Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.

Panasonic Corporation

Matsushita Electrical Industrial Co., Ltd.

Hiroto Inoue

Tamotsu Yamamoto

Masaki Sawada

Hiroyasu Okada

Hiroshi Matsui

Keiji Kaizaki

Yukihiro Iwata

Yukihiro Okada

Hirotsugu Fusayasu

Suguru Nakao

Satoshi Yoshihara

Hiroaki Nishiono

Yasuo Yokota

Shigeru Yokoji

Hisanori Kusunoki

Hideto Adachi

Seiji Hamada

Akira Takamori

Makoto Iyoda

Kenji Kataoka

Kodo Fukuoka

Miyoko Irikiin

Yukihiro Ishihara

Miyuki Furuya

Hideki Shigemoto

Kouji Kuyama

Toshiaki Takasu

Shoichi Mimura

Koji Tamano

Hironobu Nishida

Atsufumi Ishizuka

Korekazu Mochida, Legal Representative

Kyoko Mochida, Legal Representative

Masatoshi Tamura

Noritaka Hayama

A magnetic detector includes a detecting section having a surface facing a magnetic body which moves and emits a magnetic flux. The detecting section includes plural magnetic sensors for detecting the magnetic flux. The magnetic sensors are arranged in a matrix form having three or more rows and three or more columns arranged along the surface of the detecting section. The magnetic detector provides an input device precisely detecting a moving direction and a moving amount of the magnetic body.

Magnetic detector and input device using the same

A multidirectional input device includes ring-shaped resistance element layer, first conductive layerand second conductive layershaping in arcs corresponding to resistance element layer, and knobhaving ring-shaped protruded sectionD. Resistance element layerhas at least a pair of electrodes and is formed on flexible insulating substrate. Protruded sectionD brings resistance element layerinto contact with first conductive layeror second conductive layerwhen the knob is tilted. When a given voltage is applied to the electrodes and the knob is tilted, resistance element layercomes in contact with first conductive layeror second conductive layer, so that an output signal of a high resolution concerning a tilt angle can be obtained. The output signal is supplied to a microprocessor and calculated, then an angle or a direction is detected and recognized.

Multidirectional input device and electronic apparatus comprising it

A left-side ring magnet and a right-side ring magnet are fastened to a roller-shaped operation part, circumferentially displaced from each other by a certain angle. Magnetic variation generated by rotation of the magnets is detected by a magnetism detection element. Additionally, a left-side stationary magnet and a right-side stationary magnet, with the same magnetic pole, are annexed correspondingly to the left-side ring magnet and the right-side ring magnet, respectively, so that the stationary magnets are arranged with the same proximal arrangement relative to the ring magnets, respectively. With such a structure, two attractive and repulsive forces between the left-side ring magnet and the left-side stationary magnet; and between the right-side ring magnet and the right-side stationary magnet are totally exerted on the operation part, thereby providing a sharp, clear click touch during rotation.

Component including magnets for input operation

A resistive sheet includes a flexible cover sheet, a wiring part provided on the bottom face of the cover sheet, and ring, circular-arc, or spiral resistive layer connected to the wiring part. This resistive layer has an uneven bottom face. The resistive sheet also includes a spacer layer whose bottom face is disposed at a position lower than the resistive layer. The wiring part is sandwiched between the bottom face of the cover sheet and the spacer layer.

Resistive sheet, pressure-sensitive switch, and input device

There is provided a pressure sensitive switch including: a cover; a slide portion that is stored in the cover and is slidable by being pressed in a horizontal direction; a pressing unit including a pressure portion that has an inner side face brought into contact with the slide portion and can be moved by being pressed by the slide potion; a sheet resistive body that has an upper face brought into contact with the pressing unit; and a conductive plate that is disposed on the lower side of the sheet resistive body with a predetermined gap arranged therebetween. The slide portion is slidable within a horizontal plane, and the pressing portion presses the sheet resistive body by sliding the slide portion, and a resistance value between the sheet resistive body and the conductive plate changes in accordance with a change in a slide operation force for sliding the slide portion.

Pressure sensitive switch and input device using pressure sensitive switch

An input device has a circular arc resistive layer and a metal plate as a conductive layer that is faced to the circular arc resistive layer, and can detect a position operated by partial contact between them. The input device has an element unit where a linear insulating layer as a contact preventing unit for preventing both ends of the circular arc resistive layer from simultaneously coming into contact with the metal plate during operation is disposed on one end of the circular arc resistive layer.

Input device

A rotary actuator includes a roller having a center shaft protruding along a center axis, a bearing for supporting the center shaft of the roller to allow the roller to rotate about the center axis, a ring magnet fixed to the center shaft of the roller, an elastic member having a ring shape provided between the center shaft of the roller and the bearing, and a fixed magnet facing the ring magnet. The ring magnet is alternately magnetized to an S-pole and an N-pole with predetermined angular intervals. This rotary actuator has a simple structure and operates with a preferable operation feeling.

Rotary actuator and input device using the same

By providing a coloring agent, which is brought in contact with the liquid fuel leaked from an outer peripheral portion of the liquid fuel holding section that is configured to hold the liquid fuel and by which the contact portion is changed in color, in at least part of the outer peripheral portion, the leakage of the liquid fuel from the liquid fuel holding section can be visually detected swiftly and easily without providing any special detection device.

Liquid fuel container, fuel cell system, and portable information terminal device

An electronic device includes a pad which can detect an operating coordinate position by a touch operation, and a single push-switch provided under the pad. A touch operation to the pad at a given place allows a preliminary announcement of a function, and a further press-down of the pad being kept at the same position prompts the push-switch to work and determine the function preliminary announced. This structure allows excellent operability, and a single push-switch allows reducing the number of components of the operating section, so that the electronic device having these advantages is obtainable.

Electronic device

A management information display unit that is able to form management information for managing the power supply state of fuel cells and displays the management information while allowing the management information to be identified as to which electronic device pertains to the management information based on identification information inputted from a plurality of electronic devices that are able to output the formed management information in correlation with the identification information of the fuel cell, and an information transmitting part for transmitting the identification information and the management information while allowing the information to be inputted to the management information display unit are provided.

Fuel cell management system and audio system provided with the management system

A method of mounting a semiconductor laser component capable of preventing deterioration of laser characteristics and destruction of the semiconductor laser component due to a rise in temperature and a residual stress of the semiconductor laser component. The semiconductor laser component is mounted on a submount by heating and pressure-bonding, and is heated again up to a temperature more than a melting point of a bonding member at the released pressure to release the residual stress.

Semiconductor laser device and a method of mounting a semiconductor laser component on a submount

An input device of the present invention includes a substantially ring-shaped resistor including two pair of electrodes projecting along a Y direction and an X direction orthogonal to the Y direction, a substantially ring-shaped conductor facing the resistor across a clearance, and a controller for successively applying a voltage between the pair of electrodes along the X direction and between the pair of electrodes along the Y direction when the resistor and the conductor contact each other due to pressing. The controller determines an angle which a pressed position makes with high precision, from one of a resultant vector of vectors that are directed in the respective X and Y directions and detected based on voltages output from the conductor when the voltage is applied in the X and Y directions, and a mean value of angles detected based on the conductor's output voltages.

Input device and method for detecting contact position

A multidirectional control switch of the present invention is used in a variety of electronic apparatuses including a portable telephone and a personal digital assistant. A first switch contact of this switch outputs a first signal continuously varying as a top surface of a substantially disc-shaped operating member undergoes a sliding press along a locus substantially in arc form. With a stronger press, a second switch contact outputs a second signal. The multidirectional control switch has a simple structure and can be reduced in size because these two switch contacts are integrally formed, thereby eliminating a need to combine discrete elements.

Multidirectional control switch and multidirectional input device using the same

A multidirectional input device includes ring-shaped resistance element layer , first conductive layer and second conductive layer shaping in arcs corresponding to resistance element layer , and knob having ring-shaped protruded section D. Resistance element layer has at least a pair of electrodes and is formed on flexible insulating substrate . Protruded section D brings resistance element layer into contact with first conductive layer or second conductive layer when the knob is tilted. When a given voltage is applied to the electrodes and the knob is tilted, resistance element layer comes in contact with first conductive layer or second conductive layer , so that an output signal of a high resolution concerning a tilt angle can be obtained. The output signal is supplied to a microprocessor and calculated, then an angle or a direction is detected and recognized.

In a multi-directional operation switch, an operating disk, upon being pressed at its upper side, tilts to depress a elastic pressing member, thus making hard rings of the driving member to press a resistor sheet sequentially. This operation allows resistor layers beneath the resistor sheet to directly contact annular electrically conductive layers facing the resistor layers in a desired sequence, respectively. The multi-directional operation switch has a reduced height and can produce a number of switching signals according to desired angular directions of switching operations.

Growing community of inventors

Kyoto, Japan

Hiroto Inoue