Coordinate reading device

• US 6,778,167 B2
• Filed: 09/04/2001
• Issued: 08/17/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Brother Industries Limited)
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Brother Industries Limited)
• Inventors: Ohashi, Tsuyoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Xiao
• Assistant Examiner(s): Abdulselam, Abbas I
• Application Number:
  US09/944,351
• Publication Number:
  US 20020041272A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,078 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 345/179, 345/157, 345/174, 345/177, 345/176, 345/427, 345/586, 345/156, 178/18.01, 178/19.03, 235/449
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04186 Touch location disambiguation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/046 by electromagnetic means

Abstract

When a voltage difference diff of a vertex (maximum value) of a standard Position Resolving Table (PRT) is Dps, the voltage difference diff of a vertex (maximum value) of a tilted PRT is Dp, an amount of shift of the vertex in a horizontal direction is ΔS, and a half of a coil placement pitch is Ls/2, a ratio of Dps to Dp (Gain) is equal to Dps/Dp (Gain=Dps/Dp). A value showing a proportion of a displacement of the vertex of the titled PRT with respect to the vertex of the standard PRT and the range of Ls/2 (Slide) is equal to ΔS/(Ls/2). Therefore, a positional error due to a tilt of a stylus or a change in a battery voltage can be corrected.

Claims

1. A coordinate reading device, comprising:

a coordinate input sheet that has a coordinate input area for inputting a coordinate by a coordinate input device generating an alternating magnetic field, and a plurality of loop coils laid under the coordinate input area;

a coil detecting device that detects a coil that generates a maximum signal level and a coil that generates a first signal level that is a larger signal level generated from one of coils adjacent to the coil generating the maximum signal level, in accordance with a strength of the alternating magnetic field generated from the coordinate input device;

a first storage device that stores a first relationship between the maximum signal level and the first signal level and a second relationship between the first relationship and a distance between a predetermined position and the coordinate input device on the coordinate input area;

a reading controller that reads a distance, corresponding to the first relationship obtained based on the detected maximum signal level and the first signal level, from the first storage device, and reads a positional coordinate of the coordinate input device on the coordinate input plane based on the read distance;

a signal level detecting device that detects a second signal level in which two signal levels detected from coils adjacent to each other of the plurality of coils are substantially equal to each other, in accordance with the strength of the alternating magnetic field;

a signal level calculating device that calculates a third relationship between a third signal level and a fourth signal level which are generated from at least two coils adjacent to the outside of the adjacent coils generating the second signal level detected by the signal level detecting device;

a second storage device that stores relationships between the second signal level and the third relationship and a correction; and

a correcting device that corrects the second relationship stored in the first storage device by reading the correction, corresponding to the second signal level detected by the signal level detecting device and the third relationship calculated by the signal level calculating device, from the second storage device.

2. The coordinate reading device according to claim 1, wherein the correction stored in the second storage device is an amount of linear changes in the first relationship and the distance which are obtained in advance by measurement when a center axis of the coordinate input device is tilted against the coordinate input area from a state where the coordinate input device is perpendicular to the coordinate input area.

3. The coordinate reading device according to claim 1, wherein the correction stored in the second storage device is an expression that establishes the relationship between the first relationship and the distance when the center axis of the coordinate input device is tilted against the coordinate input area from a state where the coordinate input device is perpendicular to the coordinate input area, by the second signal level and the third relationship obtained in advance by the measurement.

4. The coordinate reading device according to claim 1, wherein the coordinate input device includes a power supply therein, and the second storage device stores relationships between the second signal level, the third relationship and voltage of the power supply and the correction when the center axis of the coordinate input device is tilted against the coordinate input area from a state where the coordinate input device is perpendicular to the coordinate input area, the coordinate reading device further comprising a warning device that warns of exhaustion of the power supply when the voltage of the power supply, which is read from the second storage device and corresponding to the second signal level detected by the second signal level detecting device and the third relationship calculated by the signal level calculating device, is lower than a predetermined voltage.

5. A method of reading a coordinate from a coordinate reading device comprising a coordinate input sheet that has a coordinate input area for inputting a coordinate by a coordinate input device generating an alternating magnetic field, and a plurality of loop coils laid under the coordinate input area, comprising the steps of:

detecting a coil that generates a maximum signal level and a coil that generates a first signal level that is a larger signal level generated from one of coils adjacent to the coil generating the maximum signal level, in accordance with a strength of the alternating magnetic field generated from the coordinate input device;

storing a first relationship between the maximum signal level and the first signal level and a second relationship between the first relationship and a distance between a predetermined position and the coordinate input device on the coordinate input area;

reading a distance, corresponding to the first relationship obtained based on the detected maximum signal level and the first signal level and reading a positional coordinate of the coordinate input device on the coordinate input plane based on the read distance;

detecting a second signal level in which two signal levels detected from coils adjacent to each other of the plurality of coils are substantially equal to each other, in accordance with the strength of the alternating magnetic field;

calculating a third relationship between a third signal level and a fourth signal level which are generated from at least two coils adjacent to the outside of the adjacent coils generating the detected second signal level;

storing relationships between the second signal level and the third relationship and a correction; and

correcting the stored second relationship by reading the correction, corresponding to the detected second signal level and the calculated third relationship.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the stored correction is an amount of linear changes in the first relationship and the distance which are obtained in advance by measurement when a center axis of the coordinate input device is tilted against the coordinate input area from a state where the coordinate input device is perpendicular to the coordinate input area.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the stored correction is an expression that establishes the relationship between the first relationship and the distance when the center axis of the coordinate input device is tilted against the coordinate input area from a state where the coordinate input device is perpendicular to the coordinate input area, by the second signal level and the third relationship obtained in advance by the measurement.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the coordinate input device includes a power supply therein, further comprising the steps of:

storing relationships between the second signal level, the third relationship and voltage of the power supply and the correction when the center axis of the coordinate input device is tilted against the coordinate input area from a state where the coordinate input device is perpendicular to the coordinate input area; and

warning of exhaustion of the power supply when the voltage of the power supply, which is read from the second storage device and corresponding to the detected second signal level and to the third relationship, is lower than a predetermined voltage.

9. A program for reading a coordinate from a coordinate reading device comprising a coordinate input sheet that has a coordinate input area for inputting a coordinate by a coordinate input device generating an alternating magnetic field, and a plurality of loop coils laid under the coordinate input area, the program comprising:

a routine for detecting a coil that generates a maximum signal level and a coil that generates a first signal level that is a larger signal level generated from one of coils adjacent to the coil generating the maximum signal level, in accordance with a strength of the alternating magnetic field generated from the coordinate input device;

a routine for storing a first relationship between the maximum signal level and the first signal level and a second relationship between the first relationship and a distance between a predetermined position and the coordinate input device on the coordinate input area;

a routine for reading a distance, corresponding to the first relationship obtained based on the detected maximum signal level and the first signal level and reading a positional coordinate of the coordinate input device on the coordinate input plane based on the read distance;

a routine for detecting a second signal level in which two signal levels detected from coils adjacent to each other of the plurality of coils are substantially equal to each other, in accordance with the strength of the alternating magnetic field;

a routine for calculating a third relationship between a third signal level and a fourth signal level which are generated from at least two coils adjacent to the outside of the adjacent coils generating the detected second signal level;

a routine for storing relationships between the second signal level and the third relationship and a correction; and

a routine for correcting the stored second relationship by reading the correction, corresponding to the detected second signal level and the calculated third relationship.

10. The program of claim 9, wherein the stored correction is an amount of linear changes in the first relationship and the distance which are obtained in advance by measurement when a center axis of the coordinate input device is tilted against the coordinate input area from a state where the coordinate input device is perpendicular to the coordinate input area.

11. The program of claim 9, wherein the stored correction is an expression that establishes the relationship between the first relationship and the distance when the center axis of the coordinate input device is tilted against the coordinate input area from a state where the coordinate input device is perpendicular to the coordinate input area, by the second signal level and the third relationship obtained in advance by the measurement.

12. The program of claim 9, wherein the coordinate input device includes a power supply therein, the program further comprising:

a routine for storing relationships between the second signal level, the third relationship and voltage of the power supply and the correction when the center axis of the coordinate input device is tilted against the coordinate input area from a state where the coordinate input device is perpendicular to the coordinate input area; and

a routine for warning of exhaustion of the power supply when the voltage of the power supply, which is read from the second storage device and corresponding to the detected second signal level and the third relationship, is lower than a predetermined voltage.