JP2013186869A - Touch panel system, stylus and plotting function setting method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To easily determine the plotting function of a stylus at a touch panel side without making it necessary for a user to perform any complicate setting operation even in the case of using a plurality of styluses in which mutually different plotting functions are settable.SOLUTION: In a touch panel system 1, a plurality of styluses 2a to 2c include pen tip parts formed with contact planes having mutually different shapes to be brought into contact with a touch surface 3, a position detection device 5 recognizes the shape of the contact plane of the stylus on the basis of the contact area of the stylus, and a control device 7 makes a display device display an image in accordance with the plotting function of the stylus associated with the shape of the contact plane recognized by the position detection device.

Description

  The present invention relates to a touch panel system, a stylus, and a drawing function setting method for displaying an image corresponding to a touch operation by a plurality of styluses on a touch surface of a touch panel.

  Conventionally, touch panel systems combining a stylus and a touch panel have been widely used in the field of personal computers and portable information terminals. This type of touch panel system is also used in so-called interactive whiteboards (electronic blackboards) that can be used in presentations and lectures for a large number of people by combining a touch panel with a large screen display device, for example. Has been applied.

  In such a large touch panel system, a plurality of styluses having different drawing functions such as a drawing color can be used properly, or a plurality of users can perform necessary operations such as drawing using a stylus given to each person. If it is possible, it will be easier to use. Therefore, conventionally, a technique is known in which the user can change the drawing function of the stylus as necessary (see Patent Document 1).

JP 2008-118301 A

  However, in the prior art disclosed in Patent Document 1, the user touches an icon on the touch panel with a finger, and the drawing function is set by establishing communication using the human body as a communication medium between the stylus and the touch panel. Therefore, there is a problem that the feeling of use is greatly different from that of a general whiteboard using a marker filled with ink. Further, even if the user does not need to change the setting of the stylus used after setting a predetermined drawing function, it uses a drawing function other than the standard function (for example, black marker). In this case, there is a problem that a setting operation is required again.

  The present invention has been devised in view of such problems of the prior art, and requires frequent setting operations by a user even when using a plurality of styluses capable of setting different drawing functions. The main object of the present invention is to provide a touch panel system configured so that the stylus drawing function can be easily discriminated on the touch panel side.

  The touch panel system of the present invention includes a projected capacitive touch panel body including a plurality of styluses, a touch surface on which a touch operation is performed by the stylus, and a touch based on a contact area of the stylus on the touch surface. A touch panel system including a position detection device that detects a position, a display device that displays a required image, and a control device that displays an image corresponding to the touch position detected by the position detection device on the display device. The plurality of styluses include a pen tip portion formed with contact planes having different shapes that come into contact with the touch surface, and the position detection device is configured to detect the position of the stylus based on the contact area of the stylus. Recognizing the shape of the contact plane, the control device converts the shape of the contact plane recognized by the position detection device. Depending on the response correlated was the stylus drawing function, and wherein the displaying the image on the display device.

  As described above, according to the present invention, even when a plurality of styluses capable of setting different drawing functions are used, the stylus drawing function can be easily discriminated on the touch panel side without requiring frequent setting operations by the user. There is an excellent effect.

1 is an overall configuration diagram showing a touch panel system according to a first embodiment. 1 is a perspective view of the stylus shown in FIG. The schematic diagram which shows a series of operation | movement of the nib part of the stylus shown in FIG. The figure which shows an example of the character input by a stylus in the touch panel system shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a timing chart showing a detection state of a touch operation when inputting characters shown in FIG. Reference diagram showing an example of character input using conventional technology The figure which shows the modification of the stylus shown in FIG. Overall configuration diagram showing a touch panel system according to a second embodiment The bottom view of the nib part which is the principal part of the stylus shown in FIG. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the stylus operating procedure and the processing procedure of the position detection device and the control device in the touch panel system shown in FIG. The figure which shows the drawing palette displayed on a touch surface in the menu selection (ST102) shown in FIG. The figure which shows an example of the function table containing the information of each function set in the menu selection (ST102) shown in FIG. The flowchart which shows the procedure of the input display process shown in FIG. Overall configuration diagram showing a touch panel system according to a third embodiment Schematic configuration diagram of the stylus shown in FIG. FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing a user's stylus operation procedure and a processing procedure of the position detection device and the control device in the touch panel system shown in FIG.

  In a touch panel system, a first invention made to solve the above-described problem is a projected capacitive touch panel body including a plurality of styluses, a touch surface on which a touch operation is performed by the stylus, and the touch A position detection device that detects a touch position based on a contact area of the stylus on a surface, a display device that displays a required image, and an image corresponding to the touch position detected by the position detection device. A touch panel system including a control device to be displayed, wherein the plurality of styluses have pen tip portions formed with contact planes having different shapes that contact the touch surface, and the position detection device includes: Based on the contact area of the stylus, the shape of the contact plane of the stylus is recognized, and the control device detects the position. In accordance with the recognized drawing function of the stylus associated with the shape of the contact plane by the device, a configuration for displaying the image on the display device.

  According to this, contact planes having different shapes are formed on the pen tip portions of a plurality of styluses, and a drawing function (drawing color, line thickness) associated with the shape of the contact plane of each stylus recognized at the time of touch operation. In addition, since the image is displayed based on the attributes related to the line type or the like, even when using a plurality of styluses that can set different drawing functions, the user frequently performs setting operations (that is, the stylus to be used and its drawing). It is possible to easily determine the drawing function on the touch panel side without requiring an operation for recognizing the function on the touch panel side each time.

  In a second aspect based on the first aspect, the display device uses the touch surface as a display screen, and an attribute menu for allowing a user to select an attribute of the drawing function by a touch operation on the display screen. And the control device associates the information of the selected attribute with the information of the shape of the contact plane of the stylus acquired by the position detection device when a predetermined attribute is selected in the attribute menu. The configuration is to memorize.

  According to this, the user can associate the shape of the contact plane of the stylus with the drawing function by a simple operation, and then select it without performing a new setting operation until the drawing function needs to be changed. A stylus can be used in the drawing function.

  In a third aspect based on the second aspect, the position detecting device recognizes the shape of the contact plane based on the contact area of the stylus within the display area of the attribute selected in the attribute menu. The configuration.

  According to this, even when a plurality of users are using different styluses at the same time, the shape of the contact plane of the stylus and the drawing function can be reliably associated with each other by a simple operation.

  In a fourth aspect based on the first aspect, the stylus has a function selection means for selecting an attribute of the drawing function by a user, information on the attribute selected by the function selection means, and correspondence to the information. Information transmitting means for transmitting stylus information including information on the shape of the contact plane to the control device, the control device based on the stylus information received from the stylus, The attribute information is stored in association with each other.

  According to this, the user can associate the shape information of the stylus contact plane with the drawing function by a simple operation without requiring an operation on the touch panel side, and thereafter, the drawing function needs to be changed. The stylus can be used with the selected drawing function without performing a new setting operation.

  A fifth aspect of the invention is a stylus that performs a touch operation on a touch surface of a projected capacitive touch panel body, and is in contact with the touch surface with a surface having a predetermined size and has a shape different from that of other styluses. And a control device that controls to display an image corresponding to the touch operation on the touch surface, and a pen tip portion formed with a contact plane to which a drawing function corresponding to the shape is associated. A predetermined drawing function is associated with each shape of the pen tip portion, and an image corresponding to the drawing function associated with the pen tip portion is displayed when drawing with the pen tip portion.

  According to this, contact planes having different shapes are formed on the pen tip portions of a plurality of styluses, and a drawing function (drawing color, line thickness) associated with the shape of the contact plane of each stylus recognized at the time of touch operation. Now, it is possible to display an image based on the attributes (such as line type).

  According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a projected capacitive touch panel body including a plurality of styluses having pen tip portions formed with contact planes having different shapes and a touch surface on which a touch operation is performed by the stylus. A position detection device that detects a touch position based on a contact area of the stylus on the touch surface, a display device that displays a required image, and an image corresponding to the touch position detected by the position detection device. A drawing function setting method of a touch panel system including a control device to be displayed on the display device, wherein the position detection device recognizes a shape of the contact plane of the stylus based on the contact area of the stylus, The control device responds to the drawing function of the stylus associated with the shape of the contact plane recognized by the position detection device. A configuration for displaying the image on the display device.

  According to this, contact planes having different shapes are formed on the pen tip portions of a plurality of styluses, and a drawing function (drawing color, line thickness) associated with the shape of the contact plane of each stylus recognized at the time of touch operation. In addition, since the image is displayed based on the attributes related to the line type or the like, even when using a plurality of styluses that can set different drawing functions, the user frequently performs setting operations (that is, the stylus to be used and its drawing). It is possible to easily determine the drawing function on the touch panel side without requiring an operation for recognizing the function on the touch panel side each time.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

<First Embodiment>
FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram showing a touch panel system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The touch panel system 1 includes a stylus 2 that is a pen-type input device, a touch panel body 4 that includes a touch surface 3 on which a touch operation is performed with a conductive indicator such as the stylus 2 and a finger F, and the touch surface 3. A position detection device 5 that detects a touch position from a change in capacitance according to the approach or contact of an indicator with respect to the display, a display device 6 that displays a required image using the touch surface 3 as a display screen, and the position detection device 5. And a control device 7 that causes the display device 6 to display an image corresponding to the acquired position detection information and the drawing function of the stylus 2.

  In the touch panel body 4, a plurality of transmission electrodes 11 that run in parallel in the left-right direction and a plurality of reception electrodes 12 that are insulated from the transmission electrode 11 and run in parallel in the vertical direction are arranged in a lattice pattern. The insulating state between the transmission electrode 11 and the reception electrode 12 is achieved by providing a sheet-like support between them, for example.

  The position detection device 5 constitutes a touch panel together with the touch panel body 4, and responds to the transmission unit 13 that applies a drive signal (pulse signal) to the transmission electrode 11 and the drive signal applied to the transmission electrode 11. A receiving unit 14 that receives a charge / discharge current signal of the receiving electrode 12 and outputs a level signal at each electrode intersection where the transmitting electrode 11 and the receiving electrode 12 intersect (superimpose in an insulated state), and an output from the receiving unit 14 And a position detection control unit 15 that controls operations of the transmission unit 13 and the reception unit 14 to detect the touch position based on the level signal.

  The touch panel body 4 is used as a so-called interactive whiteboard that can be used for presentations and lectures by being combined with a large screen display device 6. In particular, here, the display device 6 is a projector, and the touch surface 3 itself is a projector screen. In addition, the display device 6 may be a liquid crystal display or a plasma display, and may be disposed on the back side of the touch panel body, the transmission electrode, and the reception electrode, both of which are made of a transparent material.

  The control device 7 includes a drawing control unit 21 that draws an image such as a character, a line, and a figure based on position detection information output from the position detection device 5 in response to a touch operation with an indicator on the touch surface 3, and drawing control. The display control part 22 which produces | generates display screen data based on the output of the part 21, and outputs it to the display apparatus 6 and the main control part 23 which controls these each part are provided.

  The drawing control unit 21 performs a process of drawing an image according to the touch operation in the drawing mode and erasing the image according to the touch operation in the eraser mode. In addition, the drawing control unit 21 includes an indicator determination unit 24 that determines whether the position detection information is obtained by the stylus 2 or the finger F when the position detection information is acquired from the position detection device 5. The drawing process is performed based on the drawing functions set for the stylus 2 and the finger F, respectively.

  Here, the drawing function includes, for example, a drawing color (black, red, blue, etc.), a line thickness (thick line, medium thick line, thin line, etc.), a line type (solid line, broken line, one-dot chain line, etc.), Attributes such as a distinction between a marker (writing) and an eraser (erasing) are included.

  Such a control device 7 can be composed of a PC (Personal Computer) and its peripheral devices, and an OS for realizing the main control unit 23 and an application program for realizing the drawing control unit 21 and the like are introduced into the PC. .

  In the touch panel body 4, the transmission electrode 11 and the reception electrode 12 are arranged at the same arrangement pitch (for example, 10 mm), and a capacitor is formed at an electrode intersection where the transmission electrode 11 and the reception electrode 12 intersect. When a touch operation is performed with an indicator, the presence or absence of the touch operation can be detected by substantially reducing the capacitance at the electrode intersections accordingly.

  In particular, here, a projection type mutual capacitance method is adopted, and when a drive signal is applied to the transmission electrode 11, a charge / discharge current flows to the reception electrode 12 in response to this, and at this time, according to the touch operation of the user, the electrode intersection point When the capacitance of the receiving electrode 12 changes, the charging / discharging current of the receiving electrode 12 changes, and the change amount of the charging / discharging current is converted into a level signal (digital signal) for each electrode intersection by the receiving unit 14. The position detection control unit 15 calculates the touch position based on the level signal for each electrode intersection.

  The transmission unit 13 generates a transmission pulse by selecting one transmission electrode 11 in synchronization with the transmission pulse generation unit 31 that generates a pulse that becomes a drive signal and the timing signal output from the position detection control unit 15. And an electrode selection unit 32 that sequentially applies the pulses output from the unit 31 to the transmission electrode 11.

  The reception unit 14 selects the reception electrode 12 one by one while applying the drive signal to the reception signal processing unit 33 that processes the response signal output from the reception electrode 12 and one transmission electrode 11, An electrode selection unit 34 for sequentially inputting response signals from the reception electrode 12 to the reception signal processing unit 33 is provided.

  The position detection control unit 15 obtains a touch position (center coordinate of the contact area of the stylus 2) from the level signal for each electrode intersection output from the reception unit 14 by a predetermined calculation process. In the calculation of the touch position, in the contact area of the stylus 2, a plurality (for example, 4 × 4) adjacent to each other in the X-axis direction (extension direction of the transmission electrode 11) and the Y-axis direction (extension direction of the reception electrode 12). ) From the level signal at each electrode intersection point, using a required interpolation method (for example, the center of gravity method). Thereby, a touch position can be detected with a resolution (for example, 1 mm or less) higher than the arrangement pitch (10 mm) of the transmission electrode 11 and the reception electrode 12. Further, the position detection control unit 15 recognizes the shape of the contact area of the pointing object with respect to the touch surface 3 (for example, the shape of the contact plane of the pen tip portion 43 in the stylus 2 described later) from the level signal for each of the plurality of electrode intersections. be able to.

  2 is a perspective view of the stylus shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a series of operations of the pen tip portion of the stylus ((A) non-touch state, (B) initial touch state, (C ) Drawing state).

  As shown in FIG. 2, the stylus 2 includes a cylindrical body 41 with a bottom having a closed upper end, a substantially conical support fixing part 42 protruding from the lower end of the body 41, and a support fixing. A pen tip portion 43 that is supported by the lower end of the portion 42 and contacts the touch surface 3 with a surface having a predetermined size (contact plane). As the shape of the contact plane of the pen tip portion 43, an arbitrary shape such as a circle, a triangle, or a quadrangle can be used.

  As for the trunk | drum 41, the site | part (gripping part) gripped at least by the user has electroconductivity. Further, the support fixing portion 42 has conductivity like the barrel portion 41, and fixes the pen tip portion 43 to the barrel portion 41, and the touch panel body 4 and the barrel portion via the pen tip portion 43. 41 can be electrically connected.

  The entire outer peripheral portion of the body portion 41 and the support fixing portion 42 is integrally formed of a conductive resin. That is, the support fixing portion 42 and the body portion 41 do not necessarily need to be strictly distinguished from each other as long as the pen tip portion 43 and the human body can be electrically connected at least when the user grips the body portion 41. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and may be formed as separate bodies using different materials.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the pen tip portion 43 has a membrane switch structure, and has a disk-like upper electrode sheet 45 that is electrically connected to a support fixing portion 42 that forms one end (tip) of the body portion 41. And a disc-like lower conductor 46 disposed to face the upper electrode sheet 45, and a spacer 47 made of an annular insulator interposed between the upper electrode sheet 45 and the lower conductor 46. . The upper electrode sheet 45 is provided so as to be relatively easily elastically deformed, and the lower end of the support fixing portion 42 is connected to the center of the upper surface 45a. On the other hand, the lower conductor 46 is provided so as to be relatively difficult to deform, and the lower surface 46 b (contact plane) of the lower conductor 46 contacts the touch surface 3 of the touch panel body 4 when operated by the user. With this configuration, the pen tip portion 43 is mechanically driven by the user's writing pressure to switch the electrical connection between the lower conductor 46 (ie, the touch surface 3) and the body portion 41 (ie, the human body). A switch Sw (turned on and off) is formed.

  In the non-touch state shown in FIG. 3A, the lower electrode 46b of the lower conductor 46 is close to the touch surface 3, but the upper electrode sheet 45 and the lower conductor 46 are separated from each other by the spacer 47 (non-conduction ( Switch off). 3B, the lower surface 46b of the lower conductor 46 is in contact with the touch surface 3, but the user's writing pressure does not sufficiently act on the pen tip portion 43. Remain in a non-conductive state.

  Thereafter, when the user starts drawing, the downward pressure of the user acting on the pen tip portion 43 increases, and as a result, the lower end of the support fixing portion 42 as in the drawing state shown in FIG. Thus, the upper electrode sheet 45 pressed downward is elastically deformed into a concave shape. As a result, in the gap G at the center of the spacer 47, the lower surface 45b of the upper electrode sheet 45 comes into contact with the upper surface 46a of the lower conductor 46 and becomes conductive (switched on). Note that when the user's drawing (for example, an operation of writing one stroke composing a character) is completed, the upper electrode sheet 45 is restored to its original shape and becomes non-conductive again.

  4 is a diagram showing an example of character input by the stylus in the touch panel system shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 5 is a timing diagram showing a detection state of the touch operation at the time of character input shown in FIG. FIG. 6 is a reference diagram showing an example of character input according to the prior art.

  FIG. 4 shows an example in which the user inputs a character string of “Ai” by hand using the stylus 2, and stroke input (input of one stroke) S1 to S5 is performed at short intervals. In FIG. 4, the start point and end point of each stroke input are indicated by different colors ◯.

  As shown in FIG. 5, in the stroke input S1, the pen tip portion 43 is first touched at the position of the starting point of the stroke (the “A” horizontal image) as in the initial touch state shown in FIG. In contact with the surface 3, the capacitance of the electrode intersection is substantially increased accordingly (see the “+” symbol in the initial state of touch in FIG. 5). When the user starts drawing, the pen tip portion 43 becomes conductive as in the drawing state shown in FIG. 3C, and the capacitance at the electrode intersection decreases (the drawing state in FIG. 5). The position detection device 5 detects a stroke input. Thereafter, when the user finishes drawing at the position of the end point of the stroke, the pen tip portion 43 becomes non-conductive again and the capacitance increases (see the “+” symbol at the end of the touch state in FIG. 5). The same applies to the other stroke inputs S2 to S5.

  When the user inputs a character similar to that in FIG. 5 with the finger F, the capacitance at the electrode intersection is in a “−” state that decreases from the beginning of the touch state to the end of the touch state. Therefore, the pointing object discrimination unit 24 can discriminate between the stylus 2 and the finger F based on the difference in capacitance change between the stylus 2 and the finger F in a predetermined stroke input.

  The drawing by the stylus 2 has an advantage that the stroke input (touch operation) is not detected until the user's writing pressure is applied to each stroke input. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 6, in the drawing using the conventional stylus, when the pen tip portion 43 approaches the touch surface 3 around the start point of the stroke input S <b> 1 (or the user's writing pressure is hardly applied to the pen tip portion 43. In a light contact state that does not act, an unintended stroke input S1a may be detected. Further, even when the pen tip portion 43 approaches the touch surface 3 between the end point of the stroke input S1 and the start point of the next stroke input S2, an unintended stroke input S2a may be detected.

  As described above, in the touch panel system 1 according to the first embodiment, the switch Sw that switches the electrical connection with the body portion 41 is provided in the pen tip portion 43 in which the contact plane (lower surface 46b) that contacts the touch surface 3 is formed. Therefore, it is possible to prevent erroneous detection of a touch operation when the pen tip portion 43 as shown in FIG. 6 (prior art) approaches the touch surface 3. Such prevention of false detection is particularly effective when a user writes a character or the like smaller or more quickly. In addition, since the pen tip portion 43 is configured to be fixed to the barrel portion 41 (that is, not to protrude from the barrel portion 41, etc.), the pen tip portion 43 is expanded in diameter or width, etc. It is easy to enlarge the contact area of the pen tip portion 43 with respect to the touch surface 3.

 In the touch panel system 1 according to the first embodiment, the switch (membrane switch) provided in the pen tip portion 43 is a direction in which the user's writing pressure is substantially perpendicular to the lower surface (contact plane) 46b (downward in FIG. 3). Because it is configured to be driven most efficiently when it acts on the switch, it is possible to operate the switch stably with the user's writing pressure, and more reliably prevent erroneous detection of stroke input (touch operation) Is possible. The switch provided in the pen tip portion 43 is not limited to the configuration shown here, and may be any switch that is driven at least by the user's writing pressure.

  FIG. 7 is a view showing a modification of the stylus shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 7A, the stylus 2 may have a configuration in which the pen tip portion 43 (lower surface 46b) is inclined with respect to the extending direction of the body portion 41 (up and down axial direction). As described above, by appropriately tilting the contact plane (lower surface 46b), it is possible to improve the writing quality of the stylus 2 and prevent erroneous detection of the touch operation. In addition, as shown in FIG. 7B, the stylus 2 may have a structure in which the support fixing portion 42 includes a hinge 42a, and a configuration in which the pen tip portion 43 is rotatably supported. In this way, by making it possible to appropriately change the inclination angle of the contact plane (lower surface 46b) as intended by the user, it is possible to improve erroneous writing of the stylus 2 and prevent erroneous detection of touch operations. Become.

Second Embodiment
FIG. 8 is an overall configuration diagram showing a touch panel system according to a second embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 9 is a bottom view of a pen tip portion which is a main part of the stylus shown in FIG. Here, in FIG.8 and FIG.9, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected about the component similar to the above-mentioned 1st Embodiment. In the second embodiment, items not particularly mentioned below are the same as those in the first embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 8, in the touch panel system 1 according to the second embodiment, a plurality of styluses 2a to 2c (hereinafter collectively referred to as stylus 2) having the same configuration as that shown in FIG. 2 are used. The drawing control unit 21 is further provided with a drawing function setting unit 25 for setting the drawing function of each stylus 2a to 2c based on the user's operation and storing information on their attributes (functions such as drawing color). This is different from the case of the first embodiment.

  Stylus 2a-2c has contact planes PLa-PLc of different shapes as shown in FIGS. 9 (A)-(C). In the first embodiment, the entire area of the lower surface 46b of the lower conductor 46 forms a contact plane, but here, the hatched region of the lower conductor 46 is formed of a conductive material constituting the contact planes PLa to PLc. The other unhatched region is formed of an insulator. More specifically, FIG. 9A shows a case where a circular contact plane PLa is formed in the same manner as the lower surface 46b (see FIG. 3) of the lower conductor 46 in the first embodiment, and FIG. ) And (C) show cases where triangular and square contact planes PLb and PLc are formed, respectively.

  The shape of the contact plane of the stylus 2 is not limited to that shown here, and various modifications are possible, but the centroid of the contact plane may be configured to coincide with the axial center of the trunk (horizontal section centroid). . Further, the sizes of the contact planes PLa to PLc need to be large enough to cross a plurality of electrode intersections in the touch panel body 4 so that the shape of the contact plane can be recognized by a touch operation on the touch surface 3.

  In the stylus of the second embodiment, the switch Sw provided in the pen tip portion 43 of the first embodiment can be omitted. In this case, the pen tip portion 43 can be integrally formed of a conductive material having a predetermined shape (circular, triangular, quadrangular, etc.), and the pen tip portion (contact planes PLa to PLc) and the body portion 41. Are always electrically connected.

  FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the stylus operation procedure and the processing procedure of the position detection device and the control device in the touch panel system shown in FIG. 8, and FIG. 11 shows the touch surface in the menu selection (ST102) shown in FIG. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of a function table including information on each function set in the menu selection (ST102) shown in FIG. 10, and FIG. FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the input display process shown in FIG. 10.

  As shown in FIG. 10, when the user needs to set the drawing function of the stylus 2 (ST101: YES), the user performs menu selection (ST102) for setting the drawing function. When the drawing function needs to be set, the stylus 2 having a predetermined contact plane (for example, a circle) has a predetermined standard function (for example, drawing color: black, line thickness: medium thick line, line type: solid line). In other cases, the user wants to use, or the user wants to change the drawing function already set for the stylus 2.

  In menu selection (ST102), as shown in FIG. 11, the control device 7 displays a drawing palette (attribute menu) 55 on the touch surface 3 for allowing the user to select the drawing function of the stylus 2 by a touch operation. Here, the drawing palette 55 includes drawing colors (markers of black, red, and blue), erasers, line thicknesses (thick lines, medium thick lines, thin lines), line types (solid lines, broken lines, 1) (Dotted line), special functions (for example, a magnifying glass that partially enlarges the display screen, a spotlight that darkens a part of the display screen, and a shade that hides a part of the display screen) are displayed. The user performs a touch operation on the selection box displaying the desired function (here, a red marker) with the stylus 2 (a switch-on operation when the pen tip portion 43 has a switch), and thereby the desired box is displayed. A function can be selected (registered).

  Note that the configuration of the drawing palette is not limited to that shown here, and various changes can be made to the configuration of the selection box, the type of each selectable function, and the like. In addition, the user can select a plurality of functions that are not contradictory to each other by performing a touch operation on the plurality of selection boxes.

  Thereafter, when the user draws characters, figures, or the like on the touch surface 3 using the stylus 2, information on the touch operation in the drawing is transmitted to the touch panel side (position detection device 5) (ST103). The drawing here includes not only drawing by handwriting by the user but also specific display processing executed by the user performing a predetermined touch operation on the touch surface 3 in advance.

  In the position detection device 5, when the touch operation by ST102 or ST103 is detected (ST201: YES), the position detection control unit 15 calculates the coordinates of the touch position (center of the contact area of the pointing object) (ST202). Further, the position detection control unit 15 performs processing for recognizing the shape of the contact area of the indicator (here, the shape of the contact plane of the pen tip portion 43) (ST203). In this shape recognition process, a required calculation process is performed from level signals at a plurality of electrode intersections adjacent to each other in the X-axis direction (extension direction of the transmission electrode 11) and the Y-axis direction (extension direction of the reception electrode 12). Based on the estimation of the outer edge of the contact area, one shape can be selected from a plurality of contact area shape candidates prepared in advance.

  Thereafter, the position detection device 5 transfers the coordinate information of the touch position and the shape information of the contact area obtained in ST202 and ST203 to the control device 7 (ST204). Such a series of processing by the position detection device 5 is repeatedly executed while the drawing with the stylus 2 (ST103) is being executed.

  When the control device 7 receives coordinate information and shape information from the position detection device 5 (ST301: YES), the drawing function setting unit 25 determines whether menu selection (ST102) by the stylus 2 has been executed (ST302). .

  Here, the drawing function setting unit 25 can acquire in advance the position information of each selection box in the drawing palette 55 and the information of the function (attribute) associated with each selection box, and the position information of each selection box. And the touch position coordinates transferred from the position detection device 5, the menu selection is made when the coordinates of the touch position are in one of the selection boxes (display area separated by a square frame in FIG. 11). Is executed (that is, the function associated with the selection box is selected). On the other hand, when the coordinates of the touch position are not in any of the selection boxes, the drawing function setting unit 25 determines that the drawing of ST103 has been performed (menu selection has not been executed).

  When menu selection is executed (ST302: YES), the drawing function setting unit 25 sets the drawing function of the stylus 2. More specifically, as shown in the function table of FIG. 12, the attribute based on the coordinate information of the touch position with respect to the shape of the contact plane (for example, a circle) based on the shape information of the contact area transferred from the position detection device 5 (For example, a red marker) is set. This function table is stored in a non-volatile memory in the control device 7, standard functions are set as initial values, and part of the data is updated each time the user performs menu selection (ST101).

  If menu selection has not been executed (ST302: NO), the drawing control unit 21 executes input display processing (ST304). In this input display process, as shown in FIG. 13, the drawing control unit 21 determines whether or not the shape of the contact area is circular based on the shape information of the contact area transferred from the position detection device 5 in ST204 ( ST401) If the shape is circular (YES), the attributes associated with the circle (here, drawing color: red, line thickness: thick line, line type) based on the information in the function table shown in FIG. : A drawing process for the touch position is performed using a solid line) (ST402). If the shape of the contact area is not circular (ST401: NO), the drawing control unit 21 similarly determines whether it is a triangle (ST403), and further, whether it is a quadrangle (ST405). If there is, a drawing process is performed by a function associated with the shape (ST404, ST406). Finally, when none of the shapes is applicable (including when the shape cannot be recognized), a drawing process is performed with a standard function (ST407).

  As described above, in the touch panel system 1 according to the second embodiment, the contact planes PLa to PLc having different shapes are formed on the plurality of styluses 2a to 2c, and the shapes of the contact planes PLa to PLc surfaces recognized during the touch operation are formed. Since the image display is based on the associated drawing function (attributes related to drawing color, line thickness, line type, etc.), even when a plurality of styluss 2a to 2c capable of setting different drawing functions are used. There is an advantage that frequent setting operations by the user (that is, operations for causing the touch panel to recognize the stylus to be used and its drawing function each time) are not required. That is, the user can use the stylus 2 with a feeling close to that of a general whiteboard marker (that is, a marker filled with ink).

  Further, the user can easily associate the shape of the contact plane of the stylus 2 with the drawing function by touching the drawing palette 55 displayed on the touch surface 3 with the stylus 2.

  Here, the selection box is configured to be touch-operated with the stylus 2. However, in some cases, the selection box is touched with a finger F while the stylus 2 is touched at another position on the touch surface 3. A configuration for selecting a desired function is also possible. Here, the contact planes PLa to PLc are circular, triangular, or quadrangular that can be visually recognized by the user. However, if at least the touch panel can be identified, the user needs to be able to visually recognize the shape. There is no. In this case, it is preferable that the stylus 2 has a configuration that allows the user to distinguish the stylus 2 from each other by, for example, different appearances (for example, the color of the body).

<Third Embodiment>
FIG. 14 is an overall configuration diagram showing a touch panel system according to a third embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 15 is a schematic configuration diagram of the stylus shown in FIG. In FIG.14 and FIG.15, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected about the component similar to the above-mentioned 1st or 2nd embodiment. In the third embodiment, matters not particularly mentioned below are the same as those in the first or second embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 14, in the touch panel system 1 according to the third embodiment, the styluses 2a to 2c (hereinafter collectively referred to as the stylus 2) having contact planes having different shapes have a wireless communication function. The position detection device 5 is different from the second embodiment in that a wireless communication unit 26 that performs wireless communication with each of the styluses 2a to 2c is provided.

  As shown in FIG. 15, in the internal space of the body 41 of the stylus 2, a wireless communication unit (information transmission unit) 61 that performs communication with the position detection device 5 on the touch panel side according to a predetermined communication protocol, and each unit The control part 62 which controls the operation | movement of the whole, the rotary type operation switch (function selection means) 63, the push type operation switches 64 and 65, and the information regarding the identification information, drawing function, etc. of the stylus 2 are memorize | stored. A memory 66 and a power supply unit 67 and a battery 68 for supplying power to each unit are provided. The body portion 41, the support fixing portion 42, and the pen tip portion 43 are each formed of a conductive resin and are connected to each other so as to be conductive.

  The stylus 2 only needs to have a configuration in which the pen tip portion 43 and the human body can be electrically connected at least when the user grips the torso 41. For example, the outer periphery (outer shell) of the stylus 2 is an insulator. They may be formed and coated with a conductive material on their outer peripheral surfaces. Further, the pen tip portion 43 may be provided with a switch driven by the user's writing pressure as in the case of the first embodiment.

  In the rotary operation switch 63, the attribute of the drawing function of the stylus 2 is switched when the user rotates the operation knob 71. Here, an example is shown in which the operation switch 63 selects the black, red, and blue markers and the eraser mode in the drawing mode, but it may be configured such that attributes relating to other drawing functions can be selected.

  The push-type operation switch 64 is turned on / off by depressing the operation button 72. When the switch is turned on, the drawing function attribute (for example, a red marker) switched by the operation switch 63 is stored in the memory 66. Is sent to the control unit 62. The attribute information is stored as stylus information together with the identification information stored in the memory 66 in advance.

  The push-type operation switch 65 is turned on and off by depressing the operation button 73. When the switch is turned on, the stylus information stored in the memory 66 is transmitted from the wireless communication unit 61 to the touch panel side (position detection device 5). A command for sending is sent to the control unit 62. The transmitted stylus information is, for example, 8-bit data, the upper 2 bits are assigned to the identification information, and the lower 2 bits × 3 are the attributes of the drawing function (for example, drawing color, line thickness, line type). Can be assigned.

  FIG. 16 is a flowchart showing a user's stylus operation procedure and processing procedures of the position detection device and the control device in the touch panel system shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 16, the user first switches the drawing function to a desired attribute by rotating the operation knob 71 of the stylus 2, and then presses the operation button 72 to obtain information on the attribute. It is stored in the stylus 2 as stylus information together with the identification information (ST401). Subsequently, the user presses the operation button 73 to transmit the stylus information to the position detection device 5 (ST402).

  Thereafter, when the user draws characters or figures on the touch surface 3 using the stylus 2, information on the touch operation in this drawing is transmitted to the position detection device 5 (ST403). When the user needs to switch the drawing function (ST404: YES), the user can set the drawing function again in ST401 and ST402.

  In position detection device 5, when the stylus information in ST402 is received (ST501: YES), radio communication unit 26 transfers the stylus information to control device 7 (ST502). In position detection device 5, when the touch operation in ST403 is detected (ST503: YES), position detection control unit 15 executes ST504 to ST506, which are the same processes as ST202 to ST204 shown in FIG. Note that ST501 and ST502 may be configured to be executable in parallel with other ST503 to ST506.

  When the control device 7 receives the stylus information in ST502 (ST601: YES), a predetermined attribute (for example, a circle) is associated with the function table as shown in FIG. For example, a red marker) is set (ST602). Here, the identification information included in the stylus information is handled as information indicating the shape of the contact plane of the stylus 2.

  In the control device 7, when receiving the coordinate information and shape information data from ST506 from the position detection device 5 (ST603: YES), the drawing control unit 21 executes the same processing as the input display processing shown in FIG. 13 (ST604). ).

  As described above, in the touch panel system 1 according to the third embodiment, the stylus 2 includes the attribute information of the drawing function selected by the user and the identification information (information on the shape of the contact plane) associated therewith. While the information is transmitted to the control device 7, the control device 7 stores the shape information of the contact plane and the attribute information in association with each other based on the stylus information, so that the user can perform an operation on the touch panel side. The drawing function can be easily set on the stylus side without need.

  Although the present invention has been described based on specific embodiments, these embodiments are merely examples, and the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. For example, in the embodiment, an example in which the control device and the position detection device are individually provided has been described. However, they may be provided integrally, or a predetermined function in one device may be omitted and the function may be provided in the other. It is also possible to add to these devices. That is, the distinction between the position detection device and the control device is formal, and the control device may recognize the shape of the contact plane of the stylus. In addition, the stylus according to the present invention is naturally applicable to other capacitive touch panels having a configuration different from that of the touch panel body according to the embodiment. Note that not all the components of the stylus and the touch panel system including the stylus according to the present invention described in the above embodiment are necessarily essential, and can be appropriately selected as long as they do not depart from the scope of the present invention. It is.

  The touch panel system according to the present invention can easily determine the drawing function of the stylus on the touch panel side without requiring frequent setting operations even when a plurality of styluses capable of setting different drawing functions are used. This is useful as a touch panel system that displays an image corresponding to a touch operation by a plurality of styluses on the touch surface of the touch panel.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Touch panel system 2 Stylus 3 Touch surface 4 Touch panel body 5 Position detection apparatus 6 Display apparatus 7 Control apparatus 41 A trunk | drum (gripping part)
42 Supporting / fixing part 43 Pen point part 45 Upper electrode sheet 46 Lower conductor 46b Lower surface of lower conductor (contact plane)
55 Drawing palette (attribute menu)
61 Wireless communication unit (information transmission means)
63 Operation switch (function selection means)
47 Spacer PLa-PLc Contact plane Sw Switch

Claims (6)

A projected capacitive touch panel body including a plurality of styluses, a touch surface on which a touch operation is performed by the stylus, and a position detection device that detects a touch position based on a contact area of the stylus on the touch surface A touch panel system comprising: a display device that displays a required image; and a control device that causes the display device to display an image corresponding to the touch position detected by the position detection device,
The plurality of styluses have a pen tip portion on which contact planes having different shapes that come into contact with the touch surface are formed,
The position detecting device recognizes a shape of the contact plane of the stylus based on the contact area of the stylus;
The touch panel system, wherein the control device displays the image on the display device in accordance with the drawing function of the stylus associated with the shape of the contact plane recognized by the position detection device. The display device uses the touch surface as a display screen, and displays an attribute menu on the display screen that allows a user to select an attribute of the drawing function by a touch operation.
The control device stores information on the selected attribute in association with information on the shape of the contact plane of the stylus acquired by the position detection device when a predetermined attribute is selected in the attribute menu. The touch panel system according to claim 1.   The touch panel system according to claim 2, wherein the position detection device recognizes a shape of the contact plane based on a contact area of the stylus in a display area of the attribute selected in the attribute menu. The stylus controls the stylus information including function selection means for selecting an attribute of the drawing function by a user, information on the attribute selected by the function selection means, and information on the shape of the contact plane associated therewith. Information transmitting means for transmitting to the device,
The touch panel system according to claim 1, wherein the control device stores the shape information of the contact plane and the attribute information in association with each other based on the stylus information received from the stylus. A stylus that performs a touch operation on a touch surface of a projected capacitive touch panel body,
A pen tip portion having a contact plane that contacts the touch surface with a surface of a predetermined size and has a shape different from that of other styluses and is associated with a drawing function according to the shape;
A control device that controls to display an image corresponding to the touch operation on the touch surface is associated with a predetermined drawing function for each shape of the pen tip, and the pen A stylus that displays an image corresponding to a drawing function associated with a front portion. A plurality of styluses having pen tips formed with contact planes having different shapes, a projected capacitive touch panel body having a touch surface on which a touch operation is performed by the stylus, and the touch surface A position detection device that detects a touch position based on the contact area of the stylus, a display device that displays a required image, and a control device that causes the display device to display an image corresponding to the touch position detected by the position detection device A drawing function setting method for a touch panel system comprising:
The position detecting device recognizes a shape of the contact plane of the stylus based on the contact area of the stylus;
Drawing of a touch panel system, wherein the control device displays the image on the display device according to a drawing function of the stylus associated with the shape of the contact plane recognized by the position detection device. Function setting method.

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