Input device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9329707-B2
Application number	US-201414297381-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 5, 2014
Priority date	Dec 16, 2013
Publication date	May 3, 2016
Grant date	May 3, 2016

Abstract

An input device is provided. The input device includes an operation element, an optical finger navigation module, a press sensing circuit and a control unit. The optical finger navigation module senses a moving operation of the finger on the operation element so as to generate a motion signal, and the press sensing circuit is disposed under the optical finger navigation module and generates a press signal in response to a pressing operation of the finger. The control unit is electrically connected with the optical finger navigation module and the press sensing circuit, so as to generate a first control command in response to the motion signal and generate a second control command in response to the press sensing signal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An input device, comprising:
an operation element defined with an optical sensing region, where a moving operation and/or a pressing operation of a finger can be sensed;
an optical finger navigation module disposed under the optical sensing region for sensing the moving operation of the finger on the optical sensing region so as to generate a motion signal;
a press sensing circuit;
at least one press sensing element disposed under the optical finger navigation module and electrically connected to the press sensing circuit to generate a press signal in response to the pressing operation of the finger on the operation element;
a control unit connected with the optical finger navigation module and the press sensing circuit to generate a first control command in response to the motion signal, and generate a second control command in response to the press sensing signal;
a circuit board;
a substrate disposed under the substrate for supporting the substrate, the circuit board and the operation element, the elastic supporting element has at least one rubber projection, and the at least one rubber projection is disposed under and aligned with the at least one press sensing element;
wherein the press sensing circuit is formed on a bottom surface of the circuit board, and the at least one press sensing element is disposed on the top surface of the substrate, and when a portion of the operation element is pressed with a force larger than a predetermined level, the operation element, the circuit board and the substrate are jointly moved in a corresponding direction in response to the force, so that the substrate is thrust by the at least one rubber projection and the impedance of the at least one press sensing element varies with a level of the pressing operation of the finger on the operation element, and thereby, the press sensing circuit generates the press signal accordingly.

2. The input device according to claim 1 , further comprising a housing for accommodating the optical finger navigation module and at least one press sensing element, wherein the housing has an opening for exposing at least a portion of the operation element.

3. The input device according to claim 1 , wherein the optical finger navigation module comprises:
a sensor;
a light source generating and emitting light beams which pass through the optical sensing region; and
an optical lens set projecting the light beams onto the finger and focusing the light beams reflected by the finger onto the sensor, thereby generating the motion signal.

4. The input device according to claim 1 , wherein the optical finger navigation module is disposed on a top surface of the circuit board.

5. The input device according to claim 4 , wherein the press sensing element is a Force Sensing Resistance (FSR), and the impedance of Force Sensing Resistance varies with a level of the pressing operation of the finger on the operation element.

6. The input device according to claim 4 , wherein the substrate is made of a plastic material.

7. The input device according to claim 4 , wherein the at least one press sensing element includes a front sensing element, a rear sensing element, a left sensing element and a right sensing element, which are distributed at edges of the substrate.

8. The input device according to claim 4 , wherein the operation element has a plurality of poles extending downwards, the circuit board has a plurality of circuit board through holes corresponding to the poles, and the substrate has a plurality of substrate through holes corresponding to the poles, respectively; wherein each of the poles penetrates through and is fastened in the corresponding circuit board through hole and the corresponding substrate through hole.

9. The input device according to claim 1 , wherein the operation element is further defined with a touch region surrounding the optical sensing region, where another pressing operation of the finger can be sensed.

10. The input device according to claim 1 for use with an electronic device, wherein the input device is coupled to an electronic device or built in the electronic device for controlling movement of a cursor on a screen of the electronic device in response to the first control command.

11. The input device according to claim 1 for use with an electronic device, wherein the input device is coupled to an electronic device or disposed in the electronic device for controlling scrolling of a window on a screen of the electronic device in response to the second control command.

12. The input device according to claim 1 for use with a keyboard device or a mouse device, wherein the input device is coupled to or built in the keyboard device or the mouse device.

Assignees

• Primax Electronics Ltd

Inventors

• Su Chun-Nan
• Shih Tzu-Chiang
• Wu Chun-Che

Classifications

• G06F3/03547 Primary

  Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface · CPC title