KR101564016B1 - Touch feedback unit and display unit and electronic device using it - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a touch feedback unit for generating a touch feeling with a repulsive force corresponding to an external force, the touch feedback unit comprising: a first housing filled with a first fluid; A resistance film in which the first housing internal region is divided into a plurality of regions, and at least one protrusion is formed; And at least one through-hole provided in the resistive film so that the first fluid can flow between the plurality of regions. According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a tactile feedback unit capable of adjusting the touch feeling through the first fluid flowing through the through holes.

Mobile terminal, touch, pressure, feedback

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD [0001] The present invention relates to a tactile feedback unit, a display unit using the tactile feedback unit, and an electronic device.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a tactile feedback unit, a display unit using the same and an electronic apparatus, and more particularly, to a tactile feedback unit capable of adjusting a touch feeling through a first fluid flowing through a through hole, .

As the functions of terminals such as a personal computer, a notebook computer and a mobile phone have diversified, a multimedia player (multimedia player) having a complex function such as photographing or video shooting, playing music or video file, ).

A terminal can be divided into a mobile terminal and a stationary terminal depending on whether the terminal is movable. The mobile terminal can be divided into a handheld terminal and a vehicle mount terminal according to whether the user can directly carry the mobile terminal.

For support and enhancement of the terminal function, it may be considered to improve the structural and / or software part of the terminal.

Recently, various terminals including mobile terminals have provided various functions.

The present invention provides a tactile feedback unit capable of adjusting a touch feeling through a first fluid flowing through a through hole, a display unit using the same, and an electronic apparatus.

It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are not intended to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Other objects, which will be apparent to those skilled in the art, It will be possible.

In order to achieve the above object, a tactile feedback unit according to an embodiment of the present invention is a tactile feedback unit for generating a touch feeling by a repulsive force corresponding to an external force, A first housing; A resistive film which divides the first housing internal region into a plurality of regions and at least one protruding portion is formed; And at least one aperture provided in the resistive film so that the first fluid can flow between the plurality of regions.

The at least one protrusion may be provided in a hemispherical shape, and the plurality of through holes may be provided at positions mutually symmetric about one point of the hemispherical protrusion.

At least one of the plurality of through holes may be different from at least one of an area and a shape of at least another through hole.

The at least one protrusion may be formed in a hemispherical shape spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance.

The protrusion may include a plurality of protrusions, and may further include a flow path connecting the plurality of protrusions.

Any one of the at least one through-hole may be a through-hole communicated with the flow path.

An adhesive layer adhered to the resistive film may be provided on the other side of the protruding surface of the resistive film on which the at least one protruded portion is formed, and the channel may be provided in the adhesive layer.

The first housing on the protruding surface side where the at least one protruding portion is formed may be a cover film spaced apart from the protruding portion and arranged substantially in parallel with the resistive film.

The cover film may be provided with contact protrusions facing the protrusions at a position where a distance from the at least one protrusion is minimum.

When the external force is applied to the cover film by a predetermined amount or more, a contact protrusion contacting the resistance film may be formed.

The first housing on the other side of the protruding surface of the resistive film on which the at least one protruded portion is formed may include an adhesive layer provided with the flow path and a bottom layer adhered to the adhesive layer.

At least one side of the first housing may be provided with a fluid accommodating portion capable of temporarily accommodating the first fluid flowing by the external force and adjusting the pressure of the filled first fluid.

Wherein the fluid receiving portion includes a second housing extending from the first housing and having at least a portion filled with a second fluid and a second housing provided at a boundary between the first fluid and the second fluid, And at least one boundary film for separating the film.

The boundary film may be provided in the thickness direction of the first housing.

The boundary film may be provided in the width direction of the first housing.

The boundary film may be plural.

The boundary film may be formed of an elastic material.

The boundary film may be formed of a porous material.

The boundary layer of the porous material may be formed of at least two kinds of materials having a surface in contact with the first fluid being discontinuous or different from each other.

The first fluid may be a substantially incompressible fluid, and the second fluid may be substantially compressible fluid.

The first fluid may be any one of a liquid or a gel having a refractive index substantially equal to a material of the tactile feedback unit.

The tactile feedback unit may be made of a light transmitting material.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a touch feedback unit for generating a touch feeling by a repulsive force corresponding to an external force, the touch feedback unit including a first housing filled with a first fluid, A fluid receiving portion may be provided on at least one side of the first housing to temporarily accommodate the first fluid flowing by the external force and adjust the pressure in the first housing.

Wherein the fluid receiving portion includes a second housing extending from the first housing and having at least a portion filled with a second fluid and a second housing provided at a boundary between the first fluid and the second fluid, And at least one boundary film for separating the film.

The boundary film may be formed of at least one of an elastic material and a porous material.

The first housing is provided with a resistive film which divides an area inside the first housing into a plurality of areas, and at least one protruding part is formed, and a resistive film provided on the resistive film so that the first fluid can flow between the plurality of areas. At least one aperture may be provided.

The protrusion may include a plurality of protrusions, and may further include a flow path connecting the plurality of protrusions.

Any one of the at least one through-hole may be a through-hole communicated with the flow path.

The first housing on the protruded surface side where the at least one protruded portion is formed may be a cover film spaced apart from the protruded portion and arranged substantially in parallel with the resistive film and provided with a contact protrusion toward the protruded portion.

According to another aspect of the present invention,

A display panel for displaying an image; A touch panel provided on one surface of the display panel for sensing a touch signal; And a tactile feedback unit which is provided on one surface of the touch panel and generates a touch feeling by a repulsive force corresponding to an external force.

Wherein the tactile feedback unit comprises: a first housing filled with a first fluid; a resistance film having a first housing internal region divided into a plurality of regions, wherein at least one protrusion is formed; And may include at least one through hole provided in the resistive film so as to be circulated between the plurality of regions.

The tactile feedback unit includes a first housing filled with a first fluid, a second housing extending from the first housing, at least a portion of which is filled with a second fluid, And at least one boundary film provided at a boundary between the first fluid and the second fluid to partition the first fluid and the second fluid.

The touch sense may be divided into at least two discrete steps depending on the degree of the repulsive force, and the at least two discontinuous steps may correspond to each step according to the strength of the sensed touch signal.

The touch panel may be an electrostatic touch panel.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a display unit including: a display panel for displaying an image; And a sensing unit provided on one surface of the touch panel to generate a touch feeling with a repulsive force corresponding to an external force and sense a touch signal corresponding to the external force.

The touch sense may be divided into at least two discrete steps depending on the degree of the repulsive force, and the at least two discontinuous steps may correspond to each step according to the strength of the sensed touch signal.

Further, an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a display panel for displaying an image; A touch panel provided on one surface of the display panel for sensing a touch signal; A tactile feedback unit which is provided on one surface of the touch panel and generates a touch feeling by a repulsive force corresponding to an external force; And a controller for generating a control signal for the display panel and the touch panel.

The touch sense may be divided into at least two discrete steps depending on the degree of the repulsive force, and the at least two discontinuous steps may correspond to each step according to the strength of the sensed touch signal.

According to the tactile feedback unit of the present invention, the touch feeling can be adjusted through the first fluid flowing through the through hole.

In addition, according to the tactile feedback unit of the present invention, the first fluid can be temporarily accommodated and the pressure in the first housing can be adjusted.

The foregoing objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Like reference numerals designate like elements throughout the specification. In the following description, well-known functions or constructions are not described in detail since they would obscure the invention in unnecessary detail.

Hereinafter, a mobile terminal related to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The suffix "module" and " part "for the components used in the following description are given or mixed in consideration of ease of specification, and do not have their own meaning or role.

The mobile terminal described in this specification may include a mobile phone, a smart phone, a laptop computer, a digital broadcasting terminal, a PDA (Personal Digital Assistants), a PMP (Portable Multimedia Player), navigation and the like.

1 is a block diagram of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The mobile terminal 10 includes a wireless communication unit 20, an input unit 60, an output unit 50, a control unit 40, a power supply unit 30 ), And a tactile feedback unit 100.

The wireless communication unit 20 may include one or more modules for enabling wireless communication between the mobile terminal 100 and the wireless communication system or between the mobile terminal 10 and a network in which the mobile terminal 10 is located. For example, the wireless communication unit 2 may include a broadcast receiving module, a mobile communication module, a wireless Internet module, a short distance communication module, and a location information module.

The input unit 60 generates input data for controlling the operation of the mobile terminal 10 by a user. The input unit 60 may include a key pad, a dome switch, a jog wheel, a jog switch, and the like in addition to the static pressure or electrostatic touch pad 62 shown in the drawing.

The output unit 50 is a device for generating an output related to visual, auditory, tactile, or the like. The output unit 50 may include an audio output module, an alarm unit, and a reaction module in addition to the display panel 52 shown in the figure.

The control unit 40 typically controls the overall operation of the mobile terminal 10. For example, perform related controls and processing for voice calls, data communications, video calls, and the like. The control unit 40 may include a multimedia module for multimedia playback. The control unit 40 can perform a pattern recognition process capable of recognizing the handwriting input or drawing input performed on the touch screen as characters and images, respectively.

The power supply unit 30 receives external power and internal power under the control of the controller 40 and supplies power necessary for operation of the respective components.

The tactile feedback unit 100 can generate a sense of touch with a repulsive force corresponding to an external force. This will be described in detail as follows. That is, when only the touch pad 62 exists as the input unit 60, the touch point can be visually displayed through the display panel 52, which is the output unit 50, at the moment the user touches a specific point. However, this is merely a visual indication, not a tactile sensation when the keypad (not shown) is clicked. On the other hand, recently, there is a case where the haptic module (not shown) is used to give the mobile terminal 10 the effect of vibration or the like in the presence of the user's touch input. However, in such a case as well, the touch feeling to a specific point is not fed back, and the mobile terminal 10 is entirely vibrated. Therefore, there is a limit to expressing the physical sensibility that can be felt when a keypad (not shown) is actually clicked by a conventional haptic module (not shown). According to the tactile feedback unit 100 of the embodiment of the present invention, the user can feel a physical sensation at the moment when the user touches a specific point. Therefore, even if the touch pad 62 is not a physical touch pad, the user can feel the same sensation as using a physical touch pad (not shown). Therefore, it is possible not only to improve the sensibility quality of the product, but also to give feedback on whether the user touches the desired point exactly. In addition, it is possible to change the sense of touch according to the strength of the user touching a specific point. The tactile feedback unit 100 may be viewed by the input unit 60 from the viewpoint of accepting the external force applied by the user and may be viewed by the output unit 50 from the viewpoint that the user can feel the touch feeling corresponding to the applied external force . That is, the tactile feedback unit 100 can be regarded as a combination of the input unit 60 and the output unit 50.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the mobile terminal of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the mobile terminal of FIG. 2;

As shown in these figures, the mobile terminal 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a body 70, an input key 61, and a display unit 90.

The body (70) constitutes the appearance of the mobile terminal (10). The body 70 may be divided into a front body 72 and a rear body 74. The body 70 protects various components inside the mobile terminal 10, such as the controller 40 (Fig. 1), from external shocks and the like. Further, in order to secure emotional quality, the body 70 may be subjected to surface treatment, decoration, or the like through various post-treatment processes. Although the bar-shaped body 70 is shown in the drawing, the body 70 may have various shapes such as a slide, a folder, a swing, and a swivel.

The input key 61 may be a physical button corresponding to call, cancellation, termination, and the like. The input key 61 may not be provided in the body 70 and may be replaced with a virtual key (D in Fig. 13) displayed on the display unit 90, if necessary.

The display portion 90 may be provided to occupy a substantial portion of the front surface of the body 70. Various information can be displayed through the display unit 90. In the case of specific information, the user can select the information. The display unit 90 may include a display panel 52, a touch panel 62, and a tactile feedback unit 100.

The display panel 52 is an area in which information to be displayed on the mobile terminal 10 is displayed. The image displayed on the display panel 52 passes through the touch panel 62 and the tactile feedback unit 100 and can be visually detected by a user located on the front side. Accordingly, the touch panel 62 and the tactile feedback unit 100 are substantially transparent or very small in size so as not to affect the transmission of the image displayed on the display panel 52. The display panel 52 may include an LCD, an OLED, and the like.

The touch panel 62 is a portion receiving a touch input of the user. The touch panel 62 may be disposed on the upper surface of the display panel 52 and substantially the same area as the display panel 52. Accordingly, when a specific point on the image displayed on the display panel 52 is touched, information on a specific point touched through the touch panel 62 can be obtained. The touch panel 62 may be a resistance type, an electrostatic type, an infrared type, an ultrasonic type, or the like, but is preferably capacitive. The electrostatic formula recognizes the touch input by sensing the change in capacitance between the conductive layers included therein. Although not specifically shown in the figure, the electrostatic system may include a shield layer formed of two conductive layers, one insulating layer substrate, and a protective layer, and for increasing the signal-to-noise ratio. The operation of the electrostatic touch panel 62, which is one embodiment of the present invention, will be described in more detail in the corresponding portions.

The tactile feedback unit 100 generates a touch feeling corresponding to an input applied to the upper surface of the display unit 90. [ In the tactile feedback unit 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention, a case where the tactile feedback unit 100 is provided on the upper surface of the touch panel 62 will be described. However, the tactile feedback unit 100 according to another embodiment of the present invention may be formed integrally with the touch panel 62, and the present invention will be described in more detail. When a selectable menu or the like is displayed on the display panel 52, the user can select the menu by touching it. For example, when a virtual key for inputting a telephone number is displayed on the display panel 52, the user can touch the upper surface of the display portion 90. When the upper surface of the display portion 90 is touched, Tactile feedback unit 100, and at the same time, the touch panel 62 senses the fact that a specific point is touched. At this time, the tactile feedback unit 100 generates a repulsive force corresponding to the pressure applied by the user. Therefore, the user can feel the repulsive force transmitted through the touching finger or the stylus. In other words, it means that you can feel the sensation of pressing the physical key button despite the virtual key. Hereinafter, the tactile feedback unit 100 according to each embodiment of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to corresponding drawings.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the tactile feedback unit of the mobile terminal of Fig. 3, Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view in the direction of Fig. 4I, Fig. 6 is a cross- Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the protruding portion in the tactile feedback unit of Fig. 4; Fig.

As shown in these figures, the tactile feedback unit 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a first housing 110, 140 that forms the appearance of the tactile feedback unit 100, And a resistance film 120 provided inside the first housing 110 and the first housing 110. The first housing 110 and the second housing 110 are filled with a fluid.

The first housing 110, 140 is the outermost portion of the tactile feedback unit 100, and is a portion including the cover film 110 and the bottom layer 140. As described above, in order to enable the user to visually recognize the image displayed on the display panel (52 in FIG. 3), the respective components of the first housing 110, 140 and the tactile feedback unit 100 are substantially It can be transparent material. In order to prevent the user from easily perceiving each component of the tactile feedback unit 100 and to obtain a transparent effect, the first fluid L (L) is formed in the inner space formed by the cover layer 110 and the bottom layer 140, Can be charged.

The cover film 110 is the uppermost surface of the tactile feedback unit 100. That is, when the user presses the tactile feedback unit 100 with a finger or the like, the portion where the finger or the like is substantially in contact is the cover film 110. [ The cover film 110 is substantially parallel to the surface of the mobile terminal (10 in Fig. 3). A contact protrusion 112 is formed on the cover film 110.

The contact protrusions 112 are provided on the inner side of the cover film 110. The contact protrusions 112 may be integrally formed with the cover film 110 or may be separately formed and adhered to the corresponding positions of the cover film 110. 5, the contact protrusions 112 are provided on the uppermost point 123, which is the highest point of the protrusions 122. Therefore, when pressure is applied to the cover film 110 by a finger or the like The contact protrusions 112 are first brought into contact with the protruding portions 122 in comparison with other portions of the cover film 110. [ The contact protrusions 112 are formed in such a manner that a narrow area protrudes from the cover film 110 in the form of a film. The external force by the finger is concentrated on the narrow area between the contact protrusion 112 and the cover film 110 at the moment when the contact protrusion 112 contacts the protrusion 122 and a clear sense of touch is transmitted to the user's hand . This is explained as follows. In the case where the contact protrusion 112 is not present, when the user presses the cover film 110, a large area of the cover film 110 contacts the protrusion 122. [ Thus, a feeling of contact with the protrusion 122 is transmitted to the user's finger in a dull manner. On the other hand, when the contact protrusion 112 exists, the contact protrusion 112 of a narrow area contacts the protrusion 122 when the user presses the cover film 110. When the same force is applied, the pressure is inversely proportional to area. Therefore, by the contact of the narrow area, the pressure on the portion is increased, and a clear contact feeling can be transmitted to the user's finger.

The bottom layer 140 is the bottom layer of the tactile feedback unit 100. The bottom layer 140 is also formed of a substantially transparent material. The bottom layer 140 constitutes one closed system together with the cover film 110 so that the first fluid L can be filled therein.

The first fluid (L) is charged inside the tactile feedback unit (100). The first fluid L may be an incompressible fluid, such as a liquid or a gel, which is a fluid material. The fluid may be divided into an incompressible fluid that substantially does not generate compression and a compressible fluid that is easily compressed, depending on whether or not the fluid is compressed by an external force. Typically, liquids and gels are classified as incompressible fluids, and gases are classified as compressible fluids. In addition, the first fluid L may have substantially the same or similar refractive index as a transparent material constituting the tactile feedback unit 100. [ In the case of a transparent object in a fluid, in order to visually recognize it, the refractive index of the transparent object must be different from that of the fluid. If the refractive index of a transparent object is the same as a fluid, it becomes difficult to visually recognize a transparent object in the fluid. Considering this point, for example, when the refractive index of the transparent material forming the resistance film 120 is 1.5 and the refractive index of the first fluid L is 1.5, the resistance film 120 is present inside It is possible to prevent the resistive film 120 from being visually recognized. When the tactile feedback unit 100 is made of PET (polyethylene terephthalate), the refractive index of PET is 1.5 to 1.6. In this case, it is possible to use a garlice juice having a refractive index of 1.55 to 1.58 or a first fluid L such as Aliphatic / Alicyclic hydrocarbons or hydrogenated terphenyl having a refractive index of 1.4 to 1.7. The difference in refractive index between the first fluid L and the tactile feedback unit 100 may be within 1%, and preferably within 0.3%. Further, in the visible light region, it is preferable that the transmittance of the tactile feedback unit 100 is 80% or more. The transmittance means the degree at which light generated in the display panel 52 passes through the touch panel 62 and the tactile feedback unit 100 and is finally recognized by the user. 100% means that there is no loss, and when the number is lower, it means that a loss occurs in the middle. When the refractive index is excessively large, total reflection may occur at the refracting surface. Therefore, the transmittance of 80% or more implies indirectly that the refractive index of the components of the tactile feedback unit 100 and the first fluid L is not greater than a certain degree.

The adhesive layer 130 may bond the bottom layer 140 and the resistance film 120 to each other. As shown in FIG. 6, the adhesive layer 130 is positioned between the resistive film 120 and the bottom layer 140. Further, as shown in Fig. 5, a flow path 132 may be formed at a portion where the adhesive layer 130 is not present.

The flow path 132 is a path connected between the protrusions 122. The first fluid L within one of the protruding portions 122 can be moved to the other protruding portion 122 side through the flow path 132. The cover film 110 is pressed by the pressure applied by the user and the protrusion 122 can be deformed by the pressed cover film 110. [ At this time, a part of the first fluid L in the deformed protrusion 122 may move to the adjacent protrusion 122 through the flow path 132. If the first fluid L in each of the protrusions 122 can not move, the shape of the protrusions 122 will not be deformed even if an external force is applied. If the shape of the protruding portion 122 is not deformed, the rigid hemispherical image is maintained and the user does not feel as if the key button is depressed. When the user gives a feeling of being properly pressed in the case of applying a force, it is possible to convey a feeling that the key button is actually pressed. The flow path 132 is provided between each of the protruding portions 122 so that the first fluid L charged in the pressed protruded portion 122 can move.

The resistance film 120 is provided on the upper surface of the adhesive layer 130. The inside of the tactile feedback unit 100 by the resistive film 120 can be divided into two parts. That is, it means the lower part of the resistive film 120 and the upper part of the resistive film 120. The flow path 132 is located below the resistive film 120 and the cover film 110 is located above the resistive film 120. The protruding portion 122 is formed in the resistive film 120.

The protrusion 122 is formed in a hemispherical shape on a part of the resistive film 120. [ One or more protrusions 122 may be formed with a predetermined spacing. The size and spacing of the projections 122 can be appropriately adjusted according to the specific unit in which the tactile feedback unit 100 is used. In each of the embodiments of the present invention, the projecting portion 122 is represented as a hemispherical shape, but it is needless to say that the shape of the projecting portion 122 is not limited thereto. When an external force equal to or greater than a certain level is applied, the shape of the projecting portion 122 is deformed. The first fluid (L) is filled in the protrusion (122). Therefore, in order for the shape of the protrusion 122 to be deformed, it is necessary that the filled first fluid L should flow out of the protrusion 122 whose shape is deformed. One path of the movement path of the first fluid L is the above-described flow path 132, and the other path is the through hole 124. [

The through hole 124 may be provided in the protrusion 122. However, in the case of another embodiment of the present invention, the through hole 124 may be provided at a position other than the protruding portion 122, and the corresponding portion will be described in detail. 4, two through holes 124 are formed in each of the protruding portions 122, but the number of the through holes 124 is not limited thereto. The through hole 124 may include first and second through holes 126 and 128. The first and second through holes 126 and 128 may be formed to avoid the top point 123 of the protrusion 122. Since the contact protrusion 123 is first contacted by the contact protrusion 123 when an external force is applied in the case of the uppermost point 123, when the first and second through holes 126 and 128 are formed in the uppermost point 123, The flow of the first fluid may not be smooth.

Figs. 9 and 10 are diagrams illustrating the operation of the tactile feedback unit of Fig.

As shown in Fig. 9, the user can apply the first external force F1 to a desired specific point with the finger T. Fig. The first external force F1 is a force for pressing the cover film 110 with a relatively small force. When the first external force F1 is applied, the cover film 110 is partially pressed. When the cover film 110 is pressed, the contact protrusions 112 can be brought into contact with the protrusions 122. At this moment, the user can feel the first touch. That is, the contact protrusion 112 contacts the protruding portion 122 of the resistance film 120 and a resistance is generated, and the resistance is transmitted to the finger T.

As shown in Fig. 10, the user can apply the second external force F2 to a specific point with the finger T. Fig. The second external force F2 is greater than the first external force F1. When the second external force F2 is applied, the cover film 110 is more strongly pressed. The shape of the projecting portion 122 may be distorted and a first fluid flow S may be generated in which the first fluid L is discharged through the flow path 132 and the first and second through holes 126 and 128 . Due to the presence of the through holes 126 and 128 and the flow path 132, the first fluid L can be discharged to the outside of the protrusion 122 accordingly. A certain resistance may occur as the first fluid L in the protrusion 122 flows out along the through holes 126 and 128 and the flow path 132. [ The generated resistance is transmitted to the finger T so that the user can feel the second contact feeling. That is, the user feels a second resistance feeling, which is a repulsive force greater than the first resistance, so that he can feel as if he is clicking a physical key button.

FIGS. 11 and 12 are diagrams showing capacitance changes in the touch sensor due to the action of the tactile feedback device of FIG.

As shown in these drawings, the user can touch the cover film 110 by using the finger T or by using the stylus pen P.

In the case of using the finger T, the finger T may be in the first position T1. That is, it means that the finger is not in contact with the cover film 110 yet. In this state, the capacitance may be in the C4 state. The capacitance state C4 indicates that there is no capacitance change in the touch pad (62 in FIG. 3) due to the finger T at the first position T1.

The user can touch the cover film 110 by approaching the finger T to the cover film 110. [ The moment the finger is touched is t1. At this moment, the capacitance changes from C4 state to C3 state. When such a change is sensed through the touch pad (62 in FIG. 3), the control unit (40 in FIG. 1) can judge that there is a light first contact. Although not specifically shown in Fig. 11, the finger in the first contact state means that the finger is positioned between the first position T1 and the second position T2. That is, the second contact protrusion 112b is lightly contacted with the second protrusion 122b. In this state, the user can feel the above-described first resistance.

The user may exert more force on the finger T and the finger T may be in the second position T2. This point is t2. At this moment, the power-off strategy changes from the C3 state to the C1 state. When such a change is sensed through the touch pad (62 in Fig. 3), the control section (40 in Fig. 1) can judge that there is a stronger second contact as compared with the first contact. The shape of the second protrusion 122b may be distorted in the second contact state and the resistance of the user's finger T may be reduced in the process of the first fluid L flowing out from the second protrusion 122b. Therefore, the user can feel the second resistance mentioned above.

On the other hand, when the contact with the cover film 110 is released by gradually releasing the force from the finger T, the electrostatic capacity can be gradually changed from C1 state to C2 state at time t3 and from C2 state to C5 state at time t4 have. Here, the C4 state in which the contact is started and the C5 state in which the contact is released are expressed differently because, at the moment when the finger T is depressed and released, the value may be different for a certain time due to the change in the surrounding environment.

The stylus pen P can also apply different touch pressures as described above. That is, it means that the electrostatic capacitance can be changed by contacting or releasing the stylus pen P from the cover film 110.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the user can sensibly recognize that such a change will occur in response to a change in the capacitance detected by the controller (40 in Fig. 1). Therefore, it is easy to recognize situations that need to be touched lightly, and situations where strong touch is required. Therefore, it is possible to induce a touch of different intensity according to a necessary situation, so that input can be received more effectively.

13 is a diagram illustrating an operation process of the mobile terminal of FIG.

As shown in the figure, the mobile terminal 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention can display a screen for inputting a telephone number to perform a specific function of 'dialing'.

In order to receive a telephone number, a virtual key D may be displayed on the display unit 90. The protrusion 122 may be provided corresponding to the position of each virtual key D. The protrusion 122 is not actually visible to the user, but is indicated by a dotted line for convenience of explanation.

The user can touch a desired number by referring to the displayed virtual key (D). At this time, it is possible to set the number to be input only when there is strong input. That is, in the case of lightly dragging B with the stylus pen P or the like, the number is not input, and it is possible to set the number to be inputted only when the force is strongly applied to the finger T. When set in this way, it is possible to prevent a phenomenon in which an erroneous input is generated due to an unintended number of errors or the like in advance. On the other hand, as described above, even under such a setting, the user can sense how much force the user is currently inputting through the touch through the protruding portion 122. Therefore, the virtual key D can be touched with an appropriate force.

14-17 illustrate a tactile feedback unit in accordance with further embodiments of the present invention.

As shown in these figures, the through holes 124 may be formed at various positions of the resistive film 120. [

14 shows that the through holes 124 are formed in the first and second through holes 126 and 128 formed in the protruding portion 122 of the resistive film 120 and the third and fourth through holes 126 and 128 formed in the upper partial resistive film 120 of the channel 132, Four through holes 125 and 127, respectively. Therefore, when the external force F is applied, the fluid flow S can be generated through the first, second, third, and fourth through holes 126, 128, 125,

15 shows that the through hole 124 can be the third and fourth through holes 125 and 127 formed only in the upper partial resistive film 120 of the channel 132. [

16, the sizes of the through holes 124 may be different from each other. That is, the first and third through holes 126 and 125 are relatively large and the second and fourth holes 128 and 127 may be relatively small in size. Therefore, the first and third fluid flows S2 and S1 may be larger than the second and fourth fluid flows S3 and S4.

In FIG. 17, the first through holes 126 may be different in size from the other through holes 128 and 129, and may be located at positions that are not symmetrical to each other.

As described above, since the position and size of the through hole 124 can be varied, the fluid flow S can be adjusted. When the fluid flow S is adjusted, the resistance can be adjusted. As a result, it is possible to appropriately adjust the sense of touch that the user feels.

18 and 19 are plan views of a resistive film portion in a tactile feedback unit according to another embodiment of the present invention.

The channel 132 formed at the lower end of the resistive film 12 may be formed in the lateral direction as shown in Fig. 18, or may be formed to be orthogonal to each other as shown in Fig. Also, though not shown, the channels may be formed diagonally. That is, the shape of the channel 132 may be variously modified.

20 is a perspective view of a tactile feedback unit according to another embodiment of the present invention.

As shown therein, the tactile feedback unit 100 according to another embodiment of the present invention may be provided with a fluid receiving portion 150 on one side.

The fluid receiving portion 150 may be provided on one side of the housings 110 and 140 by extending the housings 110 and 140. The fluid accommodating portion 150 can temporarily accommodate the first fluid L when an external force is applied. As described above, the first fluid L is preferably an incompressible fluid in order to effectively transmit the pressure. However, when the incompressible first fluid L is filled in the housings 110 and 140, the cover film 110 may not be easily pressed even when an external force is applied to the cover film 110. Such a phenomenon may occur because the first fluid L does not have a space to move further inside the housings 110 and 140. [ The fluid receiving portion 150 includes a compressible second fluid (G in Fig. 21) therein. Therefore, a part of the first fluid L moved by the external force can push out the compressible second fluid (G in Fig. 21) and be received in the fluid accommodating portion 150. [ When a part of the first fluid L is received in the fluid receiving portion 150, a spatial margin is generated in the housings 110 and 140 by the accommodated capacity, The deformation can be easily accomplished.

Figures 21 and 22 are cross-sectional views of the tactile feedback unit of Figure 20;

As shown in FIG. 21, a boundary film 152 may be provided in the fluid receiving portion 150.

The boundary film 152 may be formed in the thickness direction of the tactile feedback unit 100. Further, the boundary film 152 may be made of a material having elasticity. Therefore, when the external force disappears, it can naturally return to its original shape.

The second fluid G may be received on the fluid receiving portion 150 side with the boundary membrane 152 as a center. As described above, the second fluid G can be a compressible gas.

As shown in Fig. 22, when the external force F is applied, the first fluid L can flow out from the protruding portion 122. [ The discharged first fluid (L) moves as a fluid stream (S). The first fluid L may be moved toward the fluid receiving portion 150 side. At this time, the second fluid (L) can move while pushing the compressible second fluid (G) around the boundary membrane (152). Since the clearance is generated by the space in which the second fluid G is pushed out, the shape of the protrusion 122 can be effectively deformed with respect to the external force F. [

23 and 24 are cross-sectional views of a tactile feedback unit according to another embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 23, a plurality of the boundary films 152 may be provided substantially in the width direction of the tactile feedback unit 100. That is, the first boundary film 154 extends in the direction of the side wall of the fluid receiving portion 150 in the direction of the cover film 110, and the second boundary film 156 extends in the direction of the bottom layer 140, It may be provided in a shape extending in the sidewall direction. When the boundary film 152 is provided in the width direction of the tactile feedback unit 100, the contact area with the first fluid L is increased. Accordingly, the fluid receiving portion 150 can accommodate a larger amount of the first fluid L.

24, when the external force F is applied, the first and second boundary films 154 and 156 are moved by the fluid flow S to receive the first fluid L. As shown in Fig.

FIG. 25 is a cross-sectional view of a tactile feedback unit according to another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 26 is a partial enlarged view of FIG. 25 tactile feedback unit.

As shown in FIG. 25, the tactile feedback unit 100 according to another embodiment of the present invention may include a boundary film 157 made of a porous material. Unlike the above-described embodiment, the boundary film 157 made of a porous material does not move in accordance with the pressure of the boundary film 157 itself. The boundary film 157 is fixed and boundary holes (boundary holes) 157a and 157b are formed in the boundary film 157. [ The number of the boundary holes 157a and 157b is not limited to that shown in the drawing and the size and number of the boundary holes 157a and 157b may be determined depending on the characteristics of the first and second fluids L and G, The magnitude of the external force, and the like. The fluid surfaces L1 and L2 of the first fluid L may be located in the boundary holes 157a and 157b.

FIG. 27 is a view showing an operation process of the tactile feedback unit of FIG. 25; FIG.

As shown in the figure, the fluid surfaces L1 and L2 of the first fluid L can move forward or backward depending on whether an external force is present or not. The fluid surfaces L 1 and L 2 move in the direction of the fluid flow S and the cover film 110 of FIG. 25 can be moved by the space obtained by pushing out the second fluid G.

28 is a partial enlarged view of a tactile feedback unit according to another embodiment of the present invention.

As shown, the boundary film 157 can be a different material or a discontinuous surface treatment. That is, it means that the first material M1 and the second material M2 can coexist in one boundary film 157. If the material or the surface treatment is changed, the surface characteristics including the wetting property of the first fluid L may be changed. Therefore, the movement of the first fluid L can be controlled more effectively.

29 is a plan view of a tactile feedback unit according to another embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in this figure, according to another embodiment of the present invention, the fluid receiving portion 150 may be provided along the circumference of the resistive film 120. In such a case, the number of the first fluid (L in Fig. 20) that can be accommodated by the fluid accommodating portion 150 can be increased.

30 is a schematic diagram of embodiments of a display according to the present invention.

30A shows a case where the display unit 90 is formed by successive lamination of the display panel 52, the touch panel 62, and the tactile feedback unit 100 as shown in Fig. 3 have.

30B shows a case in which the sensing unit 100a in which the touch panel and the tactile feedback unit are integrated is stacked on the display panel 52 and the display unit 90 is formed.

Thus, the tactile feedback unit 100 is not necessarily provided separately from other components and stacked.

31 and 32 are diagrams showing an electronic device according to still another embodiment of the present invention.

As shown, the present invention can be applied to various electronic devices in various forms.

The protruding portion 122 of a small size may be formed over the entire surface of the display portion 90 of the mobile terminal 10, as shown in Fig.

32, the display portion 90 to which the protrusion 122 is applied can be applied to various electronic devices such as the notebook computer 10a.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, such modifications or variations are intended to fall within the scope of the appended claims.

1 is a block diagram of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

2 is a perspective view of the mobile terminal of FIG. 1;

3 is an exploded perspective view of the mobile terminal of FIG. 2;

4 is a perspective view of a tactile feedback unit of the mobile terminal of FIG. 3;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view in the direction of Fig. 4I-I.

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line II-II in Fig.

7 is a plan view of the resistive film portion in the tactile feedback unit of Fig. 4;

Figure 8 is a perspective view of the protruding portion in the tactile feedback unit of Figure 4;

Figs. 9 and 10 are diagrams illustrating the operation of the tactile feedback unit of Fig.

FIGS. 11 and 12 are diagrams showing capacitance changes in the touch sensor due to the action of the tactile feedback device of FIG.

13 is a diagram illustrating an operation process of the mobile terminal of FIG.

Figures 14-17 illustrate a tactile feedback unit in accordance with further embodiments of the present invention.

18 and 19 are plan views of a resistive film portion in a tactile feedback unit according to another embodiment of the present invention.

20 is a perspective view of a tactile feedback unit according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Figs. 21 and 22 are sectional views in the direction of Fig. 20 (III-III).

23 and 24 are cross-sectional views of a tactile feedback unit according to another embodiment of the present invention.

25 is a cross-sectional view of a tactile feedback unit according to another embodiment of the present invention.

26 is a partial enlarged view of the haptic feedback unit of Fig. 25;

FIG. 27 is a view showing an operation process of the tactile feedback unit of FIG. 25; FIG.

28 is a partial enlarged view of a tactile feedback unit according to another embodiment of the present invention.

29 is a plan view of a tactile feedback unit according to another embodiment of the present invention.

30 is a schematic diagram of embodiments of a display according to the present invention.

31 and 32 are diagrams showing an electronic device according to still another embodiment of the present invention.

Description of the Related Art

10: mobile terminal 100: tactile feedback unit

110: cover film 120: resist film

122: protrusion 130: adhesive layer

140: bottom layer

Claims (38)

A touch feedback unit for generating a touch feeling by a repulsive force corresponding to an external force, A first housing filled with a first fluid; A resistive film which divides the first housing internal region into a plurality of regions and at least one protruding portion is formed; And And at least one aperture provided in the resistive film such that the first fluid can flow between the plurality of regions. The method according to claim 1, Wherein the at least one projection is hemispherical, Wherein the through holes are plural, Wherein the plurality of through holes are provided at positions mutually symmetric about one point of the hemispherical protrusion. The method according to claim 1, The through holes are plural, Wherein at least one of the plurality of through holes is different from at least one of an area and a shape of at least another through hole. The method according to claim 1, Wherein the at least one protrusion comprises: Wherein the tactile feedback unit is formed in a hemispherical shape spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance. The method according to claim 1, The protrusions are plural, And a flow path connecting the plurality of protrusions to each other. 6. The method of claim 5, Wherein at least one of the at least one through- And a flow passage communicating with the flow path. 6. The method of claim 5, An adhesive layer in close contact with the resistive film is provided on the other side of the protruding surface of the resistive film on which the at least one protruded portion is formed, And the flow path is provided in the adhesive layer. The method according to claim 1, The first housing on the side of the protruding surface on which the at least one protruding portion is formed, And a cover film spaced apart from the protruding portion and arranged substantially in parallel with the resistive film. 9. The method of claim 8, In the cover film, And a contact protrusion is provided to the protrusion at a point where a distance from the at least one protrusion is minimized. 9. The method of claim 8, In the cover film, Wherein when the external force is applied by a predetermined amount or more, contact protrusions that contact the resistance film are formed. 9. The method of claim 8, The first housing on the other side of the protruding surface of the resistive film on which the at least one protruding portion is formed, And a bottom layer adhered to the adhesive layer and the adhesive layer provided with the flow path. The method according to claim 1, Wherein at least one side of the first housing is provided with a fluid accommodating portion capable of temporarily accommodating the first fluid flowing by the external force and regulating the pressure of the filled first fluid. 13. The method of claim 12, The fluid- A second housing extending from the first housing, at least a portion of which is filled with a second fluid; And at least one boundary film provided at a boundary between the first fluid and the second fluid to partition the first fluid and the second fluid. 14. The method of claim 13, The above- Wherein the first housing is provided in the thickness direction of the first housing. 14. The method of claim 13, The above- And the first housing is provided in the width direction of the first housing. 16. The method according to claim 14 or 15, Wherein the boundary film has a plurality of boundary films. 14. The method of claim 13, The above- Wherein the tactile feedback unit is made of an elastic material. 14. The method of claim 13, The above- Wherein the tactile feedback unit is made of a porous material. 19. The method of claim 18, The boundary membrane of the porous material may be formed by, Wherein the contact surface with the first fluid is made of discontinuous surface treatment or at least two kinds of materials different from each other. 14. The method of claim 13, Wherein the first fluid is a substantially incompressible fluid and the second fluid is a substantially compressible fluid. The method according to claim 1, Wherein the first fluid comprises: Wherein the tactile feedback unit is one of a liquid or a gel having a refractive index substantially equal to a material of the tactile feedback unit. The method according to claim 1, Wherein the tactile feedback unit is made of a light transmitting material. A touch feedback unit for generating a touch feeling by a repulsive force corresponding to an external force, A first housing filled with a first fluid, Wherein a fluid accommodating portion provided at at least one side of the first housing and capable of temporarily accommodating the first fluid flowing by the external force and regulating the pressure in the first housing is provided. 24. The method of claim 23, The fluid- A second housing extending from the first housing, at least a portion of which is filled with a second fluid; And at least one boundary film provided at a boundary between the first fluid and the second fluid to partition the first fluid and the second fluid. 25. The method of claim 24, Wherein the at least one boundary film comprises: Wherein the tactile feedback unit is formed of at least one of an elastic material and a porous material. 24. The method of claim 23, In the first housing, A resistance film in which the first housing internal region is divided into a plurality of regions and at least one protrusion is formed; And at least one through hole provided in the resistive film so that the first fluid can flow between the plurality of regions. 27. The method of claim 26, The protrusions are plural, And a flow path connecting the plurality of protrusions to each other. 28. The method of claim 27, Wherein at least one of the at least one through- And a flow passage communicating with the flow path. 27. The method of claim 26, The first housing on the side of the protruding surface on which the at least one protruding portion is formed, Wherein the tactile feedback unit is spaced apart from the protruding portion and disposed substantially in parallel with the resistive film, and is a cover film provided with a contact protrusion toward the protruding portion. A display panel for displaying an image; A touch panel provided on one surface of the display panel for sensing a touch signal; And And a tactile feedback unit which is provided on one surface of the touch panel and generates a touch feeling by a repulsive force corresponding to an external force. 31. The method of claim 30, The tactile feedback unit includes: A first housing filled with a first fluid, A resistance film in which the first housing internal region is divided into a plurality of regions and at least one protrusion is formed; And at least one through-hole provided in the resistive film so that the first fluid can flow between the plurality of regions. 31. The method of claim 30, The tactile feedback unit includes: A first housing filled with a first fluid, A second housing extending from the first housing, at least a portion of which is filled with a second fluid; And at least one boundary film provided at a boundary between the first fluid and the second fluid to partition the first fluid and the second fluid. 31. The method of claim 30, The touch sense may be divided into at least two discrete steps depending on the degree of the repulsive force, Wherein the at least two discontinuous steps correspond to each step according to the intensity of the sensed touch signal. 31. The method of claim 30, The touch panel includes: Wherein the display panel is an electrostatic touch panel. A display panel for displaying an image; And a sensing unit provided on one surface of the touch panel to generate a touch feeling by a repulsive force corresponding to an external force and sense a touch signal corresponding to the external force. 36. The method of claim 35, The touch sense may be divided into at least two discrete steps depending on the degree of the repulsive force, Wherein the at least two discontinuous steps correspond to each step according to the intensity of the sensed touch signal. A display panel for displaying an image; A touch panel provided on one surface of the display panel for sensing a touch signal; A tactile feedback unit which is provided on one surface of the touch panel and generates a touch feeling by a repulsive force corresponding to an external force; And And a control unit for generating control signals for the display panel and the touch panel. 39. The method of claim 37, The touch sense may be divided into at least two discrete steps depending on the degree of the repulsive force, Wherein the at least two discontinuous steps correspond to each step according to the intensity of the sensed touch signal.

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