JPH0454518A - Pressure-sensitive coordinate input device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To ensure the sure and accurate input of coordinates with a soft touch by inputting one of both sides of a coordinate input device as an input surface via a flexible sheet containing many projections having thin tips on one of its both sides. CONSTITUTION:Many conical projections 70 are regularly formed on one of both sides of a flexible sheet 60 for input of coordinates with pressure. Then the sheet 60 is put on a flexible sheet 10 integrally with the projections 70 turned to the surface of the sheet 10. When the surface of the sheet 60 is pressed with a finger, this pressed area is slowly protruded toward the lower side. Then the projection 70 positioned closest to the most deformed part A is strong ly pressed and a pressure-sensitive conduction layer 30 is deformed. In this case, the electric resistance is reduced less than the ON threshold value at the deformed part of the layer 30. Then the conduction is secured between both thin film electrodes 20 and 40. Therefore, a pressurizing distribution 1a is secured with the sheet 10 despite the small pressure applies by the finger. Thus, the input of coordinates is attained with the light touch of a finger, etc.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] [Industrial application field] The present invention relates to a pressure-sensitive input type coordinate input device.

[Conventional technology]

A conventional example of a pressure-sensitive input type coordinate input device (so-called touch panel) is shown in FIG. In the figure, 10 is a flexible sheet, 20 is a thin film electrode, 30 is a pressure-sensitive conductive layer, 40 is a thin film electrode, 50 is a fixed sheet, and 80 and 90 are signal output terminals for the thin film electrodes 20 and 40, respectively. A signal is input to a coordinate detection circuit (not shown). 100 is an indicator with a conical tip. The pressure-sensitive conductive layer 30 has a certain degree of electrical resistance, and electrical insulation is maintained between the electrodes 20 and 40.

In this configuration, when the front end of the pointing device 100 presses the surface (input surface) of the flexible sheet 10 (the pressing part is A"), the pressure-sensitive conductive layer 30 is applied via the flexible sheet 10. When the pressure-sensitive conductive layer 30 is deformed, the electrical resistance of the pressurized portion (compressed portion) decreases locally, and the image membrane electrodes 20 and 40 become electrically conductive and are pressed. The coordinates of section A'' are detected.

The pressure-sensitive conductive layer 30 has the pressure-electrical resistance characteristics shown in FIG.
It is a characteristic that the resistance value decreases rapidly when the pressure is applied to the above level, and when the resistance value is high, it is OFF and when the resistance value is low, it is ON. From the change of 0FF-ON, the presence or absence of pressing force (coordinate input) can be determined. The coordinates are detected while the sensor is in the ON state. The coordinates are detected by the coordinate detection circuit connected to the signal extraction terminals 80, 90 and calculated by the resistance value division ratio method of the thin film electrodes 20, 40.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

In this way, the touch panel inputs information by locally applying pressure to deform the pressure-sensitive conductive layer 30 through the flexible sheet 10, and therefore requires a certain amount of pressure. It is fine if you press the input surface with a sharp tip, but if you press the input surface of the flexible sheet 10 with a certain area like your fingertip, it is virtually impossible to input with certainty and accuracy. There was a problem that it was difficult.O This invention was made to solve the above problem.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a pressure-sensitive coordinate input device that allows input with a fingertip or the like with a light touch.

[Means to solve the problem]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a pressure-sensitive coordinate input device that outputs a signal corresponding to the coordinates of a pressed area by pressing an input surface, in which a large number of pressurizing protrusions with tapered tips arranged regularly are arranged on one side. The device has a flexible sheet disposed overlappingly on the input surface, and the other side of the flexible sheet serves as the input surface.

In claim 2, the flexible sheet is a transparent cover body, and is divided into a predetermined area for handwriting input and a predetermined area for a touch switch input section, and one side of the touch switch input section area. The structure is such that a large number of pressurizing protrusions with tapered tips are formed in a regular row.

[Effect]

In this invention, when coordinates are input by surface pressing with a fingertip or the like, the pressing force is amplified through the protrusion, so that coordinates can be input reliably and accurately with a light touch.

(Example〕 Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 60 denotes a flexible sheet, on one side of which a large number of conical protrusions 70 for pressure input are formed regularly (for example, in a matrix arrangement). The protrusions 70 are integrally placed on the surface of 10 with the protrusions 70 facing the surface.

The other configurations are the same as those in FIG.

In this configuration, as shown in FIG. 2, when the surface of the flexible sheet 60 is pressed with a fingertip, the pressing part is gently protruded downward and deformed, and the protrusion 70 located at the position closest to the maximum deformation part A is The pressure-sensitive conductive layer 30 is deformed by being strongly pressed down. The deformation of the pressure-sensitive conductive layer 30 at this time is similar to that when pressure is input using the instruction section 100 in FIG. .40 is conductive.

In this embodiment, the fingertip presses a wider area of the flexible sheet 60 than in the case of the indicator 100, and the pressure distribution is
The distribution is similar to the conventional pressurization distribution 1b as shown by the broken line in the figure, but since the area integral value of the pressurization force is applied pointwise to the flexible seam 10 via the tip of the protrusion 70, the pressure applied by the fingertip is Even if the pressure is light, the pressure distribution applied to the flexible sheath 10 becomes the pressure distribution 1a as shown by the solid line in FIG. 3, and the ONL threshold is easily exceeded by a light fingertip touch.

In the above embodiment, a case has been described in which the flexible sheet 60 is provided integrally, but it may be made into a removable cover shape and used depending on the purpose.

For example, FIG. 4 shows a state in which a transparent flexible sheet 60 is placed over the input section of an electronic notebook, etc., and one half of this flexible sheet 60 has four areas n for handwritten input, and one half has four areas n for handwritten input. is a touch switch input section area (handwriting band section) m in which a large number of protrusions 70 are formed, and the handwriting input section area n is placed on the handwriting pad section 81 of the input section to form a touch switch input section area m. so as to cover the touch switch 82 group.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, this invention is structured so that input is performed as an input surface through a flexible sheet having a large number of thin-tipped protrusions on one cylindrical surface, and the other surface is used as an input surface, thereby reducing the pressing force on the input surface. Since the shape is amplified through the protrusion, coordinates can be input reliably and accurately with a light touch even when inputting surface pressure, such as when pressing with a fingertip.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side sectional view showing one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a side sectional view showing the deformed state when fingertip input is performed in the above embodiment, and FIG. 3 is a diagram showing pressure distribution during fingertip input. , FIG. 4 is a plan view showing another embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 5 is a side sectional view of a conventional pressure-sensitive coordinate input device, and FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the pressure of the pressure-sensitive conductive layer in the above embodiment and the conventional example. - It is a diagram showing electrical characteristics. In the figure, 10 - flexible sheet, 20.40 thin film electrode, 30 - pressure sensitive conductive layer, 50 - fixed sheet, 60 - flexible sheet, 70 - protrusion, m - touch switch input section area, n - area for handwriting input section. In addition, in the figures, the same reference numerals indicate the same or corresponding parts.

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) A pressure-sensitive coordinate input device that outputs a signal corresponding to the coordinates of the pressed area by pressing the input surface, which has a number of pressure projections regularly arranged with tapered tips on one side. A pressure-sensitive coordinate input device comprising flexible sheets arranged one on top of the other, the other side of the flexible sheets serving as an input surface. (2) The flexible sheet is a transparent cover body, and is divided into a handwriting input area of a predetermined area and a touch switch input area of a predetermined area, and a rule is placed on one side of the touch switch input area. 2. The pressure-sensitive coordinate input device according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of pressurizing protrusions with tapered tips arranged in parallel.