EP1187156A2 - Instrument mit Tastatur und Berührungstafel - Google Patents

Instrument mit Tastatur und Berührungstafel Download PDF

Info

Publication number
EP1187156A2
EP1187156A2 EP20010307248 EP01307248A EP1187156A2 EP 1187156 A2 EP1187156 A2 EP 1187156A2 EP 20010307248 EP20010307248 EP 20010307248 EP 01307248 A EP01307248 A EP 01307248A EP 1187156 A2 EP1187156 A2 EP 1187156A2
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
touch panel
panel
button
touch
instrument
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP20010307248
Other languages
English (en)
French (fr)
Inventor
Frederick A. Azinger
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Tektronix Inc
Original Assignee
Tektronix Inc
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Tektronix Inc filed Critical Tektronix Inc
Publication of EP1187156A2 publication Critical patent/EP1187156A2/de
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

Links

Images

Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
    • H01H13/00—Switches having rectilinearly-movable operating part or parts adapted for pushing or pulling in one direction only, e.g. push-button switch
    • H01H13/70—Switches having rectilinearly-movable operating part or parts adapted for pushing or pulling in one direction only, e.g. push-button switch having a plurality of operating members associated with different sets of contacts, e.g. keyboard
    • H01H13/78—Switches having rectilinearly-movable operating part or parts adapted for pushing or pulling in one direction only, e.g. push-button switch having a plurality of operating members associated with different sets of contacts, e.g. keyboard characterised by the contacts or the contact sites
    • H01H13/807—Switches having rectilinearly-movable operating part or parts adapted for pushing or pulling in one direction only, e.g. push-button switch having a plurality of operating members associated with different sets of contacts, e.g. keyboard characterised by the contacts or the contact sites characterised by the spatial arrangement of the contact sites, e.g. superimposed sites
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
    • H01H13/00—Switches having rectilinearly-movable operating part or parts adapted for pushing or pulling in one direction only, e.g. push-button switch
    • H01H13/70—Switches having rectilinearly-movable operating part or parts adapted for pushing or pulling in one direction only, e.g. push-button switch having a plurality of operating members associated with different sets of contacts, e.g. keyboard
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
    • H01H2209/00—Layers
    • H01H2209/01—Increasing rigidity; Anti-creep
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
    • H01H2209/00—Layers
    • H01H2209/024—Properties of the substrate
    • H01H2209/038—Properties of the substrate transparent
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
    • H01H2221/00—Actuators
    • H01H2221/002—Actuators integral with membrane
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
    • H01H2221/00—Actuators
    • H01H2221/008—Actuators other then push button
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
    • H01H2221/00—Actuators
    • H01H2221/008—Actuators other then push button
    • H01H2221/016—Lever; Rocker
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
    • H01H2223/00—Casings
    • H01H2223/01—Mounting on appliance
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
    • H01H2223/00—Casings
    • H01H2223/034—Bezel
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
    • H01H2225/00—Switch site location
    • H01H2225/03—Different type of switches

Definitions

  • the invention relates to electronic instrument control panels, and more particularly to touch sensitive controls.
  • An instrument may have a display screen, a set of buttons, and a cursor control device, each using different technology.
  • the display screen may include a touch screen overlay that allows the user to touch a point on the screen to select an element displayed at that point, to indicate a desired position, or for any other purpose for which a cursor might be controlled.
  • cursor control devices such as touch pads used on some notebook computers use a small pad on which the user positions or slides a fingertip to position and move a cursor on a display screen.
  • a touch pad In contrast to the touch screen, which uses the absolute position of contact to correspond to a screen position, a touch pad provides relative motion, and the pad is simply an analog of the screen or a portion of the screen.
  • buttons are used for regularly used functions on an instrument. These are generally permanently labeled for readability, and operate individual electronic switches connected to instrument circuitry.
  • the keyboard of a notebook computer, the front panel of a test and measurement instrument, and the controls of a hand-held personal digital assistant (PDA) are all applications for dedicated buttons to supplement display screens and other cursor control devices.
  • Button controls require custom-designed hardware for each application, with a printed circuit supporting soldered switches located in positions corresponding to each button. Metal shielding may be provided with limited cutouts for each button. In critical applications, the electrical performance characteristics of these components must be analyzed and characterized, such as to ensure that EMI/EFI are within acceptable limits. For different models of similar instruments, components must be separately designed and constructed. This slows prototyping efforts, and increases costs. Even a minor difference between similar models affecting only the number or position of buttons on the panel requires a wholesale redesign, and stocking of different circuit components for each model.
  • an electronic instrument includes a housing having an interface panel.
  • the interface panel including a touch panel, and a number of button elements are positioned over the touch panel.
  • Each button has one part adjacent to the touch panel, and an exposed surface, so that the exposed surface may be pressed by a user to contact the touch panel, and to generate a signal to the circuitry of the instrument identifying the button that was pressed based on its position on the touch panel.
  • the touch panel may have an exposed portion providing a cursor control device, or a transparent screen overlay positioned over a display screen for selecting displayed elements.
  • Figure 1 shows an electronic instrument 10 having a housing 12 and a bezel 14 providing a lid for the housing.
  • an elastomeric key or button sheet 16 Within the housing are contained an elastomeric key or button sheet 16, a touch sensitive pad 20, a liquid crystal display 22, and a circuit board 24 connected to the touch pad and to the display for receiving and processing signals from the touch pad, and for driving the display, among other operational functions of the device.
  • Other components not required to illustrate the concept of the invention are omitted for clarity. These include spacers, structural supports, power supply, illumination, and other circuitry.
  • the bezel 14 has a button portion 26 and display portion 30.
  • the button portion defines a plurality of small apertures 32 arranged in a pattern spaced apart adequately to permit selective actuation by an adult finger tip.
  • the display portion 30 defines a single large display aperture 34.
  • the key pad sheet 16 includes a set of protruding buttons 36, each sized to be closely received in a corresponding aperture 32, and to slightly protrude from the front surface of the bezel. As will be shown below, a protrusion on the opposite side of each button (on the rear of the sheet) serves to provide an enhanced-pressure contact with the touch pad.
  • Each button is integrally connected to a flexible sheet 40.
  • each button may be imprinted or molded with indicia of the button's function. In the illustrated embodiment, indicia are printed on the bezel, adjacent to the button apertures.
  • the touch pad 20 extends essentially the entire area of the device, fully underlying the display aperture 34 and the region below all the buttons.
  • the touch pad is transparent in the preferred embodiment, so that the display may be viewed through it.
  • the touch pad may use any conventional touch pad technology suitable for actuation with a fingertip, stylus or other implement. It should have adequately fine resolution to permit small gradations of position on the display to be resolved. In the preferred embodiment, with buttons spaced apart by at least about 1.0 cm, the resolution is preferably 1.0 mm or finer.
  • the display is a conventional LCD device, or may be any other display technology.
  • Figure 2 shows the button sheet 46 having protrusions 50 protruding below each button and abutting the touch pad 22.
  • the touch pad has a pressure sensitivity so that the weight of the button sheet does not actuate the pad, but so that a comfortable key strike pressure readily actuates the pad to send a signal to the circuitry indicating the location of the contact.
  • a support surface behind the touch pad to provide a solid, flat backing to generate compression of the touch pad at the point where a button protrusion contacts the pad.
  • Figure 3 shows an electronic test and measurement instrument having a display 62, a control panel 64, and a touch pad cursor control 66.
  • a touch sensitive pad 70 underlies the entire control panel and touch pad, but does not overlay the display.
  • the portion under the control panel is configured to transmit to connected circuitry the absolute location of pressure.
  • the circuitry compares the location where pressure is detected with an assigned command or function associated in software with the button or switch at that location, and performs the desired function. This is an absolute location mapping arrangement.
  • the cursor control pad 66 For the cursor control pad 66, a portion of the pad 70 is exposed, so that a user's fingertip may touch or drag across the pad to control position and movement of a cursor 72 on the screen.
  • the cursor's position does not absolutely correspond to the location of the finger on the pad. The cursor location is based on relative movement of the finger, regardless of where the fingertip first makes contact. Thus, a cursor near the upper right of the screen may be moved further to the upper right by touching the pad at the lower left (or any position), and dragging a fingertip to the upper right. Long movements may be made by multiple sweeps of the fingertip, and the pad may be programmed to move a different acceleration rates based on the input movement rate, in the manner of conventional mouse control software for personal computers.
  • the pad portion operates in a different mode than does the portion behind the control panel. This allows the use of a single component pad 70, with the control software or pad elements configured for the particular application.
  • the touch panel may extend in front of the display, offering additional absolute cursor control, and for operation of displayed "soft" buttons on the screen.
  • Figure 4 shows another alternative embodiment, in which an instrument 80 has a display screen 82 that underlies not just the display aperture 34, but also a set of small apertures 84, each associated and adjacent to a button 36.
  • the small apertures are not intended for touch screen access, but serve as windows to display changeable legends or nomenclature for each button.
  • the legends may change in a given device depending on operations, such as a consumer electronics remote control that displays different functions depending on which device is being controlled. The changes may also be made between different products, so that a common chassis may be used for different applications, with only software changes needed to make the device adaptable to a new use.
  • the button activated touch pad may be operated by other switches that contact a touch pad under pressure.
  • a toggle switch having two rear protrusions may apply pressure to the touch panel at different locations depending which way the switch is toggled.
  • a joystick having a ring of at least three protrusions may indicate the direction of pressure.
  • a rotary knob having at least one protrusion constantly biased against the pad may indicate dial position by the location of the pressure along a path it sweeps.
  • Other switches may indicate different degrees of pressure, such as by a protrusion that compresses to a different diameter contact spot under greater pressure, so that the pad may register the size of the pressure spot.

Landscapes

  • Position Input By Displaying (AREA)
  • Input From Keyboards Or The Like (AREA)
EP20010307248 2000-08-29 2001-08-24 Instrument mit Tastatur und Berührungstafel Withdrawn EP1187156A2 (de)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US65097800A 2000-08-29 2000-08-29
US650978 2000-08-29

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP1187156A2 true EP1187156A2 (de) 2002-03-13

Family

ID=24611096

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP20010307248 Withdrawn EP1187156A2 (de) 2000-08-29 2001-08-24 Instrument mit Tastatur und Berührungstafel

Country Status (3)

Country Link
EP (1) EP1187156A2 (de)
JP (1) JP2002140165A (de)
CN (1) CN1340825A (de)

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US7404471B2 (en) 2004-05-17 2008-07-29 Inventio Ag Push button for elevator car operating panel
US7892096B2 (en) * 2005-02-22 2011-02-22 Wms Gaming Inc. Gaming machine with configurable button panel
US8144036B2 (en) 2007-02-08 2012-03-27 Lear Corporation Switch system
EP3296854A1 (de) * 2016-09-14 2018-03-21 Otis Elevator Company Benutzerberührungsoberfläche für gemeinsame plattform

Families Citing this family (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JP3918193B1 (ja) * 2006-04-13 2007-05-23 東陶機器株式会社 リモコン装置
DE102006042785A1 (de) * 2006-09-08 2008-03-27 Robert Bosch Gmbh Handtestgerät
KR100865398B1 (ko) * 2007-04-19 2008-10-24 삼성에스디아이 주식회사 키 패드용 표시장치 및 이를 구비한 전자 기기
CN101498976B (zh) * 2008-12-26 2012-06-27 华为终端有限公司 触摸显示装置及其制造方法与电子设备
DE202012003217U1 (de) * 2012-03-29 2013-07-01 Joseph Vögele AG Außensteuerstand für eine Baumaschine

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US7404471B2 (en) 2004-05-17 2008-07-29 Inventio Ag Push button for elevator car operating panel
US7892096B2 (en) * 2005-02-22 2011-02-22 Wms Gaming Inc. Gaming machine with configurable button panel
US8144036B2 (en) 2007-02-08 2012-03-27 Lear Corporation Switch system
EP3296854A1 (de) * 2016-09-14 2018-03-21 Otis Elevator Company Benutzerberührungsoberfläche für gemeinsame plattform

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
CN1340825A (zh) 2002-03-20
JP2002140165A (ja) 2002-05-17

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
US7236159B1 (en) Handheld or pocketsized electronic apparatus and hand-controlled input device
US5952998A (en) Transparent touchpad with flat panel display for personal computers
US8830163B2 (en) Integrated keyboard and touchpad
US20040012572A1 (en) Display and touch screen method and apparatus
US6680677B1 (en) Proximity detector to indicate function of a key
US5388922A (en) Miniature keyboard
JP2006004453A (ja) タッチ操作型コンピュータ
US20130342465A1 (en) Interchangeable Surface Translation and Force Concentration
US20130346636A1 (en) Interchangeable Surface Input Device Mapping
US20130342464A1 (en) Input Device with Interchangeable Surface
US20120120019A1 (en) External input device for electrostatic capacitance-type touch panel
US9952762B2 (en) Tactile interface system for manipulation of a touch screen
GB2139762A (en) An input device and a method of inputting data to a computer system
JPH11194863A (ja) タッチ入力検知方法及びタッチ入力検知装置
JPH11194872A (ja) 接触操作型入力装置およびその電子部品
GB2344905A (en) Hand held electronic device with back entry touch pad
US20030081016A1 (en) Personal digital assistant mouse
EP1187156A2 (de) Instrument mit Tastatur und Berührungstafel
KR101073218B1 (ko) 터치패드모듈
GB2299302A (en) An electronic device with a screen
WO2000057266A1 (en) Computer input device
JP3058216B2 (ja) コンピュータ装置
JPH09147671A (ja) タッチパネルスイッチ
KR100637123B1 (ko) 터치 패널
JPH0736234U (ja) キー入力装置

Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
PUAI Public reference made under article 153(3) epc to a published international application that has entered the european phase

Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009012

AK Designated contracting states

Kind code of ref document: A2

Designated state(s): AT BE CH CY DE DK ES FI FR GB GR IE IT LI LU MC NL PT SE TR

AX Request for extension of the european patent

Free format text: AL;LT;LV;MK;RO;SI

STAA Information on the status of an ep patent application or granted ep patent

Free format text: STATUS: THE APPLICATION HAS BEEN WITHDRAWN

18W Application withdrawn

Effective date: 20030206