Position pointing device including a controller for an AC field emitter in accordance with a binary code

• US 5,679,930 A
• Filed: 10/05/1994
• Issued: 10/21/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Wacom Co Limited (Wacom)
• Original Assignee: Wacom Co Limited (Wacom)
• Inventors: Katsurahira, Yuji
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shankar, Vijay
• Application Number:
  US08/318,171
• Time in Patent Office: 1,112 Days
• Field of Search: 178/18, 178/19, 178/20, 345/179, 345/180-184, 340/825.54, 340/820.3, 340/820.31, 364/709.1, 364/709.11, 364/709.13
• US Class Current: 178/19.06
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04162 for exchanging data with external devices, e.g. smart pens, via the digitiser sensing hardware
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/046 by electromagnetic means

Abstract

A position pointing device codes information corresponding to an operation expressed by a continuously variable parameter without using an A/D converter and transmits the coded information to a position detecting device. The information corresponding to the operation expressed by the continuously variable parameter is converted into a time length. A counter counts the number of waves of an AC field received by a receiving circuit within the time length determined by the converting circuit, and performs binary coding of the counted value. A control circuit controls an emitter circuit in accordance with the binary code to change an AC field which is sent back to the position detecting device.

Claims

1. A position pointing device, comprising:

a receiver for receiving an AC field of a predetermined frequency radiated from a position detecting device;

an emitter for sending an AC field of a desired frequency back to said position detecting device;

a controller for controlling said emitter in accordance with a binary code indicative of information corresponding to an operation which is expressed by a continuously variable parameter, so as to cause a change in said AC field to be sent back to said position detecting device;

a converter for converting said information corresponding to said operation into a time length; and

a counter for counting the number of waves of said AC field of the predetermined frequency received within the time length determined by said converter and for binary-coding the counted value.

13. A position pointing device according to claim 1, wherein said converter comprises an element which continuously changes its characteristic in accordance with the operation expressed by the continuously variable parameter.

14. A position pointing device according to claim 1, wherein said converter comprises a time constant circuit including an impedance which continuously changes in value in accordance with the operation expressed by the continuously variable parameter.

15. A position pointing device according to claim 1, wherein said receiver and said emitter comprise a resonance circuit.

16. A position pointing device according to claim 15, wherein said controller controls the resonance characteristic of said resonance circuit.

17. A position pointing device according to claim 15, further comprising a power extractor for extracting electric energy for driving circuits in said device, from said AC field of the predetermined frequency received by said resonance circuit.

2. A position pointing device, comprising:

a receiver for receiving an AC field of a predetermined frequency radiated at predetermined intervals from a position detecting device;

an emitter for sending an AC field of a desired frequency back to said position detecting device;

a timing extractor for extracting said predetermined intervals from the received AC field;

a controller for controlling, at preselected intervals based on said predetermined intervals, said emitter in accordance with a binary code indicative of information corresponding to an operation which is expressed by a continuously variable parameter, so as to cause a change in said AC field which is to be sent back to said position detecting device;

a converter for converting said information corresponding to said operation into a time length; and

a counter for counting the number of waves of said AC field of the predetermined frequency received within the time length determined by said converter and for binary-coding the counted value.

10. A position pointing device according to claim 2, wherein said AC field of the predetermined frequency is intermittently radiated from said position detecting device over a predetermined duration at a predetermined period of repetition, and said emitter is controlled in synchronization with the suspension of radiating during the intermittent radiation of said AC field.

11. A position pointing device according to claim 2, wherein the radiation of said AC field of the predetermined frequency from said position pointing device includes a continuous AC field emitted for a predetermined length of time or longer and a subsequent intermittent radiation emitted over a predetermined duration with a repetition period sufficiently shorter than the time length of the continuous radiation, and said emitter is controlled in synchronization with the suspension of the AC field which occurs after the continuous AC field is emitted for the predetermined length of time or longer.

3. A position pointing device, comprising:

a receiver for receiving an AC field of a predetermined frequency radiated from a position pointing device;

an emitter for sending an AC field of a desired frequency back to said position detecting device;

a controller for controlling said emitter in accordance with a binary code indicative of information corresponding to an operation which is expressed by a continuously variable parameter, so as to cause a change in said AC field to be sent back to said position detecting device;

plural converters for converting a plurality of kinds of information corresponding to a plurality of types of operation expressed by continuously variable parameters into time lengths; and

plural counters for counting the number of waves of said AC field of the predetermined frequency received within the respective time lengths determined by said converters and for binary-coding the counted values.

4. A position pointing device, comprising:

a receiver for receiving an AC field of a predetermined frequency radiated at predetermined intervals from a position detecting device;

an emitter for sending an AC field of a desired frequency back to said position detecting device;

a timing extractor for extracting said predetermined intervals from the received AC field;

a controller for controlling, at preselected intervals based on said predetermined intervals, said emitter in accordance with a binary code indicative of information corresponding to an operation which is expressed by a continuously variable parameter, so as to cause a change in said AC field to be sent back to said position detecting device;

plural converters for converting a plurality of kinds of information corresponding to a plurality of types of operation expressed by continuously variable parameters into time lengths; and

plural counters for counting the number of waves of said AC field of the predetermined frequency received within the respective time lengths determined by said converting means and for binary-coding the counted values.

5. A position pointing device, comprising:

a receiver for receiving an AC field of a predetermined frequency radiated at predetermined intervals from a position detecting device;

an emitter for sending an AC field of a desired frequency back to said position detecting device;

a timing extractor for extracting said predetermined intervals from the received AC field;

a controller for controlling, at preselected intervals based on said predetermined intervals, said emitter in accordance with a binary code indicative of information corresponding to an operation which is expressed by a continuously variable parameter, so as to cause a change in said AC field to be sent back to said position detecting device;

plural converters for converting a plurality of kinds of information corresponding to a plurality of types of operation expressed by continuously variable parameters into time lengths;

a counter for counting the number of waves of the received AC field of the predetermined frequency and for binary coding the counted value;

a counter controller for initiating operation of said plural converters at a preselected timing based on said predetermined intervals while initiating the operation of said counter at said preselected intervals or intervals synchronized therewith; and

a memory for holding the counted values as obtained by said counter at moments at which the time lengths determined by said converters expire.

7. A position pointing device according to claim 5, wherein the operation of said counter is ceased when the value counted by said counter has reached a predetermined maximum value to be measured.

12. A position pointing device according to claim 5, wherein the field of said AC field of the predetermined frequency emitted from said position pointing device includes a continuous field emitted for a predetermined length of time or longer and a subsequent intermittent field emitted over a predetermined duration with a repetition period sufficiently shorter than the time length of the continuous field, and wherein the duration of radiation of said AC field from said position detecting device emitted for said predetermined length of time or longer is used as said preselected interval.

6. A position pointing device, comprising:

a receiver for receiving an AC field of a predetermined frequency radiated at predetermined intervals from a position detecting device;

an emitter for sending an AC field of a desired frequency back to said position detecting device;

a timing extractor for extracting said predetermined intervals from the received AC field;

a controller for controlling, at preselected intervals based on said predetermined intervals, said emitter in accordance with a binary code indicative of information corresponding to an operation which is expressed by a continuously variable parameter, so as to cause a change in said AC field to be sent back to said position detecting device;

plural converters for converting a plurality of kinds of information corresponding to plural types of operation expressed by continuously variable parameters into time lengths;

a counter for counting the number of waves of the received AC field of the predetermined frequency and for binary coding the counted value;

a counter controller for successively initiating the operations of said plural converters one after another at a series of intervals of a predetermined time interval starting with a preselected interval based on said predetermined intervals, while repeatedly initiating the operation of said counter at said series of intervals or at intervals synchronized therewith; and

a memory for holding the counted values as obtained by said counter at moments at which the time lengths determined by said converter expire.

9. A position pointing device according to claim 6, wherein the operation of said counter is ceased when the time length determined by the converter is operated last expires or at a time synchronized therewith.

8. A position pointing device, comprising:

a receiver for receiving an AC field of a predetermined frequency radiated at predetermined intervals from a position detecting device;

an emitter for sending an AC field of a desired frequency back to said position detecting device;

a timing extractor for extracting said predetermined intervals from the received AC field;

a controller for controlling, at preselected intervals based on said predetermined intervals, said emitter in accordance with a binary code indicative of information corresponding to an operation which is expressed by a continuously variable parameter, so as to cause a change in the AC field to be sent back to said position detecting device;

plural converters for converting plural types of information corresponding to plural types of operation expressed by continuously variable parameters into time lengths;

a counter for counting the number of waves of the received AC field of the predetermined frequency and for binary coding the counted value;

a counting controller for initiating the operation of one of said plural converters and then initiating the operation of the next one of said plural converters at a interval at which the time length determined by said one of said plural converters expires or at a timing synchronized therewith, thus sequentially initiating operations of the remainder of converters one after another, while repeatedly initiating the operation of said counter at the intervals of initiation of the successive converters or at intervals synchronized therewith; and

a memory for holding the counted values as obtained in said counter at moments at which the time lengths determined by said converters expire.