JP6189760B2 - Input device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an input device that recognizes a gesture.

  In recent years, PCs (personal computers) and smartphones equipped with touch panels and touch pads have become widespread. The touch panel and the touch pad have an input function that allows input by finger pointing. In recent years, touch panels and touch pads often have a multi-touch function for recognizing a plurality of fingers, and input using a multi-finger gesture using the multi-touch function is also widely performed. For example, a function of recognizing a plurality of gestures such as a swipe for quickly sliding a finger and a pinch-in for bringing two fingers closer is often used.

  In addition, it has been studied to give a gesture input function with a finger to a small device such as a wristwatch device or a spectacle device. For example, the function of recognizing a gesture for swiping the vine portion of glasses is convenient in that input can be made without visual confirmation. A touch sensor mounted on such a small device is inevitably required to be downsized. However, conventional touch panels and touch pads generally have a configuration in which a large number of two-dimensional touch sensors are arranged, and there is a limit to downsizing.

  On the other hand, in order to meet the demand for downsizing, an input device configuration with a reduced number of touch sensors is advantageous. For example, the input devices described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 can detect the touch of a user's finger with the electrodes of a minimum touch sensor such as a single set.

JP-A-5-160702 JP 2011-242966 A

  However, although the above-described conventional input device can detect the touch of the user's finger, since the number of electrodes is reduced, it is difficult to recognize gestures by a plurality of types of user's fingers. On the other hand, by adopting a configuration in which a large number of touch sensors are arranged two-dimensionally, it is possible to recognize a plurality of types of user gestures, but in that case, it hinders downsizing of the input device.

  Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an input device capable of inputting a plurality of types of gestures and realizing downsizing of the device.

  In order to achieve the above object, an input device according to an embodiment of the present invention is an input device that recognizes a user's gesture, and includes a touch sensor that detects contact of a user's finger, and a signal generated by the touch sensor. The touch sensor includes a sensing electrode unit for detecting contact, and a gesture recognizing unit for recognizing a gesture based on the gesture recognition unit and a notification unit for notifying another device of an operation signal corresponding to the gesture recognized by the gesture recognizing unit. A signal is generated by detecting a change in capacitance according to the contact in the sensing electrode unit, and the gesture recognition means performs finger touch, finger swipe, and swipe finger based on the signal. Recognize the number of

  According to the above aspect, when the user performs a finger touch operation or one or more finger swipe operations, the touch sensor signals a change in capacitance corresponding to the operation of one sensing electrode. Detect as. The gesture recognition means recognizes a gesture of a touch operation and a swipe operation corresponding to the signal based on the generated signal. The notifying unit notifies an operation signal corresponding to the gesture recognized by the gesture recognizing unit to another device. With such a configuration, it is possible to input a plurality of types of gestures by the user, and the size of the device can be easily reduced by adopting the configuration of one sensing electrode.

  In the said one form, it is preferable that a sensing electrode part has an elongate shape extended to one direction. In this case, the number of fingers can be detected with high accuracy even when the user swipes with a plurality of fingers.

  The touch sensor preferably further includes a long ground electrode portion extending in a direction crossing one direction. According to the above configuration, when detecting not only the touch operation of the user's finger but also the swipe operation of the user's finger, the accuracy of gesture recognition can be improved by reducing the noise superimposed on the signal. .

  Furthermore, the sensing electrode preferably has an asymmetric shape along one direction. With this configuration, it is possible to cause a difference in the change in the signal detected by the touch sensor depending on the direction of the swipe operation of the user's finger. As a result, the direction of swipe can be determined effectively.

  Furthermore, the sensing electrode preferably has a shape in which a plurality of branch portions having different widths are integrated. According to this configuration, it is possible to cause a difference in the change in the signal detected by the touch sensor depending on the direction of the swipe operation of the user's finger. As a result, the direction of swipe can be determined effectively.

  Furthermore, the sensing electrode preferably has a shape whose width changes along one direction. In this case, a difference can be caused in the change in the signal detected by the touch sensor depending on the direction of the swipe operation of the user's finger. As a result, the direction of swipe can be determined effectively.

  In addition, the sensing electrode is preferably formed so that the width in one direction is different from the width in a direction perpendicular to the one direction. In this way, it is possible to make a difference in the change in the signal detected by the touch sensor between the case where the direction of the swipe operation of the user's finger is one direction and the direction perpendicular to the one direction. As a result, the direction of swipe can be determined effectively in two directions.

  Furthermore, the touch sensor is driven by a rectangular wave, and it is preferable to detect the capacitance of the sensing electrode based on the charging time. If it does in this way, a user's gesture can be detected accurately by charge time.

  Furthermore, the touch sensor is driven by a rectangular wave, and it is also preferable to detect the electrostatic capacitance at the sensing electrode based on two of a charging time and a discharging time. In this way, it is possible to accurately detect the user's gesture based on the charging time and the discharging time, and it is possible to prevent a decrease in detection accuracy due to noise superposition in the signal.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to input a plurality of types of gestures and to reduce the size of the apparatus.

It is a figure which shows schematic structure of the input device 100 which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a circuit diagram which shows the structure of the detection circuit part 14 of FIG. It is a circuit diagram which shows another structure of the detection circuit part 14 of FIG. It is a timing chart which shows the waveform of the signal processed by the detection circuit part 14 of FIG. It is a figure which shows the example of the output signal of the detection circuit part 14 of FIG. 3 corresponding to a user's various gestures. It is a figure which shows the hardware constitutions of IC chip 20 of FIG. It is a block diagram which shows the function structure of the IC chip 20 of FIG. It is a figure which shows schematic structure of 100 A of input devices which concern on the modification of this invention. It is a figure which shows schematic structure of the input device 100B which concerns on another modification of this invention. It is a figure which shows the structure of 11 C of sensing electrode parts which concern on the modification of this invention. It is a figure which shows the structure of sensing electrode part 11D which concerns on another modification of this invention. It is a figure which shows the structure of the sensing electrode part 11E which concerns on another modification of this invention. It is a figure which shows the structure of the sensing electrode part 11F which concerns on another modification of this invention. It is a circuit diagram which shows the structure of the detection circuit part 14 which concerns on the modification of this invention. It is a timing chart which shows the waveform of the signal processed by the detection circuit part 14 of FIG.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the description of the drawings, the same elements are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions are omitted.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an input device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. An input device 100 shown in the figure is a device that enables an operation input to another device by determining a gesture made by the user based on the movement of the finger F by the user. As shown in the figure, the input device 100 is configured by arranging a touch sensor 13 and an IC chip 20 on or inside the case 1.

  The case 1 in which the touch sensor 13 and the IC chip 20 are arranged has a long flat plate shape such as a rectangle, and is made of a material having electrical insulation properties such as a resin material.

  In the following description, the direction along the longitudinal direction of the surface 1a of the case 1 is defined as the X-axis direction, and the direction along the short direction of the surface 1a of the case 1, that is, the direction perpendicular to the X-axis direction is defined as the Y-axis. The direction.

  The touch sensor 13 includes one sensing electrode unit 11, one earth electrode unit (ground electrode unit) 12, and a detection circuit unit 14 in a state of being electrically connected to each other, and touching the user's finger F. It is a circuit unit that detects the capacitance method. Specifically, the sensing electrode portion 11 is a long conductive electrode member extending in the Y-axis direction, and is provided so as to be exposed on the surface 1 a of the case 1. The width of the sensing electrode unit 11 in the X-axis direction is set to a sufficiently small value as compared with the interval between the user's two fingers F when performing the swipe operation. The ground electrode portion 12 is a long conductive electrode member that extends electrically separated from the sensing electrode portion 11 along the X-axis direction. On the surface 1 a of the case 1, the X-axis direction It is exposed and provided over the range in which the user's finger F contacts during the swipe operation. That is, the ground electrode portion 12 extends between both ends on the surface 1 a along the longitudinal direction of the case 1, and the length thereof is longer than the length of the sensing electrode portion 11. With such a structure of the ground electrode portion 12, the finger F can be brought into contact with the ground electrode portion 12 as much as possible while the user performs a gesture including a touch operation and a swipe operation with the finger F. The sensing electrode unit 11 may be covered with an insulating material.

  The touch sensor 13 including the sensing electrode unit 11 and the ground electrode unit 12 can detect a touch operation and a swipe operation by a user's finger. The touch operation here refers to an operation of directly touching the sensing electrode unit 11 without sliding the finger F on the surface 1a, and the swipe operation refers to sensing the finger F from the end side in the X-axis direction of the surface 1a. This is an operation of allowing the electrode portion 11 to pass and sliding on the surface 1a.

  The detection circuit unit 14 is electrically connected to the sensing electrode unit 11 and the earth electrode unit 12 via a wiring unit, and the sensing electrode unit 11 and the earth according to the degree of contact of the finger F with the sensing electrode unit 11 A change in capacitance generated between the electrode portion 12 and the electrode portion 12 is detected, and the detection result is output as a detection signal. The detection circuit unit 14 is embedded in the case 1.

  FIG. 2 shows an example of the circuit configuration of the detection circuit unit 14. As shown in the figure, the detection circuit unit 14 is electrically connected to the sensing electrode unit 11 and the ground electrode unit 12 covered with the insulating material 15, and includes a resistance element 31, a variable resistance element 32, a comparator 33, And a low-pass filter 36 composed of a resistance element 34 and a capacitor 35, and by detecting a change in capacitance generated between the sensing electrode portion 11 and the ground electrode portion 12, the finger F The contact state with respect to the sensing electrode unit 11 is detected. In general, as a touch sensor, there are a method for detecting a change in capacitance as a change in charging time and a method for detecting as a change in frequency. However, the touch sensor 13 of the present embodiment uses the former method. Adopted.

  Specifically, a rectangular wave voltage signal PA having a frequency of, for example, 10 KHz is applied to one end of the resistive element 31 via the input terminal 37, and the other end of the resistive element 31 is connected to the sensing electrode unit 11 and the comparator 33. Non-inverting input is connected. A bias voltage VCC is applied to one end of the variable resistance element 32, the other end is connected to the ground electrode portion 12, and the inverting input of the comparator 33 is connected to the variable resistance element 32. A low-pass filter 36 composed of a resistance element 34 and a capacitor 35 is connected between the output of the comparator 33 and the ground electrode portion 12, and an output terminal 38 is connected between the resistance element 34 and the capacitor 35. ing.

  In the detection circuit unit 14 configured as described above, the sensing electrode unit 11 is driven by a rectangular wave via the resistance element 31. At this time, due to the presence of capacitance between the sensing electrode unit 11 and the ground electrode unit 12, the potential VS of the sensing electrode unit 11 does not match the potential of the rectangular wave voltage signal PA. In the comparator 33, the potential VS of the sensing electrode unit 11 is input to the non-inverting input, and the threshold potential TH1 adjusted by the variable resistance element 32 is input to the inverting input. Thereby, the potential VC, which is a comparison result between the potential VS of the sensing electrode unit 11 and the threshold potential TH1, is smoothed through the low-pass filter 36, and the smoothed potential VC is output from the output terminal 38 as the detection signal Vout. The

  Here, when the finger F is not touching the sensing electrode unit 11, the capacitance between the sensing electrode unit 11 and the earth electrode unit 12 is small, so the charging time is shortened, and the potential VS of the sensing electrode unit 11 is set to the threshold value. The time to reach the potential TH1 is shortened. Therefore, the time during which the potential VC of the comparator 33 is high is lengthened, and as a result, the potential of the detection signal Vout output from the output terminal 38 is increased. On the other hand, when the finger F is touching the sensing electrode unit 11, the charging time is increased because the capacitance between the sensing electrode unit 11 and the ground electrode unit 12 is large, and the potential VS of the sensing electrode unit 11 is increased. The time to reach the threshold potential TH1 becomes longer. For this reason, the time during which the potential VC of the comparator 33 is high is shortened, and as a result, the potential of the detection signal Vout is lowered. When the amount of change in capacitance according to the contact state of the finger F is large, the contact state of the user's finger F can be detected by the detection circuit unit 14 having such a simple configuration.

  Moreover, the detection circuit unit 14 can also employ a configuration as shown in FIG. 3 when the amount of change in capacitance according to the contact state of the finger F is small. FIG. 3 shows another example of the circuit configuration of the detection circuit unit 14. In the configuration shown in the figure, an AND gate 39 is added as compared with the configuration shown in FIG. A rectangular wave voltage signal PB having the same frequency as the rectangular wave voltage signal PA is applied to the first input of the AND gate 39 via the input terminal 40, and the output of the comparator 33 is applied to the second input of the AND gate 39. The low-pass filter 36 is connected between the output Vand of the AND gate 39 and the ground electrode portion 12.

  According to the detection circuit unit 14 having such a configuration, the driving voltage of the amplifier can be kept low even when the amplifier is connected to the subsequent stage. That is, when the amount of change in capacitance is small, an amplifier may be connected to the subsequent stage in order to increase detection accuracy. In that case, since the output level of the detection signal Vout becomes high even when the finger F is in contact, it is necessary to increase the drive voltage of the amplifier. According to the configuration shown in FIG. 3, the high level period of the potential VC of the comparator 33 can be shortened, and the DC level of the detection signal Vout can be suppressed. As a result, compared to the configuration of FIG. 2, there is no difference in the output level of the detection signal Vout according to the contact state of the finger F, while the DC level of the detection signal Vout can be kept low. Therefore, it is not necessary to drive the subsequent amplifier with a high voltage.

  FIG. 4 is a timing chart showing an example of a waveform of a signal processed by the detection circuit unit 14 of FIG. 3, (a) is a waveform of the rectangular wave voltage signal PA, and (b) is a potential VS of the sensing electrode unit 11. (C) shows the waveform of the potential VC, (d) shows the waveform of the rectangular wave voltage signal PB, (e) shows the waveform of the output signal Vand of the AND gate 39, and (f) shows the waveform of the detection signal Vout. . As described above, the high level period (on period) of the potential VC generated by comparing the potential VS of the sensing electrode unit 11 and the threshold potential TH1 corresponds to the charging time of the capacitance. Therefore, the output level of the detection signal Vout obtained by smoothing the potential VC changes corresponding to the charging time. Further, after the rectangular wave voltage signal PB and the potential VC whose ON period is shortened compared to the rectangular wave voltage signal PA are processed by the AND gate 39, the output signal Vand of the AND gate 39 is smoothed. Thus, the DC level of the detection signal Vout can be lowered. Further, the degree of decrease in the direct current level of the detection signal Vout can be changed by adjusting the waveform (for example, the length of the on period) of the rectangular wave voltage signal PB.

  Further, FIG. 5 shows an example of an output signal of the detection circuit unit 14 in FIG. 3 corresponding to various gestures of the user. From this result, it is understood that when the touch operation of touching the sensing electrode unit 11 with the user's finger F is performed, the state where the detection signal Vout is lowered continues for a long time. In addition, when the swipe operation along the X-axis direction (FIG. 1) is performed by the user's finger F, the time during which the detection signal Vout is decreasing is short, and the number of fingers F performing the swipe operation on the output signal Vout A trough corresponding to will appear. Based on this detection signal Vout, it can be recognized that a gesture has been started due to a decrease in output, and can be determined as a touch operation if the output decrease period is long, and can be determined as a swipe operation if the output decrease period is short. It is. Furthermore, by counting the number of valleys based on the detection signal Vout, the number of fingers F in the swipe operation can be recognized. A gesture recognition unit 22 of the IC chip 20 described later recognizes a gesture with the user's finger F using the above determination logic.

  The IC chip 20 is housed inside the case 1 and is electrically connected to the detection circuit unit 14 inside the case 1. The IC chip 20 processes the detection signal Vout from the detection circuit unit 14. As shown in FIG. 6, the IC chip 20 physically includes one or a plurality of CPUs 201, a RAM 202 and a ROM 203 that are main storage devices, and a communication module 204 that is a data transmission / reception device that transmits and receives signals to and from the outside by wired or wireless. The computer system includes an auxiliary storage device 205 such as a semiconductor memory. Each function of the IC chip 20 causes the communication module 204 to operate under the control of the CPU 201 by reading one or more predetermined computer software on the hardware such as the CPU 201 and the RAM 202 shown in FIG. This is realized by reading and writing data in the RAM 202 and the auxiliary storage device 205.

  Next, the functional configuration of the IC chip 20 will be described in detail. FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of the IC chip 20. As shown in FIG. 7, the IC chip 20 includes a signal reception unit 21, a gesture recognition unit (gesture recognition unit) 22, and a notification unit (notification unit) 23.

  The signal receiving unit 21 is a unit that receives the detection signal Vout generated by the touch sensor 13. Furthermore, the signal reception unit 21 notifies the gesture recognition unit 22 of the received detection signal Vout.

  The gesture recognition unit 22 recognizes a gesture corresponding to the detection signal Vout received by the signal reception unit 21. The gesture recognition unit 22 receives the detection signal Vout output from the touch sensor 13 from the signal reception unit 21 and analyzes it. Specifically, whether or not the detection signal Vout can be recognized as a specific gesture is determined by determining whether or not the detection signal Vout has a waveform corresponding to a plurality of gestures. For example, the gesture recognition unit 22 recognizes the touch operation and the swipe operation as the gesture of the user's finger using the determination logic described above, and further determines the number of fingers F of the swipe operation in the case of the swipe operation. Furthermore, the gesture recognition unit 22 notifies the notification unit 23 of an operation signal corresponding to the determined user gesture. The notification unit 23 notifies an operation signal to another device 200 outside the input device 100 using wired communication or wireless communication.

  According to the input device 100 described above, when the user performs the operation of touching the finger F or the operation of swiping one or more fingers, the touch sensor 13 includes one sensing electrode unit 11, the earth electrode unit 12, and the like. A change in capacitance corresponding to the operation during the period is detected as a detection signal Vout. Then, the gesture recognition unit 22 recognizes the gesture of the touch operation and the swipe operation corresponding to the detection signal Vout based on the detection signal Vout. The notification unit 23 notifies an operation signal corresponding to the gesture recognized by the gesture recognition unit 22 to another device. With such a configuration, it is possible to input a plurality of types of gestures by the user, and it is also possible to easily reduce the size of the apparatus by adopting the configuration of one sensing electrode unit 11.

  If a conventional touch panel or touch pad is used, multiple types of gestures can be detected. However, a configuration in which a large number of sensors are densely arranged on a plane is required, which increases the size, the manufacturing cost, and the complexity. It was supposed to invite the control function. On the other hand, it is assumed that a variety of gesture inputs can be realized using a small number of touch sensors. In this case, however, it is necessary to detect a steady state. It is difficult to detect accurately. According to the input device 100 of the present embodiment, various gesture inputs with unsteady states can be realized without requiring a complicated function with a single touch sensor. Therefore, according to the input device 100, it is easy to reduce the size and the manufacturing cost.

  In addition, since the sensing electrode unit 11 is set to a value that is sufficiently small compared to the distance between the user's two fingers F, even when the swipe operation by the plurality of fingers F of the user is targeted, The number of fingers can be detected with high accuracy. Furthermore, the touch sensor 13 further includes a ground electrode portion 12 extending in the X-axis direction. As a result, not only the touch operation of the user's finger F but also the finger F always touches the ground electrode portion 12 when detecting the swipe operation of the user's finger F, so that noise superimposed on the detection signal Vout is reduced. By doing so, the accuracy of gesture recognition can be improved.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment.

  For example, FIG. 8 shows a schematic configuration of an input device 100A according to a modification of the present invention. The difference between the input device 100A and the input device 100 is that the ground electrode portion 12 is not provided. Even with such an input device 100A, it is possible to achieve downsizing and reduction in manufacturing cost in an apparatus capable of inputting a plurality of types of gestures.

  FIG. 9 shows a schematic configuration of an input device 100B according to another modification of the present invention. This input device 100B includes a touch sensor 13B including a sensing electrode portion 11B in a state of being arranged on the outer periphery of a long-axis main body portion 1B such as a cable. Specifically, the sensing electrode part 11B is arranged in a ring shape around the outer peripheral surface of the main body part 1B. In addition, in the same figure, illustration of the detection circuit unit 14 and the IC chip 20 is omitted. According to such a configuration, not only the operation of touching the finger F from one side surface of the main body 1B, but also the operation of sliding with the two fingers F pinched from both side surfaces of the main body 1B. It becomes possible to recognize. Therefore, even when the main body 1B is flexible and sags, a highly accurate gesture input can be performed. Such a modification is applicable to gesture input on a headphone cable.

  Furthermore, various modifications of the shape of the sensing electrode unit 11 can be employed for the present invention.

  For example, FIG. 10 shows a configuration of a sensing electrode unit 11C according to a modification of the present invention. The sensing electrode portion 11 </ b> C shown in the figure has an asymmetric shape with respect to the Y axis along the surface 1 a of the case 1. That is, the sensing electrode portion 11C includes two long branch portions 51 and 52 having different widths formed along the Y-axis direction, and the two branch portions 51 and 52 are integrated by the connecting portion 53. It has a structure. The width in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction of the branch part 52 arranged closer to the + X direction is smaller than the width in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction of the branch part 51 arranged closer to the −X direction.

  With such a structure, the change in the detection signal Vout of the touch sensor 13 differs depending on the direction of the swipe operation. For example, when the swipe operation is performed in the + X direction, the finger F first touches the thick branch portion 51. Therefore, as a result of the electrostatic capacitance increasing rapidly, the detection signal Vout rapidly decreases. On the contrary, when swiping in the −X direction, the finger F first touches the thin branch portion 52, so that the capacitance increases relatively slowly, and as a result, the detection signal Vout becomes relatively gentle. descend. That is, the steepness of the decrease in the detection signal Vout varies depending on the direction of the swipe operation. By utilizing such a property, the gesture recognition unit 22 can recognize the direction of the swipe operation by observing the steepness of the decrease in Vout.

  FIG. 11 shows the configuration of a sensing electrode portion 11D according to another modification of the present invention. The sensing electrode portion 11D shown in the figure has an asymmetric shape with respect to both the X axis and the Y axis on the surface 1a of the case 1. That is, the sensing electrode portion 11D has a right triangle shape that changes so that the width gradually decreases along the + X direction and also changes so that the width gradually decreases along the + Y axis direction. ing. The width of the bottom side in the X-axis direction of the sensing electrode portion 11D is made smaller than the width of the bottom side in the Y-axis direction.

  With such a structure, the change in the detection signal Vout varies depending on the four directions of the swipe operation. For example, when the swipe operation is performed in the X axis direction, the gesture recognition unit 22 detects whether the swipe operation is performed in the + X direction or the swipe operation in the −X direction as described above. This can be determined by determining the steepness of the decrease in Vout. Similarly, when the swipe operation is performed in the Y-axis direction, the gesture recognition unit 22 can determine whether the swipe operation is performed in the + Y direction or the swipe operation is performed in the −Y direction. . Furthermore, the gesture recognition unit 22 can determine whether the swipe operation is in the X-axis direction or the Y-axis direction by using the difference between the widths of the sensing electrode unit 11D in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction. it can. That is, when the swipe operation is performed in the X-axis direction, the time during which the finger F is in contact with the sensing electrode unit 11D is shortened, and thus the time during which the detection signal Vout is decreased is also shortened. On the contrary, when the swipe operation is performed in the Y-axis direction, the time during which the finger F is in contact with the sensing electrode unit 11D becomes longer, and thus the time during which the detection signal Vout is lowered becomes longer. When the movement speed of the finger F in the swipe operation is considered to be constant to some extent, the gesture recognition unit 22 determines the length of the output decrease period of the detection signal Vout so that the swipe operation can be performed in the X-axis direction. It is determined whether it has been performed or performed in the Y-axis direction.

  FIG. 12 shows the configuration of a sensing electrode unit 11E according to another modification of the present invention. The sensing electrode portion 11E shown in the figure also has an asymmetric shape on the surface 1a of the case 1 with respect to both the X axis and the Y axis. In other words, the sensing electrode portion 11E changes so that the width in the Y-axis direction decreases in two steps along the + X direction, and the width in the X-axis direction in two steps along the + Y direction. It has an L-shaped shape that changes so as to decrease. Specifically, the maximum width in the X direction of the sensing electrode portion 11E is made smaller than the maximum width in the Y direction. In the X axis direction, the width changes stepwise at the center of the sensing electrode portion 11E, and in the Y axis direction. The width changes stepwise at a position closer to the −Y direction than the center of the sensing electrode portion 11E.

  With such a structure, even when the movement speed of the finger F during the swipe operation is not considered to be constant, the change in the detection signal Vout varies depending on the four directions of the swipe operation. For example, the time when the size of the electrode touching the finger F during the swipe operation period varies between the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction. For example, when the swipe operation is performed in the X-axis direction, the size of the electrode touching the finger F at the center of the sensing electrode portion 11E along the swipe operation direction changes, and therefore the output decrease period in the detection signal Vout A level change accompanying the switching of the electrode size is observed near the center of. On the other hand, when the swipe operation is performed in the Y-axis direction, the size of the electrode that touches the finger F changes at the portion closer to the end from the center of the sensing electrode portion 11E along the direction of the swipe operation. A level change accompanying the switching of the electrode size is observed near the time of falling or rising from the center of the output decrease period at Vout. The gesture recognition unit 22 determines whether the swipe operation is in the X-axis direction or the Y-axis direction by determining whether the level change during the output decrease period in the detection signal Vout is deviated from the center. can do. Further, after the gesture recognition unit 22 determines the swipe operation in the X-axis direction or the Y-axis direction, the gesture recognition unit 22 determines which of the two remaining directions the swipe operation remains in the same manner as the sensing electrode unit 11D. can do.

  FIG. 13 shows a configuration of a sensing electrode portion 11F according to another modification of the present invention. The sensing electrode portion 11F shown in the figure has an asymmetric shape with respect to the Y axis on the surface 1a of the case 1. That is, in the sensing electrode portion 11F, two electrode members 54 and 55 having different widths in the Y-axis direction are arranged along the X direction, and the two electrode members 54 and 55 are arranged on the back surface or inside of the case 1. The electrode wire 56 is electrically integrated. Specifically, the electrode member 54 has a circular shape, and the electrode member 55 has a rectangular shape having a width in the Y-axis direction larger than that of the electrode member 54.

  With such a structure, the change in the detection signal Vout differs depending on the two directions of the swipe operation. That is, the temporal relationship of the waveform of the signal trough during the swipe operation period differs between the + X direction and the −X direction. For example, when the swipe operation is performed in the + X direction, the finger F first touches the electrode member 54 having a small width, and then the finger F touches the electrode member 55 having a large width. Therefore, a small valley first occurs in the detection signal Vout, and then a large valley occurs. On the other hand, when the swipe operation is performed in the −X direction, the finger F first touches the electrode member 55 having a large width, and then the finger F touches the electrode member 54 having a small width. For this reason, a large valley first occurs in the detection signal Vout, and then a small valley occurs. The gesture recognition unit 22 can determine whether the swipe operation is in the + X direction or the −Y direction by determining the temporal relationship between the small valley and the large valley in the detection signal Vout. Note that the sensing electrode portion 11F may be configured such that a plurality of electrode members having a relatively small width such as the electrode member 54 are provided, and each of them is electrically integrated on the back surface or inside of the case 1. Moreover, the sensing electrode part 11F is good also as what mutually differs in the magnitude | size of the electrode member provided. In this case, the detectable swipe direction can be increased.

  In addition, the configuration of the detection circuit unit 14 can be variously changed. In a capacitive touch sensor, mixed noise affects the detection performance of the sensor. This noise includes noise derived from drive pulses, noise derived from commercial power supply, and the like. The high-frequency noise derived from the rectangular wave voltage signal PA that drives the sensing electrode unit is not a big problem because it is different from the frequency range necessary for recognizing the gesture. On the other hand, noise derived from commercial power (50 Hz or 60 Hz AC noise) is problematic because it overlaps the frequency range for recognizing gestures. In the waveform of the detection signal shown in FIG. 5, noise (50 Hz) derived from commercial power is observed in a region where the output does not decrease, and at the same time, high-frequency noise derived from the rectangular wave voltage signal PA that drives the sensing electrode unit. Is always observed. FIG. 14 is a circuit diagram showing a configuration of a detection circuit unit 14 according to a modified example of the present invention in which measures against such noise derived from a commercial power source are taken.

  In the detection circuit unit 14 shown in the figure, the ground electrode unit 12 is reduced as compared with the configuration shown in FIG. 3, and the circuit unit for detecting the charging time including the variable resistance element 32a, the comparator 33a, and the AND gate 39a. In addition, a circuit unit for detecting a discharge time including a variable resistance element 32b, a comparator 33b, and an AND gate 39b, and an OR gate 41 are provided, and outputs of the two circuit units are combined by the OR gate 41 to be a low-pass filter. 36. Specifically, the bias voltage VCC is applied to one end of the variable resistance element 32b, the other end is connected to the other end of the variable resistance element 32a, and the outputs of the AND gate 39a and the AND gate 39b are two inputs of the OR gate 41. It is connected to the. Further, a rectangular wave voltage signal PC having the same frequency as the rectangular wave voltage signal PA is applied to the first input of the AND gate 39b via the input terminal 40b, and the second input of the AND gate 39b is applied to the comparator 33b. A potential VCb as a comparison result is input.

  According to the detection circuit unit 14 configured as described above, an output having an ON period corresponding to the charging time of the capacitance in the sensing electrode unit 11 is obtained from the AND gate 39a, and the sensing electrode unit is obtained from the AND gate 39b. An output having an ON period corresponding to the electrostatic discharge time at 11 is obtained. Further, the OR gate 41 obtains an output in which those ON periods are combined, and as the detection signal Vout, a signal in which the capacitance is detected by two of the charging time and the discharging time is obtained.

  15 is a timing chart showing an example of a waveform of a signal processed by the detection circuit unit 14 of FIG. 14, (a) is a waveform of the rectangular wave voltage signal PA, and (b) is a potential VS of the sensing electrode unit 11. (C) is the waveform of the potential VCa that is the output of the comparator 33a, (d) is the waveform of the potential VCb that is the output of the comparator 33b, (e) is the waveform of the rectangular wave voltage signal PB, and (f) is the rectangle. The waveform of the wave voltage signal PC, (g) shows the waveform of the output signal Vanda of the AND gate 39a, (h) shows the waveform of the output signal Vandb of the AND gate 39b, and (i) shows the waveform of the detection signal Vout. Thus, the on period of the potential VCa generated by comparing the potential VS of the sensing electrode unit 11 and the threshold potential TH1 corresponds to the charging time of the capacitance, and the potential VS of the sensing electrode unit 11 and the threshold potential. The ON period of the potential VCb generated by comparing with TH2 corresponds to the discharge time of the capacitance. Therefore, the output level of the detection signal Vout smoothed by combining the potentials VCa and VCb changes corresponding to the charging time and discharging time. Further, the rectangular wave voltage signals PB and PC and the potentials VCa and VCb are smoothed after being processed by the AND gates 39a and 39b, respectively, so that the DC level of the detection signal Vout can be lowered. The noise derived from the commercial power source mixed when only the charging time is used is in reverse phase to the noise derived from the commercial power source mixed when only the discharging time is used. In the detection circuit unit 14, noise derived from the commercial power supply can be canceled by adding both together. Thereby, there is no need to provide a ground electrode, and accurate gesture recognition can be realized.

  The detection circuit unit 14 of the embodiment described above is provided inside the case 1, but may be provided outside the case 1, or may be integrated with the IC chip 20. The IC chip 20 may also be provided outside the case 1.

  In addition, the gesture recognized by the input device 100 is not limited to that using the finger F, and may be that using another type of operator such as a touch pen.

  One application of the input apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention is application to a small device such as a wristwatch type device or a spectacle type device. In such a device, for example, if the input device according to the present embodiment is embedded in the vine portion of the glasses, various types of gesture input can be realized.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11, 11B, 11C, 11D, 11E ... Sensing electrode part, 12 ... Ground electrode part, 13, 13B ... Touch sensor, 14 ... Detection circuit part, 20 ... IC chip, 22 ... Gesture recognition part (gesture recognition means), 23 ... notification part (notification means), 100, 100A, 100B ... input device, F ... finger.

Claims (7)

An input device that recognizes a user's gesture,
A touch sensor for detecting contact of the user's finger;
Gesture recognition means for recognizing a gesture based on a signal generated by the touch sensor;
Notification means for notifying other devices of an operation signal corresponding to the gesture recognized by the gesture recognition means;
The touch sensor, the sensing electrode portions while only one chromatic having an elongated shape extending in one direction to a detection of the contact, the elongated ground electrode extending in a direction intersecting the one direction It has a section, by detecting a detection signal which is a comparison signal between the potential and the threshold potential of the sensing electrode unit detects a change in capacitance corresponding to the contact at the sensing electrode part,
The gesture recognition means determines the touch of the finger, the swipe of the finger, and the number of fingers of the swipe in the gesture operation by determining whether the detection signal is a time waveform corresponding to each operation. Recognize input device. The input device according to claim 1, wherein the sensing electrode unit has an asymmetric shape along one direction. The input device according to claim 2 , wherein the sensing electrode portion has a shape in which a plurality of branch portions having different widths are integrated. The input device according to claim 2 , wherein the sensing electrode unit has a shape whose width changes along one direction. The sensing electrode unit comprises a vertical width direction of the width in the one direction are formed differently, the input device according to any one of claims 2-4. The touch sensor is driven by a rectangular wave, it is detected by the charging time capacitance at the sensing electrode unit, an input device according to any one of claims 1-5. The touch sensor is driven by a rectangular wave, to detect the electrostatic capacitance in the sensing electrode unit by the two charge time and discharge time, the input device according to any one of claims 1-5.