1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to an electronic device including a touch panel.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, electronic devices having a touch panel on the surface of a display as an input means have been widely used. One of the operation principles of the touch panel is the capacitive type. With this type, a touch position of a fingertip of the user on the touch panel is detected by sensing a change in the capacitance between the fingertip of the user and a conductive film of the touch panel.
Typically, with an electronic device including a touch panel, an input operation is performed by the user directly contacting the touch panel surface. Even if there is a change in the capacitance upon contacting the touch panel surface, it has not been possible for the user to perceive it as a tactile sensation. Therefore, it has not been possible for the user to determine, through the tactile sensation at the fingertip, whether an input operation has been performed correctly. This has been stressful for the user.
For example, a ticket vending machine at a train station, an automated teller machine, or the like, is operated by touching GUI buttons displayed on the screen, but it is difficult for the user to determine whether the user has pressed a correct position of a GUI button because the tactile sensation is the same between a position which is a GUI button and a position which is not a GUI button. Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2010-238222 discloses a touch panel device in which a vibration is set for a position at which a GUI button is displayed. This touch panel device vibrates a position at which a GUI button is displayed and does not vibrate a position at which a GUI button is not displayed. The user can recognize whether or not a GUI button is being pressed correctly by feeling a vibration when the user presses a position at which a GUI button is displayed and not feeling a vibration when the user presses a position at which a GUI button is not displayed.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds