JP5715393B2 - Touch panel device and in-vehicle device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a touch panel device having an electrostatic touch switch and an in-vehicle device including the touch panel device.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, touch panel devices have been widely used as operating means for in-vehicle devices such as car audio devices and car navigation devices. As this type of touch panel device, a resistance film type touch panel device and a capacitive touch panel device are known.
The capacitive touch panel device detects a touch operation based on a change in capacitance when a finger touches, and changes the capacitance with the conductor by contact with a conductor such as a finger. A transparent electrode is provided on the touch panel substrate. In addition, the touch panel substrate includes a connection electrode that is connected to the transparent electrode and outputs a signal that accompanies a change in capacitance to a detection circuit. The touch operation is detected by detecting the signal with the detection circuit. (For example, see Patent Document 1).

JP 2005-84982 A

By the way, in the touch panel device of the in-vehicle device, the number and positions of the touch switches are often fixed. In this case, it is not necessary for the touch panel device to be configured so that an arbitrary position of the touch panel can be touched. At least a predetermined touch switch is provided with a transparent electrode on the touch panel substrate, and a connection electrode is individually connected to each transparent electrode. It is sufficient that the electrostatic touch switch is individually formed for each touch switch.
However, when the display area for displaying the touch switch is arranged so as to include the entire outer shape of the transparent electrode, there is a problem that the connection electrode connected to the transparent electrode is projected in the shadow.
Therefore, if each of the transparent electrodes is provided so that at least a part of the edge of the transparent electrode is located outside the display area, and the connection electrode is provided on the edge that goes out of the display area, the connection electrode Although the shadow can be made inconspicuous, in that case, it is necessary to align the position of the touch switch with the edge of the display area, which impairs the screen design and the degree of design freedom.

  This invention is made | formed in view of the situation mentioned above, and it aims at providing the touchscreen apparatus and vehicle equipment which can make the shadow by the connection electrode connected to a transparent electrode inconspicuous.

To achieve the above object, the present invention provides a touch panel device in which a plurality of transparent electrodes are formed on a touch panel substrate, and a plurality of electrostatic touch switches are formed by individually connecting connection electrodes to each of the transparent electrodes. On the touch panel substrate, each transparent electrode is formed so that the outer side of one transparent electrode is surrounded by other transparent electrodes, and each of these outer transparent electrodes is connected to the outer edge portion as viewed from the inner transparent electrode. In addition to connecting the electrodes, the inner transparent electrode is formed with a tongue piece that passes through between the outer transparent electrodes, the connection electrode is connected to the tip of the tongue piece, and both sides of the tongue piece are Reducing the area of the transparent electrode on one side of the outer transparent electrode located in the space, and providing a space through which the tongue piece portion passes,
A detecting means for detecting a signal accompanying a change in capacitance of each transparent electrode through the connection electrode;
The detection means detects the detection time for the inner transparent electrode so that the intensity of the detection signal for the inner transparent electrode is comparable to the intensity of the detection signal for the outer transparent electrode obtained in a predetermined detection time. Longer than the predetermined detection time .

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides an in-vehicle device provided with the above touch panel device and provided in a vehicle with an operation surface of the touch panel device exposed in a vehicle interior.

According to the present invention, the transparent electrode is formed on the touch panel substrate so that the outer side of one transparent electrode is surrounded by the other transparent electrodes, and each of the outer transparent electrodes has an outer side as viewed from the inner transparent electrode. The connecting electrode is connected to the edge of the tongue, and the inner transparent electrode is integrally formed with a tongue piece that passes between the outer transparent electrodes, and the connection electrode is connected to the tip of the tongue piece. The configuration.
With this configuration, since the connection electrode is not positioned at least in the area inside each of the outer transparent electrodes, it is possible to prevent the connection electrode from causing a shadow by matching this area with the display area of the display device.

1 is a diagram illustrating an external configuration of an in-vehicle audio apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. It is a front view of an operation panel. It is a figure which shows the structure of a touchscreen board | substrate. It is a principal part enlarged view of a touchscreen board | substrate. It is a figure which shows the detection time of an electrostatic touch switch. It is a figure which shows typically the detection value of the electrostatic capacitance when each of an inner side electrostatic touch switch and an outer side electrostatic touch switch is touched, (A) is an inner side electrostatic touch switch and an outer side electrostatic touch. When the application time of the applied signal is the same in both switches, (B) shows the case where the application time of the applied signal of the inner electrostatic touch switch is made longer than that of the outer electrostatic touch switch. It is a block diagram which shows the functional structure of a vehicle-mounted audio apparatus. It is a figure which shows typically the one aspect | mode of a selection list. It is a figure which shows an operation identification sequence typically. It is a figure which shows an operation identification sequence typically. It is a figure which shows the electrostatic capacitance change of the electrostatic touch switch at the time of slider operation. It is a front view of an operation panel. It is a figure which shows the modification of an operation panel. It is a figure which shows the one aspect | mode of the display of the button in the display area of an operation panel. It is a flowchart of the touch operation determination process which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the one aspect | mode of the display of the operation key which concerns on 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart of the touch operation determination process which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. It is outline | summary explanatory drawing of 4th Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart of the slider operation determination process of 4th Embodiment.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
<First Embodiment>
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an external configuration of an in-vehicle audio device 1 according to the present embodiment.
The in-vehicle audio device 1 is a device provided in a vehicle interior of a vehicle such as an automobile, for example, and is music data recorded on a recording medium such as an optical disk such as a CD or DVD, or a semiconductor memory such as a USB memory, or radio broadcasting. Etc. is reproduced and the sound is output to the passenger compartment. This in-vehicle audio device 1 is disposed between a driver's seat side 3A and a passenger seat side 3B of a dashboard 2, an operation panel 5 exposed from the dashboard 2 to the vehicle interior, and a device main body housed in the dashboard 2. (Not shown).
The operation panel 5 is formed, for example, by forming a transparent resin material such as acrylic resin into a substantially rectangular panel shape, and is fitted flush with the surface of the dashboard 2.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the operation panel 5.
The operation panel 5 is disposed so as to overlap the display area 8 (FIG. 3) of the display device 7 (FIG. 7) disposed behind, and the display of the display device 7 is provided at the approximate center of the operation panel 5. A colorless and transparent display window 9 is provided corresponding to the area 8 so that the display of the display area 8 can be visually recognized. The surface except the display window 9 is subjected to surface coating such as gray or black.
On the upper side of the display window 9, a disc insertion slot 10 for inserting an optical disc such as a CD or DVD into the apparatus main body is opened. A large number of electrostatic touch switches 13 for operating the apparatus are provided on the left and right and lower sides of the display window 9 and in the display window 9. The electrostatic touch switch 13 arranged outside the display window 9 is a switch to which an operation target is fixedly assigned. For example, a power on / off operation switch 13-1, an optical disc (CD) as a sound source. An operation switch 13-2 for selecting an optical disc, an eject switch 13-3 for an optical disc, an operation switch 13-4 for selecting a semiconductor memory (USB), an AM / FM broadcast switching operation switch 13-5, and a mute operation switch. 13-6, music selection / tune selection operation switch 13-7, volume control switch 13-8, traffic information switch 13-9 for traffic information such as VICS, and the like.

With respect to the electrostatic touch switch 13 disposed outside the display window 9, only printing indicating the position and function of the switch is performed on the operation panel 5 at the position of each electrostatic touch switch 13. That is, since there is no projecting portion by the operation element on the surface of the operation panel 5, the panel surface is formed flat. By mounting the operation panel 5 on the surface of the dashboard 2, the vehicle The design is enhanced with a sense of unity.
On the other hand, for the electrostatic touch switches 13 in the display window 9, a switch image and a name indicating an operation target are displayed in the display area 8 at corresponding positions, and the position of each electrostatic touch switch 13 is displayed by this display. And the operation target can be recognized.

  These electrostatic touch switches 13 are configured with a touch panel substrate 15 in close contact with the back surface of the operation panel 5, and the configuration of the touch panel substrate 15 will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of the touch panel substrate 15.
The touch panel substrate 15 is a printed circuit board in which, for example, a transparent resin is formed in a film shape, and each electrostatic touch switch 13 is formed on the surface thereof. The touch panel substrate 15 is electrically connected to a detection circuit 16 that detects a touch operation on the electrostatic touch switch 13 and outputs an operation detection signal G. The touch panel substrate 15, the detection circuit 16, and the operation panel 5 are connected to the touch panel substrate 15. A touch panel device 17 is configured.

The electrostatic touch switch 13 includes a transparent electrode 20 and a connection electrode 21. The transparent electrode 20 is a transparent electrode formed from a transparent electrode material such as a conductive polymer on the touch panel substrate 15 using screen printing or the like. The connection electrode 21 is a conductive wiring material that connects the transparent electrode 20 and the detection circuit 16 and applies an application signal K of a predetermined voltage generated by the detection circuit 16 to the transparent electrode 20. In FIG. 3, only the connection portion of the connection electrode 21 with the transparent electrode 20 is shown.
Each of the transparent electrodes 20 is formed to have substantially the same size and shape as the corresponding electrostatic touch switch 13, and a connection electrode 21 is connected to a part or all of the edge of the transparent electrode 20 to the detection circuit 16. Electrically connected.

As described above, since the touch panel substrate 15 is disposed on the back surface of the operation panel 5, the operation panel 5 functions as a protective layer for protecting each electrostatic touch switch 13 and has improved durability. For example, when a conductor such as a user's finger touches the operation panel 5 of the electrostatic touch switch 13, the capacitance between the conductor and the transparent electrode 20 changes. That is, when the detection circuit 16 gives the applied signal K to the transparent electrode 20 with a predetermined duty ratio, the waveform of the applied signal K changes with the change in capacitance when the conductor touches. The detection circuit 16 detects a touch operation on the transparent electrode 20 by detecting a change in the waveform of the applied signal K of each transparent electrode 20, and externally outputs an operation detection signal G specifying the touched transparent electrode 20. To do.
In addition to the electrostatic touch switch 13, the touch panel substrate 15 is provided with a ground portion 22 (FIG. 4) that shields noise from the surroundings at a position away from the electrostatic touch switch 13. Yes.

By the way, since the connection electrode 21 which comprises the electrostatic touch switch 13 is formed with the metal material as above-mentioned, it is opaque. Therefore, when the electrostatic touch switch 13 is arranged on the display area 8, the connection electrode 21 is projected as a display shadow. In particular, when driving at night, the interior of the vehicle becomes dark, so this shadow becomes very noticeable and the design is impaired.
Therefore, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the connection electrode 21 is provided outside the display region 8, thereby preventing the shadow of the central portion due to the connection electrode 21. Hereinafter, such a configuration will be described in detail with reference to FIG.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a main part of the touch panel substrate 15 showing each of the electrostatic touch switches 13 arranged so as to overlap the display area 8 of the display device 7.
On the touch panel substrate 15, three electrostatic touch switches 13 are provided in a grid pattern in the vertical and horizontal directions corresponding to the display area 8. The gap between adjacent electrostatic touch switches 13 is a minute gap that touches at least both electrostatic touch switches 13 across the gap, and is formed by, for example, laser trimming.
The electrostatic touch switch 13 having such an arrangement can be broadly divided into a central electrostatic touch switch 13 (hereinafter referred to as “inner electrostatic touch switch 13A”) and the inner electrostatic touch switch 13A. And other electrostatic touch switches 13 (hereinafter referred to as “outside electrostatic touch switches 13B”).
Each of the outer electrostatic touch switches 13 </ b> B has a transparent electrode 20 having a rectangular shape, and a part of the edge of the outer electrostatic touch switch 13 </ b> B is formed so as to protrude from the display area 8. The connection electrode 21 is connected to the edge of each transparent electrode 20 that protrudes from the display area 8 (that is, the edge located outside as viewed from the inner electrostatic touch switch 13A).

On the other hand, in the inner electrostatic touch switch 13A, a tongue piece 23 that passes between the outer electrostatic touch switches 13B and extends out of the display area 8 is formed integrally with the transparent electrode 20, and the tongue piece 23 The connection electrode 21A is connected to the tip of the. As a result, the connection electrode 21A is located outside the display area 8, and in the inner electrostatic touch switch 13A, the shadow caused by the connection electrode 21A is prevented from being reflected.
However, since the tongue piece portion 23 is connected to the connection electrode 21A outside the display area 8 through the space between the outer electrostatic touch switches 13B, the amount of the outer electrostatic touch switch 13B that passes through the tongue piece portion 23 is the same. It is necessary to widen the gap δ, and each of the outer electrostatic touch switches 13B arranged along the gap δ is reduced by the gap δ or the display area 8 needs to be expanded. In addition, when the gap δ is increased, the detection accuracy in a state in which both of the two outer electrostatic touch switches 13B adjacent to each other with the gap δ are turned on at the time of slider operation determination described later is lowered.
Therefore, of the transparent electrodes 20 of the outer electrostatic touch switch 13B located on both sides of the tongue piece 23, the end of the transparent electrode 20 located on either side (in the example of FIG. 4, the left side of the tongue piece 23 The right end portion of the transparent electrode 20 positioned at the top of the transparent electrode 20 is cut away to provide a space through which the tongue piece portion 23 passes. With this configuration, not all the outer electrostatic touch switches 13B arranged in a line along the gap δ are reduced, but only the outer electrostatic touch switch 13B at the place where the tongue piece 23 passes is reduced. The number of electrostatic touch switches 13B can be minimized.

Next, the detection operation of the touch operation with respect to the electrostatic touch switch 13 will be described. When the application signal K is given to the electrostatic touch switch 13 from the detection circuit 16 at a constant period, a change in capacitance can be detected. ing. That is, when a conductor such as a user's finger touches the corresponding portion of the transparent electrode 20, the capacitance increases, and a signal associated with the change in capacitance is input to the detection circuit 16 through the connection electrode 21. The detection circuit 16 detects the presence or absence of a touch operation on the electrostatic touch switch 13 by detecting a change in the capacitance of the transparent electrode 20.
In this embodiment, the detection circuit 16 detects the touch operation with respect to each electrostatic touch switch 13 by periodically applying the application signal K to each electrostatic touch switch 13.

  Here, the detection sensitivity of the electrostatic touch switch 13 is related to the length of the connection portion between the transparent electrode 20 and the connection electrode 21 (hereinafter referred to as “connection length L”). The detection sensitivity of the capacitance change at the electrode 20 is increased. That is, regarding each electrostatic touch switch 13 arranged in the display area 8, as shown in FIG. 4, in the inner electrostatic touch switch 13A, the connection length L with the connection electrode 21A is limited to the tongue piece portion 23. Therefore, the detection sensitivity is lower than that of the outer electrostatic touch switch 13B. Therefore, when the connection length L is increased by increasing the thickness of the tongue piece 23 or the like, the size of the other outer electrostatic touch switch 13B needs to be reduced in order to pass the tongue piece 23. Further, since the tongue piece 23 passes through a space formed by cutting off the end of the transparent electrode 20 of the outer electrostatic touch switch 13B, it passes through the region of the outer electrostatic touch switch 13B. Therefore, if the tongue piece portion 23 is thickened, it becomes easy to touch the tongue piece portion 23 when the user touches the outer touch switch 13B through which the tongue piece portion 23 passes. Further, since the electrostatic capacitance change of the inner electrostatic touch switch 13A is increased by making the tongue piece portion 23 thicker, a touch operation on the outer touch switch 13B is likely to be erroneously detected as a touch operation of the inner electrostatic touch switch 13A.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, in order to suppress erroneous detection when a finger touches the tongue piece portion 23 of the inner electrostatic touch switch 13A, the tongue piece portion 23 is sufficiently thinned, and the inner electrostatic touch switch 13A is further reduced. In order to increase the detection sensitivity, the application circuit K applies a longer application time to the inner electrostatic touch switch 13A than the outer electrostatic touch switch 13B, as shown in FIG.

FIG. 6 is a diagram schematically showing capacitance detection values when the inner electrostatic touch switch 13A and the outer electrostatic touch switch 13B are touch-operated, and FIG. When the application time of the applied signal K is the same in both the electric touch switch 13A and the outer electrostatic touch switch 13B, FIG. 6B shows the application time of the applied signal K of the inner electrostatic touch switch 13A as the outer electrostatic voltage. It is a figure which shows the case where it is made longer than the touch switch 13B.
In the inner electrostatic touch switch 13A, the thickness of the tongue piece 23, that is, the connection length L between the tongue piece 23 and the connection electrode 21A is shorter than the connection length L of the other outer electrostatic touch switch 13B. As shown in FIG. 6A, the electrostatic capacitance detection peak value Pa when the tongue portion 23 is touch-operated (when a finger touches it) is static when the outer electrostatic touch switch 13B is touch-operated. It is sufficiently smaller than the capacitance detection peak value Pb, and is smaller than the capacitance detection peak value Pc when the transparent electrode 20 portion of the inner electrostatic touch switch 13A is touched.

  Therefore, the touch operation on the tongue portion 23 is excluded by setting a threshold value between the capacitance detection peak value Pa and the capacitance detection peak value Pc, and invalidating the detection value below the threshold value. An erroneous operation due to a touch operation on the tongue piece 23 can be prevented. However, the detection sensitivity of the inner electrostatic touch switch 13A itself decreases as the connection length L decreases, and the capacitance detection peak value Pc when the inner electrostatic touch switch 13A is touched is equal to the outer electrostatic touch. The noise value Pd can be detected with respect to the switch 13B, and the touch operation of the inner electrostatic touch switch 13A and the noise of the outer electrostatic touch switch 13B cannot be distinguished. Such noise is, for example, a change in capacitance when the finger is not touched while approaching the outer electrostatic touch switch 13B (when a touch operation is not performed). That is, if no countermeasure is taken, there is a possibility that the user may erroneously detect the noise even though the user does not touch the inner electrostatic touch switch 13A.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, the application time Tb of the application signal K applied to the inner electrostatic touch switch 13A is set longer than the application time Ta to the outer electrostatic touch switch 13B. As a result, since the detection time of the signal obtained by applying the applied signal K is extended and the integrated value of the signal is increased, the transparent electrode of the inner electrostatic touch switch 13A as shown in FIG. 6B. The capacitance detection peak value Pc at the time of touching 20 parts is increased. Thereby, a significant difference can be provided between the touch operation of the inner electrostatic touch switch 13A and the noise of the outer electrostatic touch switch 13B, and each can be identified.
At this time, the application time Tb of the inner electrostatic touch switch 13A is set so that the capacitance detection peak value Pc accompanying the touch of the inner electrostatic touch switch 13A is the capacitance detection peak value Pb when the outer electrostatic touch switch 13B is touched. As a result, the capacitance detection peak values Pc and Pb can be made equal to each other. Thereby, using the same threshold Th, the touch operations of the inner electrostatic touch switch 13A and the outer electrostatic touch switch 13B can be detected separately from noise.

  Further, as the application time Tb of the inner electrostatic touch switch 13A is extended, the capacitance detection peak value Pa when the tongue piece portion 23 of the inner electrostatic touch switch 13A is touched increases, as described above. In addition, since the thickness of the tongue piece portion 23 is sufficiently reduced to shorten the connection length L, the capacitance detection peak value Pa can be suppressed to the same level as the noise value Pd of the outer electrostatic touch switch 13B. The noise value Pe for the inner electrostatic touch switch 13A also increases only to about the noise value Pd of the outer electrostatic touch switch 13B.

  Therefore, by setting the threshold Th to a value higher than the capacitance detection peak value Pa when the tongue piece 23 is touched, the noise and the touch operation of the tongue piece 23, the inner electrostatic touch switch 13A and the outer The touch of the electrostatic touch switch 13B can be discriminated, and in particular, erroneous detection when the tongue piece 23 is touched can be reliably prevented.

  Next, the application of the operation panel 5 having the above configuration will be described. In the vehicle-mounted audio apparatus 1, a music list and a tuning list are displayed in a list on the display window 9 of the operation panel 5, and this list can be operated by a touch operation. Has been. List operations include operations for selecting and executing a list item by simply pressing the list item with a finger (hereinafter referred to as “single press operation”), and operations for sliding the finger up or down (hereinafter referred to as “single press operation”). , “Slider operation”) is included. Hereinafter, the in-vehicle audio apparatus 1 that receives the list operation will be described.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of the in-vehicle audio device 1.
In the same figure, the control part 40 controls each part centrally, for example, is comprised provided with CPU, ROM, RAM, etc. FIG. The radio broadcast receiver 41 receives broadcast waves such as AM / FM broadcast and VICS information, and outputs a digital audio signal to the audio DSP 45. The optical disk reading unit 42 reads music data recorded on an optical disk 39 such as a CD or a DVD and outputs a digital audio signal to the audio DSP 45. The USB memory reading unit 43 reads music data recorded in the USB memory 38 and outputs a digital audio signal to the audio DSP 45.

The decoder 44 decodes and outputs a digital audio signal to the audio DSP 45 when the music data recorded on the optical disc 39 and the USB memory 38 is encoded by a predetermined codec. That is, when the music data is encoded, the optical disk reading unit 42 and the USB memory reading unit 43 input the music data to the decoder 44 and decode it, and the digital audio signal is sent from the decoder 44 to the audio DSP 45. Output. The audio DSP 45 imparts various acoustic effects such as eco-rise to the digital audio signal and outputs it to the amplifier device 46. The amplifier device 46 includes a D / A converter that converts a digital audio signal into an analog audio signal, and an amplifier (both not shown) that amplifies the analog audio signal. The analog audio signal is supplied to a speaker device 37 provided in the vehicle. Output.
Of course, instead of the USB memory 38, a portable music playback device may be connected through a USB cable, and the music data recorded in the portable music playback device may be read by the USB memory reading unit 43. is there.

The display device 7 displays various information in the display area 8 on the display surface, and as shown in FIG. 2, the electrostatic touch switch 13 is displayed in a grid pattern, or a selection list 48 (FIG. 8) described later. Or a flat panel display. As described above, the display device 7 is disposed with the touch panel substrate 15 interposed between the operation panel 5 and the display device 7.
As described above, the touch panel device 17 includes a detection circuit 16 that detects a touch operation of the electrostatic touch switch 13 and outputs an operation detection signal G. The operation detection signal G is input to the control unit 40.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an aspect of the selection list 48 displayed in the display area 8.
The selection list 48 shown in the figure displays the music list recorded on the optical disc 39 and designates the music to be reproduced. As described above, in the display area 8, the 3 rows by 3 columns of electrostatic touch switches 13 are arranged adjacent to each other, and in the selection list 48, a song title is assigned to each row of the 3 rows of electrostatic touch switches 13. The selected selection item 49 is displayed. The selection target item 49 is displayed with a length over the electrostatic touch switch 13 for two rows. The electrostatic touch switch 13 for the remaining one row includes a page feed switch 13-10 and a display screen. A screen return switch 13-11 for returning to the top screen or the like is displayed.

  When the selection list 48 is displayed, a song can be selected and played by touching one of the selection target items 49 (hereinafter referred to as “single-press operation”), and at least two or more lines can be selected. By operating the slider over the target item 49, the selection target item 49 moves one by one in the sliding direction of the finger, and the selection target item 49 at the beginning of the moving direction disappears from the display area 8 and becomes one new selection target. An item 49 is additionally displayed at the end of the moving direction.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the control unit 40 includes an operation identification unit 50 that identifies a single press operation and a slider operation based on an operation detection signal G input from the touch panel device 17. At the time of display, the operation identification unit 50 identifies the type of touch operation.

Here, the slider operation is simply performed by touching one of the electrostatic touch switches 13 and then turning on another electrostatic touch switch 13 that is adjacent within a predetermined time as the finger slides. It can be detected by monitoring whether or not.
However, in this detection mode, monitoring for a fixed time is required after the first touch is detected. Therefore, even when the operation is a single press operation, the response is delayed by the monitoring for the fixed time, resulting in poor responsiveness. There is a problem. On the other hand, by shortening the monitoring time after detecting the first touch, the responsiveness to the single press operation can be improved. However, when the user moves the finger slowly during the slider operation, There is a problem that the adjacent electrostatic touch switch 13 is not touched but is mistakenly recognized as a single press operation within a certain time from the touch.

  Therefore, the operation identifying unit 50 of the control unit 40 identifies the single press operation and the slider operation as follows. In the following, a case will be described as an example where another electrostatic touch switch 13 is adjacently disposed only above or below the first touched electrostatic touch switch 13.

FIG. 9 is a diagram schematically showing an operation identification sequence.
When the user first touches the upper electrostatic touch switch 13, for example, as shown in FIG. 9A, the upper electrostatic touch switch 13 is turned on and the lower side remains off. Then, in the next state, as shown in FIG. 9B, both the upper and lower electrostatic touch switches 13 (that is, the upper and all adjacent electrostatic touch switches 13) are turned off. In this state, the operation identifying unit 50 determines that it is a single press operation at this point in order to indicate that it has been released without moving the finger from the position where it first touched the upper side. Thereby, the control unit 40 starts the selection / execution processing of the selection target item 49 corresponding to the electrostatic touch switch 13 that has been operated with a single press.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 9C, when both the upper and lower electrostatic touch switches 13 are on, the next state after the state shown in FIG. Indicates that the finger is sliding. However, since the electrostatic touch switches 13 are arranged adjacent to each other, there is a possibility of erroneous detection by the lower electrostatic touch switch 13. For this reason, in this state, the operation identification part 50 suspends operation identification.
Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 9D, when both the upper and lower electrostatic touch switches 13 (that is, all the electrostatic touch switches 13 adjacent to the upper side) are turned off, In order to indicate that the finger has not moved to the lower electrostatic touch switch 13, the operation identifying unit 50 determines and determines that the single touch operation is performed on the upper electrostatic touch switch 13 that was initially touched. As a result, the control unit 40 starts the selection / execution process of the selection target item 49 corresponding to the electrostatic touch switch 13 that has been operated with a single press, as in the case of FIG. 9B.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 9 (E), when the state after the state shown in FIG. 9 (C) is a state in which the upper side is off and the lower side is on, the finger moves from the upper side to the lower side. In order to clearly indicate that the slide has been moved, the operation identifying unit 50 determines that the slider is operated at this time. As a result, the control unit 40 moves and displays the selection target items 49 one by one in the finger movement direction (from top to bottom in the illustrated example) during the slider operation.

As described above, the operation identification unit 50 is adjacent to the electrostatic touch switch 13 and the slider operating direction from the state in which any one of the electrostatic touch switches 13 is touched and turned on (FIG. 9A). When any of the other electrostatic touch switches 13 is turned off (FIG. 9B), it is determined as a single press operation, and adjacent to the electrostatic touch switch 13 and the slider operation direction. A state in which only one of other adjacent electrostatic touch switches 13 is turned on (FIG. 9E) through a state in which all the other electrostatic touch switches 13 are turned on (FIG. 9C). When a transition is made, it is determined that the slider is operated.
Thus, since the single press operation and the slider operation are identified based on the state transition of the electrostatic touch switch 13 that is turned on by touch, these two operations are identified with good responsiveness following the user's operation. Can do.

  Further, the operation identification unit 50 starts from the state in which any one of the electrostatic touch switches 13 is touched and turned on (FIG. 9A), and the electrostatic touch switch 13 and other static adjacent in the slider operation direction. When any of the electric touch switches 13 is turned on (FIG. 9C), the determination of the operation is suspended, so that malfunction due to erroneous detection of other adjacent electrostatic touch switches 13 is prevented. it can. In particular, it is possible to prevent erroneous detection and malfunction when the touched part is shaken due to vibration during traveling and the adjacent electrostatic touch switch 13 is unintentionally touched.

Here, as shown in FIG. 9F, the operation identification unit 50 touches both the upper and lower electrostatic touch switches 13 with, for example, two fingers, so that both electrostatic touches adjacent to the slider operation direction are touched. Even when one of the fingers is released from the state in which the switch 13 is turned on, only one of the electrostatic touch switches 13 is turned on (for example, FIG. 9E). Alternatively, it may be determined as a slider operation.
Even in the case of an operation with one finger, as shown in FIG. 10 (A), the position when the finger touches first straddles two adjacent electrostatic touch switches 13 in the vertical direction. There are times when At this time, as shown in FIG. 10B, when only one of the electrostatic touch switches 13 is turned on, the operation identifying unit 50 determines that the operation is a slider operation. When any electrostatic touch switch 13 is turned off from the state shown in FIG. 10A as shown in FIG. 10C, the operation identification unit 50 is the slider operation. Do not judge. In this case, it is presumed to be a single press operation on any one of the electrostatic touch switches 13, but since it is unclear which operation the user intends, it is determined as an invalid operation.

When the slider operation is identified based on the state transition of the electrostatic touch switch 13 that is turned on by touch, the operation amount of the process corresponding to the slider operation (in accordance with the time taken for the state transition ( For example, the number of selection target items 49 to be fed by a slider operation during list display may be changed.
For example, by setting the operation amount to be variable according to the time from the state shown in FIG. 10A to the state shown in FIG. 10B, the user first sets two electrostatic touch switches 13. Touching the screen and maintaining the state for a time during which a desired operation amount can be obtained, and then moving the finger to the state shown in FIG. Instruction (input) can be performed, and operability can be improved.

By the way, since the time that the finger touches one electrostatic touch switch 13 is different between the single press operation and the slider operation, a difference occurs in the capacitance detected during a predetermined detection time. For this reason, for example, if the ON determination threshold value of the electrostatic touch switch 13 is matched with the single press operation, the electrostatic capacity detected by each electrostatic touch switch 13 does not satisfy the ON determination threshold value in the slider operation. Cannot be recognized. On the other hand, if the ON determination threshold is adjusted to the slider operation, the ON determination is made with a low capacitance, so that the capacitance change (noise) that occurs when the finger approaches without touching is also determined to be ON. False detection is likely to occur.
In addition, for example, if the electrostatic touch switch 13 for single-press operation and the electrostatic touch switch 13 for slider operation are separately provided, erroneous detection can be prevented, but the number of electrostatic touch switches 13 increases. It is necessary to secure a space, and the touch detection process is complicated.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 11A, the threshold Th for determining the single press operation and the slider operation threshold Tha for detecting the slider operation are set to a value lower than the threshold Th. It is said. That is, the detection circuit 16 of the touch panel device 17 determines that “key ON is large” when the capacitance of the electrostatic touch switch 13 exceeds the threshold Th, and “key ON” when the slider operating threshold Tha is equal to or greater than the threshold Th. When the value is “small” or less than the slider operation threshold value Tha, “key OFF” is output as the operation detection signal G.
In addition, about the electrostatic touch switch 13 having the tongue piece portion 23, as described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6, the application time of the application signal K can be changed to detect the electrostatic touch switch 13. Sensitivity is aligned.

  The slider operation threshold value Tha is set to a low value that is slightly higher than the noise level in order to increase sensitivity, but in this case, the possibility of erroneous detection due to noise increases. Therefore, until the “key ON large” is detected by any one of the electrostatic touch switches 13, the operation identification unit 50 treats “key ON small” as off and does not perform any operation. To prevent. Also, after “key ON large” is detected by any of the electrostatic touch switches 13, “key ON small” is handled as ON so that a touch by a slider operation can be detected.

By the way, when the slider is operated over the three electrostatic touch switches 13, as shown in FIG. 11A, the first to second electrostatic touch switches 13 and the second to last electrostatic touch switches 13 are provided. Since the area of the finger covering the movement-source electrostatic touch switch 13 decreases, the capacitance of each electrostatic touch switch 13 decreases sequentially. As a result, the capacitance may fall below the threshold Th at each of timings ta and tc while the finger straddles between the electrostatic touch switches 13. On the other hand, in the electrostatic touch switch 13 at the movement destination, the capacitance gradually increases because the area of the finger increases, but there is a gap δ (FIG. 4) between the electrostatic touch switch 13 at the movement source and the movement destination. Therefore, there is a time difference between the timings tb and td at which the capacitance of the destination electrostatic touch switch 13 exceeds the threshold Th and the timings ta and tc at which the source capacitance falls below the threshold Th. Arise. As a result, if no countermeasure is taken, any electrostatic touch switch 13 is detected as being off while the finger moves through the gap δ between the electrostatic touch switches 13 and the capacitance falls below the threshold Th. Therefore, it is erroneously determined as a single press operation.
On the other hand, in the present embodiment, when “high key ON” is determined when the first electrostatic touch switch 13 is detected, the slider operation threshold value Tha set to a low value becomes effective. Even at the timing when the finger moves through the gap δ between the electrostatic touch switches 13, each electrostatic touch switch 13 can be detected as being turned on, and detection failure of the slider operation is reliably prevented.

  Furthermore, when the slider is operated by moving the finger quickly, the detected value of the capacitance at the electrostatic touch switch 13 that is touched second and last decreases as shown in FIG. Since the threshold value Tha is set to a value approximately equal to the noise level, these touches can be reliably detected to identify the slider operation.

Now, as shown in FIG. 1, the in-vehicle audio apparatus 1 is disposed between the driver's seat side 3A and the passenger seat side 3B. Will be operated from an oblique direction.
On the other hand, in the in-vehicle audio device 1, since all the operators of the operation panel 5 are configured by the electrostatic touch switch 13, it is difficult to accurately identify the operation position from an oblique direction.
For this reason, for example, in the slider operation on the selection list 48, as shown by the arrow A in FIG. 12, the sliding direction of the finger may be inclined so as to straddle the rows of the electrostatic touch switches 13. is there. In such a case, there is a problem that when the on-transition state is determined only by the electrostatic touch switches 13 adjacent in the vertical direction and the slider operation is detected, such an operation is not detected.

  Therefore, in this embodiment, when the slider operation is possible for the display window 9, as shown in FIG. 12, the operation identification units 50 are arranged in a direction orthogonal to the slider operation direction B (in this embodiment, the row direction). Each electrostatic touch switch 13 is handled as an operation key 60 which is one large touch switch. Thus, even when the finger is slid in the oblique direction A with respect to the slider operation direction B, the slider operation is identified by the transition of the ON state of each operation key 60, and the slide movement of the finger is controlled by the slider. It can be detected normally as an operation.

Further, when the slider is operated with respect to the display window 9 by groping, for example, when the finger is slid down as shown by an arrow C in FIG. There is a possibility that an erroneous operation of touching the touch switch 13 may occur. When such an erroneous operation occurs, a cancel operation for canceling the operation is required each time, which imposes an operation burden on the user.
Therefore, for the electrostatic touch switch 13 that is arranged in the direction of the slider operation direction C and does not need to be operated by the slider operation, the operation identification unit 50 determines when the slider operation ends. The touch operation is invalidated until a predetermined time Tc elapses from the time point.
Thereby, even when the unintended electrostatic touch switch 13 is touched due to the slider operation, malfunction can be prevented.

In the operation panel 5 of the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 12, the music selection / tune selection operation switch 13-7 and the volume adjustment switch 13-8 are also configured to be operable in the vertical direction. A traffic information switch 13-9 and an eject switch 13-3 are arranged above the music selection / tune selection operation switch 13-7 and the volume control switch 13-8, respectively. Therefore, when the user flicks the music selection / tune selection operation switch 13-7 and the volume adjustment switch 13-8, as shown by the arrow D, the traffic information switch 13-9 and the eject switch 13-3 are set. There is a risk of touching it first.
Therefore, in the present embodiment, the operation identification unit 50 is for other operations arranged at a position away from the group of electrostatic touch switches 13 in the slider operation direction C of the slider operation with respect to the group of electrostatic touch switches 13. The electrostatic touch switch 13 is temporarily suspended without confirming the operation when a touch operation is detected. When the operation identification unit 50 detects a slider operation on the group of electrostatic touch switches 13 within a predetermined time Td, the operation identification unit 50 invalidates the touch operation of the previous electrostatic touch switch 13 and does not detect it. In addition, the touch operation of the previous electrostatic touch switch 13 is made valid.
As a result, it is possible to prevent an erroneous operation when the unintended electrostatic touch switch 13 is touched at the start of the slider operation.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, each transparent electrode is formed so that the outer side of one transparent electrode 20 is surrounded by another transparent electrode 20 at a portion overlapping the display area 8 of the touch panel substrate 15. Each of the outer transparent electrodes 20 is connected to a connection electrode 21 at the outer edge as viewed from the inner transparent electrode 20, and the inner transparent electrode 20 has a tongue that passes between the outer transparent electrodes 20. The piece portion 23 was formed integrally, the connection electrode 21A was connected to the tip of the tongue piece portion 23, and the inner electrostatic touch switch 13A and the outer electrostatic touch switch 13B were formed in the display area 8, respectively.
Thereby, the connection electrode 21A of the inner electrostatic touch switch 13A is located outside the outer electrostatic touch switch 13B. In particular, by positioning the display region 8 inside the outer peripheral portion of the outer electrostatic touch switch 13B, the connection electrodes 21A and 21 of the inner electrostatic touch switch 13A and the outer electrostatic touch switch 13B are in the display region 8. It is not located and no shadows are projected.

In addition, according to the present embodiment, the area of the transparent electrode 20 of the outer electrostatic touch switch 13B located on either side of the transparent electrodes 20 of the outer electrostatic touch switch 13B located on both sides of the tongue piece 23 is determined. It was set as the structure which made small and provided the space which lets the tongue piece part 23 pass.
Thus, it is not necessary to increase the gap δ between the outer electrostatic touch switches 13B in order to pass the tongue piece 23, and both of the two outer electrostatic touch switches 13B adjacent to each other with the gap δ sandwiched when determining the slider operation. Can be detected with good sensitivity.

Further, according to the present embodiment, the electrostatic capacitance detection peak value Pc (detection signal intensity) with respect to the inner electrostatic touch switch 13A is obtained at a predetermined application time (detection time) Ta. The application time (detection time) Tb for the inner electrostatic touch switch 13A is set to be longer than the predetermined application time (detection time) Ta so as to be approximately the same as the capacitance detection peak value Pb. Thereby, the touch operation of the inner electrostatic touch switch 13A can be detected separately from the noise or the like of the outer electrostatic touch switch 13B.
In particular, the rectangular tongue piece 23 is thinned and the connection length L is shortened so that the capacitance detection peak value Pa due to the touch on the tongue piece 23 is approximately the same as the noise level of the outer electrostatic touch switch 13B. Thus, the touch operation on the inner electrostatic touch switch 13 </ b> A and the outer electrostatic touch switch 13 </ b> B and the noise and the touch on the tongue piece 23 can be distinguished and detected.

  In addition, according to the present embodiment, the operation identification unit 50 performs the operation on the electrostatic touch switch 13 that is turned on and the electrostatic touch switch 13 when any of the electrostatic touch switches 13 is turned on. Thus, the single press operation and the slider operation are determined based on the transition of the ON state of the other electrostatic touch switch 13 adjacent in the slider operation direction. For this reason, since the operation is determined following the on-state transition accompanying the user operation, the responsiveness can be improved, and erroneous determination can be prevented.

In addition, according to the present embodiment, the operation identifying unit 50, when two of the electrostatic touch switches 13 adjacent in the direction of the slider operation are turned on at the same time, only one of them is turned on. Therefore, it is determined that the operation is invalid and the operation is determined to be invalid when the state is changed to the off state.
Thereby, the slider operation started by first touching between the two electrostatic touch switches 13 can be detected. Further, when the slider operation is not detected after the touch between the two electrostatic touch switches 13, it is determined as an invalid operation, so that an unintended erroneous operation can be prevented.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, the operation identification unit 50 is configured to determine that the electrostatic touch switch 13 arranged in the direction orthogonal to the direction of the slider operation is regarded as one operation key 60 when determining the slider operation. Even when the finger is slid in an oblique direction with respect to the slider operation direction, the slider operation is identified by the transition of the ON state of each operation key 60, and the slide movement of the finger is normally regarded as the slider operation. Can be detected.

Further, according to the present embodiment, the threshold Th indicating a change larger than the capacitance change due to the noise of the electrostatic touch switch 13 and the slider operation threshold Tha set to a value lower than the threshold Th are exceeded. And the operation identification unit 50 determines whether a single-press operation or a slider operation is performed when any one of the electrostatic touch switches 13 exceeds the threshold Th and is turned on. It was set as the structure which starts.
With this configuration, since the slider operation threshold value Tha set to a value lower than the threshold value Th is also determined to be on, the slider operation can be performed even when the capacitance change of the electrostatic touch switch 13 in the slider operation is small. It is possible to accurately detect the on-state. Further, when any of the electrostatic touch switches 13 exceeds the threshold Th and is turned on, the operation identification unit 50 starts the determination of the single press operation and the slider operation, so that noise is erroneously detected as an operation. Can be prevented.

  In the present embodiment, when the slider is operated with respect to the operation panel 5, the finger is released from the operation panel 5 within the range of the slider operation, and other fixed touch switches 11 and the like are prevented from being erroneously operated during the slider operation. As shown in FIG. 13, the surface of the slider operation range R of the operation panel 5 may be formed in a curved cross-sectional shape to guide the finger release at the end point Ra of the slider operation range R.

Second Embodiment
In the first embodiment described above, among the plurality of electrostatic touch switches 13 provided in the display area 8, in the inner electrostatic touch switch 13 </ b> A having the deformed tongue piece 23, the tongue piece 23 is thinned. By suppressing the change in capacitance per unit time when the tongue piece 23 is touched, the operation when the tongue piece 23 is touched and the touch operation of the outer electrostatic touch switch 13B are identified. The configuration.
In contrast, in the present embodiment, when a touch on the inner electrostatic touch switch 13A is detected, the inner electrostatic touch switch 13A is detected based on the detection state of the outer electrostatic touch switch 13B adjacent thereto. The touch is enabled / disabled. Hereinafter, such a configuration will be described.
In addition, since it is the same as that of 1st Embodiment about the structure of the operation panel 5 in this embodiment and the structure of the vehicle equipment provided with this operation panel 5, the description is abbreviate | omitted.

FIG. 14 is a diagram showing one aspect of the display of the button 70 in the display area 8 of the operation panel 5.
As shown in the figure, in the display area 8, buttons 70 are displayed in a grid pattern corresponding to the inner electrostatic touch switch 13A and the outer electrostatic touch switch 13B. In this configuration, when the user touches the end near the tongue piece 23 or the tongue piece 23 in order to touch the button 70A, the capacitance change of the inner electrostatic touch switch 13A of the tongue piece 23 changes. When the threshold value Th for the ON determination is exceeded, the inner electrostatic touch switch 13A may be erroneously detected as a touch operation.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, in order to prevent such erroneous detection, a threshold value Tha smaller than this threshold value Th is provided for the on determination threshold value Th, as in the first embodiment, and the threshold value Th is set for the inner electrostatic touch switch 13A. When an electrostatic capacitance change exceeding is detected, the inner electrostatic touch switch is determined based on whether or not the electrostatic capacitance change exceeds the threshold Tha in one of the outer electrostatic touch switches 13B adjacent to the tongue piece 23. The validity / invalidity of the touch operation of 13A can be switched.

FIG. 15 is a flowchart of such touch operation determination processing.
As shown in the figure, the operation identification unit 50 of the control unit 40 detects a touch operation with any one of the electrostatic touch switches 13 with the capacitance change exceeding the threshold value Th for the on determination (step Sa1: Yes). ), It is determined whether or not the touch-operated switch is the inner electrostatic touch switch 13A (step Sa2). In the case of the inner electrostatic touch switch 13 </ b> A (step Sa <b> 2: Yes), there is a possibility of erroneous detection due to the user touching the tongue piece 23, so the operation identification unit 50 is adjacent to the tongue piece 23. It is determined whether or not the capacitance change of the outer electrostatic touch switch 13B that exceeds the threshold value Tha (step Sa3).

As described above, the threshold value Tha is set to be lower than the ON determination threshold value Th. In the outer electrostatic touch switch 13B adjacent to the tongue piece 23, the capacitance change exceeds the threshold value Tha. In this case, it is highly likely that the user intends to touch the outer electrostatic touch switch 13B instead of the inner electrostatic touch switch 13A. Therefore, when the capacitance change of the outer electrostatic touch switch 13B exceeds the threshold value Tha (step Sa3: Yes), the operation identification unit 50 applies the inner electrostatic touch switch 13A detected in step Sa1. The touch operation is treated as invalid (step Sa4).
As a result, even when the user touches the tongue piece 23 with the touch operation of the button 70 </ b> A adjacent to the tongue piece 23, the touch operation of the inner electrostatic touch switch 13 is invalidated.

Thus, according to the present embodiment, when a touch operation of the inner electrostatic touch switch 13A having the tongue piece portion 23 is detected, the capacitance of the outer electrostatic touch switch 13B adjacent to the tongue piece portion 23 is detected. When the change exceeds the threshold value Tha, the touch operation of the inner electrostatic touch switch 13A is invalidated.
With this configuration, even when the user touches the tongue piece 23 in accordance with the touch operation of the button 70A adjacent to the tongue piece 23, the touch operation of the inner electrostatic touch switch 13 is invalidated. Only intended operations can be accepted. As a result, erroneous operations are reduced, so that the number of operations, the number of visual recognitions, and the operation time for canceling the operation can be reduced. Particularly during the driving operation, since the operation time of the in-vehicle audio device 1 can be reduced, it is possible to concentrate on the driving operation accordingly.

<Third Embodiment>
In the first embodiment described above, as shown in FIG. 12, among the plurality of electrostatic touch switches 13 provided in the display area 8, the adjacent electrostatic touch switches 13 are handled as one large operation key 60. Explained.
However, in such a configuration, as shown in FIG. 16, when the intermediate point 72 of the electrostatic touch switch 13 that constitutes one operation key 60 is touched, the electrostatic capacitance of each electrostatic touch switch 13. In some cases, the touch operation of the operation key 60 cannot be detected without the change reaching the ON determination threshold Th.
Therefore, in the present embodiment, a threshold value Tha smaller than this threshold value Th is provided as the ON determination threshold value Th, and the plurality of electrostatic touch switches 13 are operated as one operation key 60, as in the first and second embodiments. If the capacitance change exceeding the threshold value Th is detected by both of the two adjacent electrostatic touch switches 13 in the one operation key 60, the operation key 60 is touched. A configuration for determination will be described.
Note that the main configuration such as the configuration of the operation panel 5 in this embodiment and the configuration of the in-vehicle device provided with the operation panel 5 is the same as in the first and second embodiments, and thus the description thereof is omitted.

FIG. 17 is a flowchart of such touch operation determination processing.
As shown in the figure, when the operation identification unit 50 of the control unit 40 detects a change in capacitance with any of the electrostatic touch switches 13 (step Sb1: Yes), the detected switch has one operation key. It is determined whether or not the electrostatic touch switch 13 constitutes 60 (step Sb2). When the electrostatic touch switch 13 corresponds to this (step Sb2: Yes), the operation identification unit 50 indicates that the display of the display area 8 is a plurality of electrostatic touch switches 13 such as a list display screen. It is determined whether a screen for operating as a single operation key 60 is being displayed (step Sb3).
When the current screen display is a screen for operating one operation key 60 (step Sb3: Yes), the capacitance change detected in step Sb1 is due to the touch of the intermediate point 72 of the operation key 60. Since there is a possibility, the operation identifying unit 50 determines whether or not the capacitance change exceeds the threshold value Tha in both the electrostatic touch switch 13 detected in step Sb1 and the electrostatic touch switch 13 adjacent thereto. Is determined (step Sb4). When the capacitance change exceeds the threshold value Tha in both the electrostatic touch switches 13 (step Sb4: Yes), the operation identification unit 50 indicates that the intermediate point 72 has been touched. It is determined that the touch operation has been performed, and this touch operation is accepted as an effective touch operation (step Sb5). Thereby, the omission of detection of the touch operation at the intermediate point 72 is prevented.
In step Sb1, if any electrostatic touch switch 13 detects a capacitance change exceeding the threshold value Th for determining ON, the process of step Sb4 is not performed, and the electrostatic touch switch 13, Alternatively, when the electrostatic touch switch 13 constitutes one operation key 60, it is accepted as an effective touch operation for the operation key 60.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the threshold value Th for the ON determination is provided with the threshold value Tha smaller than the threshold value Th as in the first and second embodiments, and the plurality of electrostatic touch switches 13 are operated by one operation. When operating as the key 60, when both of the two adjacent electrostatic touch switches 13 in the one operation key 60 detect a capacitance change exceeding the threshold value Tha, the operation key 60 performs the touch operation. It was set as the structure determined to be what was done.
Thereby, even when the intermediate point 72 between the electrostatic touch switches 13 is touched, the touch operation can be detected without leaking.

<Fourth embodiment>
In the first embodiment described above, when a slider operation is received for a plurality of electrostatic touch switches 13, as shown in FIG. 9, the transition of the on / off state between two adjacent electrostatic touch switches 13 is performed. The configuration for identifying the slider operation based on the above has been described.
However, in the case of the configuration in which the slider operation is determined only by the two electrostatic touch switches 13, the adjacent electrostatic capacitance is erroneously shown in FIG. If the finger is released with the touch switch 13, the operation is determined as a slider operation.
Therefore, in the present embodiment, a description will be given of a configuration for identifying an operation as a slider operation when the detected operation is likely to be a slider operation.
Note that the main configuration such as the configuration of the operation panel 5 in this embodiment and the configuration of the in-vehicle device provided with the operation panel 5 is the same as in the first to third embodiments, and thus the description thereof is omitted.

FIG. 18 is an explanatory diagram of the operation outline of this embodiment.
As shown in the figure, in this embodiment, when a slider operation (hereinafter referred to as “two-key slider operation A”) over two electrostatic touch switches 13 is detected, this two-key slider When a two-key slider operation A continuing to the operation A is detected within a predetermined monitoring time Tcont (ms), it is determined that these series of operations are slider operations. As a result, even if the two electrostatic touch switches 13 are accidentally pressed during a single press operation, such an operation is not accepted as a slider operation, thereby preventing an unintended erroneous operation.
Such slider operation determination processing will be further described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the detection method of the above two-key slider operation A can be detected in substantially the same manner as the processing described with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10 in the first embodiment. I'll omit the explanation to avoid it.

FIG. 19 is a flowchart of slider operation determination processing according to the present embodiment.
As shown in the figure, the operation identifying unit 50 of the control unit 40 first determines whether or not it is the first (first) 2-key slider operation A when the 2-key slider operation A is detected. Determination is made (step Sc1). If it is the first time (step Sc1: Yes), the operation identification unit 50 activates the first continuous slider timer and counts the monitoring time Tcont in order to monitor the presence or absence of the two-key slider operation A that follows this. Start (step Sc2). The first continuous slider timer can be realized by a timing circuit (not shown) included in the control unit 40.

  When the two-key slider operation A detected in step Sc1 is not the first time but the second time (step Sc1: No), the operation identification unit 50 is starting the first continuous slider timer and is the time of the monitoring time Tcont. It is determined whether it is before up (step Sc3). If it is before the time is up (step Sc3: Yes), the operation identification unit 50 indicates that the second two-key slider operation A is continuously performed after the first two-key slider operation A. Determines this operation as a slider operation (step Sc4). If it is after the time is up (step Sc3: No), the operation identification unit 50 determines that the operation is performed independently of the first two-key slider operation A. do not do. In this case, the 2-key slider operation A after time-up may be regarded as the first 2-key slider operation A, for example, and the process may proceed to step Sc2.

  As a result of the above processing, when the two-key slider operation A is performed twice in succession, it is determined that the slider is operated, so the user accidentally pressed the two electrostatic touch switches 13 during the single-press operation. Even in this case, such an operation can be prevented from being accepted as a slider operation.

In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 18, when the continuous two-key slider operation A is detected, the operation amount of the operation target is variable according to the monitoring time Tcont required for these two-key slider operations A. It is good also as composition to do.
As a result, the user can specify the operation amount (for example, volume or list item feed amount) of the operation target by changing the speed at which the finger is moved during the slider operation, thereby improving operability. Can be achieved.

  Further, in the present embodiment and the first embodiment, the electrostatic touch switches 13 arranged in the vertical direction are illustrated as the target of the slider operation, but the present invention is not limited to this. That is, the electrostatic touch switch 13 that receives the slider operation is configured to be held by table information or the like, and a plurality of electrostatic touch switches 13 arranged in the horizontal direction or the oblique direction are recorded in this table information. The electrostatic touch switch 13 to be used can be arbitrarily assigned.

<Modification / Application>
Each of the above-described embodiments is merely an aspect of the present invention, and can be arbitrarily modified and applied without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

For example, in the above-described embodiment, the in-vehicle audio device is exemplified as the in-vehicle device. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the present invention can be applied to other in-vehicle devices such as a car navigation device.
Furthermore, although the configuration in which the touch panel device according to the present invention is provided in the in-vehicle device is illustrated, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the touch panel device according to the present invention can be provided in other electronic devices other than the in-vehicle device.

1 In-vehicle audio system (in-vehicle equipment)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 5 Operation panel 7 Display apparatus 8 Display area 9 Display window 13 Electrostatic touch switch 13A Inner electrostatic touch switch 13B Outer electrostatic touch switch 15 Touch panel substrate 16 Detection circuit (detection means)
17 Touch Panel Device 20 Transparent Electrode 21, 21A Connection Electrode 22 Ground Part 23 Tongue Part 40 Control Part 48 Selection List 49 Selection Target Item 50 Operation Identification Part 60 Operation Key 70, 70A Button B Slider Operation Direction K Applied Signal G Operation Detection Signal L Connection length Pa, Pb, Pc Capacitance detection peak value Pd, Pe Noise value R Slider operating range Ra End point Ta, Tb Application time (detection time)
Th threshold value Tha slider operation threshold value Tcont monitoring time ta to td timing

Claims (2)

In a touch panel device in which a plurality of transparent electrodes are formed on a touch panel substrate, and a plurality of electrostatic touch switches are formed by individually connecting connection electrodes to each of the transparent electrodes.
In the touch panel substrate, each transparent electrode is formed so as to surround the outside of one transparent electrode with another transparent electrode,
In each of these outer transparent electrodes, the connection electrode is connected to the outer edge as seen from the inner transparent electrode,
The inner transparent electrode is formed with a tongue piece that passes between the outer transparent electrodes, the connection electrode is connected to the tip of the tongue piece, and the outer electrode located on both sides of the tongue piece is formed. Of the transparent electrodes, the area of the transparent electrode on either side is reduced to provide a space through which the tongue piece is passed,
A detecting means for detecting a signal accompanying a change in capacitance of each transparent electrode through the connection electrode;
The detection means detects the detection time for the inner transparent electrode so that the intensity of the detection signal for the inner transparent electrode is comparable to the intensity of the detection signal for the outer transparent electrode obtained in a predetermined detection time. Longer than the predetermined detection time . A touch panel device, wherein: An in-vehicle device comprising the touch panel device according to claim 1 , wherein the operation surface of the touch panel device is exposed in a vehicle compartment and provided in the vehicle.

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