Coordinate determining device using spatial filters

• US 4,963,703 A
• Filed: 07/18/1989
• Issued: 10/16/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Numonics Corporation
• Original Assignee: Numonics Corporation
• Inventors: Blesser, Barry A., Phillips, Mark J., Philbin, Patrick T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Schreyer, Stafford D.
• Application Number:
  US07/381,765
• Time in Patent Office: 455 Days
• Field of Search: 178/19, 178/18
• US Class Current: 178/20.02
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/046 by electromagnetic means

Abstract

A digitizing tablet is disclosed in which two sets of circuitous conductive lines form grids each connected at one end to a surrounding conductive loop. All outputs are measured from the conductive loop as a multiplexor sequentially grounds the grids one at a time. The outputs are fed through linear spatial filters which are used to produce intermediate signals which are in turn combined to arrive at raw position signals for a position indicating coil located over the work surface. Separate sets of linear spatial filters may be used to produce two raw position signals differently responsive to tilt which can then be combined to arrive at a true position signal insensitive to tilt.

Claims

1. A method for determining the position of a position indicating implement over a digitizing tablet comprising the steps of:

reading a plurality of spatially dependent data signals from said tablet;

determining a first raw position value from said data signals via a first algorithm;

determining a second raw position value from said data signals via a second algorithm;

combining the first raw position value and the second raw position value to obtain the difference between the two values;

using the difference to obtain a correction to one of the raw position values which when combined with said one of the raw position values gives an actual position value corresponding to the position of said position indicating implement.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of determining a first raw position value responds to tilt of said position indicating implement differently than said step of determining a second raw position value.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of determining a first raw position value responds to tilt of said position indicating implement in an opposite fashion from said step of determining a second raw position.

4. A digitizing tablet for use with a position indicating implement having a field generating element, said tablet comprising:

a two-dimensional work surface;

a conductive loop surrounding said work surface and having two ends;

a first plurality of circuitous conductive lines defining a first coordinate on said surface, each of said conductive lines having one end connected to said conductive loop and an other free end;

a second plurality of circuitous conductive lines defining a second coordinate on said surface perpendicular to said first coordinate, each of said conductive lines having one end connected to said conductive loop and an other free end;

multiplexor means having an input connected to ground which is switched from one to another of a plurality of inputs connected to the other free ends of said first and second pluralities of conductive lines;

means, connected to the two ends of said conductive loop, for receiving a pair of signals from said conductive loop induced by said field generating element and for generating an output;

modulation means for converting the output from said receiving means into direct current signals;

an analog to digital converter for digitizing said direct current signals; and

processing means connected to the output of said analog to digital converter for processing signals received from said converter to produce data signals corresponding to the position of the position indicating implement in the first and second coordinates.

5. The digitizing tablet of claim 4 wherein said first and second pluralities of conductive lines each comprises six conductive lines.

6. The digitizing tablet of claim 4 further comprising a single cycle grid in said first coordinate and a single cycle grid in said second coordinate, said single cycle grids being connected to said multiplexor for providing coarse position information to said processing means.

7. A digitizing tablet for use with a position indicating implement having a field generating element, said tablet comprising:

a grid structure including a first plurality of circuitous conductive lines defining a first coordinate on said grid and a second plurality of circuitous conductive lines defining a second coordinate on said grid perpendicular to said first coordinate;

means for sampling an output signal corresponding to each of the conductive lines in said first and second pluralities of conductive lines, said output signals being induced by said field generating element;

processing means, including at least two sets of linear spatial filters, for converting the output signals into at least two intermediate raw position signals for each of said first and second coordinates; and

means for combining each of said at least two intermediate signals to produce data signals corresponding to the position of the position indicating implement in the first and second coordinates.

8. The digitizing tablet of claim 7 wherein said position indicating implement has a tip for indicating a position on said grid structure and wherein said processing means further includes spatial filter means for generating a second pair of intermediate signals for said first plurality of conductive lines and for said second plurality of conductive lines;

second means for combining each second pair of intermediate signals to produce a second set of data signals oppositely responsive to tilt of said position indicating implement from said first set of data signals; and

means for combining said first set of data signals with said second set of data signals to produce true position signals corresponding to the position of the tip of the position indicating implement in the first and second coordinates irrespective of tilt of the implement.

9. A digitizing tablet for use with a position indicating implement, said tablet comprising:

a two-dimensional work surface;

a series of conductive grids for producing a plurality of spatially dependent data signals;

processing means, including at least two sets of linear spatial filters for converting said data signals into at least two raw position signals and a correction scheme for using the difference between said raw position signals to arrive at an actual position signal.