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US 2006/0187090 A1Published application
Input device
AssigneeAlps Electric Co., Ltd.
InventorMasahiro Soma
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An input device includes a plurality of input keys arranged in a matrix of three or more rows and three or more columns; electrodes facing parts of or all surfaces of the input keys that surround intersection of rows and columns formed by the arrangement of the input keys; and an input key detecting unit that identifies operated input keys among the plurality of input keys by combinations of the electrodes having a change in electrostatic capacitance. With this structure, the number of electrodes can be less than that of the input keys.
Claims3
An input device comprising:
- a plurality of input keys arranged in a matrix of three or more rows and three or more columns;
- electrodes facing some or all of surfaces of the input keys that surround intersections of rows and columns formed by the arrangement of the input keys;
- and
- an input key detecting unit that identifies operated input keys among the plurality of input keys depending on combinations of the electrodes having a change in electrostatic capacitane.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.