Electronic apparatus, control method for electronic apparatus and program

Abstract

To reduce variations in operation detection sensitivity.SOLUTION: An electronic apparatus comprises a housing, and a touch sensor having a sensor surface, arranged inside the housing so that the sensor surface faces an inner wall surface of the housing, and having a plurality of areas for respectively detecting contact of operation means corresponding to an operating surface of the housing. Representative values of a distance from the sensor surface to the operating surface in a direction perpendicular to the sensor surface in each of the plurality of areas are different one another for at least two areas, and sensor sensitivity in each of the plurality of areas is set to be higher in an area having a larger representative value of the distance.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an electronic device, a control method for an electronic device, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there are electronic devices that have a touch operation unit that detects touch operations by a user provided at a position on the housing other than the display unit (for example, Patent Document 1). This touch operation unit has a touch sensor located inside the housing, and the touch sensor detects contact of an operating tool with the surface of the housing, which serves as the operation surface. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Special Publication No. 2020-510254 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, if the surface of the housing is curved or uneven, the distance from the sensor surface of the touch sensor to the operation surface of the housing becomes uneven, which creates the problem of operation detection sensitivity varying depending on the touch position.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to reduce variations in operation detection sensitivity. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, the electronic device according to the present invention comprises: The housing and a touch sensor having a sensor surface, the sensor surface being disposed inside the housing so as to face an inner wall surface of the housing, the touch sensor having a plurality of regions each detecting contact of an operating means with an operating surface of the housing; Equipped with a representative value of the distance from the sensor surface to the operation surface in a direction perpendicular to the sensor surface in each of the plurality of regions is different for at least two regions; The sensor sensitivity in each of the plurality of regions is set to be higher in a region where the representative value of the distance is larger. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to reduce variations in operation detection sensitivity. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a front view of the electronic timepiece. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a side view of the electronic timepiece. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the electronic timepiece. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a touch operation unit. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a touch operation unit. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a touch operation unit. [Figure 7] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating the manner of change in capacitance occurring between a sensor surface and a finger and threshold values. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of setting a threshold for each region. [Figure 9] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating the operation of correcting the position of the pointer. [Figure 10] FIG. 1 is a front view of an electronic timepiece according to a first modification. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a touch operation unit according to a first modified example. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of setting a threshold for each region in Modification 1. [Figure 13] 10 is a flowchart showing a control procedure for a sensor sensitivity adjustment process in Modification 2. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIG. 1, an electronic timepiece 1 (electronic device) includes a housing 101 that houses a display unit 20 and a circuit board (not shown), and two bands 102 attached to the housing 101. The electronic timepiece 1 is a wristwatch that is worn on a user's wrist by wrapping the band 102 around the wrist. In the following, the direction parallel to the dial of the display unit 20 and extending from the center of the dial toward the 3 o'clock direction is defined as the +X direction, the direction parallel to the dial and extending from the center of the dial toward the 12 o'clock direction is defined as the +Y direction, and the normal direction to the dial is defined as the +Z direction. The housing 101 is substantially circular when viewed from the +Z direction. A touch operation unit 30 (touch panel) capable of detecting touch operations using an operating tool such as a user's finger is provided on the side of the housing 101 on the +X direction side (roughly between the 2 o'clock and 4 o'clock directions of the dial). 2, the touch operation unit 30 has a curved operation surface 30a that extends in the Y direction when viewed from the +X direction. An operation button 41 that can be pressed is provided on the side surface of the housing 101 on the -X direction side.

[0010] 3, the electronic watch 1 includes a CPU 11 (Central Processing Unit) (control unit, control means), a RAM 12 (Random Access Memory), a storage unit 13, a display unit 20, a touch operation unit 30, a button operation unit 40, a timing unit 50, and an alarm unit 60. The various units of the electronic watch 1 are connected via a data transmission path such as a bus.

[0011] The CPU 11 is a processor that controls the operation of the electronic watch 1 by reading and executing the program 131 stored in the storage unit 13 and performing various arithmetic processing. The electronic watch 1 may have multiple processors (e.g., multiple CPUs), and the multiple processes performed by the CPU 11 of this embodiment may be executed by these multiple processors. In this case, the control unit is made up of the multiple processors. In this case, the multiple processors may be involved in a common process, or the multiple processors may independently execute different processes in parallel. The RAM 12 provides working memory space for the CPU 11 and stores temporary data.

[0012] The storage unit 13 is a non-transitory recording medium readable by the CPU 11 as a computer, and stores the program 131 and various data. The storage unit 13 has a non-volatile memory such as a flash memory. The program 131 is stored in the storage unit 13 in the form of a computer-readable program code.

[0013] The display unit 20 has an hour hand 21, a minute hand 22, and a second hand 23 (multiple hands). As shown in FIG. 1, the hour hand 21, minute hand 22, and second hand 23 rotate around a rotation axis located in the center of the dial of the display unit 20, thereby respectively displaying the hour, minute, and second of the current time. Hereinafter, the hour hand 21, minute hand 22, and second hand 23 will also be collectively referred to as "hands 21-23." Note that the display unit 20 may have hands other than the hands 21-23. For example, the display unit 20 may have a function hand that rotates within a small dial (sub-dial) provided within the dial and displays the status of the electronic timepiece 1, the day of the week, etc.

[0014] Display unit 20 further includes gear train mechanisms 241-243, which are multiple gear trains connected to hour hand 21, minute hand 22, and second hand 23, respectively, stepping motors 251-253 that rotate gear train mechanisms 241-243, respectively, and motor drive circuit 26 that drives stepping motors 251-253. Hour hand 21 rotates by an angle corresponding to one second in accordance with the stepping motion of stepping motor 251 transmitted via gear train mechanism 241. Minute hand 22 rotates by an angle corresponding to one second in accordance with the stepping motion of stepping motor 252 transmitted via gear train mechanism 242. Second hand 23 rotates by an angle corresponding to one second in accordance with the stepping motion of stepping motor 253 transmitted via gear train mechanism 243. The rotation angle of the second hand 23 corresponding to one second is 6 degrees, the rotation angle of the minute hand 22 is 1 / 60 of the rotation angle of the second hand 23, and the rotation angle of the hour hand 21 is 1 / 12 of the rotation angle of the minute hand.

[0015] The stepping motors 251-253 are each step-driven based on the voltage waveform of a drive pulse input from the motor drive circuit 26, rotating the hands 21-23 in the forward direction (the direction in which time advances) or the reverse direction (the direction in which time retreats) by the predetermined rotation angle described above. The stepping motors 251-253 are driven by a drive pulse of 1 pps (pulse per second) while displaying the time. The stepping motors 251-253 can also be driven by drive pulses of up to several tens to several hundred pps in the forward and reverse directions, allowing the hands 21-23 to rotate quickly forward or reverse. The hands 21-23 are connected to separate wheel train mechanisms and stepping motors, and can therefore rotate independently of each other. The motor drive circuit 26 outputs drive voltage pulses with appropriate timing and pulse width to drive the stepping motors 251-253 to perform stepwise movements in response to a control signal input from the CPU 11.

[0016] The hour hand 21 and minute hand 22 may be designed to rotate in unison. That is, the hour hand 21 and minute hand 22 may be connected to a train wheel mechanism for the hour hand 21 and a train wheel mechanism for the minute hand 22, respectively, which transmit the step motion of a common stepping motor. Furthermore, the method of movement of the hands 21 to 23 is not limited to step movement using the stepping motors 251 to 253, but may be sweep movement (continuous movement) using a sweep motor that rotates continuously at a uniform speed.

[0017] The touch operation unit 30 detects whether or not a finger F is in contact (touched) with the operation surface 30a and the touch position, and outputs a signal related to the detection result to the CPU 11. The touch operation unit 30 includes a touch sensor 31 and a sensor control unit 32 that performs processing related to the detection of the finger F using the touch sensor 31. As shown in FIG. 4, the touch sensor 31 is stored inside the housing 101 near an inner wall surface 1011 of the housing 101. The touch operation unit 30 also has a protective layer 101a that protects the touch sensor 31. The protective layer 101a protects the touch sensor 31, and its surface (the surface opposite to the inner wall surface 1011) functions as the operation surface 30a of the touch operation unit 30. The protective layer 101a consists of a portion of the housing 101 that overlaps with the touch sensor 31 when viewed from the +X direction. The protective layer 101a may be continuous with other parts of the housing 101, or may have a visible boundary with other parts of the housing 101 for the purpose of making the area of ​​the operation surface 30a easier to understand. Alternatively, the touch operation unit 30 including the touch sensor 31 and the protective layer 101a may be prepared as a separate component from the housing 101, and the touch operation unit 30 may be fitted into an opening provided in the housing 101. In this case, the protective layer 101a after fitting into the opening functions as part of the housing 101. The touch sensor 31 has a sensor surface 31a that detects the approach of a finger F. In this embodiment, the sensor surface 31a is a flat surface of the touch sensor 31 facing the +X direction. The touch sensor 31 is disposed inside the housing 101 such that the sensor surface 31a faces an inner wall surface 1011 of the housing 101.

[0018] The touch sensor 31 of this embodiment is a capacitance-type sensor. Specifically, the touch sensor 31 is a self-capacitance type sensor that detects contact of the finger F with the operation surface 30a based on a change in capacitance C generated between the sensor surface 31a and the user's finger F. The touch sensor 31 of this embodiment has a plurality of regions 311 to 315 linearly arranged in the Y direction. Each of the regions 311 to 315 is capable of detecting contact of the finger F with the operation surface 30a. In FIGS. 4 to 6, the regions 311 to 315 are separated by dashed lines for convenience, but they are actually a continuous member having a common structure, and only differ from one another in a threshold value Ct (described below) used to detect the finger F. The operation surface 30a is curved over a range that overlaps with the regions 311 to 315 when viewed from the X direction perpendicular to the sensor surface 31a. Because the sensor surface 31a of the touch sensor 31 is flat, while the operation surface 30a is curved (non-flat), a representative value of the distance from the sensor surface 31a to the operation surface 30a in a direction perpendicular to the sensor surface 31a in each of the regions 311 to 315 (hereinafter referred to as the "representative distance") is different for at least two of the regions. In this embodiment, the distance from the sensor surface 31a to the operation surface 30a at the center position of each region in the Y direction is defined as the representative distance for each region. Specifically, the representative distance is d1 for the regions 311 and 315 (see FIG. 6), d2 (>d1) for the regions 312 and 314 (see FIG. 5), and d3 (>d2) for the region 313 (see FIG. 4). Note that the representative distance may be an average, maximum, or minimum value of the distance from the sensor surface 31a to the operation surface 30a in each region. Alternatively, the distance from any point on the sensor surface 31a in each region to the operation surface 30a may be used as the representative distance. In this embodiment, the regions 311 to 315 have equal lengths in the Y direction, but this is not limiting. For example, the length of each region may be adjusted so that the variation in the distance from the sensor surface 31a to the operation surface 30a in each region is approximately equal. For example, the length of each region may be determined so that the difference between the maximum and minimum values ​​of the distance from the sensor surface 31a to the operation surface 30a in each region is equal.Furthermore, the number of regions that the touch sensor 31 has is not limited to five, and may be any number equal to or greater than two.

[0019] Each of the regions 311 to 315 has at least one electrode (not shown) on the sensor surface 31a. The sensor surface 31a may also be formed of an insulating layer covering these electrodes. The sensor control unit 32 detects capacitance C between the finger F and the multiple electrodes provided in the regions 311 to 315. When the capacitance C between any of the electrodes and the finger F increases to a predetermined threshold Ct or greater as the finger F approaches (i.e., based on the magnitude relationship between the capacitance C and the threshold Ct), the sensor control unit 32 detects the finger F's contact with the operation surface 30a. The sensor control unit 32 also identifies the touch position of the finger F based on the position of an electrode among the multiple electrodes whose capacitance C is equal to or greater than the threshold Ct. By providing two or more electrodes in each of the regions 311 to 315 and identifying the position of the electrode whose capacitance C is equal to or greater than the threshold Ct, the sensor control unit 32 can also determine the precise touch position within each region. The sensor control unit 32 transmits a signal indicating the presence or absence of contact and the detection result of the contact position to the CPU 11. The touch operation unit 30 configured as described above can detect a tap operation in which the finger F touches the operation surface 30a and then releases it, a long press operation in which the finger F continues to touch the operation surface 30a, and a slide operation in which the touch position slides on the operation surface 30a. Note that the detection of contact does not necessarily require the value of the capacitance C itself, and a value corresponding to the capacitance C may be used. In this case, the threshold value Ct may also be converted into a value corresponding to the capacitance C. Furthermore, at least a part of the processing performed by the sensor control unit 32 of the touch sensor 31 may be performed by the CPU 11.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 7, the magnitude of the capacitance C generated between the sensor surface 31a and the finger F is proportional to the value of S / d. Here, d is the distance between the sensor surface 31a and the finger F, and S is the area of ​​the finger F and the electrode of the touch sensor 31 that functions as a capacitive electrode. Therefore, the capacitance C increases as the finger F approaches the operation surface 30a (as the distance d decreases). After the finger F contacts the operation surface 30a, the capacitance C increases as the finger F is pressed against the operation surface 30a, increasing the contact area with the operation surface 30a (as the area S increases). Therefore, the smaller the threshold Ct, the greater the distance d and the smaller the area S at which the approach of the finger F to the sensor surface 31a is detected. The ease with which the sensor surface 31a can detect the approach of the finger F is hereinafter referred to as "sensor sensitivity." The sensor sensitivity increases as the threshold Ct decreases.

[0021] As described above, the representative distances d1 to d3 from the sensor surface 31a to the operation surface 30a are different for at least two of the regions 311 to 315 of the touch sensor 31. Therefore, the magnitude of the capacitance C generated when the finger F touches the operation surface 30a at a position in each region is different. For example, the capacitance C when the finger F touches the region 313 as shown in FIG. 4 is smaller than the capacitance C when the finger F touches the region 312 as shown in FIG. 5. The capacitance C in the state shown in FIG. 5 is also smaller than the capacitance C when the finger F touches the region 311 as shown in FIG. 6. For this reason, if the same threshold value Ct is used for each region, for example, in the regions 311 and 315, the capacitance C becomes equal to or greater than the threshold value Ct even when the finger F only slightly touches the operation surface 30a, and the touch of the finger F is detected. However, in the region 313, the finger F must be pressed strongly against the operation surface 30a to increase the contact area to detect the touch. That is, the sensitivity of the touch operation unit 30 to detect operations varies from area to area.

[0022] Therefore, in the touch operation unit 30 of this embodiment, the sensor sensitivity of the sensor surface 31a in each of the regions 311 to 315 is set so that the sensor sensitivity increases as the representative distance increases. That is, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, a different threshold Ct is associated with each of the regions 311 to 315, and the threshold Ct corresponding to each region is set so that the threshold Ct corresponding to the region decreases as the representative distance increases. Therefore, the multiple thresholds Ct corresponding to at least two of the regions 311 to 315 are different from each other. Specifically, a first threshold Ct1 is associated with the region 311 and region 315, which have a representative distance of d1. A second threshold Ct2 smaller than the first threshold Ct1 is associated with the region 312 and region 314, which have a representative distance of d2. A third threshold Ct3 smaller than the second threshold Ct2 is associated with the region 313, which has a representative distance of d3. If the area of ​​the portion functioning as a capacitive electrode in a predetermined critical state where contact of a finger F with the operation surface 30a begins to be detected (e.g., a state in which the finger F is slightly in contact with the operation surface 30a) is S0, as shown in FIG. 7 , the first threshold Ct1 corresponds to the capacitance C when S / d is "S0 / d1," the second threshold Ct2 corresponds to the capacitance C when S / d is "S0 / d2," and the third threshold Ct3 corresponds to the capacitance C when S / d is "S0 / d3." Setting the threshold Ct in this manner ensures that contact begins to be detected in the critical state regardless of which of the regions 311-315 the finger F contacts. This reduces variations in contact detection sensitivity among the regions 311-315, ideally achieving uniform contact detection sensitivity. The threshold Ct values ​​for each region are set, for example, before shipping the electronic timepiece 1 and stored in the memory 321 of the sensor control unit 32. When detecting contact of the finger F from the capacitance C using each of the areas 311 to 315, the sensor control unit 32 acquires a threshold Ct corresponding to each area and compares the threshold Ct with the capacitance C to determine which is larger.

[0023] The button operation unit 40 shown in FIG. 3 has operation means such as the operation button 41 shown in FIG. 1 and a crown (not shown), and outputs an operation signal to the CPU 11 corresponding to an operation performed on the operation means.

[0024] The timekeeping unit 50 includes an oscillation circuit, a frequency dividing circuit, a timekeeping circuit, etc. The frequency dividing circuit divides the clock signal generated by the oscillation circuit, and the timekeeping circuit counts the divided signal, thereby counting and holding the current date and time.

[0025] The notification unit 60 includes a piezoelectric speaker and outputs a predetermined notification sound at a timing according to a control signal transmitted from the CPU 11. Note that the method of notification by the notification unit 60 is not limited to outputting the notification sound from a piezoelectric speaker. For example, the notification unit 60 may include a light-emitting unit and may be able to notify by emitting light from the light-emitting unit. Furthermore, the notification unit 60 may include a vibration unit and may be able to notify by vibrating the vibration unit.

[0026] Next, a method of operating the electronic timepiece 1 using the touch operation unit 30 will be described, taking the example of correcting the positions of the hands 21-23. As described above, the hands 21-23 of the display unit 20 move stepwise under the control of the CPU 11, but the CPU 11 cannot detect the positions of the hands 21-23. Therefore, if for some reason the positions of the hands 21-23 deviate from the positions indicating the current time, the hands 21-23 will continue to move while incorporating that deviation, and will continue to display a time different from the current time. Therefore, the CPU 11 of this embodiment can switch the operation mode of the electronic timepiece 1 between a time display mode that displays the current time and a correction mode that corrects the positions of the hands 21-23 to appropriate positions. In the correction mode, the positions of the hands 21-23 can be corrected by intuitive operation of the touch operation unit 30.

[0027] When the CPU 11 detects a predetermined operation for switching to the correction mode in the time display mode, such as a long press on the touch operation unit 30, the CPU 11 switches the operating mode of the electronic timepiece 1 from the time display mode to the correction mode. In the correction mode, when a predetermined selection operation is performed on the touch operation unit 30 to select a hand to be corrected, the CPU 11 identifies the hand to be corrected in response to the selection operation. The selection operation is not particularly limited, but for example, a selection operation for selecting the second hand 23 may be a single tap, a selection operation for selecting the minute hand 22 may be a double tap, and a selection operation for selecting the hour hand 21 may be a triple tap. Here, a single tap is an operation in which a finger F touches the operation surface 30a and then immediately releases it, a double tap is an operation in which a single tap is repeated twice in succession, and a triple tap is an operation in which a single tap is repeated three times in succession. When the CPU 11 identifies a hand to be corrected, the CPU 11 may notify the user of the hand to be corrected by moving the hand in a predetermined hand movement pattern. The predetermined hand movement pattern may be an operation in which the hand moves back and forth within a certain angular range or an operation in which the hand moves one full revolution.

[0028] After the hand to be corrected is identified, when a slide operation is performed on the touch operation unit 30, the CPU 11 moves the hand to be corrected by an amount corresponding to the amount of slide operation. For example, as shown in FIG. 9, if the hand to be corrected is the second hand 23 and a slide operation in the -Y direction is performed on the touch operation unit 30, the CPU 11 sends a control signal to the motor drive circuit 26 to move the second hand 23 clockwise by an amount corresponding to the amount of slide operation (here, 12 graduations using the scale 201 as a unit). The direction of the movement of the hand may be determined depending on the direction of the slide operation. That is, when a slide operation is performed in the +Y direction opposite to that in FIG. 9, the hand may be moved counterclockwise. Furthermore, the amount of movement of the hand per amount of slide operation may be different for each of the hands 21 to 23. Alternatively, a first touch operation unit that is set to move the hands a larger amount per slide amount and a second touch operation unit that is set to move the hands a smaller amount per slide amount than the first touch operation unit may be provided. This allows for different uses, such as using the first touch operation unit to adjust the minute hand 22 and second hand 23, which often require larger adjustment amounts for their positions, and using the second touch operation unit to adjust the hour hand 21, which often requires smaller adjustment amounts for their positions.

[0029] When the CPU 11 detects a predetermined operation for switching to the time display mode in the correction mode, for example a long press on the touch operation unit 30, it switches the operation mode of the electronic timepiece 1 from the correction mode to the time display mode. This fixes the corrected position of the hand to be corrected, and the hand movement related to the subsequent time display continues from this position.

[0030] According to the above method, the positions of the hands 21 to 23 can be corrected by intuitive operation using the touch operation unit 30. Furthermore, even if the operation surface 30a is curved, the operation detection sensitivity of the touch operation unit 30 is substantially uniform regardless of position by using an appropriate threshold Ct for each of the regions 311 to 315 of the touch sensor 31 as described above. Therefore, an operation can be performed with a similar operation feel at any position on the operation surface 30a. Furthermore, when a slide operation is performed across two or more of the regions 311 to 315, the finger F can be appropriately detected by each region, so that even a slide operation with a large slide amount can be detected as intended by the user. Note that, although an operation to correct the positions of the hands 21 to 23 has been exemplified as an operation using the touch operation unit 30, the touch operation unit 30 may, of course, be used for any other operation.

[0031] Next, a first variation of the above embodiment will be described. Differences from the above embodiment will be described below. In the above embodiment, an electronic timepiece 1 having a substantially circular housing 101 was illustrated, but the shape of the housing 101 is not limited to this. For example, the housing 101 may be substantially rectangular, as shown in FIG. 10. The housing 101 shown in FIG. 10 is substantially rectangular when viewed from the +Z direction, and has convex portions on the +X and -X sides. Therefore, the operation surface 30a of the touch operation unit 30 has a shape in which the center of the Y direction protrudes in the +X direction, as shown in FIG. 11. More specifically, when viewed from the +X direction, the portion of the operation surface 30a that overlaps with the region 313 protrudes further in the +X direction than the portions that overlap with the regions 311, 312, 314, and 315. Therefore, when viewed from the +X direction, the operation surface 30a has steps at the portions that overlap with the boundary between the region 312 and the region 313 and the portion that overlaps with the boundary between the region 313 and the region 314. On the other hand, the sensor surface 31a of the touch sensor 31 is a flat surface. The representative distance in the area 313 is d3, and the representative distance in the areas 311, 312, 314, and 315 is d1, which is smaller than d3.

[0032] Reflecting this configuration, the thresholds Ct corresponding to the regions 311 to 315 are set as shown in FIG. 12. That is, a first threshold Ct1 is associated with the regions 311, 312, 314, and 315, whose representative distance is d1, and a third threshold Ct3, which is smaller than the first threshold Ct1, is associated with the region 313, whose representative distance is d3. With such settings, the operation detection sensitivity on the operation surface 30a, which has projections and recesses, is substantially uniform regardless of the position of the operation. Note that the shape of the housing 101 is not limited to those shown in FIGS. 1 and 10, and may be any shape in which the portion overlapping the sensor surface 31a is non-planar when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the sensor surface 31a.

[0033] Next, a second modification of the above embodiment will be described. Differences from the above embodiment will be described below. The second modification may be combined with the first modification. In the above embodiment, the threshold value Ct corresponding to the areas 311 to 315 was determined at the time of shipment and stored in the memory 321 of the sensor control unit 32, and was not changed thereafter. However, the threshold value Ct may be changeable after shipment. In the second modification, an example will be described in which the threshold value Ct can be changed in response to a user operation while the electronic timepiece 1 is in operation.

[0034] When a user performs an operation to instruct adjustment of the threshold value Ct, the CPU 11 of the electronic timepiece 1 executes the sensor sensitivity adjustment process shown in Fig. 13. When the sensor sensitivity adjustment process starts, the CPU 11 repeatedly determines whether a slide operation in which the operation surface 30a is slid from one end to the other in the Y direction has been detected (step S1). If it determines that a slide operation has been detected ("YES" in step S1), the CPU 11 identifies the capacitances C detected in each of the areas 311 to 315 of the touch sensor 31 (step S2). The CPU 11 also sets the threshold value Ct corresponding to each of the areas 311 to 315 to a value corresponding to the identified capacitances C, and stores this in the memory 321 (step S3). The set threshold value Ct may be, for example, the capacitance C itself detected in each area. This makes it possible to detect contact of the finger F in each area when the finger F touches the operation surface 30a more strongly than the contact pattern of the finger F in the slide operation detected in step S1. Alternatively, the threshold Ct to be set may be a value obtained by subtracting a predetermined adjustment value from the capacitance C detected in each region. This allows the touch of the finger F to be detected in each region when the finger F touches the operation surface 30a with a certain degree of weakness compared to the contact manner of the finger F in the slide operation detected in step S1, or when the finger F touches the operation surface 30a with a certain degree of strength. Regardless of the method used to determine the threshold Ct, the threshold Ct is set to be smaller for a region among the multiple regions 311-315 with a larger representative distance. In other words, the sensor sensitivity of the sensor surface 31a in each of the multiple regions 311-315 is set to be higher for a region with a larger representative distance. When step S3 is completed, the CPU 11 ends the sensor sensitivity adjustment process.

[0035] The sensor sensitivity and threshold Ct adjustment operation according to Modification 2 may be performed when the user wishes to adjust the sensor sensitivity, or when the case 101 (exterior member) of an electronic timepiece 1 is replaced and the sensor sensitivity is adjusted to match the replaced case 101. According to the method of Modification 2, for example, when a case 101 with a flat operation surface 30a is attached, the sensor sensitivity of the areas 311 to 315 is set to a uniform value, and when a case 101 with an uneven operation surface 30a is attached, the sensor sensitivity of the areas 311 to 315 is set to a value corresponding to the unevenness. Furthermore, the method of adjusting the sensor sensitivity is not limited to the method of executing the sensor sensitivity adjustment process of FIG. 13. For example, the sensor sensitivity of areas 311 to 315 may be set in advance for each of a plurality of housings 101 having different shapes of the operation surface 30a and stored in the memory 321 of the sensor control unit 32 or the storage unit 13, and when the housing 101 is replaced, the sensor sensitivity of areas 311 to 315 may be changed to a sensitivity that corresponds to the housing 101 in accordance with the user's operation to input the replaced housing 101.

[0036] As described above, the electronic timepiece 1 according to this embodiment includes a housing 101 and a touch sensor 31 having a sensor surface 31a. The touch sensor 31 is disposed inside the housing 101 with the sensor surface 31a facing the inner wall surface 1011 of the housing 101, and has multiple regions 311-315 that each detect a touch of a finger F on the operation surface 30a of the housing 101. Furthermore, representative values ​​(representative distances) of the distances from the sensor surface 31a to the operation surface 30a in a direction perpendicular to the sensor surface 31a in each of the multiple regions 311-315 are different for at least two regions, and the sensor sensitivity in each of the multiple regions 311-315 is set so that the larger the representative distance, the higher the sensor sensitivity. This allows for appropriate sensor sensitivity settings for each region of the touch sensor 31, reducing variations in operation detection sensitivity on the operation surface 30a of the touch operation unit 30, even if the surface of the housing 101 (operation surface 30a) is curved or uneven. As a result, operation detection sensitivity can be made approximately uniform regardless of the touch position. Therefore, even if the operation surface 30a is curved or uneven, the same operation feel can be achieved at any touch position. Furthermore, even if a slide operation is performed across two or more of the areas 311 to 315, the finger F can be properly detected by each area, so even slide operations with large slide distances can be detected as intended by the user. Furthermore, because there is no need to match the shape of the sensor surface 31a of the touch sensor 31 to the shape of the operation surface 30a, touch sensors 31 with a common configuration can be installed and used in different electronic watches 1 with different housing 101 shapes. This reduces the manufacturing costs of multiple different models of electronic watches 1.

[0037] Furthermore, the touch sensor 31 detects contact of the finger F with the operation surface 30a based on the magnitude relationship between the capacitance C, which changes in response to the approach of the finger F to the sensor surface 31a in each of the multiple regions 311 to 315, and a predetermined threshold Ct corresponding to each of the multiple regions 311 to 315, and the multiple thresholds Ct corresponding to the multiple regions 311 to 315 are different from each other for at least two of the multiple regions. This makes it possible to reduce variations in operation detection sensitivity of the touch operation unit 30 using the capacitance-type touch sensor 31 by using a simple method of determining an appropriate threshold Ct for each region.

[0038] Furthermore, each of the multiple regions 311-315 in the touch sensor 31 detects contact of the finger F with the operation surface 30a when the capacitance C between the sensor surface 31a of that region and the finger F is equal to or greater than the threshold Ct corresponding to that region, and the threshold Ct corresponding to each of the multiple regions 311-315 is smaller as the representative distance increases. This makes it possible to reduce variations in the operation detection sensitivity of the touch operation unit 30 by using a simple method of determining an appropriate threshold Ct for each region in the self-capacitance touch sensor 31.

[0039] In addition, the sensor surface 31a is flat, and the operation surface 30a is non-flat. This allows the use of a touch sensor 31 having a highly versatile flat sensor surface 31a to reduce variations in the operation detection sensitivity of the touch operation unit 30 in an electronic timepiece 1 having a non-flat operation surface 30a.

[0040] Furthermore, operation surface 30a is curved over a range that overlaps with multiple regions 311-315 when viewed from a direction perpendicular to sensor surface 31a. In this way, by arranging multiple regions 311-315 with adjusted sensor sensitivity in a range corresponding to the curved portion of operation surface 30a, it is possible to reduce variations in operation detection sensitivity on curved operation surface 30a of touch operation unit 30.

[0041] Furthermore, when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the sensor surface 31a, the operation surface 30a according to the first modification has steps at portions that overlap with the boundaries of adjacent areas among the plurality of areas 311 to 315. This makes it possible to reduce variations in operation detection sensitivity on the operation surface 30a having irregularities.

[0042] The electronic timepiece 1 according to the second modification also includes a CPU 11 that sets the sensor sensitivity in each of the multiple areas 311 to 315 so that the sensor sensitivity increases as the representative distance increases. This allows the sensor sensitivity of each area of ​​the touch sensor 31 to be adjusted while the electronic timepiece 1 is running so as to reduce variations in operation detection sensitivity on the operation surface 30a of the touch operation unit 30.

[0043] Furthermore, the control method for an electronic timepiece according to Modification 2 sets the sensor sensitivity in each of the multiple areas 311 to 315 so that the sensor sensitivity increases as the representative distance increases, thereby reducing variations in operation detection sensitivity on the operation surface 30a of the touch operation unit 30.

[0044] Furthermore, the program 131 according to the second modification causes the CPU 11, which is the computer of the electronic timepiece 1, to function as a control means, and the control means sets the sensor sensitivity in each of the multiple areas 311 to 315 so that the greater the representative distance value in the area, the higher the sensitivity. This reduces variations in operation detection sensitivity on the operation surface 30a of the touch operation unit 30.

[0045] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible. For example, in the above-described embodiment, an example was described in which the multiple regions 311 to 315 of the touch sensor 31 are arranged in one dimension, but the touch sensor 31 may have multiple regions arranged in two dimensions, and each of these regions may be associated with a threshold value Ct corresponding to the representative distance. In other words, the sensor sensitivity may be adjusted at each position in the two-dimensional direction of the sensor surface 31a.

[0046] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, a self-capacitance touch sensor 31 has been exemplified, but this is not limiting, and a mutual capacitance touch sensor may also be used. A mutual capacitance touch sensor detects contact or approach of a finger F when the capacitance formed between the transmitting electrode and the receiving electrode becomes smaller than a threshold Ct as the finger F approaches (as capacitance is generated between the finger F). Therefore, in the mutual capacitance method, the sensor sensitivity of the touch sensor 31 can be increased by increasing the threshold Ct. Furthermore, a touch sensor using a detection method other than the capacitance method, for example, a resistive film method or an optical method, may also be used.

[0047] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the regions 311 to 315 of the touch sensor 31 are a single continuous member having a common structure, and the sensor sensitivities are differentiated by using different threshold values ​​Ct, but the method of differentiating the sensor sensitivities is not limited to this. For example, the regions 311 to 315 may have different physical properties that result in different sensor sensitivities. Therefore, the touch sensor 31 may be configured by arranging and combining independent regions 311 to 315 with different sensor sensitivities.

[0048] Furthermore, while the touch sensor 31 has been exemplified as having a flat sensor surface 31a, the present invention is not limited to this, and the sensor surface 31a may be curved, for example. Even when the sensor surface 31a is curved, if the operation surface 30a of the housing 101 is uneven or if the curvature of the operation surface 30a does not match the curvature of the sensor surface 31a, the representative distances of the respective regions of the touch sensor 31 may differ from one another. Even in such a case, by adjusting the sensor sensitivity of the sensor surface 31a in each region as in the above embodiment, it is possible to obtain the effect of reducing variations in operation detection sensitivity on the operation surface 30a of the touch operation unit 30.

[0049] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the sensor sensitivity of each of the multiple regions 311 to 315 is adjusted according to the representative distance in each of the regions, but the sensor sensitivity of each region may be adjusted based on the material and thickness of the housing 101 in the area that overlaps each region when viewed from the direction perpendicular to the sensor surface 31 a, in addition to the representative distance. For example, even if the representative distances of two regions are the same, the sensor sensitivities may be made different from each other depending on the difference in the material and thickness of the housing 101 in the area that overlaps these regions.

[0050] In the above embodiment, the electronic device is exemplified as the electronic watch 1, but is not limited to this. The electronic device may be any device equipped with a touch operation unit in which the surface of the housing serves as the operation surface.

[0051] In the above description, an example has been disclosed in which a flash memory in the storage unit 13 is used as a computer-readable medium for the program according to the present invention, but this is not limiting. Other computer-readable media may include information recording media such as a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), and a CD-ROM. Furthermore, a carrier wave may also be used as a medium for providing data for the program according to the present invention via a communication line.

[0052] Furthermore, it goes without saying that the detailed configuration and detailed operation of each component of the electronic timepiece 1 in the above embodiment can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0053] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, but includes the scope of the invention described in the claims and its equivalents. [Explanation of symbols]

[0054] 1...electronic watch (electronic device), 11...CPU (control unit, control means), 30a...operation surface, 31...touch sensor, 31a...sensor surface, 101...casing, 311 to 315...areas, 1011...inner wall surface, d1 to d3...representative distances (representative values ​​of distances), F...finger (operation means)

Claims

1. The housing and a touch sensor having a sensor surface, the sensor surface being disposed inside the housing so as to face an inner wall surface of the housing, the touch sensor having a plurality of regions each detecting contact of an operating means with an operating surface of the housing; Equipped with a representative value of the distance from the sensor surface to the operation surface in a direction perpendicular to the sensor surface in each of the plurality of regions is different for at least two regions; The sensor sensitivity in each of the plurality of regions is set to be higher in a region where the representative value of the distance is larger. electronic equipment.

2. the touch sensor detects contact of the operation tool with the operation surface based on a magnitude relationship between a value corresponding to a capacitance that changes in response to the approach of the operation tool to the sensor surface and a predetermined threshold value associated with each of the plurality of areas; the plurality of thresholds corresponding to the plurality of regions are different from each other for the at least two regions; The electronic device according to claim 1 .

3. each of the plurality of regions of the touch sensor detects contact of the operation means with the operation surface when a value corresponding to the capacitance between the sensor surface of the region and the operation means is equal to or greater than the threshold value corresponding to the region; The threshold value corresponding to each of the plurality of regions is smaller as the representative value of the distance corresponding to the region is larger. The electronic device according to claim 2 .

4. the sensor surface is planar and the operation surface is non-planar; The electronic device according to claim 1 .

5. the operation surface is curved over a range overlapping with the plurality of regions when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the sensor surface; 5. The electronic device according to claim 4.

6. the operation surface has a step at a portion where the operation surface overlaps with a boundary between adjacent areas among the plurality of areas when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the sensor surface; 5. The electronic device according to claim 4.

7. a control unit that sets the sensor sensitivity in each of the plurality of regions so that the sensor sensitivity is higher in a region where the representative value of the distance is larger; The electronic device according to claim 1 .

8. A control method for an electronic device, executed by a computer of the electronic device, comprising: a housing; and a touch sensor having a sensor surface, the sensor surface being disposed inside the housing so as to face an inner wall surface of the housing; the touch sensor having a plurality of regions each detecting contact of an operation means with an operation surface of the housing; wherein representative values ​​of distances from the sensor surface to the operation surface in a direction perpendicular to the sensor surface in each of the plurality of regions are different from each other for at least two of the regions, setting the sensor sensitivity in each of the plurality of regions so that the sensor sensitivity is higher in a region where the representative value of the distance is larger; How to control electronic devices.

9. a touch sensor having a sensor surface, the sensor surface being disposed inside the housing so as to face an inner wall surface of the housing, the touch sensor having a plurality of regions each detecting contact of an operating means with an operating surface of the housing, wherein representative values ​​of the distance from the sensor surface to the operating surface in a direction perpendicular to the sensor surface in each of the plurality of regions are different from each other for at least two regions; a control means for setting the sensor sensitivity in each of the plurality of regions so that the sensitivity is higher in a region where the representative value of the distance is larger; A program that functions as a

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