JPH04209428A - Touch switch device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To save the space by locating a light emitting part and a light receiving part and a pair of reflecting surfaces in a right and a left or an upper and a lower peripheral edges of a touch panel so as to be opposite to each other, and providing a key board at across point of optical axes of the light which enters the light receiving part directly or through the reflecting surfaces. CONSTITUTION:A key board position detecting means, which consists of multiple numbers or pairs of light emitting elements 12 and light receiving elements 11 provided in a right and a left peripheral edges of a touch panel surface 2a, is arranged inside of the front surface 1a of a box member 1 in the vertical direction along the peripheral edges. On the other hand, reflecting plates 6, 6 are provided in an upper and a lower peripheral edges of the surface 2a so that reflecting surfaces 6a, 6a thereof are opposite to each other, and filters 7 are provided in front of the reflecting surfaces 6a. The light emitted from the light emitting elements 12 progresses or is reflected by the reflecting surfaces 6a, 6a to enter the light receiving elements 11 by locating a first and a second optical detecting means 9, 10 alternately from the upper to the lower. Each optical axis of these light crosses at a key board position on the surface 2a, and when the key board is operated with a touch, the light to the light receiving elements 1 is cut to detect a key board position accurately.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to the structure of a touch switch device.

(Prior Art) Recently, by displaying a keyboard selected by an arbitrary fan switch on an information display screen such as a liquid crystal display or a CRT display, and manually touching a specific key on the keyboard, Many touch switch devices have appeared that allow a predetermined signal to be input to a control section.

With such a screen touch type touch switch device, it is not possible to adopt a signal input method using finger pressing force, such as the piezoelectric type touch switch device shown in Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 61-191120, for example. A signal input method using an optical position detection method is adopted in which the position of the touched keypad on the screen itself is detected by, for example, blocking of light and the corresponding switch circuit is turned on.

Conventionally, in a touch switch device that employs such an optical touch position detection method, light emitting elements (LEDs) are placed facing each other on the left and right, upper and lower capacitive edges of a touch panel surface (keyboard display screen) such as a liquid crystal display. and light-receiving elements (phototransistors) are arranged alternately, thereby forming a matrix-shaped optical axis network (X-Y table) connecting each of the plurality of elements, and the intersection point of the optical axis network is By setting the touch point as a touch point, the combination of light receiving elements that receives or loses light is determined by touching the touch point, and the touch position is thereby detected.

(Invention or problem to be solved) However, as mentioned above, the light-emitting element and the light-receiving element cannot be used at night.

In a configuration in which a large number of light-emitting and light-receiving elements are arranged on all of the touch panel surface touch edges in the x-'l' direction, a considerable number of light-emitting and light-receiving elements are required. Since it is disposed throughout the entire section, there is inevitably a limit to the miniaturization of the device.

(Means for Solving the Problems) The present invention has been made for the purpose of solving the above-mentioned problems. A touch switch comprising a light emitting and light receiving means, and inputting a desired signal by specifying a predetermined operation position on the touch panel surface by blocking light from the light emitting means to the light receiving means caused by the operation. In the device, one light emitting means and two light receiving means are directed toward a common intersection along each outer edge of either the left and right outer edges or the upper and lower outer edges of the touch panel that face each other. The first light emitting and light receiving section, the two light emitting means, and the first light receiving means are arranged radially toward a common intersection and formed into one set. The second light emitting and light receiving sections are arranged alternately, and a reflective surface is provided on each edge of the left and right or upper and lower outer edges of the other side where the first and second light emitting and light receiving sections are not arranged. The light emitted from the light emitting means of the first and second light emitting and light receiving sections disposed on the outer edge of one side facing each other is transmitted through the reflecting surface provided on each outer edge of the other side edge. The present invention is characterized in that the light is reflected so as to be incident on the first and second light emitting means and the light receiving means of the light receiving section on the corresponding other side outer edge portion.

(Function) As a result of the touch switch device of the present invention configured as described above, the light emitting means and the light receiving means can be provided only on either the left and right or upper and lower opposing edges. Since the opposing edge on the other side is formed as a simple reflective surface that reflects at least light, it is possible to detect the touch position optically as in the conventional case.

In other words, in this configuration, the reflective surface that occupies approximately half of the total space substantially functions as a light emitting section or a light receiving section without requiring the provision of an actual element, so that the light emitting means and The required number of light receiving means is greatly reduced, and the installation space can also be reduced. Furthermore, the degree of freedom in terms of layout is greater than in the case where the light-emitting element and the light-receiving element must be arranged accurately in a predetermined positional relationship.

(Effects of the Invention) Therefore, as a result of the above, according to the touch switch device of the present invention, the touch panel section can be designed to save as much space as possible, and the device can be made as compact as possible. Furthermore, since the number of light emitting means and light receiving means themselves, which are expensive components, is required to be small, the product cost is also reduced.

(Embodiment) FIGS. 1 to 7 show a touch switch device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

First, FIG. 1 shows a cross-sectional structure of the main body of the touch switch device, FIG. 2 shows a front view thereof, and FIG. Each figure shows how it is used as a visual controller (mounted in a vehicle).

First, in FIGS. 1 and 2, the reference numeral 1 indicates, for example, the seventh
As shown in the figure, there is an external casing of the touch switch device main body 30 that is fitted into the horn board 31 of the vehicle. A liquid crystal drive circuit section 3 for driving the liquid crystal display 2 is housed therein, and the front surface of the liquid crystal display 2 is configured to serve as a touch panel surface 2a.

On the other hand, a plurality of funk/yonkey switches 4a to 4j as shown in FIG. 2, for example, are provided on the front surface 1a of the housing around the touch panel surface 2a. and any one of the plurality of Funk/Yonkees Isochi 48 to 43.
When an ON operation is performed, a keypad screen for corresponding operation commands is displayed on the touch panel surface 2a.

The touch panel surface 2a displays a keypad surface for manually inputting the necessary operation signals according to the type of Funk/Yonkei Sinochi selected as described above, and enables the operator to input touch commands with his or her fingertips. Detection (identification) of the operation command position (P1 to PI6 in Figure 3) on the keyboard surface
is done as follows.

That is, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, inside the front part a of the casing is the casing.

Optical keyhole position detection means is located at the left and right outer edges of the chipped surface 2a and includes a plurality of light emitting elements (LEDs) 12, 12, and light receiving elements (phototransistors) 11, 11, and so on. and are disposed vertically along the outer edge.

On the other hand, on the upper and lower outer edges of the touch panel surface 2a inside the front part]a of the above-mentioned casing, there are optical reflecting plates 6, 6 made of, for example, a mirror plate, or a reflecting surface 6a.

6a are provided facing each other.

A filter 7.7 is provided in front of the reflective surfaces 6a, 6a.

A plurality of sets of first and second optical position detecting means 9, 9..., ]0, ]O on the left and right outer edges of the touch panel surface 2a.
・ is 3 as shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, respectively.
It is formed by two types of elements constructed by arranging two elements radially in a predetermined combination toward a predetermined optical axis intersection point.

First, the first optical detection means 9 is located on the illustrated touch panel surface 2a.
For example, the one located at the top of the left edge of
One light-receiving element (phototransistor) on the upper side, one light-emitting element (LED) in the center 2, and one light-emitting element (LED) at the bottom 12. On the other hand, the optical detection means 10 has one light-emitting element (LED) 12 in the upper part, one light-receiving element (Photo! Lancistor) 11 in the center, and one light-receiving element 11 in the lower part. It is composed of combinations laid out in .

and those first and second optical detection means 9.1
By arranging the light emitting elements 12, 12, etc. alternately from one to the bottom as shown in FIG. a, 6 a
By making the beam propagate in three different directions, including the direction of the other end of the two sets reflected by the light receiving element 11.1], the optical axis of each of them can be As shown in FIG.
, -P, , ). Therefore, when the keypad displayed on the touch panel surface 2a is touched, the corresponding optical axis is blocked and the light enters one, two, or three corresponding light receiving elements (
Become.

Therefore, by logically determining the combinations of light-receiving elements on which no light enters using a predetermined matrix or circuit, it is possible to accurately detect the touch-operated keychain positions P and -P16. You will be able to input compatible signals.

Figure 6 shows an evening constructed as described above.

The electric circuit configuration of the optical detection section of the Chisuinochi device is shown, and each light emitting element 12 is connected to a predetermined modulation circuit 21.2.
1, each of which is driven to turn on and emit light of a predetermined wavelength. On the other hand, the light receiving elements 11.11... receive the light and generate electrical signals according to the incident light, and after detecting the electrical signals via the detection circuits 22.22. 23... and inputs the detection signal to the final determination section. The determination unit detects the operated touch position based on a combination of the detection outputs of these detection signals.

Therefore, according to the touch switch device according to the embodiment of the present invention, the installation space required for the light emitting and light receiving means can be saved by approximately half, although it is possible to obtain an intervening operation switch. , it becomes possible to reduce the size of the device.

Furthermore, the number of required light emitting elements and light receiving elements is reduced, and the cost is also reduced.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing the overall structure of a touch switch device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the same structure. The front view of the touch switch device, FIG. 3, is an enlarged front view of the touch panel section of the same touch switch device, and FIGS.
Each figure is a front view showing the configuration of the optical means for detecting the keyboard operation position of the same touch switch device, and FIG.
5 is an electric circuit diagram showing the principle of detecting a keyboard operation position using the optical means of FIG. 5, and FIG. 7 is an external perspective view showing the state in which the visual controller configured using the same touch switch is mounted on a vehicle. ]...External housing 1a...Front section 2...Liquid crystal display 2a...Touch panel surface 3...Liquid crystal drive circuit section 4a to 4j...Funk/Yon Key Inochi 6...
...Reflecting plate 6a...Reflecting surface 9...Optical detection means]O...Second optical detection means 11...Light receiving element 12...Light emitting element output Applicant Matta Co., Ltd. Agent Patent Attorney Hiroshi Ohama Figure 5

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A rectangular touch panel and light emitting and light receiving means provided in correspondence with each other between the outer edges of the touch panel, the light emitting means and the light receiving means generating a predetermined operation position on the touch panel surface by the operation. In a touch switch device that inputs a desired signal by specifying it by blocking light from the touch panel, each outer edge of one of the mutually opposing left and right outer edges or upper and lower outer edges of the touch panel. A first light emitting and light receiving section, two light emitting means, and a first light receiving section formed by arranging one light emitting means and two light receiving means radially toward a common intersection along the A set of second light emitting and light receiving sections formed by radially arranging the light receiving means toward a common intersection are arranged alternately, and the first and second light emitting and light receiving sections are arranged radially toward a common intersection. A reflective surface is provided on each edge of the left and right or upper and lower outer edges of the other side, which are not disposed, and light is emitted from the light emitting means of the first and second light emitting and light receiving sections disposed on the outer edge of the mutually opposing one side. By reflecting the emitted light through the reflecting surfaces provided on each outer edge of the other side edge, the light is incident on each of the light receiving means of the corresponding first and second light emitting and light receiving parts of the other side outer edge. A touch switch device characterized in that the touch switch device is configured to