Alps Electric Co., Ltd.

Alps Electronic Co., Ltd.

Yuichi Yasuda

Masatoshi Uchio

Junichi Saito

Yuichi Umeda

Ichiro Morishita

Yoshihisa Endo

Arao Sato

Masaru Nakayama

Kazuhiro Katagiri

Tomomitsu Muta

Masahiro Tanaka

Hiroo Nomura

A keyboard unit capable of making large the stroke of a key top and a sure click touch. In one aspect of the invention, the keyboard unit of the present invention comprises an elastic material such as a domed reversible return spring. In another aspect, a predetermined space is formed between a piezoelectric element and the base plate. The piezoelectric elements may extend underneath two support bodies from a first support body to a second support body. Each membrane switch and the return spring is depressed and reversed by a stem, wherein each of the piezoelectric elements is driven through the contact point of the respective membrane switch. The resulting driving force is transmitted to the respective key top through the stem. The stem is then elastically deformed and contracted by the inertia force pressing the key top to produce the stroke of the key top.

Thin keyboard unit capable of making large the stroke of a key top

An infrared signal transmitting apparatus provided by the present invention comprises an infrared light emitting device for transmitting high-speed signals, a plurality of infrared light emitting devices for transmitting low-speed signals which are distributed and laid out in such a way that, as a whole, a wide directivity is obtained, a high-speed-signal driving circuit for driving the infrared light emitting device for transmitting high-speed signals in accordance with a high-speed signal (data signal) received from a computer, a low-speed-signal driving circuit for driving the plural infrared light emitting devices for transmitting low-speed signals at the same time in accordance with a low-speed signal (remote-control signal) received from the computer, and logic means for allowing the high-speed-signal driving circuit to drive the infrared light emitting device for transmitting high-speed signals in accordance with the low-speed signal. When a remote-control signal is received from the computer, not only do the infrared light emitting devices for transmitting low-speed signals each transmit an infrared signal, but the infrared light emitting device for transmitting high-speed signals also outputs an infrared signal as well.

Infrared signal transmitting apparatus

A portable input apparatus used in conjunction with a controllable information processing apparatus which comprises a light receiving element receiving a base light emitted from a light emitting section of the controllable information processing apparatus and being composed of a first detector light receiving element, a second detector light receiving element and a reference light receiving element arranged therebetween, each being of a non-split type; an optical signal transmitting section transmitting an optical signal to the controllable information processing apparatus side; signal conversion sections converting an output current of the non-split type light receiving element and generating a time shared output voltage; a signal processing section processing the time shared output voltage to generate relative angle data; and a control section performing operation and calculation of the relative angle data to form a coordinate signal and transmitting the optical signal including the coordinate signal to the controllable information processing apparatus side.

Portable input apparatus

According to the present invention there is provided a space coordinates detecting device wherein a detecting section for detecting light emitted from a light source is provided, thereby permitting detection of a relative angle between a light emitting sections and the detecting section and hence permitting application of the detecting device to an input apparatus. The detecting section is provided with a light sensing element 23 having quartered light sensing portions. In the light emitting section, distinguishable lights are emitted from two light sources. The lights thus emitted are throttled through apertures and applied as separate square light spots S16 and S17 to the light-sensitive surface of the light sensing element 23. By calculating a difference in the detected output among the quartered light sensing portions, it is possible to determine the center I1 of the square light spot S16 and the center I2 of the square light spot S17. A relative rotational angle of the light emitting section and the detecting section with respect to Z axis can be determined by calculating an inclination angle .alpha. on X-Y orthogonal coordinates of a line x connecting both centers I1 and I2.

Space coordinates detecting device and input apparatus using same

Growing community of inventors

Fukushima-ken, Japan

Yuichi Yasuda