WO2024224852A1

WO2024224852A1 - Contact determination system, contact determination module, and electronic apparatus

Info

Publication number: WO2024224852A1
Application number: PCT/JP2024/009552
Authority: WO
Inventors: 雅明野田; 靖洋川上; 康平橘田; 泰明亀山; 清仁丸尾; 翼星野; 悠佑長田
Original assignee: パナソニックＩｐマネジメント株式会社
Priority date: 2023-04-28
Filing date: 2024-03-12
Publication date: 2024-10-31

Abstract

This contact determination system comprises a contact determination module, a detection vibration control unit, a determination unit, and a haptic vibration control unit. The contact determination module comprises: a detection vibrator; a vibration detector; a haptic vibrator; a first medium for mediating propagation of vibration between the detection vibrator and a target portion; a second medium for mediating propagation of vibration between the detection vibrator and the vibration detector; and a third medium for mediating propagation of vibration between the haptic vibrator and the target portion. When the determination unit determines that an object makes contact with the target portion, the haptic vibration control unit generates a vibration in the haptic vibrator, said vibration being of a frequency that is lower than the frequency of a vibration that is generated by the detection vibrator.

Description

Contact detection system, contact detection module and electronic device

This disclosure generally relates to a contact determination system, a contact determination module, and an electronic device, and more specifically, to a contact determination system that determines whether or not an object is in contact with a target portion, a contact determination module that is applied to the contact determination system, and an electronic device that includes the contact determination system.

Patent Document 1 discloses a vibration unit having a vibration device and a control unit. The vibration device has a sheet-like first piezoelectric element, a sheet-like second piezoelectric element extending parallel to the first piezoelectric element, and a vibration plate having the first piezoelectric element arranged on one main surface and the second piezoelectric element arranged on the other main surface. The control unit has a sensor circuit that detects the electromotive force generated in the first piezoelectric element, and a drive circuit that applies a drive voltage to the second piezoelectric element when the electromotive force is detected in the sensor circuit. When the vibration unit is pressed down with a finger, etc., and the first piezoelectric element is deflected, and the sensor circuit detects that an electromotive force is generated in the first piezoelectric element, the drive circuit applies a drive voltage to the second piezoelectric element, causing the vibration unit to vibrate to a degree that can be felt by a finger, etc.

Patent No. 7110570

In the vibration device described in Patent Document 1, unless the first piezoelectric element is deformed by a finger or the like so as to bend, pressing by a finger or the like is not detected, and the electromotive force generated by the first piezoelectric element is also small.

The objective of the present disclosure is to provide a contact determination system that can accurately determine whether an object is in contact with a target part and can vibrate the target part when it is determined that an object is in contact with the target part, a contact determination module that is applied to the contact determination system, and an electronic device that is equipped with the contact determination system.

A contact determination system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is a contact determination system that determines whether an object is in contact with a target part. The contact determination system includes a contact determination module, a detection vibration control unit, a determination unit, and a haptics vibration control unit. The contact determination module includes a detection oscillator, a vibration detector, a haptics oscillator, a first medium that mediates the propagation of vibration between the detection oscillator and the target part, a second medium that mediates the propagation of vibration between the detection oscillator and the vibration detector, and a third medium that mediates the propagation of vibration between the haptics oscillator and the target part. The detection vibration control unit controls the operation of the detection oscillator. The determination unit determines whether an object is in contact with the target part based on a signal output by the vibration detector. The haptics vibration control unit causes the haptics oscillator to generate vibrations with a frequency lower than the frequency of vibrations generated by the detection oscillator when the determination unit determines that an object is in contact with the target part.

The contact determination module of one embodiment of the present disclosure is a contact determination module applied to a contact determination system that determines whether an object is in contact with a target part. The contact determination module includes a detection oscillator, a vibration detector, a haptic oscillator, a first medium that mediates the propagation of vibration between the detection oscillator and the target part, a second medium that mediates the propagation of vibration between the detection oscillator and the vibration detector, and a third medium that mediates the propagation of vibration between the haptic oscillator and the target part.

An electronic device according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes the contact determination system and the member having the target portion.

According to one aspect of the subject of the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a contact determination system that can accurately determine whether an object is in contact with a target part and can vibrate the target part when it is determined that an object is in contact with the target part, a contact determination module that is applied to the contact determination system, and an electronic device that includes the contact determination system.

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing a collision determination system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the electronic device of the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a waveform diagram showing the waveform of an AC voltage applied to a detection vibrator and the waveform of a signal output by a vibration detector in the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram showing a collision determination system according to the second embodiment. FIG. 5 is a plan view of a main part of the contact determination system according to the second embodiment. FIG. 6 is a bottom view of the main part of the same. FIG. 7 is a waveform diagram showing the waveform of an AC voltage applied to a shared vibrator in the second embodiment.

The embodiments and modifications will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 6. Note that the following embodiments and modifications are merely a portion of the various embodiments of the present disclosure. Furthermore, the following embodiments and modifications can be modified in various ways depending on the design, etc., as long as the object of the present disclosure can be achieved. The configurations of the embodiments and modifications can also be combined as appropriate.

All figures referenced below are schematic diagrams, and the dimensional ratios of the components in the figures do not necessarily reflect the actual dimensional ratios.

1. Embodiment (1) Overview A contact determination system 1 of the embodiment determines whether an object has contacted a target portion 9. The contact determination system 1 includes a contact determination module 2, a detection vibration control unit 3, a determination unit 4, and a haptics vibration control unit 26. The contact determination module 2 includes a detection oscillator 5, a vibration detector 6, a haptics oscillator 25, a first medium 7 that mediates the propagation of vibration between the detection oscillator 5 and the target portion 9, a second medium 8 that mediates the propagation of vibration between the detection oscillator 5 and the vibration detector 6, and a third medium 27 that mediates the propagation of vibration between the haptics oscillator 25 and the target portion 9. The detection vibration control unit 3 controls the operation of the detection oscillator 5. The determination unit 4 determines whether an object has contacted the target portion 9 based on a signal output by the vibration detector 6. When the judgment unit 4 determines that an object has contacted the target area 9, the haptics vibration control unit 26 causes the haptics oscillator 25 to generate vibrations with a frequency lower than the frequency of vibrations generated by the detection oscillator 5.

The detection oscillator 5 is an element that generates vibrations, and more specifically, an element that converts electric power into vibrations. The detection oscillator 5 includes, for example, a piezoelectric transducer (piezoelectric element). In this case, the detection oscillator 5 can convert AC power into vibrations having an amplitude and frequency that correspond to the amplitude and frequency of the AC power.

The vibration detector 6 is an element that outputs a signal corresponding to vibration. The vibration detector 6 includes, for example, a piezoelectric transducer (piezoelectric element). In this case, the detection oscillator 5 can convert the vibration into an AC signal having an amplitude and frequency corresponding to the amplitude and frequency of the vibration, and output the signal.

The haptics oscillator 25 is an element that generates vibrations, and more specifically, an element that converts electric power into vibrations. However, as described above, the frequency of the vibrations generated by the haptics oscillator 25 is smaller than the frequency of the vibrations generated by the detection oscillator. The haptics oscillator 25 includes, for example, a piezoelectric transducer (piezoelectric element). In this case, the haptics oscillator 25 can convert AC power into vibrations having an amplitude and frequency that correspond to the amplitude and frequency of the AC power.

The first medium 7 may be made of any material capable of propagating vibrations. It is preferable that the first medium 7 is a solid. The first medium 7 is made of, for example, metal or plastic.

The second medium 8 may also be made of a material capable of propagating vibrations. It is preferable that the second medium 8 is a solid. The second medium 8 is made of, for example, metal or plastic.

The third medium may also be made of a material capable of propagating vibrations. It is preferable that the third medium is a solid. The third medium is made of, for example, metal or plastic.

In the contact determination system 1, when the detection vibration control unit 3 operates the detection oscillator 5 to cause the detection oscillator 5 to generate vibrations, the vibrations propagate from the detection oscillator 5 to the target part 9 through the first medium 7. The vibrations also propagate from the detection oscillator 5 to the vibration detector 6 through the second medium 8. In other words, a vibration system is formed that includes the detection oscillator 5, the first medium 7, the target part 9, the second medium 8, and the vibration detector 6, and the detection oscillator 5 vibrates the vibration system. The vibration detector 6 outputs a signal that corresponds to the waveform of the vibrations that propagate from the detection oscillator 5 to the vibration detector 6 through the second medium 8.

When an object comes into contact with the target area 9, the viscous resistance of the target area 9 increases and the vibration energy is attenuated. For this reason, when an object is in contact with the target area 9, the vibration waveform in the vibration system changes according to the load applied by the contacting object compared to when no object is in contact, and therefore the vibration waveform of the detection oscillator 5 in the vibration system also changes. For this reason, when an object is in contact with the target area 9, the signal output by the vibration detector 6 changes according to the load applied by the contacting object compared to when no object is in contact. The determination unit 4 can determine whether or not an object is in contact with the target area 9, based on the change in the signal output by the vibration detector 6 caused by the contacting object.

When the determination unit 4 determines that an object is touching the target part 9 and that a certain amount of load is being applied to the target part 9, the haptics vibration control unit 26 operates the haptics oscillator 25, causing the haptics oscillator 25 to generate vibrations. This vibration propagates to the target part 9 through the third medium 27, and then to the object in contact with the target part 9. This allows the object in contact with the target part 9 to obtain feedback.

The electronic device 24 of the embodiment includes a contact determination system 1 and a member 16 having a target portion 9. The contact determination system 1 can be used as a system for detecting a touch operation on a touch switch in an electronic device 24 such as a smartphone or a head-mounted display (see FIG. 2). In other words, the result of the determination by the contact determination system 1 can be used as an operation command for the electronic device 24.

(2) First Embodiment A first embodiment of the contact determination system 1 will be described.

The contact determination system 1 includes a contact determination module 2, a case body 10, a processing unit 21, a memory unit 13, a detection drive circuit 22, a converter 23, and a haptics drive circuit 28 (see FIG. 1).

The contact determination module 2 is fixed to a member 16 having a target portion 9. The member 16 having the target portion 9 is, for example, a housing of an electronic device 24, but is not limited to this (see FIG. 2). The member 16 is formed from, for example, metal or plastic, but the material of the member 16 is not limited to these.

The target portion 9 is a part of the member 16. In Figures 1 and 2, the boundary between the target portion 9 and the portion of the member 16 other than the target portion 9 is shown by a dashed line, but this is a convenient boundary, and there does not necessarily have to be a clear boundary between the target portion 9 and the portion of the member 16 other than the target portion 9. The target portion 9 can be said to be a portion of the member 16 where the contact determination system 1 can determine whether or not an object is in contact with the target portion 9.

The contact determination module 2 includes a detection vibrator 5, a vibration detector 6, a haptics vibrator 25, a substrate (vibration plate) 14, a fixing part 15, and a weight 31.

The substrate 14 is a thin plate made of, for example, metal or plastic. The substrate 14 faces the target area 9 with a gap therebetween.

The fixing part 15 fixes the substrate 14 to the member 16 and is interposed between the member 16 and the substrate 14. There is no limitation on the configuration of the fixing part 15. For example, the fixing part 15 may be a spacer that is interposed between the substrate 14 and the member 16 and is bonded to the substrate 14 and the member 16. The fixing part 15 may include a fastener such as a screw, and the substrate 14 may be fixed to the member 16 by the fastener. In the first embodiment, the substrate 14 is fixed by the fixing part 15 at a position between one end (first end) of the substrate 14 and an end (second end) opposite the first end. The part of the substrate 14 from the point fixed by the fixing part 15 to the first end side is the detection vibration part 32, and the part from the point fixed by the fixing part 15 to the second end side is the haptics vibration part 33.

The detection vibrator 5, vibration detector 6, and haptics vibrator 25 are mounted on the substrate 14. The detection vibrator 5 is disposed on the surface of the detection vibration section 32 of the substrate 14 that faces the target area 9. The vibration detector 6 is disposed on the surface of the detection vibration section 32 of the substrate 14 opposite the surface that faces the target area 9. In other words, the detection vibration section 32 of the substrate 14 is interposed between the detection vibrator 5 and the vibration detector 6. The haptics vibrator 25 is disposed on the surface of the haptics vibration section 33 of the substrate 14 that faces the target area 9.

The detection vibration section 32 and the fixed section 15 of the substrate 14 constitute a first medium 7 that mediates the propagation of vibration between the detection oscillator 5 and the target area 9. In addition, the portion of the detection vibration section 32 of the substrate 14 that is interposed between the detection oscillator 5 and the vibration detector 6 constitutes a second medium 8 that mediates the propagation of vibration between the detection oscillator 5 and the vibration detector 6 without passing through the target area 9. In addition, the haptic vibration section 33 and the fixed section 15 of the substrate 14 constitute a third medium 27 that mediates the propagation of vibration between the haptic oscillator 25 and the target area 9.

Two electrodes (a first drive electrode 17 and a second drive electrode 18) that supply power to drive the detection oscillator 5 are electrically connected to the detection oscillator 5. The first drive electrode 17 is interposed between the detection oscillator 5 and the substrate 14, and the second drive electrode 18 overlaps the surface of the detection oscillator 5 opposite the substrate 14.

Two output electrodes (a first output electrode 19 and a second output electrode 20) are electrically connected to the vibration detector 6. The first output electrode 19 is interposed between the vibration detector 6 and the substrate 14, and the second output electrode 20 overlaps the surface of the vibration detector 6 opposite the substrate 14.

Two electrodes (a first drive electrode 29 and a second drive electrode 30) that supply power to drive the haptics oscillator 25 are electrically connected to the haptics oscillator 25. The first drive electrode 29 is interposed between the haptics oscillator 25 and the substrate 14, and the second drive electrode 30 overlaps the surface of the haptics oscillator 25 opposite the substrate 14.

The weight 31 is fixed to the haptics vibration section 33 of the substrate 14 at a location on the opposite side to the location where the haptics oscillator 25 is fixed by the fixing section 15. The weight 31 is provided to adjust the natural frequency of the haptics oscillator 25. Specifically, the mass and position of the weight 31 are set so that the natural frequency of the haptics oscillator 25 is smaller than the natural frequency of the detection oscillator 5, and is preferably 50 Hz or more and 500 Hz or less.

The case body 10 is a box-shaped member having an opening. The case body 10 is formed of, for example, metal or plastic. The case body 10 contacts the member 16 having the target portion 9 so as to surround the target portion 9. Specifically, the case body 10 is fixed to the member 16, and the edge of the opening of the case body 10 contacts the member 16 so as to surround the target portion 9. It can also be said that the part of the member 16 surrounded by the case body 10 is the target portion 9. A contact determination module 2 is disposed inside the case body 10. When the case body 10 is fixed to the member 16, the case body 10 may completely shield the inside of the case body 10 from the outside of the case body 10, or may partially open the inside of the case body 10 to the outside of the case body 10 for ventilation and wiring arrangement. The top surface of the case body 10 (the surface opposite to the side in contact with the target portion 9) may be completely open except for the frame. Furthermore, among the edges of the opening of the case body 10 surrounding the target site 9, the part in a direction relative to the target site 9 where there is no problem even if vibrations are transmitted to the outside may be open and not come into contact with the member 16.

The detection drive circuit 22 supplies power to the detection vibrator 5 so that the detection vibrator 5 generates vibrations. Specifically, the detection drive circuit 22 applies an AC voltage between the first drive electrode 17 and the second drive electrode 18. The detection drive circuit 22 is capable of changing the amplitude and frequency of the AC voltage supplied to the detection vibrator 5 under the control of the detection vibration control unit 3 described below.

The converter 23 converts the signal output by the vibration detector 6 into a digital signal and sends it to the processing unit 21. The converter 23 may further amplify the signal if necessary.

Haptics drive circuit 28 supplies power to haptics oscillator 25 to cause haptics oscillator 25 to generate vibrations. Specifically, haptics drive circuit 28 applies an AC voltage between first drive electrode 29 and second drive electrode 30. Haptics drive circuit 28 is controlled by haptics vibration control unit 26 (described later) and is capable of changing the amplitude and frequency of the AC voltage supplied to haptics oscillator 25.

1 shows wiring for driving and signal output, but the position of the wiring is not limited to that shown in FIG. 1. When wiring for supplying driving power is actually connected to the detection oscillator 5, it is preferable that the wiring is connected to the portion close to the fixed portion 15 of each of the first driving electrode 17 and the second driving electrode 18. When wiring for driving is actually connected to the haptics oscillator 25, it is preferable that the wiring is connected to the portion close to the fixed portion 15 of each of the first driving electrode 29 and the second driving electrode 29. When wiring for output is actually connected to the vibration detector 6, it is preferable that the wiring is connected to the portion close to the fixed portion 15 of each of the first output electrode 19 and the second output electrode 20. In these cases, the wiring is connected to a portion where the amplitude during vibration is relatively small, so that problems such as wiring breakage due to vibration are unlikely to occur.

The processing unit 21 includes a determination unit 4, a detection vibration control unit 3, a haptics vibration control unit 26, a correction unit 11, and a setting unit 12. Note that the determination unit 4, the detection vibration control unit 3, the haptics vibration control unit 26, the correction unit 11, and the setting unit 12 do not necessarily represent physical configurations, but represent functions realized by the processing unit 21.

The processing unit 21 may be realized, for example, by a computer system including one or more processors (microprocessors) and one or more memories. In other words, the one or more processors function as the processing unit 21 by executing one or more programs (applications) stored in one or more memories. The programs are pre-recorded in the memory of each of the processing units 21 or the storage unit 13 here, but may be provided via a telecommunication line such as the Internet, or recorded in a non-transient recording medium such as a memory card. In detail, the processing unit 21 includes a computer system. The computer system is mainly composed of a processor and a memory as hardware. The function of the contact determination system 1 in the first embodiment is realized by the processor executing the program recorded in the memory of the computer system. The program may be pre-recorded in the memory of the computer system (such as the storage unit 13), may be provided via a telecommunication line, or may be provided by recording in a non-transient recording medium such as a memory card, an optical disk, or a hard disk drive that can be read by the computer system. The processor of the computer system is composed of one or more electronic circuits including a semiconductor integrated circuit (IC) or a large-scale integrated circuit (LSI). The IC or LSI as used here refers to an integrated circuit that is called a system LSI, a VLSI (Very Large Scale Integration), or an ULSI (Ultra Large Scale Integration). In addition, a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) that is programmed after the LSI is manufactured, or a logic device that allows the reconfiguration of the connection relationship within the LSI or the reconfiguration of the circuit partition within the LSI, can also be used as a processor. The multiple electronic circuits may be integrated into one chip or distributed among multiple chips. The multiple chips may be integrated into one device or distributed among multiple devices. The computer system as used here includes a microcontroller having one or more processors and one or more memories. Therefore, the microcontroller is also composed of one or more electronic circuits including a semiconductor integrated circuit or a large-scale integrated circuit.

The storage unit 13 includes one or more storage devices. The storage devices are, for example, RAM, ROM, or EEPROM. The storage unit 13 stores the set value of the vibration amplitude and the set value of the vibration frequency of the detection vibrator 5, as well as the threshold value used for judgment, etc.

The detection vibration control unit 3 controls the operation of the detection vibrator 5. Specifically, for example, the detection vibration control unit 3 controls the detection drive circuit 22 to cause the detection drive circuit 22 to apply an AC voltage to the detection vibrator 5, and changes the amplitude and frequency of the AC voltage according to the vibration amplitude setting value and vibration frequency setting value stored in the memory unit 13.

In the first embodiment, the detection vibration control unit 3 controls the detection vibrator 5 so that a vibration period T1 during which the detection vibrator 5 generates vibrations and a vibration stop period T2 during which the detection vibrator 5 does not generate vibrations are alternately repeated. Specifically, the detection vibration control unit 3 controls the detection drive circuit 22 so that a period during which the detection drive circuit 22 applies an AC voltage to the detection vibrator 5 and a period during which the detection drive circuit 22 does not apply an AC voltage to the detection vibrator 5 are alternately repeated (see the AC voltage waveform in FIG. 3). In other words, the detection vibration control unit 3 controls the detection drive circuit 22 so that the detection drive circuit 22 applies an AC voltage to the detection vibrator 5 during the vibration period T1 and does not apply an AC voltage to the detection vibrator 5 during the vibration stop period T2. This makes it possible to reduce power consumption for vibrating the detection vibrator 5. As described below, the determination unit 4 can make a determination based on at least one of the amplitude of the signal output by the vibration detector 6 during the vibration period T1 and the duration of the signal output by the vibration detector 6 due to residual vibration during the vibration stop period T2. For example, the memory unit 13 stores a set value for the vibration period T1 and a set value for the vibration stop period T2, and the vibration control unit 3 performs control so that the vibration period T1 and the vibration stop period T2 match the set values.

As described above, when the determination unit 4 determines that an object is in contact with the target area 9, the haptics vibration control unit 26 causes the haptics oscillator 25 to generate vibrations with a lower frequency than the vibrations generated by the detection oscillator 5. Specifically, the haptics vibration control unit 26 controls the haptics drive circuit 28 so that the haptics drive circuit 28 applies to the haptics oscillator 25 an AC voltage with a lower frequency than the AC voltage applied to the detection oscillator 5 by the detection drive circuit 22.

The setting unit 12 changes the set value of the vibration amplitude and the set value of the vibration frequency stored in the memory unit 13. The memory unit 13 may also store a set value of the vibration period T1 and a set value of the vibration stop period T2, and the setting unit 12 may change the set values of the vibration period T1 and the vibration stop period T2. The setting unit 12 changes the set values in response to, for example, an external command. For this reason, the setting unit 12 can improve the accuracy of the judgment by fine-tuning the set values. The operation of the setting unit 12 will be explained in detail later.

The correction unit 11 changes the threshold value based on the signal output by the vibration detector 6 when an object is in contact with the target portion 9 and the signal output by the vibration detector 6 when an object is not in contact with the target portion 9. The threshold value is a reference value used by the determination unit 4 to make a determination; for example, the determination unit 4 determines whether an object is in contact with the target portion 9 based on the result of comparing the detection value obtained from the signal output by the vibration detector 6 with the threshold value. The detection value is, for example, the amplitude of the signal and the duration of the signal. Changing the threshold value by the operation of the correction unit 11 can improve the accuracy of the determination. The detection value and the change in threshold value by the correction unit 11 will be explained again later.

The determination unit 4 determines whether an object is touching the target part 9 based on the signal sent from the converter 23.

The operation of the contact determination system 1 to determine whether an object is in contact with the target area 9 will be described.

When the contact determination system 1 starts operating, the detection vibration control unit 3 controls the detection drive circuit 22, which applies to the detection vibrator 5 an AC voltage having an amplitude and frequency according to the amplitude setting value and the vibration frequency setting value stored in the memory unit 13. As described above, the detection vibration control unit 3 controls the detection vibrator 5 so that a vibration period T1 during which the detection vibrator 5 generates vibrations and a vibration stop period T2 during which the detection vibrator 5 does not generate vibrations are alternately repeated.

During the vibration period T1, the detection oscillator 5 generates vibrations, which causes the vibration system including the detection oscillator 5, the first medium 7, and the target part 9 to vibrate. Then, since the second medium 8 mediates the transmission of vibration between the detection oscillator 5 and the vibration detector 6, the vibration detector 6 vibrates in response to the vibration of the detection oscillator 5, and the vibration detector 6 outputs an AC signal having an amplitude and frequency corresponding to the amplitude and frequency of its own vibration. During the vibration period T1, when the detection oscillator 5 starts to vibrate, the amplitude of the vibration of the detection oscillator 5 gradually increases until the vibration of the vibration system stabilizes. During the vibration stop period T2, residual vibrations are generated, and the detection oscillator 5 vibrates while gradually decreasing the amplitude until the residual vibrations disappear. The AC signal output by the detection oscillator 5 changes in response to the change in the vibration of the detection oscillator 5 (see FIG. 3).

The case body 10 can prevent the vibrations generated by the detection vibrator 5 from propagating outside the target area 9 and the contact determination module 2. This can prevent the attenuation of vibrations in the target area 9 and the contact determination module 2, thereby further improving the accuracy of the determination.

The converter 23 converts the signal output by the vibration detector 6 and sends it to the processing unit 21. The determination unit 4 determines whether an object is touching the target part 9 based on this signal.

The determination unit 4 determines whether an object is touching the target part 9 based on the amplitude of the signal output by the vibration detector 6 during the vibration period T1, the duration TS of the signal output by the vibration detector 6 due to residual vibration during the vibration stop period T2, or a combination of these amplitudes and durations TS. That is, based on the signal, the determination unit 4 obtains at least one of the amplitude of the signal output by the vibration detector 6 during the vibration period T1 and the duration TS of the signal output by the vibration detector 6 due to residual vibration during the vibration stop period T2 as a detection value, and determines whether an object is touching the target part 9 based on this detection value.

To explain in more detail, when an object comes into contact with the target portion 9, the vibration energy attenuates in the target portion 9, and therefore the vibration energy attenuates in the entire vibration system. Therefore, when an object comes into contact with the target portion 9, the amplitude of the vibration of the detection oscillator 5 tends to decrease and the duration TS tends to shorten. In response to this, the amplitude of the signal output by the vibration detector 6 decreases and the duration TS shortens. Therefore, the determination unit 4 can determine whether an object has come into contact with the target portion 9 based on at least one of the amplitude and duration TS. For example, the memory unit 13 stores a threshold value of the maximum amplitude AS of the signal during the vibration period T1 and a threshold value of the duration TS of the signal corresponding to the residual vibration as threshold values for determining whether an object has come into contact. The determination unit 4 can determine whether an object has come into contact with the target portion 9 based on at least one of the result of comparing the maximum amplitude AS of the signal during the vibration period T1 with the threshold value and the result of comparing the duration TS with the threshold value.

When the determination unit 4 determines that an object is touching the target part 9, the haptics vibration control unit 26 controls the haptics drive circuit 28 so that the haptics drive circuit 28 applies an AC voltage to the haptics oscillator 25. In this case, the AC voltage has a lower frequency than the AC voltage that the detection drive circuit 22 applies to the detection oscillator 5. This causes the haptics oscillator 25 to generate vibrations with a lower frequency than the frequency of vibrations generated by the detection oscillator 5. Therefore, the vibration system including the haptics oscillator 25, the third medium 27, and the target part 9 vibrates. The vibration of the target part 9 allows the object in contact with the target part 9 to obtain feedback. That is, for example, a user who has touched the target part 9 with his or her finger can sense the vibration of the target part 9 through his or her finger and can know that it has been determined that an object is touching the target part 9.

In addition, in the first embodiment, the second medium 8 mediates the propagation of vibration between the detection oscillator 5 and the vibration detector 6 without passing through the target part 9. Therefore, the vibration detector 6 can output a signal based on the vibration propagated from the detection oscillator 5 without passing through the target part 9, rather than the vibration propagated from the target part 9. Therefore, the signal output by the vibration detector 6 is less likely to contain noise, and therefore the accuracy of the judgment by the judgment unit 4 can be improved. In addition, a medium for propagating the vibration from the target part 9 to the vibration detector 6 is not required. Furthermore, since there is no need to interpose the target part 9 between the detection oscillator 5 and the vibration detector 6, the detection oscillator 5 and the vibration detector 6 can be arranged close to each other. Therefore, the contact judgment module 2 can be configured compactly. Therefore, for example, even if the available space in the electronic device 24 is limited, the contact judgment module 2 can be installed inside the electronic device 24.

In the first embodiment, the determination unit 4 determining whether an object is in contact with the target area 9 may include determining the type of object. For example, when determining whether an object is in contact with the target area 9, the determination unit 4 may also determine whether the object in contact with the target area 9 is a human finger or a hard object such as a stylus pen.

To explain in more detail, when an object comes into contact with the target area 9, as described above, the vibration energy attenuates, causing the amplitude of the vibration of the detection oscillator 5 to decrease and the duration TS to shorten. At this time, the degree to which the vibration energy attenuates differs depending on the type of object, and so the degree to which the amplitude of the vibration of the detection oscillator 5 decreases and the duration TS to shorten vary depending on the type of object. Therefore, the determination unit 4 can determine the type of object in contact with the target area 9 based on at least one of the amplitude of the vibration of the detection oscillator 5 obtained from the signal and the duration TS. For example, the memory unit 13 stores a threshold value for the maximum amplitude of the signal during the vibration period T1 and a threshold value for the duration TS of the signal corresponding to the residual vibration as threshold values for determining the type of object, and when the determination unit 4 determines that an object is in contact with the target area 9, it can determine the type of object in contact with the target area 9 based on at least one of the results of comparing the amplitude of the signal output by the vibration detector 6 during the vibration period T1 with the threshold value and the results of comparing the duration TS of the signal corresponding to the residual vibration with the threshold value.

The detection vibration control unit 3 may be able to selectively set the length of the vibration stop period T2 of the detection vibrator 5 to a first length or a second length longer than the first length. In this case, the detection vibration control unit 3 may set the length of the vibration stop period T2 to the second length when the length of the vibration stop period T2 is set to the first length and the determination unit 4 determines that an object is in contact for a certain period of time. Also, the detection vibration control unit 3 may set the length of the vibration stop period T2 to the first length when the determination unit 4 determines that an object is in contact with the target part 9 for a certain period of time. In this case, power consumption can be reduced by setting the length of the vibration stop period T2 to the second length when the period of time during which no object is in contact with the target part 9 continues for a certain period of time or more.

The determination unit 4's determination of whether an object is in contact with the target area 9 may include determining the manner in which the object is in contact. For example, when determining whether an object is in contact with the target area 9, the determination unit 4 may also determine whether the object is in light contact with the target area 9 or whether the object is pressing hard against the target area 9.

To explain in more detail, when an object comes into contact with the target portion 9, as described above, the vibration energy attenuates, and the amplitude of the vibration of the detection oscillator 5 tends to decrease and the duration TS tends to shorten. At this time, the degree of attenuation of the vibration energy differs between when the object is lightly in contact with the target portion 9 and when the object is strongly pressing the target portion 9, so the degree to which the amplitude of the vibration of the detection oscillator 5 decreases and the duration TS shortens change depending on the manner of contact of the object. Therefore, the determination unit 4 can determine the manner of contact of the object with the target portion 9 based on at least one of the amplitude and duration TS of the vibration of the detection oscillator 5 obtained from the signal. For example, the memory unit 13 stores, as thresholds for determining the type of object, a threshold value for the maximum amplitude AS of the signal output by the vibration detector 6 during the vibration period T1 and a threshold value for the duration of the signal corresponding to the residual vibration. When the determination unit 4 determines that an object is touching the target area 9, it can determine how the object is touching the target area 9 based on at least one of the results of comparing the maximum amplitude AS of the signal output by the vibration detector 6 during the vibration period T1 with a threshold value and the results of comparing the duration of the signal corresponding to the residual vibration with a threshold value.

The determination unit 4 may also determine whether an object has come into contact with the target area 9, the type of object, and the manner in which the object has come into contact, by using a combination of the above.

The above-mentioned threshold values are determined so as to improve the accuracy of the judgment, for example, based on the results of a previous investigation into the relationship between the presence or absence of contact of an object with the target area 9 and the signal output by the vibration detector 6, and are stored in the memory unit 13.

After the threshold is determined and stored in the memory unit 13, the correction unit 11 may change the threshold. That is, the correction unit 11 may determine a new threshold and store it in the memory unit 13. When the correction unit 11 changes the threshold, the correction unit 11 determines a new threshold based on, for example, the signal output by the vibration detector 6 when an object is in contact with the target part 9 and the signal output by the vibration detector 6 when an object is not in contact with the target part 9, and stores the new threshold in the memory unit 13. That is, for example, based on the amplitude of the signal when an object is in contact with the target part 9 and the amplitude of the signal when an object is not in contact with the target part 9, the correction unit 11 determines a value between the two amplitudes as the new threshold. When the determination includes determining whether an object is in contact with the target portion 9, the correction unit 11 determines the threshold based on, for example, a signal output by the vibration detector 6 when a finger is in contact with the target portion 9, a signal output by the vibration detector 6 when a stylus pen is in contact with the target portion 9, and a signal output by the vibration detector 6 when no object is in contact with the target portion 9. When the determination includes determining how an object is in contact with the target portion 9, the correction unit 11 determines the threshold based on, for example, a signal output by the vibration detector 6 when an object is in light contact with the target portion 9, a signal output by the vibration detector 6 when an object is pressed hard against the target portion 9, and a signal output by the vibration detector 6 when no object is in contact with the target portion 9. In addition to the above, the correction unit 11 can change the threshold used for the determination in a manner according to the threshold.

When the correction unit 11 changes the threshold, even if there are individual differences in the way a user touches the target area 9 with a finger or a stylus pen, the accuracy of the determination can be improved by changing the threshold accordingly. Also, if the way vibration is transmitted to the target area 9 changes, for example, when a cover is placed on the member 16, the correction unit 11 can change the threshold accordingly, thereby improving the accuracy of the determination.

In the first embodiment, the frequency of the vibration generated by the detection vibrator 5, i.e., the set value of the frequency stored in the memory unit 13, is preferably 20 kHz or more. In this case, the propagation of the vibration within the material is increased, and the accuracy of the determination can be improved. The frequency of the vibration is, for example, 1 MHz or less.

In the first embodiment, the frequency of the vibration generated by the haptic oscillator 25 is preferably 50 Hz or more and 500 Hz or less. In this case, when the vibration generated by the haptic oscillator 25 is transmitted to the target part 9, the user can easily perceive the vibration of the target part 9 through the fingers, etc.

It is preferable that the frequency of vibrations generated by the detection oscillator 5 is specified so that the amplitude of the signal output by the vibration detector 6 as a result of the detection oscillator 5 generating vibrations is 50% or more of the amplitude of the signal output by the vibration detector 6 when the detection oscillator 5 generates vibrations at the natural frequency of the detection oscillator 5. In other words, it is preferable that the detection oscillator 5 generates vibrations at the natural frequency of the detection oscillator 5 or at a frequency close to the natural frequency. In this case, the propagation of vibrations between the detection oscillator 5 and the target area 9 is particularly high, which can improve the accuracy of the determination.

The natural frequency of the detection oscillator 5 and the amplitude at the natural frequency are confirmed, for example, by the following method. With the member 16 and the contact determination system 1 combined and no object in contact with the target portion 9, an AC voltage is applied to the detection oscillator 5 to cause the detection oscillator 5 to vibrate. The frequency of the AC voltage is swept from 20 kHz to 1 MHz. While the frequency is being swept, the frequency of the vibration at which the peak value of the amplitude appears is confirmed based on the signal output by the vibration detector 6, and this frequency is identified as the natural frequency, and the peak value of the amplitude is identified as the amplitude for the natural frequency.

It is preferable that the shape and dimensions of the detection vibration part 32 of the substrate 14 and the position of the detection vibration part 5 on the detection vibration part 32 of the substrate 14 are appropriately set so that the natural frequency of the detection vibration part 5 is 20 kHz or more and 1 MHz or less.

It is preferable that the frequency of the vibration generated by the haptics oscillator 25 is specified so that the amplitude of the signal output by the vibration detector 6 when the haptics oscillator 25 generates vibrations at the natural frequency of the haptics oscillator 25 is 50% or more of the amplitude of the signal output by the vibration detector 6 when the haptics oscillator 25 generates vibrations at the natural frequency of the haptics oscillator 25. In other words, it is preferable that the haptics oscillator 25 generates vibrations at the natural frequency of the haptics oscillator 25 or at a frequency close to the natural frequency. In this case, the transmission of vibrations between the haptics oscillator 25 and the target area 9 is particularly high, so that the user can easily perceive the vibrations of the target area 9 through the fingers, etc.

The natural frequency and amplitude at the natural frequency of the haptics oscillator 25 are confirmed, for example, by the following method. With the member 16 and the contact determination system 1 combined and no object in contact with the target portion 9, an AC voltage is applied to the haptics oscillator 25 to cause the haptics oscillator 25 to vibrate. The frequency of the AC voltage is swept from 50 Hz to 500 Hz or less. While the frequency is being swept, the frequency of the vibration at which the peak value of the amplitude appears is confirmed based on the signal output by the vibration detector 6, and this frequency is identified as the natural frequency, and the peak value of the amplitude is identified as the amplitude for the natural frequency.

It is preferable that the shape and dimensions of the haptic vibration section 33 of the substrate 14, the position and mass of the weight 31, and the position of the haptic vibration section 25 on the haptic vibration section 33 are appropriately set so that the natural frequency of the haptic vibration section 25 is 50 Hz or more and 500 Hz or less.

In addition, after the set value of the vibration amplitude and the set value of the vibration frequency are stored in the storage unit 13, the setting unit 12 changes the set value of the vibration amplitude and the set value of the vibration frequency stored in the storage unit 13. After the set value of the vibration period T1 and the set value of the vibration stop period T2 are stored in the storage unit 13, the setting unit 12 may change the set value of the vibration period T1 and the set value of the vibration stop period T2 stored in the storage unit 13. The setting unit 12 changes the set value, for example, in response to an external command. Therefore, the setting unit 12 can fine-tune the set value to improve the accuracy of the judgment. For example, after the contact judgment system 1 is manufactured, the setting unit 12 can fine-tune the set value to perform adjustments before shipping the contact judgment system 1. In addition, after the contact judgment system 1 is incorporated into the electronic device 24, the setting unit 12 can fine-tune the set value to perform adjustments before shipping the electronic device 24.

(3) Electronic Device The electronic device 24 includes the contact determination system 1 and a member 16 having a target portion 9. The electronic device 24 is, for example, a smartphone or a head-mounted display as described above. The member 16 having the target portion 9 is, for example, a housing of the electronic device 24. For example, the target portion 9 is located on the side of the housing of the electronic device 24 such as a smartphone, and the target portion 9 can be used as a touch switch for operating the electronic device 24. That is, the result of the determination by the determination unit 4 is used to control the electronic device 24 including, for example, the contact determination system 1. For example, the processing unit 21 may control the operation of the electronic device 24 based on the result of the determination by the determination unit 4, or the processing unit 21 may send the result of the determination to a control device of the electronic device 24, and the control device may control the operation of the electronic device 24 based on the result of the determination.

There are no restrictions on the type of electronic device 24, and no restrictions on the use of the target part 9 in the electronic device 24.

(4) Second embodiment A contact determination system 1A according to a second embodiment will be described. Note that the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals as those in the first embodiment, and descriptions thereof will be omitted as appropriate.

The contact determination system 1A includes a contact determination module 2, a case body 10, a processing unit 21, a memory unit 13, a detection drive circuit 22, a converter 23, and a drive circuit 37 (see FIG. 4). The contact determination module 2 and the case body 10 are fixed to a member 16 having a target portion 9.

The contact determination module 2 includes a shared vibrator 34, a vibration detector 6, a substrate (vibration plate) 14, a fixing portion 15, and a weight 31. The cross sections of the shared vibrator 34, the vibration detector 6, the substrate (vibration plate) 14, and the weight 31 shown in FIG. 4 correspond to the X-X cross section in FIG. 5.

The shared oscillator 34 is an oscillator that serves as both the detection oscillator 5 and the haptics oscillator 25. In other words, the function of the detection oscillator 5 and the function of the haptics oscillator 25 are realized by the shared oscillator 34. The shared oscillator 34 includes, for example, a piezoelectric transducer (piezoelectric element). In this case, the shared oscillator 34 can convert AC power into vibrations having an amplitude and frequency corresponding to the amplitude and frequency of the AC power.

The shared vibrator 34 and the vibration detector 6 are mounted on the substrate 14. The shared vibrator 34 is disposed on the surface of the substrate 14 that faces the target area 9. The vibration detector 6 is disposed on the surface of the substrate 14 opposite the surface that faces the target area 9.

The substrate 14 has a detection vibration section 32, a haptics vibration section 33, and a connection section 38. When the substrate 14 is viewed from the side on which the shared vibrator 34 is mounted as shown in FIG. 5, the detection vibration section 32 and the haptics vibration section 33 have a length in the same direction, i.e., they are elongated and extend in the same direction, and are arranged in parallel with a gap between them. One end of the detection vibration section 32 and one end of the haptics vibration section 33 are connected to both ends of the connection section 38. It can also be said that the detection vibration section 32 and the haptics vibration section 33 extend in the same direction from the connection section 38. The length dimension of the haptics vibration section 33 is longer than the length dimension of the detection vibration section 32. The haptics vibration section 33 has a weight support section 39 at the end opposite the connection section 38. The width of the weight support section 39 in the haptics vibration section 33 is longer than the part other than the weight support section 39.

The shared vibrator 34 is disposed on the area extending over the detection vibration section 32, the connection section 38, and the haptics vibration section 33 except for the weight support section 39.

Two shared electrodes 35, 36 (a first shared electrode 35 and a second shared electrode 36) that supply power to drive the shared vibrator 34 are electrically connected to the shared vibrator 34. The first shared electrode 35 is interposed between the shared vibrator 34 and the substrate 14, and the second shared electrode 36 overlaps the surface of the shared vibrator 34 opposite the substrate 14.

As described above, the shared oscillator 34 serves both as the detection oscillator 5 and the haptics oscillator 25, and therefore the shared

electrodes

35 and 36 serve both as electrodes for supplying driving power to the detection oscillator 5 and as electrodes for supplying driving power to the haptics oscillator 25. That is, the first shared electrode 35 serves both as the first driving electrode 17 and the first driving electrode 29 in the first embodiment, and the second shared electrode 36 serves both as the second driving electrode 18 and the second driving electrode 30 in the first embodiment.

The weight 31 is fixed to the surface of the weight support portion 39 on the side where the shared vibrator 34 is located.

As shown in FIG. 6, the vibration detector 6 is disposed on the surface of the detection vibration section 32 of the substrate 14 opposite the side on which the shared vibrator 34 is disposed. Two output electrodes (a first output electrode 19 and a second output electrode 20) are electrically connected to the vibration detector 6. The first output electrode 19 is interposed between the vibration detector 6 and the substrate 14, and the second output electrode 20 overlaps the surface of the vibration detector 6 opposite the substrate 14.

The fixing portion 15 fixes the substrate 14 to the member 16. Specifically, the fixing portion 15 includes a holding portion 15A and a support portion 15B. The holding portion 15A holds the end of the detection vibration portion 32 on the connection portion 38 side of the substrate 14, the end of the haptics vibration portion 33 on the connection portion 38 side, and the connection portion 38 together with the shared vibrator 34, the vibration detector 6, and the electrodes connected thereto. The holding portion 15A is in contact with the second shared electrode 36 and the second output electrode 20. The support portion 15B is connected to the holding portion 15A and is interposed between the holding portion 15A and the member 16, fixing the holding portion to the member 16.

The fixed portion 15 constitutes a first medium 7 that mediates the propagation of vibration between the shared oscillator 34 functioning as the detection oscillator 5 and the target portion 9. In addition, the portion of the detection vibration portion 32 of the substrate 14 that is interposed between the shared oscillator 34 and the vibration detector 6 constitutes a second medium 8 that mediates the propagation of vibration between the detection oscillator 5 and the vibration detector 6 without passing through the target portion 9. In addition, the fixed portion 15 constitutes a third medium 27 that mediates the propagation of vibration between the haptics oscillator 25 and the target portion 9.

The drive circuit 37 serves both as the detection drive circuit 22 and the haptics drive circuit 28. That is, the drive circuit 37 selectively supplies the shared oscillator 34 with power to make the shared oscillator 34 function as the detection oscillator 5 and power to make the shared oscillator 34 function as the haptics oscillator 25. Specifically, the drive circuit 37 applies an AC voltage (detection AC voltage) between the first shared electrode 35 and the second shared electrode 36 to make the shared oscillator 34 function as the detection oscillator 5. The drive circuit 37 also applies an AC voltage (haptics AC voltage) between the first shared electrode 35 and the second shared electrode 36 to make the shared oscillator 34 function as the haptics oscillator 25. The drive circuit 37 is capable of changing the amplitude and frequency of the detection AC voltage under the control of the detection vibration control unit 3 described later. Additionally, the drive circuit 37 can change the amplitude and frequency of the haptics AC voltage under the control of the haptics vibration control unit 26, which will be described later.

Similar to the first embodiment, the processing unit 21 includes a determination unit 4, a detection vibration control unit 3, a haptics vibration control unit 26, a correction unit 11, and a setting unit 12.

The detection vibration control unit 3 controls the operation of the shared vibrator 34 when the shared vibrator 34 is made to function as the detection vibrator 5. Specifically, for example, the detection vibration control unit 3 controls the drive circuit 37 to cause the drive circuit 37 to apply the above-mentioned detection AC voltage to the shared vibrator 34, and changes the amplitude and frequency of the detection AC voltage according to the set values of the vibration amplitude and the vibration frequency stored in the memory unit 13. For example, the detection vibration control unit 3 controls the shared vibrator 34 so that, as in the first embodiment, a vibration period T1 during which the shared vibrator 34 generates vibrations and a vibration stop period T2 during which the shared vibrator 34 does not generate vibrations are alternately repeated.

The determination unit 4 can make a determination based on at least one of the amplitude of the signal output by the vibration detector 6 during the vibration period T1 and the duration of the signal output by the vibration detector 6 due to residual vibration during the vibration stop period T2.

The haptics vibration control unit 26 controls the operation of the shared oscillator 34 when the shared oscillator 34 is caused to function as the haptics oscillator 25. Specifically, for example, the haptics vibration control unit 26 controls the drive circuit 37 to cause the drive circuit 37 to apply the above-mentioned haptics AC voltage to the shared oscillator 34. For example, when the determination unit 4 determines that an object is touching the target area 9, the haptics vibration control unit 26 applies the haptics AC voltage to the shared oscillator 34.

The operation of the contact determination system 1A to determine whether an object is in contact with the target area 9 will be described.

When the contact determination system 1A starts operating, the detection vibration control unit 3 controls the drive circuit 37 to function as the detection drive circuit 22, and the drive circuit 37 applies a detection AC voltage having an amplitude and frequency according to the amplitude setting value and the vibration frequency setting value stored in the memory unit 13 to the shared vibrator 34, causing the shared vibrator 34 to generate a first vibration. As described above, the detection vibration control unit 3 controls the shared vibrator 34 so that a vibration period T1 during which the shared vibrator 34 generates the first vibration and a vibration stop period T2 during which the shared vibrator 34 does not generate the first vibration are alternately repeated.

While the detection AC voltage is applied, the shared oscillator 34 functions as the detection oscillator 5 and generates the first vibration. At this time, because the vibration characteristics of the detection vibration part 32 on the substrate 14 are adjusted, the part of the shared oscillator 34 that is particularly located in the detection vibration part 32 mainly vibrates.

Because the detection vibration part 32 mediates the propagation of vibration as the second medium 8 between the shared vibrator 34 and the vibration detector 6, the vibration detector 6 vibrates in response to the first vibration of the shared vibrator 34, and the vibration detector 6 outputs an AC signal having an amplitude and frequency according to the amplitude and frequency of its own vibration.

When the determination unit 4 determines that an object is touching the target area 9, the haptics vibration control unit 26 controls the drive circuit 37 to function as the haptics drive circuit 28 and apply a haptics AC voltage to the shared vibrator 34 for a certain period of time. Next, the detection vibration control unit 3 controls the drive circuit 37 to function as the detection drive circuit 22.

FIG. 7 shows an example of the waveform of the AC voltage (drive voltage) applied by the drive circuit 37. FIG. 7 shows that the detection AC voltage is applied first, followed by the application of a haptics AC voltage having a lower frequency than the detection voltage, followed by the application of the detection AC voltage.

While the haptics AC voltage is being applied, the shared oscillator 34 functions as the haptics oscillator 25 and generates the second vibration. At this time, because the vibration characteristics of the haptics vibration section 33 on the substrate 14 are adjusted, the portion of the shared oscillator 34 that is particularly disposed in the haptics vibration section 33 mainly vibrates. This causes the vibration system including the haptics vibration section 33, the third medium 27, and the target area 9 to vibrate. As the target area 9 vibrates, an object in contact with the target area 9 can obtain feedback.

In the second embodiment, the frequency of the first vibration generated by the shared oscillator 34 when the shared oscillator 34 functions as the detection oscillator 5, i.e., the set value of the frequency stored in the memory unit 13, is preferably 20 kHz or more. The frequency of the vibration is, for example, 1 MHz or less. The frequency of the second vibration generated by the shared oscillator 34 when the shared oscillator 34 functions as the haptics oscillator 25 is preferably lower than the frequency of the first vibration, and is preferably 50 Hz or more and 500 Hz or less.

When the shared oscillator 34 functions as the detection oscillator 5, that is, when the amplitude of the signal output by the vibration detector 6 in response to the first vibration generated by the shared oscillator 34 is 50% or more of the amplitude of the signal output by the vibration detector 6 when the shared oscillator 34 is generating vibrations at the natural frequency of the detection oscillator of the shared oscillator 34, it is preferable that the frequency of the vibration generated by the shared oscillator 34 is specified. In other words, it is preferable that the shared oscillator 34 generates vibrations at or near the natural frequency of the detection oscillator of the shared oscillator 34. In this case, the propagation of vibrations between the shared oscillator 34 and the target site 9 is particularly high, which can improve the accuracy of the determination.

The natural frequency and amplitude at the natural frequency of the shared oscillator 34 as the detection oscillator 5 are confirmed, for example, by the following method. With the member 16 and the contact determination system 1A combined and no object in contact with the target portion 9, an AC voltage is applied to the detection oscillator 5 to cause the detection oscillator 5 to vibrate. The frequency of the AC voltage is swept from 20 kHz to 1 MHz. Based on the signal output by the vibration detector 6 while the frequency is being swept, the frequency of the vibration at which the amplitude peak appears is confirmed, and this frequency is identified as the natural frequency, and the peak amplitude value is identified as the amplitude for the natural frequency.

In this case, the vibration at the natural frequency of the shared oscillator 34 as the detection oscillator 5 is mainly the vibration of the portion of the shared oscillator 34 that is arranged in the detection vibration part 32. It is preferable that the shape and dimensions of the detection vibration part 32 of the substrate 14 and the position of the shared oscillator 34 in the detection vibration part 32 of the substrate 14 are appropriately set so that the natural frequency of the shared oscillator 34 as the detection oscillator 5 is 20 kHz or more and 1 MHz or less.

It is preferable that the frequency of the vibration generated by the shared oscillator 34 is specified so that the amplitude of the signal output by the vibration detector 6 when the shared oscillator 34 functions as the haptics oscillator 25 is 50% or more of the amplitude of the signal output by the vibration detector 6 when the shared oscillator 34 generates vibrations of the natural frequency as the haptics oscillator of the shared oscillator 34. In other words, it is preferable that the shared oscillator 34 generates vibrations of the natural frequency of the shared oscillator 34 as a haptics oscillator or a frequency close to the natural frequency. In this case, the propagation of vibrations between the shared oscillator 34 and the target part 9 is particularly high, so that the user can easily perceive the vibrations of the target part 9 through the fingers, etc. As described above, the shared oscillator 34 has at least two natural frequencies as a detection oscillator and a haptics oscillator.

The natural frequency and amplitude at the natural frequency of the shared oscillator 34 as the haptics oscillator 25 are confirmed, for example, by the following method. With the member 16 and the contact determination system 1A combined and no object in contact with the target portion 9, an AC voltage is applied to the shared oscillator 34 to cause the shared oscillator 34 to vibrate. The frequency of the AC voltage is swept from 50 Hz to 500 Hz or less. While the frequency is being swept, the frequency of the vibration at which the peak value of the amplitude appears is confirmed based on the signal output by the vibration detector 6, and this frequency is identified as the natural frequency, and the peak value of the amplitude is identified as the amplitude for the natural frequency.

In this case, the vibration at the natural frequency of the shared oscillator 34 as the haptics oscillator 25 is mainly the vibration of the portion of the shared oscillator 34 that is disposed in the haptics vibration section 33. It is preferable that the shape and dimensions of the haptics vibration section 33 of the substrate 14, the position and mass of the weight 31, and the position of the shared oscillator 34 in the haptics vibration section 33 are appropriately set so that the natural frequency of the shared oscillator 34 as the haptics oscillator 25 is 50 Hz or more and 500 Hz or less.

In the second embodiment, as described above, the contact determination module 2 includes a shared oscillator 34 that serves as both the detection oscillator 5 and the haptics oscillator 25. This eliminates the need to provide a separate detection oscillator 5 and haptics oscillator 25, making it possible to simplify and compact the structure of the contact determination module 2.

The first shared electrode 35 and the second shared electrode 36, which are electrodes electrically connected to the shared oscillator 34, can also be said to be shared

electrodes

35, 36 electrically connected to both the detection oscillator 5 and the haptics oscillator 25. In other words, the shared

electrodes

35, 36 serve as electrodes for supplying driving power to the detection oscillator 5 and electrodes for supplying driving power to the haptics oscillator 25. Therefore, there is no need to separately provide an electrode for supplying driving power to the detection oscillator 5 and an electrode for supplying driving power to the haptics oscillator 25. Furthermore, there is no need to separately provide wiring for connecting to the electrode for supplying driving power to the detection oscillator 5 and wiring for connecting to the electrode for supplying driving power to the haptics oscillator 25. Therefore, the structure of the contact determination module 2 can be simplified.

As described above, in the substrate 14, the length dimension of the haptics vibration section 33 is longer than the length dimension of the detection vibration section 32, and since the weight 31 is fixed to the haptics vibration section 33, the haptics vibration section 33 is more likely to vibrate at a lower frequency than the detection vibration section 32. In other words, the substrate 14 has two parts with different vibration characteristics, the detection vibration section 32 and the haptics vibration section 33. For this reason, the part of the shared oscillator 34 that is arranged in the detection vibration section 32 and the part that is arranged in the haptics vibration section 33 can have different vibration characteristics. As a result, one shared oscillator 34 can function as both the detection oscillator 5 and the haptics oscillator 25.

2. Modifications In the above embodiment, the case body 10, the setting unit 12, and the correction unit 11 are not essential components of the contact determination system 1 (1A). Even if at least one of the case body 10, the setting unit 12, and the correction unit 11 is absent, the contact determination system 1 (1A) can perform determination.

It is not essential for the contact determination system 1 (1A) that multiple functions are concentrated in one housing. The components of the contact determination system 1 (1A) may be distributed across multiple housings. Furthermore, at least some of the functions of the processing unit 21 in the contact determination system 1 (1A) may be realized by, for example, a server device and a cloud (cloud computing), etc.

The manner in which the detection vibrator 5 generates vibrations in the embodiment is merely one example. For example, the detection vibrator 5 may generate vibrations continuously, rather than intermittently as in the embodiment.

The configurations of the first medium 7, the second medium 8, and the third medium 27 are not limited to those in the above embodiment. However, it is preferable that the first medium 7, the second medium 8, and the third medium 27 are all made of solid materials. In addition, for example, the detection oscillator 5 and the target portion 9 may come into direct contact with each other, so that the interface between the detection oscillator 5 and the target portion 9 constitutes the first medium 7, and the detection oscillator 5 and the vibration detector 6 may come into direct contact with each other, so that the interface between the detection oscillator 5 and the vibration detector 6 constitutes the second medium 8.

In the second embodiment, the shared vibrator 34 may be separated into a detection vibrator 5 arranged in the detection vibration section 32 and a haptics vibrator 25 arranged in the haptics vibration section 33. Even in this case, the contact determination module 2 may include shared

electrodes

35, 36, and the shared

electrodes

35, 36 may be electrically connected to both the detection vibrator 5 and the haptics vibrator 25.

When making a judgment based on the signal output by the vibration detector 6, the judgment unit 4 may make the judgment based on various information based on the signal, in addition to at least one of the amplitude of the signal output by the vibration detector 6 and the duration of the signal based on the residual vibration. For example, the judgment unit 4 may compare at least one of the time change pattern of the amplitude of the signal output by the vibration detector 6 and the frequency spectrum obtained by converting the time change of the amplitude into the frequency domain with a reference pattern stored in the storage unit 12 to make a pattern judgment, and may determine whether an object is touching the target part 9, the type of object touching the target part 9, etc., based on the result. In this case, the correction unit 11 may change the reference pattern based on the signal output by the vibration detector 6 when an object is touching the target part 9 and the signal output by the vibration detector 6 when an object is not touching the target part 9.

3. Aspects A contact determination system (1) according to a first aspect is a contact determination system (1) that determines whether or not an object has contacted a target part (9). The contact determination system (1) includes a contact determination module (2), a detection vibration control unit (3), a determination unit (4), and a haptics vibration control unit (26). The contact determination module (2) includes a detection vibrator (5), a vibration detector (6), a haptics vibrator (25), a first medium (7) that mediates the propagation of vibration between the detection vibrator (5) and the target part (9), a second medium (8) that mediates the propagation of vibration between the detection vibrator (5) and the vibration detector (6), and a third medium (27) that mediates the propagation of vibration between the haptics vibrator (25) and the target part (9). The detection vibration control unit (3) controls the operation of the detection vibrator (5). The determination unit (4) determines whether an object is touching the target part (9) based on the signal output by the vibration detector (6). When the determination unit (4) determines that an object is touching the target part (9), the haptics vibration control unit (25) causes the haptics oscillator (25) to generate vibrations with a frequency lower than the frequency of vibrations generated by the detection oscillator (5).

This embodiment provides a contact determination system (1) that can accurately determine whether an object is in contact with the target area (9) and can vibrate the target area (9) when it is determined that an object is in contact with the target area (9).

In the second aspect, the second medium (8) in the first aspect mediates the propagation of vibration between the detection vibrator (5) and the vibration detector (6) without passing through the target part.

According to this embodiment, the determination unit (4) can more accurately determine whether an object is in contact with the target area (9), and the contact determination system (1) can be configured compactly.

In a third aspect, the detection vibrator (5) in the first or second aspect is equipped with a piezoelectric transducer.

In this embodiment, by applying an AC voltage to the detection oscillator (5), the detection oscillator (5) can generate vibrations.

In a fourth aspect, in any one of the first to third aspects, the vibration detector (6) is equipped with a piezoelectric transducer.

In this embodiment, vibrations are transmitted to the vibration detector (6), which can output an AC signal corresponding to the vibrations.

In a fifth aspect, in any one of the first to fourth aspects, the haptic vibrator (25) is equipped with a piezoelectric transducer.

In this embodiment, by applying an AC voltage to the haptics vibrator (25), the haptics vibrator (25) can generate vibrations.

In a sixth aspect, in any one of the first to fifth aspects, the frequency of the vibration generated by the detection vibrator (5) is 20 kHz or more.

According to this embodiment, the determination unit (4) can more accurately determine whether or not an object is in contact with the target area (9).

In a seventh aspect, in any one of the first to sixth aspects, the frequency of the vibration generated by the haptic vibrator (25) is 50 Hz or more and 500 Hz or less.

In the eighth aspect, in any one of the first to seventh aspects, the frequency of the vibration generated by the detection oscillator (5) is specified so that the amplitude of the signal output by the vibration detector (6) when the detection oscillator (5) generates vibrations is 50% or more of the amplitude of the signal output by the vibration detector (6) when the detection oscillator (5) generates vibrations at the natural frequency of the detection oscillator (5).

In a ninth aspect, in any one of the first to eighth aspects, the frequency of the vibration generated by the haptic oscillator (25) is specified so that the amplitude of the signal output by the vibration detector (6) when the haptic oscillator (25) generates vibrations is 50% or more of the amplitude of the signal output by the vibration detector (6) when the haptic oscillator (25) generates vibrations at the natural frequency of the haptic oscillator (25).

In this embodiment, the target area (9) can be vibrated more clearly when it is determined that an object is in contact with the target area.

In a tenth aspect, in any one of the first to ninth aspects, the contact determination module (2) includes a substrate (14). A detection vibrator (5) and a haptics vibrator (25) are mounted on the substrate (14).

In an eleventh aspect, in any one of the first to ninth aspects, the contact determination module (2) includes a shared electrode (35, 36) that is electrically connected to both the detection oscillator (5) and the haptics oscillator (25). The shared electrode (35, 36) serves both as an electrode for supplying driving power to the detection oscillator (5) and as an electrode for supplying driving power to the haptics oscillator (25).

This embodiment makes it possible to simplify the structure of the contact determination module (2).

In a twelfth aspect, in any one of the first to eleventh aspects, the contact determination module (2) includes a shared vibrator (34) that serves as both the detection vibrator (5) and the haptics vibrator (25).

This embodiment makes it possible to simplify and compact the structure of the contact determination module (2).

The contact determination module (2) according to the thirteenth aspect is a contact determination module (2) applied to a contact determination system (1) that determines whether an object is in contact with a target part (9). The contact determination module (2) includes a detection oscillator (5), a vibration detector (6), a haptics oscillator (25), a first medium (7) that mediates the propagation of vibration between the detection oscillator (5) and the target part (9), a second medium (8) that mediates the propagation of vibration between the detection oscillator (5) and the vibration detector (6), and a third medium (27) that mediates the propagation of vibration between the haptics oscillator (25) and the target part (9).

According to this embodiment, a contact determination module (2) is obtained that can accurately determine whether an object is touching the target part (9) based on the signal output by the vibration detector (6), and can vibrate the target part (9) when it is determined that an object is touching the target part (9).

The electronic device (24) according to the fourteenth aspect includes a contact determination system (1) according to any one of the first to twelfth aspects and a member (16) having a target portion (9).

1 Contact determination system 2 Contact determination module 3 Detection vibration control unit 4 Determination unit 5 Detection oscillator 6 Vibration detector 7 First medium 8 Second medium 9 Target part 10 Case body 11 Correction unit 12 Setting unit 13 Memory unit 14 Substrate 16 Member 24 Electronic device 25 Haptics oscillator 26 Haptics vibration control unit 27 Third medium 34 Shared oscillator 35 Shared electrode (first shared electrode)
36 Common electrode (second common electrode)

Claims

A contact determination system that determines whether or not an object is in contact with a target portion,
The device includes a contact determination module, a detection vibration control unit, a determination unit, and a haptics vibration control unit,
The contact determination module includes:
A detection transducer;
A vibration detector;
A haptic transducer,
A first medium that mediates the propagation of vibration between the detection transducer and the target site;
A second medium that mediates the propagation of vibration between the detection oscillator and the vibration detector;
a third medium that mediates the propagation of vibration between the haptic oscillator and the target part;
Equipped with
The detection vibration control unit controls the operation of the detection vibrator,
The determination unit determines whether or not an object has contacted the target portion based on a signal output by the vibration detector,
the haptics vibration control unit, when the determination unit determines that an object is in contact with the target portion, causes the haptics oscillator to generate a vibration having a frequency lower than a frequency of a vibration generated by the detection oscillator;
Contact detection system.
The second medium mediates the propagation of vibration between the detection oscillator and the vibration detector without passing through the target part.
The collision determination system according to claim 1 .
The detection transducer includes a piezoelectric transducer.
The collision determination system according to claim 1 .
The vibration detector comprises a piezoelectric transducer.
The collision determination system according to claim 1 .
The haptic transducer includes a piezoelectric transducer.
The contact determination system according to claim 1 .
The frequency of the vibration generated by the detection vibrator is 20 kHz or more.
The contact determination system according to claim 1 .
The frequency of the vibration generated by the haptic vibrator is 50 Hz or more and 500 Hz or less.
The collision determination system according to claim 1 .
The frequency of the vibration generated by the detection oscillator is specified so that the amplitude of the signal output by the vibration detector when the detection oscillator generates vibration is 50% or more of the amplitude of the signal output by the vibration detector when the detection oscillator generates vibration of the natural frequency of the detection oscillator.
The contact determination system according to claim 1 .
The frequency of the vibration generated by the haptic oscillator is specified so that the amplitude of the signal output by the vibration detector when the haptic oscillator generates a vibration of the natural frequency of the haptic oscillator is 50% or more of the amplitude of the signal output by the vibration detector when the haptic oscillator generates a vibration of the natural frequency of the haptic oscillator.
The contact determination system according to claim 1 .
the contact determination module includes a substrate;
The detection oscillator and the haptics oscillator are mounted on the substrate.
The contact determination system according to claim 1 .
the contact determination module includes a shared electrode electrically connected to both the detection oscillator and the haptics oscillator,
the shared electrode serves both as an electrode for supplying driving power to the detection oscillator and as an electrode for supplying driving power to the haptics oscillator;
The contact determination system according to claim 1 .
The contact determination module includes a shared oscillator that serves as both the detection oscillator and the haptics oscillator.
The contact determination system according to claim 1 .
A contact determination module applied to a contact determination system that determines whether or not an object is in contact with a target portion,
A detection transducer;
A vibration detector;
A haptic transducer,
A first medium that mediates the propagation of vibration between the detection transducer and the target site;
A second medium that mediates the propagation of vibration between the detection oscillator and the vibration detector;
and a third medium that mediates the propagation of vibration between the haptic oscillator and the target part.
Contact detection module.
A collision determination system according to any one of claims 1 to 12,
A member having the target portion,
Electronic devices.