Coordinate input device

• US 6,104,386 A
• Filed: 02/20/1998
• Issued: 08/15/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ALPS Electric Company Limited (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: ALPS Electric Company Limited (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Yaotani, Takeshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Au, Amelia
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bali, Vikkram
• Application Number:
  US09/026,568
• Time in Patent Office: 907 Days
• Field of Search: 382/125, 382/124, 382/151, 382/291, 382/288, 178/18.01, 178/18.03, 178/18.06, 178/18.02, 345/173, 345/179, 345/174, 345/175, 348/87, 395/200.33
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/045 using resistive elements, e.g. a single continuous surface or two parallel surfaces put in contact
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/047 using sets of wires, e.g. crossed wires

Abstract

A coordinate input device of a low manufacturing cost is to be provided using a position detector and an arithmetic unit of simple configurations. The coordinate input device comprises a contact type coordinate detecting section provided with a first substrate having a plurality of X electrodes arranged in parallel in X-axis direction and a second substrate having a plurality of X electrodes arranged in parallel in X-axis direction, the first and second substrates being disposed in proximity to each other, and some of the X and Y electrodes being rendered conductive by a pushing operating of an operating means, a scanning section which provides scanning signals successively to the X electrodes, a position detecting section which outputs detection signals from the Y electrodes during scanning of the X electrodes, and an arithmetic section which calculates X and Y coordinate positions on the basis of both scanning signals and detection signals. The X and Y coordinate positions calculated by the arithmetic section correspond to central coordinate positions operated by the operating means and detected from the differences between conducted maximum X, Y coordinate positions and minimum X, Y coordinate positions.

Claims

1. A coordinate input device comprising:

a contact type coordinate detecting section provided with a first substrate having a plurality of X electrodes arranged in parallel in a X-axis direction and a second substrate having a plurality of Y electrodes arranged in parallel in a Y-axis direction, said first and second substrates being disposed in proximity to each other, said X electrodes and said Y electrodes being rendered conductive at a plurality of locations through a pushing operation of an operating means;

a scanning section for providing in sequence a scanning signal to said X electrodes;

a position detecting section for outputting said scanning signal as a detecting signal of the Y electrodes when said X electrodes are scanned; and

an arithmetic section for calculating a central position of said X electrodes and a central position of said Y electrodes on the basis of said scanning signal and said detecting signal, wherein said central position of said X electrode is calculated by the equation {(Xmax-Xmin)/2}+Xmin, said Xmax being a maximum conductive X electrode and Xmin being a minimum conductive X electrode selected from said plurality of conductive locations, and said central position of said Y electrode is calculated by the equation {(Ymax-Ymin/2}+Ymin, said Ymax being a maximum conductive Y electrode and Ymin being a minimum conductive Y electrode selected from said plurality of conductive locations, said central position of said X electrode and said central position of said Y electrode being outputted as new position detecting data coordinate and being temporarily stored in an internal memory further wherein said arithmetic section compares said new position detecting coordinate with a preceding position detecting data coordinate stored in said internal memory to determine any shift in said plurality of conductive locations, any said shift being outputted as a moving direction and a moving speed.

2. A coordinate input device according to claim 1, wherein said operating means is a finger of an operator.

3. A coordinate input device according to claim 1, wherein said arithmetic section generates a switch data from a switch data generating section when said arithmetic section determines that there has been no shift in said plurality of conductive locations between successive calculations of said central position of said X electrode and said central position of said Y electrode, said no shift in said plurality of conductive locations being interpreted as a tapping operating of said operating means, further wherein said switch data is output by said arithmetic section in place of said output of said new position detecting data coordinate.