JP2015118398A - Casing with light emission function - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a casing with light emission function that reacts with an operation of a user and generates changes sensitive by the five senses to stimulate the user's senses.SOLUTION: The casing with light emission function comprises: a polyhedron-shaped casing body 1; a touch input surface 2 arranged on the front faces of at least two or more outer walls 4 of the casing body 1; a light source part 3 that is arranged on a back face of the touch input surface 2, can be visually recognized from the outside through the outer wall 4 and the touch input surface 2 of the casing body 1 in a lighting state, and can perform full color light emission; and a lighting control circuit 11 that reacts with a touch operation on the touch input surface 2 and controls a lighting state of the light source part 3.

Description

  The present invention relates to a casing with a light emitting function capable of floating light of a desired lighting pattern on a surface layer.

  In recent years, for people with severe physical disabilities, bedridden living due to illness or aging, people who are difficult to express their intentions due to intellectual disability or dementia, people who are in mental instability, etc. Motivation to foster a full and equitable welfare environment is increasing. And it has been recognized that mere treatment and assistance so far are not enough, and it is recognized that independence support for these people is important. It is supposed to be effective.

  Therefore, activities based on the philosophy of “snoezelen”, which originated in the Netherlands as a way of dealing with people with severe intellectual disabilities, have been attracting attention. Snoozeren is a practice that provides optimal leisure and relaxation activities using a sensory stimulation space that attracts people with severe intellectual disabilities, and is a philosophy that has been built through this process. In the practice of snoozeren, a physical environment filled with sensory stimuli that can be easily received by people with disabilities (snoozelen users) is desirable, and devices that can stimulate the human senses are desired.

  On the other hand, it is well known that an educational equipment that stimulates the five senses is also demanded for healthy individuals in order to promote growth in early childhood. In other words, such a device can be touched by the user's hands, and in response to touching with the hands, emits some change that appeals to the user's five senses, such as movement, light, and sound. Is desired.

JP 2007-203083 A JP 2011-95639 A

  The present invention has been made in view of such a conventional background. That is, a main object of the present invention is to provide a casing with a light emitting function that can cause a change that appeals to the five senses in response to a user's operation and can stimulate the user's senses.

Means for Solving the Problems and Effects of the Invention

The housing with light emitting function of the present invention includes a polyhedral housing body 1, a touch input surface 2 disposed on the surface of at least two outer walls 4 of the housing body 1, and the touch input surface 2. A light source unit 3 that is disposed on the back side and is visible from the outside through the touch input surface 2 when lit, and a light source unit 3 that can emit full color light, and the light source unit 3 is lit in response to a touch operation on the touch input surface 2 And a lighting control circuit 11 for controlling the state.
The case with the light emitting function configured as described above controls the lighting state of the light source unit arranged on the back side of the touch input surface in response to a user's touch operation on the touch input surface arranged on the surface of the case body. By doing so, a change appealing to the tactile sensation and vision of the user can be generated, and the user's sense can be stimulated.

In the case with the light emitting function of the present invention, the light source unit 3 can arrange a plurality of light emitting elements 31 in a matrix.
With the above-described configuration, the lighting area of the light source unit can be widened so that it can be easily visually recognized from the outside. For example, by controlling lighting states of a plurality of light emitting elements arranged in a matrix, various figures, characters, numbers, images, and the like can be displayed outside.

In the case with the light emitting function of the present invention, the light emitting element 31 can be a light emitting diode.
With the above configuration, the light source unit can be driven with a low voltage and a low current, so that power consumption can be reduced and running cost can be reduced. In addition to high luminance, various colors can be reproduced by mixing red, green, and blue light at an appropriate ratio. Furthermore, since the LED is robust, excellent in impact resistance, and has a long life, it is possible to reduce labor and cost of replacement and realize maintenance-free. Furthermore, since the heat generation amount is small, the thermal influence on the surrounding members can be made relatively small.

The casing with a light emitting function of the present invention can include a light diffusion layer 6 between the back surface of the touch input surface 2 and the light source unit 3.
With the above configuration, it is possible to diffuse the light of the light emitting element that constitutes the light source unit and reduce the dot feeling of the light emitting element when viewed from the outside.

In the case with a light emitting function of the present invention, the light source unit 3 is a planar light source 31 that is a liquid crystal panel or an organic EL panel, and the planar light source 31 is laminated on the back surface of the touch input surface 2 to constitute the touch panel 7. The touch panel 7 can be disposed on the surface of the outer wall 4 of the housing body 1.
With the above configuration, a touch panel generally manufactured and sold can be used as the touch input surface and the light source unit, and can be easily manufactured by fixing the touch panel to the surface of the housing body.

The housing with a light emitting function of the present invention can include a communication mechanism 33 for communicating information signals with each other between a plurality of housings.
With the above configuration, in a state where a plurality of casings are arranged within the communication range, by communicating information signals between these casings, the plurality of casings can be driven in synchronization or interfere with each other. It can be driven to achieve even better performance effects.

In the case with the light emitting function of the present invention, the case body 1 can have a cubic shape. With the configuration described above, excellent symmetry can be realized while making the outer shape of the entire casing familiar.
Furthermore, in the housing with a light emitting function of the present invention, the housing body 1 can be formed in a prismatic shape.

In the housing with a light emitting function of the present invention, the touch input surface 2 and the light source unit 3 can be arranged on each surface of the housing body 1.
With the above configuration, the number of surfaces touch-operated by the user and the number of surfaces externally displayed by the light source unit can be increased to stimulate the user's sense more effectively.

The casing with a light emitting function of the present invention can be configured to have a wood grain surface.
With the above-described configuration, the user can be given the kindness and warmth of the wood material with the appearance of the casing as a wood grain.

The casing with a light emitting function of the present invention can be configured by the wood grain sheet 5 in which the wood grain pattern is laminated on the surface of the touch input surface 2.
With the above configuration, a wood grain sheet can be laminated on the surface of the touch input surface easily and easily, and the appearance of the housing can be finished in wood grain.

The housing with a light emitting function of the present invention can include a speaker 18 that outputs sound in response to a touch operation on the touch input surface 2.
With the above configuration, in response to the user's touch operation on the touch input surface, a sound is output, so that in addition to the user's tactile sense and visual sense, the auditory sense is also stimulated to further stimulate the user's sense. be able to. In particular, the user's sense can be stimulated more effectively by outputting music, sound effects, sound, onomatopoeia, etc. according to the lighting state of the light source.

In the case with the light emitting function according to the present invention, the lighting control circuit 11 changes the lighting state of the light source unit 3 toward the direction of the swipe operation in response to the swipe operation input on the touch input surface 2. Can do.
With the above configuration, the lighting state of the light source unit is changed in the direction of the swipe operation in response to the swipe operation on the touch input surface, so that various changes in the lighting state can be realized more realistically and promptly.

  The lighting control circuit 11 can move the lighting of the light source unit 3 from the input portion toward the swipe operation in response to a swipe operation input on the touch input surface 2.

  The lighting control circuit 11 can change the lighting state of the light source unit 3 in response to the swipe operation input on the touch input surface 2 into a lighting pattern that rotates in the direction of the swipe operation.

  The lighting control circuit 11 can turn on the touch-operated area in response to a touch operation input on the touch input surface 2.

  The casing with a light emitting function of the present invention can include a battery unit 21 for supplying power to the light source unit 3.

It is a perspective view of the housing | casing with a light emission function which concerns on Example 1 of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the state which decomposed | disassembled one surface of the housing | casing with an optical function shown in FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the use condition of the housing | casing with an optical function shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV of the optical function-equipped casing illustrated in FIG. 1. It is a block diagram of the housing | casing with a light emission function which concerns on Example 1 of this invention. It is a perspective view of the housing | casing with a light emission function which concerns on the other Example of this invention. It is a perspective view of the housing | casing with a light emission function which concerns on the other Example of this invention. It is a block diagram of the housing | casing with a light emission function which concerns on the other Example of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the example of operation of the housing | casing with a light emission function which concerns on the other Example of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the example of operation of the housing | casing with a light emission function which concerns on the other Example of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the other example of operation of the housing | casing with a light emission function shown in FIG.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the embodiment shown below exemplifies a case with a light emitting function for embodying the technical idea of the present invention, and the present invention specifies the case with a light emitting function as follows. do not do. In addition, the member shown by the claim is not what specifies the member of embodiment. In particular, the dimensions, materials, shapes, relative arrangements, and the like of the constituent members described in the embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention only to the description unless otherwise specified. It is just an example. Note that the size, positional relationship, and the like of the members shown in each drawing may be exaggerated for clarity of explanation. Furthermore, in the following description, the same name and symbol indicate the same or the same members, and detailed description thereof will be omitted as appropriate. Furthermore, each element constituting the present invention may be configured such that a plurality of elements are constituted by the same member and the plurality of elements are shared by one member, and conversely, the function of one member is constituted by a plurality of members. It can also be realized by sharing. In addition, the contents described in some examples and embodiments may be used in other examples and embodiments.

  FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a housing with a light emitting function according to the first embodiment, FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of one surface of the housing in FIG. 1, FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a usage state of the housing in FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV of FIG. 1, and FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a housing with a light emitting function. The light emitting function-equipped housing 100 shown in the above figures includes a housing body 1 having an outer shape of a polyhedron, a touch input surface 2 disposed on at least two outer walls 4 of the housing body 1, and a touch input. The light source unit 3 is disposed on the rear side of the surface 2 and is visible from the outside through the touch input surface 2 when lit, and the light source unit 3 capable of full color light emission and the light source unit 3 in response to a touch operation on the touch input surface 2 A lighting control circuit 11 that controls the lighting state is provided. In the case 100 with the light emitting function, when the user touches the touch input surface 2 disposed on the outer side surface, the lighting control circuit 11 lights the light source unit 3 with a predetermined lighting pattern. The light lit by the light source unit 3 is displayed so as to be visible from the outside through the touch input surface 2.

(Case body 1)
The casing body 1 has a polyhedron shape formed by combining a plurality of flat surfaces. The casing body 1 having a polyhedral shape can be, for example, a cube, a rectangular parallelepiped, a prism, a pyramid, a regular tetrahedron, a regular octahedron, a regular dodecahedron, or the like. The casing main body 1 shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 has a cubic outer shape. The casing body 1 having a cubic outer shape can have an appearance that is easy to be familiar to the user while realizing excellent symmetry. Further, the housing 200 illustrated in FIG. 6 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape as the outer shape of the housing body, and the housing 300 illustrated in FIG. 7 has a triangular prism shape as the housing body.

  The housing body 1 is formed with a planar outer wall 4 on each surface, and a plurality of outer walls 4 are connected to each other to make the interior hollow. The housing main body 1 shown in the figure has a light source unit 3 disposed therein, and when the light source unit 3 is turned on, the outer wall 4 and the touch input surface 2 of the housing main body 1 are transmitted through and visible from the outside. . Therefore, in the case main body 1 shown in the figure, the outer wall 4 on which the touch input surface 2 is arranged has a translucent structure. For the outer wall 4 having translucency, a plastic flat plate having translucency, for example, an acrylic plate can be used. The housing body 1 is formed in a predetermined three-dimensional shape by connecting a plurality of outer walls 4 cut into a predetermined planar shape at the sides. In the case main body 1 composed of a plurality of outer walls 4, the touch input surface 2 is disposed on the surface of the outer wall 4. Furthermore, the housing body 1 molded in a hollow shape accommodates the drive unit 10 including the light source unit 3 with the inside serving as a storage unit. As will be described in detail later, the drive unit 10 includes a light source unit 3 that radiates light to the outside, and a fixed position inside the housing body 1 with the light source unit 3 disposed on the inner surface side of the outer wall 4. Are arranged. The light source unit 3 shown in the figure is a planar light emitting panel 30.

  In the above case body, the outer walls of each surface have a light-transmitting structure, but the case body does not necessarily have to have a structure having all light-transmitting properties. For example, the outer wall on which the touch input surface and the light source unit are not arranged can be formed of a member that does not transmit light. In addition, as will be described in detail later, the outer peripheral surface of the housing body may be configured with an outer wall that does not transmit light even in a housing that is disposed outside the outer wall without arranging the light source unit inside the outer wall. it can. The non-transparent outer wall is not limited to a transparent acrylic plate, but can also be a non-transparent plastic plate, metal plate, wood plate, or the like.

  Although not shown, the hollow casing body 1 includes a main body having an opening in at least one direction and a lid that closes the opening of the main body. In the case main body, the components constituting the drive unit are accommodated from the opening of the main body, and the opening is closed with a lid. The lid is adhered and fixed to the opening of the main body, or is fixed by screwing, or is fixed by a locking structure and closed.

(Touch input surface 2)
The touch input surface 2 has a thin plate shape and is fixed to the surface of the outer wall 4 of the housing body 1. The touch input surface 2 is a planar position input device and has translucency that can transmit light emitted from the light source unit 3 disposed on the back surface. The touch input surface 2 that is a position input device senses information on the touched screen position when the user applies pressure with a fingertip or a touch pen, and outputs the information as an information signal to the outside. The touch input surface 2 senses a user's touch operation and outputs the input information and operation information as an information signal. For example, the touch input surface 2 senses the pressed position and outputs it as a position input signal, or senses a swipe operation and outputs the input position and the moving direction as a swipe operation signal. A position input signal and a swipe operation signal information signal output from the touch input surface 2 are input to the detection circuit 13.

  The planar touch input surface 2 is preferably arranged over almost the entire area of the outer wall 4. With this structure, the area of the touch input surface 2 disposed on the outer wall 4 of the housing body 1 can be made sufficiently large so that the user can easily perform a touch operation. In addition, the area of the planar light emitting panel 30 disposed on the back side of the touch input surface 2 can be increased so that the lighting state of the light emitting panel 30 can be easily recognized. However, the touch input surface does not necessarily have to be disposed over the entire region of the outer wall, and can be disposed at the central portion excluding the outer peripheral edge portion of the outer wall. For example, the touch input surface can be disposed in an area of 30% to 100%, preferably 50% to 100%, of the area of the outer wall on which the touch input surface is disposed.

  As shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 4, in a case having a cubic appearance, the touch input surface 2 and the light source unit 3 are arranged on all six outer walls 4 constituting the case body 1. This case can arrange | position the touch input surface 2 and the light source part 3 in all the 6 congruent surfaces, can implement | achieve the outstanding symmetry, and can stimulate a user's sensitivity more effectively. However, the housing does not necessarily need to arrange the touch input surface 2 and the light source unit 3 on all the outer walls 4. For example, in the rectangular parallelepiped casing 200 shown in FIG. 6 and the triangular prism-shaped casing 300 shown in FIG. 7, the touch input surface 2 and the light source unit 3 are arranged only on the rectangular side surface, and the bottom surfaces of both ends are arranged. It can also be set as the structure which does not arrange | position.

(Wood grain sheet 5)
The housing 100 shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 has a wood grain surface. The casing 100 has a wood grain appearance by laminating a wood grain sheet 5 formed by printing a wood grain pattern similar to natural wood on the surface. The wood grain sheet 5 is obtained by printing a wood grain pattern on the surface of a translucent plastic sheet. The wood grain sheet 5 has a thickness capable of transmitting the light emitted from the light source unit 3, specifically 0.1 mm to 0.5 mm, more preferably 0.2 mm to 0.3 mm. A wood grain sheet thinner than 0.1 mm has a reduced strength and may break when subjected to an unintended impact. On the other hand, if the thickness exceeds 0.5 mm, the light transmission is remarkably reduced, the visibility of the lighting pattern is deteriorated, and the sensitivity of the touch operation on the touch input surface may be lowered. For this reason, the thickness of the wood grain sheet 5 is set to the half range described above.

  Here, the housing 100 shown in FIG. 1 shows a non-lighting state of the light source unit 3. In this state, the light source unit 3 cannot be recognized because the wood sheet 5 laminated on the surface is non-transmissive inside. . Further, the wood sheet 5 laminated on the surface makes the entire housing have a wood grain appearance. When the light source unit 3 is turned on, as shown in FIG. 3, the casing 100 passes through the surface wood grain sheet 5, emits light to the surface, and a desired lighting pattern emerges on the surface layer.

  Since the above casing 100 has a wood grain appearance, it can give the user the kindness and warmth of the wood material. However, it is not always necessary to finish the surface of the casing of the present invention to a woodgrain appearance. For example, as shown in FIG. 7, this casing has a touch input surface 2 laminated on the surface as a surface layer, or a surface layer by laminating a translucent exterior sheet on the surface of the touch input surface. be able to. When the light source unit is not lit, the casing 300 has a dark appearance due to the light source unit that is not lit, and when the light source unit is lit, the display pattern by the light source unit is transmitted through the touch input surface to the outside. Is displayed.

(Drive unit 10)
The drive unit 10 housed in the housing body 1 is on the back side of the touch input surface 2, the light source unit 3 disposed on the inner surface side of the outer wall 4 of the housing body 1, and power to the light source unit 3. A power supply unit 12 to be supplied, a detection circuit 13 that detects an information signal output from the touch input surface 2 and outputs a control signal of the light source unit 3 to the lighting control circuit 11, and a control signal input from the detection circuit 13 And a lighting control circuit 11 that controls the lighting state of the light source unit 3. Furthermore, the drive unit 10 shown in FIG. 5 also includes a sound source 17 and a speaker 18 for outputting sound in response to a touch operation on the touch input surface 2.

(Light source part 3)
The light source unit 3 is disposed on the back side of the touch input surface 2 and lights up so as to be visible through the touch input surface 2 through the outside. The light source unit 3 shown in the figure is arranged inside the housing body 1 and along the inner surface of the outer wall 4 so that the outer wall 4 and the touch input surface 2 can be seen from the outside. A light source unit 3 shown in FIG. 2 is a planar light-emitting panel 30 in which a plurality of light-emitting elements 31 that are point light sources are assembled in a predetermined arrangement. The light-emitting elements 31 receive various illumination lights such as discharge light emission and electroluminescence. Available. Specific examples include semiconductor elements such as light emitting diodes (hereinafter referred to as LEDs) and laser diodes (LD), organic EL, and fluorescent lamps based on luminescence. The light emitting element 31 is an element capable of emitting full color so that the user's vision can be stimulated more effectively.

  In the illustrated example, an LED is used as the light emitting element 31. As a result, it can be driven at a low voltage and a low current, so that power consumption can be suppressed, durability and reliability can be improved, and power consumption can also be reduced. In addition to high luminance, various colors can be reproduced by mixing three colors of red, green, and blue at an appropriate ratio. Furthermore, the LED is robust and excellent in impact resistance. In addition, since it has a long life, it is possible to reduce the labor and cost of replacing the light source and to realize maintenance-free. Furthermore, since the calorific value is small, the thermal influence on the surrounding members is relatively small.

  In the light source unit 3 of FIG. 2, a plurality of light emitting elements 31 made of LEDs are arranged in a matrix on a substrate 32 to form a light emitting panel 30. In the light emitting panel 30 in which a plurality of LEDs are arranged in a matrix of a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns, the number of LEDs to be used is appropriately set according to the size of a lighting pattern to be displayed, a necessary light amount, and the like. Since the LED is a current control element, the light emission amount can be adjusted by the current amount, and the output linearity is excellent and preferable. Moreover, although LED of various shapes, such as a cannonball type and a surface mounting type | mold, can be employ | adopted as LED, the surface mounting type | mold (SMD type | mold) LED with thin thickness is preferable. Thereby, the light emitting panel 30 can be made thin and can be disposed in a space-saving manner along the inside of the housing body 1, that is, along the inner surface of the outer wall 4.

  The number of LEDs arranged in one light emitting panel 30 is not particularly limited, and the number of dots constituting the lighting pattern increases as the number of LEDs mounted is increased, so that the contour of the appearance lighting pattern can be expressed smoothly. On the other hand, heat generation and power consumption by the light source can be reduced by suppressing the number of placement. In the case of a light emitting panel having a square outer shape, the number of LEDs arranged in rows and columns on the same substrate is made equal and arranged in a dot matrix. A square light-emitting panel substrate can be combined, or all LEDs can be mounted on one substrate, and the number of rows arranged in rows and columns can be adjusted and arranged in a dot matrix.

  The light source unit 3 that is the light emitting panel 30 is disposed along the inner surface of the outer wall 4 of the housing body 1. In order to arrange the planar light emitting panel 30 on the inner surface of the housing body 1, the driving unit 10 shown in FIG. 4 includes a base 14 that is housed inside the housing body 1. The base 14 shown in the figure is a box shape or a frame shape that conforms to the inner shape of the hollow casing body 1, and the light emitting panel 30 is fixed to the outer peripheral surface and disposed at a fixed position. Furthermore, the base 14 shown in the figure has a fixed plate 15 disposed at the center, and a circuit board 16 on which electronic components for realizing the lighting control circuit 11 and the like are mounted is fixed to the fixed plate 15.

(Light diffusion layer 6)
Furthermore, the housing 100 illustrated in FIG. 4 includes a light diffusion layer 6 between the touch input surface 2 and the planar light emitting panel 30. The housing 100 shown in the figure has a light diffusion layer 6 provided between the inner surface of the outer wall 4 and the light emitting panel 30 inside the housing body 1. The light diffusion layer 6 can relax the directivity of the light emitting element 31 and expand the viewing angle of the lighting pattern. Further, the light diffusion layer 6 can serve as a filter for making the amount of light passing through the viewing surface unevenly distributed, that is, making the amount of light radiated to the outside uniform. As a result, unevenness of light irradiated to the outside can be reduced extremely. Further, the structure in which the light source unit 3 is a light emitting panel 30 composed of a plurality of point light sources has a feature that the dot feeling of the light emitting element 31 can be reduced. The housing 100 shown in the figure has the light diffusion layer 6 as a diffusion plate, and is disposed between the four inner surfaces of the outer wall of the housing body 1 and the light emitting panel 30. The diffusion plate is a plastic plate formed so as to diffuse the transmitted light, and has a structure that irradiates the transmitted light while diffusing the transmitted light. However, a diffusion sheet or paper that diffuses transmitted light can also be used for the light diffusion layer. Further, the casing can be formed as a diffusion layer by laminating a diffusion sheet on the inner surface or outer surface of the outer wall of the casing main body. Furthermore, the casing can be formed as a diffusion layer by forming the outer wall of the casing body with a diffusion plate.

  In the case 100 described above, the light emitting unit 30 is a light emitting panel 30 in which a plurality of light emitting elements 31 made of LEDs are arranged in a matrix on a substrate 32. However, the light emitting unit can be a planar light source such as a liquid crystal panel or an organic EL panel. The light source unit that is a planar light source can be disposed inside the casing body, similarly to the casing described above. This structure has a feature that the light source unit can be protected by the outer wall of the housing body. However, a housing using a planar light source such as a liquid crystal panel or an organic EL panel as a light source unit has a planar light source 31 directly laminated on the back surface of the touch input surface 2 as shown in the block diagram of FIG. Can be configured. Although not shown, the touch panel 7 is disposed and fixed on the outer wall surface of the housing body. This casing can be easily manufactured by fixing a generally manufactured and sold touch panel to the surface of the casing body. In this case, since the outer wall of the case body does not require translucency, various materials can be used for the outer wall as described above.

(Power supply unit 12)
The power supply unit 12 includes a battery unit 21 and supplies power to the light source unit 3. As shown in FIG. 4, the battery unit 21 is fixed to a fixed plate 15 fixed to the center of the base 14. As described above, the structure in which the battery unit 21 is arranged at the center of the housing body 1 has a feature that the center of gravity is located at the center of the housing 100 and can be conveniently operated. Further, the power supply unit 12 of FIG. 5 includes a power supply circuit 20 that converts electric power supplied from the battery unit 21 into an optimum voltage supplied to the light source unit 3. For example, a DC / DC converter can be used as the power supply circuit 20. The power output from the power supply circuit 20 is supplied to the light emitting element 31 of the light source unit 3 through the lighting control circuit 11.

  The battery unit 21 can be a secondary battery 21A that can be repeatedly charged and discharged. A lithium ion battery can be used as such a secondary battery 21A. However, any other rechargeable battery, such as a nickel metal hydride battery, can be used as the secondary battery. The power supply unit 12 having the battery unit 21 as the secondary battery 21A includes a charging circuit 22 that charges the secondary battery 21A. Furthermore, the charging terminal 23 for supplying electric power from the external power supply 29 connected externally is also provided. As such a charging terminal 23, a USB connector, a pin terminal, or the like can be used. The charging terminal 23 for charging the built-in secondary battery 21 </ b> A is arranged in a state of being exposed to the outside from a terminal window 24 provided on the surface of the housing 100. The terminal window 24 is closed with an openable / closable lid 25 as shown in FIG.

  However, a primary battery can also be used for a battery part. The case in which the battery part is a primary battery can be conveniently replaced as a structure in which the lid of the case body can be detachably connected to the body part. Thus, the power supply unit using the battery unit as a primary battery can omit the charging circuit and the charging terminal.

(Detection circuit 13)
The detection circuit 13 detects an information signal indicating a user's touch operation input from the touch input surface 2, and outputs a control signal of the light source unit 3 for these information signals to the lighting control circuit 11. Further, the detection circuit 13 shown in FIG. 5 outputs a sound control signal output from the speaker 18 to the sound source 17 in response to the information signal.

(Lighting control circuit 11)
The lighting control circuit 11 controls the lighting state of the light source unit 3 in response to a touch operation on the touch input surface 2. The lighting control circuit 11 controls the lighting state of the plurality of light source units 3 based on the control signal of the light source unit 3 input from the detection circuit 13. The lighting control circuit 11 controls the driving currents and driving patterns of the plurality of light emitting elements 31 constituting each light source unit 3 to control the lighting state of each light source unit 3. The lighting control circuit 11 controls the lighting state of the light emitting elements 3 constituting each light emitting panel 30 to light a predetermined area with a predetermined color, or a lighting pattern that displays a shape such as a predetermined figure or character. Light up. The lighting control circuit 11 can store a specific lighting pattern in a memory (not shown), and can light the light emitting element 31 with a specific pattern based on a control signal input from the detection circuit 13. For example, the lighting control circuit 11 can store data such as specific figures and characters, and lighting data such as lighting colors, lighting patterns, and blinks in a memory. The lighting control circuit 11 can light the light emitting element 31 with a specific lighting pattern stored in the memory based on the control signal input from the detection circuit 13.

  Furthermore, the lighting control circuit 11 can change the lighting state of the light emitting panel 30 such as a lighting pattern, a light emitting color, and blinking in response to a touch operation on the touch input surface 2. The lighting state of the light emitting panel 30 to be changed can also be stored in a memory (not shown) of the lighting control circuit 11. The lighting control circuit 11 can change the lighting state of the light-emitting panel 30 based on the control data input from the detection circuit 13 with the change data stored in the memory.

  Further, the lighting control circuit 11 can change the lighting state of the light emitting panel 30 in response to the swipe operation input on the touch input surface 2. The lighting control circuit 11 can change the lighting state of the light emitting panel 30 in the moving direction of the swipe operation. For example, in response to a swipe operation input on the touch input surface 2, the lighting control circuit 11 can move the lighting of the light emitting panel 30 from the input portion toward the swipe operation. Alternatively, the lighting control circuit 11 can change the lighting state of the light-emitting panel 30 in response to the swipe operation input on the touch input surface 2 to a lighting pattern that rotates in the direction of the swipe operation. Alternatively, the lighting control circuit 11 can turn on the touch-operated region in response to a touch operation input on the touch input surface 2. As described above, the configuration in which the lighting state of the light source unit 3 is changed in response to the swipe operation on the touch input surface 2 is characterized in that various changes in the lighting state can be realized more realistically and quickly.

(Sound source 17, speaker 18)
Furthermore, the housing 100 shown in FIG. 5 has a structure that generates a sound in response to a touch operation on the touch input surface 2. The casing 100 shown in the figure outputs a predetermined sound from the speaker 18 based on a sound control signal input from the detection circuit 13. This structure can further stimulate the user's senses by stimulating the auditory sense as well as the user's tactile sense and vision. In particular, it responds to touch operations on the touch input surface 2 and outputs music, sound effects, words, onomatopoeia, etc. in response to the lighting pattern of the light-emitting panel 30, thereby making the user's sense more effective. Can irritate.

  The sound source 17 stores, for example, specific sound data in a memory (not shown), and outputs a specific sound based on a sound control signal input from the detection circuit 13. As such a sound source 17, for example, an IC chip can be used. The sound source 17 stores sound data such as specific music, sound effects, onomatopoeia, and voice, and outputs a specific sound signal in accordance with a sound control signal input from the detection circuit 13. The sound signal output from the sound source 17 is output from the speaker 18 to the outside.

  The case 100 can play specific music in response to a touch operation on the touch input surface 2, or can play a predetermined sound effect or an imitation sound according to the content of the touch operation or the lighting pattern. For example, the casing 100 can output sound of these pronunciations while writing hiragana, katakana, alphabets, and the like. This structure can be learned as an educational toy while stimulating the infant from vision and hearing.

  Furthermore, the housing with a light emitting function of the present invention can be equipped with a communication function. For example, as shown in FIG. 9, the housing having the communication function communicates information signals with each other between the housings 400 arranged in the vicinity, and synchronizes with each other or interferes with each other. Light can be emitted and sound can be output from the speaker. As such a communication function, wireless communication means such as infrared communication or Bluetooth (registered trademark) can be employed. The casing 400 with a light emitting function includes a communication mechanism for communicating information signals with each other between a plurality of casings. A housing 400 shown in FIG. 8 includes, as the communication mechanism 33, a transmitter 34 that transmits an information signal detected by the detection circuit 13 to the outside, and a receiver 35 that receives an information signal transmitted from the outside. . As shown in FIG. 9, this casing 400 operates from one casing 400A to another casing 400B by operating one casing 400A in a state where a plurality of casings 400 are arranged within the communication range. The information signal is transmitted from the transmitter 34. When the receiver 35 receives the information signal, the other casing 400B performs an operation according to the information signal. For example, the light emitting unit of the other housing 400B can emit light, or sound can be output from a speaker. In this way, a plurality of cases can be driven synchronously, or can be driven while interfering with each other to further enjoy the effect.

  The above housing | casing can also be used as a toy which has game property, as shown in FIG. 10 and FIG. The casing 500 shown in these figures divides each surface into nine parts, and lights up the sections located on the six surfaces with six kinds of colors and graphics, so that the appearance of a rotationally movable three-dimensional toy is obtained. As shown by an arrow A in the figure, the casing 500 is operated by swiping the touch input surface 2 to move the display of the light source unit in the direction shown by the arrow B in the figure in response to this operation. The operated part can be displayed as if it was rotated. FIG. 10 shows an operation example in which the block to be rotated is swiped linearly in the moving direction, and the casing is partially rotated in the direction indicated by the arrow B. FIG. 11 shows the rotation of the block to be rotated. An operation example is shown in which a case is swung in a circular shape in a direction and the casing is partially rotated in the direction indicated by the arrow B. Thereby, a display as if a part of the housing is rotated can be realized and the game can be enjoyed. Furthermore, at this time, by outputting a sound imitating the rotation operation, it is possible to enjoy a feeling closer to the real thing.

  The case 500 shown in FIGS. 10 and 11 has a cubic shape as a whole, and the display of each surface is divided into nine squares. However, the case has a shape of each surface and a partitioned shape. Is not limited to a square, and each surface can be divided into 2 to 8 or a display divided into 10 or more.

  The housing with a light emitting function of the present invention can stimulate a sense in response to a user's operation by a touch input surface provided on the surface and a light source unit capable of displaying light of a desired lighting pattern. It can be suitably used as a housing.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100, 200, 300, 400, 400A, 400B, 500 ... Housing 1 ... Housing main body 2 ... Touch input surface 3 ... Light source part 4 ... Outer wall 5 ... Wood grain sheet 6 ... Light diffusion layer 7 ... Touch panel 10 ... Drive part 11 ... Lighting control circuit 12 ... Power supply unit 13 ... Detection circuit 14 ... Base 15 ... Fixed plate 16 ... Circuit board 17 ... Sound source 18 ... Speaker 20 ... Power supply circuit 21 ... Battery unit 21A ... Secondary battery 22 ... Charging circuit 23 ... Charging Terminal 24 ... Terminal window 25 ... Open / close lid 29 ... External power supply 30 ... Light emitting panel 31 ... Planar light source 32 ... Substrate 33 ... Communication mechanism 34 ... Transmitter 35 ... Receiver

Claims (17)

A polyhedral housing body;
A touch input surface disposed on a surface of at least two outer walls of the housing body;
A light source unit that is arranged on the back side of the touch input surface and is visible from the outside through the touch input surface at the time of lighting;
A lighting control circuit for controlling a lighting state of the light source unit in response to a touch operation on the touch input surface;
A housing with a light emitting function, comprising: In the housing | casing with a light emission function of Claim 1,
The light source unit is a housing with a light emitting function, wherein a plurality of light emitting elements are arranged in a matrix. In the housing | casing with the light emission function of Claim 2,
The said light emitting element is a light emitting diode, The housing | casing with a light emission function characterized by the above-mentioned. The case with a light emitting function according to claim 3, further comprising a light diffusion layer between a back surface of the touch input surface and the light source unit. In the housing | casing with a light emission function of Claim 1,
The surface light source is a liquid crystal panel or an organic EL panel, and a touch panel is configured by laminating the surface light source on the back of the touch input surface,
A housing with a light emitting function, wherein the touch panel is disposed on a surface of an outer wall of the housing body. In the housing | casing with a light emission function as described in any one of Claim 1 thru | or 5,
A housing with a light emitting function, comprising a communication mechanism for communicating information signals with each other between a plurality of housings. In the housing | casing with the light emission function as described in any one of Claim 1 thru | or 6,
A housing with a light emitting function, wherein the housing body has a cubic shape. In the housing | casing with the light emission function as described in any one of Claim 1 thru | or 6,
A housing with a light emitting function, wherein the housing body is prismatic. In the housing | casing with a light emission function as described in any one of Claim 1 thru | or 8,
A housing with a light emitting function, wherein the touch input surface and the light source unit are arranged on each surface of the housing body. In the housing | casing with a light emission function as described in any one of Claim 1 thru | or 9,
A casing with a light emitting function, characterized in that the surface is configured in a wood grain. In the housing | casing with a light emission function of Claim 10,
The case with a light emitting function, wherein the woodgrain pattern is configured by a woodgrain sheet laminated on a surface of the touch input surface. The housing with a light emitting function according to claim 1, further comprising a speaker that outputs sound in response to a touch operation on the touch input surface. . In the housing with a light emitting function according to any one of claims 1 to 12,
The lighting control circuit changes the lighting state of the light source unit in the direction of the swipe operation in response to a swipe operation input on the touch input surface. The housing with a light emitting function according to claim 13,
The lighting control circuit moves the lighting of the light source unit from the input part toward the swipe operation in response to a swipe operation input on the touch input surface. The housing with a light emitting function according to claim 13,
The lighting control circuit has a light emitting function in which a change in lighting state of the light source unit in response to a swipe operation input on the touch input surface is a lighting pattern that rotates in the direction of the swipe operation. Enclosed case. The housing with a light emitting function according to claim 13,
The lighting control circuit illuminates a touch-operated region in response to a touch operation input on the touch input surface. In the housing | casing with a light emission function as described in any one of Claims 1 thru | or 16, Furthermore,
A housing with a light emitting function, comprising a battery unit for supplying power to the light source unit.

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