JP2000194487A - Touch operation input device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a touch operation input device which prevents foreign matter, etc., from accumulating and also allows even a person who has long nails to easily perform an operation. SOLUTION: The shape of an input pad 16 for inputting a touch operation of a touch tracer is made a projecting one and the input pad 16 is arranged projectingly from the outer casing of the touch tracer. Further, the input pad 16 is constructed by arranging plural pressure sensitive resistance elements 46 in a matrix shape. The plural pressure sensitive resistance elements 46 detect pressure when a finger touches them, and a touch operation position is detected by detecting resistance value that changes due to the pressure change.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to a touch operation input device for inputting touch operation information by touching an operation surface.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, for example, vehicles equipped with a display device having a touch operation function are increasing. As an example of this type of display device, a touch position on a display screen is detected by an optical sensor.

Specifically, a light emitting element and a light receiving element are arranged so as to form a plurality of parallel optical axes corresponding to a vertical direction and a horizontal direction of a display screen, and the display screen is touched with a finger. It is configured to detect the center position of the touch area based on the interruption of the optical axis from the light emitting element to the light receiving element and output the coordinate data thereof.

Further, there is a touch operation input device in which a display unit and a touch operation unit are separated and arranged at a place where the touch operation unit can be easily operated. The configuration of the touch operation input device is the same as that described above. Has become. Such a touch operation input device can provide a convenient operation by arranging the touch operation unit in a place where it is easy to operate the vehicle.

[0005]

However, in the conventional touch operation input device, since the touch operation position is detected by an LED and a phototransistor, the touch panel surface has a concave shape, and a structure in which foreign substances and the like are easily accumulated. Has become. Further, when a person with long nails operates, there is a problem that operability is poor.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a touch operation input device which prevents accumulation of foreign matters and the like and can be easily operated even by a person with long nails. .

[0007]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, a display unit for displaying a plurality of operation function items is provided separately from the display unit, and the plurality of function items are selected by a touch operation. A touch operation unit provided with a convex touch panel for inputting, and a detection unit arranged to correspond to a touch operation surface of the touch panel of the touch operation unit and detecting the touch operation position. .

According to the first aspect of the present invention, a plurality of operation function items are displayed on the display unit, and a touch position is detected by performing a touch operation on a touch panel of a touch operation unit provided separately from the display unit. , And a plurality of operation function items displayed on the display unit can be selectively inputted. When a touch operation is performed, foreign substances such as dust can be prevented from accumulating on the touch panel by making the touch operation section for performing the touch operation have a convex touch panel shape. Further, in a touch operation by a person with long nails, the operation can be performed more easily than in a concave touch panel.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, the detecting means detects an electric component that changes by a touch operation,
An operation position of the touch panel is detected from the detected electrical component.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the detecting means for detecting the operation position of the touch operation is provided with a means for detecting an electrical component that changes by performing the touch operation, thereby enabling the touch operation to be performed. The operation position can be detected. For example, if a pressure-sensitive resistance element or the like is used as the detection means, a resistance value that changes by a touch operation can be detected, and thus a touch operation position can be specified. Further, since the touch panel is arranged on the touch panel, the touch panel shape, which could not be realized by the position detection by the optical sensor, can be made to be a convex shape, thereby preventing foreign substances such as dust from accumulating on the touch panel. At the same time, the touch operation of a person with long nails can be facilitated.

[0011]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the present embodiment, the present invention is applied to a display system for a vehicle.

FIG. 1 shows a display system 10 for a vehicle.
1 shows the overall configuration of FIG. The display system 10 for a vehicle is used to operate auxiliary equipment attached to a vehicle such as an air conditioner, an audio system, and a navigation system.
4 (hereinafter referred to as a touch tracer).

The display 12 is arranged at the center of an instrument panel that can be easily viewed by a driver and a passenger, and displays an air conditioner, audio operation status, a navigation system guidance map screen, and the like. A predetermined screen is displayed according to operation input information from the touch tracer 14.

The touch tracer 14 is disposed at a place where the driver can easily operate the device, for example, an armrest of a driver's seat door, a center console, or the like. Is performed.

As shown in the front view of the touch tracer 14 in FIG. 2, an input pad 16 is arranged at the center of the touch tracer 14, and various modes are selected at positions around the input pad 16. Select button to be arranged. As these selection buttons, a current location button 18, a destination button 20, a menu button 22, an air conditioner button 24, an audio button 26, and an image quality button 28 are provided. By pressing these mode selection buttons, the selection is made. A screen corresponding to the set mode is displayed on the display 12.

Input pad 1 for inputting a touch operation
6 is a convex shape as shown in FIG. 3, and as shown in the sectional view of the touch tracer 14 in FIG.
Are protruded from the outer casing A.
The input pad 16 is configured by arranging a plurality of pressure-sensitive resistance elements 46 in a matrix, detects pressure when a finger is touched, and detects a resistance value that changes with the pressure change. It is supposed to. As described above, by using the pressure-sensitive sensor, the input pad 16 which cannot be achieved by the conventional detection method using the LED and the phototransistor is formed in a convex shape, thereby preventing accumulation of foreign matter such as dust. In addition to this, even a person with long nails can easily perform the operation.

The input pad 16 is used to select an operation function item displayed on a menu screen 72 or the like displayed on the display 12 as shown in FIG. The operation function item is selected by performing a touch position operation on the position of the input pad 16 to be operated. The operation function item selected by touching the input pad 16 is displayed in a color-inverted manner on the display 12 screen.
The blind operation can be performed without confirming the operation position of the input pad 16.

Next, the internal structure of the touch tracer 14 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 5 is a front view showing a part of the touch tracer 14 cut away, and FIG. 6 is a transverse sectional view showing a part of the touch tracer 14 cut away.

The touch tracer 14 has an outer frame formed by an outer casing A32 and an outer casing B34. A printed wiring board 36 is disposed on the outer casing B34 serving as a bottom surface of the touch tracer 14, and a printed wiring board 38 is disposed above the printed wiring board 36. Have been. A touch switch 40 is mounted at the center of the printed wiring board 36, and a compression coil spring 42 is provided. The compression coil spring 42
The input pad 16 is urged toward the arrow M direction in FIG. The touch switch 40 is a switch for determining the position of a touch operation on the input pad 16. After touching a desired position on the input pad 16, the input pad 16
By performing the pressing operation every time, the switch of the touch switch 40 is turned on. The biasing force of the compression coil spring 42 is set to be greater than the sensing pressure of the pressure-sensitive resistance element 46 disposed on the input pad 16.

The outer casing B34 is provided with a member formed into a substantially T-shape 34a to suppress the outer periphery of the input pad 16 against the bias of the compression coil spring 42. A substantially T-shape 34a for suppressing the input pad 16 of the touch switch 4 is operated by pressing an arbitrary position of the input pad 16.
When 0 is turned on, it acts as a fulcrum of the input pad 16.

A rib 44 is provided around the projection of the input pad 16 of the outer casing A32 in order to recognize an operation range with a tentacle when operating the input pad 16. The operation range of the input pad 16 can be easily recognized by the rib 44.

A plurality of operation switches 50 are mounted on the printed wiring board 38, and the corresponding operation switches 50 are turned on in response to operations on the selection buttons 18 to 28 for selecting various modes described above. It has become.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of the display system 10. As shown in FIG. In the display system 10, a pressure-sensitive resistance element 46, a touch switch 40, and an operation switch 50 arranged on the input pad 16 of the touch tracer 14 are connected to a CPU 60.
The U60 is connected to a control unit 62 for controlling auxiliary equipment such as an air conditioner, an audio system and a navigation system, and to the display 12.

The CPU 60 performs a touch operation on the input pad 16 of each of the vertical and horizontal lines (hereinafter, referred to as X line and Y line) of the plurality of pressure-sensitive resistive elements 46 arranged in a matrix to determine a resistance value that changes by touching. The touch operation position coordinates of the input pad 16 are calculated from the detected changes in the resistance values of the X line and the Y line. The position coordinates touched by the finger are calculated as the center position coordinates of the pressure-sensitive resistance element 46 in which the resistance values of the X line and the Y line have changed, and the calculated center position coordinates are input to the input pad 1.
6 on the touch position.

The CPU 60 converts the calculated position coordinates touched by the finger into position coordinates corresponding to the display on the display 12 and outputs the coordinates to the display 12.
The display 12 displays the position on the screen where the finger is touching on the screen based on the position coordinate information output from the CPU 60. This position display on the screen is displayed by inverting the color of the selected item. In addition,
This screen display may be displayed by an arrow or the like.

When the touch switch 40 is depressed in a state where a selection item is determined by the input pad, a signal of the touch switch 40 is output to the CPU 60 and the CPU 60
Outputs a signal for displaying the selected item on the display 12 to the control unit 62. The control unit 62 switches the screen displayed on the display 12 to the screen of the selected item by outputting information for switching to the screen according to the selected item to the display. In addition, when the operation switch 50 of the touch tracer 14 is pressed, the control unit is controlled so that a screen corresponding to the selection buttons 18 to 28 for selecting the pressed mode is displayed on the display 12 screen.

Next, the operation at the time of operating the touch tracer 14 will be described.

As shown in FIG. 8, when the power is turned on by turning on the ignition switch, the navigation function operates as an initial function, and the input pad 1 of the touch tracer 14 is used.
The power supply of the pressure-sensitive resistance element 46 arranged in 6 is turned on, and the apparatus enters a detection standby state.

On the display 12 screen, a map screen 70 showing the current position as shown as an example in FIG. 9 is displayed as an initial screen. At this time, navigation function selection button display sections 70a are displayed at eight corners of the map screen. By pressing any one of the selection buttons 18 to 28 for selecting a mode provided on the touch tracer 14, the screen is switched to the screen of the selected mode from the map screen 70 as shown in FIG. Is displayed on the display 12. For example, when the menu button 22 is pressed, a menu screen 72 as shown in FIG. continue,
By operating the input pad 16 of the touch tracer 14 with a finger, a desired position of the pressure-sensitive resistance elements 46 arranged in a matrix is touch-operated. When the resistance value of the pressure-sensitive resistance element 46 corresponding to the touched position changes and is output to the CPU 60, the CPU 60 calculates the coordinates of the center position of the touched operation and associates the coordinates with the display position on the screen. The color of the corresponding menu item is inverted on the display 12 screen.
Subsequently, by pressing the input pad 16, the touch switch 40 is turned on, the menu item is selected and determined, and the display 1 is displayed on the determined menu item screen.
Screen 2 is switched.

By arranging the pressure-sensitive resistive element 46 on the input pad 16 of the touch tracer 14, the touch operation position can be detected and the convex R-shape can be detected as in the conventional case. Accumulation can be prevented, and erroneous detection due to foreign matter can be prevented. Further, a touch operation by a person with long nails can be easily performed.

In the above-described embodiment, the input pad 16 is provided with the pressure-sensitive resistive element for detecting the touch operation position. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a convex R shape can be realized. Should be fine. For example, a capacitance-type pressure sensor, a pressure-sensitive transistor, or the like can be used.

[0032]

As described above, according to the present invention, there is provided a touch operation input device having an excellent effect of preventing accumulation of foreign matter and the like and of being easily operated even by a person with long nails. be able to.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a display system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front view of a touch tracer.

FIG. 3 is a front view and a projection view of an input pad.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a menu screen displayed on a display.

FIG. 5 is a cutaway front view of the touch tracer.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing the touch tracer in a cutaway manner.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of the display system according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a display screen displayed in response to an operation on a touch tracer.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a map screen displayed on a display.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 10 display system 12 display 14 touch tracer 16 input pad 46 pressure-sensitive resistive element

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification symbol FI Theme coat ゛ (Reference) H04Q 9/00 371 H04Q 9/00 371B F-term (Reference) 5B068 AA05 AA11 AA32 AA33 BB01 BC11 CC18 CD01 CD02 CD06 DE15 5C056 AA09 BA01 CA11 DA08 EA05 5E501 AA22 BA05 CB05 CB06 EA18 EB05 FA05 FA23 FA42 5G006 AA07 AZ02 CB05 5K048 AA04 BA42 HA04 HA11 HA21

Claims (2)

[Claims] A display unit for displaying a plurality of operation function items; and a touch operation unit provided separately from the display unit and having a convex touch panel for selecting and inputting the plurality of function items by performing a touch operation. A touch operation input device, comprising: a detection unit that is arranged corresponding to a touch operation surface of the touch panel of the touch operation unit and detects the touch operation position. 2. The touch panel according to claim 1, wherein the detection unit detects an electrical component that changes by a touch operation, and detects an operation position of the touch panel from the detected electrical component. Operation input device.