High accuracy digitizer system

• US 5,854,449 A
• Filed: 09/11/1995
• Issued: 12/29/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: CalComp, Inc. (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Original Assignee: CalComp, Inc. (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Inventors: Adkins, David L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shankar, Vijay
• Application Number:
  US08/526,185
• Time in Patent Office: 1,205 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/157, 345/162, 345/179, 345/173, 345/178, 128/18.01, 128/18.02, 128/18.03, 128/18.05, 128/18.07, 128/19.01, 128/19.03
• US Class Current: 178/18.02
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04186 Touch location disambiguation

Abstract

A high accuracy digitizer system for determining the position of a pointer relative to a tablet comprising a tablet having a positional grid thereon, a processor for determining the coarse position of the pointer relative to the tablet, and an error correction system for generating the true position of the pointer relative to the tablet. In a particular embodiment, the pointer includes an electromagnetic transducer for inducing a signal in the positional grid and the processor is coupled to the positional grid for sensing the signal and generating the coarse position of the pointer. The error correction system receives the coarse position from the processor and generates a true position, the positional grid containing positional inaccuracies therein and the error correction system correcting for such inaccuracies.

Claims

1. A high accuracy digitizer system for determining the position of a pointer relative to a tablet comprising:

a tablet having a positional grid thereon, said positional grid having positional inaccuracies therein;

location means for determining the coarse position of said pointer relative to said tablet utilizing said positional grid on said tablet; and

error correction means containing information regarding said positional inaccuracies in said positional grid and coupled to said location means for receiving said coarse position from said location means and for generating the true position of said pointer relative to said tablet.

2. The digitizer system of claim 1 wherein said pointer includes an electromagnetic transducer for inducing a signal in said positional grid and said location means is coupled to said positional grid for sensing said signal and generating said coarse position of said pointer therefrom.

3. The digitizer system of claim 2 wherein said positional grid is an x-y grid of spaced conductors and said location means determines the x and y wire position of said pointer and the ratio of the distance to the next conductor.

4. The digitizer system of claim 1 wherein said positional grid is an x-y grid of spaced conductors and said location means includes first and second multiplexer means coupled thereto for receiving signals from said conductors for determining the x and y position of said pointer.

5. The digitizer system of claim 1 wherein said error correction means has stored therein x and y errors for each intersection point of said positional grid and applies said errors to said coarse position to generate said true position.

6. The method of producing a high accuracy digitizer system for determining the position of a pointer relative to a tablet having a positional grid thereon comprising:

placing a pointer in a plurality of selected positions over said positional grid;

generating a plurality of determined positions of said pointer from said positional grid correlating to said selected positions;

measuring the position of said pointer for each of said selected positions to generate a plurality of measured positions;

comparing each of said determined positions with each of said measured positions to determine deviations therefrom; and

generating an error correction system from said deviations for use with said tablet to produce said high accuracy digitizer system.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein said tablet is placed in a measurement system having said pointer mounted on orthogonal position encoders for placing said pointer in said plurality of selected positions over said positional grid.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein said measurement system measures the position of said pointer for each of said selected positions and generates said plurality of measured positions.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein said pointer includes an electromagnetic transducer for inducing a signal in said positional grid and said positional grid is coupled to a location system for generating said plurality of determined positions.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said location system compares each of said determined positions with each of said measured positions to determine said deviations, said deviations being stored in said error correction system.