Touch type input device
AssigneeMurata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
InventorsMasamichi Ando, Hidekazu Kano, Hiroaki Kitada
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
When determining that a level of a deformation detection signal is greater than a threshold, a controller assumes that a touch operation is performed at an initially-detected position and virtually at another position different from the position, and outputs a position detection signal to a processor indicating that the two touch positions and separate from each other based on the touch position. Thus, the controller converts the deformation detection signal into the position detection signal corresponding to a pinch-out operation, and outputs the position detection signal to the processor.
Claims25
A touch type input device comprising:
- an operation surface;
- a touch sensor configured to detect a single touch position corresponding to a location where a user has used a single finger to input a touch operation on the operation surface and to output a position detection signal indicating the single touch position;
- a deformation detection sensor configured to detect a level of a deformation operation at the single touch position on the operation surface and to output a deformation level detection signal which varies over time as a function of the level of the deformation operation;
- and
- a controller configured to output a position signal as a function of the position detection and deformation level detection signals, the position signal corresponding to:
- (a) the single touch position when the deformation level detection signal is less than a threshold value;
- and
- (b) two or more spaced locations on the operation surface when the level detection signal is greater than the threshold value, the spaced locations varying over time, one of the two or more spaced locations corresponding to the single touch position, the other of the spaced locations corresponding to virtual touch positions.
A method for detecting a touch operation on an operation surface of an input device, the method comprising:
- detecting a single touch position corresponding to a location where a user has used a single finger to input a touch operation on the operation surface and outputting a position detection signal indicating the single touch position;
- detecting a level of a deformation operation at the single touch position on the operation surface and outputting a deformation level detection signal which varies as a function of the level of the deformation operation;
- and
- outputting a position signal as a function of the position detection and deformation level detection signals, the position signal:
- (a) the single touch position when a level of the deformation level detection signal is less than a threshold value;
- and
- (b) two or more spaced locations on the operation surface when the level of the deformation level detection signal is greater than the threshold value, the spaced locations varying over time, one of the two or more spaced locations corresponding to the single touch position, the other of the spaced locations corresponding to virtual touch positions.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.