JP2022170755A - Operation apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an operation apparatus capable of reducing a difference by a pressing position of a vibration strength transmitted to a pressing operation body.SOLUTION: An operation apparatus includes a pressing operation member press-operated by an operator, an actuator that generates a vibration, a plurality of displacement sensors that detect a displacement of the pressing operation member, a tilt detection unit 91 that detects a tilt of the pressing operation member based on the displacement detected by the displacement sensor, and a vibration control unit 93 that controls a strength of the vibration generated in the actuator according to the tilt detected by the tilt detection unit 91. The tilt of the pressing operation material is a value variable associated with a pressing position. Therefore, the vibration control unit 93 controls the strength of the vibration generated in the actuator according to the tilt detected by the tilt detection unit 91 to reduce a difference according to the pressing position of the vibration strength transmitted to the pressing operation body.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

The present invention relates to an operating device, and more particularly to an operating device that performs pressing operations.

Patent Literature 1 discloses a device that vibrates the touch surface of a touch sensor when a pressure load is detected on the touch surface. The reason for vibrating the touch surface is to allow the operator to recognize that a pressing operation has been detected by transmitting vibration to a pressing operation body such as a finger that touches the touch surface.

The device disclosed in Patent Literature 1 presents a tactile sensation of constant amplitude vibration independent of the pressing position to the pressing operation body pressing the touch surface. Specifically, based on adjustment information set for each area having a size corresponding to a position on the touch surface, driving of the tactile sensation providing unit is controlled according to the pressed position.

Japanese Patent No. 5784283

In order to apply a constant vibration regardless of the pressing position, it is conceivable to devise a structure such as providing a transmission member that transmits the vibration generated by the actuator to the pressing member pressed by the pressing body. Vibration of the actuator is transmitted to the pressing member from the plurality of locations by arranging the connection points of the transmission member and the pressing member in a plurality of locations. As a result, the difference in the magnitude of vibration transmitted to the pressing operation body due to the pressing position is reduced.

Even if it is devised such as providing the transmission member, the magnitude of the vibration transmitted to the pressing operation body cannot be made completely uniform regardless of the pressing position. Therefore, it is conceivable to control the magnitude of vibration generated in the actuator.

However, in an operation device in which the magnitude of vibration transmitted to the pressing operation body differs little depending on the pressing position, as in Patent Document 1, adjustment information is provided for each area of a size corresponding to the position on the touch surface, that is, the pressing position. need not be set. Therefore, there is a demand for an operating device that can reduce the difference in the intensity of vibration transmitted to the pressing operation body depending on the pressing position by a configuration suitable for an operating device with little difference in the magnitude of vibration depending on the pressing position.

The present disclosure has been made based on this situation, and an object thereof is to provide an operating device that can reduce the difference in the strength of vibration transmitted to the pressing operation body depending on the pressing position.

The above objects are achieved by the combination of features stated in the independent claims, and the sub-claims define further advantageous embodiments. The symbols in parentheses described in the claims indicate the corresponding relationship with the specific aspects described in the embodiments described later as one aspect, and do not limit the disclosed technical scope.

One disclosure for achieving the above objectives is
a pressing operation member (11) to be pressed by an operator;
an actuator (31) for generating vibration;
a plurality of displacement sensors (71) for detecting displacement-related quantities indicating displacement of the pressing operation member;
a tilt detector (91) for detecting a tilt of the pressing member based on the displacement-related quantity detected by the displacement sensor;
and a vibration control section (93) for controlling the intensity of vibration generated in the actuator according to the tilt detected by the tilt detection section.

The intensity of vibration transmitted from the actuator to the pressing position of the pressing operation member changes according to the pressing position. Therefore, by controlling the intensity of vibration generated in the actuator according to the pressing position, it is possible to reduce the difference in the magnitude of vibration transmitted to the pressing operation body depending on the pressing position.

The smaller the difference in the magnitude of vibration transmitted to the pressing operation body depending on the pressing position, the less the pressing operation member bends due to pressing. In other words, the smaller the difference in the magnitude of the vibration transmitted to the pressing operation body depending on the pressing position, the more the displacement due to the application of the pressing force to the pressing operation member appears as parallel movement and tilt rather than bending. . Therefore, this operating device includes a tilt detection section that detects the tilt of the pressing operation member. When the center of the pressing operation member is pressed, the entire pressing operation member is translated. On the other hand, the closer the pressing position is to the end of the pressing operation member, the greater the inclination of the pressing operation member. In other words, the inclination of the pressing operation member is a value that varies in relation to the pressing position.

The vibration control section controls the intensity of vibration generated in the actuator according to the tilt detected by the tilt detection section. As a result, it is possible to reduce the difference in the strength of the vibration transmitted to the pressing operation body depending on the pressing position.

2 is an exploded perspective view of the operating device 10; FIG. II-II line cross-sectional view of FIG. The figure which looked at the operating device 10 from the front of the exposed surface 12. FIG. IV arrow line view of FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of the operating device 10; FIG. The figure which shows the state in which the faceplate 11 has inclined. 4 is a diagram showing the flow of processing executed by the operating device 10. FIG. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing detailed processing of S240 in FIG. 7; The figure which shows the operating device 210 of 2nd Embodiment. XX line sectional view of FIG. The figure which shows the operating device 310 of 3rd Embodiment. The figure which shows the operating device 410 of 4th Embodiment. The figure which shows the operating device 510 of 5th Embodiment.

A plurality of embodiments will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that redundant description may be omitted by assigning the same reference numerals to corresponding components in each embodiment. When only a part of the configuration is described in each embodiment, the configurations of other embodiments previously described can be applied to other portions of the configuration. In addition, not only the combinations of the configurations specified in the description of each embodiment, but also the configurations of a plurality of embodiments can be partially combined even if they are not specified unless there is a particular problem with the combination. .

<First embodiment>
FIG. 1 shows an exploded perspective view of the operating device 10 of the first embodiment. The operating device 10 is mounted on the vehicle, and is used by an operator to perform setting operations related to air conditioning in the vehicle compartment.

The operating device 10 includes a faceplate 11, a rear panel 21, an actuator 31, a transmission member 41, and the like. The faceplate 11 can be made of synthetic resin. The shape of the faceplate 11 is a rectangular plate. The faceplate 11 has an exposed surface 12 exposed to the outside of the device. The exposed surface 12 is a surface to be pressed by a pressing operation body such as an operator's finger. The faceplate 11 having the exposed surface 12 corresponds to a pressing member.

A plurality of protrusions 14 and 15 are coupled to the faceplate 11 . Four of the plurality of protrusions 14 protrude vertically from the faceplate 11 toward the rear panel 21 from four corners of the faceplate 11 . The remaining one projecting portion 14 is coupled near the center of the upper side of the face plate 11 and projects in the same direction as the other projecting portions 14 .

One end of each projection 15 is coupled to the faceplate 11 at a position facing the peripheral edge of the transmission member 41 , and protrudes toward the transmission member 41 in a direction perpendicular to the faceplate 11 . The protrusion 14 is a member that joins the faceplate 11 and the rear panel 21 together. The projecting portion 15 is a member that couples the face plate 11 and the transmission member 41 . Since the rear panel 21 is farther from the faceplate 11 than the transmission member 41 is, the projection 14 is longer than the projection 15 .

Each projection 14 , 15 can be integrally formed with the faceplate 11 . Moreover, each of the protruding portions 14 and 15 may be formed as a part separate from the face plate 11 and coupled to the face plate 11 by press fitting or the like.

The rear panel 21 is arranged in the space behind the faceplate 11 . The rear of the faceplate 11 is the direction away from the faceplate 11 in the direction from the exposed surface 12 toward the back surface 13 . The rear panel 21 is fixed to the body portion 32 of the actuator 31 . The movable yoke 35 of the actuator 31 is arranged at a position that does not contact the rear panel 21 and is coupled to the transmission member 41 .

The rear panel 21 is made of synthetic resin. The shape of the rear panel 21 is a rectangular plate. However, the rear panel 21 is formed with notches and a plurality of fastening holes 23 . The rear panel 21 is spaced apart from the faceplate 11 and arranged substantially parallel to the faceplate 11 . The rear panel 21 is coupled to the vehicle by, for example, screw fastening or clip fitting.

A plurality of fastening holes 23 are distributed at a plurality of locations on the rear panel 21 . Specifically, each fastening hole 23 is arranged at a position facing the tip of each projecting portion 14 of the face plate 11 . Each fastening hole 23 is a hole through which a screw is passed.

The actuator 31 generates vibration when a pressing determination unit 92 (to be described later) determines that a pressing operation has been performed. The actuator 31 is arranged side by side with the rear panel 21 in the space behind the faceplate 11 . The actuator 31 includes a body portion 32 , a vibration source 33 , a connecting plate 34 and a movable yoke 35 . Note that the actuator 31 may be configured without the connection plate 34 .

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line II--II of FIG. As shown in FIG. 2 , the protrusions 14 and the fastening holes 23 that are paired with each other are coupled with screws 61 . The body portion 32 is fixed to the edge portion of the rear panel 21 via brackets 51 . A screw 61 connects the rear panel 21 and the bracket 51 . The bracket 51 and the body portion 32 are also coupled by fastening with screws or the like.

The vibration source 33 is composed mainly of a solenoid, and is held by the body portion 32 . The vibration source 33 vibrates at a predetermined frequency, a single pulse, or a combination of a driving single pulse and a braking pulse so as to displace the connecting plate 34 relative to the body portion 32 .

The connecting plate 34 is made of metal and is formed into a thin L-shaped plate. A movable yoke 35 facing the vibration source 33 vibrates together with the vibration source 33 . The movable yoke 35 is coupled with the transmission member 41 . With this configuration, the actuator 31 vibrates the transmission member 41 . A portion of the connecting plate 34 facing the outer edge portion (for example, the lower edge portion 41b) of the transmission member 41 is coupled to the outer edge portion. The connecting plate 34 functions as a spring when the transmission member 41 vibrates.

Returning to FIG. The transmission member 41 is arranged between the faceplate 11 and the rear panel 21 in the space behind the faceplate 11 . The transmission member 41 is arranged on the face plate 11 at a position overlapping the pressing operation area TA (see FIG. 3). The transmission member 41 is made of synthetic resin. The transmission member 41 is formed in a plate shape larger than the size of the pressing operation area TA. As for the planar shape of the transmission member 41, the upper edge portion 41a is wider than the lower edge portion 41b in accordance with the arrangement of the fastening holes 42, which will be described later.

The longitudinal direction of the transmission member 41 is the same as the longitudinal direction of the face plate 11 . The transmission member 41 is arranged substantially parallel to the face plate 11 . The transmission member 41 receives vibration from the actuator 31 and transmits the vibration to the faceplate 11 . The transmission member 41 has a plurality of fastening holes 42 and vibration active portions 43 .

A plurality of fastening holes 42 are dispersedly arranged at a plurality of locations in the transmission member 41 . Specifically, each fastening hole 42 is arranged at a position facing the tip of each projecting portion 15 of the face plate 11 . Each fastening hole 42 and each projecting portion 15 are arranged outside the pressing operation area TA and closer to the pressing operation area TA than each projecting portion 14 .

The projecting portion 15 and the fastening hole 42 that are paired with each other are coupled by fastening with screws or the like. Here, in the present embodiment, the back surface 13 of the face plate 11 and the opposing surface 45 of the transmission member 41 facing the back surface 13 are kept apart regardless of the presence or absence of vibration. That is, the transmission member 41 is spaced apart from the faceplate 11 and coupled to the faceplate 11 only through the plurality of protrusions 15 .

The vibration active portion 43 is provided in the central portion of the transmission member 41 surrounded by the plurality of fastening holes 42 . The vibration activation portion 43 activates vibration transmitted from the actuator 31 to the faceplate 11 by reducing the rigidity of the transmission member 41 . The vibration active portion 43 of this embodiment is configured by two (that is, a plurality of) openings 44 .

A plurality of projecting portions 15 are provided so as to surround the pressing operation area TA. The distance from the pressing area TA to each projecting portion 15 is smaller than each distance from the pressing operation area TA to each projecting portion 14 . Since the face plate 11 is provided with vibrations from the plurality of projecting portions 15 that are dispersedly arranged, unevenness in strength of the vibrations at each location of the pressing operation area TA is reduced. By fixing the projecting portion 14 to the rear panel 21, it becomes a fixed end when the face plate 11 vibrates.

FIG. 3 is a view of the operating device 10 viewed from the front of the exposed surface 12. FIG. As shown in FIG. 3, the exposed surface 12 is formed with a pressing operation area TA. A plurality of switch areas 16 are formed in the pressing operation area TA. The switch area 16 is an area in which characters or figures indicating functions selected by the operator are displayed. Although the number of switch areas 16 formed in the pressing operation area TA is four or more, FIG. 3 representatively shows the switch areas 16 formed at both ends and the center of the pressing operation area TA. Each switch region 16 is spaced apart from each other. Each switch area 16 indicates a location where a pressing operation is performed following a touch operation by the pressing operation body, that is, each switch area 16 corresponds to a pressing operation location.

Note that the number of switch areas 16 formed in the pressing operation area TA need not be four or more. The number of switch areas 16 formed in the pressing operation area TA may be three or two. The switch regions 16 are arranged in one or more columns. The pressing operation area TA means from one end to the other end of the arrangement of the switch areas 16 .

In this embodiment, the pressing operation area TA is formed by one row of switch areas 16 . The position of the pressing operation area TA is the center of the exposed surface 12 in both the vertical direction and the horizontal direction. The transmission member 41 is arranged such that the pressing operation area TA is positioned at the center in the vertical and horizontal directions. A portion of the transmission member 41 facing the pressing operation area TA is slightly longer in the left-right direction than the pressing operation area TA.

As for the position of the actuator 31, as shown in FIG. 3, the center in the horizontal direction coincides with the center in the horizontal direction of the pressing operation area TA. The vertical direction of the actuator 31 is located slightly below the pressing operation area TA. Although the position of the actuator 31 is not limited to the example shown in FIG. 3, it is preferable that the actuator 31 is arranged at a position facing the vicinity of the center of the pressing operation area TA. When the actuator 31 is arranged near the center of the pressing area TA, when the actuator 31 generates vibration, the vibration generated in the pressing area TA is greatest at the center of the pressing area TA. Due to the presence of the transmission member 41, even if the actuator 31 is slightly displaced from the position facing the center of the pressing operation area TA, the vibration at the center of the pressing operation area TA is the largest. In other words, the position of the actuator 31 at which the center of the pressing operation area TA vibrates the most due to the vibration generated by the actuator 31 is the position facing the vicinity of the center of the pressing operation area TA.

FIG. 4 is a view taken along line IV in FIG. An electrostatic sensor 17 is arranged on the back surface of the faceplate 11 . 1 and 2, the electrostatic sensor 17 is omitted. The electrostatic sensor 17 is a sensor that detects an operation position pressed by an operator.

The electrostatic sensor 17 is formed by bonding electrodes arranged in a mesh pattern to a film member. The shape and size of the electrostatic sensor 17 are set so as to include a position facing the pressing operation area TA.

A substrate 70 is arranged on the face plate 11 side of the rear panel 21 . The substrate 70 has a rectangular shape whose length in the longitudinal direction is slightly shorter than that of the pressing operation area TA, but whose length in the width direction is about the same as that of the pressing operation area TA. The substrate 70 is arranged at a position facing the pressing operation area TA.

At both ends of the substrate 70, optical distance sensors 71L and 71R, which are examples of displacement sensors, are arranged. Distance sensor 71L is arranged at the left end of substrate 70 . A distance sensor 71R is arranged at the right end of the substrate 70 . Left and right refer to left and right when the operating device 10 is viewed from the direction in which the exposed surface 12 can be seen. The distance sensor 71L and the distance sensor 71R arranged at this position are arranged at positions sandwiching a line that bisects the pressing operation area TA in the longitudinal direction in the direction along which the switch areas 16 are arranged. Become. The II-II line in FIG. 3 is also a line that bisects the press operation area TA in the longitudinal direction.

The distance sensor 71L and the distance sensor 71R are the same type of sensor. The distance sensor 71L and the distance sensor 71R are referred to as the distance sensor 71 when not distinguished from each other. 1 and 2, the board 70 and the distance sensor 71 are omitted.

There is a gap between the distance sensor 71 and the transmission member 41 . A distance sensor 71 detects the distance of this gap. The distance detected by the distance sensor 71 represents the displacement of the portion of the transmission member 41 facing the distance sensor 71 . Since the transmission member 41 and the faceplate 11 are integrated, it can be said that the distance detected by the distance sensor 71 represents the displacement of the portion of the faceplate 11 facing the distance sensor 71 . The distance detected by the distance sensor 71 is an example of the displacement-related quantity.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the operating device 10. As shown in FIG. The operating device 10 includes an electrostatic detection section 80 and a control section 90 . Both the electrostatic detection unit 80 and the control unit 90 can be implemented by a configuration including at least one processor. For example, electrostatic detector 80 and controller 90 can be implemented by a computer including a processor, nonvolatile memory, RAM, and the like. Note that the controller 90 may have the function of the electrostatic detector 80 .

Based on the charge detected by the electrostatic sensor 17, the electrostatic detection unit 80 detects whether or not a pressing operation body such as an operator's finger is in contact with the pressing operation area TA. Detect where on TA is touched. The electrostatic detector 80 provides the detection result to the controller 90 .

The control unit 90 operates as an inclination detection unit 91 , a pressure determination unit 92 , and a vibration control unit 93 by the processor executing a program stored in a nonvolatile memory included in the control unit 90 . The tilt detector 91 detects a displacement difference m indicating the tilt of the transmission member 41 based on the distances detected by the two distance sensors 71 . Since the transmission member 41 and the faceplate 11 are integrated, it can be said that the displacement difference m indicates the inclination of the faceplate 11 . The displacement difference m is given by Equation (1).

(Formula 1) m = abs (kL x dL - kR x dR)
abs means absolute value. kL is a correction coefficient for correcting the sensitivity of the distance sensor 71L. kR is a correction coefficient for correcting the sensitivity of the distance sensor 71R. kL and kR are obtained in advance and stored in a non-volatile memory or the like included in the control unit 90 . dL is the distance detected by the distance sensor 71L. dR is the distance detected by the distance sensor 71R. The displacement difference m that can be calculated from Equation 1 means the inclination of the transmission member 41 .

The transmission member 41 is coupled to the back surface of the faceplate 11 . A portion of the face plate 11 to which the transmission member 41 is coupled is less likely to bend due to the transmission member 41 being coupled thereto. As a result, as shown in FIG. 6, the displacement due to the pressing force applied to the faceplate 11 appears mainly as an inclination of the portion where the transmission member 41 and the faceplate 11 are coupled rather than bending. The displacement difference m calculated from Equation 1 indicates this inclination.

The pressing determination unit 92 determines, based on the information provided by the electrostatic detection unit 80, that the pressing operation body is touching any one of the switch areas 16, and determines whether the pressing operation body presses the switch area 16. Determine if it can be confirmed. For this determination, the pressing determination unit 92 calculates the pressing force with which the pressing operation body presses the exposed surface 12 using Equation (2).

(Formula 2) sum=kL×dL+kR×dR+k×m
In Equation 2, k is the spring correction coefficient. As described above, the structure of the operation device 10 is such that even if the pressing operation body presses the face plate 11, it is difficult to bend. However, strictly speaking, it does not bend at all. That is, the structure of the operating device 10 behaves more or less as an elastic body. k is a coefficient for calculating the behavior of the operating device 10 as an elastic body, and is obtained in advance and stored in a non-volatile memory or the like included in the control unit 90 . As can be seen from Equation 2, in this embodiment, the pressing force is also calculated using the displacement difference m. This is because, as described above, the pressing force appears mainly as translation and tilt.

The pressing determination unit 92 determines that the switch region 16 has been pressed when the pressing force obtained by Equation 2 is greater than a preset pressing force threshold.

When the pressing determination unit 92 determines that the switch region 16 has been pressed, the vibration control unit 93 vibrates the pressing operation body to make the operator recognize that the pressing operation has been detected. to generate vibration.

If the strength of the vibration transmitted to the pressing operation body differs depending on the position of the switch region 16 pressed by the pressing operation body, the operator feels uncomfortable. Therefore, the vibration control section 93 generates vibration in the actuator 31 according to the displacement difference m detected by the tilt detection section 91 so that the same vibration intensity can be transmitted to the pressing operation body regardless of the position of the switch region 16 . control the intensity of the vibration that causes

Specifically, the vibration control section 93 determines the vibration intensity to be generated in the actuator 31 using Equation (3).

(Formula 3) G2=G1×(1+m×p)
G2 is the duty ratio of the current value applied to the actuator 31 . The larger G2 is, the larger the vibration generated by the actuator 31 is. G1 is a standard duty ratio. G1 is a duty ratio that causes the actuator 31 to generate proper vibration when the center of the pressing operation area TA is pressed, and is a value that is determined in advance by experiments or the like. In Equation 3, m×p means the ratio of increase in the vibration actually generated in the actuator 31 with respect to the vibration generated in the actuator 31 when the center of the pressing area TA is pressed. . p is the adjustment factor. The adjustment coefficient p is a value determined for each model, each lot, or each individual product. p and G1 are stored in non-volatile memory.

Equation 3 means that the greater the displacement difference m, the greater the strength of the vibration generated in the actuator 31 . The displacement difference m becomes substantially 0 when the center of the pressing area TA is pressed. The displacement difference m is a value that indicates how far the pressed position is from the center of the pressing area TA. Therefore, the vibration control section 93 causes the actuator 31 to vibrate more greatly as the pressed position is farther from the center of the pressing area TA.

The face plate 11 has both ends in the longitudinal direction fixed to the rear panel 21, and the central portion thereof is coupled to the transmission member 41 at a plurality of points. According to this structure, when the actuator 31 vibrates, the faceplate 11 vibrates with the portion fixed to the rear panel 21 as the fixed end, so that the central portion vibrates the most. In other words, even if the actuator 31 generates the same vibration, the farther away from the center of the faceplate 11, the lower the intensity of the vibration generated in the faceplate 11 is. Therefore, the correction is performed using the equation (3).

[Flow of Processing Executed by Operating Device 10]
FIG. 7 shows processing executed with the operation device 10 mounted on the vehicle. In FIG. 7, step S200 (hereinafter, step is omitted) is executed by both the electrostatic detection unit 80 and the control unit 90. FIG. In S200, the electrostatic detection unit 80 and the control unit 90 perform initialization related to control. In S<b>210 , the electrostatic detection unit 80 starts scanning data indicating charges detected by the electrostatic sensor 17 . At S220, the electrostatic detection unit 80 determines whether or not the above scanning has been completed. If the determination result of S220 is NO, the electrostatic detector 80 repeats the determination of S220, and if the determination result of S220 is YES, the process proceeds to S230.

In S230, the electrostatic detection unit 80 performs AD conversion of the scanned data, and determines whether or not this AD conversion has been completed. When the determination result of S230 is YES, the electrostatic detection unit 80 provides the AD-converted data to the control unit 90 . The process then proceeds to S240.

The processing of S240 is shown in FIG. In S241, the electrostatic detector 80 determines whether even one switch area 16 is touched. If the determination result of S241 is NO, the process proceeds to S242.

In S242, the inclination detection unit 91 performs baseline update processing. The baseline means the signal level output by the distance sensor 71 when the switch area 16 is not touch-operated. Baseline changes over time. Changes in the baseline over time are affected by temperature and the like, and there are also individual differences. Therefore, the baseline is updated sequentially. A baseline after updating is calculated by a moving average of signal levels for a certain period of time set in advance in the past. When S242 is executed and when the determination result of S241 is YES, the process proceeds to S243.

In S243, the Diff values for which the pressing determination unit 92 calculates the Diff values are specifically the aforementioned dL and dR. dL is a value obtained by subtracting the baseline of the distance sensor 71L from the detected value SL detected by the distance sensor 71L. dR is a value obtained by subtracting the baseline of the distance sensor 71R from the detection value SR detected by the distance sensor 71R.

In S<b>244 , the pressing determination section 92 determines whether the pressing operation body has left the switch area 16 based on the detection result provided by the electrostatic detection section 80 . If the judgment result of S244 is YES, it will progress to S245. In S245, the pressing determination unit 92 confirms pressing release. If the determination result of S244 is YES, the process proceeds to S246.

In S246, the tilt detection unit 91 calculates the displacement difference m, and the pressing determination unit 92 determines whether or not the pressing operation can be confirmed based on the displacement difference m. Specifically, the tilt detection unit 91 uses Equation 1 to calculate the displacement difference m. The pressing determination unit 92 uses Equation 2 to calculate the pressing force with which the pressing operation body presses the exposed surface 12 . Then, when the calculated pressing force is larger than the pressing force threshold, it is determined that there is a pressing operation. If the determination result of S246 is YES, the process proceeds to S247. In S247, the pressing determination unit 92 confirms the pressing operation.

In S248, the vibration control unit 93 causes the actuator 31 to vibrate at a vibration intensity determined using Equation 3 for a certain period of time. When S245 or S248 is executed, or when the determination result of S46 is NO, the process of FIG. 8 is terminated.

[Summary of the first embodiment]
The operating device 10 of the first embodiment described above includes the transmission member 41 that transmits the vibration generated by the actuator 31 to the faceplate 11 . Due to this structure, the displacement due to the pressing force applied to the faceplate 11 appears mainly as translation and tilt. Therefore, the operating device 10 detects the displacement difference m of the transmission member 41 . When the center of the faceplate 11 is pressed, the faceplate 11 and the transmission member 41 as a whole move in parallel, and the displacement difference m is almost zero. On the other hand, the closer the pressed position is to the edge of the faceplate 11, the greater the inclination of the transmission member 41 becomes. Therefore, the displacement difference m of the transmission member 41 is a value that varies in relation to the pressing position.

Therefore, the vibration control section 93 controls the intensity of vibration generated in the actuator 31 according to the displacement difference m. Specifically, the vibration control unit 93 determines the vibration intensity to be generated in the actuator 31 by Equation 3, and increases the vibration to be generated in the actuator 31 as the displacement difference m increases. As a result, it is possible to reduce the difference in the strength of the vibration transmitted to the pressing operation body depending on the pressing position.

<Second embodiment>
Next, a second embodiment will be described. In the following description of the second embodiment, the elements having the same reference numerals as those used so far are the same as the elements having the same reference numerals in the previous embodiments unless otherwise specified. Moreover, when only part of the configuration is described, the previously described embodiments can be applied to the other portions of the configuration.

FIG. 9 shows the operating device 210 of the second embodiment. FIG. 9 is a view of the operating device 210 viewed from the front of the faceplate 11. As shown in FIG. The rear panel 221 is rectangular like the rear panel 21 of the first embodiment. The protrusions 14 are coupled to both ends of the rear panel 221 in the longitudinal direction. Since the rear panel 221 is smaller than the faceplate 11 , the position where the protrusion 14 is coupled to the faceplate 11 is different from that of the operating device 10 .

Moreover, the shape of the transmission member 241 is also rectangular. Thus, various shapes are possible for the shape of the transmission member 241 . The protrusions 15 are coupled to the four corners of the transmission member 241 .

10 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line XX of FIG. 9. FIG. Note that a part of the configuration is omitted in FIG. 10 . The vibration generated by the actuator 31 causes the transmission member 241 to vibrate. Vibration of the transmission member 241 is transmitted to the face plate 11 from the projecting portion 15 as shown in FIG. Vibration generated on the exposed surface 12 is maximized at the central portion of the face plate 11 because the portion of the face plate 11 to which the projecting portion 14 is coupled is a fixed end. This is the same as the first embodiment. Therefore, by determining the vibration intensity to be generated in the actuator 31 using Equation 3, as in the first embodiment, it is possible to reduce the difference in the vibration intensity transmitted to the pressing operation body depending on the pressing position.

<Third Embodiment>
FIG. 11 shows the operating device 310 of the third embodiment. In the operating device 310, a plurality of lines, specifically two lines, of the pressing operation areas TA are formed. The transmission member 341 is sized to face all the pressing operation areas TA. The two rows of pressing operation areas TA are arranged symmetrically across the center C of the face plate 11 . The length of each pressing area TA is the same as the pressing area TA of the first embodiment.

The transmission member 341 is arranged parallel to the faceplate 11 at a position where its center faces the center of the faceplate 11 . Since the pressing operation areas TA are formed in two rows, the face plate 11 is pressed not only to the left and right but also to the top and bottom when viewed from the center. Therefore, the transmission member 341 coupled with the faceplate 11 tilts up and down and left and right. Therefore, the operating device 310 has four distance sensors 71 .

The distance sensor 71L1 is arranged below the pressing operation area TA on the lower side and facing the left side of the center of the transmission member 341 . The distance sensor 71</b>L<b>2 is arranged at a position above the upper pressing area TA and on the left side of the center of the transmission member 341 . The distance sensor 71R1 is arranged below the pressing operation area TA on the lower side and at a position facing the right side of the center of the transmission member 341 . The distance sensor 71R2 is arranged above the upper pressing area TA and at a position facing the right side of the center of the transmission member 341 .

A distance sensor array (that is, a displacement sensor array) including the distance sensors 71L2 and 71R2 and a distance sensor array (that is, a displacement sensor array) that includes the distance sensors 71L1 and 71R1 are arranged along the pressing area TA. placed in the direction Also, the two distance sensor rows are parallel to each other.

The operating device 310 has one actuator 31 at the same position as the operating device 10 . In the operating device 310 , the tilt detection unit 91 detects tilts in the horizontal direction and the tilt in the vertical direction of the transmission member 341 . The inclination of the transmission member 341 in the horizontal direction can also be said to be the inclination in the direction of the distance sensor row. The inclination of the transmission member 341 in the vertical direction can also be said to be the inclination in the direction perpendicular to the array of distance sensors.

The inclination of the transmission member 341 in the horizontal direction is calculated using Equation (4). The inclination of the transmission member 341 in the vertical direction is calculated using Equation (5). Equation 4 calculates the displacement difference mH between the left and right sides of the transmission member 341 in the direction orthogonal to the face plate 11 (in other words, the device depth direction) as a value representing the lateral inclination of the transmission member 341 . Equation 5 calculates the displacement difference mV between the upper and lower sides of the transmission member 341 in the direction orthogonal to the face plate 11 as a value representing the inclination of the transmission member 341 in the vertical direction.

(Formula 4) mH = abs (kL2 x dL2 - kR2 x dR2) + abs (kL1 x dL1 - kR1 x dR1)
(Formula 5) mV = abs (kL2 x dL2 - kL1 x dL1) + abs (kR2 x dR2 - kR1 x dR1)
kL1, kL2, kR1 and kR2 are correction coefficients for correcting the sensitivity of the distance sensors 71L1, 71L2, 71R1 and 71R2, respectively. dL1, dL2, dR1, and dR2 are distances detected by the distance sensors 71L1, 71L2, 71R1, and 71R2, respectively. dL1, dL2, dR1, and dR2 are values obtained by subtracting the baseline from the detection values of the respective distance sensors 71L1, 71L2, 71R1, and 71R2.

In the operating device 310 , the vibration control section 93 uses Equation 6 to determine the vibration intensity to be generated in the actuator 31 .

(Formula 6) G2 = G1 x (1 + (mH x ph + mV x pv))
ph and pv are adjustment coefficients and have the same meanings as the adjustment coefficient p in the first embodiment. In Equation 6, mH×ph+mV×pv means the rate of increase of the vibration actually generated in the actuator 31 with respect to the vibration generated in the actuator 31 when the center of the pressing area TA is pressed. ing.

By determining the vibration intensity generated in the actuator 31 using Equation 6, even in the operation device 310 in which the transmission member 341 is tilted in two directions of left and right and up and down, the difference in the intensity of vibration transmitted to the pressing operation body depending on the pressing position can be determined. can be reduced.

<Fourth Embodiment>
FIG. 12 shows the operating device 410 of the fourth embodiment. The operating device 410 has two actuators 31a and 31b. Both of the two actuators 31 a and 31 b are arranged on the rear surface of the rear panel 21 and transmit vibrations to the face plate 11 via the transmission member 41 .

The two actuators 31a and 31b are arranged at positions sandwiching a line CL that bisects the pressing operation area TA. Both of the two actuators 31a and 31b are arranged at positions facing the pressing operation area TA.

In the operating device 410, the vibration control section 93 can separately control the vibration intensity of the two actuators 31a and 31b. When the vibration strengths of the two actuators 31a and 31b are separately controlled, depending on the distribution of the vibration strengths, a position other than the center of the exposed surface 12 can be vibrated most strongly. Therefore, the vibration control section 93 uses Equation 7 to determine the vibration intensity to be generated in the actuator 31a, and uses Equation 8 to determine the vibration intensity to be generated in the actuator 31b. G2a is the duty ratio of the current value applied to the actuator 31a, and G2b is the duty ratio of the current value applied to the actuator 31b. G1 is a duty ratio that causes the actuators 31a and 31b to generate proper vibration when the center of the pressing operation area TA is pressed. G1 in Equations 7 and 8 has the same meaning as G1 in Equation 3, but the number of actuators 31 is different. Not exclusively.

(Formula 7) G2a = G1 x (1 + mH x ph)
(Formula 8) G2b = G1 x (1-mH x ph)
In Equations 7 and 8, mH is calculated using Equation 9. Equation 9 is the same as Equation 1 except that absolute values are not used. In the operating device 410 having two actuators 31, the displacement difference mH is calculated including the difference between positive and negative.

(Formula 9) mH = kL x dL - kR x dR
As shown in FIG. 6, when the right end of the pressing area TA is pressed, the distance detected by the right distance sensor 71R is shorter than the distance detected by the left distance sensor 71L. Therefore, when the right end of the pressing operation area TA is pressed, the displacement difference mH calculated using Equation 9 becomes a positive value.

Using Equations 7 and 8, when the vibration intensity of one actuator 31 is made stronger than G1, the vibration intensity of the other actuator 31 is made weaker than G1. That is, in the present embodiment, the distribution of the magnitude of vibration generated in the two actuators 31a and 31b is corrected according to the displacement difference mH that indicates the inclination of the transmission member 41. FIG. In Equations 7 and 8, mH×ph indicates the correction rate for correcting the distribution.

The vibration intensity determined using Equations 7 and 8 is such that, for example, when the right end of the pressing area TA is pressed, the vibration generated in the left actuator 31a is stronger than the vibration generated in the right actuator 31b. will do. In other words, the distribution of the vibration intensity generated in the actuator 31 relatively far from the pressing position is made larger than the distribution of the vibration strength generated in the actuator 31 relatively close to the pressing position. As the distance from the actuator 31 to the pressing position is shorter, the vibration generated by the actuator 31 is transmitted to the pressing position without being attenuated. Therefore, by doing so, it is possible to reduce the difference in the strength of the vibration transmitted from each actuator 31 to the pressing operation body depending on the pressing position.

In addition, the following effects are obtained. Adding the right sides of Equations 7 and 8 yields 2G1. In other words, the intensity of vibration generated by the two actuators 31 is constant regardless of the pressed position. Unlike the first embodiment, the vibration intensity generated in the actuator 31 is not increased in accordance with the pressed position, so the average value of the operating noise generated by the vibration generated by the actuator 31 can be reduced.

<Fifth Embodiment>
FIG. 13 shows an operating device 510 of the fifth embodiment. The operating device 510 is similar to the operating device 310 of the third embodiment. The operating device 510 includes two rows of pressing operation areas TA at the same position as the faceplate 11 of the operating device 310 . Further, the operating device 510 includes the same transmission member 341 as the operating device 310 .

The operating device 510 differs from the operating device 310 in the number and positions of the actuators 31 . The operating device 510 includes four actuators 31a, 31b, 31c, and 31d. These four actuators 31 are all arranged on the rear surface of the rear panel 21 and transmit vibrations to the faceplate 11 via transmission members 341 .

The position where the actuator 31a is installed in the operating device 510 is a position facing the portion directly above the left end of the upper pressing area TA. The position where the actuator 31b is installed is a position facing the portion immediately below the left end of the lower pressing area TA. The position where the actuator 31c is installed is a position facing the portion directly above the right end of the upper pressing area TA. The position where the actuator 31d is installed is a position facing the part directly below the right end of the lower pressing area TA.

If the four actuators 31 are installed at these positions, a plurality of the four actuators 31 are provided at positions sandwiching the line CL that bisects the pressing operation area TA.

In the operating device 510, the tilt detector 91 detects the horizontal tilt and the vertical tilt of the transmission member 341, as in the third embodiment. The lateral inclination of the transmission member 341 is calculated using Equation (10). The inclination of the transmission member 341 in the vertical direction is calculated using Equation (11).
(Formula 10) mH = kL2 x dL2 - kR2 x dR2 + kL1 x dL1 - kR1 x dR1
(Formula 11) mV = kL2 x dL2 - kL1 x dL1 + kR2 x dR2 - kR1 x dR1
Equation 10 is the same as Equation 4 except that absolute values are not used. Equation 11 is the same as Equation 5 except that absolute values are not used.

In the operating device 510, the vibration control unit 93 determines the vibration intensity to be generated in the actuator 31a using Equation 12, determines the vibration intensity to be generated in the actuator 31b using Equation 13, and determines the vibration intensity to be generated in the actuator 31c using Equation 14. is determined, and the vibration intensity to be generated in the actuator 31d is determined using the equation (15). G2a is the duty ratio of the current value passed through the actuator 31a, G2b is the duty ratio of the current value passed through the actuator 31b, G2c is the duty ratio of the current value passed through the actuator 31c, and G2d is the current value passed through the actuator 31d. is the duty ratio of

(Formula 12) G2a = G1 x (1 + mH x ph + mV x pv)
(Formula 13) G2b = G1 x (1 + mH x ph-mV x pv)
(Formula 14) G2c = G1 x (1-mH x ph + mV x pv)
(Formula 15) G2d = G1 x (1-mH x ph-mV x pv)
When the vibration intensity of the four actuators 31 is determined by Equations 12 to 15, the distribution of the magnitude of vibration generated in the four actuators 31a, 31b, 31c, and 31d is corrected according to the displacement differences mH and mV. become. In Equations 12 to 15, mH×ph and mV×pv indicate correction ratios for correcting the distribution.

For example, consider a case where the right end of the lower pressing area TA is pressed. In this case, both mH and mV are positive values. Therefore, among G2a, G2b, G2c, and G2d, G2a is the largest and G2d is the smallest. In the fifth embodiment as well, the distribution of the vibration intensity generated in the actuator 31 relatively far from the pressing position is made larger than the distribution of the vibration intensity generated in the actuator 31 relatively close to the pressing position. Become. By doing so, it is possible to reduce the difference in the strength of vibration transmitted from each actuator 31 to the pressing operation body depending on the pressing position.

Also in the fifth embodiment, as in the fourth embodiment, it is possible to reduce the average value of the operating noise caused by the vibration of the actuator 31 .

Although the embodiments have been described above, the disclosed technology is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and the following modifications are also included in the disclosed scope. Various modifications can be made.

<Modification 1>
The number of distance sensors 71 included in one distance sensor row may be three or more.

<Modification 2>
Instead of the optical distance sensor 71, an inductive sensor or a magnetic sensor may be used to detect the distance. Further, the displacement-related quantity includes not only the distance but also the pressure. A pressure sensor that detects pressure may be used as the displacement sensor.

<Modification 3>
In the configuration including a plurality of actuators 31, unlike the third and fourth embodiments, the vibration intensity generated in the actuators 31 closer to the pressing position is made stronger than the vibration intensity generated in the actuators 31 farther from the pressing position. can be In the case of a design in which vibration is mainly transmitted to the pressing operation body by the actuator 31 close to the pressing position, this may be done. Note that since mH or mH+mV changes depending on the pressed position, a value obtained by multiplying mH or mH+mV by a predetermined coefficient is used as a value for estimating the pressed position.

<Modification 4>
In the fourth and fifth embodiments, the total vibration intensity generated by all actuators 31 may be corrected according to the pressed position.

<Modification 5>
In the embodiment, the distance sensor 71 detects the distance of the portion of the transmission member 41 facing the distance sensor 71 . However, the distance sensor 71 may detect the distance of the portion of the face plate 11 facing the 71 by providing a through hole in the portion of the transmission member 41 facing the distance sensor 71 . In this case, the displacement difference m detected by the tilt detector 91 directly indicates the tilt of the faceplate 11 . With this configuration, the displacement and the displacement difference m of the face plate 11 are directly detected, so the displacement difference m can be detected with high accuracy. As a result, the accuracy of the vibration intensity to be generated is also improved.

<Modification 6>
An operating device that does not include the transmission member 41 may be used. The face plate 11 may be structured so as to ensure strength even without the transmission member 41 .

10: Operating device 11: Face plate (pressing operation member) 12: Exposed surface 13: Back surface 14: Protruding part 15: Protruding part 16: Switch area (pressing operation part) 17: Electrostatic sensor 21: Rear panel 23: Fastening hole 31 : Actuator 34 : Connecting plate 41 : Transmission member 42 : Fastening hole 43 : Vibration active part 44 : Opening 45 : Opposing surface 51 : Bracket 61 : Screw 70 : Substrate 71 : Distance sensor (displacement sensor) 80 : Electrostatic detector 90 : control unit 91: tilt detection unit 92: pressure determination unit 93: vibration control unit 210: operation device 221: rear panel 241: transmission member 310: operation device 341: transmission member 410: operation device 510: operation device CL line, TA pressure Operation area, m, mH, mV Displacement difference, p, ph, pv Adjustment factor

Claims (13)

a pressing operation member (11) to be pressed by an operator;
an actuator (31) for generating vibration;
a plurality of displacement sensors (71) for detecting displacement-related quantities indicating displacement of the pressing operation member;
a tilt detection unit (91) for detecting a tilt of the pressing operation member based on the displacement-related quantity detected by the displacement sensor;
and a vibration control section (93) for controlling the intensity of vibration to be generated in the actuator according to the tilt detected by the tilt detection section (93). The operating device according to claim 1,
An operating device comprising a transmission member (41, 241, 341) coupled to the pressing operation member at a plurality of sites and transmitting vibration generated by the actuator to the pressing operation member. The operating device according to claim 2,
the displacement sensor detects the displacement-related quantity at a plurality of locations on the transmission member;
The tilt detection section detects the tilt of the transmission member as the tilt of the pressing operation member. The operating device according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
one of the actuators is provided at a position facing the vicinity of the center of the pressing operation area (TA) of the pressing operation member;
The vibration control unit is an operating device that increases the strength of vibration generated in the actuator as the inclination increases. The operating device according to claim 4,
The pressing operation points (16) formed in the pressing operation area are arranged in a row,
The displacement sensor is arranged at a plurality of positions sandwiching a line that bisects the pressing operation area in a direction along the arrangement direction of the pressing operation locations. The operating device according to claim 4,
The pressing operation locations formed in the pressing operation area are arranged in a plurality of rows,
The displacement sensors are arranged such that a plurality of displacement sensor rows along the arrangement direction of the pressing operation portions are formed in parallel,
The inclination detection unit detects an inclination of the pressing operation member in a direction of the displacement sensor array and an inclination of the pressing operation member in a direction orthogonal to the displacement sensor array,
The vibration control unit increases the vibration generated in the actuator as the inclination of the pressing operation member in the arrangement direction of the pressing operation locations increases, and increases the vibration of the pressing operation member in the direction perpendicular to the row of the pressing operation locations. An operating device that increases the intensity of vibration generated in the actuator as the inclination increases. The operating device according to claim 5 or 6,
The tilt detection unit detects displacement differences (m, mH, mV) of the displacement-related quantities respectively detected by the plurality of displacement sensors as the tilt,
Based on the product of the absolute value of the displacement difference and adjustment coefficients (p, ph, pv) that have been adjusted in advance, the vibration control unit controls the vibration of the actuator when the center of the pressing operation area is pressed. An operating device that determines an increase rate for increasing the intensity of vibration actually generated by the actuator with respect to the vibration to be generated. The operating device according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
A plurality of the actuators are provided at positions sandwiching a line (CL) that bisects the pressing operation area of the pressing operation member,
The operating device, wherein the vibration control section corrects distribution of vibration intensity generated by the plurality of actuators according to the inclination. The operating device according to claim 8,
The vibration control unit distributes vibration intensity generated in the actuator relatively far from the pressing position based on the inclination, and distributes vibration intensity generated in the actuator relatively close to the pressing position. An operating device that makes it bigger. The operating device according to claim 8 or 9,
The pressing operation portions formed in the pressing operation area are arranged in a line,
The operation device, wherein the displacement sensors are arranged at a plurality of positions sandwiching a line that bisects the pressing operation area in a direction along the pressing operation location. The operating device according to claim 8 or 9,
The pressing operation locations formed in the pressing operation area are arranged in a plurality of rows,
The displacement sensors are arranged such that a plurality of displacement sensor rows along the arrangement direction of the pressing operation portions are formed in parallel,
The tilt detection unit detects a tilt of the pressing operation member in a direction of the displacement sensor array and a tilt of the pressing operation member in a direction orthogonal to the displacement sensor array. The operating device according to claim 10 or 11,
The tilt detection unit detects displacement differences (m, mH, mV) of the displacement-related quantities respectively detected by the plurality of displacement sensors as the tilt,
Based on the product of the displacement difference and adjustment coefficients (p, ph, pv) adjusted in advance, the vibration control unit generates vibration in the plurality of actuators when the center of the pressing operation area is pressed. an operation device that determines a correction ratio for correcting the distribution of vibrations actually generated in the plurality of actuators. The operating device according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein said displacement sensor is an optical distance sensor.

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