JP2012238210A - Input device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an input device capable of preventing input unintended by an operator.SOLUTION: An input device 1 in accordance with an embodiment mainly includes: a touch sensor 10 as a detection unit for outputting a detection signal in accordance with input operation; and a determination unit 11 for determining a first operation position on the basis of a first detection signal obtained from the touch sensor 10 and a first threshold 111, changing a threshold for determining an operation position to a second threshold 112 having higher detection sensitivity than the first threshold 111 after the determination, and determining a second operation position on the basis of a second detection signal obtained subsequently to the first detection signal and the second threshold 112.

Description

  The present invention relates to an input device.

  As a conventional technique, an input unit that detects the amount of change in capacitance at a plurality of detection points is provided, and the maximum detected value B of the detected capacitance and the detection values A and detection values at the detection points before and after the detected capacitance An input device that performs calculation (2B-A-C) using C and cancels the generation of coordinate data when the calculated value is equal to or less than a first threshold value is known (for example, , See Patent Document 1).

  In this conventional input device, when the calculated value is equal to or less than the first threshold value, that is, when the change amount of the electrostatic capacitance based on the detected value B and the detected values A and C before and after the detected value B is small, the coordinates are Since the generation of data can be canceled, it is possible to prevent erroneous detection when the palm of the input means is touching.

JP 2002-82765 A

  However, in the conventional input device, when the operator's operation finger (operating finger) is separated from the input means during the operation and the other finger is closer to the operation surface than the operation finger, the other finger is moved. There is a possibility that an unintended input may be performed due to erroneous detection of an operation finger.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an input device that prevents an input unintended by an operator.

  One aspect of the present invention provides a first operation position based on a detection unit that outputs a detection signal according to an operation performed, a first detection signal acquired from the detection unit, and a first threshold value. After the determination, the threshold value for determining the operation position is changed to a second threshold value having a detection sensitivity higher than that of the first threshold value, and the second value acquired following the first detection signal is changed. An input device is provided that includes a determination unit that determines the second operation position based on the detection signal and the second threshold value.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent an input unintended by the operator.

FIG. 1A is a block diagram of the input device according to the embodiment, and FIG. 1B is a schematic diagram showing the relationship between the distance between the operator's finger and the surface of the touch panel and the capacitance value. It is a figure and (c) is a graph which shows the relationship between an electrostatic capacitance and the distance of the operator's finger | toe from the surface of a touch panel. 2A and 2B are top views showing a part of the touch panel according to the embodiment. FIG. 3 is a flowchart regarding the operation of the input device according to the embodiment.

[Embodiment]
(Summary of embodiment)
The input device according to the embodiment is based on a detection unit that outputs a detection signal according to an operation performed, a first detection signal acquired from the detection unit, and a first threshold value. After determining the operation position, the threshold value for determining the operation position is changed to a second threshold value that is higher in detection sensitivity than the first threshold value, and is acquired following the first detection signal. A determination unit configured to determine a second operation position based on the second detection signal and the second threshold value;

  This input device, for example, after determining the first operation position, that is, the position of the operator's finger (operation finger), sets the threshold for determining the operation position to be more sensitive than the first threshold. Is changed to the second threshold value which is higher. Subsequently, the input device determines the second operation position, that is, the position of the moved operation finger based on the second threshold value. Therefore, since this input device increases the sensitivity after detecting the operation finger, the position of the moved operation finger can be detected even when the operation finger is separated from the detection unit during the operation.

(Configuration of input device 1)
FIG. 1A is a block diagram of the input device according to the embodiment, and FIG. 1B is a schematic diagram showing the relationship between the distance between the operator's finger and the surface of the touch panel and the capacitance value. It is a figure and (c) is a graph which shows the relationship between an electrostatic capacitance and the distance of the operator's finger | toe from the surface of a touch panel. The distance shown in FIG. 1C indicates the distance between the operator's finger and the surface 100a with the surface 100a of the touch panel 100 as the origin. In each drawing according to the embodiment, the ratio between the objects may be different from the actual ratio.

  The input device 1 can operate, for example, a connected electronic device. The input device 1 is configured to be able to give instructions such as movement and selection of a cursor displayed on an electronic device, dragging and dropping of a displayed icon, for example, by operation with a conductive pen or finger. ing. In this embodiment, an operation with a finger will be described.

  The input device 1 according to the embodiment mainly includes a touch sensor 10 as a detection unit that outputs a detection signal according to an operation performed, a first detection signal acquired from the touch sensor 10, and a first signal. After determining the first operation position based on the threshold value 111, the threshold value for determining the operation position is set to a second threshold value 112 having a detection sensitivity higher than that of the first threshold value 111. A determination unit 11 that determines the second operation position based on the second detection signal changed and the second detection signal acquired subsequent to the first detection signal, and the second threshold value 112. Has been.

  For example, the operator can perform a touch operation, a tap operation, a slide (tracing) operation, a gesture operation, and the like on the input device 1. Here, the touch operation indicates an operation of touching the surface 100a with a finger, for example. The tap operation is an operation of touching the input device 1 in a shorter time than the touch operation, and indicates an operation of executing different functions according to the number of times by repeating a plurality of times within a predetermined time. In addition, the slide operation refers to, for example, an operation of moving a finger while being in contact with the surface 100a. The gesture operation indicates, for example, an operation for executing a function assigned to a shape when the trajectory of the operation finger is similar to a predetermined shape. For the determination of the gesture operation, for example, a known method such as a method using pattern matching is used.

Configuration of Touch Sensor 10 The touch sensor 10 is a sensor that outputs, as a detection signal, a change in current that is inversely proportional to the distance between the sensor wire 101 and the finger due to the finger approaching the surface 100a of the touch panel 100, for example. The touch sensor 10 is, for example, a sensor that can detect operations with a plurality of fingers.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 1A, the touch sensor 10 includes a touch panel 100, a plurality of sensor wires 101, and a drive unit 102, and is schematically configured.

  The touch panel 100 includes, for example, a glass flat plate at the top, and a plurality of sensor wires 101 are provided below the glass flat plate.

  For example, the sensor wires 101 are arranged along the vertical direction and the horizontal direction of the paper surface of FIG. In the present embodiment, the horizontal direction of the sheet of FIG. 1A is the x axis, the vertical direction is the y axis, and the upper left of the touch panel 100 is the origin.

  In the x-axis direction, as shown in FIG. 1A, m sensor wires 101 are arranged at equal intervals. This m is, for example, a positive integer. The m sensor wires 101 are electrically connected to the drive unit 102, for example.

  In the y-axis direction, as shown in FIG. 1A, n sensor wires 101 are arranged at equal intervals. This n is, for example, a positive integer. The n sensor wires 101 are electrically connected to the drive unit 102, for example. As an example, the interval between the sensor wires 101 arranged along the x-axis and the y-axis is 3 mm.

In the following, the x-axis coordinates are indicated by x ₁ to x _m from the left to the right, with subscript numbers ( _{1 to m} ) appended to x. The coordinates of the y-axis is denoted by the subscript numbers (1 to n) to y, from top to bottom and indicates the _y 1 ~y _n.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 1A, the sensor wires 101 arranged along the x axis are formed in a layer closer to the surface 100a than the sensor wires 101 arranged along the y axis. In addition, the sensor wires 101 arranged along the x axis are electrically insulated from the sensor wires 101 arranged along the y axis, for example.

  The drive unit 102 supplies a current to each sensor wire 101, for example. The supply of this current is sequentially performed in accordance with, for example, a clock signal generated by the clock generation unit 102a included in the driving unit 102. The drive unit 102 is configured to detect a capacitance based on the supplied current, for example.

Specifically, the drive unit 102 is configured to read the electrostatic capacitance in the order of sensor wire 101 of the sensor wire 101, the _{y 1} sensor wire 101～Y _n sensor wires 101～X _m of _{x 1} Yes. Driver 102, for example, on the basis of the read value of the capacitance of each sensor wire 101 (capacitance value), the coordinate values (capacitance value of x _1, the capacitance value of x _2, · · , X _m capacitance value, y ₁ capacitance value, y ₂ capacitance value,..., Y _n capacitance value, t) are generated, and the determination unit 11 generates a detection signal. It is configured to output to. As an example, the clock signal is output at a time interval in the range of 20 to 60 ms. Also, t indicates, for example, the time when the clock signal is output.

Configuration of determination unit 11 The determination unit 11 includes, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) that performs operations and processing on acquired data according to a program, a RAM (Random Access Memory) that is a semiconductor memory, and a ROM (Read Only Memory). And so on. In this ROM, for example, a program for operating the determination unit 11 and a first threshold value 111 and a second threshold value 112 are stored. For example, the RAM is used as a storage area for temporarily storing calculation results and the like.

  The determination unit 11 is configured to determine, for example, the coordinates of the operation, the content of the operation, and the like based on the detection signal acquired from the touch sensor 10.

The first threshold value 111 is, for example, a threshold value used for detecting a finger contact with the surface 100a. The first threshold value 111 is set to, for example, a capacitance _{C 1} shown in FIG. 1 (b) and (c). That is, the determination unit 11, if the detected capacitance capacitance C ₁ is less than does not determine the touch of the finger, in other words if, is configured not to calculate the coordinates of the finger is in contact.

For example, as shown in FIG. 1B, the second threshold 112 is a threshold used for detecting a finger at a position h away from the surface 100a. That is, the second threshold 112 has a higher finger detection sensitivity than the first threshold 111. The second threshold value 112 is set to, for example, a capacitance _{C 2} shown in FIG. 1 (b) and (c). Determining unit 11, when it is detected capacitance is smaller than the capacitance C ₂ determines that the operation has been completed. Incidentally, the capacitance C ₁ and the capacitance C ₂ is a threshold value is set in consideration of the individual differences.

When the operator's finger is in contact with the surface 100a, as shown in FIG. 1 (c), the electrostatic capacitance C ₁ when the finger is in contact, the distance from the surface 100a to the finger, and h It becomes larger than the electrostatic capacitance C ₂ made. The distance from the surface 100a to the fingers of the operator, when away than h, as shown in FIG. 1 (c), the electrostatic capacitance to be detected becomes smaller than the capacitance C _2.

  For example, the determination unit 11 calculates the coordinates at which the finger touches or approaches from the coordinate values based on the acquired detection signal. A known method such as a method using a weighted average is used as a method of calculating the coordinates (hereinafter referred to as detection points).

  A plurality of detection points may be calculated based on the first threshold value 111 when another finger or a part of the hand touches the surface 100a. For example, when a plurality of detection points are calculated, the determination unit 11 further sets a point having the maximum capacitance among the detection points as a detection point (first operation position) corresponding to the operation finger. In addition, after determining the detection point corresponding to the operation finger, the determination unit 11 changes the threshold value for determination to the second threshold value 112 and also detects the detection point (the first point corresponding to the operation finger) A condition is set in which a detection point (operation position) within a predetermined distance from the (operation position) is set as a detection point (second operation position) corresponding to the moved operation finger.

The predetermined distance (the radius r of the region 12 described later) is calculated from the time interval (cycle) of the clock signal and the moving speed of the operating finger. This distance r is 30 mm as an example. The distance r is calculated by the following formula as an example.
r = v × T + d
r: distance v: movement speed of the operating finger T: time interval (cycle) of the clock signal
d: auxiliary constant

  This moving speed v is set by conducting an experiment, for example. For example, since the predetermined distance r has an individual difference in the moving speed of the operating finger, an auxiliary constant d is added so as to give a margin more than the distance calculated from the moving speed v obtained in the experiment. ing.

  Hereinafter, the operation of the input apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

(Operation)
2A and 2B are top views showing a part of the touch panel according to the embodiment. FIG. 3 is a flowchart regarding the operation of the input device according to the embodiment.

FIG. 2A shows a plurality of detection points obtained based on the first detection signal output from the touch sensor 10. FIG. 2B is obtained from the detection point 103 indicated by the dotted line, which is determined to correspond to the operating finger based on the first detection signal, and the second detection signal output subsequent to the first detection signal. A plurality of detected points (detected points 106 and 107) are shown. FIGS. 2A and 2B show the touch sensor 10 in the range of x _{i to} x _{i + 6} and y _{j to} y _{j + 6} . Note that i and j are positive integers. Hereinafter, a case where the operator performs a slide operation will be described as an example.

  The determination unit 11 of the input device 1 acquires a detection signal from the drive unit 102 (S1).

The determination unit 11 calculates a detection point based on the acquired detection signal and the first threshold 111 (S2). As shown in FIG. 2A, when the detection point 103, the detection point 104, and the detection point 105 are calculated, the determination unit 11 detects the largest capacitance among the detection points 103 to 105. The point is determined as a detection point (first operation position) corresponding to the operation finger (S3). In the present embodiment, it is assumed that the detection point 103 located at coordinates (x _{i + 3} , y _{j + 3} ) corresponds to the operating finger. Here, the detection point 104 and the detection point 105 that are not determined as the operation finger are, for example, a finger different from the operation finger that has contacted the surface 100a and a part of the hand.

  After determining the detection point corresponding to the operation finger, the determination unit 11 sets the threshold for determining the detection point (operation position) to the second threshold value with higher detection sensitivity than the first threshold 111. The threshold value is changed to 112 (S4). In the following description, a detection signal that is determined to be touched by a finger is referred to as a first detection signal. By changing the threshold value, the determination unit 11 can determine, for example, a finger located within a distance h from the surface 100a.

  However, by determining the threshold value to the second threshold value 112, the determination unit 11 is more likely to detect a finger other than the operation finger or a part of the hand as a detection point. Furthermore, as described above, in the method of determining the operating finger as the detection point having the largest capacitance among the plurality of detection points, the capacitance is reduced because the operating finger is separated from the surface 100a. There is a possibility that erroneous detection using the other detection point as the detection point of the operating finger may occur.

  Therefore, the determination unit 11 sets another condition in order to determine the detection point corresponding to the moved operating finger from the detection points obtained based on the second detection signal. As described above, this condition is that the detection point corresponding to the moved operation finger corresponds to the operation finger detected by the first threshold 111 as shown in FIG. 2B, for example. It exists in the area | region 12 enclosed with the circle | round | yen of the radius r centering on the detection point 103 to perform.

  Next, the determination unit 11 acquires the next detection signal (second detection signal) based on the clock signal (S5).

  Next, the determination unit 11 calculates a detection point based on the second threshold value 112 (S6). Here, it is assumed that the determination unit 11 calculates the detection point 106 and the detection point 107 as shown in FIG.

  Next, the determination unit 11 sets a region 12 surrounded by a circle with a radius r starting from the detection point 103 corresponding to the operation finger determined in step 3, and whether or not there is a detection point in the region 12. Determine whether. For example, when there are a plurality of detection points in the region 12, the determination unit 11 determines the detection point having the largest capacitance as the detection point corresponding to the operation finger.

  When there is a detection point in the region 12 (S7: Yes), the determination unit 11 acquires the next detection signal using the detection point 106 in the region 12 as a detection point corresponding to the operating finger (S8). When the process of step 8 ends, the determination unit 11 continuously performs the operations from step 6 to step 8 as long as step 7 is established. During this period, for example, when the input device 1 is set to output an instruction to move the cursor, the cursor moves according to the coordinates of the detected detection point.

  Here, when there is no detection point in the region 12 in Step 7 (S7: No), the determination unit 11 determines that the operation has ended (S9).

  Next, when the process of step 9 ends, the determination unit 11 changes the threshold value from the second threshold value 112 to the first threshold value 111 (S10), and advances the process to step 1. The above operation is repeated until an end interrupt signal is input to the input device 1.

(Effect of embodiment)
The input device 1 according to the present embodiment determines the detection point of the operating finger based on the first threshold value 111, then changes the threshold value to the second threshold value 112 having high detection sensitivity, and further Since the detection point included in the region 12 centered on the detection point is the operation finger after movement, it can be detected even when the operation finger is separated from the touch sensor 10 compared to the case where the threshold value is not changed. Input that is not intended by the operator can be prevented.

  Further, since the input device 1 can accurately detect the movement of the operating finger, the accuracy of determining a gesture operation or the like from the locus of the operating finger is improved.

  As mentioned above, although some embodiment of this invention was described, these embodiment is only an example and does not limit the invention which concerns on a claim. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, replacements, changes, and the like can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. In addition, not all the combinations of features described in these embodiments are essential to the means for solving the problems of the invention. Furthermore, these embodiments are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are included in the invention described in the claims and the equivalents thereof.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Input device, 10 ... Touch sensor, 11 ... Determination part, 12 ... Area | region, 100 ... Touch panel, 100a ... Surface, 101 ... Sensor wire, 102 ... Drive part, 102a ... Clock generation part, 103-107 ... Detection point, 111 ... first threshold, 112 ... second threshold

Claims (3)

A detection unit that outputs a detection signal according to an operation performed;
After determining the first operation position based on the first detection signal acquired from the detection unit and the first threshold, the threshold for determining the operation position is set to the first threshold value. The second threshold value is changed to a second threshold value having a detection sensitivity higher than the threshold value, and the second threshold value is determined based on the second detection signal acquired following the first detection signal and the second threshold value. A determination unit for determining the operation position of
An input device with. The detection unit is a touch sensor that detects a capacitance value;
The input device according to claim 1, wherein the second threshold value has a capacitance value smaller than a capacitance value set as the first threshold value.   The input device according to claim 2, wherein the determination unit determines an operation position within a predetermined distance from the first operation position as the second operation position.

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