Alps Electric Co., Ltd.

Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.

Hiroshi Shigetaka

Daisuke Takai

Tatsumi Fujiyoshi

Toshiki Nakamura

Masahiro Takata

Takashi Sasaki

Yasuji Hagiwara

Heishiro Fudo

Yuzuru Kawana

Hideto Matsufusa

Ryuichi Hagiya

Yukimitsu Yamada

Yoshiyuki Kikuchi

Kazuhito Oshita

Tadamitsu Sato

Kunio Sato

Akihisa Itoh

Naoki Yamada

Junichi Inamura

Takeshi Masaki

Kinya Inoue

Hajime Shikata

Hiroaki Takahashi

Wataru Sato

Masafumi Takagi

Teruyasu Fukuyama

Masaki Ota

Hirofumi Kuga

Naoya Shimada

Masashi Saito

Hidenobu Satoh

Jo Ri

Yasuhide Orita

A proximity detection device with a detection distance for detecting an object separated to some extent from an operation surface is provided. The proximity detection device includes a proximity detection unit that has a piezoelectric body and first and second electrodes disposed in contact with the piezoelectric body to detect proximity of an object, a signal applying unit that causes the proximity detection unit to perform capacitance detection and ultrasonic transmission and/or ultrasonic reception by applying a plurality of signals of different frequencies to at least one of the first and second electrodes, and a charge measurement unit connected to at least one of the first and second electrodes to measure electric charge.

Proximity detection device

A capacitance measurement circuit module has: a sensor electrode, for input detection, disposed on a wiring board; a sensor-side shield electrode shielding the sensor electrode; board-side measurement terminals connected to the sensor electrode; a board-side shield terminal connected to the sensor-side shield electrode; a measurement integrated circuit having circuit-side measurement terminals connected to the board-side measurement terminals and a circuit-side shield terminal connected to the board-side shield terminal, the circuit outputting measurement signals from the circuit-side measurement terminals and outputting, from the circuit-side shield terminal, a shield signal having the same frequency and phase as the measurement signals, the circuit being disposed on the wiring board and measuring capacitance of the sensor electrode; and a circuit-side shield electrode that is positioned on the wiring board so as to face the measurement integrated circuit and to be adjacent to the board-side measurement terminals and is connected to the board-side shield terminal.

Capacitance measurement circuit module

An electrostatic input device includes: a plurality of first detection electrodes that are configured to detect approach of an object within a first distance from a detection face; a second detection electrode that is provided between the plurality of first detection electrodes and configured to detect approach of the object within a second distance from the detection face, where the second distance is longer than the first distance; and a detection circuit that is configured to detect change in capacitance of the plurality of first detection electrodes and the second detection electrode.

Electrostatic input device

An input device includes a touch panel having an operation surface and configured to receive a touch input and a hover input by an operation body; a display device configured to display a plurality of selection items; a memory; and a processor coupled to the memory. The processor is configured to highlight a selection item, a selection of the selection item being made by the hover input from the plurality of selection items, confirm the selection of the selection item by the hover input in a case where a duration during which the selection item is selected by the hover input reaches a first predetermined threshold, and confirm a selection of the selection item by the touch input in a case where the touch input is detected on the selection item before the duration reaches the first predetermined threshold.

Input device adapted to receive a touch input and a hover input

A proximity detection system includes a proximity sensor that is a capacitive sensor mounted on a mounting position on a robot, the proximity sensor being configured to detect proximity between the mounting position and an object; and a shield signal output unit configured to apply a shield signal for preventing the proximity sensor from detecting proximity of another position of the robot other than the mounting position.

Proximity detection system

A door handle includes a door handle case and an electrostatic sensor provided in the door handle case. The electrostatic sensor includes a detection electrode that is formed of a flat conductor plate, or that is formed on a surface of a flat substrate or within a flat substrate. The detection electrode includes a middle portion in a longitudinal direction of the detection electrode and includes peripheral portions proximal to both end portions of the detection electrode in the longitudinal direction. For a width of the detection electrode in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, each peripheral portion is wider than the middle portion, and the width of the detection electrode gradually increases toward each end portion in the longitudinal direction.

Door handle

An operation input device includes a resistance element to generate a capacitance between an operating medium and the resistance element in response to an approach of the operating medium to the resistance element, and a power source to supply electric charge to one end and the other end of the resistance element. A first electric unit measures a first electric charge transfer amount supplied to the one end of the resistance element in response to generation of the capacitance. A second unit measures a second electric charge transfer amount supplied to the other end of the resistance element in response to generation of the capacitance. A controller is connected to the first and second units, and detects a position of the operating medium in a direction perpendicular to a surface of the resistance element based on a sum of the first and second electric charge transfer amounts.

Operation input device and door handle

An operation device includes a housing, an operation member, and a detector. The housing includes an electrically conductive portion on a surface thereof. The operation member is supported by the housing such that the operation member is movable in response to an operation by an operation body, and is configured to be capacitively coupled to the operation body and to the electrically conductive portion. The detector is configured to detect whether the operation body is in proximity to the operation member based on a change in capacitance at the electrically conductive portion.

Operation device and operation member

An input device that inputs information corresponding to a change in pressure due to load includes: a first charge detection circuit that outputs a first detection signal corresponding to charges generated in a first piezoelectric sensor and a second piezoelectric sensor; and a switch circuit provided on a path through which the charges are transmitted from the first and second piezoelectric sensors to the first charge detection circuit. The first charge detection circuit alternately iterates a first period in which a first charge is input from a first positive electrode via the switch circuit and a second period in which a second charge is input from a second negative electrode via the switch circuit, reverses a sign of one of the first and second charges, combines a resulting charge with the other charge, and outputs the first detection signal corresponding to the amount of accumulation of the combined charge.

Input device

An input device includes an operation panel, a frame disposed on a back side of the operation panel, a pressure detector disposed between the operation panel and the frame, and an elastic part. The pressure detector includes a lever including a deformation part that warps when a pressing force is applied, a protruding part provided on a first surface of the deformation part, and a surrounding wall provided on a periphery of a second surface of the deformation part; and a pressure detection element that is disposed in a region of the second surface of the deformation part surrounded by the surrounding wall, warps along with the deformation part, and outputs a pressure detection signal corresponding to the pressing force. The elastic part is disposed between the protruding part or the surrounding wall and the frame or the operation panel and applies a pre-pressure to the deformation part.

An input device includes a voltage divider circuit that includes a resistive sensor whose resistance changes in accordance with a change in pressure of a pressing operation and at least one resistor device and that, upon receiving driving voltage, generates a divider voltage according to the resistance of the resistive sensor device, a first driving circuit that alternately supplies, to the voltage divider circuit at certain time intervals, a first driving voltage and a second driving voltage for generating different divider voltages, a capacitor whose charge changes in accordance with a change in the divider voltage, and a first charge detection circuit that detects an amount of change in the charge of the capacitor at a time when the driving voltage changes from the first driving voltage to the second driving voltage and when the driving voltage changes from the second driving voltage to the first driving voltage.

Input device and method for driving input device

An input device includes a capacitive sensor and a piezoelectric sensor. The piezoelectric sensor is positioned on the front side of the capacitive sensor in a front-to-back direction from the front to the back of the input device, and is configured to change its output in response to a force applied to the piezoelectric sensor from its front side. The piezoelectric sensor includes a piezoelectric layer and a first electrode and a second electrode positioned across the piezoelectric layer from each other in the front-to-back direction. The capacitive sensor includes a capacitive sensing area where the capacitive sensor is configured to perform a sensing operation. The first electrode and the second electrode of the piezoelectric sensor do not overlap the capacitive sensing area when viewed in the front-to-back direction.

In an electrostatic capacitance-type position detection device, a corresponding ground region is formed at an intersection point between a corresponding first virtual center line and a corresponding second virtual center line, and a corresponding detection electrode and a corresponding drive electrode are disposed on the outer side of the relevant ground region. The detection electrodes each include a first electrode line and a second electrode line that extend in a second direction and are disposed so as to sandwich therebetween the ground regions from a first direction. The drive electrodes are each configured by arranging electrode patterns in order in the first direction. The electrode patterns each include a third electrode line that extends in the second direction, and a fourth electrode line and a fifth electrode line that are located on both respective ends of the third electrode line and extend in the first direction.

Electrostatic capacitance-type position detection device

An input device includes a flexible base, a sensor member that is provided on the surface of the flexible base and can detect the operation position of a finger, connection portions that are provided on a back of the flexible base, a printed circuit board of which an area is smaller than the area of the flexible base and which includes terminal portions on the surface thereof facing the back, and an electronic component that is mounted on a surface of the printed circuit board opposite to the surface of the printed circuit board on which the terminal portions are provided and is electrically connected to the terminal portions. The flexible base and the printed circuit board are bonded to each other with an adhesion layer interposed therebetween so that the connection portions come into contact with the terminal portions.

Mounting structure for electronic component, input device, and method of manufacturing mounting structure

In a case where a touch position is a peripheral portion, when spatial characteristics which correspond to an area and a length of a touch region exceed a first condition corresponding to a predetermined area and length, it is determined that the touch region is caused by a palm. When the spatial characteristics do not exceed the first condition, it is determined that the touch region is caused by a finger. In a case where a touch position is a central portion, when the spatial characteristics exceed a second condition corresponding to an area and a length that are larger than those of the first condition, it is determined that the touch region is caused by a palm. When the spatial characteristics do not exceed the second condition, it is determined that the touch region is caused by a finger.

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Fukushima-ken, Japan

Hiroshi Shigetaka