JP7083236B2 - Electric vibration type tactile presentation device and electronic equipment - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an electric vibration type tactile presentation device and an electronic device.

In recent years, a tactile presentation technique that simulates the tactile sensation felt when a person touches an object with a finger or the like has been developed. For example, when applying the tactile presentation technique to an electronic device related to a liquid crystal display, an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display, or the like, a panel-type tactile presentation device for presenting the tactile sensation is provided on the display. The tactile presentation device reproduces the tactile sensation of an object in the image on the panel according to the image displayed on the display, and makes the user who touches the panel perceive the tactile sensation.

As the tactile presentation method, there are, for example, an actuator method, an electric stimulation method, an electric vibration method, and the like. Of these, the electric vibration method uses electrostatic force to present a tactile sensation to the user's skin.

The electric vibration type tactile presentation device includes an electrode for tactile presentation covered with an insulating film, and applies a voltage signal for tactile presentation to the electrode. Here, the voltage signal for tactile presentation is a voltage signal having a frequency at which the mechanoreceptors of human skin have sensitivity. When the user touches the insulating film, an electrostatic force is generated between the skin of the finger and the electrode. When the user traces the surface of the insulating film with a finger, the frictional force changes at the frequency of the voltage signal for tactile presentation, and the user can perceive a so-called texture feeling.

In the electric vibration type tactile presentation device, a plurality of electrodes are arranged on a substrate and each electrode is independently driven to partially present the tactile sensation. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a tactile presentation device in which a plurality of tactile presentation electrodes are independently driven by a driver to partially present tactile sensation.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2011-248884

However, in the electric vibration type tactile presentation device, there is a possibility that the user may perceive unnecessary tactile sensation depending on the configuration of the wiring for applying the voltage to each electrode. FIG. 1 is a partially enlarged view showing a configuration example of a tactile presentation device 110 according to a related technique. FIG. 1 shows a partially enlarged view of a part of a panel for presenting a tactile sensation. As shown in FIG. 1, the tactile presentation device 110 according to the related technique includes a wiring 111, an electrode 112, and a substrate 113. A plurality of electrodes 112 are arranged in a matrix on the substrate 113, and wiring 111 is connected to each electrode 112. The electrodes 112 and wiring 111 are covered with an insulating film and form a touch surface that the user can touch.

The electrode 112 is connected to an external signal voltage source (not shown) via wiring 111. When a voltage signal for tactile presentation is applied from the signal voltage source to the electrode 112 via the wiring 111, the electrode 112 is charged and presents the tactile sensation to the user's finger. The tactile presenting device can partially present the tactile sensation by independently driving the individual electrodes 112.

For example, consider a case where a voltage signal is applied to the electrode 112a via the wiring 111a shown by a thick line in FIG. 1, and a tactile sensation is presented at the electrode 112a. When the user's finger touches the surface of the insulating film on the electrode 112a, an electrostatic bond is generated between the electrode 112a and the skin of the finger via the insulating film. The electrostatic force generated between the electrode 112a and the skin of the finger changes depending on the frequency of the voltage signal, and vibrates the finger. On the other hand, when a finger touches the surface of the insulating film other than the electrode 112a, no voltage is applied to the other electrodes 112, so that vibration should not be applied.

However, since the voltage is applied to the electrode 112a via the wiring 111a, there is a possibility that an unnecessary tactile sensation may be generated even on the wiring 111a. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the expression of unnecessary tactile sensation. As shown in FIG. 2, when a finger touches the surface of the insulating film near the wiring 111a, the electric field leaking from the wiring 111a may cause electrostatic coupling between the wiring 111a and the skin of the finger. That is, there is a risk that the tactile sensation will be perceived in the portion where the tactile sensation should not be perceived. In the following description, the unnecessary tactile sensation as described above is referred to as "unnecessary tactile sensation".

The present invention has been made under such circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide an electric vibration type tactile presentation device and the like capable of reducing the expression of unnecessary tactile sensations.

The electric vibration type tactile presentation device according to the present invention includes a substrate, a plurality of wirings extending on the substrate, a first insulating layer provided on the substrate and covering the plurality of wirings, and the first. Selectively for the plurality of electrodes via the wiring based on the plurality of electrodes arranged on the insulating layer, the second insulating layer covering the plurality of electrodes, and the control signal input from the outside. It is an electric vibration type tactile presentation device provided with a drive circuit for applying a voltage signal to the wiring, and each wiring is a through hole provided in one of the plurality of electrodes and the first insulating layer. Electrically connected via, the electrodes present a tactile sensation to the user in contact with the second insulating layer above the electrodes when the voltage signal is applied, and all the wiring is , A portion of which is partially covered by at least one of the electrodes , the plurality of wirings are all of the same length, and the area where the individual wirings and the electrodes overlap via the first insulating layer. It is the same for all the wirings and is characterized by passing under the electrodes so that the individual wirings are closer to the substrate than the electrodes in the direction from the electrodes to the substrate .

The electronic device according to the present invention is either a touch panel display device that displays a processing result by a processor provided and receives an operation input corresponding to the processing result, or the above-mentioned one that presents a tactile sensation corresponding to the display of the processing result. It is characterized by having an electric vibration type tactile presentation device according to the above.

According to the present invention, the expression of unnecessary tactile sensation can be reduced.

It is a partially enlarged view which shows the structural example of the tactile presentation device which concerns on a related technique. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating the expression of unnecessary tactile sensation. It is an exploded view which shows the structural example of the electronic device. It is a front view which shows the configuration example of the tactile presentation device. It is a partial cross-sectional view which shows the structural example of the tactile presentation device. It is explanatory drawing of the arrangement relation of wiring and electrode. It is a schematic diagram which shows the structural example of the tactile presentation device. It is explanatory drawing which shows the configuration example of wiring. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating the shielding effect of an electrode. It is a front view which shows the other example of the wiring composition of a tactile presentation device. It is a front view which shows the configuration example of the tactile presentation device. It is explanatory drawing which shows the configuration example of wiring. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating the superimposition area of a wiring and an electrode. It is a circuit diagram of a tactile presentation device. It is a circuit diagram of a tactile presentation device. It is a circuit diagram of a tactile presentation device. It is a graph which shows the simulation result which concerns on the response speed of the tactile presentation. It is a graph which shows the simulation result which concerns on the response speed of the tactile presentation. It is a schematic diagram which shows the state which presents the tactile sensation to a plurality of parts. It is a circuit diagram in the case of presenting a tactile sensation in a plurality of parts. It is a circuit diagram in the case of presenting a tactile sensation in a plurality of parts. It is a graph which shows the simulation result when the tactile sensation is presented in a plurality of parts. It is a graph which shows the simulation result when the tactile sensation is presented in a plurality of parts. It is a graph which shows the simulation result about the difference of the internal resistance of a signal voltage source. It is a graph which shows the simulation result about the difference of the internal resistance of a signal voltage source. It is a partially enlarged view which shows the structural example of the tactile presentation device. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating the expression of unnecessary tactile sensation. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating the relationship between the electrode spacing and the thickness of the 2nd insulating layer. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating the relationship between the electrode spacing and the thickness of the 2nd insulating layer. It is a graph which shows the simulation result which performed about the relationship between the electrode spacing and the capacitance. It is a graph which shows the simulation result which performed about the relationship between the electrode spacing and the capacitance. It is a partially enlarged view which shows the structural example of the tactile presentation device. It is a partial cross-sectional view which shows the structural example of the tactile presentation device. It is a partial cross-sectional view which shows the structural example of the tactile presentation device. It is a figure which shows the other example of Embodiment 4. It is a figure which shows the other example of Embodiment 4. It is a figure which shows the other example of Embodiment 4. It is a figure which shows the other example of Embodiment 4. It is a figure which shows the other example of Embodiment 4. It is a figure which shows the other example of Embodiment 4.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings showing the embodiments thereof.
(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 3 is an exploded view showing a configuration example of the electronic device 1. In the present embodiment, as an electronic device equipped with the tactile presentation device 10, an electronic device 1 that displays an image, such as a smartphone, a tablet terminal, a notebook-type personal computer, or the like, will be described as an example. The electronic device 1 has a display device 30 and a tactile presentation device 10.

The display device 30 is an image display device related to, for example, a liquid crystal display, an organic EL display, or the like. For example, the display device 30 is a touch panel type display device having a rectangular display surface and accepting operation input by touching the display surface. In the following description, the display surface side of the display device 30 is the front side of the electronic device 1, and the opposite side is the back side. Specifically, the display device 30 includes a display panel (not shown) for displaying an image and a touch panel (not shown) arranged so as to face the display panel. The display device 30 acquires the processing result related to the image processing from the processor built in the electronic device 1 and displays the processing result on the display panel. Further, the display device 30 receives the operation input corresponding to the processing result by the touch panel. As in the case where the electronic device 1 is a display device connected to an external device such as a desktop personal computer, the electronic device 1 does not have a built-in processor and is configured to display the processing result acquired from the external device. May be good. The display device 30 is housed in a box-shaped housing 40.

The tactile presentation device 10 is arranged on the front side of the display device 30 so as to face the display surface of the display device 30. The tactile presentation device 10 is housed in the housing 40 together with the display device 30. The tactile presentation device 10 acquires a processing result from a processor built in the electronic device 1 and presents a tactile sensation corresponding to the display of the processing result on the display device 30. Specifically, for example, the tactile presentation device 10 presents the tactile sensation of the object to be operated displayed on the display panel to the corresponding location on the touch panel on which the object is displayed.

FIG. 4 is a front view showing a configuration example of the tactile presentation device 10. FIG. 5 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a configuration example of the tactile presentation device 10. Note that FIG. 5 shows a partial cross-sectional view of the tactile presentation device 10 as viewed along the line I-I shown in FIG. The tactile presentation device 10 includes a substrate 13, a plurality of electrodes 12 arranged on the substrate 13, and a plurality of wirings 11 connected to each electrode 12.

The substrate 13 is a transparent substrate for arranging the electrodes 12 and the like, and is, for example, a glass substrate. For example, the substrate 13 has a rectangular shape, but is not limited to this, and may have a circular shape, an elliptical shape, a polygonal shape, or the like according to the display surface of the display device 30.

The electrode 12 is a flat plate electrode for presenting a tactile sensation to the user, and is a conductive material having transparency to visible light, such as ITO (Indium Tin Oxide). Although the shape of the electrode 12 is shown in a rectangular shape in FIG. 4, the shape of the electrode 12 is not limited to this, and may be, for example, a circular shape, an elliptical shape, a polygonal shape, or the like. Further, the number of electrodes 12 shown in FIG. 4 is an example, and is not limited to the number shown in the figure. The plurality of electrodes 12 are arranged in a matrix along the first direction x and the second direction y intersecting the first direction x. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, the electrodes 12 are arranged with the short side direction of the substrate 13 as the first direction x and the long side direction of the substrate 13 as the second direction y. It should be noted that a configuration in which the side direction of the substrate 13 and the arrangement direction of the electrodes 12 match is not essential. Further, although the electrodes 12 are arranged in a matrix as described above, the arrangement pattern of the electrodes 12 is not limited to the matrix.

The wiring 11 is a wiring for connecting each electrode 12 to a drive circuit 22 (see FIG. 7) described later, and is a wiring formed of, for example, silver, aluminum, molybdenum, or the like. The wiring 11 may be a transparent member or a non-transparent member. All wirings 11 extend along one direction on the substrate 13. Specifically, all the wirings 11 are extended along the arrangement direction of one of the electrodes 12 arranged in a matrix. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, all the wirings 11 extend along the first direction x. The wiring 11 has a one-to-one relationship in which one wiring 11 is connected to one electrode 12, and is connected to any one of the plurality of electrodes 12 arranged on the substrate 13. One end is connected. The other end of the wiring 11 is connected to an input terminal 19 provided on the long side of the board 13, and is connected to the drive circuit 22 via the input terminal 19. The wiring 11 supplies the voltage signal output from the drive circuit 22 to the electrode 12. The detailed arrangement configuration of the electrodes 12 and the wiring 11 will be described in detail later.

As shown in FIG. 5, the tactile presentation device 10 includes the wiring 11, the electrode 12, the substrate 13, the first insulating layer 14, the second insulating layer 15, and the like. The first insulating layer 14 is an insulating layer formed on the substrate 13 with a thickness of several μm. As described above, a plurality of wirings 11 are arranged on the substrate 13. The first insulating layer 14 is provided on the substrate 13 so as to cover the plurality of wirings 11. The electrode 12 is provided on the first insulating layer 14. As a result, the first insulating layer 14 insulates the wiring 11, the electrode 12, and the wiring 11 from each other.

As described above, the wiring 11 and the electrode 12 have a one-to-one relationship, and each wiring 11 has one of the plurality of electrodes 12 and a through hole provided in the first insulating layer 14. It is electrically connected via. Specifically, the first insulating layer 14 is provided with a contact hole 16 which is a through hole extending from one end of the wiring 11 to the back surface of the electrode 12, and the wiring 11 and the electrode 12 are provided through the contact hole 16. Are electrically connected in a one-to-one relationship. In this embodiment, one electrode 12 and the wiring 11 are connected by one contact hole 16, but a plurality of contact holes 16 may be connected. By doing so, the contact resistance of the contact portion can be reduced.

The second insulating layer 15 is an insulating layer that covers the plurality of electrodes 12. The second insulating layer 15 is formed on the first insulating layer 14 with a thickness of, for example, several μm. Specifically, the second insulating layer 15 is laminated on the front surface of the first insulating layer 14 so as to sandwich the electrode 12 with the first insulating layer 14, and the touch surface according to the tactile presenting device 10. Form. When the user's finger touches the surface of the second insulating layer 15, the second insulating layer 15 insulates the user's finger from the electrode 12, so that electricity does not directly conduct to the user's finger. ..

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of the arrangement relationship between the wiring 11 and the electrode 12. In FIG. 6, unlike FIG. 4, the contact hole 16 is indicated by a white circle. Details regarding the arrangement of the wiring 11 and the electrode 12 will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6. The wiring 11 that supplies voltage to the first electrode 12 arranged at the position closest to the input terminal 19 side (lower side in FIG. 6) is arranged so as to extend below the first electrode 12. There is. Next, the wiring 11 that supplies a voltage to the second electrode 12 when viewed from the input terminal 19 is arranged so as to pass under the first electrode 12 and extend under the second electrode 12. .. Similarly, the wiring 11 that supplies a voltage to the third electrode 12 is arranged so as to pass under the first and second electrodes 12 and extend to the bottom of the third electrode 12. The wiring 11 that supplies a voltage to the fourth electrode 12 is arranged so as to pass under the first to third electrodes 12 and extend under the fourth electrode 12. From the above, each wiring 11 is covered with at least one electrode 12.

Here, consider the electrode group 12a juxtaposed along the first direction x, which is shown by the broken line in FIG. All of the plurality of wirings 11 that supply voltage to each of the electrodes 12 related to the electrode group 12a are arranged so as to be within the formation width of the electrodes 12 in the second direction y that intersects the first direction x. Specifically, the plurality of wirings 11 are arranged so that the distance between the two wirings 11 and 11 located at both ends is shorter than the forming width of the electrode 12 in the second direction y. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, when the electrode 12 is a rectangular plate electrode having both sides parallel to the first direction x and the second direction y, the distance W1 between the wirings 11 and 11 located at both ends is the first. It should be shorter than the width W2 of one side of the electrode 12 parallel to the two directions y. As a result, all of the plurality of wirings 11 can be accommodated within the formation width (width in the second direction y) of the electrode 12.

Also, as described above, the wiring 11 extends under at least one electrode 12 along the first direction x. Therefore, since the electrode group 12a has a structure in which a plurality of electrodes 12 are arranged along the first direction x, the plurality of wirings 11 extend only under the electrode 12 related to the electrode group 12a, and the electrodes of the electrode group 12a It does not extend under the electrodes 12 other than 12. As a result, as shown in FIG. 6, all the wirings 11 related to the electrode group 12a do not protrude into the region on the substrate 13 between the adjacent electrodes 12 and 12 in the second direction y, and are in the stretching direction (the first). The shape is not covered by the electrodes 12 only between the adjacent electrodes 12 and 12 in one direction x). That is, the electrode 12 is configured to cover the wiring 11 as much as possible in the front view.

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration example of the tactile presentation device 10. The tactile presentation device 10 includes a control unit 21 and a drive circuit 22 in addition to the wiring 11 and the like. The control unit 21 includes, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), an MPU (Micro-Processing Unit), and the like, and controls the operation of the tactile presentation device 10 according to the image processing result acquired from the processor built in the electronic device 1. , A control signal designating the electrode 12 that presents the sense of touch is generated and output to the drive circuit 22. The drive circuit 22 is a circuit to which individual wirings 11 are connected, and a voltage is applied to each electrode 12 based on a control signal output from the control unit 21.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram for explaining partial tactile presentation. For example, consider the case of presenting a tactile sensation in the region A1 shown in FIG. In this case, the control unit 21 controls the drive circuit 22 and applies a voltage signal to the electrodes 12 arranged in the region A1. Specifically, the control unit 21 connects the other end of the wiring 11 having one end connected to the electrode 12 arranged in the region A1 to the signal voltage source 17 via a switching element (not shown). The signal voltage source 17 is, for example, a pulse voltage source, and supplies a pulse voltage to the electrode 12 via the wiring 11. As a result, a pulse voltage is applied to the electrodes 12 arranged in the region A1. The signal voltage source 17 may be an AC voltage source. The electrode 12 presents a tactile sensation to the user's finger in contact with the second insulating layer 15 on the electrode 12 when a voltage signal is applied. Specifically, as already described, the electrode 12 is charged by the application of the voltage signal, and an electrostatic force is generated between the electrode 12 and the user's finger. When the user traces the finger, the frictional force changes at the frequency of the voltage signal, and the texture is perceived.

Further, the drive circuit 22 connects an electrode 12 other than the electrode 12 to which the voltage signal is applied to a reference potential point 18 different from the signal voltage source 17. Specifically, the drive circuit 22 follows a control signal from the control unit 21 and connects the other end of the wiring 11 having one end connected to the electrode 12 other than the region A1 to the reference potential point 18 via the above switching element. do. The reference potential point 18 is, for example, a grounding point (GND). The reference potential point 18 may be a DC voltage source. The drive circuit 22 grounds the electrode 12 by connecting an electrode 12 other than the electrode 12 to which a voltage signal is applied, that is, an electrode 12 that does not present a tactile sensation, to GND. As described above, the drive circuit 22 selectively applies a voltage signal to the plurality of electrodes 12 based on the control signal from the control unit 21.

Here, consider the tactile non-presentation electrode 12 arranged in the region A2 in FIG. FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the shielding effect of the electrode 12. FIG. 9 shows a partial cross-sectional view of the tactile presentation device 10 as viewed along the line II-II of FIG. In FIG. 9, for convenience of illustration, hatching is omitted for the first insulating layer 14. Since the electrode 12 shown in the center of FIG. 9 is not connected to the signal voltage source 17, no voltage signal for tactile presentation is applied. Therefore, even when the user touches the surface of the second insulating layer 15 on the electrode 12, the tactile sensation due to the electrostatic coupling between the user's finger and the electrode 12 is not presented.

On the other hand, a leakage electric field (shown by an arrow in FIG. 8) is generated from the wiring 11 connected to the electrode 12 arranged in the region A1, that is, the wiring 11 connected to the signal voltage source 17, and the finger and the wiring 11 of the user. There is a possibility that electrostatic coupling will occur between the two. However, the wiring 11 connected to the signal voltage source 17 is located below the electrode 12 connected to the reference voltage source 18 in the tactile non-presentation region A2. Therefore, the leakage electric field from the wiring 11 is shielded by the electrode 12, and the possibility of leakage to the second insulating layer 15 is reduced. That is, the electrode 12 exerts a shielding effect. From the above, the risk of giving an unnecessary tactile sensation to the user is reduced.

From the above, according to the first embodiment, it is possible to reduce the expression of unnecessary tactile sensation.

Further, according to the first embodiment, the circuit design related to the tactile presentation device 10 can be facilitated by extending the plurality of wirings 11 in the same first direction x.

In the above, it is assumed that the plurality of wirings 11 are extended in the first direction x, but it is not necessary that the extending directions of all the wirings 11 are the same. FIG. 10 is a front view showing another example of the wiring configuration of the tactile presentation device 10. For example, as shown in FIG. 10, a part of the wiring 11 may be extended along the first direction x, and the other wiring 11 may be extended along the second direction y. That is, the wiring 11 may be configured to be arranged under at least one electrode 12, and the extending direction of the wiring 11 is not particularly limited.

(Modification 1)
In the first embodiment, a mode in which a plurality of electrodes 12 are arranged in a matrix along the first direction x and the second direction y has been described. However, the electrodes 12 may not be arranged in a matrix. FIG. 11 is a front view showing a configuration example of the tactile presentation device 10 according to the modified example 1. In the tactile presentation device 10 according to the first modification, a plurality of electrodes 12 are arranged in a mesh shape. Specifically, the plurality of electrodes 12 have the same rhombic shape when viewed from the front, and are regularly arranged on the substrate 13. For example, each of the diamond-shaped electrodes 12 is arranged so that the two diagonal lines are parallel to the first direction x and the second direction y (the short side direction and the long side direction of the substrate 13). As a result, the plurality of electrodes 12 are arranged in a mesh shape as a whole. Although each electrode 12 is shown in a square shape in FIG. 11, each electrode 12 may have a rhombic shape having an obtuse angle and an acute angle.

All the wirings 11 extend in parallel with the diagonal lines of the diamond-shaped electrodes 12, 12, 12 ... Specifically, as shown in FIG. 11, each wiring 11 extends below at least one electrode 12 along a first direction x parallel to one diagonal of the electrode 12. Even with the above configuration, since the wiring 11 is covered with the electrodes 12, the expression of unnecessary tactile sensation can be reduced.

In the above description, it is assumed that the diamond-shaped electrodes 12 are arranged in a mesh shape, but for example, the electrodes 12 having a circular shape, an elliptical shape, a triangular shape, a hexagonal shape, etc. may be arranged in a mesh shape. good.

From the above, according to the first modification, even if the electrodes 12, 12, 12 ... Are arranged in a mesh shape, the expression of unnecessary tactile sensation can be reduced as in the first embodiment.

(Embodiment 2)
In this embodiment, a mode in which the lengths of all the wirings 11 are the same will be described. Regarding the contents overlapping with the first embodiment, the same reference numerals are given to the drawings and the description thereof will be omitted.
FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram showing a configuration example of the wiring 11. Similar to the first embodiment, all the wirings 11 are extended along the first direction x. On the other hand, all the wirings 11 according to the present embodiment are extended so as to have the same length along the first direction x.

In the present embodiment, all the wirings 11 are arranged so as to pass under all the electrodes 12 arranged side by side along the first direction x. For example, as shown in FIG. 12, the wiring 11 connected to the first electrode 12 extends under all the first, second, third, and so on electrodes 12 arranged along the first direction x. Be placed. Since all the wirings 11 have the same length, the magnitude of the internal resistance of the individual wirings 11 is the same.

Further, in the present embodiment, the area where the individual wirings 11 overlap with each electrode 12 via the second insulating layer 15 is the same for all the wirings 11. FIG. 13 shows an explanatory diagram for explaining the overlapping area between the wiring 11 and the electrode 12. In FIG. 13, hatching is added to the portion where the wiring 11 and the electrode 12 overlap each other. As described above, the individual wires 11 extend under all the electrodes 12 aligned along the first direction x. In this case, the shape of each electrode 12 is the same rectangular shape with the first direction x as one side direction and the second direction y as the other side direction. In this case, since the plurality of electrodes 12 are arranged in a matrix along the first direction x and the second direction y, as shown in FIG. 13, the individual wirings 11 are the electrodes 12 and 12 in the front view. The area overlapping with, 12, ... Is the same for all wirings 11. As a result, the magnitude of the stray capacitance formed between the individual wirings 11 and the electrodes 12 becomes the same for all the wirings 11. From the above, the electrical load is the same in the wiring path related to each wiring 11, and it is possible to present a uniform tactile sensation in the entire touch surface of the tactile sensation presenting device 10.

In the above, the plurality of electrodes 12 have the same rectangular shape, but in the present embodiment, the shape of the electrodes 12 is not particularly limited, and all the wirings 11 may have the same overlapping area overlapping with each electrode 12.

The following shows the execution results of a simulation carried out by the inventor of the present application regarding the uniformity of tactile presentation by the configuration of the wiring 11 according to the present embodiment. 14A to 14C show a circuit diagram of the tactile presentation device 10 which is the object of the simulation. FIG. 14A shows a circuit diagram of a wiring path to which a pulse voltage V1 for tactile presentation is applied in the tactile presentation device 10 according to the present embodiment. Further, FIGS. 14B and 14C show a circuit diagram of the tactile presentation device 10 according to the first embodiment as a comparative example.

For example, it is assumed that 10 electrodes 12 are arranged along the first direction x. In this case, as shown in FIG. 14A, the internal resistances R1, R2, ... R10 of the wiring 11, the floating capacitances C1, C2, ... C10 between the wiring 11 and each electrode 12, and the internal resistance R11 of the signal voltage source 17 An electric circuit including is configured. Each of the internal resistances R1, R2, ... Is the internal resistance of the wiring 11 from the input terminal 19 to the first electrode 12, and the internal resistance of the wiring 11 from the first electrode 12 to the second electrode 12, ... Is shown. Each stray capacitance C1, C2, ... Indicates the stray capacitance between the first electrode 12 and the wiring 11, and the stray capacitance between the second electrode 12 and the wiring 11, respectively. Connection points node1, node2, ... Each indicate a connection point between internal resistances R1, R2 and stray capacitance C1, internal resistances R2, R3 and stray capacitance C2, ...

In the present embodiment, since the wiring 11 is covered with all 10 electrodes 12 arranged along the first direction x, as shown in FIG. 14A, the stray capacitance C1 is placed between the wiring 11 and each electrode 12. , C2, ... On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 14B and 14C, in the first embodiment, the wiring 11 is covered with the electrodes 12 up to the first, second, third ... No need to consider. That is, for example, when the wiring 11 is connected to the first electrode 12, as shown in FIG. 14B, the internal resistance of the wiring 11 is only R11, and the stray capacitance is only C1. Further, for example, when the wiring 11 is connected to the second electrode 12, as shown in FIG. 14C, the internal resistance of the wiring 11 is only R11 and R12, and the stray capacitance is only C1 and C2.

15A and 15B are graphs showing simulation results relating to the response speed of tactile presentation. In the graphs of FIGS. 15A and 15B, the horizontal axis represents time (ms) and the vertical axis represents voltage (V). FIG. 15A shows the simulation result of the tactile presentation device 10 according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 15B shows the simulation result of the tactile presentation device 10 according to the first embodiment. In the simulation showing the results shown in FIG. 15, the internal resistances R1, R2, ... Of the wiring 11 are 0.32 kΩ, the floating capacitances C1, C2, ... Are 1.25 pF, and the internal resistance R11 of the signal voltage source 17 is 1000 kΩ. The calculation was performed as.

As shown in FIG. 15B, when the lengths of the individual wirings 11 are different, the time-series change of the voltage value at each connection point node1, node2, ..., The rise becomes slower as the distance from the voltage signal source 17 increases. That is, the response speed of the tactile presentation at each electrode 12 varies. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 15A, when the lengths of the individual wirings 11 are the same, the time-series changes in the voltage values at the connection points node1, node2, ... Are almost the same. That is, there is no variation in the response speed at each electrode 12. From the above, by making the lengths of all the wirings 11 the same, it is possible to ensure the uniformity of the tactile presentation on the entire touch surface of the tactile presentation device 10.

FIG. 16 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which a tactile sensation is presented to a plurality of portions. The tactile presentation device 10 can present tactile sensations in a plurality of portions by simultaneously outputting a voltage signal not only to one region A1 but also to the electrodes 12 of the other regions A3. In this case, each electrode 12 receives a voltage supply from a separate wiring 11. Since the circuit diagram shown in FIG. 14A does not consider the influence of the voltage signal applied through the other wiring 11, the inventor of the present application further carried out the following simulation for examination.

17A and 17B are circuit diagrams in the case of presenting a tactile sensation in a plurality of portions. FIG. 17A shows a case where the fifth electrode 12 receives a voltage signal from another wiring 11. Further, FIG. 17B shows a case where the fifth and sixth electrodes 12 receive a voltage signal from the other wiring 11. In this case, as shown in FIGS. 17A and 17B, the voltage signal source 17 is separately connected to the above-mentioned electrode 12 (in FIG. 17, the pulse voltages V2 and V3 are used). In the circuit diagrams shown in FIGS. 17A and 17B, the internal resistance, stray capacitance, and the like of the wiring path related to the other wiring 11 are ignored for simplification. The simulation results for the circuit configurations shown in FIGS. 17A and 17B are shown below.

18A and 18B are graphs showing simulation results when tactile sensations are presented in a plurality of portions. FIG. 18A shows a simulation result regarding the circuit configuration shown in FIG. 17A. FIG. 18B shows a simulation result regarding the circuit configuration shown in FIG. 17B. As shown in FIGS. 18A and 18B, the time-series changes of the voltage values at the connection points node1, node2, ... Are almost the same regardless of the circuit configuration. Therefore, even when tactile presentation is performed in a plurality of portions, uniform tactile presentation can be realized.

19A and 19B are graphs showing simulation results regarding the difference in the internal resistance R11 of the signal voltage source 17. 19A and 19B show the execution results of the simulation according to the magnitude of the internal resistance R11 of the signal voltage source 17 in the circuit configuration shown in FIG. 14A, respectively. FIG. 19A shows simulation results when the internal resistance R11 of the signal voltage source 17 is 100Ω, and FIG. 19B shows simulation results when the internal resistance R11 is 1000 kΩ. As shown in FIGS. 19A and 19B, it can be seen that even if the resistance value of the internal resistance R11 is changed, the change in the voltage values of the connection points node1, node2, ... Does not vary in each simulation result. Therefore, uniform tactile presentation is possible regardless of the magnitude of the internal resistance R11 of the signal voltage source 17. Since the internal resistance R11 according to FIG. 19A is extremely smaller than the internal resistance R11 according to FIG. 19B, the rise of the voltage value shown in FIG. 19A is faster than that of FIG. 19B.

From the above, according to the second embodiment, by making the length of the wiring 11 the same, it is possible to present a uniform tactile sensation on the entire touch surface.

(Embodiment 3)
In this embodiment, a mode for reducing the expression of unnecessary tactile sensation due to the wiring 11 exposed between the adjacent electrodes 12 and 12 will be described.
FIG. 20 is a partially enlarged view showing a configuration example of the tactile presentation device 10. FIG. 20 shows a partially enlarged view of the front view of the tactile presentation device 10 shown in FIG. Here, the distance between a plurality of electrodes 12 arranged on the same wiring 11 and adjacent to each other is represented by L. That is, the distance between the adjacent electrodes 12 and 12 in the first direction x is L.

Similar to the first and second embodiments, the tactile sensation is presented at some of the electrodes 12. That is, as shown in FIG. 20, it is assumed that a part of the wiring 11 is connected to the signal voltage source 17. In this case, consider the influence of the leakage electric field leaking from the wiring 11 in the gap portion between the adjacent electrodes 12 and 12 in the first direction x.

FIG. 21 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the expression of unnecessary tactile sensation. FIG. 21 shows a partial cross-sectional view of the tactile presentation device 10 as viewed along the line III-III on the wiring 11 shown in FIG. In FIG. 21, for convenience of illustration, the hatching of the first insulating layer 14 and the second insulating layer 15 is omitted. As described above, the electrodes 12 and 12 are arranged along the first direction x with a distance of L.

Further, the thickness of the second insulating layer 15 covering the electrode 12 is d. That is, when the user's finger touches the second insulating layer 15, the distance between the user's finger and the electrode 12 is represented by d. Here, consider a case where the user's finger is touching the surface of the second insulating layer 15, that is, the touch surface, as shown in FIG.

In this case, the leakage electric field from the wiring 11 is shielded by the electrode 12 in the portion covered with the electrode 12. On the other hand, since a gap is formed between the electrodes 12 and 12 at a distance L, the electric field leaking from the wiring 11 generates an electric field component that passes through the gap portion and goes to the surface of the second insulating layer 15. When the user touches the surface of the second insulating layer 15 in the gap portion with a finger, electrostatic coupling occurs between the wiring 11 and the finger. That is, unnecessary tactile sensation is expressed. In the following, the capacitance of the electrostatic bond generated between the wiring 11 and the user's finger in the gap between the electrodes 12 and 12 is represented by Cfw.

In the present embodiment, the electrodes 12 and the second insulating layer 15 are configured so as to reduce the occurrence of unnecessary tactile sensation in the gap portion between the electrodes 12 and 12. Specifically, the distance L between the electrodes 12 and 12 is configured to be smaller than the thickness d of the second insulating layer 15.

22A and 22B are explanatory views for explaining the relationship between the interval L and the thickness d. FIG. 22A shows a configuration in which the interval L is larger than the thickness d, and FIG. 22B shows a configuration in which the interval L is smaller than the thickness d. When the relative magnitude of the interval L with respect to the thickness d is large, a leakage electric field is generated from the stretched portion of the wiring 11 located in the gap between the electrodes 12 and 12, and most of the electric field components of the leakage electric field fill the gap. It leaks to the second insulating layer 15 side through it. That is, as shown in FIG. 22A, an electrostatic bond is generated between the wiring 11 and the finger, and an unnecessary tactile sensation is expressed.

On the other hand, when the relative magnitude of the interval L with respect to the thickness d is small, most of the components of the leakage electric field in the gap portion are shielded by the electrode 12, and the components leaking to the second insulating layer 15 side are present. It becomes smaller. That is, as shown in FIG. 22B, the electrical coupling between the wiring 11 and the electrode 12 becomes dominant. Therefore, by configuring the electrode 12 and the second insulating layer 15 so that the relative distance of the interval L with respect to the thickness d becomes small, the influence of unnecessary tactile sensation can be reduced.

FIGS. 23A and 23B are graphs showing simulation results for examining the relationship between the distance L between the electrodes 12 and 12 and the capacitance Cfw. FIG. 23A is a graph showing a simulated value of the capacitance Cfw with respect to the interval L. In FIG. 23A, the horizontal axis represents the interval L (μm) and the vertical axis represents the capacitance Cfw (pF / m). FIG. 23B is a graph showing a simulated value of the rate of change of the capacitance Cfw with respect to the interval L. In FIG. 23B, the horizontal axis represents the interval L (μm) and the vertical axis represents the rate of change (pF / m · μm). In the simulations of FIGS. 23A and 23B, the thicknesses of the first insulating layer 14, the second insulating layer 15, and the substrate 13 are 6.0, 1.5, and 500 μm, respectively, and the relative permittivity is 4, respectively. Simulations were performed as 0.0, 1.5, and 5.5.

As shown in FIGS. 23A and 23B, the change in the capacitance Cfw is different with the size at which the distance L between the electrodes 12 and 12 coincides with the thickness d (6.0 μm) of the second insulating layer as a boundary. You can see that. Specifically, when L> d, the rate of change of the capacitance Cfw is almost constant, and the capacitance Cfw increases in proportion to the interval L. On the other hand, when L <d, the smaller the interval L, the smaller the rate of change of the capacitance Cfw, and the capacitance Cfw changes exponentially with the interval L. This simulation result means that the electrical coupling between the wiring 11 and the electrode 12 becomes dominant when L <d, with the point where the interval L and the thickness d coincide with each other as the critical point. As described above, by configuring the electrode 12 and the second insulating layer 15 so that L <d, the influence of unnecessary tactile sensation can be further reduced.

From the above, according to the third embodiment, the expression of unnecessary tactile sensation can be further reduced by making the distance L between the electrodes 12 smaller than the thickness d of the second insulating layer 15.

(Embodiment 4)
In this embodiment, a mode for reducing the area of the wiring 11 exposed between the adjacent electrodes 12 and 12 will be described. FIG. 24 is a partially enlarged view showing a configuration example of the tactile presentation device 10. In FIG. 24, a part of the front view of the tactile presentation device 10 shown in FIG. 4 is shown in an enlarged manner. FIG. 25A shows a cross section taken along line IV-IV of FIG. 24. Further, FIG. 25B shows a cross section taken along the line VV.

As shown in FIG. 24, in the wiring 11 (11a to 11c), a cutout hole C1 obtained by cutting out a substantially central portion of the wiring pattern into a rectangular shape is constant in the first direction x, which is a direction parallel to the signal input. It is provided at intervals of. Specifically, the cutout hole C1 is provided at the position of the gap L generated between the electrodes 12 and 12 with a period P substantially the same as the arrangement period of the electrodes 12. The cutout hole C1 has the same configuration in all of the wirings 11a to 11c shown enlarged in FIG. 24. Then, all the wirings 11 shown in FIG. 4 can have the same configuration.

Here, the width of the wiring 11 is S, the width of the cutout hole C1 parallel to the width direction of the wiring 11 is T, and the width of the cutout hole C1 parallel to the extension direction of the wiring 11 is M. The cutout hole C1 is formed so that the width M in the stretching direction is longer than the gap L so as to be provided so as to straddle the gap L.

As shown in FIG. 25A, in the wiring 11 covered with the electrode 12, electrostatic coupling between the wiring 11 and the finger occurs within the range of the width S. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 25B, the effective wiring width in the gap L is (ST), and the capacitance generated in the gap L is smaller than that in the above-described embodiment. That is, since the electrostatic coupling between the wiring 11 and the finger in the gap L generated between the electrodes 12 and 12 becomes small, unnecessary tactile sensation can be reduced.

26 to 29 are views showing other examples of the present embodiment, and are shown by enlarging a part of the front view of the tactile presentation device 10. In FIGS. 27A and 27A and FIGS. 28A and 28B, the portion of the wiring 11 is shown by hatching for convenience of illustration. Further, in FIG. 29, the wiring 11 is represented by a drawn line.

In the example of FIG. 24, the cutout holes C1 are arranged at the same period P as the arrangement period of the electrodes 12. On the other hand, in the example of FIG. 26, the cutout hole C1 is arranged with a period P smaller than the arrangement period of the electrodes. That is, the cutout hole C1 is continuously provided in the wiring 11 along the first direction x over the portion covered by the electrode 12 and the portion of the gap L.

Since the electrode 12 is made of a conductive material having transparency to visible light, it transmits light. Therefore, when the panel is viewed from the front, it is affected by the light transmission of the lower wiring 11. When the wiring 11 is an opaque member, light transmission occurs in the wiring 11 at the cutout hole C1. On the other hand, when the wiring 11 is a transparent member, the light transmittance increases at the cutout hole C1. In either case, the light transmittance changes at the cutout hole C1 and at other places. In the example of FIG. 24, the cycle of the electrode arrangement and the cycle P of the cutout hole C1 coincide with each other. Therefore, when the panel is viewed from the front, the light transmitted through the portion corresponding to the cutout hole C1 becomes strong, and the appearance of the display may be deteriorated. According to the present embodiment, by arranging the cutout hole C1 inside the wiring 11 with an arrangement cycle P smaller than the cycle of the electrode arrangement, the light transmittance is substantially equal over the entire panel, so that the appearance is good. Can be realized.

Next, FIG. 27A is an example in which a diamond-shaped cutout hole C2 and a triangular cutout hole C3 are provided in the wiring 11. FIG. 27B is an example in which a hexagonal cutout hole C4 and a triangular cutout hole C3 are provided. All the cutout holes are continuously arranged in the wiring 11 in the first direction x with a period P. In this way, it is possible to form a cutout hole not only by a rectangle but also by a combination of a plurality of polygons. Also in this case, since the electrostatic coupling between the wiring 11 and the finger in the gap portion L generated between the electrodes 12 and 12 becomes small, unnecessary tactile sensation can be reduced. In addition, since the light transmittance is substantially equal over the entire area of the panel, a good appearance can be realized.

Next, FIGS. 28A and 28B show an example in which cutout holes are continuously provided in the first direction x and the second direction y of the wiring 11 at regular intervals. Here, the cutout holes are arranged in the cycle Q not only in the first direction x parallel to the signal input direction but also in the second direction y substantially perpendicular to the input direction in one wiring. In FIG. 28A, the diamond-shaped cutout hole C2 and the triangular cutout hole C3 are arranged in the first direction x with a period P and in the second direction y with a period Q. In FIG. 28B, the hexagonal cutout hole C4 and the triangular cutout hole C3 are arranged in the first direction x with a period P and in the second direction y with a period Q. The cycle Q is a cycle Q arranged within the wiring width of the wiring 11 (11a to 11c), and is a cycle smaller than the arrangement cycle of the electrodes. Also in this case, since the electrostatic coupling between the wiring 11 and the finger in the gap portion L generated between the electrodes 12 and 12 becomes small, unnecessary tactile sensation can be reduced. In addition, since the light transmittance is substantially equal over the entire area of the panel, a good appearance can be realized.

The shape of the cutout hole, the period P in the first direction x and the period Q in the second direction y are selected by the capacitance of the wiring 11 generated in the gap L between the electrodes and the in-plane distribution of the transmittance generated by the wiring. Can be designed as a target. The shape of the cutout hole is not limited to the above example, and any combination of arbitrary polygons can be selected.

Next, FIG. 29 shows an example in which the cutout hole is configured by an arbitrary shape. In the present embodiment, the cutout holes C1 having the same shape are not periodically arranged in the first direction x and the second direction y. The cutout holes and their arrangement period are randomly configured. Since the cutout hole is formed with reference to the arrangement cycle of the electrodes as in the above example, the randomness referred to here corresponds to the randomness referred to in the present embodiment if the cycle is larger than the arrangement cycle of the electrodes.

For example, since the adjacent wirings 11 such as the wirings 11a and 11b are electrically independent, there is a gap U between them where no pattern exists. A transmittance difference occurs between the gap U and the regions of the wirings 11a to 11c due to the difference in the presence or absence of a pattern. The smaller the transmittance difference, the less visually recognizable the periodic pattern of each wiring region, and the better the appearance when used in combination with a display device. That is, the larger the ratio of the area of the cutout hole to the area of the wiring pattern, the better the visibility. For example, it is desirable that (cutout hole area / pattern area) is 1 or more, and more preferably (cutout hole area / pattern area) is 4 or more.

The wiring 11 in this embodiment can be formed by photolithography. Further, in the example of FIG. 29, it is possible to form the wiring by using silver nanowires, carbon nanotubes, graphene and the like.

The embodiments disclosed this time should be considered to be exemplary in all respects and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the scope of claims, not the above-mentioned meaning, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the scope of claims.

1 Electronic equipment 10 Tactile presentation device 11 Wiring 11a nth wiring 11b n + 1st wiring 11c n + 2nd wiring 11dn + 3rd wiring 12 Electrode 13 Board 14 1st insulation layer 15 2nd insulation layer 16 Contact hole 17 Signal Voltage source 18 Reference potential point 19 Input terminal 21 Control unit 22 Drive circuit 30 Display device 40 Housing C1, C2, C3, C4 Cutout hole

Claims (14)

With the board
With a plurality of wirings stretched on the substrate,
A first insulating layer provided on the substrate and covering the plurality of wirings,
A plurality of electrodes arranged on the first insulating layer,
A second insulating layer covering the plurality of electrodes,
An electric vibration type tactile presentation device including a drive circuit that selectively applies a voltage signal to the plurality of electrodes via the wiring based on a control signal input from the outside.
The individual wirings are electrically connected to one of the plurality of electrodes via a through hole provided in the first insulating layer.
The electrode presents a tactile sensation to the user in contact with the second insulating layer on the electrode when the voltage signal is applied.
All the wirings are partially covered by at least one of the electrodes .
The plurality of wires are all the same length and
The area where the individual wirings and the electrodes overlap with each other via the first insulating layer is the same for all the wirings.
In the direction from the electrode to the substrate, each wire passes under the electrode so that it is closer to the substrate than the electrode.
An electric vibration type tactile presentation device characterized by this. The plurality of electrodes are provided in a matrix, and the plurality of electrodes are provided in a matrix.
The electric vibration type tactile presentation device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of wirings extend in parallel with the arrangement direction of one of the electrodes. The tactile sensation of the electric vibration method according to claim 2 , wherein the distance between the plurality of electrodes arranged on the same wiring and adjacent to each other is smaller than the thickness of the second insulating layer. Presentation device. Cutout holes are provided in the plurality of wires.
The electric vibration type tactile presentation device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein the cutout holes are provided at regular intervals in the extending direction of the wiring. The electric vibration type tactile presentation device according to claim 4 , wherein the cutout holes are provided at regular intervals in a direction substantially perpendicular to the extending direction of the wiring. The electric vibration type tactile presentation device according to claim 4 , wherein the cutout hole is provided between the plurality of electrodes adjacent to each other. The electric vibration type tactile presentation device according to claim 4 or 5 , wherein the cutout holes are continuously provided in the entire area of the wiring. The electric vibration type tactile presentation device according to any one of claims 4 to 7 , wherein the cutout hole in each of the wirings is composed of a combination of a plurality of polygonal shapes. The electric vibration type tactile presentation device according to claim 8 , wherein the plurality of polygonal shapes are rhombuses and triangles. Each of the plurality of wires has a plurality of cutout holes of any shape in the pattern.
The electric vibration type tactile presentation device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of cutout holes are arranged in one or more in a direction in which the wiring is stretched or in a direction substantially perpendicular to the stretching direction. The plurality of electrodes are diamond-shaped electrodes arranged in a mesh shape.
The electric vibration type tactile presentation device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of wirings are extended in parallel with one diagonal line of the electrodes. With the board
With a plurality of wirings stretched on the substrate,
A first insulating layer provided on the substrate and covering the plurality of wirings,
A plurality of electrodes arranged in a matrix on the first insulating layer,
A second insulating layer covering the plurality of electrodes,
An electric vibration type tactile presentation device including a drive circuit that selectively applies a voltage signal to the plurality of electrodes via the wiring based on a control signal input from the outside.
The individual wirings are electrically connected to one of the plurality of electrodes via a through hole provided in the first insulating layer.
The electrode presents a tactile sensation to the user in contact with the second insulating layer on the electrode when the voltage signal is applied.
The plurality of wirings extend in parallel with the arrangement direction under the region where the electrodes are arranged in one arrangement direction of the electrodes, and the electrodes are arranged in the arrangement direction. An electric vibration type tactile presentation device characterized in that it does not extend to a non-existent area. With the board
With a plurality of wirings stretched on the substrate,
A first insulating layer provided on the substrate and covering the plurality of wirings,
A plurality of electrodes arranged on the first insulating layer,
A second insulating layer covering the plurality of electrodes,
An electric vibration type tactile presentation device including a drive circuit that selectively applies a voltage signal to the plurality of electrodes via the wiring based on a control signal input from the outside.
The individual wirings are electrically connected to one of the plurality of electrodes via a through hole provided in the first insulating layer.
The electrode presents a tactile sensation to the user in contact with the second insulating layer on the electrode when the voltage signal is applied.
An electric vibration type tactile presentation device characterized in that the length of a portion of an individual wiring that is not covered by the electrodes does not exceed the distance between adjacent electrodes. A touch panel display device that displays the processing results of the provided processor and accepts operation inputs corresponding to the processing results.
An electronic device comprising the electric vibration type tactile presentation device according to any one of claims 1 to 13 , which presents a tactile sensation corresponding to the display of the processing result.

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