JP2006333305A - Electronic device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an electronic device in which a plurality of functions can be implemented using a single key. <P>SOLUTION: A flexible printed-circuit board 2 and a metal dome 3 are arranged sequentially on a printed-circuit board 1. The flexible printed-circuit board 2 is arranged with a first contact pattern 10 at a position connecting with the metal dome 3; a second contact pattern 11 is arranged at a position that is inside the metal dome 3 and faces the metal dome 3; a third contact patterns 12, 13 are arranged on the backside of a surface formed with the second contact pattern 11; and further, in the printed-circuit board 1, a fourth contact pattern 17 is arranged at a position facing the third contact patterns 12, 13. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

The present invention relates to an electronic device such as a mobile phone.

  An input mechanism of an electronic device such as a conventional mobile phone device has a configuration as shown in FIG.

  FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of a housing portion having an input mechanism (numeric keypad, call key, cut key, etc.) of a foldable mobile phone device, and a printed circuit board 3 between the upper case 1 and the lower case 2. The metal dome 4 and the key sheet 5 are arranged in this order.

When the user presses the key, the metal dome 4 arranged below the key sheet 5 is pressed against the printed circuit board 3, and the two signal lines exposed on the printed circuit board 3 are electrically connected via the metal dome 4. Then, when the control unit detects this connection, the control unit determines that the key is pressed (see Patent Document 1 below).
JP 2002-341995 A

  By the way, in recent years, mobile phones equipped with a camera function have exploded in popularity, and the camera function has been installed in almost all models. In addition, the number of pixels of an image pickup device such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) mounted on a mobile phone is also high, such as 1 million pixels or 3 million pixels. It is required to be able to take a good image. For example, in terms of functionality, the user does not immediately enter the imaging operation by pressing the shutter once, but focuses by pressing the shutter lightly once, and then the user strongly presses the shutter. Therefore, a technique necessary for a normal digital camera, such as performing an imaging operation, is also required for mobile phones.

  However, in mounting such a function, in the above-described conventional technology, the control unit merely detects whether or not the metal dome and the signal line on the printed circuit board are electrically connected. It is structurally impossible to determine whether the key is lightly pressed and then strongly pressed. However, even if a key with a complicated mechanism is to be mounted on a mobile phone, it is difficult to secure a space for mounting such a key because the mobile phone device is required to be downsized.

  The present invention has been made in view of such a problem, and provides an electronic apparatus capable of determining whether a key is lightly pressed and subsequently pressed strongly.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, a flexible printed circuit board and a metal dome are sequentially disposed on a printed circuit board, and the first contact pattern is disposed at a position where the flexible printed circuit board is electrically connected to the flexible printed circuit board. A second contact pattern is disposed at a position facing the inner metal dome, and a third contact pattern is disposed on the back side of the surface on which the second contact pattern is formed. The fourth contact pattern is disposed at a position opposite to the third contact pattern, and when the metal dome is pressed, the flexible printed circuit board is bent downward to cause the third pattern and the fourth contact pattern. Is short-circuited, and when the metal dome is pressed, the first contact pattern and the second contact are caused by deformation of the metal dome. Turn is characterized by short circuit.
The electronic device according to claim 2 is the electronic device according to claim 1, wherein when the metal dome is pressed, the third pattern and the fourth contact pattern are first short-circuited, and then with a stronger force. When the metal dome is pressed, the first contact pattern and the second contact pattern are short-circuited.
The electronic device according to claim 3 is the electronic device according to claim 1, wherein a spacer is interposed between the printed circuit board and the flexible printed circuit board, and the spacer is pressed by the metal dome. The flexible printed circuit board has an empty portion that can be bent downward.
An electronic device according to a fourth aspect is the electronic device according to the first aspect, wherein the flexible printed board has a hole so as to be bent with a small pressure.
The electronic device according to claim 5 is the electronic device according to claim 1, further comprising an imaging unit and a control unit, wherein the control unit short-circuits the third contact pattern and the fourth contact pattern. If it is determined that the second contact pattern is short-circuited with the first contact pattern, then the imaging unit is controlled. In this case, the imaging is executed.

  According to the present invention, an input mechanism capable of detecting whether a key is lightly pressed and then pressed strongly in a narrow space of a communication device such as a mobile phone is realized. For this reason, it is possible to mount and implement an electronic device such as a mobile phone with a function such that the user focuses lightly by pressing a key and then enters an imaging operation by pressing the key strongly.

  According to the first and second aspects of the present invention, it is possible to determine whether the user has pressed one key weakly or strongly. Thereby, in an electronic device having a limited space for keys such as a mobile phone, it is possible to execute a plurality of functions with one key.

  According to the invention described in claim 3, it is possible to form a space between the flexible printed circuit board and the substrate by interposing a spacer. Thereby, when the user presses the key weakly, it is possible to reliably detect that the electrode formed on the back surface of the flexible printed board and the electrode on the printed board are electrically connected. Further, it is possible to avoid an electrical connection between the electrode formed on the back surface of the flexible printed circuit board and the electrode on the printed circuit board by mistake when the key is not pressed.

  Moreover, according to the invention of Claim 4, a printed circuit board can bend easily.

  Furthermore, according to the fifth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to perform two operations of focusing and imaging with one key.

  FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of an embodiment apparatus (mobile phone apparatus) to which the present invention is applied. In FIG. 1, a mobile phone device includes a first casing 100 having a display unit 110 and a second casing 200 having an input unit 210 such as a numeric keypad. The second casing 200 includes a printed circuit board. 1, a flexible printed circuit board 2 (hereinafter referred to as FPC), a metal dome 3, and a key sheet 4 are arranged in this order.

  2 is a top view and a back view of the FPC 2 shown in FIG. Two contact patterns 10 and 11 are formed on the upper surface of the FPC 2, and two contact patterns 12 and 13 are also formed on the rear surface. The two contact patterns 10 and 11 on the upper surface of the FPC 2 are electrically connected to the metal dome 3 when the key is pressed, and the two contact patterns 12 and 13 on the back surface of the FPC 2 are electrically connected to the contact pattern on the printed circuit board 1 when the key is pressed. Connecting. The contact patterns 10, 11, 12, and 13 are electrically connected to a control unit (not shown), and the control unit is pressed down weakly when the contact patterns 12 and 13 are electrically connected. When the contact patterns 10 and 11 are electrically connected, it is determined that the contact pattern is pressed down strongly.

  In addition, four holes 14 to 17 are formed in the FPC 2. This is to make it easier for the FPC 2 to bend when the key is pressed, that is, to make the contact patterns 12 and 13 on the back surface of the FPC 2 easier to electrically connect with the contact patterns formed on the printed circuit board. It is.

  FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional view of the apparatus of this embodiment.

  In FIG. 3, a contact pattern 17 and a spacer 18 made of, for example, a nonconductive resin are disposed on the printed circuit board 1. Further, an FPC 2 and a metal dome 3 are arranged in this order above the printed circuit board 1.

  Contact patterns 12 and 13 are formed on the back surface of the FPC 2, and a contact pattern 11 is formed on the front surface. Further, a contact pattern 10 is formed at a connection portion between the FPC 2 and the metal dome 3. Furthermore, the metal dome 3 is conductive and has a substantially dome shape.

  Next, the operation will be described with reference to FIGS.

  First, when the user presses the key lightly during photographing, the FPC 2 bends as shown in FIGS. 3 to 4 and the two contact patterns 12 and 13 formed on the back surface of the FPC 2 and the contact pattern 17 on the printed circuit board 1. Are electrically connected. When the control unit detects this electrical connection, the control unit controls the imaging unit including a CCD and the like, and an operation of focusing is executed. Specifically, each of the contact patterns 12, 13 is connected to the control unit via a wiring pattern (not shown) formed on the FPC 2, the contact pattern 17 and the ground are connected, and the contact pattern 12, When the key is pressed and the contact pattern 17 and the contact patterns 12 and 13 are connected while the voltage is applied to the control unit 13 and the control unit, the potential of the contact patterns 12 and 13 drops to the ground level, and this is controlled. By detecting the part, it is determined that the key is weakly pressed. The focusing operation is performed, for example, by moving the lens of the imaging unit.

  Subsequently, when the user further presses the key from the state shown in FIG. 4, as shown in FIG. 5, the metal dome 3 and the contact pattern 11 formed on the upper surface of the FPC 2 are electrically connected. When the control unit detects this electrical connection, the control unit controls the imaging unit including a CCD or the like, and an imaging operation is executed.

  Specifically, the contact pattern 10 and a control unit (not shown) are electrically connected by a wiring pattern formed on the FPC 2, while the contact pattern 11 and the ground are connected. When the key is pressed while the voltage is applied to the control unit and the metal dome 3 and the contact pattern 11 are connected, the potential of the contact pattern 10 electrically connected to the metal dome 3 drops to the ground level, When the control unit detects this, it is determined that the key is strongly pressed.

  When the FPC 2 is bent, the holes 14 to 17 are formed, so that the FPC 2 can be bent easily.

  In the present embodiment, since the metal dome 3 is more rigid than the FPC 2, when the metal dome 3 is lightly pressed, the FPC 2 is first bent and the contact patterns 12, 13, 17 are electrically connected, and then When the metal dome 3 is pressed down strongly, the metal dome 3 and the contact pattern 11 are electrically connected. Conversely, when the FPC 2 is more rigid than the metal dome 3, the metal dome 3 is When lightly pressed, the metal dome 3 and the contact pattern 11 are electrically connected first, and then when the metal dome 3 is pressed strongly, the contact patterns 12, 13, 17 are electrically connected. In this case, when the metal dome 3 and the contact pattern 11 are connected, the focusing control is performed, and when the contact patterns 12, 13, and 17 are connected, the imaging operation is controlled.

Furthermore, the number of contact patterns 12 and 13 may be one. In this case, for example, a configuration in which the contact pattern 17 is connected to the ground line and the contact pattern 12 or 13 is connected to the control unit is conceivable.
In addition, although the spacer 18 is made of resin, a metal such as magnesium alloy may be used, and the casing of the mobile phone and the frame that supports it may also be used as the spacer 18.
Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the present invention is applied to the mobile phone device, but the present invention can also be applied to other electronic devices such as a cordless telephone and a facsimile.

  As described above, the device according to the present exemplary embodiment can detect that the user has pressed lightly and subsequently pressed one key even in an electronic device having a small key arrangement space such as a mobile phone device. Can be installed. For this reason, for example, it is possible to execute two operations of focusing (focusing) and imaging operation at the time of imaging with one key.

  It is also conceivable that if the button is lightly pressed, the options are sent one by one, and if the button is pressed hard, it is possible to jump 10 digits, and the switching speed can be changed in two stages.

It is a disassembled perspective view of a present Example apparatus. It is the front view and back view of an Example apparatus. It is sectional drawing of a present Example apparatus. It is sectional drawing of a present Example apparatus. It is sectional drawing of a present Example apparatus. It is a disassembled perspective view of a conventional apparatus.

Explanation of symbols

1 Printed Circuit Board 2 Flexible Printed Circuit Board 3 Metal Dome 10 Contact Pattern 11 Contact Pattern 12 Contact Pattern 13 Contact Pattern 17 Contact Pattern 18 Spacer

Claims (5)

A flexible printed circuit board and a metal dome are sequentially disposed on the printed circuit board, and the first contact pattern is disposed at a position where the flexible printed circuit board is electrically connected to the flexible printed circuit board, and faces the metal dome inside the metal dome. A second contact pattern is disposed at a position, and a third contact pattern is disposed on the back side of the surface on which the second contact pattern is formed, and is opposed to the third contact pattern on the printed circuit board. When the fourth contact pattern is disposed at a position where the metal dome is pressed, the flexible printed circuit board bends downward to short-circuit the third pattern and the fourth contact pattern, and the metal dome When is pressed, the first contact pattern and the second contact pattern are short-circuited due to deformation of the metal dome. Electronic equipment such as butterflies. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein when the metal dome is pressed, the third pattern and the fourth contact pattern are short-circuited, and then when the metal dome is pressed with a stronger force, An electronic apparatus, wherein the first contact pattern and the second contact pattern are short-circuited.   The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein a spacer is interposed between the printed circuit board and the flexible printed circuit board, and the flexible printed circuit board pressed by the metal dome is bent downward. An electronic device characterized by having an empty space that can be used.   2. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the flexible printed board has a hole so as to be bent with a small pressure.   The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an imaging unit and a control unit, wherein the control unit controls the imaging unit when determining that the third contact pattern and the fourth contact pattern are short-circuited. When the focus control is performed, and then it is determined that the second contact pattern is short-circuited with the first contact pattern, the imaging unit is controlled to perform imaging. Electronic equipment.

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