Coordinate input device

• US 8,587,527 B2
• Filed: 12/06/2007
• Issued: 11/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wacom Co Limited (Wacom)
• Original Assignee: Wacom Co Limited (Wacom)
• Inventors: Onoda, Naoto, Yamamoto, Sadao
• Primary Examiner(s): BOYD, JONATHAN A
• Application Number:
  US11/951,368
• Publication Number:
  US 20080142280A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,175 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 345/179
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04186 Touch location disambiguation
• 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 coordinate input device is provided. The coordinate input device includes a first input device for detecting a position input and obtaining a first input value indicate of the position, a second input device for detecting the position input and obtaining a second input value indicative of the position, the second input value having a tendency to be a more accurate indication of the position than the first input value, a determining unit configured to determine whether the first input device and the second input device simultaneously obtain the first input value and the second input value, respectively, a storing unit configured to store a relationship between the first input value from the first input device and the second input value from the second input device as correction information, and a correcting unit configured to correct the first input value on the basis of the correction information.

Claims

1. A coordinate input device, comprising:

a pressure-sensitive sensor for detecting a coordinate position input defined by coordinates regardless of an amount of pressure imparted upon said pressure-sensitive sensor and obtaining a first input value indicative of the coordinate position input as detected by the pressure-sensitive sensor;

an electromagnetic-induction sensor for detecting the position input defined by coordinates and obtaining a second input value indicative of the position input as detected by the electromagnetic-induction sensor, the pressure-sensitive sensor and electromagnetic-induction sensor configured to permit simultaneous detection of the position input and to simultaneously obtain the first and second input values, the electromagnetic-induction sensor having a tendency to be a more accurate indication of the position input than the pressure-sensitive sensor;

a position indicator configured to simultaneously perform the position input on the pressure-sensitive sensor and the electromagnetic-induction sensor;

a determining unit configured to determine whether the position indicator performs the position input on the pressure-sensitive sensor and electromagnetic-induction sensor to simultaneously obtain coordinates of the first input value and the second input value, respectively;

a difference detecting unit to detect a difference value between the coordinates of the first input value and the second input value when the determining unit determines that the position indicator performs the position input on the pressure-sensitive sensor and electromagnetic-induction sensor to simultaneously obtain coordinates of the first input value and the second input value, respectively;

a storing unit configured to store the difference value as correction information; and

a correcting unit configured to correct the first input value using the stored correction information, the corrected first input value used as the coordinate position input when the second input value is not obtained,

wherein said storing unit updates the correction information in real time to account for degradation in performance of the pressure-sensitive sensor that occurs with repeated use of the pressure-sensitive sensor.

2. A coordinate input device according to claim 1, wherein the second input value comprises the correction information for the first input value.

3. A coordinate input device according to claim 1, wherein the correction information comprises a parameter value used to calculate the corrected first input value from a value obtained from the pressure-sensitive sensor.

4. A coordinate input device according to claim 1, wherein the correction information comprises a difference value between the first input value and the second input value.

5. A coordinate input device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a display operably associated with the pressure-sensitive sensor and the electromagnetic-induction sensor, the display displaying the position inputs detected by the pressure-sensitive sensor and the electromagnetic-induction sensor.

6. A coordinate input device according to claim 5, wherein the display device is situated on or over the pressure-sensitive sensor and the electromagnetic-induction sensor.

7. A coordinate input device according to claim 1, wherein the correction information is stored in a correction table for each coordinate of the first input value each time the first input value and the second input value are simultaneously obtained.

8. A coordinate input device according to claim 7, wherein the correction table includes a first correction table for correcting the first input value and a second correction table for storing difference information between each coordinate of the first input value and each corresponding coordinate of the second input value, and the difference information stored in the second correction table is written into the first correction table at a predetermined time.

9. A coordinate input device according to claim 3, wherein the parameter value includes a first parameter value for correcting the first input value and a second parameter value stored each time the pressure-sensitive sensor and the electromagnetic-induction sensor simultaneously obtain the first input value and the second input value, respectively, and the first parameter value is set to the second parameter value at a predetermined time.

10. A coordinate input device according to claim 9, wherein the predetermined time is determined by determining whether a predetermined amount of time has elapsed since the first parameter value was last set to the second parameter value or determining whether an instruction of a user to set the parameter has been received or determining whether a system is in startup mode.

11. A coordinate input device according to claim 1, wherein:

an output of the electromagnetic-induction sensor is compared with an output of the pressure-sensitive sensor to obtain the correction information.

12. A coordinate input device according to claim 1, wherein said first and second input devices are stacked on top of each other.

13. A coordinate input device according to claim 1, wherein stored correction information is updated in accordance with user-defined criteria.

14. A digitizer tablet comprising:

a pointing device;

a first input device including a pressure-sensitive sensor for sensing a first type of position input used to calculate a first input coordinate value regardless of a pressure imparted upon said pressure-sensitive sensor;

a second input device including a electromagnetic-induction sensor in electromagnetic communication with the pointing device to interact with the pointing device for sensing a second type of position input used to calculate a second input coordinate value simultaneously with said first input device sensing said first type of position input, the first type of position input being different than the second type of position input;

a difference detecting unit configured to detect a difference value between the first input coordinate value and the second input coordinate value when the first and second types of position input are sensed simultaneously;

a storing unit configured to store the difference value as correction information; and

a correction processing unit for correcting the first input coordinate value based on the stored correction information, the corrected first input coordinate value used as the coordinate position input when the second input coordinate value is not obtained,

wherein said correction processing unit corrects the first input coordinate value to compensate for inaccuracies in the first input coordinate value due to wear on said pressure-sensitive sensor.

15. A digitizer tablet according to claim 14, wherein said first input device comprises a touch panel.

16. A digitizer tablet according to claim 14, further comprising:

a correction table for storing correction information for adjusting various first input coordinate values to be closer to corresponding second input coordinate values for the same position input, said correction table being accessible by said correction processing unit.

17. A digitizer tablet according to claim 14, further comprising:

a correction table for storing correction information for adjusting various first input coordinate values to be closer to corresponding second input values for the same position input, said correction table being accessible by said correction processing unit;

a difference detecting unit for determining a difference between the first and second input coordinate values whenever the first and second input devices simultaneously detect the pointing device; and

a difference table for storing recent difference values between the first and second input coordinate values and for updating the correction information of said correction table whenever a predetermined event occurs.

18. A digitizer tablet according to claim 17, wherein the predetermined event comprises one of an expiration of a time period, receipt of an update instruction from a user, and a comparison between the first and second input coordinate values as being outside a predetermined range defined by the difference value stored in said difference table in association with a current first input coordinate value.

19. A digitizer tablet according to claim 14, wherein said electromagnetic induction sensor includes a plurality of inductive coils for electromagnetic interaction with a resonant circuit in the pointing device.

20. A digitizer tablet according to claim 14, wherein stored correction information is updated in accordance with user defined criteria.

21. A method of detecting a coordinate input on a digitizer tablet having first and second input devices of differing degrees of accuracy, the method comprising the steps of:

detecting a position input defined by coordinates using the first input device including a pressure-sensitive sensor for obtaining a first input value indicative of the position input regardless of a pressure imparted to said pressure-sensitive sensor;

detecting the position input defined by coordinates using the second input device including an electromagnetic-induction sensor simultaneously with said step of detecting said position input using the first input device and obtaining a second input value, the second input value having a tendency to be a more accurate indication of the position than the first input value;

determining whether the first input device and the second input device simultaneously obtain the first input value and the second input value, respectively;

detecting a difference value between the coordinates of the first input value and second input value when it is determined that first input device and the second input device simultaneously obtain the first input value and the second input value, respectively;

storing the difference value as correction information;

correcting the first input value using the correction information, the corrected first input value used as the coordinate position input when the second input value is not obtained, and

updating the correction information in real time to account for degradation in performance of the pressure-sensitive sensor that occurs with repeated use of the pressure-sensitive sensor.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein the storing of the relationship between the first input value and the second input value comprises:

determining a difference between the first and second input values;

storing recent difference values between the first and second input values for a simultaneous detection of the position input; and

updating the stored correction information with the recent difference values in real time whenever a predetermined event occurs.

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein the updating of the correction information whenever the predetermined event occurs comprises updating the correction information whenever an expiration of a time period occurs, an update instruction is received from a user, or a comparison between the first and second input values is determined to be outside a predetermined range defined by a current difference value stored in association with the obtained first input value.

24. A method of detecting a coordinate input on a digitizer tablet according to claim 21, further comprising the step of positioning said first and second input devices to be stacked on top of each other prior to said steps of detecting.

25. A method according to claim 21, wherein stored correction information is updated in accordance with user defined criteria.