JP2017157085A - Information processing device or information processing terminal - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an information processing device or an information processing terminal capable of giving a user an inputting feeling in a keyboard provided apart from the information processing terminal.SOLUTION: A portable information device 1 includes: a tablet terminal 2 having a vibration motor 7 for generating a vibration, and a control part 8 for controlling driving of the vibration motor 7; and a keyboard 3 provided apart from the tablet terminal 2. The keyboard 3 has a detection part 9 for detecting an operation in the keyboard 3 and sending a detection signal to the control part 8, and the control part 8 drives the vibration motor 7 on the basis of the detection signal from the detection part 9.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

  The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus or an information processing terminal.

  A portable information terminal such as a tablet terminal (tablet computer) or a smartphone is provided with a touch panel in a housing containing a circuit board such as a CPU or a memory, and a user can input to the terminal by touching the screen. is there. Therefore, the portable information terminal is usually used without connecting a keyboard.For example, when inputting characters without displaying the input unit on the touch panel screen or when inputting characters with both hands, A keyboard may be connected to the portable information terminal.

  The following Patent Document 1 describes an invention related to an electronic device stand that supports a tablet PC. The electronic device stand is provided on the front cover when the tablet PC is stored and the front cover can cover the front surface of the display of the tablet PC, and when the tablet PC is used upright. It is disclosed that the keyboard can be arranged on the front side of the tablet PC, and the keyboard is connected to the tablet PC wirelessly or by wire.

Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2015-92317

  Some keyboards that can be connected to the above-described portable information terminal are assumed to be carried by the user. In this case, in order to reduce weight and size, the keyboard is often a thin keyboard with a small keystroke and a touch panel keyboard. Here, examples of the keyboard having a small key stroke include a pressure-sensitive thin keyboard in which input is performed at a membrane contact. In addition, there is a touch panel type keyboard in which, for example, a capacitive touch panel is installed in a keyboard housing, and the key layout is the same as that of a normal keyboard, but there is no keystroke because it is a touch panel.

  Thin keyboards and touch-panel keyboards have little or no keystrokes, so it is difficult to get a sense that characters can be input reliably when the user touches the keys. Therefore, when you feel that you have missed typing even though characters are actually being entered, you may have repeatedly touched the same key, or on the contrary, Sometimes no characters are entered.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and provides an information processing apparatus or an information processing terminal capable of giving an input feeling to a user on a keyboard provided separately from the information processing terminal. For the purpose.

  An information processing apparatus according to a first aspect of the present invention includes a terminal unit having a vibration generating unit that generates vibration, a control unit that controls driving of the vibration generating unit, and a keyboard provided separately from the terminal unit The keyboard unit has a detection unit that detects an operation in the keyboard unit and sends a detection signal to the control unit, and the control unit is based on the detection signal from the detection unit, The vibration generator is driven.

  An information processing terminal according to a second aspect of the present invention includes a vibration generating unit that generates vibration and a control unit that controls driving of the vibration generating unit, and the control unit has a keyboard unit provided separately. A detection signal is sent from a detection unit that detects an operation on the keyboard unit, and the vibration generation unit is driven based on the detection signal from the detection unit.

  According to the present invention, an input feeling can be given to a user on a keyboard provided separately from the information processing terminal.

It is a side view which shows the portable information device which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a front view which shows the portable information device which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention, and has shown the state from which the tablet terminal and the keyboard are separated. It is a perspective view which shows the portable information device which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the portable information device which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention, and has shown the state from which the tablet terminal and the keyboard are separated. It is a block diagram which shows the portable information device which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is the schematic which shows the docking part of the portable information device which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention, and the lower part of the housing | casing of a tablet terminal. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of the portable information device which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention.

First, the configuration of the portable information device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described.
The portable information device 1 is an example of an information processing apparatus, and as illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 4, the tablet terminal 2 and the keyboard 3 are separate cases and are provided separately. The keyboard 3 is connected to the tablet terminal 2 by wire or wirelessly, and a signal input from the keyboard 3 is sent to the tablet terminal. As a result, characters, symbols, and the like are input to the tablet terminal 2 based on user operations on the keyboard 3.

  The portable information device 1 is further provided with a stand 4, and the stand 4 can stand up the tablet terminal 2. Note that the stand 4 may be folded and may have a configuration that can accommodate the tablet terminal 2 and the keyboard 3 when the portable information device 1 is not used. FIG. 3 shows a state where the tablet terminal 2 of the portable information device 1 is placed on the stand 4, and FIG. 4 shows a state where the tablet terminal 2 is separated from the stand 4.

  For example, a display module 5 is provided in the tablet terminal 2, and a circuit board on which a CPU, a memory, and the like are mounted, a power supply unit such as a battery, and the like are accommodated inside the housing 6.

  The display module 5 includes a liquid crystal display, for example, and displays an image on the liquid crystal display. Note that the display module for displaying an image is not limited to the case where a liquid crystal display is provided, and may be an organic EL display or the like. The display module 5 includes a touch panel, and can detect an external contact such as a finger touched on the screen and perform input.

The tablet terminal 2 is an example of an information processing terminal or a terminal unit, and includes a vibration motor 7 and a control unit 8 (see FIG. 5). In addition, although this embodiment demonstrated the case where the information processing terminal or the terminal part was the tablet terminal 2, this invention is not limited to this example, A smart phone etc. may be sufficient.
The vibration motor 7 generates vibration by rotating a weight by the motor. As the vibration motor 7, one that is generally used in a tablet terminal, a smartphone, or the like can be applied. The vibration motor 7 is driven by a drive signal sent from the control unit 8. The vibration motor 7 is installed, for example, inside the tablet terminal 2, near the end on the side in contact with the keyboard 3, for example, inside the edge frame of the tablet terminal 2. Thereby, the vibration generated by the vibration motor 7 is easily transmitted to the keyboard 3. The vibration motor 7 is an example of a vibration generating unit, and another device such as a piezoelectric element may be used as the vibration generating unit. The keyboard 3 may be provided with a force feedback sensor that detects an operation on the keyboard 3 and gives a force sense to the user, and the force feedback sensor may be used in combination with the vibration motor 7. .

  The control unit 8 can be realized by the above-described CPU or the like, and controls the driving of the vibration motor 7. The control unit 8 receives the detection signal sent from the detection unit 9 of the keyboard 3. When the control unit 8 receives the detection signal from the detection unit 9, the control unit 8 generates a drive signal for driving the vibration motor 7. Then, the control unit 8 sends a drive signal to the vibration motor 7. As a result, the vibration motor 7 generates vibration for a predetermined time such as 0.05 seconds.

  A plurality of keys 10 are arranged on the keyboard 3. Inside the casing 11 of the keyboard 3, a detection unit 9 that detects the pressing or contact of each key 10 is provided.

The keyboard 3 is, for example, a thin keyboard or a touch panel keyboard.
In the case of a thin keyboard, each key 10 is a pressure-sensitive keyboard including a square flat keycap and a pantograph that supports the keycap, and a switch sheet having, for example, a three-layer structure is provided below each key 10. A certain membrane is arranged. In this case, the detection unit 9 is, for example, a switch provided on the switch sheet. A switch corresponding to the function of the key 10 (for example, input of characters or symbols) is generated when the switch of the switch sheet is turned on by pressing the key 10.

  In the case of a touch panel type keyboard, a capacitive type touch panel or the like is provided in the housing 11. In this case, the detection unit 9 is a touch panel. When contact is detected at a position corresponding to the key 10 on the touch panel, a signal corresponding to the function of the key 10 (for example, input of characters or symbols) is generated.

  The detection unit 9 detects a press or touch on each key 10, that is, an operation on the keyboard 3, and generates a detection signal. Then, the detection unit 9 sends a detection signal to the control unit 8.

  The keyboard 3 is provided with a docking portion 12 on the upper surface. The docking unit 12 is located above each key 10. The docking unit 12 is an example of a coupling unit, and mechanically couples the housing 6 of the tablet terminal 2 and the housing 11 of the keyboard 3. Thereby, the vibration generated by the vibration motor 7 of the tablet terminal 2 is transmitted to the keyboard 3, and the user can feel the vibration with the fingertip while touching the keyboard 3, and the user's input feeling is improved.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the coupling structure between the docking unit 12 and the housing 6 of the tablet terminal 2 is, for example, a convex portion 14 formed on the upper end surface of the docking unit 12 and the bottom of the housing 6 of the tablet terminal 2. It has the recessed part 15 formed in the end surface, and the convex part 14 and the recessed part 15 mutually fit. In addition, magnets 17 and 18 are provided in the docking unit 12 and the housing 6 of the tablet terminal 2, respectively, and are attracted to each other and fixed by magnetic force. Thereby, even when vibration is generated in the tablet terminal 2, the tablet terminal 2 and the docking unit 12 are not easily separated from each other, and the vibration is easily transmitted to the keyboard 3.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the docking unit 12 and the housing 6 of the tablet terminal 2 are connected to each other by a claw portion 19 that is movable in the horizontal direction, and is formed on the housing 6 of the tablet terminal 2. The claw portion 19 may be configured to engage with the hole 20. Also in this case, it becomes difficult for the tablet terminal 2 and the docking unit 12 to be separated from each other, and the vibration can be reliably transmitted to the keyboard 3.

  When the tablet terminal 2 and the keyboard 3 are connected by wire, as shown in FIG. 2, electrical connectors 21 and 22 are provided on the docking unit 12 and the housing 6 of the tablet terminal 2, respectively.

  It is desirable that the docking unit 12 and the tablet terminal 2 or the docking unit 12 and the keyboard 3 are in surface contact with each other. Thereby, the vibration generated by the vibration motor 7 of the tablet terminal 2 is easily transmitted to the keyboard 3.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a leg portion 13 is provided on the bottom surface portion 3a of the keyboard 3 so as not to ground the entire bottom surface portion 3a. For example, the leg portion 13 is disposed along at least one of the two long sides of the keyboard 3. The leg portion 13 may have a long shape or a cylindrical shape.

  By disposing the leg portion 13 on the bottom surface portion 3a, the housing 11 of the keyboard 3 does not come into full contact with the placement surface on which the portable information device 1 is installed, and is partially separated from the placement surface. It is installed in the state. Therefore, the vibration transmitted to the keyboard 3 is not easily absorbed by the mounting surface on which the keyboard 3 is installed. As a result, the vibration generated by the vibration motor 7 is easily transmitted to the user without being absorbed. That is, it is desirable to provide the leg portion 13 to effectively vibrate the keyboard 3.

  Further, the vibration frequency generated by the vibration motor 7 may be matched with the natural frequency of the keyboard 3. As a result, the keyboard 3 resonates due to the vibration generated by the vibration motor 7 and transmitted to the keyboard 3. As a result, the vibration felt by the user touching the keyboard 3 increases, and the user's sense of input is improved. The frequency of the vibration generated by the vibration motor 7 and the natural frequency of the keyboard 3 do not have to be completely coincident with each other, and are set to values close to each other to the extent that the vibration increases due to resonance. Also good.

  In order to make the frequency of the vibration generated by the vibration motor 7 coincide with the natural frequency of the keyboard 3, the natural frequency of the keyboard 3 is obtained by simulation or experiment, and the motor that generates the natural frequency is obtained. Determine the number of revolutions. For example, when the natural frequency of the keyboard 3 is f0 = 200 [Hz], the rotation speed of the motor is f0 × 60 = 1200 [rpm].

Next, the operation of the portable information device 1 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.
First, when an input of a certain character or symbol or the like is performed by a user operation on the keyboard 3, for example, pressing or touching the key 10 (step S1), the detection unit 9 detects an operation on the keyboard 3 (step S2). .

  And the detection part 9 transmits the detection signal produced | generated based on a user's operation to the control part 8 (step S3). The control unit 8 receives the detection signal sent from the detection unit 9 of the keyboard 3, and generates a drive signal for driving the vibration motor 7 based on the detection signal (step S4).

  Next, the control unit 8 transmits a drive signal to the vibration motor 7 (step S5). As a result, the vibration motor 7 generates vibration for a predetermined time such as 0.05 seconds (step S6).

  The above-described operation is repeated every time an operation on the keyboard 3 is detected by the detection unit 9 by pressing or touching the key 10 on the keyboard 3.

  From the above, since the tablet terminal 2 vibrates in accordance with the user's operation on the keyboard 3, even if the keyboard 3 is a thin keyboard or a touch panel keyboard having keys 10 with a small or no keystroke, You can get a sense of having input. Further, according to the configuration of the present embodiment, the keyboard 3 can be vibrated even if a vibration generation unit such as a vibration motor is not provided on the keyboard, and vibrations can be generated via the keyboard 3 to the user who operates the keyboard 3. Can make you feel. Furthermore, since the vibration motor 7 is provided not on the keyboard 3 but on the tablet terminal 2, the user's sense of input can be improved without changing the size and weight of the keyboard 3.

1: Portable information device 2: Tablet terminal 3: Keyboard 3a: Bottom part 4: Stand 5: Display module 6: Case 7: Vibration motor 8: Control part 9: Detection part 10: Key 11: Case 12: Docking part 13: Leg 14: Convex 15: Concave 17, 18: Magnet 19: Claw 20: Holes 21, 22: Electrical connector

Claims (8)

A terminal unit having a vibration generating unit that generates vibration and a control unit that controls driving of the vibration generating unit;
A keyboard portion provided separately from the terminal portion;
With
The keyboard unit has a detection unit that detects an operation in the keyboard unit and sends a detection signal to the control unit;
The control unit is an information processing apparatus that drives the vibration generation unit based on the detection signal from the detection unit.   The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the vibration generation unit is installed inside the terminal unit and on a side in contact with the keyboard unit.   The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a coupling unit that mechanically couples the terminal unit and the keyboard unit.   The frequency of the vibration which the said vibration generation part produces | generates, and the natural frequency which the said keyboard part has are values which mutually approximate so that a vibration becomes large by resonance. Information processing device.   The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a leg portion that prevents the entire bottom surface portion from being grounded is provided on a bottom surface portion of the keyboard portion.   The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the vibration generating unit is a vibration motor or a piezoelectric element.   The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the keyboard unit is provided with a force feedback sensor that detects an operation on the keyboard and gives a force sense to a user. A vibration generator for generating vibrations;
A control unit for controlling driving of the vibration generating unit;
With
The control unit receives a detection signal from a detection unit that detects an operation on the keyboard unit included in a separately provided keyboard unit, and drives the vibration generation unit based on the detection signal from the detection unit. Information processing terminal.

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