Position detecting device

• US 4,704,501 A
• Filed: 12/26/1985
• Issued: 11/03/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/1984
• Status: Expired

• Current Assignee: Wacom Co Limited (Wacom)
• Original Assignee: Wacom Co Limited (Wacom)
• Inventors: Taguchi, Yoshinori, Yamanami, Tsuguya
• Primary Examiner(s): SCHREYER, STAFFORD
• Application Number:
  US06/813,446
• Time in Patent Office: 677 Days
• Field of Search: 178/18, 178/19, 340/712, 340/784, 340/706, 340/709, 340/811, 340/365 VL, 434/408, 350/345, 350/331 R
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 7/004 for measuring coordinates of points
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0383 Signal control means within the pointing device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/046 by electromagnetic means

Abstract

A position detecting device includes a tablet which has a magnetic sheet and two conductor sheets. The magnetic sheet is formed by weaving a group of warp elements (or weft elements) having multiple insulating fibers and a plurality of relatively long magnetic elements disposed among the fibers at predetermined regular spacings and a group of weft elements (or warp elements) having multiple insulating fibers into a plain weave fabric, which is hardened into a sheet-like configuration. Each of the conductor sheets has a plurality of linear conductor elements extending substantially parallel to each other. The two conductor sheets are respectively overlaid on the upper and lower sides of the magnetic sheet so that the conductor elements and the magnetic elements extend orthogonally with respect to each other. The corresponding conductor elements of the upper and lower conductor sheets are connected to from alternate exciting and detecting lines. The device further includes a driving current source for supplying the exciting lines with a cyclic alternating current designating, a position designating magnetic generator for generating a stationary magnetic field, and a position detecting for calculating, from the voltages respectively induced in the detecting lines, coordinate values of the position designated by the position magnetic generator.

Claims

1. A position detecting device comprising:

a tablet having a magnetic sheet formed by weaving a group of warp elements (or weft elements) composed of a multiplicity of insulating fibers and a plurality of relatively long magnetic elements disposed among said insulting fibers at predetermined regular spacings and a group of weft elements (or weft elements) composed of a multiplicity of insulating fibers into a plain weave fabric, this fabric being hardened into a sheet-like configuration by means of an insulating resin, and two conductor sheets each having a plurality of linear conductor elements formed thereon so as to extend substantially parallel to each other, said two conductor sheets being respectively overlaid on the upper and lower sides of said magnetic sheet so that said conductor elements and said magnetic elements extend orthogonally with respect to each other, and the corresponding conductor elements of the upper and lower conductor sheets being connected to each other, thereby alternately forming exciting lines and detecting lines;

a driving current source for supplying said exciting lines with an alternating current of a predetermined cycle;

a position designating magnetic generator for generating a stationary magnetic field; and

a position detecting circuit for obtaining voltages respectively induced in said detecting lines and calculating, from these induced voltages, coordinate values of a position designated by said position designating magnetic generator.

2. A position detecting device according to claim 1, further comprising another magnetic sheet disposed on each of the outer sides of said conductor sheets so that its magnetic elements extend parallel to the magnetic elements of said magnetic sheet interposed between said conductor sheets.

3. A position detecting device according to claim 2, further comprising a shielding sheet made of a non-magnetic metal and disposed on the outer side of said another magnetic sheet.

4. A position detecting device according to claim 1, further comprising a shielding sheet made of a non-magnetic metal and disposed on each of the outer sides of said conductor sheets.

5. A position detecting device comprising:

a tablet having two magnetic sheets each formed by weaving a group of warp elements (or weft elements) composed of a multiplicity of insulating fibers and a plurality of relatively long magnetic elements disposed among said insulating fibers at predetermined regular spacings and a group of weft elements (or warp elements) composed of a multiplicity of insulating fibers into a plain weave fabric, this fabric being hardened into a sheet-like configuration by means of an insulating resin, and four conductor sheets each having a plurality of linear conductor elements formed thereon so as to extend substantially parallel to each other, said two magnetic sheets being disposed such that the magnetic elements of one of them extend in a direction X, while the magnetic elements of the other extend in a direction Y, two of said four conductor sheets being respectively disposed on the upper and lower sides of the magnetic sheet the magnetic elements of which extend in the X direction so that the respective conductor elements thereof extend orthogonally with respect to the X direction, the other two of said four conductor sheets being respectively disposed on the upper and lower sides of the magnetic sheet the magnetic elements of which extend in the Y direction so that the respective conductor elements thereof extend orthogonally with respect to the Y direction, and the corresponding conductor elements, extending in the same direction, of each pair of upper and lower conductor sheets being connected together, thereby alternately forming exciting lines and detecting lines for the X direction and exciting lines and detecting lines for the Y direction;

a driving current source for supplying said exciting lines for the X and Y directions with an alternating current of a predetermined cycle;

a position designating magnetic generator for generating a stationary magnetic field; and

a position detecting circuit for obtaining voltages respectively induced in said detecting lines for the X and Y directions and calculating coordinate values of a position designated by said position designating magnetic generator from these induced voltages.

6. A position detecting device according to claim 5, further comprising four other magnetic sheets, two of them being respectively disposed on the outer sides of said conductor sheets the conductor elements of which extend orthogonally with respect to the X direction such that their magnetic elements extend in the X direction, and the other two of said four magnetic sheets being respectively disposed on the outer sides of said conductor sheets the conductor elements of which extend orthogonally with respect to the Y direction such that their magnetic elements extend in the Y direction.

7. A position detecting device according to claim 6, further comprising a shielding sheet made of a non-magnetic metal and disposed on each of the outer sides of the uppermost and lowermost magnetic sheets of said four other magnetic sheets.

8. A position detecting device according to claim 5, further comprising a shielding sheet made of a non-magnetic metal and disposed on each of the outer sides of the uppermost and lowermost conductor sheets of said four conductor sheets.

9. A position detecting device comprising:

a tablet having a magnetic sheet formed by weaving a group of warp elements (or weft elements) composed of a multiplicity of insulating fibers and a plurality of relatively long magnetic elements disposed among said insulating fibers at predetermined regular spacings and a group of weft elements (or warp elements) having an arrangement similar to that of said group of warp elements (or weft elements) into a plain weave fabric, this fabric being hardened into a sheet-like configuration by means of an insulating resin, and four conductor sheets each having a plurality of linear conductor elements formed thereon so as to extend substantially parallel to each other, said magnetic sheet being disposed such that the magnetic elements in either said group of warp elements or said group of weft elements extend in a direction X, while those in the other of the two extend in a direction Y, said four conductor sheets being laid on the upper and lower sides of said magnetic sheet in pairs, respectively, such that the conductor elements of one of each pair of conductor sheets extend in the X direction, while the conductor elements of the other extend in the Y direction, and the corresponding conductor elements of the conductor sheets which extend in the same direction being connected together, thereby alternately forming exciting lines and detecting lines for the X direction and exciting lines and detecting lines for the Y direction;

a driving current source for supplying said exciting lines for the X and Y directions with an alternating current of a predetermined cycle;

a position designating magnetic generator for generating a stationary magnetic field, and

a position detecting circuit for obtaining voltages respectively induced in said detecting lines in the X and Y directions and calculating coordinate values of a position designated by said position designating magnetic generator from these induced voltages.

10. A position detecting device according to claim 9, further comprising another magnetic sheet disposed on each of the outer sides of the uppermost and lowermost conductor sheets of said four conductor sheets such that the magnetic elements in either said group of warp elements or said group of weft elements extend in the X direction, while those in the other of the two extend in the Y direction.

11. A position detecting device according to claim 9, further comprising a shielding sheet made of a non-magnetic metal and disposed on each of the outer sides of the uppermost and lowermost conductor sheets of said four.

12. A position detecting device according to claim 10, further comprising a shielding sheet made of a non-magnetic metal and disposed on the outer side of said another magnetic sheet.

13. In a position detecting device for detecting a position on a tablet designated by a position designating magnetic generator, the magnetic generator generating a stationary magnetic field, the detecting device comprising:

a coordinate input device with a display, the input device including a back light and a liquid crystal display, the back light and the liquid crystal display superposing over the tablet through a shielding plate made of a non-magnetic metal, the back light being interposed between the liquid crystal display and the shielding plate.