JP3473303B2 - Illuminated touch switch device - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an illuminated touch switch device which detects a touch of a human finger or the like and displays a detection output state by turning on and off an EL display device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a wiring operation switch for blinking an electric device such as a lighting load, a simple waterproofing which is unlikely to malfunction due to a malfunction of the operation part due to wetness of water, moisture, etc. There is a touch switch with a structure. In many of these touch switches, the electrodes for detecting the electrostatic capacitance of the human body are not exposed in the operating part, and as a result,
It is difficult for the electrodes to fail due to rust or the like.
Then, an illumination type touch switch device is proposed in which an operating state of a load opened and closed by the touch switch is displayed on an EL (electroluminescence) display device by illuminating the touch panel portion on which the touch detection electrode is formed. Has been done.

The above illuminated touch switch device is shown in FIG.
(A), the touch panel 1 forms a transparent comb-teeth electrode 12 which is a pair of electrodes covered with a transparent insulating film 13 on the upper surface of the transparent insulating substrate 11, and further has a name plate 16 thereon. While laminating the transparent insulation protection plate 14,
Below the transparent insulating substrate 11, a light emitting portion 1 by an EL display device is provided.
5 is provided, and as shown in FIG.
2 are connected to the connecting portions 12c and 12 respectively.
It has a basic structure connected to the lead wires 17, 17 via c. Then, as shown in FIG. 9, C added to the pair of transparent comb-teeth electrodes 12 via the lead wires 17, 17.
The R transmission circuit 2 and the touch determination circuit 3 that detects the approach or contact of the finger f with the transparent insulating protective plate 14 by the change of the oscillation cycle of the output of the CR oscillation circuit 2, and the touch determination circuit 3 approaches the finger f. Or every time a contact is detected,
And a control circuit 4 for driving the load device L on and off.

The transparent insulating protection plate 14 is made of a transparent synthetic resin material such as an acrylic resin material or a polycarbonate material. The transparent comb-teeth electrode 12 is made of indium oxide or tin oxide, and the connecting portions 12c and 12c are made of
It is formed of a low resistance material such as aluminum or copper. Then, between the transparent insulating film 13 and the transparent insulating protective plate 14, a transparent name plate 1 on which the name of the load device is written.
6 can be inserted.

The light emitting section 15 is composed of an EL display device. This EL display is a substance (usually a solid)
It is a panel-shaped light source using the principle of electroluminescence, which is light emission caused by applying an electric field to, and is formed by placing a predetermined fluorescent substance between two transparent metal plate electrodes 15a and 15b. An alternating current is applied between the electrodes to illuminate the surface of the touch panel.

In the illuminated touch switch device having the above structure, when the finger f approaches or contacts the touch panel 1 protected by the transparent insulating protection plate 14, the transparent comb electrode 1
Since the capacitance C between 2a and 12b decreases, the oscillation cycle of the output of the CR oscillation circuit 2 decreases. Therefore, the touch determination circuit 3 detects the change in the oscillation cycle and determines the switch operation for operating the load device 5. When the finger f or the like is not near the transparent insulating protection plate 14 or is not directly touched, the electrostatic capacitance C between the transparent comb-teeth electrodes 12a and 12b is constant, and the CR oscillation circuit 2 has a constant oscillation cycle. It is outputting. Then, as shown in FIG. 10, when a finger f or the like approaches or touches the transparent insulating protection plate 14, the lines of electric force generated between the transparent comb-teeth electrodes 12a and 12b are passed through the human body f through the finger f or the like. The capacitance of the planar capacitor C formed between the transparent comb-teeth electrodes 12a and 12b is reduced, and the oscillation period Ps of the output of the CR oscillation circuit 2 is reduced. A predetermined threshold value Pt for a predetermined time t1 when the oscillation determination period of the touch determination circuit 3 determines the touch confirmation.
When it becomes smaller than h, the switch operation is judged. Then, the contacts and the like of a relay device (not shown) are opened and closed, and the frequency of the alternating current applied to the EL display device of the light emitting unit is changed to blink the illumination of the touch panel 1 portion.

[0007]

The above-mentioned illuminated touch switch device is capable of illuminating the touch panel surface with a simple configuration of the illumination control circuit. Transparent electrode 12
It was found that the capacitance C between a and 12b changed.
That is, the above-mentioned EL display device has about 60 when it is turned off.
The alternating current of about 300 Hz is applied at the time of lighting, and the blinking is controlled. As a result, at the time of lighting, a small amount of light is emitted from the capacitor formed by the transparent comb-teeth electrode through the metal plate electrode of the EL display device. The line of electric force was grounded through the lighting circuit. As a result, when the operator touches the touch panel with his / her finger or the like to drive the load device on / off, the operation feeling is different between on and off, and the operator may feel a sense of discomfort during operation.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to keep the same touch operation feeling of a switch when the EL display device is turned on or off.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide an illuminated touch switch device with an improved operation feeling.

In order to achieve the above object, an illuminated touch switch device according to a first aspect of the present invention is a capacitance change detection means for detecting a capacitance change between electrodes that fluctuates due to a capacitance of a human body, and a capacitance change. An illuminated touch switch device including an EL (electroluminescence) display device for illuminating a detection output state that changes based on the detection result of the detection means, and the electrode and the EL display device formed in layers. In the above, the threshold for touch detection by the human body by the capacitance change detection means is the point of the EL display device before touch.
When the light is on, it is smaller than when it is off. As a result, the value smaller than the threshold value of the touch detection when the EL display device before touch detection is turned off differs in the blinking state of the EL display device before touch.

Further, in the illuminated touch switch device according to the second aspect, the claim threshold is turned on regardless of the detection result output by the capacitance change detection means,
When the EL display device is turned on, the difference in capacitance between the electrodes before and after the turn-off and the turn-off is obtained, the difference is subtracted from a predetermined threshold value when the EL display device is turned on, and the difference is returned to the predetermined threshold value when the EL display device is turned off. It is and the child. As a result, the touch detection threshold is based on the change in the inter-electrode capacitance that is actually confirmed by blinking the EL display device.

In the illuminated touch switch device according to a third aspect of the present invention, the threshold value change according to the second aspect is performed after a lapse of a predetermined time after the touch confirmation determination after the touch detection. As a result, when the EL display device is lit before the touch, the threshold is changed when the EL display device is turned off after the touch detection.

[0012]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION An embodiment of an illuminated touch switch device of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of an illuminated touch switch device. FIG. 2 is a partial circuit diagram showing an example of a CR oscillation circuit which is a main part of the illuminated touch switch device shown in FIG. 3 to 5 are flowcharts for explaining the operation of the touch determination processing unit of the illuminated touch switch device shown in FIG. 6A and 6B are explanatory views of the operation of the touch determination processing of the illuminated touch switch device shown in FIG. 1, in which FIG. 6A is an operation transition diagram and FIG. 6B is a time chart. 7A and 7B are external views of the illuminated touch switch device shown in FIG. 1, in which FIG. 7A is a front view and FIG. 7B is a side view.

The illuminated touch switch device Sw is for inputting an AC power source AC to detect a contact of a finger f or the like of a human body and controls opening / closing of an electric load L. The touch panel 1 has been described as a conventional example. As described above, the touch detection unit S corresponding to a capacitance change detection unit that detects a change in the electrostatic capacitance C between the electrodes that varies with the electrostatic capacitance Cm of the human body due to the output of the CR oscillation circuit 2, and the touch detection unit S. In order to display the detection output state that changes based on the detection result with illumination,
The touch panel 1 is provided with an EL display device 17 which is substantially integrated with the touch panel 1 and is formed into a layer. Then, the touch detection unit S, as shown in FIG.
Focusing on the EL blinking control unit 4, the load control unit 5,
It is connected with the power supply circuit 6 and is housed inside the illuminated touch switch device Sw as shown in FIG. 7.

The touch panel 1 is the same as that shown in the conventional example, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The CR oscillating circuit 2 is for detecting a change in the electrostatic capacitance C between the transparent comb-teeth electrodes 12 as a change in the oscillation period P in the touch determination processing section 3 which will be described later. As shown in FIG. 2, a constant capacitance C between the transparent comb-teeth electrodes 12 when the finger f or the like is not near the transparent insulating protection plate 14 described above or when it is not directly touched.
Then, for example, inverter circuits G1 and G1 to which a feedback resistor R having a resistance value capable of oscillating at an oscillation cycle of approximately 100 KHz is connected, and an inverter circuit G2 for waveform-shaping an output signal from the inverter circuit G1. A CR oscillating circuit, which is well known in itself, formed by and outputs the oscillation output toward the touch determination processing unit 3.

The touch determination processing section 3 corresponds to the touch determination circuit shown in the conventional example, and is constituted by a one-chip microcomputer, for example, and is a ROM (read only memory) or RAM (random access memory). And the like, based on a program for touch detection processing stored in the ROM, the output signal from the CR oscillator 2 is processed to detect contact of the human body with the touch panel 1,
Control of turning on and off the EL display device 17 and electrical load L
Controls the supply of AC power supply AC to the.

The EL blinking control unit 4 is an inverter control circuit for controlling blinking of the EL display device 17 formed substantially integrally with the touch panel 1, and is based on the blinking control signal from the touch determination processing unit 3. And when turned off, it is roughly 6
An AC substantially sine wave signal of 0 Hz and approximately 300 Hz at the time of lighting is output to the EL display device 17, respectively.

The load control section 5 is, for example, a relay output circuit, although not limited thereto. In this case, the AC power source AC is input to the load control section 5 based on the output control signal from the touch determination processing section 3 to determine the electrical load. The AC power supply to L is controlled by energizing the operation coil of a relay device (not shown), and the supply of AC power AC to the electric load L is controlled by opening / closing its contacts. The load control unit 5 can employ various devices such as a triac device other than the relay device.

The illuminated touch switch device S described above
The operation of touch detection by the touch determination processing unit 3 of the present invention using w will be described based on the flowcharts of FIGS. 3 to 5. The illuminated touch switch device S
w is assumed to open and close the lighting load. When the AC power supply AC is supplied to the load L, that is, when the contacts of the relay device are closed, the EL display device 17 is turned off and the AC power AC to the load L is supplied. When the supply is stopped, that is, when the contacts of the relay device are open, the EL display device 17 is turned on, and the location of the switch can be easily understood by turning on the EL display device. Then, the switch box SB is provided so that the operator can easily operate the touch panel 1 which is the operation portion by touching a finger or the like.
AC power supply AC is connected.

When the power is turned on and the AC power supply AC is applied (step 1), first, each variable is initialized as an initialization operation (step 2), and the contacts of the relay device are opened (step 3). As the initialization process for setting the threshold value, the EL display device 17 is irrelevant to the detection result output by the touch detection unit S only during a predetermined time tpp which is one cycle of the input pulse, that is, the human body touches the touch panel 1.
The light is turned off when the finger is not touched (step 4), and the light is kept off for a predetermined time tpp which is one cycle of the input pulse (step 5). After that, for example, the trailing edge of the input pulse that is the output signal from the oscillation circuit 2 is monitored (step 6), and the difference dP in the oscillation period due to the difference in the capacitance between the transparent comb-teeth electrodes in the extinguished state and the lit state. And a process A in a standby state for detecting that a finger or the like touches the touch panel 1 (step 7).

In the process A, the latest period value Pcur of the oscillation period P by the oscillation circuit 2 due to the electrostatic capacitance C between the transparent comb-teeth electrodes 12 is read (step 8). At this time,
Irrespective of the detection result output of the touch detection, lighting and extinguishing are performed to obtain the difference in electrostatic capacitance between the transparent comb-teeth electrodes before and after lighting and extinguishing. Verification of completion of initial setting is performed (step 9). When the setting is completed, the touch detection process B for detecting that the finger or the like touches the touch panel 1
(Step 10). When the initial setting is not completed, first, the completion of the threshold calculation of the EL extinguished state is verified (step 11), and since the EL extinguished state is continuing in step 4, the period value P read in step 8 is read.
Cur is set as the steady value Poff of the oscillation cycle in the EL off state (step 12). Then, a predetermined threshold value Pthoff is calculated by subtracting a predetermined period value dP determined in advance from the steady value Poff set in step 12 (step 13), and then the display device 17 detects the detection result by the touch detection unit S. Irrespective of the output, that is, in a state where the human body is not touching the touch panel 1 with a finger (step 14), the lighting state is maintained for a predetermined time tpp which is one cycle of the input pulse (step 1).
5) The process A is completed.

Then, when a fall is detected again in the fall monitoring process of step 6, the process proceeds from step 8 to step 11 in sequence, and the threshold calculation of the EL extinguished state is completed, so at this time. EL in step 14
Period value Pcur read in step 8 in the lit state
Is set as the steady value Pon of the oscillation period in the EL lighting state (step 16). Then, from the steady value Pon set in step 16, a predetermined periodic value d
A predetermined threshold Pthon is calculated by subtracting P (step 1
7) and the process A is completed. Then, the falling edge is detected again in the falling edge monitoring processing in step 6, and step 8
The processing A is started from, but at this time, the initial setting is completed in step 9, and therefore, the processing shifts to the processing B of the touch detection which detects that the finger or the like touches the touch panel 1.

In the process B, it is first verified whether or not the EL is turned on (step 18). In the turned-on state, the threshold Pth is set to Pthon calculated in step 17 (step 19), and in the turned-off state, Threshold Pth
Is set to Pthoff calculated in step 13 (step 20). Then, the cycle value Pcur read in step 8 is compared with the threshold value Pth (step 21). Then, when the cycle value Pcur is smaller than the threshold value Pth, the determination processing is smaller than the threshold value (step 22). When the cycle value Pcur is greater than the threshold value Pth, the determination processing is larger than the threshold value (step 23), and the process B is performed. To finish.

Note that, as shown in the transition diagram of FIG. 6 (a), the processing that is greater than the above threshold value is performed by first inputting the input pulse in step 7 of the flowchart of FIG. 3 in the standby state after the initial state. When the falling edge is detected, when the cycle value Pcur is larger than the threshold value Pth (Pcur> Pth), the status 5 is in the non-contact fixed state. When the EL is off, the EL is off, and the EL is on. When is E
The L lighting state is continued. Then, the touch determination processing unit 3 does not perform the EL blink control and load control processing.
Further, when the human finger f or the like touches the touch panel 1, the cycle value Pcur is smaller than the threshold value Pth (Pc
In the ur <Pth) state, the process shifts to a process smaller than the above threshold. Then, even if the state shifts to this state, the touch determination processing unit 3 maintains the previous state as the contact 7 indeterminate state of the status 7, and the period value Pcur is smaller than the threshold Pth for a predetermined time t1 or more for the touch determination. (P
When the state of cur <Pth) continues, the state of contact confirmation of the status 8 is entered, and the touch determination processing unit 3 performs processing of EL blink control and load control.

Further, in the present embodiment, the touch determination processing unit 3 E after the touch detection, that is, after the contact undetermined state of the status 7 is continued for a predetermined time t1.
Immediately after the L blinking control, the above threshold value Pth is changed. In this change, when the EL display device 17 is extinguished before the touch, the difference between the steady value Poff of the oscillation cycle in the EL extinguished state and the steady value Pon of the oscillation cycle in the EL illuminated state is detected from the predetermined threshold Pthoff after the touch detection. EL, before touch
When the display device 17 is turned on, a predetermined threshold value Pthoff is set after touch detection. Then, the touch determination processing unit 3 performs the operation of blinking the EL display device 17 and the processing of the load control, which are the touch detection result output processing, with the threshold value Pth after the change.

The EL value of the period value Pcur of the oscillation period and the touch determination threshold Pth by the touch detection unit S described above.
The transition of each cycle value Pth in the extinguished state or the EL lit state is shown in the time chart (b) of FIG. From this time chart, as described above, the threshold Pth
Change from state F to G after touch detection.
, When the state of the finger changes from undetermined contact to confirmed contact,
It can be seen that the difference between the cycle value Pcur of the oscillation cycle and the touch determination threshold Pth by the touch detection unit S can be maintained larger, and the determination of contact confirmation can be reliably performed.

The illuminated touch switch device S described above
According to w, the threshold value Pth for touch detection when the EL display device 17 before touching is turned on is smaller than the threshold value Pth for touch detection when the EL display device 17 before touching is off, so that the EL display device 17 is turned on. Further, the touch operation feeling of the switch at the time of turning off does not change, so that the operation feeling is improved. Further, the touch detection threshold Pth is based on the change in the electrostatic capacitance C between the transparent comb-teeth electrodes which is actually confirmed by blinking the EL display device 17, and therefore, the EL display device 17 of the illuminated touch switch device Sw. Since the variation in capacitance change due to does not affect the threshold value, touch detection can be performed reliably. In addition, when the EL display device 17 is lit before the touch, the threshold value changes with the turning off of the EL display device 17 after the touch detection. Therefore, the difference between the cycle value Pcur of the oscillation cycle by the touch detection unit S and the touch determination threshold value Pth. Can be maintained at a larger value, and the determination of contact confirmation can be made with certainty.

[0029]

According to the illuminated touch switch device of the present invention, the threshold value of touch detection when the EL display device before touching is on is smaller than the threshold value of touch detection when the EL display device before touching is off. Therefore, the touch operation feeling of the switch when the EL display device is turned on and off does not change, and the operation feeling is improved.

Further, in addition to the effect of the illumination type touch switch device according to the second aspect, the change in the inter-electrode capacitance which the threshold value of the touch detection is confirmed by actually blinking the EL display device in addition to the effect of the first aspect. Therefore, the variation in the capacitance of the EL display device of the illuminated touch switch device does not affect the threshold value, so that the touch detection can be reliably performed.

Further, in the illuminated touch switch device according to the third aspect, in addition to the effect of the second aspect, when the EL display device is lit before the touch, the threshold value is changed when the EL display device is turned off after the touch detection. Therefore, it is possible to surely determine the contact confirmation by the touch detection unit.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an illuminated touch switch device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a partial circuit diagram showing an example of a CR oscillation circuit which is a main part of the illuminated touch switch device shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a main flowchart for explaining the operation of a touch determination processing unit of the illuminated touch switch device shown in FIG.

FIG. 4 is a partial flowchart for explaining the operation of the touch determination processing unit of the illuminated touch switch device shown in FIG.

FIG. 5 is another partial flowchart for explaining the operation of the touch determination processing unit of the illuminated touch switch device shown in FIG.

6A and 6B are explanatory diagrams of the operation of the touch determination processing of the illuminated touch switch device shown in FIG. 1, in which FIG.
(B) is a time chart.

7A and 7B are external views of the illuminated touch switch device shown in FIG. 1, in which FIG. 7A is a front view and FIG. 7B is a side view.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing a touch panel of an illuminated touch switch device, in which (a) shows a panel cross section and (b) shows electrodes.

FIG. 9 is a schematic configuration diagram of a conventional example.

FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of touch detection of the illuminated touch switch device.

[Explanation of symbols]

Sw Illuminated touch switch device 12 Transparent comb-teeth electrode (electrode) 17 EL display device 3 Touch determination processing unit (capacity change detection means) Pth threshold t1 Predetermined time to determine touch confirmation

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── --Continued from the front page (56) References JP-A-8-22361 (JP, A) JP-A 62-253220 (JP, A) JP-A 58-71519 (JP, A) JP-A 56- 132028 (JP, A) JP-A-53-141504 (JP, A) (58) Fields investigated (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) H03K 17/96 H03K 17/955

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] 1. A capacitance change detecting means for detecting a change in electrostatic capacitance between electrodes which varies depending on the electrostatic capacitance of a human body, and a detection output state which changes based on a detection result by the capacitance change detecting means are displayed by illumination. In the illuminated touch switch device, which comprises an EL (electroluminescence) display device for operating the electrode and the EL display device formed in layers, the threshold value of touch detection by the human body by the capacitance change detection means is before touch. The illuminated touch switch device is characterized in that the blinking state of the EL display device is smaller when the EL display device is on than when it is off. 2. The threshold value is obtained by illuminating and extinguishing the EL display device irrespective of the detection result output by the capacitance change detecting means to obtain a difference in electrostatic capacitance between electrodes before and after illumination and extinction. The illuminated touch switch device according to claim 1, wherein when the EL display device is turned on, the difference is subtracted from a predetermined threshold value, and when the EL display device is turned off, the difference is returned to the predetermined threshold value. 3. The illuminated touch switch device according to claim 2, wherein the capacitance change detection means changes the threshold value after a predetermined time has elapsed after the touch detection after touch detection.