Electronic device having touch sensor
AssigneeAlps Electric Co., Ltd.
InventorsKunio Sato, Yoshihisa Endo, Masahiro Soma
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Abstract
A variable capacitance unit is formed between one portion of a human body and an opposed electrode facing it through a casing of a robot toy (electronic device) when the one portion of the human body such as a hand or a finger approaches the surface of the casing of the robot. Since the capacitance of the variable capacitance unit varies according to the facing area and the facing distance of the one portion of the human body and the opposed electrode, it is possible to detect the one portion of the human body approaching or touching the robot toy by detecting this change. Since the opposed electrode forming the touch sensor can be provided within the casing, the touch sensor cannot be seen directly from the outside of the robot toy.
Claims36
An electronic device comprising a casing and a touch sensor capable of detecting a human body approaching or touching the casing,wherein
- the touch sensor comprises an electrode of a predetermined area provided in an inner portion of the casing at a distance from an outer surface of the casing and detecting means for detecting a change of capacitance from the electrode when the human body approaches or touches the outer surface of the casing,
- the electrode is divided into a plurality of electrode elements, wherein each electrode element being connected to the detecting means,
- the electrode elements are operative to output on the basis of a change in a facing area relative to the total area of the electrode elements or a rate of change in the position of the facing area with time,
- wherein the facing area changes as the human body approaches or touches the outer surface of the casing, and
- a plurality of states of operation performed by an operator detected using outputs from the electrode elements.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.