JP2014056337A - Tactile sense presentation device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a tactile sense presentation device capable of improving the groping operability.SOLUTION: When it is determined that a fingertip position on a pad 21 obtained with a displacement sensor 22 arrives at a position corresponding to a virtual button on a display 14, a control circuit 25 steeply lifts the whole pad 21 by control of the voltage applied to a piezoelectric actuator 23. Thus, step height feeling is given to the fingertip on the pad 21. When it is determined that the fingertip position on the pad 21 is kept at the position corresponding to the virtual button on the display 14, the control circuit 25 continuously causes fine vibration. Thus, a user can easily recognize the fingertip position on the pad 21.

Description

  The present invention relates to a tactile sense presentation device.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, input devices that perform selection of virtual buttons displayed on a display through a tracing operation, such as a touch pad and a touch panel, are known. Regardless of whether it is a touch pad or a touch panel, the operation surface of these input devices is a flat surface, and there is no unevenness corresponding to a virtual button. For this reason, when the user slides his / her finger along the operation surface, it is difficult to recognize the position of the virtual button by tactile sensation.

  Therefore, an input device having a tactile sense presentation function using vibration or the like has been proposed. For example, in the touch panel of Patent Document 1, when a button area corresponding to a virtual button on the display is touched, the presence of the button is notified by vibration. When the finger is removed from the button area in accordance with the tracing operation, the vibration is stopped. The user can recognize the positions of individual virtual buttons or their boundaries through the presence or absence of vibration.

JP 2010-9321 A

  According to the touch panel of Patent Document 1, the user can obtain feedback on whether or not a user touches any virtual button through stimulation by vibration. However, in the touch panel, the operational feeling due to the tactile sensation presented to the user is insufficient. In the case of a physical button, the outer shape of the button can be recognized by tactile sense, even when operated by groping, so the position or type of the button can be easily recognized and the operation is also easy. On the other hand, the touch panel does not provide a tactile sensation with a step difference as when a physical button such as a keyboard is traced, although there is feedback due to vibration. For this reason, when operating the touch panel by groping, it is difficult to understand the position of the virtual button. As described above, the touch panel still has room for improvement in terms of operability by groping. The same applies to the touch pad.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a tactile sensation presentation apparatus that can improve operability by groping.

  <1> According to the present invention, a board having an operation surface on which a tracing operation is performed with a fingertip in order to specify an object displayed on a display and movable along a direction intersecting the operation surface; An actuator that moves the plates along the intersecting direction; a sensor that detects a fingertip position on the operation surface; and a control circuit that operates the actuator based on the fingertip position acquired through the sensor, the control When the fingertip position approaches or reaches the position corresponding to the object, the circuit provides a tactile presentation device that controls the operation of the actuator so as to rapidly displace the entire board against the finger.

  According to this configuration, when the fingertip position on the board approaches or reaches a position corresponding to the object displayed on the display, the entire board is displaced steeply in a direction in which the board is pressed against the finger. Due to the displacement of the plate, a step difference is given to the fingertip on the plate. By obtaining a tactile sensation close to a physical button, the user can easily recognize the target position on the board. For this reason, operability by groping improves.

  <2> In the tactile sensation presentation apparatus, the control circuit controls the operation of the actuator so as to rapidly displace the entire board away from the finger at a timing when the fingertip position deviates from a position corresponding to the object. It is preferable.

  According to this configuration, at the timing when the fingertip position on the board deviates from the position corresponding to the object displayed on the display, the entire board is suddenly displaced in the direction away from the finger. Due to the displacement of the plate, a clearer level difference can be obtained.

  <3> In the tactile sensation presentation apparatus, the control circuit maintains a state in which the entire plate is displaced in a direction of pressing against the finger while the fingertip position is maintained at a position corresponding to the object, or the plate It is preferable to control the operation of the actuator so that the entire plate is minutely vibrated while being displaced in a direction in which the entire plate is pressed against the finger.

  According to this configuration, while the fingertip position on the board is maintained at the position corresponding to the object displayed on the display, the state in which the entire board is displaced in the direction of pressing against the finger is maintained, or the entire board is The entire plate vibrates slightly while being displaced in the direction of pressing against the finger. For this reason, the user can easily recognize the fingertip position on the board. The operability by groping is also improved.

  According to the present invention, in the tactile sense presentation device, a step feeling corresponding to an object on the display can be obtained during a tracing operation, so that the operability in groping improves.

The perspective view which shows the inside of the vehicle by which the input device in one Embodiment is mounted. The block diagram which similarly shows the structure of an input device. Similarly, (a) is a graph in which the temporal changes in the command voltage and the measured displacement of the pad are arranged vertically, and (b) is a graph in which the temporal changes in the command voltage and the measured displacement of the pad in the comparative example are arranged vertically. . The graph which shows the displacement (unevenness | corrugation) of the said button when the same physical button is traced. The graph which arranged the time-dependent change of the command voltage in other embodiment, and the measured displacement of a pad up and down. The perspective view which shows the external appearance of the touchscreen in other embodiment.

Hereinafter, an embodiment in which the tactile sense presentation device is embodied as a touch pad which is a touch-type input device will be described with reference to FIGS.
<Outline of touchpad>
As shown in FIG. 1, a touch pad 12 is provided on the center console 11 of the vehicle, and a display 14 is provided on the center cluster 13. For example, various virtual buttons 15 are displayed on the display 14 as objects that are operation target data. The virtual button 15 indicates a function item required for operating an in-vehicle device such as a navigation system. The virtual button 15 displayed on the display 14 can be designated by tracing the operation surface of the touch pad 12 with a finger. Control of the in-vehicle device is executed according to the designated virtual button 15.

<Configuration of touchpad>
Next, the configuration of the touch pad will be described.
As shown in FIG. 2, the touch pad 12 includes a pad 21, a displacement sensor 22, a piezoelectric actuator 23, an amplifier 24, and a control circuit 25.

  The piezoelectric actuator 23 is provided inside the center console 11. A lower portion of the piezoelectric actuator 23 is fixed to a support portion 29 provided in the center console 11. The piezoelectric actuator 23 is an actuator that uses the piezoelectric effect (reverse piezoelectric effect) of a piezoelectric element, and its length changes linearly when a voltage is applied. That is, the piezoelectric actuator 23 converts electrical energy into mechanical linear motion. In this example, the piezoelectric actuator 23 expands and contracts in the vertical direction depending on whether a voltage is applied. The amount of displacement of the piezoelectric actuator 23 is determined by the applied voltage.

  The pad 21 is fixed to the upper part of the piezoelectric actuator 23. The pad 21 is provided so as to cover the opening 11a of the center console 11 from the back side. The part exposed from the opening 11a of the pad 21 functions as an operation surface on which the user performs a tracing operation. A gap 26 is provided between the pad 21 and the opening peripheral edge of the center console 11. Due to the presence of the gap 26, the pad 21 moves closer to the periphery of the opening of the center console 11 (upward in the figure) or away (lower in the figure) as indicated by an arrow 27. It is movable.

  The displacement sensor 22 is provided in the vicinity of the opening 11 a of the center console 11. The displacement sensor 22 detects the position of the fingertip on the pad 21 and generates position information of the detected fingertip. In this example, the displacement sensor 22 detects the position of the fingertip from the tracing direction, that is, the direction parallel to the pad 21 as indicated by the arrow 28.

The control circuit 25 is connected to the piezoelectric actuator 23 via the amplifier 24. The control circuit 25 is connected to the displacement sensor 22 and the display 14 respectively.
The control circuit 25 converts the fingertip position information generated by the displacement sensor 22 into position information on the screen of the display 14, and moves a cursor (not shown) displayed on the display 14 according to the position information. Or an object such as the virtual button 15 is designated. The control circuit 25 controls the voltage applied to the piezoelectric actuator 23 based on the fingertip position information generated by the displacement sensor 22. More specifically, the control circuit 25 generates a drive signal for the piezoelectric actuator 23 in accordance with the fingertip position information. The drive signal is power amplified by the amplifier 24, and the amplified power is supplied to the piezoelectric actuator 23. For example, the control circuit 25 moves the pad 21 up and down or slightly vibrates through control of the voltage applied to the piezoelectric actuator 23.

<Operation of touchpad>
Next, the operation of the touch pad will be described. Here, as shown in FIG. 1, the pad 21 is dragged in the arrangement direction (left-right direction) of the virtual buttons 15 in a state where the three virtual buttons 15 are displayed side by side on the display 14. Further, the pad 21 is held at a reference position where a gap 26 is formed between the peripheral edge of the opening of the center console 11. The displacement when the pad 21 is held at the reference position is set to zero.

  As shown in the lower part of the graph of FIG. 3A, the control circuit 25 determines that the fingertip position on the pad 21 has reached a position corresponding to the virtual button 15 (“A”) on the display 14. When this occurs (time t1), the voltage V1 is applied to the piezoelectric actuator 23 in order to raise the pad 21 rapidly. The piezoelectric actuator 23 rapidly expands upward in response to the voltage V1 that rises sharply. Then, as shown in the upper part of the graph of FIG. 3A, the pad 21 rapidly rises as much as the piezoelectric actuator 23 extends. When the pad 21 is suddenly moved upward and pressed against the finger, a clear level difference is provided to the fingertip.

  The control circuit 25 maintains the height of the pad 21 from the reference position while the fingertip position on the pad 21 exists at a position corresponding to the virtual button 15 on the display 14 (after time t1 and less than time t2). A voltage is applied to the piezoelectric actuator 23 so as to vibrate slightly up and down. That is, as shown in the lower graph of FIG. 3A, the control circuit 25 alternately applies the voltage V1 and the voltage V2 slightly lower than the voltage V1 in a very short cycle. By providing minute vibrations to the fingertips via the pad 21, the user can easily grasp his / her fingertip position. For example, if the user feels a slight vibration at the fingertip, the user will know that the fingertip exists at a position corresponding to one of the three virtual buttons 15, and if the user does not feel a slight vibration at the fingertip, It is possible to recognize that there is a fingertip.

  When it is determined that the fingertip position on the pad 21 has deviated from the position corresponding to the virtual button 15 on the display 14 (time t2), the control circuit 25 stops voltage application to the piezoelectric actuator 23. Here, the control circuit 25 gently decreases the applied voltage as compared to the change in the voltage V1 per unit time when the pad 21 is raised (time t1). The extended piezoelectric actuator 23 contracts to the original length, whereby the pad 21 moves away from the fingertip and returns to the reference position.

  Thereafter, the fingertip on the pad 21 is slid and sequentially passes through two areas on the pad corresponding to the remaining two virtual buttons 15 (“B”, “C”). As described above, when it is determined that the fingertip has reached the two areas corresponding to the remaining two virtual buttons 15, the control circuit 25 rapidly raises the pad 21 through the piezoelectric actuator 23. When it is determined that the fingertip is positioned, the pad 21 is slightly vibrated up and down while keeping the pad 21 in the raised position. When it is determined that the fingertip is out of the two regions corresponding to the remaining two virtual buttons 15, the control circuit 25 lowers the pad 21 by stopping the voltage application to the piezoelectric actuator 23.

In this way, by combining the following operations (a), (b), and (c), a tactile sensation close to that when a physical button is traced is given to the fingertip.
(A) Raise the pad 21 rapidly.

(B) The pad 21 is slightly vibrated while maintaining the raised position of the pad 21.
(C) The pad 21 is lowered.
This is also clear by comparing the graph shown in the upper part of FIG. 3A with the graph of FIG.

  The graph of FIG. 4 shows the relationship between the time (tracing distance) when the three physical buttons arranged on the left and right are traced and the displacement (uneven height) of each button with respect to the reference position. The displacement change with respect to the reference position (displacement 0) of the pad 21 with respect to time shown in the upper graph of FIG. 3A and the displacement change with respect to the reference position (displacement 0) of the button with respect to time shown in the graph of FIG. Are approximate to each other. That is, the above-described operation of the pad 21, that is, “the pad 21 is suddenly displaced (increased) so as to be pressed against the finger, and then is displaced (lowered) away from the finger this time after a period in which the displacement is maintained. Through the operation of the pad 21 "to do", the fingertip is given the same uneven feeling as a physical button. This is a change considering that the skin contact area returns to the original area after the skin contact area is increased by pressing the fingertip skin against the button when it is assumed that the physical button is actually touched. Further, as described above, the user can easily recognize the fingertip position on the pad 21 by minutely vibrating the pad 21 while the pad 21 is maintained at the raised position.

  By the way, as shown in the graph of FIG. 3B, the pad 21 is held only when the fingertip position on the pad 21 exists at a position corresponding to the virtual button 15 on the display 14 with the pad 21 held in the raised position. In the case where 21 is vibrated minutely, even if the pad 21 is traced, a step difference is not obtained. That is, in order to obtain a step difference, it is necessary and effective to raise the pad 21 rapidly.

<Effect of Embodiment>
Therefore, according to the present embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.
(1) When it is determined that the fingertip position on the pad 21 acquired through the displacement sensor 22 has reached the position corresponding to the virtual button 15, the control circuit 25 controls the voltage applied to the piezoelectric actuator 23 through the control of the voltage applied to the piezoelectric actuator 23. Lift the entire 21 abruptly. Thereby, a sense of level difference is given to the fingertip on the pad 21. By obtaining a tactile sensation similar to a physical button, the operability of the touch pad 12 when searching is improved.

  (2) The control circuit 25 continuously generates minute vibrations when it is determined that the fingertip position on the pad 21 obtained through the displacement sensor 22 exists at a position (area) corresponding to the virtual button 15. . For this reason, the user can easily recognize the fingertip position on the pad 21. The operability of the touch pad 12 is also improved.

  (3) A piezoelectric actuator 23 is employed as a drive source for the pad 21. The piezoelectric actuator 23 has features such that a minute displacement can be easily obtained, is small, has high responsiveness, and has a large generated force. For this reason, it is suitable as a drive source of the touch pad 12 having a tactile sense presentation function.

<Other embodiments>
In addition, you may implement the said embodiment as follows.
In this example, the pad 21 is provided on the upper portion of the piezoelectric actuator 23, but the piezoelectric actuator 23 and the pad 21 may be connected via some connecting member.

  In this example, the position of the fingertip on the pad 21 is detected by the displacement sensor 22, but the fingertip on the pad 21 is detected by, for example, a pressure-sensitive sensor that uses the pressure of the finger applied to the pad 21 or an electrostatic sensor that uses static electricity. The position may be detected. These sensors are provided on the pad 21.

  In this example, when the fingertip position on the pad 21 reaches a position corresponding to the virtual button 15 on the display 14, a voltage that suddenly rises in a rectangular pulse shape is applied to the piezoelectric actuator 23, but the rise of the applied voltage The time, in other words, the slope of the rising portion of the applied voltage may be changed as appropriate. That is, the slope of the rising portion of the applied voltage may be slightly larger or smaller than the slope of the rising portion of the applied voltage shown in the lower graph of FIG. Further, the applied voltage may be raised at a right angle.

  In this example, the pad 21 is linearly moved up and down in the same direction as the displacement direction of the piezoelectric actuator 23 (the vertical direction indicated by the arrow 27 in FIG. 2), but the movement direction of the pad 21 and the piezoelectric actuator The displacement direction of 23 may be different. For example, the piezoelectric actuator 23 is provided so that the displacement direction of the piezoelectric actuator 23 intersects the moving direction (vertical direction) of the pad 21. In this case, a conversion mechanism that converts the displacement of the piezoelectric actuator 23 into a displacement in the movement direction (vibration direction) of the pad 21 is provided between the piezoelectric actuator 23 and the pad 21. Further, an amplification mechanism for amplifying the displacement of the piezoelectric actuator 23 may be provided.

  In this example, the pad 21 is movable in the vertical direction indicated by the arrow 27 in FIG. 2, but the moving direction (vibration direction) of the pad 21 may be as follows. For example, the pad 21 may be movable obliquely in a direction intersecting with the vertical direction in FIG. Further, the tilt of the operation surface of the pad 21 may be changed by rotating the pad 21.

  In this example, the pad 21 is lifted when the fingertip position on the pad 21 reaches the position corresponding to the virtual button 15, but the pad 21 is lifted when approaching the position corresponding to the virtual button 15. You may make it make it. In this way, it is possible to give a sense of level difference to the fingertip at a suitable timing by the pad 21 being rapidly raised at the timing when the fingertip position on the pad 21 approaches the position corresponding to the virtual button 15. .

  In this example, as shown in FIG. 3A, when the fingertip position on the pad 21 exists at a position corresponding to the virtual button 15 when the tracing operation is performed, the raised position of the pad 21 is maintained. While the pad 21 is vibrated slightly, it may be as follows. That is, as shown in FIG. 5, the pad 21 may be slightly vibrated while being gradually raised in accordance with the tracing operation.

  In this example, the piezoelectric actuator 23 is employed as means for moving the pad 21 up and down or vibrating, but other means may be employed. For example, a voice coil motor can be employed. The voice coil motor is a linear motor having a permanent magnet and a voice coil provided in the magnetic field of the permanent magnet. The voice coil moves straight in accordance with the current applied to itself. Further, the boil coil motor and the piezoelectric actuator 23 may be used in combination. In this case, for example, the raising / lowering of the pad 21 is generated using a voice coil motor, and the vibration is generated using a piezoelectric actuator 23. Further, a vibration generator using an electric motor can be employed.

  In this example, as shown in the lower graph of FIG. 3A, when the voltage application to the piezoelectric actuator 23 is stopped, the applied voltage is gradually decreased. However, the following may be used. . That is, as shown in the lower graph of FIG. 5, when it is determined that the fingertip position on the pad 21 has deviated from the position corresponding to the virtual button 15 on the display 14 (time t2), When the application of voltage is stopped, the voltage falls sharply. If it does in this way, as the graph of the upper stage of Drawing 5 shows, pad 21 will descend rapidly. That is, the pad 21 that has been pressed against the fingertip so far is momentarily separated from the finger, so that a clearer step feeling (actual feeling) can be obtained.

  In this example, the vibration presentation device is embodied in the touch pad 12, but may be embodied in a touch panel. That is, as shown in FIG. 6, the touch panel 30 includes a display 31 and a transparent sheet panel 32 attached so as to cover the screen of the display 31. The seat panel 32 has a function as an electrical button (such as a matrix switch including a two-layer transparent electrode). 2 is applied to the touch panel 30 in order to give the touch panel 30 a tactile sense presentation function. In this case, the pad 21 is replaced with the seat panel 32. Further, the seat panel 32 is provided so as to be movable up and down with respect to the screen of the display 31, that is, in a direction in which the seat panel 32 comes into contact with and separates from the screen. In this way, as in the above-described embodiment, when a tracing operation is performed on the seat panel 32, a step difference can be obtained through control of the voltage applied to the piezoelectric actuator 23.

  In this example, the control circuit 25 generates the minute vibration while the fingertip position on the pad 21 is maintained at the position corresponding to the virtual button 15, but does not generate the minute vibration. Also good. Even if it does in this way, in the tracing operation with respect to the pad 21, the whole pad 21 raises suddenly and a level | step difference feeling is acquired.

<Other technical ideas>
Next, the technical idea that can be grasped from the above embodiment will be added below.
(A) The actuator is a piezoelectric actuator.

(B) The tactile sense presentation device is configured as a touch pad in which a display and a board are provided separately. The tactile sense presentation device is suitable for a touch pad.
(C) The board is a transparent sheet panel having a function as an electric button, and the tactile sense presentation device is configured as a touch panel in which a display and a sheet panel are integrally provided. The tactile sense presentation device is suitable for a touch panel.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 12 ... Touch pad (tactile sense presentation apparatus), 14 ... Display, 15 ... Virtual button (object), 21 ... Pad (board), 22 ... Displacement sensor, 23 ... Piezoelectric actuator, 25 ... Control circuit.

Claims (3)

A board having an operation surface that can be dragged with a fingertip to designate an object displayed on the display and movable along a direction intersecting the operation surface;
An actuator for moving the plates along the intersecting direction;
A sensor for detecting a fingertip position on the operation surface;
A control circuit that operates the actuator based on a fingertip position acquired through the sensor, and
When the fingertip position approaches or reaches a position corresponding to an object, the control circuit controls the operation of the actuator so as to rapidly displace the entire board in a direction of pressing the finger. The tactile presentation device according to claim 1,
The control circuit is a tactile sense presentation device that controls the operation of the actuator so as to rapidly displace the entire board away from the finger at a timing when the fingertip position deviates from a position corresponding to the object. In the tactile sense presentation device according to claim 1 or 2,
While the fingertip position is maintained at a position corresponding to the object, the control circuit maintains a state in which the entire plate is displaced in the direction of pressing against the finger, or is displaced in a direction in which the entire plate is pressed against the finger. A tactile sensation presentation apparatus for controlling the operation of the actuator so as to minutely vibrate the entire board.