Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.

Panasonic Corporation

Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.

Hiroyasu Okada

Tamotsu Yamamoto

Masaki Sawada

Hiroto Inoue

Shinji Kamaeguchi

Keiji Kaizaki

Takefumi Inoue

Hiroaki Nishiono

Takaya Nakamura

Naoyuki Takagi

Seiji Yoshii

Kenji Fujii

Hiroki Kaihori

Masaaki Ochi

Shinji Kawasaki

Masanori Kusunoki

Mitsuo Kodama

Toshifumi Hiroe

An input device includes an electrode part, a switching circuit, a driving circuit, a detecting circuit, and a controller. The electrode part includes a plurality of electrode pieces. The switching circuit is formed of a plurality of switches connected to the electrode pieces respectively. The driving circuit and the detecting circuit are connected to the electrode part via the switching circuit. The controller is connected to the driving circuit, the switching circuit, and the detecting circuit. The controller controls the respective switches such that the electrode pieces are individually opened or connected to one of the driving circuit and the detecting circuit.

Input device

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 present locking device is a locking device for locking/unlocking a lock of a door of a closed space, including: a first transmission antenna for transmitting a first signal to a range including an outside of the closed space; a second transmission antenna for transmitting a second signal to an inside of the closed space as a target; a key which transmits a first response signal when receiving the first signal and not receiving the second signal, and which transmits a second response signal when receiving the first signal and also receiving the second signal; a reception antenna for receiving at least the first response signal from the key; and a control unit for controlling whether locking or unlocking can be performed on the lock or not, based at least on whether the reception antenna receives the first response signal or not.

Locking device

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.

Multi-directional operation switch and multi-directional input device using the same

At an end of a bottom board,of an upper case,holding a thin keyboard switch,, a substantially large opening,that allows a connector sheet,drawn from a rear end of the keyboard switch to pass through with a sufficient margin is provided, the connector sheet,is provided with at least one hole,at the middle part in the width direction, and a protrusion,is provided protruding from a frame portion,of the upper case as the constituent part towards the opening,, which protrusion penetrating through the hole,of connector sheet,, as it is being folded down forward, for supporting a baseboard,from the bottom surface. With the above described structure, the fabricating operation for connecting the connector sheet,can be accomplished easier and surer.

Electronic equipment comprising thin keyboard switch

A method for transmitting data from each of n transmitting devices (1) to (n) is provided. According to this method, the data is transmitted with each of a plurality of transmission cycles being one group. Each of the plurality of transmission cycles includes a transmission unit and a first transmission rest period, and the transmission unit includes at least n transmission periods and at least (n-1) second transmission rest periods. The transmission periods and the second transmission rest periods are alternately repeated. The method includes the step of transmitting send data and determination data for determining whether or not two given transmission periods belong to an identical transmission cycle during each of the at least n transmission periods, where n is a positive integer.

Method for transmitting data with tolerance for superimposed data

In a wireless input transmission device, data is entered by input means such as pointing device, the value of the data is checked when transmitting the data, and when the data value is small and does not require the specified number of bits, the number of bits is decrease to one half or one quarter, or the difference from the previous time is transmitted, or the data is omitted if the present data is same as the previous data, and such information is given to the data quantity information bit, and data to be transmitted, data quantity information bit, and necessary data for transmission are added, and the transmission data is composed by decreasing the data quantity in one-input information depending on the data value and transmitted to the wireless receiver, where the transmission data is decoded according to the data quantity information bit and the received result is sent by wire to the main apparatus such as personal computer, word processor, other information processing apparatus, or household game machine, thereby preventing increase of current consumption used in communication in the wireless input transmission device and extending the battery life.

Growing community of inventors

Hyogo, Japan

Hiroyasu Okada