Input Devices

Abstract

Provided is an input device capable of accurately determining an operation input performed by an operating body on an operating object, regardless of the size of the operating body.　The input device comprises: a plurality of electrodes respectively arranged on the back side of a plurality of operation areas corresponding to the plurality of operation areas arranged adjacent to each other; a detection unit that detects capacitance values of the plurality of electrodes; and a determination unit that determines that an operation input by an operating body has been performed on any one of the plurality of operation areas, on the basis of the plurality of capacitance values detected by the detection unit, wherein the determination unit determines that on the basis of a difference value obtained by subtracting, from a capacitance value of one electrode among the plurality of electrodes, a value obtained by multiplying a capacitance value of an electrode adjacent to the one electrode by the coefficient k (0<k<1), the operation input by the operating body has been performed on an operation area corresponding to the one electrode.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an input device. [Background technology]

[0002] A touch switch has been known that includes an operation surface having a plurality of operation areas, a plurality of detection means that detect a change in a physical quantity caused by an object (operating body) approaching the operation surface and output an output value corresponding to the change in the physical quantity, and a determination means that determines an operation area to be operated based on the output values ​​of the plurality of detection means, and the determination means determines that the first operation area is not to be operated when, even if a first output value of a first detection means corresponding to a first operation area among the plurality of detection means is equal to or greater than a predetermined reference value, an output ratio of the output value of a detection means corresponding to another operation area to the first output value is equal to or greater than a predetermined reference ratio. The detection means is an electrode of a capacitance sensor, and the physical quantity is an electrostatic capacitance value (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2011-258456 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Incidentally, when a fingertip touches the operation surface and when a palm touches the operation surface, the capacitance value detected by the electrode differs even if the distance between the fingertip and the palm is the same. This is because the area (size) of the operating object relative to the electrode differs. The capacitance value also differs depending on the distance between the operating object and the electrode.

[0005] Conventional touch switches do not correspond to differences in capacitance values due to differences in the size of such operating bodies. Therefore, it is not known whether the capacitance value increases because the operating body that is far from the operation surface is large, or because the operating body approaches the operation surface, and there is a risk of erroneously determining what kind of operation input is being performed.

[0006] Therefore, an object is to provide an input device that can accurately determine the operation input performed by the operating body on the operation target regardless of the size of the operating body.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] The input device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a plurality of electrodes respectively arranged on the back side of the plurality of operation regions corresponding to a plurality of adjacent operation regions, a detection unit that detects capacitance values of the plurality of electrodes, and a determination unit that determines that an operation input by an operating body has been performed on any one of the plurality of operation regions based on the plurality of capacitance values detected by the detection unit. The determination unit determines that an operation input by the operating body has been performed on the operation region corresponding to the one electrode based on a difference value obtained by subtracting a value obtained by multiplying the capacitance value of an electrode adjacent to the one electrode by a coefficient k (0 < k < 1) from the capacitance value of the one electrode.

Effects of the Invention

[0008] It is possible to provide an input device that can accurately determine the operation input performed by the operating body on the operation target regardless of the size of the operating body.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0009] [Figure 1A] It is a cross-sectional view showing an example of the configuration of the input device 100 of the embodiment. [Figure 1B] It is a cross-sectional view showing an example of the operation state of the input device 100 of the embodiment. [Figure 2] It is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the electrostatic sensor 110. [Figure 3A] 10 is a diagram illustrating differences in capacitance between electrode pieces 111A1 to 111A3 of electrode 111A. [Figure 3B] 10 is a diagram illustrating differences in capacitance between electrode pieces 111A1 to 111A3 of electrode 111A. [Figure 4A] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating differences in capacitance values ​​of electrodes 111B to 111D. [Figure 4B] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating differences in capacitance values ​​of electrodes 111B to 111D. [Figure 5A] 11A and 11B are diagrams illustrating differences in the position of the fingertip FT relative to the electrode 111C. [Figure 5B] 11A and 11B are diagrams illustrating differences in the position of the fingertip FT relative to the electrode 111C. [Figure 6] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of processing executed by a determination unit 141. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of an electrostatic sensor 110M according to a modified example of the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, an embodiment to which the input device of the present disclosure is applied will be described.

[0011] In the following, the XYZ coordinate system will be defined and explained. For convenience of explanation, the -Z direction will be referred to as the lower side or bottom, and the +Z direction will be referred to as the upper side or top, but this does not represent a universal up-down relationship. Also, viewing on an XY plane will be referred to as a planar view.

[0012] <Embodiment> <Configuration of input device 100> Fig. 1A is a cross-sectional view showing an example of the configuration of an input device 100 according to an embodiment. Fig. 1B is a cross-sectional view showing an example of an operating state of the input device 100 according to an embodiment. The input device 100 includes a soft pad 101, an electrostatic sensor 110, an actuator 120, a detection unit 130, and an MCU (micro controller unit) 140. The soft pad 101 is an example of a covering unit made of a foam material, and the actuator 120 is an example of a vibration element.

[0013] The soft pad 101 is provided on top of the electrostatic sensor 110 and covers the upper surface of the electrostatic sensor 110. The soft pad 101 is made of a foam material such as urethane foam, foam sponge, or foam rubber, and is a cover that elastically deforms when pressed.

[0014] The upper surface of the soft pad 101 is an operation surface 101A, on which a plurality of symbols corresponding to the plurality of electrodes 111 of the electrostatic sensor 110 are displayed. The plurality of symbols are provided corresponding to the plurality of operation units on the operation surface 101A. The symbols are, for example, letters, numbers, symbols, diagrams, marks, etc. that have a predetermined meaning, and here represent the functions, types, etc. of the plurality of operation units of the input device 100. Note that the operation surface may be formed by a decorative sheet on which a plurality of symbols are provided on the upper surface of the soft pad 101.

[0015] The soft pad 101 is a component where, when a user performs an operation input on the input device 100, the user brings a hand or the like close to an operation area where symbols are displayed and presses the operation surface 101A downward as shown in Fig. 1B. The input device 100 is an input device where an operation input is confirmed by pressing the operation area downward with a hand or the like in this way.

[0016] The electrostatic sensor 110 is provided on the back side (-Z direction side) of the soft pad 101. The electrostatic sensor 110 has a substrate 110A and a plurality of electrodes 111. The plurality of electrodes 111 may be made of any conductive material, and if they are to be transparent, they may be made of a transparent electrode material such as ITO (Indium-Tin Oxide), or if transparency is not required, they may be made of metal foil such as copper foil or aluminum foil. Furthermore, if they are to be partially transparent, it is sufficient to provide a portion made of a transparent electrode material and a portion made of metal foil.

[0017] The multiple electrodes 111 are provided adjacent to one another. As an example, a configuration in which three electrodes 111 are arranged in the X direction is shown here, but the multiple electrodes 111 may also be arranged in a matrix in the X and Y directions. The multiple electrodes 111 may be arranged in a plane along the X or Y direction, or along the X and Y directions, and, as an example, the positions in the Z direction are equal.

[0018] The plurality of electrodes 111 are connected to the detection unit 130 via wiring on the substrate 110A. The detection unit 130 detects the capacitance between the plurality of electrodes 111 and an operating object such as a fingertip FT.

[0019] The actuator 120 is a vibration element capable of transmitting vibration to the soft pad 101, and is provided, for example, on the lower surface of the substrate 110A. The actuator 120 is connected to the MCU 140, and is driven by a drive control unit 142 of the MCU 140.

[0020] The actuator 120 is only required to be able to transmit vibrations to the soft pad 101, and therefore may be provided not only on the lower surface of the substrate 110A but also on the upper surface of the substrate 110A or on another portion thereof, or may be provided on the soft pad 101, or on a housing (not shown) or the like that holds the soft pad 101. As an example, when an operation input made by the user to the input device 100 is confirmed, the actuator 120 is driven by the MCU 140 to present a vibration to the user.

[0021] The detection unit 130 detects a capacitance value (electrostatic capacitance value) representing the electrostatic capacitance of the plurality of electrodes 111 of the electrostatic sensor 110, converts it into a digital value, and outputs it to the MCU 140. As an example, such a detection unit 130 can be realized by an IC (Integrated Circuit) including an A / D converter.

[0022] The MCU 140 is connected to the detection unit 130. The MCU 140 is realized by a computer including a CPU (Central Processing Unit), RAM (Random Access Memory), ROM (Read Only Memory), an input / output interface, an internal bus, and the like.

[0023] The MCU 140 includes a determination unit 141 and a drive control unit 142. The determination unit 141 and the drive control unit 142 are functional blocks that represent the functions of a program executed by the MCU 140.

[0024] The determination unit 141 determines that an operation input by the operating object has been performed on the plurality of electrodes 111, based on the capacitance values ​​of the plurality of electrodes 111 detected by the detection unit 130. Details of the determination process executed by the determination unit 141 will be described later.

[0025] When the determination unit 141 determines that an operation input has been performed using an operating object, the drive control unit 142 drives the actuator 120. Here, as an example, when the operation input performed by the user on the input device 100 is confirmed, the drive control unit 142 drives the actuator 120 to present vibration to the user.

[0026] <Operation of input device 100> As shown in FIG. 1B, the input device 100 can operate any of the multiple electrodes 111 of the electrostatic sensor 110 by pressing down the operation surface 101A of the soft pad 101. When a user presses down the operation surface 101A of the soft pad 101 with a fingertip FT, the capacitance value (electrostatic capacitance value) between the fingertip FT and the electrode 111 changes, and the determination unit 141 determines whether or not an operation has been performed based on the change in capacitance value, and can determine that an operation has been performed on any of the electrodes 111. Note that in FIG. 1B, the position of the finger pad is indicated by the symbol FC. Hereinafter, this will be referred to as the finger pad FC.

[0027] When the determination unit 141 determines that an operation input has been performed, the drive control unit 142 drives the actuator 120, so that the user can feel vibrations on the fingertips FT, palms, etc., and recognize through their sense of touch that the operation input they performed has been confirmed. Therefore, the input device 100 can be used, for example, as a switch that can be operated by touch typing.

[0028] <Details of the configuration of the electrostatic sensor 110> 2 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the electrostatic sensor 110. The electrostatic sensor 110 has, as an example, five electrodes 111 (111A to 111E) provided on the upper surface of a T-shaped substrate 110A. The five electrodes 111 will be referred to as electrodes 111A to 111E when they need to be distinguished from one another, and will be simply referred to as electrode 111 when they are not particularly distinguished from one another.

[0029] Of the five electrodes 111, electrode 111A, which is closest to the +X direction, has three electrode pieces 111A1, 111A2, and 111A3. This is also true for electrodes 111B to 111E, but in Fig. 2, the three electrode pieces of only electrode 111A are denoted by the reference numerals 111A1, 111A2, and 111A3. Because electrodes 111A to 111E have the same configuration, only electrode pieces 111A1, 111A2, and 111A3 of electrode 111A will be described here.

[0030] The electrode pieces 111A1, 111A2, and 111A3 are three electrode pieces obtained by radially dividing the electrode 111A with respect to a center C of the electrode 111A, which is substantially square as a whole in a plan view. The electrode piece 111A1 is located on the −X direction side of the center C, and the electrode pieces 111A1, 111A2, and 111A3 are arranged clockwise. Each of the electrode pieces 111A1 to 111A3 is a fan-shaped electrode piece that extends 120 degrees from the center C. The electrode pieces 111A1 to 111A3 are connected to the connector 110A1 via three wires. The connector 110A1 is connected to the detection unit 130.

[0031] 2, operation area 101B is indicated by dashed lines in the center of electrodes 111A to 111E. In Fig. 2, the positions of five operation areas 101B displayed on operation surface 101A of soft pad 101 are indicated by dashed lines in the center of electrodes 111A to 111E. Operation area 101B is an operation target where an operating object is to perform an operation input, and indicates the area within which a symbol is formed.

[0032] Symbols are displayed in five operation areas 101B on operation surface 101A of soft pad 101. The symbols are, for example, letters, numbers, symbols, diagrams, marks, etc. that have predetermined meanings, and in this case, represent the functions, types, etc. of the multiple operation parts of input device 100.

[0033] As an example, in FIG. 2, the letters "AC" are written in operation area 101B displayed over electrode 111C. AC is an abbreviation for air conditioner. Operation area 101B displayed over electrode 111C is an operation section for an air conditioner (AC). Symbols other than "AC" are also displayed in the four operation areas 101B displayed over electrodes 111A, 111B, 111D, and 111E, but are omitted from FIG. 2.

[0034] Each symbol can be displayed in each operation area 101B as follows. For example, the part of each electrode 111 that overlaps with the operation area 101B may be made of a transparent electrode material, and the part that does not overlap with the operation area 101B may be made of a non-transparent metal foil or the like, and a light-transmitting or light-shielding part that matches the shape of the symbol may be provided on the soft pad 101, and light may be irradiated from a light source provided on the −Z direction side of the electrostatic sensor 110, thereby displaying the symbol in each operation area 101B. Alternatively, the symbol may be displayed by printing or the like on the operation area 101B (surface of the operation surface 101A).

[0035] Electrode 111 is larger than corresponding operation area 101B in plan view and includes corresponding operation area 101B. The reasons for setting the size and positional relationship between electrode 111 and corresponding operation area 101B as described above are as follows.

[0036] This is because, when the input device 100 of the present disclosure is used as an input device for a vehicle, it is possible to determine input even when pressing the peripheral part of the operation area 101B, allowing the driver to input without having to look at their hands.

[0037] Incidentally, when a user performs an operation input on the operation surface 101A of the soft pad 101, the operation may be performed with the fingertip FT, or with the finger pad FC or palm. An operation performed with the fingertip FT is an operation in which the fingertip FT is held upright against the operation surface 101A and the soft pad 101 is pressed with the tip of the finger, as shown in FIG. 1B. Furthermore, an operation performed with the finger pad FC has a larger contact area on the operation surface 101A in a planar view than an operation performed with the fingertip FT. Furthermore, an operation performed with the palm pad has an even larger contact area on the operation surface 101A in a planar view than an operation performed with the fingertip FT or the finger pad FC.

[0038] As described above, when an operation input is performed using a fingertip FT, a finger pad FC, or a palm, the area of ​​contact with the operation surface 101A differs in plan view. Therefore, even if the distance in the Z direction between each electrode 111 and the operation body (such as the fingertip FT, the finger pad FC, or the palm) is the same, the capacitance between each electrode 111 and the operation body (such as the fingertip FT, the finger pad FC, or the palm) differs. This is because the area of ​​the operation body capacitively coupled with each electrode 111 differs. This becomes noticeable when the area of ​​the electrode is equal to or larger than the area of ​​the fingertip FT. In other words, when the area of ​​the electrode is sufficiently smaller than the area of ​​the fingertip FT, the difference in capacitance value between the fingertip FT and the finger or palm is due only to the difference in the component caused by the electric field that wraps around, and is not a large difference. On the other hand, when the area of ​​the electrode is equal to or larger than the area of ​​the fingertip FT, the area of ​​the parallel electric field changes, so the difference in capacitance value becomes large, and there is a possibility that an operation input is erroneously determined to have been performed.

[0039] The input device 100 accurately detects the position of the operating object in the Z direction even when an operation input is made to a large-area electrode by various operating objects such as the pad of a finger FC or a large-area palm, and can accurately determine the operation input made by the operating object to the operation area 101B that is the operation target, regardless of the size of the operating object. To achieve this, values ​​are corrected using algorithm B described below.

[0040] <Algorithm of input device 100> The input device 100 employs the following algorithm to accurately determine whether a pressing operation has been performed when an operation input is performed using an operation object that can have various areas, using the electrodes 111 shown in Fig. 2. The following description will be given with reference to Figs. 3A to 5B.

[0041] <Algorithm A> Here, the determination process of the determination unit 141 using algorithm A will be described with reference to FIGS. 3A and 3B. FIGS. 3A and 3B are diagrams illustrating differences in capacitance values ​​of the electrode pieces 111A1 to 111A3 of the electrode 111A. The algorithm A described with reference to FIGS. 3A and 3B assumes a case where the area of ​​the operating object in a plan view is relatively small, and shows, as an example, a case where an operation input is made to the electrode 111A with the fingertip FT. In FIGS. 3A and 3B, the position of the fingertip FT is indicated by a circle. Note that although electrode 111A will be described here, electrodes 111B to 111E are similar, and therefore description thereof will be omitted.

[0042] 3A, the fingertip FT performs an operation input to the electrode 111A and is within the area of ​​the electrode piece 111A1. In such a case, it is possible to detect that an operation input has been performed to the electrode 111A based on the capacitance value of the electrode piece 111A1.

[0043] In Fig. 3B, fingertip FT performs an operation input to electrode 111A, but overlaps with electrodes 111A1 and 111A2, but does not overlap with electrode 111A3. In this case, the capacitance value of each of electrodes 111A1 to 111A3 is smaller than the capacitance value of electrode 111A1 in Fig. 3A, and therefore, it is not possible to detect that an operation input has been performed on electrode 111 using the same determination method as in Fig. 3A.

[0044] Here, as shown in FIG. 3A, a threshold value TH1 is used such that the capacitance value of the electrode piece 111A1 becomes equal to or greater than TH1 when a pressing operation is performed on the electrode piece 111A1. The pressing operation is an example of an operational input. The threshold value TH1 is an example of a first threshold value. Using such threshold value TH1, it is possible to determine that a pressing operation has been performed on any of the electrodes 111A1 to 111A3. Therefore, the determination unit 141 may determine that an operational input has been performed on the electrode 111A with the fingertip FT if the capacitance values ​​CA1 to CA3 of any of the electrodes 111A1 to 111A3 are equal to or greater than the threshold value TH1.

[0045] 3B, none of the capacitance values ​​of the electrodes 111A1 to 111A3 is equal to or greater than the threshold value TH1. Therefore, the determination unit 141 may calculate the sum of three values: the sum (CA1+CA2) of the capacitance values ​​of adjacent electrodes 111A1 and 111A2, the sum (CA2+CA3) of the capacitance values ​​of adjacent electrodes 111A2 and 111A3, and the sum (CA3+CA1) of the capacitance values ​​of adjacent electrodes 111A3 and 111A1. If any of these sums is equal to or greater than the threshold value TH2, the determination unit 141 may determine that an operation input has been made to the electrode 111A with the fingertip FT. The threshold value TH2 is a value greater than the threshold value TH1, and may be set to, for example, approximately 1.4 to 2 times the threshold value TH1.

[0046] Algorithm A is primarily intended for cases where the area of ​​the operating object is quite small, and can be used in addition when sufficient operating characteristics cannot be obtained by correction using algorithm B, which will be described below, and is not necessarily required.

[0047] <Algorithm B> Here, the determination process of the determination unit 141 using algorithm B will be described with reference to FIGS. 4A and 4B. FIGS. 4A and 4B are diagrams illustrating differences in capacitance values ​​of electrodes 111B to 111D. FIG. 4A shows a state in which a pressing operation is being performed with the palm P overlapping the electrodes 111B to 111D. In FIG. 4A, it is assumed that the user is performing a pressing operation with the palm P on the operation area 101B of the symbol corresponding to electrode 111C. Also, FIG. 4B shows a state in which a pressing operation is being performed with the finger pad FC only on electrode 111C. It is assumed that the palm P shown in FIG. 4A and the finger pad FC shown in FIG. 4B are positioned equal in the Z direction.

[0048] In Fig. 4A, a pressing operation is performed with palm P overlapping electrodes 111B to 111D so as to straddle them, so the capacitance values ​​of electrodes 111B to 111D change compared to a state in which no operation input is performed. Also, in Fig. 4B, a pressing operation is performed only on electrode 111C with finger pad FC, so the capacitance value of electrode 111C changes.

[0049] In this way, when pressing operations are performed with operating objects having different areas such as the palm P or the pad of a finger FC, the determination unit 141 performs the following determination process in order to determine all pressing operations using the same threshold value TH3. The threshold value TH3 is an example of a second threshold. Furthermore, when pressing operations are performed with operating objects having different areas such as the palm P or the pad of a finger FC, the input device 100 corrects the value using algorithm B in order to determine all pressing operations using the same threshold value TH3. The threshold value TH3 is a value larger than the threshold value TH2, and may be set to about 1.7 to 2.5 times the threshold value TH1, for example.

[0050] When determining whether an operation input has been performed on the electrode 111C, the determination unit 141 performs the following processing. When determining whether an operation input has been performed on the electrode 111C, the determination unit 141 obtains the total value Ctc of the capacitance values of the three electrode pieces of the electrode 111C, the total value Ctb of the capacitance values of the three electrode pieces of the electrode 111B adjacent to the electrode 111C, and the total value Ctd of the capacitance values of the three electrode pieces of the electrode 111D adjacent to the electrode 111C, and determines whether an operation input has been performed on the electrode 111C based on whether the corrected capacitance value CC corrected by the following formula (1) is greater than or equal to the threshold value TH3. Note that the coefficient k satisfies 0 < k < 1. CC = Ctc - k(Ctb + Ctd) (1)

[0051] The corrected capacitance value CC is an example of a difference value obtained by subtracting, from the capacitance value of one electrode 111C among the plurality of electrodes 111A to 111E, the values obtained by multiplying the capacitance values Ctb and Ctd of the electrodes 111B and 111D adjacent to the one electrode 111C by the coefficient k (0 < k < 0.5, preferably 0.1 ≦ k ≦ 0.3).

[0052] The determination unit 141 performs such determination processing for each of the electrodes 111A to 111E. Since there is one adjacent electrode for the electrodes 111A and 111E on both sides, the coefficient k may be multiplied by the capacitance value of the one adjacent electrode and subtracted from its own capacitance value. For example, for the electrode 111A, the determination unit 141 obtains the total value Cta of the capacitance values of the three electrode pieces of the electrode 111A and the total value Ctb of the capacitance values of the three electrode pieces of the electrode 111B adjacent to the electrode 111C, and may obtain the corrected capacitance value CC as in the following formula (2). CC = Cta - kCtb (2)

[0053] Here, without distinguishing the electrodes 111A to 111E, for a certain electrode 111, if the total value of the capacitance values of the three electrode pieces of a certain electrode 111 is Ct1 and the total value of the capacitance values of the three electrode pieces of one or more electrodes 111 adjacent to a certain electrode 111 is Ct2, the corrected capacitance value CC can be expressed by the following formula (3). The total value Ct1 is an example of the first total value, and the total value Ct2 is an example of the second total value. CC = Ct1 - kCt2 (3)

[0054] The coefficient k does not necessarily have to be the same for all electrodes, and the correction coefficient for electrodes 111A and 111E may be set to twice the value of the correction coefficient for electrodes 111B to 111D, taking into account that there is only one adjacent electrode.

[0055] When a pressing operation is performed with the palm P on the operation area 101B of the symbol corresponding to electrode 111C, the capacitance value of electrode 111C increases significantly because the area of ​​the palm P is large, and at the same time, the capacitance value of the adjacent electrode also increases because the area is large. On the other hand, when a pressing operation is performed with the finger pad FC, the area of ​​the finger pad FC is smaller than that of the palm P, and the change in the capacitance value of electrode 111C is smaller than when operating with the palm P, but the capacitance value of the adjacent electrode hardly changes. Therefore, by correcting the difference in the capacitance value of the adjacent electrode as in equations (1), (2), and (3), the correction is made to a value according to the distance from the electrode regardless of the area of ​​the palm P or the finger pad FC, and therefore it is possible to determine whether a pressing operation has been performed using the same threshold value.

[0056] <Algorithm C> Here, the determination process of the determination unit 141 using algorithm C will be described with reference to Figures 5A and 5B. Figures 5A and 5B are diagrams illustrating differences in the position of the fingertip FT relative to the electrode 111C. Figures 5A and 5B show three electrode pieces 111C1 to 111C3 of the electrode 111C.

[0057] By making the size of each electrode 111 larger than the operation area 101B in a planar view, the following situation may occur. For example, as shown in FIG. 5A, when the fingertip FT is located at the end of the electrode piece 111C3 in a planar view, the correction capacitance value CC is equal to or greater than the threshold value TH1. When the fingertip FT is located at the center of the electrode pieces 111C1 to 111C3 in a planar view, as shown in FIG. 5B, the correction capacitance value CC calculated for the electrode 111C is equal to or greater than the threshold value TH3. In the example shown in FIG. 5B, the value of any one of the electrode pieces 111C1 to 111C3 of the electrode 111C does not exceed the threshold value TH1, and the sum of the two adjacent electrode pieces does not exceed the threshold value TH2. However, the sum of the adjacent electrodes 111B and 111D is approximately zero. Therefore, the correction capacitance value CC is approximately equal to the sum of the three electrode pieces 111C1 to 111C3 and is equal to or greater than the threshold value TH3.

[0058] In the case of Fig. 5B, fingertip FT is located at the center of electrode pieces 111C1 to 111C3, so it is safe to assume that the user is operating operation area 101B corresponding to electrode 111C. On the other hand, in the case of Fig. 5A, fingertip FT is located at the edge of electrode piece 111C3, and is far removed from operation area 101B. The state shown in Fig. 5A occurs because the size of each electrode 111 is larger than operation area 101B in a plan view.

[0059] Therefore, in the algorithm C, if there is an electrode 111 whose value is equal to or greater than the thresholds TH1, TH2, TH3 in the processing of the algorithm A or B, the determination unit 141 performs the following determination processing for that electrode 111.

[0060] The determination unit 141 may weight the positions (centers Ce1, Ce2, Ce3) of the electrode pieces 111C1 to 111C3 relative to the position of the center C of the electrode 111C by capacitance values ​​to determine a contact center position CO corresponding to the center of the contact area, and may determine that an operation input by the operating object has been made to the operation area 101B corresponding to the electrode 111C when the distance between the center C and the contact center position CO is equal to or less than a predetermined distance d. Note that the center C corresponds to the center of gravity of the electrode 111C, but it may be any position that serves as a reference for determining that the operation is made to the operation area 101B, and may be, for example, the point where the center of the outline in the X direction intersects with the center of the outline in the Y direction.

[0061] The contact center position CO for the electrodes 111C1 to 111C3 can be determined as follows. If the origin O of the XY coordinate system is placed at the center C of the electrodes 111C1 to 111C3, the center Ce1 of the electrode 111C1 is located at 180 degrees relative to the +X direction, the center Ce2 of the electrode 111C2 is located at +60 degrees relative to the +X direction, and the center Ce3 of the electrode 111C1 is located at -60 degrees (300 degrees) relative to the +X direction. The angles are expressed counterclockwise, with the +X direction being 0 degrees. Note that centers Ce1, Ce2, and Ce3 correspond to the centers of gravity of electrodes 111C1, 111C2, and 111C3, respectively. However, any center that corresponds to the center of each electrode may be used, such as the point where the center of the outline in the X direction intersects with the center of the outline in the Y direction.

[0062] The distances from the origin O to the centers Ce1, Ce2, and Ce3 are all the same and are k. Therefore, the X-coordinate component of the center Ce1 of electrode piece 111C1 is the cosine of 180 degrees (=-1) multiplied by k, and the Y-coordinate component is the sinusoid of 180 degrees (=0) multiplied by k. The X-coordinate component of the center Ce2 of electrode piece 111C2 is the cosine of 60 degrees (=1 / 2) multiplied by k, and the Y-coordinate component is the sinusoid of 60 degrees (=√3 / 2) multiplied by k. The X-coordinate component of the center Ce3 of electrode piece 111C3 is the cosine of 300 degrees (=1 / 2) multiplied by k, and the Y-coordinate component is the sinusoid of 300 degrees (=-√3 / 2) multiplied by k.

[0063] The centers Ce1, Ce2, and Ce3 of the electrode pieces 111C1 to 111C3 relative to the center C thus determined are multiplied by the capacitance values ​​CA1 to CA3 of the electrode pieces 111C1 to 111C3 to weight the X-coordinate Xwc of the contact center position CO, which can be calculated using the following equation (4). Xwc=k×{CA1×(-1)+CA2×(1 / 2)+CA3×(1 / 2)} (4)

[0064] Similarly, the Y coordinate Ywc of the contact center position CO obtained by weighting the centers Ce1, Ce2, and Ce3 of the electrode pieces 111C1 to 111C3 by the capacitance values ​​CA1 to CA3 of the electrode pieces 111C1 to 111C3 can be calculated using the following equation (5). Ywc=k×{CA2×(√3 / 2)+CA3×(-√3 / 2)} (5)

[0065] This makes it possible to determine the positions of the centers Ce1, Ce2, and Ce3 and the positional relationship from the center C to the contact center position CO.

[0066] In practice, a constant k is calculated from the shape of the electrodes, and at the same time, a predetermined distance d is set from the positions of the centers Ce1, Ce2, and Ce3. Then, the X coordinate Xwc and Y coordinate Ywc of CO are calculated using constant k and the actually measured capacitance value using equations (4) and (5), and the distance from the center C to the contact center position CO is calculated by calculating the square root of the sum of squares, as is well known. Then, depending on whether the contact center position CO is greater than the predetermined distance d, it is determined that the contact center position CO is significantly deviated from the operation area 101B, and if it is deviated, it is determined that no operation has been performed on the operation area 101B.

[0067] Here, the X-coordinate Xw of the contact center position CO obtained by weighting the positions of the three electrode pieces of one electrode 111 by the capacitance values ​​C1 to C3 of each electrode piece without distinguishing between the electrodes 111A to 111E can be calculated using the following equation (6), which is similar to equation (4). Xw=k×{C1×(-1)+C2×(1 / 2)+C3×(1 / 2)} (6)

[0068] Furthermore, the Y coordinate Yw of the contact center position CO obtained by weighting the positions of the three electrode pieces of one electrode 111 by the capacitance values ​​C1 to C3 of each electrode piece without distinguishing between the electrodes 111A to 111E can be calculated using the following equation (7): Yw=k×{C2×(√3 / 2)+C3×(-√3 / 2)} (7)

[0069] In this embodiment, the centers Ce1, Ce2, and Ce3 of the electrode pieces 111C1 to 111C3 are determined using the center C of the electrode 111C as the reference position, but any position may be used as the reference position.

[0070] Furthermore, since the positions of the centers Ce1, Ce2, and Ce3, the predetermined distance d set accordingly, and the contact center position CO are all essentially multiplied by a constant k, the calculations may be performed with the constant k set to 1. In other words, to determine whether the operation area 101B is significantly deviated from the operation area 101B, it is not necessary to obtain the absolute value of the distance from the center of the electrode to the contact center, but the distance may be obtained as a relative value, such as a predetermined multiple of a numerical value based on the size of the electrode (for example, the distance from the center of the electrode to the center of each electrode piece), and this may be compared with a threshold value.

[0071] <Flowchart> 6 is a flowchart showing an example of the process executed by the determination unit 141. When the process starts, the determination unit 141 executes the following process.

[0072] The determination unit 141 acquires the capacitance values ​​of the three electrode pieces of each electrode 111 from the detection unit 130 (step S1).

[0073] The determination unit 141 calculates the total capacitance Ct of the three electrode pieces of each electrode 111 (step S2).

[0074] The determination unit 141 determines whether or not at least one of the capacitance values ​​of the three electrode pieces for each electrode 111 is equal to or greater than the threshold value TH1 (step S3).

[0075] For the electrode 111 for which it has been determined that at least one of the capacitance values ​​of the three electrode pieces is equal to or greater than the threshold value TH1 (S3: YES), the determination unit 141 performs the process of step S6, which will be described later.

[0076] Furthermore, for an electrode 111 for which it has been determined that none of the capacitance values ​​of the three electrode pieces is equal to or greater than the threshold value TH1 (S3: NO), the determination unit 141 calculates three sums of the capacitance values ​​of two adjacent electrode pieces and determines whether at least one of the three sums is equal to or greater than the threshold value TH2 (step S4). For example, the determination unit 141 calculates three sums: the sum (CA1+CA2) of the capacitance values ​​of adjacent electrode pieces 111A1 and 111A2, the sum (CA2+CA3) of the capacitance values ​​of adjacent electrode pieces 111A2 and 111A3, and the sum (CA3+CA1) of the capacitance values ​​of adjacent electrode pieces 111A3 and 111A1, and determines whether any of the sums is equal to or greater than the threshold value TH2. The determination unit 141 performs the process of step S4 for each electrode 111. Note that steps S3 and S4 correspond to the aforementioned algorithm A.

[0077] For electrodes 111 for which it has been determined that at least one of the three total values ​​is equal to or greater than threshold value TH2 (S4: YES), determination unit 141 performs the process of step S6, which will be described later.

[0078] Furthermore, for an electrode 111 for which it has determined that none of the three total values ​​is equal to or greater than the threshold value TH2 (S4: NO), the determination unit 141 calls from the RAM of the MCU 140 the total value Ct1 of the capacitance values ​​of the three electrode segments calculated in step S2 and the total value Ct2 of the capacitance values ​​of the three electrode segments of one or more electrodes 111 adjacent to that electrode 111, and determines whether the corrected capacitance value CC calculated according to equation (3) is equal to or greater than the threshold value TH3 (step S5). Note that step S5 corresponds to the above-mentioned algorithm B.

[0079] If the determination unit 141 determines that the corrected capacitance value CC is equal to or greater than the threshold value TH3 (S5: YES), the determination unit 141 performs the process of step S6 for that electrode 111.

[0080] The determination unit 141 obtains the X coordinate Xw and the Y coordinate Yw according to equations (6) and (7) (step S6). The X coordinate Xw is the X coordinate of the contact center position obtained by weighting the positions of the three electrode pieces of the electrode 111 with the values ​​of the capacitance values ​​C1 to C3, and the Y coordinate Yw is the Y coordinate of the contact center position obtained by weighting the positions of the three electrode pieces of the electrode 111 with the values ​​of the capacitance values ​​C1 to C3.

[0081] The determination unit 141 determines whether the distance between the position of the center C of the three electrode pieces and the contact center position obtained by weighting the positions of the three electrode pieces according to the capacitance value is equal to or less than a predetermined distance d for the electrode 111 that has been processed in step S6 (step S7).

[0082] When the judgment unit 141 determines that the distance calculated for the electrode 111 for which the processing of step S6 was performed is equal to or less than the predetermined distance d (S7: YES), it determines that a pressing operation has been performed on the operation area 101B corresponding to the electrode 111 for which the processing of step S6 was performed, and vibration is imparted to the input device 100, and a predetermined control corresponding to the pressing operation of the symbol is performed on a vehicle or the like in which the input device 100 is mounted.

[0083] Furthermore, if the determination unit 141 determines that the calculated distance is not equal to or less than the predetermined distance d (S7: NO), it determines that no pressing operation has been performed on the operation region 101B corresponding to the electrode 111 for which the process of step S6 has been performed.

[0084] Furthermore, if the judgment unit 141 determines in step S5 that the correction capacitance value CC is not greater than or equal to the threshold value TH3 (S5: NO), it determines that no pressing operation has been performed on the operation area 101B corresponding to the electrode 111 that is the subject of judgment in step S5.

[0085] This completes the process shown in Fig. 6. The determination unit 141 repeatedly executes the process shown in Fig. 6 at a predetermined control period.

[0086] As described above, the judgment unit 141 calculates the sum Ct1 of the capacitance values ​​of the three electrode pieces of a certain electrode 111 and the sum Ct2 of the capacitance values ​​of the three electrode pieces of one or more electrodes 111 adjacent to that electrode 111, and determines whether an operation input has been made to electrode 111C based on whether the corrected capacitance value CC, which is the difference value obtained by subtracting the value obtained by multiplying the sum Ct2 by the coefficient k from the sum Ct1, is greater than or equal to the threshold value TH3 (algorithm B, step S5).

[0087] Therefore, it is possible to provide the input device 100 that can accurately determine the operation input that the operating body is making to the operation target, regardless of the size of the operating body. When the operation input is made by operating bodies of various sizes, such as the pad of a finger FC or the palm P, the area of ​​contact with the operation surface 101A differs in plan view, and therefore the capacitance between each electrode 111 and the operating body differs even if the distance in the Z direction between each electrode 111 and the operating body is the same. However, by comparing the above-described correction capacitance value CC with the threshold value TH3, it is possible to accurately determine that a pressing operation has been made, regardless of the size of the operating body.

[0088] When the operation surface 101A of the soft pad 101, which is made of elastic material such as foam, is pressed downward to a predetermined depth, the distance between the operation object and the electrodes changes, causing a change in capacitance. Therefore, based on the capacitance, it is possible to detect that the operation surface 101A has been pressed downward to a predetermined depth. Since the soft pad 101 is considered to be an elastic body with a predetermined spring constant, detecting the distance between the operation object and the electrodes is equivalent to detecting the pressing force, and therefore, it can be used essentially as a pressure sensor. While pressure sensors such as strain elements or piezoelectric elements can be used to detect pressing operations, this requires using an electrostatic sensor to detect proximity and forming the pressure sensor using strain elements or piezoelectric elements, which can result in an expensive input device overall. Because the input device 100 can detect the position of pressing operations based on capacitance, it can detect pressing operations essentially in the same way as if it were using a pressure sensor, even without using a strain or piezoelectric pressure sensor. Because it does not include a strain or piezoelectric pressure sensor in addition to the electrostatic method, the input device 100 capable of detecting pressing operations can be realized at low cost.

[0089] The above describes a mode in which the determination unit 141 determines whether a pressing operation has been performed. A pressing operation is an operation in which the operation surface 101A of the soft pad 101 is pressed downward to a predetermined depth. The electrostatic sensor 110 is not limited to pressing operations on the soft pad 101, but can also detect proximity operations in which the electrostatic sensor 110 moves away from the operation surface 101A without contacting it or approaches it to a certain extent, and contact operations in which the electrostatic sensor 110 basically contacts the operation surface 101A without pressing it. Therefore, the determination unit 141 can perform the same process for proximity operations and contact operations as the determination process for the pressing operation described above, and in this case, it is also possible to detect the distance from the electrode regardless of the size of the operating object.

[0090] Further, each of the plurality of electrodes 111 includes a plurality of electrode pieces, and when the capacitance value of any of the plurality of electrode pieces included in the electrode 111 corresponding to any of the plurality of operation areas 101B is equal to or greater than a first threshold value TH1, the determination unit 141 determines that an operation input by the operating object has been made to the operation area 101B corresponding to the electrode 111. When none of the capacitance values ​​of the plurality of electrode pieces is equal to or greater than the first threshold value TH1, the determination unit 141 determines that an operation input by the operating object has been made to the operation area 101B corresponding to one electrode 111, based on a capacitance value CC that is a difference value obtained by subtracting a value obtained by multiplying a coefficient k by a sum Ct2 of the capacitance values ​​of the plurality of electrode pieces included in an electrode 111 adjacent to the one electrode 111 from a sum Ct1 of the capacitance values ​​of the plurality of electrode pieces included in the one electrode 111 of the plurality of electrodes 111.

[0091] Therefore, in a configuration in which each electrode 111 is divided into a plurality of electrode pieces, it is possible to detect an operation input by an operating object with a small area, such as a fingertip FT. Also, in a configuration in which each electrode 111 is divided into a plurality of electrode pieces, it is possible to determine which part of the plurality of electrode pieces of each electrode 111 the operation input corresponds to. Therefore, it is possible to provide an input device 100 that can more accurately determine the operation input that the operating object is making to the operation target, regardless of the size of the operating object.

[0092] Furthermore, when a capacitance value CC, which is a difference value obtained by subtracting the sum Ct2 multiplied by a coefficient k from the sum Ct1, is equal to or greater than a second threshold TH3, and when the distance between a contact center CO obtained by weighting the centers Ce1, Ce2, and Ce3 of multiple electrode pieces included in one electrode 111 and the center C of the electrode 111 is equal to or less than a predetermined distance d, the determination unit 141 determines that an operation input has been made by the operating object to the operation region 101B corresponding to one electrode 111. Therefore, depending on the distance between the center C of the electrode 111 and the contact center CO obtained by weighting, it is possible to determine that an operation input has been made when the position of the operation input is toward the center, and to determine that an operation input has not been made when the position of the operation input is outside the center. Therefore, it is possible to provide an input device 100 that can more accurately determine an operation input made by the operating object to an operation target depending on the distance between the center position of multiple electrode pieces included in the electrode 111 and the contact center CO obtained by weighting.

[0093] Furthermore, since each electrode 111 is larger than the corresponding operation area 101B in a plan view and includes the corresponding operation area 101B, a capacitance value can be obtained even when an operation input is performed outside the operation area 101B, thereby providing an input device 100 that can perform operation input over a wide range. In particular, when each electrode 111 is divided into a plurality of electrode pieces, it can be determined that no operation input is being performed when an operation input is performed outside the operation area 101B at a position significantly deviated from the center of each operation area 101B corresponding to the end of one of the electrode pieces, and it is possible to provide an input device 100 that can more accurately determine an operation input performed by an operating body on an operation target.

[0094] Furthermore, since the multiple electrode pieces have shapes obtained by radially dividing electrode 111 in a planar view, it is possible to determine the position at which the operation input is being performed among the multiple regions obtained by radially dividing the entire electrode 111 in a planar view.

[0095] The input device 100 further includes a soft pad 101 made of a foam material that is placed on top of the plurality of electrodes 111, and the plurality of operation areas 101B are located on the operation surface 101A of the soft pad 101, so that operation input can be performed by pressing the soft pad 101, and it is possible to provide an input device 100 that can accurately determine whether a pressing operation has been performed on the soft pad 101.

[0096] Furthermore, the input device 100 includes an actuator 120 capable of transmitting vibrations to the soft pad 101, and a drive control unit 142 that drives the vibration element when the determination unit 141 determines that an operation input has been made using an operating object. Therefore, when the determination unit 141 determines that an operation input has been made, it is possible to provide an input device 100 that can notify the user of the completion of the operation input by presenting vibrations.

[0097] Note that, when a capacitance value CC, which is a difference value obtained by subtracting a value obtained by multiplying the second sum Ct2 by a coefficient k from the first sum Ct1, is equal to or greater than a second threshold value TH3, and when a ratio of a maximum value to a minimum value among the capacitance values ​​of the plurality of electrode pieces included in one electrode 111 is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the determination unit 141 may determine that an operation input has been made by the operating object to the operation area 101B corresponding to one electrode 111. By making such a determination, it is possible to determine that an operation input has not been made by a simpler process when an operation input has been made outside the operation area 101B at a position corresponding to an end of any one of the electrode pieces, without calculating the distance from the contact center position obtained by weighting the positions of the plurality of electrode pieces included in one electrode 111 relative to the center position of the plurality of electrode pieces included in one electrode 111 according to the capacitance values ​​of the plurality of electrode pieces. This makes it possible to provide an input device 100 that can more accurately determine an operation input made by the operating object to an operation target.

[0098] Also, in the above description, the thresholds of TH1 and TH2 are set assuming that the distances from the electrodes are the same value, that is, the pushing-in amount is the same position K. More specifically, TH1 is set to a threshold value such that the state of the fingertip FT shown in FIG. 3A (the state within the area of one electrode piece) can be detected at the position K. Also, TH2 is set such that the threshold value TH2 is about 1.4 to 2 times that of TH1 so that the state of the fingertip FT shown in FIG. 3B (the state straddling two electrode pieces) can be detected at the position K. However, the threshold value of TH3 is set assuming a position K' where the pushing-in amount is less than that at the position K. More specifically, TH3 assumes the state of pressing with the palm shown in FIG. 4A at a position K' where the pushing-in amount is less than that at the position K. This is because the palm has a larger area than the fingertip, and the same pressure can be applied with a smaller pushing-in amount compared to the case of pushing with the fingertip. Since it is used as a pressure sensor in the present embodiment, it is for determining that a predetermined operation has been performed when a certain pressure or more is reached.

[0099] In this case as well, the determination of the pushing-in amount of the palm in step S5 can be made with higher accuracy compared to the case where no correction is made.

[0100] Also, in the present embodiment, the plurality of electrodes 111 are arranged in a row, but they may be arranged in a matrix in a plan view. In this case, the determination unit 141 determines that an operation input by the operating body has been performed on the operation area 101B corresponding to one electrode 111 based on the capacitance value CC, which is a difference value obtained by subtracting from the capacitance value of one electrode 111 among the plurality of electrodes 111 a value obtained by multiplying the total capacitance value of α (α is an integer of 2 or more) electrodes 111 adjacent to the periphery of the one electrode 111 by a coefficient k (0 < k < 1 / α). However, strictly for correction, it is necessary to consider that the correction value does not become negative, and the coefficient k needs to be less than 1 / (the number of electrodes adjacent to the periphery). Therefore, even when the plurality of electrodes 111 are arranged in a matrix in a plan view, an input device 100 that can accurately determine the operation input performed by the operating body on the operation target regardless of the size of the operating body can be provided.

[0101] <Modification> Fig. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of an electrostatic sensor 110M according to a modified example of the embodiment. Like the electrostatic sensor 110 shown in Fig. 2, the electrostatic sensor 110M has electrodes 111A to 111E, but Fig. 7 shows electrode 111E located at the end on the -X direction side and a part of the second electrode 111D.

[0102] Electrostatic sensor 110M has a configuration in which dummy electrode 115 is added to the −X direction side of electrode 111E located at the end of electrostatic sensor 110M on the −X direction side. Dummy electrode 115 may also be provided on the +X direction side of electrode 111A at the end on the +X direction side.

[0103] The dummy electrode 115 is connected to the detection unit 130, and the capacitance value of the dummy electrode 115 is input to the determination unit 141 via the detection unit 130. The dummy electrode 115 is disposed adjacent to an electrode 111 located at an end of the plurality of electrodes 111, and is a dummy electrode used for calculating a capacitance value CC, which is a difference in capacitance values. The dummy electrode is used only for calculating the difference in capacitance values, and does not have an operation area 101B corresponding to the dummy electrode 115.

[0104] 2, electrode 111E is adjacent to only electrode 111D, but in this modification, when calculating capacitance value CC for electrode 111E, which is a difference in capacitance value, the capacitance value CC can be calculated by multiplying the sum of the capacitance value of electrode 111D and the capacitance value of dummy electrode 115 by coefficient k from the capacitance value of electrode 111E. As a result, for electrode 111E located at the edge, capacitance value CC, which is a difference, can be calculated taking into account the capacitance values ​​of electrode 111D and dummy electrode 115 on both sides. This improves symmetry with electrodes 111B to 111D, which have electrodes 111 on both sides. As a result, it is possible to provide input device 100 that can more accurately determine the operation input performed by the operating body on the operation target, even for electrode 111E located at the edge, regardless of the size of the operating body.

[0105] The input device 100 of the present disclosure can be used for purposes other than in-vehicle applications. In this embodiment, steps S3 to S5 are performed to determine that a predetermined operation has been performed when a certain amount of pressure is applied by a fingertip or palm using the electrostatic sensor 110 for pressure detection. However, the electrostatic sensor 110 can also be used as a proximity or contact sensor, and at least one of steps S3 and S4 can be omitted. Steps S6 and S7 in this embodiment can also be omitted.

[0106] Furthermore, in the input device 100 of this embodiment, the electrode is divided into three electrode pieces, but this is not limited to three. Furthermore, it may be formed from a single electrode without being divided. If it is formed from a single electrode, steps S4, S6, and S7 cannot be performed and are therefore omitted. In S3, it is determined whether the measured capacitance value is equal to or greater than a threshold value TH1, and in S5, the capacitance value of the adjacent electrode is subtracted from the measured capacitance value to obtain a corrected capacitance value, and it is determined whether the corrected capacitance value is equal to or greater than a threshold value TH3.

[0107] The above describes an input device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, but the present disclosure is not limited to the specifically disclosed embodiment, and various modifications and variations are possible without departing from the scope of the claims.

[0108] This international application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2022-102202, filed on June 24, 2022, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. [Explanation of symbols]

[0109] 100 Input Device 101 Soft pad (example of covering part) 101A Operation surface 101B Operation area 110 Electrostatic Sensor 111, 111A to 111E electrodes (examples of multiple electrodes) 111A1 to 111A3, 111C1 to 111C3: Electrode pieces (examples of multiple electrode pieces) 120 Actuator (an example of a vibration element) 130 Detector 140 MCU 141 Judgment section 142 Drive control unit

Claims

1. a plurality of electrodes respectively arranged on the rear side of the plurality of operation areas in correspondence with the plurality of operation areas arranged adjacent to each other; a detection unit that detects capacitance values ​​of the plurality of electrodes; a determination unit that determines, based on a plurality of capacitance values ​​detected by the detection unit, that an operation input has been made to any one of the plurality of operation areas by an operating object; Including, The determination unit determines that an operation input has been made by the operating object to an operation area corresponding to one of the plurality of electrodes based on a difference value obtained by subtracting a value obtained by multiplying a capacitance value of an electrode adjacent to the one electrode by a coefficient k (0 < k < 1) from the capacitance value of the one electrode among the plurality of electrodes.

2. each of the plurality of electrodes includes a plurality of electrode pieces; The determination unit When a capacitance value of any of the plurality of electrode pieces included in an electrode corresponding to any of the plurality of operation areas is equal to or greater than a first threshold value, it is determined that an operation input has been performed by the operating object in the operation area corresponding to the electrode; 2. The input device according to claim 1, wherein, when the capacitance value of any of the plurality of electrode pieces is not equal to or greater than the first threshold, it is determined that an operation input has been performed by the operating object in the operation area corresponding to one of the plurality of electrodes based on a difference value obtained by subtracting a value obtained by multiplying a second sum of the capacitance values ​​of the plurality of electrode pieces included in an electrode adjacent to the one of the plurality of electrodes by the coefficient k from a first sum of the capacitance values ​​of the plurality of electrode pieces included in the one of the plurality of electrodes.

3. 3. The input device according to claim 2, wherein the determination unit determines that an operation input has been performed by the operating object in the operation area corresponding to the one electrode when a difference value obtained by subtracting the value obtained by multiplying the second sum by the coefficient k from the first sum is equal to or greater than a second threshold value, and when a distance between a contact center position obtained by weighting a center position of the plurality of electrode pieces included in the one electrode and the center of the electrode is equal to or less than a predetermined distance.

4. 3. The input device according to claim 2, wherein the determination unit determines that an operation input has been performed by the operating object to an operation area corresponding to the one electrode when a difference value obtained by subtracting the value obtained by multiplying the second sum value by the coefficient k from the first sum value is equal to or greater than a second threshold value, and when a ratio of a maximum value to a minimum value among the capacitance values ​​of the plurality of electrode pieces included in the one electrode is equal to or greater than a predetermined value.

5. The input device according to claim 1 , wherein each electrode is larger than a corresponding operation area in a plan view and includes the corresponding operation area.

6. The input device according to claim 2 , wherein the plurality of electrode pieces have shapes obtained by radially dividing the electrode in a plan view.

7. the plurality of electrodes are arranged in a matrix in a plan view, 5. The input device according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit determines that an operation input has been performed by the operating object to an operation area corresponding to one of the plurality of electrodes, based on a difference value obtained by subtracting a value obtained by multiplying the sum of capacitance values ​​of α (α is an integer of 2 or more) electrodes adjacent to the one electrode by a coefficient k (0 < k < 1 / α) from the capacitance value of the one electrode among the plurality of electrodes.

8. further including a dummy electrode disposed adjacent to an electrode located at an end of the plurality of electrodes and used for calculating a difference in capacitance value; 5. The input device according to claim 1, wherein, when one of the plurality of electrodes is located at the end, the determination unit determines that an operation input has been performed by the operating object to an operation area corresponding to the one electrode based on a difference value obtained by subtracting a capacitance value of the dummy electrode from a capacitance value of the one electrode.

9. The electrode assembly further includes a foam covering portion disposed over the plurality of electrodes, The input device according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of operation areas are located on a surface of the covering portion.

10. a vibration element capable of transmitting vibration to the covering portion; a drive control unit that drives the vibration element when the determination unit determines that an operation input has been performed by the operation object; and The input device of claim 9 further comprising:

Images