Input device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10298231-B2
Application number	US-201715828947-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 1, 2017
Priority date	Dec 28, 2016
Publication date	May 21, 2019
Grant date	May 21, 2019

Abstract

An input device includes a capacitive sensor and a piezoelectric sensor. The piezoelectric sensor is positioned on the front side of the capacitive sensor in a front-to-back direction from the front to the back of the input device, and is configured to change its output in response to a force applied to the piezoelectric sensor from its front side. The piezoelectric sensor includes a piezoelectric layer and a first electrode and a second electrode positioned across the piezoelectric layer from each other in the front-to-back direction. The capacitive sensor includes a capacitive sensing area where the capacitive sensor is configured to perform a sensing operation. The first electrode and the second electrode of the piezoelectric sensor do not overlap the capacitive sensing area when viewed in the front-to-back direction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An input device comprising:
a capacitive sensor; and
a piezoelectric sensor positioned on a front side of the capacitive sensor in a front-to-back direction from a front to a back of the input device, the piezoelectric sensor being configured to change an output thereof in response to a force applied to the piezoelectric sensor from a front side thereof,
wherein the piezoelectric sensor includes
a piezoelectric layer; and
a first electrode and a second electrode positioned across the piezoelectric layer from each other in the front-to-back direction,

wherein the capacitive sensor includes a capacitive sensing area where the capacitive sensor is configured to perform a sensing operation, and the first electrode and the second electrode of the piezoelectric sensor do not overlap the capacitive sensing area when viewed in the front-to-back direction,
wherein the capacitive sensor includes a plurality of drive electrodes and a plurality of sense electrodes that cross each other with an insulating layer being interposed between the plurality of drive electrodes and the plurality of sense electrodes,
wherein the plurality of sense electrodes are positioned within the capacitive sensing area,
wherein the first electrode and the second electrode are placed along one of the plurality of drive electrodes on a front side of the plurality of drive electrodes,
wherein the first electrode and the second electrode include respective wide portions where the first electrode and the second electrode increases in width, and
wherein the first electrode and the second electrode are over the one of the plurality of drive electrodes in the respective wide portions.

2. The input device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein
the plurality of drive electrodes include respective electrode parts where the plurality of drive electrodes increase in width, and
the electrode parts are equal in size to the wide portions of the first electrode and the second electrode, or are sized to spread out of the wide portions when viewed in the front-to-back direction.

3. The input device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein
the capacitive sensor has a rigid structure configured to perform flexural deformation, and
the piezoelectric sensor has a sheet shape, and further includes a film substrate on which the first electrode, the piezoelectric layer, and the second electrode are stacked in layers.

4. An input device comprising:
a capacitive sensor; and
a piezoelectric sensor positioned on a front side of the capacitive sensor in a front-to-back direction from a front to a back of the input device, the piezoelectric sensor being configured to change an output thereof in response to a force applied to the piezoelectric sensor from a front side thereof,
wherein the piezoelectric sensor includes
a piezoelectric layer; and
a first electrode and a second electrode positioned across the piezoelectric layer from each other in the front-to-back direction,

wherein the capacitive sensor includes a capacitive sensing area where the capacitive sensor is configured to perform a sensing operation, and the first electrode and the second electrode of the piezoelectric sensor do not overlap the capacitive sensing area when viewed in the front-to-back direction,
wherein the capacitive sensor includes a plurality of drive electrodes and a plurality of sense electrodes that cross each other with an insulating layer being interposed between the plurality of drive electrodes and the plurality of sense electrodes,
wherein the plurality of sense electrodes are positioned within the capacitive sensing area,
wherein the first electrode and the second electrode are placed along one of the plurality of drive electrodes on a front side of the plurality of drive electrodes,
wherein the plurality of drive electrodes are provided on a back side of the insulating layer and the plurality of sense electrodes are provided on a front side of the insulating layer in the front-to-back direction,
wherein the capacitive sensor further includes a conductive layer provided between adjacent sense electrodes among the plurality of sense electrodes on the front side of the insulating layer, the conductive layer being electrically disconnected from the plurality of drive electrodes and the plurality of sense electrodes, and
wherein the first electrode and the second electrode are on a front side of the conductive layer in the front-to-back direction.

5. The input device as claimed in claim 4 , wherein
the plurality of sense electrodes and the conductive layer are formed of a same conductive material, and
front surfaces of the plurality of sense electrodes that face in a back-to-front direction from the back to the front of the input device and a front surface of the conductive layer that faces in the back-to-front direction are positioned in a same plane.

6. The input device as claimed in claim 4 , wherein
the first electrode and the second electrode include respective wide portions where the first electrode and the second electrode increases in width, and
the first electrode and the second electrode are over the conductive layer in the respective wide portions.

7. The input device as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the conductive layer is equal in size to the wide portions of the first electrode and the second electrode, or is sized to spread out of the wide portions when viewed in the front-to-back direction.

8. The input device as claimed in claim 4 , wherein
the capacitive sensor has a rigid structure configured to perform flexural deformation, and
the piezoelectric sensor has a sheet shape, and further includes a film substrate on which the first electrode, the piezoelectric layer, and the second electrode are stacked in layers.

Assignees

• Alps Alpine Co Ltd

Inventors

• Shigetaka Hiroshi
• Sato Kunio
• Takahashi Hiroaki
• Fudo Heishiro
• Ri Jo

Classifications

• G06F3/0446

  using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes · CPC title

• G06F2203/04105

  Pressure sensors for measuring the pressure or force exerted on the touch surface without providing the touch position · CPC title

• G06F3/0445

  using two or more layers of sensing electrodes, e.g. using two layers of electrodes separated by a dielectric layer · CPC title

• H03K17/9618 Primary

  using a plurality of detectors, e.g. keyboard · CPC title

• H03K17/964

  Piezoelectric touch switches · CPC title