US 12,224,135 B2
Input system and control method
Ryo Nakae, Okayama (JP); Yasunori Yanai, Okayama (JP); Takehiko Nara, Okayama (JP); and Yuta Saito, Okayama (JP)
Assigned to PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD., Osaka (JP)
Appl. No. 18/040,263
Filed by Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd., Osaka (JP)
PCT Filed Aug. 3, 2021, PCT No. PCT/JP2021/028702
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Feb. 1, 2023,
PCT Pub. No. WO2022/064859, PCT Pub. Date Mar. 31, 2022.
Claims priority of application No. 2020-160071 (JP), filed on Sep. 24, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0290591 A1, Sep. 14, 2023
Int. Cl. H01H 25/04 (2006.01); H01H 13/64 (2006.01)
CPC H01H 25/041 (2013.01) [H01H 13/64 (2013.01)] 16 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An input system comprising:
an input device including a movable contact, a first electrode, a second electrode, a third electrode, and a fourth electrode;
an electrostatic sensor connected to the first electrode;
a conduction sensor connected to the third electrode and configured to detect electrical conduction and non-conduction between the third electrode and the fourth electrode;
a controller configured to switch a sensing operation of the electrostatic sensor between an ON state and an OFF state; and
a determiner connected to the electrostatic sensor, wherein;
the input device is configured such that, when the movable contact is pressed, electrostatic capacitance between the first electrode and the second electrode changes,
the input device is configured such that, when the movable contact is further pressed after the electrostatic capacitance changes, the third electrode and the fourth electrode are electrically conductive to each other, and after the third electrode and the fourth electrode become electrically conductive to each other, the third electrode and the fourth electrode are electrically non-conductive from each other,
the controller causes the sensing operation of the electrostatic sensor to be in the OFF state before the movable contact is pressed and maintains the OFF state until the conduction sensor detects the conduction between the third electrode and the fourth electrode and subsequently detects the non-conduction between the third electrode and the fourth electrode,
after the conduction sensor detects the conduction between the third electrode and the fourth electrode and subsequently detects the non-conduction between the third electrode and the fourth electrode, the controller switches the sensing operation of the electrostatic sensor from the OFF state to the ON state,
in the ON state, the electrostatic sensor outputs a detected value related to the electrostatic capacitance between the first electrode and the second electrode,
the detected value output by the electrostatic sensor is input to the determiner, and
the determiner determines, based on the detected value output from the electrostatic sensor, whether the movable contact has been pressed.