Position detection sensor and input device

Abstract

To prevent localized deterioration at a bent portion in a foldable electromagnetic induction coupling type position detection sensor.SOLUTION: A position detection sensor includes: a digitizer having an electrode configured to be electromagnetically coupled to a position indicator, and including an input surface for receiving an instruction input from the position indicator; and an electromagnetic sheet including a first electromagnetic sheet and a second electromagnetic sheet that are separated from each other at a folding position of the digitizer and are provided so as to cover a surface of the digitizer opposite to the input surface side that receives the instruction input from the position indicator. The first electromagnetic sheet and the second electromagnetic sheet are provided at a predetermined distance from each other in a direction along the surface of the digitizer when the digitizer is in an open state.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a bendable electromagnetic induction coupling type position detection sensor and an input device. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, portable devices such as portable telephone terminals and portable computers are equipped with display elements (display elements) that have display screens for displaying characters and images, and recently the display screens have become larger. However, larger display screens lead to larger portable devices, which may impair portability.

[0003] In response to this, a portable device has been proposed that uses a bendable flexible display element to enable the housing to be folded, thereby ensuring a large display screen while maintaining the compact size of the portable device (see, for example, Patent Document 1 (JP Patent Publication No. 2017-510065)).

[0004] Incidentally, in recent portable devices, as an input device for accepting input operations by a user, a position detection sensor is arranged superimposed on a display screen, and the position detection sensor detects the position indicated by an electronic pen held by the user, thereby enabling various operational inputs to be accepted through the display screen. In this case, the position detection sensor may be either a capacitive coupling type position detection sensor or an electromagnetic induction coupling type position detection sensor, and when more precise position indication is required, an electromagnetic induction coupling type position detection sensor (see, for example, Patent Document 2 (JP Patent Publication No. 2015-26235)) is used.

[0005] FIG. 11 shows a partial cross-sectional view of a mobile device in which an electromagnetic induction coupling type position detection sensor is provided so as to be superimposed on a display element.

[0006] 11, in this example, a display element 102 is provided on the upper surface side of a housing 101 of a portable device, and a position detection sensor 103 is provided on the opposite side to a display screen 102D (the back side of the display element 102) superimposed on the display element 102. The position detection sensor 103 is made up of a digitizer unit 104 and an electromagnetic sheet unit 105, as shown in FIG.

[0007] Although not shown, digitizer unit 104 has a substrate on which a plurality of loop coils are arranged in the horizontal direction (X direction) and vertical direction (Y direction) of display screen 102D.

[0008] The electromagnetic sheet section 105 is disposed so as to cover the entire surface side of the digitizer section 104 opposite to the side facing the display element 102. This electromagnetic sheet section 105 is called a magnetic path plate, and is made up of a first layer 1051 constituting a magnetic path material, and a second layer 1052 for electromagnetic shielding.

[0009] The first layer (magnetic path material layer) 1051 constituting the magnetic path material forms a magnetic path for the alternating magnetic field generated by the loop coil of the digitizer unit 104 with respect to the electromagnetic waves transmitted to and from the electromagnetic induction coupling type electronic pen, thereby preventing the dispersion of the generated magnetic flux, thereby improving the detection sensitivity of the electromagnetic induction coupling type position detection sensor 103 to the electronic pen. The second layer (electromagnetic shield layer) 1052 for electromagnetic shielding serves to prevent the alternating magnetic field from being emitted to the outside below (the side opposite to the display screen 102D) of the electromagnetic induction coupling type position detection sensor 103, and also serves to prevent electromagnetic waves from the outside below from being mixed as noise into the electromagnetic waves transmitted to and from the electronic pen.

[0010] The first layer 1051 is made of a magnetic material having high magnetic permeability, and the second layer 1052 is made of a metal sheet made of a non-magnetic metal material having high electrical conductivity, such as aluminum. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0011] [Patent Document 1] Special Publication No. 2017-510065 [Patent Document 2] JP 2015-26235 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0012] The above-mentioned electromagnetic induction coupling type position detection sensor 103 can be made bendable by using a flexible substrate as the substrate of the digitizer unit 104. Therefore, by combining a flexible display element as disclosed in Patent Document 1 with a bendable position detection sensor, it is conceivable to configure a foldable portable device equipped with an input device capable of receiving a position indication by an electronic pen.

[0013] In a portable device equipped with such an input device, when the housing is fully opened from a folded state, the entire one side of the housing can be used as a display screen for the flexible display element, forming a display screen twice the size of the folded state, and the same area as the display screen can be used as a detection area to detect position instructions made by an electronic pen.

[0014] However, it has become clear that when a portable device is configured to be foldable as described above, the following problems may occur.

[0015] That is, in the portable device as described above, the folded state and the unfolded state are frequently repeated. For this reason, it was found that the folded portion 103a of the position detection sensor 103 deteriorates due to the repeated folding, as shown in Fig. 12. In particular, it was found that the deterioration of the metal sheet portion of the second layer 1052 of the electromagnetic sheet portion 105 becomes large.

[0016] It was also found that a problem occurs in that the level of electromagnetic coupling energy between the position detection sensor 103 and the electronic pen changes locally at the bent portion 103a where the deterioration occurs.

[0017] Fig. 13 is a characteristic diagram showing the electromagnetic coupling level between the electronic pen and the multiple loop coils in the X direction of the position detection sensor 103. As shown in Fig. 13, when there is no deterioration in the bent portion of the position detection sensor 103 as shown in Fig. 12, the electromagnetic coupling level between the multiple loop coils in the X direction and the electronic pen is approximately uniform, as shown by the dashed-dotted characteristic curve 108a.

[0018] In contrast, it has been found that when deterioration occurs in the bent portion 103a of the position detection sensor 103 as shown in FIG. 12, the electromagnetic coupling level between the X-direction loop coil in the region of the bent portion 103a of the position detection sensor 103 and the electronic pen changes locally compared to the X-direction loop coils at other positions, as shown by the solid characteristic curve 108b.

[0019] SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT EMBODIMENT An object of the present invention is to provide a position detection sensor and an input device that can solve the above problems. [Means for solving the problem]

[0020] In order to solve the above problems, a digitizer having an input surface that has an electrode that is electromagnetically inductively coupled with a position indicator and receives an instruction input from the position indicator; an electromagnetic sheet including a first electromagnetic sheet and a second electromagnetic sheet that are provided to cover a surface of the digitizer opposite an input surface side that receives an instruction input by the position indicator, the first electromagnetic sheet and the second electromagnetic sheet being separated from each other at a folding position of the digitizer; Equipped with The first electromagnetic sheet and the second electromagnetic sheet are provided at a predetermined interval from each other in a direction along the surface of the digitizer when the digitizer is in an open state. The present invention provides a position detection sensor characterized by the above-mentioned.

[0021] Also, an electromagnetic induction coupling type position detection sensor; an outer casing member including a hinge portion for enabling the position detection sensor to be changed between a folded state and an open state from the folded state; An input device comprising: The position detection sensor includes: a digitizer having an input surface that has an electrode that is electromagnetically inductively coupled with a position indicator and receives an instruction input from the position indicator; an electromagnetic sheet including a first electromagnetic sheet and a second electromagnetic sheet that are provided to cover a surface of the digitizer opposite an input surface side that receives an instruction input by the position indicator, the first electromagnetic sheet and the second electromagnetic sheet being separated from each other at a folding position of the digitizer; Equipped with The first electromagnetic sheet and the second electromagnetic sheet are provided at a predetermined interval from each other in a direction along the surface of the digitizer when the digitizer is in an open state. The present invention provides an input device characterized by the above-mentioned.

[0022] In the position detection sensor of the above-described configuration and the input device equipped with the position detection sensor, the electromagnetic sheet is divided into a first electromagnetic sheet and a second electromagnetic sheet that are separated at the bend when folded, so that the bending stress due to folding at the bend is reduced, and deterioration due to repeated folding is reduced. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0023] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram for explaining an overview of a configuration example of a portable device including an embodiment of an input device according to the present invention; [Diagram 2] 1 is an exploded configuration diagram for explaining a configuration example of an embodiment of an input device according to the present invention; [Diagram 3] 1 is a diagram for explaining a configuration example of a main part of an embodiment of an input device according to the present invention; [Figure 4] 1 is a diagram for explaining a configuration example of a main part of an embodiment of an input device according to the present invention; [Diagram 5] 11A and 11B are diagrams for explaining another embodiment of a position detection sensor according to the present invention. [Figure 6] 11A and 11B are diagrams for explaining another embodiment of a position detection sensor according to the present invention. [Figure 7] 11A and 11B are diagrams for explaining another example of a portable device including an embodiment of an input device according to the present invention. [Figure 8] 8 is a diagram for explaining a configuration example of a main part of the portable device in the example of FIG. 7. [Figure 9] 11A and 11B are diagrams for explaining another embodiment of a position detection sensor according to the present invention. [Figure 10] 10 is a diagram for explaining a configuration example of a main part of the portable device of the example of FIG. 9. [Figure 11] FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining a configuration example of a conventional position detection sensor. [Figure 12] FIG. 1 is a diagram used to explain the problem to be solved by the present invention. [Figure 13] FIG. 1 is a diagram used to explain the problem to be solved by the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0024] Hereinafter, an embodiment of a position detection sensor according to the present invention will be described together with an embodiment of an input device using the embodiment of the position detection sensor with reference to the drawings. The following description is an example in which the function of the embodiment of the input device is installed in a portable device having a foldable configuration using a flexible display element.

[0025] Fig. 1 is a diagram for explaining an outline of the configuration of a portable device having the functions of an embodiment of an input device according to the present invention. The portable device 1 of this example has a flexible display element and has the functions of an input device using a foldable electromagnetic induction coupling type position detection sensor. The portable device 1 of the example of Fig. 1 can also be folded (valley fold) onto the display screen side of the flexible display element.

[0026] Fig. 1(A) shows the portable device 1 of this example in a fully opened state, and Fig. 1(B) shows the portable device 1 of this example in a folded state. Fig. 1(C) shows an example of a hinge structure for making the portable device 1 of this example foldable. In the portable device 1 of this example, when it is opened as shown in Fig. 1(A), a display screen 3P of a flexible display element 3 is exposed. When a position is pointed to on the display screen 3P by an electronic pen 10 of an electromagnetic induction coupling type, the position pointed to by the electronic pen 10 is detected by a position detection sensor 4 of an electromagnetic induction coupling type provided below (on the back side) of the display screen 3P.

[0027] In this embodiment, the display area of ​​the display screen 3P and the position detection area of ​​the position detection sensor 4 are approximately the same, the display screen 3P is used as an input surface for position indication by the electronic pen 10, and the indicated position of the electronic pen 10 throughout the entire area is detected by the position detection sensor 4.

[0028] An outer casing (housing) 2 of the portable device 1 in this example has a structure in which a first frame member 21 and a second frame member 22 are connected at hinge portions 23 and 24 so as to be foldable.

[0029] 1, the first frame member 21 and the second frame member 22 have walls 21b, 22b formed around the bottoms 21a, 22a so as to form a flat recess in which the flexible display element 3, the position detection sensor 4, and an electronic circuit unit (not shown) connected thereto are housed. However, the walls 21b are not formed on the sides of the bottoms 21a, 22a of the first frame member 21 and the second frame member 22 that face each other on the hinge portions 23, 24 side.

[0030] For this reason, in the folded state of FIG. 1(B), if left as is, the portion between the hinge portion 23 and the hinge portion 24 will be an opening, which may allow dust to get in. Therefore, in this embodiment, a protective plate 25 (see FIG. 1(C) is provided in the portion between the hinge portion 23 and the hinge portion 24.

[0031] Furthermore, on the opposing edges of the bottoms 21a and 22a of the first frame member 21 and the second frame member 22 on the hinge portions 23, 24 side, there are provided connecting and holding portions (not shown in Figure 1, see Figures 3 and 4 described below) that connect and hold the protective plate 25 in a state in which the first frame member 21 and the second frame member 22 can rotate when folded.

[0032] In the hinge sections 23 and 24 of the portable device 1 in this example, the first frame member 21 and the second frame member 22 have a biaxial hinge structure that can rotate about different rotation axis positions. Since the hinge sections 23 and 24 have the same structure, only the structure of the hinge section 23 will be described here, and a description of the hinge section 24 will be omitted.

[0033] That is, as shown in Fig. 1(C), a through hole 21c for fitting the pivot shaft is formed at the end of the hinge portion 23 of the wall portion 21b of the first frame member 21. Similarly, as shown in Fig. 1(C), a through hole 22c for fitting the pivot shaft is formed at the end of the hinge portion 23 of the wall portion 22b of the second frame member 22.

[0034] Then, a hinge component plate 231 is prepared on which pins 231a and 231b are formed to be inserted into the through holes 21c and 22c. In this case, the diameters of the pins 231a and 231b are smaller than the diameters of the through holes 21c and 22c. The pins 231a and 231b of the hinge component plate 231 are inserted into the through holes 21c of the wall portion 21b of the first frame member 21 and the through holes 22c of the wall portion 22b of the second frame member 22, respectively, so that the first frame member 21 and the second frame member 22 are rotatably connected at the hinge portion 23 by the hinge component plate 231. In this case, although not shown, a slip-out prevention member is fitted to the tip side of the pins 231a and 231b inserted into the through holes 21c and 22c, so that the hinge component plate 231 does not come off.

[0035] The hinge portion 24 side is similarly configured, and a hinge component plate 241 is attached, and the first frame member 21 and the second frame member 22 are rotatably connected at the hinge portion 24.

[0036] As described above, in the portable device 1 of this embodiment, the first frame member 21 and the second frame member 22 are rotatably connected at the hinge portions 23 and 24, so that the outer casing 2 can be folded as shown in FIG. 1(B).

[0037] [Example of configuration of flexible display element 3 and position detection sensor 4] As described above, the flexible display element 3, the position detection sensor 4, and the electronic circuit unit connected thereto are housed in the outer casing 2. Fig. 2 is an exploded configuration diagram for explaining the flexible display element 3 and the position detection sensor 4.

[0038] The flexible display element 3 is composed of, for example, an organic EL display (organic electro luminescence display) element or an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), and has a display screen 3P on which a large number of display pixels are arranged in the X-axis direction (horizontal direction) and the Y-axis direction (vertical direction).

[0039] Below the flexible display element 3 (on the opposite side to the display screen 3P), a position detection sensor 4 of an electromagnetic induction coupling type is disposed in a state where it overlaps with the flexible display element 3.

[0040] The position detection sensor 4 is composed of a digitizer section 41 and an electromagnetic sheet section 42. The digitizer section 41 is configured by arranging a plurality of loop coils 41X in the X-axis direction and a plurality of loop coils 41Y in the Y-axis direction on a flexible substrate 41F. In the example of FIG. 2, a plurality of loop coils 41Y are arranged on the front side of the flexible substrate 41F, and a plurality of loop coils 41X are arranged on the back side. The digitizer section 41 is arranged, for example, by being attached to the surface of the flexible display element 3 opposite to the display screen 3P.

[0041] In this example, as described above, the display area of ​​the display screen 3P of the flexible display element 3 and the position detection area of ​​the digitizer unit 41 of the position detection sensor 4 are approximately the same size. The digitizer unit 41 uses the display screen 3P of the flexible display element 3 as an input surface for position instruction by the electronic pen 10, and detects the position indicated on the input surface by the electronic pen 10.

[0042] Then, for example, the electromagnetic sheet section 42 is attached to the surface of the digitizer section 41 opposite to the surface (input surface) to which the flexible display element 3 is attached.

[0043] In this embodiment, the electromagnetic sheet section 42 is configured by laminating a magnetic path material layer section 421 and an electromagnetic shield layer section 422. The magnetic path material layer section 421 forms a magnetic path for the alternating magnetic field generated by the loop coils 41X and 41Y of the digitizer section 41 with respect to the electromagnetic waves transmitted to and from the electronic pen 10, thereby preventing the divergence of the generated magnetic flux, thereby improving the detection sensitivity of the electromagnetic induction coupling type position detection sensor 4 to the electronic pen 10. In addition, the electromagnetic shield layer section 422 serves to prevent the alternating magnetic field from being emitted to the lower electronic circuit section of the electromagnetic induction coupling type position detection sensor 4, and also serves to prevent the electromagnetic waves from the lower electronic circuit section from being mixed as noise into the electromagnetic waves transmitted to and from the electronic pen 10.

[0044] The magnetic path material layer 421 is made of a magnetic material having high magnetic permeability, and in this example, is made of a mixture of a powder of a magnetic material having high magnetic permeability, such as an amorphous alloy powder, and a non-magnetic and non-conductive polymeric material, in this example, a resin. The electromagnetic shield layer 422 is made of a metal material that is non-magnetic and has high conductivity, and in this example, is made of a metal sheet made of aluminum.

[0045] In this embodiment, the electromagnetic sheet portion 42 is configured as described below to avoid problems caused by the flexible display element 3 and the digitizer portion 41 being configured to be foldable by being folded at the bending positions indicated by dotted lines 3F and 4F in FIG. 2.

[0046] That is, the electromagnetic sheet portion 42 is not formed so as to cover the entire surface of the digitizer portion 41, but is divided at the bending position into a first sheet portion 42A and a second sheet portion 42B that are attached to the digitizer portion 41 with a predetermined distance d between them, and is configured to include a third sheet portion 42C that is arranged so as to cover the predetermined distance d between the first sheet portion 42A and the second sheet portion 42B. That is, in this embodiment, the electromagnetic sheet portion 42 is divided into the first sheet portion 42A, the second sheet portion 42B, and the third sheet portion 42C.

[0047] The first sheet portion 42A is composed of a first portion 4211 of the magnetic path material layer portion 421 located to the left of the bending position in Fig. 2, and a first portion 4221 of the electromagnetic shield layer portion 422 located to the left of the bending position in Fig. 2. The second sheet portion 42B is composed of a second portion 4212 of the magnetic path material layer portion 421 located to the right of the bending position in Fig. 2, and a second portion 4222 of the electromagnetic shield layer portion 422 located to the right of the bending position in Fig. 2.

[0048] The third sheet portion 42C is composed of a magnetic path material layer portion 4213 and an electromagnetic shielding layer portion 4223, each having a width greater than the predetermined distance d at the bending position, and a spacer member 423 made of resin adhered and formed on the magnetic path material layer portion 4213.

[0049] In this embodiment, the first sheet portion 42A and the second sheet portion 42B are attached to the digitizer portion 41 with a predetermined distance d between them. In this case, for example, the first portion 4211 and the second portion 4212 of the magnetic path material layer portion 421 are attached to the surface opposite the input surface side of the digitizer portion 41 with a predetermined distance d between them. Thereafter, the first portion 4221 and the second portion 4222 of the electromagnetic shield layer portion 422 are attached onto the first portion 4211 and the second portion 4212 of the magnetic path material layer portion 421, respectively, with a predetermined distance d between them.

[0050] In this case, the predetermined interval d is preferably a length corresponding to the portion that is bent into a curved surface by folding the digitizer unit 41 by folding the outer casing, and in this example, it is set to, for example, about 3 to 5 mm. Here, the predetermined interval d does not need to be a length that prevents any curved surface from being generated by bending the first sheet portion 42A and the second sheet portion 42B, but only needs to be a length that reduces bending stress due to bending in the first sheet portion 42A and the second sheet portion 42B due to the presence of the predetermined interval d, and curved surfaces may be generated by bending in the first sheet portion 42A and the second sheet portion 42B in the vicinity of the predetermined interval d.

[0051] In this embodiment, the third sheet portion 42C is disposed in a spaced-apart state without contacting the first sheet portion 42A and the second sheet portion 42B of the digitizer portion 41 and the electromagnetic sheet portion 42. In this embodiment, the third sheet portion 42C is provided by being attached to the protective plate 25 (on the surface facing the electromagnetic sheet portion 42) provided between the hinge portion 23 and the hinge portion 24 (see FIG. 1(C)).

[0052] Next, the configuration of the portable device 1 of this embodiment having the electromagnetic sheet portion 42 configured as described above in the vicinity of the folding position will be further described with reference to the cross-sectional views of Figures 3 and 4. Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in the diagram of the portable device 1 in a folded state in Figure 1(B), and Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in the diagram of the portable device 1 in a fully opened state in Figure 1(A).

[0053] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, in the portable device 1 of this embodiment, the edge portion of the bottom 21a of the first frame member 21 between the hinge portions 23 and 24 and the edge portion of the bottom 22a of the second frame member 22 between the hinge portions 23 and 24 are provided with connecting and holding portions 21d and 22d for connecting and holding the protective plate 25 provided between the hinge portions 23 and 24 to the protective plate 25 in a state in which the first frame member 21 and the second frame member 22 are rotatable when the first frame member 21 and the second frame member 22 are folded, as described above.

[0054] 3 and 4, the protective plate 25 is provided with claws 25a and 25b for rotatably connecting to the connecting and holding parts 21d and 22d. Although not shown, the claws 25a and 25b are provided at two or more positions between the hinge parts 23 and 24.

[0055] 3 and 4, a third sheet portion 42C of the electromagnetic sheet part 42 is provided on the upper surface of the protective plate 25 on the side facing the flexible display element 3 and the position detection sensor 4. In this case, as shown in Fig. 3 and 4, the third sheet portion 42C is provided on the upper surface of the protective plate 25 in a state where it covers a gap 42g of a predetermined distance d that separates the first sheet portion 42A and the second sheet portion 42B at the bending position.

[0056] In this case, the third sheet portion 42C may contact the first sheet portion 42A and the second sheet portion 42B, but in this example, in both the folded state of Fig. 3 and the fully open state of Fig. 4, they are not in contact and are spaced apart in a direction perpendicular to the input surface of the digitizer unit 41, so that electrical and physical contact is not generated. In this case, the separation distance (referred to as the sheet thickness direction separation distance) between the third sheet portion 42C and the first sheet portion 42A and the second sheet portion 42B in the direction perpendicular to the input surface of the digitizer unit 41 may be small, and for example, in the fully open state of Fig. 4, this sheet thickness direction separation distance may be about 0.1 mm.

[0057] In this embodiment, the width of the third sheet portion 42C (the length in the direction perpendicular to the direction connecting the hinge portion 23 and the hinge portion 24) is made larger than the predetermined distance d between the first sheet portion 42A and the second sheet portion 42B. As a result, as shown in FIG. 4, when the portable device 1 is in an open state, which is the state in which the digitizer portion 41 is in use, an overlap of a predetermined length Ov is generated between the third sheet portion 42C and the first sheet portion 42A, and between the third sheet portion 42C and the first sheet portion 42A, respectively, in the direction perpendicular to the input surface of the digitizer portion 41. The predetermined overlap length Ov in this case is selected according to the separation distance between the third sheet portion 42C and the first sheet portion 42A and the second sheet portion 42B. For example, when the separation distance in the sheet thickness direction is about 0.1 mm, the predetermined overlap length Ov may be, for example, 2 to 3 mm or more. As the sheet thickness direction separation distance increases, the predetermined overlap length Ov is set to a larger value.

[0058] In this case, as is clear from Figures 3 and 4, when the first frame member 21 and the second frame member 22 rotate about the hinge portions 23 and 24 as pivot positions to be displaced between the folded state and the fully open state, the protective plate 25 moves, but is configured not to come into contact with the third sheet portion 42C disposed on the upper surface of the protective plate 25 and the first sheet portion 42A and the second sheet portion 42B formed on the back surface of the digitizer portion 41. However, slight contact is acceptable.

[0059] In this embodiment, as described above, the third sheet portion 42C is always kept flat without being folded on the upper surface of the protective plate 25, regardless of the folding operation of the outer casing 2. Therefore, the third sheet portion 42C is not deteriorated by the folding operation of the outer casing 2.

[0060] As described above, in the position detection sensor 4 of the portable device 1 of this embodiment, the electromagnetic sheet portion 42 provided on one side of the digitizer portion 41 is separated into a first sheet portion 42A and a second sheet portion 42B, and a predetermined gap d is formed at the position where the outer casing 2 is folded, where the electromagnetic sheet portion 42 is not formed. Since the electromagnetic sheet portion 42 is not present at the bending position where the outer casing 2 is bent significantly when folded, deterioration of the electromagnetic sheet portion 42 due to folding of the outer casing 2 is reduced.

[0061] In this embodiment, the predetermined gap d where the electromagnetic sheet portion 42 is not formed is configured to be covered by the third sheet portion 42C, so that the strength of the electromagnetic coupling between the loop coil of the digitizer portion 41 and the electronic pen 10 does not change locally even in the portion of the predetermined gap d.

[0062] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the third sheet portion 42C is separated from the digitizer portion 41, the first sheet portion 42A, and the second sheet portion 42B, and is configured so as not to bend when the outer casing 2 is folded, so that the third sheet portion 42C is not deteriorated at all by the folding operation.

[0063] [Modifications of the above embodiment] In the above embodiment, the third sheet portion 42C is configured so that it does not bend at all, regardless of the folding of the outer casing 2. However, as long as the third sheet portion 42C is prevented from bending significantly, its narrow width means that even if it is displaced from a flat plate shape to a curved surface, the deterioration is small, and some displacement to a curved surface is permitted. Therefore, the third sheet portion 42C may also be configured to bend slightly when the outer casing 2 is folded from an open state.

[0064] In the above embodiment, the electromagnetic sheet portion 42 includes both the magnetic path material layer portion 421 and the electromagnetic shield layer portion 422 and is divided into the first sheet portion 42A and the second sheet portion 42B. However, since the magnetic path material layer portion 421 is less susceptible to deterioration due to bending than the electromagnetic shield layer portion 422, in the first sheet portion 42A and the second sheet portion 42B of the electromagnetic sheet portion 42, only the electromagnetic shield layer portion 422 may be divided into the first portion 4221 and the second portion 4222. In that case, the third sheet portion 42C may be configured to have only the electromagnetic shield layer portion 4223, omitting the magnetic path material layer portion.

[0065] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, in the position detection sensor 4, the third sheet portion 42C is configured as a separate entity that is not connected to the digitizer portion 41 and the first sheet portion 42A and the second sheet portion 42B of the electromagnetic sheet portion 42.

[0066] However, for example, by configuring as shown in FIG. 5, the third sheet portion 42C can be connected to the first sheet portion 42A and the second sheet portion 42B of the electromagnetic sheet portion 42 to form the position detection sensor 4.

[0067] Fig. 5 shows an example of a position detection sensor configured in this way. Although the flexible display element 3 is omitted in Fig. 5, similarly to the example of the above-mentioned embodiment, the flexible display element 3 is provided on the side of the digitizer unit 41 opposite to the surface side on which the first sheet portion 42A and the second sheet portion 42B of the electromagnetic sheet unit 42 are formed.

[0068] Fig. 5(A) is a cross-sectional view of the position detection sensor 4' of this example in a folded state, and Fig. 5(B) is a cross-sectional view of the position detection sensor 4' in a fully opened flat state from the folded state. In Fig. 5, the same components as those in the above-mentioned embodiment are given the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0069] 5(A) and 5(B), in the position detection sensor 4' of the example of Fig. 5, the position of the predetermined distance d between the first sheet portion 42A and the second sheet portion 42B in the digitizer section 41 is not left as a space, but is provided with a joining member 43 made of, for example, an elastically deformable resin. The thickness of this joining member 43 (height from the surface opposite to the input surface side of the digitizer section 41) is made larger than the thicknesses of the first sheet portion 42A and the second sheet portion 42B.

[0070] 5(A) and 5(B), a third sheet portion 42C is attached to the end surface of the joining member 43 on the side opposite to the input surface of the digitizer portion 41. In this case, the width of the third sheet portion 42C is greater than the predetermined distance d, so that a portion protrudes from the joining member 43, but this portion becomes a non-jointed portion separated from the first sheet portion 42A and the second sheet portion 42B as shown in FIG. 5(A) and FIG. 5(B). This non-jointed portion does not bend even if the digitizer portion 41 of the position detection sensor 4' and the first sheet portion 42A and the second sheet portion 42B of the electromagnetic sheet portion 42 are folded as shown in FIG. 5(A).

[0071] Therefore, the position detection sensor 4' in the example of FIG. 5 also provides the same effects as those of the above-described embodiment.

[0072] Next, Fig. 6 shows an example of a position detection sensor 4M that does not have a separate, unconnected third sheet portion 42C. Fig. 6(A) is a cross-sectional view of the position detection sensor 4M of this example in a folded state, and Fig. 6(B) is a cross-sectional view of the position detection sensor 4M in a fully opened, flat state from the folded state. In Fig. 6, components similar to those of the above-mentioned embodiment are indicated by the same reference numerals with a suffix M, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0073] In the position detection sensor 4M of the example of Figure 6, the electromagnetic sheet portion 42M provided on the surface opposite the input surface side of the digitizer portion 41, as shown in Figures 6(A) and 6(B), is separated from the first sheet portion 42AM and the second sheet portion 42BM in the vicinity of the folding position, similar to the electromagnetic sheet portion 42 of the above-mentioned embodiment, and a portion of the folding position where the first sheet portion 42AM and the second sheet portion 42BM are not adhered thereto is formed by a predetermined distance d.

[0074] However, in the example of Figure 6, the extended end 42BMa is configured so that one of the first sheet portion 42AM and the second sheet portion 42BM, in this example, the second sheet portion 42BM, can cover a portion of a predetermined distance d as shown in Figures 6(A) and 6(B) and overlap the other of the first sheet portion 42AM and the second sheet portion 42BM, in this example, the first sheet portion 42AM.

[0075] Therefore, in the position detection sensor 4M of the example of Figure 6, when it is fully opened flat from the folded state as shown in Figure 6 (B), a space 45 is formed at a predetermined distance d between the first sheet portion 42AM and the second sheet portion 42BM, while an overlap (overlapping portion) Ov is generated between the first sheet portion 42AM and the second sheet portion 42BM.

[0076] 6 having the above-mentioned configuration, when the portable device is folded, the position detection sensor 4M is also folded, but since the electronic sheet portion 42M is separated into the first sheet portion 42AM and the second sheet portion 42BM, deterioration is unlikely to occur. When the portable device is fully opened, the separated first sheet portion 42AM and second sheet portion 42BM overlap each other, so that even in the separated position, the electromagnetic coupling level between the digitizer portion 41M and the electronic pen 10 is prevented from changing locally.

[0077] [Other embodiments or modifications] It should be noted that the above embodiment is an example of a portable device whose outer casing is a valley fold, but the present invention is also applicable to a portable device whose outer casing is a mountain fold.

[0078] Furthermore, in the portable device of the above embodiment, the folding mechanism is configured using a two-point support hinge portion, but it may be configured using a one-point support hinge portion or a multi-point support hinge portion having three or more points.

[0079] 7 and 8 are diagrams for explaining a configuration example of a portable device 1D that has a multi-point hinge and can be folded in a valley fold. Fig. 7 shows an overview of the folding changes of the portable device 1D of this example, and the portable device 1D of this example is configured to be able to go from a folded state as shown in Fig. 7(A) through a halfway open / closed state as shown in Fig. 7(B) to a fully open state as shown in Fig. 7(C). Fig. 8(A) is a schematic diagram of a cross section taken along line CC in Fig. 7(B), and Fig. 8(B) is a schematic diagram of a cross section taken along line DD in Fig. 7(C).

[0080] In this example of portable device 1D, as shown in Figures 7(A), (B), (C) and Figures 8(A) and (B), outer casing (housing) 2D has a structure in which first frame member 21D and second frame member 22D are connected at multi-point supported hinge portions 23D and 24D (only hinge portion 23D is shown in Figure 8) so as to be foldable in a valley fold.

[0081] The outer casing 2D of the portable device 1D in this example is a thin, rectangular plate-like body when fully opened as shown in Figures 7(C) and 8(B), and when folded as shown in Figures 7(B) and 8(A), it is approximately half the size of when fully opened.

[0082] In this example of portable device 1D, except for hinge portion 23D and hinge portion 24D, the parts have the same configuration as portable device 1 of the above-mentioned embodiment described using Figures 1 to 4, and the components similar to those of portable device 1 are given the same numbers with the suffix D, and detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0083] As shown in Fig. 7(C), when the outer casing 2D of the portable device 1D of this example is in a fully open state, a display screen 3DP of the flexible display element 3D appears on one side of the rectangular plate-like body. As shown in Figs. 7(A), (C) and 8(A), (B), an electromagnetic induction coupling type position detection sensor 4D is provided on the opposite side of the display screen 3DP of the flexible display element 3D (the lower side (rear side) of the flexible display element 3D) so as to overlap the flexible display element 3D in such a way that the same area as the display screen 3DP becomes the sensor detection area.

[0084] As shown in FIG. 7(C), the position detection sensor 4D in this example detects the position indicated by the electronic pen 10, which is an electromagnetic induction coupling type position indicator, by performing signal interaction with the electronic pen 10 through electromagnetic induction coupling when the portable device 1D is in an open state.

[0085] As shown in Figures 8(A) and (B), in the portable device 1D of this example, the position detection sensor 4D has an electromagnetic sheet portion 42D disposed on the side of a digitizer portion 41D disposed opposite the surface facing the flexible display element 3D.

[0086] As shown in Figures 8(A) and (B), this electromagnetic sheet portion 42D is similar to the electromagnetic sheet portion 42 of the mobile device 1 described above, and is divided into a first sheet portion 42AD and a second sheet portion 42BD that are separated at a predetermined distance d at the bending position of the digitizer portion 41D, and a third sheet portion 42CD configured to cover the portion of the predetermined distance d between the first sheet portion 42AD and the second sheet portion 42BD.

[0087] 8(A) and (B), the third sheet portion 42CD is disposed in a state in which the first sheet portion 42AD and the second sheet portion 42BD are spaced apart, similarly to the above-described example of the portable device 1. Although not shown in FIG. 8, the third sheet portion 42CD is disposed on a plate-like body such as a protective plate provided in the space between the multi-point support position and the position detection sensor 4D, between the hinge portion 23D and the hinge portion 24D.

[0088] In this example of the portable device 1D, as shown in FIG. 8(B), the third sheet portion 42CD covers a predetermined distance d between the first sheet portion 42AD and the second sheet portion 42BD, and is configured to have an overlap portion Ov that overlaps with the first sheet portion 42AD and the second sheet portion 42BD in a direction perpendicular to the input surface of the digitizer section 41D.

[0089] The position detection sensor 4D of the mobile device 1D configured as above also provides the same operational effects as those of the position detection sensor 4 of the mobile device 1 described above.

[0090] Next, a configuration example of a mobile device 1E that is similar to the above-mentioned mobile device 1D in that it is provided with a multi-point support hinge portion, but that can be folded in a mountain fold, will be described with reference to Figs.

[0091] That is, Fig. 9 shows an overview of the folding changes of portable device 1D of this example, and portable device 1E of this example is configured to be able to change from a folded state as shown in Fig. 9(A) through an intermediate opening / closing state as shown in Fig. 9(B) to a fully open state as shown in Fig. 9(C). Fig. 10(A) is a diagram that typically shows an E-E cross section in Fig. 9(B), and Fig. 10(B) is a diagram that typically shows an F-F cross section in Fig. 9(C).

[0092] In this example of portable device 1E, as shown in Figures 9(A), (B), (C) and 10(A) and (B), outer casing (housing) 2E has a structure in which a first frame member 21E and a second frame member 22E are connected at multi-point supported hinge portions 23E and 24E (only hinge portion 23E is shown in Figure 10) so as to be foldable in a mountain fold.

[0093] The outer casing 2E of the portable device 1E in this example is a thin, rectangular plate-like body when fully opened as shown in Figures 9(C) and 10(B), and when folded as shown in Figures 9(B) and 10(A), it is approximately half the size of when fully opened.

[0094] In this example, portable device 1E has a configuration similar to that of portable device 1 and portable device 1D of the above-mentioned embodiments, except for hinge portion 23E and hinge portion 24E, except for the difference between mountain folds and valley folds. Components similar to those of portable device 1 are given the same numbers with the suffix E, and detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0095] The portable device 1E of this example is configured so that the display screen 3EP of the flexible display element 3E appears both in the folded state shown in Fig. 9(A) and Fig. 10(A) and also in the half-folded state shown in Fig. 9(B). In the portable device 1E of this example, a position detection sensor 4E coupled to the electronic pen 10 by electromagnetic induction coupling is provided on the opposite side to the display screen 3EP of the flexible display element 3E (the lower side (rear side) of the flexible display element 3E) so as to overlap the same area as the display screen 3EP as a sensor detection area.

[0096] As shown in Figures 9(A), (B), and (C), the position detection sensor 4E in this example can detect the position indicated by the electronic pen 10, which is an electromagnetic induction coupling type position indicator, by performing signal interaction with the electronic pen 10 through electromagnetic induction coupling not only in the fully open state but also in the mid-folding state and even in the completely folded state.

[0097] As shown in Figures 10(A) and (B), in the portable device 1E of this example, the position detection sensor 4E has an electromagnetic sheet portion 42E disposed on the side of a digitizer portion 41E disposed opposite the surface facing the flexible display element 3E.

[0098] And, as shown in FIG. 10(B), the electromagnetic sheet portion 42E of the portable device 1E in this example is similar to the electromagnetic sheet portion 42 of the portable device 1 described above, and is divided into a first sheet portion 42AE and a second sheet portion 42BE that are separated at a predetermined distance d at the bending position of the digitizer portion 41E, and a third sheet portion 42CE configured to cover the portion of the predetermined distance d between the first sheet portion 42AE and the second sheet portion 42BE.

[0099] 10(A) and (B), the third sheet portion 42CE is disposed in a state in which the first sheet portion 42AE and the second sheet portion 42BE are spaced apart, similarly to the above-described example of the portable device 1. Although not shown in FIG. 10, the third sheet portion 42CE is disposed on a plate-like body such as a protective plate provided in the space between the multi-point support position and the position detection sensor 4E, between the hinge portion 23E and the hinge portion 24E.

[0100] Also in the example of Figure 10, as shown in Figure 10(B), the third sheet portion 42CE covers a predetermined gap d between the first sheet portion 42AE and the second sheet portion 42BE, and is configured to have an overlap portion Ov that overlaps with the first sheet portion 42AE and the second sheet portion 42BE in a direction perpendicular to the input surface of the digitizer section 41E.

[0101] The position detection sensor 4E of the mobile device 1E configured as above also provides the same operational effects as the position detection sensor 4 of the mobile device 1 and the position detection sensor 4D of the mobile device 1D described above.

[0102] In the above embodiment, the outer casing of the portable device is folded in half, but the present invention can be applied to the case where the outer casing is folded in three or more folds. When folding in three or more folds, there may be valley folds and mountain folds, and as described above, it goes without saying that the present invention can be applied to such a case as well. [Explanation of symbols]

[0103] Reference Signs List 1...portable device, 2...outer housing, 3...flexible display element, 4...position detection sensor, 21...first frame member, 22...second frame member, 23, 24...hinge portion, 41...digitizer portion, 42...electromagnetic sheet portion, 42A...first sheet portion, 42B...second sheet portion, 42C...third sheet portion, 421...magnetic path material layer portion, 422...electromagnetic shielding layer portion

Claims

1. a digitizer having an input surface that has an electrode that is electromagnetically inductively coupled with a position indicator and receives an instruction input from the position indicator; an electromagnetic sheet including a first electromagnetic sheet and a second electromagnetic sheet that are provided to cover a surface of the digitizer opposite an input surface side that receives an instruction input by the position indicator, the first electromagnetic sheet and the second electromagnetic sheet being separated from each other at a folding position of the digitizer; Equipped with The first electromagnetic sheet and the second electromagnetic sheet are provided at a predetermined interval from each other in a direction along the surface of the digitizer when the digitizer is in an open state. A position detection sensor comprising:

2. The electromagnetic sheet is a third sheet that covers the predetermined gap between the first sheet and the second sheet when the digitizer section is open, and is disposed so as to overlap the first sheet portion and the second sheet portion in a direction perpendicular to a surface of the digitizer section that receives the instruction input; 2. The position detection sensor according to claim 1.

3. The third sheet is spaced apart from a surface of the digitizer opposite to the input surface of the digitizer, the first electromagnetic sheet, and the second electromagnetic sheet in a direction perpendicular to the input surface of the digitizer when the digitizer unit is open.

3. The position detection sensor according to claim 2.

4. The magnetic disk further includes an elastically deformable member provided at a position of the predetermined distance between the first electromagnetic sheet and the second electromagnetic sheet, The third electromagnetic sheet is fixed to the elastically deformable member.

3. The position detection sensor according to claim 2.

5. The third electromagnetic sheet does not bend when the digitizer is bent.

3. The position detection sensor according to claim 2.

6. When the digitizer is in an open state, one of the first electromagnetic sheet and the second electromagnetic sheet overlaps the other electromagnetic sheet across the folded portion in a non-contact state.

2. The position detection sensor according to claim 1.

7. The electromagnetic sheet includes an electromagnetic shielding layer.

2. The position detection sensor according to claim 1.

8. The electromagnetic sheet includes an electromagnetic shielding layer and a magnetic path material layer provided on a surface of the electromagnetic shielding layer facing the digitizer.

2. The position detection sensor according to claim 1.

9. The digitizer is folded toward the input surface.

2. The position detection sensor according to claim 1.

10. The digitizer is folded toward the surface opposite to the input surface.

2. The position detection sensor according to claim 1.

11. The digitizer can be folded multiple times.

2. The position detection sensor according to claim 1.

12. an electromagnetic induction coupling type position detection sensor; an outer casing member including a hinge portion for enabling the position detection sensor to be changed between a folded state and an open state from the folded state; An input device comprising: The position detection sensor includes: a digitizer having an input surface that has an electrode that is electromagnetically inductively coupled with a position indicator and receives an instruction input from the position indicator; an electromagnetic sheet including a first electromagnetic sheet and a second electromagnetic sheet that are provided to cover a surface of the digitizer opposite an input surface side that receives an instruction input by the position indicator, the first electromagnetic sheet and the second electromagnetic sheet being separated from each other at a folding position of the digitizer; Equipped with The first electromagnetic sheet and the second electromagnetic sheet are provided at a predetermined interval from each other in a direction along the surface of the digitizer when the digitizer is in an open state.

1. An input device comprising:

13. A foldable sheet-like display element is provided, the position detection sensor is provided on a surface of the display element opposite to a display screen side so as to be superimposed on the display screen, The hinge portion of the outer casing member enables the display element and the position detection sensor to be changed between a folded state and an open state from the folded state.

13. The input device according to claim 12.

14. The electromagnetic sheet of the position detection sensor is a third electromagnetic sheet that covers the predetermined gap between the first electromagnetic sheet and the second electromagnetic sheet and overlaps the first electromagnetic sheet and the second electromagnetic sheet when the digitizer is in an open state.

13. The input device according to claim 12.

15. The third electromagnetic sheet is spaced apart from the surface of the digitizer opposite to the input surface thereof, the first electromagnetic sheet, and the second electromagnetic sheet in a direction perpendicular to the input surface of the digitizer when the digitizer is in an open state.

15. The input device according to claim 14.

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