JP2013134669A - Electronic pen - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To suppress generation of cause to hinder signal processing using an imaging result, in an electronic pen.SOLUTION: A first circuit board 30 is provided in a housing 10A and an imaging device 50 is mounted on a board surface 30A of the first circuit board. A second circuit board 60 is provided so as to face the board surface 30A, and has, on a side of an opening 12, a tip part 62 including a cutout part 61 into which the imaging device 50 is inserted. On the second circuit board 60, there is mounted a signal processing circuit 101A for performing processing, using an imaging result of the imaging device 50, and an irradiation part 70 for irradiating a medium outside the housing 10A with light from the opening 12 is mounted in an area, of the tip part 62, facing the board surface 30A. The imaging device 50 images reflected light from the medium, incident from a part inserted into the cutout part 61.

Description

  The present invention relates to an electronic pen.

  Patent Documents 1 and 2 disclose electronic pens that perform signal processing for capturing a medium on which an encoded image is formed, analyzing an imaging result (captured image), and decoding information from the encoded image. In general, as a cause that hinders signal processing using the imaging result of the electronic pen, for example, external force applied to the housing when held by the user, tolerance of component parts, deviation of mounting position of component parts, electrical There is an influence by the generation of noise.

Special table 2010-53043 gazette Special Table 2007-524155

  An object of the present invention is to suppress occurrence of a cause that hinders signal processing using an imaging result in an electronic pen.

  In order to solve the above-described problem, an electronic pen according to a first aspect of the present invention includes a housing in which an opening is formed, a first that is provided in the housing, and an imaging device is mounted on a first substrate surface. A second circuit board and a second substrate that is provided at a distance from the first circuit board so as to face the first circuit board surface, and has a front end formed with a notch into which the imaging device is inserted. A circuit board, mounted with a signal processing circuit that performs processing using an imaging result of the imaging device, and an irradiation unit that irradiates light from the opening to a medium outside the housing, A second circuit board mounted in a region facing the first substrate surface, and the imaging device is incident from a portion inserted into the notch, and from the medium according to the irradiation light of the irradiation unit The reflected light is imaged.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided the electronic pen according to the first aspect, wherein a concave portion that covers the light source of the irradiation unit is formed, and the electronic pen includes a translucent member that changes an optical path of light emitted from the light source. .

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the electronic pen according to the first or second aspect, the electronic pen includes a holding portion that holds a rear end portion of the pen shaft provided in the housing, and the first circuit board includes the front end portion. In a region opposite to the first fixing tool and fixed to the housing, and at a position facing the pen shaft held by the holding portion, using the second and third fixing tools. It is fixed to the housing.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the electronic pen according to the third aspect, wherein the pen shaft inserted into the housing from the opening side is guided in the direction of the holding portion and is held by the holding portion. A guide groove into which the pen shaft is fitted is formed on the inner surface of the housing, and the housing has a single guide groove and a portion that contacts the first, second, and third fixtures. It is comprised by the member, It is characterized by the above-mentioned.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the electronic pen according to the fourth aspect, wherein the guide groove portion of the housing is formed of a non-metal, the pen shaft includes a metal portion on an outer peripheral surface, and the first circuit. An insulating material is provided between the substrate and the metal portion of the pen shaft fitted in the guide groove.

  The electronic pen according to claim 6 is the configuration according to any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein the first circuit board is an electronic component other than the imaging device mounted on the first substrate surface. It is mounted on the opening side from the position of the second and third fixtures.

  The electronic pen according to a seventh aspect is the configuration according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, wherein a signal line for transmitting an output signal of the imaging device is a surface of the first substrate of the first circuit board. The first circuit board is mounted with a first connector electrically connected to the signal line, and the second circuit board is disposed on the opposite side of the second board surface in a direction away from the opening. A second connector that is electrically connected to the signal processing circuit is mounted, and the first connector and the second connector are connected via a cable that transmits the output signal.

  An electronic pen according to an eighth aspect of the present invention is the configuration according to any one of the first to seventh aspects, wherein the signal processing circuit includes a partial image area of a captured image generated based on an output signal of the imaging device. Cutout and processing according to the contents of the cutout image area are performed.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the imaging device and the signal processing circuit are mounted on a common circuit board, and the irradiation unit and the imaging device corresponding to the tip portion in which the cutout portion of the second circuit board is formed. As compared with the case where the electronic pen is not arranged, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of the cause that hinders the signal processing using the imaging result in the electronic pen.
According to the invention which concerns on Claim 2, the change of an imaging position can be suppressed compared with the case where a light source is not located in the recessed part of a translucent member.
According to the third aspect of the present invention, the complexity of the structure for fixing the first circuit board is suppressed while suppressing the change in the imaging position, as compared with the case where the first circuit board is fixed by another method. be able to.
According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, in the housing, the guide groove and the portion that contacts the first, second, and third fixtures are caused by a tolerance as compared to a case where the portion is not configured by a single member. The change of the imaging position can be suppressed.
According to the invention which concerns on Claim 5, generation | occurrence | production of the electrical malfunction by the contact with the metal part of the outer peripheral surface of a pen axis | shaft and a 1st circuit board can be suppressed compared with the case where an insulating material is not provided.
According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, the first circuit board is enlarged compared to the case where the electronic component is mounted in the region of the first circuit board that is not on the opening side from the position of the second and third fixtures. Can be suppressed.
According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, the influence of electrical noise generated from the signal processing circuit on the imaging result can be suppressed as compared with the case where the signal line is arranged on the first substrate surface.
According to the eighth aspect of the present invention, the imaging device and the signal processing circuit are mounted on a common circuit board, and the irradiation unit and the imaging device corresponding to the distal end portion where the notch portion of the second circuit board is formed. Compared to a case where the electronic pen is not arranged, the accuracy of calibration of the imaging position of the electronic pen can be increased.

The figure which shows the whole structure of a system. The figure explaining the structure of an encoding image. The block diagram which shows the structure of an electronic pen. The figure which shows the structure of the housing | casing of an electronic pen. Sectional drawing of the housing | casing of an electronic pen. The figure which shows the structure of an electronic pen (after mounting a 1st circuit board etc.). The figure which shows the structure of an electronic pen (after mounting an imaging device). The figure which shows the structure of an electronic pen (after mounting a 2nd circuit board etc.). The enlarged view of the peripheral part of an imaging device and an irradiation part. The schematic diagram of a mode that the electronic pen was seen from the opening part side. Explanatory drawing of the wiring structure around an imaging device. Explanatory drawing of the content of the calibration of an electronic pen. The schematic diagram of a mode that the electronic pen was seen from the opening part side.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an overall configuration of a system according to the present embodiment.
The system according to the present embodiment is roughly divided into an electronic pen 1, a medium 200, and a PC (Personal Computer) 300. The electronic pen 1 is an example of the electronic pen according to the present invention, and realizes a function in which a user writes characters and figures on the medium 200 by handwriting and a function to capture an encoded image formed on the medium 200. . The encoded image formed on the medium 200 is obtained by encoding information into an image according to a predetermined encoding method. The medium 200 may be made of paper, plastic such as an OHP sheet, or other materials, or may be electronic paper whose display content is electrically rewritten. When the information is decoded from the encoded image at the position designated by the electronic pen 1, the PC 300 executes processing using the decoded information. For example, the PC 300 digitizes written content handwritten by the user using the electronic pen 1 and generates electronic data indicating an electronic document.
Next, the encoded image formed on the medium 200 will be described.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an encoded image.
As shown in FIG. 2, the encoded image is composed of a set of a plurality of point images. In FIG. 2, rectangular areas A1 and A2 shown in black correspond to areas where dot images are arranged, and hatched areas A3 to A9 correspond to areas where dot images are not arranged. The encoded image is an image representing identification information for identifying the medium 200 and position information indicating a position on the medium 200, and information is represented according to the arrangement pattern of the dotted images.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the electronic pen 1.
The control unit 101 includes a signal processing circuit 101A and a drive circuit 101B, and further includes a configuration for performing power management of the electronic pen 1 and the like. The signal processing circuit 101A includes an arithmetic device and a memory including a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), and controls signal processing in the electronic pen 1. For example, the signal processing circuit 101A analyzes a captured image that is an image of the medium 200, decodes information indicated by the encoded image, and extracts identification information and position information. The drive circuit 101B is a circuit that controls the driving of the irradiation unit 70, and controls, for example, the irradiation timing of light (here, infrared light) by the irradiation unit 70. The drive circuit 101 </ b> B causes the irradiation unit 70 to irradiate light on the imaging range R on the medium 200 when a writing operation is performed by the user under control according to the detection result of the pressure sensor 102. The pressure sensor 102 detects a writing operation by the electronic pen 1 based on pressure (specifically, writing pressure) acting on the refill 20.

  The imaging device 50 images the reflected light from the medium 200 of the infrared light irradiated from the irradiation unit 70. In the electronic pen 1, the surface of the medium 200 is imaged at a frame rate (for example, 60 fps (frame per second)) determined in advance by the imaging device 50. The information memory 103 stores the identification information and position information extracted by the signal processing circuit 101A. The communication unit 104 performs control related to wireless communication between the electronic pen 1 and the PC 300. The battery 105 is, for example, a rechargeable battery, and supplies power for driving the electronic pen 1 to each part of the electronic pen 1. The pen ID memory 106 stores identification information of the electronic pen 1. The switch 107 is used for switching various settings of the electronic pen 1.

The refill 20 is an example of a pen shaft according to the present invention, and is detachable from the electronic pen 1. A nib 20 a is provided at the tip of the refill 20. When the user performs a writing operation using the electronic pen 1, the pen tip 20 a indicates the position on the medium 200 on which the encoded image is formed, and ink is ejected to realize writing on the medium 200. To do.
Next, the structure of the electronic pen 1 will be described in detail.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an appearance of the housing 10 of the electronic pen 1. FIG. 4A is a plan view showing the housing 10 viewed from the side. FIG. 4B is a plan view showing a state in which the inside of the housing 10A is viewed from the open side of the housing 10A, which is the direction of the arrow IV in FIG. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a cross section when the housing 10 </ b> A is cut along a plane orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the electronic pen 1. FIG. 5A is a cross-sectional view (cross-sectional view taken along the line Va-Va in FIG. 4B) when the housing 10A is cut at the position of the boss 112A. FIG. 5B is a cross-sectional view (cross-sectional view taken along the line Vb-Vb in FIG. 4B) when the housing 10A is cut at the positions of the bosses 112B and 112C.

  The casing 10 is an example of the casing of the present invention, and a long member that is pen-shaped as a whole when the casing 10B is attached to the casing 10A indicated by a solid line at a position indicated by a virtual line. It is. A cylindrical internal space having a longitudinal direction is formed in the housing 10, and components of the electronic pen 1 are accommodated in the internal space. The housing 10A is formed of a single member and is formed using a non-metallic material (for example, a resin material). In the housing 10A, a crow mouth-shaped opening 12 is formed in the pen tip direction which is the left direction in the drawing, which is one end of the internal space of the housing 10. The opening 12 is opened in the housing 10 </ b> A in order to pass through the inside and outside of the housing of the electronic pen 1 and secure the optical path of the irradiation light of the irradiation unit 70 and the reflected light from the medium 200.

As shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, each cross section when the housing 10 </ b> A is cut along a plane orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the electronic pen 1 has a “U” shape. A refill guide 111, bosses 112A, 112B, and 112C and bosses 113A and 113C are integrally formed on the inner surface of the housing 10A in the housing 10A.
The refill guide 111 is an example of the guide groove of the present invention, and extends along the longitudinal direction of the housing 10A. When the refill 20 is inserted into the housing 10A from the opening 12 side, the refill guide 111 guides the refill 20 toward the rear end of the electronic pen 1 that is the right direction in the drawing. The refill guide 111 is formed in a cylindrical shape in the vicinity of the opening 12 and in the vicinity of the rear end of the electronic pen 1, but the other part has a “U” shape in cross section as shown in FIG. It opens in the same direction as the body 10A.

Boss 112A, 112B, 112C is a cylindrical member which comprises a female screw, respectively. The boss 112 </ b> A is provided at a position relatively close to the opening 12. The bosses 112B and 112c are provided at positions farther from the opening 12 than the boss 112A so as to face each other with the refill guide 111 interposed therebetween.
Boss 113A, 113B is a cylindrical member which comprises a female screw, respectively. The bosses 113 </ b> A and 113 </ b> B are provided at positions farther from the opening 12 than the bosses 112 </ b> B and 112 </ b> C so as to face each other across the position on the extension line of the refill guide 111.
Next, the structure which provided the refill 20, the 1st circuit board 30, and the refill holder 40 in the electronic pen 1 shown in FIG. 4 is demonstrated.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a configuration in which the refill 20, the first circuit board 30, and the refill holder 40 are provided in the housing 10 shown in FIG. Fig.6 (a) is a top view showing a mode that the housing | casing 10A was seen in the same direction as Fig.5 (a). FIG. 6B is a cross-sectional view (cross-sectional view taken along the line VI-VI in FIG. 6A) when the electronic pen 1 is cut in a plane along the longitudinal direction of the electronic pen 1. In the following sectional views, hatching of the refill 20 is omitted in order to prevent the figure from becoming complicated.
The refill 20 is made of metal, and ink is sealed inside. After the refill 20 is guided toward the rear end of the electronic pen 1 by the refill guide 111, the rear end portion is held by the refill holder 40. The refill 20 is fixed in the housing 10 </ b> A by the refill holder 40 while being fitted in the refill guide 111. At this time, the nib 20 a of the refill 20 is located outside the housing 10.

The first circuit board 30 is an example of the first circuit board of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 6A, the first circuit board 30 has a rectangular board surface, and is, for example, a printed board having a multilayer wiring structure. The first circuit board 30 is fixed to the housing 10 </ b> A from the board surface 30 </ b> A (an example of the first board surface) using fixing tools 31 </ b> A, 31 </ b> B, and 31 </ b> C that are male screws. Specifically, the first circuit board 30 is screwed to the boss 112A using a fixture 31A (an example of a first fixture), and the boss using a fixture 31B (an example of a second fixture). It is screwed to 112B and is screwed to the boss 112C using a fixture 31C (an example of a third fixture). The first circuit board 30 is fixed to the housing 10A by using only these three fixing tools, and no other fixing tools are used. Thus, the first circuit board 30 is screwed in the vicinity of three corners of the four corners of the substrate surface of the first circuit board 30.
A connector 32 is mounted on the board surface 30 </ b> A of the first circuit board 30. The connector 32 is connected to a case for electrically connecting the first circuit board 30 and a second circuit board 60 described later. The wiring structure around the connector 32 will be described later.

  The refill holder 40 is a member that holds the rear end portion of the refill 20, and is an example of the holding portion of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 6A, the refill holder 40 is screwed to the boss 113A using a fixture 41A that is a male screw, and is screwed to the boss 113B using a fixture 41B. It is fixed to 10A. The refill holder 40 is fixed to the housing 10A by using only these two fixing tools, and no other fixing tools are used. Further, the refill holder 40 has an insertion hole 42 into which the rear end portion of the refill 20 fitted in the refill guide 111 is inserted. By inserting the rear end portion of the refill 20 into the insertion hole 42 of the refill holder 40, the position of the refill 20 is fixed to the housing 10A. A pressure sensor 102 for detecting the writing pressure of the electronic pen 1 is provided at the innermost side of the insertion hole 42 of the refill holder 40.

Further, as described above, the refill 20 is formed of metal, but a film-like insulating material is provided at a position where the first circuit board 30 and the refill 20 fitted in the refill guide 111 face through the space. 80 is provided. The insulating material 80 is provided to prevent the electrical refill 20 and the first circuit board 30 from coming into contact with each other and causing an electrical failure (for example, a short circuit) in the electronic pen 1. Since the contact between the refill 20 and the first circuit board 30 may be avoided, the material of the insulating material 80 is not particularly limited.
The refill guide 111 is formed in a cylindrical shape near both ends, but the refill 20 and the first circuit board 30 do not come into contact with each other at this position. Therefore, the insulating material 80 is not provided at this position. May be.
Next, the structure which provided the imaging device 50 in the electronic pen 1 shown in FIG. 6 is demonstrated.

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a configuration in which the imaging device 50 is provided in the electronic pen 1 illustrated in FIG. 6. Fig.7 (a) is a top view showing a mode that the housing | casing 10A was seen in the same direction as Fig.5 (a) and Fig.6 (a). FIG. 7B is a cross-sectional view (cross-sectional view taken along the line VII-VII in FIG. 7A) when the electronic pen 1 is cut in a plane along the longitudinal direction of the electronic pen 1.
The imaging device 50 is mounted on the board surface 30A of the first circuit board 30 by, for example, bonding. The imaging device 50 is provided at a position that does not overlap with the fixtures 31A, 31B, and 31B when viewed in plan from the open side of the housing 10A (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as “plan view”). On the other hand, the imaging device 50 is provided at a position overlapping the refill 20 fitted in the refill guide 111 in a plan view, and a height dimension (a dimension in the direction perpendicular to the paper surface) is relatively large in this peripheral portion.
The first circuit board 30 and the imaging device 50 configured as described above are manufactured as an optical module in which the imaging device 50 is mounted on the first circuit board 30 in advance, and then the housing 10A using the fixtures 31A, 31B, and 31C. Attached to.
Next, a configuration in which the second circuit board 60 and the irradiation unit 70 are provided in the electronic pen 1 illustrated in FIG. 7 will be described.

  FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a configuration in which the second circuit board 60 and the irradiation unit 70 are provided in the electronic pen 1 illustrated in FIG. 7. FIG. 8A is a plan view showing a state in which the housing 10A is viewed in the same direction as FIGS. 5A to 7A. FIG. 8B is a cross-sectional view (sectional view taken along the line VIII-VIII in FIG. 8A) when the electronic pen 1 is cut along a plane along the longitudinal direction of the electronic pen 1. FIG. 9 is an enlarged view of a peripheral portion of the imaging device 50 and the irradiation unit 70, and shows a state in which the corresponding portion is viewed from the direction of arrow IX in FIG. FIG. 10 is a diagram schematically illustrating a state in which the electronic pen 1 is viewed from the opening 12 side.

  The second circuit board 60 is an example of the second circuit board of the present invention, and is a flexible printed board provided so as to be separated from the first circuit board 30 and to face the board surface 30A. That is, the second circuit board 60 has flexibility and bends and deforms according to an external force. The second circuit board 60 has a front end 62 formed with a notch 61 on the pen tip 20a direction (opening 12) side. The notch 61 is formed so that the board surface of the second circuit board 60 has an “L” shape. The imaging device 50 mounted on the first circuit board 30 is inserted into the notch 61, and the imaging device 50 is in contact with the edge of the notch 61. As can be seen from the description of FIG. 10, the notch 61 is formed in order to secure an arrangement space for the imaging device 50. As a result, the distance between the first circuit board 30 and the second circuit board 60 becomes smaller than the maximum dimension in the height direction of the imaging device 50, so that this height direction is compared with the case where the notch 61 is not formed. The enlargement of the electronic pen 1 is suppressed. On the second circuit board 60, the irradiation part 70 is mounted in a region on the substrate surface 30 </ b> A side of the tip part 62 so that the tip part 62 and the first circuit board 30 are sandwiched. Two protrusions 70 </ b> A are provided on the outer surface of the irradiation unit 70. The two projecting portions 70 </ b> A are fitted into holes (not shown) formed in the distal end portion 62 of the second circuit board 60, so that the irradiation unit 70 is mounted on the second circuit board 60.

  On the second circuit board 60, the signal processing circuit 101A and the drive circuit 101B are mounted on the board surface 60A opposite to the board surface 60B facing the board surface 30A. On the other hand, no electronic component is mounted on the board surface 60B. As described above, in the electronic pen 1, the first circuit board 30 on which the component parts of the imaging device 50 are mounted and the second circuit board 60 on which the component parts of the imaging device 50 are not mounted are separated.

As shown in FIG. 9, the irradiation unit 70 includes a light source 71, a first light transmissive member 72, and a second light transmissive member 73. The light source 71 is, for example, an LED (Light Emitting Diode), emits infrared light, and irradiates the emitted light toward the medium 200. The first light transmissive member 72 is an example of the light transmissive member of the present invention, and diffuses the light irradiated by the light source 71 and transmits it to the outside of the housing 10. The first light transmissive member 72 has a recess 721 in which the light source 71 is located on the surface facing the light source 71 side. A diffusion portion 722 having a shape in which a plurality of triangles are arranged in a plan view is formed on the surface of the first light transmitting member 72 opposite to the concave portion 721. The diffusing unit 722 is for refracting the light emitted from the light source 71 to change the optical path, and irradiating the imaged range R shown in FIG. 3 with the light emitted from the light source 71. The direction of the irradiation light is changed by the action of the diffusing unit 722 (illustrated by a two-dot chain line arrow), and as a result, the imaging range R is set at a position close to the pen tip 20a.
Note that the diffusion portion 722 may be formed in the concave portion 721 of the first light transmissive member 72.

  The second light transmissive member 73 is provided further in the direction of the pen tip 20 a than the first light transmissive member 72. The second light transmissive member 73 is configured in a plate shape and transmits light emitted by the irradiation unit 70, but functions as a filter that blocks light in other wavelength regions. The second light transmissive member 73 suppresses the imaging device 50 from capturing light other than the irradiation light of the irradiation unit 70 such as sunlight, and is provided to suppress the influence on the imaging result due to disturbance. ing. The second light transmissive member 73 is provided at a position where at least reflected light from the medium 200 passes, but may transmit the irradiation light before being irradiated to the medium 200.

A connector 63 is mounted on the board surface 60 </ b> A of the second circuit board 60. The connector 63 is connected to a flexible cable 90 described later for electrically connecting the first circuit board 30 and the second circuit board 60.
The above is the description of the overall configuration of the electronic pen 1. In the electronic pen 1 shown in FIGS. 8 to 10, the entire configuration of the electronic pen 1 is completed by mounting the housing 10B on the housing 10A described above.
Next, the wiring structure around the imaging device 50 will be described in detail.

FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the periphery of the imaging device 50 in the cross-sectional view illustrated in FIG. 8B is enlarged, and is a diagram illustrating a wiring structure around the imaging device 50. The imaging device 50 includes a lens 51, a narrowing unit 52, a reflector 53, and an imaging unit 54.
As shown in FIG. 11, reflected light from the medium 200 (shown by a two-dot chain line arrow) enters the imaging device 50 from the direction of the pen tip 20 a corresponding to the left direction in the drawing, and this reflected light is incident on the lens 51. It is condensed with. The reflected light collected by the lens 51 is incident on the reflector 53 after being narrowed by the narrowing part 52. The reflector 53 guides incident reflected light in the direction of the imaging unit 54 mounted on the first circuit board 30.

  The imaging unit 54 includes a storage container 541, a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) sensor 542, and a cover glass 543. The imaging unit 54 has a configuration in which a CMOS sensor 542 serving as an imaging element is packaged by closing an upper portion of an open container 541 with a cover glass 543. The CMOS sensor 542 is mounted on the substrate surface 30A of the first circuit board 30 by a wire bonding method. The CMOS sensor 542 images the reflected light incident from the reflector 53. A through-hole is formed in the first circuit board 30 in the container 541. The CMOS sensor 542 shows the imaging result on the signal line 55 arranged along the substrate surface 30B (an example of the second substrate surface) opposite to the substrate surface 30A of the first circuit substrate 30 via the through hole. Output a signal. The signal line 55 is a wiring pattern that is mounted on the board surface 30 </ b> B and arranged in a direction away from the opening 12 (rear end direction of the electronic pen 1), and is electrically connected to the connector 32. For example, a high-frequency signal in LVDS (Low Voltage Differential Signaling) format flows through the signal line 55.

An electronic component 33 other than the component parts of the imaging device 50 is also mounted on the substrate surface 30 </ b> A of the first circuit board 30. The electronic component 33 is mounted closer to the pen tip direction (opening 12) than the positions of the fixtures 31B and 31C. By doing in this way, compared with the case where the electronic component 33 is mounted in the back end side rather than the connector 32, the enlargement of the 1st circuit board 30 is suppressed, As a result, the enlargement of the electronic pen 1 is suppressed. .
The electronic component 33 may be any component such as a resistance element, a capacitor, an inductor, a transistor, and an IC chip as long as it is not an electronic component that constitutes the imaging device 50. Further, the electronic component 33 may be provided at a position sandwiched between the fixture 31B and the fixture 31C.

The connector 32 is electrically connected to the connector 63 mounted on the second circuit board 60 using the flexible cable 90. The output signal transmitted from the signal line 55 to the connector 63 is transmitted to the connector 63 via the flexible cable 90, and processing corresponding to the output signal is performed in the signal processing circuit 101A.
The above is the description regarding the structure of the electronic pen 1. Next, the processing contents of the signal processing circuit 101A will be described.

  The signal processing circuit 101A performs signal processing according to a captured image that indicates an imaging result of the imaging device 50. Specifically, the signal processing circuit 101A cuts out a partial image including a code pattern image from the captured image, decodes the partial image, and uses information (that is, coordinate information and identification information) embedded in the code pattern image. Extract. The range of the partial image that the signal processing circuit 101A cuts out of the captured image is set by calibration of the electronic pen 1 at the inspection stage.

FIG. 12 is a diagram for explaining the contents of calibration of the electronic pen 1.
In FIG. 12, an xy coordinate system is defined in which the horizontal direction of the rectangular image region T of the captured image is “x-axis direction” and the vertical direction of the paper is “y-axis direction”. In the image region T, an xy coordinate is assigned to each pixel with the upper left corner point as the origin (0, 0). The image area T is a rectangular area of 640 pixels × 480 pixels. On the other hand, the signal processing circuit 101A uses a partial image of 240 pixels × 240 pixels to extract coordinate information and identification information. In the inspection stage, for example, the electronic pen 1 captures an image for inspection (for example, a mark image), and the image for inspection is displayed at a predetermined position (for example, the center of the partial image) in the partial image. Calibration is performed. For example, when the deviation of the imaging position of the electronic pen 1 from the ideal position is zero, as shown in FIG. 12A, (x, y) = (200, 120), (440, 120) , (440, 360), and (200, 360) are assumed to be rectangular partial images P1 having four corners. On the other hand, when the imaging position of the electronic pen 1 is shifted, for example, as shown in FIG. 12B, (x, y) = (300, 80), (540, 80), (540, 320), The electronic pen 1 is calibrated so as to adopt a rectangular partial image P2 having (300, 320) as four corners. If the imaging position shift is considerably large, the calibration is limited, but the electronic pen 1 is easily calibrated by the following action. That is, the above-described calibration makes the imaging range R for each electronic pen 1 uniform, and the occurrence of individual differences among the electronic pens 1 is suppressed.

  First, since the refill guide 111, the bosses 112B and 112c, and the bosses 113A and 113B are integrally formed in the housing 10A, the influence of tolerance when a member for fixing the first circuit board 30 is separately provided. I do not receive it. In addition, the first circuit board 30 is fixed to the housing 10A at three locations using fixing tools 31A, 31B, and 31C. According to this fixing method, the first circuit board can be suppressed while suppressing a change in the imaging position of the electronic pen 1 as compared with a case where the number of fixing points is further increased or fixed at another location. Complicating the structure for fixing 30 is suppressed.

Further, the separation of the first circuit board 30 and the second circuit board 60 in the electronic pen 1 causes the imaging device 50 to be subjected to an external force (for example, twisting or distortion of the housing 10) that causes a change in the imaging position. Transmission is suppressed, and displacement of the imaging position due to this external force is suppressed. Specifically, since the light source 71 is located in the recess 721 of the first light transmissive member 72, even when the light source 71 receives an external force, the displacement of the light source 71 is limited by the recess 721. The fact that the displacement of the light source 71 is limited also suppresses the displacement of the distal end portion 62 to which the light source 71 is fixed. Thereby, generation | occurrence | production of the force in which the 2nd circuit board 60 presses the imaging device 50 which arises by the displacement of the 2nd circuit board 60 (front-end | tip part 62) is suppressed, As a result, the displacement of the imaging device 50 is also suppressed.
In addition to the suppression of the change in the imaging position, the electronic pen 1 also has the following effects.

  In the second circuit board 60, a high-frequency signal or a large current may flow through the signal processing circuit 101A or the drive circuit 101B, which may be a source of electrical noise. If the signal line 55 or the CMOS sensor 542 is provided near the noise generation source, noise may be mixed into the captured image due to the influence of the noise, which may hinder the analysis of the encoded image in the signal processing circuit 101A. . On the other hand, since the CMOS sensor 542 is mounted through-hole, the influence of electrical noise generated from the second circuit board 60 on the signal transmitted through the signal line 55 and the output signal of the CMOS 542 is reduced. The electronic component is not mounted on the board surface 60B on the side close to the first circuit board 30 in the second circuit board 60, in order to suppress the influence of this noise. More specifically, two circuit boards are positioned between the signal line 55 and the signal processing circuit 101A and the drive circuit 101B mounted on the second circuit board 60, and the two circuit boards serve as the second circuit board. Noise propagation from the two-circuit board 60 to the signal line 55 is blocked. Further, although electrical noise is also generated from the signal line 55, the first circuit board 30 is located between the signal line 55 and the CMOS 542, so that the first circuit board 30 suppresses noise propagation to the CMOS 542. Is done.

In the electronic pen 1, even if the refill 20 and the irradiation unit 70 are not arranged in a straight line by the first light transmissive member 72, the position specified by the pen tip 20 a and the position imaged by the imaging device 50 However, they are closer than in the case where the first light transmissive member 72 is not provided.
In addition, the electronic pen 1 does not require a configuration for suppressing the displacement of the refill 20 or the imaging device 50 in the vicinity of the pen tip 20 a near the opening 12. The first circuit board 30 on which the imaging device 50 is mounted is fixed to the housing 10A using fixtures 31A, 31B, and 31C, and the refill 20 has a rear end portion using the fixtures 41A and 41B. It is held by a refill holder 40 fixed to 10A. With this fixing method, there is no need to provide a separate member for fixing the refill 20 and the imaging device 50 to the electronic pen 1, so that the portion close to the pen tip of the electronic pen 1 is not enlarged accordingly.

  Further, since the imaging system components are not provided on the second circuit board 60, the position accuracy of the second circuit board 60 is not as high as that of the first circuit board 30 in mounting the components. As described above, the second circuit board 60 has little influence on the signal processing in the signal processing circuit 101A even if the mounting positions of the component parts are displaced. Further, in the manufacturing process of the electronic pen 1, high positional accuracy is not required in mounting two circuit boards. Furthermore, unlike the optical module, the second circuit board 60 is less susceptible to adverse effects such as dust contamination, so compared to the case where high positional accuracy and suppression of dust contamination are required for mounting components on both boards, The manufacturing process of the electronic pen 1 is simplified.

[Modification]
The present invention may be implemented in a form different from the above-described embodiment. Moreover, you may combine each of the modification shown below.
In the embodiment described above, the first light transmissive member 72 has the recess 721 and the light source 71 is positioned in the recess 721. Accordingly, even when the light source 71 is about to be displaced by an external force applied to the housing 10, the displacement is limited by the first light transmissive member 72, and the positioning accuracy of the light source 71 is improved. On the other hand, when the displacement of the light source 71 does not cause a problem, the first light transmissive member 72 may not be provided with the concave portion 721. For example, the first light transmissive member 72 may have a flat plate shape. Moreover, if the influence by disturbance etc. does not become a problem, the 2nd translucent member 73 is unnecessary.
Further, the irradiation unit 70 may not be configured to be sandwiched between the distal end portion 62 and the first circuit board 30. FIG. 13 is a schematic view of the electronic pen 1 in this case as viewed from the opening 12 side. As shown in FIG. 13, if the irradiation unit 70 is provided at the tip portion 62, the dimension of the first circuit board 30 in the left-right direction on the paper surface is reduced and sandwiched between the tip portion 62 and the first circuit board 30. The configuration may not be necessary. Even in this case, the method of mounting the irradiation unit 70 on the second circuit board 60 may be the same as in the above-described embodiment. Further, the fixing method of the first circuit board 30 may be basically the same as that of the above-described embodiment, but the fixing location using the fixing tool may be changed from the position of the above-described embodiment.

In the embodiment described above, the first circuit board 30 is fixed to the housing 10A using the fixtures 31A, 31B, and 31B, thereby suppressing the change in the imaging position due to the tolerance. On the other hand, although the change in the imaging position may increase, it does not prevent the electronic pen 1 from using a separate fixture. Further, the fixture is not limited to a screw but may be another fixture such as a pin or a nut. Further, the first circuit board 30 may be directly fixed to the housing 10A by providing a protrusion on the housing 10A side and inserting the protrusion into a hole formed in the first circuit board 30. Also in this case, it is preferable that the protrusion of the housing 10 </ b> A is integrally formed with the refill guide 111.
In the above-described embodiment, the first circuit board 30 is fixed at three locations using the fixtures 31A, 31B, and 31C, but may be fixed at four or more locations.

  In the embodiment described above, the electronic component 33 of the first circuit board 30 is mounted closer to the opening 12 than the fixture 31B and the fixture 31C. However, the enlargement of the electronic pen in the longitudinal direction is allowed. For example, the electronic component 33 may be mounted on the rear end side of the electronic pen 1 with respect to the connector 32. Moreover, although the connector 63 was mounted on the board surface 60A of the second circuit board 60, it may be mounted on the board surface 60B.

Further, when the outer peripheral surface of the refill 20 is not made of metal, or when there is no possibility of contact between the refill 20 and the first circuit board 30, the insulating material 80 is unnecessary.
Further, the signal line 55 is mounted on the substrate surface 30B by through-hole mounting on the first circuit board 30 in order to suppress the influence of noise. If this influence does not cause a problem, the signal line 55 is formed on the substrate surface 30A. May be implemented.
In addition, the substrate surface of the second circuit board 60 may not be L-shaped, and may be cut out in a shape that matches the shape of the imaging device 50.
In addition, the electronic pen of the present invention does not necessarily require that the casing and its internal space are long.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Electronic pen 10, 10A, 10B ... Case, 101 ... Control part, 101A ... Signal processing circuit, 101B ... Drive circuit, 102 ... Pressure sensor, 103 ... Information memory, 104 ... Communication part, 105 ... Battery, 106 ... Pen ID memory, 107 ... Switch, 111 ... Refill guide, 112A, 112B, 112C, 113A, 113B ... Boss, 12 ... Opening, 20 ... Refill, 20a ... Pen tip, 200 ... Medium, 30 ... First circuit board , 30A, 30B, 60A, 60B ... substrate surface, 300 ... PC, 31A, 31B, 31C, 41A, 41B ... fixture, 32 ... connector, 33 ... electronic component, 40 ... refill holder, 42 ... insertion hole, 50 ... Imaging device, 51 ... lens, 52 ... narrowing unit, 53 ... reflector, 54 ... imaging unit, 541 ... container, 542 ... CMOS sensor, DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 43 ... Cover glass, 55 ... Signal wire, 60 ... 2nd circuit board, 61 ... Notch part, 62 ... Tip part, 63 ... Connector, 70 ... Irradiation part, 71 ... Light source, 72 ... 1st translucent member, 721 ... Concave part, 722 ... diffusion part, 73 ... second light transmitting member, 80 ... insulating material, 90 ... flexible cable.

Claims (8)

A housing in which an opening is formed;
A first circuit board provided in the housing and having an imaging device mounted on a first board surface;
A second circuit board provided at a distance from the first circuit board so as to be opposed to the first board surface and having a front end portion formed with a notch into which the imaging device is inserted on the opening side. A signal processing circuit that performs processing using the imaging result of the imaging device is mounted, and an irradiation unit that irradiates light to the medium outside the housing from the opening is the first substrate surface of the tip And a second circuit board mounted in a region opposite to
The electronic pen, wherein the imaging device captures reflected light from the medium according to irradiation light of the irradiation unit, which is incident from a portion inserted into the notch. 2. The electronic pen according to claim 1, wherein a concave portion that covers a light source included in the irradiation unit is formed, and includes a translucent member that changes an optical path of emitted light of the light source. A holding portion for holding a rear end portion of the pen shaft provided in the housing;
The first circuit board is:
In a region facing the tip, the second and third fixtures are fixed to the housing using the first fixture and are opposed to each other across the pen shaft held by the holder. The electronic pen according to claim 1, wherein the electronic pen is fixed to the housing using the electronic pen. A guide groove that guides the pen shaft inserted into the housing from the opening side toward the holding portion and into which the pen shaft held by the holding portion is fitted is formed on the inner surface of the housing. Formed,
4. The electronic pen according to claim 3, wherein the housing includes a single member for the guide groove and a portion that contacts the first, second, and third fixtures. 5. A portion of the guide groove of the housing is formed of a non-metal;
The pen shaft includes a metal portion on the outer peripheral surface,
The electronic pen according to claim 4, wherein an insulating material is provided between the first circuit board and the metal portion of the pen shaft that is fitted into the guide groove. The first circuit board is:
The electronic component other than the imaging device mounted on the first substrate surface is mounted closer to the opening than the positions of the second and third fixtures. The electronic pen according to any one of the above. A signal line for transmitting an output signal of the imaging device is arranged in a direction away from the opening on the second substrate surface opposite to the first substrate surface of the first circuit substrate,
The first circuit board is mounted with a first connector electrically connected to the signal line,
The second circuit board is mounted with a second connector electrically connected to the signal processing circuit,
The electronic pen according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the first connector and the second connector are connected via a cable that transmits the output signal. The signal processing circuit includes:
8. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a part of the image area of the captured image generated based on the output signal of the imaging apparatus is cut out, and processing according to the content of the cut out image area is performed. The electronic pen described.

Images