Touch panel device with abnormal state detection

1. A touch panel device, comprising:

a touch panel having a plurality of sensors that measure a capacitance;

a first difference information extracting part that extracts, as first difference information, a difference in capacitance between adjacent ones of said plurality of sensors;

a first baseline storage that stores, as a first base line, said first difference information extracted by said first difference information extracting part when a detection target is not in proximity to or does not contact said touch panel;

a detecting part that detects proximity to or contact with said touch panel by said detection target based on said first difference information extracted by said first difference information extracting part and said first baseline stored in said first baseline storage;

a second difference information extracting part that extracts, as second difference information, a difference in capacitance between a reference sensor being a predetermined sensor among said plurality of sensors and a sensor among said plurality of sensors and different from said reference sensor;

a second baseline storage that stores, as a second baseline, said second difference information extracted by said second difference information extracting part when said detection target is not in proximity to or does not contact said touch panel;

an abnormal state determining part that determines the presence of an abnormal state based on said second difference information extracted by said second difference information extracting part and said second baseline stored in said second baseline storage; and

a controller that, in response to said abnormal state determining part determining that there is an abnormal state, controls to update said first and second baselines stored in said first and second baseline storages respectively, wherein

said reference sensor used for extraction of said second difference information by said second difference information extracting part is different between a group of sensors among said plurality of sensors and arranged in a horizontal direction of said touch panel, and a group of sensors among said plurality of sensors and arranged in a vertical direction of said touch panel, and

said abnormal state determining part determines if there is an abnormal state about each of said groups of sensors.

2. The touch panel device according to claim 1 , wherein

said controller determines if said touch panel device is in a normal operating state, and

if said controller determines that said touch panel device is in said normal operating state, said abnormal state determining part does not determine if there is an abnormal state.

3. The touch panel device according to claim 1 , wherein said second difference information extracting part selects, as candidate sensors for said reference sensor, at least two or more sensors from said plurality of sensors, obtains a difference in capacitance between each of these candidate sensors and a sensor among said plurality of sensors and different from this candidate sensor, and based on the resultant differences, determines which of said candidate sensors is to become said reference sensor.

4. A touch panel device, comprising:

a touch panel having a plurality of sensors that measure a capacitance;

a first difference information extracting part that extracts, as first difference information, a difference in capacitance between adjacent ones of said plurality of sensors;

a first baseline storage that stores, as a first base line, said first difference information extracted by said first difference information extracting part when a detection target is not in proximity to or does not contact said touch panel;

a detecting part that detects proximity to or contact with said touch panel by said detection target based on said first difference information extracted by said first difference information extracting part and said first baseline stored in said first baseline storage;

a second difference information extracting part that extracts, as second difference information, a difference in capacitance between a reference sensor being a predetermined sensor among said plurality of sensors and a sensor among said plurality of sensors and different from said reference sensor;

a second baseline storage that stores, as a second baseline, said second difference information extracted by said second difference information extracting part when said detection target is not in proximity to or does not contact said touch panel;

an abnormal state determining part that determines the presence of an abnormal state based on said second difference information extracted by said second difference information extracting part and said second baseline stored in said second baseline storage; and

a controller that, in response to said abnormal state determining part determining that there is an abnormal state, controls to update said first and second baselines stored in said first and second baseline storages respectively, wherein

said controller determines if said touch panel device is in a normal operating state,

if said controller determines that said touch panel device is in said normal operating state, said abnormal state determining part does not determine if there is an abnormal state,

said reference sensor used for extraction of said second difference information by said second difference information extracting part is different between a group of sensors among said plurality of sensors and arranged in a horizontal direction of said touch panel, and a group of sensors among said plurality of sensors and arranged in a vertical direction of said touch panel, and

said abnormal state determining part determines if there is an abnormal state about each of said groups of sensors.

5. A touch panel device, comprising:

a touch panel having a plurality of sensors that measure a capacitance;

a first difference information extracting part that extracts as first difference information difference in capacitance between adjacent ones of said plurality of sensors;

a first baseline storage that stores, as a first base line, said first difference information extracted by said first difference information extracting part when a detection target is not in proximity to or does not contact said touch panel;

a detecting part that detects proximity to or contact with said touch panel by said detection target based on said first difference information extracted by said first difference information extracting part and said first baseline stored in said first baseline storage;

a second difference information extracting part that extracts, as second difference information, a difference in capacitance between a reference sensor being a predetermined sensor among said plurality of sensors and a sensor among said plurality of sensors and different from said reference sensor;

a second baseline storage that stores, as a second baseline, said second difference information extracted by said second difference information extracting part when said detection target is not in proximity to or does not contact said touch panel;

an abnormal state determining part that determines the presence of an abnormal state based on said second difference information extracted by said second difference information extracting part and said second baseline stored in said second baseline storage: and

a controller that, in response to said abnormal state determining part determining that there is an abnormal state, controls to update said first and second baselines stored in said first and second baseline storages respectively, wherein

said controller determines if said touch panel device is in a normal operating state,

if said controller determines that said touch panel device is in said normal operating state, said abnormal state determining part does not determine if there is an abnormal state, and

said second difference information extracting part selects, as candidate sensors for said reference sensor, at least two or more sensors from said plurality of sensors, obtains a difference in capacitance between each of these candidate sensors and a sensor among said plurality of sensors and different from this candidate sensor, and based on the resultant differences, determines which of said candidate sensors is to become said reference sensor.

6. A touch panel device, comprising:

a touch panel having a plurality of sensors that measure a capacitance;

a first difference information extracting part that extracts, as first difference information, a difference in capacitance between adjacent ones of said plurality of sensors;

a first baseline storage that stores, as a first base line, said first difference information extracted by said first difference information extracting part when a detection target is not in proximity to or does not contact said touch panel;

a detecting part that detects proximity to or contact with said touch panel by said detection target based on said first difference information extracted by said first difference information extracting part and said first baseline stored in said first baseline storage;

a second difference information extracting part that extracts, as second difference information, a difference in capacitance between a reference sensor being a predetermined sensor among said plurality of sensors and a sensor among said plurality of sensors and different from said reference sensor;

a second baseline storage that stores, as a second baseline, said second difference information extracted by said second difference information extracting part when said detection target is not in proximity to or does not contact said touch panel;

an abnormal state determining part that determines the presence of an abnormal state based on said second difference information extracted by said second difference information extracting part and said second baseline stored in said second baseline storage; and

a controller that, in response to said abnormal state determining part determining that there is an abnormal state, controls to update said first and second baselines stored in said first and second baseline storages respectively, wherein

said second difference information extracting part selects, as candidate sensors for said reference sensor, at least two or more sensors from said plurality of sensors, obtains a difference in capacitance between each of these candidate sensors and a sensor among said plurality of sensors and different from this candidate sensor, and based on the resultant differences, determines which of said candidate sensors is to become said reference sensor.

7. The touch panel device according to claim 6 , wherein

said reference sensor used for extraction of said second difference information by said second difference information extracting part is different between a group of sensors among said plurality of sensors and arranged in a horizontal direction of said touch panel, and a group of sensors among said plurality of sensors and arranged in a vertical direction of said touch panel, and

said abnormal state determining part determines if there is an abnormal state about each of said groups of sensors.

8. The touch panel device according to claim 6 , wherein

said controller determines if said touch panel device is in a normal operating state, and

if said controller determines that said touch panel device is in said normal operating state, said abnormal state determining part does not determine if there is an abnormal state.