Position detecting apparatus and method for detecting position pointing device

• US 6,005,555 A
• Filed: 04/30/1997
• Issued: 12/21/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Wacom Co Limited (Wacom)
• Original Assignee: Wacom Co Limited (Wacom)
• Inventors: Katsurahira, Yuji, Sekizawa, Yasushi
• Primary Examiner(s): Saras, Steven J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Alphonse, Fritz
• Application Number:
  US08/840,617
• Time in Patent Office: 965 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 345/174, 345/179, 345/157, 345/156, 178/18.01, 178/18.07, 178/19.01, 178/19.3, 178/19.07
• US Class Current: 345/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/046 by electromagnetic means

Abstract

A position detecting apparatus capable of detecting position pointing devices of any combination simultaneously out of plural position pointing devices, thereby providing a user a friendly apparatus. A frequency of a resonance circuit provided inside a position pointing device is set by a command signal transmitted from a tablet, causing plural position pointing devices placed on the tablet to have a different frequencies, thereby suppressing electromagnetic interference among position pointing devices on the tablet, so that a simultaneous detection becomes available.

Claims

1. A position detecting apparatus for detecting a position indicated by a first position pointing device using electromagnetic induction between the first position pointing device and a tablet;

the first position pointing device comprising;

a resonance circuit having at least two selectable resonance frequencies;

means for selecting one of the at least two resonance frequencies; and

means for receiving frequency selecting information for the frequency selecting means; and

the tablet comprising;

means for transmitting the frequency selecting information to the receiving means to set an initial resonance frequency in the resonance circuit of the first position pointing device;

means for detecting the first position pointing device having the initial resonance frequency;

means for selectively changing the resonance frequency of the first position pointing device to a second resonance frequency;

means for detecting an additional position pointing device by transmitting a signal equal to the initial resonance frequency; and

means for detecting the first position pointing device using the second resonance frequency.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, the tablet further comprising means for adjusting the transmission time for the transmitting means, and the first position pointing device further comprising means for determining the transmission time.

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the transmission time indicates a binary code.

4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the means for determining the transmission time comprises a plurality of integration circuits and a comparator, a voltage induced by the electromagnetic wave being converted to the binary code in accordance with the time constant of the integration circuits and the threshold voltage of the comparator.

5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the resonance circuit comprises:

a first capacitor, a second capacitor, and a switch connecting the first and second capacitors.

6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein the resonance circuit further comprises an inductor, and wherein the inductor, the first capacitor, and the second capacitor are connected in parallel.

7. The apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein the binary code determines the operation of the switch.

8. The apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the first position pointing device further comprises means for transmitting operation information to the tablet in response to a specific binary code.

9. The apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein the operation information includes an identification code.

10. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the resonance circuit comprises:

a first capacitor, a second capacitor, and a switch connecting the first and second capacitors.

11. The apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein the resonance circuit further comprises an inductor, and wherein the inductor, the first capacitor, and the second capacitor are connected in parallel.

12. A position detecting apparatus for detecting a position indicated by a first position pointing device using electromagnetic induction between the first position pointing device and a tablet;

the first position pointing device comprising;

a resonance circuit having first and second selectable resonance frequencies;

means for selecting one of the first and second resonance frequencies; and

means for receiving frequency selecting information for the frequency selecting means; and

the tablet comprising means for transmitting an electromagnetic wave as the frequency selecting information to the receiving means to set the first resonance frequency in the resonance circuit of the first position pointing device, the electromagnetic wave having a first frequency corresponding to the first resonance frequency of the first position pointing device;

means for selectively changing the resonance frequency of the first position pointing device to the second resonance frequency;

means for detecting an additional position pointing device by transmitting a signal equal to the first resonance frequency, and means for detecting the first position pointing device using the second resonance frequency.

13. The apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein the first resonance frequency is the resonance frequency at a reset mode.

14. The apparatus as claimed in claim 12, the tablet further comprising means for adjusting the transmission time of the transmitting means, and the first position pointing device further comprising means for determining the transmission time.

15. The apparatus as claimed in claim 14, wherein the transmission time indicates a binary code.

16. The apparatus as claimed in claim 15, wherein the means for determining the transmission time comprises a plurality of integration circuits and a comparator, a voltage induced by the electromagnetic wave being converted to the binary code in accordance with the time constant of the integration circuits and the threshold voltage of the comparator.

17. The apparatus as claimed in claim 15, wherein the resonance circuit comprises:

a first capacitor, a second capacitor, and a switch connecting the first and second capacitors.

18. The apparatus as claimed in claim 17, wherein the resonance circuit further comprises an inductor, and wherein the inductor, the first capacitor, and the second capacitor are connected in parallel.

19. The apparatus as claimed in claim 17, wherein the binary code determines the operation of the switch.

20. The apparatus as claimed in claim 15, wherein the first position pointing device further comprises means for transmitting operation information to the tablet in response to a specific binary code.

21. The apparatus as claimed in claim 20, wherein the operation information includes an identification code.

22. A position detecting apparatus for detecting positions indicated by first and second position pointing devices using electromagnetic induction between the pointing devices and a tablet;

the first position pointing device comprising;

a resonance circuit having at least two selectable resonance frequencies;

means for selecting one of the at least two resonance frequencies; and

means for receiving frequency selecting information for the frequency selecting means;

the second position pointing device comprising;

a resonance circuit having at least two selectable resonance frequencies;

means for selecting one of the at least two resonance frequencies; and

means for receiving frequency selecting information for the frequency selecting means; and

the tablet comprising means for transmitting the frequency selecting information to the receiving means to set an initial resonance frequency in the resonance circuit of the first position pointing device;

means for detecting the first position pointing device having the initial resonance frequency;

means for selectively changing the resonance frequency of the first position pointing device to a second resonance frequency;

means for detecting the second position pointing device by transmitting a signal equal to the initial resonance frequency of the first position pointing device; and

means for detecting the first position pointing device using the second resonance frequency of the first position pointing device.

23. The apparatus as claimed in claim 22, wherein the resonance circuits each comprise:

a first capacitor, a second capacitor, and a switch connecting the first and second capacitors.

24. The apparatus as claimed in claim 23, wherein the resonance circuits further comprise an inductor, and wherein the inductor, the first capacitor, and the second capacitor are connected in parallel.

25. The apparatus as claimed in claim 24, the tablet further comprising means for adjusting the transmission time of the transmitting means, and the position pointing devices each further comprising means for determining the transmission time.

26. The apparatus as claimed in claim 25, wherein the transmission time indicates a binary code.

27. The apparatus as claimed in claim 26, wherein the means for determining the transmission time comprises a plurality of integration circuits and a comparator, a voltage induced by the electromagnetic wave being converted to the binary code in accordance with the time constant of the integration circuits and the threshold voltage of the comparator.

28. The apparatus as claimed in claim 27, wherein the resonance circuits of the first and second position pointing devices have the same selectable resonance frequencies, and wherein the selection means of the first position pointing device selects a different resonance frequency than the selection means of the second position pointing device.

29. The apparatus as claimed in claim 22, wherein the resonance circuits of the first and second position pointing devices have the same selectable resonance frequencies, and wherein the selection means of the first position pointing device selects a different resonance frequency than the selection means of the second position pointing device.

30. The apparatus as claimed in claim 22, further comprising:

a third position pointing device comprising;

a resonance circuit having at least three selectable resonance frequencies;

means for selecting one of the at least three resonance frequencies; and

means for receiving frequency selecting information for the frequency selecting means;

wherein the resonance circuit of the first position pointing device has at least three resonance frequencies and wherein the resonance circuit of the second position pointing device has at least three resonance frequencies.

31. A method for detecting more than one position pointing device used on a tablet, each position pointing device indicating the position through an electromagnetic induction between the position pointing device and the tablet, and each position pointing device having a resonance circuit having at least two resonance frequencies, the method comprising the steps of:

scanning for a first position pointing device using a first frequency;

detecting a first position pointing device have a resonance circuit with the first frequency as the resonance frequency;

changing the resonance frequency of the resonance circuit of the first position pointing device to a second frequency;

detecting the position of the first position pointing device using the second frequency; and

scanning for a second position pointing device using the first frequency.

32. The method according to claim 31, further comprising the steps of:

detecting a second position pointing device having a resonance circuit with the first frequency as the resonance frequency; and

detecting the position of the second position pointing device using the first frequency.

33. The method according to claim 32, further comprising the steps of:

detecting the removal of the first position pointing device;

changing the resonance frequency of the second position pointing device to the second resonance frequency; and

scanning for a third position pointing device or the first position pointing device using the first frequency.