JP2012033130A - Electronic writing pad - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an electronic writing pen which enables overwriting easily on a display of an explanatory material during a presentation, is provided with a plurality of icons in a command area to make it available immediately and intuitively, and further enables functions of a desired application program to be allocated to the icons for greater convenience in use as an ordinary pen tablet as well.SOLUTION: An electronic writing pad has a body having a flat part on the upper surface, a transparent writing pattern sheet arranged on the flat part and having positional information pattern disposed on the rear surface, a command area disposed in the flat part, a plurality of icons disposed in the command area to perform desired functions on a personal computer, and an electronic pen that reads the positional information pattern by performing an action to write on the front surface of the writing pattern sheet and wirelessly outputs the read positional information to the personal computer.

Description

The present invention is an apparatus for processing writing information with an electronic pen, and can output and record writing information to an external device such as a personal computer by a writing operation with the electronic pen. The present invention relates to an electronic writing pad suitable for use.

Conventionally, a pen tablet that outputs writing information to a personal computer is known.
This is because the writing surface of the pen tablet and the display surface of the display device of the personal computer are in one-to-one correspondence, and the electronic pen moves on the writing surface to calculate the movement trajectory of the electronic pen. Is displayed on a display device of a personal computer.

This pen tablet is mainly for creating illustrations, 3D modeling, and the like, and has a configuration that emphasizes versatility in order to support all application software compatible with tablets.
In other words, it is a product aimed at professionals in the graphic department, and therefore it is difficult for general users to use it for presentations at companies.

JP 2006-309308 A JP 2006-024043 A

In the above-mentioned patent document 1, a technique is shown in which the tablet detects the position of the input pen by an electromagnetic induction method between the input pen and the tablet. Moreover, in the said patent document 2, the technique which outputs writing information using the pen and receiver which transmit an ultrasonic wave and infrared rays is shown.

These conventional techniques are used as pointing devices, and these apparatuses themselves simply output two-dimensional position information to a personal computer.
So, for example, if you want to draw a note on it during a presentation with these devices, you will need to learn how to use the application software tools to draw a picture. You cannot easily use a pen tablet.
Moreover, when writing directly on paper like patent document 2, there exists a problem that the paper already written becomes useless.

In the present invention, it is possible to easily perform overwriting on the display of explanatory materials during a presentation, and a plurality of icons are provided in the command area so that they can be used immediately and intuitively. ing.
Furthermore, it is possible to assign a function of desired application software to this icon, thereby improving convenience as a normal pen tablet.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides an input device to a personal computer as claimed in claim 1, wherein a main body having a flat portion on the upper surface, and a positional information pattern disposed on the flat portion. A transparent writing pattern sheet provided on the back surface, a command area provided in the flat portion, a plurality of icons provided in the command area to perform a desired function on the personal computer, It has an electronic pen that reads the position information pattern by performing a writing operation on the front surface of the writing pattern sheet and wirelessly outputs the read position information to a personal computer.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the plurality of icons are used for writing on a display surface displayed on the personal computer of a presentation material arranged under the writing pattern sheet. It is characterized by including a tool icon.

According to the present invention, at the time of presentation, it is possible to write intuitively on the presentation material or to facilitate operations such as display switching in the presentation.
Further, it becomes possible to add operations and functions of electronic devices by writing operation using an electronic pen to the writing surface of a personal computer or interactive board, and the convenience of the personal computer or interactive board is improved.

Hereinafter, the best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing an embodiment in which an electronic writing pad is wirelessly connected to a personal computer (hereinafter referred to as a personal computer), further enlarged and projected by a projector 9 connected to the personal computer, and a presentation is made by the electronic writing pad. is there.
Reference numeral 1 denotes an electronic writing pad.
2 is a pattern pattern for writing in which a position mark capable of calculating an absolute position is formed on the back surface, and a writing operation is performed with the electronic pen 6 on the front surface. 3 is a metal support adhered to the upper end of the writing pattern sheet. A command area 6 is provided with an icon 5 such as an operation tool for a specific application for overwriting the material displayed on the personal computer screen, 6 is written on the writing pattern sheet 2 and a writing locus is calculated and wirelessly output. An electronic pen, 7 is a sheet placed between the flat portion 13 of the electronic writing pad 1 and the writing pattern sheet 2, 8 is a personal computer that receives control signals and writing data from the electronic pen 6, and 9 is a screen of the personal computer 8. This is a projector for enlarging projection.

The sheet 7 is a presentation material in which the description content is printed on an A4 size sheet. However, the sheet 7 is not necessary when the presentation proceeds without using the sheet.

On the back surface of the writing pattern sheet 2, for example, a position pattern as shown in Japanese Patent No. 3881365 is formed with infrared absorbing ink.
Usually, such a print pattern is provided on the surface of paper. However, in a medium such as a blackboard where writing and erasing are repeated, the print pattern is quickly worn out and cannot be used.

For this reason, in the present invention, the position information pattern 20 is printed and formed on the back surface of the transparent sheet for writing using ink.
In particular, by forming the position information pattern 20 on the back surface of the writing pattern sheet 2, the position information pattern 20 is not worn by the writing operation by the electronic pen 6.

The electronic writing pad 1 is used by both a person who gives a presentation and a person who receives an explanation.
A person who gives a presentation gives instructions to the electronic writing pad 1 by pointing with the electronic pen 6 while pointing and highlighting a desired place without pointing with the laser pointer.
Furthermore, operations such as switching of materials to be displayed and enlargement / reduction of display are performed.
A person who receives a presentation uses the electronic writing pad 1 to electronically write characters, highlight lines, etc. on the explanatory material, or to point to a predetermined portion in order to obtain an explanation of a predetermined portion.
Therefore, it is not necessary to use a laser pointer for the presentation.

FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram showing the configuration of the electronic pen 6.
The electronic pen 6 includes a stylus 60 having a resinous pen tip, an infrared imaging device 61, an infrared LED 62, an arithmetic device 63 that calculates a writing locus from a position information pattern detected by the infrared imaging device 61, a memory 64, A wireless communication device 65, a battery 66, and a switch 67 for turning on / off the position information reading operation are incorporated.
The cap 69 is turned off when the electronic pen 6 is covered, and the cap 69 is turned on by removing the cap 69.
The stylus 60 is detachably disposed on the main body of the electronic pen 6.
Therefore, a writing instrument of a color that is actually desired to be written with ink, such as a black, red, green, or blue writing instrument, can be mounted on the electronic pen 6 and used.
A pressure sensor 68 is provided at the end of the portion where the stylus 60 is inserted.

When writing, the writing pressure obtained from the writing pattern sheet 2 is detected by the pressure sensor 68, the infrared LED 62 and the infrared imaging device 61 are operated at a cycle of about 60 Hz, and the mouse corresponds to mouse click and mouse drag on the personal computer. Operation starts.
By this writing operation, writing position data is sequentially detected, and the writing trajectory data is recorded in the memory 64.
When the pressure detected by the pressure sensor 68 is a certain value or less, it is operated at about 5 Hz, and the cursor on the personal computer screen simply moves in the hover mode corresponding to the movement of the electronic pen.

When characters or the like are written on the surface of the writing pattern sheet 2 by the stylus 60 of the electronic pen 6, the position information pattern 20 formed on the back surface of the writing pattern sheet 2 is continuously formed by the infrared imaging device 61. Read.
In this case, it is possible to perform character recognition by a writing operation (gesture), and various controls according to the position information are possible.
For example, when a predetermined gesture is read, the printer can be operated, or translation software can be driven to translate written data.

Application software such as character recognition software, translation software, calculation processing software, and image processing software is recorded in a flash memory (not shown).
The electronic pen 6 has an arithmetic unit 63, a memory 64, and an input unit including an infrared imaging device 61 and an infrared LED 62, and has all functions as a small computer. The software can be installed at any time.
Therefore, as long as application software is installed in the electronic pen 6, even functions that are not installed in the personal computer 8 can be executed.

In FIG. 3, the conceptual diagram which shows the outline | summary of the electronic writing pad 1 is shown.
In order to arrange the writing pattern sheet 2 on the electronic writing pad 1, the electronic writing pad 1 has an arrangement portion that is lowered from the upper surface by the approximate thickness of the writing pattern sheet 2.
Further, three support magnets 10 for fixing the writing pattern sheet 2 are provided at the upper end of the arrangement portion.
At the upper end of the writing pattern sheet 2, a metal support 3 for holding and fixing with the support magnet 10 is provided.
The electronic writing pad 1 is provided with a flat portion 13 for placing the paper 7 so as to be lowered by one step from the placement portion. The flat portion 13 is provided slightly larger than the A4 size so that A4 size paper is arranged.
For example, presentation materials printed on A4 paper are arranged on the flat portion 13.

A command area 4 in which a plurality of icons 5 are printed in one row is provided adjacent to the upper end and the right end of the flat portion 13.
As the icon 5, in addition to the above-mentioned tool icon for the specific application software, an icon for sending a document at the time of presentation, an icon for displaying a laser pointer pointing mark, an icon for performing a left mouse click, a right click operation, An icon for enlarging, reducing, and rotating the display material, an icon for saving a writing, an icon for printing, an activation icon for starting various application software, and the like are provided.
Further, when the presentation material is used while being sandwiched, the correspondence between the position of this material and the display image on the personal computer 8 is taken, and when the material is used without sandwiching the material, the writing surface of the electronic writing pad 1 is used. And a calibration icon for providing correspondence with the display surface of the personal computer 8.

When these icons 5 are clicked with the electronic pen 6, the electronic pen 6 reads the position information of the icon 5 with the pattern of the writing pattern sheet 2 and wirelessly transmits it to the personal computer 8.
In the personal computer 8, a desired operation is performed in response to the icon 5 detection signal from the electronic pen 6.

These icons 5 include those for operating specific application software in advance, but it is also possible to assign functions of a plurality of other application software to these icons 5.
When a plurality of applications are activated, the function of the application in the active window is selected and set.
For example, when an application such as spreadsheet software, presentation software, and word processor is activated and the active window is a spreadsheet software window, the function of this spreadsheet software is assigned to the icon 5. . Thereafter, when the presentation software window is activated by clicking, the function of the presentation software is automatically assigned to the icon 5.

If specific application software is running at the same time as other application software, the function of the specific application software has priority and is assigned to icon 5 regardless of which window is active. It is done.
This is because when specific application software is used, it is said that the purpose is to add to the display screen during the presentation.
For example, when a window other than a specific application window is activated for some reason, even if an attempt is made to write, a state in which writing cannot be performed occurs, which may cause confusion for the user.
For this reason, the specific application is prioritized over other applications, and the operation of the icon 5 is the operation of the specific application regardless of which window is active.

Further, since icons for enlargement, reduction, rotation, etc. of the screen are provided, after the icon 5 is clicked with the electronic pen 6, the electronic pen 6 is moved vertically or horizontally on the writing pattern sheet 2 side. By performing a gesture that moves to, operations such as enlargement, reduction, and rotation are performed reliably.

Since the writing pattern sheet 2 is held and fixed by the support magnet 10, it can be detached. If the writing pattern sheet 2 is damaged, only the writing pattern sheet 2 is replaced. Good.
Further, in order to lift the writing pattern sheet 2 and make it easier to place the paper 7, a protrusion 14 is provided at the lower end of the writing pattern sheet 2, so that the electronic writing pad 1 can easily lift the protrusion 14. The notch part 15 is provided.

Conventionally, in a system for reading absolute position information with an electronic pen and recording writing, it has been inconvenient compared to other reading methods because it is necessary to use dedicated paper on which an absolute position pattern is printed. By using such a transparent writing pattern sheet 2, it becomes unnecessary to use dedicated paper, and convenience is improved.

Moreover, in the tablet by another reading method, an electronic component is required for both the pad and the electronic pen, but in the method of the present invention, the electronic writing pad 1 does not require any electronic component or a power cord, and the pad is lightweight. And manufacturing cost can be reduced.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. For example, the writing pressure of the electronic pen 6 may be detected linearly by the pressure sensor 68.
In this case, the thickness of the writing trajectory data can be changed according to the writing pressure.

Further, an acceleration sensor may be provided in the electronic pen, and the peripheral device may be operated by, for example, an operation of shaking the electronic pen 6.
For example, when the electronic pen 6 is shaken once, the written surface data recorded one page before is displayed, and when the electronic pen 6 is shaken a plurality of times, the recorded surface data of the page several minutes before the electronic pen 6 is recorded. It may be displayed.

Further, as shown in FIG. 4, a material storage unit 11 may be provided in the electronic writing pad 1.
As shown in FIG. 5, ruled lines 12 may be provided on the flat portion 13 of the electronic writing pad 1.
When the electronic writing pad 1 is used without sandwiching the paper 7, vertical and horizontal ruled lines work as guidelines, and writing becomes easy. In this case, the ruled line 12 is displayed as a semi-transparent color image on the screen of the personal computer 8 and further on the projection image by the projector 9, so that the correspondence between the display surface and the writing surface of the electronic writing pad 1 can be achieved. It becomes easy to take.

The present invention makes it easy to use an electronic pen and an electronic writing pad for presentation.
In addition, despite the use of an absolute position reading type electronic pen, it is possible to construct a new writing system without using dedicated paper.

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing a main configuration according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram relating to an electronic pen, a writing sheet, and paper according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram according to the pad of the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram according to the pad of the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram according to the pad of the third embodiment of the present invention.

1: Electronic writing pad body 2: Writing pattern sheet 4: Command area 5: Icon 6: Electronic pen 7: Paper 20: Position information pattern

Claims (8)

An input device for a personal computer, a main body having a flat portion on the upper surface, a transparent writing pattern sheet disposed on the flat portion and having a position information pattern on the back surface, and provided on the flat portion. The position information pattern is read by performing a writing operation on the front surface of the writing pattern sheet and a plurality of icons provided in the command area to perform a desired function on the personal computer. An electronic writing pad comprising an electronic pen that wirelessly outputs the read position information to a personal computer. The electronic writing pad according to claim 1, wherein the writing pattern sheet is detachably disposed on the main body. 2. The electronic writing pad according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of icons include a right button, a left button, and a calibration switch of a mouse of a personal computer. The plurality of icons includes a tool icon for writing on a display surface displayed on the personal computer of a presentation material arranged under the writing pattern sheet. The electronic writing pad according to item 1. The electronic writing pad according to claim 1, wherein information processing is performed by a click operation on the icon with the electronic pen and a subsequent gesture with the electronic pen. It is possible to assign a plurality of application software functions of a personal computer to the plurality of icons. When a plurality of applications are activated, an application function corresponding to an active window is automatically assigned to the icons. The electronic writing pad according to claim 1, wherein the electronic writing pad is set. Even when the plurality of applications are activated, when specific application software is activated, the function of the specific application software is automatically set in the icon. The electronic writing pad according to claim 6. The electronic writing pad according to claim 1, further comprising a storage unit that stores a plurality of sheets.

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