Sensor device and electronic instrument

Abstract

A sensor device according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises a sensor sheet, a reference electrode layer, a deformation layer, a surface layer, and a control unit. The sensor sheet is configured to be capable of detecting a pressure distribution. The reference electrode layer is disposed to face one surface of the sensor sheet and is connected to a reference potential. The deformation layer is disposed between the sensor sheet and the reference electrode layer, and is composed of a flexible material. The surface layer has an input operation surface, is disposed on the other surface of the sensor sheet, and is composed of a non-conductive material. The control unit is configured to be capable of executing, on the basis of the output of the sensor sheet, a first detection process for detecting a contact of a detection target with the input operation surface, and a second detection process for detecting a pressure distribution on the input operation surface and a change over time in the pressure distribution.

Description

Sensor Device and Electronic Device

[0001] The present technology relates to a sensor device and an electronic device capable of detecting a touch operation and a pressing operation.

[0002] As a capacitive sensor capable of detecting a touch operation and a pressing operation, for example, in Patent Document 1, a ground electrode, a first electrode provided on the ground electrode and composed of a plurality of first sub-electrodes, a deformation layer provided between the installation electrode and the first electrode, a second electrode provided on the first electrode and composed of a plurality of second sub-electrodes, and a surface layer provided on the second electrode and having an operation surface are disclosed.

[0003] Further, Patent Document 2 discloses a headset in which a touch sensor is provided in a housing portion worn on a user's ear.

[0004] WO2018 / 025690 Gazette, JP-A-2020-108166

[0005] When wearing a headset equipped with a touch sensor, a blind operation is usually performed on the touch sensor, so the number of buttons that can be arranged is limited and free operation is difficult. Also, there is a method of attaching a recognizable pattern or the like by touching the button, but still the number of buttons is limited to about several at most. If the number of operations is increased in that state, malfunctions increase due to incorrect operations.

[0006] In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present technology is to provide a sensor device capable of realizing various input operations without increasing the number of buttons and an electronic device equipped with the same.

[0007] A sensor device according to one embodiment of this technology comprises a sensor sheet, a reference electrode layer, a deformation layer, a surface layer, and a control unit. The sensor sheet is configured to detect pressure distribution. The reference electrode layer is positioned opposite one side of the sensor sheet and connected to a reference potential. The deformation layer is positioned between the sensor sheet and the reference electrode layer and is made of a flexible material. The surface layer has an input operating surface, is positioned on the other side of the sensor sheet, and is made of a non-conductive material. The control unit is configured to perform a first detection process that detects contact of an object to be detected with the input operating surface based on the output of the sensor sheet, and a second detection process that detects the pressure distribution on the input operating surface and its change over time.

[0008] This technology allows for the detection of input operations that combine touch and pressure operations, enabling a variety of input operations without increasing the number of buttons.

[0009] The control unit may be configured to set a plurality of thresholds for determining the magnitude of the pressing force in multiple stages during the second detection process.

[0010] The control unit may be configured to detect at least one of the location, area, number, or time variation thereof of the region where a pressing force equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold is detected in the second detection process.

[0011] The control unit may have a first control mode that generates a predetermined control command based on a first input operation on the input operation surface, and a second control mode that generates the control command based on a second input operation different from the first input operation, and may be configured to switch the first control mode to the second control mode when the area of ​​the region where the pressing force is detected is greater than or equal to a predetermined value and the pressing force is detected continuously for a first predetermined time or longer during the execution of the first control mode.

[0012] The control unit may be configured to switch the second control mode to the first control mode if, during the execution of the second control mode, the area of ​​the region where the pressing force is detected is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, and the pressing force is detected continuously for a second predetermined time that is the same as or different from the first predetermined time.

[0013] The first input operation may include multiple touch or slide operations on the input operation surface detected by the first detection process. The second input operation may include pressing operations on a predetermined position on the input operation surface detected by the second detection process.

[0014] The control unit may be configured to generate a predetermined control command in the second detection process based on the time change of the pressing force at the multiple positions detected or the time change of the distance between the multiple positions when contact of the object to be detected is detected at multiple positions in the first detection process.

[0015] The control unit may be configured to generate the control command based on the pressure difference between the two positions detected in the second detection process when contact of the object to be detected is detected at two positions in the first detection process.

[0016] The control unit may be configured to generate the control command based on the decrease in the distance between the two positions and the subsequent disappearance of the pressing force at the two positions when the pressing force is detected at two positions in the second detection process.

[0017] The surface layer may have a thickness greater than the thickness of the deformation layer.

[0018] The surface layer may have a thickness of twice or more the thickness of the deformation layer.

[0019] The surface layer may be made of a material with a higher elastic modulus than the deformation layer.

[0020] The sensor sheet may have a sensor electrode layer comprising a flexible substrate and a plurality of capacitive elements arranged in a matrix on one surface of the substrate. Each of the plurality of capacitive elements may have a comb-shaped electrode pair facing each other in a direction parallel to one surface of the substrate.

[0021] The sensor electrode layer may be arranged on the surface of the sensor sheet facing the reference electrode layer.

[0022] An electronic device according to one embodiment of this technology comprises a sensor device. The sensor device includes a sensor sheet, a reference electrode layer, a deformation layer, a surface layer, and a control unit. The sensor sheet is configured to detect pressure distribution. The reference electrode layer is positioned opposite one side of the sensor sheet and connected to a reference potential. The deformation layer is positioned between the sensor sheet and the reference electrode layer and is made of a flexible material. The surface layer has an input operating surface, is positioned on the other side of the sensor sheet, and is made of a non-conductive material. The control unit is configured to perform a first detection process that detects contact of a target to be detected with the input operating surface based on the output of the sensor sheet, and a second detection process that detects the pressure distribution on the input operating surface and its change over time.

[0023] The surface layer may be part of the housing that houses the sensor device.

[0024] The aforementioned electronic device may be a head-mounted electronic device.

[0025] The aforementioned electronic device may be headphones.

[0026] This is a schematic front view showing headphones as an electronic device according to one embodiment of this technology. This is a schematic perspective view of the main part of the headphones. This is a schematic side cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of the main part of the headphones. This is a schematic rear view of the housing of the headphones, schematically showing a sensor device arranged inside the input operation surface. This is a schematic side cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the sensor device. This is a schematic plan view showing one example of the configuration of the sensor sheet in the sensor device. This is a schematic plan view showing one example of the configuration of the sensing part in the sensor device. This is a functional block diagram of the control unit in the sensor device. This is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the relationship between touch sensitivity and pressure sensitivity. This is an explanatory diagram showing the relationship between touch sensitivity and pressure sensitivity set in the sensor device. This is an experimental result showing the dependence of the surface layer thickness on displacement sensitivity. This is an experimental result showing the dependence of the surface layer structure (thickness, flexibility) on load sensitivity. This is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of the operation of the sensor device. This is a schematic diagram illustrating another example of the operation of the headphones. This is a flowchart illustrating an example of a processing procedure executed by the control unit during the operation shown in Figure 14. This is a schematic diagram illustrating yet another example of the operation of the headphones. This is a flowchart illustrating an example of a processing procedure executed by the control unit during the operation shown in Figure 16. This is an explanatory diagram of a modified example of this technology.

[0027] The embodiments of this technology will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0028] [Headphones] Figure 1 is a schematic front view showing headphones 1 as an electronic device according to one embodiment of this technology. Headphones 1 are worn on the head of user U and primarily reproduce the sound of content such as music. Headphones 1 may also have an ambient sound capture function (monitoring function) that captures and reproduces ambient sounds.

[0029] The headphones 1 have a housing portion 2R that is attached to the right ear of user U, a housing portion 2L that is attached to the left ear of user U, and a headband portion 3 that connects these two housing portions 2R and 2L.

[0030] Figure 2 is a schematic perspective view of the main parts of the headphones 1 as seen from the housing portion 2R side. One side of the housing portion 2R has an input operation surface S for performing various operations on the headphones 1, such as play / pause / volume adjustment / track skipping. In this embodiment, the housing 4 of the housing portion 2R is formed in a generally frustoelliptic shape, and the input operation surface S corresponds to a substantially elliptical flat surface that forms the apex of the frustoelliptic shape on the side of the housing 4 opposite to the user U side (earpad 5 side). As will be described later, the input operation surface S has an area that can be simultaneously contacted by two or more fingers of the user U.

[0031] Figure 3 is a schematic side cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of the housing portion 2R. The housing portion 2R includes a sensor device 100 that detects input operations on the input operation surface S and a controller 7 that controls the headphones 1.

[0032] The sensor device 100 is located on the back side of the housing 4, which forms the input operation surface S. The sensor device 100 has a control unit 60. As will be described later, the control unit 60 consists of a semiconductor chip component connected to the sensor sheet 11 that constitutes the sensor device 100, or a circuit board on which it is mounted (see Figure 6). The control unit 60 is located at any position inside the housing 4, for example, on the top surface of the controller.

[0033] The controller 7 includes a communication module for receiving audio signals, a speaker unit for reproducing audio signals, a drive circuit for driving the speaker unit, and a control circuit 71 (see Figure 8) for controlling the drive circuit based on detection signals from the sensor device 100. The communication module may be a wireless module. The controller 7 may also include a battery or the like.

[0034] The controller 7 is located at the bottom of the housing 4 on the ear pad 5 side and controls the entire headphones 1. The controller 7 is electrically connected to the sensor device 100 and performs various operations such as play / stop / volume adjustment / track skipping based on input operations on the input operation surface S.

[0035] The housing portion 2R may further include one or more physical switches, such as buttons, although these are not shown. The other housing portion 2L is configured in the same way as the housing portion 2R described above. The sensor device 100 is located only in the housing portion 2R, but it may also be located in the other housing portion 2L.

[0036] Figure 4 is a schematic rear view of the housing 4 showing the sensor device 100 arranged inside the input operation surface S. As described above, the sensor device 100 is located on the back side of the housing 4 that forms the input operation surface S. The sensor device 100 is composed of a sheet-like member in which a plurality of capacitive elements (sensing parts N) capable of detecting the pressure distribution acting on the input operation surface S are arranged in a matrix. The details of the sensor device 100 will be described below.

[0037] [Sensor device] Figure 5 is a schematic side cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the sensor device 100, and Figure 6 is a schematic plan view showing one example of the configuration of the sensor sheet 10 in the sensor device 100.

[0038] In Figures 5 and 6, the X-axis and Y-axis directions are parallel to the input operation surface S (hereinafter also referred to as the in-plane direction), and the Z-axis direction is perpendicular to the input operation surface S (hereinafter also referred to as the perpendicular direction). Also, in Figure 5, the upper side corresponds to the front side to which the external force is applied, and the lower side corresponds to the opposite back side.

[0039] The sensor device 100 comprises a pressure sensor 6 and a control unit 60. The pressure sensor 6 is positioned on the inner surface of the housing 4 facing the input operation surface S. The pressure sensor 6 has a planar shape corresponding to the input operation surface S, and in this embodiment, it has a substantially elliptical or oblong flat plate structure (see Figure 4). As shown in Figure 5, the pressure sensor 6 is composed of a laminate having a sensor sheet 10, a reference electrode layer 20, a deformation layer 30, and a surface layer 40.

[0040] (Sensor Sheet) The sensor sheet 10 is made of a flexible printed circuit board or the like having a base material 11 and a sensor electrode layer 12. The sensor electrode layer 12 has a plurality of capacitive elements (sensing section N) arranged in a matrix on the back surface of the base material 11 facing the reference electrode layer 20, and is configured to detect the pressure distribution acting on the input operation surface S. The thickness of the sensor sheet 10 is, for example, 50 μm or more and 300 μm or less, and in this embodiment it is 125 μm.

[0041] As shown in Figure 6, the base material 11 has a main body portion 111 with an elliptical or oblong planar shape, and a pull-out portion 112 extending outward from a part of the periphery of the main body portion 111. The material of the base material 11 is not particularly limited as long as it is a flexible insulating material, and polymer resins such as polyethylene terephthalate, polyimide, polycarbonate, and acrylic resin can be used.

[0042] The sensing units N correspond to nodes on the sensor sheet 10 and are arranged regularly in a matrix at predetermined intervals in the vertical and horizontal directions (vertical: Y-axis direction, horizontal: X-axis direction). The number of sensing units 13 is not particularly limited and can be arbitrarily set according to the size and shape of the input operation surface S, the resolution of the pressure distribution to be detected, etc. The sensing units N are composed of capacitive elements (detection elements) that can detect changes in distance from the reference electrode layer 20 as changes in capacitance.

[0043] Figure 7 is a schematic plan view showing one example configuration of the sensing unit N. The sensor electrode layer 12 has an electrode pair including a comb-shaped pulse electrode 121 and a comb-shaped sense electrode 122 that are facing each other in a direction parallel to the back surface of the substrate 11 (the Y-axis direction in Figure 7). The pulse electrode 121 and the sense electrode 122 are arranged so that their respective comb teeth face each other, and each sensing unit N is composed of a region (node ​​area) in which the comb teeth of one comb are positioned between the comb teeth of the other.

[0044] Each pulse electrode 121 is connected to a wiring portion 121a extending in the Y-axis direction, and each sense electrode 122 is connected to a wiring portion 122a extending in the X-axis direction. The wiring portions 121a are arranged at intervals in the X-axis direction on the back surface of the base material 11, and the wiring portions 122a are arranged at intervals in the Y-axis direction on the front surface of the base material 11. Each sense electrode 122 is electrically connected to the wiring portion 122a through a through hole 123 provided in the base material 11.

[0045] Alternatively, both the wiring portion 121a and the wiring portion 122a may be formed on the back surface of the base material 11, and their intersection portions may be insulated from each other using, for example, jumper members. By forming the pulse electrode 121 (wiring portion 121a) and the sense electrode 122 (wiring portion 122a) on the back surface of the base material 11 (the surface facing the reference electrode layer 20), the distance between each of these electrodes 121, 122 and the input operation surface S increases by the thickness of the base material 11. Therefore, for example, the touch sensitivity can be suppressed to be small with respect to the pressure sensitivity.

[0046] The sensor electrode layer 12 may have a ground line. The ground line is provided, for example, at the outer peripheral portion of the sensor electrode layer 12 or at a portion where the wiring portions 121a and 122a run parallel.

[0047] Note that the structure of the sensing portion 13 is not limited to the above example, and any structure may be used. For example, a laminate of a first electrode sheet having a lattice-shaped first electrode pattern extending in the X-axis direction and a second electrode sheet having a lattice-shaped second electrode pattern extending in the Y-axis direction may form the sensor electrode layer 12. In this case, a sensing portion N is formed at the intersection of the first electrode pattern and the second electrode pattern.

[0048] (Reference Electrode Layer) The reference electrode layer 20 is positioned opposite one side (back side) of the sensor sheet 10. The reference electrode layer 20 is connected to a reference potential. In this embodiment, the reference electrode layer 20 is a so-called ground electrode and is connected to the ground potential as the reference potential. The reference electrode layer 20 is flexible, and its thickness is, for example, about 0.03 mm to 0.5 mm. As the material of the reference electrode layer 20, for example, an inorganic conductive material, an organic conductive material, or a conductive material containing both an inorganic conductive material and an organic conductive material can be used.

[0049] Examples of inorganic conductive materials include metals such as aluminum, copper, and silver, alloys such as stainless steel, and metal oxides such as zinc oxide and indium oxide. Examples of organic conductive materials include carbon materials such as carbon black and carbon fibers, and conductive polymers such as substituted or unsubstituted polyaniline and polypyrrole. The reference electrode layer 20 may be made of a thin metal sheet such as stainless steel or aluminum, conductive fibers, or conductive nonwoven fabric. The reference electrode layer 20 may be formed on a plastic film by methods such as vapor deposition, sputtering, bonding, or coating.

[0050] (Deformation layer) The deformation layer 30 is placed between the sensor sheet 10 and the reference electrode layer 20. The deformation layer 30 has a thickness of, for example, about 100 μm to 1000 μm, and in this embodiment, it is 500 μm or less.

[0051] The lower limit of the thickness of the deformation layer 30 is not particularly limited as long as it is greater than 100 μm, but this lower limit may be, for example, 150 μm or more, 200 μm or more, 250 μm or more, 300 μm or more, etc. Also, the upper limit of the thickness of the deformation layer 30 is not particularly limited as long as it is 1000 μm or less, but this upper limit may be, for example, 950 μm or more, 900 μm or less, 850 μm or less, 800 μm or less, etc.

[0052] The basis weight in the deformed layer 30 is, for example, 50 mg / cm². ２The following is specified: By setting the thickness and basis weight of the deformation layer 30 within this range, the detection sensitivity of the pressure sensor device 100 in the vertical direction can be improved.

[0053] The deformation layer 30 is made of a flexible material that can be elastically deformed in response to an external force, such as foam (elastic foam), rubber, gel, nonwoven fabric, or nanofiber. When an external force is applied perpendicular to the sensor sheet 10, the deformation layer 30 elastically deforms in response to the external force, and the reference electrode layer 20 approaches the sensor electrode layer 12. At this time, the capacitance between the pulse electrode 121 and the sense electrode 122 changes in the sensing unit 13, and the sensing unit N can detect this change in capacitance as a pressure value.

[0054] The deformation layer 30 may be composed of a patterning structure including, for example, a column structure, in order to facilitate deformation in the Z-axis direction. This patterning structure can employ various structures such as matrix, stripe, mesh, radial, geometric, or helical patterns.

[0055] The deformation layer 30 is bonded to the sensor sheet 10 and the reference electrode layer 20 via a bonding material. As the bonding material, one or more adhesives selected from the group consisting of, for example, acrylic adhesives, silicone adhesives, and urethane adhesives can be used.

[0056] (Surface Layer) The surface layer 40 functions as the outer layer of the sensor device 100 and has an input operation surface S that is operated by the user. The input operation surface S also functions as a detection surface that comes into contact with the object to be detected by the sensor device 100 (such as the user's fingers) and detects touch and press operations on the sensor device 100 by the object to be detected. In this embodiment, the surface layer 40 corresponds to a part of the housing 4 of the housing portion 2R of the headphones 1 (see Figures 2 and 3).

[0057] The surface layer 40 is placed on the other side (surface) of the sensor sheet 10. The surface layer 40 is made of a non-conductive material. Examples of non-conductive materials include electrically insulating materials such as synthetic resins, rubber, foamed materials (elastic foam), and nonwoven fabrics. In addition, as long as the entire surface layer 40 is electrically insulating, composite materials such as those in which conductive particles such as metal particles or metal flakes are mixed in a synthetic resin material may be used.

[0058] The surface layer 40 is not particularly limited as long as it can detect touch operations on the input operation surface S. In this embodiment, the thickness of the surface layer 40 is greater than that of the deformation layer 30 (for example, 2 to 3 times the thickness of the deformation layer 30). This makes it possible to increase the pressure sensitivity when the detection target presses on the input operation surface S compared to the touch sensitivity when the detection target contacts the input operation surface S. Here, touch sensitivity corresponds to the change in capacitance of the sensing unit 13 when the detection target contacts the input operation surface S, and pressure sensitivity corresponds to the change in capacitance of the sensing unit 13 when the detection target presses on the input operation surface S.

[0059] The thickness of the surface layer 40 is preferably at least twice the thickness of the deformation layer 30. This makes it easier to divide the pressure-sensitive function into multiple stages by making the pressure sensitivity significantly greater than the touch sensitivity, as will be described later.

[0060] The surface layer 40 may be made of a material with a higher elastic modulus than the deformation layer 30. In other words, by making the surface layer 40 of a harder material than the deformation layer 30, it becomes easier to separate the touch operation detection function from the press operation detection function, thereby suppressing malfunctions.

[0061] (Support layer) As shown in Figure 1, the sensor device 100 further comprises a support layer 50. The support layer 50 is positioned between the installation surface T on which the sensor device 100 is installed and the reference electrode layer 20. The support layer 50 is made of an electrically insulating adhesive or tack material and functions as a bonding layer that fixes the reference electrode layer 20 to the installation surface T.

[0062] The support layer 50 may be made of a flexible material. In this case, as shown in Figure 3, when the surface layer 40 is made as part of the housing of an electronic device (headphones 1), it becomes easier to adjust the initial capacitance or touch sensitivity of the sensing part N of the sensor device 100 installed on the installation surface T. In other words, the support layer 50 can absorb dimensional tolerances in the distance between the surface layer 40 and the installation surface T, as well as variations in the thickness of the sensor device 100, making it possible to stably set the initial capacitance or touch sensitivity of the sensing part N to the desired capacitance value.

[0063] The mounting surface T is not particularly limited as long as it can stably hold the sensor device 100 inside the housing 4, and may be part of the housing 4 or any fixing member assembled to the housing 4. The support layer 50 and the mounting surface T may be configured to support the entire back surface of the sensor device 100, or they may be configured to support only a part of the back surface of the sensor device 100, such as the peripheral edge. The mounting surface T may be omitted if necessary.

[0064] (Control Unit) The control unit 60 is typically a computer including a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and memory, and is composed of an integrated circuit such as an IC chip. The control unit 60 is mounted on the sensor sheet 10 (pull-out section 112) and is configured to drive the pressure sensor 6 and to receive the output signal from the pressure sensor 6.

[0065] Figure 8 is a functional block diagram of the control unit 60. The control unit 60 includes a calculation unit 61, a determination unit 62, and a threshold setting unit 63.

[0066] The calculation unit 61 calculates the change in capacity of each sensing unit N on the sensor sheet 10 based on the output of the pressure sensor 1. Based on the change in capacity, the calculation unit 61 calculates the pressure distribution on the input operating surface S.

[0067] The determination unit 62 determines the touch position or pressing position to be detected based on the volume change and pressure distribution calculated by the calculation unit. The determination unit 62 also determines whether the change in the touch position or pressing position is greater than a value set in advance according to the operation mode. Furthermore, the determination unit 62 determines which of the multiple categories, which are demarcated by a plurality of pre-set thresholds, the pressing force, which is the volume change calculated by the calculation unit 61, belongs to, and outputs the determination result to the control circuit 71 of the controller 7.

[0068] The threshold setting unit 63 sets the above-mentioned multiple thresholds. The control unit 60 may be configured as part of the control circuit 71 of the controller 7.

[0069] The control unit 60 is configured to perform a first detection process that detects contact between the target to be detected (user U's fingers) and the input operating surface S, based on the output of the pressure sensor 1 (sensor sheet 10), and a second detection process that detects the pressure distribution on the input operating surface S and its change over time. In the second detection process, the control unit 60 detects the pressing force applied to the input operating surface S and sets multiple thresholds for determining the magnitude of that pressing force in multiple stages.

[0070] While a typical touch sensor limits a single tap operation to one type of assignment, the sensor device 100 of this embodiment, which has both touch and pressure-sensitive functions, allows for four types of assignments, for example, divided into touch, low pressure, medium pressure, and high pressure. As a specific example of use, while a typical touch sensor can only turn the power on / off with a tap, this embodiment allows for not only turning the power on / off, but also, for example, slightly increasing / decreasing the volume, normally increasing / decreasing the volume, and significantly increasing / decreasing the volume.

[0071] Other examples of its operation include song selection (fast forward, skip tracks, skip albums). It can also be used for zooming in cameras, multi-level detection of controller pressure in game consoles, and adjusting the brightness of the display screen or light in mobile devices.

[0072] In order to assign multi-stage operations using touch and pressure sensitivity functions, the pressure sensitivity when pressing the input operation surface S with a finger must be sufficiently greater than the touch sensitivity when touching the input operation surface S with a finger. When assigning one operation each for touch sensitivity and pressure sensitivity (a total of two operations), a threshold Th1 is set in the touch sensitivity region and a threshold Th2 is set in the pressure sensitivity region, as shown in Figure 9. In Figure 9, the horizontal axis represents the displacement of the finger being detected, the vertical axis represents the maximum sensitivity among all nodes, and "0" on the horizontal axis corresponds to the position where the detected object contacts the input operation surface S.

[0073] Thresholds Th1 and Th2 must be sufficiently far apart to prevent false detections (malfunctions). Preferably, threshold Th2 is at least twice the value of threshold Th1 (Th2 ≥ 2 * Th1). Furthermore, when assigning multi-stage operations, since only one threshold can be set in the touch sensitivity area, it is necessary to set multiple thresholds in the sensitivity area.

[0074] For example, when assigning four operations, as shown in Figure 10, a threshold Th1 (touch sensitivity) is set in the touch area, and three thresholds Th2 (first pressure sensitivity), Th3 (second pressure sensitivity), and Th4 (third pressure sensitivity) are set in the pressure-sensitive area. In this case, it is preferable that Th2 ≥ 2 * Th1, Th3 ≥ 3 * Th1, and Th4 ≥ 4 * Th1. When setting multiple thresholds under such conditions, the sensor structure must be such that the pressure sensitivity is sufficiently greater than the touch sensitivity.

[0075] Displacement sensitivity will now be explained. Displacement sensitivity refers to the relationship between the amount of displacement of the object to be detected (e.g., the user's fingers) relative to the input operating surface S and the detection sensitivity. Figure 11 shows an experimental result illustrating the dependence of displacement sensitivity on the thickness of the surface layer 40. In this figure, the sensitivity at a displacement of 0 corresponds to touch sensitivity, and the region where the displacement is positive corresponds to pressure sensitivity. The material of the surface layer 40 is a single layer of acrylic plate.

[0076] In Figure 11, A1 shows the displacement sensitivity when the thickness of the surface layer 40 is the same as the thickness of the deformation layer 30 (0.5 mm), and A2 shows the displacement sensitivity when the thickness of the surface layer 40 is three times the thickness of the deformation layer 30 (1.5 mm). In A1, the touch sensitivity is high, so the pressure sensitivity threshold becomes high, making it difficult to separate the touch function from the pressure sensitivity function. In contrast, in A2, since the touch sensitivity can be lowered, the pressure sensitivity threshold can be set to be sufficiently larger than the touch sensitivity threshold, making it easier to separate the touch function from the pressure sensitivity function, and allowing multiple thresholds to be set in the pressure-sensitive area.

[0077] Next, we will explain load sensitivity. Load sensitivity refers to the relationship between the vertical load acting on the input operating surface S and the detection sensitivity. Figure 12 shows an experimental result illustrating the dependence of the structure (thickness, flexibility) of the surface layer 40 on load sensitivity.

[0078] In Figure 12, B1 shows the load sensitivity when the thickness of the surface layer 40 is the same as the thickness of the deformation layer 30 (0.5 mm). B2 shows the load sensitivity when the surface layer 40 has the laminated structure shown in Figure 5, with the outer layer 41 being an acrylic plate with a thickness of 0.5 mm and the inner layer 42 being a rubber plate with a thickness of 1.0 mm. The load sensitivity was the same when the outer layer 41 was a rubber plate with a thickness of 1.0 mm and the inner layer 42 was an acrylic plate with a thickness of 0.5 mm. B3 shows the load sensitivity when the thickness of the surface layer 40 is three times the thickness of the deformation layer 30 (1.5 mm) and it is an acrylic plate.

[0079] As shown in Figure 12, the load sensitivity tends to decrease in the order of B1, B2, and B3. This is because increasing the thickness of the surface layer 40 makes it harder. Therefore, in order to suppress the decrease in load sensitivity, the surface layer 40 needs to be soft. By making the surface layer 40 soft, it becomes easier to separate the touch function and the pressure-sensitive function in terms of load sensitivity.

[0080] In the sensor device 100 of this embodiment, as described above, the surface layer 40 is formed with a greater thickness than the deformation layer 30. Therefore, as described above, compared to the case where the surface layer 40 has the same thickness as the deformation layer 30, the pressure sensitivity can be made sufficiently greater than the touch sensitivity, and the pressure-sensitive function can be divided into multiple stages.

[0081] [Control Unit Details] When wearing headphones equipped with touch sensors, users typically operate them blindly, limiting the number of buttons and other controls that can be placed, making free operation difficult. While there are methods to add touch-recognizable patterns to buttons, even then, the number of buttons is still limited to a few at most. Increasing the number of controls under these conditions increases the likelihood of malfunctions due to incorrect operation.

[0082] In devices like headphones, enabling multiple input patterns requires a complex UI configuration involving numerous physical buttons and electronic mode switching. While it's possible to implement touch sensors to activate specific functions through unique finger movements on the operating surface, this approach is limited in scalability (has few dimensions) because it only provides ON / OFF information.

[0083] Therefore, in this embodiment, as described above, the control unit 60 is configured to perform a first detection process that detects contact of the detection target (user U's fingers) with the input operation surface S based on the output of the pressure sensor 1 (sensor sheet 10), and a second detection process that detects the pressure distribution on the input operation surface S and its change over time. This makes it possible to perform not only one-dimensional or two-dimensional operations such as touch or slide operations on the input operation surface S, but also three-dimensional input operations including the pressing direction, and easily increase the number of input patterns on the input operation surface S. Furthermore, since it is not necessary to move the fingers far from their position when pressing on the input operation surface S, intuitive gesture operation is possible without looking at the operation unit, and the effort required to learn the operation method can be reduced.

[0084] More specifically, the control unit 60 is configured to detect at least one of the location, area, number, or time variation thereof of the region where a pressing force exceeding a predetermined threshold is detected in the second detection process. This allows for the assignment of multiple input patterns according to the mode of pressing operation.

[0085] Here, the location and number of regions where a pressing force exceeding a predetermined threshold is detected typically correspond to the location (address) and number of nodes (sensing units N) on the input operation surface S where the pressing force was detected. Furthermore, the area of ​​the regions where a pressing force exceeding a predetermined threshold is detected may be an area ratio calculated from the ratio of the number of nodes where the pressing force was detected to the total number of nodes in the sensor device 100. By also referencing the time changes in the location, area, or number of the pressing force during the determination process, multiple input patterns can be set, as will be described later.

[0086] The details of the control unit 60 will be explained below, along with several examples of its operation.

[0087] (Example of operation 1) For example, when cooking or working outdoors and food or dirt is stuck to your hands, making it difficult to operate with your fingertips, one solution is to operate the headphones by pressing on a part of your body other than your fingers, such as the back of your hand, the base of your thumb, or your wrist. However, if you perform the above action on conventional headphones equipped with touch sensors, there is a high possibility of malfunctions such as sound playing when you put them on, or accidentally adjusting the volume when you intended to play music.

[0088] Therefore, in this embodiment, the control unit 60 is configured to be able to switch between a first control mode and a second control mode. Figure 13 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of switching between the first control mode and the second control mode.

[0089] The first control mode is a control mode that generates a predetermined control command based on a first input operation on the input operation surface S, and corresponds to the normal mode. The first input operation refers to an input operation detected by the first detection process or the second detection process, such as multiple tap operations, slide operations, or pressing operations. For example, pressing operations on the input operation surface S (only the finger area responds) are assigned to "Play / Pause", double tap (click) operations to "Next Track", triple tap (click) operations to "Previous Track", up / down slide operations to "Volume Adjustment", and overall tap operations to "Quick Attention" (a function that makes ambient sounds easier to hear).

[0090] In contrast, the second control mode is a control mode that generates the above control commands based on a second input operation different from the first input operation, and corresponds to the accessibility mode. The second input operation refers to a pressing operation at a predetermined position detected by the second detection process, and is typically a simpler input operation than the first input operation. For example, pressing on the input operation surface S (responding regardless of area) is assigned to "Play / Pause", pressing on the right area (front area) S2 of the input operation surface S is assigned to "Advance track", pressing on the left area (rear area) S3 of the input operation surface S is assigned to "Return track", pressing on the upper area S4 and lower area S5 of the input operation surface S is assigned to "Volume adjustment", and tapping on the entire area of ​​the input operation surface S is assigned to "Quick attention".

[0091] Switching between the first control mode and the second control mode is performed by pressing an area with a predetermined area ratio or greater to the input operation surface S for a predetermined time or longer. For example, when the control unit 60 detects that the area of ​​the region where the pressing force is detected by the pressing operation is greater than or equal to a predetermined value during the execution of the first control mode, and that the pressing force is detected continuously for a first predetermined time or longer, the control unit 60 switches the control mode from the first control mode to the second control mode. The first predetermined time is not particularly limited and may be, for example, 5 seconds or more.

[0092] On the other hand, if the control unit 60 detects that the area of ​​the region where the pressing force is detected is greater than or equal to a predetermined value during the execution of the second control mode, and that the pressing force is detected continuously for a second predetermined time that is the same as or different from the first predetermined time, the control unit 60 switches the control mode from the second control mode to the first control mode. The second predetermined time is not particularly limited and may be, for example, 7 seconds or more.

[0093] Thus, in addition to the normal mode, the control mode also includes an accessibility mode. Therefore, if a user has difficulty using touch controls with their fingertips for any reason, some operations on the headphones 1 can be easily performed by simply pressing with any part of the hand other than the fingertips.

[0094] In the above explanation, a pressing operation on an area exceeding a predetermined area ratio with respect to the input operation surface S was used as the trigger for switching control modes. However, the pressing force is not particularly limited, and any load can be used. Furthermore, it is not limited to pressing operations; proximity operations such as holding the palm over an area exceeding the above area ratio or touch operations may also be used. The area exceeding the above area ratio can be, for example, 50% or more of the total area (total number of nodes) of the input operation surface S.

[0095] Furthermore, the trigger for switching control modes may be set individually for each user. For example, by allowing users to set (customize) the magnitude of the pressing force, the pressing position, and the pressing time according to their preferences, malfunctions during control mode switching can be reduced. Note that the above trigger settings may be performed using another electronic device, such as a smartphone capable of short-range wireless communication with headphones 1.

[0096] (Operation Example 2) For example, when adjusting the volume of headphones 1, only one direction of adjustment is possible with a single operation, such as swiping up on the touch sensor to increase the volume and swiping down to decrease the volume. Furthermore, fine adjustments to the volume, such as when the volume is turned up or down too much, may require multiple operations. In addition, the volume adjustment speed is often constant, and in this case, it takes time to reach the desired volume. Similar issues exist not only with volume adjustment but also with operations such as fast-forwarding / rewinding music.

[0097] Therefore, in this embodiment, when contact with the object to be detected is detected at multiple locations in the first detection process, the control unit 60 is configured to generate a predetermined control command in the second detection process based on the time change of the pressing force at the multiple locations detected or the time change of the distance between the multiple locations. By determining the adjustment amount according to the time change of the pressing force or the position (the amount of change of these per unit time) in this way, it becomes possible to easily adjust to the desired volume.

[0098] Figure 14 is a schematic diagram illustrating how to adjust the volume of headphones 1, and Figure 15 is a flowchart showing an example of the volume adjustment process performed in the control unit 60.

[0099] In this embodiment, the coordinates of the finger touching the input surface S and the amount of pressure applied are detected to perform the following operations: • Touch the input surface with two fingers. • Press firmly with only one finger. • Detect which finger was pressed and input the corresponding operation. • Change the amount of change in the corresponding operation according to the strength of the pressing force.

[0100] Referring to Figure 14, when adjusting the volume, the user touches the input surface S with, for example, their right index finger F1 and thumb F2. The control unit 60 determines whether or not it has detected a two-point touch operation by the index finger F1 and thumb F1 (ST101), and if a two-point touch is detected, it detects the coordinates of these two points (ST102).

[0101] For volume adjustment, for example, it is considered effective when the positions of two points are opposite each other in the vertical direction. The vertical relationship referred to here is not necessarily limited to a positional relationship parallel to the height direction; for example, if the angle between the line segment connecting the two points and the vertical direction (height direction) is less than or equal to a predetermined angle (for example, 45°), then the positions of the two points may be determined to be in a positional relationship opposite each other in the vertical direction.

[0102] The control unit 60 determines whether the two points are in positions opposite each other in the vertical direction (ST103), and if it determines that they are in positions opposite each other in the vertical direction, it detects the pressures of these two points (the pressure Pa of the index finger F1 and the pressure Pb of the thumb F2) (ST104). Subsequently, the control unit 60 determines whether the absolute value of the difference between the pressures Pa and Pb of the two points is greater than a predetermined pressure value α (ST105).

[0103] The magnitude of the pressure value α is not particularly limited as long as it is a pressure value that can prevent erroneous operation. Furthermore, if contact between the two points is detected, it is not limited to the case that the pressure of either one of them is substantially zero (proximity or touch operation), but rather that the pressure of the one in question may be a significant pressing load value. It is also possible to adopt as a criterion that both contact points are input operations that can detect a predetermined pressing force.

[0104] When the control unit 60 determines that the pressure difference between the two points is greater than the pressure value α, it determines whether the pressure Pa from the index finger F1 is greater than the pressure Pb from the thumb F2 (ST106). For example, as shown in Figure 14, if the pressure Pa from the index finger F1, which is located on the upper side of the two pressing positions, is greater than the pressure Pb from the thumb F2, which is located on the lower side (Yes in ST106), the control unit 60 detects that the operation is an input operation to increase the volume and generates a control command to increase the volume according to the magnitude of the pressure Pa (input amount) (ST107).

[0105] On the other hand, when the pressure Pb from the thumb F2 located below is greater than the pressure Pa from the index finger F1 located above (No in ST106), the control unit 60 detects that the operation is an input operation to reduce the volume and generates a control command to reduce the volume according to the magnitude (input amount) of the pressure Pb (ST108).

[0106] Thus, the control unit 60 is configured to generate a control command in the second detection process based on the pressure difference between the two detected positions when contact with the object to be detected is detected at two positions in the first detection process. This allows for input in both directions (volume up and down) with a single operation (seesaw-type operation), thereby improving operability. Furthermore, according to this embodiment, multiple thresholds can be set for detecting the pressing load, allowing for volume up or down according to the amount of pressing, making it easy to adjust to the desired volume.

[0107] In the above explanation, the determination of whether or not to perform volume adjustment processing is made based on whether the absolute value of the pressures at two points is greater than or equal to a predetermined pressure α (ST105). However, instead, the volume may be increased (or decreased) depending on whether the difference between the pressures at two points is greater than (or less than) a predetermined value.

[0108] Furthermore, while the above explanation describes adjusting the volume using the pressure difference between two points, the volume may also be adjusted based on the change in position between the two points. For example, when upward movement of the thumb F2 toward the index finger F1 is detected on the input operation surface S, a control command may be generated to increase the volume, and conversely, when downward movement of the index finger F1 toward the thumb F2 is detected, a control command may be generated to decrease the volume. In this case, the amount of change in volume may be determined according to the movement speed; for example, the amount of change may be increased as the movement speed increases.

[0109] (Operation Example 3) Smartphones and game controllers equipped with pressure sensors can detect operations in the direction of pressing, but they cannot detect operations in the direction of pulling. Dividing the menu hierarchy into steps allows users to move to deeper levels of the hierarchy by pressing a button, but returning to a shallower level requires an unintuitive operation such as pressing a "back" key. In particular, when operating headphones on the side where there is no screen and the control surface is not visible, it is difficult to recognize which button is the "back" key, so there is a very high need to implement a "back" function in any area of ​​the sensor surface.

[0110] Therefore, in this embodiment, when the pressing force is detected at two positions in the second detection process, the control unit 60 is configured to generate a control command based on the decrease in the distance between the two positions and the subsequent disappearance of the pressing force at those two positions. By detecting the decrease in the distance between the two pressing positions and the subsequent disappearance of the pressing force in this way, it is possible to assume that the user has performed a pulling operation on the input operation surface S, thereby realizing an intuitive "return" operation for the user.

[0111] Figure 16 is a schematic diagram illustrating the "return" operation described above, and Figure 17 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing procedure for the "return" operation performed in the control unit 60.

[0112] In this embodiment, touch and pressing operations on the input operating surface S are detected, and the following processes are executed: - A signal amount corresponding to the total load value (Val-A) due to the pressing operation with two fingers is calculated. - Proximity movement of the two fingers to a position where they touch each other is determined based on the time change of the pressure distribution. - The disappearance of the pressing force at two points is detected as a pinching operation by the two fingers, and a control command is generated corresponding to the signal amount corresponding to the load value (Val-A) or the total load value (Val-B) after the proximity movement.

[0113] Referring to Figure 16, the user touches the input surface S with, for example, their right index finger F1 and thumb F2. The control unit 60 determines whether or not it has detected a two-point touch operation by the index finger F1 and thumb F1 (ST201), and if it has detected a two-point touch, it detects the coordinates of these two points (ST202).

[0114] Next, the control unit 60 determines whether the two-point touch operation is a pressing operation (ST203). If it is a pressing operation, it calculates the sum of the pressures at the two points (Val-A) and stores it in memory (ST204). The control unit 60 then determines whether the calculated sum of pressures (Val-A) is greater than a predetermined pressure β (ST205). This step is used as a criterion for determining whether to perform the "return" operation, but may be omitted if necessary. Alternatively, the criterion may be whether a predetermined time has elapsed since the detection of the two-point touch.

[0115] Next, the control unit 60 determines whether the distance between the two points detected in step 202 is less than a predetermined value γ (ST206). As shown in Figure 14, when the index finger F1 and thumb F2 move to a position close to each other, the control unit 60 determines that the distance is less than the predetermined value γ, recalculates the sum of the pressures at the two points at that time, and stores that value in memory as (Val-B) (ST207). The predetermined value γ is not particularly limited and can be set arbitrarily according to the size of the user's fingers, the amount of pressure applied, etc.

[0116] Next, the control unit 60 determines whether the pressure at the two points has disappeared (become zero) (ST208). If it detects the disappearance of the pressure, it generates a control command corresponding to the total pressure value Val-A or Val-B (ST209). This control command corresponds to, for example, the amount of operation for a "return" operation, and the larger the total pressure value, the larger the "return" amount is set. The "return" operation can be set arbitrarily and can be applied not only to rewinding the hierarchy of the operation menu as described above, but also to operation modes such as track selection operation (track return).

[0117] The total pressure value used when pressure is lost may be Val-A, Val-B, or an average of these values. In other words, the timing of acquiring the total pressure value does not matter as long as it is a value that can achieve the user's intended control amount.

[0118] [Summary] In blind operation, it is difficult to increase the number of operations, and implementing complex movements to increase the number of operations increases the number of malfunctions. To address these challenges, the sensor device 100 of this embodiment is configured as follows. In other words, according to this embodiment, an array of touch sensors / pressure distribution sensors is provided, and using the signal values, the operation mode can be switched from normal mode to accessibility mode with simple operation depending on the situation. Volume adjustment and other functions can be intuitively controlled by the relationship between the movement of two fingers and the strength of the pressing force. Functions equivalent to the back / forward buttons of the UI can be intuitively realized by a pinching motion with two fingers.

[0119] As described above, this embodiment enables intuitive gesture operation that is easy for a wide range of users to remember, without increasing the number of buttons, and also provides accessibility mode assistance for users in environments with limited freedom of operation. Furthermore, because there are fewer mechanical operating mechanisms compared to button functions, the occurrence of equipment failures can be reduced. In particular, since the sensor device 100 is located inside the housing 4, it is possible to avoid malfunctions of the sensor device 100 due to external factors and improve long-term reliability.

[0120] [Modifications] In the above embodiments, headphones were used as an example of an electronic device on which the sensor device 100 is mounted. However, the technology is not limited to headphones, and can be applied to other head-mounted electronic devices such as earphones and head-mounted displays, as well as the grip portion of a camera.

[0121] Furthermore, although the above embodiments have described the case where the input operation surface S is a plane, the invention is not limited to this, and may have a three-dimensional shape such as a curved surface or a polyhedron.

[0122] The user may set the recognition pattern for three-dimensional gesture operations using a tablet-type information terminal such as a smartphone with a predetermined application installed. In this case, for example, as conceptually shown in Figure 18, the location of the finger touching the headphone 1 housing 4 (input operation surface S) and the applied pressure are displayed on the display unit 81 of the smartphone 80. Here, the displayed pressure positions P1 and P2 are represented by circles, and their size is proportional to the pressure applied at that position. When the finger is moved while maintaining the pressure, an arrow indicating the direction of movement is displayed, and the length of the arrow corresponds to the amount of movement. By assigning the direction and length of such arrows to each input pattern, the user can set operation patterns and pressure amounts according to their preferences.

[0123] Furthermore, the operation patterns configured as described above may be stored on a designated server. In this case, a system can be constructed in which one user uploads an operation pattern that another user can download and use.

[0124] Furthermore, this technology can also take the following configurations: (1) A sensor device comprising: a sensor sheet capable of detecting pressure distribution; a reference electrode layer disposed opposite one side of the sensor sheet and connected to a reference potential; a deformation layer disposed between the sensor sheet and the reference electrode layer and made of a flexible material; a surface layer having an input operating surface and disposed on the other side of the sensor sheet and made of a non-conductive material; and a control unit capable of performing a first detection process to detect contact of an object to be detected to the input operating surface based on the output of the sensor sheet, and a second detection process to detect the pressure distribution on the input operating surface and its time change. (2) The sensor device according to (1) above, wherein the control unit sets a plurality of thresholds for determining the magnitude of the pressing force in multiple stages in the second detection process. (3) The sensor device according to (1) or (2) above, wherein the control unit detects at least one of the position, area, number, or time change thereof of regions where a pressing force of a predetermined threshold or higher is detected in the second detection process. (4) A sensor device as described in (3) above, wherein the control unit has a first control mode that generates a predetermined control command based on a first input operation on the input operation surface, and a second control mode that generates the control command based on a second input operation different from the first input operation, and when the area of ​​the region where the pressing force is detected is greater than or equal to a predetermined value and the pressing force is detected continuously for a first predetermined time or longer, the sensor device switches the first control mode to the second control mode. (5) A sensor device as described in (4) above, wherein the control unit switches the second control mode to the first control mode when the area of ​​the region where the pressing force is detected is greater than or equal to a predetermined value and the pressing force is detected continuously for a second predetermined time that is the same as or different from the first predetermined time.(6) A sensor device according to (4) or (5) above, wherein the first input operation includes multiple touch or slide operations on the input operation surface detected by the first detection process, and the second input operation includes a pressing operation on a predetermined position on the input operation surface detected by the second detection process. (7) A sensor device according to any one of (1) to (3) above, wherein the control unit generates a predetermined control command based on the time change of the pressing force at the multiple positions detected in the second detection process or the time change of the distance between the multiple positions when contact of the object to be detected is detected at multiple positions in the first detection process. (8) A sensor device according to (7) above, wherein the control unit generates the control command based on the pressure difference between the two positions detected in the second detection process when contact of the object to be detected is detected at two positions in the first detection process. (9) A sensor device according to (7) above, wherein the control unit generates the control command based on the decrease in distance between the two positions and the subsequent disappearance of the pressing force at the two positions when the pressing force is detected at two positions in the second detection process. (10) A sensor device according to any one of (1) to (9) above, wherein the surface layer has a thickness greater than the thickness of the deformation layer. (11) A sensor device according to (10) above, wherein the surface layer has a thickness of twice or more the thickness of the deformation layer. (12) A sensor device according to any one of (1) to (11) above, wherein the surface layer is made of a material with a higher elastic modulus than the deformation layer. (13) A sensor device according to any one of (1) to (12) above, wherein the sensor sheet has a sensor electrode layer having a flexible substrate and a plurality of capacitive elements arranged in a matrix on one surface of the substrate, and each of the plurality of capacitive elements has a comb-shaped electrode pair facing each other in a direction parallel to one surface of the substrate.(14) A sensor device as described in (13) above, wherein the sensor electrode layer is disposed on the surface of the sensor sheet facing the reference electrode layer. (15) An electronic device comprising: a sensor sheet capable of detecting a pressure distribution; a reference electrode layer disposed facing one surface of the sensor sheet and connected to a reference potential; a deformation layer disposed between the sensor sheet and the reference electrode layer and made of a flexible material; a surface layer having an input operation surface and disposed on the other surface of the sensor sheet and made of a non-conductive material; and a control unit capable of performing a first detection process for detecting contact of an object to be detected to the input operation surface based on the output of the sensor sheet, and a second detection process for detecting the pressure distribution on the input operation surface and its change over time. (16) An electronic device as described in (15) above, wherein the surface layer is part of a housing that houses the sensor device. (17) An electronic device as described in (16) above, wherein the electronic device is a head-mounted electronic device. (18) An electronic device as described in (17) above, wherein the electronic device is headphones.

[0125] 1...Headphones 2R, 2L...Housing 4...Housing 6...Pressure sensor 7...Controller 10...Sensor sheet 11...Base material 12...Sensor electrode layer 20...Reference electrode layer 30...Deformation layer 40...Surface layer 50...Support layer 60...Control unit 61...Calculation unit 62...Determination unit 63...Threshold setting unit 100...Sensor device N...Sensing unit S...Input operation surface

Claims

1. A sensor device comprising: a sensor sheet capable of detecting a pressure distribution; a reference electrode layer disposed opposite one side of the sensor sheet and connected to a reference potential; a deformation layer disposed between the sensor sheet and the reference electrode layer and made of a flexible material; a surface layer having an input operating surface and disposed on the other side of the sensor sheet and made of a non-conductive material; and a control unit capable of performing a first detection process to detect contact of an object to be detected to the input operating surface based on the output of the sensor sheet, and a second detection process to detect the pressure distribution on the input operating surface and its change over time.

2. A sensor device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit sets a plurality of thresholds for determining the magnitude of the pressing force in multiple stages in the second detection process.

3. A sensor device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit detects at least one of the position, area, number, or time change thereof of regions where a pressing force of a predetermined threshold or higher is detected in the second detection process.

4. A sensor device according to claim 3, wherein the control unit has a first control mode that generates a predetermined control command based on a first input operation on the input operation surface, and a second control mode that generates the control command based on a second input operation different from the first input operation, and when the area of ​​the region where the pressing force is detected is greater than or equal to a predetermined value and the pressing force is detected continuously for a first predetermined time or longer, the sensor device switches the first control mode to the second control mode.

5. A sensor device according to claim 4, wherein the control unit switches the second control mode to the first control mode when the area of ​​the region where the pressing force is detected is greater than or equal to a predetermined value during the execution of the second control mode, and the pressing force is detected continuously for a second predetermined time that is the same as or different from the first predetermined time.

6. A sensor device according to claim 4, wherein the first input operation includes a plurality of touch or slide operations on the input operation surface detected by the first detection process, and the second input operation includes a pressing operation on a predetermined position on the input operation surface detected by the second detection process.

7. A sensor device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit generates a predetermined control command in the second detection process based on the time change of the pressing force at the plurality of positions detected or the time change of the distance between the plurality of positions when contact of the object to be detected is detected at a plurality of positions in the first detection process.

8. A sensor device according to claim 7, wherein the control unit generates the control command based on the pressure difference between the two positions detected in the second detection process when contact of the object to be detected is detected at two positions in the first detection process.

9. A sensor device according to claim 7, wherein the control unit generates the control command based on the decrease in distance between the two positions and the subsequent disappearance of the pressing force at the two positions when the pressing force is detected at two positions in the second detection process.

10. A sensor device according to claim 1, wherein the surface layer has a thickness greater than the thickness of the deformation layer.

11. A sensor device according to claim 10, wherein the surface layer has a thickness of twice or more the thickness of the deformation layer.

12. A sensor device according to claim 1, wherein the surface layer is made of a material with a higher elastic modulus than the deformation layer.

13. A sensor device according to claim 1, wherein the sensor sheet has a sensor electrode layer having a flexible substrate and a plurality of capacitive elements arranged in a matrix on one surface of the substrate, and each of the plurality of capacitive elements has a comb-shaped electrode pair facing each other in a direction parallel to one surface of the substrate.

14. A sensor device according to claim 13, wherein the sensor electrode layer is disposed on the surface of the sensor sheet facing the reference electrode layer.

15. An electronic device comprising a sensor sheet capable of detecting a pressure distribution; a reference electrode layer disposed opposite one side of the sensor sheet and connected to a reference potential; a deformation layer disposed between the sensor sheet and the reference electrode layer and made of a flexible material; a surface layer having an input operating surface and disposed on the other side of the sensor sheet and made of a non-conductive material; and a control unit capable of performing a first detection process to detect contact of an object to be detected to the input operating surface based on the output of the sensor sheet, and a second detection process to detect the pressure distribution on the input operating surface and its time change.

16. Electronic device according to claim 15, wherein the surface layer is part of a housing that houses the sensor device.

17. The electronic device according to claim 16, wherein the electronic device is a head-mounted electronic device.

18. The electronic device according to claim 17, wherein the electronic device is a pair of headphones.

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