JP2008204359A - Operation/display device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To visually and audibly discriminate each key while maintaining the flexibility of assignment character change. <P>SOLUTION: A display sheet (14) and a touch sensor sheet (16) are arranged on the upper face of each key unit (12). A complementary display (32) for complementing the key units (12) displays information in a gap between the key units (12). The display content of the display sheet (14) and the complementary display (32) is independently changeable. A pump (28) is able to supply fluid from a fluid storage box (26) to a balloon (24) of each key unit (12), and to return the fluid from the balloon (24) to the fluid storage box (26). This action drives the key units (12) from the positions aligned with the complementary display (32) to the positions projected from the complementary display (32), and drives it to the reverse direction. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an operation / display device, and more specifically, to a device having both a function of inputting characters and selection and a function of displaying an image, such as a touch panel.

  As a device for inputting and inputting various options while displaying an image, a touch panel used in a bank ATM, various information terminals, a car navigation system, and the like is well known (see Patent Document 1).

  There are various types of touch panels. Generally, the touch panel has a structure in which a thin touch sensor film is pasted on the screen of a display device (see Patent Document 2). Not only can you change the key layout and assigned characters (or functions) depending on the situation, but you can change not only the assigned characters (or functions) but also the position on the screen by changing the display image on the display device. A flexible man-machine interface can be realized.

On the other hand, in a configuration in which operation keys are arranged beside the screen or a configuration in which a dedicated character input device is used, such as a computer keyboard, the arrangement of selection keys or input characters cannot be basically changed. A plurality of characters or functions can be assigned to one key by pressing another key simultaneously with a shift key, a control key, a function key, or the like. In this configuration, each operation key is physically sufficiently separated, and each operation key can be identified only by touch, so that it is difficult to make a mistake such as pressing an adjacent key by mistake.
JP 2005-321948 A JP 2001-350569 A

  Since the touch panel has a touch sensor film attached on a glass (or plastic) plate on the upper surface of the display, unlike a keyboard, it is impossible to separate keys by physical unevenness. Also, the key cannot be identified by touch.

  In the touch panel, when the pressure of the finger to be pressed is small, the key input may not be correctly determined. From the viewpoint of the user, since the pressing pressure is small, it is difficult to identify whether the key input is not recognized or whether an area deviated from the key area is pressed.

  For this, a system is used in which a key is pressed to confirm that the key has been pressed at the same time as the key input. However, this method cannot be used in environments where sound should not be output. Further, when it is necessary to press a large number of keys continuously, if the input speed increases, the user presses the next key before recognizing the confirmation sound, and as a result, erroneous input is likely to occur.

  In the touch panel, a small key can be surely pressed by using a pen called a stylus, but in this case, the input speed is greatly reduced as compared with the case of using a finger.

  It is an object of the present invention to provide an operation / display device that can easily identify individual operation keys by touch while eliminating such inconveniences and ensuring the flexibility of a touch panel.

  The operation / display device according to the present invention is a plurality of key units whose height can be changed between a first position at a first height and a second position higher than the first height. A plurality of key units in which a display sheet and a touch sensor sheet that can be changed are stacked on the upper surface, a complementary display that displays information rewritable in a gap between the plurality of key units, and a display sheet for the plurality of key units A display driving device that changes the display information of (14) and the display information of the complementary display, a touch sensor determination device that determines a touch of the touch sensor sheet of the plurality of key units, and the plurality of key units. A drive device (44) for driving from one position to the second position and from the second position to the first position, When the key unit is in the first position, the top surfaces of the plurality of key units are aligned with the top surfaces of the plurality of key units, and when the plurality of key units are in the second position, the plurality The key unit protrudes from the complementary display.

  According to the present invention, when the keys are not used, the upper surfaces of the plurality of key units are aligned with the upper surfaces of the plurality of key units, so that both the key unit display sheet and the complementary display are used to display desired information. it can. That is, information can be displayed on a large screen. When the key is used, the key unit protrudes from the complementary display, so that the key position and range can be easily identified visually and tactilely. Further, by displaying the assigned characters and the like on the display sheet of each key unit, the assigned characters and the like of each key unit can be freely changed as in the conventional touch panel.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 shows an exploded perspective view of one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the assembled state of the present embodiment, showing a state where the key is not used, that is, a state where the surface is flat, and FIG. 3 is a partial sectional view thereof. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the assembled state, and shows a state where the key is used, that is, a state where the key protrudes, and FIG. 5 shows a partial cross-sectional view thereof.

  A plurality (3 × 3 in this embodiment) of key units 12 are arranged in a matrix on the base plate 10. Each key unit 12 has the same configuration. Each key unit 12 has a display sheet 14 and a touch sensor sheet 16 laminated on the upper surface. A touch sensor sheet 16 is adhered on the display sheet 14. As can be easily understood from FIGS. 1, 3, and 5, the side walls 18 and 20 of the key unit 12 hold the display sheet 14 and the touch sensor sheet 16 on the upper surface. However, as can be easily understood from FIGS. 1, 3, and 4, the side walls 18 and 20 can be bent. 3, the upper surface of the key unit 12 is in a low position when the side walls 18 and 20 are bent, and the upper surface of the key unit 12 when the side walls 18 and 20 are straight as shown in FIG. Is in a high position.

  Each key unit 12 accommodates electrical wiring 22 for the display sheet 14 and the touch sensor sheet 16. The display sheet 14 is a sheet-like display capable of electronically rewriting display information, for example, electronic paper. The electrical wiring 22 has a slack so that it does not break when the side walls 18 and 20 change between the position shown in FIG. 3 and the position shown in FIG. The electrical wiring 22 may be loosely bonded to the inner surface of one side wall 20.

  Each key unit 12 accommodates a balloon 24 that drives each key unit 12 between the position shown in FIG. 3 (low position) and the position shown in FIG. 5 (high position). The liquid storage 26 is disposed on one side of the base plate 10, and the pump 28 supplies the liquid in the liquid storage 26 into the balloon 24 through the pipe 30, and vice versa. It can be returned to the storage 26. If gas is used instead of liquid, the storage 26 is unnecessary. Of course, instead of these, each key unit 12 may be equipped with a mechanism that mechanically moves the upper surface of each key unit 12 up and down.

  A complementary display 32 having a complementary relationship with the key units 12 arranged in a matrix form displays various information in a space between the key units 12 in a rewritable manner. The complementary display 32 has a configuration in which a display sheet 32a capable of rewriting display information is adhered to a display base plate 32b, and includes an opening 34 that allows each key unit 12 to protrude. Similar to the display sheet 14, the display sheet 32 a is a sheet-like display capable of electronically rewriting display information, for example, electronic paper.

  The complementary display 32 may display an image between the key units 12 so as to be rewritable, or may display an image on a part of the surface so as to be rewritable.

  The complementary display 32 is supported on the base plate 10 by support columns 36 and 38 whose height is flat so that the upper surface thereof is aligned with the upper surface of the lower key unit 12. That is, as shown in FIG. 3, when the key unit 12 is in the low position, the upper surface of 32 is flat with the upper surface of each key unit 12.

  The touch sensor determination device 40 determines whether or not each key unit 12 touches the touch sensor sheet 16. The display driving device 42 drives the display sheet 14 of each key unit 12 and the display sheet 32a of the complementary display 32 to display various information and change display contents.

  The pump driving device 44 drives the pump 28 to move each key unit 12 from the low position (flat position) to the high position (or the protruding position) and from the high position to the low position.

  In this embodiment, when no key input is performed on each key unit 12, the key unit 12 is set to a flat position as shown in FIGS. At this time, various information can be displayed on the entire surface using the display sheet 14 of each key unit 12 and the display sheet 32a of the complementary display 32.

  When it is desired to perform key input with the key unit 12, each key unit 12 is driven to the protruding position by the pump driving device 44 and the pump. Then, as shown in FIG. 4, the display driving device 42 displays characters and the like assigned to the keys on the display sheet 14 of each key unit 12. In the example shown in FIG. 4, one character A to I is displayed on the display sheet 32 a of the key unit 12. Since each key unit 12 protrudes from the complementary display 32, the user can easily recognize the position and range of the key visually and tactilely as compared with the conventional example in which the operation area is simply displayed as an image. Since the assigned characters are displayed on the key top, the input contents are also clarified.

  As described above, in this embodiment, like the conventional example including the combination of the display device and the touch panel, it is easy to visually identify the operation range while maintaining the advantage that the operation content such as input characters can be freely changed. Therefore, the identification by touch is also possible, so that the operability is remarkably improved.

  In this embodiment, the key units are arranged in a 3 × 3 determinant, but it is obvious that other arrangements or the number of key units may be used. Since the display sheets 14 and 32a do not need to bend, a sheet-like display made of a rigid material, for example, a liquid crystal display panel may be used, but electronic paper is most preferable for use.

  Although the invention has been described with reference to specific illustrative embodiments, various modifications and alterations may be made to the above-described embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the claims. This is obvious to an engineer in the field to which the present invention belongs, and such changes and modifications are also included in the technical scope of the present invention.

It is a disassembled perspective view of one Example of this invention. It is a perspective view of the assembly state of a present Example, Comprising: When a key is not used, ie, the surface is a flat state. FIG. 3 shows a partial cross-sectional view of FIG. 2. It is a perspective view of the assembly state of a present Example, Comprising: When a key is used, ie, the state which the key protruded is shown. FIG. 5 shows a partial cross-sectional view of FIG. 4.

Explanation of symbols

10: Base plate 12: Key unit 14: Display sheet 16: Touch sensor sheet 18, 20: Side wall 22: Electrical wiring 24: Balloon 26: Liquid storage 28: Pump 30: Pipe 32: Complementary display 32a: Display sheet 32b: Display Base plate 34: opening 36, 38: support 40: touch sensor determination device 42: display drive device 44: pump drive device

Claims (1)

A plurality of key units (12) whose height can be changed between a first position at a first height and a second position higher than the first height, wherein the display sheet is capable of changing display information ( 14) and a plurality of key units having the touch sensor sheet (16) laminated on the upper surface;
A complementary display (32) for displaying information rewritable in the gaps between the plurality of key units (12);
A display driving device (42) for changing display information on the display sheet (14) of the plurality of key units (12) and display information on the complementary display (32);
A touch sensor determination device (40) for determining a touch of the touch sensor sheet of the plurality of key units;
Drive device (44) for driving the plurality of key units (12) from the first position to the second position and from the second position to the first position
And
When the plurality of key units are in the first position, the upper surfaces of the plurality of key units (12) are aligned with the upper surfaces of the plurality of key units (12);
The operation / display device, wherein the plurality of key units (12) protrude from the complementary display (32) when the plurality of key units are in the second position.

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