Alps Electric Co., Ltd.

Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione

Shinji Hirano

Tsuyoshi Narusawa

Shinichi Higuchi

Yoshihisa Endo

Masaru Komatsu

Kinya Inoue

Mikio Matsumoto

Tadamitsu Sato

Kazuhiro Yokoyama

Naoyuki Hatano

Hideki Ito

Kazutoshi Watanabe

Yasunari Takano

Kouichi Ogino

Kazuhito Ooshita

Seiichi Suga

Katsuyuki Katayama

Ken Kajikawa

Shigetoshi Amano

Yoshiaki Ootuki

Tadashi Manome

A thin input device can be made small and thin, and prevent an excessive force from acting on a connecting part with a substrate when an operating part is operated to detect deformation of an actuating member. An actuating member is received in a recess of a lower case, and a lid is fixed. The actuating member includes fixed parts provided at four corners and deformable parts thinner than the fixed parts. The fixed parts are fixedly sandwiched between a bottom surface of the recess of the lower case and the lid. The deformable parts, to which strain detecting elements are attached, are provided in four directions around the operating part. When the operating knob is operated to deform a deformable part, the force acts only on the case, and an excessive force does not act on connecting parts between the connecting terminals, and a substrate.

Input device

A coordinate input device of the present invention includes a base having a deformation sensor; a stick that stands upright with a specified height from the base; a rubber cap that can be press-fitted on the stick; and a pressure sensor that can be controlled by pushing a control section formed at the upper end of the rubber cap. The rubber cap has a dome-shaped cavity in the control section. When the control section is pushed, the cavity is elastically deformed to make the pressure sensor operative.

Coordinate input device

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

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 keyboard is constructed so that a ratio of a dimension between a first latching portion of a first lever and a pivotally supporting portion thereof to a dimension between this pivotally supporting portion thereof and a second latching portion thereof is equal to a ratio of a dimension between a first latching portion of a second lever and another pivotally supporting portion thereof to a dimension between this pivotally supporting portion thereof and a second latching portion thereof. Thus, when the key top descends, the second latching portions of the first and second levers are placed outside the first latching portions of the first and second levers. Consequently, reduction in thickness of a keyboard is achieved.

Thin keyboard

A game machine operation device wherein a first grip section and a second grip section have their outer sides curved into the shape of an arc, with the curved surfaces serving as guide sections along which the operator can move his palms. Therefore, the operator is capable of placing his hands or fingers used for operating the device in a comfortable position on the first and second grip sections and freely move his hands or fingers along the curved surfaces. In conventional game machine operation devices, the grip sections are formed so as to extend vertically downward, which prevents the operator from changing the position of his hands, depending on his hand size, so that an operator with large hands cannot operate the operation device easily, causing him to get tired hands or fingers.

Operation device for game machine

A liquid crystal display device with a tablet reduced in apparatus thickness and enhanced in display visibility. The liquid crystal display device mainly composed of a liquid crystal display upper glass plate, a liquid crystal, and a liquid crystal display lower glass plate is connected with a tablet on the upper glass plate, the tablet being mainly composed of a film having a first transparent electrode. A second transparent electrode arranged on the upper glass plate is made function as both an electrostatic capacity detecting electrode and a display electrode. Namely, display is made by the second transparent electrode and a third transparent electrode and a coordinate on the tablet is detected by the first transparent electrode and the second transparent electrode.

Liquid crystal display device with tablet

A coordinate input apparatus which performs an input operation with high precision by use of either an operator's finger or an input pen. The input apparatus includes a tablet having a plurality of X electrodes and Y electrodes arranged in the form of a matrix on the respective top and bottom surfaces of a glass substrate. The input apparatus also has a first oscillation circuit connected to the X electrodes through an analog switch. It is further provided with an input pen containing a second oscillation circuit. When the pen is used to perform the input operation through use of coordinates, the following method of determining the coordinates designated by the pen is employed. A voltage oscillating from the pen is applied to each electrode through capacitance, and the resulting output voltage varies depending on the distance from each electrode to the pen. Based on the varied output voltages, a predetermined computation process is executed to determine the coordinates designated by the pen. On the other hand, when the operator's finger is used to perform the input operation, the analog switch is switched to the first oscillation circuit. Then, a voltage at a predetermined frequency is sequentially applied to each of the X electrodes from the first oscillation circuit, and the voltage applied across the X and Y electrodes is changed due to a decrease in the capacitance therebetween caused by the touching of the finger. Based on this change, coordinates designated by the finger is detected.

Coordinate input apparatus with pen and finger input detection

A control ball assembly for a coordinate input device including a pair of orthogonal rotatable shafts contacting a control ball and which rotate in response to a rotation of the control ball. A spring having two arms, each arm connected to one end of one of the pair of shafts, presses the rotatable shafts inward against the control ball with an equal biasing force. A support member is provided to support the spring.

Growing community of inventors

Fukushima-ken, Japan

Shinji Hirano