JP2008217237A - Abnormality detection method and device for touch panel - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an abnormality detection method and device for a touch panel, capable of surely detecting abnormality and notifying a user of it by enabling the self-diagnosis of a touch panel to which a force feedback mechanism is attached, with simple configurations. <P>SOLUTION: This abnormality detection device is provided with: piezoelectric elements 14 and 16 for notifying an operator of vibration by the switch operation of the surface of a panel substrate 12; a control part 26 for vibrating the piezoelectric elements 14 and 16 by the operation of the touch panel 10 of the operator, and for vibrating the piezoelectric elements 14 and 16 in a predetermined period; and a vibration detection part 24 for discriminating the output of one of the piezoelectric element 16 and 14 which detects the vibration of the other piezoelectric element based on the command of the control part 26 from the outputs of the piezoelectric elements 14 and 16. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an abnormality detection method and apparatus for a touch panel that is provided on the surface of a display of various electronic devices and used as an input device.

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, as an input device for an electronic device, a display device having a touch panel on a display surface has been widely used. Since this touch panel does not have an operation stroke, it is difficult for the operator to obtain an operational feeling, and as a means for giving an operational feeling, the operator is generally notified by sound that the switch on the touch panel has been operated. Further, as another means for giving a feeling of operation, for example, as disclosed in Patent Documents 1 to 3, when an operator touches a switch displayed on the screen of the touch panel, vibration is given by a vibrator. There has also been proposed a touch panel input device equipped with a so-called force feedback function that notifies the operator of the operation of the switch.
JP 2003-272463 A JP 2004-246455 A JP 2006-40005 A

  However, the touch panel provided with the force feedback mechanism disclosed in Patent Documents 1 to 3 does not have a function of determining whether or not a vibration mechanism such as a piezoelectric element attached to the touch panel is operating normally. Whether or not is normal is something that must be confirmed by human operation. In particular, in the case of an unmanned machine such as an ATM that is used by many people, if the force feedback mechanism of the touch panel is not operating normally, the installer needs to quickly return the function to normal.

  However, providing a touch panel abnormality detection device in a device such as an ATM leads to an increase in the size and cost of the device. Accordingly, there has been a demand for a diagnosis function and a notification function of a force feedback mechanism of a touch panel that does not cause an increase in size and complexity of the apparatus.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described background art, and enables a self-diagnosis of a touch panel with a force feedback mechanism with a simple configuration, and can detect and notify an abnormality reliably. It is an object to provide a method and apparatus.

  According to the present invention, in a touch panel abnormality detection method provided with a vibration mechanism for notifying an operator of a switch operation on a substrate surface by vibration, vibration is generated at a predetermined time by the vibration mechanism, and the vibration is provided on the touch panel. This is an abnormality detection method for a touch panel that is detected by a piezoelectric element that is a vibration detection element and determines the operation of the vibration mechanism. The vibration mechanism is constituted by a piezoelectric element, and the operation of the vibration mechanism is discriminated by alternately switching a pair of piezoelectric elements to a vibration mechanism and a vibration detection element.

  In addition, the present invention provides a touch panel abnormality detection device having a vibration mechanism that informs an operator of a switch operation on a substrate surface by vibration, and vibrates the vibration mechanism by an operator's operation of the touch panel, and at a predetermined time. For a touch panel including a control unit that vibrates the vibration mechanism, a vibration detection element that detects vibration of the vibration mechanism at a predetermined time according to a command of the control unit, and a vibration detection unit that determines an output of the vibration detection element An anomaly detection device.

  The vibration mechanism and the vibration detection element are composed of a plurality of piezoelectric elements, and the functions of the vibration mechanism and the vibration detection element can be alternately switched by the plurality of piezoelectric elements, and the outputs of the plurality of piezoelectric elements are respectively the vibrations. Connected to the detector.

  Further, a notification unit is connected to the control unit, and when the vibration detection unit detects no vibration of the vibration mechanism, the notification unit notifies the abnormality to the outside via the interface unit.

  According to the touch panel abnormality detection method and apparatus of the present invention, the vibration mechanism allows the operator to obtain a good touch feeling of the touch panel and detects whether the operation of the vibration mechanism of the touch panel is normal or not with a simple mechanism. Thus, the reliability of the electronic device using the touch panel can be further improved.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. 1 to 3 show an embodiment of the present invention. A touch panel 10 according to this embodiment is used as an input device such as a car navigation device, an ATM, a ticket machine, or an operation panel of various other machines. The touch panel 10 includes a square panel substrate 12 made of transparent resin or glass. Elongated piezoelectric elements 14 and 16 are integrally fixed to the panel substrate 12 along two opposite sides on the back surface thereof. The lengths of the piezoelectric elements 14 and 16 are preferably about ½ or more of the length of one side of the panel substrate 12.

  The piezoelectric elements 14 and 16 of the touch panel 10 are connected to the control device 18 of the touch panel 10 and are connected to the drive unit 20 in the control device 18. The drive unit 20 is provided with a circuit of a high voltage generation unit 22 that generates a high voltage for vibrating the piezoelectric elements 14 and 16 and a vibration detection unit 24 that detects and discriminates an output voltage due to the vibration of the piezoelectric elements 14 and 16. It has been.

  The drive unit 20 is connected to the control unit 26, and the piezoelectric elements 14 and 16 are connected to the high voltage generation unit 22 and the vibration detection unit 24, respectively, and are connected to the control unit 26 as shown in FIG. In this connection, the drive signal of the piezoelectric element 14 from the control unit 26 is input to the AV port of the high voltage generating unit 22, and the output of the high voltage generating unit 22 is connected to the piezoelectric element 14 from the AV 1 port. The drive signal of the piezoelectric element 16 from the control unit 26 is input to the BV port of the high voltage generation unit 22, and the output of the high voltage generation unit 22 is connected to the piezoelectric element 16 from the BV1 port. The piezoelectric output of the piezoelectric element 14 is connected to the AS1 port of the vibration detection unit 24, and the detection result is output from the AS port of the vibration detection unit 24 to the control unit 26. Similarly, the piezoelectric output of the piezoelectric element 16 is connected to the BS1 port of the vibration detection unit 24, and the detection result is output from the BS port of the vibration detection unit 24 to the control unit 26.

  Further, the control unit 26 is connected to an output interface unit 30 via a notification unit 28 that notifies the detection of vibration to the outside. The output of the control unit 26 is also connected to a position detection unit 32 that detects the operation position of the touch panel 10, and an operation signal of the touch panel 10 and a notification signal from the control unit 26 are output to an external device via the interface unit 30. The A DC power supply 34 is also provided in the control device 18.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the vibration detection unit 24 has a high input resistance 36 at the input unit because the output impedance of the piezoelectric elements 14 and 16 is generally high. And the limit circuit 38 which sets the upper limit of a voltage and cuts an excessive voltage, and the band pass filter 40 which passes the frequency of the drive frequency band of a piezoelectric element are provided. Further, an amplifier 42 that amplifies the output of the band pass filter 40 and a comparator 44 that compares the output of the amplifier 42 with a predetermined reference value and distinguishes whether or not the touch panel 10 is abnormal as will be described later. The output of the comparator 44 is sent to the control unit 26.

  Next, an abnormality detection method for the touch panel 10 of this embodiment will be described. When the normal touch panel 10 is used, when the switch of the touch panel 10 is pressed, the position detection unit 32 detects the position of the switch, the electronic device is operated by the switch, and both the piezoelectric elements 14 and 16 are turned on. Vibrate to exert force feedback function.

  Further, the abnormality detection operation is a period in which the electronic device is not used, for example, and is periodically performed at a predetermined cycle. In the abnormality detection operation, the control unit 26 vibrates one piezoelectric element 14 by the high voltage generation unit 22, receives the vibration by the other piezoelectric element 16 and outputs a piezoelectric voltage, and the vibration detection unit 24 discriminates the voltage. The detection result is output from the BS port of the vibration detection unit 24 to the control unit 26. At this time, the output port BV1 of the high voltage generator 22 is set to high impedance. Next, the piezoelectric element 16 is vibrated, the vibration is received by the piezoelectric element 14, similarly detected by the vibration detecting unit 24, and used from the AS port of the vibration detecting unit 24. At this time, the output port AV1 of the high voltage generator 22 is set to high impedance.

  In the control unit 26 to which the discrimination result of the vibration detection unit 24 is input, if any of the AS port and the BS port of the vibration detection unit 24 is below the reference level, it is determined that the touch panel 10 is abnormal, and the notification unit 28 is notified. A signal indicating that there is an abnormality. When the notification of abnormality is displayed on the display unit or the like of the electronic device from the interface unit 30, it is also notified to a friend or the like of the touch panel 10 via a network or the like (not shown).

  According to the touch panel abnormality detection method and apparatus of this embodiment, the abnormality of the touch panel 10 can be surely self-diagnosed, and the abnormality can be automatically and reliably known even in a remote place. Moreover, the apparatus can detect an abnormality using the piezoelectric elements 14 and 16 used in the force feedback mechanism, and can detect the abnormality with a simple circuit configuration in which only the vibration detection unit 24 is provided.

  In addition, the touch panel of this invention is not limited to the said embodiment, Electromagnetic vibration mechanisms, such as a motor, may be sufficient as a vibration mechanism besides a piezoelectric element, and the number and arrangement | positioning of a piezoelectric element can be set suitably.

  The use of the abnormality detection method and apparatus for a touch panel according to the present invention may be any touch panel apparatus that requires automatic maintenance in addition to ATM, and the type of equipment or application is not limited.

It is a block diagram which shows the abnormality detection apparatus for touchscreens of one Embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the connection of the piezoelectric element of the abnormality detection apparatus for touchscreens of one Embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the vibration detection part of the abnormality detection apparatus for touch panels of one Embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Touch panel 12 Panel board | substrates 14 and 16 Piezoelectric element 18 Control apparatus 22 High pressure generation part 24 Vibration detection part 26 Control part 28 Notification part 30 Interface 32 Position detection part

Claims (5)

  In the touch panel abnormality detection method provided with a vibration mechanism that informs an operator of the switch operation on the substrate surface by vibration, vibration is generated at a predetermined time by the vibration mechanism, and the vibration is detected by a vibration detection element provided on the touch panel. An abnormality detection method for a touch panel, characterized by detecting and determining the operation of the vibration mechanism.   The touch panel abnormality according to claim 1, wherein the vibration mechanism includes a piezoelectric element, and the operation of the vibration mechanism is determined by alternately switching a pair of piezoelectric elements between the vibration mechanism and the vibration detection element. Detection method.   In a touch panel abnormality detection device provided with a vibration mechanism for notifying an operator of a switch operation on a substrate surface by vibration, the vibration mechanism is vibrated by an operation of the touch panel by an operator, and the vibration mechanism is vibrated at a predetermined time. For a touch panel, comprising: a control unit for detecting a vibration of the vibration mechanism at a predetermined time according to a command from the control unit; and a vibration detection unit for determining an output of the vibration detection element. Anomaly detection device.   The vibration mechanism and the vibration detection element are composed of a plurality of piezoelectric elements, and the functions of the vibration mechanism and the vibration detection element can be alternately switched by the plurality of piezoelectric elements, and the outputs of the plurality of piezoelectric elements are respectively the vibrations. The abnormality detection device for a touch panel according to claim 3, wherein the abnormality detection device is connected to a detection unit. The notification unit is connected to the control unit, and when the vibration detection unit does not detect vibration of the vibration mechanism, the notification unit notifies the abnormality to the outside through the interface unit. 3. An abnormality detection device for a touch panel according to 3.

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