Tablet having a flexible and transparent sensing area

• US 9,256,339 B2
• Filed: 02/20/2013
• Issued: 02/09/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Han Inc.
• Original Assignee: The Han Inc.
• Inventors: Ryu, Young Kee
• Primary Examiner(s): Bolotin, Dmitriy
• Application Number:
  US14/379,748
• Publication Number:
  US 20150009623A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,084 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-178, 178 1801- 1811, 361/679.55
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1633 Constructional details or arrangements of portable computers not specific to the type of enclosures covered by groups G06F1/1615 - G06F1/1626
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04102 Flexible digitiser, i.e. constructional details for allowing the whole digitising part of a device to be flexed or rolled like a sheet of paper
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/046 by electromagnetic means
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 7/00 Loop antennas with a substantially uniform current distribution around the loop and having a directional radiation pattern in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the loop

Abstract

The present invention relates to a tablet having a flexible and transparent sensing area, comprising: an insulating transparent base material having a first loop antenna and a plurality of comb-shaped first line antennas; and a control substrate having, mounted thereon, a first multiplexer (MUX) for selecting one of the ends of the plurality of first line antennas, an amplifier for outputting a potential difference between an output of the first multiplexer and the first loop antenna, and an MCU (micro controller unit) for generating a first selection signal and, on the basis of the potential difference from the amplifier, sensing the position of an electronic pen from one line antenna. The first loop antenna formed on the transparent base material is combined with a first conductive pattern formed on the control substrate, thereby forming a closed loop. Each of the plurality of first line antennas is connected to each of a plurality of first extending patterns insulatively crossing the first conductive pattern on the control substrate. The plurality of first extending patterns are connected to an input of the first multiplexer.

Claims

1. A tablet having a flexible and transparent sensing region, comprising:

a antenna substrate of an insulating material including a first loop antenna of a conductive material pattern formed to enclose an external circumference of an electronic pen sensing region for detecting a position of the electronic pen; and

a plurality of first line antennas of a conductive material pattern which are arranged in parallel with each other within an internal portion of the first loop antenna and ends of which are electrically connected to the first loop antenna; and

a control substrate including a first multiplexer(MUX) which has the other ends of the plurality of first line antennas, as inputs, and is configured to select any one of the inputs according to a first selection signal, as an output;

an amplifier which is configured to output a potential difference between an output of the first multiplexer and an output of the first loop antenna; and

a MCU(micro controller unit) which is configured to generate the first selection signal in any manner to select at least one of the plurality of first line antennas and then detect a position of the electronic pen outputting a resonant voltage of a predetermined frequency, from any one of the first line antennas on the basis of the potential difference outputted from the amplifier when the electronic pen approaches closely the electronic pen sensing region.

2. The tablet having a flexible and transparent sensing region of claim 1, wherein the first loop antenna is formed of a transparent material,

and the first loop antenna formed on the antenna substrate are combined with a first conductive pattern formed on the control substrate to form a closed loop, the other ends of the plurality of first line antennas are respectively connected to a plurality of first extension patterns which are insulated from and intersected with the first conductive pattern on the control substrate, and the plurality of first extension patterns are connected with the input of the first multiplexer.

3. The tablet having a flexible and transparent sensing region of claim 2, wherein a common potential is connected to the first conductive pattern formed on the control substrate.

4. The tablet having a flexible and transparent sensing region of claim 1, wherein the antenna substrate is formed of a transparent and flexible material.

5. The tablet having a flexible and transparent sensing region of claim 4, wherein the pattern of the first loop antenna and the pattern of the first line antenna on the antenna substrate are screen-printed by a transparent, conductive and flexible material.

6. The tablet having a flexible and transparent sensing region of claim 2, wherein;

the antenna substrate further comprises;

a first transparent protective layer for insulating the pattern of the first loop antenna from the pattern of the plurality of first line antennas;

a second loop antenna of a transparent and conductive material which is formed on the transparent protective layer and configured with an open one end thereof formed to enclose an external circumference of the electronic pen sensing region;

and a plurality of second line antennas of a transparent and conductive material pattern which are arranged in parallel with each other within an internal portion of the second loop antenna and ends of which are connected to the second loop antenna;

the control substrate further comprising;

a second conductive pattern which combines the pattern of the second loop antenna formed on the antenna substrate to form a closed loop;

a plurality of second extension pattern which are connected to each of the second line antennas formed on the antenna substrate and are intersected with and insulated from the second conductive pattern; and

a second multiplexer which has as inputs, the plurality of extension patterns and is configured to select as an output any one of the inputs according to a second selection signal and connect the selected output to the amplifier,

wherein the MCU further generates a second selection signal for selecting any one of the plurality of second line antennas and further detects a position of the electronic pen from any one of the second line antennas on the basis of a potential difference outputted from the amplifier.

7. The tablet having a flexible and transparent sensing region of claim 1, further comprising a pattern of a power coil on the antenna substrate for enclosing the electronic pen sensing region.

8. The tablet having a flexible and transparent sensing region of claim 7, further comprising a power supply driver for supplying the power coil with an alternate current voltage via a resonant frequency of the electronic pen.

9. The tablet having a flexible and transparent sensing region of claim 1, further comprising a power coil control substrate which is formed of a flexible material and in which a pattern of a power coil is formed to enclose the electronic pen sensing region.

10. The tablet having a flexible and transparent sensing region of claim 9, further comprising a power supply driver for supplying the power coil with an alternate current voltage via a resonant frequency of the electronic pen.