TOUCH SCREEN SYSTEM

• US 20120013555A1
• Filed: 07/07/2011
• Published: 01/19/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: MAEDA, Takami, KITADA, Takashi
• Application Number:
  US13/177,879
• Publication Number:
  US 20120013555A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0441 using active external devices, e.g. active pens, for receiving changes in electrical potential transmitted by the digitiser, e.g. tablet driving signals
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0442 using active external devices, e.g. active pens, for transmitting changes in electrical potential to be received by the digitiser
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0445 using two or more layers of sensing electrodes, e.g. using two layers of electrodes separated by a dielectric layer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0446 using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes

Abstract

Provided is a touch screen system that includes a transmitter, a plurality of electronic pens, and a controller. The transmitter applies to transmitting electrodes a pen-synchronization pulse signal for synchronizing transmission and reception of a pen identification signal between the electronic pens and a receiver. The electronic pens transmit, to receiving electrodes, a pen identification signal in accordance with detection of the pen-synchronization pulse signal of the transmitting electrodes at the time of a touch operation. The controller determines the electronic pen that has performed a touch operation based on the pen identification signal that is received by the receiver via the receiving electrodes.

Claims

1. A touch screen system, comprising:

a plurality of electronic pens;

a panel main body comprising a touch surface, on which a touch operation is performed with the electronic pens, a plurality of transmitting electrodes extending in parallel to one another, and a plurality of receiving electrodes extending in parallel to one another, the transmitting and receiving electrodes being arranged in a grid pattern, to provide a plurality of electrode intersections between the plurality of transmitting electrodes and the plurality of receiving electrodes;

a transmitter that applies a driving signal to the transmitting electrodes;

a receiver that receives a response signal output from the receiving electrodes that have responded to the driving signal applied to the transmitting electrodes, and outputs detection data of each electrode intersection; and

a controller that detects a touch position based on the detection data output from the receiver,

wherein each of the plurality of electronic pens transmits a pen identification signal including pen identification information to the receiving electrodes at the time of the touch operation; and

the controller determines an electronic pen that performs the touch operation based on the pen identification signal received by the receiver through the receiving electrodes.

2. The touch screen device according to claim 1, wherein the controller determines that a touch operation is performed with a finger when no pen identification signal corresponding to the touch position is received.

3. The touch screen device according to claim 1, wherein the pen identification signal is a pulse train of a predetermined bit number.

4. The touch screen device according to claim 1, wherein the transmitter applies a pen synchronization signal to the transmitting electrodes;

and the electronic pens transmit the pen identification signal to the receiving electrodes in accordance with detection of the pen synchronization signal of the transmitting electrodes at the time of the touch operation.

5. The touch screen system according to claim 4, wherein a position detection process and a pen identification process are performed on each one of the transmitting electrodes, the position detection process applying the driving signal to the transmitting electrodes so that a response signal from one of the receiving electrodes is received, and the pen identification signal applying the pen synchronization signal to the transmitting electrodes so that the pen identification signal from one of the electronic pens is received through the receiving electrodes.

6. The touch screen system according to claim 5, wherein the pen identification process is performed before the position detection process.

7. The touch screen system according to claim 4, wherein the transmitter applies the pen synchronization signal a plurality of times, which corresponds to the number of the receiving electrodes,

the electronic pens transmit the pen identification signal at every detection of a pen synchronization signal, and

the receiver switches the receiving electrodes at every detection of a pen synchronization signal, and receives the pen identification signal from each of the receiving electrodes.

8. The touch screen system according to claim 4, wherein each of the electronic pens comprises:

a pen synchronization signal detector that compares a voltage level of a signal input from the transmitting electrodes with a threshold value, and determines whether or not the signal is the pen synchronization signal

9. The touch screen system according to claim 8, wherein each of the electronic pens further comprises an operator that changes the threshold value.

10. The touch screen system according to claim 4, wherein the transmitter applies the pen synchronization signal with a voltage level different from a voltage level of the driving signal, to the transmitting electrodes.

11. The touch screen system according to claim 4, wherein each of the electronic pens comprises a display that notifies a user that the pen synchronization signal has been detected.

12. The touch screen system according to claim 1, wherein each of the electronic pens comprises an output voltage adjustor that adjusts an outputs voltage level of the pen identification signal.

13. The touch screen system according to claim 1, wherein each of the electronic pens comprises an operation switch that sets a property of the electronic pen.

14. The touch screen system according to claim 1, wherein the controller determines a remaining charge amount of a battery provided to the electronic pens based on a reception voltage level of the pen identification signal at the receiver.

15. The touch screen system according to claim 1, wherein the transmitter includes a position detection pulse generator, a pen-synchronization pulse generator and an electrode selector.

16. The touch screen system according to claim 15, wherein the position detection pulse generator and the pen-synchronization pulse generator each generate a pulse train at a timing based upon a synchronization signal output from the controller.

17. The touch screen system according to claim 15, wherein the position detection pulse generator and the pen-synchronization pulse generator each output signals that are transmitted to the transmitting electrodes by time sharing.

18. The touch screen system according to claim 9, wherein the adjustment of the threshold value comprises conducting a touch operation with the electronic pen at a predetermined position of the touch panel.

19. The touch screen system according to claim 18, wherein the predetermined position comprises a plurality of positions including a position close to the transmitter and a position far from the transmitter.

20. The touch screen system according to claim 14, wherein determining the remaining charge amount of the battery comprises performing a touch operation with the electronic pen at a plurality of locations on the touch surface.