Sensor device and electronic instrument

Abstract

A sensor device according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises a sensor sheet, a surface layer, a deformation layer, a reference electrode layer, and a control unit. The sensor sheet is configured to be capable of detecting a pressure distribution. The surface layer has an input operation surface and is disposed on one surface of the sensor sheet. The deformation layer is disposed facing the surface layer and is configured to be able to be deformed by receiving pressing force acting on the input operation surface. The reference electrode layer is connected to a reference potential and is disposed facing the sensor sheet with the deformation layer interposed therebetween. 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 whether a detection target is in contact with the input operation surface, a contact position, and a temporal change thereof; and a second detection process for detecting a pressure distribution on the input operation surface and a temporal change thereof.

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 capacitance 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] Also, Patent Document 2 discloses a camera including a liquid crystal display having a touch panel.

[0004] WO2018 / 025690 Publication JP - A - 2007 - 34991

[0005] Camera operations usually involve operating a mechanical switch, so the number of buttons that can be arranged is limited and free operation is difficult. There is a method of attaching recognizable patterns such as touching on a button with a touch panel or the like, but at most only about several are the upper limit. When trying to increase the number of operations in such a state, malfunctions increase due to incorrect operations, and there is also a limit to the number of operation assignments.

[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 including the same.

[0007] A sensor device according to one embodiment of this technology comprises a sensor sheet, a surface layer, a deformation layer, a reference electrode layer, and a control unit. The sensor sheet is configured to detect pressure distribution. The surface layer has an input operating surface and is arranged on one side of the sensor sheet. The deformation layer is arranged opposite the surface layer and is configured to deform in response to a pressing force acting on the input operating surface. The reference electrode layer is connected to a reference potential and is arranged opposite the sensor sheet with the deformation layer in between. The control unit is configured to perform a first detection process based on the output of the sensor sheet, which detects the presence or absence of contact between the object to be detected and the input operating surface, the contact position and its change over time, and a second detection process which 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 generate control commands corresponding to a plurality of first control modes assigned to a plurality of regions within the input operation surface, and may be configured to generate a control command to execute the first control mode corresponding to the contact position when the second detection process detects a pressure of a predetermined value or higher at the contact position detected in the first detection process.

[0010] Furthermore, the control unit may be configured to generate control commands corresponding to a plurality of second control modes assigned according to the amount of movement of the contact position while the first control mode is being executed, and to generate a control command to execute the second control mode corresponding to the contact position after movement when the second detection process detects a pressure of a predetermined value or higher at the contact position after movement.

[0011] Alternatively, the control unit may be configured to further generate image forming signals for forming an image related to the control command.

[0012] 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.

[0013] The surface layer may be made of a non-conductive material, and the reference electrode layer may be placed on the other side of the sensor sheet, with the deformation layer in between.

[0014] The surface layer may have a greater thickness than the deformation layer.

[0015] The surface layer may have a thickness of twice or more the thickness of the deformation layer.

[0016] The reference electrode layer may be placed on one side of the sensor sheet, with the deformation layer in between.

[0017] 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.

[0018] An electronic device according to one embodiment of this technology comprises a device body and a sensor device. The sensor device includes a sensor sheet, a surface layer, a deformation layer, a reference electrode layer, and a control unit. The sensor sheet is configured to detect pressure distribution. The surface layer has an input operating surface and is arranged on one side of the sensor sheet. The deformation layer is arranged opposite the surface layer and is configured to deform upon receiving a pressing force acting on the input operating surface. The reference electrode layer is connected to a reference potential and is arranged opposite the sensor sheet with the deformation layer in between. The control unit is configured to perform a first detection process based on the output of the sensor sheet, which detects the presence or absence of contact between the object to be detected and the input operating surface, the contact position, and its change over time, and a second detection process which detects the pressure distribution on the input operating surface and its change over time.

[0019] The aforementioned device body may be a camera.

[0020] The control unit may be configured to generate control commands corresponding to a plurality of first control modes relating to camera settings assigned to each of the plurality of regions within the input operation surface, and may be configured to generate a control command to execute the first control mode corresponding to the contact position when the second detection process detects a pressure of a predetermined value or higher at the contact position detected in the first detection process.

[0021] Furthermore, the control unit may be configured to generate control commands corresponding to a plurality of second control modes related to the camera settings assigned according to the amount of movement of the contact position while the first control mode is being executed, and to generate a control command to execute the second control mode corresponding to the contact position after movement when the second detection process detects a pressure of a predetermined value or higher at the contact position after movement.

[0022] The device body has a front section having an imaging section and a rear section having a display section, the sensor device is provided on the rear section, and the control unit may be configured to further generate image forming signals for displaying an image related to the control command on the display section.

[0023] The device body may further include a viewfinder that incorporates the display unit.

[0024] The input operation surface may be located on the gripping portion of the camera. The control unit may be configured to generate control commands for controlling the main body of the device based on the pressure distribution detected by the second detection process.

[0025] These are a front view (A) and a rear view (B) showing a camera as an electronic device according to one embodiment of this technology. This is a schematic side cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a sensor device according to one embodiment of this technology. This is a schematic plan view showing one example of the configuration of a sensor sheet in the sensor device. This is a schematic plan view showing one example of the configuration of a sensing unit 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 of the input operation surface explaining the operation of the sensor device. This is an explanatory diagram of one operation of the sensor device. This is a flowchart showing an example of a processing procedure performed in the control unit. This is a schematic diagram of the input operation surface explaining the operation of the sensor device. This is an explanatory diagram of one operation of the sensor device. This is an explanatory diagram of another operation of the sensor device. This is a flowchart showing an example of another processing procedure performed in the control unit. This is a front view showing another example of the configuration of the camera. This is a schematic diagram of the input operation surface explaining the operation of the camera. This is a schematic side cross-sectional view showing another example of the configuration of the sensor device.

[0026] The embodiments of this technology will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0027] [Overall Configuration] Figure 1A is a front view showing a camera 1 as an electronic device according to one embodiment of this technology, and Figure 1B is a rear view thereof. The camera 1 is a digital camera and is configured to capture still images or videos of a subject.

[0028] Camera 1 comprises a main unit 5 including a shooting unit 51, a display panel 52, operation keys 53, a housing 54, etc., and a sensor device 100 having an input operation surface S. The housing 54 has a front section 54F on which the shooting unit 51 is located, and a rear section 54B on which the display panel 52, operation keys 53, etc. are located. The top surface of the housing 54 is arranged with a shutter button 55, a viewfinder 56, and various physical switches (not shown). A gripping section 57 is provided extending from the right side section 53S to the front section 54F of the housing 54.

[0029] The main unit 5 of the device further includes a storage unit for storing captured images, a battery, and a controller 50 (see Figure 5) that controls the entire camera. The controller 50 includes a camera setting unit as one of its functional blocks for setting the shooting conditions of the camera 1. As will be described later, the controller 50 controls the camera setting unit, display panel 52, etc., based on control commands and image forming signals output from the control unit 60 of the sensor device 100.

[0030] The imaging unit 51 includes a lens barrel that houses the imaging lens and an image sensor that receives the subject light beam incident through the lens barrel. The display panel 52 displays images acquired by the imaging unit 51 (captured images), playback images of image files stored in the storage unit, and camera setting operation screens. The display panel 52 is typically a touch panel and is configured to allow information input by touch operation on the display panel 52.

[0031] The sensor device 100 has an input operating surface S that is operated by the user's fingers (for example, the thumb of the right hand). The input operating surface S is located on the rear portion 54F of the housing 54. In this embodiment, the input operating surface S is located in a rectangular area between the operation key 53 and the shutter button 55.

[0032] The sensor device 100 is positioned on the back side (inside the housing 54) of the rear portion 54F 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.

[0033] [Sensor Device] Figure 2 is a schematic side cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the sensor device 100, and Figure 3 is a schematic plan view showing one example of the configuration of the sensor sheet 10 in the sensor device 100.

[0034] In Figures 2 and 3, 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). In Figure 3, the upper side corresponds to the front side (the rear part 54B side of the housing 54) to which external force is applied, and the lower side corresponds to the opposite side, the back side (the front part 54F side of the housing 54).

[0035] The sensor device 100 comprises a pressure sensor 6 and a control unit 60. The pressure sensor 6 has a planar shape corresponding to the input operation surface S, and in this embodiment, it has a substantially rectangular flat plate structure. As shown in Figure 2, 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.

[0036] (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.

[0037] As shown in Figure 3, the base material 11 has a rectangular main body portion 111 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.

[0038] 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 N 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.

[0039] Figure 4 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 4). 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.

[0040] Each pulse electrode 121 is connected to a wiring section 121a extending in the Y-axis direction, and each sense electrode 122 is connected to a wiring section 122a extending in the X-axis direction. The wiring sections 121a are arranged at intervals in the X-axis direction on the back surface of the base material 11, and the wiring sections 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 section 122a via a through-hole 123 provided in the base material 11.

[0041] Alternatively, the wiring portions 121a and 122a may both be formed on the back surface of the base material 11, and their intersection may be insulated from each other using, for example, a jumper member. 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, so that, for example, the touch sensitivity can be kept low relative to the pressure sensitivity.

[0042] 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.

[0043] Note that the structure of the sensing portion N is not limited to the above example, and any structure may be used. For example, the sensor electrode layer 12 may be formed of 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. In this case, the sensing portion N is formed at the intersection of the first electrode pattern and the second electrode pattern.

[0044] (Reference electrode layer) The reference electrode layer 20 is disposed to face the other surface (back surface) of the sensor sheet 10. The reference electrode layer 20 is connected to a reference potential. In the present 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 has flexibility, and its thickness is, for example, about 0.03 mm to about 0.5 mm. As the material of the reference electrode layer 20, for example, an inorganic conductive material, an organic conductive material, a conductive material containing both an inorganic conductive material and an organic conductive material, or the like is used.

[0045] Examples of the inorganic conductive material 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 the organic conductive material include carbon materials such as carbon black and carbon fiber, and conductive polymers such as substituted or unsubstituted polyaniline and polypyrrole. The reference electrode layer 20 may be formed of a thin metal plate such as stainless steel or aluminum, conductive fiber, conductive non-woven fabric, or the like. The reference electrode layer 20 may be formed on a plastic film by a method such as vapor deposition, sputtering, adhesion, coating, or the like.

[0046] (Deformation layer) The deformation layer 30 is disposed between the sensor sheet 10 and the reference electrode layer 20. The thickness of the deformation layer 30 is, for example, about 100 μm to about 1000 μm, and in the present embodiment, it is 500 μm or less.

[0047] The lower limit of the thickness of the deformation layer 30 is not particularly limited as long as it is greater than 100 μm. For example, this lower limit may be 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. For example, this upper limit may be 950 μm or less, 900 μm or less, 850 μm or less, 800 or less, etc.

[0048] The basis weight in the deformation layer 30 is, for example, 50 mg / cm ２ or less. 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.

[0049] The deformation layer 30 is composed of a flexible material that can be elastically deformed in response to an external force, such as a foam material (elastic foam), rubber, gel, non-woven fabric, nanofiber, etc. When an external force is applied in the direction 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, in the sensing portion N, the capacitance between the pulse electrode 121 and the sense electrode 122 changes, so the sensing portion N can detect this change in capacitance as a pressure value.

[0050] The deformation layer 30 may be configured by a patterning structure including, for example, a column structure in order to facilitate deformation in the Z-axis direction. This patterning structure can adopt various structures such as a matrix shape, a stripe shape, a mesh shape, a radial shape, a geometric shape, a spiral shape, etc.

[0051] The deformation layer 30 is bonded to the sensor sheet 10 and the reference electrode layer 20 via an adhesive. As the adhesive, for example, one or more adhesives selected from the group consisting of acrylic adhesives, silicone adhesives, and urethane adhesives can be used.

[0052] (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 back surface 54B of the housing portion 54 of the camera 1 (see Figure 1B).

[0053] The surface layer 40 is placed on one side (the 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.

[0054] 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 N when the detection target contacts the input operation surface S, and pressure sensitivity corresponds to the change in capacitance of the sensing unit N when the detection target presses on the input operation surface S.

[0055] 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.

[0056] 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.

[0057] (Support layer) As shown in Figure 2, the sensor device 100 further comprises a support layer 80. The support layer 80 is positioned between the installation surface T on which the sensor device 100 is installed and the reference electrode layer 20. The support layer 80 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.

[0058] The support layer 80 may be made of a flexible material. In this case, when the surface layer 40 is made as part of the housing of an electronic device (camera 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 80 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.

[0059] The mounting surface T is not particularly limited as long as it can stably hold the sensor device 100 inside the housing 54, and may be a part of the housing 54 or any fixing member assembled to the housing 54. The support layer 80 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.

[0060] (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.

[0061] Figure 5 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.

[0062] 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 6. Based on the change in capacity, the calculation unit 61 calculates the pressure distribution on the input operating surface S.

[0063] 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 controller 50 of the main unit 5 of the device.

[0064] The threshold setting unit 63 sets the multiple thresholds mentioned above. The control unit 60 may be configured as part of the controller 50 of the main unit 5 of the device.

[0065] The control unit 60 is configured to perform a first detection process based on the output of the pressure sensor 1 (sensor sheet 10) to detect whether or not there is contact (touch operation) of the target to be detected (user's fingers) on the input operation surface S, the contact position (touch position), and its change over time, and a second detection process to detect the pressure distribution on the input operation surface S and its change over time. In the second detection process, the control unit 60 detects the pressing force on the input operation surface S and sets multiple thresholds to determine the magnitude of the pressing force in multiple stages.

[0066] 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 ISO sensitivity, normally increasing / decreasing the ISO sensitivity, or significantly increasing / decreasing the ISO sensitivity.

[0067] Other examples of operations include adjusting the aperture, white balance (WB), and shutter speed (SS). Also, adjusting the zoom amount and autofocus (AF) position are possible.

[0068] 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 6. In Figure 6, 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.

[0069] 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.

[0070] For example, when assigning four operations, as shown in Figure 7, 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.

[0071] 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 8 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.

[0072] In Figure 8, 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.

[0073] 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 9 shows an experimental result illustrating the dependence of the structure (thickness, flexibility) of the surface layer 40 on load sensitivity.

[0074] In Figure 9, 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 20 has a laminated structure consisting of an outer layer that forms the input operation surface S and an inner layer on the sensor sheet 10 side, with the outer layer being an acrylic plate with a thickness of 0.5 mm and the inner layer 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.

[0075] As shown in Figure 9, 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.

[0076] 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.

[0077] [Control Unit Details] Incidentally, camera operation usually involves operating mechanical switches, so the number of buttons and other controls that can be placed is limited, making free operation difficult. There are methods to add touch-recognizable patterns to buttons using touch panels, but this is limited to at most a few. If you try to increase the number of operations in that state, malfunctions due to incorrect operation will increase, and there is a limit to the number of operations that can be assigned.

[0078] Furthermore, when shooting using a viewfinder, the camera is operated blindly, limiting the number of buttons that can be placed and making free operation difficult. While there are methods to add tactile patterns to buttons, even then, the number of buttons is still limited to a few at most. Increasing the number of controls in this state increases the likelihood of accidental operation and malfunctions.

[0079] In devices like cameras, enabling a wide range of 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.

[0080] Therefore, in this embodiment, as described above, the control unit 60 is configured to perform a first detection process based on the output of the pressure sensor 6 (sensor sheet 10) to detect whether or not a target for detection (user U's fingers) touches the input operation surface S, the touch position and its time change (amount of movement, speed of movement, etc.), and a second detection process to detect the pressure distribution on the input operation surface S and its time change.

[0081] This enables not only one-dimensional or two-dimensional operations such as touch or slide operations on the input surface S, but also three-dimensional input operations including pressing, easily increasing the number of input patterns on the input surface S. Furthermore, since there is no need to move the finger significantly from its position when pressing on the input surface S, intuitive gesture operation is possible without looking at the control unit, reducing the effort required to learn the operation method.

[0082] (Operation Example 1) More specifically, the control unit 50 is configured to generate control commands corresponding to a plurality of first control modes for camera settings assigned to each of the plurality of areas within the input operation surface S. When a second detection process detects a pressure of a predetermined value or higher at a touch position detected in the first detection process, the control unit generates a control command to execute the first control mode corresponding to the touch position.

[0083] Multiple regions within the input operation surface S are pre-configured within the input operation surface S. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 10, a circular operation area SA is set at a predetermined position on the input operation surface S, and multiple regions are divided and arranged along the circumference of the operation area SA. These multiple regions are assigned to multiple camera setting modes, such as those shown in Figure 11, as the first control mode. In the example shown in the figure, the operation area SA is assigned to shutter speed (SS), zoom (ZOOM), white balance (WB), flash, aperture, autofocus (AF), ISO sensitivity (ISO), and video recording (MOVIE), respectively, starting from the 12 o'clock position and moving clockwise. In addition to the above, the central part of the operation area SA may also be assigned as part of the above regions.

[0084] As shown in Figure 10, the control unit 60 detects the touch position, movement amount, and pressure amount on the operating area SA by the user U's fingers, generates a control command corresponding to the detection result, and outputs it to the controller 50.

[0085] The menu table for camera setting modes shown in Figure 11 may be displayed on the display panel 52 as a setting image MT1. The user U's touch position may also be superimposed on the setting image MT1. This allows the user to select the desired camera setting mode using finger gestures without directly looking at the input operation surface S. The setting image MT1 may also be displayed on the display unit 52V (see Figure 5) built into the viewfinder 56, which makes it easy to set the camera even when shooting using the viewfinder 56.

[0086] The operation area SA can be set at any position within the input operation surface S. The position of the operation area SA may be determined by default, or it may be customized to any position by the user. If the position of the operation area SA is determined by default, the input operation surface S may be provided with raised or grooved shapes that conform to the shape of the operation area SA. This improves the guiding ability of the fingers and thus improves operability. Furthermore, the menu table is not limited to the form shown in Figure 11, and any form such as a strip or matrix can be adopted.

[0087] The setting image MT1 may be generated in the control unit 60. For example, when the control unit 60 detects a touch operation on the operation area SA, it generates an image forming signal to form the setting image MT1 as an image related to the control command and outputs it to the controller 50, so that the setting image MT1 is displayed on the display panel 52 (display unit 52V).

[0088] This section explains how to specifically configure the camera settings mode. Figure 12 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing procedure performed in the control unit 60.

[0089] The control unit 60 detects whether or not user U touches the input operation surface S (S101). When the control unit 60 detects a touch operation on the input operation surface S, it generates an image forming signal to display the setting image MT1 on the display panel 52 (display unit 52V) (S102).

[0090] Next, the control unit 60 detects whether or not user U has performed a touch operation in the operation area SA where the setting image MT1 is displayed (S103). Touch operation detection also includes detection of slide operations where the touch position moves from TP1 to TP2, as shown in Figure 13. When the control unit 60 detects a press operation in the operation area SA (S104), it generates a control command to execute the setting mode (first control mode) assigned to the area to which the press position belongs (S105) and outputs it to the controller 50. Note that the generation of the control command is not limited to when a press operation is detected as described above, but may also occur when the press operation is released.

[0091] The control unit 60 is configured to generate control commands corresponding to a plurality of second control modes assigned according to the amount of movement of the contact position (touch position) while the first control mode is being executed. When the control unit 60 detects a pressure of a predetermined value or higher at the contact position after movement through a second detection process, it generates a control command to execute the second control mode corresponding to the contact position after movement.

[0092] The second control mode adjusts the amount of the selected camera setting. Specifically, as shown, when the shutter speed (SS) setting mode is selected as the first control mode, the setting mode for adjusting the shutter speed is executed as the second control mode.

[0093] For example, as shown in Figure 14A, when a press operation in the shutter speed (SS) region is detected in the setting image MT1, the control unit 60 generates an image forming signal to display the shutter speed adjustment image MT2 on the display panel 52 (display unit 52V), as shown in Figure 14B, and outputs it to the controller 50. The user U's touch position may also be superimposed on the adjustment image MT2. The adjustment image MT2 is a menu table in which multiple regions are assigned in the circumferential direction, similar to the setting image MT1. For example, eight regions may be set, including four up regions (+1 to +4) clockwise from the 12 o'clock position and four down regions (-1 to -4) counterclockwise.

[0094] When the control unit 60 detects a pressing operation in the shutter speed (SS) range of the setting image MT1, it transitions the image from the setting image MT1 to the adjustment image MT2, prompting the user U to select an adjustment amount. When the user U detects a pressing operation in the range of, for example, "+3", the control unit 60 generates a control command corresponding to the adjustment amount "+3" and outputs it to the controller 50.

[0095] According to this embodiment, the touch position is rotated by a dial while viewing the setting image MT1 and the adjustment image MT2, and the target area is pressed. The pressing position may be determined based on the coordinate position (node ​​position) that shows a pressure of a predetermined value or higher from the pressure distribution detection data output from the sensor sheet 10, or it may be determined based on the amount of movement from the position before the start of movement of the touch position (for example, touch position TP1 in Figure 13) to the position after the end of movement (for example, touch position TP2 in Figure 13). In this case, the touch start position can be any position.

[0096] Alternatively, the control unit 60 may determine the adjustment amount according to the movement speed of the touch position. In this case, instead of the adjustment image MT2 shown in Figure 14, a variable numerical value corresponding to the adjustment amount may be displayed on the display panel 52 (display unit 52V) according to the movement speed of the touch position. The adjustment in the + direction and - direction may be switched depending on the direction of movement.

[0097] (Operation Example 2) Next, as another example of camera settings, we will explain how to change the autofocus (AF) position.

[0098] Here, the first control mode is determined, for example, by pressing the "AF" button on the setting image MT1 (Figure 11). The second control mode is, for example, as shown in Figure 15A, a mode is executed in which the position of the setting frame F, which is displayed superimposed on the subject image on the display panel 52 (display unit 52V), is changed.

[0099] The position of the setting frame F is changed by sequentially performing touch (or press), slide, and press operations on the input operation surface S, as shown in Figure 15B. For example, after touching or pressing the position on the input operation surface S corresponding to the current position of the setting frame F shown by the dashed line in Figure 15A, the finger is moved to the desired position while maintaining that touch (or press) state. This moves the setting frame F to the position shown by the solid line in Figure 15A, and the area of ​​the setting frame F after this movement is set as the autofocus target area. At this time, a function may be added in which the setting frame W moves to track the newly set subject.

[0100] Figure 16 is a flowchart showing an example of the procedure for changing the setting frame F, which is performed in the control unit 60.

[0101] The control unit 60 detects whether or not user U touches the input operation surface S (S201). When the control unit 60 detects a touch operation on the input operation surface S, it generates an image forming signal to display the touch position and the current setting frame F on the display panel 52 (display unit 52V) (S202).

[0102] Next, the control unit 60 moves the touch position indicator in accordance with the movement of the user U's fingers on the input operation surface S (S203), and when it detects a press operation, it displays a setting frame F at the pressed position (S204, 205). Subsequently, the control unit 60 moves the setting frame F in accordance with the movement of the user U's fingers on the input operation surface S (S206), and when it detects a press operation, it determines the pressed position as the new position of the setting frame F (S207, 208). After determining the position of the setting frame F, the control unit 60 detects the release of the press operation and outputs a control command to the controller 50 to start the autofocus tracking control (S209, 210).

[0103] Furthermore, it is possible to adjust the size of the setting frame F by touching it. For example, when the touch position moves inside the setting frame F while touching a corner of the setting frame, the setting frame F may be made smaller, and when the touch position moves outside the setting frame F, the setting frame F may be made larger.

[0104] (Operation Example 3) Figure 17 is a front view of camera 1 showing another configuration example. In this example, the input operation surface S is located on the gripping portion 57 of camera 1. In the figure, the reference numeral S1 indicates the input operation surface provided on the gripping portion 57.

[0105] In the configuration example described above, the case where the input operating surface S is operated with one finger was basically explained, but in this configuration example, the input operating surface S is configured to be operable with multiple fingers. Since the sensor device 100 is configured to detect the pressure distribution on the input operating surface S1, it can detect the positions of multiple fingers on the input operating surface S1, for example, as shown in Figure 18. The control unit 60 is configured to generate control commands to control the camera 1 (device body 5) by assigning predetermined functions to the positions of these multiple fingers in advance.

[0106] As for the predetermined functions described above, for example, area P1 touched by the middle finger may be assigned as the "aperture" setting area, area P2 touched by the ring finger as the "shutter speed (SS)" setting area, and area P3 touched by the little finger as the "ISO sensitivity" setting area. The camera settings assigned to each area may be applied by detecting the press operation in these touch areas P1 to P3. The types of camera settings assigned to each of these areas may be customized by the user.

[0107] Furthermore, a setting function may be added that is performed when at least two or more areas are pressed simultaneously. For example, the "white balance (WB)" setting may be performed based on the time change of the pressure distribution detected when areas P1 to P3 are pressed simultaneously. In addition, the adjustment amount for each setting may be determined by the movement and pressing operation of each area P1 to P3. In this case as well, corresponding images for each function may be displayed on the display panel 52 (display unit 52V).

[0108] Since each area P1 to P3 is often unique to the user, each area P1 to P3 may be set individually for each user. Furthermore, if the user is a beginner with cameras, a function to teach the correct finger position may be added.

[0109] Furthermore, since the pressure sensor 100 is configured to detect the pressure distribution acting on the input operation surface S1, the camera's posture and grip may be detected according to the detected pressure distribution. For example, an appropriate shooting mode may be set according to the grip, or the camera may be restored from APO (Auto Power Off) (switched from power off to power on) depending on the grip. Alternatively, the user may be identified by the grip and the setting mode may be changed accordingly.

[0110] As described above, this embodiment enables intuitive gesture operation that is easy to learn for a wide range of users without increasing the number of buttons, and provides accessibility mode to assist users in environments with limited freedom of operation. Furthermore, since there is no need to move the finger significantly from its position when pressing, intuitive gesture operation is possible without looking at the control unit, and learning the operation method does not require much effort. In addition, 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 54, it is possible to avoid malfunctions of the sensor device 100 due to external factors and improve long-term reliability.

[0111] [Modifications] In the embodiments described above, a camera was used as an example of an electronic device on which the sensor device 100 is mounted. However, the invention is not limited to this, and the technology can also be applied to other handheld electronic devices such as game controllers and remote controllers, as well as head-mounted electronic devices such as earphones and head-mounted displays.

[0112] Furthermore, in the embodiments described above, the example given was that the camera settings input using the input operation surface S are information related to shooting conditions. However, the invention is not limited to this, and input operations performed via the display panel 52, such as file operations like selecting, playing, editing, and deleting image files, may also be configured to be executable on the input operation surface S.

[0113] Furthermore, although the above embodiments have described the case where the input operating surface S is a flat surface, the invention is not limited to this, and may have a three-dimensional shape such as a curved surface or a polyhedron. In addition, a structure that lowers the rigidity of the surface layer 40 may be adopted, such as forming a thin-walled portion on the input operating surface S or interposing an elastic layer.

[0114] The pressure sensor 100 is not limited to the structure shown in Figure 2. For example, in the example in Figure 2, the reference electrode layer 20 is placed on the back side (support layer 80 side) of the sensor sheet 10 with the deformation layer 30 in between, but instead, for example, as shown in Figure 19, the reference electrode layer 20 may be placed on the front side (surface layer 40 side) of the sensor sheet 10 with the deformation layer 30 in between. Since even a touch operation on the input operation surface S causes some deformation of the deformation layer 30, the first detection process can be performed even with the pressure sensor structure shown in Figure 19 by using the amount of this deformation as the threshold for the touch operation.

[0115] Furthermore, this technology can also take the following configurations: (1) A sensor device comprising: a sensor sheet capable of detecting pressure distribution; a surface layer having an input operating surface and disposed on one surface of the sensor sheet; a deformation layer disposed opposite to the surface layer and capable of deforming when subjected to pressing force acting on the input operating surface; a reference electrode layer connected to a reference potential and disposed opposite to the sensor sheet with the deformation layer in between; and a control unit configured to perform a first detection process based on the output of the sensor sheet to detect whether or not a target to be detected is in contact with the input operating surface, the contact position and its change over time, and a second detection process to detect the pressure distribution on the input operating surface and its change over time. (2) The sensor device according to (1) above, wherein the control unit is configured to generate control commands corresponding to a plurality of first control modes assigned to a plurality of regions within the input operating surface, and when the second detection process detects a pressure of a predetermined value or more at a contact position detected in the first detection process, the sensor device generates a control command to execute the first control mode corresponding to the contact position. (3) A sensor device according to (2) above, wherein the control unit is configured to generate control commands corresponding to a plurality of second control modes assigned according to the amount of movement of the contact position during the execution of the first control mode, and generates a control command for executing the second control mode corresponding to the contact position after movement when the second detection process detects a pressure of a predetermined value or more at the contact position after movement. (4) A sensor device according to (2) or (3) above, wherein the control unit further generates an image forming signal for forming an image related to the control command. (5) A sensor device according to any one of (1) to (4) above, wherein the control unit sets a plurality of thresholds for determining the magnitude of the pressing force in a multi-stage manner in the second detection process. (6) A sensor device according to any one of (1) to (5) above, wherein the surface layer is made of a non-conductive material, and the reference electrode layer is arranged on the other side of the sensor sheet with the deformation layer in between.(7) A sensor device according to (6) above, wherein the surface layer has a greater thickness than the deformation layer. (8) A sensor device according to (7) above, wherein the surface layer has a thickness of twice or more the thickness of the deformation layer. (9) A sensor device according to any one of (1) to (5) above, wherein the reference electrode layer is arranged on one side of the sensor sheet with the deformation layer in between. (10) A sensor device according to any one of (1) to (9) 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 side 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 side of the substrate. (11) Electronic device comprising a main body of equipment and a sensor device provided on the main body of equipment, wherein the sensor device comprises: a sensor sheet capable of detecting pressure distribution; a surface layer having an input operating surface and disposed on one side of the sensor sheet; a deformation layer disposed opposite to the surface layer and capable of deforming when subjected to pressing force acting on the input operating surface; a reference electrode layer disposed opposite to the sensor sheet with the deformation layer in between and connected to a reference potential; and a control unit configured to perform a first detection process based on the output of the sensor sheet for detecting the presence or absence of contact between the input operating surface and a target to be detected, the contact position and its change over time, and a second detection process for detecting the pressure distribution on the input operating surface and its change over time. (12) Electronic device according to (11) above, wherein the main body of equipment is a camera. (13) The electronic device described in (12) above, wherein the control unit is configured to generate control commands corresponding to a plurality of first control modes relating to camera settings assigned to a plurality of regions within the input operation surface, and generates a control command to execute the first control mode corresponding to the contact position when the second detection process detects a pressure of a predetermined value or more at the contact position detected in the first detection process.(14) Electronic device as described in (13) above, wherein the control unit is configured to generate control commands corresponding to a plurality of second control modes for camera settings assigned according to the amount of movement of the contact position during execution of the first control mode, and generates a control command for executing the second control mode corresponding to the contact position after movement when the second detection process detects a pressure of a predetermined value or more at the contact position after movement. (15) Electronic device as described in (13) or (14) above, wherein the main body of the device has a front part having an imaging unit and a rear part having a display unit, the sensor device is provided on the rear part, and the control unit is an electronic device that further generates an image forming signal for displaying an image related to the control command on the display unit. (16) Electronic device as described in (15) above, wherein the main body of the device further has a viewfinder that incorporates the display unit. (17) An electronic device according to any one of (12) to (16) above, wherein the input operation surface is located on the gripping portion of the camera, and the control unit is an electronic device that generates control commands for controlling the main body of the device based on the pressure distribution detected by the second detection process.

[0116] 1...Camera 5...Main unit 4...Housing 10...Sensor sheet 11...Base material 12...Sensor electrode layer 20...Reference electrode layer 30...Deformation layer 40...Surface layer 50...Controller 51...Shooting unit 52...Display panel 54...Housing 56...Viewfinder 57...Gripping unit 60...Control unit 61...Calculation unit 62...Determination unit 63...Threshold setting unit 100...Sensor device N...Sensing unit S, S1...Input operation surface

Claims

1. A sensor device comprising: a sensor sheet capable of detecting pressure distribution; a surface layer having an input operating surface and disposed on one side of the sensor sheet; a deformation layer disposed opposite to the surface layer and capable of deforming when subjected to pressing force acting on the input operating surface; a reference electrode layer connected to a reference potential and disposed opposite the sensor sheet with the deformation layer in between; and a control unit configured to perform a first detection process based on the output of the sensor sheet to detect whether or not a target to be detected is in contact with the input operating surface, the contact position and its change over time, 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 is configured to generate control commands corresponding to a plurality of first control modes assigned to a plurality of regions within the input operation surface, and when the second detection process detects a pressure of a predetermined value or more at a contact position detected in the first detection process, the sensor device generates a control command for executing the first control mode corresponding to the contact position.

3. A sensor device according to claim 2, wherein the control unit is configured to generate control commands corresponding to a plurality of second control modes assigned according to the amount of movement of the contact position during the execution of the first control mode, and generates a control command to execute the second control mode corresponding to the contact position after movement when the second detection process detects a pressure of a predetermined value or more at the contact position after movement.

4. A sensor device according to claim 2, wherein the control unit further generates an image forming signal for forming an image related to the control command.

5. 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.

6. A sensor device according to claim 1, wherein the surface layer is made of a non-conductive material, and the reference electrode layer is disposed on the other side of the sensor sheet, with the deformation layer in between.

7. A sensor device according to claim 6, wherein the surface layer has a greater thickness than the deformation layer.

8. A sensor device according to claim 7, wherein the surface layer has a thickness of twice or more the thickness of the deformation layer.

9. A sensor device according to claim 1, wherein the reference electrode layer is disposed on one side of the sensor sheet with the deformation layer in between.

10. 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.

11. Electronic device comprising: a main body of the device; a sensor device provided on the main body of the device, wherein the sensor device comprises: a sensor sheet capable of detecting pressure distribution; a surface layer having an input operating surface and disposed on one side of the sensor sheet; a deformation layer disposed opposite to the surface layer and capable of deforming when subjected to pressing force acting on the input operating surface; a reference electrode layer disposed opposite to the sensor sheet with the deformation layer in between and connected to a reference potential; and a control unit configured to perform a first detection process based on the output of the sensor sheet for detecting the presence or absence of contact between the input operating surface and a target to be detected, the contact position and its change over time; and a second detection process for detecting the pressure distribution on the input operating surface and its change over time.

12. An electronic device according to claim 11, wherein the main body of the device is a camera.

13. Electronic device according to claim 12, wherein the control unit is configured to generate control commands corresponding to a plurality of first control modes relating to camera settings assigned to a plurality of regions within the input operation surface, and generates a control command for executing the first control mode corresponding to the contact position when the second detection process detects a pressure of a predetermined value or more at the contact position detected in the first detection process.

14. Electronic device according to claim 13, wherein the control unit is configured to generate control commands corresponding to a plurality of second control modes relating to the camera settings assigned according to the amount of movement of the contact position during the execution of the first control mode, and generates a control command for executing the second control mode corresponding to the contact position after movement when the second detection process detects a pressure of a predetermined value or more at the contact position after movement.

15. An electronic device according to claim 13, wherein the main body of the device has a front portion having an imaging unit and a rear portion having a display unit, the sensor device is provided on the rear portion, and the control unit is an electronic device that further generates an image forming signal for displaying an image related to the control command on the display unit.

16. An electronic device according to claim 15, wherein the main body of the device further comprises a viewfinder having the display unit built in.

17. Electronic device according to claim 12, wherein the input operating surface is arranged on the gripping portion of the camera, and the control unit is an electronic device that generates control commands for controlling the main body of the device based on the pressure distribution detected by the second detection process.

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