Input pen

• US 6,384,814 B1
• Filed: 02/11/1999
• Issued: 05/07/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Tanaka, Atsushi, Sato, Hajime, Kobayashi, Katsuyuki, Yoshimura, Yuichiro, Yanagisawa, Ryozo
• Primary Examiner(s): Saras, Steven
• Assistant Examiner(s): ENGLISH, ALECIA DIANE
• Application Number:
  US09/248,108
• Time in Patent Office: 1,181 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 345/179, 345/169, 702/95, 702/56, 528/272
• US Class Current: 345/179
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0433 in which the acoustic waves are either generated by a movable member and propagated within a surface layer or propagated within a surface layer and captured by a movable member

Abstract

An input pen includes a vibration generating element for generating a vibration, a vibration transmitting member for transmitting the vibration generated by the vibration generating element, and a pen tip member attached to a point of the vibration transmitting member and made of a material having viscoelasticity.

Claims

1. An input pen for a coordinate input apparatus for determining an input position on the basis of a vibration propagating on a vibration transmitting plate comprising:

a vibration generating element for generating a vibration;

a vibration transmitting member for transmitting the vibration generated by said vibration generating element;

a pen tip member attached to a point of said vibration transmitting member and made of a material having viscoelasticity,

wherein said vibration transmitting member has a semispherical point,

said pen tip member has a semispherical cavity bottom, and

the radius of the cavity bottom is smaller than a radius of the point.

2. The pen according to claim 1, wherein the material having viscoelasticity is acrylonitrilebutadiene rubber.

3. The pen according to claim 1, wherein the material having viscoelasticity is one material selected from the group consisting of rubber materials such as chloroprene rubber and butyl rubber, elastomers such as styrene-, olefin-, urethane-, polyester-, polyamide-, and vinyl chloride-based elastomers, and a combination thereof.

4. The pen according to claim 1, wherein a surface of said pen tip member is so treated as to decrease frictional resistance against said vibration transmitting plate.

5. An input pen for a coordinate input apparatus for determining an input position on the basis of a vibration propagating on a vibration transmitting plate comprising:

a vibration generating element for generating a vibration;

a vibration transmitting member for transmitting the vibration generated by said vibration generating element;

a pen tip member attached to a point of said vibration transmitting member and made of a material having viscoelasticity; and

a thickness of said pen tip member is 0.5 to 2 mm.

6. An input pen for a coordinate input apparatus for determining an input position on the basis of a vibration propagating on a vibration transmitting plate comprising:

a vibration generating element for generating a vibration;

a vibration transmitting member for transmitting the vibration generated by said vibration generating element;

a pen tip member attached to a point of said vibration transmitting member and made of a material having viscoelasticity,

wherein said vibration transmitting member has a plane point,

said pen tip member has a plane cavity bottom, and

a radius of the cavity bottom is smaller than a radius of the point.

7. The pen according to claim 6, wherein the material having viscoelasticity is acrylonitrilebutadiene rubber.

8. The pen according to claim 6, wherein the material having viscoelasticity is one material selected from the group consisting of rubber materials such as chloroprene rubber and butyl rubber, elastomers such as styrene-, olefin-, urethane-, polyester-, polyamide-, and vinyl chloride-based elastomers, and a combination thereof.

9. The pen according to claim 6, wherein a surface of said pen tip member is so treated as to decrease frictional resistance against said vibration transmitting plate.

10. An input pen for a coordinate input apparatus for determining an input position on the basis of a vibration propagating on a vibration transmitting plate comprising:

a vibration generating element for generating a vibration;

a vibration transmitting member for transmitting the vibration generated by said vibration generating element;

a pen tip member attached to a point of said vibration transmitting member and made of a material having viscoelasticity,

wherein said vibration transmitting member has a spherical point,

said pen tip member has a spherical cavity bottom, and

a radius of the cavity bottom is smaller than a radius of the point.

11. The pen according to claim 10, wherein the material having viscoelasticity is acrylonitrilebutadiene rubber.

12. The pen according to claim 10, wherein the material having viscoelasticity is one material selected from the group consisting of rubber materials such as chloroprene rubber and butyl rubber, elastomers such as styrene-, olefin-, urethane-, polyester-, polyamide-, and vinyl chloride-based elastomers, and a combination thereof.

13. The pen according to claim 10, wherein a surface of said pen tip member is so treated as to decrease frictional resistance against said vibration transmitting plate.

14. An input pen for a coordinate input apparatus for determining an input position on the basis of a vibration propagating on a vibration transmitting plate comprising:

a vibration generating element for generating a vibration;

a vibration transmitting member for transmitting the vibration generated by said vibration generating element;

a pen tip member attached to a point of said vibration transmitting member and made of a material having viscoelasticity; and

said pen tip is detachable.

15. An input pen for a coordinate input apparatus for determining an input position on the basis of a vibration propagating on a vibration transmitting plate comprising:

a vibration generating element for generating a vibration;

a vibration transmitting member for transmitting the vibration generated by said vibration generating element; and

a pen tip member attached to a point of said vibration transmitting member and having a molded layered structure including a first layer made of a material having viscoelasticity and a second layer formed on said first layer by using a resin material,

wherein said vibration transmitting member has a semispherical point,

said first layer of said pen tip member has a semispherical cavity bottom, and

a radius of the cavity bottom is smaller than a radius of the point.

16. An input pen for a coordinate input apparatus for determining an input position on the basis of a vibration propagating on a vibration transmitting plate comprising:

a vibration generating element for generating a vibration;

a vibration transmitting member for transmitting the vibration generated by said vibration generating element; and

a pen tip member attached to a point of said vibration transmitting member and having a molded layered structure including a first layer made of a material having viscoelasticity and a second layer formed on said first layer by using a resin material,

wherein the thickness of said first layer is 0.5 to 2 mm.

17. An input pen for a coordinate input apparatus for determining an input position on the basis of a vibration propagating on a vibration transmitting plate comprising:

a vibration generating element for generating a vibration;

a vibration transmitting member for transmitting the vibration generated by said vibration generating element; and

a pen tip member attached to a point of said vibration transmitting member and having a molded layered structure including a first layer made of a material having viscoelasticity and a second layer formed on said first layer by using a resin material,

wherein said vibration transmitting member has a plane point,

said first layer of said pen tip member has a plane cavity bottom, and

a radius of the cavity bottom is smaller than a radius of the point.

18. An input pen for a coordinate input apparatus for determining an input position on the basis of a vibration propagating on a vibration transmitting plate comprising:

a vibration generating element for generating a vibration;

a vibration transmitting member for transmitting the vibration generated by said vibration generating element; and

a pen tip member attached to a point of said vibration transmitting member and having a molded layered structure including a first layer made of a material having viscoelasticity and a second layer formed on said first layer by using a resin material,

wherein said vibration transmitting member has a spherical cavity bottom, and

a radius of the cavity bottom is smaller than a radius of the point.

19. An input pen for a coordinate input apparatus for determining an input position on the basis of a vibration propagating on a vibration transmitting plate comprising:

a vibration generating element for generating a vibration;

a vibration transmitting member for transmitting the vibration generated by said vibration generating element; and

a pen tip member attached to a point of said vibration transmitting member and having a molded layered structure including a first layer made of a material having viscoelasticity and a second layer formed on said first layer by using a resin material,

wherein said second layer is so molded as to form a semispherical shape on a point of said first layer.

20. An input pen for a coordinate input apparatus for determining an input position on the basis of a vibration propagating on a vibration transmitting plate comprising:

a vibration generating element for generating a vibration;

a vibration transmitting member for transmitting the vibration generated by said vibration generating element; and

a pen tip member attached to a point of said vibration transmitting member and having a molded layered structure including a first layer made of a material having viscoelasticity and a second layer formed on said first layer by using a resin material,

wherein said first layer is so molded as to form a semispherical shape in a cavity bottom of said second layer.

21. An input pen for a coordinate input apparatus for determining an input position on the basis of a vibration propagating on a vibration transmitting plate comprising:

a vibration generating element for generating a vibration;

a vibration transmitting member for transmitting the vibration generated by said vibration generating element; and

a pen tip member attached to a point of said vibration transmitting member and having a molded layered structure including a first layer made of a material having viscoelasticity and a second layer formed on said first layer by using a resin material,

wherein said pen tip member is manufactured by two-color molding.

22. An input pen for a coordinate input apparatus for determining an input position on the basis of a vibration propagating on a vibration transmitting plate comprising:

a vibration generating element for generating a vibration;

a vibration transmitting member for transmitting the vibration generated by said vibration generating element; and

a pen tip member attached to a point of said vibration transmitting member and having a molded layered structure including a first layer made of a material having viscoelasticity and a second layer formed on said first layer by using a resin material,

wherein said first and second layers are adhered by an adhesive.

23. An input pen for a coordinate input apparatus for determining an input position on the basis of a vibration propagating on a vibration transmitting plate comprising:

a vibration generating element for generating a vibration;

a vibration transmitting member for transmitting the vibration generated by said vibration generating element; and

a pen tip member attached to a point of said vibration transmitting member and having a molded layered structure including a first layer made of a material having viscoelasticity and a second layer formed on said first layer by using a resin material,

wherein said pen tip member is detachable.