JP6710244B2 - Stylus and method performed by the stylus - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a method performed by a stylus, a method performed by a dual stylus and a dual controller, and a dual stylus.

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, electronic devices equipped with a stylus that transmits a signal by using electrostatic coupling have been attracting attention as an input device. This type of electronic device further includes a touch sensor and a sensor controller. The sensor controller receives a signal from the stylus received through the touch sensor, and detects the position of the stylus and the pen pressure based on the received signal. Configured to do.

In recent years, various types of electronic devices such as those described above have appeared. Patent Documents 1 to 4 disclose specific examples thereof.

Patent Document 1 discloses a so-called active electrostatic type electronic device capable of detecting the presence or position of a stylus by using an electrode prepared in a touch panel for detecting a finger. The sensor controller according to this example does not have a signal transmitting function, and the signal is transmitted from the stylus to the sensor controller only in one direction.

Patent Document 2 also discloses an active electrostatic electronic device. The sensor controller according to this example has a signal transmitting function, and bidirectional signal transmission is performed between the stylus and the sensor controller.

Patent Document 3 discloses another example in which signals are transmitted from the stylus to the sensor controller only in one direction, and Patent Document 4 discloses that signals are transmitted bidirectionally between the stylus and the sensor controller. Other examples are disclosed.

As described above, there are various types of electronic devices equipped with a stylus, but it is common that the types are not compatible with each other. As a result, conventionally, for example, when a user intends to use an electronic device compatible only with the first method and an electronic device compatible only with the second method side by side, the stylus is changed every time the electronic device is moved. It had to be done and it was inconvenient.

International Publication No. 2015/111159 JP, 2014-63249, A US Patent No. 8536471 U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2012-0105362

In view of the above situation, the applicant is considering introducing a stylus and a sensor controller compatible with a plurality of methods. Hereinafter, a stylus and a sensor controller corresponding to a plurality of methods will be referred to as a dual stylus and a dual controller, respectively. For example, in the above example, by using the dual stylus compatible with both the first method and the second method, it is not necessary to change the stylus each time the electronic device is moved.

However, as the applicant proceeded with the investigation, it was found that the dual stylus and the dual controller had the following problems. The details will be described below.

First, there is a problem that it may take a long time from when the dual stylus contacts the touch surface until the operation mode of the dual stylus is determined. When the sensor controller has a function of transmitting a signal from the touch surface, the dual stylus can know the type of the sensor controller before touching the touch surface by receiving this signal.

However, both the signal reception of the dual stylus and the signal transmission of the sensor controller must be intermittent, so when the user's operation is quick, etc., touch the signal from the sensor controller before it is received. May come into contact with surfaces. In such a case, the input with the dual stylus cannot be performed for a while after the touch surface is touched (until the timing of signal reception of the dual stylus and the timing of signal transmission of the sensor controller match). As a result, the user is made uncomfortable.

Secondly, when a dual stylus and a dual controller are used in combination, there is a problem that the dual stylus does not always operate in the optimum operation mode. The plurality of methods supported by the dual stylus and the dual controller are not provided as completely parallel ones in reality, and are given priority. That is, suppose that there is a dual stylus and a dual controller corresponding to the first method and the second method, for example, it is assumed that the first method has a higher priority than the second method. In this case, when communication is performed between the dual stylus and the dual controller that both support the first method, it means that the communication should be performed by the first method.

However, for example, if both the dual stylus and the dual controller respectively intermittently transmit and receive signals in the first method and the second method, the other party may be a device compatible with the second method depending on the timing. Both sides may recognize it. In such a case, the communication by the second method is started and the communication by the first method is not performed.

In addition, for example, when the first method with high priority corresponds to the bidirectional communication and the second method with low priority corresponds to the one-way communication from the stylus to the sensor controller, quick operation is performed when a touch operation is performed. In order to realize drawing, it is conceivable to operate the dual stylus by the second method at the same time as detecting the pen pressure. Then, similarly to the above, communication by the first method will not be performed.

Therefore, one of the objects of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems associated with the dual stylus and the dual controller, the method performed by the stylus, the method performed by the dual stylus and the dual controller, and To provide a dual stylus.

A method implemented by a dual stylus according to the present invention is configured to be capable of transmitting both a signal according to a first scheme and a signal according to a second scheme, and at least capable of receiving a signal according to the first scheme. A method performed by a dual stylus having a function of detecting a writing pressure applied to a pen tip, wherein a touch on the touch surface by the dual stylus is detected based on the writing pressure detected by the detection function. And a step of starting a signal receiving operation according to the first method in response to detecting contact with the touch surface by the dual stylus, and receiving a signal according to the first method by the receiving operation. And the operation mode of the dual stylus is set to a first operation mode in which signals are transmitted and received according to the first method.

A method performed by a dual stylus and a dual controller according to the present invention is configured to be capable of transmitting both a signal according to a first method and a signal according to a second method, and at least receiving a signal according to the first method. A dual stylus configured to be capable of receiving both a signal according to the first method and a signal according to the second method, and at least a signal according to the first method can be transmitted. A method performed by a dual controller, wherein the dual stylus transmits a first signal including functional information indicating that the dual stylus is compatible with the first method by the second method. And a step in which the dual controller transmits a second signal including an instruction to switch to a first operation mode for transmitting and receiving a signal according to the first method in response to receiving the first signal. And a step in which the dual stylus switches its own operating mode to the first operating mode in response to receiving the second signal.

A dual stylus according to one aspect of the present invention is configured to be capable of transmitting both a signal according to a first scheme and a signal according to a second scheme, and at least capable of receiving a signal according to the first scheme, and A dual stylus having a function of detecting a writing pressure applied to the pen tip, wherein the dual stylus detects contact with the touch surface based on the writing pressure detected by the detection function. When the signal receiving operation according to the first method is started for a predetermined time and the signal according to the first method is received within the predetermined time, the own operation mode is set to the transmission/reception of the signal according to the first method. It is a dual stylus set to the 1st operation mode to perform.

A dual stylus according to another aspect of the present invention is configured to be capable of transmitting both a signal according to a first method and a signal according to a second method, and at least capable of receiving a signal according to the first method. A dual stylus, the first signal including function information indicating that the device is compatible with the first method is transmitted by the second method, and after the first signal is transmitted. , In response to receiving a second signal from the sensor controller indicating a switching instruction to the first operation mode for transmitting and receiving a signal according to the first method, setting its own operation mode to the first operation mode. It is a dual stylus that switches.

A dual stylus according to still another aspect of the present invention is configured to be capable of transmitting both a signal according to a first method and a signal according to a second method, and at least capable of detecting a signal according to the first method. A dual stylus that is operated in a first operating mode for transmitting a signal according to the first method or a second operating mode for transmitting a signal according to the second method. A dual stylus including: a control unit that determines whether to operate, and controls the indicator to display differently when the determined operation mode is the first operation mode and the second operation mode. Is.

According to the method performed by the stylus according to the present invention, the stylus can start the signal receiving operation according to the first method immediately after the contact with the touch surface. Therefore, it is possible to shorten the time from the contact with the touch surface until the stylus is set to the first operation mode.

Further, according to the method executed by the dual stylus and the dual controller according to the present invention, even if the operation mode of the dual stylus is the second operation mode for transmitting (receiving) signals according to the second method. The operation mode of the dual stylus can be switched to the first operation mode according to an instruction from the dual controller that understands that the dual stylus is compatible with the first method. Therefore, it becomes possible to start communication according to the first method between the dual stylus and the dual controller.

It is a figure which shows the structure of the position detection system 1 by embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the structure of the sensor controller 31 by embodiment of this invention. FIG. 3 is a mode transition diagram of the stylus 2 and the sensor controller 31 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure which shows the signal transmitted/received between the stylus 2 and the sensor controller 31 when the stylus 2 and the sensor controller 31 by the 1st Embodiment of this invention perform operation|movement by the background art of this invention. It is a figure which shows the signal transmitted/received between the stylus 2 and the sensor controller 31 when the stylus 2 and the sensor controller 31 by the 1st Embodiment of this invention perform operation|movement by the background art of this invention. It is a figure which shows the signal transmitted/received between the stylus 2 and the sensor controller 31 when the stylus 2 and the sensor controller 31 by the 1st Embodiment of this invention perform the operation|movement by this embodiment. It is a figure which shows the signal transmitted/received between the stylus 2 and the sensor controller 31 when the stylus 2 and the sensor controller 31 by the 1st Embodiment of this invention perform the operation|movement by this embodiment. It is a processing flow figure which shows operation|movement of the stylus 2 by the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a processing flow figure which shows operation|movement of the stylus 2 by the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a processing flow figure which shows operation|movement of the stylus 2 by the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a processing flow figure which shows operation|movement of the sensor controller 31 by the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a processing flow figure which shows operation|movement of the sensor controller 31 by the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a processing flow figure which shows operation|movement of the sensor controller 31 by the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a mode transition diagram of the stylus 2 and the sensor controller 31 by the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the signal transmitted/received between the stylus 2 and the sensor controller 31 when the stylus 2 and the sensor controller 31 by the 2nd Embodiment of this invention perform operation|movement by the background art of this invention. It is a figure which shows the signal transmitted/received between the stylus 2 and the sensor controller 31 when the stylus 2 and the sensor controller 31 by the 2nd Embodiment of this invention perform the operation|movement by this embodiment. It is a figure which shows the signal transmitted/received between the stylus 2 and the sensor controller 31 when the stylus 2 and the sensor controller 31 by the 2nd Embodiment of this invention perform the operation|movement by this embodiment. It is a processing flow figure which shows operation|movement of the stylus 2 by the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a processing flow figure which shows operation|movement of the stylus 2 by the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a processing flow figure which shows operation|movement of the stylus 2 by the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a processing flow figure which shows operation|movement of the sensor controller 31 by the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a processing flow figure which shows operation|movement of the sensor controller 31 by the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a processing flow figure which shows operation|movement of the sensor controller 31 by the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a processing flow figure which shows operation|movement of the sensor controller 31 by the 2nd Embodiment of this invention.

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

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a position detection system 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, the position detection system 1 is configured to include a stylus 2 and an electronic device 3. Of these, the electronic device 3 is, for example, a tablet computer, and includes a sensor 30 that configures the touch surface 3t, a sensor controller 31, and a system controller 32 that controls each unit of the sensor controller 31 including these.

The stylus 2 and the sensor controller 31 are a dual stylus and a dual controller corresponding to method A (first method) and method B (second method) which are not compatible with each other, respectively. Both methods A and B support bidirectional communication between the stylus 2 and the sensor controller 31. The methods A and B are given priorities, and the method A is set to a higher priority than the method B.

Dashed arrows C1 to C5 in FIG. 1 indicate a typical cycle in which the user operates the stylus 2. In the sensing range SR shown in FIG. 1, the stylus 2 receives the uplink signal US transmitted by the sensor controller 31, or the sensor controller 31 receives the downlink signal DS transmitted by the stylus 2. Thus, one of the stylus 2 and the sensor controller 31 indicates the range in which the other can be detected.

When the user draws a line on the touch surface 3t using the stylus 2, the user moves (down) the stylus 2 from outside the sensing range SR to within the sensing range SR (C1, C2) and makes a desired touch on the touch surface 3t. After moving so as to draw the locus of (C3), a series of cycles of moving (up) from inside the sensing range SR to outside the sensing range SR (C4, C5) are repeated. In this specification, the stylus 2 entering the sensing range SR during the down operation is referred to as a first pen down PD1, and the stylus 2 contacting the touch surface 3t is referred to as a second pen down PD2.

As shown in FIG. 1, the stylus 2 has a core body 20, electrodes 21, a writing pressure detection unit 22, a switch 23, a signal processing unit 24, a power supply 25, and an indicator 26.

The core body 20 is a rod-shaped member arranged such that its longitudinal direction coincides with the pen axis direction of the stylus 2 and constitutes the pen tip of the stylus 2. A conductive material is applied to the surface of the tip of the core body 20 to form the electrode 21. The rear end of the core body 20 is brought into contact with the writing pressure detection unit 22. The writing pressure detection unit 22 responds to the pressure applied to the tip of the core body 20 (writing pressure applied to the core body 20) when the pen tip of the stylus 2 is pressed against the touch surface 3t or the like of the sensor controller 31. The pressure level is detected, and in a specific example, it is configured by a variable capacitance module whose electrostatic capacitance changes according to the writing pressure.

The electrode 21 is a conductor provided in the vicinity of the core body 20, and is electrically connected to the signal processing unit 24 by wiring. When the stylus 2 transmits the downlink signal DS toward the sensor controller 31, the downlink signal DS is supplied from the signal processing unit 24 to the electrode 21, and accordingly, the downlink signal DS corresponding to the content of the downlink signal DS is supplied. Electric charges are induced in the electrode 21. This causes a change in the capacitance in the sensor 30 described later, and the sensor controller 31 receives the downlink signal DS by detecting this change. Further, when the uplink signal US transmitted by the sensor controller 31 arrives at the electrode 21, a charge according to the arrived uplink signal US is induced in the electrode 21. The signal processing unit 24 receives the uplink signal US by detecting the electric charge induced in the electrode 21 in this way.

The switch 23 is, for example, a side switch provided on the side surface of the housing of the stylus 2 and functions as an input unit configured to be able to receive a user operation. Specifically, the switch information indicating the pressed state of the user is output to the signal processing unit 24 according to the state of the operation by the user (pressed state). The switch information is, for example, information indicating one of two states of ON and OFF.

The signal processing unit 24 generates a downlink signal DS by the method A or method B and a function of the sensor controller 31 receiving an uplink signal US transmitted by the method A or method B through the electrode 21, and the sensor controller 31. The second pen-down PD2 (contact with the touch surface 3t) based on the writing pressure level detected by the writing pressure detection unit 22. Which of the methods A and B the signal processing unit 24 uses is determined according to the operation mode of the stylus 2, and this point will be described later.

As described later, the uplink signal US may include various commands, and the signal processing unit 24 in that case acquires the command by demodulating and decoding the received uplink signal US, and according to the acquired command. The downlink signal DS is generated. Specifically, the downlink signal DS including various information such as the writing pressure level detected by the writing pressure detection unit 22 and the switch information output from the switch 23 is generated based on the command.

Further, the signal processing unit 24 holds the unique ID of the stylus 2 in a memory (not shown). The unique ID is information commonly used in any of the plurality of methods (methods A and B in this case) supported by the stylus 2, and information indicating the plurality of methods supported by the stylus 2. Is included. The signal processing unit 24, when instructed by a command included in the uplink signal US, or spontaneously at a timing according to some trigger including the reception of the uplink signal US and the second pen down PD2, In the downlink signal DS, the functional information including all or part of this unique ID (at least including sufficient information for the sensor controller 31 to know that the stylus 2 corresponds to the method A) is included. Configured to send.

The power supply 25 is for supplying operating power (DC voltage) to the signal processing unit 24, and is composed of, for example, a cylindrical AAAA battery.

The indicator 26 is a display means for notifying the user of various information regarding the stylus 2, and is composed of, for example, a light emitting diode. The indicator 26 will be described in detail in a third embodiment described later.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of the sensor controller 31. The configuration of the sensor 30 is also shown in FIG. As shown in the figure, the sensor 30 has a configuration in which a plurality of linear electrodes 30X and a plurality of linear electrodes 30Y are arranged in a matrix, and the stylus 2 and the capacitor are formed by these linear electrodes 30X and 30Y. Join. The sensor 30 is used not only for detecting the stylus 2 but also for detecting a finger. Further, the sensor controller 31 is configured to include a transmission unit 60, a selection unit 40, a reception unit 50, a logic unit 70, and an MCU 80.

The transmission unit 60 is a circuit for generating and transmitting the uplink signal US according to the scheme A or the scheme B, and for example, the pattern supply unit 61, the switch 62, the spreading processing unit 63, the code string holding unit 64, and the transmission guard. It is configured to include a section 65. Note that the specific configuration of the transmission unit 60 described here is an example, and may differ depending on the method. Further, when the schemes A and B require the transmission units 60 having different configurations, the respective configurations may be provided side by side in one transmission unit 60 and selectively operated. Which of the methods A and B the transmitter 60 uses is determined according to the operation mode of the sensor controller 31, and this point will be described later.

The pattern supply unit 61 holds the detection pattern c1, and according to the instruction of the control signal ctrl_t1 supplied from the logic unit 70, a signal (or a signal corresponding to the detection pattern c1 during a predetermined continuous transmission period (for example, 3 msec)). Bit string) is output continuously and repeatedly. Further, it also has a function of outputting the predetermined delimiter pattern STP at least twice in succession immediately after the end of the continuous transmission period or when the transmission of the control information c2 described later is started. Although the pattern supply unit 61 is provided in the transmission unit 60 in FIG. 2, it may be provided in the MCU 80.

The detection pattern c1 is a pattern of symbol values used by the stylus 2 to detect the presence of the sensor controller 31, and is made known to the stylus 2 in advance (before the stylus 2 detects the sensor controller 31). There is. A symbol is a unit of information used for modulation (unit of information represented by a transmission signal) in transmission processing, and is a unit of information obtained by demodulating one symbol which is a reception signal in reception processing. The value of the symbol includes a value that is converted into a bit string (hereinafter, referred to as “bit string corresponding value”) and a value that is not converted into a bit string by the stylus 2 that received the symbol (hereinafter, referred to as “bit string non-corresponding value”). Can be included. As shown in Table 1 described later, the former symbol takes a value of the number of powers of 2 and can be associated with a bit string such as "0001". In this way, the bit length of each symbol represented by the bit string is determined by the specifications of the spreading processing unit 63. On the other hand, the latter symbol has a value of 1 or more (for example, 2) and a value that is not associated with a bit string such as “P” or “M” as shown in Table 1 below. In an example shown in Table 1 described later, “P” and “M” are associated with a predetermined spreading code sequence and its inverted code sequence, respectively.

The detection pattern c1 is represented by a pattern of bit string non-corresponding values. Specifically, it is formed by repeating two bit string non-corresponding values "P" and "M" such as "PMPMPM... ".

The delimiter pattern STP is a symbol pattern for notifying the stylus 2 of the end of the continuous transmission period, and is composed of a symbol pattern that does not appear during repetition of the detection pattern c1. As an example, when the detection pattern c1 is configured by repeating two bit string non-corresponding values “P” and “M” such as “PMPMPM... ”As described above, the delimiter pattern STP has a bit string non-corresponding value. It can be configured by a pattern "PP" in which "P" is continuous twice. The configuration of the delimiter pattern STP and the detection pattern c1 may be reversed, and the delimiter pattern may be configured by “PM” and the detection pattern c1 may be configured by “PP”.

The switch 62 has a function of selecting one of the pattern supply unit 61 and the MCU 80 based on the control signal ctrl_t2 supplied from the logic unit 70, and supplying the selected one output to the diffusion processing unit 63. When the switch 62 selects the pattern supply unit 61, the diffusion processing unit 63 is supplied with the detection pattern c1 or the delimiter pattern STP. On the other hand, when the switch 62 selects the MCU 80, the spreading processor 63 is supplied with the control information c2 from the MCU 80.

The control information c2 is information including a command indicating the instruction content for the stylus 2, and is generated by the MCU 80. The control information c2 includes a symbol value (for example, 0 to 15) associated with a variable-length bit string, and is different from the detection pattern c1 in that the value is not shared in advance with the stylus 2. .. Further, the control information c2 is the detection pattern c1 including the values “P” and “M” in that it is indicated by the value “D” indicating the value of the number of powers of 2 (octal) of the above-described predetermined bit length. Different.

The code string holding unit 64 has a function of generating and holding an 11-chip-long spreading code PN having an autocorrelation characteristic based on the control signal ctrl_t3 supplied from the logic unit 70. The spreading code PN held by the code string holding unit 64 is supplied to the spreading processing unit 63.

The spreading processing unit 63 modulates the spreading code PN held by the code string holding unit 64 based on the value of the symbol supplied through the switch 62 (information represented by the transmission signal by the processing of the spreading processing unit 63). By doing so, it has a function of obtaining a transmission chip string having a length of 12 chips. Hereinafter, this function will be described with a specific example.

In the example described below, each of the detection pattern c1, the delimiter pattern STP, and the control information c2 is assigned a bit string corresponding value 0 to 15 (corresponding bit string “0000” to “1111”) and a bit string non-corresponding value “P” “M”. It shall be configured by the combination of. Further, it is assumed that the spreading code PN held by the code string holding unit 64 is “00010010111”. In this case, the spreading processing unit 63 converts the value of each symbol (0 to 15 and P and M) into a transmission chip string according to Table 1 below.

As shown in Table 1, in this example, first, the symbol value "P" is converted into a transmission chip sequence in which the spreading code PN "00010010111" is prefixed with "1". Further, the symbol values "0" to "7" are respectively transmitted to the transmission chip sequence formed by adding "1" to the head of the code sequence obtained by cyclically shifting the spread code PN "00010010111" by the shift amount shown in Table 1. To be converted. The other symbol values "M", "8" to "15" are converted into transmission chip sequences obtained by inverting the transmission chip sequences corresponding to the symbol values "P" "0" to "7", respectively.

The diffusion processing unit 63 is configured to acquire the transmission chip sequence by the above conversion process and supply it to the transmission guard unit 65.

The transmission guard unit 65 switches the transmission operation and the reception operation between the transmission period of the uplink signal US and the reception period of receiving the signal from the stylus 2 based on the control signal ctrl_t4 supplied from the logic unit 70. Therefore, it has a function of inserting a guard period which is a period during which neither transmission nor reception is performed.

The selection unit 40 is a switch that switches a transmission period for transmitting a signal from the sensor 30 and a reception period for receiving a signal by the sensor 30 under the control of the logic unit 70. More specifically, the selection unit 40 includes switches 44x and 44y and conductor selection circuits 41x and 41y. Based on the control signal sTRx supplied from the logic unit 70, the switch 44x connects the output end of the transmission unit 60 to the input end of the conductor selection circuit 41x during the transmission period, and connects the output end of the conductor selection circuit 41x during the reception period. It operates so as to connect the output end to the input end of the receiver 50. The switch 44y connects the output end of the transmission unit 60 to the input end of the conductor selection circuit 41y during the transmission period based on the control signal sTRy supplied from the logic unit 70, and connects the output end of the conductor selection circuit 41y during the reception period. It operates so as to connect the output end to the input end of the receiver 50. The conductor selection circuit 41x operates so as to select one or more of the plurality of linear electrodes 30X based on the control signal selX supplied from the logic unit 70 and connect the selected one to the switch 44x. The conductor selection circuit 41y operates so as to select one or more of the plurality of linear electrodes 30Y based on the control signal selY supplied from the logic unit 70 and connect the selected one to the switch 44y. The conductor selection circuits 41x and 41y select the plurality of linear electrodes 30X or the plurality of linear electrodes 30Y when, for example, the uplink signal US is transmitted from the entire touch surface 3t.

The receiving unit 50 is a circuit for receiving the downlink signal DS according to the system A or the system B according to the control signal ctrl_r of the logic unit 70, and specifically, includes an amplifier circuit 51, a detection circuit 52, and an analog digital circuit. An (AD) converter 53 is included. Note that the specific configuration of the receiving unit 50 described here is also an example, and may differ depending on the method. Further, when the schemes A and B require the receiving units 50 having different configurations from each other, the respective configurations may be provided side by side in one receiving unit 50 and selectively operated. Which of the schemes A and B the receiving unit 50 uses is determined according to the operation mode of the sensor controller 31, and this point will be described later.

The amplifier circuit 51 amplifies and outputs the downlink signal DS supplied from the selection unit 40. The detection circuit 52 is a circuit that generates a voltage corresponding to the level of the output signal of the amplification circuit 51. The AD converter 53 is a circuit that generates a digital signal by sampling the voltage output from the detection circuit 52 at predetermined time intervals. The digital signal output from the AD converter 53 is supplied to the MCU 80.

The logic unit 70 and the MCU 80 are control units that control transmission/reception operations of the transmission unit 60, the reception unit 50, and the like. More specifically, the MCU 80 is a microprocessor that has a ROM and a RAM inside and operates based on a predetermined program. On the other hand, the logic unit 70 is configured to output each control signal described above under the control of the MCU 80. The MCU 80 also derives coordinate data x, y, etc. indicating the position of the stylus 2 based on the digital signal supplied from the AD converter 53, outputs the coordinate data x to the system controller 32, and supplies the data from the AD converter 53. If the digital signal to be displayed indicates some data, the data is acquired and output to the system controller 32.

FIG. 3 is a mode transition diagram of the stylus 2 and the sensor controller 31 in the present embodiment. As shown in the figure, the stylus 2 and the sensor controller 31 according to the present embodiment perform communication in the undetermined mode P, operation mode A (first operation mode) in which communication is performed in method A, and communication in method B. It is configured to operate in any one of operation modes B (second operation modes). Among them, the undetermined mode P means a state in which the device to be the communication partner has not been detected yet. In the undetermined mode P, which of the operation modes A and B should be operated is not determined, and as described later, transmission and reception of signals by methods A and B are alternately repeated. The undetermined mode P can also be called a dual mode in which a plurality of operation modes such as methods A and B are alternately operated, and a discovery mode is a mode in which any one of the sensor controllers 31 or the stylus 2 is detected. You can also call it. Note that the stylus 2 may perform a process of switching the display of the indicator 26 according to the transition of these operation modes. This point will be described in a third embodiment described later.

Here, a problem that occurs when the stylus 2 and the sensor controller 31 corresponding to the methods A and B perform an operation according to the background art of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5. The operation of the stylus 2 and the sensor controller 31 described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5 is also executed in the operation according to the present embodiment, except for the points described below.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing signals transmitted and received between the stylus 2 and the sensor controller 31 when the stylus 2 and the sensor controller 31 perform the operation according to the background art of the present invention. In the example of the figure, the first pen-down PD1 occurs at time t0, and the second pen-down PD2 occurs at time t1. The operation modes of the stylus 2 and the sensor controller 31 before the occurrence of the first pen-down PD1 are, in principle, the undetermined mode P as shown in FIG.

In the undetermined mode P, the stylus 2 alternately repeats the operation of receiving the uplink signal US according to the scheme A and the operation of receiving the uplink signal US according to the scheme B, and the sensor controller 31 transmits the uplink signal US according to the scheme A. The operation, the reception operation of the downlink signal DS according to the scheme A, the transmission operation of the uplink signal US according to the scheme B, and the reception operation of the downlink signal DS according to the scheme B are sequentially repeated. Here, the reception operation and the transmission operation of each signal are continuously executed for a predetermined time set in advance. This point is the same for the reception operation and the transmission operation of each signal described later. Further, for each method, one of the cycle of the operation of transmitting the uplink signal US by the sensor controller 31 and the cycle of the operation of receiving the uplink signal US by the stylus 2 is configured so as not to be a multiple of the other. This is to avoid a situation in which the stylus 2 cannot receive the stylus 2 forever, even though the uplink signal US transmitted by the sensor controller 31 reaches the stylus 2. Further, the duration of the reception operation by each method (the above-described predetermined time) is at least the same as the duration of the reception operation of the uplink signal US executed by the stylus 2 from time t1 in FIG. It is preferable that the time is equal to or longer than the transmission cycle (the cycle of transmission by the sensor controller 31) of. Further, as shown in FIG. 4, it is preferable that the reception operation of the stylus 2 is repeatedly executed with a rest period during which the reception operation is not executed, as shown in FIG.

The most preferable mode transition of the stylus 2 and the sensor controller 31 due to the occurrence of the first pen down PD1 and the second pen down PD2 is between time t0 and time t1 (that is, before the second pen down PD2 occurs). Both the stylus 2 and the sensor controller 31 are in the operation mode A. This means that the sensor controller 31 receives the downlink signal DS transmitted by the stylus 2 whose stylus 2 has received the uplink signal US according to scheme A and thus has started operating in operating mode A, whereby the sensor controller 31 A series of processing of starting the operation of the operation mode A also in 31 is realized by performing between time t0 and time t1.

However, when the user operates the stylus 2 quickly and the time between the time t0 and the time t1 is shortened, the stylus 2 is uplinked for a while even after the time t1 as illustrated in FIG. A situation may occur in which the signal US cannot be received. In the example of FIG. 4, at time t2 after time t1, the stylus 2 finally receives the uplink signal US transmitted by the method A, and as a result, the stylus 2 enters the operation mode A, and at time t3 thereafter, The sensor controller 31 receiving the downlink signal DS transmitted by the method A enters the operation mode A, and the communication between the stylus 2 and the sensor controller 31 by the method A is started. That is, a delay of time t3-t1 occurs until the communication between the stylus 2 and the sensor controller 31 by the method A starts at the time t3 after the second pen down PD2 occurs at the time t1. There is. The occurrence of this delay is one of the problems in the background art of this embodiment.

FIG. 5 is also a diagram showing signals transmitted and received between the stylus 2 and the sensor controller 31 when the stylus 2 and the sensor controller 31 perform the operation according to the background art of the present invention. The example shown in the figure differs from the example shown in FIG. 4 in the timing of the reception operation of the stylus 2 (the timing relative to the transmission operation of the sensor controller 31).

As a result of the above difference, in the example of FIG. 5, the stylus 2 receives the uplink signal US transmitted by the method B at the time t2 and is in the operation mode B. In response to this, at time t3, the sensor controller 31 also enters the operation mode B, and the communication between the stylus 2 and the sensor controller 31 is started by the method B. Since the method B has a lower priority than the method A, it is not preferable that the communication according to the method B is started between the stylus 2 and the sensor controller 31 corresponding to both the methods A and B, and it is early. It is desired to switch to communication according to method A. This is another one of the problems in the background art of the present embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing signals transmitted and received between the stylus 2 and the sensor controller 31 when the stylus 2 and the sensor controller 31 perform the operation according to the present embodiment. In particular, the figure shows the operation of the stylus 2 for avoiding the above-mentioned delay.

As shown in FIG. 6, after the stylus 2 detects the second pen-down PD 2 at time t1, if the operation mode of the stylus 2 is still the undetermined mode P, the stylus 2 immediately starts the operation of receiving the uplink signal US by the method A. To do. This reception operation is continued for at least the transmission period (the illustrated period SP1) of the sensor controller 31 until the uplink signal US according to the scheme A is received. As a result, if the sensor controller 31 transmits the uplink signal US according to the scheme A, the stylus 2 reliably transmits the uplink signal US according to the scheme A unless the stylus 2 leaves the sensing range SR (FIG. 1). You will be able to receive. Moreover, since the reception operation of the uplink signal US by the method A is started immediately after the occurrence of the second pen-down PD2, the delay from the communication of the method A by the second pen-down PD2 can be minimized. it can.

FIG. 7 is also a diagram showing signals transmitted and received between the stylus 2 and the sensor controller 31 according to the present embodiment. In particular, the figure shows the operation of the stylus 2 and the sensor controller 31 for switching to the communication by the method A having a high priority after the communication by the method B having a low priority is started. In such a situation, even when the stylus 2 and the sensor controller 31 perform the operation according to the present embodiment, for example, when the stylus 2 receives the uplink signal US according to the method B between the time t0 and the time t1. Can occur in.

As shown in FIG. 7, the stylus 2 that has started the operation in the operation mode B transmits a downlink signal DS (D1. first signal) including a unique ID at an arbitrary time t4. This arbitrary time t4 may be a time corresponding to the uplink signal US from the sensor controller 31 or a command included therein, or a time corresponding to the time t2 when the stylus 2 starts to operate in the operation mode B. May be When the sensor controller 31 receives this downlink signal DS(D1), it demodulates and decodes to acquire the unique ID contained therein. Then, based on the acquired unique ID, it is determined whether or not the stylus 2 is compatible with the method A as well. And transmits an uplink signal US (D2. second signal) including the. When the stylus 2 receives the uplink signal US(D2) at time t6, the stylus 2 obtains the switching instruction contained therein by demodulation and decoding. Then, in response to the acquired switching instruction, the own operation mode is switched to the operation mode A at time t7.

The time required from the sensor controller 31 transmitting the uplink signal US(D2) until the stylus 2 shifts to the operation mode A can be determined in advance as part of the specifications of the stylus 2. Therefore, the sensor controller 31 can know in advance the time t7 when the stylus 2 that has received the switching instruction shifts to the operation mode A, and therefore performs the process of switching its own operation mode to the operation mode A at the time t7. As a result, the communication by the method A having a high priority is started between the stylus 2 and the sensor controller 31.

8 to 10 are process flow charts showing the operation of the stylus 2 according to the present embodiment. Hereinafter, the operation of the stylus 2 according to the present embodiment will be described in more detail with reference to these drawings.

As shown in FIG. 8, the stylus 2 first sets its operation mode to the undetermined mode P (step S11). Then, the arrival of the reception start timing in the method A, the arrival of the reception start timing in the method B, and the occurrence of the second pen down are detected (steps S12 and S14). When the reception start timing in the scheme A arrives and when the second pen down occurs, the stylus 2 activates the reception operation of the uplink signal US according to the scheme A (step S13). As described above, this reception operation when the second pen down occurs is at least the transmission cycle of the sensor controller 31 (cycle SP1 shown in FIG. 6) or more until the uplink signal US according to the method A is received. Will continue. Further, when the reception start timing in the scheme B arrives, the stylus 2 activates the reception operation of the uplink signal US in the scheme B (step S15).

The stylus 2 also determines whether or not the uplink signal US is received by the reception operation started in step S13 or step S15 (step S16), and the uplink signal US is received by the reception operation started in step S13. When the determination is made (that is, when the uplink signal US according to the scheme A is received), the own operation mode is switched to the operation mode A (step S17), and the uplink signal US is received by the reception operation started in step S15. When it is determined that the operation has been performed (that is, when the uplink signal US according to the scheme B is received), the operation mode of itself is switched to the operation mode B (step S18).

FIG. 9 shows the operation of the stylus 2 after starting the operation in the operation mode A. As shown in the figure, the stylus 2 detects the arrival of the transmission start timing and the arrival of the reception start timing (steps S21 and S23). Then, when the transmission start timing arrives, the operation of transmitting the downlink signal DS by the method A is activated (step S22), and when the reception start timing comes, the operation of receiving the uplink signal US by the method A is activated. Yes (step S24).

The stylus 2 also determines whether or not the uplink signal US has been received by the reception operation started in step S24 (step S25). If it is determined that the uplink signal US has been received, the process returns to step S21 and repeats the processing. On the other hand, when it is determined that it has not been received, the operation mode of itself is returned to the undetermined mode P (step S26), and the process is returned to step S12 of FIG. This process is executed to return the stylus 2 to the undetermined mode P when the stylus 2 moves away from the touch surface 3t.

FIG. 10 shows the operation of the stylus 2 after starting the operation in the operation mode B. As shown in the figure, the stylus 2 detects the arrival of the transmission start timing and the arrival of the reception start timing (steps S31 and S33). Then, when the transmission start timing arrives, the operation of transmitting the downlink signal DS by the method B is activated (step S32), and when the reception start timing arrives, the operation of receiving the uplink signal US by the method B is activated. Yes (step S34).

The stylus 2 also determines whether or not the uplink signal US has been received by the reception operation started in step S34 (step S35), and if it determines that the uplink signal US has been received, an instruction to switch to the operation mode A is included therein. It is determined whether or not is included (step S36). As a result, when it is determined that it is included, the own operation mode is switched to the operation mode A (step S37), and the process proceeds to step S21 of FIG. On the other hand, if it is determined that it is not included, the process returns to step S31 and is repeated.

If it is determined in step S35 that the stylus 2 has not been received, the stylus 2 returns its operation mode to the undetermined mode P (step S38) and returns the process to step S12 of FIG. This process is executed to return the stylus 2 to the undetermined mode P when the stylus 2 moves away from the touch surface 3t, as in step S26 of FIG.

11 to 13 are processing flow charts showing processing performed by the sensor controller 31 according to the present embodiment. Hereinafter, the operation of the sensor controller 31 according to the present embodiment will be described in more detail with reference to these drawings.

As shown in FIG. 11, the sensor controller 31 first sets its operation mode to the undetermined mode P (step S41). Then, the arrival of the reception start timing in the scheme A, the arrival of the transmission start timing in the scheme A, the arrival of the reception start timing in the scheme B, and the arrival of the transmission start timing in the scheme B are detected (step S42, S44, S46, S48). When the reception start timing in scheme A arrives, the sensor controller 31 activates the reception operation of the downlink signal DS according to scheme A (step S43). Similarly, when the transmission start timing of scheme A arrives, the sensor controller 31 activates the transmission operation of the uplink signal US according to scheme A (step S45), and when the reception start timing of scheme B arrives. In step S47, the reception operation of the downlink signal DS according to method B is activated, and when the transmission start timing in method B arrives, the operation of transmitting the uplink signal US according to method B is activated (step S49). ..

The sensor controller 31 also determines whether the downlink signal DS has been received by the reception operation started in step S43 or step S47 (step S50). Then, when it is determined that the downlink signal DS is received by the reception operation started in step S43 (that is, when the downlink signal DS according to the scheme A is received), its own operation mode is switched to the operation mode A ( In step S51), when it is determined that the downlink signal DS is received by the reception operation started in step S47 (that is, when the downlink signal DS according to scheme B is received), the own operation mode is set to the operation mode B. Switch (step S52).

FIG. 12 shows the operation of the sensor controller 31 after starting the operation in the operation mode A. As shown in the figure, the sensor controller 31 detects the arrival of the transmission start timing and the arrival of the reception start timing (steps S61 and S63). Then, when the transmission start timing arrives, the operation of transmitting the uplink signal US by the scheme A is started (step S62), and when the reception start timing arrives, the operation of receiving the downlink signal DS by the scheme A is started. Yes (step S64).

The sensor controller 31 also determines whether or not the downlink signal DS has been received by the reception operation started in step S64 (step S65), and when it determines that the downlink signal DS has been received, returns to step S61 and repeats the processing. On the other hand, if it is determined that it has not been received, the operation mode of itself is returned to the undetermined mode P (step S66), and the process is returned to step S42 of FIG. This process is executed to return the sensor controller 31 to the undetermined mode P when the stylus 2 moves away from the touch surface 3t.

FIG. 13 shows the operation of the sensor controller 31 after starting the operation in the operation mode B. As shown in the figure, the sensor controller 31 detects the arrival of the transmission start timing and the arrival of the reception start timing (steps S71 and S73). Then, when the transmission start timing arrives, the operation of transmitting the uplink signal US by the scheme B is activated (step S72), and when the reception start timing arrives, the operation of receiving the downlink signal DS by the scheme B is activated. Yes (step S74).

The sensor controller 31 also determines whether or not the instruction to switch to the operation mode A has been included in the uplink signal US and transmitted (step S75). If it is determined that the stylus 2 has transmitted, the stylus 2 is switched to the operation mode A. The operation mode of itself is switched to the operation mode A in accordance with the transition timing (step S76). After that, the process proceeds to step S61 of FIG. 12 to continue the process.

If it is determined that the downlink signal DS is not transmitted in step S75, the sensor controller 31 next determines whether or not the downlink signal DS is received by the reception operation started in step S74 (step S77). If the sensor controller 31 determines that it has not been received, the sensor controller 31 returns its operation mode to the undetermined mode P (step S78) and returns the process to step S42 in FIG. This process is executed to return the sensor controller 31 to the undetermined mode P when the stylus 2 moves away from the touch surface 3t, as in step S66 of FIG.

When it is determined that the stylus 2 is received in step S77, the sensor controller 31 determines whether the received downlink signal DS includes function information indicating that the stylus 2 corresponds to the method A (step S79). . Specifically, the function information is information indicating all or part of the unique ID of the stylus 2 as described above. When it is determined that the downlink signal DS includes the function information indicating that the stylus 2 is compatible with the method A, the sensor controller 31 uses the operation mode A as one of the information transmitted by the uplink signal US. A command including an instruction to switch to is set (step S80). The command set in this way will be transmitted the next time step S72 is executed. Then, in the subsequent step S75, it is determined that the instruction to switch to the operation mode A is included in the uplink signal US and transmitted. As a result of these processes, both the stylus 2 and the sensor controller 31 shift to the operation mode A.

As described above, according to the method performed by the stylus 2 according to the present embodiment, the stylus 2 can activate the signal receiving operation according to the method A immediately after the contact with the touch surface 3t. Therefore, it is possible to shorten the time from the contact with the touch surface 3t to the setting of the stylus 2 in the operation mode A.

Further, according to the method executed by the stylus 2 and the sensor controller 31 according to the present embodiment, even if the operation mode of the stylus 2 is the operation mode B for transmitting and receiving the signal according to the method B, the stylus 2 uses the method. The operation mode of the stylus 2 can be switched to the operation mode A according to an instruction from the sensor controller 31 that is aware that it corresponds to A. Therefore, it is possible to start communication according to the method A between the stylus 2 and the sensor controller 31.

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. The stylus 2 and the sensor controller 31 according to the present embodiment correspond to the method C corresponding to one-way communication from the stylus 2 to the sensor controller 31 instead of the method B, and the stylus 2 according to the first embodiment. Since the sensor controller 31 is the same as the sensor controller 31 in other respects, it will be described below focusing on the difference. The method A has a higher priority than the method C.

FIG. 14 is a mode transition diagram of the stylus 2 and the sensor controller 31 in the present embodiment. As shown in the figure, the stylus 2 and the sensor controller 31 according to the present embodiment perform communication in the undetermined mode P, operation mode A (first operation mode) in which communication is performed in method A, and communication in method C. It is configured to operate in any one of the operation modes C (second operation mode).

Here, with reference to FIG. 15, a problem that occurs when the stylus 2 and the sensor controller 31 corresponding to the methods A and C perform an operation according to the background art of the present invention will be described. The operations of the stylus 2 and the sensor controller 31 described with reference to FIG. 15 are also executed in the operation according to the present embodiment, except for the points described below.

FIG. 15 is a diagram showing signals transmitted and received between the stylus 2 and the sensor controller 31 when the stylus 2 and the sensor controller 31 perform the operation according to the background art of the present invention. In the example of the same figure, as in the example of FIG. 4 and the like, the first pen down PD1 occurs at time t0 and the second pen down PD2 occurs at time t1. As shown in FIG. 15, the operating modes of the stylus 2 and the sensor controller 31 before the occurrence of the first pen-down PD1 are in principle undetermined modes P as shown in FIG.

In the undetermined mode P, the stylus 2 is configured to alternately repeat the operation of transmitting the downlink signal DS according to the scheme C and the operation of receiving the uplink signal US according to the scheme A. However, in the example of FIG. 15, the reception operation of the uplink signal US by the method A is omitted once every two times in order to reduce power consumption. In the present invention, such an operation is also included in the operation of “alternately repeating the operation of transmitting the downlink signal DS according to the method C and the operation of receiving the uplink signal US according to the method A”. Further, the sensor controller 31 is configured to sequentially repeat the operation of transmitting the uplink signal US according to the method A, the operation of receiving the downlink signal DS according to the method A, and the operation of receiving the downlink signal DS according to the method C. Here, one of the cycle in which the stylus 2 transmits the downlink signal DS according to the method C and the cycle in which the sensor controller 31 receives the downlink signal DS according to the method C is configured so as not to be a multiple of the other. It The same applies to the cycle in which the stylus 2 receives the uplink signal US according to the scheme A and the cycle in which the sensor controller 31 transmits the uplink signal US according to the scheme A. This is to avoid a situation in which the signal transmitted by one device reaches the other device, but the other device cannot receive it forever.

Also in the example of FIG. 15, the most preferable mode transition of the stylus 2 and the sensor controller 31 due to the occurrence of the first pen down PD1 and the second pen down PD2 is between the time t0 and the time t1 (that is, the second pen down PD2 is Before occurrence), both the stylus 2 and the sensor controller 31 are in the operation mode A. This is similar to the case of FIG. 4, in which the stylus 2 receives the uplink signal US according to the scheme A, and thereby the downlink signal DS transmitted by the stylus 2 which has started the operation in the operation mode A is transmitted to the sensor controller 31. Is received and thereby the sensor controller 31 also starts the operation in the operation mode A, which is realized by performing a series of processing between time t0 and time t1.

However, when the user operates the stylus 2 quickly and the time t0 and the time t1 are shortened, or the stylus 2 cannot detect the uplink signal US, as shown in FIG. A situation may occur in which the stylus 2 remains unable to receive the uplink signal US even at t1. Therefore, according to the operation of the background art, the stylus 2 immediately switches its own operation mode to the operation mode C when the time t1 elapses without shifting to the operation mode A. As a result, the stylus 2 exclusively performs the operation of transmitting the downlink signal DS by the method C, so that the sensor controller 31 eventually shifts to the operation mode C, and the communication between the stylus 2 and the sensor controller 31 by the method C is performed. It will be started (time t2). It is not preferable that the communication by the method C is started between the stylus 2 and the sensor controller 31 corresponding to both the methods A and C, so that the communication by the method C is not started in the first place, or Even if the communication by the method C is started, it is desired to switch to the communication by the method A at an early stage. These are the problems in the background art of the present embodiment.

FIG. 16 is a diagram showing signals transmitted and received between the stylus 2 and the sensor controller 31 when the stylus 2 and the sensor controller 31 perform the operation according to the present embodiment. In particular, the figure shows the operation of the stylus 2 for preventing the communication according to the method C from being started even if the time t1 elapses without shifting to the operation mode A.

As shown in FIG. 16, even if the stylus 2 detects the second pen-down PD 2 at time t1, even if the stylus 2 is still in the undetermined mode P, the stylus 2 does not shift to the operation mode C and immediately performs the method. The operation of receiving the uplink signal US by A is activated. This reception operation is continued for at least the transmission period (the illustrated period SP2) of the sensor controller 31 until the uplink signal US according to the scheme A is received. Accordingly, if the sensor controller 31 transmits the uplink signal US according to the scheme A, the stylus 2 can reliably transmit the uplink signal US according to the scheme A unless the stylus 2 leaves the sensing range SR (FIG. 1). You will be able to receive. Therefore, the communication according to the method C is not started, and the communication according to the method A can be started.

FIG. 17 is also a diagram showing signals transmitted and received between the stylus 2 and the sensor controller 31 according to this embodiment. In particular, the figure shows the operation of the stylus 2 and the sensor controller 31 for switching to the communication by the method A having a high priority after the communication by the method C having a low priority is started. If the stylus 2 and the sensor controller 31 according to the present embodiment are used, the communication according to the method C is not started as described with reference to FIG. 16, and thus basically the operation described here is required. However, the stylus 2 may fail to receive the uplink signal US for some reason, and as a result, the communication by the method C may be started (for example, in FIG. 18 described later). , The stylus 2 fails to receive it in step S108 even though the sensor controller 31 is transmitting the uplink signal US according to the method A, and determines its own operation mode as the operation mode C in step S111. ), so the operation described here is required. Although it is assumed here that the stylus 2 is operating in the operation mode C, the operations described below are the same when the stylus 2 is operating in the undetermined mode P.

As shown in FIG. 17, the stylus 2 operating in the operation mode C has function information (specifically, all or part of the unique ID) indicating that the stylus 2 supports the methods A and C. The downlink signal DS (D3, the first signal) containing the signal is continuously transmitted.

When the sensor controller 31 receives the downlink signal DS(D3) at time t1 after time t0 when the first pen down PD1 occurs, the operation mode of the sensor controller 31 changes to the operation mode C. At this time, the sensor controller 31 determines the method supported by the stylus 2 based on the unique ID included in the downlink signal DS(D3). When it is determined that the stylus 2 is compatible with the method A, the sensor controller 31 thereafter temporarily switches its operation mode to the operation mode A each time the transmission of the downlink signal DS is interrupted. The transmission of the uplink signal US (second signal) by The uplink signal US thus transmitted serves as an instruction to switch to the operation mode A.

The stylus 2 attempts to receive the uplink signal US according to the scheme A at a timing at which the sensor controller 31 will transmit the uplink signal US if the sensor controller 31 performs the above operation. Specifically, the reception operation of the uplink signal US by the method A may be performed at the transmission interval of the downlink signal DS. However, if the reception operation is always performed at the transmission interval, the power supply 25 (FIG. 1) will be consumed much. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 17, for example, the downlink signal immediately after the second pen down PD2 (time t2) is detected. It is preferable to perform the operation of receiving the uplink signal US according to the scheme A in the DS transmission interval (between time t3 and time t4). Of course, the reception operation of the uplink signal US by the method A may be performed in the stage before the detection of the second pen-down PD2 (including between the first pen-down PD1 and the second pen-down PD2). 2 becomes capable of detecting the uplink signal US according to the scheme A (uplink signal US of the scheme A located after the time t1 in FIG. 17) before the arrival of the time t2.

When the stylus 2 receives the uplink signal US according to the scheme A at time t4, the stylus 2 switches its operation mode to the operation mode A. On the other hand, the sensor controller 31 tries to receive the downlink signal DS according to the scheme A after transmitting the uplink signal US according to the scheme A several times. In the example of FIG. 17, this trial is performed after the second transmission, but it may be performed after the first transmission or after the third and subsequent transmissions. In addition, the downlink signal DS according to the scheme A may be tried to be received a plurality of times. As a result of attempting to receive the downlink signal DS according to the method A in this way, the sensor controller 31 that actually receives the downlink signal DS according to the method A at time t5 switches its operation mode to the operation mode A accordingly, and After that, the operation is performed in the operation mode A. As a result, communication according to method A is started between the stylus 2 and the sensor controller 31.

18 to 20 are process flow charts showing the operation of the stylus 2 according to the present embodiment. Hereinafter, the operation of the stylus 2 according to the present embodiment will be described in more detail with reference to these drawings.

As shown in FIG. 18, the stylus 2 first determines its own operation mode as the undetermined mode P (step S101). Then, the arrival of the reception start timing in the scheme A and the arrival of the transmission start timing in the scheme C are detected (steps S102 and S104). When the reception start timing in scheme A arrives, the stylus 2 activates the reception operation of the uplink signal US according to scheme A (step S103). When the transmission start timing in scheme C arrives, the stylus 2 activates the transmission operation of the downlink signal DS in scheme C (step S105).

The stylus 2 also determines whether or not the uplink signal US has been received by the reception operation started in step S103 (step S106), and when it determines that the uplink signal US has been received (that is, the uplink signal US according to scheme A is received). If it does), the operation mode of itself is switched to the operation mode A (step S110).

The stylus 2 also determines whether or not the second pen-down PD 2 has occurred in parallel with the determination in step S106 (step S107), and if it determines that the second pen-down PD 2 has occurred, in addition to the regular receiving operation in step S103, The operation of receiving the uplink signal US according to the method A is activated (step S108). As described above, this reception operation is continued for at least the transmission cycle of the sensor controller 31 (cycle SP2 shown in FIG. 16) or more until the uplink signal US according to the scheme A is received. Then, it is determined whether or not the uplink signal US has been received by this receiving operation (step S109), and if it is determined that the uplink signal US has been received, the operation mode of itself is switched to the operation mode A (step S110), while receiving If it is determined that the operation has not been performed, the operation mode of itself is switched to the operation mode C (step S111). When it is determined in step S107 that the second pen-down PD2 has not occurred, the process returns to step S102 and continues.

FIG. 19 shows the operation of the stylus 2 after starting the operation in the operation mode A. As shown in the figure, the stylus 2 detects the arrival of the transmission start timing and the arrival of the reception start timing (steps S121 and S123). Then, when the transmission start timing arrives, the operation of transmitting the downlink signal DS by the method A is activated (step S122), and when the reception start timing comes, the operation of receiving the uplink signal US by the method A is activated. (Step S124).

The stylus 2 also determines whether or not the uplink signal US has been received by the reception operation started in step S124 (step S125), and if it determines that the uplink signal US has been received, the process returns to step S121 and repeats the processing. On the other hand, when it is determined that it has not been received, the operation mode of itself is returned to the undetermined mode P (step S126), and the process is returned to step S102 of FIG. This process is executed to return the stylus 2 to the undetermined mode P when the stylus 2 moves away from the touch surface 3t.

FIG. 20 shows the operation of the stylus 2 after starting the operation in the operation mode C. As shown in the figure, the stylus 2 detects the arrival of the transmission start timing (step S131), and when the transmission start timing arrives, activates the transmission operation of the downlink signal DS by the method C (step S132). ..

The stylus 2 also determines whether or not the second pen-down PD 2 has occurred in parallel with the detection in step S131 (step S133), and when it determines that the second pen-down PD 2 has occurred, the sensor controller 31 transmits the uplink signal US. At the timing when is expected, the operation of receiving the uplink signal US according to the scheme A is activated (step S134). This expected timing is, for example, the transmission interval of the downlink signal DS according to scheme C. Then, when the uplink signal US according to the scheme A is received, the own operation mode is switched to the operation mode A (step S136), and the process proceeds to step S121 in FIG. If the uplink signal US according to the scheme A is not received, the process returns to step S131 and the processing in the operation mode C is continued. Even when it is determined in step S133 that the second pen-down PD2 has not occurred, the process returns to step S131 to continue the processing.

21 to 24 are processing flow charts showing processing performed by the sensor controller 31 according to the present embodiment. Hereinafter, the operation of the sensor controller 31 according to the present embodiment will be described in more detail with reference to these drawings.

As shown in FIG. 21, the sensor controller 31 first determines its operation mode as the undetermined mode P (step S141). Then, the arrival of the reception start timing in the scheme A, the arrival of the transmission start timing in the scheme A, and the arrival of the reception start timing in the scheme C are detected (steps S142, S144, S146). When the reception start timing in scheme A arrives, the sensor controller 31 activates the reception operation of the downlink signal DS according to scheme A (step S143). Similarly, when the transmission start timing of scheme A arrives, the sensor controller 31 activates the transmission operation of the uplink signal US according to scheme A (step S145), and when the reception start timing of scheme C arrives. In step S147, the receiving operation of the downlink signal DS according to method C is activated.

The sensor controller 31 also determines whether or not the downlink signal DS is received by the reception operation started in step S143 or step S147 (step S148), and the downlink signal DS is received by the reception operation started in step S143. If it is determined that the downlink signal DS has been received (that is, the downlink signal DS according to the scheme A is received), the operation mode of itself is switched to the operation mode A (step S149). On the other hand, when it is determined that the downlink signal DS is received by the reception operation started in step S147 (that is, when the downlink signal DS according to the scheme C is received), the own operation mode is switched to the operation mode C. After that (step S150), it is determined whether or not the downlink signal DS includes the function information (specifically, all or part of the unique ID) indicating that the stylus 2 is compatible with the method A. The determination is made (step S151). When it is determined that the downlink signal DS does not include the function information indicating that the stylus 2 corresponds to the method A, the sensor controller 31 moves the process to step S171 in FIG. Start. On the other hand, if it is determined that the stylus 2 is included, the process proceeds to step S181 in FIG. 24, and the process for shifting the stylus 2 to the operation mode A is executed.

FIG. 22 shows the operation of the sensor controller 31 after starting the operation in the operation mode A. As shown in the figure, the sensor controller 31 detects each of the arrival of the transmission start timing and the arrival of the reception start timing (steps S161 and S163). Then, when the transmission start timing arrives, the operation of transmitting the uplink signal US by the method A is activated (step S162), and when the reception start timing arrives, the operation of receiving the downlink signal DS by the method A is activated. Yes (step S164).

The sensor controller 31 also determines whether or not the downlink signal DS has been received by the reception operation started in step S164 (step S165). If it is determined that the downlink signal DS has been received, the process returns to step S161 to repeat the processing. On the other hand, when it is determined that it has not been received, the operation mode of itself is returned to the undetermined mode P (step S166), and the process is returned to step S142 of FIG. This process is executed to return the sensor controller 31 to the undetermined mode P when the stylus 2 moves away from the touch surface 3t.

FIG. 23 shows the operation of the sensor controller 31 after starting the operation in the operation mode C. As shown in the figure, the sensor controller 31 detects the arrival of the reception start timing (step S171). Then, when the reception start timing arrives, the operation of receiving the downlink signal DS by the scheme C is activated (step S172).

The sensor controller 31 also determines whether or not the downlink signal DS has been received by the reception operation started in step S172 (step S173), and when it determines that the downlink signal DS has been received, returns to step S171 and repeats the processing. On the other hand, when it is determined that it has not been received, the operation mode of itself is returned to the undetermined mode P (step S174), and the process is returned to step S142 of FIG. This process is executed to return the sensor controller 31 to the undetermined mode P when the stylus 2 moves away from the touch surface 3t, as in step S166 in FIG.

FIG. 24 is functional information indicating that the stylus 2 corresponds to the method A to the downlink signal DS transmitted by the stylus 2 according to the method C in step S150 of FIG. 21 (specifically, the stylus 2 uses the method A. Shows the operation of the sensor controller 31 in the case where a unique ID indicating that it corresponds to is included. In this case, as described above, the sensor controller 31 performs the operation for shifting the stylus 2 to the operation mode A.

Specifically, the sensor controller 31 first detects the arrival of the reception start timing of the downlink signal DS according to the method C (step S181). Then, when the reception start timing arrives, the operation of receiving the downlink signal DS by the method C is activated (step S182).

The sensor controller 31 also determines whether or not the transmission of the downlink signal DS is interrupted (step S183). The sensor controller 31 makes this determination when the reception of the downlink signal DS ends, and if there is a predetermined time or more before the reception start timing of the next downlink signal DS starts at that time, It is determined that the transmission is interrupted.

If it is determined in step S183 that the transmission is not interrupted, the sensor controller 31 returns to step S181 and continues the processing. On the other hand, when it is determined that the transmission is interrupted, the own operation mode is switched to the operation mode A (step S184), and the uplink signal transmission operation according to the scheme A is activated (step S185). Then, it is determined whether or not the number of transmissions by this transmission operation has reached a predetermined number (step S186).

When it is determined in step S186 that the number of times has reached the predetermined number, the sensor controller 31 detects the arrival of the reception start timing of the downlink signal DS according to the method A (step S187). This timing is the timing at which the stylus 2 that has received the uplink signal US according to the scheme A starts transmitting the downlink signal DS according to the scheme A. When the reception start timing arrives, the sensor controller 31 activates the reception operation of the downlink signal DS by the method A (step S188).

Subsequently, the sensor controller 31 determines whether or not the downlink signal DS is received by the reception operation started in step S188 (step S189), and when it is determined that the downlink signal DS is received, sets its operation mode to the operation mode A. After switching to (step S192), the process proceeds to step S161 in FIG. As a result, communication according to method A is started between the stylus 2 and the sensor controller 31.

If it is determined in step S186 that the number of times has not reached the predetermined number, or if it is determined in step S189 that it has not been received, the sensor controller 31 switches its operation mode to the operation mode C (step S190). Then, in step S188, it is determined whether or not the number of times the reception operation has been attempted has reached a predetermined number (step S191), and when it is determined that the number has been reached, the process proceeds to step S171 in FIG. This corresponds to the case where the sensor controller 31 gives up the communication by the method A because the downlink signal DS by the method A is not received forever, and the communication by the method C is started between the stylus 2 and the sensor controller 31. .. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S190 that it has not reached, the sensor controller 31 returns to step S181 and continues the processing.

As described above, also by the method performed by the stylus 2 according to the present embodiment, the stylus 2 can activate the signal receiving operation according to the method A immediately after the contact with the touch surface 3t. Therefore, it is possible to shorten the time from the contact with the touch surface 3t to the setting of the stylus 2 in the operation mode A.

Further, according to the method executed by the stylus 2 and the sensor controller 31 according to the present embodiment, even if the operation mode of the stylus 2 is the operation mode C in which one-way signal transmission by the method C is performed, the stylus 2 The operation mode of the stylus 2 can be switched to the operation mode A according to an instruction from the sensor controller 31 that recognizes that the method A corresponds to the method A (specifically, transmission of the uplink signal US according to the method A). Therefore, it is possible to start communication according to the method A between the stylus 2 and the sensor controller 31.

Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. The stylus 2 according to the present embodiment differs from the stylus 2 according to the first and second embodiments in that the display content of the indicator 26 can be controlled according to the operation mode of the stylus 2. The other points and the configuration of the sensor controller 31 are the same as those of the first or second embodiment, and therefore the following description will be given focusing on the differences.

The signal processing unit 24 of the stylus 2 according to the present embodiment controls the indicator 26 so as to display differently depending on the operation mode determined as described in the first and second embodiments. In other words, the indicator is displayed so as to display differently when the operation is performed in the first operation mode in which the signal according to the first method is transmitted and when the operation is performed in the second operation mode in which the signal according to the second method is transmitted. Control 26. In addition, before deciding whether to operate in the first operation mode or the second operation mode, that is, in the case of operating in the undetermined mode described above, the first and second operations are performed. The indicator 26 is controlled so as to provide a display different from any of the operation modes. According to this, for example, when the signal processing unit 24 receives the uplink signal US according to the first method, the operation mode of the signal processing unit 24 becomes the first operation mode, and accordingly, the display corresponding to the first operation mode is performed. The indicator 26 will be controlled so that

As described in the first and second embodiments, if the operation mode of the stylus 2 is switched every time the uplink signal US or the writing pressure is detected, the user knows which operation mode is currently active. Difficult to do. For example, when the electronic device 3 and the stylus 2 do not move even though they are in the same operation mode, it is impossible to understand what is happening. With the stylus 2 according to the present embodiment, the user can check the indicator 26 to know in which operation mode the stylus 2 (and the sensor controller 31) is currently operating.

Various concrete display contents of the indicator 26 can be considered. For example, when the indicator 26 is a light emitting diode capable of emitting light in a plurality of colors, it lights in red in the undetermined mode P, lights in blue in the first operation mode, and lights in the second operation mode. It is conceivable to control the display content of the indicator 26 so that it lights in a different color for each operation mode, such as lighting in green. Further, if the indicator 26 is a light emitting diode capable of emitting light of a single color, the ON/OFF is repeated at a predetermined cycle in the undetermined mode P, and in the first operation mode, at the timing of switching to the first operation mode. It is turned on and off twice at intervals shorter than the predetermined cycle and then turned off, and when in the second operation mode, it is turned on and off only once at the timing of switching to the second operation mode and then turned off, and so on. It is conceivable to control the display contents of the indicator 26 by combining blinking and extinguishing.

Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and the present invention can be implemented in various modes without departing from the scope of the invention. Of course.

For example, although the stylus 2 receives the uplink signal US through the electrode 21 (FIG. 1) in the above-described embodiment, the uplink signal US may be received by a separate wireless communication means such as BlueTooth (registered trademark). May be received. Further, the uplink signal US (the signal according to the first method) may be any signal that can be detected by the stylus 2, and the sensor controller 31 that executes the detection of the finger touch using the mutual capacitance between the transmitting electrode and the receiving electrode. The case where the transmission signal supplied to the transmission electrode is used as the uplink signal US is also included.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the stylus 2 and the sensor controller 31 immediately return to the undetermined mode P when a signal to be received is not received after starting the operation in a certain operation mode (see FIG. 9). If step S26, step S38 in FIG. 10, step S66 in FIG. 12, step S78 in FIG. 13, step S126 in FIG. 19, step S166 in FIG. 22, step S174 in FIG. 23) immediately returns to the unconfirmed mode P, Alternatively, for example, the mode may be returned to the undetermined mode P when the reception is not performed for a predetermined number of times.

In the above-mentioned embodiment, it has been described that a plurality of methods are switched so as to be optimized. However, the present invention operates as a second method from an operation mode operating in an old version to a newer version using function information. It goes without saying that the present invention can be applied to the case of switching to another operation mode.

1 Position Detection System 2 Stylus 3 Electronic Device 3t Touch Surface 20 Core 21 Electrode 22 Writing Pressure Detector 23 Switch 24 Signal Processor 25 Power Supply 26 Indicator 30 Sensor 30X, 30Y Linear Electrode 31 Sensor Controller 32 System Controller 40 Selector 41x , 41y Conductor selection circuit 44x, 44y Switch 50 Reception unit 51 Amplification circuit 52 Detection circuit 53 AD converter 60 Transmission unit 61 Pattern supply unit 62 Switch 63 Spreading processing unit 64 Code string holding unit 65 Transmission guard unit 70 Logic unit 80 MCU
DS Downlink signal PD1 1st pen down PD2 2nd pen down SR Sensing range US Uplink signal

Claims (7)

A stylus that transmits and receives signals to and from a sensor via electrostatic coupling,
An electrode provided near the pen tip,
A writing pressure detection unit for detecting whether or not the pen tip is in contact with the panel,
Connected to the electrode and the writing pressure detection unit,
If the contact in a predetermined pause period is detected through the brush pressure detector, executes the receiving operation of the first signal supplied from said sensor via capacitive coupling between the said electrode sensor Then
If the contact is not detected within a predetermined rest period, a signal processing unit that repeatedly executes the reception operation after the predetermined rest period,
Stylus with. The signal processing unit continues the reception operation for a time longer than a transmission cycle of the predetermined signal by the sensor,
The stylus according to claim 1. The signal processing unit, when the predetermined signal is received, transmits a downlink signal according to the predetermined signal,
The stylus according to claim 1. The first signal is a signal according to a first method compatible with bidirectional communication,
The signal processing unit executes a second signal transmission operation by the second method corresponding to one-way communication from the stylus to the sensor during the predetermined rest period.
The stylus according to any one of claims 1 to 3. The signal processing unit activates the reception operation without performing the transmission operation after the contact is detected via the writing pressure detection unit,
The stylus according to claim 4. The signal processing unit executes the reception operation at an interval of the transmission operation immediately after the contact is detected via the writing pressure detection unit,
The stylus according to claim 4. An electrode provided near the pen tip,
A writing pressure detection unit for detecting whether or not the pen tip is in contact with the panel,
A signal processing unit connected to the electrode and the writing pressure detection unit,
A method performed by a stylus that sends and receives signals to and from a sensor,
A first step in which the signal processing unit executes a receiving operation of a first signal supplied from the sensor via the electrode;
A second step in which the signal processing unit repeatedly executes the reception operation after a predetermined rest period,
The signal processing unit executes the first step when the contact is detected via the writing pressure detection unit within the predetermined rest period, and the contact is not detected within the predetermined rest period. If the second step is performed,
Method.

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