CN215180882U

CN215180882U - Input device

Info

Publication number: CN215180882U
Application number: CN202120373806.0U
Authority: CN
Inventors: 藤田纯也; 田上靖宏; 田晓凤; 曹俊梁
Original assignee: Omron Electronic Components Trading Shanghai Ltd
Current assignee: Omron Electronic Components Trading Shanghai Ltd
Priority date: 2021-02-10
Filing date: 2021-02-10
Publication date: 2021-12-14
Anticipated expiration: 2031-02-10

Abstract

The utility model provides an input device. The input device has: a panel including at least a light-transmitting portion having a transmittance of 30% or more with respect to infrared light; a light guide plate disposed to face the panel, located on one side of the panel, and forming a predetermined image at an image forming position in a space on the other side of the panel; and a sensor that is located on one side of the panel with the light guide plate interposed therebetween and detects an object in a space including the imaging position by using light outside the visible light region. This can improve the reliability of the input device.

Description

Input device

Technical Field

The utility model relates to an operation input technical field especially relates to an input device.

Background

In the related art, there is an input device that forms a predetermined image in a space and detects an object in the space including the predetermined image. For example, a sensor of the input device emits light of a predetermined wavelength band toward the space, and detects an object in the space by receiving the reflected light.

It should be noted that the above background description is only for the sake of clarity and complete description of the technical solutions of the present invention, and is set forth for facilitating understanding of those skilled in the art. These solutions are not considered to be known to the person skilled in the art merely because they have been set forth in the background section of the present invention.

SUMMERY OF THE UTILITY MODEL

The inventors have found that in order to enable the input device to meet the demands of more application scenarios, in some cases, it is necessary to adjust the kind of panel provided on the surface of the input device. However, since the different types of panels may not have the same transmittance for light in a predetermined wavelength band for object detection, a problem may occur in that a sensor of the input device cannot reliably detect an object in a space, and the reliability of the input device may be lowered.

In order to solve at least one of the above problems or other similar problems, embodiments of the present invention provide an input device, which can improve the reliability of the input device.

According to a first aspect of embodiments of the present invention, there is provided an input device, wherein the input device has: a panel including at least a light-transmitting portion having a transmittance of 30% or more with respect to infrared light; a light guide plate disposed to face the panel, located on one side of the panel, and forming a predetermined image at an image forming position in a space on the other side of the panel; and a sensor that is located on one side of the panel with the light guide plate interposed therebetween and detects an object in a space including the imaging position by using light outside the visible light region.

According to a second aspect of embodiments of the present invention, there is provided an input device as defined in the first aspect, wherein the light-transmitting portion is coated glass or frosted glass.

According to a third aspect of embodiments of the present invention, there is provided an input device as defined in the second aspect, wherein, for visible light: the transmittance of the coated glass is greater than or equal to 10% and less than or equal to 50%, and the reflectance of the coated glass is greater than or equal to 30% and less than or equal to 90%.

According to a fourth aspect of embodiments of the present invention, there is provided the input device as defined in the second aspect, wherein, for visible light: the transmission of the matte glass is greater than or equal to 10% and less than or equal to 50%, and the reflection of the matte glass is greater than or equal to 5% and less than or equal to 15%.

According to a fifth aspect of embodiments of the present invention, there is provided the input device as defined in any one of the first to fourth aspects, wherein the sensor is disposed opposite to at least a part of the surface of the light-transmitting portion.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the input device as defined in any one of the first to fourth aspects, wherein the light guide plate is disposed opposite to at least a part of the surface of the light-transmitting portion.

According to a seventh aspect of the embodiments of the present invention, there is provided the input device as defined in any one of the first to fourth aspects, wherein the panel further includes: and a peripheral portion provided on an outer peripheral side of the light-transmitting portion.

According to an eighth aspect of the embodiments of the present invention, there is provided the input device as defined in the seventh aspect, wherein a ratio of an area of the light-transmitting portion to a sum of areas of the peripheral portion and the light-transmitting portion is greater than or equal to 20% and less than or equal to 100%.

The embodiment of the utility model provides an one of the beneficial effect lies in: by setting the transmittance of the panel of the input device, the accuracy of the detection result of the sensor can be improved, and the reliability of the input device can be improved.

Specific embodiments of the present invention are disclosed in detail with reference to the following description and the accompanying drawings, which specify the manner in which the principles of the invention may be employed. It should be understood that the embodiments of the present invention are not limited in scope thereby. The embodiments of the invention include many variations, modifications and equivalents within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Features that are described and/or illustrated with respect to one embodiment may be used in the same way or in a similar way in one or more other embodiments, in combination with or instead of the features of the other embodiments.

Drawings

The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the embodiments of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the invention. It is obvious that the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the invention, and that for a person skilled in the art, other drawings can be derived from them without inventive effort. In the drawings:

fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of an input device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 2 is a front view of a panel according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed Description

The foregoing and other features of the invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In the description and drawings, particular embodiments of the invention have been disclosed in detail as being indicative of some of the embodiments in which the principles of the invention may be employed, it being understood that the invention is not limited to the described embodiments, but, on the contrary, is intended to cover all modifications, variations and equivalents falling within the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawings used in the following description, since the components are sized to be recognizable on the drawing surface, the scale is different for each component, and the present invention is not limited to the number of components, the shapes of components, the ratio of the sizes of components, and the relative positional relationship of components described in these drawings.

In the embodiments of the present invention, the terms "comprises," "comprising," "includes," "including," "has," "having," or the like, refer to the presence of stated features, elements, components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, elements, components, or groups thereof.

In the embodiments of the present invention, the singular forms "a", "an", and the like include the plural forms and should be interpreted broadly as "a" or "an" and not limited to the meaning of "a" or "an"; furthermore, the term "comprising" should be understood to include both the singular and the plural, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Further, the term "according to" should be understood as "at least partially according to … …," and the term "based on" should be understood as "based at least partially on … …," unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

The input device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

The embodiment of the present invention provides an input device, and fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of the input device 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a front view of the panel 11 according to the embodiment of the present invention. As shown in fig. 1 and 2, in at least one embodiment, the input device 1 has: a panel 11, a light guide plate 12 and a sensor 13. The panel 11 includes at least a light-transmitting portion 111. The light guide plate 12 is disposed opposite to the panel 11, is positioned on one side (inner side as shown in fig. 1) of the panel 11, and forms a predetermined image M at an image forming position in a space on the other side (outer side as shown in fig. 1) of the panel 11. The sensor 13 is located on one side (inside as shown in fig. 1) of the panel 11 via the light guide plate 12, and detects an object in a space including an imaging position by using light outside the visible light region.

In at least one embodiment, the sum of the transmittance, reflectance, and absorptance of the light-transmitting portion 111 is equal to 1. Wherein, the transmittance of the light-transmitting portion 111 is 30% or more with respect to infrared light.

According to the embodiment of the utility model provides a, through the transmissivity of the panel 11 that sets up input device 1, can improve sensor 13 and detect the accuracy of the testing result who obtains to the object in the space to, can improve input device's reliability.

In at least one embodiment, as shown in fig. 1, the back surface B of the panel 11 may be disposed opposite to the light exit surface C of the light guide plate 12. The panel 11 may serve as a cover of the input device 1, and may house components such as the light guide plate 12 and the sensor 13 in an internal space formed by assembling the panel with a housing (not shown) of the input device 1.

In at least one embodiment, as shown in fig. 1, the light guide plate 12 may guide light incident to the light guide plate 12 to be emitted from the light emitting surface C. Light emitted from the light emitting surface C of the light guide plate 12 enters the panel 11 through the back surface B of the panel 11 and is emitted to the outside through the front surface a of the panel 11, thereby forming a predetermined image M in a space. Wherein, the image M can be any number, letter, symbol, figure, etc. or combination thereof. The light guide plate 12 may be molded from a material having transparency and a relatively high refractive index, and for example, the material forming the light guide plate 12 may be polycarbonate resin, polymethyl methacrylate resin, glass, or the like.

In at least one embodiment, the sensor 13 may be used to detect an object, such as a finger of a user, performing an input operation on the input apparatus 1. The sensor 13 may be any sensor capable of detecting an object in a space. For example, the sensor 13 may be a TOF (Time Of Flight) sensor or the like.

In at least one embodiment, the sensor 13 can detect objects in the space containing the imaging location using light outside the visible light region. For example, the sensor 13 may use infrared light in the wavelength range between 780nm and 1000nm for object detection.

As shown in fig. 1, the sensor 13 may emit infrared light that sequentially passes through the back surface D of the light guide plate 12, the light exit surface C of the light guide plate 12, the back surface B of the panel 11, and the front surface a of the panel 11, and is directed to the outside of the input device 1. When the infrared light reaches the object O, the infrared light is reflected back to the input device 1, and the reflected infrared light passes through the front surface a of the panel 11, the back surface B of the panel 11, the light exit surface C of the light guide plate 12, and the back surface D of the light guide plate 12 in this order and is received by the sensor 13. The sensor 13 can determine whether or not the object O is present in the space including the imaging position based on the reception of the infrared light, and further determine whether or not the input device 1 has received an operation input or the specific content of the operation input.

In at least one embodiment, as shown in fig. 2, the panel 11 at least includes a light-transmitting portion 111, and the transmittance of the light-transmitting portion 111 is greater than or equal to 30% for infrared light having a wavelength range between 780nm and 1000nm, so that the amount of light of infrared light emitted from the sensor 13 and emitted from the panel 11 to the outside and the amount of light of infrared light emitted from the panel 11 and emitted to the inside in a case where the infrared light is reflected back to the input device 1 can be ensured, and thus the sensor 12 can receive sufficient infrared light for detection, thereby improving the accuracy of the detection result of the sensor 12.

In at least one embodiment, the light-transmissive portion 111 may be coated glass or frosted glass. By adopting the structure of the coated glass or the frosted glass, the optical characteristics of the light transmitting portion 111 can be changed. For example, compared to the case of using ordinary glass, using coated glass or frosted glass can make the light-transmitting portion 111 exhibit a specific display effect, that is, the coated glass can make the light-transmitting portion 111 exhibit a certain reflection effect, and the frosted glass can make the light-transmitting portion 111 exhibit a certain frosting effect.

In at least one embodiment, the coated glass may be made by coating the surface of the glass with one or more layers of a film structure, such as a metal, alloy, or metal compound film. However, the present application is not limited thereto, and the coated glass may be manufactured in other manners.

In at least one embodiment, the matte glass surface is in an uneven form and can be made by physically or chemically treating the glass surface. However, the present application is not limited thereto, and the frosted glass may be formed in other manners.

In at least one embodiment, for visible light: the transmittance of the coated glass is greater than or equal to 10% and less than or equal to 50%, and the reflectance of the coated glass is greater than or equal to 30% and less than or equal to 90%.

In at least one embodiment, for visible light: the transmittance of the matte glass is 10% or more and 50% or less, and the reflectance of the matte glass is 5% or more and 15% or less.

By providing the light transmitting portion 111 with transmittance and reflectance for visible light, it is possible to ensure that sufficient visible light is emitted from the panel 11 to the outside for displaying the image M; in addition, other light rays interfering with imaging can be prevented from being generated at the imaging position, so that the display effect of the image M can be optimized; further, the light-transmitting portion 111 can exhibit a specific display effect when viewed from the outside.

In at least one embodiment, the wavelength range of visible light may be between 380nm to 780 nm. However, the present application is not limited thereto, and the wavelength range of visible light may be other range visible to the human eye.

In at least one embodiment, as shown in fig. 1, the sensor 13 is disposed opposite to at least a part of the surface of the light-transmitting portion 111. This enables the detection signal emitted from the sensor 13 to be emitted or incident to the input device 1 via the light transmitting portion 111, thereby ensuring the accuracy of the detection result of the sensor 13.

In at least one embodiment, as shown in fig. 1, the light guide plate 12 is disposed opposite to at least a part of the surface of the light-transmitting portion 111. This allows light emitted from the light emitting surface C of the light guide plate 12 to exit the input device 1 through the light transmitting portion 111 and display the image M at the image forming position, thereby ensuring the display effect of the image M.

In at least one embodiment, the panel 11 may also include other regions than the light-transmissive portion 111. For example, as shown in fig. 1 and 2, the panel 11 may further include a peripheral portion 112 provided on an outer peripheral side of the light-transmitting portion 11. The peripheral portion 112 may be, for example, a total reflection portion. However, the present application is not limited thereto, and the peripheral portion 112 of the panel 11 may be in any form, and the light transmittance or reflectance of the peripheral portion 112 is not particularly limited in the present application.

In at least one embodiment, the ratio of the area of the light-transmitting portion 111 to the sum of the areas of the peripheral portion 112 and the light-transmitting portion 111 is greater than or equal to 20% and less than or equal to 100%. This ensures the ratio of the light transmitting portion 111 in the panel 11, thereby ensuring the display effect of the image M.

In at least one embodiment, a ratio of an area of the light-transmitting portion 111 to a sum of areas of the peripheral portion 112 and the light-transmitting portion 111 may be 100%. In this case, the sensor 13 for detecting an object may be provided at an arbitrary position on one side of the panel 11 with the light guide plate 12 interposed therebetween, and thus the sensor 13 can be more flexibly provided.

In at least one embodiment, a ratio of an area of the light-transmitting portion 111 to a sum of areas of the peripheral portion 112 and the light-transmitting portion 111 may be 20%. By appropriately reducing the ratio of the area of the light-transmitting portion 111 to the area of the panel 11, for example, setting the ratio to 20%, the area of the peripheral portion 112 can be increased adaptively. In this case, not only the display effect of the image M can be ensured, but also the peripheral portion 112 can be applied more flexibly, whereby the input device 1 can be applied to more application scenes.

In at least one embodiment, a ratio of an area of the light-transmitting portion 111 to a sum of areas of the peripheral portion 112 and the light-transmitting portion 111 may be 60%. In this case, by appropriately adjusting the ratio of the area of the light-transmitting portion 111 to the area of the panel 11, for example, setting the ratio to 60%, the input device 1 can be adapted to a specific application, and the input device 1 can be used as a call operation input device for an elevator, for example.

In at least one embodiment, the input device 1 may be a device for inputting any information, and may be applied to any device requiring information input.

For example, the input device 1 may be used to input an elevator command, and may be a call button provided at a landing, a control panel provided in an elevator car, or the like. Since the input device 1 can display a predetermined image in a space, a user can input an elevator command without physically touching the elevator button with a finger, which is advantageous for public health maintenance, as compared with a conventional elevator button.

As another example, the input device 1 may be used to input a password, and may be applied to an input unit of an automatic teller machine, an input unit of a credit card reader, an input unit for unlocking a safe, an input unit of a door that is unlocked based on a password, and the like. Since the input device 1 can display a predetermined image in a space, a fingerprint or a temperature history does not remain on an input portion as compared with a conventional password input device, and thus, it is possible to prevent others from knowing a password and improve security.

In at least one embodiment, the transmittance of the light-transmitting portion 111 of the panel 11 of the input device 1 is greater than or equal to 30% for infrared light, whereby the accuracy of the detection result obtained by the sensor 13 detecting an object in space can be improved, and thus the reliability of the input device can be improved.

The present invention has been described in connection with specific embodiments, but it should be clear to a person skilled in the art that these descriptions are intended to be illustrative and not limiting to the scope of the invention. Various modifications and adaptations of the present invention may occur to those skilled in the art, which are within the spirit and scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An input device, comprising:

a panel including at least a light-transmitting portion having a transmittance of 30% or more with respect to infrared light;

a light guide plate disposed to face the panel, located on one side of the panel, and forming a predetermined image at an image forming position in a space on the other side of the panel; and

and a sensor which is located on one side of the panel with the light guide plate interposed therebetween and detects an object in a space including the imaging position by using light outside the visible light region.

2. The input device of claim 1,

the light transmission part is coated glass or frosted glass.

3. The input device of claim 2,

for visible light:

the transmittance of the coated glass is greater than or equal to 10% and less than or equal to 50%,

the reflectivity of the coated glass is greater than or equal to 30% and less than or equal to 90%.

4. The input device of claim 2,

for visible light:

the transmission of the matte glass is greater than or equal to 10% and less than or equal to 50%,

the matte glass has a reflectance of 5% or more and 15% or less.

5. The input device according to any one of claims 1 to 4,

the sensor is disposed to face at least a part of the surface of the light-transmitting portion.

6. The input device according to any one of claims 1 to 4,

the light guide plate is disposed to face at least a part of the surface of the light-transmitting portion.

7. The input device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the panel further comprises:

and a peripheral portion provided on an outer peripheral side of the light-transmitting portion.

8. The input device of claim 7,

the ratio of the area of the light-transmitting portion to the sum of the areas of the peripheral portion and the light-transmitting portion is 20% or more and 100% or less.

9. The input device of claim 8,

the ratio of the area of the light transmission portion to the sum of the areas of the peripheral portion and the light transmission portion is 60%.