Pen input and output unit

• US 5,526,023 A
• Filed: 02/24/1995
• Issued: 06/11/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mutoh Industries Ltd. (Mutoh Holdings Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Mutoh Industries Ltd. (Mutoh Holdings Company Limited)
• Inventors: Furuichi, Hiroyuki, Sugimoto, Yuuji, Yanagi, Tadasahi, Ikuta, Tatuyoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Hjerpe, Richard
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHANG, KENT WU
• Application Number:
  US08/394,329
• Time in Patent Office: 473 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/173, 345/179, 345/180, 345/181, 345/182, 345/183, 345/902, 345/123, 382/13, 178/19, 178/18
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

In a pen input and output unit for inputting data by contacting a pen on an input surface of a tablet device and for displaying the input data, display data is updated by detecting that the pen is traveled by a predetermined distance while the pen is in contact with the input surface of the tablet device. The display data can continuously be updated by sliding, reciprocally traveling, circulating or the like the pen on the input surface.

Claims

1. A pen input and output unit for inputting data by contacting a pen with an input surface of a tablet device and for displaying input data on a display device, comprising:

a tablet device having an input surface, including a predetermined input area and a display area for displaying data;

contact detecting means for detecting when a pen is in contact with said input surface of said tablet device;

travel distance detecting means for detecting when said pen has travelled a predetermined distance while said pen remains in contact with said input surface; and

updating means for updating data displayed in said display area every time said travel distance detecting means detects that the pen has traveled a predetermined distance in said predetermined input area of said input surface, said predetermined distance being independent of any pattern of movement in which said pen has travelled while being in contact with said input surface, and said predetermined input area being spaced apart from said data display area.

2. The pen input and output unit according to claim 1, further comprising:

counting means for counting the number of times the pen contacts said input surface; and

means for updating the displayed data based upon the number counted by said counting means.

3. A pen input and output unit comprising:

a tablet having an input surface;

means for detecting when a pen is in contact with said input surface and for determining a contact point of the pen on said input surface;

a display device provided on said tablet for displaying data to be updated in one fixed area of a display surface, and for identifying an input area in the another fixed area of said display surface, said input area defining an area in which instructions for updating the data to be updated can be entered;

travel detecting means for detecting when the pen travels on said input area of said input surface by a predetermined distance while the pen remains in contact with said input area of said input surface; and

updating means for updating the data to be updated when said travel detecting means detects that the pen has travelled a predetermined distance on said input area, said predetermined distance being independent of any pattern of movement in which said pen has travelled while being in contact with said input surface.