Tablet stacked on LCD read after display line pulse signal in order to avoid impulse noise superposed on the tablet coordinate signal to improve measuring accuracy

• US 6,229,528 B1
• Filed: 11/10/1998
• Issued: 05/08/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Masuda, Akihiro, Okajima, Yoshio
• Primary Examiner(s): Saras, Steven
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bell, Paul A.
• Application Number:
  US09/188,385
• Time in Patent Office: 910 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 345/174, 345/179, 178/18.01, 178/18.03, 178/18.05, 178/18.06, 178/18.07, 178/18.08, 178/19.01, 178/19.03, 178/20.01, 178/20.02, 178/20.03, 178/20.04
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3262 Power saving in digitizer or tablet
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/045 using resistive elements, e.g. a single continuous surface or two parallel surfaces put in contact

Abstract

A liquid crystal tablet equipment which allows improvement in accuracy of coordinate measurements by removing undesirable influence of noise caused by line pulse signals applied to a liquid crystal display and allows coordinate measurement in shorter time period includes a liquid crystal display, a liquid crystal display control circuit for applying the line pulse signals at a prescribed interval to each of an array of pixels constituting the liquid crystal display, a tablet stacked on the liquid crystal display, an A/D converter receiving a coordinate signal output from the tablet, a tablet control circuit for calculating coordinate data from a digital signal output from the A/D converter, and a CPU for letting A/D converter output the digital signal after a prescribed time period from a timing of activation of the line pulse signal.

Claims

1. A coordinate data output equipment, comprising:

display means for displaying an image data on a screen;

line pulse generating means for applying line pulse signals with a prescribed interval to each of an array of pixels constituting said display means;

coordinate signal output means stacked on said display means for outputting a coordinate signal of a designated point;

digital signal converting means for converting said coordinate signal to a digital signal;

coordinate data calculating means for calculating a coordinate data from said digital signal;

control means for letting said digital signal converting means convert said coordinate signal to said digital signal after a prescribed time period from a timing of activation of one said line pulse signal;

wherein said control means counts a number of said line pulse signals from the timing of activation of one said time line pulse signal, and letting said digital signal converting means convert said coordinate signal to said digital signal after said prescribed time period from a time point when a count value of said line pulse signals attains a prescribed value;

said prescribed value being determined dependent on a relation with a time necessary for a switching element constituting said coordinate data calculating means to be electrically stabilized;

wherein said line pulse generating means further applies an ac converting signal having its polarity inverted at every prescribed interval to said display means;

said coordinate data output equipment further comprising ac converting signal inversion detecting means for detecting inversion of the polarity of said ac converting signal; and

wherein said control means has said digital signal converting means convert said coordinate signal to said digital signal if the count value of said line pulse signals attains said prescribed value and said prescribed time period has past from a time point when the polarity of said ac converting signal is not inverted.

2. The coordinate data output equipment according to claim 1, wherein

said line pulse generating means further applies an ac converting signal having its polarity inverted at every prescribed interval to said display means;

said coordinate data output equipment further includes an ac converting signal inversion detecting circuit for detecting inversion of the polarity of said ac converting signal; and

wherein

said control signal has said digital signal converting means convert said coordinate signal to said digital signal at a timing when the polarity of said ac converting signal is not inverted and said prescribed time period has passed from activation of one said line pulse signal.

3. The coordinate data output equipment according to claim 1, wherein

said control means measures pushing pressure of one of X and Y directions of said coordinate signal output means after a prescribed time period from the timing of activation of said line pulse signal, has said digital signal converting means convert said coordinate signal in X and Y directions output from said coordinate signal output means to said digital signal when the pushing pressure of said one direction is not smaller than a first pressure, has said coordinate data calculating means convert said digital signal to said coordinate data, measures pushing pressure of the other one of the X and Y directions of said coordinate signal output means after conversion to said coordinate data, and determines that said coordinate data is accurate if pushing pressure of said the other direction is not smaller than a second pressure.

4. The coordinate data output equipment according to claim 1, wherein

said control means measures pushing pressure in X and Y directions of said coordinate signal output means after said prescribed time period from the timing of activation of said line pulse signal, has said digital signal converting means convert said coordinate signal in X and Y directions output from said coordinate signal output means to said digital signal if measured said pushing pressures are not smaller than first and second pressures, respectively, has said coordinate data calculating means convert said digital signal to said coordinate data, measures pushing pressures in X and Y directions of said coordinate signal output means after conversion to said coordinate data, and determines that said coordinate data is accurate if the second measured said pushing pressures are not smaller than said first and second pressures, respectively.

5. A coordinate data output equipment, comprising:

display means for displaying an image data on a screen;

line pulse generating means for outputting line pulse signals at a prescribed interval to each of an array of pixels constituting said display means;

coordinate signal output means stacked on said display means for outputting a coordinate signal of a designated point;

digital signal converting means for converting said coordinate signal to a digital signal;

coordinate data calculating means for calculating coordinate data from said digital signal;

a first counter for counting number of system clocks from a timing of activation of one said line pulse signal until the number reaches a first count number;

control means for letting said digital signal converting means convert said coordinate signal to said digital signal after counting up of said first counter;

wherein

said first count number is determined dependent on a relation with a time period necessary for noise of said coordinate signal generated by activation of said line pulse signal to attenuate;

a second counter for counting the number of said system clocks up to a second count number;

a third counter for counting the number of said line pulses up to a third count number, from a time point when said second counter is counted up;

wherein said second count number is determined dependent on a relation with a time period for a switching element constituting said coordinate data calculating means to be electrically stabilized, and

said first counter starts counting from a time point when said third counter is counted up.

6. The coordinate data output equipment according to claim 5, further comprising:

first, second and third registers for setting said first, second and third count numbers in said first, second and third counters, respectively.

7. The coordinate data output equipment according to claim 6, further comprising:

a fourth counter for counting the number of the system clocks up to a fourth count number when said line pulse generating means is not in operation; and

a fourth register for setting said fourth count number in said fourth counter;

wherein

said fourth count number is determined dependent on a relation with a time period for said switching element constituting said coordinate data calculating means to be electrically stabilized, and

said first counter starts counting from a time point when said third counter or said fourth counter is counted up.

8. The coordinate data output equipment according to claim 5, further comprising:

a fourth counter for counting the number of the system clocks up to a fourth count number when said line pulse generating means is not in operation;

wherein

said fourth count number is determined dependent on a relation with a time period for said switching element constituting said coordinate data calculating means to be electrically stabilized, and

said first counter starts counting from a time point when said third counter or said fourth counter is counted up.

9. The coordinate data output equipment according to claim 5, further comprising:

a first register for setting said first count number in said first counter.

10. A liquid crystal tablet equipment, comprising:

a liquid crystal display;

a display control circuit for applying line pulse signals at a prescribed interval to each of an array of pixels constituting said liquid crystal display;

a tablet stacked on said liquid crystal display;

a A/D converter receiving a coordinate signal output from said tablet;

a tablet control circuit for calculating coordinate data from a digital signal output from said A/D converter;

a CPU for letting said A/D converter output said digital signal, after a prescribed time period from a timing of activation of one said line pulse signal;

wherein said CPU counts the number of said line pulse signals from a timing of activation of one said line pulse signal, and has said A/D converter output said digital signal after said prescribed time period from a time point when count value of said line pulse signals attains a prescribed value, and

wherein said prescribed value is determined dependent on a relation with a time period for a switching element constituting said tablet control circuit to be electrically stabilized;

wherein said liquid crystal display control circuit further applies an ac converting signal having its polarity inverted at a prescribed interval to said liquid crystal display;

said liquid crystal tablet equipment further comprising an ac converting signal inversion detecting circuit for detecting inversion of the polarity of said ac converting signal; and

wherein said CPU has said A/D converter output said digital signal if the count value of said line pulse signals attains said prescribed value and said prescribed time period has past from a time point when the polarity of said ac converting signal is not inverted.

11. The liquid crystal tablet equipment according to claim 10, wherein

said liquid crystal display control circuit further applies an ac converting signal having its polarity inverted at a prescribed interval to said liquid crystal display;

said liquid crystal tablet equipment further comprising an ac converting signal inversion detecting circuit for detecting inversion of the polarity of said ac converting signal;

wherein

said CPU has said A/D converter output said digital signal at a timing when the polarity of said ac converting signal is not inverted and said prescribed time period has passed from activation of one said line pulse signal.

12. The liquid crystal tablet equipment according to claim 10, wherein

said CPU measures pushing pressure of one of X and Y directions of said tablet after said prescribed time period from the timing of activation of said line pulse signal, if the pushing pressure of said one direction is not smaller than a first pressure, has said A/D converter convert said coordinate signal in X and Y directions output from said tablet to said digital signal, has said tablet control circuit convert said digital signal to said coordinate data, measures pushing pressure in the other of X and Y directions of said tablet after conversion to said coordinate data, and if said the other pushing pressure is not smaller than a second pressure, determines that said coordinate data is accurate.

13. The liquid crystal tablet equipment according to claim 10, wherein

said CPU measures pushing pressures of X and Y directions of said tablet after said prescribed time period from the timing of activation of said line pulse signal, if said measured pushing pressures are not smaller than first and second pressures, respectively, has said A/D converter convert said coordinate signal in X and Y directions output from said tablet to said digital signal, has said tablet control circuit convert said digital signal to said coordinate data, measures pushing pressures in X and Y directions of said tablet after conversion to said coordinate data and if the second measured said pushing pressures are not smaller than said first and second pressures, determines that said coordinate data is accurate.

14. A liquid crystal tablet equipment, comprising:

a liquid crystal display;

a liquid crystal display control circuit for outputting line pulse signals at a prescribed interval to each of an array of pixels constituting said liquid crystal display;

a tablet stacked on said liquid crystal display;

an A/D converter receiving a coordinate signal output from said tablet;

a tablet control circuit for calculating coordinate data from a digital signal output from said A/D converter;

a first counter for counting system clocks up to a first count number from a timing of activation of said line pulse signal;

a CPU for letting said A/D converter output said digital signal after said first counter is counted up;

wherein

said first count number is determined dependent on a relation with a time period necessary for noise of said coordinate signal generated by activation of one said line pulse signal to attenuate;

a second counter for counting the number of said system clocks up to a second count number;

a third counter for counting the number of said line pulse signals up to a third count number from a time point when said second counter is counted up;

wherein said second count number is determined dependent on a relation with a time period for a switching element constituting said tablet control circuit to be electrically stabilized, and

wherein said first counter starts counting from a time point when said third counter is counted up.

15. The liquid crystal tablet equipment according to claim 14, further comprising:

first, second and third registers for setting said first, second and third count numbers in said first, second and third counters.

16. The liquid crystal tablet equipment according to claim 15, further comprising

a fourth counter for counting the number of system clocks up to a fourth count number when said liquid crystal display control circuit is not in operation;

and

a fourth register for setting said fourth count number in said fourth counter;

wherein

said fourth count number is determined dependent on a relation with time for said switching element constituting said tablet control circuit to be electrically stabilized, and

said first counter starts counting from a time point when said third counter or said fourth counter is counted up.

17. The liquid crystal tablet equipment according to claim 14, further comprising a fourth counter for counting the number of system clocks up to a fourth count number when said liquid crystal display control circuit is not in operation;

wherein

said fourth count number is determined dependent on a relation with time for said switching element constituting said tablet control circuit to be electrically stabilized, and

said first counter starts counting from a time point when said third counter or said fourth counter is counted up.

18. The liquid crystal tablet equipment according to claim 14, further comprising a first register for setting said first count number in said first counter.