Touch control device and method for controlling the touch control device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10877589-B2
Application number	US-201615366853-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 1, 2016
Priority date	Jul 4, 2016
Publication date	Dec 29, 2020
Grant date	Dec 29, 2020

Abstract

A touch control device includes a button including a metal complex and having an electrode groove formed therein, a signal deliverer arranged in the electrode groove and including a conductive material, and a substrate having a receiver formed thereon for receiving a signal from the signal deliverer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A touch control device comprising: a button including a metal complex and having an electrode groove disposed therein, wherein the button comprises a touch unit with which an input means comes into contact, and a connector extending from the touch unit toward the substrate;
a signal deliverer arranged in the electrode groove and including a conductive material, wherein the signal deliverer comprises a first signal deliverer arranged in the touch unit and a second signal deliverer arranged in the connector;
a substrate having a receiver disposed thereon for receiving a signal from the signal deliverer, the receiver being disposed apart from the signal deliverer;
an elastic member disposed between the button and the substrate to provide an elastic restoring force to the button and to prevent foreign matter or water from penetrating into the substrate by covering the substrate; and
a resistance member attached to a bottom surface of the elastic member and configured to be selectively in contact with the receiver,
wherein the touch control device is configured to determine whether the button is touched and whether the button is pushed,
the button includes a joint extending in a pushing direction of the button, and
a controller for receiving information about capacitance between the signal deliverer and the receiver and determining input information, wherein the controller is configured to determine whether the signal deliverer approaches the receiver within a predetermined range or comes into contact with the receiver based on the information about the capacitance between the signal deliverer and the receiver.

2. The touch control device of claim 1 ,
wherein the button comprises resin including one or more of Polycarbonate (PC), Polyamide (PA) and acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer (ABS), and metal oxide including one or more of Mg, Cr, Cu, Ba, Fe, Ti and Al.

3. The touch control device of claim 2 ,
wherein the button is formed to have a base including the metal complex coated on one face of resin, glass or leather.

4. The touch control device of claim 1 ,
wherein the controller is configured to determine whether an input means comes into contact with the button based on the information about the capacitance between the signal deliverer and the receiver.

5. The touch control device of claim 4 ,
wherein the controller is configured to determine whether an input means approaches the button within a predetermined range based on the information about the capacitance between the signal deliverer and the receiver.

6. The touch control device of claim 1 , further comprising:
an elastic member placed between the connector and the substrate for applying elastic force to the button.

7. The touch control device of claim 1 ,
wherein the first signal deliverer is formed to enclose the surrounding of a connecting part of the connector on a bottom of the touch unit, and wherein the second signal deliverer is formed to be connected to the first signal deliverer on one side and extending to a bottom of the connector along one face of the connector.

8. The touch control device of claim 1 ,
wherein the button is in direct contact with at least a portion of a housing arranged between the button and the elastic member when the button is pushed.

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Lee Jong Bok
• Seok Donghee
• Kwon Gideok
• Ro Heejin

Classifications

• H01H2239/006

  Containing a capacitive switch or usable as such · CPC title

• G06F3/0202 Primary

  Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the input device · CPC title

• G06F3/0416 Primary

  Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers · CPC title

• H01H13/14

  Operating parts, e.g. push-button · CPC title

• G06F3/0227 Primary

  Cooperation and interconnection of the input arrangement with other functional units of a computer (G06F3/023 - G06F3/037 take precedence) · CPC title