JP2024012904A - position indicator - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a position indicator with excellent operability.

SOLUTION: A position indicator 1 that is used with respect to a position detection sensor 9 for detecting a position based on a change in capacitance, comprises: a cylindrical first shield electrode 8; a first electrode 31 provided within the first shield electrode 8 and having a tip portion protruding from the first shield electrode 8; and a second electrode 32 provided with a contact portion 322 located on the tip side of the first electrode 31 and in contact with the position detection sensor 9. The position indicator receives an AC signal V1 of the position detection sensor 9 via the second electrode 32 and transmits an output signal V2 to the position detection sensor 9 via the first electrode 31.

SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

COPYRIGHT: (C)2024,JPO&INPIT

Description

The present invention relates to a position indicator.

For example, Patent Document 1 describes a position indicator used with a position detection sensor that detects a position by detecting a change in capacitance. This position indicator includes a first electrode for receiving an AC signal from a position detection sensor, and a signal enhancement processing circuit for performing predetermined signal enhancement processing on the AC signal received via the first electrode. and a second electrode to which the signal output from the signal enhancement processing circuit is supplied. The position indicator forms an amplified signal having a predetermined correlation with the AC signal from the position detection sensor received via the first electrode, and at the same time transmits the amplified signal from the second electrode. The position is indicated by sending it to the position detection sensor.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2012-128556

However, in a position indicator with such a configuration, the AC signal from the position detection sensor is received by the first electrode, and the signal which has been subjected to signal enhancement processing by the signal enhancement processing circuit is sent from the second electrode to the position detection sensor. Because of the configuration, the first electrode and the second electrode must be spaced apart from each other to avoid electrical conduction. Therefore, in a configuration in which signal reception and transmission are performed using different electrodes, the position at which the AC signal is received from the position detection sensor and the position at which the signal that has been subjected to signal amplification processing by the signal amplification processing circuit is transmitted to the position detection sensor are misaligned. , a deviation occurs between the position indicated by the position indicator and the position detected by the position detection sensor. Therefore, the position indicator of Patent Document 1 cannot exhibit excellent operability.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and provides a position indicator that reduces the gap between the position where a signal is received from the position detection sensor and the position where the signal is sent to the position detection sensor, and has excellent operability. The purpose is to provide

Such an object is achieved by the following (1) of the present invention.

(1) A position indicator used for a position detection sensor that performs position detection based on changes in capacitance,
a cylindrical first shield electrode;
a first electrode provided within the first shield electrode and having a tip protruding from the first shield electrode;
a second electrode that is located on the tip side of the first electrode and includes a contact portion that comes into contact with the position detection sensor;
A position indicator, characterized in that it receives an alternating current signal from the position detection sensor via the second electrode, and sends an output signal to the position detection sensor via the first electrode.

In the position indicator of the present invention, since the portion other than the tip of the first electrode is covered with the first shield electrode, capacitive coupling between the portion and the position detection sensor can be effectively suppressed. . Therefore, an AC signal from the position detection sensor can be received through the tip of the first electrode, or an output signal can be sent to the position detection sensor. As a result, the first electrode becomes substantially closer to the second electrode, and the amount of deviation between the receiving position where the AC signal is received from the position detection sensor and the sending position where the output signal is sent from the position indicator to the position detection sensor is kept small. be able to. Therefore, the position indicator can exhibit excellent operability.

FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram showing a position indicator and a position detection sensor according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a position detection sensor. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a position detection sensor. It is a sectional view of a position indicator. FIG. 3 is a plan view of the position indicator viewed from above. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the electrode structure of the position indicator. It is a figure which shows the state which made the position indicator contact the position detection sensor. It is a figure which shows the state which made the position indicator contact the position detection sensor. FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram showing a circuit configuration of a position indicator. FIG. 7 is a sectional view showing an electrode structure of a position indicator according to a second embodiment. FIG. 11 is a plan view of the electrode structure of FIG. 10 viewed from the side. FIG. 11 is a plan view of the electrode structure of FIG. 10 viewed from the tip side. It is a figure which shows the state which made the position indicator contact the position detection sensor. FIG. 7 is a plan view of the electrode structure of the position indicator according to the third embodiment, viewed from the tip side. It is a figure which shows the state which made the position indicator contact the position detection sensor. It is a figure which shows the state which made the position indicator contact the position detection sensor. It is a figure which shows the state which made the position indicator contact the position detection sensor.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, the position indicator of the present invention will be described in detail based on preferred embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings.

<First embodiment>
FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram showing a position indicator and a position detection sensor according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the position detection sensor. FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing the configuration of the position detection sensor. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the position indicator. FIG. 5 is a plan view of the position indicator viewed from above. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing the electrode structure of the position indicator. FIGS. 7 and 8 are diagrams each showing a state in which the position indicator is in contact with the position detection sensor. FIG. 9 is a circuit diagram showing the circuit configuration of the position indicator.

The position indicator 1 shown in FIG. 1 is used in combination with a position detection sensor 9. When the position indicator 1 contacts the input screen of the position detection sensor 9, the position indicator 1 sends an amplified output signal V2 having a predetermined correlation with the AC signal V1 from the position detection sensor 9 to the position detection sensor 9. Indicate the location. The position detection sensor 9 detects the contact position of the position indicator 1 on the input screen based on the output signal V2 sent from the position indicator 1. First, prior to explaining the position indicator 1, the position detection sensor 9 will be briefly explained.

≪Position detection sensor 9≫
The position detection sensor 9 is a mutual capacitance type position detection sensor that detects the position of a touch point touched by the position indicator 1 based on a change in coupling capacitance.

As shown in FIG. 2, the position detection sensor 9 includes a sensor section 90, a transmitting section 91, and a receiving section 92. Note that, in the following, for convenience of explanation, the horizontal direction of the instruction input screen will be referred to as the X-axis direction, and the vertical direction will be referred to as the Y-axis direction. The sensor section 90 includes a plurality of (64 in FIG. 2) transmission conductors 9Y ₁ , 9Y ₂ , ..., 9Y ₆₄ extending in the X-axis direction of the instruction input surface and arranged at equal intervals in the Y-axis direction. , has a plurality of (64 in FIG. 2) receiving conductors 9X ₁ , 9X ₂ , . . . , 9X ₆₄ extending in the Y-axis direction of the instruction input surface and arranged at equal intervals in the X-axis direction. Further, a transmitting section 91 is connected to the transmitting conductors 9Y ₁ to 9Y ₆₄ , and a receiving section 92 is connected to the receiving conductors 9X ₁ to 9X ₆₄ .

In this specification, when there is no need to distinguish between the 64 transmitting conductors 9Y ₁ to 9Y ₆₄ , it is also simply referred to as the "transmitting conductor 9Y", and similarly, the 64 receiving conductors 9X _{1 .about.9X64} , it is also simply referred to as "receiving conductor 9X" when there is no need to distinguish between them.

The transmitting conductors 9Y ₁ to 9Y ₆₄ and the receiving conductors 9X ₁ to 9X ₆₄ are formed separately on the upper surface and the lower surface of the substrate, for example, and are arranged to overlap each other orthogonally in a plan view. A cross point CP is formed at a portion where the transmitting conductors 9Y ₁ to 9Y ₆₄ and the receiving conductors 9X ₁ to 9X ₆₄ overlap. As shown in FIG. 3, at each cross point CP, a transmitting conductor 9Y and a receiving conductor 9X are coupled via a capacitance C1.

As shown in FIG. 2, the transmitting section 91 supplies an AC signal V1 to each transmitting conductor 9Y. The waveform of the AC signal V1 is not particularly limited, and may be any waveform such as a rectangular wave signal or a sine wave signal. Further, the transmitter 91 may sequentially supply the same AC signal to the plurality of transmission conductors 9Y ₁ to 9Y ₆₄ one by one, or may supply a plurality of mutually different AC signals to the plurality of transmission conductors 9Y ₁ to 9Y 64. 9Y ₆₄ may be supplied at the same time. Further, the plurality of transmitting conductors 9Y ₁ to 9Y ₆₄ may be divided into a plurality of groups, and different AC signals may be supplied to each group.

On the other hand, the receiving section 92 detects the AC signal V1 supplied to each receiving conductor 9X via the capacitance C1. If the coupling capacitance between the transmitting conductor 9Y and the receiving conductor 9X is equal at all cross points CP, when the position indicator 1 is not present on the sensor section 90, all the A received signal of the same level is detected from the receiving conductor 9X. On the other hand, when the position indicator 1 contacts the sensor section 90, a new coupling capacitance is formed at the contact point, and the capacitance C1 changes at the cross point at the contact location, and the reception The received signal level obtained from conductor 9X changes.

The position detection sensor 9 detects the cross point CP that the position indicator 1 is in contact with by detecting the transmitting conductor 9Y supplying an AC signal and the receiving conductor 9X where the received signal level has changed. To detect. Thereby, the touch point touched by the position indicator 1 can be detected.

The position detection sensor 9 has been briefly explained above. Next, the position indicator 1 will be explained.

≪Position indicator 1≫
The position indicator 1 instructs the position by sending to the position sensor 9 an output signal V2 which is amplified and has a predetermined correlation with the AC signal V1 from the position sensor 9.

The position indicator 1 has a stylus shape, and as shown in FIG. The wiring board 5 includes a wiring board 5, a signal processing circuit 6 formed on the wiring board 5, and a battery 7 as a power source.

Further, the electrode structure 3 includes a rod-shaped second electrode 32, a cylindrical first electrode 31 surrounding the second electrode 32, and a second shield electrode provided between the first electrode 31 and the second electrode 32. 33, an insulating layer 34 provided between the first electrode 31 and the second shield electrode 33, and an insulating layer 35 provided between the second electrode 32 and the second shield electrode 33. That is, in the electrode structure 3, the second electrode 32, the insulating layer 35, the second shield electrode 33, the insulating layer 34, and the first electrode 31 are located in this order from the center side, and are provided concentrically with each other.

In the position indicator 1 having such a configuration, the AC signal V1 from the position detection sensor 9 is received via the second electrode 32, and the signal processing circuit 6 generates the output signal V2 from the AC signal V1. The output signal V2 is sent to the position detection sensor 9 via the position detection sensor 31.

The housing 2 is rod-shaped and has a substantially cylindrical shape. The housing 2 is made of a metal material and has electrical conductivity. In this embodiment, the housing 2 is made of aluminum. As a result, the casing 2 is lightweight and has high strength. Such a housing 2 is electrically connected to a ground conductor of a wiring board 5. Further, the housing 2 comes into contact with the operator when the operator grips the position indicator 1. When the housing 2 comes into contact with the operator, the earth conductor of the wiring board 5 is connected to the ground. Thereby, the housing 2 functions as the first shield electrode 8. Note that the constituent material of the housing 2 is not particularly limited as long as it has conductivity.

Further, the distal end portion of the housing 2 is a tapered portion 23 that gradually tapers off. By forming the tip of the housing 2 into the tapered portion 23, the position indicator 1 can be easily tilted with respect to the instruction input surface of the position detection sensor 9, and the operability of the position indicator 1 is improved. The electrode structure 3 is provided within this tapered portion 23. Note that an insulating layer 24 is formed on the inner circumferential surface of the tapered portion 23 to provide insulation from the first electrode 31 located at the outermost periphery of the electrode structure 3. In this embodiment, the insulating layer 24 is made of aluminum oxide. The insulating layer 24 is formed, for example, by subjecting the inner peripheral surface of the tapered portion 23 to alumite treatment. However, the constituent material and formation method of the insulating layer 24 are not particularly limited.

In this embodiment, the tapered portion 23 is configured separately from the portion closer to the proximal end, but the present invention is not limited to this, and these may be integrally formed. Further, the shape of the housing 2, especially the cross-sectional shape, is not limited to a circle, and may be a polygon such as a triangle, a quadrangle, a pentagon, a hexagon, or an ellipse or an oblong shape. It may also be of any other unusual shape.

A battery 7 is housed in such a case 2. Battery 7 supplies voltage to signal processing circuit 6 . Furthermore, a charging receptacle 28 electrically connected to the battery 7 is provided on the base end surface of the housing 2 . By connecting a charging cable to the receptacle 28, the battery 7 can be charged. Note that the receptacle 28 of this embodiment is a USB Type-C. Thereby, the receptacle 28 becomes smaller, and the position indicator 1 can be made smaller.

However, the receptacle 28 is not limited to this. Further, instead of charging by wired power supply via the receptacle 28, charging may be performed by wireless power supply such as non-contact power supply. Further, instead of the rechargeable battery 7, for example, a battery may be used as a power source for the signal processing circuit 6.

Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the housing 2 is provided with a switch element 25 and a light emitting element 26. The switch element 25 has an operator 251 that is exposed outside the housing 2 and is slidable with respect to the housing 2. When the user slides the operator 251, the power is turned on and off. When the power is turned on, voltage is applied from the battery 7 to the signal processing circuit 6, and the signal processing circuit 6 is driven. On the other hand, when the power is turned off, the application of voltage from the battery 7 to the signal processing circuit 6 is stopped, and the driving of the signal processing circuit 6 is stopped.

Further, when the power is turned on, the light emitting element 26 lights up, and when the power is turned off, the light emitting element 26 is turned off. The housing 2 is provided with a window 27, through which light from the light emitting element 26 is emitted to the outside of the housing 2. In this way, by turning on/off the light emitting element 26 in response to power ON/OFF, it is possible to notify the user of power ON/OFF more reliably and easily. Note that the light emitting element 26 is not particularly limited, but for example, an LED (Light Emitting Diode) can be used. However, the power ON/OFF method and the notification method are not particularly limited.

Next, the electrode structure 3 provided within the tapered portion 23 will be explained. As described above, the electrode structure 3 includes a rod-shaped second electrode 32, a cylindrical first electrode 31 surrounding the second electrode 32, and a second electrode provided between the first electrode 31 and the second electrode 32. two shield electrodes 33; an insulating layer 34 provided between the first electrode 31 and the second shield electrode 33; and an insulating layer 35 provided between the second electrode 32 and the second shield electrode 33; has. Such an electrode structure 3 is provided concentrically with the central axis J of the housing 2 .

As shown in FIG. 6, the second electrode 32 is a rod-shaped center electrode extending on the central axis J of the housing 2. As shown in FIG. Further, the second electrode 32 has a rod-shaped base 321 and a contact portion 322 provided on the tip side of the base 321. The base 321 is provided inside the first electrode 31, and its tip protrudes from the first electrode 31. The base portion 321 functions as a part of wiring that electrically connects the contact portion 322 and the signal processing circuit 6.

Further, the contact portion 322 is located closer to the tip than the first electrode 31 and is exposed to the outside of the position indicator 1 . Further, the contact portion 322 is located at the most extreme end of the position indicator 1 and constitutes a contact portion with the position detection sensor 9. Thereby, the AC signal V1 from the position detection sensor 9 can be received via the contact portion 322. Note that each part of the electrode structure 3 is provided so as to fit inside the tangent line L between the contact part 322 and the tapered part 23. This makes it easier to tilt the position indicator 1 with respect to the instruction input surface of the position detection sensor 9, improving the operability of the position indicator 1.

Further, the contact portion 322 has a substantially hemispherical shape (dome shape) whose diameter is expanded relative to the base portion 321 . Note that the dimensions of the contact portion 322 are not particularly limited, but may have a diameter of about 2 mm to 3 mm and a height of about 1 mm to 1.5 mm, for example. As a result, the contact portion 322 has an appropriate size. Therefore, the position indicator 1 can exhibit excellent operability.

The second electrode 32 having such a configuration is made of various metal materials such as aluminum and copper, for example.

Note that the configuration of the second electrode 32 is not particularly limited. For example, the contact portion 322 may be covered with an elastic protective conductor. Thereby, when the position indicator 1 is brought into contact with the position detection sensor 9, the instruction input surface of the position detection sensor 9 can be prevented from being damaged, and the contact area with the instruction input surface can be increased. The protective conductor may be made of conductive elastic rubber, for example. Further, the base 321 may be omitted, and instead of the base 321, wiring that electrically connects the contact portion 322 and the signal processing circuit 6 may be arranged inside the first electrode 31.

The first electrode 31 has a cylindrical shape, and its tip protrudes from the tapered portion 23 . Hereinafter, the portion protruding from the tapered portion 23 will also be referred to as the “protruding portion 310”. In this way, by covering the base end of the first electrode 31 with the tapered part 23 that functions as the first shield electrode 8, the reception position Pin, which receives the AC signal V1 from the position detection sensor 9, and the position from the position indicator 1 can be adjusted. The amount of deviation D from the sending position Pout at which the output signal V2 is sent to the detection sensor 9 can be suppressed to a small value. Therefore, the position indicator 1 has excellent operability. This principle will be briefly explained below.

FIG. 7 shows a case where the tapered portion 23 does not function as the first shield electrode 8. In this state, since the output signal V2 is sent from the entire first electrode 31 to the position detection sensor 9, the peak of the electric field strength of the output signal V2 is largely shifted toward the proximal end of the position indicator 1 with respect to the contact portion 322. . Therefore, the amount of deviation D between the reception position Pin and the transmission position Pout becomes large.

On the other hand, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. Binding can be suppressed. Therefore, the output signal V2 is sent to the position detection sensor 9 substantially only from the protrusion 310. As a result, the deviation of the peak of the electric field strength distribution of the output signal V2 with respect to the contact portion 322 becomes smaller than that in the configuration of FIG. Therefore, the amount of deviation D between the reception position Pin and the transmission position Pout can be kept small. As a result, the position indicator 1 has excellent operability.

Note that the length of the protruding portion 310 (the amount of protrusion from the tapered portion 23) is not particularly limited, but is preferably about 0.5 mm to 2 mm, for example. Thereby, the amount of deviation D can be made smaller while ensuring sufficient strength of the output signal V2.

As shown in FIG. 6, the inner diameter of the first electrode 31 is larger than the outer diameter of the contact portion 322. Therefore, the contact portion 322 is located inside the first electrode 31 in a plan view of the electrode structure 3 (plan view from the direction along the central axis J). With such a configuration, overlapping of the first electrode 31 and the second electrode 32 can be suppressed, and capacitive coupling between them can be suppressed. As a result, crosstalk between the first electrode 31 and the second electrode 32 is suppressed, and it is possible to suppress the mixing of noise into the AC signal V1 and the output signal V2.

The first electrode 31 is made of various metal materials such as aluminum and copper.

The second shield electrode 33 has a cylindrical shape and is provided between the first electrode 31 and the second electrode 32. Further, the second shield electrode 33 is electrically connected to the ground conductor of the wiring board 5, and connected to the ground when the position indicator 1 is held by the operator. Therefore, the second shield electrode 33 can suppress capacitive coupling between the first electrode 31 and the second electrode 32. Therefore, crosstalk between the first electrode 31 and the second electrode 32 is suppressed, and it is possible to effectively suppress the mixing of noise into the AC signal V1 and the output signal V2.

In particular, in this embodiment, the tip of the second shield electrode 33 protrudes from the first electrode 31, and the second shield electrode 33 is also located between the contact portion 322 and the first electrode 31. Therefore, capacitive coupling between the first electrode 31 and the second electrode 32 can be suppressed more effectively. Therefore, crosstalk between the first electrode 31 and the second electrode 32 can be more effectively suppressed, and noise mixing into the AC signal V1 and the output signal V2 can be more effectively suppressed.

Note that, as described later, the insulating layer 35 is provided so as to fill the difference in level between the base portion 321 and the contact portion 322. Therefore, the second shield electrode 33 provided on the outer peripheral surface of the insulating layer 35 is located outside the contact portion 322 when the electrode structure 3 is viewed from above. Therefore, it becomes easier to position the second shield electrode 33 between the contact portion 322 and the first electrode 31.

Further, the tip of the second shield electrode 33 has a tapered shape that gradually tapers off. This makes it easier to tilt the position indicator 1 with respect to the instruction input surface of the position detection sensor 9, improving the operability of the position indicator 1.

The second shield electrode 33 is made of various metal materials such as aluminum and copper.

The insulating layer 34 has a cylindrical shape and is provided between the first electrode 31 and the second shield electrode 33. The first electrode 31 and the second shield electrode 33 are insulated by such an insulating layer 34. Further, the insulating layer 35 has a cylindrical shape and is provided between the second electrode 32 and the second shield electrode 33. The second electrode 32 and the second shield electrode 33 are insulated by such an insulating layer 35. Further, the insulating layer 35 covers the entire area of the base 321 of the second electrode 32, and its tip protrudes from the first electrode 31. Further, the insulating layer 35 does not cover the contact portion 322. In other words, the contact portion 322 is exposed from the insulating layer 35. Further, the insulating layer 35 has a thickness substantially equal to the step difference between the contact portion 322 and the base portion 321, and is provided to fill the step difference. Therefore, as described above, it becomes easier to position the second shield electrode 33 between the contact portion 322 and the first electrode 31.

The constituent material of such insulating layers 34 and 35 is not particularly limited, and various resin materials can be used, for example.

Next, the signal processing circuit 6 will be explained. As shown in FIG. 9, the signal processing circuit 6 includes a power supply circuit section 61 and a signal processing section 62. The power supply circuit section 61 includes a DC/DC converter 611, generates a power supply voltage Vcc from the voltage of the battery 7, and supplies it to the signal processing section 62. In the power supply circuit section 61, a switch element 25 is provided between the DC/DC converter 611 and the battery 7. Further, a series circuit of a resistor 612 and a light emitting element 26 is connected between the output end of the DC/DC converter 611 and the ground conductor of the wiring board 5.

In such a power supply circuit section 61, when the switch element 25 is operated to turn on the power, the voltage of the battery 7 is supplied to the DC/DC converter 611 to generate the power supply voltage Vcc, and at the same time, the light emitting element 26 lights up and the power is turned on. ON is notified to the user. Conversely, when the switch element 25 is operated to turn off the power, the supply of voltage from the battery 7 to the DC/DC converter 611 is stopped, the generation of the power supply voltage Vcc is stopped, and at the same time, the light emitting element 26 is turned off, and the power is turned off. OFF is notified to the user. However, the configuration of the power supply circuit section 61 is not particularly limited.

The signal processing unit 62 constitutes a signal amplification processing circuit, inverts and amplifies the AC signal V1 from the position detection sensor 9 to generate an output signal V2, and sends the output signal V2 to the position detection sensor 9. Such a signal processing section 62 includes an amplifier circuit 64 and an inverting amplifier circuit 65.

The amplifier circuit 64 includes an operational amplifier 641 and resistors 642 and 643 connected between an inverting input terminal and an output terminal of the operational amplifier 641. The second electrode 32 is connected to the non-inverting input terminal of the operational amplifier 641 with a coupling capacitor interposed therebetween. When the position indicator 1 is on the position detection sensor 9, the second electrode 32 and the position detection sensor 9 are coupled via the capacitance C2, and the AC signal V1 flowing through the position detection sensor 9 is connected to the capacitance C2 and It is input to the amplifier circuit 64 as a current signal via the second electrode 32. The amplifier circuit 64 then amplifies the input AC signal V1 and outputs it to the inverting amplifier circuit 65.

The inverting amplifier circuit 65 inverts and amplifies the signal output from the amplifier circuit 64 and outputs it to the first electrode 31 . The inverting amplifier circuit 65 includes an operational amplifier 651 and resistors 652 and 653 connected between the non-inverting input terminal and the output terminal of the operational amplifier 651. Furthermore, the output terminal of the operational amplifier 641 is connected to the inverting input terminal of the operational amplifier 651 with a coupling capacitor interposed therebetween.

The configuration of the position indicator 1 has been described above. Next, how to use the position indicator 1 will be explained. When the position indicator 1 is powered on, the power supply voltage Vcc is supplied from the power supply circuit section 61 to the signal processing section 62, and the signal processing section 62 is driven. In this state, when the contact portion 322 of the position indicator 1 is brought into contact with the position indicating surface of the position detection sensor 9, the second electrode 32 and the position detection sensor 9 are coupled via the capacitance C2, and the position detection sensor 9 is input to the signal processing unit 62 via the capacitance C2 and the second electrode 32, and is subjected to amplitude amplification in the amplifier circuit 64 and phase inversion amplification in the inversion amplifier circuit 65, and becomes an output signal V2. , this output signal V2 is sent (feedback) to the position detection sensor 9 via the first electrode 31 and the capacitance C3.

As described above, the output signal V2 sent to the position detection sensor 9 is an amplified signal having a reverse phase to the AC signal V1 supplied to the transmission conductor 9Y. Therefore, the position indicator 1 functions to further increase the change in the received signal level obtained from the receiving conductor 9X. Therefore, the position detection sensor 9 can detect the contact position of the position indicator 1 with high sensitivity. In particular, in the position indicator 1, when the housing 2 touches the operator, the earth conductor of the wiring board 5 is connected to the ground, so that the detection operation of the position detection sensor 9 is further stabilized.

Furthermore, as described above, the signal processing circuit 6 performs predetermined signal processing on the AC signal V1 to generate the output signal V2. By generating the output signal V2 from the AC signal V1 in this manner, it becomes easy to generate the output signal V2 having a correlation with the AC signal V1.

<Second embodiment>
FIG. 10 is a sectional view showing the electrode structure of the position indicator according to the second embodiment. FIG. 11 is a plan view of the electrode structure of FIG. 10 viewed from the side. FIG. 12 is a plan view of the electrode structure of FIG. 10 viewed from the tip side. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a state in which the position indicator is brought into contact with the position detection sensor.

The position indicator 1 of this embodiment is the same as the position indicator 1 of the first embodiment described above, except that the configuration of the first electrode 31 is different. Therefore, in the following description, the present embodiment will be mainly described with respect to the differences from the above-described embodiment, and the description of similar matters will be omitted. Moreover, in each figure of this embodiment, the same code|symbol is attached|subjected about the structure similar to the embodiment mentioned above.

As shown in FIGS. 10 to 12, in the position indicator 1 of this embodiment, a notch 311 is formed in the protrusion 310 of the first electrode 31. As shown in FIGS. The notch portion 311 extends along the central axis J, and its tip faces the tip surface of the first electrode 31. In other words, the notch portion 311 is open to the tip surface of the first electrode 31 at its tip portion. By having such a notch 311, the amount of deviation D between the reception position Pin and the transmission position Pout can be suppressed to be even smaller than in the first embodiment described above. Therefore, the position indicator 1 has excellent operability. This principle will be briefly explained below.

As shown in FIG. 13, when the position indicator 1 is used with the notch 311 facing downward (facing the input screen of the position detection sensor 9), the notch 311 outputs an output signal V2. is not sent out, the deviation in the peak of the electric field strength of the output signal V2 with respect to the contact portion 322 is further reduced compared to the first embodiment described above. Therefore, the amount of deviation D between the reception position Pin and the transmission position Pout can be suppressed to a smaller value. As a result, the position indicator 1 has excellent operability.

In particular, in this embodiment, the notch portion 311 extends from the tip end surface of the first electrode 31 to a portion overlapping with the tapered portion 23 . In other words, the notch 311 is provided to cut through the protrusion 310 vertically. Therefore, the deviation of the peak of the electric field strength of the output signal V2 with respect to the contact portion 322 becomes smaller, and the deviation amount D between the receiving position Pin and the sending position Pout can be made smaller.

Here, the central angle θ of the cutout portion 311 is not particularly limited, but is preferably, for example, 60° or more and 90° or less. Thereby, the notch portion 311 can be made sufficiently large, and the above-mentioned effect becomes more remarkable. Moreover, even if the orientation of the position indicator 1 changes during use, the state in which the cutout portion 311 faces the input screen of the position detection sensor 9 can be easily maintained. Further, excessive loss of the first electrode 31 due to the notch portion 311 is prevented, and sufficient strength of the output signal V2 sent from the first electrode 31 can be ensured with less power.

Note that in this embodiment, the notch 311 is rectangular, but the shape of the notch 311 is not particularly limited. For example, the width of the notch 311 (the length in the circumferential direction of the first electrode 31) may be a tapered shape that gradually increases toward the proximal end, or conversely, the width gradually decreases toward the proximal end. It may also have a tapered shape.

By the way, if the position of the notch 311 is not known, there is a possibility that the position indicator 1 is used in a posture in which the notch 311 does not face downward (in a posture that does not face the input screen of the position detection sensor 9). If the position indicator 1 is used in such a posture, the above-mentioned effects may not be fully exhibited. Therefore, in the position indicator 1 of this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, a mark section 29 that notifies the user of the position of the notch section 311 is provided in the housing 2. Therefore, the user can confirm the position of the notch 311 based on the mark 29 and use the position indicator 1 with the notch 311 facing downward.

The configuration of the mark section 29 is not particularly limited as long as it can perform its function, but in this embodiment, it is configured with a marker 291 displayed at a position facing the notch section 311 of the tapered section 23. Encourage the user to use the device with the device facing upward. Thereby, the position indicator 1 can be used more reliably with the notch 311 facing downward. Note that the switch element 25 or the light emitting element 26 may be used as the mark part 29, or if the position indicator 1 has a clip for fixing it to a target object, this clip may be used as the mark part 29. . Furthermore, the housing 2 may be shaped so that the position indicator 1 is most easily gripped with the notch 311 facing downward.

The second embodiment as described above can also exhibit the same effects as the first embodiment described above.

<Third embodiment>
FIG. 14 is a plan view of the electrode structure of the position indicator according to the third embodiment, viewed from the tip side. 15 to 17 are diagrams each showing a state in which the position indicator is brought into contact with the position detection sensor.

The position indicator 1 of this embodiment is the same as the position indicator 1 of the second embodiment described above, except that the configuration of the first electrode 31 is different. Therefore, in the following description, the present embodiment will be mainly described with respect to the differences from the above-described embodiment, and the description of similar matters will be omitted. Moreover, in each figure of this embodiment, the same code|symbol is attached|subjected about the structure similar to the embodiment mentioned above.

As shown in FIG. 14, the first electrode 31 of this embodiment has a plurality of notches 311. Further, the plurality of notches 311 are provided at equal intervals along the circumferential direction of the first electrode 31. Further, each cutout portion 311 faces a portion of the first electrode 31 in which another cutout portion 311 is not formed, via the central axis J. In other words, the cutout portions 311 are configured not to face each other with the center axis J interposed therebetween. Even with the position indicator 1 having such a configuration, as shown in FIG. By using this, it is possible to reduce the amount of deviation D between the reception position Pin and the transmission position Pout.

In addition, in this embodiment, the three notches 311 are provided at 120° intervals. In this way, by setting the number of notches 311 to three, and by arranging the plurality of notches 311 at equal intervals, it is possible to easily place the notches 311 in locations facing each other via the central axis J. A configuration in which the first electrode 31 is present can be used. In other words, it is possible to have a configuration in which the cutout portions 311 do not face each other with the center axis J interposed therebetween. However, the number of notches 311 is not particularly limited as long as it is two or more.

Furthermore, according to the position indicator 1 of this embodiment, the following effects can also be achieved. For example, as shown in FIG. 16, when the position indicator 1 of the second embodiment described above is placed in a position perpendicular to the input screen of the position detection sensor 9, the peak of the electric field strength of the output signal V2 is at the contact portion 322. On the other hand, the distribution is shifted to the side opposite to the notch portion 311. Therefore, a slight deviation amount D occurs between the receiving position Pin and the sending position Pout.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 17, in the position indicator 1 of this embodiment, the cutout parts 311 are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction of the first electrode 31, so that the output to the contact part 322 is Substantially no deviation occurs in the peak of the electric field strength of the signal V2. Therefore, the amount of deviation D between the receiving position Pin and the sending position Pout can be made smaller and substantially zero. As described above, according to the position indicator 1 of the present embodiment, it is possible to further reduce the amount of deviation D between the receiving position Pin and the sending position Pout when the position detecting sensor 9 is held upright with respect to the input screen. can.

Here, the central angle θ of each notch 311 is not particularly limited and varies depending on the number of notches 311, but when there are three notches 311 as in this embodiment, for example, 45 The angle is preferably 60° or more. Thereby, it is possible to more reliably achieve a configuration in which the cutout portions 311 do not face each other with the center axis J interposed therebetween. Further, each notch portion 311 can be made sufficiently large, and the above-mentioned effects can be more reliably exhibited. Moreover, even if the orientation of the position indicator 1 changes during use, the state in which the cutout portion 311 faces the input screen of the position detection sensor 9 can be easily maintained. Further, excessive loss of the first electrode 31 due to the notch portion 311 is prevented, and sufficient strength of the output signal V2 sent from the first electrode 31 can be ensured with less power.

The third embodiment as described above can also exhibit the same effects as the first embodiment described above.

Although the position indicator of the present invention has been described above based on the illustrated embodiment, the present invention is not limited to this, and the configuration of each part may be replaced with an arbitrary configuration having a similar function. can do. Moreover, other arbitrary components may be added to the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1...Position indicator 2...Casing 23...Tapered part 24...Insulating layer 25...Switch element 251...Operator 26...Light emitting element 27...Window part 28...Receptacle 29...Marker part 291...Marker 3...Electrode structure 31...th 1 electrode 310... protruding part 311... notch part 32... second electrode 321... base 322... contact part 33... second shield electrode 34, 35... insulating layer 5... wiring board 6... signal processing circuit 61... power supply circuit section 611 ...DC/DC converter 612...Resistance 62...Signal processing unit 64...Amplification circuit 641...Operation amplifier 642...Resistance 643...Resistance 65...Inverting amplifier circuit 651...Operation amplifier 652...Resistance 653...Resistance 7...Battery 8...First shield electrode 9 ...Position detection sensor 9X, 9X ₁ to 9X ₆₄ ...Reception conductor 9Y, 9Y ₁ to 9Y ₆₄ ...Transmission conductor 90...Sensor section 91...Transmission section 92...Reception section C1, C2, C3...Capacitance CP...Cross point D …Amount of deviation J…Central axis L…Tangential line Pin…Receiving position Pout…Sending position V1…AC signal V2…Output signal Vcc…Power supply voltage θ…Central angle

Claims (9)

A position indicator used for a position detection sensor that performs position detection based on a change in capacitance,
a cylindrical first shield electrode;
a first electrode provided within the first shield electrode and having a tip protruding from the first shield electrode;
a second electrode that is located on the tip side of the first electrode and includes a contact portion that comes into contact with the position detection sensor;
A position indicator, characterized in that it receives an alternating current signal from the position detection sensor via the second electrode, and sends an output signal to the position detection sensor via the first electrode. The position indicator according to claim 1, wherein the first electrode has a notch portion facing the tip surface. The position indicator according to claim 2, wherein the notch extends from the tip end surface to a portion overlapping with the first shield electrode. The position indicator according to claim 2, wherein the central angle of the notch is 60° or more and 90° or less. The position indicator according to claim 2, wherein a plurality of the notches are formed along the circumferential direction of the first electrode. The position indicator according to claim 5, wherein each of the notches faces a portion where no other notch is formed. The first electrode has three notches,
The position indicator according to claim 6, wherein a center angle of each of the notches is 45° or more and 60° or less. The position indicator according to claim 1, further comprising a second shield electrode disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode. The position pointing device according to claim 1, further comprising a signal processing circuit that performs predetermined signal processing on the alternating current signal and generates the output signal.

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