JP2011154562A - Keyboard device and electronic equipment using the same - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent false detection in a keyboard device having a flat input operation face positioned on the top surface. <P>SOLUTION: An electrostatic shield layer 26 including a key arrangement area and an electrostatic shield area arranged between a touch panel 2 and a cover panel 7 prevents a default state from being sensed by the touch panel 2, where a user slightly touches the top of a keyboard with a finger . Thus, the default state can be prevented from being falsely detected as a key operation state intended by the user. Accordingly, proper input operation is achieved. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a keyboard device and an electronic apparatus using the same.

  A keyboard device has been widely used as an input interface between an electronic device and a user. Conventionally, the keyboard device is generally provided with a plurality of key switches. However, in recent years, the keyboard device is arranged on a screen of a display device such as an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) or a CRT and displayed on the screen. Desired while seeing through the surface side of letters, numbers, and other symbols (including pictorial symbols called icons consisting of figures, images, etc., including symbols that form one symbol with multiple symbols) Devices that touch the positions of letters, numbers, and other symbols (collectively referred to as symbols) with a finger or the like to generate and output information corresponding to the symbol positions are also widely used (for example, Patent Document 1). reference). As an example, automatic teller machines such as banks and car navigators have been widely used as touch panel displays, and are also widely used in small electronic devices such as portable information terminals and electronic dictionaries. Yes.

  On the other hand, when a function as a multi-display device is not required, it is not necessary to additionally provide a display device such as an LCD or a CRT, and the touch panel type display is overspec, and the cost is high as a simple input device. Therefore, the present applicants have developed a keyboard device that does not require a function as a multi-display device, and has a flat input operation surface located on the uppermost surface, like a touch panel display. (For example, refer to Patent Document 2).

JP 2005-317041 A Japanese Patent Application No. 2009-253938

In the keyboard device described in Patent Document 2, since the input operation surface located on the uppermost surface is a flat surface, it is easy to clean and dirt is difficult to adhere, and the appearance is improved and clean. It can maintain its state and has a high degree of functionality and aesthetics. And in order to implement | achieve a flat input operation surface, the highly sensitive input detection is attained by employ | adopting the capacitive touch panel.
However, the high sensitivity contributes to a unique problem that is not found in conventional keyboard devices having a plurality of key switches. For example, when performing an operation with a keyboard device, ergonomically, a state where a finger is lightly touched on the keyboard is the default state. However, according to the coordinate detection signal of the capacitive touch panel, such a default state is also detected. Therefore, it may be difficult to properly grasp the distinction from the case where the user intentionally inputs.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and the object of the present invention is a keyboard device in which the input operation surface located on the uppermost surface is a flat surface, while having high functionality and aesthetics. An object of the present invention is to eliminate the possibility of erroneous detection and to enable reliable input equivalent to that of a conventional keyboard device having a plurality of key switches.

(Aspect of the Invention)
The following aspects of the present invention exemplify the configuration of the present invention, and will be described separately for easy understanding of various configurations of the present invention. Each section does not limit the technical scope of the present invention, and some of the components of each section are replaced, deleted, or further while referring to the best mode for carrying out the invention. Those to which the above components are added can also be included in the technical scope of the present invention.

(1) A keyboard device including a capacitive touch panel and a translucent cover panel covering an upper surface of the touch panel, the upper surface of the cover panel forming an input operation surface, the touch panel and the cover panel A keyboard device in which an electrostatic shielding layer including a key arrangement region and an electrostatic shielding region is disposed between the two.
The keyboard device described in this section is a default state in which a user touches a finger lightly on the keyboard by an electrostatic shielding layer including a key arrangement region and an electrostatic shielding region, which is disposed between the touch panel and the cover panel. This prevents the default state from being erroneously detected as an intentional input without changing the capacitance of the touch panel.

(2) In the above item (1), the electrostatic shielding region is provided at least in an area located on the near side when operated by a user (claim 2).
In the keyboard device described in this section, the electrostatic shielding region is provided at least in an area located on the near side when the user operates the keyboard device, so that the user touches the keyboard lightly on the keyboard. In this state, the electrostatic shielding layer prevents the touch panel from touching a portion other than the fingertip that normally does not perform key operations.

(3) In the above items (1) and (2), the electrostatic shielding layer is a keyboard device in which an electrostatic shielding material is applied to a transparent resin sheet (claim 3).
The keyboard device described in this section is designed so that the user can lightly touch his / her finger on the keyboard with an electrostatic shielding layer that is placed between the touch panel and the cover panel. The default state is prevented from being detected by the touch panel.

(4) In the above paragraphs (1) and (2), the electrostatic shielding layer is a keyboard device in which an electrostatic shielding material is applied to at least one of the upper surface of the touch panel or the lower surface of the cover panel. 4).
The keyboard device described in this section has a default state in which the user touches the keyboard lightly on the keyboard with an electrostatic shielding layer formed by applying an electrostatic shielding material to at least one of the upper surface of the touch panel or the lower surface of the cover panel. This prevents the touch panel from being detected.

  (5) It is possible to provide a keyboard device for a personal computer, an electronic device controller, and an electronic desk calculator using the keyboard device according to any one of the above (1) to (4). 5-7).

  Since the present invention is configured as described above, in the keyboard device in which the input operation surface located on the uppermost surface is a flat surface, while having a high degree of functionality and aesthetics, there is no risk of erroneous detection, A reliable input equivalent to a keyboard device having a key switch is possible.

It is a figure which shows the keyboard apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention, (a) is a top view, (b) is a front view, (c) is a right view. It is a disassembled perspective view of the keyboard operation part of the keyboard apparatus shown by FIG. It is the exploded view which showed typically the component of the keyboard apparatus shown by FIG. It is the perspective view which showed typically the floating mechanism of the keyboard apparatus shown by FIG. It is a fragmentary sectional view which shows the gap | interval of the up-down direction ensured by the keyboard operation part and lower case of the keyboard apparatus shown by FIG. It is a figure which shows the specific example of the structure of the floating mechanism periphery part of the keyboard apparatus shown by FIG. 1, (a) is a top view of a leaf | plate spring member and a strain gauge, (b) is a side view which shows the incorporation state It is. It is a top view which shows the electrostatic interruption | blocking means of a touch panel of the keyboard apparatus shown by FIG. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the control means which recognizes input operation in consideration of this load area with the coordinate information obtained from a touch panel of the keyboard apparatus shown in FIG. It is a flowchart which shows the control procedure which recognizes input operation in consideration of this load area with the coordinate information obtained from a touch panel of the keyboard apparatus shown in FIG.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Here, parts that are the same as or correspond to those in the prior art are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted. In the present description, the “vertical direction” means the vertical direction when the keyboard device according to an embodiment of the present invention is laid flat and the input operation surface is positioned horizontally.

A keyboard device according to an embodiment of the present invention is a keyboard device for a personal computer (hereinafter also referred to as “personal computer”), as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3.
As shown in FIG. 1, the keyboard device for a personal computer includes a shallow square dish-shaped lower case 1 having a horizontally long rectangular shape in a plan view and a vertical cross section having a substantially inverted trapezoidal shape. The lower case 1 is manufactured by synthetic resin molding, for example, ABS resin molding, and includes a leg portion 1a on the bottom surface. The lower case 1 houses a main part of a keyboard device that performs an input operation of information, specifically, a symbol by a touch described later. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2 to FIG. 4, the keyboard device includes a lower case 1 and a keyboard operation unit 10 that are formed separately and are connected by a floating mechanism 14. The appearance shown in FIG. 1 is exhibited.
The keyboard operation unit 10 includes a translucent touch panel 2, a symbol printing film 3 on which an arbitrary symbol 3 a (see FIG. 1) is printed, and a backlight device 4 that is a surface emitting layer that illuminates the symbol printing film 3. The laminated body 5 is accommodated. In this case, the touch panel 2 is disposed on the upper surface side of the symbol printing film 3, in the illustrated example, and the backlight device 4 is disposed on the lower surface side of the symbol printing film 3, in the illustrated example. In the keyboard device according to the present embodiment, the input operation surface 6 located on the uppermost surface of the device is a flat surface having no unevenness.

The basic configuration is as described above. In the present embodiment, the configuration is further configured as follows.
That is, the translucent cover panel 7 is laminated on the upper surface side of the touch panel 2, in the present embodiment, on the upper surface of the touch panel 2.
The cover panel 7 forms an outer shell of the keyboard operation unit 10 together with the tray 16, and is located at the uppermost part of the apparatus in a completed state. That is, the upper surface of the cover panel 7 forms the input operation surface 6 and is a flat surface without unevenness. The tray 16 is produced by synthetic resin molding, for example, ABS resin molding, similarly to the lower case 1, and has a depth that can accommodate a laminated structure inside the keyboard operation unit 10 described later, and overlaps the lower case 1. Thus, any device that has the form of a personal computer keyboard device as shown in FIG. 1 may be used. Further, the cover panel 7 and the tray 16 are fixed by an appropriate method such as adhesion or fitting.

The cover panel 7 is formed by laminating a half mirror, a smoke panel, or a translucent plate or sheet (collectively referred to as a translucent panel) and a half mirror. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the translucent panel 8 and the half mirror 9 are laminated, and the half mirror 9 is arranged toward the touch panel 2 side.
In the present embodiment, the translucent panel 8 is made of a transparent acrylic plate or a transparent polycarbonate plate. The half mirror 9 is made of, for example, a film-like or film-like half mirror, and is attached to the translucent panel 8 to constitute the cover panel 7.

The half mirror 9 is disposed toward the touch panel 2 side, that is, the translucent panel 8 is disposed toward the apparatus upper surface side for the following reason.
That is, when the translucent panel 8 is disposed toward the upper surface side of the apparatus, the uppermost surface of the apparatus, that is, the input operation surface 6 is the upper surface of the translucent panel 8. The acrylic plate and the polycarbonate plate forming the translucent panel 8 are all excellent in durability, impact resistance, insulation, and the like, and the keyboard device constituent members disposed on the lower surface side thereof, that is, the half mirror 9 and the touch panel 2, because the symbol printing film 3 and the backlight device 4 can be mechanically and electrically protected, particularly the half mirror 9 and the touch panel 2 located near the input operation surface 6.
In addition, the acrylic plate and the polycarbonate plate are excellent in translucency in addition to the above-mentioned durability, impact resistance, insulation, etc., and on the symbol printing film 3 through the half mirror 9 and the touch panel 2 on the lower surface side. The printed symbol 3a is easily visible, and a flat surface having no irregularities can be easily obtained. Further, the light-transmitting panel 8 (the upper surface forming member of the cover panel 7) is a material that can easily remove dirt and dirt such as human body oil and fat adhering to the surface and forms the input operation surface 6 on the uppermost surface of the keyboard device. It is because it becomes optimal.

  Since the cover panel 7 and the touch panel 2 have translucency as described above, the symbol 3a printed on the symbol print film 3 on the lower surface of the touch panel 2 can be seen through on the uppermost surface of the apparatus (input operation surface 6). When the cover panel 7 is composed of the translucent panel 8 and the half mirror 9, when the backlight device 4 is turned on, the symbol 3a printed on the symbol printing film 3 is replaced with the input operation surface 6 that forms the uppermost surface of the apparatus. You can see through clearly. In addition, when the backlight device 4 is turned off, the uppermost surface of the apparatus forming the input operation surface 6 is in a mirror state, and the effect as a mirror is exhibited.

The touch panel 2 touches the position of the desired symbol 3a with a finger or the like while seeing through the symbol group 11 printed on the symbol printing film 3 from the surface side, and information (symbol) corresponding to the position of the symbol 3a. Is a device for generating and outputting information. The touch panel 2 realizes a function as a keyboard device (a function of outputting information according to the symbol 3a instructed by touch) in cooperation with a touch panel drive circuit described later.
In this embodiment, the touch panel 2 is a capacitive touch panel. This is because the capacitive touch panel 2 can easily configure a touch panel having excellent translucency compared to other typical resistive film type touch panels.

  Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the half mirror 9 is a half mirror (dielectric half mirror) made of a dielectric multilayer film. This is to make it possible to use a film-like half mirror in the capacitive touch panel 2. In addition, according to the dielectric half mirror 9, when the keyboard device according to the present embodiment is not operated as a symbol input device (the touch panel 2 is in a non-operating state) and only the backlight device 4 is in an operating state, the input is performed. This is because a mirror surface colored according to the characteristics of the dielectric multilayer film can be obtained on the uppermost surface of the apparatus constituting the operation surface 6.

The symbol printing film 3 is a positive state (positive image) or a negative state (negative image) at a predetermined position on a predetermined number of symbols 3a (symbol group 11) on the surface of the translucent substrate film. It refers to a printed film, i.e. a positive symbol printing film or a negative symbol printing film.
In the present embodiment, printing is performed in a pattern in which light is transmitted through the symbol 3a portion and only the symbol 3a appears with high brightness. For example, only the outline of the symbol 3a is printed, and black or the like is printed on the ground (background) portion. A negative symbol printing film that performs uniform printing in a dark color is used as the symbol printing film 3. The main reason for this is that only the outer frame portion of the printing area of the symbol 3a (symbol group 11) and the symbol group 11 appearing on the surface of the symbol printing film appears on the negative symbol printing, and the visibility and appearance are improved. It is.

A silk printing method is suitable as a printing method of the symbol 3a. When a capacitive touch panel is used as the touch panel 2 as described above, the symbol 3a is printed using ink that does not contain a metallic substance in order to prevent the touch panel 2 from malfunctioning.
Printing on the symbol print film 3 may be performed on the front surface (touch panel 2 side) or back surface (backlight device 4 side) of the base film, or on both the front and back surfaces. The effect that characters appear to emerge from the surface 6 can be further enhanced. Further, the cost can be reduced by performing the process on either the front side or the back side.
It has already been mentioned that symbols refer to letters, numbers, and other symbols, but in a keyboard device for a personal computer, various symbols related to a predetermined key arrangement, such as alphanumeric characters, function key symbols, and other special symbols. Point to. The symbols are arranged according to a predetermined key arrangement.

  As the backlight device 4, a sidelight type backlight device including an LED and a light guide plate is used in the present embodiment. In this case, the shape of the light guide plate (pattern) of the backlight device 4 so as to emit light only at the position corresponding to the symbol 3a that is actually illuminated so as to ensure the brightness of the symbol position and reduce the number of LEDs. Is formed. Instead of the sidelight type backlight device composed of the LED and the light guide plate, a backlight device composed of an inorganic EL light emitting element may be used. According to this, the keyboard device can be made thinner.

Further, in the present embodiment, the reflection plate 18 is provided so as to cover the lower surface of the backlight device 4. The reflection plate 18 is made of a reflective material such as a white resin or a silver-plated plate, and reflects light emitted to the outside from the lower surface of the backlight device 4 so as to re-enter the backlight device 4. Therefore, the reflecting function may be provided on the bottom surface of the tray 16 without providing the reflecting plate 18 independently.
Further, on the lower surface of the tray 16, a circuit board (circuit board) 12 on which a circuit for driving the keyboard device, that is, a touch panel drive circuit and a backlight device turning-on / off circuit (not shown) is mounted. The circuit board 12 is fixed to the tray 16 using an appropriate fixing means such as a tapping screw.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the floating mechanism 14 includes a leaf spring member 20 that connects the lower case 1 and the keyboard operation unit 10. In the example of FIG. 4, the leaf spring member 20 is connected at four points so that one end thereof is fixed to the lower case 1 and the other end is fixed to the keyboard operation unit 10. It is stably held by the lower case 1. And if a load is added to the keyboard operation part 10, the bending of the leaf | plate spring member 20 will be induced. A strain gauge 22 for constituting a load sensor is fixed to the leaf spring member 20, and the load received by each of the four floating mechanisms 14 is detected by the strain gauge 22. Can be grasped. Further, due to the elasticity of the leaf spring member 20, a vertical gap is always secured between the keyboard operation unit 10 and the lower case 1 as indicated by a symbol Y in FIG. 5. In the example of FIG. 5, the tray 16 of the keyboard operation unit 10 has an edge wall 16 a so as to surround the lower case 1, and the keyboard operation unit 10 is displaced in the vertical direction with respect to the lower case 1. An appropriate clearance X is provided between the edge wall 16a and the peripheral end of the lower case 1 so that the smoothing is performed smoothly.

  As a more specific structural example of the periphery of the floating mechanism 14, as shown in FIG. 6, the leaf spring member 20 is made of an elastically deformable metal material such as stainless steel, and has one end portion and the other end portion thereof. Has an opening 20 formed therein. Then, a screw 24 is inserted into the opening 20 a and is screwed to the bosses 1 b and 16 b formed on the tray 16 of the lower case 1 and the keyboard operation unit 10. Further, as shown in FIG. 6, the strain gauge 22 is fixed to one surface of the leaf spring member 20, and is provided with a silicon coating 22a.

Further, between the touch panel 2 and the half mirror 9, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, an electrostatic blocking means 26 for the touch panel is provided. As illustrated in FIG. 7, the antistatic means 26 is configured by disposing an electrostatic shielding sheet divided into a key arrangement area 26 </ b> A and an electrostatic shielding area 26 </ b> B on the upper surface of the touch panel 2. Here, the key arrangement region 26A is set to an area that is coincident with or slightly wider than the area where the symbol group 11 printed on the symbol printing film 3 is laminated on the touch panel 2. This is a region that does not have an electrostatic blocking function. On the other hand, the electrostatic shielding region 26B is configured so that the width of the range located on the near side is wide when the user operates the personal computer keyboard device. In addition, it is indispensable that the electrostatic shielding region 26B is disposed on the near side. For other areas, the electrostatic shielding property required between the cover panel 7 and the laminate 5 is considered, It will be provided as appropriate. In FIG. 1, a boundary line 26C between the two regions is indicated by a dotted line.
The antistatic means 26 may be a transparent resin sheet (for example, acrylic, ABS, etc.) coated with an electrostatic shielding material (for example, conductive paint). An electric shielding material may be applied directly. Moreover, you may use a conductive plastic, a conductive adhesive tape, etc.

  The touch panel drive circuit configured on the circuit board 12 realizes a function as a keyboard device by cooperating with the touch panel 2 on the input operation surface 6 on the upper surface of the cover panel 7, in other words, the touch position on the touch panel 2 surface. That is, a microcomputer is configured to output information corresponding to the symbol 3a instructed by touch. Specifically, the position detection function of the touch panel 2 receives a position signal on the touch panel 2 touched by the operator (actually touched via the input operation surface 6), and the position signal and the symbol printing film. A specific signal based on a predetermined association with the symbol 3a on the three surfaces is generated and output as the symbol 3a instructed by touch.

  The capacitive touch panel 2 is a touch panel that detects the position of the touched touch panel 2 surface (on the input operation surface 6) by detecting an electric signal generated by static electricity. Both the capacitive touch panel 2 and the touch panel drive circuit are based on known techniques. In other words, the capacitive touch panel 2 and the touch panel drive circuit (circuit board 12) are position detection systems using electrical signals due to static electricity, and are finally associated with touch positions on the touch panel 2 surface. As long as the specific signal corresponding to the symbol 3a is output from the touch panel drive circuit, the touch panel 2 and the touch panel drive circuit having any configuration may be used.

In addition, the touch panel drive circuit configured on the circuit board 12 cooperates with the strain gauge 22 that constitutes the load sensor to change the touch position on the input operation surface 6 on the upper surface of the cover panel 7, in other words, the touch panel 2 surface. The control means (microcomputer) which implement | achieves the function as an apparatus is comprised. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 8, the coordinate information obtained from the translucent touch panel 2 that is a capacitance panel is converted into a key code by the key code conversion unit 12A as described above.
Further, the load value obtained from the strain gauge 22 is monitored by the load response monitoring unit 12B, and the load area is specified. For example, in the example of FIG. 4, the load area is identified by virtually dividing the touch panel 2 into four areas around the four strain gauges 22A, 22B, 22C, and 22D, and the load values detected by the respective strain gauges. From the comparison of the magnitudes of these, it is determined that a load is applied to the area closest to any strain gauge. As a result, when it is recognized that the normal operation is that the user intentionally inputs instead of the default state, a keystroke valid signal is sent to the key code conversion unit 12A. The key code is output to the personal computer 28.

A specific example of the control flow at this time is as shown in FIG.
(S100): A load area is specified from the load sensor (strain gauge 22).
(S110): A key is specified from the panel coordinate information.
(S120): It is determined whether or not the key specified in S110 is a key in the load area obtained in S100. If it is not a key in the load area, it is determined as a default state.
(S130): If the key specified in S110 is a key in the load area obtained in S100, the key code is output to the personal computer 28.

Note that the lighting circuit of the backlight device 4 is not shown, but here, it is disposed on the same substrate as the touch panel drive circuit (circuit board 12). In this case, the wiring of the lighting circuit of the backlight device 4 is configured so as not to affect the position detection operation of the capacitive touch panel 2. This is the same when the lighting circuit of the backlight device 4 is provided separately from the circuit board 12 of the touch panel drive circuit.
Furthermore, in this embodiment, although not shown, a vibration motor (Haptics) that operates in conjunction with detection of a touch on the touch panel 2 is provided. This is to notify the operator that the input operation surface 6 has been touched without releasing an unnecessarily loud sound to the surroundings.

According to the embodiment of the present invention configured as described above, the following operational effects can be obtained.
First, according to the embodiment of the present invention, the electrostatic shielding layer 26 including the key arrangement region 26A and the electrostatic shielding region 26B disposed between the touch panel 2 and the cover panel 7 allows the user to touch his / her finger. The capacitance of the touch panel 2 does not change in the default state where the keyboard is lightly touched, and the default state can be prevented from being erroneously detected as an intentional input. Therefore, the input operation can be performed accurately.

The electrostatic shielding layer 26 may be formed by applying an electrostatic shielding material to a transparent resin sheet. The upper surface of the touch panel 2 or the lower surface of the cover panel (in this embodiment, the lower surface of the half mirror 9). ) May be formed by directly applying an electrostatic shielding material. Moreover, you may use a conductive plastic, a conductive adhesive tape, etc.
In addition, since the electrostatic shielding area 26B is provided at least in an area located on the front side when the user operates the personal computer keyboard device, the user can touch the keyboard lightly on the keyboard, and other than the fingertip. The electrostatic shielding layer 26 can prevent the touch panel 2 from detecting the contact of the part where the key operation is not normally performed.

  In the embodiment of the present invention, an example of application to a keyboard device for a personal computer has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to a keyboard device for other electronic devices, for example, an electronic device controller such as a remote control for AV devices, It will be appreciated that the same applies to electronic desk calculators.

  1: lower case, 2: translucent touch panel, 3: symbol printing film, 3a: symbol, 4: backlight device, 5: laminate, 6: input operation surface (upper surface of device), 7: cover panel, 8: Translucent panel, 9: Half mirror, 10: Keyboard operation unit, 11: Symbol group, 26: Electrostatic shielding means for touch panel

Claims (7)

A keyboard device comprising a capacitive touch panel and a translucent cover panel covering the upper surface of the touch panel, the upper surface of the cover panel forming an input operation surface,
A keyboard device, wherein an electrostatic shielding layer including a key arrangement region and an electrostatic shielding region is disposed between the touch panel and the cover panel. The keyboard device according to claim 1, wherein the electrostatic shielding area is provided at least in an area located on the near side when operated by a user. The keyboard device according to claim 1, wherein the electrostatic shielding layer is formed by applying an electrostatic shielding material to a transparent resin sheet. The keyboard device according to claim 1, wherein the electrostatic shielding layer is formed by applying an electrostatic shielding material to at least one of an upper surface of the touch panel or a lower surface of the cover panel. A keyboard device for a personal computer, wherein the keyboard device according to any one of claims 1 to 4 is used. An electronic device controller using the keyboard device according to claim 1. An electronic desk calculator using the keyboard device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.