Input system including position-detecting device

• US 8,421,771 B2
• Filed: 07/29/2009
• Issued: 04/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wacom Co Limited (Wacom)
• Original Assignee: Wacom Co Limited (Wacom)
• Inventors: Fukushima, Yasuyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Lao, Lun-Yi
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lee, Gene W
• Application Number:
  US12/511,186
• Publication Number:
  US 20100013792A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,357 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-183, 178 1801- 1811, 178 1901- 1907
• US Class Current: 345/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0339 Touch strips, e.g. orthogonal touch strips to control cursor movement or scrolling; single touch strip to adjust parameter or to implement a row of soft keys
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/045 using resistive elements, e.g. a single continuous surface or two parallel surfaces put in contact
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/046 by electromagnetic means

Abstract

A position-detecting device detects a position pointed to by a position-pointing instrument and includes an operation panel detecting the position pointed to by the position-pointing instrument; and a manipulation-detecting unit located at at least one of the interior and the exterior of the operation panel, and detecting a manipulation by a second instrument other than the position-pointing instrument, or detecting a manipulation by both the position-pointing instrument and the second instrument.

Claims

1. A position-detecting device for detecting a position pointed to by a position-pointing instrument, comprising:

an operation panel for performing a drawing operation;

a detectable area comprising an xy coordinate system for detecting the position pointed to by the position-pointing instrument, the detectable area being adapted to detect the position pointed to by the position-pointing instrument by electromagnetic coupling using a first plurality of loop coils provided under the plane of the detectable area, wherein each loop coil extends parallel to the y-axis of the detectable area, and a second plurality of loop coils provided under the plane of the detectable area, wherein each loop coil extends parallel to the x-axis of the detectable area,

wherein the area of said operation panel is defined by an entire area of intersection of said first and second plurality of coils, wherein the detectable area is larger than the operation panel because the first and second plurality of loop coils extend beyond said area of said operation panel, and

wherein the detectable area interfaces with a display for displaying an image defined by the position pointing instrument; and

manipulation-detecting means adapted to detect the manipulation by a user'"'"'s finger, the manipulation-detecting means comprising a touch pad being adapted to detect a user'"'"'s touching manipulation, said touching manipulation actuating at least one setting operation that modifies a visual appearance of the image being simultaneously generated on said display by said position-pointing instrument,

the operation panel and the manipulation-detecting means being adapted to be used simultaneously, and

wherein the manipulation-detecting means is located outside of said area of said operation panel and within said detectable area.

2. The position-detecting device according to claim 1, wherein the manipulation-detecting means comprises at least one user-manipulated article.

3. The position-detecting device according to claim 1, further comprising electronic circuitry for receiving a first signal from the detectable area and a second signal from the manipulation-detecting means, the first signal being indicative of a detected position and the second signal being indicative of a sensed manipulation, the electronic circuitry being adapted to be coupled to an external electronic device for further processing of the first and/or second signals.

4. An input system comprising:

a position-pointing instrument;

a position-detecting device according to claim 1 for detecting a position pointed to by the position-pointing instrument to output the detected position; and

an electronic device being adapted to operate based on the detected position from the position-detecting device.

5. The position-detecting device according to claim 1, wherein said touch pad is a capacitive touch pad.

6. The position-detecting device according to claim 1, wherein said manipulation-detecting means is inside the detectable area directly on the second plurality of loop coils for sensing a user manipulation.

7. The position-detecting device according to claim 1, wherein said operation panel and said manipulation-detecting means are incorporated into a single physical unit.

8. The position-detecting device according to claim 1, wherein said detectable area and said manipulation-detecting means are incorporated into separate units that transmit signals therebetween.

9. The position-detecting device according to claim 1, wherein said visual appearance includes at least one of a color of the image and a line thickness associated with the image.

10. The position-detecting device according to claim 1, wherein said visual appearance includes at least one of a scrolling of the image on said display, a size of the image on said display.

11. The position-detecting device according to claim 1, wherein said visual appearance includes at least one of a position of the image on said display, a size of the image on said display.

12. The position-detecting device according to claim 1, wherein the touching manipulation actuates an application program including one of a cutting, copying and pasting operation.

13. The position-detecting device according to claim 1, wherein said setting operation is assigned by the user to a specific area of the touch pad.

14. The position-detecting device according to claim 1, wherein said setting operation is defined by a preset command stored by said position detecting device.

15. The position-detecting device according to claim 1, further comprising the manipulation-detecting means being adapted to detect the manipulation by a second instrument other than the position-pointing instrument, and/or detecting a manipulation by both the position-pointing instrument and the second instrument.

16. The position-detecting device according to claim 15, wherein the manipulation-detecting means is adapted to detect the manipulation by both the position-pointing instrument and the second instrument, and further comprising means for determining whether the manipulation is performed by the position-pointing instrument or the second instrument, upon detecting the manipulation through the manipulation-detecting means.

17. The position-detecting device according to claim 15, further comprising means for determining whether the manipulation detected by the manipulation-detecting means is performed by the position-pointing instrument or the second instrument, based on the position of the position-pointing instrument during the manipulation.