MULTI-TOUCH AND MULTI-USER DETECTING DEVICE

• US 20120278031A1
• Filed: 03/13/2012
• Published: 11/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wacom Co Limited (Wacom)
• Original Assignee: Wacom Co Limited (Wacom)
• Inventors: Oda, Yasuo, Sugiyama, Yoshihisa
• Granted Patent: US 9,081,437 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/150
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/045 using resistive elements, e.g. a single continuous surface or two parallel surfaces put in contact
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/046 by electromagnetic means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

A system and method are provided to enable the indication positions of respective indicators (e.g., fingers) to be detected (multiple-point detection) and also to enable detection of the users of the indicators (user detection). Signal generators for generating different signals for respective users are provided, and the signals from the signal generators are supplied to a sensor section through indicators. In a multi-touch and multi-user detecting device 1, a transmitting section 200 supplies determined signals to respective transmitting conductors 11Y. Respective receiving conductors 12X receive the signals from the transmitting conductors 11Y and also the signals from the signal generators of the users. Based on these signals, a user-and-position identifying circuit 33A and a position detecting circuit 34A in a receiving section 300A function to detect indication positions indicated by the respective indicators as well as the users using the indicators.

Claims

1. A multi-touch and multi-user detecting device comprising:

a sensor conductor including a plurality of first conductors arranged in a first direction and a plurality of second conductors arranged in a second direction intersecting said first direction;

a signal transmitting circuit configured to supply determined signals to the plurality of first conductors arranged in said first direction;

a signal receiving circuit configured to receive signals from the plurality of second conductors arranged in said second direction;

an indication position detecting circuit configured to detect positions indicated by a plurality of indicators on said sensor conductor based on signals that are output from said signal receiving circuit;

a first indicator identifying information detecting circuit configured to receive signals from said sensor conductor, and to detect indicator identifying information, which is distinguishable from the determined signals supplied by said signal transmitting circuit to the plurality of first conductors arranged in said first direction; and

a correspondence relation determining circuit configured to determine a correspondence relation that indicates which one of the positions indicated by the plurality of indicators is based on an indication operation performed by which one of the plurality of indicators, based on positional information that is output from the indication position detecting circuit and the indicator identifying information that is output from the first indicator identifying information detecting circuit.

2. The multi-touch and multi-user detecting device according to claim 1,

wherein said first indicator identifying information detecting circuit detects information indicative of the indicators that are indicating the positions on said sensor conductor based on the signals that are output from said signal receiving circuit.

3. The multi-touch and multi-user detecting device according to claim 1,

wherein said signal transmitting circuit generates a plurality of signals of different frequencies and supplies the plurality of signals to said plurality of first conductors, and said first indicator identifying information detecting circuit detects identifying signals having frequencies that are different from the frequencies of the plurality of signals generated by said signal transmitting circuit, whereby said plurality of indicators are distinguishable from each other.

4. The multi-touch and multi-user detecting device according to claim 1,

wherein said signal transmitting circuit generates determined code signals and supplies the determined code signals to said plurality of first conductors, and said first indicator identifying information detecting circuit detects identifying codes having code patterns that are different from the code patterns of the determined code signals generated by said signal transmitting circuit, whereby said plurality of indicators are distinguishable from each other.

5. The multi-touch and multi-user detecting device according to claim 4,

wherein said signal transmitting circuit generates a plurality of code signals having different code patterns, and supplies the plurality of code signals to said plurality of first conductors.

6. The multi-touch and multi-user detecting device according to claim 4,

wherein said signal transmitting circuit generates a plurality of code signals having a same code pattern but having different phase shifts from each other, and supplies said plurality of code signals to said plurality of first conductors.

7. The multi-touch and multi-user detecting device according to claim 1,

wherein a display device capable of displaying the positions indicated by said plurality of indicators is disposed on one surface side of said sensor conductor, said plurality of indicators being adopted for use to oppose said one surface side of said sensor conductor.

8. The multi-touch and multi-user detecting device according to claim 7,

wherein said sensor conductor has a loop coil for position detection based on EMR (electromagnetic resonance).

9. The multi-touch and multi-user detecting device according to claim 1,

wherein said plurality of indicators are opposed to one surface side of said sensor conductor, and a display device capable of displaying the positions indicated by said plurality of indicators is disposed on another surface side of said sensor conductor.

10. The multi-touch and multi-user detecting device according to claim 9,

wherein said sensor conductor includes conductors formed of a conductive film for use in position detection based on one of a capacitance system and a resistive film system.

11. The multi-touch and multi-user detecting device according to claim 1, further comprising a second indicator identifying information detecting circuit connected to the plurality of first conductors arranged in said first direction,

wherein supply of the determined signals to the plurality of first conductors arranged in said first direction by said signal transmitting circuit is stopped for a determined period, and said second indicator identifying information detecting circuit detects second indicator identifying information during the determined period, the second indicator identifying information being indicative of the indicators that are indicating the positions on said sensor conductor.

12. The multi-touch and multi-user detecting device according to claim 11,

wherein the indicators are distinguished from each other based on the indicator identifying information detected by said first indicator identifying information detecting circuit and the second indicator identifying information detected by said second indicator identifying information detecting circuit.

13. The multi-touch and multi-user detecting device according to claim 1,

wherein said sensor conductor and a display device capable of displaying the positions indicated by said indicators are relatively arranged so as to be superposed on each other, and the positions indicated by the indicators are displayed to be distinguishable at least on an indicator-by-indicator basis based on the indicator identifying information detected by said first indicator identifying information detecting circuit.

14. The multi-touch and multi-user detecting device according to claim 13,

wherein the positions indicated by the indicators are displayed to be distinguishable from each other by shape or by color at least on an indicator-by-indicator basis.

15. The multi-touch and multi-user detecting device according to claim 13,

wherein said display device is capable of displaying a region in which each indicator'"'"'s indicating operation(s) are to be performed.

16. The multi-touch and multi-user detecting device according to claim 15,

wherein said display device movably displays the region in which each indicator'"'"'s indicating operation(s) are to be performed, and an object displayed in one region is movable to another region when the one and the other regions at least partially overlap each other on a screen of said display device.

17. The multi-touch and multi-user detecting device according to claim 1,

wherein information is generated that is indicative of one of an operation state in which multiple users are performing indicating operations and another operation state in which a single user is performing indicating operation(s), said information being generated based on the indicator identifying information that is output from said first indicator identifying information detecting circuit.

18. The multi-touch and multi-user detecting device according to claim 1,

wherein the indicator identifying information is based on identifying signals generated by user signal generators couple to the plurality of the indicators.

19. A multi-touch and multi-user detecting method using a sensor conductor and a plurality of user signal generators, wherein the sensor conductor includes a plurality of first conductors arranged in a first direction and a plurality of second conductors arranged in a second direction intersecting said first direction, the method comprising:

(a) supplying determined signals to the plurality of first conductors arranged in said first direction;

(b) receiving signals from the plurality of second conductors arranged in said second direction;

(c) detecting positions indicated by a plurality of indicators, which are coupled to the plurality of user signal generators, on said sensor conductor based on the signals received from the plurality of second conductors arranged in said second direction;

(d) detecting indicator identifying signals, which are indicative of the plurality of user signal generators coupled to the plurality of indicators that are used to indicate the positions detected in (c) and which are distinguishable from the determined signals supplied to the plurality of first conductors arranged in said first direction; and

(e) determining a correspondence between the positions indicated by the plurality of indicators as detected in step (c) and the plurality of indicators respectively coupled to the plurality of user signal generators as detected in step (d), to thereby determine which indicator coupled to which user signal generator has indicated which one of the positions detected in step (c).

20. The multi-touch and multi-user detecting method according to claim 19, wherein step (a) comprises supplying a set of determined signals selected from a group consisting of (i) a set of determined signals having different frequencies, (ii) a set of determined signals having different code patterns, and (iii) a set of determined signals of a same code pattern having different phase shifts.