Pointer detection apparatus and pointer detection method
First Claim
1. A pointer detection apparatus, comprising:
- a conductor pattern including a plurality of first conductors disposed in a first direction and a plurality of second conductors disposed in a second direction which crosses the first direction;
a multi-frequency signal production circuit configured to produce a plurality of signals of different frequencies and of a defined time length during which the plurality of signals are continuously supplied to drive the first conductors, and to produce, for at least one of the plurality of signals of different frequencies and of the defined time length, at least one inverted signal having the same frequency as, but having a phase inverted from that of, said at least one of the plurality of signals of different frequencies for the defined time length;
a first conductor selection circuit configured to divide the plurality of first conductors into a plurality of groups, each group including Q number of the first conductors, Q being an even integer equal to or greater than 4, and the first conductor selection circuit being further configured to select one group among the plurality of groups, to divide the even number of the first conductors in the selected group into a first half and a second half each containing an equal number of the first conductors to each other, and to supply said at least one of the plurality of signals of different frequencies of the defined time length to the first half of the first conductors in the selected group and to supply said inverted signal of the defined time length to the second half of the first conductors in the selected group;
a second conductor selection circuit configured to selectively receive detection signals from the plurality of second conductors; and
a signal detection circuit configured to detect signals of individual frequencies, corresponding to the signals of different frequencies produced by said multi-frequency signal production circuit, which are representative of coupling states at cross points between the first conductors and the second conductors and are received from said second conductor selection circuit,wherein each of the plurality of first conductors disposed in the first direction is formed in a pattern of a plurality of land conductor portions electrically connected to each other, the land conductor portion having a substantially H-shape, while each of the plurality of second conductors disposed in the second direction is formed in a pattern of a line shape, such that a signal is supplied to the pattern of the land conductor portions while a detection signal is received from the pattern of the line shape.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Disclosed herein is a pointer detection apparatus, including: a conductor pattern including a plurality of first conductors disposed in a first direction and a plurality of second conductors disposed in a second direction; a multi-frequency signal production circuit configured to produce a plurality of signals of different frequencies; a first conductor selection circuit configured to selectively supply the signals of different frequencies to those first conductors, between which N ones of the first conductors are interposed, N being a predetermined integer equal to or greater than 0; a second conductor selection circuit configured to selectively receive detection signals from the second conductors; and a signal detection circuit configured to obtain signals of individual frequencies, corresponding to the signals of different frequencies produced by the multi-frequency signal production circuit, which are representative of coupling states at cross points between the first conductors and the second conductors and are received from said second conductor selection circuit.
209 Citations
34 Claims
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1. A pointer detection apparatus, comprising:
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a conductor pattern including a plurality of first conductors disposed in a first direction and a plurality of second conductors disposed in a second direction which crosses the first direction; a multi-frequency signal production circuit configured to produce a plurality of signals of different frequencies and of a defined time length during which the plurality of signals are continuously supplied to drive the first conductors, and to produce, for at least one of the plurality of signals of different frequencies and of the defined time length, at least one inverted signal having the same frequency as, but having a phase inverted from that of, said at least one of the plurality of signals of different frequencies for the defined time length; a first conductor selection circuit configured to divide the plurality of first conductors into a plurality of groups, each group including Q number of the first conductors, Q being an even integer equal to or greater than 4, and the first conductor selection circuit being further configured to select one group among the plurality of groups, to divide the even number of the first conductors in the selected group into a first half and a second half each containing an equal number of the first conductors to each other, and to supply said at least one of the plurality of signals of different frequencies of the defined time length to the first half of the first conductors in the selected group and to supply said inverted signal of the defined time length to the second half of the first conductors in the selected group; a second conductor selection circuit configured to selectively receive detection signals from the plurality of second conductors; and a signal detection circuit configured to detect signals of individual frequencies, corresponding to the signals of different frequencies produced by said multi-frequency signal production circuit, which are representative of coupling states at cross points between the first conductors and the second conductors and are received from said second conductor selection circuit, wherein each of the plurality of first conductors disposed in the first direction is formed in a pattern of a plurality of land conductor portions electrically connected to each other, the land conductor portion having a substantially H-shape, while each of the plurality of second conductors disposed in the second direction is formed in a pattern of a line shape, such that a signal is supplied to the pattern of the land conductor portions while a detection signal is received from the pattern of the line shape. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. A pointer detection method, for detecting a position
of a pointer relative to a conductor pattern including a plurality of first conductors disposed in a first direction and a plurality of second conductors disposed in a second direction crossing the first direction, the pointer detection method comprising: -
a first step of producing a plurality of signals of different frequencies and of a defined time length during which the plurality of signals are continuously supplied to drive the first conductors, and producing, for at least one of the plurality of signals of different frequencies and of the defined time length, at least one inverted signal having the same frequency as, but having its phase inverted from that of, said at least one of the plurality of signals of different frequencies for the defined time length; a second step of dividing the plurality of first conductors into a plurality of groups, each group including Q number of the first conductors, Q being an even integer equal to or greater than 4, selecting one group among the plurality of groups, dividing the even number of the first conductors in the selected group into a first half and a second half each containing an equal number of the first conductors to each other, and supplying said at least one of the plurality of signals of different frequencies and of the defined time length to the first half of the first conductors in the selected group and to supply said inverted signal of the defined time length to the second half of the first conductors in the selected group; a third step of selectively switching those second conductors from which detection signals are received; and a fourth step of detecting signals of individual frequencies corresponding to the signals of the different frequencies produced at the first step, based on the detection signals supplied from the second conductors selected at the third step, wherein the signals of individual frequencies are representative of coupling states at cross points between the conductors and the second conductors, wherein each of the plurality of first conductors disposed in the first direction is formed in a pattern of a plurality of land conductor portions electrically connected to each other, the land conductor portion having a substantially H-shape, while each of the plurality of second conductors disposed in the second direction is formed in a pattern of a line shape, such that a signal is supplied to the pattern of the land conductor portions while a detection signal is received from the pattern of the line shape. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33)
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34. A pointer detection apparatus, comprising:
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a conductor pattern including a plurality of first conductors disposed in a first direction and a plurality of second conductors disposed in a second direction which crosses the first direction; a multi-frequency signal production circuit configured to produce a plurality of signals of different frequencies and of a defined time length during which the plurality of signals are continuously supplied to drive the first conductors, and to produce, for at least one of the plurality of signals of different frequencies and of the defined time length, at least one inverted signal having the same frequency as, but having a phase inverted from that of, said at least one of the plurality of signals of different frequencies for the defined time length; a first conductor selection circuit configured to divide the plurality of first conductors into a plurality of groups, each group including Q number of the first conductors, Q being an even integer equal to or greater than 4, and the first conductor selection circuit being further configured to select one group among the plurality of groups, to divide the even number of the first conductors in the selected group into a first half and a second half each containing an equal number of the first conductors to each other, and to supply said at least one of the plurality of signals of different frequencies of the defined time length to the first half of the first conductors in the selected group and to supply said inverted signal of the defined time length to the second half of the first conductors in the selected group; a second conductor selection circuit configured to selectively receive detection signals from the plurality of second conductors; a signal detection circuit configured to detect signals of individual frequencies, corresponding to the signals of different frequencies produced by said multi-frequency signal production circuit, which are representative of coupling states at cross points between the first conductors and the second conductors and are received from said second conductor selection circuit; and a phase controlling circuit configured to control the phases of the plurality of signals having different frequencies to be output from said multi-frequency signal production circuit, wherein signals corresponding to the signals having the different frequencies produced by said multi-frequency signal production circuit, as supplied to the signal detection circuit, are superposed so as to suppress their composite amplitude.
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Specification