COORDINATE INDICATING APPARATUS AND COORDINATE MEASUREMENT APPARATUS FOR MEASURING INPUT POSITION OF COORDINATE INDICATING APPARATUS

• US 20130300708A1
• Filed: 04/05/2013
• Published: 11/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: KIM, Gwan-Hyung
• Granted Patent: US 9,495,045 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04104 Multi-touch detection in digitiser, i.e. details about the simultaneous detection of a plurality of touching locations, e.g. multiple fingers or pen and finger
• 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 2203/04106 Multi-sensing digitiser, i.e. digitiser using at least two different sensing technologies simultaneously or alternatively, e.g. for detecting pen and finger, for saving power or for improving position detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04164 Connections between sensors and controllers, e.g. routing lines between electrodes and connection pads
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04166 Details of scanning methods, e.g. sampling time, grouping of sub areas or time sharing with display driving Synchronisation with the driving of the display or the backlighting unit to avoid interferences generated internally G06F3/04184
• 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 3/0446 using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0447 Position sensing using the local deformation of sensor cells

Abstract

A coordinate measurement system including a coordinate indicating apparatus and a coordinate measurement apparatus for determining a position of a contact object including the coordinate indicating apparatus. The coordinate measurement apparatus includes a channel electrode unit including one or more electrodes, wherein capacitance of each of the one or more electrodes or capacitance between the one or more electrodes is changed based on a change in the position of the contact object, and a controller for applying an electrical signal to the channel electrode unit or measuring a reception signal input to the channel electrode unit. The coordinate indicating apparatus includes a conductive tip for forming capacitance with the one or more electrodes of the channel electrode unit, and a resonant circuit unit for generating identification information of the coordinate indicating apparatus, wherein the resonant circuit unit is connected to the conductive tip.

Claims

1. A coordinate measurement system comprising:

a coordinate indicating apparatus; and

a coordinate measurement apparatus for determining a position of a contact object including the coordinate indicating apparatus,

wherein the coordinate measurement apparatus comprises;

a channel electrode unit including one or more electrodes, wherein capacitance of each of the one or more electrodes or capacitance between the one or more electrodes is changed based on a change in the position of the contact object; and

a controller for applying an electrical signal to the channel electrode unit or measuring a reception signal input to the channel electrode unit,

wherein the coordinate indicating apparatus comprises;

a conductive tip for forming capacitance with the one or more electrodes of the channel electrode unit; and

a resonant circuit unit for generating identification information of the coordinate indicating apparatus, wherein the resonant circuit unit is connected to the conductive tip, and

wherein the controller determines an input position of the contact object based on a change in the capacitance of each of the one or more electrodes or the capacitance between the one or more electrodes, and distinguishes a type of the contact object based on a frequency response characteristic of the reception signal.

2. The coordinate measurement system of claim 1, wherein the coordinate indicating apparatus further comprises a grounding unit, electrically connected to a user or the coordinate measurement apparatus through at least one of a direct contact and a capacitive coupling.

3. The coordinate measurement system of claim 2, wherein the resonant circuit unit further comprises:

an inductor; and

a capacitor,

wherein one end of each inductor and capacitor is connected to the conductive tip and the other end of each inductor and capacitor is connected to the grounding unit.

4. The coordinate measurement system of claim 3, wherein the resonant circuit further comprises a resistor, wherein one end of the resistor is connected to the conductive tip and the other end of the resistor is connected to the grounding unit.

5. The coordinate measurement system of claim 2, wherein the resonant circuit comprises an inductor, wherein one end of the inductor is connected to the conductive tip and the other end of the inductor is connected to the grounding unit.

6. The coordinate measurement system of claim 2, wherein the resonant circuit comprises:

an inductor; and

a capacitor,

wherein one end of each inductor and capacitor is connected to the conductive tip and the other end of each inductor and capacitor is connected to the grounding unit.

7. The coordinate measurement system of claim 1, further comprising an insulator for preventing the conductive tip from direct contact with an outside.

8. The coordinate measurement system of claim 1, wherein a resonance characteristic of the resonant circuit is changed according to a contact pressure.

9. The coordinate measurement system of claim 1, wherein the coordinate indicating apparatus further comprises a switch unit for changing a resonance characteristic of the resonant circuit unit.

10. A coordinate measurement system comprising:

a coordinate indicating apparatus; and

a coordinate measurement apparatus for determining a position of a contact object including the coordinate indicating apparatus,

wherein the coordinate measurement apparatus comprises;

a channel electrode unit including one or more electrodes, wherein capacitance of each of the one or more electrodes or capacitance between the one or more electrodes is changed based on a change in the position of the contact object;

a driver for applying an electrical driving signal to the channel electrode unit;

a detector for detecting a reception signal of the channel electrode unit; and

a controller for determining the position of the contact object and a type of the contact object,

wherein the coordinate indicating apparatus comprises a resonant circuit for outputting identification information of the coordinate indicating apparatus, and

wherein the controller determines the position of the contact object based on the reception signal detected by the detector for a first period in which the driver applies the electrical driving signal and determines the type of the contact object based on the reception signal detected by the detector for a second period in which the driver does not apply the electrical driving signal.

11. The coordinate measurement system of claim 10, wherein a resonance characteristic of the resonant circuit of the coordinate indicating apparatus is changed according to a contact pressure, and the controller determines the contact pressure of the contact object based on the changed resonance characteristic.

12. The coordinate measurement system of claim 10, wherein the coordinate indicating apparatus further comprises a switch unit for changing a resonance characteristic of the resonant circuit and wherein the controller determines an on/off state of the switch unit based on a changed resonance characteristic.

13. A coordinate measurement system comprising:

a coordinate indicating apparatus; and

a coordinate measurement apparatus for determining a position of a contact object corresponding to at least one of the coordinate indicating apparatus and a conductive object,

wherein the coordinate measurement apparatus comprises;

a channel electrode unit including one or more electrodes, wherein capacitance of each of the one or more electrodes or capacitance between the one or more electrodes is changed based on a change in the position of the coordinate indicating apparatus; and

a controller for applying electrical signals having two or more different frequencies to the channel electrode unit or measuring a reception signal received by the channel electrode unit,

wherein the coordinate indicating apparatus comprises a resonant circuit for outputting identification information of the coordinate indicating apparatus, and

wherein the controller determines the position of the contact object from a response characteristic for one frequency and determines at least one of a type of the contact object and a contact pressure from a response characteristic for the other frequency.

14. A coordinate measurement system comprising:

a coordinate indicating apparatus; and

a coordinate measurement apparatus for determining a position of the coordinate indicating apparatus,

wherein the coordinate measurement apparatus comprises;

a channel electrode unit including one or more electrodes, wherein capacitance of each of the one or more electrodes or capacitance between the one or more electrodes is changed based on a change in the position of the coordinate measurement apparatus;

a driver for applying an electrical signal to the channel electrode unit;

a receiver for receiving the electrical signal from the channel electrode unit; and

a controller for determining a contact pressure of the coordinate measurement apparatus,

wherein the coordinate indicating apparatus comprises;

a conductive tip for exchanging the electrical signal with the driver, wherein the conductive tip is capacitive-coupled with the channel electrode unit; and

a passive circuit connected to the conductive tip, wherein a response characteristic of the passive circuit is changed according to the contact pressure of the coordinate indicating apparatus, and

wherein the controller measures the contact pressure of the coordinate measurement apparatus based on response characteristics of the passive circuit detected by the receiver in two or more different sections of an equal period.

15. The coordinate measurement apparatus of claim 14, wherein the controller measures the contact pressure based on an integration result of a detection value of the receiver for the response characteristics of the passive circuit in the two or more different sections of the equal period.

16. A coordinate measurement system comprising:

a coordinate indicating apparatus; and

a coordinate measurement apparatus for determining a position of a contact object including the coordinate indicating apparatus,

wherein the coordinate measurement apparatus comprises;

a channel electrode unit including one or more electrodes, wherein capacitance of each of the one or more electrodes or capacitance between the one or more electrodes is changed based on a change in the position of the contact object; and

a controller for applying an electrical signal to the channel electrode unit or measuring a reception signal of the channel electrode unit, and

wherein the coordinate indicating apparatus comprises;

a conductive tip for forming capacitance with the one or more electrodes of the channel electrode unit;

a grounding unit for forming an electrical connection with a user through at least one of a direct contact and a capacitive coupling;

a resonant circuit unit connected to the conductive tip; and

a switch unit for forming a resonance when a contact pressure of the conductive tip is equal to or higher than a preset threshold, and not forming the resonance when the contact pressure of the conductive tip is lower than the preset threshold.

17. The coordinate measurement system of claim 16, wherein the switch unit does not form a resonant circuit by disconnecting one or more electrical connections of the conductive tip, the resonant circuit unit, a circuit connected to the grounding unit, and a circuit within the resonant circuit, when the contact pressure of the conductive tip is lower than the preset threshold, and forms the resonant circuit, when the contact pressure of the conductive tip is equal to or higher than the preset threshold.

18. A coordinate measurement apparatus for determining a position of a contact object corresponding to at least one of a coordinate indicating apparatus and a finger, the coordinate measurement apparatus comprising:

a channel electrode unit including one or more electrodes, wherein capacitance of each of the one or more electrodes or capacitance between the one or more electrodes is changed based on a change in the position of the contact object; and

a controller for measuring reception signals from the coordinate indicating apparatus and the channel electrode unit, and distinguishing a type of the contact object based on a frequency response characteristic of the reception signals.

19. The coordinate measurement apparatus of claim 18, wherein the controller determines one or more positions of the coordinate indicating apparatus and a conductive object based on a change in the capacitance of each of the one or more electrodes or the capacitance between the one or more electrodes.

20. A coordinate indicating apparatus for inputting an input coordinate into a coordinate measurement apparatus having one or more electrodes, the coordinate indicating apparatus comprising:

a conductive tip for forming capacitance with the one or more electrodes; and

a resonant circuit unit for receiving resonance energy from the coordinate measurement apparatus through a capacitive coupling, wherein the resonant circuit unit is connected to the conductive tip.

21. A coordinate measurement system comprising:

a coordinate indicating apparatus; and

a coordinate measurement apparatus, for determining a position of the coordinate indicating apparatus,

wherein the coordinate measurement apparatus comprises;

a channel electrode unit including one or more electrodes, wherein capacitance of each of the one or more electrodes or capacitance between the one or more electrodes is changed based on a change in a position of the coordinate measurement apparatus;

a driver for applying an electrical signal to the channel electrode unit;

a receiver for receiving the electrical signal from the channel electrode unit; and

a controller for determining a contact pressure of the coordinate measurement apparatus,

wherein the coordinate indicating apparatus comprises;

a conductive tip for exchanging the electrical signal with the driver, wherein the conductive tip is capacitive-coupled with the channel electrode unit;

a switch unit, wherein an on/off state of the switch unit is determined according to whether a contact between the coordinate indicating apparatus and the coordinate measurement system is performed; and

a passive circuit connected to the conductive tip, wherein a response characteristic of the passive circuit is changed according to the state of the switch unit, and

wherein the controller measures the state of the switch unit based on response characteristics of the passive circuit detected by a detector in two or more different sections of an equal period.

22. The coordinate measurement system of claim 21, wherein the controller measures the state of the switch unit based on an integration result of a detection value of the detector for the response characteristics of the passive circuit in the two or more different sections of the equal period.

23. A coordinate measurement system comprising:

a coordinate indicating apparatus; and

a coordinate measurement apparatus, for determining a position of a contact object corresponding to at least one of the coordinate indicating apparatus and a finger,

wherein the coordinate measurement apparatus comprises;

a channel electrode unit including one or more electrodes, wherein capacitance of each of the one or more electrodes or capacitance between the one or more electrodes is changed based on a change in the position of the contact object; and

a controller for applying an electrical signal to the channel electrode unit or measuring a reception signal of the channel electrode unit,

wherein the coordinate indicating apparatus comprises;

a conductive tip for forming capacitance with the one or more electrodes;

a grounding unit for forming an electrical connection with a user through at least one of a direct contact and a capacitive coupling; and

a resonant circuit disposed between the conductive tip and the grounding unit, the resonant circuit having a high-impedance characteristic in a particular resonance frequency, and

wherein the controller measures response characteristics for resonance frequencies of two or more electrodes in the channel electrode unit and calculates the position of the coordinate indicating apparatus from relative sizes of the response characteristics.

24. A coordinate measurement system comprising:

a coordinate indicating apparatus; and

a coordinate measurement apparatus, for determining a position of a contact object including the coordinate indicating apparatus,

wherein the coordinate measurement apparatus comprises;

a channel electrode unit including one or more channel electrodes;

a driver for applying an electrical signal to the channel electrode unit;

a receiver for receiving the electrical signal from the channel electrode unit; and

a controller for determining a contact position of the coordinate measurement apparatus,

wherein the coordinate indicating apparatus comprises;

a conductive tip for forming capacitance with the one or more channel electrodes of the channel electrode unit;

a passive resonant circuit unit for receiving energy for a resonance through a capacitive coupling between the channel electrode of the channel electrode unit and the conductive tip; and

a grounding unit for forming an electrical connection with a user through at least one of a direct contact and the capacitive coupling.

25. The coordinate measurement system of claim 24, wherein the controller measures the contact position of the coordinate indicating apparatus based on a relative size change between driving channels of a resonance signal of the coordinate indicating apparatus received by the receiver or reception channels.

26. A coordinate measurement system comprising:

a coordinate indicating apparatus; and

a coordinate measurement apparatus, for determining a position of a contact object including the coordinate indicating apparatus,

wherein the coordinate measurement apparatus comprises;

a channel electrode unit including one or more electrodes, wherein capacitance of each of the one or more electrodes or capacitance between the one or more electrodes is changed based on a change in the position of the contact object; and

a driver for applying an electrical signal to the channel electrode unit;

a receiver for receiving the electrical signal from the channel electrode unit; and

a controller for determining a contact position of the coordinate measurement apparatus,

wherein the coordinate indicating apparatus comprises;

a conductive tip for forming capacitance with the one or more electrodes of the channel electrode unit;

a passive resonant circuit unit for receiving energy for a resonance through a capacitive coupling between the electrode of the channel electrode unit and the conductive tip; and

a grounding unit for forming an electrical connection with a user through at least one of a direct contact and the capacitive coupling.

27. The coordinate measurement system of claim 26, wherein the controller measures the contact position of the coordinate indicating apparatus based on a relative size change between driving channels of a resonance signal of the coordinate indicating apparatus received by the receiver or reception channels.