Scanning method for sensor coils in coordinate data input device

• US 5,691,513 A
• Filed: 09/25/1995
• Issued: 11/25/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Wacom Co Limited (Wacom)
• Original Assignee: Wacom Co Limited (Wacom)
• Inventors: Yoneda, Takeshi, Yamamoto, Masayasu
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shankar, Vijay
• Application Number:
  US08/533,458
• Time in Patent Office: 792 Days
• Field of Search: 178/18, 178/19, 345/173, 345/174, 345/175, 345/179
• US Class Current: 178/18.07
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/046 by electromagnetic means

Abstract

A primary object is to provide a scanning method resulting in high speed and correct operation in a coordinate data detecting process. The scanning method for succeedingly selecting sensor coils arranged on a sensor plate in a coordinate data input device comprises an interval scanning operation in which a limited number of the whole sensor coils are selected at a predetermined interval space to detect coordinate data of a pointing device. In one preferable mode, the above described interval scanning operation is repeated until a signal representing the existence of the pointing device is detected, and this interval scanning operation is performed on the respective sensor coil arrays. Each interval space includes one to three sensor coils.

Claims

1. In a coordinate data input system which includes a sensor plate containing a plurality of sensor coils arranged parallel to the detecting direction and a pointing device, and detects the coordinate data on the pointing device by an interaction between each one of the sensor coils and the pointing device, a scanning method for succeedingly selecting one from the sensor coils to detect the signal generated by the interaction comprising;

an interval scanning operation for scanning, skipping the predetermined number of sensor coils, the limited sensor coils located at the predetermined interval space of the whole sensor coils.

2. The scanning method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the interval scanning operation is repeated until the signal representing the existence of the pointing device is detected, and the interval scanning step is performed on respective arrays of the sensor coils.

3. The scanning method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the predetermined number of sensor coils to be skipped is one to three.

4. The scanning method as set forth in claim 2, wherein the interval scanning operation is applied to a first type of coordinate data input device which allows the selected sensor coil to transmit an electromagnetic signal to the pointing device and to receive the response electromagnetic signal generated by an electromagnetic interaction between the transmitted electromagnetic signal and a coil or resonant circuit included in the pointing device so that the received signal is detected as the coordinate data of the pointing device relating to the sensor plate;

and the interval scanning operation is performed to select the sensor coil.

5. The scanning method as set forth in claim 2, wherein the interval scanning operation is applied to a second type coordinate data input device which allows a first group of sensor coils to transmit an electromagnetic signal to the pointing device and a second group of sensor coils to receive the response electromagnetic signal generated by electromagnetic interaction between the transmitted electromagnetic signal and a coil or resonant circuit included in the pointing device so that the received signal is detected as the coordinate data of the pointing device relating to the sensor plate;

and the above described interval scanning operation is performed on both the first and second groups of sensor coils.

6. The scanning method as set forth in claim 5, wherein the first group of sensor coils and the second group of sensor coils are perpendicularly located to each other.

7. The scanning method as set forth in claim 5, wherein the above described first group of sensor coils and the second group of sensor coils are arranged in parallel.

8. The scanning method as set forth in claim 2, wherein the interval scanning operation is applied to a third type of coordinate data input device which allows the selected first group of sensor coils to transmit an electromagnetic signal to the pointing device and the selected second group of sensor coils to receive the response electromagnetic signal generated by an electromagnetic interaction between the transmitted electromagnetic signal and a coil or resonant circuit included in the pointing device so that the received signal is detected as the coordinate data of the pointing device relating to the sensor plate;

and the interval scanning operation is performed on only the first group of sensor coils.

9. The scanning method as set forth in claim 8, wherein the first group of sensor coils and the second group of sensor coils are perpendicularly located to each other.

10. The scanning method as set forth in claim 8, wherein the first group of sensor coils and the second group of sensor coils are arranged in parallel.

11. The scanning method as set forth in claim 2, wherein the interval scanning operation is applied to a fourth type of coordinate data input device which allows the selected first group of sensor coils to transmit an electromagnetic signal to the pointing device and the selected second group of sensor coils to receive the response electromagnetic signal generated by electromagnetic interaction between the transmitted electromagnetic signal and a coil or resonant circuit included in the pointing device so that the received signal is detected as the coordinate data of the pointing device relating to the sensor plate;

and the above interval scanning operation is performed on only the second group of sensor coils.

12. The scanning method as set forth in claim 11, wherein the first group of sensor coils and the second group of sensor coils are perpendicularly located to each other.

13. The scanning method as set forth in claim 11, wherein the first group of sensor coils and the second group of sensor coils are arranged in parallel.

14. The scanning method as set forth in claim 2, wherein the interval scanning operation is applied to a fifth type of coordinate data input device which allows the above described pointing device to transmit an electromagnetic signal and the selected sensor coil to receive the electromagnetic signal generated by an electromagnetic mutual function between the transmitted electromagnetic signal so that the received signal is detected as the coordinate data of the pointing device relating to the sensor plate;

and the above interval scanning operation is performed to select the sensor coils.

15. The scanning method as set forth in claim 2, wherein the interval scanning operation is applied to a sixth type of coordinate data input device which includes an amplifier, two groups of sensor coils being perpendicularly located to each other without electromagnetic coupling, and a resonant circuit included in the pointing device so that a positive feedback loop is formed by the amplifier, the two sensor coils selected from the two groups and respectively connected to the input terminal and output terminal of the amplifier to generate an self-oscillated signal which is detected as the coordinate data of the pointing device relating to the sensor plate;

and the above interval scanning operation is performed on both groups to select the sensor coils to be connected to the input terminal and output terminals of the amplifier.

16. The scanning method as set forth in claim 2, wherein the interval scanning operation is applied to a sixth type of coordinate data input device which includes an amplifier, two groups of sensor coils being perpendicularly located to each other without electromagnetic coupling, and a resonant circuit included in the pointing device so that a positive feedback loop is formed by the amplifier, the two sensor coils selected from the two groups and respectively connected to the input terminal and output terminal of the amplifier to generate an self-oscillated signal which is detected as the coordinate data of the pointing device relating to the sensor plate;

and the above interval scanning operation is performed on only one group to select the sensor coil to be connected to the input terminal of the amplifier.

17. The scanning method as set forth in claim 2, wherein interval scanning operation is applied to a sixth type of coordinate data input device which includes an amplifier, two groups of sensor coils being perpendicularly located to each other without electromagnetic coupling, and a resonant circuit included in the pointing device so that a positive feedback loop is formed by the amplifier, the two sensor coils selected from the above described two groups and respectively connected to the input terminal and output terminal of the amplifier to generate an self-oscillated signal which is detected as the coordinate data of the pointing device relating to the sensor plate;

and the above interval scanning operation is performed on only one group to select the sensor coil to be connected to the output terminal of the amplifier.