Coordinates input method

• US 6,670,561 B2
• Filed: 08/10/2001
• Issued: 12/30/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Wacom Co Limited (Wacom)
• Original Assignee: Wacom Co Limited (Wacom)
• Inventors: Aoki, Toshio
• Primary Examiner(s): Mengistu, Amare
• Application Number:
  US09/925,930
• Publication Number:
  US 20020080124A1
• Time in Patent Office: 872 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/173, 345/179, 178/18.01, 178/20.01
• US Class Current: 178/18.01
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/046 by electromagnetic means

Abstract

Digitizer pointer position data corresponds to the absolute coordinates of a digitizer tablet having coordinate axes, and so when a user wishes to use a digitizer pointer like a mouse, different procedures are imposed on the user, sometimes requiring unnatural hand movements. A psuedomouse coordinate input method consists of providing a digitizer or coordinate input system having a coordinates indicator (e.g., a puck) for manipulation by a user, a tablet which detects the position of the coordinates indicator, and a host computer connected to the tablet to receive the output of the tablet. When the user grasps and moves the coordinates indicator, a coordinate information detecting step occurs which causes the coordinates indicator'"'"'s position to be detected by the tablet, and the tablet then generates coordinate information data including coordinate values of the coordinates indicator on the tablet before and after its movement or displacement. During a data transmission step, the coordinate indictor position data is transmitted to the host computer by the tablet. During a psuedomouse coordinate data acquisition step, the coordinates indicator position data is received by the host computer and utilized as data while each of the coordinate axes of the coordinate indicator are designated as standards. Self referenced or relative psuedo-mouse coordinates are computed from the position data corresponding to the coordinate axes of the designated standard, which are necessarily provided in the absolute coordinates of the digitizer tablet.

Claims

1. A method for generating a pseudomouse pointer signal when using a digitizer or tablet having arrays of orthogonal sensing coils corresponding to standard or absolute position coordinates rather than relative movement coordinates, as are customarily used with a mouse pointer, comprising the method steps of:

(a) providing a coordinate input system which consists of (i) a movable coordinates indicator adapted to be grasped and displaced by a user'"'"'s hand, (ii) a tablet having arrays of orthogonal sensing coils corresponding to absolute position coordinates, said tablet configured to detect the position of said movable coordinates indicator and to generate a position data signal in response thereto, and (iii) a host computer responsive to said tablet position data signal for generating a display signal;

(b) detecting the initial position of said movable coordinates indicator on said tablet before any displacement of said movable coordinates indicator by the user and generating an initial position data signal in response thereto;

(c) displacing said movable coordinates indicator across the tablet;

(d) sensing said displacement of said movable coordinates indicator with said tablet sensing coils;

(e) sensing a disposition of said movable coordinates indicator on said tablet after displacement of said movable coordinates indicator by the user, and, in response, generating an after displacement position data signal corresponding to the coordinate values of said movable coordinates indicator on said tablet after displacement of said movable coordinates indicator by the user;

(f) transmitting said initial position data signal to said host computer from said tablet;

(g) transmitting said after displacement position data signal to said host computer from said tablet; and

(h) computing relative pseudomouse movement coordinates from (i) the absolute tablet coordinates, (ii) the initial position data and (iii) the after displacement position data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

method step (a) further comprises

(a2) providing, in said movable coordinates indicator, a first coil and a second coil for emitting an alternating magnetic field;

said first and second coils being mutually separated by a selected distance; and

(a3) generating an alternating magnetic field in said movable coordinates indicator; and

wherein detecting step (b) comprises

(b1) detecting, in said tablet sensing coils, said alternating magnetic field generated by said movable coordinates indicator by amplifying the signals received in said tablet sensing coils; and

(b2) computing initial position data and generating initial position data signals for each of said first and second movable coordinates indicator coils, whereby the rotational orientation of said movable coordinates indicator may be determined.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said data transmission step (f) comprises transmitting initial position data signals for each of said first and second movable coordinates indicator coils to said host computer from said tablet, and

wherein computing step (g) comprises computing the relative pseudomouse movement coordinates by executing a software program stored in a memory of said host computer.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

method step (a) further comprises

(a2) providing, in said movable coordinates indicator, a first coil and a second coil for sensing a magnetic field;

said first and second coils being mutually separated by a selected distance;

(a3) providing, in said tablet, at least first and second multiple loop coils;

(a4) emitting an alternating magnetic field from said tablet multiple loop coils to excite said movable coordinates indicator first coil and second coil, and, in response,

(a5) generating an induction current based on an electromagnetic induction effect exerted within said movable coordinates indicator first coil and second coil by said alternating magnetic field; and

wherein method step (b) comprises

(b1) detecting said movable coordinates indicator first coil induction current and said movable coordinates indicator second coil induction current, and generating an amplified coordinate indicator position signal in response thereto; and

(b2) computing the initial location and rotational orientation of said movable coordinates indicator from said amplified coordinate indicator position signal and generating an initial position data signal in response thereto.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said data transmission step (f) comprises transmitting coordinate data for said initial location of said movable coordinates indicator to said host computer from said tablet, and

wherein computing step (g) comprises computing the relative pseudomouse movement coordinates by executing a software program stored in a memory of said host computer.

6. A method for generating a pseudomouse pointer signal when using a digitizer or tablet having arrays of orthogonal sensing coils corresponding to standard or absolute position coordinates rather than self-referenced or relative movement coordinates, as are customarily used with a mouse pointer, comprising the method steps of:

(a) providing a coordinate input system which consists of

(i) a movable coordinates indicator adapted to be grasped and displaced by a user'"'"'s hand and including a first coil and a second coil for sensing a magnetic field;

said first and second coils being mutually separated by a selected distance,

(ii) a tablet having arrays of orthogonal sensing coils corresponding to absolute position coordinates, said tablet configured to detect the position of said movable coordinates indicator and to generate a position data signal in response thereto, and

(iii) a host computer responsive to said tablet position data signal for generating a display signal;

(b) emitting an alternating magnetic field from said tablet orthogonal coils to excite said movable coordinates indicator first coil and second coil, and, in response,

(c) generating an induction current based on an electromagnetic induction effect exerted within said movable coordinates indicator first coil and second coil by said alternating magnetic field; and

(d) detecting the initial position and angular orientation of said movable coordinates indicator on said tablet before any displacement of said movable coordinates indicator by the user and generating an initial position data signal in response thereto.

7. The method for generating a pseudomouse pointer signal of claim 6, further comprising the steps of:

(e) displacing said movable coordinates indicator across the tablet;

(f) sensing said displacement of said movable coordinates indicator with said tablet sensing coils; and

(g) sensing a final disposition and angular orientation of said movable coordinates indicator on said tablet after displacement of said movable coordinates indicator by the user, and, in response, generating an after displacement position data signal corresponding to the coordinate values of said movable coordinates indicator on said tablet after displacement of said movable coordinates indicator by the user.

8. The method for generating a pseudomouse pointer signal of claim 7, further comprising the steps of:

(h) transmitting said initial position data signal to said host computer from said tablet;

(i) transmitting said after displacement position data signal to said host computer from said tablet; and

(k) computing relative pseudomouse movement coordinates from (i) the absolute tablet coordinates, (ii) the initial position data and (iii) the after displacement position data.