Position detecting device and position detecting method

• US 9,600,096 B2
• Filed: 06/05/2015
• Issued: 03/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wacom Co Limited (Wacom)
• Original Assignee: Wacom Co Limited (Wacom)
• Inventors: Katsurahira, Yuji, Yamamoto, Sadao
• Primary Examiner(s): Tzeng, Fred
• Application Number:
  US14/732,337
• Publication Number:
  US 20160077611A1
• Time in Patent Office: 655 Days
• Field of Search: 345/179
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04101 2.5D-digitiser, i.e. digitiser detecting the X/Y position of the input means, finger or stylus, also when it does not touch, but is proximate to the digitiser's interaction surface and also measures the distance of the input means within a short range in the Z direction, possibly with a separate measurement setup
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04106 Multi-sensing digitiser, i.e. digitiser using at least two different sensing technologies simultaneously or alternatively, e.g. for detecting pen and finger, for saving power or for improving position detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04162 for exchanging data with external devices, e.g. smart pens, via the digitiser sensing hardware
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04166 Details of scanning methods, e.g. sampling time, grouping of sub areas or time sharing with display driving Synchronisation with the driving of the display or the backlighting unit to avoid interferences generated internally G06F3/04184
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04182 Filtering of noise external to the device and not generated by digitiser components
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0442 using active external devices, e.g. active pens, for transmitting changes in electrical potential to be received by the digitiser
• 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: G09G 3/36 using liquid crystals

Abstract

A position detecting device includes a sensor having electrodes that receive an alternating current (AC) signal from a capacitive stylus pen that transmits the AC signal. The position detecting device detects a position indicated by the stylus pen on the sensor. The position detecting device also includes: an electrode selection circuit that selects electrodes provided in the sensor for connection to a positive terminal and a negative terminal; a differential amplifier that amplifies and outputs a signal indicating a difference between signals generated at the positive terminal and the negative terminal; a height detector that obtains a height of the stylus pen relative to a sensor surface of the sensor; and a control unit that causes a selection pattern of the electrodes selected for connection to the positive terminal and the negative terminal by the electrode selection circuit to change according to the height obtained by the height detector.

Claims

1. A position detecting device comprising:

a sensor in which a plurality of electrodes is disposed in at least a first direction;

a differential amplifier circuit that includes a first input terminal and a second input terminal and that outputs a differential signal based on signals supplied to the first input terminal and the second input terminal; and

an electrode selection circuit that selects electrodes for connection to the first input terminal and the second input terminal of the differential amplifier circuit from the plurality of electrodes disposed in the sensor,

wherein a position indicated by a stylus pen that generates an electric field based on electric field coupling between the stylus pen and the sensor is detected based on the differential signal output from the differential amplifier circuit, and

wherein if the differential signal output from the differential amplifier circuit corresponding to a first electrode selection pattern set by the electrode selection circuit satisfies a set predetermined condition, a second electrode selection pattern different from the first electrode selection pattern is set by the electrode selection circuit to detect the position indicated by the stylus pen,

wherein whether or not the set predetermined condition is satisfied is determined based on the differential signal that is generated corresponding to a height of the stylus pen in a height direction relative to a sensor surface of the sensor and is output from the differential amplifier circuit.

2. The position detecting device according to claim 1,

wherein the position detecting device notifies an external device that a determination has been made that the stylus pen is disposed over the sensor surface of the sensor when the differential signal output corresponding to the first electrode selection pattern satisfies the predetermined condition.

3. The position detecting device according to claim 1,

wherein the electrode selection circuit carries out electrode selection in such a manner that a first number of electrodes connected to the first input terminal of the differential amplifier circuit is the same as a second number of electrodes connected to the second input terminal of the differential amplifier circuit.

4. The position detecting device according to claim 1,

wherein the second electrode selection pattern is a pattern formed by selecting a first electrode for connection to the first input terminal of the differential amplifier circuit and selecting a second electrode different from the first electrode for connection to the second input terminal of the differential amplifier circuit, and a distance between the first electrode and the second electrode is changed based on the differential signal output from the differential amplifier circuit.

5. The position detecting device according to claim 4,

wherein the distance between the first electrode and the second electrode is changed based on the differential signal that is generated corresponding to a height of the stylus pen in a height direction relative to the sensor surface of the sensor and is output from the differential amplifier circuit.

6. The position detecting device according to claim 4,

wherein the electrode selection circuit selects electrodes adjacent to each other for connection to the first input terminal and the second input terminal of the differential amplifier circuit in response to a determination that the stylus pen is close to a sensor surface of the sensor based on the differential signal output from the differential amplifier circuit.

7. The position detecting device according to claim 4,

wherein the position detecting device detects a pressure applied from a sensor surface of the sensor to the stylus pen, and the electrode selection circuit selects electrodes adjacent to each other for connection to the first input terminal and the second input terminal of the differential amplifier circuit if the position detecting device detects that a predetermined pressure is applied to the stylus pen.

8. The position detecting device according to claim 1,

wherein the electrode selection circuit sequentially changes the electrodes connected to respective ones of the first input terminal and the second input terminal of the differential amplifier circuit, and the position detecting device detects the position indicated by the stylus pen based on at least one of a distribution pattern of a signal level of the differential signal output from the differential amplifier circuit and the signal level.

9. A position detecting device comprising:

a sensor in which a plurality of electrodes is disposed in at least a first direction;

a differential amplifier circuit that includes a first input terminal and a second input terminal and that outputs a differential signal based on signals supplied to the first input terminal and the second input terminal; and

an electrode selection circuit that selects electrodes for connection to the first input terminal and the second input terminal of the differential amplifier circuit from the plurality of electrodes disposed in the sensor,

wherein a position indicated by a stylus pen that generates an electric field based on electric field couple between the stylus pen and the sensor is detected based on the differential signal output from the differential amplifier circuit, and

wherein if the differential signal output from the differential amplifier circuit corresponding to a first electrode selection pattern set by the electrode selection circuit satisfies a set predetermined condition, a second electrode selection pattern different from the first electrode selection pattern is set by the electrode selection circuit to detect the position indicated by the stylus pen,

wherein the first electrode selection pattern is a pattern formed by selecting a first predetermined number of electrodes in the sensor for connection to the first input terminal of the differential amplifier circuit and selecting a second predetermined number of electrodes in the sensor for connection to the second input terminal of the differential amplifier circuit.

10. The position detecting device according to claim 9,

wherein the second predetermined number of electrodes is disposed on each of a first side and a second side of the first predetermined number of electrodes, with the first predetermined number of electrodes disposed in an intervening manner.

11. A position detecting method of a position detecting device including a sensor in which a plurality of electrodes is disposed in at least a first direction, a differential amplifier circuit that includes a first input terminal and a second input terminal and that outputs a differential signal based on signals supplied to the first input terminal and the second input terminal, and an electrode selection circuit that selects electrodes for connection to the first input terminal and the second input terminal of the differential amplifier circuit from the plurality of electrodes disposed in the sensor, the position detecting device detecting a position indicated by a stylus pen that generates an electric field based on electric field coupling between the stylus pen and the sensor based on the differential signal output from the differential amplifier circuit, the position detecting method comprising:

selecting a first electrode to connect to the first input terminal of the differential amplifier circuit; and

selecting a second electrode different from the first electrode to connect to the second input terminal of the differential amplifier circuit,

wherein a distance between the first electrode and the second electrode is changed based on the differential signal output from the differential amplifier circuit.

12. The position detecting method according to claim 11,

wherein the distance between the first electrode and the second electrode is changed based on the differential signal that is generated corresponding to a height of the stylus pen in a height direction relative to a sensor surface of the sensor and is output from the differential amplifier circuit.

13. The position detecting method according to claim 11,

wherein the electrode selection circuit selects electrodes adjacent to each other for connection to the first input terminal and the second input terminal of the differential amplifier circuit in response to a determination that the stylus pen is close to a sensor surface of the sensor based on the differential signal output from the differential amplifier circuit.

14. The position detecting method according to claim 11, further comprising:

wherein a pressure applied from a sensor surface of the sensor to the stylus pen detected, the electrode selection circuit selects electrodes adjacent to each other for connection to the first input terminal and the second input terminal of the differential amplifier circuit if a determination is made that a predetermined pressure is applied to the stylus pen.