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US 2009/0021354 A1Published application
Input device
AssigneeAlps Electric Co., Ltd.
InventorHidetaka Furusho
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
There are provided an input means 2 that allows information to be input as touched by an operator, a vibration application means 3 disposed on a back side of the input means 2, and a control means 5. The input means 2 is a touch panel 6. The vibration application means 3 is shaped like a flexible sheet, and includes a plurality of actuators 17 arranged as vibration sources. Each of the actuators 17 includes a first electrode 13, a second electrode 14, and an insulating layer 15 is provided between the first electrode 13 and the second electrode 14 and containing a ferroelectric layer. The control means 5 drives a preset actuator 17 of the actuators 17 according to input from the control panel 6.
Claims14
An input device comprising:
- an input portion that allows information to be input as touched by an operator;
- a vibrator disposed on a back side of the input portion so as to vibrate the input portion;
- and
- a controller operable to control operations of the input portion and the vibrator,
- wherein the input portion is a sheet-shaped flexible control panel to which coordinates are input,
- wherein the vibrator is shaped like a flexible sheet, and includes a plurality of actuators arranged as vibration sources,
- wherein each of the actuators includes a first electrode, a second electrode, and an insulating layer, the insulating layer being provided between the first electrode and the second electrode and including a ferroelectric layer,
- wherein the insulating layer is adjacent to the first electrode and the second electrode in a direction parallel to a surface of the input means, and one of the two adjacent actuators shares the electrode of the other electrode, and
- wherein the control means drives a preset actuator of the actuators according to at least coordinate information input from the control panel.
6 more elements
An input device comprising:
- an input portion that allows information to be input as touched by an operator;
- a vibrator disposed on a back side of the input portion so as to vibrate the input portion;
- a secondary input portion disposed on a back side of the vibrator, and including at least one switch that is operable to perform switching in response to a pressing force applied to the input portion;
- and
- a controller that is operable to control operations of the input portion, the vibrator, and the secondary input portion,
- wherein the input portion is a sheet-shaped flexible control panel to which coordinates are input,
- wherein the vibrator is shaped like a flexible sheet, and includes a plurality of actuators arranged as vibration sources,
- wherein each of the actuators includes a first electrode, a second electrode, and an insulating layer, the insulating layer being provided between the first electrode and the second electrode and including a ferroelectric layer,
- wherein the first electrode, the insulating layer, and the second electrode in the actuator are stacked in a thickness direction, the insulating layer of the actuator is shaped like a sheet, and the first electrode and the second electrode are provided on both sides of the insulating layer in the thickness direction in a manner such as not to overlap with each other, and
- wherein the controller drives a preset actuator of the actuators according to at least coordinate information from the control panel or a signal output from the switch.
7 more elements
(canceled)
6-7. (canceled)
An input device comprising:
- an input portion that allows information to be input as touched by an operator;
- a vibrator disposed on a back side of the input portion so as to vibrate the input portion;
- and
- a controller that is operable to control operations of the input portion and the vibrator,
- wherein the input portion is a sheet-shaped flexible control panel to which coordinates are input,
- wherein the input portion is a sheet-shaped flexible control panel to which coordinates are input,
- wherein the vibrator is shaped like a flexible sheet, and includes a plurality of actuators arranged as vibration sources, and each of the actuators includes a first electrode, a second electrode, and an insulating layer, the insulating layer being provided between the first electrode and the second electrode and include a ferroelectric layer,
- wherein the first electrode, the insulating layer, and the second electrode in the actuator are stacked in a thickness direction, and one of the first electrode and the second electrode is divided, and
- wherein the controller drives a preset actuator of the actuators according to at least coordinate information input from the control panel.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.