JPH01296331A - Optical coordinate input element - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To make intervals of the linear bodies of electrodes of coordinate input elements at the positions where the linear bodies cross the X- and Y-central axes of a base plate shorter than a prescribed value and to form the electrodes of a minute pattern in a high-resolution and large-area state by an etching and resist technology by forming the electrodes on one surface of the base plate in such a way that the numerous lines of the electrodes cross the center axes of the base plate. CONSTITUTION:The linear electrodes 1 of coordinate input elements used for a coordi nate input device are formed in such a way that a photodetecting thin film is formed by depositing amorphous silicon on a base plate 2 of glass, etc., by a CVD method and A is vapor-deposited on the thin film. Then the minute pattern is formed by etching the A film in such a way that the linear electrodes 1 of the pattern cross the X- and Y-center axes on one surface of the base plate 2 and the electrodes are formed to linear bodies of one or several electrodes. Then the line intervals among the linear bodies at the positions where the linear bodies cross the X- and Y-center axes of the base plate 2 are set to 500mum and electrode terminal sections 3 are formed on both end sections of the linear electrodes 1. Thus the linear electrodes 1 are easily formed in a high-resolution and large-area state.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to a coordinate input element used in a coordinate input device.
In particular, the present invention relates to an optical coordinate input element.

(Prior Art) A coordinate input device is useful as a peripheral device for a computer, etc., for inputting image data, two-dimensional coordinate data, etc. into an information processing device such as a computer.
Input devices using various methods and various elements have been developed. For example, (A) an electromagnetic induction method in which a magnetic field is applied by a coil to orthogonal wire-shaped electrodes and the generated signal is read; (B) pressure is applied to one electrode of a pair of orthogonal wire-shaped electrodes, and the other Touch panel method (C) Non-scanning position sensor that detects the input position by dividing the optical output current with a surface resistance layer using a flat silicon diode (D) LEl) array and light receiving element array There are photoelectric methods (Wall Mark type) that detect positions by combining them in a matrix to block light, and (E) photoelectric methods (Wall Mark type) that combine planar resistive layers and light receiving elements to read signals generated and detect coordinates. be.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) The conventional coordinate input device described above has various problems. In the method (A), in order to improve the resolution, the density of two sets of orthogonal wire-shaped electrodes must be increased, resulting in a complicated structure and high cost. Furthermore, the current induced in the wire-shaped electrode requires analog analysis and complicates the electronic circuit, and since it uses a magnetic field, it has problems such as having an adverse effect on peripheral parts, such as magnetic recording media. There is. In order to improve the resolution in the (B) method and (D) method, wire-shaped electrodes,
The density of the LED array and the light-receiving element array must be increased, resulting in problems such as a complicated structure. In methods (C) and (E), the reading accuracy is determined by the accuracy of the surface resistance layer, and when high accuracy is required, non-uniformity of the surface resistance layer becomes a problem, making it difficult to increase the area. In the case of method (E), the electrodes for coordinate detection are flat, and the detected position information becomes inaccurate due to diffusion on the plane.

(Means for Solving the Problems) - The present invention prevents the complexity of the structure due to high resolution, which is a problem in coordinate input devices, and serves as the framework of a coordinate input device that has high precision and can be made large in area. This is what we arrived at as a result of studying to obtain a coordinate input element. That is, the present invention
The main component is a laminated layer of electrodes for coordinate detection formed on one surface and a layer of material that detects light and changes its resistivity, either directly or through a substrate that forms the surface. In the optical coordinate input device, the electrodes for coordinate detection are
One or more linear bodies formed on the one surface and consisting of many lines that cross the central axis in the X and/or Y directions of the one surface, and the position of the wa soft body that crosses the central axis. This is an optical coordinate input element characterized in that the interval between each line is 500P11 or less.

The linear electrode formed on one side of the present invention may be directly laminated on a layer of material that detects light and changes resistivity etc. The linear electrode of the present invention may also be formed on -
Alternatively, the electrodes formed on one surface may be arranged vertically or horizontally with layers of material whose resistivity changes upon detecting light interposed therebetween.

The linear electrode in the present invention is one or more linear bodies formed on one surface, which intersect in large numbers with respect to the central axis in the X and/or Y directions of the one surface, and the center of the linear body. The distance between each line at the position crossing the axis is 500F or less, and to explain it in the drawings, as shown in Fig. 1, the lines shown in Figs. The rod shown in (2) is formed as one or more linear bodies in various patterns composed of lines.

The linear body pattern may be other than that shown in the figure, but the interval between lines in the coordinate input detection range, especially the interval between each line crossing the central axis in the X direction and/or Y direction, is 500 μm or less, preferably 300 μm or less. More preferably 150μ or less
■This is below.

Moreover, the thickness of the wire forming the linear body of the linear electrode of the present invention is 4t.
It is lO00/jII or less, preferably 500u or less, more preferably 250μm or less. These line spacing and line thickness (line width) need to be within the above range for high precision and high resolution.

In the linear electrode of the present invention, the number of electrode terminal portions (n) is Nun with respect to the number of wires (N) crossing the central axis in the X or Y direction.
, preferably N>tonl, more preferably N>
It is 2On.

The linear electrode in the present invention may be a single linear body, as shown in FIGS. 1-(1) and It may be divided into blocks. The material of the linear electrode of the present invention, that is, the material of the linear body, is not particularly limited, and may be any material having appropriate conductivity.

When these materials are formed as a linear electrode, it is preferably transparent or semitransparent, and especially when the electrode is used on the light input side (of a laminated element), it is transparent or semitransparent. It is necessary to use it. The linear electrode of the present invention can be formed into a fine pattern using etching or resist technology, and can easily be formed with high resolution and large area.

In the optical coordinate input device using the optical coordinate input element of the present invention, if necessary, the incident light may be modulated,
An optical filter may be provided in the light receiving section of the device to reduce disturbance noise.

Further, an electrode sweeping circuit, an output current amplification amplifier, or other processing circuit may be used.

Furthermore, if necessary, a device that can simultaneously input and display information may be constructed using a liquid crystal or other display element integrated with the element of the present invention.

(Example) Example 1 A photosensitive thin film was formed by depositing amorphous silicon on a glass substrate using the CVD method. AQ was deposited on the thin film using a sputtering method, and this AQ film was formed into a fine pattern by etching. This pattern shape is similar to that shown in Fig. 1 ~(1) and ~■, and the line spacing is 2.
It was a 0μ floor and a line width of 80μ. The size of this linear electrode is 5 cm x 5 cm, and a sensing area of 4 cm x 4 cm is used.

A red filter was placed near the allotropic light receiving section to reduce disturbance light. The outline of this element can be seen from the diagram shown in Figure 2.
FIG. 3 shows a block diagram including an external electronic circuit using the device of the present invention.

The incident light is irradiated from the glass substrate side, and the center wavelength is 660.
Modulation was applied at a frequency of IKHz using a nm emission diode. When coordinates were input using the element of this example under the conditions described above, a high resolution of 0.1■■ was obtained.

Example 2 A glass substrate on which silver was semitransparently deposited was used, and this silver thin film was photoetched to form a fine lower linear electrode with a pattern as shown in FIGS. Amorphous silicon is deposited on this lower electrode forming surface using the CVD method, and then a silver film is formed on the amorphous silicon film using a sputtering method, and then photo-etched to form a shape perpendicular to the first electrode. Then, the upper linear electrode was formed.

The line width of both the upper linear electrode and the lower linear electrode is 50 μm.
The line spacing was 50μ layers, the size of the linear electrode was 1Oc×10c×, and the sensing area was 80×8 cm.

The incident light was modulated at a frequency of 5 KHz using a light emitting diode with a center wavelength of 680 nm.

A red filter was disposed on the light-receiving part of the above-mentioned element to reduce disturbance light, as shown in the schematic diagram of FIG. 2.

The output signal from the element passes through a peak detection circuit and is output to a computer as coordinate data. FIG. 3 shows a block diagram including external electronic circuits. The resolution of coordinate input using this element was 0.05-1.

(Effects of the Invention) According to the present invention, a material film serving as an electrode can be manufactured by techniques such as etching, and a large area and high resolution can be obtained. Further, materials whose resistivity changes upon detecting light provided between the electrodes, on the lower surface of the electrodes, and on the electrode L can be used without any restriction as long as they are photoelectric, and there is a large scope for selection of materials and manufacturing methods.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1 to (1) show examples of linear electrode patterns of the present invention,
FIGS. 1-(4) also show examples of linear electrode patterns of the present invention. FIG. 2 shows an example of the structure of the element of the present invention, and FIG. 3 shows an example of the structure of a coordinate input device using the element of the invention.

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) A structure in which an electrode for coordinate detection formed on one surface and a layer of a material whose resistivity changes by detecting light, either directly or through a substrate constituting the one surface, are laminated. In the optical coordinate input element as a main component, the electrode for coordinate detection is formed on the one surface and consists of one or more lines that intersect with the central axis of the one surface in the X and/or Y directions. 1. An optical coordinate input element characterized in that it is a linear body, and the line spacing at a position crossing the central axis of the linear body is 500 μm or less.