Coordinates input apparatus

• US 5,097,415 A
• Filed: 11/29/1990
• Issued: 03/17/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/1987
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Tanaka, Atsushi, Yoshimura, Yuichiro, Kaneko, Kiyoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Lall, Parshotam S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MELNICK, STEVEN A
• Application Number:
  US07/609,655
• Time in Patent Office: 474 Days
• Field of Search: 364/237.1 MS, 364/709.11, 364/705.03, 364/561, 364/560, 364/559, 364/460, 340/711, 340/710, 340/709, 340/706, 178/18, 367/129, 367/127, 367/122, 367/119, 367/105, 33/1 P, 73/625, 376/907
• US Class Current: 178/18.04
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0433 in which the acoustic waves are either generated by a movable member and propagated within a surface layer or propagated within a surface layer and captured by a movable member

Abstract

A coordinates input apparatus for detecting coordinates of an instructed position from a vibration progagation time on a vibration propagation plate is provided. This apparatus comprises; a vibration pen to generate a vibration; a vibration propagation plate with which the vibration pen is come into contact and which transmits the vibration; a sensor which is arranged in contact relation with the vibration propagation plate and detects the vibration; a vibration-proof material attached to the periphery of the vibration propagation plate so as to have a width of 1/2 of a wavelength of the elastic wave of the vibration; and an operation controller to calculate the contact position of the vibration pen on the vibration propagation plate from the detection time when the vibration was detected by the sensor. The sensor detects the surface wave of the vibration-proof material. With this apparatus, the coordinates of the instructed point can be accurately detected using the vibration with being hardly influenced by the reflected waves from the periphery of the plate.

Claims

1. A coordinates input apparatus comprising:

a vibration pen to generate a vibration;

a vibration propagation plate with which said vibration pen is brought into contact and which propagates the vibration;

a sensor which is arranged in contact relation with said vibration propagation plate and detects the vibration;

a vibration-proof material having an edge surface contacting said vibration propagation plate at a position spaced from a periphery of said vibration propagation plate by a distance which is substantially equal to an integer times 1/2 of a wavelength of a phase signal waveform of said vibration and further comprising arithmetic operating means for calculating a contact position of said vibration pen on said vibration propagation plate on the basis of an arrival time of the phase signal waveform of said vibration detected by said sensor and an arrival time of a group signal waveform of said vibration.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said sensor detects a plate wave transferred to said vibration propagation plate.

3. A coordinates input apparatus comprising:

a vibration pen to generate a vibration;

a vibration propagation plate with which said vibration pen is brought into contact and which propagates the vibration;

vibration-proof material attached at the periphery of said vibration propagation plate;

a sensor to detect the vibration which is propagated in said vibration propagation plate, said sensor being arranged in contact relation with said vibration propagation plate at a position spaced inside from the periphery of said vibration propagation plate by at least two wavelengths of a phase signal waveform of the vibration; and

arithmetic operating means for calculating a contact position of said vibration pen on said vibration propagation plate on the basis of an arrival time of the phase signal waveform of said vibration detected by said sensor and an arrival time of a group signal waveform of the vibration.

4. An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said sensor detects a plate wave transferred to said vibration propagation plate.

5. An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said vibration-proof material has an edge surface contacting said vibration propagation plate at a position spaced from said periphery of said vibration propagation plate by a distance which is substantially equal to an integer times 1/2 of a wavelength of the phase signal wave form of said vibration.