JP2007042504A - Switch device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To solve a problem where, since feedback to a finger in depressing an operation button when a switch device is depressed is small, it is difficult to determine whether or not the switch device is surely turned on by depressing the button. <P>SOLUTION: This switch device is provided with a switch device for operating an electronic apparatus and a vibration generation means for generating vibration provided to an operator in operating the switch. By such a structure, when the operator operates a switch means and the switch means is turned on, the operator is informed of the on-operation of the switch means by providing the vibration by the vibration generation means; and, when the operator operates the switch means but the switch means is not turned on, vibration is not provided to the operator. Alternatively, contrary to it, vibration is provided when the switch means is not turned on. When the switch device of the electronic apparatus is operated, the operator is informed that the switch device is turned on, whereby the on-operation of the switch can be sensuously determined and the switch device leading to improvement of operability can be provided. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a switch device for operating an electronic device.

  As a switch device for operating a conventional electronic device, there is a push button type switch device. In the case of this push button switch, the operator can execute it by pressing a button displaying a command to be executed. Further, a spring member is attached to the back side of the push button so that the push button has a pressing force and a stroke.

Further, in the above switch device, since only the push button is pressed, there is little information on feedback to the operator's finger. As a technique for giving feedback information to the operator's finger when the button is pressed, for example, in the switch device described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-272463, the switch means for operating the in-vehicle device, the switch device, and A pressure detecting means for detecting a pressure at which the operator operates the switch means; a vibration generating means for generating a vibration to be given to the operator when the switch means is operated; and a vibration generating means based on a detected pressure signal detected by the pressure detecting means. Vibration that controls the amount of vibration generated to increase the vibration given to the operator when the switch means is pressed weakly, and to weaken the vibration given to the operator when the switch means is pressed hard It has a control means.
JP 2003-272463 A

  However, although there is feedback to the finger when the operation button is pressed when the switch device is pressed, it is difficult to determine whether the switch device is reliably turned on by pressing the button with the feedback information. Therefore, the fact that the switch device is reliably turned on after the button operation is fed back to the operator leads to improved operability.

  The present invention has been made paying attention to the above-mentioned problems, and the purpose thereof is to control that the switch device is turned on when the switch device of the electronic device is operated. It is intended to provide a switch device that can improve the operability by enabling the user to judge the switch-on operation sensuously.

  In order to achieve the above object, a switch device according to the present invention includes a switch device for operating an electronic device and a vibration generating means for generating a vibration to be given to an operator when the switch is operated.

  With this configuration, when the operator operates the switch means, when the switch means is turned on, vibration is transmitted to the operator by the vibration generating means, and the switch means is operated, but the switch means is turned on. If not, no vibration is given to the operator.

  According to the present invention, instead of giving vibration to the operator when the switch device is pressed, the operator can experience the execution of the switch by giving vibration to the operator with or without the switch device being turned on, This leads to improved operability.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a digital camera showing an embodiment of the present invention. 2 is a configuration explanatory diagram of the release button of the switch device according to the present invention, FIG. 3 is a configuration explanatory diagram when the release button of FIG. 2 is pressed, and FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram in which the release button is vibrated by a vibrator. FIG. 5 is a top view excluding the release button of FIG. FIG. 6 is a functional block diagram of a portion according to the present invention, and FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the operation of this embodiment.

  First, in FIG. 1, 1 is a camera casing which is an exterior of an electronic apparatus (in the present invention, a digital camera), 2 is a lens barrel constituting a photographing optical system, and 3 is a zoom operation of the lens barrel 2 The viewfinder 4 for observing the subject image is moved so that a predetermined zoom magnification can be obtained in conjunction with the zoom lens, and 4 is formed integrally with a finder block (not shown) to relieve red eyes during photographing. Auxiliary light, 5 is a strobe, 6 is a microphone hole in which an acoustic element such as a microphone is provided for recording surrounding sound during moving image shooting, 7 is a power button, and 8 is a release button.

  The switch device according to the present invention is shown in FIG. 2 in which 1 is the camera casing, 8 is the release button, 9 is a vibrator that applies vibration to the release button, and 10 is a substrate on which the switch device is mounted. On the substrate 10, there is a conductive pattern as shown by 11 in FIG. 5. When the release button 8 is pressed, the conductive pattern 13 on the lower surface of the button comes into contact with the conductive pattern and is turned on to release the pressure. Therefore, it is configured to turn off.

  The conductive pattern 11 in FIG. 5 is arranged substantially concentrically on the release button 8 on the substrate 10, and the conductive pattern 13 on the lower surface of the release button 8 is also arranged concentrically on the release button. For this reason, even if the release button 8 is pushed by the operator while being tilted, if the part of the conductive pattern 13 on the lower surface of the release button 8 touches a part of the circumference of the conductive pattern 11 on the substrate 10, conduction is established. Therefore, the switch operation can be surely performed.

  Further, the release button 8 is always pushed back by the spring member 12 until 8a comes into contact with 1a in the upward direction of FIG.

  In FIG. 6, reference numeral 24 denotes an on operation (when the release button 8 is pressed by the operator and the conductive pattern 13 on the lower surface of the button comes into contact with the conductive pattern 11 on the substrate 10 to conduct the switch operation). In the example, since the release button is the switch device of the present invention, the on-operation is when a photograph is taken. At this time, the vibration control unit instructs the vibrator 9 to vibrate. Reference numeral 23 denotes a vibration mechanism (FIGS. 2, 3, and 4) that transmits vibration generated by the vibrator 9 according to a command from the vibration control unit 22 to the release button 8. Reference numeral 21 denotes an overall control unit that controls the entire digital camera according to the present embodiment including the control unit and the driving mechanism. A liquid crystal display device (not shown) is also instructed by the control unit. It works by.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, the vibrator 9 is disposed on the substrate 10 so as to be substantially in the center of the release button 8, and comes into contact when the release button 8 is completely pressed. (FIG. 3) Further, as shown in FIG. 2, there is a concave shape at the approximate center of the lower surface of the release button 8. The vibrator 9 can be accommodated in the concave shape, and the vibrator 8 can be accommodated in the concave shape, whereby the space efficiency in the thickness direction of the release button 8 can be increased. Further, since the concave shape is adopted, when the release button 8 is used as a molded part, it becomes a countermeasure against sink marks. As the vibrator 9, a piezoelectric element that expands and contracts by applying an electric charge is used.

  In addition, as described above, the conductive pattern 13 that performs the switching operation is arranged on the outer periphery of the release button 8, and the vibrator 9 that applies vibration is arranged in the approximate center of the release button 8. The switch operation and the vibration operation can be performed only by the projection area of the release button 8, and the space efficiency can be increased.

  Next, the operation of the switch device (release button) configured as described above will be described in detail.

  The operator depresses the push button 8 of the release button (FIG. 7, STEP 1), and the conductive pattern 13 on the lower surface of the button comes into contact with the conductive pattern 11 on the substrate 10 and becomes conductive (FIG. 7, STEP 2). In this case (because the switch button is a release button, the fact that the switch button has been turned on is the same as the fact that a photograph has been taken. FIG. 7, the Y direction of STEP 3). The piezoelectric element 9 is instructed to give a charge to the piezoelectric element 9 (FIG. 7, STEP 4), and the piezoelectric element 9 expands and contracts when given the charge. (FIG. 4) By repeatedly adding charges to the piezoelectric element 9, the piezoelectric element 9 repeatedly vibrates and vibrates (FIG. 7, STEP 5), and the vibration propagates through the release button 8 and presses the release button 8. Tell the operator that the switch device is on. (FIG. 7, STEP 6) Since the piezoelectric element 9 is disposed substantially at the center of the release button 8, when the vibration is applied to the release button 8, the vibrator 9 uniformly contacts the release button 8, and the release button 8 Since vibration is applied to the center of 8, vibration can be reliably transmitted to the release button 8. Further, when the operator presses the push button 8 of the switch device but does not turn on (the conductive pattern 13 on the lower surface of the button is not in contact with the conductive pattern 11 on the substrate 10 or the conductive pattern 13 on the lower surface of the button is not touched). Although it is in contact with the conductive pattern 11 on the substrate 10 and is conductive, it does not turn on, and since the switch button is a release button, the fact that the switch device is not turned on is the same as when photography is not possible. )), The piezoelectric element 9 is not vibrated without being charged. By not causing vibration, it behaves differently from when it is turned on, thereby notifying the operator who is pressing the release button 8 that it is not turned on.

  As described above, according to the first embodiment, as the switch device of the electronic device, when the push button 8 of the switch device is pressed and the switch is turned on, the operator is vibrated and the switch is turned on. If the operator does not vibrate when not operating, it can be determined whether or not the switch operation is being executed with the sensation of the finger pressing the button, leading to improved operability.

  Since the basic configuration according to the second embodiment is the same as that of the first example, the description thereof is omitted. Further, since the operation of the second embodiment is the same as that of the first example, the description thereof is omitted. In this embodiment, differences from the first embodiment will be described.

  The difference between the present embodiment and the first embodiment is the timing at which the release button 8 vibrates.

  In the first embodiment, the release button 8 vibrates when the release button 8 is pressed and turned on. Therefore, since the ON operation is the same as when a photograph was taken, a desired photograph is stored in the external storage device (memory card).

  In this embodiment, the release button 8 vibrates at the timing when the release button 8 is pressed, the conductive pattern on the lower surface 13 of the release button comes into contact with the conductive pattern 11 on the substrate 10 and conducts, but does not turn on. It is configured to vibrate when taking a picture (when a picture cannot be taken). That is, it vibrates when the release button 8 is pressed but a picture cannot be taken. In FIG. 7, the directions of Y and N in STEP 3 are opposite to those in the first embodiment.

  The overall control unit 21 reads an external storage device (memory card) (not shown) after the release button 8 is pressed, and determines whether or not the number of photographs is increased before and after the release button 8 is pressed, If the number of sheets has increased, it is determined that photography has been performed normally, and the vibration control unit 22 does nothing with the vibrator 9. Conversely, before and after the release button 8 is pressed, if the number of photographs has not increased, it is determined that photography has not been performed normally, and the vibration control unit 22 causes the vibrator 9 to vibrate. The release button 8 is configured to vibrate.

  As described above, in this embodiment, as a switch device of an electronic device, when the push button 8 of the switch device is pressed and the switch is not turned on, the operation is performed by giving vibration to the operator. Warning that the user did not turn on, leading to improved operability.

  The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, the release button is the switch device of the present invention. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and any button can be used, and the switch device is turned on. However, the switch device vibrates and is turned on to the operator when the switch device is pressed and does not turn on as described in the second embodiment. You may be the structure which warns that it did not operate | move.

1 is a perspective view of a digital camera showing an embodiment of the present invention. The cross-sectional block diagram of the switch apparatus which shows the Example of this invention. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional configuration diagram when the button of FIG. 2 is pressed. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional configuration diagram when a charge is applied to the vibrator of FIG. 2. The top view except the release button of FIG. The block diagram of the function of the camera which concerns on the Example of this invention. The flowchart of operation | movement of the push button which concerns on the Example of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Camera housing 2 Lens tube 3 Finder 4 Auxiliary light 5 Strobe 6 Microphone hole 7 Power button 8 Release button 9 Vibrator 10 Substrate 11 Conductive pattern on the substrate 12 Spring to push up the button 13 Conductive pattern on the lower surface of the button 21 Overall control unit 22 Vibration control unit 23 Vibration mechanism 24 Switch control unit

Claims (8)

  A switch means for operating the electronic device; and a vibration generating means for generating a vibration to be given to an operator when the switch is operated. When the operator operates the switch means, the switch means is turned on or off. A switch device characterized in that an on-operation is transmitted to the operator by applying vibration by the vibration generating means.   The switch device according to claim 1, wherein the switch means is a push button type switch that performs an on / off operation by pressing a push button.   There is a conductive pattern on the lower surface of the push button, and a conductive pattern is also formed on the substrate that receives the push button. The conductive pattern of the push button and the conductive pattern on the substrate are electrically connected to perform a switch operation. The switch device according to claim 1,   The switch device according to claim 1, wherein the vibrator is arranged on the substrate at a substantially center of the push button.   2. The switch device according to claim 1, wherein a concave shape is formed on a lower surface of the push button, and the vibrator is arranged so as to fit in the concave shape.   The switch device according to claim 1, wherein after the push button is pressed, an increase in the number of shots is determined, and vibration is generated when the number is increased.   The switch device according to claim 1, wherein after the push button is pressed, an increase in the number of shots is determined, and vibration is generated when there is no increase in the number of shots.   The switch device according to claim 1, wherein the vibration generating means is a vibrator having a piezoelectric element configuration.

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