JP2015203893A - touch-panel input device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enable a touch-panel input technique to give a sufficient click feeling.SOLUTION: A touch-panel input device includes a touch panel and accepts prescribed input when the touch panel is depressed. On detecting that the touch panel is depressed by a prescribed amount or more by pressing force, the touch-panel input device vibrates the touch panel within a prescribed range in the direction to which the touch panel returns from a state of the depressed touch panel as an initial position. This enables the touch panel to vibrate in a mode in which there is no period of the state in which the touch panel caves in more than before the vibration.

Description

  The present invention relates to a touch panel type input technology in which an input corresponding to a touch is performed by detecting a user's touch on the touch panel.

  2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, technologies for inputting various information using a touch panel have been adopted in home appliances such as a microwave oven and a refrigerator, and in-vehicle devices such as a car navigation system and a car air conditioner system. In such a touch panel type input technology, various input operations are performed by detecting a change in capacitance due to a finger touching the touch panel surface and an increase in surface pressure due to the finger pressing the touch panel surface. Because of this principle of operation, input can be performed by simply touching the touch panel surface with a finger, or by touching the touch panel surface with a finger a little, so that it feels like a mechanical input device using switches. (A so-called click feeling) cannot be obtained.

  Therefore, in order to give such a natural click feeling, for example, a technique of vibrating the touch panel using a piezoelectric element has been proposed (Patent Document 1). In the proposed technique, as a result of vibrating the touch panel, the touch panel surface is raised to the finger side from the state before vibration and the touch panel surface is recessed from the state before vibration. A click feeling is generated.

JP 2010-146510 A

  However, the proposed technique has a problem that it is difficult to generate a sufficient click feeling. This is because a strong force is applied to the finger while the touch panel surface is raised from the pre-vibration state, but almost no force is applied to the finger while the touch panel surface is recessed compared to before the vibration. For this reason, it is as if the touch panel is lost and the power is lost.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems of conventional techniques, and an object thereof is to provide a technique capable of giving a sufficient click feeling in a touch panel type input technique.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, the touch panel type input device of the present invention has a touch panel, and when the touch panel is pressed, a predetermined input is performed, and the touch panel is pushed by a predetermined amount or more by the press. When it is detected that the touch panel is pressed, the touch panel is vibrated within a predetermined range taken in a direction in which the touch panel is restored with the initial position being the pressed-in state.

  In such a touch panel type input device of the present invention, the touch panel can be vibrated in such a manner that there is no period in which the touch panel is depressed more than before vibration. By doing so, the reaction force received by the finger does not become weaker than when the finger is in contact with the touch panel before the vibration, so that the touch panel is lost and it does not feel as if the force is lost. As a result, it is possible to generate a sufficient click feeling without increasing the vibration amplitude.

It is explanatory drawing which shows the liquid crystal display 11 and the touchscreen 12 with which the touchscreen type input device 10 is provided. 3 is an explanatory diagram conceptually showing an electrical connection mode of the touch panel type input device 10. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an internal structure of a pressing mechanism 30. FIG. It is a flowchart which shows the touch input process which CPU11 performs. It is explanatory drawing which shows a mode that a press position is detected. It is explanatory drawing which shows a mode that the electric current of (alpha) mA flows into the coil 31 for excitation. It is explanatory drawing which shows the difference of the touchscreen type input device 10 with respect to the prior art. It is explanatory drawing which shows the internal structure of the press mechanism 40 of a modification.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the touch panel type input device will be described in order to clarify the contents of the present invention described above. The touch panel type input device 10 of the present embodiment is provided in a vehicle.
A. Device configuration :
FIG. 1 shows a liquid crystal display 11 and a touch panel 12 provided in the touch panel type input device 10 of the present embodiment. In the touch panel type input device 10 of this embodiment, the liquid crystal display 11 is provided at a position where the driver can visually recognize, for example, an instrument panel in front of the driver's seat. Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the liquid crystal display 11 displays an input area for inputting information to an in-vehicle system (not shown) such as a car navigation system or an air conditioner system. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the input areas A to I are shown as the input areas. However, the input areas are not limited to this, and various types of in-vehicle systems that accept input of information and modes in the in-vehicle systems can be used. Displayed in a manner. In addition, the display screen of the liquid crystal display 11 is overlaid with a touch panel 12 that can detect the position where the driver's finger contacts. The touch panel 12 is made of a light transmissive material, and the driver can visually recognize the liquid crystal display 11 through the touch panel.
In addition, a pressing mechanism 30 is provided on the back side (the side opposite to the driver) at the center of each of the four sides of the touch panel 12. The pressing mechanism 30 is a mechanism for giving the driver a click feeling by pressing the touch panel 12 from the back side to the front side (driver side). The pressing mechanism 30 will be described later with reference to another drawing.

FIG. 2 conceptually shows an electrical connection mode of the touch panel type input device 10 of the present embodiment. The touch panel type input device 10 according to the present embodiment operates when various processes are executed by the CPU 13. As shown in FIG. 2, the bus 14 to which the CPU 13 is connected is connected to a ROM 15 that stores a processing program executed by the CPU 13 and a RAM 16 that is a work area of the CPU 13.
Further, the liquid crystal display 11 described above is connected to the bus 14 via a liquid crystal interface 17, and the touch panel 12 described above is connected via a panel interface 18.
Further, an excitation coil 31 is connected to the bus 14 via a drive current generation circuit 19. The exciting coil 31 is an element constituting a part of the pressing mechanism 30 (see FIG. 1). As will be described in detail later, the pressing mechanism 30 presses the touch panel 12 from the back side to the front side (driver side) when a current is passed through the excitation coil 31 by the drive current generation circuit 19. The excitation coil 31 is also connected with a detection current generation circuit 20 and a current detection circuit 21. As will be described in detail later, the detection current generation circuit 20 and the current detection circuit 21 are circuits for detecting that the touch panel 12 is pressed by the driver's finger.

3 shows a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 1, that is, the internal structure of the pressing mechanism 30. FIG. In the description using FIG. 3, for convenience of explanation, the front side (driver side) is expressed as “up” and the back side (side opposite to the driver) is expressed as “down”.
As shown in FIG. 3, the pressing mechanism 30 is provided in the downward direction of the touch panel 12. The pressing mechanism 30 has a casing 32 formed of a synthetic resin material in a rectangular parallelepiped shape and fixed to the instrument panel. A magnetic part 36 formed in a plate shape with a soft magnetic material such as iron or silicon steel is fixed to the upper inner wall of the casing 32.
Inside the casing 32 is accommodated an iron core 33 whose longitudinal direction is directed vertically. The iron core 33 is provided at a position where the upper end portion faces the lower surface of the magnetic portion 36. In addition, an exciting coil 31 wound around the outer peripheral surface of the iron core 33 is fixed. Further, a magnetic yoke 34 formed of a soft magnetic material and integrally with the iron core 33 is provided from the lower end portion of the iron core 33 to the outside of the exciting coil 31. Similarly to the iron core 33, the magnetic yoke 34 is also provided at a position where the upper end portion faces the lower surface of the magnetic portion 36. Further, the magnetic yoke 34 is fixed inside a box-shaped member 35 formed in a box shape with a synthetic resin material.
These members housed in the casing 32, that is, the iron core 33, the exciting coil 31, the magnetic yoke 34, and the box-shaped member 35 can move in the casing 32 integrally in the vertical direction. is there.

A pressing portion 35 a is formed on the upper end portion of the box-shaped member 35 so as to protrude upward. The upper side of the pressing portion 35 a is exposed to the outside of the casing 32 through a through hole 32 a provided in the upper wall of the casing 32, and the tip end portion (upper end portion) is fixed to the lower surface of the touch panel 12. ing. The outer wall of the box-shaped member 35 and the inner wall of the casing 32 are connected by a plurality of springs 37 (biasing means in the present invention), and the box-shaped member 35 is connected to the casing 32 by the plurality of springs 37. It is in a state where it is lifted inside.
Therefore, when the driver presses the touch panel 12 with the finger (downward), the iron core 33, the exciting coil 31, the magnetic yoke 34, and the box-shaped member 35 are integrated to counter the restoring force of the spring 37, Move down. As will be described in detail later, when a current is passed through the exciting coil 31 to generate a magnetic flux that attracts the iron core 33 and the magnetic yoke 34 toward the magnetic portion 36, the iron core 33, the exciting coil 31, the magnetic yoke 34, The box-shaped member 35 moves together as a unit.

B. Touch input processing:
FIG. 4 shows a flowchart of touch input processing executed by the CPU 13. The touch input process is started when an input area (see FIG. 1) is displayed on the liquid crystal display 11, and is executed as a timer interrupt process every predetermined time (for example, 4 milliseconds). As illustrated, when the touch input process is started, the CPU 13 first determines whether or not the touch panel 12 is pressed by the driver's finger (S100). The determination processing in S100 is performed using the detection current generation circuit 20 (see FIG. 2), the current detection circuit 21 (see FIG. 2), and the pressing mechanism 30. Note that the determination processing in S100 will be described in detail later.

  If it is determined that the touch panel 12 is pressed by the driver's finger as a result of the determination process in S100 (S100: yes), the position (pressed position) on the touch panel 12 pressed by the finger is detected (S102). That is, even when the touch panel 12 is pressed, a position that does not correspond to the input area may be pressed. In such a case, a process for giving a click feeling described later or the input area If the information corresponding to is input to the in-vehicle system, the driver feels uncomfortable. Therefore, in the process of S102, first, a position (pressed position) on the touch panel 12 pressed by the finger is detected.

  FIG. 5 shows how the pressed position is detected. As the touch panel 12 of this embodiment, a projected capacitive touch panel in which transparent electrodes are arranged vertically and horizontally is employed. As shown in the figure, when the driver's finger comes into contact with the touch panel 12, capacitive coupling between the finger and the transparent electrode occurs, and accordingly, the capacitance between the transparent electrodes changes. The amount of change in capacitance between the transparent electrodes corresponds to the distance between the finger and the transparent electrode. Therefore, the position of the driver's finger (pressed position) is detected based on the amount of change in capacitance between the transparent electrodes and the position of the transparent electrode where the change in capacitance has occurred. If the same process is executed regardless of which position is pressed, the process of detecting the pressed position in S102 may be omitted.

  When the pressed position is detected in this way (S102), it is determined whether or not the detected pressed position is a position corresponding to the input area displayed on the liquid crystal display 11 (S104). This determination process is performed, for example, by storing in advance the coordinate range of each input region and determining whether the coordinate of the pressed position is included in the coordinate range of any input region. As a result, when the pressed position is a position corresponding to any of the input areas (S104: yes), the CPU 13 sets the drive current generation circuit 19 (the energizing means in the present invention) to give the driver a click feeling. Then, a current of α mA (for example, a current of 100 mA, the vibration current in the present invention) is intermittently passed through the exciting coil 31 (S106).

  FIG. 6 shows a state in which an α mA current flows through the exciting coil 31 in the process of S106. When the touch panel 12 is pushed (pressed down) from the state where the touch panel 12 is not pressed by the finger as shown in FIG. 6A, as shown by the white arrow in FIG. The box-shaped member 35, the iron core 33, the magnetic yoke 34, and the exciting coil 31 are also moved together while opposing the restoring force of the spring 37. Along with this, the gap G between the upper end portions of the iron core 33 and the magnetic yoke 34 and the lower surface of the magnetic portion 36 is expanded.

  When an α mA current is passed through the exciting coil 31 in this state, a magnetic flux is generated in the iron core 33, and the magnetic flux emitted from the iron core 33 is converted into a magnetic part as shown by the black arrow in FIG. A magnetic circuit that passes through 36 and the magnetic yoke 34 and returns to the iron core 33 is generated (a magnetic field that attracts the iron core 33 and the magnetic yoke 34 to the magnetic portion 36 is generated). As a result, as indicated by the white arrow in FIG. 6 (c), an upward force (on the magnetic part 36 side) acts on the iron core 33 and the magnetic yoke 34. An upward force also acts on 35, and an upward force also acts on the pressing portion 35 a of the box-shaped member 35. As a result, the upper end of the pressing part 35a presses the touch panel 12 to the finger side. Thereby, the touch panel 12 pressed to the finger side by the pressing portion 35a gives an upward force to the finger.

  As described above, since the αmA current is intermittently passed through the exciting coil 31, the αmA current that is passed through the exciting coil 31 is temporarily stopped in the state shown in FIG. 6C. When the current of α mA is stopped, the touch panel 12 is not pressed upward, and as shown in FIG. 6B, the touch panel 12 is pushed down as before the current flows, that is, the spring 37 Due to the restoring force, the finger is in a state of being given an upward force from the touch panel 12 (an upward force that is smaller than when an electric current is passed through the exciting coil 31). When a current of α mA is again applied to the exciting coil 31, an upward force is applied to the iron core 33 and the magnetic yoke 34 as described above with reference to FIG. Presses the touch panel 12, and the touch panel 12 pressed to the finger side by the pressing portion 35a gives an upward force to the finger. As described above, when an α mA current is intermittently passed through the exciting coil 31, the finger is alternately given upward forces of different sizes from the touch panel 12.

Here, the conventional technique which gives the driver a click feeling by vibrating the touch panel with a piezoelectric element is compared with the touch panel type input device 10 of the present embodiment. In FIG. 7, the difference of the touch-panel type input device 10 of a present Example with respect to a prior art is shown notionally.
In the conventional technique, as shown in FIG. 7A, the touch panel is vibrated in the vertical direction in a state where a finger is in contact. Not only is the surface raised to the finger side, but the touch panel surface is also depressed more than before vibration. While the touch panel surface is depressed more than before the vibration (period T in the figure), the finger receives almost no force, so that it feels as if the touch panel is lost and the force is lost.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 7B (as described above), the touch panel type input device 10 of the present embodiment has a period during which an α mA current is passed through the exciting coil 31 (in the drawing). , ON period), an upward force (on the magnetic part 36 side) acts on the iron core 33 and the magnetic yoke 34, and an upward force also acts on the pressing part 35 a of the box-shaped member 35. Will be pressed to the finger side. As a result, the touch panel 12 pressed to the finger side by the pressing portion 35a gives an upward force to the finger. In other words, the touch panel 12 can be vibrated in such a manner that there is no period in which the touch panel 12 is in a depressed state before the current of α mA flows through the exciting coil 31 (initial position). In this way, the upward force applied to the finger does not become weaker than the state in which the finger is in contact with the touch panel 12 before vibration. Disappears. As a result, a sufficient click feeling can be generated without increasing the vibration amplitude.
In addition, during a period in which the current of α mA is not applied to the exciting coil 31 (OFF period in the figure), the touch panel 12 is pushed down against the restoring force of the spring 37 by the pressing force of the finger. That is, since the current of α mA is stopped in the state (initial position) where the touch panel 12 is pressed down (the position indicated by the dotted line in the figure) before being pressed down, the finger is lifted from the touch panel 12 by the restoring force of the spring 37. Directional force (upward force that is smaller than when an α mA current is passed through the exciting coil 31) is applied. In this way, even during a period in which the pressing force by the pressing mechanism 30 is weak, it is possible to apply a force to the finger by the restoring force of the spring 37, and it is possible to further increase the click feeling.

  As described above, in the touch panel type input device 10 according to the present embodiment, when an α mA current is intermittently applied to the exciting coil 31, the fingers alternately apply upward forces of different sizes from the touch panel 12. Will be given. As a result, while the α mA current is intermittently applied to the exciting coil 31, an upward force can always be applied to the finger while changing its size, so that the driver's finger feels uncomfortable. It becomes possible to give no click feeling. In the present embodiment, the above-described configuration in which the touch panel 12 is intermittently pressed upward (finger side) is a predetermined value taken in a direction in which the touch panel 12 is restored with the state where the touch panel 12 is pressed as an initial position. Since the touch panel 12 is vibrated within the range, it corresponds to the “vibrating means” in the present invention.

  Here, as described above with reference to FIG. 6B, when the touch panel 12 is pushed down, the gap G is expanded. When a current is passed through the exciting coil 31 in this state, the gap G is narrowed. The touch panel 12 moves upward. That is, when the touch panel 12 is pushed down, a gap G for the touch panel 12 to move upward is secured. Therefore, in the state where the touch panel 12 is not pushed down, it is not necessary to secure the gap G (because the gap G can be reduced), and thus the pressing mechanism 30 can be reduced in size.

  Further, the spring 37 is provided not on the lower side of the box-shaped member 35 (in the direction in which the box-shaped member 35 is pushed down) but on the side. Accordingly, since it is not necessary to secure the attachment position of the spring 37 below the box-shaped member 35, the thickness (length in the vertical direction) of the pressing mechanism 30 can be reduced. Of course, the spring 37 may be provided below the box-shaped member 35 if the thickness of the pressing mechanism 30 is not limited.

  In this way, when the driver's finger is given a sense of click by intermittently flowing current through the exciting coil 31, the process returns to the flowchart shown in FIG. 4 to identify the input area pressed by the finger (S108). That is, since the pressed position of the finger has been detected in the process of S102, it is determined whether or not the pressed position corresponds to any input area of the displayed input areas. And CPU13 (input means in this invention) will perform the input corresponding to this input area, if the input area which the finger is pressing is specified. For example, when the input area of the air conditioner system is pressed, information indicating that the input area is pressed is transmitted to the air conditioner system. Naturally, the air conditioner system performs processing corresponding to the pressed input area (for example, start or stop of the air conditioning operation, temperature adjustment, etc.). As described above, when it is detected that the touch panel 12 is pushed in a predetermined amount or more, the predetermined input is executed. Therefore, the predetermined input can be performed at the timing when the click feeling is generated, and the click feeling is more natural. It can make you feel something.

  Here, the process of S100 of FIG. 4, that is, the process for detecting that the touch panel 12 is pressed by the driver's finger will be described. In the touch panel type input device 10 according to the present embodiment, even when the above-described αmA current is not applied, the detection current generation circuit 20 (see FIG. 2) has a βmA current (for example, a 10 mA current) smaller than αmA. The initial current in the present invention is passed through the exciting coil 31. This β mA current value generates a magnetic flux from the iron core 33 toward the magnetic part 36, but is such that the iron core 33 and the magnetic yoke 34 are not attracted to the magnetic part 36, that is, an upward force is applied to the touch panel 12. It is a very small value. When the touch panel 12 is pushed down by a finger and the gap G is expanded in a state where such a β mA current is flowing through the exciting coil 31, the iron core 33 moves to the magnetic part 36 according to the degree of the expansion. The direction of the magnetic flux changes, and accordingly, the value of the current flowing through the exciting coil 31 also changes. In the process of S100, when the current detection circuit 21 (see FIG. 2) detects such a change amount of the current value and the detected change amount of the current value is larger than γmA (for example, 1 mA), the touch panel 12 It is determined that it is pressed (pressed more than a predetermined amount). In addition, since the touch panel type input device 10 of the present embodiment detects that the touch panel 12 is pressed by the finger as described above, the pressing mechanism 30, the detection current generation circuit 20, and the current detection circuit 21 are the same in the present invention. It corresponds to “detection means”.

  As described above, the touch panel type input device 10 according to the present embodiment uses the mechanism used in the process of giving a click feeling to the finger (S106) as the process of detecting that the touch panel 12 is pressed by the finger (S100). Since the pressing mechanism 30 can be reduced in size, the structure of the pressing mechanism 30 can be simplified.

C. Modified example:
Next, a modified pressing mechanism 40 having a different structure from the pressing mechanism 30 of the above-described embodiment will be described. FIG. 8 shows the internal structure of the pressing mechanism 40.
As shown in FIG. 8, the pressing mechanism 40 is provided in the downward direction of the touch panel 12. The pressing mechanism 40 has a casing 41 that is formed of a synthetic resin material in a rectangular parallelepiped shape and is fixed to the instrument panel. A cylindrical bobbin 42 opened downward is formed on the inner wall on the upper side of the casing 41, and an excitation coil 43 wound along the outer peripheral surface is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the bobbin 42. It is fixed.
Further, an iron core 44 whose longitudinal direction is directed vertically is accommodated in the casing 41, and the upper side of the iron core 44 is inserted into the bobbin 42 from below the bobbin 42. The lower end portion of the iron core 44 is fixed to a box-like member 45 formed in a box shape with a synthetic resin material. The iron core 44 and the box-shaped member 45 housed in the casing 41 can move in the vertical direction integrally with the inside of the casing 41. At this time, the iron core 44 moves in the insertion direction and the removal direction inside the bobbin 42.

A pressing portion 45 a is formed on the upper end portion of the box-like member 45 so as to protrude upward. The upper side of the pressing portion 45 a is exposed to the outside of the casing 41 through a through hole 41 a provided in the upper wall of the casing 41, and the tip end portion (upper end portion) is fixed to the lower surface of the touch panel 12. ing. The outer wall of the box-shaped member 45 and the inner wall of the casing 41 are connected by a plurality of springs 46 (biasing means in the present invention), and the box-shaped member 45 is connected to the casing 41 by the plurality of springs 46. It is in a state where it is lifted inside.
Therefore, when the driver presses the touch panel 12 with his finger (downward), the touch panel 12, the iron core 44, and the box-shaped member 45 are integrated into a spring as shown by the white arrow in FIG. It moves downward while countering the restoring force of 46.

  In this state, it is detected that the touch panel 12 has been pressed by the finger, and the drive current generation circuit 19 (the energization means in the present invention) causes the excitation coil 43 to have a current of α mA (for example, a current of 100 mA, in the present invention). When an oscillating current is applied, a magnetic flux is generated that draws the iron core 44 into the bobbin 42 as shown by a black arrow in FIG. 8C (a magnetic circuit is generated). As a result, as shown by the white arrow in FIG. 8C, the upward force acts on the iron core 44 and the box-shaped member 45, and therefore the upward force also acts on the pressing portion 45a of the box-shaped member 45. Work. As a result, the upper end of the pressing part 45a presses the touch panel 12 to the finger side. Thereby, the touch panel 12 pressed to the finger side by the pressing part 45a gives an upward force to the finger. In other words, the touch panel 12 can be vibrated in such a manner that there is no period in which the touch panel 12 is in a depressed state before the current of α mA flows through the exciting coil 43 (initial position). By doing so, the upward force applied to the finger does not become weaker than the state in which the finger is in contact with the touch panel 12 before the current of α mA is passed through the exciting coil 43, so the touch panel 12 is eliminated. And no longer feel as if power is lost. As a result, a sufficient click feeling can be generated without increasing the vibration amplitude.

Further, since the αmA current is intermittently passed through the exciting coil 43, the αmA current passed through the exciting coil 43 is temporarily stopped in the state shown in FIG. 8C. When the current of α mA is stopped, the touch panel 12 is not pressed upward, and as shown in FIG. 8B, the touch panel 12 is pushed down as before the current is passed, that is, the spring 37 Due to the restoring force, the finger is in a state of being given an upward force from the touch panel 12 (an upward force that is smaller than when an electric current is passed through the exciting coil 31). In this way, even during a period in which the pressing force by the pressing mechanism 30 is weak, it is possible to apply a force to the finger by the restoring force of the spring 46, and it is possible to further increase the click feeling.
When a current of α mA is again applied to the exciting coil 43, an upward force is applied to the iron core 44 and the box-shaped member 45 as described above with reference to FIG. 45a presses the touch panel 12, and the touch panel 12 pressed to the finger side by the pressing part 45a gives an upward force to the finger.
As described above, when a current of α mA is intermittently supplied to the exciting coil 43, the finger is alternately given upward forces of different sizes from the touch panel 12. As a result, while the αmA current is intermittently applied to the exciting coil 43, an upward force can be constantly applied to the finger while changing its size, so that the driver's finger feels uncomfortable. It becomes possible to give no click feeling. In the present modification, the above-described configuration in which the touch panel 12 is intermittently pressed upward (finger side) is a predetermined value taken in a direction in which the touch panel 12 is restored with the touch panel 12 being pressed as an initial position. Since the touch panel 12 is vibrated within the range, it corresponds to the “vibrating means” in the present invention.

  Here, also in the modified example, when the current of αmA described above is not flowing, the detection current generation circuit 20 (see FIG. 2) flows a current of βmA smaller than αmA through the exciting coil 43. This β mA current value is so small that magnetic flux passing through the bobbin 42 is generated but the iron core 44 is not drawn into the bobbin 42, that is, no upward force is applied to the touch panel 12. Value. When the touch panel 12 is pushed down by the finger and the iron core 44 moves in the direction of being pulled out of the bobbin 42 in a state where such a β mA current is flowing through the exciting coil 43, the bobbin 42 is moved according to the amount of movement. As the magnetic flux passing through the inside of the magnetic flux changes, the value of the current flowing through the exciting coil 43 also changes. Also in the modified example, when the current detection circuit 21 (see FIG. 2) detects such a change amount of the current value and the detected change amount of the current value is larger than γ mA (for example, 1 mA), the touch panel 12 is moved by the finger. It is determined that it is pressed (pressed down for a predetermined distance or more). In the modified example, since the touch panel 12 is pressed by the finger as described above, the pressing mechanism 40, the detection current generation circuit 20, and the current detection circuit 21 correspond to the “detection unit” in the present invention. ing.

As described above, also in the modification, the mechanism used in the process of giving a click feeling to the finger is diverted to the process of detecting that the touch panel 12 is pressed by the finger, so that the pressing mechanism 40 can be downsized. And the structure of the pressing mechanism 40 can be simplified.
In the modified example, the spring 46 is provided not on the lower side of the box-like member 45 (in the direction in which the box-like member 45 is pushed down) but on the side. Therefore, it is not necessary to secure the attachment position of the spring 46 below the box-shaped member 45, and thus the thickness (length in the vertical direction) of the pressing mechanism 40 can be reduced. Of course, the spring 46 may be provided below the box-shaped member 45 if the thickness of the pressing mechanism 40 is not limited.

  The touch panel type input device 10 according to the embodiment and the modification has been described above, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment and the modification, and can be implemented in various modes without departing from the gist thereof. it can.

  For example, in the above-described embodiment, the four pressing mechanisms 30 are provided. However, the pressing mechanism 30 may be provided in a quantity corresponding to the size of the touch panel 12 or the force applied by one pressing mechanism 30. it can. In the above-described embodiment, the pressing mechanism 30 is provided on the side of the touch panel 12, but the pressing mechanism 30 is positioned according to the size of the touch panel 12 and the magnitude of the force applied to one pressing mechanism 30. Can be provided.

10 ... Touch panel type input device, 12 ... Touch panel, 30 ... Pressing mechanism,
31 ... Coil for excitation, 33 ... Iron core, 34 ... Magnetic yoke,
35 ... Box-shaped member, 35a ... Pressing part, 36 ... Magnetic part,
37 ... Spring, 40 ... Pressing mechanism, 42 ... Bobbin,
43 ... Coil for excitation, 44 ... Iron core, 45 ... Box-shaped member,
45a ... Pressing part, 46 ... Spring

Claims (6)

A touch panel type input device that has a touch panel (12) and performs a predetermined input when the touch panel is pressed,
Detection means (20, 21, 30, 40) for detecting that the touch panel is pushed in a predetermined amount or more by the pressing;
When it is detected by the detection means that the touch panel has been pushed in the predetermined amount or more, the touch panel is moved within a predetermined range in a direction in which the touch panel is restored, with the touched state being the initial position. A touch panel type input device comprising vibration means (30, 40) for vibrating. The touch panel type input device according to claim 1,
A touch panel type input device comprising urging means (37, 46) for urging the touch panel in a direction to restore the touch panel when the touch panel is pushed by the pressing. The touch-panel input device according to claim 1 or 2,
A touch panel type input device comprising input means (13) for executing a predetermined input when the detection means detects that the touch panel has been pushed in the predetermined amount or more. The touch panel type input device according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The vibration means includes
An iron core (33) that moves together with the touch panel when the touch panel is pressed by a finger;
An exciting coil (31) in which the iron core is fixed;
A magnetic portion (36) fixed from the iron core to the touch panel side and formed of a magnetic material;
A touch panel type input device, comprising: energization means (19) for energizing the exciting coil with an oscillating current. The touch panel type input device according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The vibration means includes
An exciting coil (43);
An iron core (44) provided so as to be movable inside the exciting coil and moving outward from the inside of the exciting coil when the touch panel is pressed by a finger;
A touch panel type input device, comprising: energization means (19) for energizing the exciting coil with an oscillating current. The touch panel type input device according to claim 4 or 5,
The detecting means is a touch panel that detects that the touch panel is pushed more than the predetermined amount based on an amount of change of the current flowing through the exciting coil with respect to the initial current. Expression input device.

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