POSITION DETECTOR AND POSITION INDICATOR

• US 20110090146A1
• Filed: 09/23/2010
• Published: 04/21/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wacom Co Limited (Wacom)
• Original Assignee: Wacom Co Limited (Wacom)
• Inventors: Katsurahira, Yuji
• Granted Patent: US 8,982,044 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04102 Flexible digitiser, i.e. constructional details for allowing the whole digitising part of a device to be flexed or rolled like a sheet of paper
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04105 Pressure sensors for measuring the pressure or force exerted on the touch surface without providing the touch position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03548 Sliders, in which the moving part moves in a plane
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0383 Signal control means within the pointing device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04162 for exchanging data with external devices, e.g. smart pens, via the digitiser sensing hardware
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/046 by electromagnetic means

Abstract

A position detector includes a position indicator including a power source and configured to intermittently transmit a position indication signal to a tablet at a predetermined timing; and the tablet configured to detect a position on its surface pointed to by the position indicator by receiving the position indication signal. The position indicator further includes an information storing section configured to store multiple types of information; a control signal receiving circuitry configured to receive a control signal transmitted from the tablet; an information selecting circuitry configured to select one type of information from among the multiple types of information stored in the information storing section in accordance with a content of the control signal; and an information transmitting circuitry configured to transmit the one type of information selected by the information selecting circuitry to the tablet.

Claims

1. A position detector comprising:

a position indicator including a power source, the position indicator being configured to intermittently transmit a position indication signal to a tablet at a predetermined timing; and

the table configured to determine a position on its surface pointed to by said position indicator by detecting the position indication signal,

wherein said position indicator further includes;

an information storing section configured to store therein multiple types of information,

a control signal receiving circuitry configured to receive a control signal transmitted thereto from said tablet,

an information selecting circuitry configured to select one type of information from said multiple types of information stored in said information storing section in accordance with a content of the control signal, and

an information transmitting circuitry configured to transmit the one type of information selected by said information selecting circuitry to said tablet,

wherein said tablet includes;

a position signal receiving circuitry configured to receive a position indication signal from said position indicator,

a timing information extracting circuitry configured to extract a predetermined timing from the position indication signal, and

a control signal transmitting circuitry configured to transmit a control signal to said position indicator synchronously with the predetermined timing extracted by said timing information extracting circuitry.

2. The position detector according to claim 1, wherein said control signal receiving circuitry includes an amplifying circuit, a detecting circuit, and a signal strength determining circuitry configured to determine whether or not a strength of the received control signal is equal to or greater than a predetermined level.

3. The position detector according to claim 1, wherein

the control signal transmitted from said tablet is transmitted as digital information expressed in a plurality of bits;

said control signal receiving circuitry within said position indicator includes a signal strength determining circuitry configured to determine whether or not a strength of the received control signal is equal to or greater than a predetermined level, and is further configured to extract the digital information from the control signal transmitted from said tablet by using said signal strength determining circuitry; and

said information selecting circuitry within said position indicator is further configured to select one type of information from the multiple types of information based on the digital information thus extracted.

4. The position detector according to claim 1, wherein

the control signal transmitted from said tablet contains therein digital information expressed in a plurality of bits, and is transmitted as signals having two kinds of frequencies in a time sequential manner;

said control signal receiving circuitry within said position indicator includes a signal amplifying circuit and a frequency determining circuit, and is configured to determine frequencies of the signals received in a time sequential manner, and is further configured to extract the digital information from the signals transmitted in a time sequential manner from said tablet; and

said information selecting circuitry within said position indicator is configured to select one type of information from the multiple types of information based on the digital information thus extracted.

10. The position detector according to claim 1, wherein said tablet further includes a display device, and a loop coil made of a transparent conductive material and disposed on a front surface of said display device,

wherein said control signal transmitting circuitry is further configured to causes an AC current to flow through said loop coil.

5. A position detector comprising:

a position indicator including a power source, the position indicator being configured to intermittently transmit a position indication signal to a tablet at a predetermined timing; and

the tablet configured to determine a position on its surface pointed to by said position indicator by detecting the position indication signal,

wherein said tablet further comprises an activation signal transmitting circuitry configured to transmit an activation signal to initiate transmission of the position indication signal from said position indicator, and

wherein said position indicator further comprises an activation signal detecting circuitry including an amplifier and a detecting circuit, which is configured to detect the activation signal and to start the transmission of the position indication signal when a distance between said position indicator and said tablet falls within a predetermined range.

6. A position detector comprising:

a position indicator comprising a power source, the position indicator being configured to intermittently transmit a position indication signal to a tablet at a predetermined timing; and

the tablet configured to determine a position on its surface pointed to by said position indicator by detecting the position indication signal,

wherein said position indicator further comprises;

a first coil for transmitting the position indication signal,

a second coil wound so as to surround a part of a magnetic flux passing through said first coil,

a control signal receiving circuitry including an amplifying circuit and a detecting circuit, which is configured to receive a control signal from said tablet, and

a control section configured to control an amount of magnetic flux passing through said second coil based on a content of the received control signal,

wherein said tablet further comprises;

a position signal receiving circuitry configured to receive the position indication signal from said position indicator,

a timing information extracting circuitry configured to extract the predetermined timing from the position indication signal, and

a control signal transmitting circuitry configured to transmit the control signal to said position indicator,

wherein said tablet is further configured to detect a change in magnetic flux passing through said first coil caused by a transmission of the control signal to the position indicator, either as a change in signal strength or as a change in a coordinate position.

7. The position detector according to claim 6, wherein said tablet further includes a rotational angle detection circuitry, which is configured to detect a rotational angle of the position indicator relative to a direction vertical to said tablet surface as a rotational axis based on the change in magnetic flux thus detected.

8. A position detector comprising:

a position indicator including a power source, and a plurality of position indicating portions each being configured to intermittently transmit a position indication signal to a tablet at a predetermined timing; and

the tablet configured to determine a position on its surface pointed to by said position indicator by detecting said position indication signal,

wherein said tablet further comprises;

a position signal receiving circuitry configured to receive the position indication signal from said position indicator,

a timing information extracting circuitry configured to extract the predetermined timing from the position indication signal, and

a control signal transmitting circuitry configured to transmit a control signal to said position indicator synchronously with the predetermined timing thus extracted,

wherein said position indicator further comprises;

an information storing section configured to store therein multiple types of information,

a control signal receiving circuitry configured to receive the control signal transmitted from said tablet for said plurality of position indicating portions,

an information selecting circuitry configured to select one type of information from the multiple types of information stored in said information storing section in accordance with a content of the received control signal,

an information transmitting circuitry configured to transmit the one type of information selected by said information selecting circuitry for said plurality of position indicating portions, and

a direction discriminating circuitry configured to identify one of said plurality of position indicating portions that receives the control signal, and

wherein information corresponding to the control signal transmitted from said tablet, and information regarding the position indicating portion identified by said direction discriminating circuitry, are transmitted to said tablet based on the predetermined timing.

9. The position detector according to claim 8, wherein said control signal receiving circuitry includes an amplifying circuit and a detecting circuit, and further includes a signal strength determining circuitry configured to determine whether or not a strength of the received control signal is equal to or larger than a predetermined level.

11. A position indicator including a power source, the position indicator being configured to intermittently transmit a position indication signal at a predetermined timing to a tablet, the position indicator further comprising:

an information storing section configured to store therein multiple types of information;

a control signal receiving circuitry including an amplifying circuit and a detecting circuit, which is configured to receive a control signal from said tablet;

a signal strength determining circuitry configured to determine whether or not a strength of the received control signal is equal to or larger than a predetermined level;

an information selecting circuitry configured to select one type of information from the multiple types of information stored in said information storing section in accordance with a content of the control signal; and

an information transmitting circuitry configured to transmit the one type of information selected by said information selecting circuitry to said tablet.

12. A position indicator including a power source and a plurality of position indicating portions each being configured to intermittently transmit a position indication signal at a predetermined timing to a tablet, the position indicator further comprising:

an information storing section configured to store therein multiple types of information;

a control signal receiving circuitry configured to receive a control signal from said tablet for said plurality of position indicating portions, said control signal receiving circuitry including an amplifying circuit and a detecting circuit;

a signal strength determining circuitry configured to determine whether or not a strength of the received control signal is equal to or larger than a predetermined level;

an information selecting circuitry configured to select one type of information from the multiple types of information stored in said information storing section in accordance with a content of the control signal;

an information transmitting circuitry configured to transmit the one type of information selected by said information selecting circuitry to said tablet for said plurality of position indicating portions; and

a direction discriminating circuitry configured to identify one of said plurality of position indicating portions that receives the control signal;

wherein said position indication signal and information regarding the position indicating portion identified by said direction discriminating circuitry are transmitted to said tablet.

13. A position indicator including a power source, the position indicator being configured to intermittently transmit a position indication signal at a predetermined timing to a tablet, the position indicator further comprising:

a first coil for transmitting the position indication signal;

a second coil wound so as to surround a part of a magnetic flux passing through said first coil;

a control signal receiving circuitry configured to receive a control signal from said tablet, the control signal receiving circuitry including an amplifying circuit and a detecting circuit; and

a control section configured to control an amount of magnetic flux passing through said second coil based on the control signal.