Wireless pen tablet

• US 5,504,279 A
• Filed: 12/27/1994
• Issued: 04/02/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T IPM Corp. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sizer, Theodore II
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Stephen
• Assistant Examiner(s): LOOMIS, PAUL A
• Application Number:
  US08/364,332
• Time in Patent Office: 462 Days
• Field of Search: 178/18, 178/19, 178/87, 375/232, 375/239, 332/112, 329/313
• US Class Current: 178/18.01
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• 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

Abstract

A wireless communication apparatus sends X and Y coordinate position signals of a pen on a tablet using position modulation of three pulses, the time separation between the first and second pulses being proportional to the X position and the time spacing between the second and third pulses being proportional to the Y position. At a receiver, the three-pulse wireless signal is received and the X and Y coordinate information is determined therefrom.

Claims

1. Wireless transmitter apparatus for sending multiple coordinate information signals, comprising

means for receiving multiple coordinate data including first and second coordinate signals and

generating means, responsive to received first and second coordinate signals, for generating a three-pulse wireless signal including a first pulse as a start pulse, a second pulse separated from said start pulse by a time proportional to the first coordinate signal, and a third pulse separated from said second pulse by a time proportional to the second coordinate signal.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further including

a first means for generating and outputting the first coordinate signal to said receiving means and

a second means for generating and outputting the second coordinate signal to said receiving means.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the generating means includes

a clock signal means,

means for generating said start pulse,

means, responsive to said start pulse and the clock signal, for converting the first coordinate signal to said second pulse,

means, responsive to said first coordinate signal and the clock signal, for converting the second coordinate signal to said third pulse.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 including

a tablet coordinate matrix, responsive to a touching thereon by a stylus, for generating the first and second coordinate signals for output to said receiving means.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the wireless signal is a radio signal.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the wireless signal is an infrared signal.

7. Wireless receiver apparatus, comprising

means for receiving a three-pulse wireless signal including a first pulse as a start pulse, a second pulse separated from said start pulse by a time proportional to a first coordinate signal, and a third pulse separated from said second pulse by a time proportional to a second coordinate signal, and

means, responsive to a received three-pulse wireless signal, for determining therefrom the first and second coordinate signals.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the determining means includes

a clock for generating clock pulses,

a counter, and

a controller, responsive to the first pulse, for enabling the counter to count clock pulses to generate a first count indicative of the first coordinate signal and, responsive to the second pulse, for enabling the counter to count clock pulses to generate a second count indicative of the second coordinate signal.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the three-pulse wireless signal is a radio signal.

10. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the three-pulse wireless signal is an infrared signal.

11. Wireless communication system for communicating multiple coordinate information signals, comprising

at a transmitter,

means for receiving multiple coordinate data including a first and second coordinate signals for defining a coordinate position and

generating means, responsive to the first and second coordinate signals, for generating a three-pulse wireless signal including a first pulse as a start pulse, a second pulse separated from said start pulse by a time proportional to the first coordinate signal, and a third pulse separated from said second pulse by a time proportional to the second coordinate signal;

and

at a receiver,

means for receiving the three-pulse wireless signal and

means, responsive to a received three-pulse wireless signal, for determining therefrom the first and second coordinate signals.

12. A method of operating a wirless transmitter apparatus for sending multiple coordinate information signals, comprising the steps of

receiving multiple coordinate data including first and second coordinate signals and

generating, in response to a received first and second coordinate signals, a three-pulse wireless signal including a first pulse as a start pule, a second pulse separated from said start pulse by a time proportional to the first coordinate signal, and a third pulse separated from said second pulse by a time proportional to the second coordinate signal.

13. A method of operating a wireless receiver apparatus, comprising the steps of

receiving a three-pulse wireless signal including a first pulse as a start pulse, a second pulse separated from said start pulse by a time proportional to a first coordinate signal, and third pulse separated from said second pulse by a time proportional to a second coordinate signal and

determining the first and second coordinate signals from the received three-pulse wireless signal.