Position detecting sensor, position detecting device, and position detecting method

A position and pressure detecting method for use with a position detecting sensor that utilizes a capacitive sensing system, the position detecting sensor including a plurality of first conductors disposed in a first direction and a plurality of second conductors disposed in a direction that intersects the first direction to thereby form a plurality of capacitors at cross-points where the plurality of first conductors intersect the plurality of second conductors, respectively, each capacitor being defined by four corners, the position detecting sensor being configured to allow detection of a change in capacitance at each of the plurality of capacitors, and the position detecting sensor further including a flexible dielectric member interposed between the plurality of first conductors and the plurality of second conductors and two, three, or four spacers disposed outside two, three, or four of the four corners that define each capacitor, without touching each other and without overlapping with the capacitor, to define a space between one surface of the dielectric member and the plurality of first conductors or the plurality of second conductors that said one surface of the dielectric member is facing, the position and pressure detecting method comprising:

• detecting position(s) of one or more of the first conductors that are brought closer to the corresponding ones of the second conductors until they are separated from each other by a thickness of the dielectric member based on detection of a change in capacitance at each of the capacitors formed by said one or more of the first conductors and the corresponding ones of the second conductors caused by a decreasing distance between said one or more of the first conductors and the corresponding ones of the second conductors;
• and
• detecting a pressing force applied either to said one or more of the first conductors or to the corresponding ones of the second conductors based on detection of a change in capacitance at each of the capacitors formed by said one or more of the first conductors and the corresponding ones of the second conductors caused by an increasing abutting area between said one surface of the flexible dielectric member and each of said one or more of the first conductors or the corresponding ones of the second conductors facing said one surface of the flexible dielectric member.

A position detecting sensor that utilizes a capacitive sensing system, the position detecting sensor comprising:

• a plurality of first conductors disposed in a first direction and a plurality of second conductors disposed in a direction that intersects the first direction to thereby form a plurality of capacitors at cross-points where the plurality of first conductors intersect the plurality of second conductors, respectively, each capacitor being defined by four corners, either or both of the first conductors and the second conductors having flexibility;
• a flexible dielectric member interposed between the plurality of first conductors and the plurality of second conductors;
• and
• for each capacitor, two, three or four spacers disposed outside two, three, or four of the four corners that define the capacitor, without touching each other and without overlapping with the capacitor, to define a space between one surface of the dielectric member and the plurality of first conductors or the plurality of second conductors that said one surface of the dielectric member is facing;
• wherein the position detecting sensor is configured such that, when a pressing force is applied either to one or more of the first conductors or to the corresponding ones of the second conductors, (i) said one or more of the first conductors and the corresponding ones of the second conductors become closer to each other until they are separated from each other by a thickness of the dielectric member, to thereby change a capacitance of each of the capacitors formed by said one or more of the first conductors and the corresponding ones of the second conductors, and (ii) an abutting area increases between said one surface of the flexible dielectric member and each of said one or more of the first conductors or the corresponding ones of the second conductors facing said one surface of the flexible dielectric member, to thereby change the capacitance of each of the capacitors formed by said one or more of the first conductors and the corresponding ones of the second conductors.