Denso Corporation

Masahiro Itoh

Takeshi Haruyama

Motoki Tachiiri

Syunsuke Shibata

Shinsuke Hisatsugu

Nozomi Kitagawa

Shigeaki Nishihashi

Kazunobu Nakanishi

A capacitive switch device includes an operation panel operated by a user with a touch operation, a film member provided along a surface of the operation panel on an opposite side from a surface operated with the touch operation, and an electrode portion forming a capacitor with a finger of the user and a wiring portion, both the electrode portion and the wiring portion being provided to the film member. The film member is bonded to the operation panel by a pressure-sensitive adhesive at a predetermined first portion of the film member and supported at a second portion of the film member different from the first portion by a supporting portion which allows the film member to move due to thermal expansion and thermal contraction in an in-plane direction of the film member.

Capacitive switch device

An operation apparatus includes: an operation plate on which an operation surface performed by a pressing operation with an operation body; an assembly member assembled with the operation plate; a first elastic member opposite to the operation surface with respect to the operation plate, and between the operation plate and the assembly member to be elastically deformable by a pressing force applied by the operation body; a sensor detecting an elastic deformation changing amount of the first elastic member generated by the pressing operation; a pressing determinator determining whether the pressing operation is performed based on a detection value of the sensor; and a second elastic member between the operation plate and the assembly member to be elastically deformable with the first elastic member by the pressing force. The first and second elastic members are arranged to enable the pressing force applied serially.

Operation apparatus

An operation apparatus includes: an operation plate having an operation surface performed by a pressing operation with an operation body; a vibrator including a movable yoke and a fixed yoke for generating a magnetic circuit for guiding a magnetic flux, and an exciting coil for generating the magnetic flux, and the vibrator vibrating the operation plate through a magnetic force generated by an electrical conduction on the exciting coil; a detector detecting a pressing amount by the pressing operation; a press determinator determining based on the pressing amount detected by the detector whether the pressing operation is performed; and a vibration controller for an electrical conduction on the exciting coil when the press determinator determines that the pressing operation is performed. The detector detects the pressing amount by detecting a change in an electrostatic capacitance generated between the movable yoke and the fixed yoke.

A movable operation unit is movable on a two-dimensional operation surface of a main body. The two-dimensional operation surface is defined by an X-axis and a Y-axis perpendicular to each other. A Y-axis movable portion is rotatable around a rotation axis. The Y-axis movable portion is movable in the Y-axis direction when rotating around the rotation axis. The rotation axis extends in the X-axis direction relative to the main body. The Y-axis movable portion includes a sliding rail portion on which the movable operation unit is slidable in the X-axis direction. The movable operation unit is operable to slide in the X axial direction and move in the Y axial direction accompanied with rotation of the Y-axis movable portion around the rotation axis to performs a parallel shift in the two dimensional direction while regularly and constantly maintaining a posture of the movable operation unit.

Operation apparatus having a unit movable on a two-dimensional operation surface

An input device having a manipulation member is disclosed. The input device has an absolute input mode and a relative input. In the absolute input mode, the input device determines a coordinate of a pointed point on a window of a display unit based on a coordinate of the manipulation member. In the relative input mode, the input device determines the pointed point on the window in a relative manner based on a two-dimensional displacement of the manipulation member with respect to a reference position, which is set when an input mode is switched into the relative input mode. When the manipulation member receives a load that causes the manipulation member to move beyond a predetermined range, the input device generates and applies a force corresponding to the load to the manipulation member.

Input device for operating in-vehicle apparatus

A manipulation input apparatus includes a panel member, strain gauges, and a controller. The panel member has a front surface functioning as a manipulation input surface to which an input is executed by touch manipulation. The strain gauges detect a load which is applied to the panel member. The controller calculates a position to which a load is applied based on load detection result by the strain gauges. A stick as a convex-shaped structural section is further arranged and integrated in the manipulation input surface of the panel member such that an upward load against the panel member is applied via the stick.

Manipulation input apparatus

An indication unit indicates arranged selective areas on a display surface for accepting input. A move unit moves an instructed position on the display surface according to an operation quantity of an operation unit. A selected-state determination unit determines a selected-state area from the selective areas according to the instructed position. A width determination unit determines a width of the selected-state area in each of an x-axis direction and a y-axis direction of the display surface. A moving speed set unit sets a moving speed of the instructed position variably at least when the instructed position passes through the selected-state area such that: a velocity component in the x-axis direction becomes larger as the determined width in the x-axis direction becomes larger, and a velocity component in the y-axis direction becomes larger as the determined width in the y-axis direction becomes larger.

Vehicular input device and method for controlling the same

An operation knob of an operating device for a vehicle is movably supported by an X-direction sliding unit and a Y-direction sliding unit. A push switch is interposed between the operation knob and the X-direction sliding unit, which is arranged above the Y-direction sliding unit. A ball bearing having a through-hole, through which an axial rod of a joystick device passes, is movably supported by the axial rod in an axial direction thereof. According to such a structure, the operation knob can be moved to a desired position, and the push switch can be surely operated to be turned-on or turned-off.

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Ichinomiya, Japan

Masahiro Itoh