Input pen and input device

• US 7,528,825 B2
• Filed: 12/08/2004
• Issued: 05/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Component Limited (Fujitsu Limited)
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Component Limited (Fujitsu Limited)
• Inventors: Harada, Keita, Sakurai, Satoshi, Yatsu, Nobuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Mengistu; Amare
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rainey; Robert R
• Application Number:
  US11/006,743
• Publication Number:
  US 20050122319A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,609 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/179
• US Class Current: 345/179
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus

Abstract

An input device includes an input pen that is capable of detecting an amount of a pen pressure applied to a pen tip. The input pen has a resistance film that alters a resistance vale thereof according to a touch area, a spring that alters the touch area between the spring and the resistance film, a pen pressure detecting circuit that detects the amount of the pen pressure applied to the pen tip based on the touch area, and an infrared output circuit that outputs the amount of the pen pressure to a receiver with the use of infrared rays. The spiral-shaped spring is configured so that a diameter may become smaller as further from the pen tip. It is thus possible to detect the amount of the pen pressure applied to the pen tip based on the touch area that varies according to a movement of the pen tip, and thereby possible to express different line widths in drawing according to the amount of the pen pressure applied to the pen tip.

Claims

1. An input pen in use for an input device comprising:

a first member;

a second member that moves together with a pen tip and touches the first member; and

a pen pressure detecting circuit that detects an amount of a pen pressure that is applied to the pen tip, based on a touch area between the first member and the second member,

wherein the first member is a spring that has a diameter of spirals that becomes smaller as a distance from the pen tip increases and varies the touch area according to a movement of the pen tip; and

the second member is a resistance film having a resistance that depends on the touch area.

2. The input pen as claimed in claim 1 wherein the pen pressure detecting circuit includes any one of multiple comparators and an A/D converter.

3. The input pen as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an infrared output circuit that outputs to a given receiver, an amount of the pen pressure detected by the pen pressure detecting circuit, with the use of infrared rays.

4. The input pen as claimed in claim 3, wherein the infrared output circuit expresses the amount of the pen pressure by changing an interval between infrared pulses.

5. An input device comprising:

an input pen; and

a receiver,

wherein the input pen in use for an input device includes a first member, a second member that moves together with a pen tip and touches the first member, and a pen pressure detecting circuit that detects an amount of a pen pressure that is applied to the pen tip, based on a touch area between the first member and the second member;

wherein the first member is a spring that has a diameter of spirals that becomes smaller as a distance from the pen tip increases and varies the touch area according to a movement of the pen tip; and

the second member is a resistance film having a resistance that depends on the touch area.