# US 11,909,389 B2 · Input device and input system

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- Number: US 11,909,389 B2
- Document ID: US11909389B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/604,479
- Filed: 2020-06-01
- Published: 2022-07-07
- Granted: 2024-02-20
- Earliest claimed: 2019-07-17
- Assignees: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Masaaki Yamabayashi; Yuta Saito; Kenichi Matsumoto; Ryo Nakae
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11909389B2

## CPC

- G06F 3/0202: {Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the input device}
- H03K 17/962: {Capacitive touch switches}
- G06F 3/02: Input arrangements using manually operated switches, e.g. using keyboards or dials
- H01H 36/00: Switches actuated by change of magnetic field or of electric field, e.g. by change of relative position of magnet and switch, by shielding
- H03K 17/955: using a capacitive detector
- H03K 17/975: using a capacitive movable element
- H03K 2217/96015: Constructional details for touch switches
- H03K 2217/96062: with tactile or haptic feedback
- H03K 2217/960755: Constructional details of capacitive touch and proximity switches
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- H03K: PULSE TECHNIQUE (measuring pulse characteristics G01R; modulating sinusoidal oscillations with pulses H03C; transmission of digital information H04L; discriminator circuits detecting phase difference between two signals by counting or integrating cycles of oscillation H03D3/04; automatic control, starting, synchronisation or stabilisation of generators of electronic oscillations or pulses where the type of generator is irrelevant or unspecified H03L; coding, decoding or code conversion, in general H03M)
- H01H: ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES (contact cables H01B7/10; electrolytic self-interrupters H01G9/18; emergency protective circuit arrangements H02H; switching by electronic means without contact-making H03K17/00)

## Abstract

An input device includes a detection surface configured to be operated by an operation body, a first fixed electrode, a movable electrode, first and second terminals configured to be connected to an outside of the input device, and a direct-connection line electrically connecting the movable electrode to the second terminal via no capacitor. The movable electrode has a lower surface facing an upper surface of the first fixed electrode to be capacitively coupled to the first fixed electrode. The movable contact is displaceable to approach the first fixed electrode in response to a pressing of the detection surface by the operation body. The first terminal is configured to output, to the outside of the input device, a first electric signal containing a change in a capacitance between the first fixed electrode and the movable electrode. The second terminal is configured to output, from the movable electrode to the outside of the input device, a second electric signal containing a change in a capacitance between the operation body and the movable electrode. This input device improves the detection sensitivity to detect approximating or contacting the input device by the operation body.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An input device configured to be operated by an operation body, the input device comprising:
a detection surface configured to be operated by the operation body;
a first fixed electrode;
a movable electrode having a lower surface facing an upper surface of the first fixed electrode and being capacitively coupled to the first fixed electrode, the movable contact being displaceable to approach the first fixed electrode in response to a pressing of the detection surface by the operation body;
a first terminal configured to be connected to an outside of the input device and to output to the outside of the input device, a first electric signal containing a change in a capacitance between the first fixed electrode and the movable electrode;
a second terminal configured to be connected to the outside of the input device and to output, from the movable electrode to the outside of the input device, a second electric signal containing a change in a capacitance between the operation body and the movable electrode; and
a direct-connection line electrically connecting the movable electrode to the second terminal via no capacitor.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The input device of claim 1, wherein the direct-connection line includes a second fixed electrode having an upper surface facing the lower surface of the movable electrode.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The input device of claim 2, further comprising
an insulator that intervenes between the movable electrode and the first fixed electrode, wherein
the insulator has a cutout provided therein, and
the direct-connection line electrically connects the movable electrode to the second fixed electrode through the cutout.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The input device of claim 2, further comprising:
a third fixed electrode having an upper surface facing the lower surface of the movable electrode, the third fixed electrode being capacitively coupled to the movable electrode; and
a third terminal configured to be connected to the outside of the input device and to output, to the outside of the input device, an electric signal containing a change in a capacitance between the third fixed electrode and the movable electrode, wherein
an area of a region of the upper surface of the first fixed electrode facing the lower surface of the movable electrode is substantially identical to a sum of an area of a region of the upper surface of the second fixed electrode facing the lower surface of the movable electrode and an area of a region of the upper surface of the third fixed electrode facing the lower surface of the movable electrode.

### Claim 5 (depends on 2)

The input device of claim 2, further comprising:
a third fixed electrode having an upper surface facing the lower surface of the movable electrode, the third fixed electrode being capacitively coupled to the movable electrode; and
a third terminal configured to be connected to the outside of the input device and to output, to the outside of the input device, an electric signal containing a change in a capacitance between the third fixed electrode and the movable electrode, wherein
an area of a region of the upper surface of the first fixed electrode facing the lower surface of the movable electrode is different from a sum of an area of a region of the upper surface of the second fixed electrode facing the lower surface of the movable electrode and an area of a region of the upper surface of the third fixed electrode facing the lower surface of the movable electrode.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The input device of claim 1, further comprising:
one or more auxiliary fixed electrodes, each of the one or more auxiliary fixed electrodes forming a capacitance between the operation body and the each of one or more auxiliary fixed electrodes; and
one or more auxiliary terminals configured to be connected to the outside of the input device and output one or more auxiliary electric signals to the outside of the input device, respectively, the respective one of the one or more auxiliary electric signals containing a change in the capacitance between the operation body and the each of the one or more auxiliary fixed electrodes.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

An input system comprising:
the input device of claim 6; and
a detection circuit connected to the first terminal, the second terminal and the one or more auxiliary terminals of the input device.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The input system of claim 7, wherein the detection circuit is configured to detect whether or not the operation body approximates or contacts the detection surface based on only the second electric signal and the one or more auxiliary electric signals out of the first electric signal, the second electric signal and the one or more auxiliary electric signals.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The input system of claim 7, wherein the detection circuit is configured to detect whether or not the operation body approximates or contacts the detection surface based on only the one or more auxiliary electric signals out of the first electric signal, the second electric signal and the one or more auxiliary electric signals.

### Claim 10 (depends on 7)

The input system of claim 7, wherein the detection circuit is configured to:
execute a pressure-detection process to detect the pressing of the detection surface by the operation body based on the first electric signal;
execute a proximity-detection process to detect approximating or contacting the detection surface the operation body based on the second electric signal; and
switch between the pressure-detection process and the proximity-detection process.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The input system of claim 10, wherein the detection circuit is configured to execute the pressure detection process and the proximity-detection process repetitively in a time-divisional manner.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The input system of claim 11, wherein, after detecting approximating or contacting the detection surface by the operation body by the proximity-detection process, the detection circuit is configured to decrease a time for executing the proximity-detection process and increase a time for executing the pressure-detection process.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The input system of claim 12, wherein, after detecting approximating or contacting the detection surface by the operation body by executing the proximity-detection process, the detection circuit is configured to decrease the time for executing the proximity-detection process by a predetermined decreasing time and increase the time for executing the pressure-detection process by the predetermined decreasing time.

### Claim 14 (depends on 11)

The input system of claim 11, wherein, after detecting approximating or contacting the detection surface by the operation body by executing the proximity-detection process, the detection circuit is configured to execute the pressure-detection process and not to execute the proximity-detection process.