Touch panel device and portable information terminal including touch panel device

1. A touch panel device comprising:

an electrostatic capacitance type touch sensor in which a plurality of transparent electrode units are arranged in X and Y directions;

a conductive layer that is connected to predetermined transparent electrode units among the plurality of transparent electrode units forming the electrostatic capacitance type touch sensor unit and that extends outward from an arrangement area of the plurality of transparent electrode units, wherein the conductive layer has a point of termination at an outer edge of a region formed by the plurality of transparent electrode units; and

circuitry configured to

detect a position at which an external object contacts a surface near the electronic capacitance type touch sensor and detect when the external object contacts a surface at a position which is above the conductive layer and which is external and not above the region formed by the plurality of transparent electrode units such that the contact that is not above the region formed by the plurality of transparent electrode units is still sensed as an electrostatic capacitance change at the X and Y coordinate point of the outer edge of the region formed by the plurality of transparent electrode units based on a capacitive coupling between the conductive layer and the outer edge and the region formed by the plurality of transparent electrode units, and

execute a predetermined application program based on the detected position,

wherein the electrostatic capacitance type touch sensor is configured to overlap a display device, and the display device includes an effective display area that is configured to be visible to a user through a housing, and the X and Y coordinate point of the outer edge of the region formed by the plurality of transparent electrode units is configured to be outside of a region of the electrostatic capacitance type touch sensor that overlaps the effective display area.

2. The touch panel device of claim 1 , wherein the circuitry detects the position based on an electrode capacitance change of the transparent electrode units.

3. The touch panel device of claim 1 , wherein the conductive layer includes a bent portion that is bent at a right angle with respect to the arrangement area of the plurality of transparent electrode units.

4. The touch panel device of claim 3 , wherein the circuitry detects a position at which the external object contacts a surface near the bent portion, wherein the surface near the bent portion is bent at a right angle with respect to the arrangement area of the plurality of transparent electrode units.

5. The touch panel device of claim 3 , wherein the arrangement area has four sides, and at each of the four sides there is a conductive layer connected to predetermined transparent electrode units among the plurality of transparent electrode units forming the electrostatic capacitance type touch sensor unit and that extends outward from the arrangement area.

6. The touch panel device of claim 5 , wherein at each of the four sides of the arrangement area there are a plurality of conductive layers, each connected to predetermined transparent electrode units among the plurality of transparent electrode units forming the electrostatic capacitance type touch sensor unit and extending outward from the arrangement area.

7. The touch panel device of claim 6 , wherein the plurality of conductive layers at each side of the arrangement area is an extended detection area that corresponds to a different application of a plurality of applications.

8. The touch panel device of claim 7 , wherein at least one of the extended detection areas at one side of the arrangement area provides a slider function or a scrolling function.

9. The touch panel device of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of applications includes at least one of a camera image reproduction mode, a camera image capturing mode, a moving image reproduction mode, a mail application, and a character input mode.

10. The touch panel device of claim 1 , further comprising an illumination sheet disposed behind the conductive layer that is configured to emit light, and the conductive layer includes a cut out part where the illumination sheet is disposed.

11. The touch panel device of claim 1 , wherein the circuitry includes an integrated circuit (IC).

12. A portable information terminal comprising:

a housing;

a display device;

an electrostatic capacitance type touch sensor in which a plurality of transparent electrode units are arranged in X and Y directions;

a conductive layer that is connected to predetermined transparent electrode units among the plurality of transparent electrode units forming the electrostatic capacitance type touch sensor and that extends outward from an arrangement area of the plurality of transparent electrode units, wherein the conductive layer has a point of termination at an outer edge of a region formed by the plurality of transparent electrode units; and

circuitry configured to

detect a position at which an external conductor approaches the electronic capacitance type touch sensor and detect when the external conductor contacts a surface at a position which is above the conductive layer and which is external and not above the region formed by the plurality of transparent electrode units such that the contact that is not above the region formed by the plurality of transparent electrode units is still sensed as an electrostatic capacitance change at the X and Y coordinate point of the outer edge of the region formed by the plurality of transparent electrode units based on a capacitive coupling between the conductive layer and the outer edge and the region formed by the plurality of transparent electrode units, and

execute a predetermined application program based on the detected position,

wherein the electronic capacitance type touch sensor is configured to overlap the display device, and the display device includes an effective display area that is configured to be visible to a user through the housing, and the X and Y coordinate point of the outer edge of the region formed by the plurality of transparent electrode units is configured to be outside of a region of the electronic capacitance type touch sensor that overlaps the effective display area.

13. The portable information terminal of claim 12 , wherein the conductive layer includes a bent portion that is disposed within the housing and is bent at a right angle with respect to the arrangement area of the plurality of transparent electrode units.

14. The portable information terminal of claim 13 , wherein the circuitry detects a position at which the external object contacts a surface of the housing near the bent portion, wherein the surface of the housing near the bent portion is bent at a right angle with respect to the arrangement area of the plurality of transparent electrode units.

15. The touch panel device of claim 12 , further comprising an illumination sheet disposed behind the conductive layer that is configured to emit light, the conductive layer includes a cut out part where the illumination sheet is disposed, and the housing includes an icon area disposed above the conductive layer and that is configured to be illuminated by the light that is emitted from the illumination sheet.