JP2010182201A - Capacitive sensor - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an input device using a capacitive sensor which accommodates inputs to a plurality of objects of operation, supports an intuitive operation and substantially keeps a palm and the like from causing malfunctions. <P>SOLUTION: The input device includes a plurality of detection parts 1 each comprising a pair of electrodes. The plurality of detection parts are arranged three-dimensionally and arranged along a plurality of similar polygons or concentric circles sharing a single included point as a position reference point by projection on a specific plane. An operator's finger is detected by a change in capacitance between the pair of electrodes to generate an output. The plurality of detection parts may be arranged along a plurality of similar polygons or concentric circles formed on a plane as sharing a single included point as a position reference point. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a capacitive sensor incorporated as an input device in an input device that generates a command or an input signal in an in-vehicle device such as a car navigation system, an audio system, an air conditioner, or an electric product such as a personal computer or an AV device.

  Conventionally, as an input device for electrical products such as home appliances and in-vehicle devices, electrical resistance is changed by turning or sliding a mechanical push button switch, rotary selector, or knob with electrical contacts. It was volume. These were relatively inexpensive and simple in structure, but as the functions of the device became more sophisticated, there were fewer mechanical moving parts and higher reliability, and the electrode shape and arrangement of the sensor part Resistive film type and ultrasonic type touch pads and touch panels have come to be used as contact type devices because of their high degree of freedom and high design freedom. In particular, the capacitive proximity sensor is a method for identifying the approach of the human body from the amount of change in capacitance between different electrodes due to the difference in the dielectric constant of an adjacent object. Therefore, it is possible to detect by placing an insulating plate between the electrode and the finger that is the detection target in order to protect the electrode and improve the appearance. Hard to wake up. Also, as in Patent Document 1, it is possible to recognize multiple points by arranging and scanning electrodes in a grid pattern, and a more intuitive input operation for humans such as detecting a plurality of fingertips and pinching them with the fingertips. Can be identified. However, this method can detect the position and movement of multiple fingers that are close to each other. However, if the detection process becomes complicated, or if the number of detection electrodes is increased or the number is increased on a flat surface, the area is larger than the fingertip. There are problems such as being susceptible to malfunctions under the influence of palms.

  Therefore, although the degree of freedom of movement of the fingertip is reduced, it is easy to understand intuitively and is easy to process, and as an operation for operating a rotary variable resistance (volume), that is, detecting rotation of the fingertip, Patent Document 2 There exists a structure as shown in FIG. In this method, electrodes serving as detection units are arranged on the circumference, and fingers are detected one after another by moving on the circumference and become input signals. Further, if necessary, a structure such as a circumferential dent serving as a fingertip guide or a circumferential mark by painting may be provided. There is also a similar one in which electrodes are arranged on a straight line like a slide type variable resistor.

JP 2002-342033 A JP-T-2005-522797

  The input device that uses the movement of the fingertips described above is intuitively reminded of the touching operation with the fingertips due to its operation method and structure. Then, it is hard to be influenced by the capacitance change by the palm. However, when a plurality of similar sensors are densely located in the vicinity, the sensor may inadvertently approach a sensor other than the input target sensor and may have an influence such as malfunction.

  The present invention uses a capacitance type sensor that is compatible with input to a plurality of operation objects, which is difficult to realize with the conventional configuration, and that the operation is intuitively easy to understand, and that palms and the like are unlikely to cause malfunctions. Provided input device.

  The input device according to the present invention includes a plurality of detection units each composed of a pair of electrodes, and the plurality of detection units share a plurality of similar polygons or concentric circles formed on a plane by sharing one included point as a position reference point. It is arranged on the circumference of the electrode and detects the approach of the operator's finger based on the change in capacitance between the pair of electrodes, and generates an output.

  Moreover, the input device of the present invention includes a plurality of detection units each composed of a pair of electrodes, and the plurality of detection units are arranged in a three-dimensional manner, and when projected onto a specific plane, a single point included is a position reference. They are arranged on the circumference of a plurality of similar polygons or concentric circles shared as points, and output is generated by detecting the operator's finger based on the change in capacitance between the paired electrodes.

  When the operator moves the finger from the outside to the inside toward the center of the position of the similar polygon or the concentric circle, or in the opposite direction, across the detectors on the circumference, the input device A motion is detected, and a corresponding input signal is generated from the position and speed.

  By arranging the sensing electrodes in a convex or concave hemisphere or a similar shape in three dimensions, the operator can determine the position of the fingertip, the position of the touched surface, the direction, and the inclination just by touching the surface with the electrode. Can confirm the approximate position information about which electrode is touching in space. Furthermore, by providing a three-dimensional structure as a support so that other parts than the detection target part do not enter the detection range, it is possible to prevent a palm or the like from entering the detection range inadvertently and causing a malfunction.

  The input device of the present invention can be used as an input device for controlling in-vehicle devices such as a car navigation device, an in-vehicle audio device, and a car air conditioner.

  The movement of the operator to move the electrodes across multiple circumference electrodes from the inside to the outside, or vice versa, toward the center of the similar polygon position reference point or concentric circle, that is, the top of the sector, Is placed in the vicinity of the apex of the fan shape, and the finger is opened or squeezed. In addition, in terms of capacitance sensing processing, it is only necessary to process the electrode that is reacting on the outermost side among the pairs of electrodes in the fan shape as the position of the operating finger, and it is necessary to measure all the electrodes. Since the reaction at the inner electrode is negligible, it is highly resistant to noise caused by the approach of the palm.

  In addition, when the electrodes are arranged on a flat surface, it is difficult for the operator to determine which electrode of the input device is near the finger from the touch only by touching the surface with the operating finger. The relative change can only be expressed by confirming the position with or moving the fingertip. However, by three-dimensionally arranging the detection electrodes in a convex or concave hemisphere or a similar shape, the operator simply touches the surface with the electrodes, the position of the fingertip at that time, the position and direction of the touched surface, From the inclination, the operator can recognize an approximate position as to which position of the electrode is touched in the space, so that the input value can be recognized as an absolute value without looking at the fingertip.

  In addition, by providing structures such as protrusions that support and support the palm part during operation, it is easy to intuitively make a posture that touches the electrode surface with the fingertip, and the palm is moved away from the electrode. Further, it is possible to suppress malfunction of the sensor caused by a change in capacitance due to the palm being too close.

Schematic which shows one Example of this invention. The top view which shows arrangement | positioning of a detection electrode. The block diagram which shows the outline of the hardware around a detection electrode and a signal processing apparatus. Sectional drawing for demonstrating that the absolute value of an input signal can be inferred from the position of a finger | toe. Explanatory drawing in the case of operating to the detection electrode in the direction opposite to the example of FIG. The time chart which shows the example of a relationship between a detection electrode output and a signal output. Schematic which shows another Example of this invention. The top view which shows arrangement | positioning of a detection electrode. The figure for demonstrating that the absolute value of an input signal can be inferred from the position of a finger | toe. The top view which shows an example of the arrangement pattern of a detection electrode. Schematic which shows another Example of this invention. Sectional drawing explaining the effect of the processus | protrusion which supports a palm. Schematic which shows another Example of this invention. The top view which shows arrangement | positioning of a detection electrode. FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 13. Schematic which shows another Example of this invention. The top view which shows arrangement | positioning of a detection electrode. FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 16. Schematic which shows another Example of this invention. Schematic which shows the example which applied the input device of this invention to operation of car navigation. Schematic which shows the example which applied the input device of this invention to operation of the car audio. The top view which shows another Example of this invention. Schematic for demonstrating the operation method. FIG. 23 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 22. The block diagram explaining the outline of the hardware of a detection electrode and a signal processing apparatus. Sectional drawing for demonstrating the example of a detection electrode arrangement | positioning. The time chart which shows the example of a relationship between a detection electrode output and a signal output.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing an embodiment of an input device according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a top view showing the arrangement of the detection electrodes. In the input device of the present embodiment, the detection electrode 1 of the capacitive sensor is in contrast to the three-dimensional structure 2 bulging upward in a hemispherical shape on the lower structure 4 serving as a support and processing device storage. These are provided concentrically as viewed from above and divided into four fan shapes in the circumferential direction.

  FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an outline of hardware for electric signal processing in the present embodiment. The electrostatic capacity type proximity sensor detects the change in the electrostatic capacity by the processing device 10 due to the approach of the detection object at the pair of detection electrodes 9, that is, the proximity of the objects having different dielectric constants. This is a mechanism for outputting a corresponding signal. The change in capacitance can be measured as a change in impedance by applying an AC voltage between the detection electrodes 9 and measuring the impedance. Since the change in capacitance also occurs due to the approach of the detection object, a resin or a resin having an appropriate thickness is used so that the detection object does not directly contact the electrode 9 in order to protect the electrode or improve the appearance. By covering the electrode 9 as a protective material with glass or the like and setting the detection threshold according to the conditions, it is possible to detect the presence of an object on the electrode even through the protective material.

  Here, the detection electrode 1 described in the subsequent figures including FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 is shown on the figure as if it were one electrode for simplification of the figure. As shown in FIG. 3, each is composed of two adjacent detection electrodes 9. In the example of FIG. 2, four detection electrodes 1 are provided in four directions, and the number is 16 in total. The reason why the electrodes are arranged in four directions is to detect the movement of the fingertip of the operator 5 as the detection target in the four directions. If the number of divisions in the entire circumferential direction is large, the resolution in the direction of the fingertip movement increases, but the area occupied by the detection electrode decreases, and the sensitivity of capacitance change decreases. In order to compensate for this, if the threshold value of the capacitance change that recognizes that the detection target is detected on the processing device side is lowered, each detection electrode is closely adjacent to each other. Since it is easy for malfunctions to occur, such as recognizing a change in electrostatic capacity, care should be taken. In order to measure the capacitance of the 16 detection electrodes 1, two wires are required per electrode, and in order to measure all the detection electrodes at the same time, 32 wires are required. However, if there is a switching mechanism in the processing apparatus 10 of FIG. 3 and the switching measurement is sufficiently fast, 16 switching measurements can be realized by a combination of 4 × 4, so that the processing apparatus 10 uses it for measurement. There should be at least 8 wires.

  Next, it will be described with reference to FIG. 4 that the absolute value of the input signal can be inferred from the position of the finger in the embodiment of FIG. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A ′ of FIG. 2. In the present embodiment, when the operator operates with one hand, it is possible to simultaneously input in a plurality of directions with each finger by opening the finger. Think about direction only. First, as shown in FIG. 4A, when the operator places the fingertip 6 to be detected for input operation in the vicinity of the electrode 1a, the tangential plane at the center of the contact surface between the fingertip 6 and the three-dimensional structure 2 is used. And its normal is indicated by a tangent plane 8a and a normal 7a. In the drawing, the cross section of the tangential plane is represented as a straight line 8a. Next, as shown in FIG. 4B, when the operator places the fingertip 6 to be detected for input operation in the vicinity of the electrode 1c, the contact between the fingertip 6 and the center of the contact surface of the three-dimensional structure 2 is reached. The plane and its normal are indicated by a tangent plane 8c and a normal 7c. When the detection electrodes are provided on the hemispherical three-dimensional structure 2 in this way, the directions of the tangential plane and the normal line in the vicinity of each electrode are different, and the difference can be easily recognized by the sense of the fingertip 6 of the operator. Therefore, the operator can roughly estimate the absolute position of the fingertip on the input device from the sense of the fingertip 6 without looking at the hand, and thus can also estimate the input signal. Further, as shown in FIG. 5, even when the electrode 1e on the opposite side to FIG. 4 is operated with the operation finger 6a, the tangent plane at the center of the contact surface between the fingertip 6a and the three-dimensional structure 2 and its normal line Is indicated by a tangent plane 8e and a normal line 7e, and is different from the case of other electrodes, so that the operator can easily identify them.

  FIG. 6 is a time chart showing an example of the relationship between the detection electrode output and the output signal from the processing apparatus 10 in this embodiment. The detection electrodes a1 to d1 and a2 to d2 shown in FIG. 6 are assigned to the detection electrodes a, b, c and d from the inside of the concentrically arranged electrodes as shown in FIG. , A2, and so on. In addition, the output of the processing device is output as “outside 1” or “outside 2” where the outside or inside change occurs every time when the detection electrode changes inward or outward. For the output change in the rotation direction, “right rotation” or “left rotation” is output, and detection with two or more electrodes inside or outside is ignored. Of course, these outputs are finally replaced with control signals of the respective devices when actually applied.

  It is assumed that the operator's finger moves from the non-contact state in FIG. 2 in the order of electrode a1, electrode b1, electrode c1, electrode c2, electrode d2, electrode c2, and electrode b1. A description will be given according to the flow 50 of the output change. First, when a finger is detected at the detection electrode a1, “input is present”, “external 1” is output when there is an output from the electrode b1, and “external 1” is output again when there is an output from the electrode c1. Is output. Next, “right rotation” is output by the output from the electrode c2, and “outside 2” is output by the detection of the electrode d2. Next, “inner 2” is output because there is an output again at the electrode c2 that has been once lost, and “inner 2” is output again from the output from the electrode b2. Finally, “left rotation” is output as the output from the electrode b1, and “no input” is output when the electrode output is lost.

  FIG. 7 is a schematic view showing another embodiment of the input device of the present invention, and FIG. 8 is a top view showing the arrangement of the detection electrodes. In this embodiment, the three-dimensional structure 11 in which the detection electrodes 12 are arranged is a polyhedron having a plurality of planes, and the detection electrodes 12 are also provided on the top surface 11a. As can be seen from the top view of FIG. 8, each plane in which the detection electrode 12 of the three-dimensional structure 11 is buried is divided by the ridge lines of the three-dimensional structure 11 so as to face in the four directions of front, rear, left and right except for the top surface. ing.

  FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A ′ of FIG. 8 and is a cross-sectional view for explaining that the absolute value of the input signal can be inferred from the position of the finger in this embodiment. In the three-dimensional structure of the present embodiment formed of a planar polyhedron, there are also ridge lines, that is, corners, between the surfaces including the upper and lower adjacent electrodes, for example, the surface including the electrode 12b and the surface including the electrode 12c. In Example 1, each detection electrode 1 had a curved surface, so the direction difference was small between two adjacent electrodes. Therefore, when the finger to be operated is slid along the surface, it is difficult for the operator to know which electrode is reacting with the sense alone in the vicinity of the boundary between the adjacent electrodes 1. On the other hand, in this embodiment, there are always peaks and corners that are tangents of two surfaces between two adjacent electrodes, and the operator enters the adjacent detection area from the sensation that the finger crosses the ridgeline. Can be clearly conscious. Further, as shown in FIG. 9A, the surface 14b in contact with the finger when pointing to the electrode 12b and the normal direction 13b thereof point to the electrode 12d as shown in FIG. 9B. 14d and the normal direction 13d thereof are clearly different from each other, and the operator can roughly estimate the absolute position of the fingertip on the input device from the sense of the fingertip 6 without looking at the hand. By extension, the input signal can be analogized.

  FIG. 10 shows an example of the pattern of the detection electrode 12. As described in the previous embodiment, the detection electrode 12 includes a pair of the + side electrode 52 and the − side electrode 53. In this embodiment, since the detection electrode 12 is a straight line, the simplest arrangement is to arrange the + side electrode 52 and the − side electrode 53 in parallel as shown in FIG. Since the detection electrode is the same as a capacitor (capacitor), in order to increase sensitivity, the electrode interval between + and − may be narrowed, the electrode area per unit area may be increased, and the capacitance between the electrodes may be increased. In the example of FIG. 10B, the positive electrode 52 and the negative electrode 53 are combined in a comb shape to narrow the electrode interval and increase the detection electrode sensitivity. In the example of FIG. 10C, the sensitivity is increased by increasing the electrode area per unit area by adopting an intricate structure.

  FIG. 11 is a schematic view showing another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view for explaining the utility of a protrusion for supporting the palm in this embodiment. In the present embodiment, a protrusion 15 for supporting the palm of the operator is provided in the vicinity of the top of the three-dimensional structure 2 on which the detection electrode 12 is disposed. Even when the operator rests the hand 5 on the three-dimensional structure 2 by the protrusion 15 as shown in FIG. 12A, the hand 5 is lifted by the height of the protrusion 15, It is possible to avoid contact with the detection electrode 12 in advance. Further, as shown in FIG. 12B, even when the operator touches the detection electrode 12 with the fingertip 6, the palm portion that has a larger influence than the fingertip and has a large influence on the change in capacitance is lifted to raise the electrode 12. The possibility of malfunctions due to the influence of the palm part can be reduced.

  FIG. 13 is a schematic view showing another embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 14 is a top view showing the arrangement of detection electrodes in this embodiment, and FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view of the input device of this embodiment. The input device of this embodiment includes a sphere 18 that functions as a trackball ball, instead of the protrusion that supports the palm of the previous embodiment. Similar to the protrusion 15 shown in FIG. 11, the sphere 18 serves to prevent the operator's hand from inadvertently approaching the detection electrodes 16 and 17, and the sphere 18 is detected by the detector 19 on the back surface. It also captures the 18 rotations and also acts as a trackball.

  Further, as can be seen from FIG. 14, the detection electrodes 16 and 17 are arranged on the circumference of each of the similar polygons sharing the center of the sphere as the position reference point 60, and in the vicinity of the thumb of the operator's hand 5 in FIG. 13. The detection electrode group 17 and the other detection electrode group 16 near the finger are divided into two. This is to cope with the fact that when the hand 5 is placed on the sphere 18 and the finger touches the detection electrode, the direction in which the thumb and other fingers are easy to move is different. As in the operation with the thumb 6 a shown in FIG. 15, which detection electrode is touched by the finger is determined by the top plate with the detection electrode 17 embedded in the operation finger 6 a while the hand 5 is touching the sphere 18. By making contact with 20, it can be intuitively recognized as the distance between the sphere 18 and the operation finger 6a. The same applies when the detection electrode group 16 is operated with a finger other than the thumb.

  FIG. 16 is a schematic view showing another embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 17 is a top view showing the arrangement of detection electrodes in this embodiment, and FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional view of the input device of this embodiment. In the present embodiment, unlike the previous embodiment, it is considered to operate mainly with the left hand 23. Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 16 and 17, the arrangement of the thumb-side detection electrode 17 and the other finger electrodes 16 is reversed from the arrangement in the case of operating with the right hand shown in FIG. . Further, the central protrusion 22 is connected to the push switch 21 as shown in FIG. The push switch 21 does not react with the weight of a hand, but is strong enough to be turned on when the push switch 21 is intentionally pushed. The protrusion 22 serves as a palm rest with the palm of the dielectric as an electrode 16. , 17 also has a function to keep away from. The push switch 21 also has a built-in tachometer, and the amount of left and right rotation of the protrusion 22 is also an input signal.

  FIG. 19 is a schematic view showing another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 20 is a schematic view showing an example in which this embodiment is applied to an operation of car navigation. The input device of the present embodiment has a three-dimensional structure similar to that of the input device shown in FIG. 11, but the protrusion that becomes the palm rest at the top of the head is a track that rotates back and forth and right and left as in the embodiment shown in FIG. 13. The sphere 18 functions as a ball. The surrounding sensing electrodes 12 arranged concentrically are divided in four directions, and this embodiment can take in six pieces of change data by combining two axes that can be measured by the trackball 18.

  With reference to FIG. 20, an example in which the input device of the present embodiment is applied to a car navigation device and an operation during navigation is performed will be described. In the figure, 27 is a steering wheel, 25 is an accelerator pedal, and 26 is a brake pedal. In the case of a right-hand drive vehicle, the input device 33 according to the present invention is placed at a position where the driver below the center console can easily operate with the left hand. It is desirable to place the car navigation display device 28 on the dashboard as much as possible so that the driver's line-of-sight changes can be reduced and the external view is not obstructed. The car navigation display device 28 displays a map screen 29 during navigation, which includes an icon 30 indicating the vehicle position, a display of the navigation route 31, a display 32 indicating the zoom ratio of the map, and the like. It is often a map around the vehicle position and a map ahead of the navigation route that the driver being navigated wants to refer to while driving. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the forward / backward / left / right rotation input by the sphere 18 is used for the slide display based on the map's own vehicle position, and the input to the front detection electrode group 33a is used for the display of the front map along the navigation route 31. The input to the rear detection electrode group 33c is made to display the rear map along the navigation route 31, and the left and right detection electrodes 33b and 33d are made to correspond to the change in the zoom ratio of the map. As described above, the input operation with respect to the detection electrode can know the absolute input amount from the position angle of the operation finger, for example, how far to see the navigation route from the current position, Intuitively without looking at the hand. The same applies to changing the zoom ratio of the map. Further, the input operation for switching what is controlled by the input device from the car navigation device to a device such as a car audio or an air conditioner is the movement of the operating finger between the detection electrode groups, that is, the front detection electrode group 33a to the right detection electrode group 33b, Further, it can be assigned to an input that draws a circle to be input to the rear detection electrode group 33c.

  FIG. 21 is a schematic view showing another embodiment in which the input device of the present invention is applied to the operation of a car audio. The input device 40 of the present embodiment includes flat and polygonal detection electrode groups 40a and 40b similar to those shown in FIG. 16, and a central protrusion 40c that functions as rotation and push input and also functions as a palm rest. The status display of the car audio, which is one of the in-vehicle devices, is performed like a car audio icon 35, a song title display 36, and a volume display 37 on the screen 38a of the in-vehicle device control device display unit 38 and the head-up display 34. Yes. In the present embodiment, the volume change in the audio function is registered in the input of the index finger side detection electrode group 40a. The volume of the car audio can be controlled by operating the finger on the index finger side detection electrode group 40a, and the volume display 37 on the head-up display 34 is also changed accordingly. For example, the control is performed such that the volume gradually increases when the finger is spread toward the detection electrode 40a far away from the central protrusion 40c, and the volume decreases when the finger approaches the central protrusion 40c. Compared to the conventional operation using the volume knob, the location is also easy to understand and it is not a detailed operation, so the possibility of distraction for the driver can be reduced. In this case, the music title display 36 is changed by rotating the central protrusion 40c. When the central protrusion 40c is rotated, the music title display 36 is switched in accordance with the rotation, and when the music title is desired to be listened to, music playback starts by pushing the central protrusion 40c, and stops when the push input is performed again. Further, by rotating the central protrusion 40c while pushing the input, the change of the album, the genre, or the reproduction list is displayed instead of the song name display 36 and executed instead of the song change.

  FIG. 22 is a top view showing another embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 23 is a schematic view for explaining the operating method, and FIG. 24 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. FIG. 25 is a block diagram for explaining the outline of the detection electrode and the hardware of the signal processing apparatus of this embodiment, FIG. 26 is a sectional view for explaining an example of detection electrode arrangement in this embodiment, and FIG. 27 is this embodiment. It is a time chart which shows the example of a relationship between the detection electrode output and signal output in an example.

  In this embodiment, as can be seen from FIGS. 23 and 24, the detection electrode 41 is concentrically formed on the back surface of the flat substrate 45 around the rotary switch / push switch 42 which also serves as a protrusion for keeping the palm away from the electrode. Is provided. A switch mechanism 42a is provided on the back surface of the substrate 45 directly below the rotary switch / push switch 42, and converts the rotation and push operation of the rotary switch / push switch 42 into an electrical signal. As shown in FIGS. 25 and 26 (a), each of the concentric detection electrodes 41 has a set of + pole 41f and −pole 41e and a set of + pole 41g and −pole 41h. The processing device 10 detects that the capacitance between the electrodes changes due to the approach of the human body, and outputs it as a signal. This signal becomes an input signal to the car navigation device, the car audio device, and other devices, and becomes a control signal for controlling the volume, the resolution of the map, and the like. As shown in FIG. 26 (a), the detection electrode 41 may be simply formed by arranging the + pole 41f and the -pole 41e in parallel and insulated by the insulator 43 so that the human body is not in direct contact with the detection electrode 41. However, the detection sensitivity is increased. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 26 (b), the positive poles 41f and the negative poles 41e are alternately arranged in parallel to increase the capacitance between the electrodes and increase the change in capacitance due to the approach of the human body, thereby increasing the sensitivity. May be.

  As shown in FIG. 23, the detection electrode 41 is operated by opening or closing the space between the thumb and the index finger of the hand 44 toward the outside or the inside of the concentric circle around the knob 42 while touching the surface of the substrate 45. An example of the relationship between the detection electrode output generated at this time and the output signal from the processing apparatus 10 is shown in FIG. Each detection electrode a, b, c, d in FIG. 27 is assigned to the detection electrode a, b, c, d from the inside of each concentrically arranged electrode as shown in FIG. Is assumed to open from the detection electrode a to the detection electrode c. First, as shown in FIG. 27 (a), in the system that outputs the outermost detection result, there is no detection electrode output before the finger approaches, so there is no processing device output, and then the detection electrode according to the movement of the finger. When a finger is detected at a, b, and c, the outermost value is output as indicated by the arrow 48. Even if the inner input 49 occurs midway at this time, this is excluded as noise and does not become the output of the processing device. With such an output determination specification, it is always necessary to search only the output of the outermost detection electrode 47, and it is resistant to electrical noise signals caused by touch of other fingers or the influence of radio waves, and processing is easy. become. Next, in FIG. 27B, when there is an output to the outer detection electrode in order of two or more, 50 is an output of “enlarged”, and conversely, when there is an output to the inner detection electrode in order of two or more. Reference numeral 51 denotes an example in the case of a specification that outputs “reduction”. This specification requires detection with at least three electrodes, so the resolution of the signal is low, but since there is a condition that there is an output from the adjacent detection electrode in succession, it is still necessary for noise In addition to having high tolerance, it requires a large finger movement, which helps to prevent misoperation.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Detection electrode, 1a-1e ... Detection electrode, 2 ... Three-dimensional structure, 4 ... Substructure, 5 ... Operator's hand, 6, 6a ... Operator's fingertip, 9 ... Paired detection electrode, 10 ... Processing device, 11 ... polyhedron, 12 ... detection electrode, 12a-2e ... detection electrode, 15 ... projection, 16 ... detection electrode, 17 ... thumb detection electrode, 18 ... sphere, 19 ... rotation detector, 20 ... top plate, DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 21 ... Push switch, 22 ... Hemispherical protrusion, 25 ... Accelerator pedal, 26 ... Brake pedal, 27 ... Steering, 28 ... Car navigation display device, 29 ... Map screen, 30 ... Own vehicle position mark, 31 ... Navigation route display 32 ... Map zoom ratio display, 33a ... Front detection electrode group, 33b ... Right detection electrode group, 33c ... Back detection electrode group, 33d ... Left detection electrode group, 34 ... Head-up display, 35 ... Manipulation Object display icon, 36 ... Music title display, 37 ... Volume display meter, 38 ... In-vehicle device control device display unit, 38a ... In-vehicle device control device display unit screen, 39 ... Left hand of operator, 40a ... Index finger side detection electrode group, 40b ... thumb side detection electrode group, 40c ... central projection, 41 ... concentric arrangement electrode group, 41e ...-side detection electrode, 41f ... + side detection electrode, 41g ...-side detection electrode, 41h ... + side detection electrode, 42 ... Rotary switch and push switch, 43 ... insulator, 45 ... substrate, 60 ... position reference point

Claims (15)

Equipped with multiple detectors consisting of pairs of electrodes,
The plurality of detection units are arranged on the circumference of a plurality of similar polygons or concentric circles formed on a plane sharing one included point as a position reference point,
An input device that generates an output by detecting the approach of an operator's finger based on a change in capacitance between the paired electrodes. Equipped with multiple detectors consisting of pairs of electrodes,
The plurality of detection units are arranged in a three-dimensional manner and arranged on the circumference of a plurality of similar polygons or concentric circles that share one included point as a position reference point when projected onto a specific plane.
An input device that generates an output by detecting an operator's finger based on a change in capacitance between the paired electrodes.   3. The input device according to claim 2, wherein a ridge line exists between a surface on which one detection unit is arranged and a surface on which a detection unit adjacent thereto is arranged.   The input device according to claim 2, wherein the detection unit is provided on each surface of the polyhedron.   5. The input device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of detection units are arranged in a fan-shaped region having the position reference point as a vertex.   The input device according to claim 5, wherein the plurality of detection units arranged in one fan-shaped region are for generating input signals to the same operation target.   The input device according to claim 1, further comprising a protrusion for supporting an operator's palm on the position reference point.   8. The input device according to claim 7, wherein the protrusion is rotatable and has a function as a trackball.   The input device according to claim 7, wherein the protrusion is rotatable and pushable, and has a function as a rotation switch and a push switch.   The input device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, having a plurality of operation objects to which an input signal is to be sent, and depending on positions, directions, or speeds on the plurality of detection units through which an operator's finger passes, An input device that identifies an operation target and transmits an input signal corresponding to the operation target. In an in-vehicle system comprising an in-vehicle device and an input device that controls the in-vehicle device,
The input device includes a plurality of detection units each including a pair of electrodes, and the plurality of detection electrodes share a plurality of similar polygons or concentric circles formed on a plane by sharing one included point as a position reference point. An in-vehicle system that is arranged on the circumference and detects an approach of an operator's finger based on a change in capacitance between the pair of electrodes to generate an output. In an in-vehicle system comprising an in-vehicle device and an input device that controls the in-vehicle device,
The input device includes a plurality of detection units each including a pair of electrodes, and the plurality of detection units are arranged in a three-dimensional manner and share one point included as a position reference point when projected onto a specific plane. A vehicle-mounted system that is arranged on the circumference of a plurality of similar polygons or concentric circles that detects an operator's finger based on a change in capacitance between the paired electrodes and generates an output.   13. The in-vehicle system according to claim 11 or 12, wherein the in-vehicle device is a car navigation device having a map display unit, and the input device is used for controlling an enlargement ratio of a map displayed on the map display unit. A featured in-vehicle system.   13. The in-vehicle system according to claim 11 or 12, wherein the in-vehicle device is a car navigation device having a display function of a current location and a navigation route in a map display unit, and the input device is located in front of the map display unit along the navigation route. Or it is used for the control for displaying a map of back, and the control for displaying the map around the present position, The vehicle-mounted system characterized by the above-mentioned.   13. The in-vehicle system according to claim 11 or 12, wherein the in-vehicle device is a car audio, and the input device is used for volume control and music selection of the car audio.

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