JP2010050661A - Remote control transmitter - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a remote control transmitter that can be thinned and is capable of performing diverse remote control for a remote control transmitter mainly used for operating various kinds of pieces of electronic equipment. <P>SOLUTION: There are provided a plurality of electrostatic touch panels 16, 17, 18 on an upper surface of a case 11, and a control means 28 transmits a remote control signal from a transmission means 27 according to operation of the plurality of electrostatic touch panels and a switch contact, thereby forming a nearly flat upper surface of the case 11 without any irregularities to reduce in thickness the entire remote control transmitter. By the plurality of electrostatic touch panels, for example, various kinds of functions of equipment are changed and a menu is selected, thereby obtaining a remote control transmitter enabling diverse remote control. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a remote control transmitter mainly used for remote control of various electronic devices.

  In recent years, as various electronic devices such as televisions, videos, and air conditioners have been enhanced, remote control transmitters that remotely operate these electronic devices are required to be capable of various and reliable operations.

  Such a conventional remote control transmitter will be described with reference to FIGS.

  Note that, in these drawings, the cross-sectional views are shown by enlarging the dimension in the thickness direction for easy understanding of the configuration.

  FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a conventional remote control transmitter, and FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view. In FIG. 5, 1 is a substantially box-like case made of an insulating resin, and an upper surface of a substantially disc-like oscillator 2 Is attached to be able to tilt, and a push button 3 is attached to the center of the rocking body 2 so as to be movable up and down.

  Reference numeral 4 denotes an operation body such as rubber, and a plurality of presses in which a substantially dome-shaped thin portion is formed on the lower surface of the operation body 4 below the rocking body 2 and the push button 3 and a movable contact 5 is formed on the lower surface. A part 4A is provided, and a plurality of operation parts 4B whose upper surfaces protrude from the through-holes on the upper surface of the case 1 so as to be movable up and down are also provided.

  Reference numeral 6 denotes a wiring board having a plurality of wiring patterns (not shown) formed on the upper and lower surfaces thereof. The upper surface of the wiring board faces the movable contact 5 on the lower surface of the pressing portion 4A and the operation portion 4B with a predetermined gap. A plurality of fixed contacts 7 are formed.

  Further, on the upper and lower surfaces of the wiring board 6, there are transmitting means 8 for transmitting a remote control signal such as a light emitting diode, and control means 9 such as a microcomputer connected to the transmitting means 8 and the plurality of fixed contacts 7 via a wiring pattern. The remote controller transmitter is formed by forming the cover 1 and covering the lower surface of the case 1 with an insulating resin cover 10.

  In the above configuration, when the upper surface of the predetermined operation unit 4B is pressed with a finger toward the electronic device that operates the remote control transmitter, the substantially dome-shaped thin portion is elastically deformed and the operation unit 4B moves downward. The movable contact 5 on the lower surface comes into contact with the plurality of fixed contacts 7, and the plurality of fixed contacts 7 are electrically connected / disconnected via the movable contact 5, and the control means 9 responds to this electrical contact / disconnection. Then, an infrared remote control signal is transmitted from the transmission means 8 to the electronic device, and for example, turning on / off the TV and increasing / decreasing the volume are performed by remote control.

  Further, as shown in the front view of FIG. 4, with a menu such as a program guide or program guide displayed on the display screen 41 of the electronic device 40 to be remotely operated, the rocking body 2 is moved forward and backward or left and right with a finger. When the tilting operation is performed, each of the lower pressing portions 4A is pressed, the movable contact 5 on the lower surface comes into contact with the plurality of fixed contacts 7, and electrical contact / separation is performed. For example, the cursor 42 or the pointer 43 displayed on the display screen 41 moves in the vertical direction or the horizontal direction, and a menu such as a program guide program guide is selected.

  Further, when the push button 3 at the center of the rocking body 2 is pressed while the cursor 42, the pointer 43, etc. are positioned on a desired program or menu, the lower pressing portion 4A is pressed and the fixed contact 7 is electrically connected. The control means 9 detects this and transmits a remote control signal from the transmission means 8, for example, reservation of a program or display of the next menu.

  That is, the remote control of each function of the device such as the power source and the volume is performed by pressing the plurality of operation units 4B, and the menu displayed on the display screen 41 such as the program guide is selected by the tilting operation of the oscillator 2. In addition, the menu can be confirmed and the next menu can be displayed by remote operation by pressing the push button 3 at the center of the oscillator 2.

As prior art document information related to the invention of this application, for example, Patent Document 1 is known.
JP 2006-33680 A

  However, the above-described conventional remote control transmitter is configured to perform remote operation of the device by pressing or tilting the plurality of operation units 4B and the oscillating body 2 protruding upward from the upper surface of the case 1. When the dimension in the vertical direction becomes large, and the operation unit 4B and the swinging body 2 are pushed obliquely instead of vertically, there is a problem that an erroneous operation is likely to occur.

  The present invention solves such a conventional problem, and an object of the present invention is to provide a remote control transmitter capable of being thinned and capable of various remote operations.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention has the following configuration.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, a plurality of electrostatic touch panels are provided on the upper surface of the case, and the control means transmits a remote control signal from the transmission means in response to operations of the plurality of electrostatic touch panels and switch contacts. In this way, the remote control transmitter is configured, and the upper surface of the case can be formed almost flat without unevenness, so that the overall thickness can be reduced and each function of the device can be switched and menu selection etc. can be done with multiple electrostatic touch panels Since it can be performed, the remote control transmitter capable of various remote operations can be obtained.

  The invention according to claim 2 is the invention according to claim 1, wherein a light emitting element is provided below a predetermined electrostatic touch panel. For example, only the electrostatic touch panel at a predetermined position is provided by a predetermined operation. For example, it is possible to perform various operations easily and with the light emitting element.

  As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to achieve an advantageous effect that a remote control transmitter capable of being thinned and capable of various remote operations can be realized.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

  Note that, in these drawings, the cross-sectional views are shown by enlarging the dimension in the thickness direction for easy understanding of the configuration.

  Further, the same reference numerals are given to the same components as those described in the background art section, and the detailed description will be simplified.

(Embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a remote control transmitter according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view thereof, in which 11 is a substantially box-like case made of an insulating resin such as polystyrene or ABS, And 13 are film-like display sheets on which display portions 12A and 13A such as a plurality of letters, numbers, and symbols are formed. Display sheets 12 and 13 are attached to the upper surface of the case 11.

  Reference numeral 14 denotes a light-transmitting light guide plate made of an insulating resin such as polystyrene or ABS, 15 denotes an operation plate made of an insulating resin, the light guide plate 14 is on the bottom surface of the plurality of through holes of the case 11, and the operation plate 15 is the case 11 Each is mounted in an opening hole on the upper surface.

  16, 17, and 18 are electrostatic touch panels, the electrostatic touch panel 16 is on the lower surface of the light guide plate 14, the electrostatic touch panel 17 is on the lower surface of the operation plate 15, and the electrostatic touch panel 18 is on the lower surface of the case 11 below the display sheet 13. It is installed.

  The electrostatic touch panels 16 and 18 are formed of a film-like sheet such as polyethersulfone, polycarbonate, and polyethylene terephthalate, and the display portions 12A and 13A of the display sheets 12 and 13 on the upper surface or the upper and lower surfaces thereof. A plurality of light-transmitting conductive portions 16A and 18A such as indium tin oxide and tin oxide are provided at predetermined locations with a predetermined gap.

  Further, the upper surface or upper and lower surfaces of the film-like sheet of the electrostatic touch panel 17 have a substantially strip shape in which a predetermined width or a substantially rectangular shape is connected, and light transmittance such as indium tin oxide or tin oxide, or carbon or silver. A plurality of conductive bands 17A are formed in a perpendicular direction with a predetermined gap.

  Reference numerals 19 and 20 denote holders made of an insulating resin such as polystyrene or ABS. The holder 19 covers the lower surface of the electrostatic touch panel 16 and the holder 20 covers the lower surface of the electrostatic touch panel 17.

  Further, reference numeral 21 denotes a base sheet made of rubber, elastomer or the like. The base sheet 21 is formed with a thin portion at the bottom, and is provided with a plurality of substantially dome-shaped pressing portions 21A protruding upward, and the upper surface of the pressing portion 21A is It contacts the lower surface of the holding body 20.

  Reference numeral 22 denotes a wiring board such as paper phenol or epoxy containing glass, and a plurality of wiring patterns (not shown) are formed on the upper and lower surfaces by copper foil or the like. A plurality of fixed contacts 23 having a circular shape or a substantially horseshoe shape or a substantially ring shape surrounding the circular shape are provided.

  Then, a movable contact 24 made of a conductive metal thin plate such as a copper alloy or steel is placed on the upper surface of the fixed contact 23, and is attached to the wiring board 22 by a covering sheet 25 to form a switch contact. A protruding portion 20 </ b> A on the lower surface of the holding body 20 is in contact with the central upper surface of the movable contact 24 via the thin portion of the base sheet 21.

  A plurality of light emitting elements 26 such as light emitting diodes are mounted on the upper surface of the wiring board 22 below the electrostatic touch panel 16, and transmitting means for transmitting remote control signals such as light emitting diodes on the upper and lower surfaces of the wiring board 22. 27, a control means 28 such as a microcomputer connected to the electrostatic touch panels 16, 17, 18, the fixed contact 23, the light emitting element 26, and the transmission means 27 via a wiring pattern, a connector (not shown) or the like is formed. Yes.

  Further, a translucent body 29 made of insulating resin is attached to the side surface of the transmitting means 27, and the lower surface of the case 11 housing the electrostatic touch panels 16, 17, 18 and the wiring board 22 on which the base sheet 21 is placed. Is covered with an insulating resin cover 30 to constitute a remote control transmitter.

  That is, by attaching the display sheets 12 and 13 and the operation panel 15 to the upper surface of the case 11 and providing the electrostatic touch panels 16, 17 and 18 on the lower surface, an operation unit or the like protruding upward from the upper surface of the case 11 becomes unnecessary. By forming the upper surface of the case 11 substantially flat without unevenness, the entire remote control transmitter can be made thinner.

  In the above configuration, when a touch operation is performed by touching a predetermined display unit 12A or 13A of the display sheet 12 or 13 toward an electronic device that operates the remote control transmitter, the electrostatic touch panel 16 or the like below the finger is touched. Since a part of the electric charge 18 conducts and the capacitance of the conductive portion 16A or 18A at the operated position changes, the control means 28 detects which part of the electrostatic touch panel 16 or 18 is touched by this.

  Then, an infrared remote control signal corresponding to the display unit 12A or 13A touched by the finger is transmitted from the transmission unit 27 to the electronic device by the control unit 28, for example, turning on / off the TV, increasing / decreasing the volume, channel Is switched by remote control.

  Further, as shown in the front view of FIG. 4, with a menu such as a program guide or program guide displayed on the display screen 41 of the electronic device 40 to be remotely operated, the finger is touched on the operation panel 15 and the finger is touched. When the finger is moved by sliding back and forth, and tracing, a part of the electric charge of the electrostatic touch panel 17 is conducted to the finger, and the capacitance of the conductive band 17A at the operated position changes. The control means 28 detects from which part of the finger the finger has moved.

  Then, the control unit 28 transmits a remote control signal corresponding to the movement of the finger from the transmission unit 27 to the device. For example, the cursor 42 or the pointer 43 displayed on the display screen 41 is moved in the vertical direction or the direction in which the finger is moved. Moving left and right, menus such as a program guide and program guide are selected.

  It should be noted that even when the finger is moved in a slanting direction such as upper right or lower left, or in an arc or an annular shape, the control means 28 detects this, and the cursor 42, the pointer 43, etc. on the display screen 41 The selection is performed by moving in an oblique direction or an arc shape.

  Further, when the upper surface of the operation panel 15 is pressed while the cursor 42, the pointer 43, etc. are positioned on the desired program or menu, the electrostatic touch panel 17 and the holding body 20 move downward, and the substantially dome-shaped pressing portion is moved. The thin portion below 21 </ b> A is elastically deformed, and the protruding portion 20 </ b> A on the lower surface of the holding body 20 presses the central upper surface of the movable contact 24 via the base sheet 21.

  When a predetermined force is applied, the movable contact 24 is elastically reversed and the lower surface comes into contact with the fixed contact 23, and a plurality of fixed contacts 23 are electrically connected and separated via the movable contact 24. The control means 28 detects the electrical contact / separation, and transmits a remote control signal from the transmission means 27 to the device, for example, reservation of a program or display of the next menu.

  When the finger is released from the upper surface of the operation plate 15, the holding body 20 is returned upward and returned to the original state by the elastic return force of the movable contact 24 and the pressing portion 21A.

  That is, by touching the display sheet 12 or 13 on the upper surface of the case 11 with a finger to perform a touch operation, each function of the device such as a power source and a volume is controlled remotely, and a sliding operation is performed so as to trace the finger touching the operation plate 15. By selecting the menu displayed on the display screen 41 such as a program guide, and further pressing the operation plate 15 and elastically inverting the movable contact 24 below, the menu can be confirmed and the next menu can be selected. The display or the like can be performed by remote control.

  At this time, the control means 28 detects the contact operation location by the capacitance change of the electrostatic touch panel 16 or 18 below due to the contact operation of the display sheet 12 or 13, and also by the sliding operation of the operation plate 15. Due to the change in capacitance of the electrostatic touch panel 17 below, the movement of the finger is detected by the control means 28, and various remote operations of the device are performed.

  That is, by providing the display sheets 12 and 13 and the operation panel 15 on the upper surface of the case 11, the upper surface of the case 11 can be formed almost flat without unevenness, and the overall thickness can be reduced, and a plurality of electrostatic touch panels 16 can be formed below these. , 17, and 18, various remote operations such as switching of each function of the device and menu selection by various operations such as a contact operation of the predetermined display units 12 </ b> A and 13 </ b> A and a sliding operation of the operation panel 15. Can be done.

  In addition, since the upper surface of the case 11 is formed flat and does not have an operation part or the like protruding upward, it is difficult to cause an erroneous operation such as a hook or return failure of the operation part, and from the through hole or the opening hole on the upper surface of the case 11, Dust and moisture can be prevented from entering the remote control transmitter, and the display sheets 12 and 13 and the upper surface of the operation panel 15 can be easily cleaned.

  Furthermore, since a plurality of light emitting elements 26 are provided on the upper surface of the wiring board 22 below the electrostatic touch panel 16, it responds to a predetermined operation, for example, a contact operation of the display sheets 12 and 13 or a pressing operation of the operation panel 15. By making the light emitting element 26 emit light, various operations can be performed more easily.

  That is, for example, as shown in the perspective view of FIG. 3A, the channel selection display unit 13A of the display sheet 13 is visible, but the light emitting element 26 is turned off and the display unit 12A of the display sheet 12 is difficult to see. When the display sheet 12 or 13 is touched or the operation plate 15 is pressed, the capacitance of the electrostatic touch panel 16, 17 or 18 is changed by this operation, or the fixed contact 23 is electrically connected / disconnected by the elastic reversal of the movable contact 24. Is detected by the control means.

  In response to this operation, the control means 28 causes the light emitting element 26 to emit light, and this light passes through the holding body 19, the electrostatic touch panel 16, and the light guide plate 14, and as shown in FIG. By illuminating the display unit 12A, a plurality of display units 12A that have been difficult to see can be brightly and clearly visible.

  In the above description, the configuration in which only the display portion 12A of the display sheet 12 is illuminated has been described. However, a plurality of through holes are formed in the case 11 on the lower surface of the plurality of display portions 13A of the display sheet 13, and electrostatic A plurality of light emitting elements may be provided below the touch panel 18, and the display unit 13A of the display sheet 13 may be illuminated by a predetermined operation as described above.

  That is, among the plurality of electrostatic touch panels 16, 17, and 18, by providing the light emitting element 26 below the predetermined electrostatic touch panel 16 or 18, for example, only the electrostatic touch panel at a predetermined location emits light by a predetermined operation. Easier and various operations can be performed, such as illumination with an element.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, the plurality of electrostatic touch panels 16, 17, and 18 are provided on the upper surface of the case 11, and the control unit 28 transmits the transmission unit according to the operation of the plurality of electrostatic touch panels and switch contacts. By transmitting a remote control signal from 27, the upper surface of the case 11 can be formed almost flat without unevenness, so that the overall thickness can be reduced and each function of the device can be switched and menus can be selected by a plurality of electrostatic touch panels. A remote control transmitter capable of various remote operations can be obtained.

  In addition, by providing the light emitting element 26 below the predetermined electrostatic touch panel 16, for example, it is possible to perform easier and diverse operations such as illuminating only the electrostatic touch panel at a predetermined location with the light emitting element according to a predetermined operation. be able to.

  In the above description, the configuration in which the switch contact is formed by mounting the substantially dome-shaped movable contact 24 on the fixed contact 23 on the upper surface of the wiring board 22 is explained. Various switch contacts such as a configuration in which the movable contact on the lower surface of the pressing part is opposed to the fixed contact on the upper surface of the wiring board 22 with a predetermined gap, or a single push switch is mounted on the upper surface of the wiring board 22 are used. The present invention can be carried out even with the above configuration.

  The remote control transmitter according to the present invention can be reduced in thickness and can be used in various remote operations, and is mainly useful for remote control of various electronic devices.

Sectional drawing of the remote control transmitter by one embodiment of this invention Exploded perspective view Perspective view according to another embodiment Front view of electronic equipment Cross-sectional view of a conventional remote control transmitter Exploded perspective view

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 Case 12, 13 Display sheet 12A, 13A Display part 14 Light guide plate 15 Operation board 16, 17, 18 Electrostatic touch panel 16A, 18A Conductive part 17A Conductive belt 19, 20 Holding body 20A Protrusion part 21 Base sheet 21A Press part 22 Wiring Substrate 23 Fixed contact 24 Movable contact 25 Cover sheet 26 Light emitting element 27 Transmitting means 28 Control means 29 Translucent body 30 Cover 40 Electronic device 41 Display screen 42 Cursor 43 Pointer

Claims (2)

A plurality of electrostatic touch panels mounted on the upper surface of the case; switch contacts disposed on the lower surface of the predetermined electrostatic touch panel; and control means for transmitting a remote control signal from the transmission means. A remote control transmitter for transmitting a remote control signal in response to the operation of the switch contact. The remote control transmitter according to claim 1, wherein a light emitting element is provided below a predetermined electrostatic touch panel.

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