Display integrated type position reading apparatus

• US 5,327,163 A
• Filed: 11/23/1992
• Issued: 07/05/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Oda, Koichi, Hashimoto, Katsuhiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Oberley, Alvin E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, CHANH DUY
• Application Number:
  US07/979,888
• Time in Patent Office: 589 Days
• Field of Search: 340/706, 340/707, 340/708, 340/712, 340/710, 178/18, 178/19, 345/173, 345/179, 345/180, 345/181, 345/182, 345/183, 345/87, 375/99
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04184 Synchronisation with the driving of the display or the backlighting unit to avoid interferences generated internally
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/045 using resistive elements, e.g. a single continuous surface or two parallel surfaces put in contact

Abstract

A display integrated type position reading apparatus includes a display device driven for display in accordance with a driving signal in synchronization with a predetermined clock signal, and a conductive tablet mounted on a display screen of the display device. In operation, a CPU controls a tablet controller to apply voltage to the tablet. In response to a depression of an arbitrary position on the main surface of the tablet, the CPU reads out the depressed position as a digital signal via an A/D converter. The sampling by the A/D converter relating to reading is carried out at sampling points so as to avoid the mixing of noise, caused by a signal for driving the display unit, into the digital signal, resulting in an improvement in the read out accuracy of the depressed position.

Claims

1. A display integrated type position reading apparatus comprising:

a display unit driven for display in accordance with a driving signal in synchronization with a predetermined clock signal;

a transparent conductive sheet member mounted on a display screen of said display unit;

depression detecting means for detecting that an arbitrary position on a main surface of said sheet member opposite to said display screen is depressed; and

position reading means, responsive to detection by said depression detecting means, for reading out an electric signal indicative of the depressed position with a cycle in synchronization with said predetermined clock signal,

wherein said cycle is set so that position reading is carried out at a timing which avoids mixing of noise components, caused by a transition in the level of said driving signal, into said electric signal.

2. The display integrated type position reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said depression detecting means comprises:

first voltage applying means for applying voltage to said sheet member to detect depression of an arbitrary position on said sheet member;

first voltage detecting means for detecting an output voltage level of said sheet member after voltage is applied by said first voltage applying means; and

determination means for determining whether an arbitrary position on said main surface of said sheet member is depressed in accordance with said output voltage detected by said first voltage detecting means.

3. The display integrated type position reading apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said position reading means comprises:

second voltage applying means for applying voltage to said sheet member to detect a depressed position on said sheet member;

second voltage detecting means for detecting an output voltage level of said sheet member after voltage is applied by said second voltage applying means;

oscillator means for generating said predetermined clock signal;

enabling means, responsive to said cycle which is in synchronization with said predetermined clock signal generated by said oscillating means, for enabling said second voltage detecting means; and

depressed position identifying means for identifying said depressed position in accordance with said output voltage level detected by said second voltage detecting means.

4. The display integrated type position reading apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said depressed position includes a first position related to an abscissa and a second position related to an ordinate on said main surface, said position reading means comprising:

horizontal direction voltage applying means for applying voltage to said sheet member to detect said first position on said sheet member related to the abscissa;

vertical direction voltage applying means for applying voltage to said sheet member to detect said second position on said sheet member related to the ordinate;

oscillating means for generating said predetermined clock signal;

horizontal direction voltage detecting means, responsive to said cycle which is in synchronization with said predetermined clock signal, for detecting an output voltage level of said sheet member after voltage is applied by said horizontal direction voltage applying means;

vertical direction voltage detecting means, responsive to said cycle which is in synchronization with said predetermined clock signal, for detecting an output voltage level of said sheet member after voltage is applied by said vertical direction voltage applying means; and

coordinate position identifying means for identifying said depressed position based on said first position related to the abscissa and said second position related to the ordinate, in accordance with output voltage levels detected by said horizontal and vertical direction voltage detecting means.

5. The display integrated type position reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said position reading means comprises:

first voltage applying means for applying voltage to said sheet member to detect a depressed position on said sheet member;

first voltage detecting means for detecting an output voltage level of said sheet member after voltage is applied by said first voltage applying means;

oscillating means for generating said predetermined clock signal;

enabling means, responsive to said cycle which is in synchronization with said predetermined clock signal generated by said oscillating means, for enabling said first voltage detecting means; and

depressed position identifying means for identifying said depressed position in accordance with said output voltage level detected by said first voltage detecting means.

6. The display integrated type position reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said depressed position includes a first position related to an abscissa and a second position related to an ordinate on said main surface, said position reading means comprising:

horizontal direction voltage applying means for applying voltage to said sheet member to detect said first position on said sheet member related to the abscissa;

vertical direction voltage applying means for applying voltage to said sheet member to detect said second position on said sheet member related to the ordinate;

oscillating means for generating said predetermined clock signal;

horizontal direction voltage detecting means, responsive to said cycle which is in synchronization with said predetermined clock signal, for detecting an output voltage level of said sheet member after voltage is applied by said horizontal direction voltage applying means;

vertical direction voltage detecting means, responsive to said cycle which is in synchronization with said clock signal, for detecting an output voltage level of said sheet member after voltage is applied by said vertical direction voltage applying means; and

coordinate position identifying means for identifying said depressed position based on said first position related to the abscissa and said second position related to the ordinate, in accordance with output voltage levels detected by said horizontal and vertical direction voltage detecting means.

7. A display integrated type position reading apparatus comprising:

a display unit driven for display in accordance with a driving signal in synchronization with a predetermined clock signal;

a transparent conductive sheet member mounted on a display screen of said display unit;

depression detecting means for detecting that an arbitrary position on a main surface of said sheet member opposite to said display screen is depressed;

position reading means, responsive to detection by said depression detecting means, for reading out an electric signal indicative of the depressed position with a cycle in synchronization with said predetermined clock signal; and

display means for displaying an image on said display screen according to said depressed position read out by said position reading means,

wherein said cycle is set so that position reading is carried out at a timing which avoids mixing of noise components, caused by a transition in the level of said driving signal, into said electric signal.

8. An integrated type display position reading apparatus comprising:

display means for displaying images in accordance with driving signals applied in synchronization with a predetermined clock signal, said display means including a display screen with first and second transparent conductive sheets mounted thereon which are depressible;

depression detecting means for detecting depression of said first and second transparent conductive sheets; and

position reading means, responsive to detection of a depression of said first and second transparent conductive sheets, for determining a position of the detected depression in accordance with detected voltage output levels of said first and second transparent conductive sheets,

said position determining means determining the position of the detected depression in synchronization with the predetermined clock signal to avoid mixing of noise into the detected voltage output levels due to transitions in the level of the driving signals.

9. The integrated type display position reading apparatus of claim 8, wherein said first and second transparent conductive sheets respectively comprise first and second transparent thin film resistors.

10. The integrated type display position reading apparatus of claim 9, wherein said depression detecting means comprises:

first voltage applying means for applying a first voltage to said first transparent thin film resistor;

first voltage detecting means for detecting a first voltage output level of said first transparent thin film resistor after application of the first voltage; and

determination means for determining whether said first and second transparent thin film resistors are depressed in accordance with the detected first voltage output level.

11. The integrated type display position reading apparatus of claim 10, wherein said position reading means includes said first voltage applying means and said first voltage detecting means and further comprises:

second voltage applying means for applying a second voltage to said second transparent thin film resistor;

second voltage detecting means for detecting a second voltage output level of said second transparent thin film resistor after application of the second voltage;

oscillating means for generating the predetermined clock signal;

enabling means, coupled to said oscillating means, for enabling said first and second voltage detecting means in synchronization with the predetermined clock signal; and

depressed position identifying means for identifying the depressed position of said first and second transparent thin film resistors in accordance with the first and second voltage output levels.

12. The integrated type display position reading apparatus of claim 8, wherein said first and second transparent conductive sheets are conductive in respective first and second directions, the first and second directions corresponding respectively to an abscissa and ordinate of said display screen.

13. The integrated type display position reading apparatus of claim 8, wherein the driving signals comprise plural line driving signals, each driving a respective line of said display screen and each having a predetermined pulse width which is shifted in phase by a predetermined amount with respect to a line driving signal of an adjacent line.

14. A method of determining a depressed position on an integrated type display position reading apparatus which includes display means having a display screen with first and second transparent conductive sheets mounted thereon which are depressible, the display means being driven by a driving signal applied in synchronization with a predetermined clock signal, the method comprising the steps of:

a) applying a first voltage to the first transparent conductive sheet;

b) detecting a voltage output level of the first transparent conductive sheet subsequent application of the first voltage;

c) applying a second voltage to the second transparent conductive sheet;

d) detecting a voltage output level of the second transparent conductive sheet subsequent application of the second voltage; and

e) determining the depressed position of the first and second transparent conductive sheets in accordance with the voltage output levels detected in said steps b) and d),

said steps b) and d) of detecting occurring in synchronization with the predetermined clock signal to avoid mixing of noise into the detected voltage output levels due to transitions in the level of the driving signal.