Position input device and computer system

• US 8,094,140 B2
• Filed: 05/26/2010
• Issued: 01/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wacom Co Limited (Wacom)
• Original Assignee: Wacom Co Limited (Wacom)
• Inventors: Katsurahira, Yuji, Matsubara, Masaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Mengistu, Amare
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bolotin, Dmitriy
• Application Number:
  US12/787,920
• Publication Number:
  US 20100321288A1
• Time in Patent Office: 594 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-184, 178 1801- 1809, 178/19.01, 178/19.03, 178/19.04
• US Class Current: 345/179
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04162 for exchanging data with external devices, e.g. smart pens, via the digitiser sensing hardware
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04166 Details of scanning methods, e.g. sampling time, grouping of sub areas or time sharing with display driving Synchronisation with the driving of the display or the backlighting unit to avoid interferences generated internally G06F3/04184
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0442 using active external devices, e.g. active pens, for transmitting changes in electrical potential to be received by the digitiser
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus

Abstract

A position input device is provided in which signals are transmitted from a position indicator, and signals transmitted from the position indicator are received by a position detector device. According to certain embodiments, an electrical double-layer capacitor, a charging circuit which charges the electrical double-layer capacitor, and a power transmission unit which relays and supplies to the charging circuit power supplied from a power supply unit external to the position indicator, are provided in the position indicator. In other embodiments the position input device has a built-in power supply unit, transmitting units, and a control unit for switching the transmitting units between energized and de-energized states. Also provided are position input systems and computer systems including the position input device, and methods of operating the position input device and the systems.

Claims

1. A position input system, comprising:

a position indicator for transmitting signals;

and a position detector device for receiving signals transmitted from the position indicator,

wherein said position indicator comprises a power transmission unit for receiving power supplied thereto from outside of said position indicator, a controller to which a predetermined driving voltage is supplied, a charging capacitor into which driving power for said controller is charged through said power transmission unit, a voltage detection unit for detecting a driving voltage supplied to said controller and outputting an output signal corresponding to the detected driving voltage, and a switch provided between the charging capacitor and said controller and configured to perform energization control in response to the output signal from said voltage detection unit, wherein the charged voltage of said charging capacitor is supplied as the predetermined driving voltage to said controller by the energization control of said switch.

2. A position indicator for use with a position detecting device to detect a position indicated by the position indicator on the position detecting device, comprising:

a position indicator including a power transmission unit for relaying power supplied thereto from outside of said position indicator, a controller to which a predetermined driving voltage is supplied, a resonance circuit for radiating an alternating magnetic field in response to a signal outputted from said controller, wherein position indicating is carried out by the alternating magnetic field radiated from said resonance circuit, said position indicator further comprising;

a charging capacitor into which driving power for said controller is charged through said power transmission unit,

a voltage detection unit for detecting a driving voltage supplied to said controller and outputting an output signal corresponding to the detected driving voltage, and

a switch provided between the charging capacitor and said controller and configured to perform energization control in response to the output signal from said voltage detection unit,

wherein the charged voltage of said charging capacitor is supplied as the predetermined driving voltage to said controller by the energization control of said switch.

3. The position indicator according to claim 2, wherein said controller is operably associated with the position indicator, and wherein the capacitor drives the controller.

4. The position indicator according to claim 2, further comprising a light emitting portion for issuing a notification that charging is required in response to the output signal of said voltage detection unit.

5. The position indicator according to claim 2, wherein the voltage detection unit is electrically connected to the controller.

6. The position indicator according to claim 2, wherein the voltage detection unit is electrically connected to the charging capacitor.

7. The position indicator according to claim 2, wherein the power transmission unit receives an AC signal supplied from the outside to said position indicator, and said position indicator further comprises a rectification circuit for rectifying the AC received by unit, power being supplied contactlessly to said position indicator by the AC signal to charge said charging capacitor through the rectification circuit.

8. The position indicator according to claim 2, wherein the resonance circuit comprises a coil and a capacitor.

9. The position indicator according to claim 2, wherein the capacitor comprises an electrical double layer capacitor.

10. The position indicator according to claim 2, further comprising a voltage increase circuit for increasing the charged voltage of the charging capacitor so that, even when the charged voltage of said charging capacitor is lower than a predetermined driving voltage for driving said controller, the predetermined driving voltage is supplied to said controller through said voltage increase circuit.

11. The position indicator according to claim 2, further comprising exposed terminals for charging the capacitor.

12. The position indicator according to claim 2, further comprising a driving voltage stabilizing capacitor connected between said switch and said controller for stabilizing the driving voltage to be supplied to the controller.

13. The position indicator according to claim 2, further comprising a pressure detecting unit for detecting stylus pressure information including a variable capacitor having capacitance which varies in response to a magnitude of force applied to said pressure detecting unit.

14. A position input system for detecting a position indicated by a position indicator on a position detecting device, the system comprising:

a power supply;

a position indicator including a power transmission unit for relaying power supplied thereto from the power supply provided outside of said position indicator, a controller to which a predetermined driving voltage is supplied, a resonance circuit for radiating an alternating magnetic field in response to a signal outputted from said controller, wherein position indicating is carried out by the alternating magnetic field radiated from said resonance circuit, said position indicator further comprising;

a charging capacitor into which driving power for said controller is charged through said power transmission unit,

a voltage detection unit for detecting a driving voltage supplied to said controller and outputting an output signal corresponding to the detected driving voltage, and

a switch provided between the charging capacitor and said controller and configured to perform energization control in response to the output signal from said voltage detection unit, wherein the charged voltage of said charging capacitor is supplied as the predetermined driving voltage to said controller by the energization control of said switch; and

a position detecting device comprising a predetermined input area for receiving a signal transmitted from said position indicator to detect a position on said predetermined input area pointed to by said position indicator;

said position indicator including information transmission unit for transmitting information for requesting charging to said position detecting device in response to an output signal from said voltage detection unit;

said position detection device including a notification system for notifying that charging into said position indicator is required in response to reception of the information for requesting charging from said position indicator.

15. The position input system according to claim 14, wherein the capacitor drives the controller.

16. The position input system according to claim 14, wherein the power supply comprises a magnetic field generation unit.

17. The position input system according to claim 16, wherein the power supply charges the capacitor with a magnetic field generated by the magnetic field generation unit.

18. The position input system according to claim 14, wherein the position detecting device generates a user notification based upon the output signal from said voltage detection unit.

19. The position input system according to claim 18, further comprising a display panel which functions as said input area, and a position inputting operation by said position indicator is carried out on said display panel while the user notification that charging into said position indicator is required is notified on the display.

20. The position input system according to claim 19, wherein the display panel and the position detecting device are integrated into a tablet-type computer.

21. The position input system according to claim 18, wherein the user notification comprises a charging request message.

22. The position input system according to claim 18, wherein the user notification comprises activating or flashing an LED.

23. The position input system according to claim 14, wherein the power supply comprises a detection switch to be activated when the position indicator is placed in a charging position of the power supply.

24. The position input system according to claim 14, wherein the power supply is integrated with the position detecting device.

25. The position input system according to claim 14, wherein the power supply provides power to the charging circuit based at least in part on the output signal from said voltage detection unit.

26. The position input system according to claim 14, wherein the position indicator is inserted into an opening of the position detecting device and the capacitor is charged by a magnetic field generated by the power supply.

27. The position input system according to claim 14, wherein the power supply comprises a stand for setting the position indicator.

28. A method of charging a position indicator comprising the steps of:

providing a position detector device comprising a predetermined input area for receiving a signal transmitted from said position indicator to detect a position on said predetermined input area pointed to by said position indicator;

providing a position indicator including a power transmission unit for relaying power supplied thereto from outside of said position indicator, a controller to which a predetermined driving voltage is supplied, a resonance circuit for radiating an alternating magnetic field in response to a signal outputted from said controller, wherein position indicating is carried out by the alternating magnetic field radiated from said resonance circuit, said position indicator further comprising a charging capacitor;

providing a power supply external to the position indicator;

detecting a voltage status of the position indicator by detecting a driving voltage supplied to said controller and outputting an output signal corresponding to the detected driving voltage;

transmitting the voltage status to the position detector device;

providing a switch between the charging capacitor and said controller, said switch configured to perform energization control in response to said output signal determined at said detecting step;

charging the capacitor by supplying power from the power supply, wherein the charged voltage of said charging capacitor is supplied as the predetermined driving voltage to said controller by the energization control of said switch.

29. The method according to claim 28, further comprising charging the capacitor based at least in part on the voltage status.

30. The method according to claim 28, further comprising generating a user notification based at least in part on the voltage status.

31. The method according to claim 28, further comprising providing as the power supply a magnetic field generation unit.