JP2013105192A - Touch panel device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a touch panel device that can provide an operator with haptic feedback as the feeling of the touch panel device pushing up with both the feeling of a finger tapping and the feeling of a finger rubbing.SOLUTION: To provide haptic feedback to an operator who is performing operations on a touch panel 103, control is performed on a tilting member 102 that is constituted on a support member 101 to repeat a movement in which the tilting member 102 is tilted down being pushed down by the operator and pulls back due to an actuator 104. Due to this movement, haptic feedback as the feeling of the touch panel 103 pushing up is provided to a finger 135 of the operator through the touch panel 103 placed on the tilting member 102.

Description

  The present invention relates to a touch panel device, and more particularly, to a touch panel device having a function of feeding back a sense of touch to an operator when an operator performs an input operation.

  Since touch panel devices can be made smaller and thinner, they are installed in various electronic devices such as personal digital assistants, digital cameras, automated teller machines (ATMs), and car navigation systems. . The function of giving a tactile sensation to the finger touched by the operator when operating the touch panel device is called a tactile feedback function, which is useful for improving operability. For example, techniques such as Patent Documents 1 to 3 are known as various techniques for feeding back such a tactile sensation to an operator's finger.

JP 2005-228161 A JP 2011-043925 A JP 2004-094389 A

  However, since the technique of Patent Document 1 vibrates the entire panel from the stroke in the thickness direction of the flat plate, the tactile sensation fed back to the operator tends to be monotonous with only the repulsive force against pressing. Further, the techniques of Patent Documents 2 and 3 have a problem in that since the piezoelectric element is used as the vibration generating means for tactile feedback, there is a limit in the amount of vibration and a sufficient tactile sensation cannot be fed back to the operator.

The present invention has been made in view of the above, and its main object is to provide a touch panel device capable of feeding back an elevated tactile sensation having both a tapping feel and a finger rubbing feel to an operator. There is to do.

  In order to achieve the above object, a touch panel device according to the present invention includes a support member, a tilt member provided on the support member, a touch panel placed on the tilt member, and a tilt direction of the tilt member. An actuator that forms a magnetic path, and the tilting member has a first connecting member that is connected to the support member, and a second connecting member that is connected to the touch panel. The tilting member close to the actuator includes a soft magnetic material.

According to the touch panel device of the present invention, when the operator presses the touch panel, the tilting member tilts from the self-supporting state, and the actuator operates simultaneously. Although one end of the tilting member tilts in a direction away from the actuator, the tilting member is connected to the support member by the first connecting member and is connected to the touch panel by the second connecting member. At the same time, since the tilting member includes a soft magnetic material, the tilting member is pulled back in a self-supporting direction by the magnetic force generated by the actuator. Each time the touch panel is pressed, the tilting member tilts repeatedly and the tilting member is pulled back, and the operator is fed back with a tactile sensation that rises from the touch panel.

  In the touch panel device of the present invention, it is preferable that at least one of the first connecting member and the second connecting member is a leaf spring. With such a configuration, the force to return the tilting member to a self-supporting state becomes strong, and therefore a tactile sensation that further rises is fed back to the operator.

  In the touch panel device of the present invention, it is preferable that at least one of the first connecting member and the second connecting member is a magnet. By adopting such a configuration, the tilting direction of the tilting member becomes free, and a more flexible tactile sensation is fed back to the operator.

In the touch panel device of the present invention, it is preferable that at least one of the first connecting member and the second connecting member is an elastomer. By adopting such a configuration, the tilting direction of the tilting member can be freely set, and a tactile sense rising from various directions is fed back to the operator.

In the touch panel device of the present invention, a plurality of the actuators may be arranged in a direction in which the tilting member tilts. By adopting such a configuration, the movement of pulling back the tilted tilt member becomes stronger, and a tactile sensation that rises further is fed back to the operator.

In the touch panel device of the present invention, it is preferable to provide a sensor for measuring the tilt angle of the tilt member. With this configuration, the tilt angle of the tilt member is detected according to the pressure with which the touch panel is pressed, and tactile sensations of different sizes are fed back to the operator.

  According to the touch panel device of the present invention, it is possible to feed back an elevated tactile sensation having both a tapping feeling and a rubbing feeling to the operator.

1 is a perspective sectional view of a tactile touch panel device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. It is a partial expanded sectional view of A of FIG. It is a schematic diagram which shows the structural example of a tilting member. It is a schematic diagram which shows the operation example of a tilting member. It is a schematic diagram which shows the application example of the tilting member of 1st Embodiment, and is the schematic diagram which shows the example which comprised the leaf | plate spring by combining several. It is a schematic diagram which shows the application example of the tilting member in 1st Embodiment, The structure which provided the cylindrical (column) -shaped convex part in the column side, and provided the bowl-shaped recessed part in the connection other surface. It is a schematic diagram which shows the example of application of the inclination member in 1st Embodiment, The structure which provided the bowl-shaped recessed part in the column side, and provided the convex part of the semicylinder (semi-column) shape in the connection other surface. It is a schematic diagram which shows the application example of the tilting member in 1st Embodiment, and is the structure which made the diameter of the half cylinder (half cylinder) of the shape of FIG. 5 larger than the pillar. It is a schematic diagram which shows the application example of the tilting member in 1st Embodiment, and provided the resin piece and the structure which restricted the tilting angle. It is a schematic diagram which shows the application example of the inclination member in 1st Embodiment, and is an example which used the permanent magnet for the 1st connection member, and used the leaf | plate spring for the 2nd connection member. It is a schematic diagram which shows the application example of the tilting member in 1st Embodiment, and is the structure which provided the axis | shaft for rotation. It is a schematic diagram which shows the application example of the tilting member in 1st Embodiment, and is a schematic diagram of the pillar which combined the low distortion material and the high distortion material. It is a cross-sectional schematic diagram at the time of arrange | positioning two actuators in the inclination direction of the inclination member in 2nd Embodiment. It is a schematic diagram of the application example of 2nd Embodiment. It is a schematic diagram of the electrostatic capacitance sensor for detecting the inclination-angle of 3rd Embodiment. It is a functional block diagram of the tactile device provided with the sensor for detecting the tilt angle in 3rd Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of this device provided with the sensor for detecting the tilt angle in 3rd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the example of a setting of operation | movement of the haptic device provided with the sensor for detecting the tilt angle in 3rd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the setting value example of operation | movement of the haptic device provided with the sensor for detecting the tilt angle in 3rd Embodiment. It is a schematic diagram when a finger passes the 1st area of FIG. It is a schematic diagram when an operator's finger | toe passes the 2nd area of FIG. 18, especially 1st area vicinity. FIG. 19 is a schematic diagram when an operator's finger passes through the second area in FIG. 18, particularly in the vicinity of the third area. It is a schematic diagram when an operator's finger passes the 3rd area of FIG.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

(First embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a perspective sectional view of a touch panel device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The touch panel device of this embodiment includes a support member 101, a tilt member 102 disposed on the support member 101, a touch panel 103 disposed on the tilt member, and an actuator 104.

The tilting member 102 includes a plate spring 109 that is the first connecting member 105 and the second connecting member 106 and a columnar portion 111 that holds the plate spring. Since the tilting member 102 is driven to rotate in response to the magnetic force generated from the actuator, at least one of the leaf spring 109 or the columnar portion 111 is formed of a soft magnetic material.

The tilting member 102 is connected to the support member via a leaf spring 109 which is a first connecting member 105 provided at one end, and via a leaf spring 109 which is a second connecting member 106 provided at the other end. Are coupled to the touch panel 103.

In FIG. 1, the tilt member 102 is directly connected to the support member 101, but the flat plate portion 113 may be installed on the support member 101 and the tilt member 102 may be connected to the flat plate portion 113. Similarly, a flat plate portion 113 may be provided so as to be in contact with the lower surface of the touch panel 103 and connected to the flat plate portion 113.

In order to support the touch panel 103, it is preferable that at least three tilt members 102 are arranged around the information display unit 110 so as not to disturb the image of the information display unit 110.

In the present embodiment, the information display unit 110 indicates display components such as a liquid crystal display, an organic EL display, and electronic paper, and the touch panel 103 indicates a resistance film method, a capacitance method, an optical method, an ultrasonic method, and the like. The panel which comprises this touch sensor, or the panel which supports the panel is shown.

As shown in FIG. 1, the leaf spring 109 constituting the first and second connecting members may be divided into a leaf spring constituting the first connecting member and a leaf spring constituting the second connecting member. However, it may be formed from one continuous leaf spring.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 5, in addition to the leaf springs 109 of the first connecting member and the second connecting member, a leaf spring that connects the divided columnar portions 111 may be provided. At this time, you may arrange | position so that the leaf | plate spring 109 of a 1st and 2nd connection member and the leaf | plate spring which connects a columnar part may mutually orthogonally cross. By adopting such a configuration, the tilt direction increases, and tilting in different directions can be achieved.

  Specifically, plate springs 109a and 109c movable in the yz plane are used for the movable portion 131a and the movable portion 131c, and a movable plate in the xz plane orthogonal to the movable portion 131a and the movable portion 131c is used for the movable portion 131b. A spring 109b is used. In this configuration, it is possible to provide both the tilting operations to the x-axis and the y-axis by the respective movable parts 131.

  FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the broken line region of FIG. Of the tilting members 102, the tilting member closest to the actuator 104 may be constituted only by a separate leaf spring such as the magnetic column 124. In that case, the tilting member 102 may be connected so as to be tiltable to the center with the fulcrum part 132 as a fulcrum. The magnetic column 124 operates in conjunction with another tilting member through the flat plate portion 113. When a plate spring is used for the tilting member 102, it is desirable to use a thin plate having a thickness of 1 mm or less, such as stainless steel, brass, brass, permalloy, etc. having a high Young's modulus of 10 GPa or more.

One end of the magnetic column 124 may be in magnetic contact with the actuator 104. The actuator 104 includes a magnetic core 125, a coil 107 wound around the outer periphery thereof, and a yoke 126 that is in contact with the magnetic core 125. The magnetic core 125 and the yoke 126 are made of a magnetic material such as electromagnetic soft iron, structural carbon steel, ferrite, silicon steel plate, and iron dust. The coil 107 may be spaced from the magnetic core 125 via the bobbin 127, or may be wound directly around the magnetic core 125 as long as it can be electrically insulated, such as a three-layer insulated wire. With such a configuration, a magnetic circuit 128 with a gap is formed by the magnetic column 124, the magnetic core 125, and the yoke 126, and the force with which the actuator 104 pulls back the magnetic column 124 is further increased.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the tilting member 102 is preferably composed of a plurality of tilting members 102 having the same length. Further, it is preferable that the columns are installed at equal intervals in the vertical direction so that L1 is L1 on the lower surface and L1 on the upper surface, and L2 on the lower surface is L2 on the upper surface. By installing in this way, the movement of the flat plate becomes parallel to xy, the parallelism of the touch panel 103 placed on the top can be maintained, and deformation of the touch panel 103 can be prevented. Become.

  The length b of the tilting member 102 is preferably long in order to obtain a movable range, but if the movable range is too large, the display of the information display unit 110 disposed below and the coordinates of the touch panel 103 are shifted. The case of 1-20 mm is preferable. It is preferable that the column has a high aspect ratio so that the column can be easily tilted. When the maximum width of the column is a, the aspect ratio b / a of a and b is preferably 1 or more.

  A current source 129 for generating a current is connected to the coil 107. The current source 129 here means a general current source capable of generating a current, and indicates a current source that can control ON / OFF of a current and a current amount. When a current is passed through the coil 107, a magnetic flux 130 is generated in the magnetic core 125 disposed in the coil 107. The magnetic flux 130 passes through the yoke 126 and flows to the magnetic column 124. The magnetic column and the magnetic core 125 are spatially separated, and an attractive force 118 acts in the horizontal direction of the panel between the gaps of the magnetic circuit 128 as indicated by solid line arrows. By this suction force, the tilting member 102 is tilted to the y-side in the figure with the movable portion 131 as the fulcrum portion 132. At this time, since the touch panel 103 is placed on the flat plate portion 113 formed on the upper part of the magnetic column, the touch panel 103 is similarly displaced in the y-direction.

In the example of FIGS. 1 and 2, only one coil 107 is provided in the magnetic circuit 128. However, a reset coil 133 wound in reverse rotation is added so that the magnetic flux 130 in the magnetic circuit 128 can be reset. May be. Further, a permanent magnet may be arranged in the magnetic path in order to generate a bias magnetic field. The position of the coil may be another position in the magnetic path. Further, the shape of the magnetic core and the shape of the magnetic column may be changed in order to narrow the gap interval between the magnetic core and the magnetic column. Moreover, you may comprise so that a flat plate part may be made into a magnetic body and a flat plate part and a magnetic core approach.

  FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram for explaining the movement of the tilting member 102. Since the tilting member 102 is composed of columns having the same length, the tilting member 102 operates as indicated by a solid line or a broken line in the figure. That is, if the center of gravity of the flat plate portion 113 is indicated by A, A ′, A ″, it moves on a circle as shown in the figure. Here, it is assumed that the center of gravity of the flat plate is at A, and the operator's finger 135 is placed on the touch panel 103. In the figure, for ease of explanation, the touch panel 103 is omitted and a finger is drawn on the flat plate portion 113. At this time, a circular motion from obliquely below is transmitted to the finger 135, and a tactile sensation as if it is raised can be obtained. Even if the tilting member 102 is tilted in the A direction or the A ″ direction at the time A ′, the finger 135 can be spaced by friction. However, the finger 135 can be tilted from the state A to A ″ or A ″. By tilting to A from this state, it becomes possible to give the finger 135 a clearer stimulus that rises.

  Since the tilting member 102 includes an elastic connecting member such as a leaf spring 109, when the actuator 104 is not driven or there is no pressure on the operator's finger 135, the tilting member 102 may return to the state A 'in the figure. it can.

  This operation is preferably linked with the position sensing operation of the touch panel 103. By acquiring the position sensing signal of the touch panel 103, it can be determined whether or not the finger 135 is touching the touch panel 103.

  When it is determined that the finger 135 is touching, a current may be passed through the current source 129 to operate the actuator 104 so that the finger 135 is stimulated.

  The drive timing of the actuator 104 is preferably a state in which the tilting member 102 is moved away from the actuator 104 by the pressing operation of the finger 135.

  Various tactile sensations can be realized by the waveform of the current flowing through the coil 107 of the actuator 104.

  For example, when a large current is passed through the coil 107 instantaneously, the tilting member 102 is suddenly and strongly displaced, so that the finger 135 can be given a sudden, strong and raised stimulus. When a pulsed current that repeats ON / OFF is passed through the coil 107, the strength of the attractive force 118 of the actuator changes intermittently. Since the suction force 118 of the actuator is a vector opposite to the force of the finger 135, the tilting member 102 can vibrate in the directions of y + and y−, and can give the finger 135 a stimulus that repeatedly raises the ridge.

  6 to 10 show modifications of the tilting member 102. FIG. Each of the configurations of FIGS. 6 to 10 is an example in which a plate spring is used only for the second connecting member 106 and the configuration of the fixing portion 112 to which the columnar portion 111 and the supporting member 101 are connected is modified.

FIG. 6 shows a structure in which a semicylindrical or hemispherical convex portion is provided at one end of the tilting member 102, and a bowl-shaped concave portion is provided on the support member side. By providing a semi-cylindrical or hemispherical convex portion 115 and a bowl-shaped concave portion 116 as shown in this example and fitting them together, a smoother circular motion can be realized. Further, a lubricant such as grease may be injected between the end of the semi-cylindrical or hemispherical columnar portion and the bowl-shaped concave portion on the support member side in order to smooth the tilting operation.

FIG. 7 shows a structure in which a bowl-shaped concave portion is provided on the columnar portion side and a convex portion is provided on the support member side, contrary to the example of FIG.

Further, as shown in FIG. 8, the semi-cylindrical or hemispherical shape may be made larger or smaller than the diameter of the column.

Further, as shown in FIG. 9, a resin piece 136 or the like for regulating the tilt angle of the tilt member may be placed. By doing in this way, when a touch panel is pushed down by force more than necessary, damage to a touch panel device can be prevented.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 10, the second connecting member is a leaf spring, and the first connecting member is composed of a magnet 117 provided in the concave portion of the support member 101 and a magnet 117 provided in the convex portion of the tilting member 102. May be. By doing so, the attractive force between the magnets 117 can be used.

If the magnetic force between the magnet 117 on the support member side and the magnet 117 on the tilt member side is maximized when the tilt member 102 is perpendicular to the support member 101, the actuator is not driven. Even at times, the tilting member can be made independent. The magnet may be a permanent magnet obtained by magnetizing a hard magnetic material such as ferrite, neodymium, or samarium, or an electromagnet.

Further, as shown in FIG. 11, a horizontal axis may be provided on a wall portion that is perpendicular to the support member surface, and the tip portion may be fitted to the horizontal axis so that the columnar portion can rotate.

Also, as shown in FIG. 12, the tilting member is a combination of a soft magnetic columnar portion 111 (magnetic column 139) made of a low strain material and a high strain material 140, and the high strain material 140 is connected to the first and second connections. It is good also as a member. Low Distortion material 139, for example, ferrite, iron, mixed with soft magnetic material and soft magnetic body such as silicon steel, polycarbonate or acrylic, PET (polyethylene terephthalate) resin is used, such as, in particular, the cross-sectional area of the column 1 mm ² It is preferable that it is -500 mm < ² >. On the other hand, the contact surface of the column is joined to the flat plate portion 113 and the support member 101 by the high strain material 140. The high strain material 140 is preferably composed of an elastomer of 0.1 GPa or less, such as natural rubber, isopropylene, butadiene rubber, urethane rubber, or silicon rubber.

As described above, according to the touch panel device of the present embodiment, when the operator depresses the touch panel 103, the tilting member 102 is set so that the self-standing tilting member 102 is in the pressing direction with the connecting portions of the connecting members 105 and 106 as fulcrums. The actuator 104 tilts and operates at the same time. At this time, the leaf spring 109 that connects the tilting member 102 and the flat plate portion 113 tilts away from the actuator 104. The tilting member 102, whose one end is tilted away from the actuator 104, has a leaf spring 109 with soft magnetism, and is pulled back in a self-supporting direction by the magnetic force 114 generated by the actuator 104. Each time the touch panel 103 is pressed, the tilting member 102 tilts repeatedly and the leaf spring 109 constituting the tilting member 102 is pulled back, so that the operator obtains a tactile sensation that rises from the touch panel 103. Can do.

(Second Embodiment)
Actuators may be arranged on both sides of the touch panel so as to face each other in the direction in which the tilting member tilts. In this way, the suction force 118 can be generated on either side facing each other, and the operator can obtain a tactile sensation that rises from two directions.

For example, as shown in FIG. 13, in addition to the actuator 104 arranged in the y− direction of the touch panel 103, the actuator 104 may be arranged in the y + direction so as to sandwich the touch panel 103. Thus, by arranging the actuators 104 in the direction in which the tilting member 102 tilts, it is possible to operate in the y + direction.

In this embodiment, the current source 129a is connected to the y-direction actuator 104a via the switch element 137a, and the current source 129b is connected to the y + direction actuator 104b via the switch element 137b. However, if the switch element 137b is closed while the switch element 137a is opened, the tilt member 102 is tilted in the y + direction, and conversely, if the switch element 137a is closed while the switch element 137b is opened, the tilt member 102 is tilted in the y− direction. Falls down. The switch element 137 can be realized by an electronically controllable device such as a transistor or a relay. The switch element 137 is controlled by the controller 138. By doing in this way, it becomes possible to incline the tilting member 102 in both the y− and y + directions, and the variation of tactile sensation to be fed back increases.

Further, for example, a plurality of the actuators may be arranged in directions orthogonal to each other on the touch panel, and the tilting member may have a magnetic column that can tilt in the direction of the magnetic path formed by the actuator. By doing in this way, it becomes possible to incline in the orthogonal direction.

  Specifically, the actuator 104 may be arranged in a direction in which the tilt directions are orthogonal as shown in FIG. 14, that is, in the x-axis direction. Furthermore, by arranging the tilting member 102 that can tilt in the x-axis direction, the tilting member 102 can tilt in either the xy plane. In this configuration, the actuators 104 are arranged in the y-axis direction and the x-axis direction. For the tilting member 102, the structure having the hemispherical irregularities shown in FIG. 7 is used. These tilting members 102 are composed of magnetic pillars 124. Further, the flat plate portion 113 with which the tilting member 102 contacts is also made of a magnetic material, and the magnetic flux 130 is guided to the actuator 104 side by the flat plate portion 113. A coil 107 is wound around each of the actuator 104a on the x-axis side and the actuator 104b on the y-axis side, and current sources 129 that can be controlled from the controller 138 are attached to the coils 107, respectively. Therefore, the magnetic circuit 128 is formed in the direction orthogonal to the x-axis direction and the y-axis direction.

In the configuration of tilting only in the y-axis direction as shown in FIGS. 1 and 13, it is only necessary to increase the aspect ratio in the y-axis direction. However, in this configuration, the tilting member 102 can increase the aspect ratio in the x-direction. preferable. By doing so, it is possible to tilt by the suction force 118a of the actuator 104a operating in the x direction. The tilting member 102 can be realized with the configuration shown in FIGS.

Further, the current value of the current source 129 may be controlled using a current amplifier, or the switch element 137 may be driven by a pulse wave. Further, a signal from the touch panel 103 may be input to the controller 138, and the switch element 137a and the switch element 137b may be controlled based on the input signal.

  In response to a command from the controller 138, the attractive force 118 of the actuator 104a and the actuator 104b is changed by the current generated in the current source 129a and the current source 129b. If a current is supplied only to the current source 129a, a suction force 118a in the x-axis direction is generated only in the actuator 104a, and if a current is supplied only to the current source 129b, a suction force 118b in the y-axis direction is generated only in the actuator 104b. If a current is supplied simultaneously, it can be tilted in the direction of the sum of the vectors of the respective attractive forces 118, that is, in the oblique directions of the x axis and the y axis. That is, the movable direction of the touch panel 103 is increased, and the reaction force can be returned to the finger 135 from various directions.

(Third embodiment)
In the present embodiment, a means for detecting the tilt angle 120 of the tilt member 102 is provided. By detecting the tilt angle 120, the angle information can be fed back to the controller 138, and the operator is fed back with tactile sensations of different sizes according to the tilt angle.

FIG. 15 shows a schematic diagram of a capacitance sensor 141 as an example of the detecting means. Electrodes 142a and 142c are attached to the support member 101 side, and electrodes 142b are attached to the touch panel 103 side. Although not shown in the drawing, the actuator 104 of the present invention is configured on the y- and y + sides. Here, the positional relationship between the electrodes is such that when the tilting member falls in the y-direction, the electrode 142a and the electrode 142b approach each other, and when the tilting member falls in the y + direction, the electrode 142b and the electrode 142c approach each other. ing.

The capacitance C between the electrode 142a and the electrode 142b is the sum of the capacitance C1 depending on the area of the facing portion between the electrode 142a and the electrode 142b and the capacitance C2 formed at the edge of the electrode (C = C1 + C2). Indicated by C1 is represented by C1 = εS / d = ε · w · k1 / d, where w is the depth of the electrode 142, ε is the dielectric constant, S is the facing area, and k1 is the overlap distance. When the tilting member 102 is tilted in the y-direction, the touch panel 103 moves while drawing an arc, so that the electrode 142a and the electrode 142b approach each other. At this time, not only the distance d of the z-axis of the electrode is decreased, but also the overlap distance k1 is increased, so that k1 / d is increased and C1 is increased. Although C2 is difficult to formulate, it similarly increases as the distance between the electrodes approaches. For this reason, the capacitance C increases as the distance between the electrode 142a and the electrode 142b approaches. Conversely, the capacitances of the electrodes 142b and 142c increase as the tilting member 102 falls in the y + direction. Therefore, if the capacitance between the terminal 143a and the terminal 143b is detected, it can be confirmed whether or not it is tilted in the y-direction, and if the capacitance between the terminal 143b and the terminal 143c is detected, it is tilted in the y + direction. I can confirm. Further, if the relationship between the tilt angle 120 and the capacitance value is measured in advance, the tilt angle 120 can be estimated by detecting a change in the capacitance value, and the tilt angle 120 can be sensed.

  In the above example, a simple planar electrode 142 is used. However, the electrode 142 may be formed in a zigzag shape to increase the facing area. As the facing area increases, the amount of change in the capacitance C increases, and the sensitivity of the sensor improves. Further, instead of the electrode 142a and the electrode 142c, a sensor element capable of detecting a magnetic field such as a Hall sensor, an MR (Magneto-resistive) element, an MI (Magneto-impedance) element, a GMR (Giant mechanical-resistance) element, or the like is disposed. Instead of 142b, a magnet or a coil for generating a magnetic field may be arranged to detect the tilt magnetically. Since the magnetic field acting on the sensor becomes stronger as it gets closer, the degree of inclination can be obtained from the strength of the sensed magnetic field.

FIG. 16 is a functional block diagram of a haptic device including a sensor 141 for detecting the tilt angle 120. Information of the sensor 141 is input to the microcontroller 144 through the detection circuit 146. Similarly, the input of the touch panel 103 is also input to the microcontroller 144. In other words, the tilt angle θ 120 of the tilt member 102 and the touch position information (x, y) of the touch panel 103 are input to the microcontroller 144. The actuator 104 can be controlled from the microcontroller 144 through the drive circuit 147, and can generate tactile sensations in various scenes in response to inputs from both the touch panel 103 and the angle sensor 141. Below are two examples of applications that work with software.

In the first example, the value of the angle sensor 141 is applied to determine whether to drive the actuator 104. A flowchart of this example is shown in FIG. The flowchart will be described in order below.

  First, in the flow of S1 and S2, two driving conditions, that is, area coordinate information of the tactile sensation generation region and a tilt angle threshold value θ ′ are set and stored in the memory.

  Subsequently, in S3, the position information (x, y) value of the touch panel 103 is acquired. In subsequent S4, it is compared whether or not the value of the position information (x, y) acquired from the touch panel 103 is in the tactile sensation generation region. If it is in this area, it moves to the subsequent flow S5, and if not, it moves to the previous flow S1.

  In S5, the value θ of the tilt angle sensor 141 is acquired. At the time of non-touch, no finger pressure is applied, so | θ | is almost zero. The value of | θ | is increased by touching strongly and applying acupressure.

  In S6, the tilt angle sensor value θ is compared with the tilt angle threshold θ ′. When no acupressure is applied, the sensor value does not exceed the threshold value. That is, the relationship | θ ′ |> | θ | is established. Similarly, when the finger pressure is weak, the relationship | θ ′ |> | θ | holds. In these cases, the flow is moved to the preceding flow S1. On the other hand, when the finger pressure is strong, the sensor value exceeds the threshold value, so the relationship | θ | ≧ | θ ′ | At this time, it is set to move to the subsequent flow S7.

When the flow moves to S <b> 7, a current is passed through the coil of the actuator 104, the tilt member 102 is reversed, and a tactile sensation is given to the finger 135. Since the operator obtains a tactile sensation in the reverse direction after pressing firmly, the operator can strongly confirm the pressing. This application is suitable for use in particularly important situations such as confirmation of deletion of software files and programs.

  The flowchart described above is a flowchart of only the drive timing of the device, and the flowchart may be functionalized and incorporated in a program parallel and subordinate thereto. In this description, the absolute value is used for comparing the tilt angles, but the comparison may be made with a sign such as + or-.

  As shown in FIG. 18, by setting each area on the touch panel 103 and changing the tilt angle 120, the height in the z direction can be changed as needed for each region, and the operator can provide three-dimensional tactile feedback. is there.

FIG. 19 is a graph showing control targets related to the z direction of the tilting member or panel. The inside figure of this graph schematically shows the tilt of the tilt member. For simplicity, each area is shown as a solid line in the figure, but in reality, it is an area that is set in software based on the coordinates on the touch panel. Can be changed. In this operation example, the tilt angle θ of the first area 145a is set to 0 rad (not tilted), and the tilt angle θ of the third area 145c is set to −π / 3 rad. The second area 145b is an area provided so as to continuously connect the first area 145a and the third area 145c.

When the operator touches the touch panel 103 linked with the information display unit 110, the actuator 104 is driven to tilt the tilting member 102 to the control target corresponding to the area. Thereafter, when the finger 135 is released from the touch panel 103, the tilt angle θ returns to the position of 0, but when the operator presses the touch panel 103 with the finger 135 as it is, the finger pressure is applied to the touch panel 103. Since the finger pressure is not a constant value, the tilt angle θ changes according to the finger pressure unless it is controlled. Therefore, the sensor 141 measures the tilt and sends real-time tilt information to the microcontroller 144. The microcontroller 144 calculates a difference from the control target and real-time tilt information, drives the actuator 104 to generate the necessary force 118, and maintains the tilt. If the feedback response is fast, the operator gets a stubborn tactile sensation. On the other hand, if the feedback response is slow, a more elastic tactile sensation is obtained.

20 to 23 are schematic diagrams for explaining the operation. In this example, it is assumed that the operator slides the finger 135 from the first area 145a to the third area 145c via the second area 145b. FIG. 21 shows the movement in the first area 145a. Since the inclination of the control target in this area is 0 °, the actuator 104 generates a reverse force so as to resist the force transmitted from the finger 135 by friction. Next, in the case of the second area 145b, the reverse force of the actuator 104 is made weaker than the force of the finger 135 (FIG. 21). Furthermore, considering the spring repulsive force of the tilting member 102, the force of the actuator 104 is generated in the same direction as the force of the finger 135 as it approaches the right end (FIG. 22). Finally, in the third area 145c, in order to keep the same inclination, the force of the actuator 104 is applied in the same direction as the force from the finger 135 (FIG. 23).

20 to 23, when passing through the first area 145a and the third area 145c, the finger 135 can obtain a feeling of sliding on the plane. Further, when passing through the second area 145b, the finger 135 can have a feeling of sliding on the slope.

In this example, an area that linearly connects the first area 135a and the second area 135c, such as the second area 135b, is set to obtain a tactile sensation when the finger 135 is slid, but the first area 135a It may be suddenly displaced from the highest position on the z-axis such as to a lower place such as the third area 135c. By making such a rapid change, the operator feels unevenness. Since the area 135 and the tilt angle 120 can be changed by a software operation, slopes and unevenness can be created as necessary.

  Further, during this operation, the touch panel coordinates slightly shift in display display according to the tilt angle 120. The displacement on the touch panel is represented by b × sin θ, where θ is the tilt angle and b is the column length. That is, as b is larger and the tilt angle θ is larger, the touch panel coordinates are shifted. However, since the angle information of the tilt member 102 is input to the microcontroller 144 by the sensor 141, the microcontroller 144 uses this information as a basis. Coordinate correction may be performed so as to match the display.

  In this example, three areas are set on one flat touch panel. However, a plurality of touch panels may be prepared, and an area may be assigned to each panel.

  An acceleration sensor may be provided. The gravitational direction may be detected from the value of the acceleration sensor, the angle of the gravitational direction may be compared with the inclination θ of the tilting member 102, the difference may be calculated, and the actuator 104 output may be adjusted to correct the angle by gravity.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 Touch panel apparatus, 101 Support member, 102 Inclining member, 103 Touch panel, 104 Actuator, 105 1st connection member, 106 2nd connection member,
107 coil, 108 generated magnetic field, 109 leaf spring, 110 information display part, 111 columnar part, 112 fixing part, 113 flat plate part, 114 magnetic force, 115 mortar-like convex part, 116 hemisphere, semicircular concave part, 117 magnet, 118 attractive force, 119 angle detection sensor, 120 tilt angle, 121 portable device, 122 elastomer, 123 connecting member, 124 magnetic column, 125 magnetic core, 126 yoke, 127 bobbin, 128 magnetic circuit, 129 current source, 130 magnetic flux, 131 Movable part, 132 fulcrum part, 133 reset coil, 134 non-magnetic column, 135 fingers, 136 resin piece, 137 switch element, 138 controller, 139 low strain material, 140 high strain material, 141 detection sensor, 142 electrode, 143 Terminal, 144 Microcontroller, 145a First area, 145b 2nd area, 145c 3rd area, 146 detection circuit, 147 drive circuit

Claims (6)

A support member;
A tilt member provided on the support member;
A touch panel placed on the tilting member;
An actuator that forms a magnetic path in the tilting direction of the tilting member,
The tilting member has a first connecting member connected to the support member, and a second connecting member connected to the touch panel,
The touch panel device, wherein the tilting member adjacent to the actuator includes a soft magnetic material. The touch panel device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first connecting member and the second connecting member is a leaf spring. The touch panel device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first connecting member and the second connecting member is a magnet. The touch panel device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first connecting member and the second connecting member is an elastomer. The touch panel device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a plurality of the actuators are arranged in a direction in which the tilting member tilts. The touch panel device according to claim 1, further comprising a sensor that measures a tilt angle of the tilt member.

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