KR101655923B1 - Sensor-actuator for touch input device and terminal using the same - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention discloses a touch input device and a terminal having improved performance. The present invention provides a touch input device comprising: a sensor unit configured to sense a pressure applied to a predetermined portion of a touch input device by a user; An actuator unit integrally formed with the sensor unit and configured to provide a predetermined tactile feedback to the user according to the sensed pressure; And an insulator portion formed integrally with the sensor portion and the actuator portion and disposed between the sensor portion and the actuator portion so as to electrically isolate the sensor portion from the actuator portion.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD [0001] The present invention relates to a sensor-actuator for a touch input device and a terminal device using the sensor-

The present invention relates to a touch input device and a terminal device having such an input device, and more particularly, to a sensor-actuator applied to the touch input device.

Unlike a conventional physical button or switch input device, the touch input device can set a virtual button in a predetermined area. The user can input a command for performing a predetermined function by touching the area of the touch input device.

From the viewpoint of the user interface, the touch input device can input with only a simple touch, thereby basically increasing the convenience of the user. Also, a conventional button / switch input device generally assigns one command to one button or switch. On the other hand, the touch input device can allocate as many virtual buttons as desired in a predetermined area for command input according to the operation state. That is, the touch input device is essentially free from physical space constraints for the performance of the input function. Further, in addition to the simple depression, desired commands can be input using various gestures given on the predetermined area. Thus, the touch input device may have a significantly smaller size while providing more input functionality than a conventional input device. For this reason, the touch input device has been applied to various terminals configured to perform input of data by a user and / or data output to a user.

The terminal can be divided into a mobile / portable terminal and a stationary terminal depending on whether the terminal is movable or not. The mobile terminal can be divided into a handheld terminal and a vehicle mounted terminal according to whether the user can directly carry the mobile terminal.

With the development of mobile communication, the functions of mobile terminals are diversified. More particularly, the mobile terminal is used for transmitting and receiving various media such as photographs, images, and texts as well as data and voice communications, and is implemented in the form of a multimedia device having a complex function . Meanwhile, in order to appropriately perform such a complex function, a mobile terminal requires a lot of input, while its size is limited for portability. Accordingly, a touch input device having the advantages described above has been applied to almost all mobile terminals in recent years.

However, a conventional input device is operated only by a pressure greater than a predetermined magnitude applied to the button, while the touch input device is operated only by the contact between the user and the corresponding area. Therefore, a predetermined command may be erroneously input even by an unintended touch in the touch input device.

In order to prevent such erroneous input, a sensor for sensing the pressure applied by the user to the touch input device may be additionally provided. However, as mentioned above, the terminals using the touch input device generally require a compact structure for portability, so that it is difficult to additionally install such a sensor and increase the production cost.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in order to solve the above problems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a touch input device and a terminal device using the touch input device.

In order to solve the above-described problems, the present invention provides a touch input device comprising: a sensor unit configured to sense a pressure applied to a predetermined portion of a touch input device by a user; An actuator unit integrally formed with the sensor unit and configured to provide a predetermined tactile feedback to the user according to the sensed pressure; And an insulator portion formed integrally with the sensor portion and the actuator portion and disposed between the sensor portion and the actuator portion so as to electrically isolate the sensor portion from the actuator portion.

The sensor unit and the actuator unit may be physically formed integrally by a sintering process, and the sensor unit and the actuator may be piezoelectric devices.

The sensor portion may be disposed closer to the actuator than a portion of the touch input device that is deformed to the applied pressure. More preferably, the sensor unit can directly contact a part of the touch input device deformed by the applied pressure. Actually, the sensor portion can be disposed on the actuator portion.

The sensor unit may have a smaller capacitance than the actuator unit. Actually, the sensor portion may have a capacitance of 1/10 of the actuator portion.

The actuator unit may include a plurality of layers, and the thickness of the sensor unit may be greater than the thickness of one layer of the actuator unit. Preferably, the thickness of the sensor portion may be twice the thickness of one layer of the actuator portion.

The sensor portion may have a thickness less than the thickness of the actuator portion, and preferably have a thickness of 1/10 of the actuator portion.

The sensor unit and the actuator unit may be made of the same material. Also, the insulator portion may be made of the same material as the sensor portion and the actuator.

The sensor-actuator according to the present invention can improve the performance of both the touch input device and the terminal using the touch input device in both the structural aspect as well as the functional aspect.

In a structural aspect, the sensor-actuator can form the sensor part into a single body with the actuator part. Therefore, the sensor-actuator can make the touch input device and the terminal using the sensor-actuator compact as well as the sensor-actuator itself, so that the touch input device can have high usability. In addition, by having an integrated body, the sensor-actuator has high structural stability and durability, which can bring about the same effect in a touch input device and a terminal using such a sensor-actuator. Further, since the sensor unit and the actuator unit are structurally integrated with each other, the actuator can be operated immediately without any delay in sensing at the sensor unit, and it is possible to improve the responsiveness of the touch input unit and the terminal using the sensor- Can greatly improve. Furthermore, since the electrodes of the sensor-actuator can be configured in an integrated manner by the structural integration of the sensor part and the actuator, the sensor-actuator can be easily installed. Also, as noted above, by structural integration, the sensor-actuator can have a compact size that is easily installable. Thus, the integration and compact size of such electrodes can greatly improve the productivity in the manufacture of touch input devices and terminals.

On the other hand, in terms of functions, the sensor-actuator senses the pressure or force applied to the touch input device, thereby preventing unintended touch input, thereby improving the reliability of the touch input device and the terminal. Further, by adding an operation for inputting the pressure in addition to the operations of the existing user, the sensor-actuator can increase the degree of freedom of the user input and extend the user interface in the touch input device and the terminal. Furthermore, the sensor-actuator can greatly improve the user experience in the touch input device and the terminal because it can grasp the user's actual intention and provide appropriate and various tactile feedback thereto.

Further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description. It should be understood, however, that the detailed description and specific examples, such as the preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art.

1A is a block diagram illustrating a mobile terminal according to the present invention.
1B and 1C are conceptual diagrams showing an example of a mobile terminal and a touch screen according to the present invention in different directions.
2 is an exploded perspective view showing a sensor-actuator according to the present invention.
3 is a perspective view showing a sensor part of a sensor-actuator according to the present invention.
4 is a perspective view showing a sensor-actuator according to the present invention.
5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. 1B.
6 is a conceptual diagram showing a fixed terminal and a touch pad applied thereto according to the present invention.
7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB of FIG. 6 to show an example of a touch pad according to the present invention.
8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB of FIG. 6 to show another example of the touch pad according to the present invention.
9 is a conceptual diagram showing the operation of the sensor-actuator according to the present invention.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals are used to designate identical or similar elements, and redundant description thereof will be omitted. The suffix "module" and " part "for the components used in the following description are given or mixed in consideration of ease of specification, and do not have their own meaning or role. In the following description of the embodiments of the present invention, a detailed description of related arts will be omitted when it is determined that the gist of the embodiments disclosed herein may be blurred. It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed. , ≪ / RTI > equivalents, and alternatives.

Terms including ordinals, such as first, second, etc., may be used to describe various elements, but the elements are not limited to these terms. The terms are used only for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another.

It is to be understood that when an element is referred to as being "connected" or "connected" to another element, it may be directly connected or connected to the other element, . On the other hand, when an element is referred to as being "directly connected" or "directly connected" to another element, it should be understood that there are no other elements in between.

The singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

In the present application, the terms " comprising, "" comprising," or "having ", when used in this specification, designate the presence of stated features, integers, But do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, elements, parts, or combinations thereof. Also for the same reason, this application is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed, including but not limited to the related features, numbers, steps, operations, elements, combinations of parts, , Operations, components, parts, etc. are also encompassed by the present invention.

In the present specification, a sensor-actuator for a touch input device according to the present invention will be described with reference to a terminal having a touch input device, that is, a mobile terminal and a fixed terminal.

The mobile terminal described in this specification includes a mobile phone, a smart phone, a laptop computer, a digital broadcasting terminal, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a portable multimedia player (PMP), a navigation device, a slate PC A tablet PC, an ultrabook, a wearable device such as a smartwatch, a smart glass, and a head mounted display (HMD). have. In addition, the fixed terminal described herein may include an ATM, a digital TV, a desktop computer, a digital signage, and the like as well as a vehicle wheel, which will be described in more detail below. The structure according to an example of the sensor-actuator described herein can be applied commonly to both of these terminals, except that it applies only to either a mobile or fixed terminal. Further, the detailed structure of the mobile and fixed terminals described in this specification may be applied to each other except those not applicable to the terminal.

First, a general structure of a mobile terminal to which a touch input device and a sensor-actuator according to the present invention are applied will be described with reference to the related drawings.

1A to 1C are block diagrams for explaining a mobile terminal according to the present invention, and FIGS. 1B and 1C are conceptual diagrams showing an example of a mobile terminal according to the present invention in different directions.

The mobile terminal 100 includes a wireless communication unit 110, an input unit 120, a sensing unit 140, an output unit 150, an interface unit 160, a memory 170, a control unit 180, ), And the like. The components shown in FIG. 1A are not essential for implementing a mobile terminal, so that the mobile terminal described herein may have more or fewer components than the components listed above.

The wireless communication unit 110 may be connected between the mobile terminal 100 and the wireless communication system or between the mobile terminal 100 and another mobile terminal 100 or between the mobile terminal 100 and the external server 100. [ Lt; RTI ID = 0.0 > wireless < / RTI > In addition, the wireless communication unit 110 may include one or more modules for connecting the mobile terminal 100 to one or more networks.

The wireless communication unit 110 may include at least one of a broadcast receiving module 111, a mobile communication module 112, a wireless Internet module 113, a short distance communication module 114, and a location information module 115 .

The input unit 120 includes a camera 121 or an image input unit for inputting a video signal, a microphone 122 for inputting an audio signal, an audio input unit, a user input unit 123 for receiving information from a user A touch key, a mechanical key, and the like). The voice data or image data collected by the input unit 120 may be analyzed and processed by a user's control command.

The sensing unit 140 may include at least one sensor for sensing at least one of information in the mobile terminal, surrounding environment information surrounding the mobile terminal, and user information. For example, the sensing unit 140 may include a proximity sensor 141, an illumination sensor 142, a touch sensor, an acceleration sensor, a magnetic sensor, A G-sensor, a gyroscope sensor, a motion sensor, an RGB sensor, an infrared sensor, a finger scan sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, A microphone 226, a battery gauge, an environmental sensor (for example, a barometer, a hygrometer, a thermometer, a radiation detection sensor, A thermal sensor, a gas sensor, etc.), a chemical sensor (e.g., an electronic nose, a healthcare sensor, a biometric sensor, etc.). Meanwhile, the mobile terminal disclosed in the present specification can combine and utilize information sensed by at least two of the sensors.

The output unit 150 includes at least one of a display unit 151, an acoustic output unit 152, a haptic tip module 153, and a light output unit 154 to generate an output related to visual, auditory, can do. The display unit 151 may have a mutual layer structure with the touch sensor or may be integrally formed to realize a touch screen. The touch screen may function as a user input unit 123 that provides an input interface between the mobile terminal 100 and a user and may provide an output interface between the mobile terminal 100 and a user.

The interface unit 160 serves as a path to various types of external devices connected to the mobile terminal 100. The interface unit 160 is connected to a device having a wired / wireless headset port, an external charger port, a wired / wireless data port, a memory card port, And may include at least one of a port, an audio I / O port, a video I / O port, and an earphone port. In the mobile terminal 100, corresponding to the connection of the external device to the interface unit 160, it is possible to perform appropriate control related to the connected external device.

In addition, the memory 170 stores data supporting various functions of the mobile terminal 100. The memory 170 may store a plurality of application programs or applications running on the mobile terminal 100, data for operation of the mobile terminal 100, and commands. At least some of these applications may be downloaded from an external server via wireless communication. Also, at least a part of these application programs may exist on the mobile terminal 100 from the time of shipment for the basic functions (e.g., telephone call receiving function, message receiving function, and calling function) of the mobile terminal 100. Meanwhile, the application program may be stored in the memory 170, installed on the mobile terminal 100, and may be operated by the control unit 180 to perform the operation (or function) of the mobile terminal.

In addition to the operations related to the application program, the control unit 180 typically controls the overall operation of the mobile terminal 100. The control unit 180 may process or process signals, data, information, and the like input or output through the above-mentioned components, or may drive an application program stored in the memory 170 to provide or process appropriate information or functions to the user.

In addition, the controller 180 may control at least some of the components illustrated in FIG. 1A in order to drive an application program stored in the memory 170. FIG. In addition, the controller 180 may operate at least two of the components included in the mobile terminal 100 in combination with each other for driving the application program.

The power supply unit 190 receives external power and internal power under the control of the controller 180 and supplies power to the components included in the mobile terminal 100. The power supply unit 190 includes a battery, which may be an internal battery or a replaceable battery.

At least some of the components may operate in cooperation with one another to implement a method of operation, control, or control of a mobile terminal according to various embodiments described below. In addition, the operation, control, or control method of the mobile terminal may be implemented on the mobile terminal by driving at least one application program stored in the memory 170. [

Referring to FIGS. 1B and 1C, the disclosed mobile terminal 100 includes a bar-shaped terminal body. However, the present invention is not limited thereto and can be applied to various structures such as a folder type, a flip type, a slide type, a swing type, and a swivel type in which a watch type, a clip type, a glass type or two or more bodies are relatively movably coupled . A description of a particular type of mobile terminal, although relevant to a particular type of mobile terminal, is generally applicable to other types of mobile terminals.

Here, the terminal body can be understood as a concept of referring to the mobile terminal 100 as at least one aggregate.

The mobile terminal 100 includes a case (for example, a frame, a housing, a cover, and the like) that forms an appearance. As shown, the mobile terminal 100 may include a front case 101 and a rear case 102. Various electronic components are disposed in the inner space formed by the combination of the front case 101 and the rear case 102. At least one middle case may be additionally disposed between the front case 101 and the rear case 102.

A display unit 151 is disposed on a front surface of the terminal body to output information. The window 151a of the display unit 151 may be mounted on the front case 101 to form a front surface of the terminal body together with the front case 101. [

In some cases, electronic components may also be mounted on the rear case 102. Electronic parts that can be mounted on the rear case 102 include detachable batteries, an identification module, a memory card, and the like. In this case, a rear cover 103 for covering the mounted electronic components can be detachably coupled to the rear case 102. Therefore, when the rear cover 103 is separated from the rear case 102, the electronic parts mounted on the rear case 102 are exposed to the outside.

As shown, when the rear cover 103 is coupled to the rear case 102, a side portion of the rear case 102 can be exposed. In some cases, the rear case 102 may be completely covered by the rear cover 103 during the engagement. Meanwhile, the rear cover 103 may be provided with an opening for exposing the camera 121b and the sound output unit 152b to the outside.

These cases 101, 102, and 103 may be formed by injection molding of synthetic resin or may be formed of metal such as stainless steel (STS), aluminum (Al), titanium (Ti), or the like.

The mobile terminal 100 may be configured such that one case provides the internal space, unlike the above example in which a plurality of cases provide an internal space for accommodating various electronic components. In this case, a unibody mobile terminal 100 in which synthetic resin or metal is connected from the side to the rear side can be realized.

Meanwhile, the mobile terminal 100 may include a waterproof unit (not shown) for preventing water from penetrating into the terminal body. For example, the waterproof portion is provided between the window 151a and the front case 101, between the front case 101 and the rear case 102, or between the rear case 102 and the rear cover 103, And a waterproof member for sealing the inside space of the oven.

The mobile terminal 100 is provided with a display unit 151, first and second sound output units 152a and 152b, a proximity sensor 141, an illuminance sensor 142, a light output unit 154, Cameras 121a and 121b, first and second operation units 123a and 123b, a microphone 122, an interface unit 160, and the like.

1B and 1C, a display unit 151, a first sound output unit 152a, a proximity sensor 141, an illuminance sensor 142, an optical output unit (not shown) A second operation unit 123b, a microphone 122 and an interface unit 160 are disposed on a side surface of the terminal body, And a mobile terminal 100 having a second sound output unit 152b and a second camera 121b disposed on a rear surface thereof.

However, these configurations are not limited to this arrangement. These configurations may be excluded or replaced as needed, or placed on different planes. For example, the first operation unit 123a may not be provided on the front surface of the terminal body, and the second sound output unit 152b may be provided on the side surface of the terminal body rather than the rear surface of the terminal body.

The display unit 151 displays (outputs) information processed by the mobile terminal 100. For example, the display unit 151 may display execution screen information of an application program driven by the mobile terminal 100 or UI (User Interface) and GUI (Graphic User Interface) information according to the execution screen information .

5) may be a liquid crystal display (LCD), a thin film transistor-liquid crystal display (TFT LCD), an organic light emitting diode an organic light-emitting diode (OLED), a flexible display, a 3D display, and an e-ink display.

In addition, the display unit 151 may exist in two or more depending on the embodiment of the mobile terminal 100. In this case, the mobile terminal 100 may be provided with a plurality of display portions spaced apart from each other or disposed integrally with one another, or may be disposed on different surfaces, respectively.

The display unit 151 may include a touch sensor 151c (see FIG. 5) for sensing a touch to the display unit 151 so that a control command can be received by a touch method. The display unit 151 may constitute a touch screen which is a kind of touch input device in the mobile terminal. The display unit 151 can display predetermined image information while operating on a touch screen as a user interface. That is, the display unit 151 may function not only as the output unit 150 but also as the input unit 120. [ When a touch is made to the display unit 151, the touch sensor 151c senses the touch, and the control unit 180 generates a control command corresponding to the touch based on the touch . The content input by the touch method may be a letter or a number, an instruction in various modes, a menu item which can be designated, and the like.

5, the touch sensor 151c may be disposed between the window 151a and the display module 151b on the rear surface of the window 151a, or may be disposed in a window (not shown) The metal wires directly patterned on the back surface of the electrodes 151a. Alternatively, the touch sensor 151c may be formed integrally with the display module 151b. For example, the touch sensor 151c may be disposed on the substrate of the display module 151b or may be provided inside the display module 151b.

In this way, the display unit 151 can form a touch screen together with the touch sensor 151c. In this case, the touch screen can function as a user input unit 123 (see FIG. 1A). In some cases, the touch screen may replace at least some functions of the first operation unit 123a.

The first sound output unit 152a may be implemented as a receiver for transmitting a call sound to a user's ear and the second sound output unit 152b may be implemented as a loud speaker for outputting various alarm sounds or multimedia playback sounds. ). ≪ / RTI >

The window 151a of the display unit 151 may be provided with an acoustic hole for emitting the sound generated from the first acoustic output unit 152a. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the sound may be configured to be emitted along an assembly gap (for example, a gap between the window 151a and the front case 101) between the structures. In this case, the appearance of the mobile terminal 100 can be made more simple because the hole formed independently for the apparent acoustic output is hidden or hidden.

The haptic module 153 generates various tactile effects that the user can feel. A typical example of the haptic effect generated by the haptic module 153 may be vibration. The intensity and pattern of the vibration generated in the haptic module 153 can be controlled by the user's selection or the setting of the control unit. For example, the haptic module 153 may synthesize and output different vibrations or sequentially output the vibrations.

In addition to vibration, the haptic module 153 may be configured to perform various functions such as a pin arrangement vertically moving with respect to the contact skin surface, a spraying force or suction force of the air through the injection port or the suction port, a touch on the skin surface, And various tactile effects such as an effect of reproducing a cold sensation using an endothermic or exothermic element can be generated.

The haptic module 153 can transmit the tactile effect through the direct contact, and the tactile effect can be felt by the user through the muscles of the finger or arm. The haptic module 153 may include two or more haptic modules 153 according to the configuration of the mobile terminal 100.

The optical output unit 154 is configured to output light for notifying the occurrence of an event. Examples of the event include a message reception, a call signal reception, a missed call, an alarm, a schedule notification, an email reception, and reception of information through an application. The control unit 180 may control the light output unit 154 to terminate the light output when the event confirmation of the user is detected.

The first camera 121a processes an image frame of a still image or a moving image obtained by the image sensor in the photographing mode or the video communication mode. The processed image frame can be displayed on the display unit 151 and can be stored in the memory 170. [

The first and second operation units 123a and 123b may be collectively referred to as a manipulating portion as an example of a user input unit 123 operated to receive a command for controlling the operation of the mobile terminal 100 have. The first and second operation units 123a and 123b can be employed in any manner as long as the user is in a tactile manner such as touch, push, scroll, or the like. In addition, the first and second operation units 123a and 123b may be employed in a manner that the user operates the apparatus without touching the user through a proximity touch, a hovering touch, or the like.

In this figure, the first operation unit 123a is a touch key, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the first operation unit 123a may be a mechanical key or a combination of a touch key and a touch key.

The contents input by the first and second operation units 123a and 123b can be variously set. For example, the first operation unit 123a receives a command such as a menu, a home key, a cancellation, a search, and the like, and the second operation unit 123b receives a command from the first or second sound output unit 152a or 152b The size of the sound, and the change of the display unit 151 to the touch recognition mode.

The operation units 123a and 123b may be a touch input device having a structure similar to that of the touch screen applied to the display unit 151 described above. Unlike the touch screen, the operation units 123a and 123b are configured to input only a command without displaying image information, and the touch input device applied to such an operation unit can be called a touch pad.

On the other hand, a rear input unit (not shown) may be provided on the rear surface of the terminal body as another example of the user input unit 123. The rear input unit is operated to receive a command for controlling the operation of the mobile terminal 100, and input contents may be variously set. For example, commands such as power on / off, start, end, scrolling, and the like, the size adjustment of the sound output from the first and second sound output units 152a and 152b, And the like can be inputted. The rear input unit may be implemented as a touch input, a push input, or a combination thereof.

The rear input unit may be disposed so as to overlap with the front display unit 151 in the thickness direction of the terminal body. For example, the rear input unit may be disposed at the rear upper end of the terminal body such that when the user holds the terminal body with one hand, the rear input unit can be easily operated using the index finger. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the position of the rear input unit may be changed.

When a rear input unit is provided on the rear surface of the terminal body, a new type of user interface using the rear input unit can be realized. When the first operation unit 123a is not disposed on the front surface of the terminal body in place of at least a part of the functions of the first operation unit 123a provided on the front surface of the terminal body, The display unit 151 may be configured as a larger screen.

Meanwhile, the mobile terminal 100 may be provided with a fingerprint recognition sensor for recognizing the fingerprint of the user, and the controller 180 may use the fingerprint information sensed through the fingerprint recognition sensor as authentication means. The fingerprint recognition sensor may be embedded in the display unit 151 or the user input unit 123.

The microphone 122 is configured to receive the user's voice, other sounds, and the like. The microphone 122 may be provided at a plurality of locations to receive stereophonic sound.

The interface unit 160 is a path through which the mobile terminal 100 can be connected to an external device. For example, the interface unit 160 may include a connection terminal for connection with another device (for example, an earphone or an external speaker), a port for short-range communication (for example, an infrared port (IrDA Port), a Bluetooth port A wireless LAN port, or the like), or a power supply terminal for supplying power to the mobile terminal 100. The interface unit 160 may be implemented as a socket for receiving an external card such as a SIM (Subscriber Identification Module) or a UIM (User Identity Module) or a memory card for storing information.

And a second camera 121b may be disposed on a rear surface of the terminal body. In this case, the second camera 121b has a photographing direction which is substantially opposite to that of the first camera 121a.

The second camera 121b may include a plurality of lenses arranged along at least one line. The plurality of lenses may be arranged in a matrix form. Such a camera may be referred to as an array camera. When the second camera 121b is configured as an array camera, images can be taken in various ways using a plurality of lenses, and a better quality image can be obtained.

The flash 124 may be disposed adjacent to the second camera 121b. The flash 124 shines light toward the subject when the subject is photographed by the second camera 121b.

And a second sound output unit 152b may be additionally disposed in the terminal body. The second sound output unit 152b may implement a stereo function together with the first sound output unit 152a and may be used for implementing a speakerphone mode in a call.

The terminal body may be provided with at least one antenna for wireless communication. The antenna may be embedded in the terminal body or formed in the case. For example, an antenna constituting a part of the broadcast receiving module 111 (see FIG. 1A) may be configured to be able to be drawn out from the terminal body. Alternatively, the antenna may be formed in a film type and attached to the inner surface of the rear cover 103, or a case including a conductive material may be configured to function as an antenna.

The terminal body is provided with a power supply unit 190 (see FIG. 1A) for supplying power to the mobile terminal 100. The power supply unit 190 may include a battery 191 built in the terminal body or detachable from the outside of the terminal body.

The battery 191 may be configured to receive power through a power cable connected to the interface unit 160. In addition, the battery 191 may be configured to be wirelessly chargeable through a wireless charger. The wireless charging may be implemented by a magnetic induction method or a resonance method (magnetic resonance method).

The rear cover 103 is configured to be coupled to the rear case 102 so as to cover the battery 191 to restrict the release of the battery 191 and to protect the battery 191 from external impact and foreign matter . When the battery 191 is detachably attached to the terminal body, the rear cover 103 may be detachably coupled to the rear case 102.

The mobile terminal 100 may be provided with an accessory that protects the appearance or supports or expands the function of the mobile terminal 100. [ One example of such an accessory is a cover or pouch that covers or accommodates at least one side of the mobile terminal 100. [ The cover or pouch may be configured to interlock with the display unit 151 to expand the function of the mobile terminal 100. Another example of an accessory is a touch pen for supplementing or extending a touch input to the touch screen.

The sensor-actuator according to the present invention assists the operation of the above-described terminal, precisely the touch input device of the mobile terminal 100, that is, the touch screen of the display portion 151 and the touch pad of the operation unit 123a Lt; / RTI > In order to more accurately describe such a sensor-actuator, the partial structure of the mobile terminal 100 around the sensor-actuator is described in detail below with reference to the related drawings.

FIG. 1B is a perspective view showing a mobile terminal and a touch input device provided therein together with an example of a sensor-actuator, and FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line A-A of FIG. 1B.

As already described with reference to Figs. 1B and 1C, the mobile terminal 100 may have a case forming an external shape. The case includes a front case 101 disposed in a front portion of the mobile terminal 100 and a rear case 102 disposed in a rear portion of the mobile terminal 100 and coupled to a rear surface of the front case 101 can do. 5, the front case 101 may have an opening of a predetermined size, and an opening may be formed in the front case 101 The display unit 151 can be received.

The display unit 151 may include a display module 151b and a window 151a covering the display module 151b. The display module 151b may be a display element such as an LCD or an OLED as described above, and is a component that actually displays image information. The window 151a is disposed in front of the display module 151b and can protect the display module 151b from the outside. In addition to this protection function, the window 151a should allow the information displayed on the display module 151b to be displayed to the user through the window 151a. Therefore, the window 151a may be generally made of tempered glass so as to have appropriate strength and transparency. In addition, if a certain degree of flexibility is required, the window 151a may be made of a transparent plastic material.

The display unit 151 may be installed in the front case 101 and more specifically the window 151a of the display unit 151 may be inserted into the opening of the front case 101. [ When the window 151a is inserted as described above, the window 151a does not interfere with the internal parts of the mobile terminal 100 and is inserted into the front case 101 so as to maintain a predetermined position within the case, that is, As shown in Fig. The display module 151b may be directly attached to the window 151a using an adhesive. The touch sensor 151c may be first attached to the back surface of the window 151a and the display module 151b may be sequentially attached to the back surface of the touch sensor 151c.

In order to configure the touch input device, as described above, the touch sensor 151c may be interposed between the display module 151b and the window 151a. The touch sensor 151c and the window 151a can form a touch screen in a region where image information is outputted by the display module 151b. In addition, the touch sensor 151c may be additionally provided up to the area of the operation unit 123a provided in the window 151a, thereby forming the touch pad in this area.

As described above, such a touch input device, that is, a touch screen or a touch pad, can allocate different commands to the same physical space, thereby maximizing user convenience and space utilization. However, the touch input device may not have high reliability due to the possibility of input of erroneous commands due to unintended touches. In addition, although the user may feel a certain amount of tactile feedback when the user touches the touch input device, such feedback may not correspond to tactile feedback generated when an existing physical button or key is pressed. If more realistic tactile feedback can be provided, the user experience in the touch input device can be improved and the utilization of the touch input device as well as the terminal itself using the touch input device can be greatly improved. For this purpose, as mentioned above, the haptic module 153 is provided to the mobile terminal, but further improvements in terms of its functionality may be required.

An integrated sensor-actuator may be provided as an example of the present invention in consideration of matters related to such a touch input device, and its detailed structure and function will be described below with reference to related drawings.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing a sensor-actuator according to the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a sensor part of a sensor-actuator according to the present invention. 4 is a perspective view showing a sensor-actuator according to the present invention. Actually, the sensor-actuator 1 is in the form of a thin bar as shown in FIG. 1B, but in FIGS. 2 and 3, the respective parts are all shown larger than they actually are so that the related concepts and structures can be understood accurately. Figure 4 also shows the completed sensor-actuator 1 with the associated parts assembled, but for the same reason this completed sensor-actuator 1 is also exaggerated. The basic structures of the sensor-actuators will first be described with reference to these drawings for ease of explanation and ease of understanding, and then with reference to other related figures, as well as the function and operation of each part, as well as other detailed structural features.

In general, various electronic devices can be applied to increase the overall performance of the touch input device. Among these electronic elements, as an example of the present invention, the sensor-actuator 1 may be composed of a piezoelectric element.

A piezoelectric element refers to a device that senses pressure or generates deformation / vibration using a piezoelectric effect. When mechanical stress (precisely, mechanical force or pressure) is given to a certain solid material and deformation occurs, polarization is generated within the solid and electric charge is accumulated (accumulate). The integrated charge appears in the form of an electrical signal, or voltage, between both electrodes of the material. This phenomenon is referred to as a piezoelectric effect, and the solid material is called a piezoelectric material and the accumulated charge is called a piezoelectricity. Such a piezoelectric effect may occur inversely, and the material may be deformed when an electric filed (precisely, voltage) is applied to the piezoelectric material. More specifically, generating a charge, and further, a voltage by a basic piezoelectric effect, that is, an applied mechanical force and deformation is called a direct piezoelectric effect, and is a phenomenon in which a mechanical strain is caused by a applied electric field, Is called the reverse piezoelectric effect. Therefore, the piezoelectric element can effectively convert mechanical energy into electrical energy or electrical energy into mechanical energy. More specifically, the piezoelectric element can be used as a sensor for sensing mechanical energy, and on the other hand, as an actuator for generating mechanical energy.

Referring first to FIG. 2, the sensor-actuator 1 may include a sensor unit 10 formed of a piezoelectric element. The sensor unit 10 may be a kind of sensor using a direct piezoelectric effect. The sensor unit 10 can detect the mechanical energy (force or pressure) applied to the sensor unit 10 and the electrical energy (voltage as an electrical signal) generated by the deformation of the sensor unit 10, It is possible to sense the applied mechanical force or pressure based on the voltage. When the sensor unit 10 is actually applied to a touch input device, the sensor unit 10 can sense a pressure or a force applied to a predetermined portion of the touch input device by the user. Therefore, the pressure or force applied when the user actually presses a virtual button provided on a predetermined portion of the touch input device, that is, the touch input field, with the intention of the input, It is possible to sense the pressing of the virtual button by the user through the sensing, that is, the pressing of the predetermined portion of the touch input device, and further the intention of the user for the input can be grasped.

The sensor unit 10 may be made of a piezoelectric material so as to be driven by a piezoelectric effect. More precisely, the sensor section 10 may include a layer 11 made of a piezoelectric material. The piezoelectric material means a material capable of generating a piezoelectric by polarization, as described above. The layer 11 can be made of a variety of piezoelectric materials such as quartz, natural materials such as Rochelle salt and artificial materials such as barium titanate, lead zirconate titanate (PZT) synthetic material. The piezoelectric element, that is, the sensor portion 10 may have various shapes, but basically has its own deformations, and thus can have a plate shape favorable to deformation. Accordingly, the layer 11 may have various shapes, but it may be formed of a plate-shaped body as shown in the figure. In general, the touch input device and the terminal having the touch input device are advantageously designed as compact as possible, so that the layer 11 may have a narrow plate, i.e., a strip or a body in the form of a beam. Further, such a stream or beam-shaped body may be more suitable to be easily deformed. The sensor unit 10 may have a plate shape according to the shape of the layer 11 because the layer 11 forms the majority of the sensor unit 10 and accordingly determines the shape of the sensor unit 10. [

The sensor unit 10 may require electrodes to detect an electrical signal, i.e., a voltage, generated by deformation. The voltage can be basically detected at both opposite ends of the piezoelectric material. Thus, as shown, the sensor portion 10 may include first and second electrodes 12 and 13, respectively, provided on mutually opposing surfaces of the layer 11. In addition, the potential difference (i.e., voltage) due to polarization and polarization can be detected more easily and accurately between the wide opposing surfaces of the piezoelectric material. Accordingly, the first and second electrodes 12 and 13 may be provided on the widest opposing surfaces of the layer 11. [ 2 to 4 illustrate the sensor unit 10 according to the orientation of the sensor unit 10 in actual use. Considering this orientation, the first and second electrodes 12, May be provided on the lower and upper surfaces of the substrate 11, respectively. The first and second electrodes 12 and 13 may be a - electrode and a + electrode, respectively, or vice versa. Also, the electrodes 12 and 13 may be represented as terminals. Furthermore, all the electrodes of the sensor-actuator 1 from the following description can also be represented by terminals.

Further, as shown in the figure, the sensor unit 10 may be provided with the actuator unit 20 in order to configure the sensor-actuator 1. Further, if necessary, the insulator portion 30 may additionally be provided in the sensor portion 10. [ The correlation between the sensor portion 10 and the actuator portion 20 / insulator portion 30 will be described later in more detail. Such additional parts may be attached to the side of the sensor part 10 in the figure, but in this case the size of the sensor-actuator 1 may be unnecessarily increased. Thus, the additional portions 20, 30 can be provided on the lower surface of the sensor portion 10 in the drawing. However, any of the first and second electrodes 12, 13 (the first electrode 12 in the figure) is hidden by these additional portions 20, 30 so that it can not be connected to other external circuits or devices . For this reason, the electrode to be hidden, that is, the first electrode 12, may be exposed to the outside of the sensor-actuator 1 so that it can be connected to another external circuit or device. If the first electrode 12 is located close to the second electrode 13, it can be more easily connected to external devices. Thus, the first electrode 12 may be further extended to be disposed adjacent to the second electrode 13, as shown. 2 and 3, the first electrode 12 may surround the sensor portion 10 or the side of the layer 110 so as to extend adjacent to the second electrode 13. In other words, The first electrode 12 may be a channel shaped member that surrounds the side of the sensor unit 10. Figure 2 illustrates the structure of the layer 11 to better illustrate such a first electrode 12. [ 3 shows a state in which the first electrode 12 is actually coupled to the reel 12. The first electrode 12 includes a first horizontal portion 12a The first horizontal portion 12a may extend in parallel to the second electrode 13 while being spaced apart from the second electrode 13 by a predetermined distance. The first horizontal portion 12a may be provided on the lower surface of the layer 11. The vertical portion 12b may be provided substantially vertically from the first vertical portion 12a, The second horizontal portion 12c may extend from the vertical portion 12b to the second horizontal portion 12a side by side along the side surface of the layer 11, The second horizontal portion 12c is not connected to the second electrode 13. Thus the first electrode 12 and precisely the second horizontal portion 12c And the second electrode 13 may be disposed on the same surface of the sensor unit 10 or the layer 11. That is, the first electrode 12 and the second electrode 13 may be disposed on the same sensor unit 10 Or on the upper surface of the layer 11. It can be explained that the first electrode 12 and the second electrode 13 are arranged in the same plane. And can be easily connected to devices outside the first and second electrodes 12 and 13.

Further, the sensor-actuator 1 may include an actuator section 20 composed of a piezoelectric element as well. Unlike the sensor unit 10 using a direct piezoelectric effect, the actuator unit 20 may be an actuator using an inverse piezoelectric effect. The actuator unit 20 can generate mechanical energy (i.e., force or pressure) in the actuator unit 20 by the electrical energy (i.e., electric field or voltage) applied to the actuator unit 20, Or the actuator 20 itself can be deformed by the pressure. Furthermore, if an AC voltage having a predetermined repetitive waveform is provided to the actuator section 20, the actuator section 20 can repeat the deformation of different phases and thereby generate vibration. Such vibration can be transmitted to the user through the surface of the touch input device and can provide a kind of tactile feedback to the user. In addition, the intensity of the vibration can be adjusted by adjusting the frequency of the AC voltage, and the vibration can be provided to the user like the speaker through the adjustment of the intensity. When the sensing unit 10 is actually applied to the touch input device, the sensing unit 10 senses the pressing of the touch input device by the user or the pressing of the touch input device, the actuator unit 20 provides the user with predetermined tactile feedback And thus can provide confirmation to the user of the input. Here, the tactile feedback can be given to the user in various forms, for example, vibration or volume as described above.

The actuator unit 20 may be made of a piezoelectric material so as to be driven by a piezoelectric effect like the sensor unit 10. More specifically, the actuator unit 20 may include a layer 21 made of a piezoelectric material, and various piezoelectric materials may be deposited on the layer 21 like the sensor unit 10, more precisely the leter 11, ≪ / RTI > The actuator unit 20 may have various shapes, but basically has to be deformed by itself, so that the actuator unit 20 can have a plate shape favorable to deformation. Accordingly, the layer 21 may have various shapes, but it may be formed of a plate-shaped body as shown in the figure. In addition, the actuator 20 and the layer 21 may have a strip or beam-shaped body for a compact terminal and a touch input device. The actuator 20, which requires a large and repetitive deformation, Lt; / RTI > As a result, the actuator unit 20 and its layer 21 can also be mounted on the sensor unit 10 and its layer 11 for easy operation of the sensor-actuator 1 as well as for easy installation in a compact touch input device / As shown in FIG.

Since the actuator unit 20 is intended to give tactile feedback to the user, it may be desirable to generate as large a strain as possible. In order to generate such a large deformation, a relatively large voltage may be required, and the power consumption may also be increased. However, if the thickness of the actuator portion 20 is reduced, it can be more easily deformed, and sufficient deformation can be caused even at a relatively low supply voltage. Thus, the actuator 20 can have a thickness of?. However, if it is made too large, the layer 21 may have a thickness of 30 mu m because it can be easily broken. Further, since the actuator 20 is repeatedly deformed for generating vibration, it can be easily broken by fatigue. Therefore, in order to secure the structural strength, the actuator 20 may be composed of a plurality of layers 21 sequentially stacked as shown in FIG. In addition, due to such lamination, deformation in each layer 21 is also accumulated, which can easily cause large deformation as a whole, which can also be an important advantage of lamination. Thus, by stacking a plurality of layers 21, the actuator 20 can be structurally stable and at the same time produce greater force and strain even at lower voltages. On the other hand, since each layer 21 has its own capacitance, the overall capacitance of the actuator 20 can also be proportionally increased when these layers are stacked. However, as the capacitance of the actuator 20 increases, more power may be consumed during operation during operation to charge the actuator 20. 2, the number n of the layers 21 to be laminated can be limited. Actually, the actuator section 20 has 22 layers (i.e., n = 22) of layers 21 Lt; / RTI > Nevertheless, if the touch input device requires a larger modification for proper tactile feedback, the number (n) of layers 21 can be increased to 22 or more.

On the other hand, the sensor unit 10 is for sensing the magnitude of the applied pressure or force, and needs to be configured to generate a larger electric signal, i.e., a voltage, for the same applied force. As already mentioned with respect to the actuator portion 20, if the thickness of the actuator portion 20 or the layer 21 is reduced, the required supply voltage can also be lowered. That is, the supply voltage and thickness can be proportional. Since the sensor unit 10 uses the same piezoelectric effect, the thickness of the sensor unit 10 or the layer 11 is proportional to the output electric signal, that is, the voltage. When the thickness of the sensor unit 10 or the thickness of the layer 11 is decreased or increased, Can be reduced or increased. Therefore, in order to generate a large voltage for accurate and stable sensing of force or pressure, the thickness of the sensor portion 10 or the layer 11 must be increased. In order to increase the thickness of the sensor unit 10, it is considered to stack a plurality of layers 11 in the same manner as the actuator unit 20. However, as described above, stacking of a plurality of layers can lead to an increase in capacitance. When the capacitance is increased, the charge charged in the sensor unit 10 can be increased. Since it takes a long time to discharge such a large amount of charge, it may take a long time until the sensor unit 10 is reset even after the force or pressure applied to the sensor unit 10 is removed. Therefore, the sensor unit 10 has low responsiveness due to the large capacitance, and when the user continuously presses the virtual button of the touch input device, if the continuous force or pressure is applied, the accurate applied force or pressure is sensed Can not. For this reason, the actuator unit 20 is composed of a plurality of laminated layers 21, while the sensor unit 10 can be formed of a single layer 11 having an appropriate thickness.

The greater the thickness of the sensor section 10 or the layer 11, the more advantageous it is to obtain a larger voltage. However, since there is a limit to the force or pressure applied by the user, if they have a too large thickness, it may interfere with the deformation of the sensor portion 10 (layer 11). Particularly, since the sensor unit 10 actually applies a force indirectly through the touch input device, not by the user, the resistance against the deformation of the touch input device itself, that is, the stiffness is additionally applied to the sensor unit 10 Can act as a constraint on force / pressure and strain. Therefore, the thickness of the sensor section 10 or the layer 11 may need to be appropriately limited. Here, since the layer 21 of the actuator section 20 has the same shape as the layer 11 of the sensor section 10, the layer 21 can serve as a criterion for limiting the thickness of the layer 11. As previously described, the layer 21 of the actuator 20 may have a silver thickness so that it can be driven by a low supply voltage. Therefore, in order to obtain a sufficiently high output voltage, it is preferable that at least the thickness of the sensor unit 10 or the layer 11 thereof is larger than the thickness of the layer 21 of the actuator unit 20. The thickness of the sensor portion 10 or the layer 11 thereof is determined by the thickness of the layer 21 of the actuator portion 20, It may be appropriate that the thickness is twice the thickness. Since the layer 21 can be designed to have a thickness of 30 mu m, the thickness of the sensor section 10 or the layer 11 can be practically 60 mu m. Also, as discussed above, the large capacitance can increase the discharge time of the charged charge and delay the reset, need to be limited as well as the thickness, and for the same reason, the capacitance of the actuator 20 can be limited As a reference. Therefore, in order to shorten the discharging time, it may be preferable that the capacitance of at least the sensor unit 10 or the layer 11 thereof is smaller than the capacitance of the actuator unit 20. Furthermore, considering the performance requirements of the sensor-actuator 1 and the associated components of the sensor-actuator 1, the sensor part 10 or its layer 11 can be designed to be less than 1/10 of the actuator part 20 It may be appropriate to have a capacitance. The capacitance of the sensor section 10 or the layer 11 in the actually manufactured sensor-actuator 1 may be set to 950 nF. As described above, the configuration for the thickness and the capacitance greatly increases the sensitivity of the sensor unit 10 by increasing the output voltage, and the response time of the sensor unit 10 can be greatly improved by shortening the discharge time.

The sensor unit 10 includes an electrode for detecting a voltage, which is an electrical signal, generated by an external device, while the actuator unit 20 includes an actuator (not shown) for generating an electric field, The voltage may be applied to opposite ends of the piezoelectric material in order to effectively induce the reverse piezoelectric effect. Thus, as shown, the actuator portion 20 may include first and second electrodes 22, 23 provided on opposing surfaces of the layer 21, respectively. It is also possible to induce uniform polarization and greater deformation if a voltage is provided between the broad opposing surfaces of the piezoelectric material. Accordingly, the first and second electrodes 22 and 23 may be provided on the widest opposing surfaces of the layer 21. [ Figure 2 shows the electrodes 22 and 23, respectively, laid on the layers 21 to clearly show the structure of each of the electrodes 22 and 23. [ However, once the layers 21 are stacked in the actuator section 20, in any one of the layers 21, for example, the second layer 21 of FIG. 2, the first and second electrodes 21, (22, 23) are provided on the widest opposed surfaces of the second layer (21), respectively. The first and second electrodes 22 and 23 may be provided on the lower and upper surfaces of the layer 21, respectively, considering the orientation of the actuator portion 20 in actual use of Fig. 2 . The first and second electrodes 22 and 23 may be -electrodes and + electrodes, respectively, or vice versa.

The first and second electrodes 22 and 23 may be disposed between the stacked layers 21 because the layers 21 are sequentially stacked to form the actuator unit 20. [ In addition, since the first and second electrodes 22 and 23 are provided to face each other, they can be alternately arranged on the stacked layers 21. However, by such stacking, the first and second electrodes 22 and 23 can be hidden in the stacked layers 21 and can not be connected to other external circuits or devices. Accordingly, the first and second electrodes 22 and 23 may be exposed to the outside of the sensor-actuator 1 or the actuator 20 so as to be connected to an external circuit or device. For this exposure, the entirety of either side of each of the first and second electrodes 22, 23 may extend to the adjacent side end of the actuator 20. However, this extension unnecessarily enlarges the size of the electrodes 22 and 23, so that the production cost can be increased. Therefore, only a part of each of the electrodes 22, 23, and precisely a part of either side of each of the electrodes 22, 23, can be exposed to the outside of the actuator 20. 2, the first and second electrodes 22 and 23 have bodies 22a and 23a and extended portions 22b and 23b extending from the bodies 22a and 23a, respectively, ≪ / RTI > The bodies 22a and 23a cover the surface (preferably the widest surface) of the layer 21 and a shape that substantially corresponds to the layer 21 for this cover, i.e.,? Can be formed as a plate. The extensions 22b and 23b extend from either side of the body 22a or 23a toward the side of the layer 21 adjacent thereto. The extensions 22b and 23b ultimately extend to the side edges of the adjacent layer 21 and thus are exposed to the outside of the actuator portion 20 or stacked layers 21 from such side edges . On the other hand, if the extensions 22a and 23a are formed at the same positions of the electrodes 22 and 23, or more precisely the sides of the bodies 22a and 23a, the extensions 22b and 23b, The ends of the electrodes 22 and 23 can be arranged in the same line on the side of the layers of the actuator unit 20, precisely. In order for the actuator unit 20 to operate properly, the first and second electrodes 22 and 23 should be separated and connected to each other, but the ends arranged on the same line make such connection difficult. Therefore, the extension portions 22b and 23b can be arranged to face each other on the respective bodies 22a and 23a. That is, the extension portions 22b and 23b may be disposed at the opposed positions of the bodies 22a and 23a, respectively. For example, as shown, the extensions 22b, 23b may be disposed on each body 22a, 23a symmetrically with respect to the longitudinal centerline of each body 22a, 23a. That is, the extension portion 22b is disposed at the lower portion of the side portion of the body 22a, while the extension portion 23b may be disposed at the upper portion of the side portion of the body 23a. On the other hand, although not shown, the extension portions 22b and 23b can be disposed on the respective bodies 22a and 23a symmetrically with respect to the center line of the width of each of the bodies 22a and 23a. In this case, the extension portion 22b is disposed on the right side of the body 22a, while the extension portion 23b is disposed on the left side of the body 23a. 2, exposed ends of the exposed portions of the first and second electrodes 22 and 23, that is, the exposed ends of the extended portions 22b and 23b, are electrically connected to the actuator portion 20 or stacked May be disposed in different lines on the side of the layers (21). Accordingly, the exposed portions of the first and second electrodes 22 and 23, that is, the exposed ends of the extended portions 22b and 23b are separated from each other and can be easily connected to an external device.

Meanwhile, it may be ineffective to individually connect the exposed ends of the exposed portions of the first and second electrodes 22 and 23, that is, the exposed ends of the extending portions 22b and 23b, to the external device. 2, the actuator unit 20 includes a third electrode 24 connecting the first electrodes 22 and a fourth electrode 25 connecting the second electrodes 23 to each other. . More specifically, the actuator unit 20 includes third and fourth electrodes 22 and 23, which connect the exposed ends of the first and second electrodes 22 and 23, that is, the exposed ends of the extended portions 22b and 23b, (24, 25). That is, the third electrode 24 connects the exposed ends of the first electrode 22, that is, the exposed ends of the extending portion 22b, while the fourth electrode 25 connects the exposed portions of the second electrode 23 It is possible to connect the exposed portions, that is, the exposed ends of the extended portions 23b. The third and fourth electrodes 24 and 25 may be provided on the side of the actuator portion 20, i.e., the laminated layers 21, and the first and second electrodes 22 and < RTI ID = 0.0 > 23, that is, the exposed ends of the extending portions 22b, 23b, sequentially. That is, the third and fourth electrodes 24 and 25 are connected to the first and second electrodes 22 and 23, respectively, by a line including a portion exposed to the exposed portion of the first and second electrodes 22 and 23, An imaginary line). The exposed ends of the exposed portions of the first and second electrodes 22 and 23, that is, the exposed ends of the extended portions 22b and 23b, can be integrated by the third and fourth electrodes 24 and 25, respectively So that the external device can be conveniently connected to the actuator unit 23. [ As mentioned above, the sensor portion 10 and the actuator portion 20 can be configured to form one swing-actuator module 1. [ If the electrodes of the actuator unit 20 are positioned close to the electrodes of the sensor unit 10, they can be connected to the external devices more conveniently. 2 to 4, the electrodes of the actuator unit 20, that is, the third and fourth electrodes 24 and 25 are connected to the electrodes of the sensor unit 10, that is, Can be further extended to be disposed adjacent to the two electrodes (13, 12c). More specifically, the third and fourth electrodes 24 and 25 extend to the side of the sensor section 10 (the layer 11) beyond the side of the actuator section 20 (the laminated layer 21) . If the insulator portion 30 is included between the sensor portion 10 and the insulator portion 20, the third and fourth electrodes 24 and 25 are also formed on the side of the insulator portion 30 . Furthermore, the third and fourth electrodes 24, 25 may include extensions 24a, 25a extending adjacent the first and second electrodes 13, 12c. The extensions 24a and 25a are connected to the third and fourth electrodes 24 and 25 provided on the sides of the sensor-actuator 1, i.e., the sensor unit 10 and the actuator unit 20 (including the insulator unit 30) 25 toward the first and second electrodes 12c, 13, respectively. Therefore, the electrodes of the actuator unit 20, that is, the extensions 24a and 25a and the electrodes 13 and 12c of the sensor unit 10 are connected to one surface (upper surface) of the sensor unit 10, Can be disposed on the surface. On the other hand, it can be explained that the electrodes of the actuator unit 20, that is, the extensions 24a and 25a and the electrodes 13 and 12c of the sensor unit 10 are arranged in the same plane. Further, the extension portions 24a and 25a and the second electrode / second horizontal portions 13 and 12c may cover all the electrodes of the sensor portion 10 and the actuator portion 20 in terms of function. Accordingly, the electrodes of the sensor unit 10 and the actuator unit 20, and furthermore, all the electrodes of the sensor-actuator unit 1 are arranged on the same surface (that is, on one surface of the sensor unit 10, May be disposed in the same plane. More specifically, it will be explained that all the electrodes of the sensor unit 10, the actuator unit 20, and furthermore the sensor-actuator 1 are arranged on the top surface of the sensor-actuator 1, . The construction of such electrodes allows for easy connection between the sensor-actuator 1 and the external device in the first place. However, most importantly, the provision of the integrated electrode portion allows the sensor-actuator 1 itself to be made compact and, furthermore, despite the application of additional components, it takes less space in the touch input device, It is possible to make the touch input itself more compact.

The sensor-actuator 1 can be made only of the sensor part 10 and the actuator 20 since the functions intended by the above-described sensor part 10 and the actuator 20 can be achieved. However, in the sensor-actuator 1, the electrodes of the sensor unit 10 and the actuator unit 20 may be electrically interfered with each other. Therefore, the sensor-actuator 1 may further include an insulator portion 30 for electrically insulating the actuator portion 20 from the sensor portion 10. For electrical insulation, the insulator portion 30 may be interposed between the sensor portion 10 and the actuator portion 20 as shown in Figs. The insulator portion 30 can separate the sensor portion 10 and the actuator portion 20 from each other so that electrical contact is not generated. The insulator portion 30 may also be made of various electrically insulating materials. Since the piezoelectric material has electric insulation capability, the insulator portion 30 can be made of various piezoelectric materials. For full electrical insulation between the sensor portion 10 and the actuator portion 20, it may be advantageous for the insulator portion 30 to cover these layers 11, 21 entirely. Thus, the insulator portion 30 may have various shapes, but may have a strip or beam-like body similar to the shapes of the sensor portion 10 and the actuator portion 20, or layers 11 and 21 thereof . As described above, the insulator portion 30 is an optional element, so that the present invention is clearly intended also for the sensor-actuator 1 comprising only the sensor portion 10 and the actuator portion 20, It should be understood that it is explicitly explained in.

According to the function as the piezoelectric element described in detail above, the sensor unit 10 and the actuator unit 20 can sense the pressure and the force applied to the touch input device, and can provide deformation or vibration as feedback to the touch input device. Therefore, the sensor unit 10 and the actuator unit 20 can perform the desired functions individually, and thus can be directly applied to the terminal for the functional enhancement of the intended touch input device. That is, the sensor unit 10 and the actuator unit 20 may be installed as devices independent of the terminal and the touch input device thereof. However, in this case, since the sensor unit 10 and the actuator unit 20 must be individually connected to the external devices, the sensor unit 10 and the actuator unit 20 can occupy an unnecessarily large space. This may result in an increase in the size of the touch input device / terminal and an increase in the production cost. Therefore, the integration of the sensor unit 10 and the actuator unit 20 can be considered. As described above, since the sensor unit 10 and the actuator unit 20 are physically separated and functionally closely linked with each other, such integration can not solve the problem raised above merely functional integration Structural integration, and more specifically, physical integration. For the sake of such integration, the sensor unit 10 and the actuator unit 20 can be coupled to each other using physical means. For example, the sensor unit 10 and the actuator unit 20 may be coupled to each other using an adhesive or a fastening member. However, the use of such a physical means leads to only a mechanical connection between the sensor portion 10 and the actuator portion 20 and can not bring about true physical integration. Particularly, if the sensor unit 10 and the actuator unit 20 are coupled to each other using an adhesive, which is a physical means, deformation can be repeatedly applied to the sensor unit 10 and the actuator unit 20. At the interface between the sensor unit 10 and the actuator unit 20, The portions 20 can be easily separated from each other. This shows that simple physical means of integration can not lead to substantial physical integration, and without physical integration it does not solve the technical problems raised and creates new problems such as low structural stability.

For this reason, the actuator unit 20 can be physically integrated with the sensor unit 10 to form one sensor-actuator 1. That is, the actuator unit 20 can be formed integrally with the sensor unit 10 without being coupled to the sensor unit 10 as a separate device that can be separated from each other. If the sensor-actuator 1 includes the insulator portion 30, the insulator portion 30 may be physically integrated like the sensor portion 10 and the actuator portion 20, and may be integrally formed. More specifically, in an actual fabrication process, the piezoelectric material is made of powder and can be made of a slurry which is easy to mold again. The layers 11 and 21 (if necessary, the insulator portion 30 itself) of the sensor portion 10 and the actuator portion 20 of a desired size and shape are formed by using the slurry, The electrodes 12, 13, 22, and 23 may be attached to the electrodes 21 and 21, respectively. The prepared layers 11 and 21 (including the insulator portion 30, if necessary) may be laminated in the order shown in Fig. If necessary, pressure may be applied to the laminated layers 11, 21 after lamination. For example, the stacked layers 11 and 21 may be put in a water tank and water pressure may be applied. The applied pressure removes the spacing and pores between the laminated layers 11, 21, so that a more structurally stable and compact sensor-actuator 1 can be manufactured. The stacked layers 11, 21 (optionally including the insulator portion 30) are finally sintered in a furnace. Sintering refers to a process of forming a solid mass by heating the powder compact at a temperature below the melting point. During the sintering process, the atoms in the particles or grains in the layers 11 and 21 are diffused into the particles through the boundaries between these particles, i.e., grain boundaries. By this diffusion, the particles in the layers 11 and 21 are melted together by chemical bonding. As a result, the sintering process turns the laminated layers 11, 21 into a single piece or single body. In addition, the sintering process results in diffusion of atoms, mass exchange through the grain boundaries, and chemical bonding, thus forming a complete monolithic both in terms of physical as well as chemistry. Accordingly, the sensor portion 10 and the actuator portion 20 (including the insulator portion 30, if necessary) are formed at least physically, and chemically, as a single body through the sintering process. For the same reason, the actuator portion 20 is physically integrated with the sensor portion 10 and chemically integrated. Accordingly, the sensor-actuator 1 may include the sensor part 10 and the actuator part 20 integrated not only in the functional aspect but also in the structural aspect. Since the sensor-actuator 1 has a small size by integration, it can be easily applied to a touch input device and a terminal. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, the actual dimensions L, W, and T of the sensor-actuator 1 may be 40 mm, 3.1 mm, and 0.8 mm, respectively. At the same time, the sensor-actuator 1 can have a single, structurally stable body by physical and chemical bonding. Therefore, the sensor-actuator 1 is not easily broken even if repeatedly subjected to repeated deformation during operation.

The sensor-actuator 1 is deformed every time the touch input device is pressed by the user, so fatigue due to repeated deformation can be generated. Particularly, when the sensor-actuator 1 vibrates at a high frequency to give feedback to the user, the degree of fatigue can be increased due to an increase in the number of repetitive deformation. Thus, even in the case of a single body, the possibility of fatigue and subsequent fracture may also be increased in such a severe operating environment. On the other hand, if the intended piezoelectric effect and operating performance can be obtained, the sensor portion 10 and the actuator 20, i.e., the layers 11 and 21, may be made of different piezoelectric materials. However, when different materials are joined, stress singularity may occur basically at their interface. Therefore, stress concentration may occur due to the specificity at the interface between the sensor unit 10 and the actuator 20, which are made of different materials, even if they are formed as a single body by fusion. In particular, under severe working conditions such as the above-mentioned repeated vibrations, fractures can easily occur at the interface due to the interaction of fatigue and stress concentration. Furthermore, different piezoelectric materials can produce the same piezoelectric effect, but their inherent properties can be different. For example, when piezoelectric materials having different thermal expansion coefficients are applied to the sensor unit 10 and the actuator unit 20, the magnitudes of thermal deformation may be different from each other according to changes in ambient temperature. In addition, even when vibrating according to a high frequency, the sensor-actuator 1 may generate internal heat and heat distortion of different sizes depending on the heat. Therefore, thermal stress is generated internally also in such a change in the thermal operating environment, and fatigue and breakage due to repetition of such stress may occur. For these reasons, the sensor unit 10 and the actuator unit 20 may be made of the same piezoelectric material. More specifically, the layers 11 and 21 of the sensor unit 10 and the actuator unit 20 are made of the same piezoelectric material. For example, the sensor unit 10 and the actuator unit 20 may be made of PZT, which is the same artificial piezoelectric ceramic material. In the case where the sensor-actuator 1 includes the insulator portion 30, the insulator portion 30 includes the sensor portion 10 and the actuator portion 20, that is, the layers 11 and 21 thereof, It can be made of the same piezoelectric material. Thus, with the formation of the same piezoelectric material, the sensor-actuator 1 can withstand fatigue and fracture even under severe operating conditions, and thus can have high durability and reliability.

In addition, in the sensor-actuator 1 formed of a single body, the sensor portion 10 and the actuator portion 20 can be deformed together during operation. In particular, unlike the sensor section 10 which passively senses the pressure and deformation generated by the user simply, the actuator section 20 may advantageously actively modify itself to provide tactile feedback to the user have. Therefore, the integrated sensor-actuator 1 needs to be designed in consideration of the performance of the actuator unit 20 with respect to the occurrence of deformation. Since the sensor unit 10 and the actuator unit 20 are deformed together, if the thickness of the sensor unit 10 is excessively large, the operation of the actuator unit 20, that is, the generation of vibration may be impeded. Therefore, the sensor portion 10 may be configured to have a thickness less than the thickness of the actuator portion 20. [ More specifically, the sensor portion 10 may have a thickness of 1/10 of the upper actuator portion 20, and may have a smaller thickness if necessary. By having the thickness described above, the actuator portion 20 can be deformed and vibrated without being substantially disturbed by the sensor portion 10. [ Accordingly, such a thickness setting can substantially improve the operability and performance of the sensor-actuator 1, particularly, the actuator section 20. [

On the other hand, in addition to the above-described functions and structures, the arrangement of the sensor-actuator 1 may also be important in its performance. Fig. 1B is a perspective view showing a mobile terminal including the above-described sensor-actuator 1, and Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line A-A in Fig. 1B. With reference to these figures, the arrangement of the sensor-actuator 1 will be described in more detail below.

Since the sensor-actuator 1 has the form of a compact strip, a bar or a beam, it can be easily arranged at any position of the mobile terminal 100. [ In the mobile terminal 100, the window 151a and the touch sensor 151c form a touch screen, which is basically a touch input device, and the input area of the touch screen formed in the window 151a May substantially match the image display area of the display module 151b. The image display area and the corresponding input area are indicated by rectangles in Fig. 1B. Since the input area of the touch screen, that is, the window 151a, is a part that is substantially pressed by the user during the operation of the mobile terminal, the sensor-actuator 1 must be as close as possible to the input It may be advantageous to be disposed close to the region. However, the sensor-actuator 1 should not be visible to the user through the transparent window 151a. Thus, as best shown in FIG. 1B, the sensor-actuator 1 in the mobile terminal 100 may be disposed along such an outer circumference outside the circumference of the input area of the window 151a. 5, the sensor-actuator 1 is disposed between the display module 151b and the case (more precisely, the front case 101) because the input area is actually formed by the display module 151b. . Further, the sensor-actuator 1 may be disposed at the top and / or bottom of the mobile terminal 100, as shown in the state of being as close as possible to the input area of the window 151a, . If necessary, the sensor-actuator 1 may be disposed on both the upper and lower portions and the left and right portions.

The sensor-actuator 1 senses the pressure and deformation applied to the touch input device in the sensor-actuator 1 in order to accurately measure the deformation. Therefore, the sensor- Need to be. In order to detect an accurate deformation, the sensor unit 10 may be disposed at a position where deformation actually occurs in the touch input device. The deformation can be actually generated in a portion of the touch input device that is pressed by the user, that is, an input area of the touch screen (a part of the window 151a) and an input area of the touch pad (a part of the operation unit 123a) have. Therefore, the sensor unit 10 can be disposed closer to a part of the touch input device that is basically deformed in the touch input device described earlier than the actuator unit 20. [ Further, for more accurate sensing, the sensor unit 10 may directly contact a part of the touch input device which is deformed by the applied pressure, as shown in Fig. In the case of the touch screen of Fig. 5, since the window 151a is deformed by the pressure of the user, the sensor unit 10 can directly contact the window 151a. However, since it is not yet visible to the user, the sensor unit 10 can directly contact the window 151a outside the outer periphery of the input area of the touch screen. On the other hand, since the touch sensor 151c is generally made of a very thin film closely attached to the input area (window 151a), it may not affect the deformation of the adjacent input area, that is, the window 151c. Therefore, if the touch sensor 151c extends to the outside of the input area outer periphery, the sensor unit 10 may directly contact the extended touch sensor 151c instead of the window 151a. Further, although not shown, in the case of the touch pad in the operation unit 123a, the input area of the operation unit 123a and the sensor unit 10 can be in direct contact with each other. If the display unit or the touch sensor 151c is disposed in the input area of the operation unit 123a, they can directly contact the input area. Also, if necessary, the touch sensor 151c may be in direct contact with the input area instead of the input area. 1B and FIG. 5, the sensor unit 10 may be disposed on the actuator unit 20 so as to be in proximity to or in contact with a deformed portion of the touch input device when the mobile terminal 100 is laid down. On the other hand, if the mobile terminal 100 is standing up, the sensor unit 10 may be disposed in front of the actuator unit 20 for the same reason.

Meanwhile, the sensor-actuator 1 according to the present invention can be used to assist the operation of the touch input device of the fixed terminal like the mobile terminal 100 described above. 6 is a conceptual diagram showing a fixed terminal and a touch pad applied thereto according to the present invention. The structure of the fixed terminal 200 around the sensor-actuator 1 will first be described in detail below with reference to FIG. 6 in order to explain the sensor-actuator 1 applied to the fixed terminal more precisely.

As shown in Fig. 6, a vehicle steering wheel 200 is provided on a dashboard of a vehicle as an example of a fixed terminal. The wheel 200 can be basically configured to adjust the direction of the traveling vehicle. In addition, the wheel 200 can control the driving and other operations of the vehicle by including an appropriate input device and thus function as a fixed terminal. The wheel 200 may include a rim 210, a hub 220 and a spoke 230. The rim 210 has a ring shape and can be a portion that the driver holds for steering. The hub 220 is disposed at the center of the wheel 200 and can be connected to the steering shaft of the vehicle. The spokes 230 extend radially from the hub 220 and may connect the hub 220 and the rim 210.

The wheel 200 may be provided with a conventional physical button for controlling the operation of the vehicle. However, since there is a spatial restriction on the arrangement of the physical buttons, the touch input device 240 may be provided instead of the physical buttons. The touch input device 240 allows the driver to input more various commands easily and conveniently. The touch input device 240 may be provided in a spoke 230 that is easily accessible by the driver's hand as shown. However, the touch input device 240 may be provided to the rim 210 and / or the hub 220, taking into account other conditions such as the structure of the touch input device 240 and the need of the driver. Since the display for displaying image information may be mounted on the dashboard around the wheel 200, the touch input device 240 may be a touch pad that does not display image information but a touch screen. FIG. 6 shows a touch input device 240 consisting of a touch pad. However, if necessary, the touch input device 240 may be a touch screen.

More specifically, the touch input device 240 may include a case 241 and a cover 242 installed in the case 241. 7 and 8, the touch input device 240 may include a touch sensor 243 installed in the case 241 adjacent to the cover 242. In addition, The case 241 may form a predetermined space for accommodating various components constituting the touch input device. However, the case 241 is not necessarily required, and a part of the wheel 200, in the figure, the spokes 230 may function as a case including a space for the parts. The cover 242 forms an input area for the user and constitutes a substantial touch input device together with the touch sensor 243. [ A predetermined pattern or texture may be provided on the surface of the cover 242 to improve the user experience. The touch sensor 243 of the electrostatic type need not always be attached to the cover 242 but can be normally operated even when being spaced apart from the cover 242 at a predetermined interval. However, it is generally advantageous to closely contact the cover 242 in order to accurately measure the touch of the driver.

In order to improve the overall performance of the touch input device 240, the sensor-actuator 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention can be applied. Since the sensor actuator 1 has been described in detail earlier with reference to FIGS. 2 to 5, a description thereof will be omitted. Instead, in the touch input device 240 of the fixed terminal 200, the arrangement of the sensor-actuator 1 will be described with reference to the following drawings. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB of FIG. 6 to show an example of a touch pad according to the present invention. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB of FIG. 6 to show another example of a touch pad according to the present invention. to be.

Since the sensor-actuator 1 has the form of a compact strip, bar, or beam, it can be easily disposed at any position of the touch input device 240. As in the mobile terminal 100 described above, in order to sense accurate deformation, the sensor unit 10 may be disposed at a position where deformation actually occurs in the touch input device 240. [ The deformation may actually occur in the cover 242 which is the portion of the touch input device 240 that is pressed by the user, i.e., the input area of the touch pad. Therefore, the sensor unit 10 can be disposed closer to the cover 242, which is a part deformed in the touch input device 240, which is basically described before the actuator 20. In addition, for more accurate sensing, the sensor unit 10 may directly contact a portion of the touch input device 240 that is deformed by the applied pressure, as shown. More specifically, as shown in Fig. 8, since the cover 242 is deformed by the pressure of the user, the sensor portion 10 can be in direct contact with the cover 242. Fig. On the other hand, since the touch sensor 243 is generally in close contact with the cover 242 and is made of a very thin film, the cover 242 can be sufficiently deformed together with the cover 242 when it is deformed. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 7, the sensor unit 10 may directly contact the touch sensor 243 instead of the cover 242.

The basic functions, structure and arrangement of the sensor-actuator 1 have been described in detail earlier with reference to the related drawings. However, the function of the sensor-actuator 1 can be better understood from the actual operation associated with the mobile and fixed terminals 100, 200. Fig. 9 is a conceptual diagram showing the operation of the sensor-actuator according to the present invention, and the actual operation will be described with reference to this figure.

In the graph of Fig. 9, the horizontal axis represents time, and the vertical axis represents the height of the fingertip or finger F. Thus, a point "0" in the vertical axis may indicate a position on the surface of the touch input device, and smaller values than "0 " are actually applied to the input area of the touch input device, Can represent a change in the input area or touch surface due to the pressure or force. Also, since the touch input devices of the mobile and fixed terminals 100 and 200 have input areas formed in the window 151a and the cover 242, for the sake of better understanding, the finger F and the input The relationship between regions 151a and 242 is schematically illustrated.

A simple touch can be preferentially formed between the finger F and the input areas 151a and 242 when the finger F descends toward the input areas 151a and 242 and contacts the input areas 151a and 242 have. The simple touch may correspond to a section in which the finger F simply touches the surface of the input areas 151a and 242 without any pressure. If the user intends a substantially predetermined input, the user's finger F presses the virtual button formed on the input areas 151a and 242 while exerting additional force in the simple touch state. This pushing acts as a pressure on the input areas 151a and 242 and generates deformation, and a "pressing touch" can be formed between the finger F and the input areas 151a and 242. [ That is, the pressure touch may correspond to a section where the finger F is pressed and deformed on the surfaces of the input areas 151a and 242. After a predetermined time has elapsed, the pressure or force exerted on the user's finger F is gradually relieved and the user moves the finger F away from the input areas 151a, 242, The touch between the areas 151a and 242 can be released.

During the operation of the series of fingers F for the input areas 151a and 242 described above, not only the simple touch but also the pressure touch can be sensed by the touch sensors 151c and 243 associated with the input areas 151a and 242 have. However, since these touch sensors 151c and 243 sense only the contact between the finger F and the input areas 151a and 242 and can not measure the force applied to the input areas 151a and 242, 151c, and 243 can not distinguish the simple touch from the pressure touch. Thus, even if the finger F inadvertently comes into contact with the input areas 151a and 242, the touch sensors 151c and 243 recognize that the finger F has depressed the virtual button, have. However, unintentional touches or contacts last for a short time in most cases. Therefore, even when only the touch sensors 151c and 243 are used, the input can be performed when the touch and touch sensed for a predetermined time or longer to prevent unintended input. However, unintentional contact can last long enough, so that the control by the touch sensors 151c and 243 is not highly reliable.

On the other hand, if the sensor-actuator 1 is used, the sensor unit 10 can continuously sense the deformation from the start of the pressure touch. If the sensed deformation exceeds the touch recognition criterion indicated by the dotted line, the user can be accurately judged to have actually pressed the input area 151a, 242 with the intention of the input. According to this judgment, the actuator 1 can provide feedback to the user by generating vibration. Accordingly, the sensor-actuator 1 senses the actual pressing of the touch input device through sensing of the deformation using the sensor unit 10 and provides the tactile feedback through the occurrence of the deformation using the actuator 20 can do. More broadly, the sensor-actuator 1 can grasp the user's actual intentions to the input and provide the user with confirmation of the input. As a result, the touch input device and the terminals using the touch input device can have high reliability by the sensor-actuator 1. As described above, since the sensor unit 10 and the actuator unit 20 are integrally formed, the actuator 20 can generate the predetermined feedback immediately without any delay according to the determination of the sensor unit 10 have. Accordingly, the touch input device and the terminals using the touch input device have high responsiveness by the sensor-actuator 1.

Furthermore, since the sensor-actuator 1 can sense the pressure, this pressure, i.e. the actual pressing of the user, can be added as a criterion of operation for input such as touch, drag. Further, combinations of more input operations can be created with the addition of pressure. Thus, the sensor-actuator 1 increases the degree of freedom of the input and may greatly expand the user interface. Further, since the deformation and the vibration of the actuator unit 20 can be adjusted by the frequency of the applied AC voltage, the actuator unit 20 can give the user the same effect as pressing the physical button, for example, Feedback can be given. For the same reason, the actuator unit 20 may provide a predetermined sound as feedback to the user by frequency control. Thus, the sensor-actuator 1 may substantially improve the user experience with respect to the use of the terminal.

The foregoing detailed description should not be construed in all aspects as limiting and should be considered illustrative. The scope of the present invention should be determined by rational interpretation of the appended claims, and all changes within the scope of equivalents of the present invention are included in the scope of the present invention.

1: sensor-actuator 10: sensor part
20: actuator part 30: insulator part
100: mobile terminal 101: front case
102: rear case 110: wireless communication section
120: input unit 140: sensing unit
150: output unit 151: display unit
160: interface unit 170: memory
180: control unit 190: power supply unit
200: fixed terminal 240: touch input device

Claims (23)

A sensor unit configured to sense a pressure applied to a predetermined portion of the touch input device by the user;
An actuator unit integrally formed with the sensor unit and configured to provide a predetermined tactile feedback to the user according to the sensed pressure; And
And an insulator portion formed integrally with the sensor portion and the actuator portion and disposed between the sensor portion and the actuator portion so as to electrically isolate the sensor portion from the actuator portion,
The sensor unit includes:
A layer made of a piezoelectric material; And
Wherein one of the first and second electrodes is covered by the insulator portion or the actuator portion and the first and second electrodes are covered by the first and second electrodes, And an electrode of the second electrode is exposed to the outside of the sensor unit. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the sensor unit and the actuator unit are physically and integrally formed by a sintering process. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the sensor unit and the actuator are made of piezoelectric elements. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the sensor unit is disposed closer to the actuator than a part of the touch input apparatus that is deformed to the applied pressure. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the sensor unit is in direct contact with a part of the touch input device deformed by the applied pressure. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the sensor unit is disposed on the actuator unit. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the sensor unit has a smaller capacitance than the actuator unit. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the sensor unit has a capacitance of 1/10 of the actuator unit. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the actuator unit is formed of a plurality of layers, and the thickness of the sensor unit is greater than the thickness of one layer of the actuator unit. 10. The method of claim 9,
Wherein the thickness of the sensor part is twice the thickness of one layer of the actuator part. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the sensor unit has a thickness less than the thickness of the actuator unit. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the sensor unit has a thickness of 1/10 of the actuator unit. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the sensor unit and the actuator unit are made of the same material. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the insulator portion is made of the same material as the sensor portion and the actuator. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein an exposed electrode of the first and second electrodes is further extended to be disposed adjacent to the other of the first and second electrodes. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the first and second electrodes of the sensor unit are disposed in the same plane. The method according to claim 1,
The actuator section includes:
A plurality of layers consisting of piezoelectric material and sequentially stacked:
And the first and second electrodes are configured to be exposed to the outside of the sensor-actuator, wherein the first and second electrodes are alternately arranged between the stacked layers, and the first and second electrodes are exposed to the outside of the sensor- - Actuator. 18. The method of claim 17,
Wherein the first and second electrodes of the actuator unit comprise first and second bodies and first and second extensions extending from the first and second bodies and exposed to the outside of the stacked layers, And a sensor-actuator for the touch input device. 19. The method of claim 18,
Wherein the first and second extension portions are disposed to face each other on the first and second bodies, respectively. 18. The method of claim 17,
Wherein the actuator further comprises a third electrode connecting the exposed portions of the first electrodes and a fourth electrode connecting the exposed portions of the second electrodes. 21. The method of claim 20,
And the third and fourth electrodes are further extended to be disposed adjacent to and toward the electrodes of the sensor unit. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the sensor unit connected to the external device and all the electrodes of the actuator unit are disposed in the same plane. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the sensor unit connected to the external device and all the electrodes of the actuator unit are disposed at the top of the sensor-actuator.

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