JPH01121918A - Hand-writing input device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To input a character, a pattern, or the like to an electronic apparatus as written by selectively generating voltages in many arranged piezoelectric bodies in accordance with the mechanical pressure applied with hand-writing and detecting these voltages individually. CONSTITUTION:When a writing tool 8 is pressed to the upper face of a soft substrate 6, this pressing force is applied to a pressure-sensitive substrate 4, and piezoelectric bodies 5-1 and 5-2 in this part are compressed. Voltages are generated in compressed piezoelectric bodies 5-1 and 5-2 and are outputted to taking-out electrodes 3a-1 and 3a-2 through a metallic wiring 3. When the writing tool 8 is moved, voltages generated in piezoelectric bodies 5-1 and 5-2 are reduced simultaneously with release of the pressing force to piezoelectric bodies 5-1 and 5-2. Another piezoelectric bodies 5-3 and 5-4 are compressed at this time and voltages are generated there, and voltages are outputted to corresponding taking-out electrodes 3a-3 and 3a-4. Thus, the movement locus of the writing tool 8 is detected and a character, a pattern, or the like is inputted to the electronic apparatus as written.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a human power device that can be used in telecommunication terminal devices and electronic devices such as word processors and personal computers.

[Conventional technology]

Conventionally, keyboards have been widely used as input means for electronic devices. In input using a keyboard, each key corresponds to a unique character or symbol, so anyone can easily input characters or symbols with good reproducibility by performing predetermined key operations.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

However, with this input method, it is not possible to input characters and symbols that are not available on the keyboard, and it is also difficult to input figures inside the - shell. Some software has been improved to allow graphic input, but the shapes are limited to simple shapes and there are only a few types, so it is not possible to draw arbitrary curves with the keyboard.

On the other hand, another input method is to optically read and input characters and figures. This method does not impose any restrictions on the type of characters or symbols or the shape of the figure, but it only reads characters and symbols written in advance by other means, and it is not possible to create arbitrary characters or symbols. .

The present invention uses the same method as writing letters and figures on ordinary paper.
An object of the present invention is to provide a device that can input characters, figures, etc. exactly as handwritten into an electronic device.

[Means for solving problems]

For this purpose, the handwriting input device of the present invention includes a wiring board having metal wiring connected to each of the piezoelectric bodies separately on one side of the pressure-sensitive substrate on which a large number of piezoelectric bodies are arranged. A soft substrate having a metal film connected to all of the piezoelectric bodies is stacked on the opposite side of the piezoelectric body, and a voltage is selectively generated in the piezoelectric body by mechanical pressure applied by hand to the soft substrate. The configuration is such that each signal is output separately from the metal wiring.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, a handwriting input device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 1 is a perspective view thereof, and FIG. 2 is a sectional view thereof.

In these figures, 1 is a hard support substrate, 2 is a wiring board disposed on the support substrate 1, and the wiring board 2 has a plurality of metal wirings 3 formed on its upper surface. The end of each metal wiring 3 is formed into a lead-out electrode 3a, and these lead-out electrodes 3a are regularly arranged on the edge of the wiring base Fi,2.

Reference numeral 4 denotes a pressure-sensitive board mounted on the upper surface of the wiring board 2, which is formed into a flat plate by arranging a plurality of piezoelectric bodies 5 and holding them with a filler. The top and bottom surfaces are exposed.

Reference numeral 6 denotes a soft substrate disposed on the upper surface of the pressure-sensitive substrate 4, that is, at the top of the device.A common electrode 7 made of a metal film is provided on the entire lower surface of the flexible substrate 6, which contacts all of the piezoelectric bodies 5; It is possible to write by hand using a writing instrument.

The reason why the material of the substrate 6 is made soft is that if it is hard, it will be difficult for handwritten force to be transmitted to the piezoelectric body 5. Even if the force is transmitted, it will be difficult to transmit to the piezoelectric body 5 in areas other than the area where the force actually acts. On the other hand, if the handwriting force is soft, the handwritten force will only act on the piezoelectric body 5 in that area, and will not affect the piezoelectric body 5 in other areas. This is because it has almost no effect, and the above-mentioned problems in the hard case do not occur.

Next, the principle and usage method of this example device will be explained. First, when a suitable writing instrument 8 is pressed against the upper surface of the soft substrate 6, the pressing force is applied to the pressure sensitive substrate 4, and the piezoelectric body 5-1, 5-2 in that area is compressed. A voltage is generated in this compressed piezoelectric body 5-1, 5-2. This voltage is output to the extraction electrodes 3a-1 and 3a-2 via the metal wiring 3 in contact with the piezoelectric body 5-1, 5-2.

Therefore, by detecting the voltages of the take-out molds 13a-1 and 3a-2, it is possible to know the position where the writing instrument 8 is in contact with the soft substrate 6.

Then, when the writing instrument 8 moves, the piezoelectric body 5-1
．． The pressing force applied to the piezoelectric body 5-2 is removed, and at the same time, the voltage generated in the piezoelectric body 5-1, 5-2 also disappears. Along with this, the voltage output to the extraction electrodes 3a-1 and 3a-2 also disappears. And now another piezoelectric body 5-3.5
-4 is compressed, a voltage is generated thereon, and a new voltage is output to the corresponding extraction electrodes 3a-3 and 3a-4.

Therefore, by detecting the voltages of the extraction electrodes 3a-3 and 3a-4, the new position of the moved writing instrument 8 can be known.

In this way, as the writing instrument 8 moves, the extraction electrode 3a that outputs the voltage changes, so by sequentially detecting the extraction electrode 3a that outputs the voltage, it is possible to know the movement trajectory of the writing instrument 8. .

The position detection accuracy of the writing instrument 8 in this device is as follows:
It depends on the dimensions and areal density of the piezoelectric body 5 in . That is, in order to input the shape of a handwritten character as faithfully as possible, it is necessary to reduce the size of the piezoelectric body 5 (and increase its areal density. However, in this case, as the number of piezoelectric bodies 5 increases, all It becomes difficult to form wiring 3 corresponding to the piezoelectric body 5 on one wiring board 2.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a handwriting input device that solves this problem. In this example, a pressure-sensitive substrate 10 holding piezoelectric bodies 9 at high density and a laminated wiring board 12 formed by laminating a plurality of thin wiring plates 11 are used. Each of the wiring thin plates 11 is formed with slightly different dimensions, and is stacked so that the circumference thereof has a stepped shape. As a result, the extraction electrodes 13a formed on each circumferential portion are all exposed, facilitating electrical connection with the outside.

FIG. 4 is a partial perspective view of the laminated wiring board 12. In the figure, the uppermost first layer thin wiring board 11-1 includes:
Piezoelectric electrodes 14 individually corresponding to all the piezoelectric bodies 9 disposed on the pressure-sensitive substrate 10 are disposed.

Among them, the piezoelectric electrode 14-1 in the L1 row is connected to the metal wiring 13-
1 to the lead-out electrode 13 of the first layer wiring thin plate 11-1.
Connected to a-1.

Moreover, the piezoelectric electrode 14-2 of the L2 row is a conductor 15 loaded into a hole drilled in the first layer thin wiring board 11-1.
-1 to contact the connection electrode 16-1 formed on the second layer thin wiring board 11-2, and further via the metal wiring 13-2 of the second layer thin wiring Fill-2. and is connected to the extraction electrode 13a-2.

In addition, the piezoelectric electrodes 14-3, 14-4 in the 53rd row and the L4 row
Similarly, the first and second layer wiring thin plates 11-1.
11-2 and a conductor 15- that penetrates the first layer, second layer, and third layer wiring thin plates 11-1, 11-2, and 11-3.
2. Connection electrode 16- formed on the third and fourth layer wiring thin plates 11-3 and 11-4 via 15-3.
2.16-3 respectively, and the wiring thin plate 11-3
．． It is connected to extraction electrodes 13a-3 and 13a-4 via metal wirings 13-3 and 13-4 of 11-4, respectively.

The flexible substrate 6' has the same structure as in the previous embodiment, and is disposed on the upper surface of the uppermost wiring thin plate 11-1. Therefore, if this soft substrate 6' is pressed with a writing instrument,
A voltage is output to the corresponding electrode 13a.

It should be noted that it is sufficient that the writing instrument used in the apparatus of any of the above embodiments has enough hardness to deform the piezoelectric body 5.9, and no more special conditions are required.

〔Effect of the invention〕

From the above, according to the present invention, a voltage is selectively generated by mechanical pressure applied by hand to a large number of piezoelectric bodies arranged in an array, and the voltage is detected individually, so that characters and figures can be easily detected. It becomes possible to input characters, figures, etc. exactly as handwritten into an electronic device, just as if they were written by hand.

In this case, if the wiring board related to the connection between the piezoelectric body and the electrodes is constructed with a laminated wiring board, even if the number of piezoelectric bodies increases and the areal density increases, all the wiring can be done by simply increasing the number of thin wiring boards that make up the laminated wiring board. piezoelectric bodies and metal wiring corresponding to each piezoelectric body can be reliably connected.

In addition, since the magnitude of the voltage output to the metal wiring is proportional to the strength of the force acting on the piezoelectric body, by utilizing this characteristic, there is no need to change the configuration of this device (as a mechanical two-dimensional distribution measuring device) It has the advantage that it can also be used.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a handwriting input device according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a sectional view thereof, FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a handwriting input device according to another embodiment, and FIG. 4 is a diagram of its laminated wiring board. FIG. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Support board, 2... Wiring board, 3... Metal wiring, 3a... Take-out electrode, 4... Pressure sensitive board, 5...
Piezoelectric body, 6.6'... Soft substrate, 7... Common electrode,
8... Writing instrument, 9... Piezoelectric body, 10... Pressure sensitive board, 11... Wiring thin board, 12... Laminated wiring board, 13
...Metal wiring, 13a... Takeout electrode, 14... Piezoelectric electrode, 15... Conductor, 16... Connection electrode.

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) On one side of the pressure-sensitive substrate on which a large number of piezoelectric bodies are arranged, a wiring board having metal wiring connected to each of the piezoelectric bodies separately, and on the opposite side of the pressure-sensitive substrate, the above-mentioned Soft substrates each having a metal film connected to all of the piezoelectric bodies are stacked one on top of the other, and a voltage selectively generated in the piezoelectric body is generated separately from the metal wiring by mechanical pressure applied by hand to the soft substrates. A handwriting input device characterized in that it is configured to output. (2) The above-mentioned wiring board is constituted by a laminated wiring board formed by laminating a plurality of wiring thin plates having mutually different dimensions so as to form steps at the periphery, and the above-mentioned metal wiring is distributed to each of the above-mentioned wiring thin plates. A portion of the metal wiring arranged on the uppermost thin wiring plate and in contact with the piezoelectric body in a corresponding manner is connected to the metal wiring in the lower layer via a conductor penetrating the thin wiring plate. 2. The handwriting input device according to claim 1, wherein the handwriting input device is configured by being connected to each separately.