JP2025168369A - Control device, control method, and program for control - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a control device that, when a large-size display is used in front of a console part, can easily and smoothly move only the display.

SOLUTION: A control device comprises: a touch sensor group TS that detects a pressing force generated by a touch on a display part D supported by a housing; and a control part 3 that controls rotation or movement of the display part D in either one of a first direction or a second direction with respect to the housing on the basis of the pressing force detected by the touch sensor group TS.

SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

COPYRIGHT: (C)2025,JPO&INPIT

Description

This application relates to the technical fields of control devices, control methods, and control programs. More specifically, it relates to control devices and control methods for controlling the rotation or movement of a display unit such as an LCD display, as well as programs for such control devices.

In recent years, in-vehicle devices equipped with displays such as liquid crystal displays have become widespread. These in-vehicle devices perform tasks such as navigation, displaying a map on the display, and playing content specified by a user (e.g., a passenger in the vehicle) using the display. Given the above-mentioned applications, it is preferable for the display to be large.

However, given the limited size (area) of the vehicle's interior and the need to ensure the driver's field of vision while driving, various measures are required to enlarge the display. One example of prior art that takes such measures into consideration is the technology described in Patent Document 1 below.

Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration in which a large rectangular display protrudes into the vehicle cabin when in use, and the display's landscape or portrait orientation (the display's rotation) is controlled depending on the content displayed on the display. Examples of the displayed content include maps or operation icons. Regarding the control of the rotation, the document also discloses a configuration in which the top edge of the display when in landscape orientation is roughly aligned with the top edge when in portrait orientation, so that the driver's field of vision is not obstructed even when the display is rotated. Furthermore, the document also discloses a configuration in which the rotation is controlled when a so-called proximity sensor detects the approach of the driver's or passenger's hand, and the rotation is coordinated with the sliding movement of the display itself.

JP 2013-121768 A

The use of a large display such as that disclosed in Patent Document 1 above is advantageous in terms of the ease with which the displayed content can be seen and the amount of information that can be displayed at one time. However, when using such a display in front of the console section (inside the vehicle) where operation buttons and the like are originally located, there is a problem in that, due to its size, the operation buttons and the like may be hidden behind the display and become inoperable. In such cases, it is necessary to, for example, move the display to make the operation buttons and the like accessible.

This application was made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems and demands, and one example of its objective is to provide a control device, control method, and program for said control device that allows for easy and smooth movement of the display itself when a large display is used in front of the console unit.

To solve the above problem, the invention described in claim 1 comprises a detection unit that detects a pressure applied by contact with a display unit supported by a support unit, and a control unit that controls the rotation or movement of the display unit in either a first direction relative to the support unit or a second direction different from the first direction based on the detected pressure.

In order to solve the above problem, the invention described in claim 11 is a control method executed by a control device equipped with a detection unit that detects a pressure applied by contact to a display unit supported by a support unit, and a control unit, and includes a control step in which the control unit controls the rotation or movement of the display unit in either a first direction relative to the support unit or a second direction different from the first direction based on the detected pressure.

To solve the above problem, the invention described in claim 12 causes a computer included in a control device having a detection unit that detects a pressure applied by contact with a display unit supported by a support unit to function as a control unit that controls the rotation or movement of the display unit in either a first direction relative to the support unit or a second direction different from the first direction based on the detected pressure.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a control device according to the embodiment. 1A and 1B are block diagrams showing a general configuration of a navigation device according to an embodiment, in which FIG. 1A is the block diagram, and FIG. 1B is a block diagram showing a detailed configuration of a display unit according to the embodiment. 1 is a perspective view of a portion of the configuration of a navigation device according to an embodiment, as viewed from the upper left front. 1A and 1B are six-sided views showing the appearance of a display unit according to an embodiment, in which (a) is a front view, (b) is a rear view, (c) is a top view, (d) is a bottom view, (e) is a left side view, and (f) is a right side view. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the rear surface of the display unit according to the embodiment, as viewed from the upper left rear. 1 is a schematic front view showing an example of installation of a navigation device according to an embodiment. 10 is a flowchart showing rotation/movement control of the display unit according to the embodiment. 1A and 1B are diagrams (I) illustrating examples of rotation or movement of a display unit according to an embodiment, in which (a) is a diagram showing a first example of the rotation or movement, (b) is a diagram showing a second example of the rotation or movement, (c) is a diagram showing a third example of the rotation or movement, and (d) is a diagram showing a fourth example of the rotation or movement. 11A and 11B are diagrams (II) illustrating the manner of rotation or movement of the display unit in the embodiment, where (a) is a diagram showing a fifth example of the manner of rotation or movement, (b) is a diagram showing a sixth example of the manner of rotation or movement, (c) is a diagram showing a seventh example of the manner of rotation or movement, (d) is a diagram showing an eighth example of the manner of rotation or movement, and (e) is a diagram showing a ninth example of the manner of rotation or movement. 10 is a flowchart illustrating a process when the display unit is fixed according to the embodiment.

Next, an embodiment of the present application will be described using Figure 1. Figure 1 is a block diagram showing the general configuration of a control device according to the embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 1, the control device S according to the embodiment is configured to include a detection unit 1 and a control unit 3.

In this configuration, the detection unit 1 detects the pressure caused by contact with the display unit D supported by the support unit.

As a result, the control unit 3 controls the rotation or movement of the display unit D in either a first direction relative to the support unit or a second direction different from the first direction based on the pressure detected by the detection unit 1.

As described above, the control device S according to the embodiment controls the rotation or movement of the display unit D in either the first direction or the second direction relative to the support unit based on the pressure applied by contact with the display unit D, allowing the display unit D to be moved freely with a simple operation.

Next, specific examples corresponding to the above-described embodiments will be described using Figures 2 to 10. Note that the examples described below are examples in which the embodiments are applied to the drive control of the position, etc., of a display unit provided in an in-vehicle navigation device and configured with a liquid crystal display or the like. In this case, the embodiments are not limited to the above-described navigation device, and can also be applied to any device that has the above-described display unit, such as an in-vehicle AV (Audio Visual) device.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the general configuration of a navigation device according to an embodiment, FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a portion of the configuration of the navigation device as viewed from the upper left front, and FIG. 4 is a six-view diagram showing the appearance of a display unit according to an embodiment. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the rear of the display unit according to the embodiment as viewed from the upper left rear, FIG. 6 is a front schematic view showing an example of installation of a navigation device according to an embodiment, and FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing rotation/movement control of the display unit according to an embodiment. FIGS. 8 and 9 are diagrams illustrating examples of rotation and movement of the display unit according to an embodiment, and FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing processing when fixing the display unit according to an embodiment. In FIG. 2, the same component numbers as those of the control device S according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 are used for components of the embodiment that correspond to the components of the control device S.

As shown in FIG. 2(a), the navigation device NV according to the embodiment includes a control unit 3 including a CPU, RAM (Random Access Memory), ROM (Read Only Memory), etc.; an interface 10; a storage unit 11 including a hard disk drive (HDD) or solid state drive (SSD); an operation unit 12 including user-operated operation buttons or a remote control; a sensor unit 13 including a GPS (Global Positioning System) or a standalone position sensor; a display unit D; a drive unit 15 that drives and controls the spatial (three-dimensional) movement and rotation of the display unit D; and an optical disk drive DK that reads and writes information from an optical disk (not shown) inserted therein. The user may be, for example, the driver or a passenger of a vehicle equipped with the navigation device NV. The display unit D includes a display surface F, a touch panel 14 on its front surface, and a touch sensor group TS (described below). The display surface F of the display unit D is, for example, the display surface of a liquid crystal display that constitutes the display unit D. Meanwhile, the drive unit 15 is composed of a drive unit 15a, a rotation motor 15b, an up-down slide motor 15c, a left-right slide motor 15d, and a front-back slide motor 15e. In this case, the touch sensors included in the touch sensor group TS (described below) and the touch panel 14 correspond to an example of a detection unit 1 according to the embodiment.

In the above configuration, the interface 10 acquires, for example, traffic congestion information, weather information, etc. via an external network such as the Internet, and outputs this information to the control unit 3. The recording unit 11 non-volatilely records, for example, map data, etc., used for guidance processing as the navigation device NV, and outputs this to the control unit 3 as needed. The sensor unit 13 outputs the current position of the vehicle in which the navigation device NV is installed, detected by the position sensor, to the control unit 3, as well as the results of detection of the vehicle's speed, mileage, direction of travel, etc., to the control unit 3. When the user issues an instruction to the navigation device NV via the operation unit 12, the operation unit 12 generates an operation signal corresponding to the instruction and outputs it to the control unit 3. The control unit 3 then uses traffic congestion information, etc., from the interface 10, the detection results of the sensor unit 13, and the map data, etc., recorded in the recording unit 11, to perform the guidance processing required for the navigation device NV, as well as control the rotation and movement of the display unit D according to the embodiment, based on the operation signal from the operation unit 12. At this time, the above guidance process may also be performed using map data, location data, etc. recorded on the optical disk (not shown) loaded in the optical disk drive DK. Furthermore, the map, etc. required for this guidance process is displayed on the display surface F of the display unit D under the control of the control unit 3.

In addition to the above configuration, the recording unit 11 has pre-recorded pinch contact pattern data and grip contact pattern data indicating preset pinch contact patterns and grip contact patterns, respectively, for determining whether the user has performed a "pinch operation" or a "grasp operation" according to the embodiment, as described below. Furthermore, the recording unit 11 has pre-recorded first threshold data and second threshold data indicating the first threshold and second threshold, respectively, described below, that correspond to the pressure when contact by the user to only one location on the display unit D is detected. In the following description, "contact" refers to contact with a touch sensor, etc., by the user's finger or hand.

In this case, the pinch contact pattern is a contact pattern on the display unit D by the user's fingers or the like, which is a contact pattern that is preset as a contact corresponding to a pinch operation in an embodiment in which the user pinches the display unit D. The pinch contact pattern is, for example, a contact pattern in which the user's finger (e.g., thumb) is detected at a point on the front of the display unit D, and the user's two fingers (e.g., index finger and middle finger) are detected at a point on the back of the display unit D that is near the back of the front position where the contact was detected.

In contrast, the grasping contact pattern is a contact pattern on the display unit D by the user's fingers, etc., at two locations on the left and right of the front surface of the display unit D and two locations on the left and right of the back surface, and is a contact pattern that is preset as a contact corresponding to a grasping operation in an embodiment in which the user grasps (i.e., grips) the display unit D. More specifically, the grasping contact pattern is a contact pattern in which, for example, contact by the user's fingers (e.g., thumbs) is detected at one location on each side of the front surface of the display unit D, and contact by two or more fingers (e.g., index finger, middle finger, and ring finger) of the user is detected at two locations on each side of the back surface of the display unit D, which are located near the backside of the locations on the front surface where the contact was detected. In this case, two contact locations are detected on the front surface of the display unit D, and a total of six contact locations are detected on the back surface.

The first threshold, unlike contact due to the pinch contact pattern or the grasp contact pattern, is a pressure threshold used to determine whether to rotate or move the display unit D in a first direction corresponding to the direction of the pressure applied by the user's contact when contact by the user is detected only at one location on either the front or side of the display unit D. The second threshold is a threshold used to determine whether to rotate or move the display unit D in a second direction corresponding to the opposite direction to the direction of the pressure applied by the user's contact when contact by the user is detected in a manner similar to the first threshold. In the embodiment, the first threshold is set to a value greater than the second threshold (i.e., first threshold > second threshold). That is, in the navigation device NV according to the embodiment, when contact by the user is detected only at one location on the front or side of the display unit D and the pressure applied by the contact is equal to or greater than the first threshold, the control unit 3 rotates or moves the display unit D in the first direction. On the other hand, when the pressure applied is equal to or less than the second threshold, the control unit 3 rotates or moves the display unit D in the second direction. If the pressure is greater than the second threshold but less than the first threshold, the control unit 3 will not rotate or move the display unit D, even if the user makes the above-mentioned contact. In this case, the range of pressure less than the first threshold but greater than the second threshold is treated as a so-called dead zone, and the existence of this dead zone prevents the display unit D from being rotated or moved against the user's will due to the user's erroneous (i.e., unintentional) contact with only one point on the display unit D.

The navigation device NV may also have a function to play music data, etc., stored on the optical disc or recording unit 11 (not shown). In this case, the control unit 3 reads and plays music data corresponding to music specified on the operation unit 12 from the optical disc or recording unit 11, for example, and drives a speaker (not shown) to emit music corresponding to the music data into the vehicle. At this time, the control unit 3 can also be configured to emit the music while displaying an image or the like corresponding to the music on the display surface F.

On the other hand, the display unit D having the display surface F in this embodiment has a shape in which the thin display unit D protrudes from the console of the vehicle in which the navigation device NV is installed toward the interior of the vehicle via a connecting arm (not shown in Figure 2). The drive unit 15 controls the rotation of the entire display unit D, which includes the display and other components, and controls the position of the display unit D in the space in front of the console. More specifically, the rotation motor 15b constituting the drive unit 15 rotates the entire display unit D within the space, within a plane that includes the display surface F. The up-down slide motor 15c constituting the drive unit 15 slides the entire display unit D up and down, as viewed from the user, within the space, within the plane that includes the display surface F (see the up-down arrows in Figure 3). The left-right slide motor 15d constituting the drive unit 15 slides the entire display unit D left and right, as viewed from the user, within the space, within the plane that includes the display surface F (see the left-right arrows in Figure 3). The forward-backward slide motor 15e constituting the drive unit 15 slides the entire display unit D forward and backward, as viewed from the user, within the space, within the plane that includes the display surface F (see the forward-backward arrows in Figure 3). Under the control of the control unit 3, the drive unit 15a drives the rotation motor 15b, the up-down slide motor 15c, the left-right slide motor 15d, and the front-back slide motor 15e.

Next, the general configuration of the display unit D in this embodiment will be described using Figure 2(b).

As shown in FIG. 2(b), the display unit D according to the embodiment is configured to include the display having the display surface F with the touch panel 14 on its front surface, the touch sensor group TS that is capable of detecting contact with the surface of the display unit D, a camera 16 provided on the back surface of the display unit D, a fixed unit 17, a fixed control unit 18, and a display control unit 19.

In this configuration, the touch sensor group TS is composed of multiple touch sensors provided on the surface of the display unit D (more specifically, the peripheral portion of the front surface of the display unit D other than the display surface F, the top, bottom, left, and right side portions of the display unit D, and the back surface of the display unit D). Each of these touch sensors detects whether the user's finger or hand is in contact with the touch sensor and the pressure applied when contact occurs, and generates contact information including pressure information indicating the value of the detected pressure, which is output to the control unit 3. In addition, each touch sensor detects changes in the detected pressure, generates change information indicating the change, and outputs it to the control unit 3. The change in pressure in this case includes a change in the position where the pressure is detected in the contact area on the touch sensor, and a change in the magnitude of the pressure itself at the same contact position. The change in the position where the pressure is detected occurs when the finger or hand moves while maintaining contact with the touch sensor (in other words, by tracing the touch sensor).

On the other hand, the fixing unit 17 is a fixing unit that physically (mechanically) fixes the display unit D to the connecting arm, and under the control of the fixing control unit 18, physically (mechanically) fixes the display unit D to the connecting arm and makes the display unit D detachable from the connecting arm to which it is fixed. Once removed from the connecting arm, the display unit D is ready for transport by the user. The fixing of the display unit D to the connecting arm by this fixing unit 17 and the transition to a detachable state from the connecting arm will be described in detail later.

On the other hand, camera 16 has an imaging range that faces the rear surface of display unit D (in other words, the range in the direction of a perpendicular line erected on the rear surface), and outputs image information obtained by imaging this imaging range to display control unit 19. This camera 16 is composed of, for example, a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) or CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) imaging element. Then, display control unit 19 displays an image corresponding to the image information output from camera 16 on display surface F based on user operation of each touch sensor included in touch sensor group TS or touch panel 14, which will be described later. The display of images by this display control unit 19 will also be described in detail later.

Next, the drive unit 15 according to this embodiment and the display unit D, whose spatial position and rotation are driven and controlled by the drive unit 15, will be described in more detail using Figures 3 to 5.

First, as shown in FIG. 3, in the drive unit 15 according to the embodiment, the display unit D according to the embodiment is supported via a connecting arm 20 on a housing CK that houses the drive unit 15a, the rotary motor 15b, the up-down slide motor 15c, the left-right slide motor 15d, and the front-back slide motor 15e. In this case, at least one of the height and width of the display unit D may be longer than at least one of the height and width of the drive unit 15. In the case shown in FIG. 3, the optical disk drive DK is also housed below within the housing CK. This housing CK is an example of a "support unit" according to the present application.

The display unit D has the display surface F with the touch panel 14 provided on its front surface, and further has a touch sensor group TS including touch sensor 1a, etc., which will be described later using FIG. 4, on its surface. In the example shown in FIG. 3, the "front surface" refers to the surface from which the display unit D is viewed from the drive unit 15. Furthermore, in FIG. 3, the touch sensor group TS is not shown to simplify the explanation. In the example shown in FIG. 3, the display unit D is in a landscape (horizontal) usage state, but it can also be in a portrait (vertical) usage state by rotating the display unit D around the central axis of the connecting arm 20. Then, depending on whether the display unit D is in a landscape or portrait usage state, the map and other information is displayed on the screen of the display unit D in an easily viewable manner.

Furthermore, the touch panel 14 provided on the front surface of the display surface F has the function of transmitting the display on the display surface F and the function of position input. The position input function in this case is realized by, for example, capacitance or resistive film elements. In addition, like the touch sensor group TS, the touch panel 14 also detects the presence or absence of contact with the display surface F. In this regard, if the touch panel 14 is composed of resistive film elements, it is possible to detect the presence or absence of contact and the pressure at that time. In contrast, if the touch panel 14 is composed of capacitance elements, it is also possible to detect, in addition to the above-mentioned contact, whether or not the finger or hand has approached the touch panel 14 (without contact). In the case of proximity, the pressure at that time is not detected.

Next, as shown in Figure 3, the housing CK contains a vertical slide stage 21 that supports a connecting arm 20 fixed to the center of the back surface of the display unit D and incorporates a rotary motor 15b and a vertical slide motor 15c shown in Figure 2(a); a left-right slide stage 23 and a left-right slide stage 24 that sandwich a vertical guide 22 that passes through a guide hole that passes through the vertical slide stage 21 and incorporate a horizontal slide motor 15d shown in Figure 2(a); a front-back slide stage 25 that incorporates a front-back slide motor 15e shown in Figure 2(a) and has a guide groove 25a; front-back guides 26 and 27 that have guide grooves 27a formed on their opposing inner surfaces and are fixed to the housing CK; and an optical disc drive DK.

In this configuration, the connecting arm 20 is, for example, cylindrical in shape. A portion of the connecting arm 20 is exposed toward the front of the drive unit 15 through a circular hole HL provided on the front surface of the housing CK. The end of the exposed portion of the connecting arm 20 is fixed approximately perpendicular to the display unit D near the center of the back surface of the display unit D.

Meanwhile, the vertical sliding stage 21 supports the connecting arm 20 (in other words, the display unit D) so that the connecting arm 20 can rotate around its central axis. The rotation motor 15b built into the vertical sliding stage 21 rotates the connecting arm 20. As a result, the entire display unit D rotates clockwise or counterclockwise within a plane that includes the display surface F in the space in front of the console unit.

Next, the left-right sliding stage 23 and the left-right sliding stage 24 support the vertical sliding stage 21 so that it can move up and down along the vertical guides 22. The vertical sliding motor 15c built into the vertical sliding stage 21 moves the vertical sliding stage 21 along the vertical guides 22 relative to the left-right sliding stage 23 and the left-right sliding stage 24 in order to slide the entire display unit D up and down as seen by the user within the space including the display surface F. As a result, as shown in FIG. 3, the linking arm 20 and the display unit D slide up and down as seen by the user. At this time, the linking arm 20 slides up and down together with the display unit D through the hole HL on the front surface of the housing CK.

On the other hand, the front-rear sliding stage 25 supports the left-right sliding stage 23 and the left-right sliding stage 24 so that they can move left and right along the guide groove 25a. The left-right sliding motors 15d built into the left-right sliding stage 23 and the left-right sliding stage 24 move the left-right sliding stage 23 and the left-right sliding stage 24 left and right along the guide groove 25a relative to the front-rear sliding stage 25, so as to slide the entire display unit D left and right as seen by the user within a plane that includes the display surface F in the above-mentioned space. As a result, as shown in FIG. 3, the up-down sliding stage 21, connecting arm 20, and display unit D slide left and right as seen by the user. At this time, the connecting arm 20 slides left and right together with the display unit D through the hole HL on the front surface of the housing CK.

In addition, by simultaneously driving the up/down slide motor 15c in the up/down slide stage 21 and the left/right slide motors 15d in the left/right slide stages 23 and 24, it is also possible to slide the connecting arm 20 and the display unit D in a diagonal direction.

Next, the front-rear guides 26 and 27 support the front-rear sliding stage 25 so that it can move in the front-rear direction. The front-rear sliding motor 15e built into the front-rear sliding stage 25 moves the front-rear sliding stage 25 in the front-rear direction along each guide groove 27a relative to the front-rear guides 26 and 27 in the space described above, in order to slide the entire display unit D in the front-rear direction as seen by the user. As a result, as shown in Figure 3, the front-rear sliding stage 25, the left-right sliding stages 23 and 24, the up-down sliding stage 21, the connecting arm 20, and the display unit D slide in the front-rear direction as seen by the user.

Finally, the optical disc drive DK reads the map data and other data recorded on an existing optical disc (such as a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc) or CD (Compact Disc)) and outputs it to the control unit 3. In this case, the optical disc can be inserted into the optical disc drive DK through an insertion slot SL provided on the front of the housing CK.

Next, the configuration of the touch sensor group TS in the display unit D of this embodiment will be described in particular with reference to Figure 4.

As described above, the touch sensor group TS according to the embodiment is composed of multiple touch sensors provided on the peripheral portion of the front surface of the display unit D other than the display surface F, on the top, bottom, left, and right side portions of the display unit D, and on the peripheral portion of the back surface of the display unit D. As described above, each of these touch sensors detects whether or not the touch sensor is touched by the user's finger or hand, the pressure applied when such contact occurs, and any changes in the pressure, and outputs the detection results to the control unit 3.

First, as shown in Figure 4(a) as a front view of display unit D, touch sensors 1a and 1c are provided at both ends of the outer left edge of display surface F on the front of display unit D, with touch sensor 1b provided longitudinally in the center. Note that Figure 4 does not show the connecting arm 20 fixed to the back of display unit D. Furthermore, touch sensors 1d and 1f are provided at both ends of the outer right edge of display surface F on the front of display unit D, with touch sensor 1e provided longitudinally in the center. On the other hand, as shown in Figure 4(b) as a rear view of display unit D, touch sensors 2a and 2c are provided at both ends of the right outer edge of the back of display unit D, which includes camera 16, with touch sensor 2b provided longitudinally in the center. Furthermore, touch sensors 2d and 2f are provided at both ends of the left outer edge of the back of display unit D, with touch sensor 2e provided longitudinally in the center. Due to the above arrangement of touch sensors 1a to 1f (on the front of display unit D) and touch sensors 2a to 2f (on the back of display unit D), when contact is detected by the touch sensors (e.g., touch sensor 1a and touch sensor 2a) provided at corresponding positions on the front and back of display unit D, this means that the user is performing the above-mentioned pinching operation on the corresponding position on display unit D.

On the other hand, as shown in Figure 4(c) as a top view of display unit D, touch sensors 3a and 3c are provided on both sides of the top surface of display unit D, with touch sensor 3b provided in the center. As shown in Figure 4(d) as a bottom view of display unit D, touch sensors 4a and 4c are provided on both sides of the bottom surface of display unit D, with touch sensor 4b provided in the center. As shown in Figure 4(e) as a left side view of display unit D, touch sensors 5a and 5c are provided on both sides of the left side of display unit D, with touch sensor 5b provided in the center. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 4(f) as a right side view of display unit D, touch sensors 6a and 6c are provided on both sides of the right side of display unit D, with touch sensor 6b provided in the center.

Furthermore, in addition to these touch sensors 1a to 6f, the touch panel 14 itself also functions as a touch sensor according to the embodiment. In this case, touch operations are also performed on the touch panel 14 as the position input function described above. Such touch operations must be distinguished from contact according to the embodiment. For this reason, the control unit 3 determines that contact according to the embodiment has been made on the touch panel 14 when, as an example, contact has been made over an area larger than the contact area of a fingertip or touch pen used in the touch operation (for example, an area about the size of a palm). When the control unit 3 detects contact over the above-mentioned large area on the touch panel 14, it determines that this is contact by the user according to the embodiment, and controls the position of the entire display unit D.

Next, the structure and function of the fixing unit 17 according to the embodiment, which is provided on the back surface of the display unit D, will be described using Figure 5. For simplicity of explanation, the touch sensors 2a and other components on the back surface and sides of the display unit D and the protective cover for the fixing unit 17 are omitted from Figure 5. As described above, the fixing unit 17 according to the embodiment is a fixing unit that physically (mechanically) fixes the display unit D to the connecting arm 20. Under the control of the fixation control unit 18, the fixing unit 17 mechanically fixes the display unit D to the connecting arm 20 and also makes the display unit D removable from the connecting arm 20 to which it is fixed.

That is, as shown in Figure 5, a receiving portion 20a is fixed to the end of the connecting arm 20 opposite the housing CK. The receiving portion 20a is shaped to fit into a recess 40 formed in the center of the back surface of the display unit D. This receiving portion 20a has two parallel through holes 20b and 20c formed in the left-right direction from the receiving portion 20a toward the display unit D when the receiving portion 20a is fitted into the recess 40.

In contrast, the moving member 30 constituting the fixed portion 17 is formed with guide holes 30a and 30b through which guide pins 31 and 32, respectively, pass. These guide pins are fixed to the left side of the recess 40 facing the rear of the display unit D. The ends of these guide pins 31 and 32 opposite the ends fixed to the display unit D are formed with dish-shaped fasteners for guiding the left-right movement of the moving member 30. Furthermore, parallel fixing rods 30d and 30e are inserted into the through holes 20b and 20c from the left side facing the display unit D when the display unit D is fixed to the connecting arm 20. These fixing rods are integrally formed at positions on the moving member 30 corresponding to the positions of the through holes 20b and 20c when the display unit D is fixed. Furthermore, a rack 30c is integrally formed on the upper part of the moving member 30. Meanwhile, a fixed motor 33 constituting the fixed portion 17 is fixed to the upper part of the moving member 30 on the rear of the display unit D in Figure 5, and has a pinion 34 that meshes with the rack 30c fixed to its rotation shaft. When the pinion 34 is engaged with the rack 30c and the fixed motor 33 is driven under the control of the fixed control unit 18, the rotation of the pinion 34 causes the moving member 30 to move left and right along the guide holes 30a and 30b. At this time, if the moving member 30 is moved rightward in FIG. 5 with the receiving portion 20a fitted in the recess 40, the fixed rods 30d and 30e are inserted from the left side into the through holes 20b and 20c of the receiving portion 20a, respectively. This fixes the display unit D to the connecting arm 20 via the receiving portion 20a.

On the other hand, the moving member 35 constituting the fixed portion 17 is formed with guide holes 35a and 35b through which guide pins 36 and 37, respectively, pass. These guide pins are fixed to the right side of the recess 40 facing the rear of the display unit D. The ends of these guide pins 36 and 37 opposite the ends fixed to the display unit D are formed with dish-shaped fasteners for guiding the left-right movement of the moving member 35. Furthermore, parallel fixing rods 35d and 35e, which are inserted into the through holes 20b and 20c from the right side facing the display unit D when fixed, are integrally formed at positions on the moving member 35 corresponding to the positions of the through holes 20b and 20c when fixed. Furthermore, a rack 35c is integrally formed on the upper part of the moving member 35. On the other hand, a pinion 39 engaging with the rack 35c is fixed to its rotation shaft and a fixed motor 38, constituting the fixed portion 17, is fixed to the upper part of the moving member 35 on the rear of the display unit D in Figure 5. When the pinion 39 is engaged with the rack 35c and the fixed motor 38 is driven under the control of the fixed control unit 18, the rotation of the pinion 39 causes the moving member 35 to move left and right along the guide holes 35a and 35b. At this time, if the moving member 35 is moved leftward in FIG. 5 with the receiving portion 20a fitted in the recess 40, the fixed rods 35d and 35e are inserted from the right side into the through holes 20b and 20c of the receiving portion 20a, respectively. This, coupled with the movement of the moving member 30 on the opposite side of the recess 40, fixes the display unit D to the connecting arm 20 via the receiving portion 20a.

When display unit D is fixed to connecting arm 20 via receiving portion 20a by fixing portion 17, and fixing motor 33 and fixing motor 38 are driven in the reverse direction to when fixed under the control of fixing control unit 18, moving member 30 is moved leftward in FIG. 5 along guide holes 30a and 30b, and simultaneously moving member 35 is moved rightward in FIG. 5 along guide holes 35a and 35b. As a result, fixing rods 30d and 30e, and fixing rods 35d and 35e are pulled out leftward or rightward in FIG. 5 from through holes 20b and 20c of receiving portion 20a, respectively, making display unit D removable from connecting arm 30.

Next, using Figure 6, we will explain how to attach the navigation device NV, including the drive unit 15 (including the optical disc drive DK) and the display unit D (see Figure 3), to the console section of a vehicle equipped with the navigation device NV according to the embodiment.

As shown in Figure 6, the navigation device NV according to this embodiment is mounted in the central region 50 of the console unit. The central region 50 of the console unit has an opening 51 for mounting the navigation device NV, etc. The drive unit 15 of the navigation device NV is inserted and fixed to the console unit through this opening 51, thereby securing the navigation device NV to the console unit.

The central area 50 of the console unit is equipped with, for example, a hazard switch 52, a clock display 53, an air conditioner switch 54, a thermometer display 55, a wind speed adjustment dial 56, a temperature adjustment dial 57, an air outlet selection dial 58, and an outside/inside air selector switch 59. Of these, the hazard switch 52 is a switch for flashing and turning off the hazard lights installed in the vehicle. The clock display 53 has a display that displays the current time. The temperature display 55 has a display that displays the detected temperature inside the vehicle. The air conditioner switch 54 through the outside/inside air selector switch 59 are each controls for controlling the operation of the air conditioner installed in the vehicle. The types of controls installed in the central area 50 of the console unit and the type of information displayed by the devices installed in the central area 50 generally vary depending on the vehicle model and year of manufacture. Furthermore, the arrangement of the opening 51, controls, and devices in the central area 50 of the console unit also generally varies depending on the vehicle model and year of manufacture. As shown in FIG. 6, the height and width of the display unit D in this embodiment are greater than the height and width of the drive unit 15 and the opening 51. Therefore, depending on the position of the display unit D relative to the drive unit 15 and whether the display unit D is in portrait or landscape orientation, at least one of the hazard switch 52 or the outside/inside air selector switch 59 in the central region 50 may be hidden behind the display unit D. The insertion slot SL for the optical disk drive DK may also be hidden behind the display unit D. Therefore, by moving or rotating the display unit D using the drive unit 15 in this embodiment, the parts hidden behind the display unit D become visible to the user. Similarly, it becomes possible to operate the hazard switch 52, the outside/inside air selector switch 59, or the insertion slot SL that are hidden behind the display unit D.

Next, the control of rotation or movement of the display unit D according to the embodiment, which is performed under the control of the control unit 3 by the drive unit 15 according to the embodiment having the above-described configuration, will be explained in summary using Figures 7 to 9. Note that in the following explanation using Figures 7 to 9, it is assumed that the display unit D is fixed to the connecting arm 20 by the fixing unit 17. Furthermore, the control of rotation or movement shown in Figure 7 may be initiated as a time-sharing interrupt process at regular intervals, for example, as part of the above-mentioned guidance process of the navigation device NV.

As shown in FIG. 7, in controlling the rotation or movement of the display unit D according to the embodiment, the control unit 3 monitors whether a touch by the user according to the embodiment is detected on any of the touch sensors 1a to 6f and the touch panel 14 provided on the surface of the display unit D (steps S1 and S2). If the touch is not detected on any of the touch sensors 1a, etc. during monitoring in steps S1 and S2 (step S2: NO), the control unit 3 returns to the original guidance process.

On the other hand, if the above contact is detected at either of the touch sensors 1a, etc. during the monitoring of steps S1 and S2 (step S2: YES), the control unit 3 then determines whether the above contact is detected at two touch sensors 1a, etc. (e.g., touch sensor 1a and touch sensor 2a) located at corresponding positions on the front and back of the display unit D (step S3). If the determination in step S3 does not detect the above contact at two touch sensors 1a, etc. located at corresponding positions on the front and back of the display unit D (step S3: NO), the control unit 3 proceeds to the determination in step S11, which will be described later. On the other hand, if the determination in step S3 detects the above contact at two touch sensors 1a, etc. located at corresponding positions on the front and back of the display unit D (step S3: YES), the control unit 3 then determines whether the contact pattern on the front and back is the above-mentioned pinch contact pattern (step S4). In this determination in step S4, the control unit 3 reads the pinch contact pattern data from the recording unit 11 when the determination in step S3 is "YES" and makes a determination by comparing it with the contact pattern detected at that time (see step S3: YES).

If it is determined in step S4 that the contact pattern detected in step S3 is not the pinch contact pattern (step S4: NO), the control unit 3 returns to the original guidance process. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S4 that the contact pattern detected in step S3 is the pinch contact pattern (step S4: YES), the control unit 3 next determines whether there is a difference between the pressure of the contact on the front surface of the display unit D and the pressure of the contact on the corresponding position on the back surface of the display unit D, the difference being equal to or greater than a preset threshold (step S5). At this time, the preset threshold is a threshold that can prevent the determination in step S5 from becoming "YES" if the contact having the pinch contact pattern is due to an erroneous operation, and more specifically, is set in advance, for example, experimentally or empirically. In the determination of step S5, if there is a difference of equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold between the pressure of the contact on the front surface of the display unit D and the pressure of the contact on the corresponding position on the back surface of the display unit D (step S5: YES), the control unit 3 determines that the contact on the front surface and back surface of the display unit D by the pinch contact pattern is based on the user's intention to move the display unit D forward or backward as seen from the user's perspective, and controls the drive unit 15 to move the display unit D in the direction of the surface of the display unit D opposite to the surface on which the contact with the greater pressure was detected (step S6).
When the pressure of contact on the front surface of the display unit D is greater than the pressure of contact on the corresponding position on the back surface of the display unit D, the control unit 3 controls the drive unit 15 to move the display unit D backward as viewed from the user (i.e., in a direction closer to the drive unit 15 (console unit)).
If the contact pressure on the front of the display unit D is less than the contact pressure on the corresponding position on the back of the display unit D, the drive unit 15 is controlled to move the display unit D forward as viewed by the user (i.e., in a direction away from the drive unit 15 (console unit)).

Then, the control unit 3 determines whether to stop the movement in step S6 (step S7). At this time, the control unit 3 determines that the movement in step S6 should be stopped if one of the contacts in the above-mentioned pinch contact pattern (either contact on the front surface or contact on the back surface of the display unit D) is no longer detected. On the other hand, if the contact in the above-mentioned pinch contact pattern is continuously detected, the control unit 3 determines that the movement in step S6 should continue. If it is determined in the determination in step S7 that the movement in step S6 should be continued (step S7: continue), the control unit 3 returns to step S5 and repeats the above-mentioned control from step S5 onwards. On the other hand, if it is determined in the determination in step S7 that the movement in step S6 should be stopped (step S7: stop), the control unit 3 stops the movement of the display unit D and returns to the original guidance processing.

On the other hand, if the determination in step S5 above shows that there is no difference equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold between the pressure of the contact on the front surface of display unit D and the pressure of the contact on the corresponding position on the back surface of display unit D, i.e., if the pressure of the contact on the front surface of display unit D and the pressure of the contact on the corresponding position on the back surface of display unit D are equivalent (step S5: NO), control unit 3 next checks the positions on display unit D of touch sensors 1a, etc. where contacts corresponding to the pinch contact pattern were detected in step S4 (step S8), and further detects the change in the position where the pressure was detected as the change in pressure of the contact as the pressure direction of the contact (step S9).

Here, in step S8 above, if contact corresponding to a pinch contact pattern is detected between touch sensor 1e and touch sensor 2e on the backside thereof, the control unit 3 confirms that contact corresponding to a pinch contact pattern with equivalent pressure (i.e., no difference of more than the predetermined threshold value; the same applies below) has been detected at the right outer edge in the front view of Figure 4(a). Also, if contact corresponding to a pinch contact pattern is detected between touch sensor 1a and touch sensor 2a on the backside thereof, the control unit 3 confirms that contact corresponding to a pinch contact pattern with equivalent pressure (i.e., no difference of more than the predetermined threshold value; the same applies below) has been detected at the upper left edge in the front view of Figure 4(a).

On the other hand, in step S9, if contact corresponding to a pinch contact pattern is detected, for example, on touch sensor 1e and touch sensor 2e located on the back surface thereof, the control unit 3 detects the change in the position where the pressure is detected on touch sensor 1e and touch sensor 2e as the pressure direction of each contact. Also, if contact corresponding to a pinch contact pattern is detected, for example, on touch sensor 1a and touch sensor 2a located on the back surface thereof, the control unit 3 detects the change in the position where the pressure is detected on touch sensor 1a and touch sensor 2a as the pressure direction of each contact.

Then, the control unit 3 controls the drive unit 15 to either rotate the display unit D, move the display unit D left or right when viewed from the front, or move the display unit D up or down when viewed from the front, in accordance with the contact position on the display unit D confirmed in step S8 and the pressing direction detected in step S9 (step S10).

Then, the control unit 3 determines whether to stop the movement in step S10 (step S7). At this time, similar to the case of step S7 after step S6 described above, the control unit 3 determines that the rotation or movement in step S10 should be stopped if contact in either of the above-mentioned pinch contact patterns is no longer detected. On the other hand, if contact in the above-mentioned pinch contact pattern continues, the control unit 3 determines that the rotation or movement in step S10 should be continued. If it is determined in step S7 that the rotation or movement in step S10 should be continued (step S7: continue), the control unit 3 returns to step S5 and repeats the above-mentioned control from step S5 onwards. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S7 that the rotation or movement in step S10 should be stopped (step S7: stop), the control unit 3 stops the movement of the display unit D and returns to the original guidance processing.

As a result of the above control of steps S5 and S8 to S10, if contact corresponding to a pinch contact pattern with an equivalent pressure is detected on the right outer edge in the front view of FIG. 4(a) (see step S8), and the pressure direction of the contact is to the right in the front view of FIG. 4(a) (i.e., when the right outer edge is pinched and pulled outward), the control unit 3 controls the drive unit 15 to move the display unit D to the right as viewed from the front, as illustrated in FIG. 8(a). Similarly, if contact corresponding to a pinch contact pattern with an equivalent pressure is detected on the right outer edge in the front view of FIG. 4(a) (see step S8), and the pressure direction of the contact is to the left in the front view of FIG. 4(a) (i.e., when the right outer edge is pinched and pushed toward the center of the display unit D), the control unit 3 controls the drive unit 15 to move the display unit D to the left as viewed from the front, as illustrated in FIG. 8(a). Furthermore, for example, when contact corresponding to a pinch contact pattern is detected between touch sensor 1b and touch sensor 2b on the back surface thereof, contact corresponding to a pinch contact pattern with an equivalent pressure is confirmed at the left outer edge portion in the front view of Fig. 4(a) (see step S8), and the pressing direction of the contact is to the right in the front view of Fig. 4(a) (i.e., when an operation of pinching the left outer edge portion and pushing it toward the center of display unit D is performed), the control unit 3 controls the drive unit 15 to move display unit D to the right as viewed from the front, as illustrated in Fig. 8(b). Similarly, when contact corresponding to a pinch contact pattern with an equivalent pressure is detected at the left outer edge portion in the front view of Fig. 4(a) (see step S8), and the pressing direction of the contact is to the left in the front view of Fig. 4(a) (i.e., when an operation of pinching the left outer edge portion and pulling it outward is performed), the control unit 3 controls the drive unit 15 to move display unit D to the left as viewed from the front, as illustrated in Fig. 8(b).

Furthermore, for example, when contact corresponding to a pinch contact pattern is detected between touch sensor 1d and touch sensor 2d on the back surface thereof, contact corresponding to a pinch contact pattern with an equivalent pressure is confirmed at the upper right end in the front view of Figure 4(a) (see step S8), and the pressure direction of the contact is counterclockwise or upper left in the front view of Figure 4(a) (i.e., when the upper right end is pinched and the operation of rotating display unit D counterclockwise is performed), the control unit 3 controls the drive unit 15 to rotate display unit D counterclockwise when viewed from the front, as illustrated in Figure 8(c). Similarly, if contact corresponding to a pinch contact pattern with the same pressure force is confirmed at the upper right end in the front view of Figure 4(a) (see step S8), and the pressure direction of the contact is clockwise or downward and to the right in the front view of Figure 4(a) (i.e., if an operation is performed to pinch the upper right end and rotate the display unit D clockwise), the control unit 3 controls the drive unit 15 to rotate the display unit D clockwise when viewed from the front, as illustrated in Figure 8(c). Furthermore, for example, when contact corresponding to a pinch contact pattern is detected between touch sensor 1a and touch sensor 2a on the back surface thereof, contact corresponding to a pinch contact pattern with an equivalent pressure is confirmed at the upper left end in the front view of Figure 4(a) (see step S8), and the pressure direction of the contact is counterclockwise or lower left in the front view of Figure 4(a) (i.e., when the upper left end is pinched and the operation of turning the display unit D counterclockwise is performed), the control unit 3 controls the drive unit 15 to rotate the display unit D counterclockwise when viewed from the front, as illustrated in Figure 8(d). Similarly, if contact corresponding to a pinch contact pattern with the same pressure force is confirmed at the upper left end in the front view of FIG. 4(a) (see step S8), and the direction of the contact is clockwise or upper right in the front view of FIG. 4(a) (in other words, if the upper left end is pinched and the operation is performed to rotate the display unit D clockwise), the control unit 3 controls the drive unit 15 to rotate the display unit D clockwise when viewed from the front, as shown in the example of FIG. 8(d).

On the other hand, if the determination in step S3 above shows that the contact is not detected on two touch sensors 1a, etc., located at corresponding positions on the front and back of display unit D (step S3: NO), control unit 3 then determines whether the contact is detected on only one of touch sensors 3a to 6c or touch panel 14 provided on the (peripheral) side of display unit D (step S11). If the determination in step S11 shows that the contact is not detected on any of touch sensors 3a to 6c or touch panel 14 (step S11: NO), control unit 3 proceeds to the determination in step S18 described below. On the other hand, if the determination in step S11 shows that the contact is detected on one of touch sensors 3a to 6c or touch panel 14 (step S11: YES), control unit 3 detects the pressure of the contact via touch panel 3a, etc., on which the contact was detected (step S12). Next, control unit 3 determines whether the pressure detected in step S12 is equal to or greater than the first threshold (step S13). If the determination in step S13 is that the pressure detected in step S12 is equal to or greater than the first threshold (step S13: YES), the control unit 3 controls the drive unit 15 to rotate or move the display unit D in the first direction corresponding to the pressure equal to or greater than the first threshold for the touch sensor 3a or the like where the single contact was detected (step S14). The control unit 3 then determines whether to stop the rotation or movement in step S14 (step S15). At this time, the control unit 3 determines that the rotation or movement in step S14 should be stopped if the single contact is no longer detected. On the other hand, if the single contact is still detected, the control unit 3 determines that the rotation or movement in step S14 should be continued. If the determination in step S15 is that the rotation or movement in step S14 should be continued (step S15: CONTINUE), the control unit 3 returns to step S12 and repeats the above-described control from step S12 onward. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S15 that the rotation or movement in step S14 should be stopped (step S15: Stop), the control unit 3 stops the movement of the display unit D and returns to the original guidance processing.

On the other hand, if the determination in step S13 is that the pressure detected in step S12 is not equal to or greater than the first threshold (step S13: NO), the control unit 3 then determines whether the pressure detected in step S12 is equal to or less than the second threshold (step S16). As described above, the second threshold is smaller than the first threshold. If the determination in step S16 is that the pressure detected in step S12 is not equal to or less than the second threshold (step S16: NO), the control unit 3 returns to the original guidance process without rotating or moving the display unit D. On the other hand, if the determination in step S16 is that the pressure detected in step S12 is equal to or less than the second threshold (step S16: YES), the control unit 3 controls the drive unit 15 to rotate or move the display unit D in the second direction corresponding to the pressure equal to or less than the second threshold for the touch sensor 3a, etc., where contact was detected at one point (step S17). The control unit 3 then proceeds to the determination in step S15. At this time, if the control unit 3 no longer detects contact at one point, it determines that the rotation or movement in step S17 should be stopped. On the other hand, if the control unit 3 continues to detect contact at one point, it determines that the rotation or movement in step S17 should be continued. If it is determined in step S15 that the rotation or movement in step S17 should be continued (step S15: continue), the control unit 3 returns to step S12 and repeats the above-described control from step S12 onwards. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S15 that the rotation or movement in step S17 should be stopped (step S15: stop), the control unit 3 stops the movement of the display unit D and returns to the original guidance processing.

As a result of the control of steps S11 to S17 above, if contact is confirmed at one point on touch sensor 5b in the left side view of FIG. 4(e) (step S11: YES, see the "Contact" arrow in FIG. 9(a)), the second direction for touch sensor 5b is the left direction shown in FIG. 9(a), and the first direction is the right direction shown in FIG. 9(a). If the pressure applied to touch sensor 5b is equal to or less than the second threshold, control unit 3 controls drive unit 15 to move display unit D to the left when viewed from the front, as illustrated in FIG. 9(a). Similarly, if the pressure applied to touch sensor 5b is equal to or greater than the first threshold, control unit 3 controls drive unit 15 to move display unit D to the right when viewed from the front, as illustrated in FIG. 9(a). Furthermore, assuming that contact is confirmed at one point on touch sensor 6b in the right side view of FIG. 4(f) (Step S11: YES, see the "Contact" arrow in FIG. 9(b)), the second direction for touch sensor 6b is the right direction shown in FIG. 9(b), and the first direction is the left direction shown in FIG. 9(b). If the pressure applied to touch sensor 6b is equal to or less than the second threshold, control unit 3 controls drive unit 15 to move display unit D to the right when viewed from the front, as illustrated in FIG. 9(b). Similarly, if the pressure applied to touch sensor 6b is equal to or greater than the first threshold, control unit 3 controls drive unit 15 to move display unit D to the left when viewed from the front, as illustrated in FIG. 9(b).

Furthermore, if contact is confirmed at one point on touch sensor 3b in the top view of FIG. 4(c) (Step S11: YES, see the "Contact" arrow in FIG. 9(c)), the second direction for that touch sensor 3b is the upward direction shown in FIG. 9(c), and the first direction is the downward direction shown in FIG. 9(c). If the pressure applied to that touch sensor 3b is equal to or less than the second threshold, the control unit 3 controls the drive unit 15 to move the display unit D upward when viewed from the front, as illustrated in FIG. 9(c). Similarly, if the pressure applied to that touch sensor 3b is equal to or greater than the first threshold, the control unit 3 controls the drive unit 15 to move the display unit D downward when viewed from the front, as illustrated in FIG. 9(c).

Furthermore, for example, if contact is confirmed at one point on the touch sensor 6a in the right side view of FIG. 4(f) (Step S11: YES, see the "Contact" arrow in FIG. 9(d)), the second direction for that touch sensor 6a is the clockwise direction shown in FIG. 9(d), and the first direction is the counterclockwise direction shown in FIG. 9(d). If the pressure applied to that touch sensor 6a is equal to or less than the second threshold, the control unit 3 controls the drive unit 15 to rotate the display unit D clockwise when viewed from the front, as illustrated in FIG. 9(d). Similarly, if the pressure applied to that touch sensor 6a is equal to or greater than the first threshold, the control unit 3 controls the drive unit 15 to rotate the display unit D counterclockwise when viewed from the front, as illustrated in FIG. 9(d).

Furthermore, if contact is confirmed at one location on the touch panel 14 (step S11: YES, see the "contact" arrow in Figure 9(e)), the second direction for the touch panel 14 is the forward direction (direction from the drive unit 15 toward the display unit D) shown in Figure 9(e), and the first direction is the backward direction (direction from the display unit D toward the drive unit 15) shown in Figure 9(e). If the pressure applied to the touch panel 14 is equal to or less than the second threshold, the control unit 3 controls the drive unit 15 to move the display unit D forward, as shown in Figure 9(e). Similarly, if the pressure applied to the touch panel 14 is equal to or greater than the first threshold, the control unit 3 controls the drive unit 15 to move the display unit D backward, as shown in Figure 9(e).

On the other hand, if the determination in step S11 above shows that the contact is not detected at only one location, such as touch sensor 3a (step S11: NO), the control unit 3 then determines whether the contact is detected at two locations on the front and two locations on the back of display unit D (four locations in total) or more touch sensors 1a, etc. (for example, touch sensors 1b and 1e (front of display unit D), and touch sensors 2b and 2e (back of display unit D)) (step S18). If the determination in step S18 shows that the contact is not detected at four or more touch sensors 1a, etc. (step S18: NO), the control unit 3 returns to the original guidance process.

On the other hand, if the determination in step S18 shows that the above contacts have been detected at the four or more touch sensors 1a, etc. (step S18: YES), the control unit 3 then determines whether the contact patterns on the front and back surfaces are the above gripping contact pattern (step S19). In this determination in step S19, the control unit 3 reads the gripping contact pattern data from the recording unit 11 at the time the determination in step S18 is "YES," and makes a determination by comparing it with the contact pattern detected at that time (see step S18: YES).

If it is determined in step S19 that the contact pattern detected in step S18 is not the gripping contact pattern (step S19: NO), the control unit 3 returns to the original guidance process. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S19 that the contact pattern detected in step S18 is the gripping contact pattern (step S19: YES), the control unit 3 then drives the fixed motors 33 and 38 of the fixed unit 17 via the fixed control unit 18 to move the movable members 30 and 35 away from the center of the rear surface of the display unit D. As a result, the fixed rods 30d and 30e and the fixed rods 35d and 35e are removed from the through holes 20b and 20c, respectively, and the display unit D, which was previously fixed to the receiving unit 20a, becomes removable from the connecting arm 20 while still being gripped by the user (see step S19: YES above) (step S20). The control unit 3 then returns to the original guidance process.

When the display unit D is detached from the connecting arm 20, it is used for processing unrelated to the functions of the navigation device NV, such as displaying videos in the rear seat. At this time, the distance between the navigation device NV and the display unit D after it has been detached from the connecting arm 20 can be detected using, for example, a wireless distance sensor, and the unrelated processing can be initiated when the detected distance is equal to or greater than a preset distance (for example, one meter).

Next, the process executed by the display unit D when the display unit D, which was removed from the connecting arm 20 via step S20 above, is fixed to the connecting arm 20 again, will be described using Figure 10. Note that the process shown in the flowchart in Figure 10 is executed primarily by the fixing control unit 18 and display control unit 19 of the display unit D.

As shown in FIG. 10 , after the display unit D is detached from the connecting arm 20, the display control unit 19 monitors whether a preset instruction operation to fix the display unit D to the connecting arm 20 again has been performed, for example, on the touch panel 14 (step S25). If the instruction operation has not been performed during the monitoring in step S25 (step S25: NO), the display control unit 19 determines whether the power supply of the display unit D has been turned off (step S29). If the determination in step S29 indicates that the power supply is turned off (step S29: YES), the display control unit 19 and the fixing control unit 18 each terminate their respective processes. On the other hand, if the determination in step S29 indicates that the power supply is not turned off (step S29: NO), the display control unit 19 returns to the determination in step S25 above.

On the other hand, if the instruction operation is executed during the monitoring of step S25 (step S25: YES), the display control unit 19 activates the camera 16 to capture an image of the imaging range facing the back of the display unit D and displays the captured image on the display surface F (step S26). This allows the user holding the display unit D to use the image of the receiving portion 20a appearing in the displayed image as a clue to move the display unit D itself to a fixed position on the connecting arm 20. The display control unit 19 and the fixation control unit 18 then monitor whether the fixation of the display unit D to the connecting arm 20 by the fixation unit 17 has been completed (step S27). If the fixation has not been completed during the monitoring of step S27 (step S27: NO), the display control unit 19 and the fixation control unit 18 return to step S26. On the other hand, if the fixation has been completed during the monitoring of step S27 (step S27: YES), the display control unit 19 stops driving the camera 16 and stops displaying the captured image on the display surface F (step S28). The display control unit 19 and fixation control unit 18 then proceed to the determination in step S29 above.

As described above, according to the rotation/movement control of the display unit D in the embodiments, the rotation or movement of the display unit D is controlled in either a first direction relative to the housing CK or a second direction different from the first direction based on the pressure exerted by contact with the display unit D (see steps S14 and S15 in Figure 7), allowing the display unit D to be freely rotated or moved with a simple operation.

Furthermore, if the detected pressure is equal to or greater than a first threshold, the rotation or movement of the display unit D in a first direction is controlled (see step S14 in Figure 7 ), and if the detected pressure is equal to or less than a second threshold that is smaller than the first threshold, the rotation or movement of the display unit D in a second direction opposite to the first direction is controlled (see step S17 in Figure 7 ). Therefore, by adjusting the pressure, the display unit D can be freely rotated or moved in each direction. Furthermore, because the second threshold is smaller than the first threshold, a so-called dead zone can be formed between the first and second thresholds, making it possible to prevent rotation or movement of the display unit D due to malfunction.

Furthermore, when the first direction is a direction that moves the display unit D closer to the housing CK and the second direction is a direction that moves the display unit D away from the housing CK, and the movement of the display unit D in the direction that moves it closer to or away from the housing CK is controlled, the display unit D can be freely moved in the direction that moves it closer to or away from the housing CK.

Furthermore, when the first direction and the second direction are either (i) the first direction is either the vertically upward or vertically downward direction relative to the casing CK, and the second direction is the other of the vertically upward or vertically downward direction, or (ii) the first direction is either the rightward or leftward direction relative to the casing CK, by controlling the movement of the display unit D in the first direction or the second direction, it is possible to freely move the display unit D in either the vertically upward or vertically downward direction relative to the casing CK. The above effect is also the same when the first direction is a diagonal direction relative to the casing CK, and the second direction is the other diagonal direction.

Furthermore, if the first direction is either a clockwise or counterclockwise direction in rotation toward the housing CK, and the second direction is the other of the clockwise or counterclockwise directions, the display unit D can be freely rotated relative to the housing CK by controlling the rotation of the display unit D in the first or second direction.

Furthermore, the display unit D can be rotated or moved in multiple directions, and the first and second directions are set based on the position of contact on the display unit D, so the direction of rotation or movement of the display unit D can be freely set according to the user's intentions.

Furthermore, if pressure is no longer detected after control of the rotation or movement of the display unit D has begun, the control is stopped (see step S15 in Figure 7), allowing the user to more freely rotate or move the display unit D and even stop it based on their own will.

Furthermore, when using the pressure of contact with the touch panel 14, the display unit D can be conveniently and easily moved back and forth relative to the housing CK.

In addition to the configuration of the above-described embodiment, the display unit D may be rotated or moved based on the pressure of contact on touch sensors 1a to 1f provided on the front surface of the display unit D. In this case, for example, when touch sensor 1e shown in FIG. 4(a) is detected with a pressure equal to or less than the corresponding second threshold, the drive unit 15 may be controlled to move the display unit D to the right (second direction) in FIG. 4(a). When touch sensor 1e is detected with a pressure equal to or greater than the corresponding first threshold, the drive unit 15 may be controlled to move the display unit D to the left (first direction) in FIG. 4(a). Furthermore, when touch sensor 1d shown in FIG. 4(a) is detected with a pressure equal to or less than the corresponding second threshold, the drive unit 15 may be controlled to rotate the display unit D in the counterclockwise direction (second direction) in FIG. 4(a). When touch sensor 1d is detected with a pressure equal to or greater than the corresponding first threshold, the drive unit 15 may be controlled to rotate the display unit D in the clockwise direction (first direction) in FIG. 4(a).

In addition to the configuration of the above-described embodiment, when contact with a predetermined portion of the display unit D is detected continuously for a predetermined time (e.g., 1 second) or more, the control of rotation or movement in steps S11 to S17 of FIG. 7 (in other words, control as a display unit rotation/movement mode) may be started, and the first threshold and the second threshold may be set based on the pressure detected during the predetermined time. In this case, the display unit D can be rotated or moved more freely based on the user's intention. That is, by switching to the display unit rotation/movement mode when contact with the predetermined portion of the display unit D is detected continuously for a predetermined time or more, it is possible to prevent switching to the display unit rotation/movement mode due to contact unintentionally by the user. Then, the average value of the pressure due to the contact within the predetermined time is calculated, and using the average value as a reference, for example,
Average value×1.5=first threshold value (Equation 1)
Average value × 0.5 = second threshold value (Equation 2)
It may be configured to set the following. Here, it is considered that a user generally has a habit of either using a strong pressing force (unconsciously pressing hard) or a weak pressing force (unconsciously pressing lightly). Therefore, the user's standard pressing force (e.g., equivalent to the average pressing force) may be measured when the user makes a contact to switch to the display unit rotation/movement mode (to call up the display unit rotation/movement mode), and the first threshold value and the second threshold value may be set, for example, using the measured pressing force as a reference, according to the above formulas (1) and (2) (i.e., whether the pressing force is strong or weak). This makes it possible to set the first threshold value and the second threshold value appropriate for the user.

Furthermore, from the perspective of preventing malfunction, the rotation or movement control of steps S11 to S17 of FIG. 7 may be configured to be performed only if a preset contact pattern (e.g., simultaneous contact by two fingers) is detected in the determination of step S7 of FIG. 7. In this case, when detecting contact by multiple fingers, the pressure of the contact with the greatest pressure among the contacts by the fingers may be used, or the average pressure of the contacts by the multiple fingers may be used.

Furthermore, considering that the navigation device NV including the drive unit 15 and the display unit D is mounted on a vehicle, the first and second threshold values may be corrected based on vibrations of the display unit D caused by the movement of the vehicle (more specifically, corrected to counteract changes in pressure caused by the vibrations). In this case, the display unit D can be rotated or moved while excluding the effects of vibrations applied to the display unit D.

In the above-described embodiment, the pressing direction in step S9 of Figure 7 was detected as a change in the position where the pressing force was detected. However, the pressing direction may alternatively be detected by detecting the direction of the load applied by the user's finger or hand using a load sensor (not shown) provided on the receiving portion 20a shown in Figure 5. Alternatively, the position of contact with the touch sensor 1a, etc., itself does not change, but the pressing direction can be detected by detecting a change in the load applied by the finger or hand at that position using the touch sensor 1a, etc.

In the above-described embodiment, the display unit D itself is configured to move forward or backward relative to the drive unit 15 in response to contact pressure on the touch panel 14 (see Figure 9(e)). However, it is also possible to configure the display unit D itself to move forward or backward based on the results of a comparison between the pressure of contact on any of the touch sensors 2a to 2f provided on the back surface of the display unit D and two preset thresholds.

Furthermore, based on the comparison of the pressure applied by contact with either touch sensor 1a, etc. provided on the front surface of display unit D or touch sensor 2a, etc. provided on the back surface of display unit D with two preset thresholds, display unit D itself can be tilted upward or downward about a horizontal axis passing through the center of display unit D, or tilted left or right about a vertical axis passing through the center of display unit D (i.e., so-called "tilting" in the up-down or left-right direction). In this case, for example, when touch sensor 1a is contacted with a pressure greater than a preset threshold, display unit D can be tilted backward (i.e., in the direction in which the display surface F faces upward), and when touch sensor 1a is contacted with a pressure less than another threshold that is smaller than the preset threshold, display unit D can be tilted forward (i.e., in the direction in which the display surface F faces downward).

Furthermore, when re-fixing the display unit D to the connecting arm 20 shown in Figure 10, magnetic force can be exchanged between the fixing portion 17 and the receiving portion 20a at the end of the connecting arm 20, and when preset magnetic force patterns are detected from each other, the connecting arm 20 including the receiving portion 20a can be moved (driven) so that the receiving portion 20a approaches the display unit D that is being brought close to it.

In addition, a program corresponding to the flowchart shown in Figure 7 can be recorded on a recording medium such as an optical disk or hard disk, or obtained via a network such as the Internet, and then read and executed by a general-purpose microcomputer or the like, causing the microcomputer or the like to function as the control unit 3 in this embodiment.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 detection unit 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d, 1e, 1f, 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d, 2e, 2f, 3a, 3b, 3c, 4a, 4b, 4c, 5a, 5b, 5c, 6a, 6b, 6c touch sensor 3 control unit 14 touch panel 15 drive unit 15a drive unit 15b rotation motor 15c up/down slide motor 15d left/right slide motor 15e front/rear slide motor 16 camera 17 fixing unit 18 fixing control unit 19 display control unit 20 connecting arm S control device D display unit F display surface NV navigation device

Claims (1)

a detection unit that detects a pressing force due to contact with the display unit supported by the support unit;
a control unit that controls, based on the detected pressing force, a rotation or movement of the display unit in either a first direction or a second direction different from the first direction relative to the support unit;
A control device comprising: