Position indicator and coordinate input device

• US 8,063,322 B2
• Filed: 04/17/2008
• Issued: 11/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Wacom Co Limited (Wacom)
• Original Assignee: Wacom Co Limited (Wacom)
• Inventors: Katsurahira, Yuji
• Primary Examiner(s): Mengistu; Amare
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bolotin; Dmitriy
• Application Number:
  US12/104,661
• Publication Number:
  US 20080257613A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,314 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-184, 178 1801- 1808, 178 1901- 1904
• US Class Current: 178/19.04
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/046 by electromagnetic means

Abstract

A position indicator is provided. The position indicator includes an external case, and a core having an indicating unit projecting outside of the case. The core is movably supported by the case. The core has a central axis extending along a lengthwise direction thereof. A guiding unit includes an inclined plane provided on one of the case and the core. An engaging unit is provided on the other one of the case and the core. The engaging unit is slidably engaged with the inclined plane such that the guiding unit guides movement of the core when external force is applied to the indicating unit of the core in a lateral direction with respect to the central axis of the core. A pressure detector is operably associated with the core for detecting pressure applied to the indicating unit based on the movement of the core with respect to the case via the guiding unit.

Claims

1. A position indicator comprising:

an external case;

a core having an indicating unit projecting outside of the case, the core being movably supported by the case, and the core having a central axis extending along a lengthwise direction thereof;

a guiding unit including an inclined plane provided on one of the case and the core and an engaging unit provided on the other one of the case and the core, the engaging unit slidably engaged with the inclined plane such that the guiding unit guides movement of the core into said case and along said central axis when external force is applied to the indicating unit of the core in a lateral direction with respect to the central axis of the core; and

a pressure detector operably associated with the core, the pressure detector detecting pressure applied to the indicating unit in a direction parallel to said central axis based on movement of the core with respect to the case via the guiding unit.

2. A position indicator according to claim 1, wherein the inclined plane is oriented at an angle in the range of 30 to 60 degrees from the central axis of the core.

3. A position indicator according to claim 1, wherein the inclined plane comprises one of a conical plane and a pyramidal plane.

4. A position indicator according to claim 1, wherein the engaging unit comprises an engaging inclined plane extending parallel to the inclined plane.

5. A position indicator according to claim 1, wherein the engaging unit includes at least three projections, each projection in point contact with the inclined plane.

6. A position indicator according to claim 5, wherein the projections each comprise a spherical projection in point contact with the inclined plane.

7. A position indicator according to claim 1, wherein the engaging unit comprises a spherical or cylindrical rotator rotatably supported by the case or the core.

8. A position indicator according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the inclined plane and the engaging unit is mirror-finished.

9. A position indicator according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the inclined plane and the engaging unit is made of a fluorine resin or a polyacetal resin.

10. A position indicator according to claim 1, wherein the indicating unit of the core comprises a brush or an elastic member in a shape of a calligraphy-brush.

11. A coordinate input device, comprising:

a position detector having an input plane; and

a position indicator for indicating a position on the input plane and for detecting a force with which the position indicator presses against a surface, the position indicator including an external casing, a core having an indicating unit projecting outside of the casing and being movably supported by the casing, the core having a central axis extending along a lengthwise direction thereof, a guiding unit including an inclined plane provided on one of the casing and the core, and an engaging unit provided on the other one of the casing and the core, the engaging unit slidably engaged with the inclined plane such that the guiding unit guides movement of the core into said case and along said central axis when external force is applied to the indicating unit of the core in a lateral direction with respect to the central axis of the core, and a pressure detector operably associated with the core, the pressure detector detecting pressure applied to the indicating unit along said central axis based on the movement of the core with respect to the case via the guiding unit.

12. A coordinate input device according to claim 11, wherein the position detector includes a detecting unit detecting an inclination of the position indicator with respect to the input plane, and a control unit determining pen-pressure based on the detected inclination of the position indicator and pressure information supplied by the position indicator.

13. A position indicator usable with a coordinate input device, the indicator comprising:

a housing having an inner surface defining an elongated cavity with at least one opening, said housing having a first central axis extending along said elongated cavity in a lengthwise direction;

a core movably disposed in the elongated cavity, said core having a first end positioned adjacent said at least one opening, a second end opposite said first end, and a second central axis extending along a lengthwise direction thereof;

an indicating unit extending from said first end of said core via said at least one opening in said housing;

a guiding unit disposed between said inner surface of said housing and said core, said guiding unit guiding movement of said core by translating a force applied to said indicating unit in a lateral direction with respect to the first central axis into axial movement into said housing and along the second central axis of said core;

a pressure sensor disposed in said elongated cavity, said pressure sensor being engaged by said second end of said core and for detecting pressure applied to said indicating unit based on the axial movement of the core.

14. The position indicator of claim 13, wherein the second central axis of the core remains substantially parallel to the first central axis of the housing when the lateral force is applied to the indicating unit.

15. The position indicator of claim 13, wherein said guiding unit guides the core diagonally with respect to said first central axis such that the second central axis of the core is moved away from the first central axis of the housing in response to the lateral force applied to said indicating unit.

16. The position indicator of claim 15, wherein said guiding unit maintains the first and second central axes in parallel with one another.

17. The position indicator of claim 13, wherein a width dimension of said elongated cavity gradually becomes smaller closer to said at least one opening, and said guiding unit comprises:

a first inclined plane disposed along said inner surface of said case beginning at said at least one opening, said first inclined plane being inclined with respect to the first central axis of said housing; and

a second inclined plane disposed along an outer surface of said core opposite from said first inclined plane, said first and second inclined planes slidably engaging each other to move the second central axis of the core laterally toward the first central axis of the housing when no lateral force is applied to said indicating unit such that the core is allowed to move outwardly toward the at least one opening in the elongated cavity and away from the pressure sensor, and to move the second central axis of the core laterally away from the first central axis of the housing when the core is moved laterally inwardly in the elongated cavity and toward the pressure sensor in response to the lateral force applied to said indicating unit.

18. The position indicator of claim 13, wherein the guiding unit comprises:

an inclined plane disposed along said inner surface of said housing adjacent to said at least one opening, said inclined plane being inclined with respect to the first central axis of said housing; and

a plurality of rotational projections disposed around the core, said rotational projections engaging said inclined plane to move the core along the direction of said inclined plane when said lateral force is applied to said indicating unit.

19. The position indicator of claim 13, further comprising:

a coil wound around the core, said coil transmitting electromagnetic waves to the coordinate input device, the electromagnetic waves including information about the amount of pressure sensed by the pressure sensor, information about a position of the position indicator with respect to the coordinate input device, and information about an angle of inclination of the position indicator with respect to an input plane of the coordinate input device.

20. A coordinate input device, comprising:

a position detector including;

an input plane, and

a position detecting unit having a plurality of sensing elements arranged in proximity with said input plane; and

a position indicator for indicating a position on said input plane, said position indicator including;

a housing having a first central axis extending along said elongated cavity in a lengthwise direction,

a pressure detector disposed in said housing,

a core movably disposed in said housing, said core having an indicating unit disposed at a first end thereof and a pressing unit disposed at a second end thereof, said pressing unit for engaging said pressure detector so that said pressure detector detects the amount of pressure on said indicating unit along said first central axis;

a guiding unit for guiding diagonal movement of said core parallel to said first central axis and into said housing when lateral force is applied to said indicating unit, and said guiding unit maintains a central axis of the core substantially parallel to a central axis of the housing when the lateral force is applied to the indicating unit; and

a coil wound about said core, said coil being operable by said pressure detector for transmitting information to said position detector, said transmission information including information about the amount of pressure on said indicating unit, information about a position of said position indicator with respect to said input plane, and information about an angle of inclination of said position indicator with respect to said input plane.

21. A method of indicating a position on a coordinate input device, the method comprising:

providing a position indicator having a housing having a first central axis extending along said elongated cavity in a lengthwise direction, a core movably disposed within the housing, an indicating unit extending from the core outside the housing, and a pressure detector for detecting pressure applied to the indicating unit based on relative movement of the core with respect to the housing, the core having a central axis, and a guiding unit having an inclined plane disposed on one of the housing and the core and an engaging unit disposed on the other one of the housing and the core, the inclined plane being inclined with respect to the central axis of the core;

applying an external force to the indicating unit in a lateral direction with respect to the central axis of the core, the external force displacing the core relative to the housing;

guiding the displacement of the core diagonally with respect to said first central axis based on the interaction between the inclined plane and the engaging unit of the guiding unit in response to the external force so that the core moves toward said pressure detector in a direction parallel to said first central axis; and

detecting pressure on the indicating unit based on the relative displacement between the core and the housing in a direction parallel to said first central axis using the pressure detector.