Position detector and position detection method

• US 8,766,624 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2012
• Issued: 07/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wacom Co Limited (Wacom)
• Original Assignee: Wacom Co Limited (Wacom)
• Inventors: Suzuki, Ken
• Primary Examiner(s): TANG, MINH NHUT
• Application Number:
  US13/665,502
• Publication Number:
  US 20130141085A1
• Time in Patent Office: 608 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 324/207.17
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0446 using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/046 by electromagnetic means

Abstract

In a position detector having two sensors, a first sensor detects a position indicated by a first indicator by electromagnetic induction and a second sensor detects a position indicated by a second indicator by a detection method other than electromagnetic induction. The position detector reduces adverse effects of the transmission signal supplied to the second sensor on the electromagnetic induction position detection circuit. The position indication state of the first and second indicators is determined based on a signal output from the first sensor according to the position indication by the first indicator on the first sensor and a signal output from the second sensor according to the position indication by the second indicator on the second sensor. According to the determination results of the position indication state, the level of the transmission signal provided to the second sensor to detect the position indication by the second indicator is controlled.

Claims

1. A position detector having a first sensor for detecting a position indicated by a first indicator through electromagnetic induction and a second sensor provided in proximity to the first sensor for detecting a position indicated by a second indicator through a detection method other than electromagnetic induction, to be capable of simultaneously detecting the positions indicated by the first and second indicators, the position detector comprising:

a signal supply circuit configured to supply a transmission signal used to detect the position indicated by the second indicator to the second sensor;

a position indication state determination circuit configured to receive two signals, one output from the first sensor according to the position indicated by the first indicator and the other output from the second sensor according to the position indicated by the second indicator, to determine the position indication state of the first and second indicators; and

a signal level control circuit configured to control the level of the transmission signal supplied from the signal supply circuit to the second sensor according to the determination result of the position indication state by the position indication state determination circuit, wherein

based on the position indication state determined by the position indication state determination circuit, if a transition occurs from a non-simultaneous state, in which one of the first and second indicators indicates a position non-simultaneously, to a simultaneous state in which both the first and second indicators indicate positions simultaneously with each other, the signal level control circuit supplies, to the second sensor, a transmission signal different in level from that supplied to the second sensor in the non-simultaneous state.

2. The position detector of claim 1, wherein

the non-simultaneous state, in which one of the first and second indicators indicates a position non-simultaneously, is a state in which the second indicator indicates a position, and when a transition occurs to the simultaneous state in which both the first and second indicators indicate positions simultaneously with each other, the signal level control circuit supplies, to the second sensor, a transmission signal set to a level lower than that supplied to the second sensor in the state in which the second indicator indicates a position.

3. The position detector of claim 1, wherein

the non-simultaneous state, in which one of the first and second indicators indicates a position non-simultaneously, is a state in which the first indicator indicates a position, and when a transition occurs to the simultaneous state in which both the first and second indicators indicate positions simultaneously with each other, the signal level control circuit supplies, to the second sensor, a transmission signal set to a level higher than that supplied to the second sensor in the state in which the first indicator indicates a position.

4. The position detector of claim 1, wherein

the first indicator includes a coil and the first sensor comprises an electromagnetic induction signal supply circuit for supplying an electromagnetic induction signal to the coil, and

the signal level control circuit controls the level of the electromagnetic induction signal supplied to the first indicator from the electromagnetic induction signal supply circuit according to the determination result of the position indication state by the position indication state determination circuit.

5. The position detector of claim 4, wherein

the electromagnetic induction signal supply circuit includes coils for supplying the electromagnetic induction signal to the coil of the first indicator.

6. The position detector of claim 1, wherein

the first and second sensors are arranged to overlap each other.

7. A position detection method using a first sensor for detecting a position indicated by a first indicator through electromagnetic induction and a second sensor provided in proximity to the first sensor for detecting a position indicated by a second indicator through a detection method other than electromagnetic induction, for simultaneously detecting the positions indicated by the first and second indicators, the position detection method comprising:

a signal supply step of supplying a transmission signal used to detect the position indicated by the second indicator to the second sensor;

a position indication state determination step of determining the position indication state of the first and second indicators by receiving two signals, one output from the first sensor according to the position indicated by the first indicator and the other output from the second sensor according to the position indicated by the second indicator; and

a signal level control step of controlling the level of the transmission signal supplied to the second sensor by the signal supply step according to the result of the determination of the position indication state by the position indication state determination step, wherein

based on the position indication state determined by the position indication state determination step, if a transition occurs from a non-simultaneous state, in which one of the first and second indicators indicates a position non-simultaneously, to a simultaneous state in which both the first and second indicators indicate positions simultaneously with each other, by the signal level control step, the second sensor is supplied with a transmission signal different in level from that supplied to the second sensor in the non-simultaneous state.

8. A position detector having a first sensor for detecting a position indicated by a first indicator through electromagnetic induction and a second sensor provided in proximity to the first sensor for detecting a position indicated by a second indicator through a detection method other than electromagnetic induction, to be capable of simultaneously detecting the positions indicated by the first and second indicators, the position detector comprising:

a first signal supply circuit configured to supply a first signal used to detect the position indicated by the first indicator to the first sensor;

a second signal supply circuit configured to supply a transmission signal used to detect the position indicated by the second indicator to the second sensor;

a position indication state determination circuit configured to receive two signals, one output from the first sensor according to the position indicated by the first indicator and the other output from the second sensor according to the position indicated by the second indicator, to determine the position indication state of the first and second indicators; and

a signal level control circuit configured to control at least one of the level of the first signal supplied to the first sensor and the level of the transmission signal supplied to the second sensor, according to the determination result of the position indication state by the position indication state determination circuit, wherein

based on the position indication state determined by the position indication state determination circuit, if a transition occurs from a non-simultaneous state, in which one of the first and second indicators indicates a position non-simultaneously, to a simultaneous state in which both the first and second indicators indicate positions simultaneously with each other, the signal level control circuit performs at least one of;

(i) setting the level of the first signal supplied to the first sensor to be different from that supplied to the first sensor in the non-simultaneous state, and (ii) setting the level of the transmission signal supplied to the second sensor to be different from that supplied to the second sensor in the non-simultaneous state.

9. The position detector of claim 8, wherein

the non-simultaneous state, in which one of the first and second indicators indicates a position non-simultaneously, is a state in which the second indicator indicates a position, and when a transition occurs to the simultaneous state in which both the first and second indicators indicate positions simultaneously with each other, the signal level control circuit performs at least one of:

(i-a) setting the level of the first signal supplied to the first sensor to be higher than that supplied to the first sensor in the non-simultaneous state, and (ii-a) setting the level of the transmission signal supplied to the second sensor to be lower than that supplied to the second sensor in the non-simultaneous state.

10. The position detector of claim 8, wherein

the non-simultaneous state, in which one of the first and second indicators indicates a position non-simultaneously, is a state in which the first indicator indicates a position, and when a transition occurs to the simultaneous state in which both the first and second indicators indicate positions simultaneously with each other, the signal level control circuit performs at least one of:

(i-b) setting the level of the first signal supplied to the first sensor to be lower than that supplied to the first sensor in the non-simultaneous state, and (ii-b) setting the level of the transmission signal supplied to the second sensor to be higher than that supplied to the second sensor in the non-simultaneous state.

11. The position detector of claim 8, wherein

the signal level control circuit performs (i) setting the level of the first signal supplied to the first sensor to be different from that supplied to the first sensor in the non-simultaneous state, while maintaining the level of the transmission signal supplied to the second sensor at a fixed level.

12. The position detector of claim 8, wherein

the signal level control circuit performs (ii) setting the level of the transmission signal supplied to the second sensor to be different from that supplied to the second sensor in the non-simultaneous state, while maintaining the level of the first signal supplied to the first sensor at a fixed level.

13. The position detector of claim 8, wherein

the signal level control circuit performs both of:

(i) setting the level of the first signal supplied to the first sensor to be different from that supplied to the first sensor in the non-simultaneous state, and (ii) setting the level of the transmission signal supplied to the second sensor to be different from that supplied to the second sensor in the non-simultaneous state.

14. The position detector of claim 8, wherein

the first indicator includes a coil and the first sensor comprises an electromagnetic induction signal supply circuit for supplying an electromagnetic induction signal to the coil, and

the signal level control circuit controls the level of the first signal supplied to the first sensor to thereby control the level of the electromagnetic induction signal supplied from the electromagnetic induction signal supply circuit to the first indicator.

15. The position detector of claim 14, wherein

the electromagnetic induction signal supply circuit includes coils for supplying the electromagnetic induction signal to the coil of the first indicator.