exemplary embodiment. Fig. 3 is a side view of the input device according to the exemplary embodiment. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the input device according to the exemplary embodiment and illustrates operation directions of the operation input part. Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the input device according to the exemplary embodiment. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the input device 100. Fig. 7 is a plan view of the input device 100. Fig. 8 is a side view of the input device 100. Fig. 9 is a perspective view of another input device 100. Description of embodiments

[0008] Before describing exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, a problem concerning the conventional input device will be briefly described. In the input device described in Patent Document 1, the operation input part has a large exposed portion that is not covered by the palm rest main body. Due to this large exposed portion, the user may misoperate the operation input part contrary to their intention, especially when attempting to operate the operation input part by tapping.

[0009] The exemplary embodiments are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Throughout the drawings, the same reference numerals are assigned to identical or corresponding components, and overlapping descriptions of these components are not repeated here. The exemplary embodiments described below provide broad or specific examples of the present disclosure. (Knowledge underlying this disclosure)

[0010] The inventors of the present disclosure found that the following problem arises in the input device described in the "Background Art" section.

[0011] As vehicles have become increasingly equipped with computers in recent years, input devices for use in multi-purpose vehicles have come into practical use for operating various types of on-board devices in a space-saving manner. Such an input device is disclosed (for example, in Patent Document 1). The input device includes a plate-shaped palm rest main body having a curved surface and arranged to extend above an operation input part to favorably maintain the operability of the operation input part and thereby prevent misoperation.

[0012] However, in order to maintain favorable operability, the input device described in Patent Document 1 has a configuration in which the operation input part has a large exposed portion not covered by the palm rest main body. Due to this design, the vehicle user attempting to operate the operation input part by tapping while keeping his eyes on the road ahead may touch the operation input part with his fingertip and cause unintentional operation of the operation input part.

[0013] To address the above problem, an input device according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes an operation input part, a palm rest part arranged to span the operation input part, and a fixed part that supports the operation input part and the palm rest part. The palm rest part includes a spanning portion spanning the operation input part, and a first leg and a second leg formed at respective opposite ends of the spanning portion and attached to the fixed part.

[0014] In the input device, since the palm rest portion is arranged to span the operation input portion, the exposed portion of the operation input portion is small. This reduction in the exposed portion further reduces the possibility of misoperation of the operation input portion due to inadvertent operation caused by a user's finger touching the operation input portion, even if the user places their hand close to the operation input portion for a tap operation while keeping their eyes on the road ahead.

[0015] For example, in the input device, a minimum width of the spanning area may be smaller than a maximum width of the operation input part.

[0016] This design allows the user to place his fingertips on both sides of the spanning area in contact with the operation input part, which enables better operation of the operation input part.

[0017] For example, in the input device, a minimum width of the spanning area may be smaller than a maximum width of the first leg and a maximum width of the second leg.

[0018] This design allows the first leg and the second leg to be connected sufficiently firmly to the fixed part.

[0019] In the input device, for example, at least a part of the palm support part may have a curved surface.

[0020] This configuration allows the user to place at least part of their palm along the curved surface of the palm rest portion, allowing for a larger contact area between the palm and the palm rest portion. Accordingly, the user can conveniently operate the operation input portion with their fingertips while their palm rests firmly on the palm rest portion.

[0021] The input device may, for example, include a switch provided on the second leg of the palm rest part.

[0022] With this design, when the user simply places their palm on the palm rest, their fingertips are guided to the switch. This allows the user to conveniently operate the switch with their fingertips.

[0023] For example, the input device may include a control device configured to be electrically connected to the operation input part. The operation input part may be configured to perform a rotary operation and a multi-directional movement operation. When one of the rotary operation and the multi-directional movement operation is performed, the control device of the input device may ignore the other operation.

[0024] With this configuration, for example, if the user accidentally performs the movement operation on the operation input part while performing the rotation operation on the operation input part, the control device ignores the other operation performed later, that is, the movement operation, thereby reducing misoperation. Similarly, if the user accidentally performs the rotation operation on the operation input part while performing the movement operation on the operation input part, the control device ignores the other operation performed later, that is, the rotation operation, thereby reducing misoperation.

[0025] For example, the operation input part of the input device may be configured to perform a rotary operation and a multi-directional movement operation, and a magnitude of an operation force in the rotary operation may be different from a magnitude of an operation force in the multi-directional movement operation.

[0026] In this design, the magnitude of the operating force can be increased in either the rotary operation or the multi-directional movement operation, which is more prone to misoperation, to further reduce the possibility of misoperation.

[0027] The operation input part of the input device can, for example, be designed such that a push operation is also to be carried out in addition to the rotary operation and the multi-directional movement operation, wherein the magnitude of the actuating force in the rotary operation, the magnitude of the actuating force in the multi-directional movement operation and a magnitude of an actuating force in the push operation can differ from one another.

[0028] With this design, among rotary operation, multi-directional movement operation, and push operation, an operation most likely to cause misoperation can have a largest operating force, an operation next likely to cause misoperation can have a second largest operating force, and an operation least likely to cause misoperation can have a smallest operating force. This further reduces the possibility of misoperations.

[0029] Exemplary embodiments are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The exemplary embodiments described below provide broad or specific examples of the present disclosure. Numerical values, shapes, materials, components, arrangement positions and connection methods of the components, steps, order of steps, and the like illustrated in the following exemplary embodiments are only examples and therefore are not intended to limit the present disclosure. Among the components in the following exemplary embodiments, components not mentioned in the independent claim indicating the broadest concept are described as optional components. (First exemplary embodiment)

[0030] Fig. 1 to 5 illustrate a configuration of the input device 1 according to a first exemplary embodiment. As in Fig. 1 to 5, a width direction, a length direction, and a height direction of the input device are defined as an X-axis direction, a Y-axis direction, and a Z-axis direction, respectively. Arrows in Fig. 1 directions are defined as positive directions of the X-axis, the Y-axis and the Z-axis, respectively.

[0031] The input device 1 is used to operate on-board devices such as a navigation device, an air conditioner, and an audio device (none of which is shown), and is arranged, for example, on a center console in an interior of a vehicle.

[0032] Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the input device 1. The input device 1 includes an operation input part 10, a palm rest part 20, a fixed part 30, switches 40, a fingerprint authentication part 50, and a touch panel 60. The operation input part 10 has a rotary dial 11 having a cylindrical shape. A user holds and moves the rotary dial 11 to operate the operation input part 10. The switches 40, the fingerprint authentication part 50, and the touch panel 60 may not necessarily be provided as elements.

[0033] The operation input part 10 is used to operate on-board devices. In the exemplary embodiment, the operation input part 10 is configured to perform a rotary operation, a multi-directional movement operation, and a push operation. As described in detail below, the rotary operation is an operation of rotating the adjusting disk 11 in rotational directions. The multi-directional movement operation is an operation of moving the adjusting disk 11 in the positive and negative directions of the X-axis and in the positive and negative directions of the Y-axis. The push operation is an operation of pushing the adjusting disk 11 in a negative direction of the Z-axis. The operation input part 10 is not limited to the configuration that performs all of the rotary operation, the multi-directional movement operation, and the push operation, but may have a configuration that performs at least one of these operations.The multi-directional movement operation is not limited to the positive and negative directions of the X-axis and the positive and negative directions of the Y-axis, that is, a four-way operation. The multi-directional movement operation can be an operation in any direction in the XY plane defined by the X-axis and the Y-axis. The multi-directional movement operation can also be a sliding operation in any direction in the XY plane, or it can be a tilting operation. Furthermore, the operation input part 10 is not limited to the pushing operation in the negative direction of the Z-axis, but can be designed to perform a pulling operation in the positive direction of the Z-axis.

[0034] The palm rest part 20 is a place where the user places his palm. As shown in Fig. 1, the palm rest part 20 is arranged to straddle the operation input part 10. To be specific, the palm rest part 20 includes a spanning portion 22 spanning the operation input part 10, and a first leg 24 and a second leg 26 formed at respective opposite ends of the spanning portion 22. In the present exemplary embodiment, the spanning portion 22, the first leg 24, and the second leg 26 are made of plastic and are integrally formed, thereby constituting the palm rest part 20. The palm rest part 20 is not limited to the integral structure, but may have a structure in which at least one of the spanning portion 22, the first leg 24, and the second leg 26 is a separate part and is joined by, for example, screwing, fitting, or adhesive.

[0035] The fixed part 30 is shaped like a rectangular parallelepiped and is arranged on a center console. The fixed part 30 holds the operation input part 10 and the palm rest part 20. The operation input part 10 is arranged to protrude in the positive direction of the Z-axis through an opening 32 formed in the fixed part 30. The adjusting disc 11, which the user can hold and move with his fingers, is formed on the part of the operation input part 10 that protrudes through the opening 32. The adjusting disc 11 has a cylindrical shape as described above, but is not limited to the cylindrical shape. The adjusting disc 11 may be shaped as a polygonal column or a column with one or more recesses on side surfaces. On the other hand, the palm rest part 20 is connected to the fixed part 30 at the first leg 24 and the second leg 26.Specifically, the first leg 24 and the second leg 26 are attached to the fixed part 30 by fitting. In this way, the palm rest part 20 is firmly attached to the fixed part 30 at the two locations. The method for attaching the first leg 24 and the second leg 26 to the fixed part 30 is not limited to fitting. The first leg 24 and the second leg 26 may be attached to the fixed part 30, for example, by screwing or bonding, or by any combination of these methods.

[0036] The switches 40 are arranged on a portion of the second leg 26 of the palm rest part 20, onto which the user's fingers are placed. The switches 40 are designed to be associated, for example, with frequently used operations. This design allows the user to perform these operations quickly and easily.

[0037] The fingerprint authentication part 50 has a security function of authenticating the user's fingerprint. This security function enables a setting that prevents anyone other than the user from operating an ignition switch (not shown), the operation input part 10, the switches 40, and other elements. The fingerprint authentication part 50 is arranged on a bottom surface of a recess formed in an upper surface of the palm rest part 20. This reduces the possibility of misoperation of the fingerprint authentication part 50, which may occur when the user places their hand on the palm rest part 20.

[0038] The touch panel 60 is provided for the user to perform operations such as swiping and direct text input, which cannot be performed with the operation input part 10. As shown in Fig. As shown in Figure 1, the touch panel 60 is arranged side by side with the second leg 26 on an upper surface of the fixed part 30 where the palm rest part 20 is provided. More specifically, the touch panel 60 is arranged so that the end of the palm rest part 20 on the second leg 26 faces one side of the touch panel 60. Also, the touch panel 60 may be configured to be operated, for example, according to a screen of a navigation device (not shown), and the screen may be arranged directly below the touch panel 60 (in the negative direction of the Z-axis). In the first exemplary embodiment, user operations (such as direct text input) that require the user to look at the screen while driving are prohibited in all arrangements. For this reason, the touch panel 60 is arranged in front (in the positive direction of the Y-axis) of the switches 40 provided on the palm rest part 20, as shown in Figure 1. Fig. 1. Thus, even if the user places his palm on the palm rest part 20 to tap while driving, his fingertips are unlikely to reach the touch panel 60. This configuration reduces the possibility that the user may touch the touch panel 60 and cause misoperation.

[0039] On the other hand, while the vehicle is stopped, the user can place his wrist directly on the second leg 26 to operate the touch panel 60. In this way, the user's fingers can easily reach the touch panel 60, ensuring excellent operability of the touch panel 60.

[0040] Fig. 2 is a plan view of the input device 1. As in Fig. 2, the palm rest portion 20 straddles the operation input portion 10 and is held by the fixed portion 30 such that the spanning portion 22 is located above the operation input portion 10 (in the positive direction of the Z-axis). In particular, with this arrangement, when the user attempts to operate the operation input portion 10 by tapping, the second leg 26 of the palm rest portion 20 prevents the user's fingertips from touching the operation input portion 10. This reduces the possibility of the user's fingertips accidentally touching the control dial 11 of the operation input portion 10 and resulting misoperation.

[0041] However, the presence of the palm rest portion 20 extending over the operation input portion 10 may reduce the operability of the operation input portion 10. To address this, the palm rest portion 20 has a shape described below to improve the operability of the operation input portion 10.

[0042] More precisely, as in Fig. 2, a shape of the spanning portion 22 of the palm rest part 20 is set so that a part of the operation input part 10 and a part of the adjustment dial 11 are exposed in the positive and negative directions of the X-axis as viewed from above. To be more specific, the minimum width Ws of the spanning portion 22 of the palm rest part 20 is smaller than the maximum width Dd of the operation input part 10 (which, in the present exemplary embodiment, is a diameter of the adjustment dial 11). This shape allows the user to bring their fingertips on both sides of the spanning portion 22 into contact with the adjustment dial 11 of the operation input part 10, enabling better operation of the operation input part 10.

[0043] In addition, the minimum width Ws of the spanning portion 22 is smaller than the maximum width W1 of the first leg 24 and the maximum width W2 of the second leg 26. With this shape, the first leg 24 and the second leg 26 are sufficiently firmly fixed to the fixed part 30, which allows the user to stably place his palm on the palm rest part 20 and operate the adjusting dial 11 of the operation input part 10 almost without any movement of the fingertips.

[0044] Also, the portion of the palm rest part 20 on which the palm is placed, more specifically, at least the portion of the palm rest part 20 from the spanning portion 22 to the first leg 24, has a curved surface. This shape allows the user to place at least part of their palm along the curved surface of the palm rest part 20, allowing a larger contact area between the palm and the palm rest part 20. Accordingly, the user can conveniently operate the control dial 11 of the operation input part 10 with their fingertips while their palm rests firmly on the palm rest part 20.

[0045] Fig. 3 is a side view of the input device 1. As in Fig. 3, the operation input part 10 is supported by the fixed part 30. The palm rest part 20 has an arc shape that spans the operation input part 10 and the adjusting disc 11. The first leg 24 and the second leg 26 are attached to the fixed part 30.

[0046] In the present exemplary embodiment, a length of the first leg 24 of the palm rest part 20 in the Y-axis direction, that is, the depth D1, is greater than the depth D2 of the second leg 26. This shape is adopted because when the user places his palm on the palm rest part 20, a higher stress acts on the first leg 24 than on the second leg 26. Therefore, the palm rest part 20 with the shape described above is sufficiently firmly fixed to the fixed part 30 when the palm is placed on the palm rest part 20.

[0047] Next, operating directions of the operation input part 10 are described with reference to Fig. 4 described in detail. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the operation input part 10, illustrating the operating directions. In Fig. 4, a representation of the palm rest part 20 which spans the operation input part 10 is omitted for clarity of illustration.

[0048] The dial 11 of the operation input part 10 is formed to have a circular shape when viewed from above. The user can bring his fingertips into contact with the dial 11 and perform a clockwise or counterclockwise rotation operation around the axis L (an imaginary line passing through a center of the circular shape of the dial 11 in the Z-axis direction), as indicated by the arcuate arrows in Fig. 4 shown.

[0049] The user can also slide the adjustment dial 11 with their fingertips in the positive and negative directions of the X-axis and the positive and negative directions of the Y-axis. Thus, the operation input part 10 is designed to perform a four-way sliding operation in the XY plane.

[0050] Further, the user can bring his fingertips into contact with the adjusting disk 11 and perform a pushing operation to push the adjusting disk 11 of the operation input part 10 in the negative direction of the Z-axis.

[0051] Next, a sectional structure of the input device 1 is shown with reference to Fig. 5 described. Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the input device. Fig. 5 shows a sectional view along a line A-Ain Fig. 2.

[0052] In the input device 1, the operation input part 10 includes as components a setting disk 11, a slider 12, an encoder 13, a slide plate 14, a spring 15, a pressure switch 16, a printed carrier plate 17, a detection switch 18, and a control device 19. The details of the setting disk 11 are as described above.

[0053] The slider 12 is a component that transmits the operation of performing the pushing operation of the actuating disk 11 to the push switch 16. The encoder 13 is a component that detects the operation of performing the rotating operation of the actuating disk 11. The sliding plate 14 is a component that transmits to the detection switch 18 a movement performed when the multi-directional movement operation (the sliding operation in the present exemplary embodiment) is performed on the actuating disk 11. The spring 15 is a component that returns the actuating disk 11, which has been moved during the sliding operation, to an original position. The push switch 16 is a component that detects the pushing operation on the actuating disk 11 by being pressed by the slider 12. The printed circuit board 17 is a component on which various electronic components, such as the push switch 16 and the controller 19, are mounted.The detector switch 18 is a component that detects the sliding operation of the adjusting disc 11 by a movement of the sliding plate 14 and is coupled to the sliding plate 14. The control device 19 contains a microcomputer and is mounted on the printed circuit board 17. The control device 19 is thus electrically connected to the various electronic components, including the pressure switch 16.

[0054] The following describes how each component in the operation input part 10 operates when the push operation, the turn operation, and the slide operation are performed.

[0055] First, the pressure operation is described. If the user holds the adjusting disc 11 with his thumb, middle finger and ring finger, for example, and presses the adjusting disc 11 in the negative direction of the Z-axis from Fig. 5, the slider 12 moves accordingly in the negative direction of the Z-axis. As a result, the slider 12 presses the push button 16 mounted on the printed carrier plate 17. Based on this pressure, the control device 19 determines that the push operation has been performed on the actuating disc 11. The push button 16 contains an elastic element. The elastic element provides the user with a feeling of pressure during the push operation.

[0056] Next, the rotation operation is described. The user holds the adjusting disc 11 with, for example, their thumb, middle finger, and ring finger and rotates the adjusting disc 11 clockwise or counterclockwise. This movement of the adjusting disc 11 is detected by the encoder 13. According to a signal from the encoder 13, the control device 19 makes a determination regarding the rotation operation.

[0057] The sliding operation is described below. The user holds the adjusting disc 11 with, for example, their thumb, middle finger, and ring finger and slides the adjusting disc 11 in the positive and / or negative direction of the X-axis or in the positive and / or negative direction of the Y-axis. In response to this displacement, the sliding plate 14 moves accordingly. As a result, the detecting switch 18 coupled to the sliding plate 14 detects the movement of the adjusting disc 11. According to a signal from the detecting switch 18, the controller 19 makes a determination regarding the sliding operation. The operation input part 10 includes the spring 15, the restoring force of which returns the adjusting disc 11 to its original position. The spring 15 also provides a sliding feeling for the user during the sliding operation. The spring 15 may be an elastic member made of rubber material.

[0058] The following describes how the control device 19 operates. As described above, the control device 19 makes determinations about the push operation, the turn operation, and the slide operation on the control dial 11. According to the determination results, onboard devices not shown are operated. When making these determinations, the control device 19 operates as follows.

[0059] When one of the rotation operation and the multi-directional movement operation (the slide operation in the present exemplary embodiment) is performed, the control device 19 ignores the other operation. Therefore, for example, if the user inadvertently performs the slide operation on the operation input part 10 while performing the rotation operation on the operation input part 10, the control device 19 ignores the other operation performed later, that is, the slide operation, thereby reducing misoperation. Similarly, if the user inadvertently performs the rotation operation on the operation input part 10 while performing the slide operation on the operation input part 10, the control device 19 ignores the other operation performed later, that is, the rotation operation, thereby reducing misoperation.

[0060] A similar operation can be extended to the push operation. In this case, if any one of the push operation, the turn operation, and the slide operation is performed on the operation input part 10, the control device 19 ignores the other two operations even if those operations are performed. This further reduces misoperation.

[0061] The following describes the magnitudes of the operating forces in the push operation, the turn operation, and the slide operation performed on the operation input part 10.

[0062] The magnitudes of the actuation forces for the rotary actuation and the sliding actuation are described first. This is because the rotary actuation and the sliding actuation are both performed in the XY plane, and thus it is likely that one may be inadvertently performed while the other is being performed.

[0063] The operation input part 10 is configured so that the magnitude of the operation force in the rotary operation is different from the magnitude of the operation force in the multi-directional movement operation (the sliding operation in the present exemplary embodiment). The magnitude of the operation force in the rotary operation is determined by the magnitude of the elastic force of an elastic member included in a click feeling generating device (not shown). The magnitude of the operation force in the sliding operation is determined by the magnitude of the elastic force of the spring 15. Therefore, these elastic forces are set at different magnitudes, thereby achieving the arrangement in which the magnitudes of the operation forces are different from each other.

[0064] In this way, the magnitude of the operation force can be increased in either the rotary operation or the slide operation, which is more prone to misoperation, to further reduce the possibility of misoperation. To be more specific, when performing the rotary operation, especially while driving, the user may inadvertently perform the slide operation, which is also an operation performed in the same XY plane. To address this, the magnitude of the operation force in the slide operation is set larger than the magnitude of the operation force in the rotary operation. Consequently, the slide operation becomes heavier, thus reducing the possibility that the user may accidentally perform the slide operation when unintentional.

[0065] A similar arrangement can be extended to the push operation. More specifically, the operation input part 10 can be configured so that the magnitudes of the operation force in the rotary operation, the multi-directional movement operation (the slide operation in the present exemplary embodiment), and the push operation are different from each other. The magnitude of the operation force in the push operation is determined by a magnitude of an elastic force of the elastic member included in the push switch 16. Thus, the elastic forces in the push operation, the rotary operation, and the slide operation are set at different magnitudes, thereby achieving the arrangement in which the magnitudes of the operation forces are different from each other.

[0066] In this way, to further reduce the possibility of misoperation, among the rotary operation, the sliding operation, and the pushing operation, the operation most likely to cause misoperation may have the largest operating force, the second most likely to cause misoperation may have the second largest operating force, and the least likely to cause misoperation may have the smallest operating force. Specifically, for the above reason, the operating force magnitude for the sliding operation is set to be larger than the operating force magnitude for the rotary operation, while the operating force magnitude for the pushing operation is set to be larger than the operating force magnitudes for the other operations.To be more specific, when the user attempts to operate the operation input part 10 by tapping while driving, they lower their hand from the positive direction of the Z-axis to the operation input part 10. There is a high possibility that, in particular, the thumb will come into contact with a part of an upper surface of the operation input part 10 that is not covered by the spanning area 22, causing the push operation to be inadvertently performed. To address this, the operation force in the push operation, which is most likely to cause a misoperation, is set to the largest size. Then, for the above reason, the operation force in the slide operation is set to the second largest size, and the operation force in the turn operation, which is least likely to cause a misoperation, is set to the smallest size. As a result, the possibility of a misoperation is further reduced.

[0067] The relationship among the magnitudes of the operation forces described here is an example. The order of operations according to the probability of causing a misoperation may vary depending on, for example, the design or installation location of the input device 1. In this case, the respective magnitudes of the operation forces may be set so that the operation force for an operation most likely to cause a misoperation is the largest, while the operation force for an operation least likely to cause a misoperation is the smallest.

[0068] It can also be specified that forces for operations whose probability of causing incorrect operation is the same have the same magnitude.

[0069] Furthermore, the magnitudes of the actuating forces can be adjusted, for example, using an electromagnetic force. This allows the magnitudes of the actuating forces to be adjusted to suit the user's habits and preferences, thereby further reducing misoperation.

[0070] The input device 1 configured and operated as described above has a palm rest portion 20 arranged to span the operation input portion 10 and thus reduce misoperation when the user operates the operation input portion 10 by tapping.

[0071] In the first exemplary embodiment, the longitudinal direction of the palm rest part 20 is provided to be the Y-axis direction. However, the longitudinal direction is not limited to this direction, but may be provided to be any direction in the XY plane depending on the installation location. Also, the input device 1 may be tilted at any angle relative to the user in the XZ plane and the YZ plane to facilitate operation. (Second exemplary embodiment)

[0072] A second exemplary embodiment will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. In the following description, components identical to or corresponding to those of the first exemplary embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals throughout the drawings, and overlapping descriptions of these components are omitted here.

[0073] Fig. 6 to 8 show a configuration of an input device 100 according to the second exemplary embodiment. As in Fig. 6 to 8, a width direction, a length direction, and a height direction of the input device 100 are defined as an X-axis direction, a Y-axis direction, and a Z-axis direction, respectively. Arrows in Fig. 6 specified directions are defined as positive directions of the X-axis, the Y-axis and the Z-axis respectively.

[0074] The input device 100 is also used to operate onboard devices such as a navigation device, an air conditioner, and an audio device (none of which are shown), and is arranged, for example, on a center console in an interior of a vehicle.

[0075] Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the input device 100. The input device 100 includes an operation input part 70, a palm rest part 80, a fixed part 30, and a touch panel 60. The operation input part 70 has a rotary dial 71 with a cylindrical shape. A user holds and moves the rotary dial 71 to operate the operation input part 70. The input device 100 may, but need not, include a fingerprint authentication part 50 provided in the first exemplary embodiment.

[0076] Like the operation input part 10 in the first exemplary embodiment, the operation input part 70 is used to operate on-board devices. In the present exemplary embodiment, the operation input part 70 is configured to perform a rotary operation, a multi-directional movement operation, and a push operation. Of the four-way operation described in the first exemplary embodiment, the operation of the adjusting dial 71 in the positive direction of the Y-axis in the XY plane is prohibited in the multi-directional movement operation. Thus, in the second exemplary embodiment, the multi-directional movement operation is a three-way operation. The operation input part 70 is not limited to the configuration that performs all of the rotary operation, the multi-directional movement operation, and the push operation, but may have a configuration that performs at least one of these operations.The multi-directional movement operation is not limited to the three-way operation described above, but may be configured to perform four-way operation, or may be configured to perform operation in any direction in an XY plane defined by the X-axis and the Y-axis. Also, the multi-directional movement operation may be configured to perform sliding operation in any direction in the XY plane, or may be configured to perform tilting operation. Furthermore, the operation input part 70 is not limited to the pushing operation in the negative direction of the Z-axis, but may be configured to perform pulling operation in the positive direction of the Z-axis.

[0077] The palm rest portion 80 is a location on which the user places his palm. As shown in Fig. 6, the palm rest part 80 is arranged to straddle the operation input part 70. To be specific, the palm rest part 80 includes a spanning portion 82 spanning the operation input part 70, and a first leg 84, a second leg 86, and a third leg 88 formed adjacent to the spanning portion 82. In the present exemplary embodiment, the spanning portion 82, the first leg 84, the second leg 86, and the third leg 88 are made of plastic and are integrally formed, thereby constituting the palm rest part 80. The palm rest part 80 is not limited to the integral structure, but may have a structure in which at least one of the spanning portion 82, the first leg 84, the second leg 86, and the third leg 88 is a separate part and is joined by, for example, screwing, fitting, or adhesive.

[0078] The fixed part 30 is shaped as a rectangular parallelepiped and is arranged on a center console. The fixed part 30 holds the operation input part 70 and the palm rest part 80. The operation input part 70 is arranged to protrude in the positive direction of the Z-axis through an opening 92 formed in the fixed part 30. The adjusting disc 71, which the user can hold and move with his fingers, is formed on the part of the operation input part 70 that protrudes through the opening 92. The adjusting disc 71 has a cylindrical shape as described above, but is not limited to the cylindrical shape. The adjusting disc 71 may be shaped as a polygonal column or a column with one or more recesses on side surfaces. On the other hand, the palm rest part 80 is connected to the fixed part 30 at the first leg 84, the second leg 86, and the third leg 88.More specifically, the first leg 84, the second leg 86, and the third leg 88 are attached to the fixed part 30 by fitting. In this way, the palm rest part 80 is firmly attached to the fixed part 30 at the three locations. The end of the palm rest part 80 on the second leg 86 and the end on the third leg 88 are each attached to the fixed part 30 so as to face one side of the touch panel 60. The method of attaching the first leg 84, the second leg 86, and the third leg 88 to the fixed part 30 is not limited to fitting. The first leg 84, the second leg 86, and the third leg 88 can be attached to the fixed part 30, for example, by screwing or bonding, or by any combination of these methods.

[0079] In the second exemplary embodiment, the touch panel 60 has functions for determining how many of the user's fingers have touched the touch panel 60 or how many times the user has touched the touch panel 60, in addition to performing operations such as swiping and direct text input. Also, the touch panel 60 may be configured to be operated, for example, according to a screen of a navigation device (not shown), and the screen may be arranged directly below the touch panel 60 (in the negative direction of the Z-axis). As shown in Fig. 6, the touch panel 60 is arranged in front (in the positive direction of the Y-axis) of the second leg 86 and the third leg 88 provided on the palm rest part 80. This configuration according to the second exemplary embodiment does not include switches 40 as provided in the first exemplary embodiment. Thus, when the user places their palm on the palm rest part 80, their fingertips reach the touch panel 60. Therefore, the user can perform an input operation corresponding, for example, to the number of fingers on the touch panel 60 or the number of touches on the touch panel 60 while driving. Specific examples of such an input operation include an operation for calling up a predetermined screen corresponding to the number of fingers on the touch panel 60 or the number of touches on the touch panel 60.To reduce user misoperation of the touch panel 60 during driving, the input device 100 may operate as follows. For example, if the input device 100 determines that the touch panel 60 was touched with only one finger or was touched only once during driving, the input device 100 may ignore this operation as a misoperation.

[0080] Fig. 7 is a plan view of the input device 100. As in Fig. As shown in Figure 7, the palm rest portion 80 straddles the operation input portion 70 and is supported by the fixed portion 30 such that the spanning portion 82 is located above the operation input portion 70 (in the positive direction of the Z-axis). This arrangement reduces the possibility of misoperation, as in the first exemplary embodiment.

[0081] However, the presence of the palm rest portion 80 extending over the operation input portion 70 may reduce the operability of the operation input portion 70. To address this, the palm rest portion 80 has a shape described below to improve the operability of the operation input portion 70.

[0082] More precisely, as in Fig. 7, a shape of the spanning portion 82 of the palm rest part 80 is set so that a part of the operation input part 70 and a part of the adjustment dial 71 are exposed in the positive and negative directions of the X-axis and in the positive and negative directions of the Y-axis, as viewed from above. To be more specific, the minimum width Ws1 of the spanning portion 82 of the palm rest part 80 is smaller than the maximum width Dd1 of the operation input part 70 (which, in the present exemplary embodiment, is a diameter of the adjustment dial 71). This shape allows the user to bring their fingertips on both sides of the spanning portion 82 into contact with the adjustment dial 71 of the operation input part 70, enabling better operation of the operation input part 70.

[0083] Furthermore, the minimum width Ws1 of the spanning area 82 is smaller than the maximum width W3 of the first leg 84 and the maximum width W4 formed by the second leg 86 and the third leg 88. With this shape, the palm rest part 80 is sufficiently firmly fixed to the fixed part 30 at the three locations, that is, the first leg 84, the second leg 86, and the third leg 88, allowing the user to stably place their palm on the palm rest part 80 and operate the adjusting dial 71 of the operation input part 70 with almost no movement of the fingertips.

[0084] Also, the portion of the palm resting part 80 on which the palm is placed, at least the portion of the palm resting part 80 from the spanning portion 82 to the first leg 84, has a curved surface. This shape allows the user to place at least part of their palm along the curved surface of the palm resting part 80, allowing a larger contact area between the palm and the palm resting part 80. Furthermore, a resting portion 85 with a curved surface shaped to fit a wrist shape is provided on a surface of the first leg 84 for resting the user's wrist. Accordingly, the user can conveniently operate the control dial 71 of the operation input part 70 with their fingertips while their palm rests firmly on the palm resting part 80.

[0085] Fig. 8 is a side view of the input device 100. As in Fig. As shown in Figure 8, the operation input part 70 is supported by the fixed part 30. The palm rest part 80 has an arcuate shape spanning the operation input part 70 and the adjusting disc 71. The first leg 84, the second leg 86, and the third leg 88 are attached to the fixed part 30.

[0086] In the present exemplary embodiment, a length of the first leg 84 of the palm rest part 80 in the Y-axis direction, that is, the depth D3, is greater than the depth D4 of the second leg 86 and the third leg 88. This shape is adopted because when the user places his palm on the palm rest part 80, a higher stress acts on the first leg 84 than on the second leg 86 and the third leg 88. Therefore, the palm rest part 80 with the shape described above is sufficiently firmly fixed to the fixed part 30 when the palm is placed on the palm rest part 80.

[0087] The curved surface forming the support portion 85 has a steeply inclined portion and a gently inclined portion toward the fixed portion 30. These portions allow the user to hold the adjusting dial 71 of the operation input portion 70 with their fingertips at three locations, i.e., on both sides of the spanning portion 82 (in the positive and negative directions of the X-axis) and between the second leg 86 and the third leg 88 (in the positive direction of the Y-axis), with their wrist resting on the support portion 85 and their palm firmly resting on the spanning portion 82. As a result, the user can conveniently operate the adjusting dial 71.

[0088] In the present exemplary embodiment, the maximum height H1 of the fixed part 30 between the second leg 86 and the third leg 88 is greater than the maximum height H2 of the operation input part 70 from the fixed part 30. This arrangement facilitates the user's holding of the adjusting disc 71 with his fingertips as well from the location between the second leg 86 and the third leg 88, between which the gap is small compared to both sides of the spanning portion 82 (that is, the gap between the first leg 84 and the second leg 86 and the gap between the first leg 84 and the third leg 88).

[0089] The second leg 86 and the third leg 88 may have a shape obtained by branching the second leg 86 described in the first exemplary embodiment into two parts.

[0090] Details of the operating directions of the operation input part 70 are similar to those described in the first exemplary embodiment, except for the following point. Specifically, the operation of the actuating disc 71 in the positive direction of the Y-axis in the XY plane is prohibited. This allows a reduction in the depth D4 of the second leg 86 and the third leg 88, thereby bringing the touch panel 60 closer to the actuating disc 71.

[0091] The control device 19 is the same as the control device 19 in the first exemplary embodiment. Thus, a detailed description of the control device 19 is omitted.

[0092] In the second exemplary embodiment, the longitudinal direction of the palm rest part 80 is also provided to be the Y-axis direction. However, the longitudinal direction is not limited to this direction, but may be provided to be any direction in the XY plane depending on the installation location. Also, the input device 100 may be arranged tilted at any angle with respect to the user in the XZ plane and the YZ plane to facilitate operation.

[0093] In the second exemplary embodiment, the switches 40 included in the first exemplary embodiment are not provided. In this arrangement, sliding operations on the operation input part 70 may correspond to input operations performed using the switches 40. More specifically, for example, the switch 40 at the left end in Fig. 2 correspond to a slide operation on the operation input part 70 in the positive direction of the X-axis, the switch 40 in the middle can correspond to a slide operation on the operation input part 70 in the negative direction of the Y-axis, and the switch 40 at the right end can correspond to a slide operation on the operation input part 70 in the negative direction of the X-axis. With this arrangement, a function equivalent to the switches 40 is also achieved in the second exemplary embodiment. Symbols corresponding to these three slide operations are provided on an upper surface of the spanning area 82 in Fig. 6 and Fig. 7 is specified.

[0094] Fig. 9 is a perspective view of another input device 100. Instead of the second leg 86 and the third leg 88, in the input device 100 in Fig. 9, the second leg 86 has an internal leg opening 89 between a portion of the second leg 86 attached to the fixed part 30 and a portion of the second leg 86 connected to the spanning portion 82. The adjusting disc 71 is thus operable by the user through the internal leg opening 89. In the arrangement in Fig. 9, the maximum height H1 of the leg-internal opening 89 from the fixed part 30 is also greater than the maximum height H2 of the operation input part 70 from the fixed part 30, as described with reference to Fig. 8. This makes it easier for the user to hold the adjusting disc 71 with his fingertips. In addition, the arrangement of Fig.9, a lower end surface of the second leg 86 is attached to the fixed part 30, providing a wall between the touch panel 60 and the actuating disc 71. This results in a reduction in the possibility of misoperation caused by operating the operation input part 70 while operating the touch panel 60, or conversely, by operating the touch panel 60 while operating the operation input part 70.

[0095] The input device 100 configured as described above includes a palm rest portion 80 arranged to span the operation input portion 70, thus reducing user misoperation. Furthermore, the input device 100 includes a dial 71 that is also operable in the Y-axis direction, thus allowing the user to hold the dial 71 at three locations and easily perform the rotary operation, the multi-directional movement operation, and the pressing operation. Commercial applicability

[0096] An input device according to the present disclosure reduces misoperation and is thus usable, for example, as an on-board input device. Reference symbols in the drawing 1, 100 input device 10, 70 Operating input part 11, 71 adjusting disc 12 sliders 13 coders 14 Sliding plate 15 spring 16 pressure switches 17 printed carrier plate 18 detector switches 19 Control device 20, 80 palm rest part 22, 82 spanning part 24, 84 first leg 26, 86 second leg 30 fixed part 32, 92 opening 40 switches 50 Fingerprint authentication part 60 touch panels 85 support area 88 third leg 89 inner leg opening

Claims

[1] Input device (100), comprising: an operation input part (70); a palm rest portion (80) arranged to span the operation input portion (70); and a fixed part (30) containing the operation input part (70) and the palm rest part (80), and where the palm rest part (80) includes: a spanning portion (82) spanning the operation input part (70), and a first leg (84) and a second leg (86) at respective opposite ends of the spanning portion (82), the first leg (84) and the second leg being attached to the fixed part (30), and wherein - the palm rest part (80) further includes a third leg (88) attached to the fixed part (30), or - the second leg (86) has an inner leg opening (89), wherein the palm rest part (80), the first leg (84), the second leg (86) and the third leg (88) or the leg-inside opening (89) enable the user to hold the operation input part (70) with his or her fingertips at three locations, two locations being located on either side of the spanning region (82) and one location being located between the second leg (86) and the third leg (88) or through the leg-inside opening (89). [2] The input device (100) according to claim 1, further comprising a touch panel (60) provided on a surface of the fixed part (30) and arranged side by side with the second leg (86), the surface of the fixed part (30) holding the palm rest part (80). [3] Input device (100) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a minimum width (Ws1) of the spanning area (82) is smaller than a maximum width (Dd1) of the operation input part (70). [4] Input device (100) according to one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the minimum width (Ws1) of the spanning region (82) is smaller than each of a maximum width (W3) of the first leg (84) and the maximum width (W4) formed by the second leg (86) and the third leg (88). [5] Input device (100) according to one of claims 1 to 4, wherein at least a part of the palm support part (80) has a curved surface. [6] Input device (100) according to one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a control device (19) designed to be electrically connected to the operation input part (70), where the operation input part (70) is designed to perform a rotary operation and a multi-directional movement operation, and when one of the rotary operation and the multi-directional movement operation is performed on the operation input part (70), the control device (19) ignores another one of the rotary operation and the multi-directional movement operation. [7] The input device (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the operation input part (70) of the input device is configured to perform a rotary operation and a multi-directional movement operation, and a magnitude of an operation force in the rotary operation is different from a magnitude of an operation force in the multi-directional movement operation. [8] The input device (100) according to claim 7, wherein the operation input part (70) is configured to also perform a push operation, and a magnitude of the operation force in the rotary operation, a magnitude of the operation force in the multi-directional movement operation, and a magnitude of an operation force in the push operation are different from each other. [9] Input device (100) according to claims 2 to 8, wherein one end of the palm rest part (80) points to a side of the touch panel (60), the second leg (86) being located at the end of the palm rest part (80). [10] Input device (100) according to one of claims 1 to 9, wherein a maximum height (H1) of a part between the second leg (86) and the third leg (88) from the fixed part (30) is greater than a maximum height (H2) of the operation input part (70) from the fixed part. [11] Input device (100) according to one of claims 1 to 10, wherein a maximum height (H1) of the leg-internal opening (89) from the fixed part is greater than a maximum height (H2) of the operation input part (70) from the fixed part (30).

Images