Operation position detection apparatus and vehicular apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9909852-B2
Application number	US-201314381404-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 14, 2013
Priority date	Feb 29, 2012
Publication date	Mar 6, 2018
Grant date	Mar 6, 2018

Abstract

An operation position detection apparatus includes: an operation body including front and back side operation surfaces; a casing; three strain generating bodies on at least one operation surface, wherein each strain generating body includes a connection section connected to the operation body, a fixed section fixed to the casing, and a displacement transmission surface displaceable by a pushing pressure to each operation surface; a distortion detection section arranged on each displacement transmission surface and detecting a distortion of the displacement transmission surface; and an operation position calculation section detecting which of the front side operation surface and the back side operation surface is pushed, the magnitude of the operation force generated by the pushing pressure, and an operation position of the pushing pressure, according to a detected distortion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An operation position detection apparatus comprising:
an operation body including a front side operation surface and a back side operation surface and having a substantially plate shape;
a casing accommodating the operation body;
at least three or more strain generating bodies arranged on at least one of the front side operation surface and the back side operation surface, wherein each strain generating body includes a connection section for connecting to the operation body, a fixed section fixed to the casing, and a displacement transmission surface displaceable according to an operation force, which is generated by a pushing pressure to each of the front side operation surface and the back side operation surface, and wherein the connection section is arranged on one end of the strain generating body, the fixed section is arranged on the other end of the strain generating body, and the displacement transmission surface is arranged between the connection section and the fixed section;
a distortion detection section arranged on the displacement transmission surface of each strain generating body and detecting a distortion of the displacement transmission surface caused by a displacement of the strain generating body; and
an operation position calculation section detecting which of the front side operation surface and the back side operation surface is pushed, the magnitude of the operation force generated by the pushing pressure, and an operation position as a position at which the pushing pressure is applied, according to the distortion detected by each distortion detection section.

2. The operation position detection apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the connection section of each strain generating body is connected to a periphery of the operation body, and
wherein the front side operation surface and the displacement transmission surface of all of the strain generating bodies corresponding to the front side operation surface are arranged on a same plane.

3. The operation position detection apparatus according to claim 2 ,
wherein the front side operation surface is defined as a X-Y plane of a two-dimensional orthogonal coordinate system,
wherein a predetermined direction of the X-Y plane is defined as a first direction, and a direction perpendicular to the first direction is defined as a second direction,
wherein a direction perpendicular to the X-Y plane is defined as a third direction,
wherein the operation position calculation section calculates a moment around the first direction, a moment around the second direction and a force in the third direction according to the distortion detected by the distortion detection section and caused by the pushing pressure to the front side operation surface,
wherein the operation position calculation section calculates a gravity center position based on the moment around the first direction, the moment around the second direction and the force in the third direction,
wherein the operation position calculation section detects a calculated gravity center position as the operation position of the front side operation surface,
wherein the back side operation surface is defined as a X-Y plane of another two-dimensional orthogonal coordinate system,
wherein a predetermined direction of the another X-Y plane is defined as a fourth direction, and a direction perpendicular to the fourth direction is defined as a fifth direction,
wherein a direction perpendicular to the another X-Y plane is defined as a sixth direction,
wherein the operation position calculation section calculates a force in the sixth direction according to the distortion detected by the distortion detection section and caused by the pushing pressure to the back side operation surface,
wherein the operation position calculation section calculates another gravity center position based on the force in the sixth direction,
wherein the operation position calculation section detects another calculated gravity center position as the operation position of the back side operation surface.

4. The operation position detection apparatus according to claim 3 ,
wherein a back side of the operation body 2 further includes a concavity surface,
wherein the back side operation surface is arranged on a bottom of the concavity surface, and
wherein the front side operation surface is arranged at a position opposing to the back side operation surface to sandwiching the concavity surface therebetween.

5. A vehicular apparatus comprising:
the operation position detection apparatus according to claim 1 and attached to a steering device of a vehicle in such a manner that the front side operation surface faces a driver, who is driving the vehicle; and
a control device executing various processes based on the magnitude of the operation force or the operation position, which are calculated with respect to the pushing pressure to the front side operation surface or the back side operation surface.

6. The vehicular apparatus according to claim 5 ,
wherein the control device executes various processes based on the magnitude of the operation force or the operation position, which are calculated with respect to the pushing pressure to the front side operation surface in the operation position detection apparatus,
wherein the control device executes a process for changing continuously a predetermined set value based on the magnitude of the operation force or the operation position, which are calculated with respect to the pushing pressure to the back side operation surface in the operation position detection apparatus.

7. The vehicular apparatus according to claim 5 ,
wherein the back side operation surface includes a concavity or a convexity for determining a position on the back side operation surface.

Assignees

• Denso Corp
• Nippon Soken
• Soken Inc

Inventors

• Hatanaka Shinji
• Sanma Norio
• Nada Toru
• Taguchi Kiyotaka
• Manabe Makoto
• Yoshizawa Akira
• Obayashi Makoto

Classifications

• G06F3/041 Primary

  Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means · CPC title

• B60K35/80

  Arrangements for controlling instruments · CPC title

• B60K35/60

  Instruments characterised by their location or relative disposition in or on vehicles (arrangements of lighting devices on dashboards B60Q3/10) · CPC title

• B60K35/10

  Input arrangements, i.e. from user to vehicle, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor · CPC title

• G01B5/30 Primary

  for measuring the deformation in a solid, e.g. mechanical strain gauge · CPC title