JP6530160B2 - Electronics - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an electronic device having a touch sensor on the back.

  BACKGROUND In recent years, electronic devices such as mobile phones provided with a touch sensor for detecting a touch by a user are increasing. Various detection methods such as a resistive film method, a capacitance method, and the like are known as contact detection methods, and any method detects contact of a touch object by a finger of a user, a stylus pen, or the like.

  In addition to the surface, electronic devices having touch sensors on the back are also known. For example, in Patent Document 1, two touch sensors are provided on the front surface and the rear surface, respectively, and an input to the first rear surface or the second rear surface is made on the first surface or The portable terminal which can improve convenience by receiving as an input with respect to a 2nd surface is described.

JP 2012-230567 A

  When operating the electronic device with one hand, it is necessary to operate objects such as icons and tabs displayed on the surface with the thumb while holding the side and back of the electronic device with the four fingers and the palm other than the thumb and palm. is there. However, when the size of the electronic device becomes large, the object can not reach the object displayed on the upper surface, which makes it difficult to operate the electronic device with one hand.

  The object of the present invention made in view of such circumstances is to provide an electronic device capable of improving the operability when operating the electronic device with one hand.

In order to solve the above-mentioned subject, an electronic device concerning the present invention is an electronic device which has a touch sensor on the surface and the back, and if operation of a touch sensor on the back is detected, an icon located in the upper part of a display part is selected A control unit for displaying a cursor for performing processing corresponding to the icon selected by the cursor regardless of which part of the touch sensor on the surface is operated in a state where the icon is selected by the cursor It is characterized by

  Furthermore, in the electronic device according to the present invention, the control unit is characterized by displaying a cursor for selecting an icon in a predetermined area located above the display unit.

  Further, in the electronic device according to the present invention, the control unit grays out an area other than the predetermined area of the display unit while the cursor is displayed.

  Furthermore, in the electronic device according to the present invention, the control unit does not execute the process corresponding to the icon selected by the cursor until the operation of the touch sensor on the surface is detected while the cursor is displayed. It features.

  Furthermore, in the electronic device according to the present invention, the electronic device according to the present invention further includes a press detection unit that detects a press on the touch sensor on the back surface, and the control unit determines that data based on the press detected by the press detection unit In this case, the operation of the touch sensor on the back side is detected.

  According to the present invention, operability when operating an electronic device with one hand can be improved.

It is a block diagram showing a schematic structure of an electronic device concerning a 1st embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the mounting structure of the electronic device which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the state which the user hold | maintained the electronic device by the left hand. It is a flowchart which shows the process of the electronic device which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure explaining the process performed by operation of the back surface touch sensor of the electronic device which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows schematic structure of the electronic device which concerns on the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the mounting structure of the electronic device which concerns on the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the process of the electronic device which concerns on the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows schematic structure of the electronic device which concerns on the 3rd Embodiment of this invention.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

First Embodiment
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of the electronic device according to the first embodiment. In the example illustrated in FIG. 1, the electronic device 1 includes the display unit 11, the front surface touch sensor 12, the back surface touch sensor 13, the control unit 14, the storage unit 15, the communication unit 16, the microphone 17, and the speaker 18. And

  The display unit 11 displays an image such as a character, a photo, and an icon (object for operation). The display unit 11 is configured using a liquid crystal panel (LCD: Liquid Crystal Display), an organic EL panel (OELD: Organic Electroluminescence Display), or the like. For example, on the home screen, the display unit 11 displays icons for performing operations such as telephone, mail, Internet communication, and camera shooting.

  The surface touch sensor 12 detects the touch or release of the finger on the input surface of the surface touch sensor 12. Then, the surface touch sensor 12 detects a contact position with respect to the input surface, and outputs a signal indicating the detected contact position to the control unit 14. The front surface touch sensor 12 is formed of a transparent member, and is superimposed on the front surface of the display unit 11. The user visually recognizes the image of the display unit 11 through the transparent front surface touch sensor 12 and operates the front surface touch sensor 12 at the display position of the icon displayed by the display unit 11 to execute predetermined processing on the electronic device 1 Let Here, the operation of the touch sensor refers to any operation that brings a finger into contact with the touch sensor, such as touch, tap, double tap, slide, flick, and swipe.

  The rear surface touch sensor 13 is disposed on the rear surface of the electronic device 1 in order to improve operability when operating the electronic device 1 with one hand, and detects contact or release of contact with a finger on the input surface of the rear surface touch sensor 13 And outputs the detection result to the control unit 14. The front surface touch sensor 12 and the back surface touch sensor 13 are realized by, for example, a known method such as a resistive film method or a capacitive method.

  When the control unit 14 detects an operation of the front surface touch sensor 12 based on a signal input from the front surface touch sensor 12, the control unit 14 executes a process corresponding to the icon displayed at the contact position.

  In addition, when the control unit 14 detects a predetermined operation (for example, a tap) of the back surface touch sensor 13 based on a signal input from the back surface touch sensor 13, the control unit 14 displays a cursor for selecting an icon located above the display unit 11. Display. Then, after the cursor is moved by a predetermined operation (for example, slide) of the back surface touch sensor 13 and the icon is selected, the predetermined operation for the front surface touch sensor 12 (for example, tapping any place in the front surface touch sensor 12) When the) is detected, the processing corresponding to the icon selected by the cursor is executed. Here, the cursor makes it possible to select an icon in a predetermined area located at the top of the display unit 11. For example, in a screen on which a plurality of icons are displayed, the cursor enables one icon to be selected from the plurality of icons displayed on the first or second line from the top of the display unit 11.

  The storage unit 15 can be configured by a semiconductor memory or the like, stores various information, a program for operating the electronic device 1 and the like, and also functions as a work memory.

  The communication unit 16 enables wireless communication with a base station or another communication device.

  The microphone 17 collects surrounding sounds such as the user's speech. The sound collected by the microphone 17 is converted into an electrical signal and sent to the control unit 14.

  The speaker 18 outputs sounds such as voice, music, ring tone and the like.

  FIG. 2 is a view showing an example of the mounting structure of the electronic device 1 according to the first embodiment. Fig.2 (a) is a front view, FIG.2 (b) is sectional drawing along the AA line in FIG. 2 (a), FIG.2 (c) is a rear view.

  2, illustration of elements other than the housing | casing 10, the display part 11, the surface touch sensor 12, the back surface touch sensor 13, and the joining member 40 is abbreviate | omitted. The electronic device 1 can be provided with elements, such as a control part 14, a board | substrate, and various components, besides having shown in FIG. Also, typically, the microphone 17 is disposed below the surface touch sensor 12, and the speaker 18 is disposed above the surface touch sensor 12.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the surface touch sensor 12 is disposed on the surface 10 a of the housing 10 (for example, a case of metal or resin) and supported by the housing 10.

  The display unit 11 is disposed inside the housing 10. For example, the display unit 11 may be adhered to the back surface of the front surface touch sensor 12, or may be directly fixed to the inside of the housing 10 or fixed to a substrate or a display holder or the like disposed inside the housing 10. May be In FIG. 2, the display unit 11 is bonded to the surface touch sensor 12 via the bonding member 40. As shown in FIG. 2B, when the display unit 11 is disposed on the back side of the front surface touch sensor 12, when the touch panel is configured by the front surface touch sensor 12 and the display unit 11, a user free from the display unit 11 can be used. The interface can be displayed, and the user's operation can be detected by the surface touch sensor 12. The bonding member 40 is an adhesive having a thermosetting property, an ultraviolet ray curing property, or the like, a double-sided adhesive tape, or the like, and may be, for example, an optical elastic resin which is a colorless and transparent acrylic ultraviolet curable adhesive.

  The back surface touch sensor 13 is disposed on the back surface 10 b of the housing 10 and supported by the housing 10 so as to include a range that can be touched by the forefinger when the electronic device 1 is held with one hand. For example, as shown in FIGS. 2B and 2C, the back touch sensor 13 is disposed on the top of the back surface 10b of the housing 10.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a state in which the user holds the electronic device 1 with the left hand. Fig.3 (a) is the figure seen from surface side, FIG.3 (b) is the figure seen from the back side. When the electronic device 1 is held by the left hand as shown in FIG. 3B, the index finger is positioned on the back touch sensor 13. Therefore, the user can easily operate the back touch sensor 13 without bending the other finger only by bending the forefinger. In addition, in this embodiment, although the back surface touch sensor 13 is limited and arrange | positioned to the position which an index finger can contact, you may arrange | position over a wider range.

  Next, processing by the electronic device 1 according to the present invention will be described. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing processing of the electronic device 1 according to the first embodiment.

  When the control unit 14 detects a predetermined operation of the front surface touch sensor 12 based on a signal input from the front surface touch sensor 12 (step S101-Yes), the control unit 14 executes processing corresponding to the icon displayed at the touch position (step S102). For example, when the display unit 11 displays a browser icon for starting the Internet connection, when the front touch sensor 12 detects a tap at the display position of the browser icon, the communication unit 16 causes the communication unit 16 to start the Internet connection. The URL of the URL is accessed, and the acquired site screen is displayed on the display unit 11. If the process of step S102 is a process of ending the browser of the electronic device 1 (Yes in step S103), the process ends and, for example, the home screen (standby screen) is displayed on the display unit 11.

  In addition, when the control unit 14 detects a predetermined operation (for example, a tap) of the back surface touch sensor 13 based on a signal input from the back surface touch sensor 13 (step S104-Yes), an icon located above the display unit 11 is displayed. A cursor for selection is displayed on the display unit 11 (step S105). The cursor is not limited as long as it allows one icon to be selected from a plurality of icons. For example, a marker may be displayed near the selected icon, or the selected icon may be blinked or displayed in a color distinguishable from other icons.

  The cursor can be moved within a predetermined area located above the display unit 11 by a predetermined operation (for example, a slide) of the back surface touch sensor 13. When the control unit 14 detects a predetermined operation of the front surface touch sensor 12 (for example, a touch at an arbitrary place in the front surface touch sensor 12) after displaying the cursor (step S106-Yes), the control unit 14 is selected by the cursor A process corresponding to the icon is executed (step S107). That is, while displaying the cursor, the control unit 14 does not execute the processing corresponding to the icon selected by the cursor until the operation of the front surface touch sensor 12 is detected, while the user moves the cursor and displays the icon It can be selected. A specific example of the process of steps S105 to S107 will be described below.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the process performed by the operation of the back surface touch sensor 13. FIG. 5A shows a screen on which a plurality of icons such as a home screen and a folder screen are displayed. Although square icons A to X are shown as an example of display, the shape and number of the icons are not limited to this. When operating the electronic device 1 with one hand, it is difficult to select the icon displayed on the top with the thumb on the screen shown in FIG. 5A. Therefore, in the electronic device 1 according to the present invention, when the control unit 14 detects a predetermined operation (for example, a tap) of the back surface touch sensor 13, as shown in FIG. 5B, the control unit 14 is positioned above the display unit 11. A cursor for selecting an icon in a predetermined area (hereinafter referred to as “selectable area”) is displayed on the display unit 11. FIG. 5 (b) shows that the icon A is selected by the cursor. The displayed cursor can be erased by a predetermined operation. For example, when the control unit 14 detects a double tap of the back surface touch sensor 13, the control unit 14 erases the displayed cursor.

  The selectable area is a range assumed to be difficult for the thumb to reach when the user operates the electronic device 1 with one hand. Although the area including the icons A to H is a selectable area in FIG. 5, the selectable area is not limited to a rectangle. For example, the selectable area may be an area including the icons A to D, G, H, L, P, T, and X. Here, when displaying the cursor, it is preferable that the control unit 14 gray out an area other than the selectable area in the display unit 12 so that the user can distinguish the selectable area. In FIGS. 5B, 5C, and 5D, the icons I to X are indicated by broken lines, which means that areas other than the selectable area including the icons A to D are grayed out.

  The position of the cursor can be moved within the selectable area by a predetermined operation (for example, slide) of the back surface touch sensor 13. FIG. 5C shows a state in which the position of the cursor is moved and the icon B is selected. When the cursor is moved in the selectable area by the slide operation of the back surface touch sensor 13, it is difficult to slide the forefinger horizontally to the electronic device 1 with the electronic device 1 held by one hand. Therefore, it is preferable that the control unit 14 move the cursor in the horizontal direction even when the slide operation in the oblique direction is detected on the back surface touch sensor 13.

  FIG. 5D shows that the process corresponding to the selected icon B is executed. When the control unit 14 detects a predetermined operation of the front surface touch sensor 12, the control unit 14 executes a process corresponding to the icon B selected by the cursor. That is, in the state where the icon is selected by the cursor, the user can execute processing corresponding to the selected icon regardless of which part in the surface touch sensor 12 is operated (for example, touched). Here, if the icons I to X are grayed out, it is possible to clearly indicate to the user that the process corresponding to the icons is not executed even if the icons I to X are operated.

  As described above, when the electronic device 1 according to the first embodiment detects the operation of the back surface touch sensor 13, the control unit 14 displays a cursor for selecting an icon located above the display unit 11. Thereafter, when the operation of the touch sensor 12 on the surface is detected, processing corresponding to the icon selected by the cursor is executed. Therefore, according to the electronic device 1, an icon located at the upper part of the display unit 11 can be selected with one hand, and processing corresponding to the selected icon can be executed, and operability when operating the electronic device with one hand It is possible to improve the

Second Embodiment
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an electronic device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. The electronic device 2 according to the second embodiment further includes a pressure detection unit 20 as compared to the electronic device 1 according to the first embodiment. The other configuration is the same as that of the first embodiment, so the same reference numerals are assigned and the description is omitted.

  The pressure detection unit 20 detects a pressure when the user performs an operation on the back surface touch sensor 13, and outputs data based on the pressure to the control unit 14. The pressure detection unit 20 is configured using, for example, a strain gauge sensor, a piezoelectric element, or the like whose physical or electrical characteristics (strain, resistance, voltage, etc.) change according to pressure. When the pressure detection unit 20 is configured using, for example, a piezoelectric element, the piezoelectric element of the pressure detection unit 20 changes the size (or the size of the load) of the load (force) by the pressure on the back surface touch sensor 13. A voltage value (data based on pressure), which is an electrical characteristic, changes in accordance with the speed (acceleration). The data based on the pressure may be the magnitude of the load due to the pressure, the electric power value, the resistance value or the like instead of the voltage value.

  Further, the pressure detection unit 20 may similarly detect the pressure when the user performs an operation on the front surface touch sensor 12, and in the present embodiment, the pressure detection unit 20 is directed to the front surface touch sensor 12. The following description will be made on the assumption that the pressure when the user performs an operation is also detected.

  The control unit 14 acquires data based on the pressure on the back surface touch sensor 13 (and the surface touch sensor 12) from the pressure detection unit 20. Then, the control unit 14 determines that the predetermined operation is performed when the data based on the press is equal to or more than the predetermined threshold, and performs the predetermined processing based on, for example, the application according to the operation content. Control.

  Moreover, the press detection part 20 can be comprised according to a contact detection system. For example, when the contact detection method is a resistive film method, a strain gauge sensor, a piezoelectric element, or the like can be obtained by associating the magnitude of resistance according to the size of the contact area with the load of pressure on the touch surface of the touch sensor. The pressure detection unit 20 can be configured without using it. Alternatively, in the case where the touch sensor is of the electrostatic capacitance type, the size of the electrostatic capacitance can be associated with the load of the pressure applied to the touch sensor, thereby making it possible to configure without using a strain gauge sensor, a piezoelectric element or the like.

  FIG. 7 is a view showing an example of the mounting structure of the electronic device 2 according to the second embodiment. Fig.7 (a) is a front view, FIG.7 (b) is sectional drawing along the AA line in FIG. 7 (a), FIG.7 (c) is a rear view. FIG. 7 illustrates the piezoelectric elements 21 to 24 constituting the pressure detection unit 20 in addition to the mounting structure of the electronic device 1 shown in FIG. The number of piezoelectric elements and the arrangement position thereof are not limited to the illustrated example.

  In the example illustrated in FIG. 7, the pressure detection unit 20 includes the first piezoelectric element 21, the second piezoelectric element 22, the third piezoelectric element 23, and the fourth piezoelectric element 24, and the first piezoelectric element 21 and the second piezoelectric element The element 22 detects a pressure when the user performs an operation on the back surface touch sensor 13, and the third piezoelectric element 23 and the fourth piezoelectric element 24 cause the user to operate the surface touch sensor 12. Detect pressing.

  7A, the area on the front surface touch sensor 12 where it is not necessary to transmit the display by the display unit 11, that is, the area where the front surface touch sensor 12 and the display unit 11 do not overlap It is preferable to paint or cover the area near the end with a bezel. In this way, it is possible to prevent the third piezoelectric element 23 and the fourth piezoelectric element 24 and the like from being seen from the outside of the electronic device 2.

  Next, processing by the electronic device 2 according to the present invention will be described. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing processing of the electronic device 2 according to the second embodiment.

  When the control unit 14 detects a predetermined operation of the front surface touch sensor 12 based on a signal input from the front surface touch sensor 12 (step S201-Yes), the control unit 14 acquires data based on pressure on the front surface touch sensor 12 from the pressure detection unit 20. (Step S202). Then, the control unit 14 determines whether or not the data based on the acquired pressure satisfies a predetermined threshold (standard) (step S203), and when the data based on the pressure satisfies a predetermined threshold (step S203- Yes), it is determined that the pressing operation of the front surface touch sensor 12 has been performed, and a process corresponding to the icon displayed at the pressing position is executed (step S204). Here, when the data based on the pressure satisfies the predetermined threshold value, the data based on the pressure may reach the predetermined reference value, or the data based on the pressure exceeds the predetermined reference value. In some cases, data based on pressure equal to a predetermined reference value may be detected. If the process of step S204 is a process of ending an application or a menu (step S205-Yes), the process is ended and, for example, a home screen (standby screen) is displayed on the display unit 11.

  In addition, when the control unit 14 detects a predetermined operation of the back surface touch sensor 13 based on a signal input from the back surface touch sensor 13 (step S206-Yes), data based on pressure on the back surface touch sensor 13 from the pressure detection unit 20 is It acquires (step S207). Then, the control unit 14 determines whether or not the data based on the acquired pressure satisfies a predetermined threshold (reference) (step S208), and when the data based on the pressure satisfies a predetermined threshold (step S208) Yes), it is determined that the operation of the back surface touch sensor 13 has been performed, and the display unit 11 displays a cursor for selecting an icon located above the display unit 11 (step S209).

  The cursor can be moved within the selectable area by a predetermined operation (for example, slide) of the back surface touch sensor 13. After displaying (and moving) the cursor in step S209, when the control unit 14 detects a predetermined operation on the surface touch sensor 12 (step S210-Yes), the control unit 14 is based on the pressure on the surface touch sensor 12 from the pressure detection unit 20. Data is acquired (step S211). Then, the control unit 14 determines whether or not the data based on the acquired pressure satisfies a predetermined threshold (reference) (step S212), and the data based on the pressure satisfies a predetermined threshold (step S212). Yes), it is determined that the pressing operation of the front surface touch sensor 12 has been performed, and processing corresponding to the icon selected by the cursor is executed (step S213).

  As described above, the electronic device 2 according to the second embodiment further includes the press detection unit 20, and when the data based on the press on the back touch sensor 13 satisfies a predetermined reference, the control unit 14 It is determined that the touch sensor 13 has been operated. Therefore, the electronic device 2 can be prevented from judging that the operation by the user has been performed only by lightly contacting another object. In particular, when holding the electronic device, the finger is in contact with the back surface, but by detecting the pressure by the pressure detection unit 20, it is erroneously determined that the user operates in spite of the intention of the operation. Can be prevented.

Third Embodiment
Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an electronic device according to a third embodiment of the present invention. The electronic device 3 according to the third embodiment further includes a tactile sensation providing unit 30 as compared to the electronic device 2 according to the second embodiment. The other configuration is the same as that of the second embodiment, so the same reference numerals are assigned and the description is omitted.

  The tactile sensation providing unit 30 generates a predetermined vibration based on the drive signal supplied from the control unit 14. The drive signal may be any drive signal that represents the vibration of a realistic button to be expressed at the position where the finger touches.

  The tactile sensation providing unit 30 is configured using a piezoelectric element, an ultrasonic transducer, a vibration motor (eccentric motor), or the like, and a user who presses the back touch sensor 13 by generating vibration with a predetermined vibration pattern. The tactile sensation is presented to the finger of the user, and the user is sensibly notified that the back touch sensor 13 has been operated. The tactile sensation providing unit 30 presents a tactile sensation to the finger of the user pressing the back touch sensor 13 by controlling the charge of the film attached on the back touch sensor 13 without using mechanical vibration. You may

  In addition, the tactile sensation providing unit 30 may generate vibration similarly to the front surface touch sensor 12 to present a tactile sensation to the finger of the user pressing the front surface touch sensor 12. .

  The tactile sensation providing unit 30 may be integrated with the pressure detection unit 20. In particular, when the pressure detection unit 20 and the tactile sensation providing unit 30 are configured using a piezoelectric element, the piezoelectric element can be shared. The piezoelectric element generates a voltage when pressure is applied, and deforms when the voltage is applied. An example of the mounting structure in this case is as shown in FIG.

  When the pressure detection unit 20 and the tactile sensation providing unit 30 are configured using a piezoelectric element, the control unit 14 performs a predetermined process when the voltage value of the piezoelectric element satisfies a predetermined threshold, and the piezoelectric element Vibration may be generated by driving. Here, when the voltage value of the piezoelectric element satisfies the predetermined threshold value, it may be when the voltage value reaches the predetermined reference value, or when the voltage value exceeds the predetermined reference value. And when a voltage value equal to a predetermined reference value is detected.

  As described above, the electronic device 3 according to the third embodiment further includes the tactile sensation providing unit 30, and generates a predetermined vibration based on the drive signal supplied from the control unit 14. Therefore, when the user operates the back surface touch sensor 13 (and the front surface touch sensor 12), the electronic device 3 can intuitively notify the user that the intended operation has been performed.

  Although the embodiments described above have been described as representative examples, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that many modifications and substitutions can be made within the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention should not be construed as being limited by the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and changes are possible without departing from the scope of the claims. For example, it is possible to combine a plurality of configuration blocks described in the embodiment into one, or to divide one configuration block.

1, 2, 3 electronic device 11 display unit 12 front surface touch sensor 13 back touch sensor 14 control unit 15 storage unit 16 communication unit 17 microphone 18 speaker 20 pressure detection unit 21 first piezoelectric element 22 second piezoelectric element 23 third piezoelectric element 24 fourth piezoelectric element 30 tactile sense presentation unit 40 bonding member

Claims (5)

An electronic device having touch sensors on the front and back sides,
When the operation of the touch sensor on the back is detected, a cursor for selecting an icon located above the display unit is displayed, and in the state where the icon is selected by the cursor , which part of the touch sensor on the surface is operated also, the electronic apparatus characterized in that it comprises a control unit for executing a process corresponding to the icon selected by the cursor.   The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit displays a cursor for selecting an icon in a predetermined area located above the display unit.   The electronic device according to claim 2, wherein the control unit grays out an area other than the predetermined area of the display unit while the cursor is displayed.   4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit does not execute the process corresponding to the icon selected by the cursor while detecting the operation of the touch sensor on the surface while the cursor is displayed. The electronic device as described in any one. And a press detection unit that detects a press on the touch sensor on the back surface,
The said control part detects operation of the touch sensor on the said back, when the data based on the press detected by the said press detection part satisfy | fills predetermined | prescribed reference | standard, It is characterized by the above-mentioned. Electronic device according to any one of the items.

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