JP2020009094A - Input device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an input device capable of disposing a vibration part even when an arrangement space on a back side of an operation surface is limited.SOLUTION: An input device according to an aspect of an embodiment comprises an operation panel and a vibration part. The operation panel has an operation surface receiving contact operation of a user. And the vibration part is arranged on a lower surface side continuous with the operation surface of the operation panel and vibrates the operation panel.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to an input device.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there has been known an input device capable of receiving a user's input operation by detecting a user's contact operation on an operation surface of an operation panel and giving a user a tactile sensation by vibrating the operation panel ( For example, see Patent Document 1).

JP 2011-060261 A

  By the way, in the above-described conventional technology, the vibrating portion that vibrates the operation panel is disposed on a surface opposite to the operation surface (that is, on the back side). In other words, the vibration unit according to the related art is arranged along the thickness direction with respect to the operation surface of the operation panel. However, for example, when the operation panel is reduced in thickness, the arrangement space on the back side of the operation surface is limited.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above, and an object of the present invention is to provide an input device capable of disposing a vibrating section even when the arrangement space on the back side of an operation surface is limited. And

  In order to solve the above problems and achieve the object, the present invention provides an input device including an operation panel and a vibration unit. The operation panel has an operation surface for receiving a user's contact operation. The vibration unit is disposed on a lower surface side of the operation panel that is continuous with the operation surface, and vibrates the operation panel.

  According to the present invention, even when the arrangement space on the back side of the operation surface is limited, the vibration unit can be arranged.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an outline of an input device according to the embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of a display device including the input device. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the input device. FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line IV-IV of FIG.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of an input device disclosed in the present application will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The present invention is not limited by the embodiments described below.

<1. Overview of input device>
First, an outline of the input device according to the embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an outline of an input device according to the embodiment. Note that the upper diagram in FIG. 1 is a diagram when the front of the vehicle is viewed from inside the passenger compartment 2 of the vehicle 1. 1 and FIGS. 3 and subsequent drawings are schematic diagrams.

  In the upper part of FIG. 1, for convenience of explanation, a three-dimensional system is described in which a vertical direction is a positive direction, a vertical direction is a negative direction, a Z axis, a vehicle width direction is an X axis, and a vehicle length direction is a Y axis. Is shown in FIG. Such an orthogonal coordinate system may be shown in other drawings used in the following description.

  In the following description, expressions such as “X-axis direction”, “Y-axis direction”, and “Z-axis direction” may be used, but this is when the input device 10 is attached to the vehicle 1 in the illustrated state. Means the “X-axis direction”, “Y-axis direction”, and “Z-axis direction”, and does not limit the direction. In the following, the X-axis positive direction is “rightward”, the X-axis negative direction is “leftward”, the Y-axis positive direction is “forward”, with reference to the case where the front of the vehicle 1 is viewed from inside the cabin 2. The Y-axis negative direction may be described as “rearward”.

  As shown in the upper part of FIG. 1, the input device 10 according to the present embodiment is, for example, an in-vehicle device mounted on the vehicle 1. The input device 10 is, for example, a device included in a vehicle-mounted touch panel mounted on a car navigation system.

  The input device 10 is erected, for example, on the upper part of an instrument panel 3 in front of the passenger compartment 2 (hereinafter sometimes referred to as “instrument panel 3”). The input device 10 is disposed, for example, at a position between the driver's seat and the passenger seat in the instrument panel 3. However, the position of the input device 10 is not limited to this, and can be changed as appropriate according to the type of the vehicle 1. It is.

  The input device 10 includes an operation panel 20. The operation panel 20 has an operation surface 21 for receiving a touch operation by a user. That is, the operation panel 20 is a touch panel.

  Further, for example, the operation surface 21 is a substantially rectangular surface provided substantially at the center of the operation panel 20, and is formed of a light transmissive material. The operation panel 20 is installed such that the operation surface 21 is parallel to the vertical direction (vertical direction; Z-axis direction), but is not limited thereto. The operation panel 20 is configured to be relatively thin, for example, specifically, so that the thickness of the operation surface in the thickness direction (front-back direction; Y-axis direction) is relatively thin.

  Further, the input device 10 includes a vibration unit 30 that vibrates the operation panel 20. Here, since the operation panel 20 is thinned as described above, the arrangement space on the back side of the operation surface 21 is limited, and there are cases where the arrangement of the vibration unit 30 is difficult.

  Therefore, in the input device 10 according to the present embodiment, as shown in the lower diagram of FIG. 1, the vibration unit 30 is arranged on the lower surface 20 a side that is continuous with the operation surface 21 of the operation panel 20. .

  Accordingly, in the input device 10 according to the present embodiment, for example, even when the operation panel 20 is thin and the arrangement space on the back side of the operation surface 21 is limited, the vibration unit 30 is arranged. Can be.

  In the input device 10 configured as described above, for example, when the user performs a touch operation on the operation surface 21, the touch operation of the user on the operation surface 21 is detected, and the input operation from the user is performed. Accept.

  Then, the input device 10 controls the vibration of the vibration unit 30 based on the detected user's contact operation. Thereby, the input device 10 can control the vibration of the operation panel 20 according to the touch operation of the user. As a result, the input device 10 can provide the user with a tactile sensation according to the user's touch operation.

  In the operation panel 20 of the input device 10, the operation surface 21 vibrates in the vertical direction (see the arrow A) due to the operation of the vibration unit 30, which will be described later.

<2. Configuration of display device including input device>
Next, the display device 100 including the input device 10 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of the display device 100 including the input device 10 according to the present embodiment. In the block diagram of FIG. 2, only components necessary for explaining the features of the present embodiment are represented by functional blocks, and descriptions of general components are omitted.

  In other words, each component illustrated in the block diagram of FIG. 2 is a functional concept and does not necessarily need to be physically configured as illustrated. For example, the specific form of distribution / integration of each functional block is not limited to the illustrated one, and all or a part thereof may be functionally or physically distributed in arbitrary units according to various loads and usage conditions. -It is possible to integrate and configure.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the display device 100 includes an input device 10, a control device 40, and a display unit 70. The input device 10 includes an operation panel 20 and a vibration unit 30.

  The operation panel 20 has, for example, a flat sensor (not shown) that receives a user's touch operation based on a change in capacitance. For example, when the user performs a contact operation on the operation surface 21 using a finger or a touch pen, the operation panel 20 detects the contact operation, and outputs a signal corresponding to the user's contact operation on the operation surface 21 to the control device 40. Output to

  In the above-described operation panel 20, the detection of the user's contact is performed using the capacitance method, but the present invention is not limited to this. That is, the operation panel 20 may have any configuration that can detect a user's contact. For example, the operation panel 20 may detect a user's touch by an infrared method, a resistive film method, or the like.

  The vibration unit 30 vibrates based on a signal output from the control device 40, and vibrates the operation panel 20. The detailed configuration of the vibration unit 30 will be described later with reference to FIG.

  The control device 40 includes a control unit 50 and a storage unit 60. The storage unit 60 is a storage device such as a semiconductor memory device such as a random access memory (RAM), a read only memory (ROM), or a flash memory, a hard disk, or an optical disk.

  The storage unit 60 stores information necessary for processing executed by each unit included in the display device 100 and the like. For example, the storage unit 60 stores data related to a user's contact operation, control data of the vibration unit 30 associated with data related to the user's contact operation, image information to be displayed on the display unit 70, and the like. The image information displayed on the display unit 70 is, for example, image information including various information provided to the user, such as route guidance for performing navigation and the driving state of the vehicle 1, but is not limited thereto. It is not something to be done.

  The control unit 50 is, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) of a computer, and controls the entire display device 100. The control unit 50 includes a detection unit 51, a vibration control unit 52, and a display control unit 53.

  The detection unit 51 detects a user's contact operation on the operation surface 21 of the operation panel 20 based on a signal output from the operation panel 20. When detecting the user's touch operation on the operation surface 21, the detection unit 51 outputs a signal corresponding to the detection result of the user's touch operation to the vibration control unit 52 and the display control unit 53.

  The vibration control unit 52 controls the vibration of the vibration unit 30 based on the signal output from the detection unit 51, that is, based on the contact operation detected by the detection unit 51. Specifically, the vibration control unit 52 outputs a signal indicating a vibration mode corresponding to the contact operation to the vibration unit 30. Accordingly, the vibration unit 30 vibrates, and a tactile sensation according to the user's touch operation can be given to the user.

  The display control unit 53 outputs a signal indicating image information to be displayed on the display unit 70 to the display unit 70 based on the signal output from the detection unit 51. Thereby, the display unit 70 can display image information based on the signal output from the display control unit 53, that is, the image information corresponding to the touch operation detected by the detection unit 51.

  The display unit 70 is, for example, a liquid crystal display. The display unit 70 is provided integrally with the operation panel 20. In the following description, the operation panel 20 and the display unit 70 may be simply referred to as “operation panel 20”.

<3. Specific configuration of input device>
Next, a specific configuration of the input device 10 will be described in detail. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the input device 10. As shown in FIG. 3, the input device 10 includes an operation panel 20 and a base unit 80.

  The base section 80 is a member to which the operation panel 20 is attached. For example, the base portion 80 is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape or a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. The operation panel 20 is attached to the base 80 so as to be movable, more specifically, to be movable in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction).

  FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line IV-IV of FIG. As shown in FIG. 4, the base portion 80 has a concave portion 81 formed on the upper surface 80a. The operation panel 20 is attached to the base portion 80 with the lower surface 20a side inserted into the concave portion 81.

  In the base portion 80, an insertion hole 82 and an installation hole 83 are formed at appropriate positions of the concave portion 81. Note that the shaft portion 22 described later is inserted into the insertion hole 82, and the elastic member 91 described later is installed in the installation hole 83.

  The number of the insertion holes 82 is the same as the number of the corresponding shaft portions 22 (here, two), but this is merely an example and the number is not limited, and may be one or three or more. The insertion hole 82 is formed in the base portion 80 near an end in the left-right direction (X-axis direction).

  The number of the installation holes 83 is the same as the number of the corresponding elastic members 91 (here, two), but this is merely an example and the number is not limited, and may be one or three or more. The installation hole 83 is formed near the center of the base portion 80 with respect to the insertion hole 82 described above. Note that the positions where the above-described insertion holes 82 and installation holes 83 are formed are merely examples and are not limited, and can be arbitrarily changed.

  In addition, the input device 10 includes the above-described vibrating unit 30, regulating unit 90, elastic member 91, and damping member 92.

  The vibration unit 30 is disposed on the lower surface 20a side of the operation panel 20, and vibrates the operation panel 20, as described above. For example, the vibration unit 30 includes a fixed unit 30a and a movable unit 30b. Note that a linear actuator can be used as the vibration unit 30, but the vibration unit 30 is not limited to this.

  The fixing portion 30 a is fixed near the center of the concave portion 81 of the base portion 80. The movable part 30b is a part movable with respect to the fixed part 30a. More specifically, the movable portion 30b is arranged so that a part thereof protrudes from the upper surface of the fixed portion 30a, and can move up and down with respect to the fixed portion 30a. Further, the tip of the movable portion 30b is disposed so as to be able to abut on the lower surface 20a of the operation panel 20.

  The vibrating unit 30 vibrates the operation panel 20 in the vertical direction because the fixed unit 30a and the movable unit 30b are configured as described above (see arrow A). Accordingly, the vibration unit 30 can vibrate the entire operation panel 20 in the vertical direction, for example, and thus can provide a uniform tactile sensation to the user regardless of the contact position of the operation panel 20 by the user.

  The restriction unit 90 is a member that restricts vibration of the operation panel 20 in a predetermined direction. Here, the predetermined direction is, for example, a direction crossing the vertical direction of the operation panel 20.

  More specifically, the regulating section 90 includes the shaft section 22 of the operation panel 20. The shaft portion 22 is formed on the lower surface 20a side of the operation panel 20. The shaft portion 22 is formed to extend vertically from the lower surface 20a of the operation panel 20.

  Although a plurality of (here, two) shaft portions 22 are formed, this is merely an example and is not limited, and one or three or more shaft portions 22 may be used. Further, the shaft portion 22 is formed near the end on the left and right direction (X-axis direction) side of the operation panel 20, but the position where the shaft portion 22 is formed can be arbitrarily changed.

  Then, the shaft portion 22 that is the regulating portion 90 is movably inserted into the above-described insertion hole 82 of the base portion 80. Thus, the operation panel 20 is guided in the up-down direction by the shaft portion 22 being inserted into the insertion hole 82 and moving.

  That is, the regulating portion 90 can allow the operation surface 21 to vibrate in the vertical direction by inserting the shaft portion 22 into the insertion hole 82. Further, since the shaft portion 22 is inserted through the insertion hole 82, the regulating portion 90 can regulate the vibration in the direction (predetermined direction) intersecting the vertical direction of the operation surface 21. The “direction intersecting with the up-down direction” includes, for example, the left-right direction (X-axis direction) and the front-rear direction (Y-axis direction) of the operation panel 20, but is not limited thereto.

  By the above-described regulating unit 90, for example, the entire operation panel 20 can be efficiently vibrated in the vertical direction, so that a uniform tactile sensation can be given to the user regardless of the contact position of the operation panel 20 by the user. .

  Further, since the shaft portion 22 serving as the regulating portion 90 is inserted into the insertion hole 82 of the base portion 80, the rigidity of the operation panel 20 against an external force (for example, a contact operation by a user) acting in the left-right direction or the front-back direction is reduced. Can be secured.

  The elastic member 91 is a member that supports the operation panel 20. In addition, as the elastic member 91, for example, a coil spring can be used, but the elastic member 91 is not limited thereto, and may be a plate spring, rubber, or the like.

  Specifically, the elastic member 91 is arranged on the lower surface 20 a side of the operation panel 20 and is installed in the installation hole 83 of the base 80 described above. The elastic member 91 is arranged such that one end thereof is in contact with the lower surface 20 a of the operation panel 20 and the other end is in contact with the bottom surface of the installation hole 83.

  Thus, the elastic member 91 can support the operation panel 20 while supporting the weight of the operation panel 20. Therefore, the operation panel 20 is brought into a floating state by the force acting from the elastic member 91.

  Therefore, the operation panel 20 can efficiently vibrate, for example, even in the vertical direction, which is the vertical direction. Further, in the vibration section 30, since the elastic member 91 supports the operation panel 20, the operation panel 20 can be vibrated with a relatively small output, so that the vibration section 30 can be downsized.

  The damping member 92 is a member that dampens the vertical vibration of the operation panel 20. In addition, as the damping member 92, for example, a damper made of rubber, urethane, or the like can be used, but is not limited thereto.

  For example, the damping member 92 is disposed on the lower surface 20a side of the operation panel 20. Specifically, the damping member 92 is disposed so as to be interposed between the lower surface 20 a of the operation panel 20 and the base portion 80. Thus, for example, after the vibration of the vibration unit 30 stops, the vertical vibration of the operation panel 20 is attenuated, and the operation panel 20 can be stopped quickly.

  The damping member 92 is formed, for example, in a cylindrical shape having a hollow portion inside, and is attached to the shaft portion 22 of the operation panel 20. Specifically, the damping member 92 is arranged such that the shaft portion 22 of the operation panel 20 is inserted into the hollow portion.

  As described above, since the damping member 92 is attached to the shaft portion 22 of the operation panel 20 and is disposed at the same position as the shaft portion 22, the arrangement space for the damping member 92 and the shaft portion 22 on the lower surface 20a of the operation panel 20 is provided. Can be made relatively small. In addition, since the damping member 92 is inserted through the shaft portion 22 of the operation panel 20 and disposed, the displacement of the damping member 92 can be suppressed.

  As described above, the input device 10 according to the embodiment includes the operation panel 20 and the vibration unit 30. The operation panel 20 has an operation surface 21 for receiving a touch operation by a user. The vibration unit 30 is disposed on the lower surface 20 a side continuous with the operation surface 21 of the operation panel 20, and vibrates the operation panel 20. Thus, even when the arrangement space on the back side of the operation surface 21 is limited, the vibration unit 30 can be arranged.

  In the above-described embodiment, the elastic member 91 is arranged adjacent to the shaft 22. However, the present invention is not limited to this. That is, for example, the shaft portion 22 may be arranged so as to be inserted into the center of the elastic member 91 which is a coil spring.

  Further, the above-described left and right insertion holes 82 are formed so as to have the same shape, but are not limited thereto, and may have different shapes. That is, for example, one of the left and right insertion holes 82 may be formed in a circular shape in plan view, and the other may be formed in an elliptical shape. Accordingly, for example, a gap that functions as play is generated in the elliptical insertion hole 82, and thus a product error or the like of the shaft portion 22 that is inserted can be absorbed.

  Further effects and modifications can be easily derived by those skilled in the art. Thus, the broader aspects of the present invention are not limited to the specific details and representative embodiments shown and described above. Accordingly, various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the general inventive concept as defined by the appended claims and equivalents thereof.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Input device 20 Operation panel 21 Operation surface 22 Shaft part 30 Vibration part 80 Base part 82 Insertion hole
90 regulating part 91 elastic member 92 damping member

Claims (7)

An operation panel having an operation surface for receiving a user's contact operation;
An input device, comprising: a vibration unit that is disposed on a lower surface side of the operation panel that is continuous with the operation surface, and that vibrates the operation panel. 2. The input device according to claim 1, further comprising: a restricting unit configured to allow vibration in a vertical direction of the operation surface and restrict vibration in a direction crossing the vertical direction. 3. A base part in which an insertion hole is formed,
The regulating unit is
A shaft portion formed on the lower surface side of the operation panel and extending in a vertical direction, wherein the shaft portion is inserted into the insertion hole of the base portion, so that vibration in the vertical direction of the operation surface is reduced. The input device according to claim 2, wherein the input device is allowed and restricts vibration in a direction intersecting the vertical direction. The input device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising: an elastic member disposed on a lower surface side of the operation panel and supporting the operation panel. The input device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising: a damping member that is arranged on a lower surface side of the operation panel and attenuates vertical vibration of the operation panel. The damping member,
The input device according to claim 5, wherein the input device is attached to a shaft portion formed on a lower surface side of the operation panel. The vibrating section includes:
The input device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the operation panel is vibrated in a vertical direction.

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