JP2015099514A - Input device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an input device structure without the need for providing an electrode for a human to touch.SOLUTION: This invention provides an input device used for a capacitance detection type touch panel with which multi-touch input can be performed. The input device includes: a plurality of small areas 5 formed by conductive material provided in an area to be detected 4; and a conductive layer 3 comprising a conductive area 6 provided at a site different from the area to be detected 4, the conductive layer 3 being covered by a surface layer 9 that is an insulating layer comprising ink, paint or a sheet.

Description

  The present invention relates to an input device used for a capacitance detection type touch panel.

Currently, capacitive touch panels are mounted on various electronic devices. There are various types of such touch panels described in Patent Documents 1, 8, and 9. By improving accuracy and speed of detecting fingertip contact with the touch panel, fingertip contact with multiple points such as five or ten points is possible. Can be detected almost simultaneously.
Patent Documents 1 to 7 describe inventions that use a touch panel capable of multipoint detection, encode a combination of contact positions by a conductor that substitutes for fingertip contact, and use it as identifiable information. Yes.

Capacitive touch panels currently used in many devices allow high-frequency current to be applied to the sensor area, allowing capacitive coupling between the sensor and a nearby person. It detects the fluctuation on the circuit. Therefore, in order to detect a substance other than a human, it is necessary to have a requirement necessary for causing the capacitive coupling that can be recognized by the sensor circuit.
In addition, in the case of a tablet terminal having a wider area of a smartphone or touch panel currently distributed than a smartphone, even if a metal body having a circular contact surface with a diameter of about 5 to 10 mm is simply placed on the panel, this corresponds to the fingertip. Can not be recognized as.

Japanese Patent No. 4810573 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2005-78086 JP 2006-185338 A JP 2011-134298 A Special table 2013-529800 gazette JP2013-168187A JP 2013-89013 A Japanese Patent No. 4584342 Japanese Patent No. 5063561

  As a method for causing the touch panel to recognize a conductive substance or a conductive region (a region formed of a conductive material) that replaces the fingertip, as shown in the prior art document, It is necessary to connect a human or a conductive material having a large capacitance. However, in the former case, since an electrode for human contact must be exposed, the appearance may be impaired. In the latter case, the outer shape tends to be larger because a larger area is required than the part to be recognized by the touch panel. Also, when a plurality of conductive regions are recognized by the touch panel, the recognition rate is more likely to be lower than when a human is in direct contact with each other, and thus a device for reducing the reading failure due to this is desired.

In view of the above circumstances, the present invention is an input device for recognizing a plurality of conductive substances or conductive regions that replace a fingertip with respect to a capacitive touch panel. First, an electrode for human contact is provided. It is an object to provide a structure that does not need to be provided.
A second object of the present invention is to provide an input device having a structure for reducing reading defects.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an input device that solves both the first and second problems.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention has the following means. That is,
An input device used for a capacitance detection type touch panel capable of performing multi-touch input,
A detection area that can contact or approach the touch panel;
A plurality of small areas formed of a conductive material provided in the detected area;
A conductive region provided at a site different from the detected region;
A narrow coupling path that connects the small regions and one or more small regions and the conductive region,
The small region, the conductive region, and the coupling path are provided on the surface of the insulating material, and an insulating layer made of ink, paint, or sheet is provided on the surface of the small region, the conductive region, and the coupling path.

Moreover, this invention has the following means. That is,
An input device used for a capacitance detection type touch panel capable of performing multi-touch input,
A detection area that can contact or approach the touch panel;
A plurality of small regions formed of a conductive material disposed between the stacked materials of the surface of the detection region or the portion constituting the detection region;
A conductive region provided at a site different from the detected region;
A narrow coupling path that connects the small regions and one or more small regions and the conductive region,
The small area is arranged at any placeable coordinates set so as to be arranged at a certain interval or more,
The coupling path is provided between two adjacent points of the arrangeable coordinates.

  In each of the above means, the input device is a thin card.

  Further, in each of the above means, the base for providing the small region, the conductive region, and the coupling path is formed of a synthetic resin.

Further, in each of the above means, the small region, the conductive region, and the coupling path are formed of white, gray, or a light-colored conductive ink close to white,
The surface of the small region, the conductive region, and the coupling path is covered with an insulating ink having a darker color.

The input device according to the present invention recognizes the unique identification information constituted by a combination of the number and arrangement of the small areas by the capacitive touch panel by recognizing the conductive small areas included in the input device. It can be made to.
Further, since contact with a human necessary for recognizing the small area is performed by a conductive area covered with an insulating layer, it is not necessary to provide means such as an electrode for connecting to the small area on the surface of the input device. It has the effect.
In addition, by providing a connecting line that connects the small area to be recognized by the touch panel and the conductive area so as not to pass through the position where the small area can be arranged, it is difficult to cause misrecognition or reading failure when the small area is detected by the touch panel. Has the effect of

1 is a schematic external perspective view of a card-type input device that is an embodiment of the present invention and a portable electronic device that uses the input device. 2A shows a state in which a card-type input device is in contact with the touch panel of the portable electronic device in a horizontal direction, and FIG. It is a schematic perspective view showing the state made to contact in direction. It is explanatory drawing showing the structure and production process of the card | curd concerning this Embodiment. It is explanatory drawing of the conductive layer provided in the card | curd which concerns on this Embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which showed the arrangement | positioning possible position of the small area recognized by a touch panel. It is explanatory drawing which showed the other example of the electroconductive area | region provided in the card | curd concerning this Embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which showed the other example of the surface layer provided in the card | curd concerning this Embodiment. It is explanatory drawing regarding the coupling path provided in the card | curd which concerns on this Embodiment.

  Hereinafter, modes for carrying out the invention will be described. FIG. 1 shows a smartphone S as a portable electronic device having a capacitance detection type touch panel P and a card 1 formed as one form of an input device for the smartphone S. FIG. 2A illustrates a state in which one side surface of the vertically long rectangular card 1 is in a horizontal contact with the vertically long rectangular touch panel P of the smartphone S, and FIG. A state in which one side surface of the rectangular card 1 is brought into contact in a vertical direction (longitudinal directions are matched) is shown. Hereinafter, unless otherwise specified, the term “vertical” refers to the direction along the longitudinal direction of the vertically long rectangular shape, and the term “lateral” refers to the width direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction.

When the input device according to the present invention is formed in a card shape having the size of a general playing card or credit card, the input device is oriented sideways with respect to the touch panel as shown in FIG. 2 (a) or FIG. 2 (b). Alternatively, the information held in the input device can be recognized by the electronic device by making contact in the vertical direction. Recognition of information held by the input device requires a recognition processing program executed in cooperation with a dedicated application program having a recognition processing function or an application program for performing other operations. The recognition processing program may be stored in advance in an electronic device, or may be executed by a server device connected via the Internet or a processing computer via the server device, all or part of the recognition processing. May be.
The specification of the recognition program executed by the electronic device includes not only the case where the direction of the input device is defined and the direction of the detection area and the recognition position are fixedly set as shown in FIG. Some of them use it to recognize information contained in a detected area regardless of the direction of the detected area. The present invention can be applied to any specifications, but in the example described below, coordinates on the touch panel for recognizing information held by the card are fixed in advance, and the set coordinate position is determined. The information held by the card 1 can be acquired by determining whether or not there is information to be recognized.

The card 1 is formed by the process shown in FIGS. 3A to 3C as an example. Each drawing shown in FIG. 3 represents a structure of layers stacked on one side surface (hereinafter referred to as “facing surface” or “contact surface”) of the card 1 that is in contact with the touch panel. Each layer except the base material 2 which is a base material can be formed by various methods such as silk screen printing, offset printing, foil stamping, and film lamination as an example.
Fig.3 (a) represents the printing layer provided in the opposing surface of the base material 2 which contacts a touch panel. The base material 2 is formed in a rectangular shape using a synthetic resin sheet or a paper sheet as a base material.
The size is about the same as a credit card or a playing card that is generally distributed at present. It is preferable that the opposing surface of the card 1 can be brought into close contact with the touch panel. For this reason, since it is desirable that the distortion does not occur due to repeated use or a change in moisture content, the substrate 2 is preferably formed of a synthetic resin sheet. Moreover, when forming the base material 2 with paper, it is preferable that application | coating of the ink etc. which inhibit permeation | transmission of a water | moisture content, and sticking of a thin resin film are performed to both front and back.

A conductive layer 3 having a predetermined shape is formed on the opposing surface of the base material 2 using a conductive ink containing a conductive material or a metal foil. The conductive layer 3 includes a plurality of circular small regions 5 having substantially the same shape, a conductive region 6 having a larger area than the small region 5, a coupling path 7 connecting the small regions, and one of the small regions. One or more and a coupling path 8 connecting the conductive regions.
The small region 5 is formed as a circular region having a diameter of 10 mm in the present embodiment, and serves as a detected portion whose presence is detected by capacitively coupling with a detection electrode included in the touch panel. . The small area 5 is any of positions (arrangeable positions, arrangeable coordinates) set based on a certain arrangement rule within a predetermined area (detected area 4) set on the facing surface of the substrate 2. It is arranged in The detected region 4 is set as a substantially rectangular region having four sides along the longitudinal direction and the short direction of the substrate 2.

FIG. 4 shows an example of the conductive layer 3 provided on the substrate 2. In the present embodiment, an example is shown in which five small regions (5a to 5e) are arranged at any one of five locations selected from the arrangement possible positions. The placement possible position is a point on the coordinates set based on a predetermined rule, and the center position of the circle, which is the center of the small area, is arranged in accordance with the placement possible coordinates.
The detected area 4 is a planar area that can simultaneously contact the touch panel. As shown in FIG. 2A, in the case of a card that is brought into contact with the vertical rectangular touch panel P of the smartphone S in the horizontal direction, a substantially rectangular area from the end in the longitudinal direction of the card 1 to the vicinity of the center (the horizontal width of the touch panel P). Degree) is the detected region 4.

Arrangeable positions set in the detection region 4 can be formed in an equally spaced matrix as an example. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 5, specified at the intersection of five columns indicated by a1 to a5 along the longitudinal direction of the substrate 2 and four rows indicated by b1 to b4 along the short direction. It can be defined as a possible coordinate position. In this example, the arrangement possible position setting rule is that each row and each column are 11 mm wide and equally spaced. This arrangementable position matches the specification of the program for detecting the position of the small area 5 executed in the electronic device, and in the electronic device, the small area on each coordinate of the touch panel set based on the same setting rule By detecting whether or not the presence of 5 can be recognized, the position where the small region 5 is arranged is acquired.
In other words, in the illustrated example, it is obtained which of the 20 possible arrangement positions formed by 5 columns × 4 rows at which 5 small areas are arranged, and the card 1 holds this arrangement combination. It is handled on the program as unique identification information.

  As described above, the intersection of the vertical axis expressed as the a1 to a5 columns and the horizontal axis expressed as the b1 to b4 rows becomes the coordinates where the small region 5 can be arranged. In order for the touch panel to detect a small region, a conductive part having a certain area or more facing an electrode of a predetermined area that the touch panel has is required. When the touch panel recognizes a small area having such an area, the touch panel obtains the center coordinates of the small area by calculation based on the detected information. When the coordinates coincide with coordinates set in advance as reading positions on the touch panel within a predetermined error range, it is determined that a small region is provided at the position by the recognition processing program.

The information that the card has can be represented by the coordinates of possible positions as 20 coordinate positions (a1b1, a1b2, a1b3, a1b4, a2b1,... A5b1, a5b2, a5b3, a5b4). Whether or not there is an area can be represented by 1/0. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 4, the information that the card has can be expressed as (0001010000000110000100). By recognizing this as unique information of the card on the program, it can be used as input information in a predetermined program.
As shown in FIG. 2 (a), when the card 1 is used in the horizontal direction, the small area is provided in all of the b2, b3, and b4 lines and the small area in all the b1 columns. If the card position is moved by one line, it will be recognized that the card is the same, so it cannot be distinguished. The same applies to a case where a card reversed 180 degrees is brought into contact from the opposite side of the illustrated example. In this way, there is a small area arrangement that cannot be distinguished by the smartphone S even if the arrangement coordinates on the card are different. Depending on the application program to be used, such an arrangement may not be used or confused. Consideration is given.

As described above, the example shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 has a central position of 20 points by five columns arranged at equal intervals shown as a1 to a5 and five rows arranged at equal intervals shown as b1 to b5. As shown in FIG.
On the other hand, unequal intervals may be used in which the intervals between columns and rows change proportionally, and instead of orthogonally crossing columns and rows, coordinates where both axes form an inclination angle excluding orthogonality may be created. Alternatively, the disposition position may be set on several concentric circles or on a spiral trajectory. In addition, it is also possible to set an available row or column, or to create a program for acquiring random coordinates excluding regularity and set a possible arrangement position. In this way, by providing various formats and setting programs for possible placement positions, a large number of combination patterns with different placement positions of small areas are created in a limited area, and the number of unique identification information configured by the input device is large. Can be generated. In addition, by providing various sizes of small regions, the number of small regions that can be provided in the detection region 4 can be variously set, and the number of combinations can be arbitrarily set. A large number of pieces of identification information can be obtained.

Since the small area 5 is a thin film or thin plate-like conductive portion that is close to the touch panel, the small area 5 is not easily recognized by the touch panel alone. However, it can be recognized by connecting directly or indirectly to another conductive region or a conductive object including a human being provided so as not to be capacitively coupled to the touch panel. In order to take advantage of this effect, each small region 5 is coupled by a narrow coupling path 7 and 8 with a conductive region 6 provided near the end of the card 1 opposite to the side where the detected region 4 is provided. ing.
The conductive layer 3 shown in FIG. 3A has a plurality of small areas 5, conductive areas 6 and coupling paths 7 and 8 that satisfy the conditions described above at a position determined by a printing press. Printed accurately.

Further, the present invention is characterized in that the conductive region 6 is capacitively coupled to the human body via an insulating layer using the surface layer 9 as an example. When the card 1 is brought into contact with the touch panel, the end of the card 1 is inevitably held between the fingertips. At this time, the human body and the conductive region 6 are close to each other, and the small region 5 and the human body have a capacity. Join. Direct current does not flow as in the case of a capacitor. However, when a high frequency is applied or there is a potential difference between both electrodes, charge moves. By utilizing such a phenomenon, the conductive region 6 can capacitively couple the small region 5 and the human body via the coupling paths 7 and 8, as in the case where the human body directly touches the small region 5. It can be detected by a touch panel. In the illustrated example, the conductive region 6 is formed as a region having a width of about 1 cm in the lateral width direction near the edge of the card 1 opposite to the side where the detection region 4 is provided. The reason why it is provided in the vicinity of the edge is to facilitate proximity to the human body.
Further, as shown in FIG. 6, when the surface area of the conductive region 6 is increased, the capacitance of the conductive region 6 itself increases, so that the small region 5 is easily detected by the touch panel, resulting in poor interpretation. The ratio can be reduced. In this case, the conductive region 6 extends from a position slightly away from the detected region 4 to the vicinity of the end of the card 1 so that the conductive region 6 itself does not affect the detection unit of the touch panel. Provided in the region.

As another example, as shown in FIG. 7, a conductive region 15 made of a conductive ink or a metal foil may be further formed on the surface of the surface layer 9 which is an insulating layer covering the conductive region 6. The conductive region 15 forms a capacitive body similar to a finger by touching a human finger when gripping a card. By being provided at a portion facing the conductive region 6 with the surface layer 9 interposed therebetween, the human body and the conductive region 6 have substantially the same action as facing the wide range.
When the conductive region 15 is widely formed on the surface of the surface layer 9 in a range that does not overlap the detected region 4, the position of the conductive region 6 facing this can be provided near the center instead of the end of the card 1. Become. In addition, it is more preferable that the conductive region 15 used in this case has a decorative effect such as a hologram for giving a high-class feeling to the card or a cutout pattern.

Next, the arrangement of the coupling path 7 that connects the small region 5 and the conductive region 6 will be described. The small region 5 is arranged at the center position at the dispositionable coordinates which are the intersection points of the vertical axis expressed as a1 to a5 and the horizontal axis expressed as b1 to b4. The card 1 according to the present embodiment has a specification in which the small areas 5 are provided at five positions selected from the coordinates that can be arranged, and all of the arranged small areas 5 can be conducted directly or via other small areas. It is combined with the sex region 6.
It is preferable that no conductive material other than the small region 5 is provided in the detection region 4 as much as possible. For this reason, even if it is a case where the coupling path 7 which connects small area | regions is provided, it is desirable to make a width | variety thin and short length so that the detection of the small area | region by a touch panel may not be exerted.
In addition, it is preferable that the distance is as far as possible from the arrangeable coordinates where the small area 5 is not provided, and the fact that the arrangement is biased to any of the arrangeable coordinates increases the possibility of erroneous recognition. In the detection region 4, a coupling path 7 is provided at an intermediate position of each possible coordinate or a position that is equidistant.

FIG. 8A shows a matrix coordinate 12 composed of a1 to a5 columns and b1 to b4 rows indicating arrangeable coordinates, a small area 5 virtually arranged on all the arrangeable coordinates, and each small area. The arrangement position of the coupling line 7 which couples each other is shown.
FIG. 8B shows the positions where the coupling line 7 is provided by line segments 14, 10 and 13. The main line segments are parallel to a1 to a5 indicated by reference numeral 14 (14a, 14b, 14c, 14d) and parallel to b1 to b4 indicated by 10 (10a, 10b, 10c) and 11 in FIG. A straight line segment and an inclined line segment 13 connecting these line segments or small regions. Reference numerals 8a, 8b, 8c, and 8d represent coupling paths with the conductive region 6 on the extension of the line segment 14 (14a, 14b, 14c, and 14d) along the vertical direction.

FIG. 8C shows an example of the shape pattern of the conductive layer 3 in which five small regions provided on the coordinates that can be arranged, one of these small regions and one of the small regions, and the conductive region 6 are coupled by a coupling path. This is represented by a line segment.
As shown in the figure, the coupling paths (10a, 10c, 8a, 8b, 8c) parallel to a1 to a5 or parallel to b1 to b4 necessary for connecting the small regions are arranged with the arrangementable coordinates. They do not intersect and pass through the middle of each possible coordinate.
The connecting path provided at the position of the line segment 13 that connects the small areas 5 and the line segments (10a, 10c, 8a, 10a, 10c, 8a, The connecting path provided at the position of the line segment 13 connected to 8b and 8c) is also provided at an angle of 45 degrees with respect to the orthogonal axes that do not intersect the dispositionable coordinates.

Further, as a regularity in providing the coupling path, when the coupling path 13 is provided in the small region 5, it is provided toward the side closer to the conductive region 6, so that the other small region or the width direction or the longitudinal direction is provided. It is preferable to connect with a connecting path along.
In addition, even when the small regions are continuously adjacent in the width direction or the direction along the longitudinal direction, the coupling path 13 that is inclined toward the conductive region 6 side is provided in principle, but the interval between the adjacent small regions is When the distance is relatively narrow, there is a case where a coupling path is provided so as to connect with an exceptionally shortest distance. If the small area is formed with a small diameter, a gap between the small areas is widened. As a rule, when the gap exceeds the radius of the small area, the inclined connection path is formed as a rule.
In addition, the connecting line 13 that connects the adjacent small regions is inclined 45 degrees with respect to the vertical and horizontal axes of the matrix 12, but this inclination angle is appropriately corrected according to the law that constitutes the dispositionable coordinates. It is what is done. In the case where the vertical axis and the horizontal axis constituting the arrangeable coordinates are not equally spaced but are proportionally changed, the coordinates are changed according to the coordinate axes provided based on various laws. In such a case, for almost all of the connecting lines, it does not pass through the position where it can be placed, it passes through a position that is intermediate or equidistant from the adjacent small area with respect to the placeable coordinates of each of the plurality of small areas, In the detection area 4, the total length is as short as possible, which is a priority in the case of forming a coupled line.

Next, the ink constituting the conductive layer 3 will be described. Of course, the ink is required to contain a conductive material. Some conductive inks exhibit conductivity by carbon black, but since the dark conductive layer 3 is formed, the conductive layer 3 can be seen through if the color of the printed layer formed thereon is not dark. It is difficult to conceal existence.
For this reason, when a pattern is formed by printing on the opposite surface, it is preferable to form the conductive layer 3 with a conductive ink of a color that is not visually noticeable, such as white, light color, and light gray. As such a material, it is preferable to use a white material such as titanium oxide and capable of forming a conductive coating film.

The structure related to the input device described above can be applied not only to the card type but also to dolls, other three-dimensional shaped objects, articles in other fields that do not belong to toys and games.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention can be used for an input device that allows an electronic device having a capacitive touch panel to recognize multiple points at a time and thereby recognize the arrangement of the multiple points as identification information.
In addition, since the form of the input device is not limited to the card shape, dolls, other three-dimensional objects, articles in other fields that do not belong to toys and games can be used as the input device. Is.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Card 2 Base material 3 Conductive layer 5 (5a-5e) Small area 6 Conductive area 7 Connection path 8 Connection path 9 Surface layer 10, 13, 14 Line segment 15 Conductive area P Touch panel S Smartphone

Claims (5)

An input device used for a capacitance detection type touch panel capable of performing multi-touch input,
A detection area that can contact or approach the touch panel;
A plurality of small areas formed of a conductive material provided in the detected area;
A conductive region provided at a site different from the detected region;
A narrow coupling path that connects the small regions and one or more small regions and the conductive region,
The input is characterized in that the small region, the conductive region and the coupling path are provided on the surface of the insulating material, and an insulating layer made of ink, paint or sheet is provided on the surface of the small region, the conductive region and the coupling path. device. An input device used for a capacitance detection type touch panel capable of performing multi-touch input,
A detection area that can contact or approach the touch panel;
A plurality of small regions formed of a conductive material disposed between the stacked materials of the surface of the detection region or the portion constituting the detection region;
A conductive region provided at a site different from the detected region;
A narrow coupling path that connects the small regions and one or more small regions and the conductive region,
The small area is arranged at any placeable coordinates set so as to be arranged at a certain interval or more,
The input device, wherein the coupling path is provided between two adjacent points of the dispositionable coordinates.   The input device according to claim 1, wherein the input device is a thin card.   The input device according to claim 3, wherein a base for providing the small region, the conductive region, and the coupling path is formed of a synthetic resin. The small region, the conductive region, and the coupling path are formed of white or gray or a light-colored conductive ink close to white,
5. The input device according to claim 3, wherein the surface of the small region, the conductive region, and the coupling path is concealed with an insulating ink having a darker color.