# US 2023/0215670 A1 · Input device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2023/0215670 A1 - Document ID: US20230215670A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 17/913,093 - Filed: 2021-03-16 - Published: 2023-07-06 - Earliest claimed: 2020-03-26 - Assignees: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Satoshi YOSHIHARA; Kota ARAKI; Hiroaki NISHIONO; Kenji SHIBATA - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20230215670A1 ## CPC - H01H 25/00: Switches with compound movement of handle or other operating part - G06F 3/044: by capacitive means - H01H 3/50: with indexing or locating means, e.g. indexing by ball and spring - H01H 25/002: {having an operating member rectilinearly slidable in different directions} - H03K 17/975: using a capacitive movable element - H01H 2221/008: other then push button - H01H 2239/006: Containing a capacitive switch or usable as such - H03K 2217/94073: with capacitive detection - H03K 2217/96066: Thumbwheel, potentiometer, scrollbar or slider simulation by touch switch - H03K 2217/9651: the moving element acting on a force, e.g. pressure sensitive element - 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) - 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) ## Abstract An input device configured to more accurately detect movement of an operation part is provided. An input device includes a fixed electrode, a reference electrode, an operation part, and a moving electrode. The fixed electrode and the reference electrode are separate from each other on a substrate. The operation part is movable with respect to the substrate. The moving electrode faces the fixed electrode and is configured to move together with the operation part. The moving electrode 15 moves together with the operation part to enter either a connected state of being electrically connected to the reference electrode or a non-connected state of not being electrically connected to the reference electrode. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An input apparatus comprising: a fixed electrode and a reference electrode separate from each other on a substrate; an operation part movable with respect to the substrate; and a moving electrode facing the fixed electrode and configured to move together with the operation part, the moving electrode moving together with the operation part to enter either a connected state of being electrically connected to the reference electrode or a non-connected state of not being electrically connected to the reference electrode. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The input apparatus of claim 1, wherein the fixed electrode has capacitance which changes depending on a relative arrangement of the fixed electrode and the moving electrode. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The input apparatus of claim 1, wherein the moving electrode is movable along the substrate. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The input apparatus of claim 1, wherein the moving electrode is configured to, when an operation given to the operation part is released, autonomously return to a reference position which is preset. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The input apparatus of claim 4, wherein the moving electrode is in the non-connected state when the moving electrode is at the reference position. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The input apparatus of claim 1, wherein the moving electrode is linearly movable along the substrate. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The input apparatus of claim 1, wherein the moving electrode is movable from a current position in any direction along the substrate. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The input apparatus of claim 1, wherein the fixed electrode includes a drive electrode having a plurality of first comb teeth and a receiving electrode having a plurality of second comb teeth, and each of the plurality of first comb teeth is disposed between the plurality of second comb teeth. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The input apparatus of claim 1, wherein the fixed electrode includes four split electrodes arranged in a ring shape. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The input apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a first click sense generator configured to cause the operation part to generate a sense of click when a state of the moving electrode changes from the non-connected state to the connected state. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The input apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a switching electrode on the substrate, wherein the connected state is defined as a first connected state, and the non-connected state is defined as a first non-connected state, and the moving electrode moves together with the operation part to enter either a second connected state of being electrically connected to the switching electrode or a second non-connected state of not being electrically connected to the switching electrode. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The input apparatus of claim 11, wherein the switching electrode has an annular shape concentric with the reference electrode. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The input apparatus of claim 11, wherein the input device further includes a second click sense provider configured to cause the moving electrode to generate a sense of click when a state of the moving electrode changes from the second non-connected state to the second connected state.