Indication device

Abstract

To provide a display apparatus with touch sensor, configured to improve input accuracy and reduce cost.SOLUTION: A display apparatus 1 includes: an enclosure 2 equipped with a display 5 having a touch sensor for finger input; and an enclosure 3 equipped with a display 6 having a touch sensor for pen input. By superimposing the enclosure 2 on the enclosure 3, the display 5 and the display 6 overlap with each other.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a display device. [Background technology]

[0002] Some products, such as laptops and smartphones, have dual screens and can be folded. These products often use touch or pen input as input devices instead of external input devices such as a keyboard or mouse.

[0003] Patent document 1 discloses a configuration that includes a hybrid touch sensor that incorporates both electromagnetic induction and capacitive touch sensors, and that can simultaneously sense capacitive touch input and electromagnetic induction pen input on the same screen. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In order to improve input accuracy in a display device with a touch sensor, it is desirable to apply a hybrid method that allows both touch input and pen input, as in Patent Document 1. However, when applying this method to a display device with multiple screens, it is necessary to install two touch sensors, one corresponding to touch input and one corresponding to pen input, on each of the multiple screens, which causes a problem of increased cost.

[0005] The present invention provides Two touch sensors are installed on separate screens, one for touch input and one for pen input. In the display device, Use only one screen and more reliably utilize the touch sensors for both finger and pen input. The purpose is to: [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above-described problems, a display device according to one aspect of the present invention includes a first housing on which a first screen having a touch sensor for finger input is mounted, and a second housing on which a second screen having a touch sensor for pen input is mounted, and is configured such that the first screen and the second screen are superimposed by superimposing the first housing and the second housing; The device is configured to include a connecting portion that foldably connects the first housing and the second housing, and to overlap the first screen and the second screen by folding the first housing and the second housing via the connecting portion; and a control portion, wherein the first screen and the second screen are connected by the connecting portion so as to face the same direction when the first housing and the second housing are unfolded and to face opposite directions when the first housing and the second housing are folded; and when the first housing and the second housing are unfolded, the control portion sets the movement direction of the touch pen by the touch sensor for pen input to the movement direction on the second screen, and when the first housing and the second housing are folded and only the first screen is being used, switches the movement direction of the touch pen by the touch sensor for pen input to the movement direction on the first screen. do. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] Two touch sensors are installed on separate screens, one for touch input and one for pen input. In the display device, Use only one screen and more reliably utilize the touch sensors for both finger and pen input. It is possible. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a display device according to an embodiment; [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a display device according to a first embodiment; [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the hovering amount of the display device according to the first embodiment; [Figure 4] Schematic diagram illustrating the amount of hovering of a display device in a folded state [Figure 5] Functional block diagram for switching the detection direction of an electromagnetic induction touch sensor [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating the amount of hovering of the display device according to the second embodiment; [Figure 7] Schematic diagram illustrating the amount of hovering of a display device in a folded state [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a display device according to a third embodiment; [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a display device according to a fourth embodiment; [Figure 10] 10A and 10B are schematic diagrams illustrating the amount of hovering of the display device in the folded state. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. To facilitate understanding of the description, the same components in the drawings will be denoted by the same reference numerals as much as possible, and duplicated descriptions will be omitted.

[0010] [First embodiment] A first embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 5. A display device 1 according to this embodiment is a display device with a touch sensor, and is equipped with two displays 5 and 6.

[0011] Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a display device 1 according to an embodiment. As shown in Fig. 1, the display device 1 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 201, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 202, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 203, an SSD (Solid State Drive) 204, a network I / F 205, and an external device connection I / F (Interface) 206.

[0012] Of these, the CPU 201 controls the overall operation of the display device 1. The ROM 202 stores programs used to drive the CPU 201, such as the CPU 201 and an IPL (Initial Program Loader). The RAM 203 is used as a work area for the CPU 201. The SSD 204 stores various data, such as programs for the display device. The network controller 205 controls communication with the communication network 100. The external device connection I / F 206 is an interface for connecting various external devices. In this case, the external devices are, for example, a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory 230 and external devices (a microphone 240, a speaker 250, a camera 260).

[0013] The display device 1 also includes a capture device 211, a GPU 212, a display controller 213, a contact sensor 214, a sensor controller 215, an electronic pen controller 216, a short-range communication circuit 219, an antenna 219a of the short-range communication circuit 219, a power switch 222, and selection switches 223.

[0014] Of these, capture device 211 displays video information as still images or moving images on the display of an external PC (Personal Computer) 270. Furthermore, capture device 211 (electronic device) captures a video signal input from a connected device via a video terminal and displays it on a display device (display unit) of the device itself, such as displays 5 and 6. Video terminals include digital terminals such as HDMI (registered trademark), DP (Display Port), and DVI, as well as analog terminals such as RGB and composite. Furthermore, connected devices that serve as source devices for video signals include video playback devices such as DVD recorders and digital cameras in addition to PC 270 shown in FIG. 1.

[0015] The GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) 212 is a semiconductor chip specialized in graphics. The display controller 213 controls and manages screen display to output images from the GPU 212 to the displays 5, 6, etc. The contact sensor 214 detects contact of the displays 5, 6 with an electronic pen 290, a user's hand H, or the like. The sensor controller 215 controls the processing of the contact sensor 214. The contact sensor 214 inputs and detects coordinates using an infrared blocking method. This coordinate input and coordinate detection method involves two light receiving and emitting devices installed at both ends of the upper sides of the displays 5, 6 emitting multiple infrared rays parallel to the displays 5, 6, and receiving the light reflected by reflecting members installed around the displays 5, 6 and returning along the same optical path as the light emitted by the light receiving elements. The contact sensor 214 outputs the IDs of the infrared rays radiated by the two light receiving and emitting devices that were blocked by an object to the sensor controller 215, and the sensor controller 215 identifies the coordinate position, which is the contact position of the object. The electronic pen controller 216 communicates with the electronic pen 290 to determine whether the pen tip or the pen tail has touched the displays 5 and 6. The short-range communication circuit 219 is a communication circuit such as NFC (Near Field Communication) or Bluetooth (registered trademark). The power switch 222 is a switch for turning the power of the display device 1 on and off. The selection switches 223 are a group of switches for adjusting, for example, the brightness and color of the display of the displays 5 and 6.

[0016] The display device 1 further includes a bus line 210. The bus line 210 is an address bus, a data bus, or the like for electrically connecting the components such as the CPU 201 shown in FIG.

[0017] The contact sensor 214 is not limited to an infrared blocking type, and various detection means may be used, such as a capacitive touch panel that identifies the contact position by detecting a change in capacitance, a resistive film touch panel that identifies the contact position by a change in voltage between two opposing resistive films, or an electromagnetic induction touch panel that identifies the contact position by detecting electromagnetic induction caused by a contacting object coming into contact with the display unit. Also, the electronic pen controller 216 may determine whether or not the part of the electronic pen 290 that the user grips or other parts of the electronic pen have been touched, in addition to the pen tip and pen butt.

[0018] The display device 1 of this embodiment may be configured not to include the microphone 240, the speaker 250, the camera 260, the motion sensor 224, and the capture device 211. If the display device 1 of this embodiment is implemented as a controller-less display device, it may not be configured to include the control unit 21. In this case, the sensor controller 215 is configured to be connectable to an external PC 270 or the like, and the display device 1 is controlled by the external PC 270.

[0019] Fig. 2 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of the display device 1 according to the first embodiment. Fig. 2(A) shows the display device 1 in an unfolded state, (B) shows the display device 1 in the middle of being folded, and (C) shows the display device 1 in a completely folded state.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 2, the display device 1 according to the first embodiment is a display device with a touch sensor, and is equipped with two displays 5 and 6.

[0021] The display device 1 includes a housing 2 (first housing), a housing 3 (second housing), and a connecting part 4. The housings 2 and 3 are both rectangular, flat members, and the shapes and sizes of their main surfaces are formed to be substantially the same.

[0022] The connecting portion 4 is fixed to one side of each of the rectangular shapes of the housing 2 and the housing 3. The connecting portion 4 is a rotatable member such as a hinge, and is installed so that the rotation axis is disposed along one side of the rectangular shapes of the housing 2 and the housing 3. As a result, the connecting portion 4 can connect the housing 2 and the housing 3 in a foldable manner, as shown in FIGS. 2(B) and (C).

[0023] 2(A), when unfolded, the housings 2 and 3 are arranged in parallel on both sides of the connecting part 4, with the connecting part 4 at the center, and a display 5 (first screen) and a display 6 (second screen) are provided on the main surfaces facing the same direction. In other words, when unfolded, the two displays 5 and 6 are arranged in parallel.

[0024] The display 5 mounted on the housing 2 has a touch sensor for finger input, while the display 6 mounted on the housing 3 has a touch sensor for pen input.

[0025] In the first embodiment, the touch sensor for finger input mounted on the display 5 is a capacitance type touch sensor, and the touch sensor for pen input mounted on the display 6 is an electromagnetic induction type touch sensor.

[0026] As shown in Fig. 2(C), the display device 1 is configured such that the display 5 and the display 6 are overlapped by overlapping the housing 2 and the housing 3. As shown in Figs. 2(B) and 2(C), the housing 2 and the housing 3 are folded via the connecting portion 4, so that the housing 2 and the housing 3 are overlapped, and the display 5 and the display 6 are overlapped.

[0027] Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating the hovering amount of the display device 1 according to the first embodiment. Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating the hovering amount of the display device 1 in the folded state.

[0028] Here, "hovering amount" refers to the maximum distance from the surface of the touch panel where a touch can be detected, as shown in Figures 3 and 4. The hovering amount differs depending on the touch sensor type.

[0029] The hovering amount h1 of the capacitive touch sensor mounted on display 5 is approximately several mm. On the other hand, the hovering amount h2 of the electromagnetic induction touch sensor mounted on display 6 is approximately several tens of mm. In other words, in the display device of the first embodiment, the hovering amount h2 of the touch sensor for pen input mounted on display 6 is larger than the hovering amount h1 of the touch sensor for finger input mounted on display 5.

[0030] In particular, in this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 4, it is preferable that the hovering amount h2 of the electromagnetic induction touch sensor be set to be larger than the thickness T1 of the housing 2 in the overlapping direction. As a result, when the housings 2 and 3 are folded and stacked for use as shown in Fig. 4, if the display 6 equipped with the electromagnetic induction touch sensor is on the bottom, the hovering amount h2 is large, and the detection distance penetrates the upper display 5 equipped with the capacitive touch sensor, allowing pen input to be detected. It is also possible to detect finger input on the display 5. Therefore, from the user's perspective, it is possible to use only one display 5 on the top surface and use the touch sensor for both finger input and pen input.

[0031] As described above, in the first embodiment, even if two displays 5 and 6 are each equipped with a separate touch sensor, overlapping the displays 5 and 6 makes it possible to accommodate both pen input and finger input, and to accurately detect pen input and finger input simultaneously. Furthermore, even if you want to use both finger input and pen input, there is no need to equip one display with two types of touch sensors, which reduces the cost of the touch sensors.

[0032] The two displays 5 and 6 of the display device 1 are connected by a connecting portion 4 so that they face the same direction when the housings 2 and 3 are unfolded, as shown in Fig. 3, and face opposite directions when the housings 2 and 3 are folded, as shown in Fig. 4. Therefore, when the housings 2 and 3 are folded and the two displays 5 and 6 are superimposed on each other, as shown in Fig. 4, the detection direction of the electromagnetic induction touch sensor of the lower display 6 is reversed, so it is preferable that the display device 1 implements control to switch the detection direction of the electromagnetic induction touch sensor to the opposite direction. An example of this control will be described with reference to Fig. 5.

[0033] Fig. 5 is a functional block diagram related to switching of the detection direction of an electromagnetic induction touch sensor. The control unit 21 shown in Fig. 5 corresponds to the control unit 21 including the CPU 201 shown in Fig. 1, for example. The control unit 21 includes an overlap detection unit 217 and a detection direction switching unit 218 as functions related to switching of the detection direction of the electromagnetic induction touch sensor.

[0034] The overlap detection unit 217 detects that the connecting unit 4 has rotated to the folded state, thereby detecting that the two displays 5, 6 are overlapping. A method for detecting that the connecting unit 4 has rotated to the folded state may be, for example, a method of measuring the rotation angle of the connecting unit 4. Alternatively, a contact detection unit such as a contact sensor or switch may be provided on the back side of the main surfaces of the housings 2, 3 on the side on which the displays 5, 6 are not disposed, i.e., on the surfaces that face each other and come into contact when folded, and it may be determined that the folded state shown in FIG. 4 has been reached when the contact detection unit detects that the back sides of the housings 2, 3 have come into contact with each other.

[0035] The detection direction switching unit 218 switches the detection direction of the electromagnetic induction touch sensor to the opposite direction when the overlap detection unit 217 detects that the two displays 5, 6 are overlapped. The detection direction switching unit 218 transmits a switching command to, for example, the electronic pen controller 216 shown in Fig. 1, and the electronic pen controller 216 switches the detection direction of the magnetic induction touch sensor in response to receiving the command.

[0036] As a result, when the housings 2 and 3 are unfolded, the control unit 21 can set the detection direction of the touch sensor for pen input to the display direction of the display 6, and when the housings 2 and 3 are folded, the control unit 21 can switch the detection direction of the touch sensor for pen input to the display direction of the display 5.

[0037] In the first embodiment, by implementing such switching control, when the housings 2 and 3 are folded and the two displays 5 and 6 are superimposed, it is possible to more reliably use the touch sensors for both finger input and pen input by using only one display 5 on the top surface.

[0038] [Second embodiment] The second embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 6 and 7. Figure 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating the hovering amount of a display device 1A according to the second embodiment. Figure 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating the hovering amount of the display device 1A in the folded state.

[0039] As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, in the display device 1A of the second embodiment, a display 7 (first screen) is mounted on a housing 2. The touch sensor for finger input mounted on the display 7 is a pressure-sensitive touch sensor. A pressure-sensitive touch sensor is a sensor that detects physical touches through pressure. Therefore, the phenomenon known as hovering, which occurs in other types of touch sensors and detects a touch even when the screen is not touched, does not occur. Therefore, in the case of a pressure-sensitive touch sensor, the hovering amount is zero.

[0040] In the display device 1A of the second embodiment, as in the first embodiment, when the housings 2 and 3 are folded and stacked as shown in FIG. 7, if the display 6 equipped with an electromagnetic induction system is on the bottom, the hovering amount h2 is greater than the thickness T of the housing 2, and the detection distance penetrates the upper display 7 equipped with a pressure-sensitive touch sensor, allowing pen input to be detected. It is also possible to detect finger input on the display 7. Therefore, from the user's perspective, it is possible to utilize the touch sensor for both finger input and pen input using only one display 7 on the top surface. Therefore, the display device 1A of the second embodiment can achieve the same effects as the first embodiment.

[0041] [Third embodiment] The third embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 8. Fig. 8 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a display device 1B according to the third embodiment. The overview of Fig. 8 is the same as Fig. 2, with (A) showing the display device at the time of unfolding, (B) showing the display device in the middle of overlapping, and (C) showing the display device at the time of completion of overlapping.

[0042] 8, the display device 1B of the third embodiment includes a detachable part 8 that detachably connects the housing 2 and the housing 3. The detachable part 8 is an element that replaces the connecting part 4 of the first and second embodiments.

[0043] The detachable unit 8 has a first member 8A fixed to the housing 2 and a second member 8B fixed to the housing 3. The first member 8A and the second member 8B are fixed to one side of the rectangular shapes of the housings 2 and 3, respectively. The first member 8A and the second member 8B are formed in a structure that allows them to be connected to each other as shown in FIG. 8(A) and to be separated from each other as shown in FIG. 8(B). The first member 8A and the second member 8B may also be configured to be connected to each other even when the displays 5 and 6 are overlapping as shown in FIG. 8(C).

[0044] In the display device 1B of the third embodiment, the detachable section 8 separates the connected housing 2 and housing 3 as shown in FIG. 8(B), and the separated housings 2 and 3 are superimposed on each other as shown in FIG. 8(C), thereby superimposing the display 5 and display 6.

[0045] Even if the two displays 5 and 6 are not rotatably connected, as in the display device 1B of the third embodiment, the display 5 and the display 6 can be superimposed using the detachable part 8, and therefore the display device 1B of the third embodiment can achieve the same effect as the first embodiment.

[0046] [Fourth embodiment] The fourth embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 9 and 10. Figure 9 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a display device 1C according to the fourth embodiment. Figure 10 is a schematic diagram showing the hovering amount of the display device 1C in the folded state.

[0047] In the display device 1C of the fourth embodiment, the display 9 mounted on the housing 2 is not provided with a touch sensor. On the other hand, the display 10 mounted on the housing 3 is provided with an infrared scanning touch sensor. The infrared scanning touch sensor can detect both pen input and manual input, as shown in FIG.

[0048] The display device 1C of the fourth embodiment is configured such that the housing 2 is superimposed on the housing 3, thereby superimposing the display 9 on the display 10. The hovering amount h3 of the infrared scanning touch sensor is set to be larger than the thickness T2 of the housing 2 in the superimposing direction.

[0049] An infrared scanning touch sensor is a system that irradiates infrared rays parallel to the surface of display 10 and detects the interruption of the infrared rays to determine the point of touch. For this reason, as shown in FIG. 9, an infrared scanning touch sensor typically has an infrared emitting unit 10A and a light receiving unit 10B on the edge of display 10, with the edge being higher than the screen. The height of infrared emitting unit 10A and light receiving unit 10B is related to the hovering amount h3 of the infrared scanning touch sensor. Generally, the height of infrared emitting unit 10A and light receiving unit 10B, i.e., the height of the edge of display 10 on which the infrared scanning touch sensor is mounted, determines the hovering amount h3 of the infrared scanning touch sensor.

[0050] Therefore, as shown in FIG. 10, when a display 10 equipped with an infrared scanning touch sensor is overlapped with a display 9 not equipped with a touch sensor, if the thickness of the display 9 is sufficiently thinner than the height of the edge of the display 10, the infrared scanning touch sensor can detect the touch even when the display 9 not equipped with a touch sensor is touched, so the user can feel as if it has the ability to sense touches.

[0051] In this way, even if a display device including two displays 9, 10 does not have a touch sensor on one of the displays 9, as in the display device 1C of the fourth embodiment, it is possible to use the touch sensor for both finger input and pen input by using only the single display 9 on the top surface with the housings 2, 3 stacked on top of each other. Therefore, the display device 1C of the fourth embodiment can also achieve the same effects as the first embodiment.

[0052] In the display device 1C of the fourth embodiment, it is preferable to perform control so that the infrared scanning touch sensor mounted on the display 10 does not recognize the display 9 as a foreign object even when the display 9 does not have a touch sensor and is placed on top of the display 10. This improves the detection accuracy of the infrared scanning touch sensor.

[0053] The present embodiment has been described above with reference to specific examples. However, the present disclosure is not limited to these specific examples. Design modifications to these specific examples made by a person skilled in the art as appropriate are also included within the scope of the present disclosure as long as they comprise the features of the present disclosure. The elements of each of the above-described specific examples, as well as their arrangement, conditions, shape, etc., are not limited to those exemplified and can be modified as appropriate. The elements of each of the above-described specific examples can be combined in various ways as appropriate, as long as no technical contradictions arise.

[0054] In the above embodiment, the single display device 1, 1A, 1B, 1C is provided with two displays, but may be provided with three or more displays. [Explanation of symbols]

[0055] 1, 1A, 1B, 1C display device 2 cabinets (first cabinet) 3 Case (2nd Case) 4 Connecting part 5, 7, 9 Display (1st screen) 6, 10 Display (second screen) 8 Detachable part 21 Control section [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0056] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6283125

Claims

1. a first housing on which a first screen having a touch sensor for finger input is mounted; a second housing on which a second screen having a touch sensor for pen input is mounted; Equipped with The first screen and the second screen are configured to be superimposed on each other by superimposing the first housing and the second housing, a connecting portion that connects the first housing and the second housing in a foldable manner, The first housing and the second housing are folded via the connecting portion, so that the first screen and the second screen are superimposed on each other, A control unit is provided, the first screen and the second screen are connected by the connecting portion so as to face in the same direction when the first housing and the second housing are unfolded, and to face in opposite directions when the first housing and the second housing are folded, The control unit When the first housing and the second housing are unfolded, a moving direction of the touch pen by the touch sensor for pen input is set to a moving direction on the second screen; when the first housing and the second housing are folded and only the first screen is being used, a moving direction of the touch pen by the touch sensor for pen input is switched to a moving direction on the first screen; Display device.

2. the touch sensor for pen input is an electromagnetic induction type touch sensor, a hovering amount of the electromagnetic induction type touch sensor is set to be larger than a thickness of the first housing in an overlapping direction; The display device according to claim 1 .

3. The touch sensor for finger input is a capacitive touch sensor.

3. The display device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The touch sensor for finger input is a pressure-sensitive touch sensor.

3. The display device according to claim 1 or 2.

5. a first housing on which a first screen having a touch sensor for finger input is mounted; a second housing on which a second screen having a touch sensor for pen input is mounted; Equipped with The first screen and the second screen are configured to be superimposed on each other by superimposing the first housing and the second housing, a detachable portion that detachably connects the first housing and the second housing, the first housing and the second housing are separated from each other by the detachment unit, and the separated first housing and the second housing are superimposed on each other, so that the first screen and the second screen are superimposed on each other; A control unit is provided, the first screen and the second screen face in the same direction when the first housing and the second housing are connected by the detachable unit, and face in opposite directions when the first housing and the second housing are superimposed on each other; The control unit When the first housing and the second housing are connected, a moving direction of the touch pen by the touch sensor for pen input is set to a moving direction on the second screen; when the first housing and the second housing are overlapped and only the first screen is being used, a moving direction of the touch pen by the touch sensor for pen input is switched to a moving direction on the first screen; Display device.

6. the touch sensor for pen input is an electromagnetic induction type touch sensor, a hovering amount of the electromagnetic induction type touch sensor is set to be larger than a thickness of the first housing in an overlapping direction; The display device according to claim 5 .

7. a first housing on which a first screen not provided with a touch sensor is mounted; a second housing on which a second screen having an infrared scanning touch sensor is mounted; Equipped with the first housing is superimposed on the second housing, so that the first screen is superimposed on the second screen; a hovering amount of the infrared scanning touch sensor is set to be larger than a thickness of the first housing in an overlapping direction; Display device.

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