Alps Electric Co., Ltd.

Masaru Komatsu

Sadakazu Shiga

Minoru Numata

Shinji Hirano

Katsutoshi Suzuki

Tsuyoshi Narusawa

Seiichi Suga

To provide an input device including a deformable electrical insulating sensor base, an operation end connected to the center portion of the sensor base, a first resistive layer provided on one surface of the sensor base, a second resistive layer provided on a surface opposite to the one surface of the sensor base, and a detecting circuit in which a force is exerted on the operation end in a horizontal direction or a vertical direction to deform the sensor base, and changes of resistance values of the first resistive layer and the second resistive layer by the deformation of the sensor base are electrically detected, wherein the force exerted on the operation end in the horizontal direction is detected by the first resistive layer, and the force exerted on the operation end in the vertical direction is detected by the first resistive layer and the second resistive layer.

Input device and detection device using resistance type strain sensor element

An input device which provides excellent operability and reaction to a user, and which can be easily operated. The device comprises a casing, an operation unit supported parallel-movably in a direction along one surface of the casing, having a member to return to an initial position when the operation unit is not operated, and a signal generation portion which detects moving direction and moving amount of the operation unit, and generates a control signal to control moving direction and moving amount of an object to be operated on an image display device, in accordance with the detected moving direction and moving amount.

Input device

In a keyboard input device, a mounting member of a pointing device has holes, and a base has projections. The projections are joined to the holes by caulking, thereby mounting the pointing device on the base. An operating portion of the pointing device is placed among a plurality of control keys.

Keyboard input device with pointing device for controlling cursor position on graphic display and the like

A coordinate input apparatus is provided which is capable of detecting a switching operation of a stick-type operation section without providing a specific sensor and/or circuit element for detecting a switching operation. The coordinate input apparatus includes a stick-type operation section, pressure sensor sections for detecting operational loads in directions intersecting at right angles to each other when the operation section is operated and outputting the detected operational loads as load data, a coordinate computation section for computing the amount of cursor movement in directions intersecting at right angles to each other corresponding to the size of the operational load from the load data, a storage section for storing load data when load data is sampled at a predetermined time interval, a peak value detection section for computing the peak value of the stored load data of the storage section, a time measurement section for measuring the time during which the stored load data continuously exceeds a threshold value, an inclination computation section for computing the load change inclination value per unit time from the stored load data, and an operation determination section for determining whether the operation of the operation section is a normal pressing operation or a switching operation on the basis of the peak value, the threshold-value exceeding time, and the value of the load change inclination.

Coordinate and switching input apparatus without additional elements for

A coordinate input apparatus is provided which is capable of accurately stopping a cursor at a desired position by an easy cursor movement operation. The coordinate input apparatus includes a stick-type operation section, pressure sensor sections for detecting an operational load force applied during operation of the operation section and outputting the detected operation load force as load data, a cursor movement control section for performing counting which accords with an increase or decrease in the load data output from the pressure sensor sections and outputting load data corresponding to a count value. The coordinate data output from the cursor movement control section indicates an increase count output value in response to an increase or decrease in load data when the load data output from the pressure sensor sections increases. When load data output from the sensor sections tends to decrease, the coordinate data indicates a decrease count output value in response to a decrease in the load data with an output count value such that the current count value is greatly decreased as a starting point.

Coordinate input apparatus

An operation inputting apparatus is disclosed by which, even if a load detection output remains after an operation of a stick type operation member is stopped by an operator, a load detection output which coincides with stopping of the operation of the stick type operation member can be obtained. A pressure detection sensor detects a load force applied to the stick type operation member upon operation of the stick type operation member, and a comparison circuit compares a load detection value obtained from the pressure detection sensor with a preset load value. A timer circuit adjusts a count value in response to a result of the comparison and detects the count value equal to zero to produce a zero detection output. A judgment level production section sets two judgment levels for presence or absence of an output in response to the zero detection output. The judgment levels are set such that the judgment level for presence or absence of an output when the zero detection output is supplied is higher than the judgment level for presence or absence of an output when the zero detection output is not supplied.

Operation inputting apparatus

An operational input apparatus having an internal input apparatus and an external additional input apparatus wherein the internal data obtained by the operation of the internal input apparatus and the external data obtained by the operation of the external additional input apparatus are selectively transferred to an equipment main body and including: a changeover circuit for changing over the connection to the equipment main body; a data detector for detecting the change in the internal data and the external data separately; an internal data counter and an external data counter which start counting at the detection of the respective changes in the internal and the external data and clear the count values after a predetermined period of time; and a changeover controller which controls a switch to change over periodically and alternately when the count values of the internal data counter and the external data counter are both zero, and when a count value is obtained, controls the switch to change over to the side wherein the count value is obtained.

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Fukushima-ken, Japan

Masaru Komatsu