US 12,314,498 B2
Input apparatus
Hajime Suzuki, Miyagi (JP); Kunio Sato, Miyagi (JP); Shinichi Sagawai, Miyagi (JP); and I Ka, Miyagi (JP)
Assigned to Alps Alpine Co., Ltd., (JP)
Filed by Alps Alpine Co., Ltd., Tokyo (JP)
Filed on Jan. 10, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/152,402.
Application 18/152,402 is a continuation of application No. PCT/JP2021/019352, filed on May 21, 2021.
Claims priority of application No. 2020-146037 (JP), filed on Aug. 31, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0161414 A1, May 25, 2023
Int. Cl. G06F 3/041 (2006.01); B06B 1/02 (2006.01); G06F 3/01 (2006.01)
CPC G06F 3/041 (2013.01) [B06B 1/0253 (2013.01); G06F 3/016 (2013.01); B06B 2201/55 (2013.01)] 8 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An input apparatus comprising:
an operating unit on which an input operation is performed by touching the operation unit by an operator;
a detecting unit configured to detect the input operation performed on the operating unit;
an actuator configured to impart vibration to the operating unit, the actuator being driven by a drive signal to impart the vibration, the actuator including a piezoelectric element; and
a control unit configured to supply the drive signal to the actuator according to a result of detection performed by the detecting unit,
wherein the drive signal includes a triangular wave or a sine wave, and a signal waveform of the drive signal has a state in which a rising interval and a falling interval are asymmetric about a peak voltage of the signal waveform,
the falling interval of the signal waveform of the drive signal is longer than the rising interval of the signal waveform of the drive signal,
the rising interval is from a first position having an initial voltage from which the signal waveform rises to the peak voltage, and the falling interval is from the peak voltage to a second position at which the signal waveform reaches the initial voltage,
the signal waveform of the drive signal reaches to a negative voltage during the falling interval, and the signal waveform of the drive signal has a return interval from a peak of the negative voltage in the falling interval to the initial voltage, and
the return interval has a lower voltage fluctuation rate than the falling interval.