JP2024096144A - Operation device, control unit, and control method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a switch and an operating device capable of realizing power saving while maintaining a high-speed response.

SOLUTION: A switch incorporated in an operating device includes a movable member that swings in response to a pressure from the outside, a contacted member that moves toward and away from the movable member as the movable member swings, and a light-receiving element that can detect light while electricity is flowing. The switch can output a signal in response to contact with the contacted member as the movable member swings, and can output a signal by transmitting or blocking light detected by the light-receiving element as the movable member swings. After outputting a signal in response to a light detection state of the light-receiving element as the movable member swings, the switch limits the flow of electricity to the light-receiving element when the movable member comes into contact with the contacted member and starts outputting a signal.

SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 15

COPYRIGHT: (C)2024,JPO&INPIT

Description

The present invention relates to a switch having a movable member and an operating device having such a switch.

Operating devices such as mice equipped with switches such as microswitches are widely used as input devices for electronic devices such as computers. In particular, various characteristics are now required for mice used in computer games known as e-sports. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a microswitch that can be used as a mouse switch. The microswitch disclosed in Patent Document 1 uses optical elements such as a light-emitting element and a light-receiving element, and the optical elements open and close a circuit.

International Publication No. 2016/112842

Switches that open and close circuits using optical elements, such as those disclosed in Patent Document 1, have the problem of increased power consumption because they require constant or intermittent power supply to the element.

The present invention was made in consideration of these circumstances, and its main objective is to provide a switch that can reduce the power consumption of its elements.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an operating device that uses such a switch.

In order to solve the above problem, the switch described in the present application is a switch that includes a movable member that swings in response to pressure from the outside and outputs a signal in response to the swing of the movable member, includes a contacted member that moves toward or away from the movable member as the movable member swings, a control unit that controls the flow of electricity to the element, and a light-receiving element that can detect light while electricity is flowing, and is capable of outputting a signal in response to contact with the contacted member caused by the swing of the movable member, and is capable of outputting a signal by transmitting or blocking light detected by the light-receiving element in response to the swing of the movable member, and is characterized in that the control unit includes a means for limiting the flow of electricity to the light-receiving element when the movable member comes into contact with the contacted member and starts outputting a signal after outputting a signal in response to the light detection state of the light-receiving element caused by the swing of the movable member.

Furthermore, the switch described in the present application is a switch that includes a conductive movable member whose second end side swings around a first end side as a swing fulcrum based on pressure from the outside, and outputs a signal to the outside based on the swing of the movable member, and includes a conductive support member that swingably supports the first end side of the movable member, a conductive contacted member whose second end side comes into contact with and separates from the movable member as the movable member swings, a control unit that controls the flow of electricity to the element, and a light receiving element that can detect light while energized, the movable member has a light blocking piece that blocks light to be received by the light receiving element, and can output a signal based on contact with the contacted member caused by the swing of the movable member, and can output a signal by the light blocking piece transmitting or blocking the light to be detected by the light receiving element caused by the swing of the movable member, and the control unit is characterized in that it includes a means for limiting the flow of electricity to the light receiving element when the movable member comes into contact with the contacted member and starts outputting a signal after outputting a signal based on the light detection status of the light receiving element caused by the swing of the movable member.

In addition, in the switch, the support member is formed using a conductive material, and when the movable member comes into contact with the contacted member, electrical continuity is established between the support member and the contacted member, thereby outputting a signal.

The switch further includes a light-emitting element that emits light when energized, the light-receiving element is capable of receiving the light emitted from the light-emitting element, and the control unit includes a means for limiting the energization of the light-emitting element after outputting a signal based on the light detection status of the light-receiving element accompanying the swinging of the movable member.

The switch is also characterized in that the control unit includes a means for releasing the restriction on the flow of electricity to the light receiving element when the movable member separates from the contacted member and stops outputting a signal after restricting the flow of electricity to the light receiving element.

The switch is also characterized in that it includes a switching unit that receives a switching input to switch the current supply method, and is capable of stopping the current supply to the light receiving element based on the switching input from the outside.

Furthermore, the switch described in the present application is a switch that includes a movable member that operates based on pressure from the outside, outputs a signal based on the operation of the movable member, includes a contacted member that moves toward or away from the movable member when the movable member operates, and a detection element that detects a detection target while current is flowing, and is capable of outputting a signal based on the movement of the contacted member as the movable member moves, and is capable of outputting a signal based on the detection status of the detection target detected by the detection element as the movable member moves, and is characterized in that after outputting a signal based on the detection status of the detection element as the movable member moves, if output of a signal based on the movement of the contacted member starts based on the movement of the contacted member, current to the detection element is limited.

Furthermore, the operating device described in the present application is characterized by having a pressing operation unit that accepts a pressing operation from the outside, the switch to which the pressing operation accepted by the pressing operation unit is transmitted as a pressing force from the outside, and an output unit that outputs a signal output by the switch to an external device.

The switches and operating devices described in this application limit the flow of current to the elements depending on the situation.

The switch and operating device of the present invention outputs a signal based on the detection state of a detection element, such as a light receiving element, associated with the operation of a movable member, and then limits the flow of electricity to the detection element. This provides excellent effects, such as reducing the power consumption of the element.

1 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of the appearance of an operating device described in the present application. FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of the appearance of a switch described in the present application. FIG. 1 is a schematic exploded perspective view showing an example of a switch described in the present application. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of a cross section of a switch described in the present application. 1 is a schematic external view showing an example of a support member and a contacted member included in a switch described in the present application. 1 is a schematic external view showing an example of a light-emitting unit included in a switch described in the present application. FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of a switch described herein. FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of a switch described herein. FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of a switch described herein. FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of a switch described herein. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of an operating device described in the present application. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a current supply method switching process using a switch according to the present application. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a power supply control process in a high-speed power saving mode in the switch described in the present application. FIG. 4 is a waveform diagram illustrating an example of signal processing by a switch described herein. FIG. 4 is a waveform diagram illustrating an example of signal processing by a switch described herein. FIG. 4 is a waveform diagram illustrating an example of signal processing by a switch described herein.

The following describes an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings.

<Application Examples>
The operating device described in the present application is used as an operating device such as a mouse used to operate a personal computer (hereinafter referred to as a PC). The switch described in the present application is incorporated as a microswitch in various electronic devices and other devices that include the operating device. Below, an operating device 1 and a switch 2 illustrated in the drawings will be described with reference to the drawings.

<Operation device 1>
First, the operation device 1 will be described. FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of the appearance of the operation device 1 described in the present application. FIG. 1 shows an example in which the operation device 1 described in the present application is applied to a mouse used to operate an electronic device such as a personal computer. The operation device 1 includes a pressing operation unit 10 such as a mouse button that accepts a pressing operation by a user's finger, and a rotating operation unit 11 such as a mouse wheel that accepts a rotating operation by a user's finger. The rotating operation unit 11 is configured to accept not only a rotating operation but also a pressing operation, and also functions as the pressing operation unit 10. In addition, a signal line 12 that outputs an electric signal to an external device such as a personal computer is connected to the operation device 1. In addition, the operation device 1 can output an electric signal by various communication methods such as wireless communication, not limited to wired communication using the signal line 12. Furthermore, the operation device 1 includes a switching operation unit 13 such as a push button on the side that accepts a switching operation to switch a current supply method. The user performs various operations on the operation device 1, such as pressing the pressing operation unit 10, rotating the rotating operation unit 11, and moving (dragging) the operation device 1 while pressing the pressing operation unit 10.

Inside the operating device 1, a switch 2 (described later) is housed for each pressing operation unit 10 and each rotating operation unit 11, and when a pressing operation unit 10 is pressed, a part inside the pressing operation unit 10 presses the corresponding switch 2. The switch 2 outputs a signal based on the pressing state from a signal line 12 to an external electronic device such as a personal computer.

That is, the operating device 1 described in the present application includes a pressing operation unit 10 that receives pressing operations from the outside, a rotation operation unit 11 that receives operations such as rotation operations, and a switching operation unit 13, and further includes an internal switch 2. The operating device 1 transmits the pressing operations received by the pressing operation unit 10 and/or the rotation operation unit 11 to the switch 2 as pressure from the outside, and outputs a signal based on the operation of the switch 2 from a signal line 12 to an external electronic device.

<Switch 2>
Next, the switch 2 described in the present application will be described. Fig. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of the appearance of the switch 2 described in the present application. In the present specification, the directions of the switch 2 are expressed as follows: the left front side as viewed in Fig. 2 is the front, the right rear side is the rear, the left rear side is the left, the right front side is the right, the upper side is the upper, and the lower side is the lower; however, these directions are for convenience of explanation and do not limit the mounting direction of the switch 2. As described above, the switch 2 is accommodated as a microswitch inside an electronic device such as an operating device 1, and accepts a pressing operation received by a portion such as a pressing operation unit 10 of the operating device 1 as a pressing pressure from the outside.

The switch 2 has a housing 20 that is substantially rectangular. The housing 20 is formed by a lower base 20a and an upper cover 20b. A rectangular insertion hole 200 through which a pressing member 21 is inserted is provided on the top surface of the housing 20, at a position toward the left of the center when viewed from the front. The pressing member 21 inserted into the insertion hole 200 is a member that moves up and down in a range from a first position above to a second position below when pressed from outside the housing 20. The upper end of the pressing member 21 protrudes from the top surface of the housing 20.

Furthermore, from the bottom surface of the housing 20, a first terminal 220 which is a part of the support member 22 (see FIG. 3, etc.) described later, a second terminal 230 which is a part of the contacted member 23 (see FIG. 3, etc.) described later, a third terminal pair 240 which is a part of the light emitting unit 24 (see FIG. 3, etc.) described later, and a fourth terminal pair 250 which is a part of the light receiving unit 25 (see FIG. 3, etc.) described later protrude. The first terminal 220 protrudes from the left end side of the bottom surface of the housing 20. The second terminal 230 protrudes from near the center of the bottom surface of the housing 20. The third terminal pair 240 and the fourth terminal pair 250 protrude side by side from the right end side of the bottom surface of the housing 20 in the front-rear and left-right directions. The two terminals protruding side by side on the front side of the bottom surface of the housing 20 are the third terminal pair 240, and the two terminals protruding side by side on the rear side are the fourth terminal pair 250.

In the switch 2 thus formed, an external pressing operation received by the operating device 1 is transmitted to the pressing member 21 as a pressure from outside the housing 20. The pressing member 21 moves from an upper first position to a lower second position when pressed from the outside, and moves from the lower second position to the upper first position when the pressure from the outside is released.

Next, the internal structure of the switch 2 will be described. FIG. 3 is a schematic exploded perspective view showing an example of the switch 2 described in the present application. FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of a cross-section of the switch 2 described in the present application. FIG. 4 shows a cross-section cut along a vertical plane including the line A-B shown in FIG. 2 as viewed from the front.

A space is provided within the housing 20 of the switch 2 as a housing chamber 201 that houses various members that open and close the electrical circuit. An insertion hole 200 that penetrates from the outside of the housing 20 is opened on the upper surface of the housing chamber 201, and a pressing member 21 is inserted into the insertion hole 200.

The various members accommodated in the storage chamber 201 will now be described. In addition to the aforementioned pressing member 21, supporting member 22, contacted member 23, light emitting unit 24, and light receiving unit 25, various members such as a movable member 26 are arranged in the storage chamber 201. A first locking portion 221, which is a part of the supporting member 22, is arranged in the lower left side of the storage chamber 201, and a second locking portion 222, which is a part of the supporting member 22, is arranged in the lower center of the storage chamber 201. A contacted member 23 is arranged in the lower right side of the storage chamber 201. On the lower right side of the storage chamber 201, a light emitting unit 24 is arranged in front of the contacted member 23, and a light receiving unit 25 is arranged behind the contacted member 23. The movable member 26 is arranged to extend left and right within the storage chamber 201 and is engaged with the first engaging portion 221 and the second engaging portion 222 of the support member 22.

The support member 22 and the contact member 23 will be further described. FIG. 5 is a schematic external view showing an example of the support member 22 and the contact member 23 provided in the switch 2 described in the present application. FIG. 5 is a front view showing only the support member 22 and the contact member 23 arranged in the switch 2 as viewed from the front direction of the switch 2. The support member 22 and the contact member 23 shown in FIGS. 3, 4, and 5 are all formed from conductive metal plates and are arranged at a distance within the housing 20.

The support member 22 is in the form of a thin plate, and is erected so that the normal direction is the front-rear direction. The lower part of the support member 22 is formed as a first terminal 220 that protrudes from the bottom surface of the housing 20. The upper part of the support member 22 located inside the storage chamber 201 is bifurcated into two parts, with the left part formed as a first locking part 221 and the right part formed as a second locking part 222. The first locking part 221 and the second locking part 222 are bent towards the front to make it easier to lock the movable member 26.

The contacted member 23 is a thin plate that is erected so that the normal direction is the front-rear direction, and is erected at a position behind the light-emitting unit 24 and in front of the light-receiving unit 25, separated from the light-emitting unit 24 and the light-receiving unit 25. The lower part of the contacted member 23 is formed as a second terminal 230 that protrudes from the lower surface of the housing 20. The upper part of the contacted member 23 located in the storage chamber 201 is a contacted part 231 that comes into contact with the movable member 26 when the pressing member 21 is located in the second position and the movable member 26 is pressed by the pressing member 21. In the contacted member 23, a light-shielding plate 232 that blocks light emitted from the light-emitting unit 24 is formed below the contacted part 231, and a transmission hole 233 that transmits light emitted from the light-emitting unit 24 is opened in the light-shielding plate 232.

The light emitting unit 24 and the light receiving unit 25 will be further described. FIG. 6 is a schematic external view showing an example of the light emitting unit 24 provided in the switch 2 described in the present application. The light emitting unit 24 illustrated in FIGS. 3, 4, and 6 emits light upon receiving electricity from a control unit CU (see FIG. 11, etc.) described later, and the light receiving unit 25 receives the light emitted from the light emitting unit 24. The light receiving unit 25 can detect the received light only when electricity is being applied from the control unit CU. The light emitting unit 24 is configured using a light emitting element 241 such as an LED. The light emitting element 241 of the light emitting unit 24 is molded in a resin unit housing 242, and the third terminal pair 240 protrudes from the unit housing 242. Two approximately linear lead frames 243 are arranged inside the unit housing 242. One end of the lead frame 243 protrudes from the inside of the unit housing 242 to the outside, forming the third terminal pair 240. The other end side of the lead frame 243 is located in the unit housing 242, the light emitting element 241 is placed thereon, and the light emitting element 241 is bonded by a wire 244. The light emitting element 241, the lead frame 243, and the wire 244 are disposed at the bottom of a recess formed in the unit housing 242. The recess formed in the unit housing 242 is filled with a resin having a high transmittance such as an epoxy resin during the manufacturing process, and the members such as the light emitting element 241 are molded in the unit housing 242 in a state where they can be seen from the outside. FIG. 6 shows the light emitting unit 24 in a state where the unit housing 242 is filled with a resin having a high transmittance so that the inside can be seen. The light receiving unit 25 is configured using a light receiving element 251 such as a PD (Photo Diode) or a PT (Photo Transistor) as a detector for detecting light. The light receiving element 251 is capable of detecting light while being energized from the control unit CU. The configuration of the light receiving unit 25 is substantially similar to that of the light emitting unit 24, so the description of the light emitting unit 24 should be taken into consideration and detailed description will be omitted. Note that the light emitting element 241 and the third terminal pair 240 described as the configuration of the light emitting unit 24 should be read as the light receiving element 251 and the fourth terminal pair 250 when understanding the light receiving unit 25.

In the housing 20 of the switch 2, the light emitting unit 24 and the light receiving unit 25 are arranged so that the light emitting element 241 and the light receiving element 251 face each other, so that the light emitted from the light emitting element 241 of the light emitting unit 24 is received by the light receiving element 251 of the light receiving unit 25. When electricity is applied to the light emitting unit 24 through the third terminal pair 240, the light emitting element 241 of the light emitting unit 24 emits light. When the light receiving element 251 of the light receiving unit 25 detects light, the current flow state changes, and an ON signal based on the change in current flow state due to light reception is output from the fourth terminal pair 250.

The movable member 26 will be further described. The movable member 26 illustrated in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 is a member formed from a conductive metal plate, and is arranged in the storage chamber 201 so that the longitudinal direction is the left-right direction. The left end side of the movable member 26 is a fixed end that is engaged with the first engaging portion 221 and functions as a swing fulcrum 260. The right end side of the movable member 26 is a movable abutment portion 261 that swings as a free end and approaches and separates from the contacted portion 231 of the contacted member 23 by the swing. In addition, the right end side of the movable member 26 is a substantially rectangular light-shielding piece 262 that is bent downward from the movable abutment portion 261. The light-shielding piece 262 is formed so that the normal direction is the front-rear direction, and a substantially rectangular transmission window 263 through which the light emitted from the light-emitting unit 24 passes is opened. The light blocking piece 262 is located in front of the contacted member 23 and behind the light emitting unit 24, so as to be spaced apart from the contacted member 23 and the light emitting unit 24 and to fit between the contacted member 23 and the light emitting unit 24. The movable member 26 is formed with a biasing portion 264 that functions as a return spring, the portion being punched out near the center and bent into an arc, and the tip of the biasing portion 264 is engaged with a second engagement portion 222 formed near the center of the storage chamber 201. The biasing portion 264 generates a reaction force that resists the pressure of the pressing member 21.

In the switch 2 configured as described above, the pressing member 21 moves downward when pressed from the outside, and presses down the movable member 26. When the movable member 26 is pressed down, the movable abutment 261 and the light blocking piece 262 on the right end side, which is the free end of the movable member 26, are lowered. When the movable abutment 261 of the movable member 26 is lowered, the movable abutment 261 comes into contact with the contacted portion 231 of the contacted member 23. When the movable abutment 261 of the movable member 26 comes into contact with the contacted portion 231 of the contacted member 23, a conductive state is established from the first terminal 220 of the support member 22 to the second terminal 230 of the contacted member 23. When the first terminal 220 and the second terminal 230 are conductive, it is possible to close the first circuit outside the switch 2 and output an ON signal. When the light-shielding piece 262 of the movable member 26 is lowered, the optical path from the light-emitting element 241 of the light-emitting unit 24 to the light-receiving element 251 of the light-receiving unit 25 passes through the transparent window 263 opened in the light-shielding piece 262. Therefore, the light emitted from the light-emitting element 241 of the light-emitting unit 24 during the energization from the control unit CU passes through the transparent window 263 opened in the light-shielding piece 262 of the movable member 26, and further passes through the transparent hole 233 opened in the light-shielding plate 232 of the contacted member 23 to reach the light-receiving element 251 of the light-receiving unit 25. When the light-receiving element 251 detects the reception of light from the light-emitting element 241 during the energization from the control unit CU, it becomes in the ON state and is able to output an ON signal. Also, when the movable contact portion 261 of the movable member 26 is lowered, the movable contact portion 261 comes into contact with the contacted portion 231 of the contacted member 23. A metallic sound is generated when the movable abutment portion 261 of the metallic movable member 26 hits the contacted portion 231 of the metallic contacted member 23. The user recognizes the metallic sound generated when the movable member 26 hits the contacted member 23 as a clicking sound. The user also recognizes the sensation of the movable member 26 hitting the contacted member 23 as a clicking sensation. By appropriately designing the material and shape of the movable member 26 and the contacted member 23, it is possible to control the sound generated when the movable member 26 hits the contacted member 23 and the sensation of hitting, and adjust the clicking sound and clicking sensation. For example, by using a material and shape that is less likely to produce clicking sounds, it is possible to achieve quieter clicking.

When the pressure of the pressing member 21 is released, the movable member 26 is urged upward by the reaction force of the urging portion 264. As the movable member 26 is urged upward, the pressing member 21 moves upward. As the movable member 26 is urged upward by the urging portion 264, the movable abutment portion 261 and the light blocking piece 262 located on the right end side of the movable member 26 rise. As the movable abutment portion 261 of the movable member 26 rises, the movable abutment portion 261 moves away from the contacted portion 231 of the contacted member 23. As the movable abutment portion 261 of the movable abutment portion 261 moves away from the contacted portion 231 of the contacted member 23, an insulating state is established between the first terminal 220 of the support member 22 and the second terminal 230 of the contacted member 23. As the first terminal 220 and the second terminal 230 are insulated from each other, the first circuit opens. When the light-shielding piece 262 of the movable member 26 rises, the light emitted from the light-emitting element 241 of the light-emitting unit 24 is blocked by the light-shielding piece 262, turning it off.

Next, the opening and closing of a circuit by the switch 2 described in the present application will be described. Figures 7 and 8 are schematic cross-sectional views showing an example of the switch 2 described in the present application. Figures 7 and 8 show a cross-section cut along a vertical plane including the line A-B shown in Figure 2 from the front. In Figures 7 and 8, the outlines of the support member 22 and the contacted member 23 hidden by the housing 20 are shown by dashed lines. Figure 7 shows a state in which the pressing member 21 is not subjected to pressure from the outside and is located at a first position on the upper side, and Figure 8 shows a state in which the pressing member 21 is subjected to pressure from the outside and descends to a second position on the lower side. By transitioning from the state illustrated in Figure 7 where no pressure is applied to the state illustrated in Figure 8 where pressure is applied, the right end side of the movable member 26 descends, and the movable member 26 comes into contact with the contacted member 23. When the movable member 26 comes into contact with the contacted member 23, a conductive state is established from the first terminal 220 of the support member 22 to the second terminal 230 of the contacted member 23. When the first terminal 220 and the second terminal 230 are electrically connected, a current flows as shown by the solid arrow in FIG. 8, and the device is turned on. When the pressure from the outside is released and the device returns to the state shown in FIG. 7, the current that was flowing is cut off and the device is turned off.

9 and 10 are schematic cross-sectional views showing an example of the switch 2 described in the present application. FIGS. 9 and 10 show a cross-section cut along a vertical plane including the line C-D shown in FIG. 2, viewed from the right. FIG. 9 shows a state in which the pressing member 21 is not subjected to external pressure and is located in an upper first position, and FIG. 10 shows a state in which the pressing member 21 is subjected to external pressure and has lowered to a lower second position. By transitioning from the state shown in FIG. 9 in which no pressure is applied to the state shown in FIG. 10 in which pressure is applied, the right end side of the movable member 26 lowers, and the optical path from the light-emitting element 241 of the light-emitting unit 24 to the light-receiving element 251 of the light-receiving unit 25 passes through the transparent window 263 opened in the light-shielding piece 262. Therefore, as shown by the solid arrow in FIG. 10, the light emitted from the light-emitting element 241 of the light-emitting unit 24 while electricity is being applied passes through the transparent window 263 opened in the light-shielding piece 262 of the movable member 26, passes through the transparent hole 233 opened in the light-shielding plate 232 of the contacted member 23, and reaches the light-receiving element 251 of the light-receiving unit 25. When the light-receiving element 251 while electricity is being applied detects the reception of light from the light-emitting element 241, it becomes in the ON state. When the pressure from the outside is released and the state returns to that shown in FIG. 9, the optical path between the light-emitting element 241 and the light-receiving element 251 is blocked and the state becomes OFF.

<Functional configuration>
Next, the functional configuration of the operating device 1 described in the present application will be described. FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the operating device 1 described in the present application. The switch 2 includes a contact mechanism 27 using members such as a support member 22 and a contacted member 23, and a non-contact mechanism 28 using members such as a light-emitting unit 24 and a light-receiving unit 25. The operating device 1 further includes a switching unit SU that works in conjunction with the switching operation unit 13, a power supply unit PSU that supplies power to a control unit CU that controls various processes, and other components. In FIG. 11, thin lines connecting each component indicate wiring that serves as a medium for various signals, and thick lines indicate wiring that serves as a medium for power. Electricity is applied to the light-emitting unit 24 and the light-receiving unit 25 of the non-contact mechanism 28 from the control unit CU via a signal line 12. In addition, the line extending to the right side in FIG. 12 indicates the signal line 12 connected to the operating device 1. For example, the signal line 12 can be a medium for signal communication and power supply by being configured as a communication line conforming to a communication standard such as the USB (Universal Serial Bus) standard.

The switching unit SU is a circuit that accepts a switching operation as an external switching input when the switching operation unit 13 accepts a switching operation to switch the current supply method. The switching unit SU transmits the external switching input as a switching signal to the control unit CU. Note that the switching input from the outside is not limited to the operation from the switching operation unit 13 shown as an example, but can be appropriately designed to be accepted as a switching signal from an external electronic device such as a connected personal computer, etc.

The control unit CU is configured using a processor such as a microcomputer, and is a circuit that exchanges various commands and signals with the switching unit SU, power supply unit PSU, contactless mechanism 28, and contact mechanism 27, and controls these circuits. Specifically, the control unit CU outputs a signal via signal line 12 based on the open/close state of the contact mechanism 27. The control unit CU also controls the supply of electricity to the light-emitting unit 24 and light-receiving unit 25 of the contactless mechanism 28, and when the light-receiving unit 25 detects light reception, outputs a signal based on the detection status via signal line 12. Furthermore, the control unit CU switches the method of supplying electricity to the contactless mechanism 28 based on the switching signal from the switching unit SU.

The power supply unit PSU is a circuit that supplies power to the various components of the switch 2. The power supply unit PSU may be configured using a battery built into the housing of the operating device 1 or the switch 2, or may be configured as a circuit that controls the power supplied from the outside via the signal line 12.

The switching unit SU, control unit CU, and power supply unit PSU can be arranged inside the housing of the switch 2, or outside the housing 20, for example, on a board on which the switch 2 is mounted, and can be designed as appropriate.

<Signal Processing>
Next, a description will be given of signal processing of the switch 2 described in the present application. Fig. 12 is a flowchart showing an example of a current supply method switching process by the switch 2 described in the present application. The control unit CU included in the switch 2 executes the current supply method switching process when the switching unit SU receives a switching input from the outside, such as a switching operation to the switching operation unit 13, for example.

As the energization method switching process, the control unit CU of the switch 2 receives a switching input from the switching unit SU (S101) and switches the energization method based on the received switching input (S102). The energization method can be set to a high-speed mode, a high-speed power-saving mode, a power-saving mode, or the like, and can be switched as appropriate. If the power supply unit PSU is configured using a battery, the energization method may be switched based on the remaining power of the power supply unit PSU. The high-speed mode is an energization method in which electricity is constantly supplied to the light-emitting unit 24 and the light-receiving unit 25 of the non-contact mechanism 28, and a high-speed response with a small delay from operation to signal output can be maintained. The high-speed power-saving mode is an energization method that suppresses power consumption while maintaining a high-speed response. The power-saving mode is an energization method that limits the supply of electricity to the light-emitting unit 24 and the light-receiving unit 25 of the non-contact mechanism 28 depending on the situation.

Figure 13 is a flowchart showing an example of the power supply control process in the high-speed power saving mode in the switch 2 described in the present application. As the power supply control process, the control unit CU of the switch 2 supplies power to the light emitting unit 24 and the light receiving unit 25 of the contactless mechanism 28, monitors whether the contactless mechanism 28 is in the ON state, and determines whether the contactless mechanism 28 has been turned on (S201). When the pressing operation unit 10 of the operation device 1 is pressed, the contact mechanism 27 and the contactless mechanism 28 are turned on, but since the contactless mechanism 28 has high responsiveness, the contactless mechanism 28 usually turns on first. This is due to factors such as the fact that the contact mechanism 27 takes longer to transition to a stable ON state than the contactless mechanism 28 because a bounce occurs when the movable member 26 comes into contact with the contacted member 23.

In step S201, if the light receiving element 251 detects light and the non-contact mechanism 28 is turned on (S201: YES), the control unit CU causes the operation device 1 to output an on signal (S202). After outputting the on signal, the control unit CU determines whether the contact mechanism 27 is turned on (S203).

In step S203, if it is determined that the contact mechanism 27 has been turned on (S203: YES), the control unit CU stops the supply of electricity to the light-emitting element 241 of the non-contact mechanism 28 (S204) and stops the supply of electricity to the light-receiving element 251 (S205). By performing a restriction process such as stopping the supply of electricity, the signal output to the outside is performed only by the contact mechanism 27. The determination process of step S203 is a process that takes into account the time difference between when the non-contact mechanism 28 is turned on and when the contact mechanism 27 is turned on. Note that a sufficient predetermined waiting time may be set until the contact mechanism 27 is turned on, and a waiting process for the predetermined waiting time may be executed as an alternative process to the determination process of step S203. When the waiting process is executed, the determination process of step S203 can be omitted. That is, it is possible to configure the device to output an on signal in step S202, execute a waiting process for a predetermined waiting time, and then execute a process of stopping the supply of electricity to the light-emitting element 241 in step S204. The predetermined waiting time sufficient to turn on the switch is a time that takes into consideration the time it takes for the bounce that occurs when the movable member 26 comes into contact with the contacted member 23 to subside.

After stopping the flow of electricity to the light-emitting element 241 and the light-receiving element 251 of the non-contact mechanism 28, the control unit CU monitors whether the contact mechanism 27 has transitioned to the OFF state (S206). If the contact mechanism 27 has transitioned to the OFF state in step S206 (S206: YES), the control unit CU stops outputting the ON signal to the outside (S207). Then, the control unit CU releases the suspension of electricity to the light-emitting element 241 of the non-contact mechanism 28 (S208), releases the suspension of electricity to the light-receiving element 251 (S209), resumes electricity, returns to step S201, and repeats the subsequent processes.

If it is determined in step S201 that the OFF state is maintained (S201: NO), the control unit CU repeats the process of step S201 in which the control unit CU monitors the non-contact mechanism 28 and determines whether it has been turned ON. In other words, the control unit CU monitors the ON state of the non-contact mechanism 28 until the non-contact mechanism 28 is turned ON.

If it is determined in step S203 that the contact mechanism 27 is not in the ON state (S203: NO), the control unit CU repeats the process of step S203 in which it monitors the contact mechanism 27 and determines whether it has been turned on. In other words, the state of the contact mechanism 27 is monitored until the contact mechanism 27 is turned on. As described above, when a standby process is executed instead of the determination process of step S203, the monitoring process itself is unnecessary.

In step S206, if the contact mechanism 27 maintains the ON state (S206: NO), the control unit CU repeats the process of step S206 in which it monitors the contact mechanism 27 and determines whether it has transitioned to the OFF state. In other words, it monitors the state of the contact mechanism 27 until it becomes OFF.

In this way, the switch 2 provided in the operating device 1 outputs an ON signal based on the light detection status of the light receiving element 251, and then when the movable member 26 comes into contact with the contacted member 23 and starts outputting the ON signal, it limits the flow of electricity to the light emitting element 241 and the light receiving element 251. Furthermore, when the movable member 26 separates from the contacted member 23 and stops outputting the ON signal, the switch 2 releases the restriction on the flow of electricity to the light emitting element 241 and the light receiving element 251 and resumes the flow of electricity. This makes it possible to reduce the amount of power consumed during the period from the halt to the resumption of the flow of electricity while maintaining the response speed of the non-contact mechanism 28. The current flow control process is executed in this manner.

The high-speed mode is a method of constantly supplying electricity to the light-emitting unit 24 and the light-receiving unit 25 of the non-contact mechanism 28. The power-saving mode is a method of constantly stopping the supply of electricity to the light-emitting unit 24 and the light-receiving unit 25 of the non-contact mechanism 28.

Next, the waveform diagrams of signals in each energization method are illustrated. FIG. 14 is a waveform diagram showing an example of signal processing by the switch 2 described in the present application. FIG. 14 shows a waveform diagram in high-speed mode. In FIG. 14, the waveform (MOUSE) shown at the top shows the pressed state of the operating device 1, with the state located at the top showing the off state where it is not pressed, and the state located at the bottom showing the on state where it is pressed. The waveform (LED) shown second from the top shows the energized state of the light-emitting element 241, with the state located at the top showing the off state where it is not energized, and the state located at the bottom showing the light-emitting state where it is energized. The waveform (PD) shown at the bottom shows the detection state of the light-receiving element 251, with the state located at the top showing the insensitive state where it is not detecting the reception of light, and the state located at the bottom showing the sensible state where it is detecting the reception of light.

In the high-speed mode, the light-emitting element 241 is intermittently energized, so that the light-emitting element 241 emits light at regular intervals, and the waveform of the light emission becomes a pulse wave as shown in FIG. 14. The light-receiving element 251 is always energized, and when light is emitted from the light-emitting element 241 and the light that has passed through the transparent window 263 of the movable member 26 and the transparent hole 233 of the contact member 23 is received, the light-receiving element 251 enters a sensible state. Even when the light-emitting element 241 is turned off, there is residual light, so the transition from the sensible state to the insensible state of the light-receiving element 251 changes in a curved waveform. The switch 2 outputs an ON signal when the contact mechanism 27 is in an ON state or when the light-receiving element 251 of the non-contact mechanism 28 is in a sensible state. It is also possible to control the output of the ON signal only by the non-contact mechanism 28, in which case the ON signal is output when the light-receiving element 251 enters a sensible state, and the output of the ON signal is stopped when the insensible state continues for a certain period of time. Therefore, the switch 2 can have a redundant configuration with a non-contact mechanism 28 and a contact mechanism 27, which allows for high-speed response and improved reliability.

15 is a waveform diagram showing an example of signal processing by the switch 2 described in the present application. FIG. 15 shows a waveform diagram in the high-speed power saving mode. In FIG. 15, from the top, a waveform (MOUSE) showing the pressed state of the operating device 1, a waveform (LED) showing the energized state of the light emitting element 241, and a waveform (PD) showing the detection state of the light receiving element 251 are shown. The method of expressing these waveforms is the same as in FIG. 14, and for comparison with FIG. 14, the waveforms shown in FIG. 14 are shown with dashed lines. The waveform shown at the bottom shows the state of the contact mechanism 27 as a waveform (CONTACT), with the upper one showing the open state in which the ON signal is not output, and the lower one showing the closed state in which the ON signal is output. In the waveform of the contact mechanism 27, the vibration immediately before the transition from the open state to the closed state and the vibration immediately after the transition from the closed state to the open state show the state in which the movable member 26 bounces.

As explained in the flowchart of FIG. 13, in the high-speed power saving mode, when the contact mechanism 27 is closed after the light receiving element 251 is in a sensing state, the switch 2 stops the flow of electricity to the light emitting element 241 and the light receiving element 251. Furthermore, when the movable member 26 separates from the contacted member 23 and stops outputting the ON signal, the switch 2 releases the restriction on the flow of electricity to the light emitting element 241 and the light receiving element 251 and resumes the flow of electricity. Therefore, the switch 2 described in the present application can reduce the amount of power consumed during the period from the stop to the restart of the flow of electricity to the light emitting element 241 and the light receiving element 251 while maintaining the response speed of the non-contact mechanism 28.

Figure 16 is a waveform diagram showing an example of signal processing by the switch 2 described in the present application. Figure 16 shows a waveform diagram in power saving mode. From the top, Figure 16 shows a waveform (MOUSE) indicating the pressed state of the operating device 1, a waveform (LED) indicating the energized state of the light-emitting element 241, a waveform (PD) indicating the detection state of the light-receiving element 251, and a waveform (CONTACT) indicating the state of the contact mechanism 27. The method of expressing these waveforms is the same as in Figure 15. For comparison with Figure 14, the waveforms shown in Figure 14 are shown by dashed lines.

In the power saving mode, the switch 2 constantly stops the flow of electricity to the light emitting element 241 and the light receiving element 251. Therefore, the switch 2 outputs an ON signal when the contact mechanism 27 is in a closed state, and stops outputting the ON signal when the contact mechanism 27 is in an open state. In the power saving mode, electricity is not passed to the light emitting element 241 and the light receiving element 251, so that the amount of power consumed can be significantly reduced.

As described above, the switch 2 etc. described in the present application restricts the current supply to the light emitting element 241 and the light receiving element 251, such as by stopping the current supply to the light emitting element 241 and the light receiving element 251, when the contact mechanism 27 is closed after the light receiving element 251 is in a sensing state. Furthermore, when the movable member 26 separates from the contacted member 23 and stops outputting the ON signal, the switch 2 etc. releases the restriction on the current supply to the light emitting element 241 and the light receiving element 251 and resumes the current supply. This makes it possible for the switch 2 etc. described in the present application to reduce the amount of power consumed during the period from the stop of the current supply to the light emitting element 241 and the light receiving element 251 to the resumption while maintaining the response speed of the non-contact mechanism 28. For example, it is possible to reduce the power consumed during a movement operation (drag) in which the user moves the operation device 1, such as a mouse, while maintaining the pressing operation unit 10 of the operation device 1 in a pressed state.

The switch 2 etc. described in this application can also switch current supply methods to modes other than the high-speed power saving mode by receiving a switching input from the switching unit SU. For example, in the high-speed mode in which current is constantly supplied to the non-contact mechanism 28, it is possible to achieve a high-speed response, and various other excellent effects are achieved, such as improved reliability by providing a redundant configuration with the non-contact mechanism 28 and the contact mechanism 27, and expanded functionality by controlling different power loads with the non-contact mechanism 28 and the contact mechanism 27.

Furthermore, when in power saving mode, it is possible to reduce power consumption, providing other excellent benefits.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, but can be expanded into various other forms. Therefore, the above-described embodiments are merely illustrative in all respects and should not be interpreted in a restrictive manner. The technical scope of the present invention is explained by the claims, and is not bound by the text of the specification. Furthermore, all modifications and changes that fall within the equivalent scope of the claims are within the scope of the present invention.

For example, in the above embodiment, the non-contact mechanism 28 is configured as an optical mechanism using a light-emitting element 241 that emits light and a light-receiving element 251 as a detector that detects the light as the detection target, but the present invention is not limited to this, and various mechanisms that do not have contacts can be used. For example, the non-contact mechanism 28 can be applied to various forms, such as configuring the non-contact mechanism 28 using a magnet that generates magnetic force and a Hall element as a detector that detects magnetic force as the detection target.

In the above embodiment, for example, a conductive support member 22 and a contacted member 23 are used as the contact mechanism 27, and a form in which a circuit is opened and closed by contacting and separating with the swing of a conductive movable member 26 is shown. The present invention is not limited to conductive members, as long as it is an opening and closing mechanism having contacts. The movement of the movable member 26 is not limited to swinging, and can be applied to various movements such as up and down movement with pressing. In other words, if the circuit can be opened and closed by the contact and separation of the moving movable member 26, it is possible to appropriately design a form in which the contacted member 23 pressed by the movable member 26 moving from up to down when pressed moves to open and close the circuit. Note that, for the contactless mechanism 28, the movable member 26 does not need to be a conductive member.

In addition, for example, in the above embodiment, the current supply to the light-emitting unit 24 and the light-receiving unit 25 is restricted by stopping the current supply, but the present invention is not limited to this, and can be expanded to various forms, such as extending the interval between intermittent current supply.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the light-emitting unit 24 and the light-receiving unit 25 are assembled in the housing 20, but the present invention is not limited to this, and can be expanded into various forms, such as covering the housing 20 with the light-emitting unit 24 and the light-receiving unit 25 that are attached to a substrate by a mounting method such as surface mounting.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the movable member 26 transmits light emitted from the light-emitting element 241 when it swings, but the present invention is not limited to this, and it is possible to appropriately design it, such as to block the light emitted from the light-emitting element 241 when the movable member 26 swings. It is also possible to appropriately design it, such as to reflect the light emitted from the light-emitting element 241 and output an ON signal depending on the light receiving state of the reflected light.

1 Operating device 12 Signal line (output section)
13 Switching operation unit 2 Switch 20 Housing 21 Pressing member 22 Support member 23 Contacted member 231 Contacted portion 232 Light shielding plate 233 Transmission hole 24 Light emitting unit 241 Light emitting element 25 Light receiving unit 250 Fourth terminal pair 251 Light receiving element (detection unit)
26 Movable member 262 Light blocking piece 263 Transparent window 27 Contact mechanism 28 Contactless mechanism SU Switching unit CU Control unit PSU Power supply unit

The present invention relates to an operating device having a movable member, a control unit, and a control method.

Operating devices such as mice equipped with switches such as microswitches are widely used as input devices for electronic devices such as computers. In particular, various characteristics are now required for mice used in computer games known as e-sports. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a microswitch that can be used as a mouse switch. The microswitch disclosed in Patent Document 1 uses optical elements such as a light-emitting element and a light-receiving element, and the optical elements open and close a circuit.

International Publication No. 2016/112842

Switches that open and close circuits using optical elements, such as those disclosed in Patent Document 1, have the problem of increased power consumption because they require constant or intermittent power supply to the element.

This application discloses an operating device, a control unit, and a control method that can control the power consumption of an element, etc.

In order to solve the above problems, the operating device described in the present application is an operating device that includes a movable member that swings in response to pressure from the outside and outputs a signal in response to the swinging of the movable member, and includes a contacted member that moves toward or away from the movable member as the movable member swings, a light-receiving element that can detect light while current is being passed through it, and a control unit that controls the flow of current to the light-receiving element, and is capable of outputting a signal in response to contact with the contacted member that accompanies the swinging of the movable member, and is capable of outputting a signal by transmitting or blocking light detected by the light-receiving element in response to the swinging of the movable member, and the control unit controls the output of the signal in response to the detection status of the light-receiving element in response to the swinging of the movable member.

The operating device further includes a switching unit that receives a switching input for switching the control method by the control unit, and the control unit controls the output of a signal by a control method selected from a plurality of modes including a high-speed mode, a power-saving mode, and a high-speed power-saving mode in response to the switching input by the switching unit. The high-speed mode is a control method in which electricity is constantly applied to the light receiving element, the power-saving mode is a control method in which electricity is not applied to the light receiving element, and the high-speed power-saving mode is a control method in which, after a signal is output based on the light detection status of the light receiving element accompanying the swinging of the movable member, when the movable member comes into contact with the contacted member and starts outputting a signal, electricity is not applied to the light receiving element.

Furthermore, the control unit described in the present application is a control unit that controls the output of a signal based on the swing of a movable member that swings based on pressure from the outside, and is characterized in that it includes a first determination means that determines the contact state of a contacted part that is brought into contact and separated by the swing of the movable member, a current control means that controls the flow of current to a light receiving element that can detect light while current is being passed, a second determination means that determines the transmission or blocking of light caused by the swing of the movable member from the light detection state by the light receiving element, and an output means that outputs an ON signal based on the first determination means and the second determination means, and the current control means controls the flow of current based on the light detection state by the second determination means.

The control unit controls the output of a signal by a control method selected from a plurality of modes including a high-speed mode, a power-saving mode, and a high-speed power-saving mode, the high-speed mode being a control method in which electricity is constantly applied to the light receiving element, the power-saving mode being a control method in which electricity is not applied to the light receiving element, and the high-speed power-saving mode being a control method in which, after a signal is output based on the light detection status of the light receiving element accompanying the swinging of the movable member, when the movable member comes into contact with the contacted member and starts outputting a signal, electricity is not applied to the light receiving element.

Furthermore, the control method described in the present application is a control method of a control unit that controls the output of a signal based on the swing of a movable member that swings based on pressure from the outside, and the control unit includes a first determination means that determines the disconnection state of a contacted part that is disconnected by the swing of the movable member, a current control means that controls the flow of current to a light receiving element that can detect light while current is flowing, a second determination means that determines the transmission or blocking of light due to the swing of the movable member, the detection status of light by the light receiving element, and an output means that outputs an ON signal based on the first determination procedure and the second determination procedure, and the current control means controls the flow of current based on the detection status of light by the second determination means.

In addition, in the control method, the output of the signal is controlled by a mode selected from a plurality of modes including a high-speed mode, a power-saving mode, and a high-speed power-saving mode, the high-speed mode being a mode in which electricity is constantly applied to the light receiving element, the power-saving mode being a mode in which electricity is not applied to the light receiving element, and the high-speed power-saving mode being a mode in which electricity is not applied to the light receiving element when the movable member comes into contact with the contacted member and starts outputting a signal after outputting a signal based on the light detection status of the light receiving element accompanying the swinging of the movable member.

The operating device described in this application performs control according to the light detection status. This provides at least one of the following effects: control of the power consumption of the element and speeding up the operation.

1 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of the appearance of an operating device described in the present application. FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of the appearance of a switch described in the present application. FIG. 1 is a schematic exploded perspective view showing an example of a switch described in the present application. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of a cross section of a switch described in the present application. 1 is a schematic external view showing an example of a support member and a contacted member included in a switch described in the present application. 1 is a schematic external view showing an example of a light-emitting unit included in a switch described in the present application. FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of a switch described herein. FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of a switch described herein. FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of a switch described herein. FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of a switch described herein. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of an operating device described in the present application. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a current supply method switching process using a switch according to the present application. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a power supply control process in a high-speed power saving mode in the switch described in the present application. FIG. 4 is a waveform diagram illustrating an example of signal processing by a switch described herein. FIG. 4 is a waveform diagram illustrating an example of signal processing by a switch described herein. FIG. 4 is a waveform diagram illustrating an example of signal processing by a switch described herein.

The following describes an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings.

<Application Examples>
The operating device described in the present application is used as an operating device such as a mouse used to operate a personal computer (hereinafter referred to as a PC). The switch described in the present application is incorporated as a microswitch in various electronic devices and other devices that include the operating device. Below, an operating device 1 and a switch 2 illustrated in the drawings will be described with reference to the drawings.

<Operation device 1>
First, the operation device 1 will be described. FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of the appearance of the operation device 1 described in the present application. FIG. 1 shows an example in which the operation device 1 described in the present application is applied to a mouse used to operate an electronic device such as a personal computer. The operation device 1 includes a pressing operation unit 10 such as a mouse button that accepts a pressing operation by a user's finger, and a rotating operation unit 11 such as a mouse wheel that accepts a rotating operation by a user's finger. The rotating operation unit 11 is configured to accept not only a rotating operation but also a pressing operation, and also functions as the pressing operation unit 10. In addition, a signal line 12 that outputs an electric signal to an external device such as a personal computer is connected to the operation device 1. In addition, the operation device 1 can output an electric signal by various communication methods such as wireless communication, not limited to wired communication using the signal line 12. Furthermore, the operation device 1 includes a switching operation unit 13 such as a push button on the side that accepts a switching operation to switch a current supply method. The user performs various operations on the operation device 1, such as pressing the pressing operation unit 10, rotating the rotating operation unit 11, and moving (dragging) the operation device 1 while pressing the pressing operation unit 10.

Inside the operating device 1, a switch 2 (described later) is housed for each pressing operation unit 10 and each rotating operation unit 11, and when a pressing operation unit 10 is pressed, a part inside the pressing operation unit 10 presses the corresponding switch 2. The switch 2 outputs a signal based on the pressing state from a signal line 12 to an external electronic device such as a personal computer.

That is, the operating device 1 described in the present application includes a pressing operation unit 10 that receives pressing operations from the outside, a rotation operation unit 11 that receives operations such as rotation operations, and a switching operation unit 13, and further includes an internal switch 2. The operating device 1 transmits the pressing operations received by the pressing operation unit 10 and/or the rotation operation unit 11 to the switch 2 as pressure from the outside, and outputs a signal based on the operation of the switch 2 from a signal line 12 to an external electronic device.

<Switch 2>
Next, the switch 2 described in the present application will be described. Fig. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of the appearance of the switch 2 described in the present application. In the present specification, the directions of the switch 2 are expressed as follows: the left front side as viewed in Fig. 2 is the front, the right rear side is the rear, the left rear side is the left, the right front side is the right, the upper side is the upper, and the lower side is the lower; however, these directions are for convenience of explanation and do not limit the mounting direction of the switch 2. As described above, the switch 2 is accommodated as a microswitch inside an electronic device such as an operating device 1, and accepts a pressing operation received by a portion such as a pressing operation unit 10 of the operating device 1 as a pressing pressure from the outside.

The switch 2 has a housing 20 that is substantially rectangular. The housing 20 is formed by a lower base 20a and an upper cover 20b. A rectangular insertion hole 200 through which a pressing member 21 is inserted is provided on the top surface of the housing 20, at a position toward the left of the center when viewed from the front. The pressing member 21 inserted into the insertion hole 200 is a member that moves up and down in a range from a first position above to a second position below when pressed from outside the housing 20. The upper end of the pressing member 21 protrudes from the top surface of the housing 20.

Furthermore, from the bottom surface of the housing 20, a first terminal 220 which is a part of the support member 22 (see FIG. 3, etc.) described later, a second terminal 230 which is a part of the contacted member 23 (see FIG. 3, etc.) described later, a third terminal pair 240 which is a part of the light emitting unit 24 (see FIG. 3, etc.) described later, and a fourth terminal pair 250 which is a part of the light receiving unit 25 (see FIG. 3, etc.) described later protrude. The first terminal 220 protrudes from the left end side of the bottom surface of the housing 20. The second terminal 230 protrudes from near the center of the bottom surface of the housing 20. The third terminal pair 240 and the fourth terminal pair 250 protrude side by side from the right end side of the bottom surface of the housing 20 in the front-rear and left-right directions. The two terminals protruding side by side on the front side of the bottom surface of the housing 20 are the third terminal pair 240, and the two terminals protruding side by side on the rear side are the fourth terminal pair 250.

In the switch 2 thus formed, an external pressing operation received by the operating device 1 is transmitted to the pressing member 21 as a pressure from outside the housing 20. The pressing member 21 moves from an upper first position to a lower second position when pressed from the outside, and moves from the lower second position to the upper first position when the pressure from the outside is released.

Next, the internal structure of the switch 2 will be described. FIG. 3 is a schematic exploded perspective view showing an example of the switch 2 described in the present application. FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of a cross-section of the switch 2 described in the present application. FIG. 4 shows a cross-section cut along a vertical plane including the line A-B shown in FIG. 2 as viewed from the front.

A space is provided within the housing 20 of the switch 2 as a housing chamber 201 that houses various members that open and close the electrical circuit. An insertion hole 200 that penetrates from the outside of the housing 20 is opened on the upper surface of the housing chamber 201, and a pressing member 21 is inserted into the insertion hole 200.

The various members accommodated in the storage chamber 201 will now be described. In addition to the aforementioned pressing member 21, supporting member 22, contacted member 23, light emitting unit 24, and light receiving unit 25, various members such as a movable member 26 are arranged in the storage chamber 201. A first locking portion 221, which is a part of the supporting member 22, is arranged in the lower left side of the storage chamber 201, and a second locking portion 222, which is a part of the supporting member 22, is arranged in the lower center of the storage chamber 201. A contacted member 23 is arranged in the lower right side of the storage chamber 201. On the lower right side of the storage chamber 201, a light emitting unit 24 is arranged in front of the contacted member 23, and a light receiving unit 25 is arranged behind the contacted member 23. The movable member 26 is arranged to extend left and right within the storage chamber 201 and is engaged with the first engaging portion 221 and the second engaging portion 222 of the support member 22.

The support member 22 and the contact member 23 will be further described. FIG. 5 is a schematic external view showing an example of the support member 22 and the contact member 23 provided in the switch 2 described in the present application. FIG. 5 is a front view showing only the support member 22 and the contact member 23 arranged in the switch 2 as viewed from the front direction of the switch 2. The support member 22 and the contact member 23 shown in FIGS. 3, 4, and 5 are all formed from conductive metal plates and are arranged at a distance within the housing 20.

The support member 22 is in the form of a thin plate, and is erected so that the normal direction is the front-rear direction. The lower part of the support member 22 is formed as a first terminal 220 that protrudes from the bottom surface of the housing 20. The upper part of the support member 22 located inside the storage chamber 201 is bifurcated into two parts, with the left part formed as a first locking part 221 and the right part formed as a second locking part 222. The first locking part 221 and the second locking part 222 are bent towards the front to make it easier to lock the movable member 26.

The contacted member 23 is a thin plate that is erected so that the normal direction is the front-rear direction, and is erected at a position behind the light-emitting unit 24 and in front of the light-receiving unit 25, separated from the light-emitting unit 24 and the light-receiving unit 25. The lower part of the contacted member 23 is formed as a second terminal 230 that protrudes from the lower surface of the housing 20. The upper part of the contacted member 23 located in the storage chamber 201 is a contacted part 231 that comes into contact with the movable member 26 when the pressing member 21 is located in the second position and the movable member 26 is pressed by the pressing member 21. In the contacted member 23, a light-shielding plate 232 that blocks light emitted from the light-emitting unit 24 is formed below the contacted part 231, and a transmission hole 233 that transmits light emitted from the light-emitting unit 24 is opened in the light-shielding plate 232.

The light emitting unit 24 and the light receiving unit 25 will be further described. FIG. 6 is a schematic external view showing an example of the light emitting unit 24 provided in the switch 2 described in the present application. The light emitting unit 24 illustrated in FIGS. 3, 4, and 6 emits light upon receiving electricity from a control unit CU (see FIG. 11, etc.) described later, and the light receiving unit 25 receives the light emitted from the light emitting unit 24. The light receiving unit 25 can detect the received light only when electricity is being applied from the control unit CU. The light emitting unit 24 is configured using a light emitting element 241 such as an LED. The light emitting element 241 of the light emitting unit 24 is molded in a resin unit housing 242, and the third terminal pair 240 protrudes from the unit housing 242. Two approximately linear lead frames 243 are arranged inside the unit housing 242. One end of the lead frame 243 protrudes from the inside of the unit housing 242 to the outside, forming the third terminal pair 240. The other end side of the lead frame 243 is located in the unit housing 242, the light emitting element 241 is placed thereon, and the light emitting element 241 is bonded by a wire 244. The light emitting element 241, the lead frame 243, and the wire 244 are disposed at the bottom of a recess formed in the unit housing 242. The recess formed in the unit housing 242 is filled with a resin having a high transmittance such as an epoxy resin during the manufacturing process, and the members such as the light emitting element 241 are molded in the unit housing 242 in a state where they can be seen from the outside. FIG. 6 shows the light emitting unit 24 in a state where the unit housing 242 is filled with a resin having a high transmittance so that the inside can be seen. The light receiving unit 25 is configured using a light receiving element 251 such as a PD (Photo Diode) or a PT (Photo Transistor) as a detector for detecting light. The light receiving element 251 is capable of detecting light while being energized from the control unit CU. The configuration of the light receiving unit 25 is substantially similar to that of the light emitting unit 24, so the description of the light emitting unit 24 should be taken into consideration and detailed description will be omitted. Note that the light emitting element 241 and the third terminal pair 240 described as the configuration of the light emitting unit 24 should be read as the light receiving element 251 and the fourth terminal pair 250 when understanding the light receiving unit 25.

In the housing 20 of the switch 2, the light emitting unit 24 and the light receiving unit 25 are arranged so that the light emitting element 241 and the light receiving element 251 face each other, so that the light emitted from the light emitting element 241 of the light emitting unit 24 is received by the light receiving element 251 of the light receiving unit 25. When electricity is applied to the light emitting unit 24 through the third terminal pair 240, the light emitting element 241 of the light emitting unit 24 emits light. When the light receiving element 251 of the light receiving unit 25 detects light, the current flow state changes, and an ON signal based on the change in current flow state due to light reception is output from the fourth terminal pair 250.

The movable member 26 will be further described. The movable member 26 illustrated in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 is a member formed from a conductive metal plate, and is arranged in the storage chamber 201 so that the longitudinal direction is the left-right direction. The left end side of the movable member 26 is a fixed end that is engaged with the first engaging portion 221 and functions as a swing fulcrum 260. The right end side of the movable member 26 is a movable abutment portion 261 that swings as a free end and approaches and separates from the contacted portion 231 of the contacted member 23 by the swing. In addition, the right end side of the movable member 26 is a substantially rectangular light-shielding piece 262 that is bent downward from the movable abutment portion 261. The light-shielding piece 262 is formed so that the normal direction is the front-rear direction, and a substantially rectangular transmission window 263 through which the light emitted from the light-emitting unit 24 passes is opened. The light blocking piece 262 is located in front of the contacted member 23 and behind the light emitting unit 24, so as to be spaced apart from the contacted member 23 and the light emitting unit 24 and to fit between the contacted member 23 and the light emitting unit 24. The movable member 26 is formed with a biasing portion 264 that functions as a return spring, the portion being punched out near the center and bent into an arc, and the tip of the biasing portion 264 is engaged with a second engagement portion 222 formed near the center of the storage chamber 201. The biasing portion 264 generates a reaction force that resists the pressure of the pressing member 21.

In the switch 2 configured as described above, the pressing member 21 moves downward when pressed from the outside, and presses down the movable member 26. When the movable member 26 is pressed down, the movable abutment 261 and the light blocking piece 262 on the right end side, which is the free end of the movable member 26, are lowered. When the movable abutment 261 of the movable member 26 is lowered, the movable abutment 261 comes into contact with the contacted portion 231 of the contacted member 23. When the movable abutment 261 of the movable member 26 comes into contact with the contacted portion 231 of the contacted member 23, a conductive state is established from the first terminal 220 of the support member 22 to the second terminal 230 of the contacted member 23. When the first terminal 220 and the second terminal 230 are conductive, it is possible to close the first circuit outside the switch 2 and output an ON signal. When the light-shielding piece 262 of the movable member 26 is lowered, the optical path from the light-emitting element 241 of the light-emitting unit 24 to the light-receiving element 251 of the light-receiving unit 25 passes through the transparent window 263 opened in the light-shielding piece 262. Therefore, the light emitted from the light-emitting element 241 of the light-emitting unit 24 during the energization from the control unit CU passes through the transparent window 263 opened in the light-shielding piece 262 of the movable member 26, and further passes through the transparent hole 233 opened in the light-shielding plate 232 of the contacted member 23 to reach the light-receiving element 251 of the light-receiving unit 25. When the light-receiving element 251 detects the reception of light from the light-emitting element 241 during the energization from the control unit CU, it becomes in the ON state and is able to output an ON signal. Also, when the movable contact portion 261 of the movable member 26 is lowered, the movable contact portion 261 comes into contact with the contacted portion 231 of the contacted member 23. A metallic sound is generated when the movable abutment portion 261 of the metallic movable member 26 hits the contacted portion 231 of the metallic contacted member 23. The user recognizes the metallic sound generated when the movable member 26 hits the contacted member 23 as a clicking sound. The user also recognizes the sensation of the movable member 26 hitting the contacted member 23 as a clicking sensation. By appropriately designing the material and shape of the movable member 26 and the contacted member 23, it is possible to control the sound generated when the movable member 26 hits the contacted member 23 and the sensation of hitting, and adjust the clicking sound and clicking sensation. For example, by using a material and shape that is less likely to produce clicking sounds, it is possible to achieve quieter clicking.

When the pressure of the pressing member 21 is released, the movable member 26 is urged upward by the reaction force of the urging portion 264. As the movable member 26 is urged upward, the pressing member 21 moves upward. As the movable member 26 is urged upward by the urging portion 264, the movable abutment portion 261 and the light blocking piece 262 located on the right end side of the movable member 26 rise. As the movable abutment portion 261 of the movable member 26 rises, the movable abutment portion 261 moves away from the contacted portion 231 of the contacted member 23. As the movable abutment portion 261 of the movable abutment portion 261 moves away from the contacted portion 231 of the contacted member 23, an insulating state is established between the first terminal 220 of the support member 22 and the second terminal 230 of the contacted member 23. As the first terminal 220 and the second terminal 230 are insulated from each other, the first circuit opens. When the light-shielding piece 262 of the movable member 26 rises, the light emitted from the light-emitting element 241 of the light-emitting unit 24 is blocked by the light-shielding piece 262, turning it off.

Next, the opening and closing of a circuit by the switch 2 described in the present application will be described. Figures 7 and 8 are schematic cross-sectional views showing an example of the switch 2 described in the present application. Figures 7 and 8 show a cross-section cut along a vertical plane including the line A-B shown in Figure 2 from the front. In Figures 7 and 8, the outlines of the support member 22 and the contacted member 23 hidden by the housing 20 are shown by dashed lines. Figure 7 shows a state in which the pressing member 21 is not subjected to pressure from the outside and is located at a first position on the upper side, and Figure 8 shows a state in which the pressing member 21 is subjected to pressure from the outside and descends to a second position on the lower side. By transitioning from the state illustrated in Figure 7 where no pressure is applied to the state illustrated in Figure 8 where pressure is applied, the right end side of the movable member 26 descends, and the movable member 26 comes into contact with the contacted member 23. When the movable member 26 comes into contact with the contacted member 23, a conductive state is established from the first terminal 220 of the support member 22 to the second terminal 230 of the contacted member 23. When the first terminal 220 and the second terminal 230 are electrically connected, a current flows as shown by the solid arrow in FIG. 8, and the device is in the ON state. When the pressure from the outside is released and the device returns to the state shown in FIG. 7, the current that was flowing is cut off and the device is in the OFF state.

9 and 10 are schematic cross-sectional views showing an example of the switch 2 described in the present application. FIGS. 9 and 10 show a cross-section cut along a vertical plane including the line C-D shown in FIG. 2, viewed from the right. FIG. 9 shows a state in which the pressing member 21 is not subjected to external pressure and is located in an upper first position, and FIG. 10 shows a state in which the pressing member 21 is subjected to external pressure and has lowered to a lower second position. By transitioning from the state shown in FIG. 9 in which no pressure is applied to the state shown in FIG. 10 in which pressure is applied, the right end side of the movable member 26 lowers, and the optical path from the light-emitting element 241 of the light-emitting unit 24 to the light-receiving element 251 of the light-receiving unit 25 passes through the transparent window 263 opened in the light-shielding piece 262. Therefore, as shown by the solid arrow in FIG. 10, the light emitted from the light-emitting element 241 of the light-emitting unit 24 while electricity is being applied passes through the transparent window 263 opened in the light-shielding piece 262 of the movable member 26, passes through the transparent hole 233 opened in the light-shielding plate 232 of the contacted member 23, and reaches the light-receiving element 251 of the light-receiving unit 25. When the light-receiving element 251 while electricity is being applied detects the reception of light from the light-emitting element 241, it becomes in the ON state. When the pressure from the outside is released and the state returns to that shown in FIG. 9, the optical path between the light-emitting element 241 and the light-receiving element 251 is blocked and the state becomes OFF.

<Functional configuration>
Next, the functional configuration of the operating device 1 described in the present application will be described. FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the operating device 1 described in the present application. The switch 2 includes a contact mechanism 27 using members such as a support member 22 and a contacted member 23, and a non-contact mechanism 28 using members such as a light-emitting unit 24 and a light-receiving unit 25. The operating device 1 further includes a switching unit SU that works in conjunction with the switching operation unit 13, a power supply unit PSU that supplies power to a control unit CU that controls various processes, and other components. In FIG. 11, thin lines connecting each component indicate wiring that serves as a medium for various signals, and thick lines indicate wiring that serves as a medium for power. Electricity is applied to the light-emitting unit 24 and the light-receiving unit 25 of the non-contact mechanism 28 from the control unit CU via a signal line 12. In addition, the line extending to the right side in FIG. 12 indicates the signal line 12 connected to the operating device 1. For example, the signal line 12 can be a medium for signal communication and power supply by being configured as a communication line conforming to a communication standard such as the USB (Universal Serial Bus) standard.

The switching unit SU is a circuit that accepts a switching operation as an external switching input when the switching operation unit 13 accepts a switching operation to switch the current supply method. The switching unit SU transmits the external switching input as a switching signal to the control unit CU. Note that the switching input from the outside is not limited to the operation from the switching operation unit 13 shown as an example, but can be appropriately designed to be accepted as a switching signal from an external electronic device such as a connected personal computer, etc.

The control unit CU is configured using a processor such as a microcomputer, and is a circuit that exchanges various commands and signals with the switching unit SU, power supply unit PSU, contactless mechanism 28, and contact mechanism 27, and controls these circuits. Specifically, the control unit CU outputs a signal via signal line 12 based on the open/close state of the contact mechanism 27. The control unit CU also controls the supply of electricity to the light-emitting unit 24 and light-receiving unit 25 of the contactless mechanism 28, and when the light-receiving unit 25 detects light reception, outputs a signal based on the detection status via signal line 12. Furthermore, the control unit CU switches the method of supplying electricity to the contactless mechanism 28 based on the switching signal from the switching unit SU.

The power supply unit PSU is a circuit that supplies power to the various components of the switch 2. The power supply unit PSU may be configured using a battery built into the housing of the operating device 1 or the switch 2, or may be configured as a circuit that controls the power supplied from the outside via the signal line 12.

The switching unit SU, control unit CU, and power supply unit PSU can be arranged inside the housing of the switch 2, or outside the housing 20, for example, on a board on which the switch 2 is mounted, and can be designed as appropriate.

<Signal Processing>
Next, a description will be given of signal processing of the switch 2 described in the present application. Fig. 12 is a flowchart showing an example of a current supply method switching process by the switch 2 described in the present application. The control unit CU included in the switch 2 executes the current supply method switching process when the switching unit SU receives a switching input from the outside, such as a switching operation to the switching operation unit 13, for example.

As the energization method switching process, the control unit CU of the switch 2 receives a switching input from the switching unit SU (S101) and switches the energization method based on the received switching input (S102). The energization method can be set to a high-speed mode, a high-speed power-saving mode, a power-saving mode, or the like, and can be switched as appropriate. If the power supply unit PSU is configured using a battery, the energization method may be switched based on the remaining power of the power supply unit PSU. The high-speed mode is an energization method in which electricity is constantly supplied to the light-emitting unit 24 and the light-receiving unit 25 of the non-contact mechanism 28, and a high-speed response with a small delay from operation to signal output can be maintained. The high-speed power-saving mode is an energization method that suppresses power consumption while maintaining a high-speed response. The power-saving mode is an energization method that limits the supply of electricity to the light-emitting unit 24 and the light-receiving unit 25 of the non-contact mechanism 28 depending on the situation.

Figure 13 is a flowchart showing an example of the power supply control process in the high-speed power saving mode in the switch 2 described in the present application. As the power supply control process, the control unit CU of the switch 2 supplies power to the light emitting unit 24 and the light receiving unit 25 of the contactless mechanism 28, monitors whether the contactless mechanism 28 is in the ON state, and determines whether the contactless mechanism 28 has been turned on (S201). When the pressing operation unit 10 of the operation device 1 is pressed, the contact mechanism 27 and the contactless mechanism 28 are turned on, but since the contactless mechanism 28 has high responsiveness, the contactless mechanism 28 usually turns on first. This is due to factors such as the fact that the contact mechanism 27 takes longer to transition to a stable ON state than the contactless mechanism 28 because a bounce occurs when the movable member 26 comes into contact with the contacted member 23.

In step S201, if the light receiving element 251 detects light and the non-contact mechanism 28 is turned on (S201: YES), the control unit CU causes the operation device 1 to output an on signal (S202). After outputting the on signal, the control unit CU determines whether the contact mechanism 27 is turned on (S203).

In step S203, if it is determined that the contact mechanism 27 has been turned on (S203: YES), the control unit CU stops the supply of electricity to the light-emitting element 241 of the non-contact mechanism 28 (S204) and stops the supply of electricity to the light-receiving element 251 (S205). By performing a restriction process such as stopping the supply of electricity, the signal output to the outside is performed only by the contact mechanism 27. The determination process of step S203 is a process that takes into account the time difference between when the non-contact mechanism 28 is turned on and when the contact mechanism 27 is turned on. Note that a sufficient predetermined waiting time may be set until the contact mechanism 27 is turned on, and a waiting process for the predetermined waiting time may be executed as an alternative process to the determination process of step S203. When the waiting process is executed, the determination process of step S203 can be omitted. That is, it is possible to configure the device to output an on signal in step S202, execute a waiting process for a predetermined waiting time, and then execute a process of stopping the supply of electricity to the light-emitting element 241 in step S204. The predetermined waiting time sufficient to turn on the switch is a time that takes into consideration the time it takes for the bounce that occurs when the movable member 26 comes into contact with the contacted member 23 to subside.

After stopping the flow of electricity to the light-emitting element 241 and the light-receiving element 251 of the non-contact mechanism 28, the control unit CU monitors whether the contact mechanism 27 has transitioned to the OFF state (S206). If the contact mechanism 27 has transitioned to the OFF state in step S206 (S206: YES), the control unit CU stops outputting the ON signal to the outside (S207). Then, the control unit CU releases the suspension of electricity to the light-emitting element 241 of the non-contact mechanism 28 (S208), releases the suspension of electricity to the light-receiving element 251 (S209), resumes electricity, returns to step S201, and repeats the subsequent processes.

If it is determined in step S201 that the OFF state is maintained (S201: NO), the control unit CU repeats the process of step S201 in which the control unit CU monitors the non-contact mechanism 28 and determines whether it has been turned ON. In other words, the control unit CU monitors the ON state of the non-contact mechanism 28 until the non-contact mechanism 28 is turned ON.

If it is determined in step S203 that the contact mechanism 27 is not in the ON state (S203: NO), the control unit CU repeats the process of step S203 in which it monitors the contact mechanism 27 and determines whether it has been turned on. In other words, the state of the contact mechanism 27 is monitored until the contact mechanism 27 is turned on. As described above, when a standby process is executed instead of the determination process of step S203, the monitoring process itself is unnecessary.

In step S206, if the contact mechanism 27 maintains the ON state (S206: NO), the control unit CU repeats the process of step S206 in which it monitors the contact mechanism 27 and determines whether it has transitioned to the OFF state. In other words, it monitors the state of the contact mechanism 27 until it becomes OFF.

In this way, the switch 2 provided in the operating device 1 outputs an ON signal based on the light detection status of the light receiving element 251, and then when the movable member 26 comes into contact with the contacted member 23 and starts outputting the ON signal, it limits the flow of electricity to the light emitting element 241 and the light receiving element 251. Furthermore, when the movable member 26 separates from the contacted member 23 and stops outputting the ON signal, the switch 2 releases the restriction on the flow of electricity to the light emitting element 241 and the light receiving element 251 and resumes the flow of electricity. This makes it possible to reduce the amount of power consumed during the period from the halt to the resumption of the flow of electricity while maintaining the response speed of the non-contact mechanism 28. The current flow control process is executed in this manner.

The high-speed mode is a method of constantly supplying electricity to the light-emitting unit 24 and the light-receiving unit 25 of the non-contact mechanism 28. The power-saving mode is a method of constantly stopping the supply of electricity to the light-emitting unit 24 and the light-receiving unit 25 of the non-contact mechanism 28.

Next, the waveform diagrams of signals in each energization method are illustrated. FIG. 14 is a waveform diagram showing an example of signal processing by the switch 2 described in the present application. FIG. 14 shows a waveform diagram in high-speed mode. In FIG. 14, the waveform (MOUSE) shown at the top shows the pressed state of the operating device 1, with the state located at the top showing the off state where it is not pressed, and the state located at the bottom showing the on state where it is pressed. The waveform (LED) shown second from the top shows the energized state of the light-emitting element 241, with the state located at the top showing the off state where it is not energized, and the state located at the bottom showing the light-emitting state where it is energized. The waveform (PD) shown at the bottom shows the detection state of the light-receiving element 251, with the state located at the top showing the insensitive state where it is not detecting the reception of light, and the state located at the bottom showing the sensible state where it is detecting the reception of light.

In the high-speed mode, the light-emitting element 241 is intermittently energized, so that the light-emitting element 241 emits light at regular intervals, and the waveform of the light emission becomes a pulse wave as shown in FIG. 14. The light-receiving element 251 is always energized, and when light is emitted from the light-emitting element 241 and the light that has passed through the transparent window 263 of the movable member 26 and the transparent hole 233 of the contact member 23 is received, the light-receiving element 251 enters a sensible state. Even when the light-emitting element 241 is turned off, there is residual light, so the transition from the sensible state to the insensible state of the light-receiving element 251 changes in a curved waveform. The switch 2 outputs an ON signal when the contact mechanism 27 is in an ON state or when the light-receiving element 251 of the non-contact mechanism 28 is in a sensible state. It is also possible to control the output of the ON signal only by the non-contact mechanism 28, in which case the ON signal is output when the light-receiving element 251 enters a sensible state, and the output of the ON signal is stopped when the insensible state continues for a certain period of time. Therefore, the switch 2 can have a redundant configuration with a non-contact mechanism 28 and a contact mechanism 27, which allows for high-speed response and improved reliability.

15 is a waveform diagram showing an example of signal processing by the switch 2 described in the present application. FIG. 15 shows a waveform diagram in the high-speed power saving mode. In FIG. 15, from the top, a waveform (MOUSE) showing the pressed state of the operating device 1, a waveform (LED) showing the energized state of the light emitting element 241, and a waveform (PD) showing the detection state of the light receiving element 251 are shown. The method of expressing these waveforms is the same as in FIG. 14, and for comparison with FIG. 14, the waveforms shown in FIG. 14 are shown with dashed lines. The waveform shown at the bottom shows the state of the contact mechanism 27 as a waveform (CONTACT), with the upper one showing the open state in which the ON signal is not output, and the lower one showing the closed state in which the ON signal is output. In the waveform of the contact mechanism 27, the vibration immediately before the transition from the open state to the closed state and the vibration immediately after the transition from the closed state to the open state show the state in which the movable member 26 bounces.

As explained in the flowchart of FIG. 13, in the high-speed power saving mode, when the contact mechanism 27 is closed after the light receiving element 251 is in a sensing state, the switch 2 stops the flow of electricity to the light emitting element 241 and the light receiving element 251. Furthermore, when the movable member 26 separates from the contacted member 23 and stops outputting the ON signal, the switch 2 releases the restriction on the flow of electricity to the light emitting element 241 and the light receiving element 251 and resumes the flow of electricity. Therefore, the switch 2 described in the present application can reduce the amount of power consumed during the period from the stop to the restart of the flow of electricity to the light emitting element 241 and the light receiving element 251 while maintaining the response speed of the non-contact mechanism 28.

Figure 16 is a waveform diagram showing an example of signal processing by the switch 2 described in the present application. Figure 16 shows a waveform diagram in power saving mode. From the top, Figure 16 shows a waveform (MOUSE) indicating the pressed state of the operating device 1, a waveform (LED) indicating the energized state of the light-emitting element 241, a waveform (PD) indicating the detection state of the light-receiving element 251, and a waveform (CONTACT) indicating the state of the contact mechanism 27. The method of expressing these waveforms is the same as in Figure 15. For comparison with Figure 14, the waveforms shown in Figure 14 are shown by dashed lines.

In the power saving mode, the switch 2 constantly stops the flow of electricity to the light emitting element 241 and the light receiving element 251. Therefore, the switch 2 outputs an ON signal when the contact mechanism 27 is in a closed state, and stops outputting the ON signal when the contact mechanism 27 is in an open state. In the power saving mode, electricity is not passed to the light emitting element 241 and the light receiving element 251, so that the amount of power consumed can be significantly reduced.

As described above, the switch 2 etc. described in the present application restricts the current supply to the light emitting element 241 and the light receiving element 251, such as by stopping the current supply to the light emitting element 241 and the light receiving element 251, when the contact mechanism 27 is closed after the light receiving element 251 is in a sensing state. Furthermore, when the movable member 26 separates from the contacted member 23 and stops outputting the ON signal, the switch 2 etc. releases the restriction on the current supply to the light emitting element 241 and the light receiving element 251 and resumes the current supply. This makes it possible for the switch 2 etc. described in the present application to reduce the amount of power consumed during the period from the stop of the current supply to the light emitting element 241 and the light receiving element 251 to the resumption while maintaining the response speed of the non-contact mechanism 28. For example, it is possible to reduce the power consumed during a movement operation (drag) in which the user moves the operation device 1, such as a mouse, while maintaining the pressing operation unit 10 of the operation device 1 in a pressed state.

The switch 2 etc. described in this application can also switch current supply methods to modes other than the high-speed power saving mode by receiving a switching input from the switching unit SU. For example, in the high-speed mode in which current is constantly supplied to the non-contact mechanism 28, it is possible to achieve a high-speed response, and various other excellent effects are achieved, such as improved reliability by providing a redundant configuration with the non-contact mechanism 28 and the contact mechanism 27, and expanded functionality by controlling different power loads with the non-contact mechanism 28 and the contact mechanism 27.

Furthermore, when in power saving mode, it is possible to reduce power consumption, providing other excellent benefits.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, but can be expanded into various other forms. Therefore, the above-described embodiments are merely illustrative in all respects and should not be interpreted in a restrictive manner. The technical scope of the present invention is explained by the claims, and is not bound by the text of the specification. Furthermore, all modifications and changes that fall within the equivalent scope of the claims are within the scope of the present invention.

For example, in the above embodiment, the non-contact mechanism 28 is configured as an optical mechanism using a light-emitting element 241 that emits light and a light-receiving element 251 as a detector that detects the light as the detection target, but the present invention is not limited to this, and various mechanisms that do not have contacts can be used. For example, the non-contact mechanism 28 can be applied to various forms, such as configuring the non-contact mechanism 28 using a magnet that generates magnetic force and a Hall element as a detector that detects magnetic force as the detection target.

In the above embodiment, for example, a conductive support member 22 and a contacted member 23 are used as the contact mechanism 27, and a form in which a circuit is opened and closed by contacting and separating with the swing of a conductive movable member 26 is shown. The present invention is not limited to conductive members, as long as it is an opening and closing mechanism having contacts. The movement of the movable member 26 is not limited to swinging, and can be applied to various movements such as up and down movement with pressing. In other words, if the circuit can be opened and closed by the contact and separation of the moving movable member 26, it is possible to appropriately design a form in which the contacted member 23 pressed by the movable member 26 moving from up to down when pressed moves to open and close the circuit. Note that, for the contactless mechanism 28, the movable member 26 does not need to be a conductive member.

In addition, for example, in the above embodiment, the current supply to the light-emitting unit 24 and the light-receiving unit 25 is restricted by stopping the current supply, but the present invention is not limited to this, and can be expanded to various forms, such as extending the interval between intermittent current supply.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the light-emitting unit 24 and the light-receiving unit 25 are assembled in the housing 20, but the present invention is not limited to this, and can be expanded into various forms, such as covering the housing 20 with the light-emitting unit 24 and the light-receiving unit 25 that are attached to a substrate by a mounting method such as surface mounting.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the movable member 26 transmits light emitted from the light-emitting element 241 when it swings, but the present invention is not limited to this, and it is possible to appropriately design it, such as to block the light emitted from the light-emitting element 241 when the movable member 26 swings. It is also possible to appropriately design it, such as to reflect the light emitted from the light-emitting element 241 and output an ON signal depending on the light receiving state of the reflected light.

1 Operating device 12 Signal line (output section)
13 Switching operation unit 2 Switch 20 Housing 21 Pressing member 22 Support member 23 Contacted member 231 Contacted portion 232 Light shielding plate 233 Transmission hole 24 Light emitting unit 241 Light emitting element 25 Light receiving unit 250 Fourth terminal pair 251 Light receiving element (detection unit)
26 Movable member 262 Light blocking piece 263 Transparent window 27 Contact mechanism 28 Contactless mechanism SU Switching unit CU Control unit PSU Power supply unit

Claims (8)

A switch having a movable member that swings in response to pressure from an outside, and outputting a signal in response to the swing of the movable member,
a contacted member that moves toward and away from the movable member by the swinging of the movable member;
A control unit that controls the supply of current to the element;
A light receiving element capable of detecting light while being energized,
A signal can be output based on contact with the contacted member caused by the swing of the movable member,
A signal can be output by transmitting or blocking light detected by the light receiving element in response to the swing of the movable member,
The control unit is
a switch including a means for limiting current flow to the light-receiving element when the movable member comes into contact with the contacted member and starts outputting a signal after outputting a signal based on the light detection status of the light-receiving element accompanying the swinging of the movable member. A switch including a conductive movable member whose second end side swings around a first end side as a swing fulcrum in response to pressure from an outside, the switch outputting a signal to an outside based on the swing of the movable member,
a conductive support member that supports a first end side of the movable member so as to be able to swing freely;
a conductive contacted member whose second end side moves in contact with and away from the movable member;
A control unit that controls the supply of current to the element;
A light receiving element capable of detecting light while being energized,
the movable member has a light blocking piece that blocks light to be received by the light receiving element,
A signal can be output based on contact with the contacted member caused by the swing of the movable member,
a light receiving element that receives light from a light-shielding piece and detects the light transmitted through the light-shielding piece;
The control unit is
a switch including a means for limiting current flow to the light-receiving element when the movable member comes into contact with the contacted member and starts outputting a signal after outputting a signal based on the light detection status of the light-receiving element accompanying the swinging of the movable member. 3. A switch according to claim 2,
The support member is formed using a conductive material,
a switch which outputs a signal when the movable member comes into contact with the contacted member, thereby establishing electrical continuity between the support member and the contacted member. A switch according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
Further comprising a light emitting element that emits light when energized,
The light receiving element is capable of receiving light emitted from the light emitting element,
The control unit is
A switch comprising: a means for limiting power supply to the light-emitting element after outputting a signal based on a detection state of the light from the light-receiving element accompanying the swinging of the movable member. A switch according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The control unit is
a switch comprising: a means for releasing the restriction on the flow of current to the light-receiving element when the movable member separates from the contacted member and stops outputting a signal after the flow of current to the light-receiving element is restricted. A switch according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
A switching unit is provided to receive a switching input for switching a current supply method,
A switch capable of cutting off the supply of current to the light receiving element based on an external switching input. A switch having a movable member that operates in response to pressure from an outside, and outputting a signal in response to the operation of the movable member,
a contacted member that moves toward or away from the movable member;
a detection element that detects a detection target while energized; and a detection element that outputs a signal based on the contact or separation of the contacted member caused by the movable member's movement;
A signal can be output according to a detection state of a detection target detected by the detection element in response to the movement of the movable member,
A switch characterized by: outputting a signal based on the detection state of the detection element accompanying the movement of the movable member, and then limiting the flow of electricity to the detection element when signal output begins based on the contact or separation of the contacted member. A pressing operation unit that accepts a pressing operation from an external device;
The switch according to claim 1 , wherein the pressing operation received by the pressing operation unit is transmitted as a pressing force from an outside.
and an output section that outputs a signal output by the switch to an external device.

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