JP2013080364A - Tactile sense presentation and input device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To solve a problem in which: a conventional touch panel is vibrated by a user touching the touch panel; however, an operational feel such as depressing of an operation button is difficult to present; the size and shape of the operation button is difficult to be sensed by a blind-touch operation; and surface displacement at a desired position in a touch panel area that can be operated by blind touch requires a plurality of actuators and their drive means, which results in an increase in costs.SOLUTION: A display panel for displaying an image for a touch operation and a touch panel provided on the surface of the display panel are supported by a panel support member, and the touch panel is supported to a housing by an elastic support member movably in a vertical direction. By using positional information from a touch panel drive part, a contact position of a finger of a user to the touch panel is controlled such that an actuator drive unit has a different supporting power of the touch panel against a housing of an actuator between the display area of the image for a touch operation and an area other than the display area of the image for a touch operation.

Description

  The present invention provides a terminal device that can be operated by pressing an input portion displayed on a display screen, etc., and a user's finger or the like touches an input unit displayed on the screen without looking at the display screen. The present invention relates to a tactile sensation presentation input device that enables a child to perceive an input unit when touched.

  In the conventional tactile sense presentation device, when it is detected that the user touches the touch panel, there is a method of presenting a click feeling by vibrating the touch panel using a motor, a piezoelectric element, or the like (for example, Patent Document 1). ). In addition, by arranging multiple actuators in the panel and displacing the surface of the area touched by the user in the normal direction of the touch panel, the operation feeling as if the operation buttons displayed as images actually exist Has also been proposed (for example, Patent Document 2).

Japanese Patent No. 4473078 JP2011-2926A

  The tactile sense presentation device described in Patent Document 1 presents a tactile sensation to the user by vibrating the touch panel itself when detecting that the user has touched the touch panel. For example, when an operation button is displayed on the touch panel, when the user touches a position on the touch panel on which the operation button is displayed, the user can perceive the position of the operation button by vibrating the touch panel. it can. However, it is difficult to present an operational feeling such as depressing an operation button by vibration alone, and in the case of a blind touch operation in which the touch panel is operated without relying on vision, the size and shape of the operation button may be perceived by the user. There was a problem that it was difficult.

  In addition, in the tactile sense presentation device described in Patent Document 2, a blind touch operation can be performed by displacing the surface of a desired position in the touch panel region. However, a plurality of actuators and their driving means are required, and the device There was a problem of becoming expensive.

  The present invention was made to solve the above problems, and it is possible to easily recognize the operation unit such as operation buttons displayed on the touch panel without the user looking at the display screen. And it aims at providing the tactile sense presentation input device which can be constituted cheaply.

A tactile sensation presentation input device according to the present invention includes:
A display panel for displaying images for touch operation on the display screen;
A touch panel disposed with a gap on the surface of the display panel;
A panel indicating member for supporting the touch panel on the housing;
An elastic support member for supporting the touch panel on the casing so as to be movable in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the touch panel, an actuator for controlling the support force of the touch panel with respect to the casing, and a contactor that allows the user to perceive the action force from the touch panel. A touch panel drive unit that outputs position information of the touch panel in contact;
An actuator driving unit for driving the actuator,
Based on the position information from the touch panel drive unit, the contact position of the contact on the touch panel corresponds to the area of the touch panel corresponding to the display area of the touch operation image on the display panel and the area other than the touch operation image area. In the area of the touch panel, the actuator driving unit controls the support force of the touch panel with respect to the housing of the actuator to be different.

According to the tactile presentation input device according to the present invention,
The position on the touch panel of the contact that allows the user to perceive the acting force from the touch panel is detected, and the support force of the touch panel with respect to the housing by the actuator is a position corresponding to the image for touch operation, and for touch operation By controlling differently depending on the position of the area other than the image, the user perceives the difference in the acting force from the touch panel without making a complicated configuration, so that the user can display the display panel for touch operation. Even without looking at the screen, the display image position can be perceived by touch.

It is a section lineblock diagram of a tactile sense presentation input device in Embodiment 1 of this invention. 1 is a system configuration block diagram of a tactile sense input device according to Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a figure explaining the operation state of the tactile sense input device in the case of making a user perceive the display button image position of the display panel by Embodiment 1 by tactile presentation. It is a figure explaining button operation execution operation after button image position detection. It is a flowchart which shows a button image position detection operation and the button operation execution operation process after detection. It is a figure explaining the operation state of the tactile sense input device in the case of making a user perceive the display button image position of the display panel by Embodiment 2 by tactile presentation. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an operation of the tactile sense input device when a display button image is pressed in the second embodiment. 6 is a flowchart showing an operation process of the second embodiment. It is a cross-sectional block diagram of the tactile sense input device in this Embodiment 3. It is a top view which shows the support structure of the touch panel of the tactile presentation input device in this Embodiment 3. FIG. It is a structure sectional view of a spring ball plunger. FIG. 10 is an operation explanatory diagram of the tactile presentation input device in the third embodiment. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of a method of identifying a plurality of display image areas for simultaneous display by driving control of actuators in x, y, and z3 directions in the third embodiment.

Embodiment 1 FIG.
In this embodiment, the operation of the tactile presentation input device when the touch panel is movably supported in the direction perpendicular to the touch panel surface will be described.

1 is a cross-sectional configuration diagram of a tactile sensation input device according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.
In FIG. 1, 1 is a touch panel for detecting a position where an object such as a user's finger or pen contacts, 2 is a display panel for presenting information of an image for touch operation to the user, and the touch panel 1 and the display panel 2 are panels. The support member 4 is integrally formed. Reference numeral 3 denotes a cushion material for protecting the contact portion of the touch panel 1 with the housing 7.

  5 is an elastic support member such as a compression spring that supports the touch panel 1 to be movable in the z-axis direction (perpendicular to the touch panel surface) with respect to the housing 7, and 6 is for controlling the support force of the touch panel 1 with respect to the housing 7. It is an actuator such as a push / pull type electromagnetic solenoid. The elastic support member 5 is installed such that one end thereof is in contact with the panel support member 4 and the other end thereof is in contact with the casing 7, and the reaction force of the elastic support member 5 in the z-axis direction. Thus, the touch panel 1 configured integrally with the panel support member 4 is configured to be applied with a force enough to contact the housing 7 in the z-axis direction via the cushion material 3. 8 is a pressure sensor made of a polymer thick film for detecting the contact pressure between the actuator 6 and the panel support member 4, and 9 is a z-axis position for detecting the height position of the display panel 2 in the z-axis direction. In this embodiment, a contact type sensor is used.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a system configuration of the tactile presentation input device according to the first embodiment. The illustrated system includes a display panel drive unit 101, a touch panel drive unit 102, an actuator drive unit 103, a pressure sensor drive unit 104, a z-axis position sensor drive unit 105, a sound generation mechanism drive unit 106, and a control unit 107. .
The display panel drive unit 101 drives the display panel 2 to display information according to a control signal sent from the control unit 107. The touch panel drive unit 102 processes a signal obtained from the touch panel 1, and obtains position information where a user's finger, pen, etc., which are contacts capable of perceiving the action force from the touch panel 1, are in contact with the touch panel 1. The data is sent to the control unit 107. The actuator driving unit 103 drives the actuator 6 in accordance with a signal sent from the control unit 107. The pressure sensor driving unit 104 detects the contact pressure between the panel support member 4 and the actuator 6 that are integrated with the touch panel 1, and sends a detection signal to the control unit 107. The z-axis position sensor driving unit 105 sends a signal to the control unit 107 when detecting the position of the panel support member 4 in the z-axis direction. The sound generation mechanism driving unit 106 drives a sound generation mechanism (not shown) according to the control signal sent from the control unit 107, and transmits the current processing state of the tactile presentation input device to the user as sound information.

Next, the operation of the tactile presentation input device according to Embodiment 1 will be described.
In this embodiment, when an image area such as an operation button displayed on the display panel 2 is selected and the button image is touched to perform processing assigned to the button, the display screen is not seen. The case of operating with (no visual information) will be described.

FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the operating state of the tactile sensation input device when the user perceives the position of the button image 2a displayed on the display panel 2 by tactile presentation.
FIG. 3A is a plan view of the touch panel 1 and the display panel 2 as viewed from the direction perpendicular to the panel surface, and shows a state where the button image 2 a is displayed on the display panel 2. When the user looks for the position of the button image 2a without looking at the display screen, the user scans the surface of the touch panel 1 with the finger 10 as a contact. The operation of the user's finger 10 searching for the button image 2a in the x-axis direction shown in FIG. 3 and the operation of the tactile presentation input device at that time are shown in FIGS.

  As shown in FIG. 3B, when the user's finger 10 is located on the touch panel 1 corresponding to the left region of the display panel 2 other than the button image 2a of the display panel 2, a signal from the touch panel drive unit 102 is used. The position information of the touch panel 1 corresponding to the area other than the button image 2a is sent to the control unit 107 where the touch panel 1 is in contact with a contact such as a user's finger or pen. The control unit 107 sends a signal to the actuator driving unit 103 so as to drive the actuator 6 based on the position information of the touch panel 1 corresponding to the area other than the button image 2a. The actuator driving unit 103 drives the actuator 6 in a direction in which the actuator 6 presses the panel support member 4 against the housing 7 (pushes up in the z-axis direction). When the user's finger 10 touches the surface of the touch panel 1, a force is applied in the vertical direction of the surface of the touch panel 1, so that the user's finger 10 receives a drag N 1 from the surface of the touch panel 1. In this case, since the force (panel support force) for supporting the entire touch panel 1 and the display panel 2 in the z-axis direction by the actuator 6 is increased (the panel support force), the drag N1 received by the user's finger 10 is increased. Get the tactile sensation of touching a rigid body. The strength of the panel support force can be adjusted by controlling the driving amount of the actuator 6 and the contact pressure between the actuator 6 and the panel support member 4 detected by the pressure sensor 8.

Next, a case will be described in which the finger 10 is scanned rightward in the x-axis direction and the finger 10 is positioned in the area of the touch panel 1 corresponding to the area where the button image 2a is displayed as shown in FIG. . The touch position detection function of the touch panel drive unit 102 detects that the user's finger 10 is positioned in the area of the touch panel 1 corresponding to the area where the button image 2 a is displayed, and sends this position information to the control unit 107. It is done. Then, the driving of the actuator 6 is released by a signal from the control unit 107, and the touch panel 1 configured integrally with the panel support member 4 is supported only by the elastic support member 5, so that the panel support force becomes weak and the touch panel. 1 is in a state of being movable downward in the z-axis direction.
At this time, the drag N2 received by the user's finger 10 is smaller than N1, and the tactile sensation is softer than when the user touches the area of the touch panel 1 corresponding to the area other than the button image 2a (FIG. 3A). Get.

  Next, when the finger 10 is again scanned to the right in the x-axis direction and the finger 10 is positioned in the area of the touch panel 1 corresponding to the area other than the button image 2a as shown in FIG. The touch position detection function 102 detects that the user's finger 10 is positioned outside the area where the button image 2 a is displayed, and this position information is sent to the control unit 107, and a signal from the control unit 107 is detected. By driving the actuator 6 and increasing the panel supporting force in the z-axis direction so as to press the touch panel 1 against the housing 7, the user's finger 10 receives the drag N1 from the panel surface and touches the rigid body again. Get a hard tactile feel.

  FIG. 3E is a graph showing the drag received by the user's finger 10 in the x-axis direction, and shows that the drag N is small between x1 and x2 where the button image 2a is located. Thus, by detecting the difference in drag, the position of the button image 2a displayed on the display panel 2 can be detected. Further, when it is detected that the user's finger 10 is positioned in the area where the button image 2a is displayed, the sound generation mechanism driving unit 106 operates a sound generation mechanism (not shown) by a control signal from the control unit 107, By transmitting the position touched by the user's finger 10 to the user by voice information, the user can confirm the position of the display image from both the sense of touch and hearing.

  When the button operation is executed next from the state in which the position of the button image 2a is detected by the difference in the drag force that the user receives from the touch panel 1 (FIG. 3C), the touch panel 1 is moved to the z axis as shown in FIG. Push down in the direction down until it contacts the z-axis position sensor 9. When the z-axis position sensor 9 detects the display panel 2, the process assigned to the button image 2a is executed by the control unit 107. With the above operation, it is possible to obtain an operational feeling as if the button was pressed.

  FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the operation steps. First, the actuator driving unit 103 turns on the driving of the actuator 6 by the control signal of the control unit 107, and increases the support force in the z-axis direction of the touch panel 1 (step ST1). Next, the touch position of the user's finger 10 is detected by the touch panel drive unit 102 (step ST2), the touch position information is sent to the control unit 107, and the touch position is displayed in the display image area (in this embodiment, the button image 2a). The control part 107 determines whether it is located in (step ST3). When the touch position is not located within the display image area, the processes of step ST2 and step ST3 are repeated while the actuator 6 is kept on.

  When the touch position is located within the display image area, the actuator driving unit 103 turns off the driving of the actuator 6 and releases the support force in the z-axis direction of the touch panel 1 (step ST4). When the z-axis position of the display panel 2 is detected by the z-axis position sensor driving unit 105 based on the signal from the z-axis position sensor 9 (step ST5), the control unit 107 executes processing assigned to the display image (step ST5). Step ST6).

Thus, by detecting the position of the user's finger on the touch panel 1 and controlling the supporting force of the touch panel 1, the user perceives the display image position by tactile sense without looking at the display screen of the display panel 2. can do. In the present embodiment, since the actuator 6 is controlled so that the drag of the display image area is reduced, the user can obtain a tactile sensation as if the display image area has a concave shape.
In addition, while supporting the touch panel 1 so as to be movable in the vertical direction of the touch panel 1, it is possible to obtain an operational feeling such as pressing a button by detecting the vertical height position of the touch panel 1.

  In the present embodiment, the case where the user's finger 10 is scanned in the x-axis direction in order to search for the button image 2a displayed on the display panel 2 has been described, but the y-axis direction is also the same as in the case of the x-axis. By controlling the actuator 6, the position of the button image 2a can be perceived by tactile sensation.

  In the present embodiment, the touch panel 1 and the display panel 2 are integrally configured. However, the touch panel 1 and the display panel 2 may be separated and the display panel 2 may be fixed to the housing 7. . By separating the touch panel 1 and the display panel 2, the weight of the touch panel 1 integrated with the panel support member 4 is reduced, and the panel support force can be reduced. In the present embodiment, the z-axis position sensor 9 is installed at a position in contact with the display panel 2. In this case, the z-axis position sensor 9 may be installed at a position in contact with the panel support member 4.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the z-axis position sensor 9 which is a contact type sensor is used as means for detecting the height position of the display panel 2 in the z-axis direction, but the display panel 2 or the panel support member 4 is used. The sensing method is not limited as long as the purpose of detecting the position in the z-axis direction can be achieved. For example, a non-contact optical sensor can be used for the z-axis position sensor 9.

Embodiment 2. FIG.
In the first embodiment, the panel support force is weakened in the display image region. In the second embodiment, a case where the panel support force is increased in the display image region will be described. FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the second embodiment. The mechanism and system configuration of the tactile presentation input device in the second embodiment are the same as those in the first embodiment, and the operation of the actuator 6 is opposite to that in the first embodiment except for the display image area and the display image area. become.
FIG. 6A is a plan view of the touch panel 1 and the display panel 2 as viewed from the surface vertical direction of the touch panel 1, and shows a state in which the button image 2 a is displayed on the display panel 2. When the user looks for the position of the button image 2 a without looking at the display screen, the user is in a state of scanning the surface of the touch panel 1 with the finger 10. The operation of the user's finger 10 searching for the button image 2a in the x-axis direction shown in FIG. 6 and the operation of the tactile sense input device at that time are shown in FIGS.

  As shown in FIG. 6B, when the user's finger 10 is located on the touch panel 1 corresponding to the left region of the display panel 2 other than the button image 2 a of the display panel 2, the signal from the touch panel driving unit 102 is used. The position information of the touch panel 1 corresponding to the area other than the button image 2a is sent to the control unit 107 where the touch panel 1 is in contact with a contact such as a user's finger or pen. The control unit 107 sends a signal to the actuator driving unit 103 so as to release the driving of the actuator 6 based on the position information of the touch panel 1 corresponding to the area other than the button image 2a. The actuator driving unit 103 releases the driving of the actuator 6 by this signal. The touch panel 1 configured integrally with the panel support member 4 is supported only by the elastic support member 5. At this time, the drag N2 received by the user's finger 10 is relatively small, and the user obtains a tactile sensation as if touching a soft object.

Next, a case will be described in which the finger 10 is scanned rightward in the x-axis direction and the finger 10 is positioned in the area of the touch panel 1 corresponding to the area where the button image 2a is displayed as shown in FIG. 6C. .
The touch position detection function of the touch panel drive unit 102 detects that the user's finger 10 is positioned in the area of the touch panel 1 corresponding to the area where the button image 2 a is displayed, and sends this position information to the control unit 107. It is done. Then, the actuator 6 is driven in the direction of pressing the panel support member 4 against the casing 7 (pushing up in the z-axis direction) by the operation of the actuator driving unit 103 based on the signal from the control unit 107. In this case, since the supporting force (panel supporting force) of the touch panel 1 is increased, the drag N1 received by the user's finger 10 is greater than N2, and is harder than when the user is touching an area other than the button image 2a. Get a sense of touch. The strength of the panel support force can be adjusted by controlling the driving amount of the actuator 6 and the contact pressure between the actuator 6 and the panel support member 4 detected by the pressure sensor 8.

  Next, when the finger 10 is again scanned to the right in the x-axis direction and the finger 10 is positioned in the area of the touch panel 1 corresponding to the area other than the button image 2a as shown in FIG. The touch position detection function 102 detects that the user's finger 10 is located in the area of the touch panel 1 other than the area where the button image 2a is displayed, and this position information is sent to the control unit 107. The drive of the actuator 6 by the actuator drive unit 103 is released by a signal from the control unit 107, and the touch panel 1 configured integrally with the panel support member 4 is supported only by the elastic support member 5, and the panel support force is increased. By weakening, the user's finger 10 receives a drag N2 from the panel surface and obtains a soft touch again.

FIG. 6E is a graph showing the drag that the user's finger 10 receives from the surface of the touch panel 1 in the x-axis direction, and shows that the drag N increases between x1 and x2 where the button image 2a is located. . In this embodiment, since the actuator 6 is controlled so that the drag of the display image area is increased, the user can obtain a tactile sensation as if the display image area has a convex shape.
Thus, by detecting the difference in drag, the position of the button image 2a displayed on the display panel 2 can be detected. Further, when it is detected that the user's finger 10 is positioned in the area of the touch panel 1 corresponding to the area where the button image 2a is displayed, the sound generation mechanism driving unit 106 is not illustrated by a control signal from the control unit 107. By operating the sound generation mechanism and transmitting the position touched by the user's finger 10 to the user using sound information, the user can confirm the position of the display image from both the sense of touch and hearing.

Next, as shown in FIG. 6C, a case where the button operation is executed next from a state in which the position of the button image 2 a is detected based on a difference in drag that the user receives from the touch panel 1 will be described.
FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the tactile sensation input device in the operation when the user presses the virtual button (button image 2a) displayed on the display panel 2 in the second embodiment.

  FIG. 7A is a diagram showing a state where the user's finger 10 pushes the touch panel 1 more strongly than the state shown in FIG. In the state of FIG. 7A, the contact pressure P between the actuator 6 and the panel support member 4 is larger than that in the state of FIG. When the pressure P detected by the pressure sensor 8 exceeds a predetermined threshold pressure P0, the panel supporting force by the actuator 6 is released as shown in FIG. Then, as illustrated in FIG. 7C, the touch panel 1 is pushed down in the z-axis direction until the display panel 2 comes into contact with the z-axis position sensor 9. When the z-axis position sensor 9 detects the display panel 2, the process assigned to the button image 2a is executed. With the above operation, it is possible to obtain an operational feeling as if the button was pressed.

  FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the operation process of the second embodiment. First, the actuator driving unit 103 releases the driving of the actuator 6 by the control signal of the control unit 107 (OFF), and decreases the support force in the z-axis direction of the touch panel 1 (step ST1). Next, the touch position of the user's finger 10 is detected by the touch panel drive unit 103 (step ST2), and the control unit 107 determines whether or not the touch position is located in the display image area (the button image 2a in the present embodiment). Determine (step ST3). If the touch position is not located within the display image area, the processing of step ST2 and step ST3 is repeated with the drive of the actuator 6 turned off.

  When the touch position of the user's finger 10 is located within the display image area, the actuator driving unit 103 turns on the driving of the actuator 6 to increase the z-axis direction supporting force of the touch panel 1 (step ST4). Then, the contact pressure P between the actuator 6 and the panel support member 4 is detected by the pressure sensor driving unit 104, and the pressure P0 preset in the control unit 107 is compared with the detected contact pressure P (step ST5). When the contact pressure P is P <P0, the process after step ST3 is repeated. When the contact pressure P is P ≧ P0, the control unit 107 turns off the driving of the actuator 6 (step ST6) and detects that the z-axis position of the display panel 2 is in contact with the z-axis position sensor 9 ( In step ST7), the control unit 107 executes processing assigned to the display image (step ST8).

According to the present embodiment, when the user's finger 10 is positioned in the area of the touch panel 1 corresponding to the area of the button image 2a displayed on the display panel 2, the panel supporting force is strongly controlled, so that the real A tactile sensation as if touching a hard object such as a button can be obtained, and a sensation of operating an actual button can be obtained.
In the present embodiment, the case where the user's finger 10 is scanned in the x-axis direction to search for the button image 2a displayed on the display panel 2 has been described. However, the y-axis direction is also the case of the x-axis. Similarly, by controlling the actuator 6, the position of the button image 2a can be perceived by touch. In the present embodiment, the touch panel 1 and the display panel 2 are integrally configured. However, the touch panel 1 and the display panel 2 may be separated and the display panel 2 may be fixed to the housing 7. . In this case, the z-axis position sensor 9 may be installed at a position in contact with the panel support member 4.

  In this embodiment, the z-axis position sensor 9 which is a contact type sensor is used as a means for detecting the height position of the display panel 2 in the z-axis direction, but the display panel 2 or the panel support member 4 is used. The sensing method is not limited as long as the purpose of detecting the position in the z-axis direction can be achieved. For example, a non-contact optical sensor can be used for the z-axis position sensor 9.

  In the first and second embodiments, the case where one button image 2a is displayed on the display panel 2 has been described. However, even when a plurality of button images are displayed on the display panel 2, FIGS. By repeating the processing of step ST1 to step ST3 of the flowchart shown, the user can recognize the positions of a plurality of button images without looking at the display screen. At this time, the plurality of button image types can be identified by transmitting information about the button types from the sound generation mechanism unit 106 to the user by voice.

Embodiment 3 FIG.
In the first and second embodiments, the case where the touch panel 1 is movable and supported in the direction perpendicular to the surface has been described. In the present third embodiment, the touch panel 1 is movable and supported in the x-axis direction, the y-axis direction, and the z-axis direction. The operation of the tactile presentation input device will be described.

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the tactile presentation input device according to the third embodiment, and FIG. 10 is a plan view showing the support configuration of the touch panel 1 of the tactile presentation input device according to the third embodiment. 9 and 10, 6z is an actuator for controlling the supporting force in the z-axis direction of the touch panel 1, 6x is an actuator for controlling the supporting force in the x-axis direction of the touch panel 1, and 6y is the y-axis of the touch panel 1. It is an actuator for controlling the directional support force. 10z is a spring ball plunger which supports the touch panel 1 with respect to the housing 7 in the z-axis direction (panel surface vertical direction), 10x is movable in the x-axis direction, and 10y is movable in the y-axis direction (panel surface horizontal direction). A spring ball plunger which is supported by
As shown in FIG. 10, the panel support member 4 is installed on the four sides of the touch panel 1, and the spring ball plungers 10 x and 10 y and the actuators 6 x and 6 y are installed on the two opposing sides of the touch panel 1.
Further, the panel support member 4 is provided with a pressure sensor 8 made of a polymer thick film for detecting the contact pressure between the actuators 6x and 6y and the panel support member 4 in the same structure as the pressure sensor 8 for the actuator 6z. It has been.

  FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the spring ball plungers 10z, 10x, and 10y. Each of the spring ball plungers 10z, 10x, and 10y includes a ball 10a and a spring 10c that are rotatably supported in the housing 10b. The ball 10a is supported in a state where a part of the ball 10a protrudes from the housing 10b in an unloaded state. When a load is applied in the compression direction of the spring 10c via the ball 10a, the ball 10a moves into the housing 10b. The maximum movement amount at this time is S.

The spring ball plungers 10z, 10x, and 10y are respectively installed in the housing 7 so as to come into contact with the panel support member 4. In the z-axis direction, the touch panel 1 and the display panel 2 are integrated with each other by the reaction force of the spring 10c. The panel support member 4 configured as described above is pressed against the housing 7 via the elastic member 3.
Regarding the x-axis and y-axis directions, the spring ball plungers 10x and 10y are installed so as to be in contact with the panel support member 4 to the extent that no load is applied to the spring 10c. It is configured to be able to move up to ± S in the axial and y-axis directions.

Further, in the present embodiment, the actuators 6x, 6y, 6z and the pressure sensor 8 installed on the panel support member 4 are configured so that the friction is reduced, and the contact surface with the panel support member 4 is used. Since the balls 10a of the spring ball plungers 10x, 10y, and 10z roll, the touch panel 1 configured integrally with the panel support member 4 can smoothly move in the x, y, and z axis directions.
Other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment.

Next, the operation of the tactile sense input device in Embodiment 3 will be described with reference to FIG. In the present embodiment, a case will be described in which a plurality of button image positions displayed on the display panel 2 are tactilely presented to the user.
12A shows four button images 2b, 2c, 2d, and 2e displayed on the display panel 2, and FIG. 12B shows an actuator 6x when tactilely presenting the four button images to the user. FIG. 12C shows a movable direction in the xy plane of the touch panel 1 at B, C, D, and E. FIG. 12C is a timing chart showing driving (ON / OFF) states B, C, D, and E of 6y and 6z. FIG.
In the third embodiment, the case where the panel support force in the z-axis direction is increased in the display image region will be described.

When the user touches an area of the touch panel 1 other than the display image area of the display panel 2, the actuators 6x, 6y, and 6z are turned off. In this case, the touch panel 1 is movable in the x-axis, y-axis, and z-axis directions, and the user obtains a tactile sensation as if touching a soft object.
When the user touches the area of the touch panel 1 corresponding to the area where the button image 2b of the display panel 2 is displayed (state B in FIG. 12), the actuators 6x, 6y, and 6z are turned on. In this case, the touch panel 1 is in a state where the degree of freedom of movement in the x-axis, y-axis, and z-axis directions is constrained (B in FIG. 12C), and the user has a tactile sensation as if touching a hard object.

  When the user touches the area of the touch panel 1 corresponding to the area where the button image 2c of the display panel 2 is displayed (state C in FIG. 12), the actuators 6x and 6z are turned on and the actuator 6y is turned off. To. In this case, the touch panel 1 is in a state in which the degree of freedom of movement in the x-axis and z-axis directions is restricted and is movable only in the y-axis direction. When the user moves his / her finger in the state, the user can obtain a tactile sensation different from when the user touches the area of the touch panel 1 corresponding to the area where the button image 2b is displayed.

  When the user touches the area of the touch panel 1 corresponding to the area where the button image 2d of the display panel 2 is displayed (state D in FIG. 12), the actuators 6y and 6z are turned on and the actuator 6x is turned off. To. In this case, the touch panel 1 is in a state of being movable in the x-axis direction with the freedom of movement in the y-axis and z-axis directions being restricted. When the user moves his / her finger in the state, the user can obtain a tactile sensation different from that when the user touches the area of the touch panel 1 corresponding to the area where the button images 2b and 2c are displayed.

  When the user touches the area of the touch panel 1 corresponding to the area where the button image 2e of the display panel 2 is displayed (state E in FIG. 12), the driving of the actuator 6z is turned on and the driving of the actuators 6x and 6y is turned off. To. In this case, the touch panel 1 is in a state where the degree of freedom in the z-axis direction is restricted and the touch panel 1 can move in the x-axis and y-axis directions. When the user moves his / her finger in the state, the user can obtain a tactile sensation different from that when the user touches the button images 2b, 2c and 2d.

  When the user moves his / her finger while touching the touch panel 1 to move the touch panel 1 in the xy plane, the maximum movement amount in the x-axis and y-axis directions of the touch panel 1 is ± S in each direction. When the amount exceeds ± S, the force by which the user moves the finger in the x-axis or y-axis direction exceeds the static frictional force between the finger and the touch panel 1, and slipping occurs between the finger and the touch panel surface. When the slip occurs, the xy plane position of the touch panel 1 returns to the initial state by the restoring force of the spring 10c of the spring ball plunger 10x or 10y. Then, the user's finger touches the touch panel 1 again, and the touch panel 1 can move by a distance of maximum ± S in the x-axis and y-axis directions. By repeating the operation, the user can feel as if the touch panel 1 is moving a distance of ± S or more in the x-axis and y-axis directions.

  In this way, by detecting the position of the user's finger on the touch panel 1 and controlling the supporting force of the touch panel 1 in the x-axis, y-axis, and z-axis directions, the user can sense the touch even without looking at the display screen. Thus, a plurality of display image positions can be perceived.

  In the third embodiment, the case where the panel support force in the z-axis direction is increased in the display image region has been described. However, in the case where control is performed so that the panel support force in the z-axis direction is weakened in the display image region, When the user touches the area of the touch panel 1 corresponding to the image display area, the driving of the actuator 6z is turned off, and when the user touches the area of the touch panel 1 corresponding to the area other than the image display area, the actuator 6z By turning on the drive, the same effect as in the third embodiment can be obtained.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 13, the actuator 6z and the actuators 6x and 6y for controlling the panel supporting force in the z-axis direction in the image display area (2b to 2h in FIG. 13A) are as shown in FIG. 13B. By performing ON and OFF driving, it is possible to present more display image positions to the user than in the third embodiment.

  In the present invention, within the scope of the invention, the embodiments can be freely combined, any component of each embodiment can be modified, or any component can be omitted in each embodiment. .

  According to the present invention, in a display device in which an image display panel and a touch panel are combined, the user can perceive the display image position by touch even without viewing the display screen of the display panel. It can be applied not only to a mobile terminal but also to an electronic device provided with a display device in which an image display panel and a touch panel are combined.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1; Touch panel, 2; Display panel, 2a; Button image, 3; Cushion material, 4; Panel support member, 5: Elastic support member, 6, 6x, 6y, 6z; Actuator, 7: Case, 8; 9; z-axis position sensor, 10; user's finger, 10z, 10x, 10y; spring ball plunger, 10a; ball, 10b; housing, 10c; spring, 101; display panel driving unit, 102; 103; Actuator drive unit, 104; Pressure sensor drive unit, 105; Z-axis position sensor drive unit, 106; Sound generation mechanism drive unit, 107;

Claims (7)

A display panel for displaying images for touch operation on the display screen;
A touch panel disposed with a gap on the surface of the display panel;
A panel indicating member that supports the touch panel on the housing;
An elastic support member that supports the touch panel so that it can move in the direction perpendicular to the surface, an actuator that controls the support force of the touch panel against the housing, and the position of the touch panel that is in contact with the contactor that allows the user to perceive the action force from the touch panel A touch panel drive for outputting information;
An actuator driving unit for driving the actuator,
In the touch panel area where the contact position of the contact corresponds to the display area of the touch operation image on the display panel and the touch panel area corresponding to an area other than the touch operation image area, the position information from the touch panel drive unit The tactile sensation input device, wherein the actuator driving unit controls the support force of the touch panel with respect to the housing of the actuator differently according to the output.   The tactile sensation presentation input device according to claim 1, wherein the display panel and the touch panel are integrally configured by the panel instruction member.   The panel indicating member is configured to support the touch panel so as to be movable in a direction perpendicular to the touch panel surface, and the actuator is configured to control a supporting force in a vertical direction of the touch panel surface. The tactile sensation presentation input device according to claim 1 or 2.   A spring ball plunger that supports the touch panel so as to be movable in both directions in the vertical and horizontal planes of the touch panel surface, and further includes an actuator for vertical and horizontal directions that controls the supporting force in the horizontal and vertical directions of the touch panel. The tactile sensation presentation input device according to claim 3.   A z-axis position sensor for detecting a vertical position of the display panel relative to the display panel surface, following the movement of the touch panel in the vertical direction, the display panel moves in the vertical direction; 5. The tactile sensation according to claim 3, further comprising control means for performing control so as to execute a function assigned to the touch operation image displayed on the display panel when moved to a position. Presentation input device.   The pressure sensor for detecting the contact pressure between the panel indicating member and the actuator, the contact pressure is compared with a predetermined pressure, and the comparison result between the contact pressure and the predetermined pressure is as follows: The tactile sensation presentation input device according to claim 1, further comprising a pressure sensor driving unit that controls a supporting force of the touch panel with respect to the housing of the actuator.   The voice generation mechanism for notifying the user who operates the touch panel of the position where the contact is in contact with the touch panel is provided. Tactile presentation input device.

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