JP6710793B2 - Position indicator - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a position indicator (stylus) used with a position detection sensor.

A position input device including a position detection sensor and a position indicator called an electronic pen has various types such as an electromagnetic coupling system and an electrostatic coupling system depending on the difference in the coupling system between the position detection sensor and the electronic pen. There is a method.

And, even with the same type of position input device, a method of transmitting and receiving a position detection signal between the position detection system and the position indicator, operation information of a switch provided in the position indicator, and writing pressure information. There are various configuration types depending on the method of transmitting/receiving the additional information such as the identification information of the position indicator and the internal storage data, and the transmission/reception of the instruction information for changing the operation of the position indicator. Conventionally, the position indicator corresponding to the position detection system has been provided to the user only by a specific position detection signal method and additional information transmission/reception method. Therefore, even for a position input device equipped with a position detection system having similar position detection sensor means, the user needs to have a dedicated position indicator, so that a plurality of position indicators are carried, It was necessary to select an appropriate position indicator for each position input device.

For example, as the electrostatic coupling type position indicator, there are a plurality of configuration types as follows. That is, in the first configuration type, the position detection signal is not sent from the position indicator, and the AC electric field energy sent from the sensor unit of the position detection system is flowed to the ground (ground) through the position indicator and the human body. Thus, it is a position indicator of a system (passive system) that detects a position by detecting a change in energy (or voltage) induced in the conductor of the sensor unit of the position detection system at the position where the position indicator exists ( See, for example, Patent Document 1 (JP 2011-3035 A).

In addition, the second configuration type of the electrostatic coupling system is an improvement of the first configuration type described above in that the sensitivity of position detection is low, and it receives a signal from the sensor unit of the position detection system and receives the signal. The position indicator is of a system (improved system of the passive system) which is fed back to the sensor unit after signal processing such as signal enhancement of the generated signal (see, for example, Patent Document 2 (Japanese Patent No. 4683505)). In the case of the position indicators of the first and second configuration types, the additional information is transmitted or received by the position detection sensor using, for example, wireless communication means.

The third configuration type of the electrostatic coupling system is different from the above-mentioned first and second configuration types in that the position indicator is provided with a transmission circuit, and a transmission signal from this transmission circuit is used as a position detection signal for position detection. This is a so-called active type position indicator supplied to the sensor (see, for example, Patent Document 3 (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 07-295722)). The position detection system uses the sensor panel of the position detection means, but performs position detection as the position indicated by the position indicator from the signal strength of each conductor that has received the transmission signal from this active position indicator. ..

In the case of the position indicator of the third configuration type, a configuration type in which all of the additional information is transmitted/received to/from the position detection system together with the position detection signal, and a part of the additional information is transmitted/received together with the position detection signal. It is further divided into a plurality of types including a configuration type in which additional information other than the above is separately transmitted to the wireless communication means included in the position detection system through the wireless communication means.

Although a detailed description is omitted, even in the electromagnetic coupling method, the position indicator receives the signal from the sensor unit of the position detection system at the resonance circuit and returns the received signal to the sensor unit of the position detection system. There is a configuration type for transmitting the transmission signal from the transmission circuit to the sensor section of the position detection system through the resonance circuit, and the additional information is transmitted to the wireless communication means included in the position detection system. There is a configuration type to be transmitted to the wireless communication means, and there are a plurality of configuration types, as in the case of the electrostatic coupling method described above.

JP, 2011-3035, A Patent No. 4683505 JP, 2011-3035, A

By the way, as described above, conventionally, even with the same electrostatic coupling type or electromagnetic induction type position input device, a position indicator corresponding to the configuration type must be prepared for each different configuration type. There wasn't. However, having to prepare a position indicator for each different configuration type imposes a burden on the user in terms of cost, and the user can detect position indicators of a plurality of configuration types. It had to be managed according to the system, which was troublesome.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to solve the above problems and to provide a position indicator in which a plurality of configuration types can be used with one position indicator.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides
A position indicator having a pen shape, which is used with a position detection system having a sensor unit,
Position detection signal generating means for generating position detection signals of a plurality of different frequencies,
Additional information generating means for generating additional information,
A receiver for receiving a signal sent from the position detection system,
A first transmission unit that is provided on one end side of the housing of the position indicator and that transmits the position detection signal to the sensor unit of the position detection system;
A second transmitter different from the first transmitter for transmitting a radio signal to the position detection system;
The frequency of the position detecting signal generated by the position detecting signal generating means is controlled based on the signal transmitted from the position detecting system received by the receiving section, and generated by the additional information generating means. Control means for controlling whether the additional information is transmitted via the first transmitting section or the second transmitting section;
There is provided a position indicator comprising:

In the position indicator according to the present invention having the above-mentioned structure, the control means controls the frequency of the position detecting signal generated from the position detecting signal generating means based on the signal transmitted from the position detecting system which is received by the receiving section. And controlling whether the additional information generated by the additional information generating means is transmitted via the first transmitting section or the second transmitting section.

As a result, the position indicator according to the present invention can constitute a position indicator corresponding to position detection systems of various configuration types (modes).

Since the position indicator according to the present invention can adopt a configuration (mode) according to the configuration type according to the configuration type of the position detection system, a position indicator is prepared for each position detection system of a different configuration type. It is not necessary to reduce the cost burden on the user, and the user only needs to prepare one common position indicator for position detection systems of a plurality of configuration types. This has the effect of eliminating the need for troublesome management associated with the system.

It is a figure which shows the notional structure of embodiment of the position indicator by this invention. It is a figure for demonstrating the structural structural example of embodiment of the position indicator by this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the one part detailed structural example of the mechanical structure of embodiment of the position indicator by this invention. It is a block diagram for explaining a conceptual configuration of an embodiment of a position indicator according to the present invention and its processing operation. It is a figure used for demonstrating a part of conceptual structure example of embodiment of the position indicator by this invention. It is a figure which shows a part of flowchart for demonstrating the example of the flow of the processing operation of embodiment of the position indicator by this invention. It is a figure which shows a part of flowchart for demonstrating the example of the flow of the processing operation of embodiment of the position indicator by this invention. It is a figure for explaining an example of a position indicator of a composition type which can be constituted by an embodiment of a position indicator by this invention. It is a figure for explaining an example of a position indicator of a composition type which can be constituted by an embodiment of a position indicator by this invention, and a corresponding position detection system. It is a figure for demonstrating the other example of the position indicator of the structure type which can be comprised by embodiment of the position indicator by this invention, and a corresponding position detection system. 11 is a timing chart used for explaining the example of FIG. 10. It is a figure for demonstrating the other example of the position indicator of the structure type which can be comprised by embodiment of the position indicator by this invention, and a corresponding position detection system. 13 is a timing chart used for explaining the example of FIG. 12. It is a figure for demonstrating the other example of the position indicator of the structure type which can be comprised by embodiment of the position indicator by this invention, and a corresponding position detection system. 15 is a timing chart used for explaining the example of FIG. 14. It is a figure which shows the flowchart used for demonstrating the example of the flow of the processing operation of the position detection system corresponding to another example of the position indicator of the structure type which can be comprised by embodiment of the position indicator by this invention. It is a figure used in order to demonstrate another example of the composition type which can be constituted by the embodiment of the position indicator by this invention. It is a figure which shows the notional structure of other embodiment of the position indicator by this invention. It is a figure for demonstrating the example of the structure type position indicator which can be comprised by other embodiment of the position indicator by this invention.

An embodiment of a position indicator according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram for generally explaining a conceptual configuration and a processing operation of a position indicator 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The position indicator 1 is a capacitance type position detection system 2. It is a figure showing the state where it is located on sensor input side 2a. Further, FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining an example of the mechanical structure of the position indicator 1, FIG. 2(A) is a partial longitudinal sectional view thereof, and FIG. It is a figure which shows a part. In this embodiment, the position indicator 1 is formed to have a rod-shaped stylus shape in appearance.

[Description of Mechanical Configuration Example of Position Indicator of Embodiment]
The position indicator 1 of this embodiment includes a rod-shaped housing 3. As shown in FIG. 2A, the housing 3 is composed of a hollow cylindrical insulator portion 31 made of an insulating material such as synthetic resin. In this embodiment, at least a portion of the outer surface of the insulator portion 31 of the housing 3 where the operator holds the position indicator 1 is covered with the conductor portion 32 made of metal, for example.

As shown in FIG. 2A, a printed wiring board 40, a battery 5, and a writing pressure detection unit 9 are arranged in the housing 3. Although not shown, the conductor portion 32 that covers the outer surface of the housing 3 is electrically connected to the ground conductor of the printed wiring board 40.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2A, on the printed wiring board 40, a signal transmission control circuit 41 constituting an example of control means, a wireless communication module 42, and a side switch 43 including a push button switch, In addition to an ID memory 44 that stores identification information (ID) of the position indicator 1, oscillators 45 and 46 that output oscillation signals of different frequencies f1 and f2, wiring patterns such as conductive patterns 47a to 47e, and the like, In this example, a power switch 48, an LED (Light Emitting Diode) 49, and the like are arranged. Note that in FIG. 2A, the conductive patterns 47a to 47e are schematically shown as one conductor pattern for the sake of simplification of the description, but a plurality of conductive patterns 47a to 47e may be provided as necessary. Of course, it may be formed of the conductor pattern.

The battery 5 is a power source for supplying electric power to electronic circuits and electronic components formed on the printed wiring board 40. As will be described later, the writing pressure detection unit 9 is configured as a variable capacitor that exhibits an electrostatic capacitance according to the writing pressure applied to the center electrode 7 that constitutes the core in this embodiment.

The wireless communication module 42 is an example of a transmission function section that is an example of a transmission section (second transmission section) of the additional information of the present invention, and a reception section (first reception section) that receives a signal from the position detection system. In this embodiment, the wireless communication module of the Bluetooth (registered trademark) standard of the short-range wireless communication standard is configured. The wireless communication module 42 is connected to the signal transmission control circuit 41. The wireless communication module 42 is not limited to Bluetooth, but may be infrared communication, for example, or a Wi-Fi (registered trademark) standard wireless communication module may be used.

The side switch 43, the ID memory 44, and the writing pressure detection unit 9 each constitute additional information generating means. The side switch 43 supplies the on/off information to the signal transmission control circuit 41 as an example of additional information. In response to a read request from the signal transmission control circuit 41, the ID memory 44 outputs the stored identification information (ID: Identification) of the position indicator 1 to the signal transmission control circuit 41 as an example of additional information. To do. The variable-capacitance capacitor configured by the writing pressure detection unit 9 exhibits a capacitance change according to the writing pressure value applied to the center electrode 7 forming the core, and the signal transmission control circuit 41 determines that capacitance. Based on the, the writing pressure information as an example of the additional information is generated.

The oscillators 45 and 46 generate an AC signal for forming the position detection signal transmitted from the position indicator 1 of this embodiment, and supply the generated AC signal to the signal transmission control circuit 41. In this embodiment, the oscillator 45 generates an AC signal having a frequency f1 and the oscillator 46 generates an AC signal having a frequency f2 different from the frequency f1. The signal transmission control circuit 41 generates different position detection signals based on the oscillator 45 and the oscillator 46. That is, the signal transmission control circuit 41, in combination with the oscillator 45 and the oscillator 46, constitutes a unit for generating a position detection signal, and constitutes two transmitters. Then, the signal transmission control circuit 41 sets one of the generated two types of position detection signals as the position detection signal transmitted from the position indicator 1. Instead of the oscillators 45 and 46, a plurality of transmitters for generating and transmitting position detecting signals for position indicators of a plurality of types of active type, which will be described later, are provided, and a signal transmission control circuit is provided. The selection control may be performed at 41.

Further, in this embodiment, the battery 5 is configured to be housed in the housing 3 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2A, and the signal transmission control circuit 41 on the printed wiring board 40. The power supply voltage of the electronic circuit section such as is generated by the battery 5. In FIG. 2A, the terminal 52 is a terminal electrically connected to the power supply circuit section on the printed wiring board 40. The positive electrode 51 of the battery 5 is in contact with and electrically connected to the terminal 52. Although not shown, the negative electrode of the battery 5 is directly connected to the ground conductor of the printed wiring board 40, or connected to the ground conductor of the printed wiring board 40 via the conductor portion 32 of the housing 3. The elastically displaced terminal is pressed into contact with the terminal.

As shown in FIG. 2B, the operating element 48a of the power switch 48 arranged on the printed wiring board 40 is provided so as to be operable from the outside through an opening provided in the housing 3. There is. The user can turn on/off the power switch 48 by sliding the operation element 48a. It should be noted that the printed circuit board 40 is also provided with a power supply circuit section that generates a power supply voltage from the voltage from the battery 5 when the power supply switch 48 is turned on. Omitted for simplicity.

As shown in FIG. 2(A), one end portion side in the center line direction of the hollow cylindrical insulator portion 31 forming the housing 3 is a tapered portion 33 that is gradually tapered. .. A peripheral electrode 6 made of, for example, an annular conductive metal is attached to the outer peripheral side of the tapered portion 33. The peripheral electrode 6 and the conductor portion 32 on the outer peripheral surface of the housing 3 are insulated by the insulator portion 31 interposed therebetween.

As schematically shown in FIG. 1, the peripheral electrode 6 is electrostatically coupled to the position detection system 2 to form a reception unit (second reception unit) of a signal from the position detection system in this embodiment. To do. Then, the peripheral electrode 6 is electrically connected to the conductor pattern 47a of the printed wiring board 40 by the lead conductor member 61 penetrating the insulator portion 31. The conductor pattern 47a is connected to the input end of the signal transmission control circuit 41 in this example.

Further, in this embodiment, the center electrode 7 made of a conductive rod-shaped body is arranged so that one end side thereof projects outward from the hollow portion of the tapered portion 33 of the housing 3. The center electrode 7 serves as a core that constitutes the pen tip of the pen-shaped position indicator 1.

In this embodiment, the center electrode 7 constitutes a first transmitter for transmitting a position detection signal, and the end portion on the side opposite to the side projecting to the outside has a printed wiring board 40. It is configured to be electrically connected to the conductive pattern 47b formed on. The conductive pattern 47b is connected to the output end of the signal transmission control circuit 41. In this embodiment, the position indicator 1 also operates as a passive type position indicator that does not send a position detection signal. In that case, the center electrode 7 is formed from the conductor of the position detection system 2. Will play the role of sucking up the electric charges of the above through the electrostatic coupling part.

The peripheral electrode 6 is provided around the center electrode 7. The combination of the peripheral electrode 6 and the center electrode 7 is for the improved position indicator of the passive type described above. In this embodiment, a shield member 8 for effectively preventing mutual electrical interference is provided between the peripheral electrode 6 and the center electrode 7. The shield member 8 of this embodiment is provided so as to surround the center electrode 7, whereby the shield member 8 is interposed between the peripheral electrode 6 and the center electrode 7, and the shield electrode 8 is provided between the peripheral electrode 6 and the center electrode 7. The coupling capacitance between them is made as small as possible.

The center electrode 7 as the core body is fitted with the writing pressure detection unit 9 arranged in the hollow portion of the housing 3 at the end portion on the side opposite to the side projecting to the outside, The position indicator 1 is locked in the hollow portion of the housing 3. As will be described later, the center electrode 7 is configured to be disengaged from the writing pressure detection unit 9 by pulling it out. That is, the center electrode 7 as the core is replaceable with respect to the position indicator 1.

In this example, the writing pressure detection unit 9 is a variable capacitance capacitor (see, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2011-186803) that exhibits an electrostatic capacitance according to the pressure (writing pressure) applied to the center electrode 7 as a core body. It is configured. The electrodes at both ends of the variable capacitance capacitor formed by the writing pressure detection unit 9 are connected to the signal transmission control circuit 41 by the conductive pattern 47c in FIG. 2A.

The signal transmission control circuit 41 sets the position indicator 1 of this embodiment to one of a plurality of configuration types (modes) based on the information received from the outside through the wireless communication module 42 or the information received through the peripheral electrodes 6. Whether or not to perform the decision control is performed, and based on the decision control, the transmission of the position detection signal through the center electrode 7 is controlled, and further the transmission of the additional information through the center electrode 7 or the wireless communication module 42 is controlled. To do.

Next, with reference to FIG. 3, a detailed configuration of the central electrode 7, the shield member 8, and the writing pressure detection unit 9 will be described. FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the center electrode 7, the shield member 8 and the writing pressure detection unit 9.

As shown in FIG. 3, the center electrode 7 includes a core body 71 made of a conductive material, such as a metal, having a diameter of 1.9 mm, for example. Half is covered with a protective member 72 made of an insulating material. The protection member 72 has a role of preventing the sensor input surface 2a of the position detection system 2 from being damaged and a role of increasing a contact area with the sensor input surface 2a, and a role of further strengthening insulation with respect to the shield member 8 and the peripheral electrode 6. Have.

As shown in FIG. 3, in the shield member 8, in this embodiment, a tubular body 81 made of a conductive material has a whole surface including an outer wall surface and an inner wall surface covered with an insulating layer 82. It is said that.

The writing pressure detection unit 9 is configured as a variable capacitor that receives the writing pressure applied to the center electrode 7 through the pressure transmission member 10 and has a variable capacitance. As shown in FIG. 3, the center electrode 7 and the pressure transmission member 10 are combined and housed in the hollow portion of the tubular body 81 of the shield member 8 in a slidable state. The pressure transmission member 10 has a core body fitting portion 11 into which the end portion 71 b of the core body 71 of the center electrode 7 is fitted, and a protruding portion 12 into which the writing pressure detection unit 9 is fitted.

As shown in FIG. 3, the terminal piece 13 for electrically connecting the center electrode 7 and the signal transmission control circuit 41 of the printed wiring board 40 is arranged in the recess 11a of the pressure transmission member 10. The extension 13a from the terminal piece 13 is connected to the lead electrode 14 connected to the conductor pattern of the printed wiring board 40.

The core body 71 of the center electrode 7 is coupled (compressed) to the pressure transmission member 10 by inserting (press-fitting) the end portion 71a thereof into the terminal piece 13 in the recess 11a of the core body fitting portion 11 of the pressure transmission member 10. The writing pressure applied to the core body 71 is transmitted to the writing pressure detection unit 9 described later via the pressure transmission member 10.

As shown in FIG. 3, a conductive metal plate 86 electrically connected to the ground conductor of the printed wiring board 40 is provided at the abutting portion between the writing pressure detection unit 9 and the shield member 8. The electrically conductive metal plate 88 is electrically connected to the terminal portion 83 where the surface of the tubular body 81 of the shield member 8 is exposed. As a result, the center electrode 7 is shielded by the shield member 8 for electric field.

Since the core fitting portion 11 of the pressure transmitting member 10 engages with the stepped portion 84 of the hollow portion of the tubular body 81 of the shield member 8, the center electrode 7 and the pressure transmitting member 10 are located on the pen tip side. It does not fall out. Further, the stepped portion 85 on the outer peripheral surface of the shield member 8 engages with the stepped portion formed on the inner wall of the hollow portion of the insulator portion 31 of the housing 3 (not shown), whereby the shield member 8 is It is configured so as not to move in the axial direction within the hollow portion of the insulator portion 31 of the housing 3.

The writing pressure detection unit 9 will be described below. The writing pressure detection unit 9 of this example uses writing pressure detection means having a well-known configuration described in, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2011-186803, and the writing pressure applied to the center electrode 7 is A variable-capacitance capacitor whose capacitance changes accordingly is configured.

As shown in FIG. 3, the writing pressure detection unit 9 of this example includes a dielectric member 92, a conductive member 93, an elastic member 94, and a holding member 95 in a housing member 91 made of an insulating material such as resin. , And a plurality of parts such as the terminal member 96 are housed. The terminal member 96 forms the first electrode of the variable capacitance capacitor that forms the writing pressure detection unit 9. Further, the conductive member 93 and the elastic member 94 are electrically connected to each other to form the second electrode of the variable capacitance capacitor.

In the writing pressure detection unit 9, when writing pressure is applied to the center electrode 7, the writing pressure is transmitted to the holding member 95 of the writing pressure detection unit 9 via the pressure transmission member 10, and the holding member 95 The conductive member 93 is moved to the dielectric 92 side according to the applied writing pressure. Then, the contact area between the conductive member 93 and the dielectric 92 changes according to the applied writing pressure, and the electrostatic capacitance of the variable capacitor formed between the first electrode and the second electrode becomes It is variable according to the applied writing pressure.

[Description of Configuration Example of Internal Electronic Circuit of Position Indicator 1 of Embodiment]
In this embodiment, as the position detection system 2 used together with the position indicator 1, there are a plurality of configuration types such as a passive system, an improved passive system, and an active system as described above. In this embodiment, when the position detection system 2 includes a wireless communication module capable of communicating with the wireless communication module 42 of the position indicator 1, a pen type indicating a configuration type in which the position detection system can be operated by the wireless communication module. The information is transmitted to the position indicator 1. The position indicator 1 receives the pen type information from the position detection system by the receiving function (first receiving unit) of the wireless communication module 42, and selects any configuration type (based on the received pen type information). Mode) to determine the position indicator, and control is performed so that the position indicator has the configuration of the determined configuration type.

In the case of the position indicator of the configuration type of the passive method or the improved method of the passive method that receives the transmission signal from the position detection system 2 side, the position indicator 1 uses the peripheral electrode 6 (second receiving unit) to By receiving the signal from the position detection system, it is possible to determine which configuration type the position indicator should be, and to perform control so that the configuration of the determined type of position indicator is achieved.

In this case, there is a difference in the frequency of the signal from the position detection system and a difference in the signal content (difference in spread code, difference in modulation method, etc.) between the passive method and the improved passive method. The instrument 1 discriminates the difference between them, and decides which configuration type the position indicator should be based on the discrimination result. In this case, through the wireless communication module, even when the configuration type information cannot be obtained from the position detection system, it is possible to determine which configuration type (mode) the position indicator should be.

The signal transmission control circuit 41 of the position indicator 1 has a configuration type (mode) of the position indicator 1 based on the information received from the position detection system 2 through the wireless communication module 42 or the signal received through the peripheral electrode 6 described above. ) Is performed, and the position indicator 1 is controlled so as to have the determined configuration type (mode).

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an electronic circuit formed on the printed wiring board 40 in the housing 3 of the position indicator 1 of this embodiment, and mainly the internal detailed configuration of the signal transmission control circuit 41. It is a figure which shows an example.

As shown in FIG. 4, the signal transmission control circuit 41 includes a control unit 410 formed of, for example, an IC (Integrated Circuit), a pen type determination unit 411, a center electrode transmission signal generation unit 412, and a wireless transmission signal generation unit 413. A switch circuit 414 for selecting a position detection signal, a feedback signal generation circuit 415, a passive position indicator, and switch circuits 416 and 417 for switching between the passive improved position indicator and the active position indicator. It is configured to include and.

The control unit 410 is connected to a variable capacitance capacitor composed of the writing pressure detection unit 9, and the control unit 410 calculates the capacitance of the variable capacitance capacitor composed of the writing pressure detection unit 9 from the central electrode 7 The pressure (writing pressure value) applied to is calculated. Further, an on/off state signal of the side switch 43 is supplied to the control unit 410. The control unit 410 generates side switch information, which is additional information regarding the side switch 43, from the on/off state signal of the side switch 43. Further, the ID memory 44 is connected to the control unit 410, and the control unit 410 reads out and acquires the identification information (ID) of the position indicator 1 from the ID memory 44 as needed. It should be noted that the ID memory 44 may be one in which the identification information is stored in advance in the position indicator 1, or the identification information stored in the storage ID memory 44 is received through, for example, the wireless communication module 42. The position detection system 2 may be rewritten by a command.

The control unit 410 determines, according to the information based on the pen type determination result from the pen type determination unit 411, the center electrode 7 for each of the plurality of types of additional information, in this example, the writing pressure information, the side switch information, and the identification information. From the wireless communication module 42 or wirelessly transmitted from the wireless communication module 42.

The control unit 410 supplies the additional information sent through the central electrode 7 to the central electrode transmission signal generation unit 412, and supplies the additional information sent through the wireless communication module 42 to the wireless transmission signal generation unit 413.

The center electrode transmission signal generation unit 412 is connected to the center electrode 7, and as described later, the additional information to be transmitted is transmitted to the position detection system 2 through the center electrode 7 together with the position detection signal. The wireless transmission signal generation unit 413 is connected to the transmission unit 421 of the wireless communication module 42, and the additional information to be transmitted is wirelessly transmitted to the position detection system 2 through this transmission unit 421.

The center electrode transmission signal generation unit 412 detects the position to which the AC signal of the frequency f1 from the oscillator 45 and the AC signal of the frequency f2 from the oscillator 46 are to be transmitted according to the switching selection by the control unit 410 of the switch circuit 414. The feedback signal from the feedback signal generation circuit 415 is supplied as a signal for generating a position detection signal, and is also supplied as a position detection signal to be transmitted. The feedback signal generation circuit 415, in this example, amplifies the signal received from the position detection system 2 through the peripheral electrode 6 to enhance the signal and further inverts the phase. A configuration example and a processing example of the feedback signal generation circuit 415 will be described in detail later. The control unit 410 generates a switching selection signal for the switch circuit 414 based on the information based on the pen type determination result from the pen type determination unit 411.

Further, the connecting portion between the central electrode transmission signal generating portion 412 and the central electrode 7 is connected to the conductor portion 32 of the housing 3 through the switch circuit 416. The peripheral electrode 6 is connected to the conductor portion 32 of the housing 3 through the switch circuit 417. The switch circuits 416 and 417 are switched by an on/off control signal from the control unit 410. The control unit 410 generates an on/off control signal for the switch circuits 416 and 417 based on the information based on the pen type determination result from the pen type determination unit 411.

The pen type determination unit 411 includes a pen type table memory 4111 and a determination processing unit 4112. The determination processing unit 4112 of the pen type determination unit 411 is supplied with the information from the position detection system 2 received by the reception unit 422 of the wireless communication module 42 and the signal received from the position detection system 2 through the peripheral electrode 6. Supplied.

In the pen type table memory 4111, a plurality of types of configuration of the position indicator 1 and the presence or absence of transmission of a position detection signal and the position detection signal to be transmitted in the position indicators of each configuration type are generated. The frequency of the oscillator and pen type table information indicating whether the additional information is transmitted from the center electrode 7 or transmitted through the wireless communication module 42 are stored. This pen type table information may be stored in the pen type table memory 4111 in advance, but in this example, it is configured so that writing and rewriting can be performed by a command from the position detection system 2 through the wireless communication module 42. ing.

The determination processing unit 4112 determines the information from the position detection system 2 received by the reception unit 422 of the wireless communication module 42 or the signal received from the sensor unit of the position detection system 2 through the peripheral electrodes 6, and also determines the pen type table. By referring to the pen type table information in the memory 4111, the configuration type of the position indicator suitable for the position detection system 2 to be used together with the position indicator 1 is determined. Then, based on the result of the determination, the presence/absence of signal transmission from the central electrode 7, information regarding the position detection signal transmitted from the central electrode 7 and what the additional information is, and additional information transmitted through the wireless communication module 42 are displayed. Information about what it is is generated and the generated information is supplied to the control unit 410.

The control unit 410 generates the switching selection signal of the switch circuit 414 and the on/off control signals of the switch circuits 416 and 417 based on the information from the pen type determination unit 411, and the switch circuits 414 and 416, 417. And the additional information to be supplied to the center electrode transmission signal generation unit 412 and the additional information to be supplied to the wireless transmission signal generation unit 413 are determined and supplied.

FIG. 5 shows an example of pen type table information of the pen type determining unit 411. The example of FIG. 5 is table information for five types of position indicators of configuration type 1 to configuration type 5 (mode 1 to mode 5). After determining the configuration type (mode) of the position indicator, the pen type determination unit 411 refers to this pen type table information and generates control information to be supplied to the control unit 410. Hereinafter, in the position indicator 1 of this embodiment, each configuration type (mode) is switched and configured by the control of the control unit 410.

The configuration type 1 (mode 1) is a passive type position indicator, in which no signal is transmitted from the center electrode 7 and all additional information is transmitted through the wireless communication module 42. That is, in the signal transmission control circuit 41 of the position indicator 1, when the pen type determination unit 411 determines that this configuration type 1 (mode 1), the control unit 410 turns on the switch circuits 416 and 417, and the center electrode. The transmission signal generation unit 412 is put into a non-operating state. The switch circuit 417 may be off. Then, the control unit 410 controls all the additional information to be transmitted to the position detection system 2 through the transmission unit 421 of the wireless communication module 42 through the wireless transmission signal generation unit 413. The identification information may not need to be transmitted as additional information.

Configuration type 2 (mode 2) is an improved position indicator of the passive type. When the pen type determination unit 411 determines that the configuration type is 2 (mode 2), based on the information from the pen type determination unit 411, the control unit 410 turns off the switch circuits 416 and 417 and turns off the switch circuit. 414 switches to a state in which the signal from the feedback signal generation circuit 415 is selected. Then, all the additional information is controlled by the control unit 410 to be transmitted to the position detection system 2 through the transmission unit 421 of the wireless communication module 42 through the wireless transmission signal generation unit 413. The identification information may not need to be transmitted as additional information.

Configuration type 3 (mode 3) is the first type of active position indicator. When the pen type determination unit 411 determines that the configuration type is 3 (mode 3), the control unit 410 turns off the switch circuit 416 and turns on the switch circuit 417 based on the information from the pen type determination unit 411. Then, in this example, the switch circuit 414 switches to a state of selecting the AC signal from the oscillator 45 of the frequency f1. Then, all the additional information is controlled by the control unit 410 to be transmitted to the position detection system 2 through the transmission unit 421 of the wireless communication module 42 through the wireless transmission signal generation unit 413. The identification information may not need to be transmitted as additional information.

Configuration type 4 (mode 4) is the second type of active position indicator. When the pen type determination unit 411 determines that the configuration type is 4 (mode 4), the control unit 410 turns off the switch circuit 416 and turns on the switch circuit 417 based on the information from the pen type determination unit 411. Then, in this example, the switch circuit 414 switches to a state of selecting the AC signal from the oscillator 46 of the frequency f2. Then, among the additional information, the writing pressure information and the side switch information are sent from the center electrode 7 together with the position detection signal, and the identification information ID is detected by the wireless transmission signal generation unit 413 and the position detection by the transmission unit 421 of the wireless communication module 42. The transmission is controlled to the system 2.

Configuration type 5 (mode 5) is the second type of active position indicator. When the pen type determination unit 411 determines that the configuration type is 5 (mode 5), based on the information from the pen type determination unit 411, the control unit 410 turns off the switch circuit 416 and turns on the switch circuit 417. Then, in this example, the switch circuit 414 switches to a state of selecting the AC signal from the oscillator 46 of the frequency f2. Then, all of the additional information is controlled so as to be transmitted from the center electrode 7 together with the position detection signal.

As described above, the signal transmission control circuit 41 determines the configuration type of the position indicator based on the information and the signal received from the sensor unit of the position detection system 2 through the reception unit 422 of the wireless communication module 42 and the peripheral electrode 6. It is determined that the position indicator 1 has the configuration of the position indicator of the determined configuration type. Therefore, the position indicator 1 of this embodiment can automatically configure and use position indicators of various configuration types corresponding to the position detection system 2 of various systems. In other words, it is possible to input position indications to a plurality of position detection systems 2 of various types only with the position indicator 1 of this embodiment. Therefore, it is not necessary to prepare a separate position indicator for each of a plurality of position detection systems 2 of various types, which is very convenient and reduces the cost burden on the user. Become.

Note that the pen type information from the position detection system 2 received through the wireless communication module 42 is not limited to the configuration type information that directly identifies each of the configuration types 1 to 5, and for example, It may be information that indirectly indicates the numbers of the respective configuration types 1 to 5 of the pen type table information, the address of each configuration type of the pen type table memory 4111, and the like.

In FIG. 4, the controller 410 configures the processing functions of the determination processing unit 4112 of the pen type determination unit 411, the center electrode transmission signal generation unit 412, and the wireless transmission signal generation unit 413 as software processing function means. Is also possible. The feedback signal generation circuit 415 is also the same.

[Example of processing operation in the signal transmission control circuit 41]
Next, an example of the processing operation performed by the signal transmission control circuit 41 after the power switch 48 is turned on will be described with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS. 6 and 7.

In the signal transmission control circuit 41, first, it is determined whether or not the receiving section 422 of the wireless communication module 42 has received information (step S1). When it is determined that the information has been received, whether or not the received information is pen type information. It is determined (step S2). When it is determined in step S2 that the received information is the pen type information, the signal transmission control circuit 41 determines the configuration type (pen type) of the position indicator based on the received pen type information, and determines the pen type. With reference to the table memory 4111, signals to be transmitted from the center electrode 7 and the transmitter 421 of the wireless communication module 42 are determined (step S3). This determination also includes determination of whether or not to transmit the position detection signal from the center electrode 7, as described above.

After step S3, the signal transmission control circuit 41 executes signal transmission through the center electrode 7 and the transmitter 421 of the wireless communication module 42 according to the configuration type determined in step S3 (step S4).

Then, the signal transmission control circuit 41 determines whether or not the information from the position detection system 2 through the receiving unit 422 of the wireless communication module 42 cannot be received (step S5), and determines that the information cannot be received. In some cases, the process is returned to step S4, and signal transmission according to the determined configuration type is continued.

When it is determined in step S5 that the information from the position detection system 2 through the receiving unit 422 of the wireless communication module 42 cannot be received, the signal transmission control circuit 41 determines whether or not a predetermined time or more has elapsed since it cannot receive the information. It is determined whether or not (step S6). When it is determined in step S6 that the predetermined time or more has not elapsed, the signal transmission control circuit 41 returns the process to step S4 and continues the signal transmission according to the determined configuration type.

When it is determined in step S6 that the predetermined time or more has elapsed, the signal transmission control circuit 41 suspends signal transmission from the center electrode 7 and the transmission unit 421 of the wireless communication module 42, and puts the position indicator 1 in the sleep state. (Step S7). In this sleep state, power is supplied to the receiving unit 422 of the wireless communication module 42, the control unit 410 of the signal transmission control circuit 41, and the pen type determination unit 411 in order to reduce the consumption of the battery 5 and save power. Is maintained, but useless voltage supply to other parts is stopped.

Then, after step S7, the signal transmission control circuit 41 returns the processing to step S1 and repeats the processing of step S1 and subsequent steps described above.

When it is determined in step S1 that the receiving unit 422 of the wireless communication module 42 is not receiving information, and when it is determined in step S2 that the received information is not the pen type information, the signal transmission control circuit 41 It is determined whether or not a signal is received through the peripheral electrode 6 (step S11 in FIG. 7). When it is determined in step S11 that the signal is not received through the peripheral electrode 6, the signal transmission control circuit 41 turns on the switch circuit 416, and the center electrode 7 is grounded through the conductor portion 32 to the ground of the printed wiring board 40. The state of configuration type 1 is established by connecting to the conductor (ground) (step S18). Then, after step S18, the signal transmission control circuit 41 returns the processing to step S1 in FIG. 6, and repeats the processing of step S1 and thereafter.

When it is determined in step S11 that the signal is received through the peripheral electrode 6, it is determined whether or not the pen type can be determined from the received signal (step S12). When it is determined in step S12 that the pen type cannot be determined, the signal transmission control circuit 41 turns on the switch circuit 416 and causes the center electrode 7 to pass through the conductor portion 32 to the ground conductor (ground conductor) of the printed wiring board 40. ), and the state of the configuration type 1 is established (step S18). Then, after step S18, the signal transmission control circuit 41 returns the processing to step S1 in FIG. 6, and repeats the processing of step S1 and thereafter.

If it is determined in step S12 that the pen type can be determined, the signal transmission control circuit 41 determines the configuration type (pen type) of the position indicator based on the received signal, and the pen type table 4111 is set. With reference, the signal transmitted from the center electrode 7 and the transmitter 421 of the wireless communication module 42 is determined (step S13). This determination also includes determination of whether or not to transmit the position detection signal from the center electrode 7, as described above.

After step S13, the signal transmission control circuit 41 executes signal transmission through the center electrode 7 and the transmitter 421 of the wireless communication module 42 according to the configuration type determined in step S13 (step S14).

Then, the signal transmission control circuit 41 determines whether or not the signal cannot be received through the peripheral electrode 6 (step S15), and when it is determined that the signal cannot be received, returns the processing to step S14, Signal transmission according to the determined configuration type is continued.

When it is determined in step S15 that the signal cannot be received through the peripheral electrode 6, the signal transmission control circuit 41 determines whether or not a predetermined time or more has elapsed after the signal cannot be received (step S16). When it is determined in step S16 that the predetermined time or more has not elapsed, the signal transmission control circuit 41 returns the process to step S14 and continues signal transmission according to the determined configuration type.

When it is determined in step S16 that the predetermined time or more has elapsed, the signal transmission control circuit 41 suspends the signal transmission from the center electrode 7 and the transmitter 421 of the wireless communication module 42, and puts the position indicator 1 in the sleep state. (Step S17). Then, after step S17, the signal transmission control circuit 41 returns the processing to step S1 and repeats the processing of step S1 and subsequent steps described above.

[Explanation of operation of position indicators of various configuration types and corresponding position detection system]
<Structure Type 2 Position Indicator 1A and Corresponding Position Detection System 2A>
FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a circuit example of the main part of the position indicator 1A of the configuration type 2, and in particular, a circuit configuration example of the feedback signal generation circuit 415 and a circuit configuration example of the power supply circuit unit 50 omitted above. It is shown.

The power supply circuit unit 50 includes a DC/DC converter 501, generates a power supply voltage +Vcc from the voltage of the battery 5, and supplies the power supply voltage +Vcc to the signal transmission control circuit 41 and others.

In the power supply circuit section 50, the power supply switch 48 is provided between the DC/DC converter 501 and the battery 5. A series circuit of a resistor 502 and an LED 49 is connected between the output end of the DC/DC converter 501 and the ground conductor. Further, the output terminal of the DC/DC converter 501 is connected to the ground conductor through the series connection of the resistors 503 and 504, and the reference voltage Vref (=Vcc/2) is output from the connection point of the resistors 503 and 504.

The feedback signal generation circuit 415 is configured as a signal enhancement processing circuit in this example, and includes a sense amplifier 510, a signal amplification factor variable circuit 520, and a transformer 530.

In this example, the sense amplifier 510 includes an operational amplifier 511 and a capacitor 512 connected between the inverting input terminal and the output terminal of the operational amplifier 511. The inverting input terminal of the operational amplifier 511 is connected to the connection terminal 513 connected to the peripheral electrode 6. Further, the reference voltage Vref described above is supplied to the non-inverting input terminal of the operational amplifier 511.

When the position indicator 1A is on the position detection system 2A, as shown in FIG. 1, the peripheral electrode 6 of the position indicator 1A and the position detection system 2A are coupled via a capacitance C1. As will be described later, since an AC signal is flowing in the position detection system 2A, this AC signal is supplied to the connection terminal 513 as a current signal via the electrostatic capacitance C1 and the peripheral electrode 6 and input to the sense amplifier 510. To be done. The capacitor 512 is for detecting a current signal input via the electrostatic capacitance C1.

Then, the sense amplifier 510 phase-inverts the AC signal input as a current signal through the connection terminal 513, and outputs it to the signal amplification factor variable circuit 520.

The variable signal amplification factor circuit 520 includes an operational amplifier 521 and a variable resistor 522 connected between the inverting input terminal and the output terminal of the operational amplifier 521. By variably setting the resistance value of the variable resistor 522, the amplification factor of the signal amplification factor variable circuit 520 is variably set, and as a result, the signal detection sensitivity of the position indicator 1A is controlled.

The AC signal amplified by the variable signal amplification factor circuit 520 is supplied to the primary winding 530 a of the transformer 530. The ratio of the number of turns n1 of the primary winding 530a of the transformer 530 to the number of turns n2 of the secondary winding 530b is, for example, n1:n2=1:10. The number of lines is set to be large (n1<n2). Therefore, on the secondary winding 530b side of the transformer 530, the amplitude of the output signal of the variable signal amplification factor circuit 520 is multiplied according to the winding number ratio, and an AC signal (voltage signal) having a large amplitude is obtained. Be done.

One end of the secondary winding 530b of the transformer 530 is connected to the connection terminal 523 connected to the core body 71 made of the rod-shaped conductor of the center electrode 7 shielded by the shield member 8, and the secondary winding 530b of the transformer 530 is connected. The other end of is connected to the ground conductor of the printed wiring board 40. Therefore, the output signal, which has been converted into a large amplitude AC signal voltage by the feedback signal generation circuit 415, is supplied to the center electrode 7 through the connection terminal 523.

When the position indicator 1A is on the position detection system 2A, since the center electrode 7 of the position indicator 1A and the position detection system 2A are coupled via capacitance, the center electrode 7 of the position indicator 1A is The AC signal is fed back from the position indicator 1A to the position detection system 2A via the position indicator 1A.

Next, the position detection system 2A of this example will be described with reference to FIG. The position detection system 2A of this example has a configuration of a mutual capacitance type position detection system in which a sensor electrode is composed of an input electrode and an output electrode, and detects a change in coupling capacitance of a touch point touched by the position indicator 1A. is there.

As shown in FIG. 9, the position detection system 2A of this example includes a sensor unit 20A, a transmission unit 21, a reception unit 22, a wireless communication unit 25, and a control unit 220A. The sensor unit 20A includes a plurality of linear conductors extending in the lateral direction (X-axis direction) of the sensor input surface, and in this example, m transmission conductors 23Y ₁ , 23Y ₂ ,..., 23Y _m (m is 1 or more). , And a plurality of, in this example, n reception conductors 24X ₁ , 24X ₂ ,..., Which extend in the vertical direction (Y-axis direction) of the sensor input surface orthogonal to the transmission conductors 23Y _{1 to} 23Y _m. , 24X _n (n is an integer of 1 or more). The plurality of transmission conductors 23Y _{1 to} 23Y _m are arranged at equal intervals in the Y-axis direction and connected to the transmission unit 21. The plurality of receiving conductors 24X _{1 to} 24X _n are arranged at equal intervals in the X-axis direction and are connected to the receiving unit 22.

In the following description of this specification, when it is not necessary to distinguish between the transmission conductors 23Y _{1 to} 23Y _m and the reception conductors 24X _{1 to} 24X _n , they are referred to as the transmission conductor 23Y and the reception conductor 24X, respectively. I will decide.

The plurality of transmission conductors 23Y and the plurality of reception conductors 24X are arranged at a predetermined interval and have an arrangement relationship orthogonal to each other to form a plurality of intersections (cross points). Then, at each cross point, it can be considered that the transmission conductor 23Y and the reception conductor 24X are coupled via a predetermined electrostatic capacitance.

The transmitter 21 supplies a predetermined AC signal to the transmission conductor 23Y under the control of the controller 220. In this case, the transmitter 21 may supply the same AC signal to the plurality of transmission conductors 23Y ₁ , 23Y ₂ ,..., 23Y _m while sequentially switching one by one, or a plurality of different AC conductors may be supplied. , 23Y _m may be simultaneously supplied to the plurality of transmission conductors 23Y ₁ , 23Y ₂ ,..., 23Y _m . Alternatively, the plurality of transmission conductors 23Y ₁ , 23Y ₂ ,..., 23Y _m may be divided into a plurality of groups and different AC signals may be used for each group.

Under the control of the control unit 220, the reception unit 22 causes the reception conductors 24X ₁ , 24X ₂ ,..., 24X _n to receive the AC signal supplied to the transmission conductor 23Y via the predetermined capacitance. To detect the signal component transmitted. If the coupling capacitances between the transmission conductor 23Y and the reception conductor 24X are equal at all cross points, all the reception conductors of the sensor unit 20 when the position indicator 1 is not present on the sensor unit 20. Received signals of a predetermined level are detected by the reception unit 22 from 24X ₁ , 24X ₂ ,..., 24X _n .

On the other hand, when the position indicator 1A comes into contact with the sensor section 20A, the transmission conductor 23Y and the reception conductor 24X forming the cross point of the contact position, and the position indicator 1A are coupled through the electrostatic capacitance. That is, the capacitance is changed by the position indicator 1A, and the reception signal level obtained from the reception conductor 24X at the cross point where the position indicator 1A exists is compared with the reception signal level at another cross point. It will change.

The receiving unit 22 detects the reception conductor 24X having a change in the level of the reception signal among the plurality of reception conductors 24X ₁ , 24X ₂ ,..., 24X _n , and thereby the position indicated by the position indicator 1A. To detect. Then, the control unit of the position detection system 2 (not shown) detects the transmission conductor 23Y that supplies the AC signal from the transmission unit 21 and the reception conductor 24X in which the reception signal level has changed in the reception unit 22. Thus, the cross point with which the position indicator 1A is in contact is detected.

Even when a finger approaches or contacts the sensor unit 20 instead of the position indicator 1A, the position detection system 2 detects the cross point at which the finger approaches or contacts according to the same principle. In that case, a part of the AC signal supplied to the transmission conductor 23Y flows to the ground through the finger and the human body of the user. Therefore, the reception signal level of the reception conductor 24X forming the cross point where the finger exists changes. The receiving unit 22 detects the change in the received signal level to detect the receiving conductor 24X forming the cross point where the finger is present.

In the case of the position indicator of configuration type 1, the position detection system 2A can detect the pointed position in the sensor unit 20A in the same manner as the principle of detecting the position of the finger. However, in the case of the position indicator of configuration type 1, since the contact area with the position detection system 2A is not large as in the case of a finger, the coupling capacitance is small and the position detection system 2A has low detection sensitivity. Therefore, the position detection system corresponding to the position indicator of the configuration type 1 uses the spread code as the AC signal to be transmitted to the position indicator, and calculates the correlation between the transmission signal and the reception signal to indicate the position of the position indicator. To compensate for the decrease in detection sensitivity.

On the other hand, in the case of the position indicator 1A and the position detection system 2A of the configuration type 2, the affinity between the position indicator 1A and the position detection system 2A is high without using spread codes and the like, and The versatility is high, and a predetermined waveform correlation is secured between the input signal and the output signal, and the position detection on the sensor unit 20A can be performed with high sensitivity.

That is, when the position indicator 1A is approached or brought into contact with the sensor unit 20A of the position detection system 2A, the AC signal supplied to the transmission conductor 23Y passes through the electrostatic capacitance C1 as shown in FIG. Further, it is input to the feedback signal generation circuit 415 as a current signal through the peripheral electrode 6 and the connection terminal 513.

The AC signal (current signal) input to the feedback signal generation circuit 415 is phase-inverted by the sense amplifier 510, amplified by the signal amplification factor variable circuit 520, and boosted (multiplied) by the transformer 530 to enhance the signal. Then, the voltage signal is supplied to the center electrode 7 through the connection terminal 523. That is, the AC signal input from the sensor unit 20A to the feedback signal generation circuit 415 via the peripheral electrode 6 is made into a reverse phase and a large-amplitude signal in the feedback signal generation circuit 415, and is passed through the central electrode 7, It is returned to the sensor unit 20A.

In this case, the AC signal returned from the center electrode 7 of the position indicator 1A to the sensor unit 20A of the position detection system 2A is an enhanced signal having a reverse phase to the AC signal supplied to the transmission conductor 23Y. The position indicator 1A functions to further increase the change of the AC signal in the reception signal of the reception conductor 24X. Therefore, the position detection system 2A can detect the contact position of the position indicator 1A with high sensitivity. The detection operation is further stabilized by connecting the ground conductor of the position indicator 1A to the human body. That is, in this embodiment, the housing 3 of the position indicator 1A is covered with the conductor portion 32 connected to the ground conductor of the printed wiring board 40. Therefore, the AC signal supplied to the transmission conductor 23Y in the position detection system 2A flows to the ground through the position indicator 1A and the human body of the user, so that the signal detection operation can be further stabilized.

Further, the voltage at the transmission conductor 23Y of the sensor unit 20A of the position detection system 2A is V, the voltage of the center electrode 7 of the position indicator 1A of this embodiment is e, and the voltage between the peripheral electrode 6 and the center electrode 7 is If the capacitance is C2 (see FIG. 1),
e≦C1/C2・V
There is a relationship. Therefore, it is advantageous that the electrostatic capacitance C2 between the peripheral electrode 6 and the center electrode 7 is as small as possible to increase the potential e of the center electrode 7.

For this reason, in the position indicator 1 of this embodiment, the shield member 8 is interposed between the peripheral electrode 6 and the center electrode 7 to minimize the coupling therebetween. Therefore, in the position indicator 1 of this embodiment, by interposing the shield member 8, the electrostatic capacitance C2 between the peripheral electrode 6 and the center electrode 7 becomes small, and the voltage e can be made large, and the efficiency can be increased. The sensitivity can be improved well.

The position indicator 1A of the above-described embodiment is configured such that the peripheral electrode 6 receives the AC signal from the position detection system 2A, and the output AC signal whose signal is enhanced is fed back from the center electrode 7 to the position detection system 2A. .. However, the electrode for receiving the AC signal from the position detection system 2A may be the center electrode 7, and the electrode for returning the signal-enhanced AC signal to the position detection system 2 may be the peripheral electrode 6.

As shown in FIG. 9, in the position indicator 1A of the configuration type 2, the writing pressure information, the side switch information, and the identification information are wirelessly transmitted from the wireless communication module 42 to the wireless communication unit 25 of the position detection system 2A. It is something. The writing pressure information, the side switch information, and the identification information received by the wireless communication unit 25 are supplied to the control circuit 220A and transmitted to, for example, the host computer together with the detected position information. The additional information from the position indicator of configuration type 1 is similarly transmitted from the wireless communication module 42 to the position detection system.

<Structure Type 3 Position Indicator 1B and Corresponding Position Detection System 2B>
FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a circuit example of main parts of the position indicator 1B of the configuration type 3 and the corresponding position detection system 2B. The position indicator 1B of configuration type 3 sends an AC signal of frequency f1 as a position detection signal, and the writing pressure information, side switch information, and identification information that are additional information are all transmitted from the wireless communication module 42 to the position detection system. It is sent to the wireless communication unit 25B of 2B.

As shown in FIG. 10, the position detection system 2B includes a sensor unit 20B, a pen instruction detection circuit 26B connected to the sensor unit 20B, and a wireless communication unit 25B.

The sensor section 20B is formed by laminating a first conductor group 211, an insulating layer (not shown), and a second conductor group 212 in this order from the lower layer side. The first conductor group 211 includes a plurality of first conductors 211Y ₁ , 211Y ₂ ,..., 211Y _m (m is an integer of 1 or more) extending in the lateral direction (X-axis direction) that are separated from each other by a predetermined distance and are arranged in parallel. And is arranged in the Y-axis direction.

Further, the second conductor group 212 extends in a direction intersecting the extending direction of the first conductors 211Y ₁ , 211Y ₂ ,..., 211Y _m , in this example, extending in the vertical direction (Y-axis direction) orthogonal to the extending direction. a plurality of second conductors 212X _1, 212X ₂ that, ..., (the n 1 or more integer) 212X _n in parallel to isolate between predetermined each other, in which arranged in the X-axis direction.

In the following description, when it is not necessary to distinguish between the first conductors 211Y ₁ , 211Y ₂ ,..., 211Y _m , the conductors are referred to as the first conductor 211Y. Similarly, when it is not necessary to distinguish between the second conductors 212X ₁ , 212X ₂ ,..., 212X _n , the conductors will be referred to as second conductors 212X.

The pen instruction detection circuit 26B includes a selection circuit 221, which serves as an input/output interface with the sensor unit 20B, an amplification circuit 222, a bandpass filter 223, a detection circuit 224, a sample hold circuit 225, and an AD (Analog to Digital). ) A conversion circuit 226 and a control circuit 220B.

The selection circuit 221 selects one conductor from each of the first conductor group 211Y and the second conductor group 212X based on the control signal from the control circuit 220B. The conductor selected by the selection circuit 221 is connected to the amplification circuit 222, and the signal from the position indicator 1B is detected by the selected conductor and amplified by the amplification circuit 222. The output of the amplifier circuit 222 is supplied to the bandpass filter 223B, and only the component of the frequency f1 of the signal transmitted from the position indicator 1B is extracted.

The output signal of the bandpass filter 223B is detected by the detection circuit 224. The output signal of the detection circuit 224 is supplied to the sample hold circuit 225, sampled and held at a predetermined timing by the sampling signal from the control circuit 220B, and then converted into a digital value by the AD conversion circuit 226. The digital data from the AD conversion circuit 226 is read and processed by the control circuit 220B.

The control circuit 220B operates so as to send a control signal to each of the sample hold circuit 225, the AD conversion circuit 226, and the selection circuit 221 by the program stored in the internal ROM. Further, the control circuit 220B calculates the position coordinates on the sensor section 20B designated by the position indicator 1B from the digital data from the AD conversion circuit 226.

FIG. 11 is a timing chart for explaining a signal transmitted from the position indicator 1B of the configuration type 3 to the corresponding position detection system 2B. As described above, from the position indicator 1B of the configuration type 3, for example, a signal based on the AC signal of the frequency f1 is continuously transmitted as the position detection signal through the center electrode 7.

However, in the position indicator 1B of this configuration type 3 in this example, the position indicator 1 of this embodiment can send out an AC signal of frequency f1 and an AC signal of frequency f2 as position detection signals. By utilizing the advantage of the configuration, the frequency of the position detection signal can be switched when the noise of the same frequency as the position detection signal exists.

That is, in the position indicator 1B of the configuration type 3 of this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 11(A), the position detection signal includes the continuous transmission period of the predetermined period length Ta and the pause period of the predetermined period length Tb. Is set as one cycle, and the one cycle is repeated.

Then, in the control circuit 220B of the position detection system 2B, as shown in FIG. 11B, the pause period of the predetermined period length Tb is used as a window section for detecting the presence or absence of noise, and the position detection is performed in the window section. It is detected whether or not there is noise having the same frequency as the working signal. Then, when it is detected that noise having the same frequency as the position detection signal is present in the window section, the control circuit 220B of the position detection system 2B notifies the position indicator 1B to that effect through the wireless communication unit 25B. ..

Upon receiving this notification from the position detection system 2B, the reception unit 422 of the wireless communication module 42 of the position indicator 1B transfers it to the control unit 410 of the signal transmission control circuit 41. According to this notification, the control unit 410 of the signal transmission control circuit 41 controls the switching of the switch circuit 414 to switch from the oscillator 45 of frequency f1 to the oscillator 46 of frequency f2. When the position detection signal from the position indicator 1B when receiving the notification from the position detection system 2B is based on the signal from the oscillator 46 of the frequency f2, the position detection system 2B In response to the notification from the control unit 410, the control unit 410 controls the switching of the switching circuit 414 to switch the oscillator 46 of the frequency f2 to the oscillator 45 of the frequency f1.

For example, as shown in FIG. 11(A), when the position detection signal from the position indicator 1B is the signal of frequency f1, as shown in FIG. 11(C), the noise NR of the same frequency f1 is If it exists, the control circuit 220B of the position detection system 2B detects the noise NR in the window section shown in FIG. 11B and notifies the position indicator 1B to that effect through the wireless communication unit 25B. send.

In the position indicator 1B, the control unit 410 receives the notification from the position detection system 2B through the reception unit 422 of the wireless communication module 42, and determines the frequency of the position detection signal as shown in FIG. The switching circuit 414 is switched and controlled to switch from the frequency f1 to the frequency f2. Therefore, even if noise having the same frequency as the frequency of the position detection signal exists in the vicinity of the position detection system 2B, it is possible to prevent the influence of the noise by switching the frequency of the position detection signal. it can.

In addition, in the position detection system 2B, the bandpass filter 223B is set to a state in which the band pass filter 223B has a pass frequency band whose center frequency is the frequency f1 so that it can correspond to both the position detection signals of the frequency f1 and the frequency f2. , A state in which a pass frequency band having the frequency f2 as a center frequency is set, and which pass frequency band is used is switched by control from the control circuit 220B.

<Structure Type 4 Position Indicator 1C and Corresponding Position Detection System 2C>
FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a circuit example of main parts of the position indicator 1C of configuration type 4 and the corresponding position detection system 2C. The position indicator 1C of configuration type 4 sends an AC signal of frequency f2 as a position detecting signal, and the writing pressure information and side switch information, which are examples of important additional information as a position indicator, are the position detecting signal. At the same time, it is sent to the position detection system 2C through the center electrode 7. Then, the position indicator 1C sends the identification information of the additional information from the wireless communication module 42 to the wireless communication unit 25C of the position detection system 2C.

As shown in FIG. 12, the position detection system 2C includes a sensor unit 20C, a pen instruction detection circuit 26C connected to the sensor unit 20C, and a wireless communication unit 25C. In this example, the sensor unit 20C has the same configuration as the sensor unit 20B of the position detection system 2B. The pen instruction detection circuit 26C has the same configuration as the pen instruction detection circuit 26B except for the bandpass filter 223C and the control circuit 220C.

In this example, the bandpass filter 223C of the position indicator 1C of the configuration type 4 has a pass frequency band having the frequency f2 as the center frequency in this example. Further, the control circuit 220C has a function of detecting writing pressure information and side switch information sent together with the position detection signal.

In the position indicator 1C of the configuration type 4 of this example, the center electrode transmission signal generation unit 412 is controlled by the control unit 410 and repeats a signal of a pattern in which a continuous transmission period and a transmission data period are one cycle. Output it. FIG. 13A shows an example of the control signal supplied from the control unit 410 of the position indicator 1C to the center electrode transmission signal generation unit 412. The center electrode transmission signal generation unit 412 continuously transmits the oscillation signal of the frequency f2 as a burst signal as shown in FIG. 13B during the fixed period in which the high level of the control signal of FIG. 13A is maintained. (Continuous transmission period in FIG. 13C).

The length of this continuous transmission period is set to a time length that allows the position indicator 1C to detect the position indicated on the sensor unit 20C in the pen indication detection circuit 26C of the position detection system 2C, and for example, the first conductor. The time length is such that all 211Y and the second conductor 212X can be scanned once or more, preferably a plurality of times.

During this continuous transmission period, the control unit 410 of the position indicator 1C calculates the writing pressure applied to the center electrode 7 based on the capacitance of the variable capacitance capacitor of the writing pressure detection unit 9, and the calculation is performed. The information of the writing pressure value is obtained as a multi-bit value (binary code). Further, the control unit 410 generates on/off information of the side switch 43 as side switch information as 1-bit or multi-bit information.

Then, as shown in FIG. 13A, the control unit 410 controls the control signal to a high level or a low level at a predetermined cycle (Td) in the transmission data period after the end of the continuous transmission period, An AC signal of frequency f2 is ASK (Amplitude Shift Keying) modulated. Instead of ASK modulation, an OOK (On Off Keying) signal may be used.

At this time, the high level is always set for the first time of a predetermined cycle (Td) after the continuous transmission period, which is used as the start signal in FIG. 13(C). This start signal is a timing signal for enabling the pen instruction detection circuit 26C of the position detection system 2C to accurately determine the subsequent data transmission timing. Note that, instead of this start signal, a burst signal in a continuous transmission period can be used as a timing signal.

The center electrode transmission signal generation unit 412 of the position indicator 1C is controlled by the control unit 410 described above, and in the transmission data period, following the start signal, a plurality of bits of writing pressure information and one or more bits of side information. The switch information is sequentially transmitted. In this case, as shown in FIGS. 13A and 13B, when the transmission data (binary code) is “0”, the control signal (FIG. 13A) is set to the low level and the AC signal is not transmitted. When the transmission data (binary code) is "1", the control signal is set to the high level so that the AC signal is transmitted, and the ASK modulation is performed.

In the pen pointing detection circuit 26C of the position detecting system 2C, the control circuit 220C detects the pointing position by the position pointing device 1C from the received signal of the continuous transmission period in the same manner as the position detecting system 2B described above. Then, the control circuit 220C waits for the end of the continuous transmission period, and when detecting the start signal after the end of the continuous transmission period, detects the data of the writing pressure information and the side switch information of the transmission data period and restores them. Take action. Then, the control circuit 220C outputs the identification information received through the wireless communication unit 25C, the detection information of the position indicated by the position indicator 1C, the writing pressure information, and the side switch information to a host computer or the like.

Also in the position indicator 1C of the configuration type 4, the frequency of the position detection signal may be switched similarly to the position indicator 1B of the configuration type 3 so that the influence of noise can be reduced. .. In that case, the bandpass filter 223C and the control circuit 220C of the position detection system 2C are also configured to have the same functions as the bandpass filter 223B and the control circuit 220B of the position detection system 2B corresponding to the configuration type 3.

<Structure Type 5 Position Indicator 1D and Corresponding Position Detection System 2D>
FIG. 14 is a diagram showing a circuit example of main parts of the position indicator 1D of configuration type 5 and the corresponding position detection system 2D. The position indicator 1D of configuration type 5 sends out an AC signal of frequency f2 as a position detection signal, and all additional information, in this example, writing pressure information, side switch information, and identification information ID1 is a position detection signal. At the same time, it is sent to the position detection system 2D through the center electrode 7.

As shown in FIG. 14, the position detection system 2D includes a sensor unit 20D, a pen instruction detection circuit 26D connected to the sensor unit 20D, and a wireless communication unit 25D. In this example, the sensor unit 20D has the same configuration as the sensor unit 20B of the position detection system 2B. The pen instruction detection circuit 26D has the same configuration as the pen instruction detection circuit 26C, including the bandpass filter 223D except for the control circuit 220D. That is, the bandpass filter 223D has a pass frequency band having the frequency f2 as the center frequency in this example. The control circuit 220D has a function of detecting the writing pressure information, the side switch information, and the identification information ID1 sent together with the position detection signal.

Also in the position indicator 1D of the configuration type 5 of this example, the center electrode transmission signal generation unit 412 receives the control from the control unit 410 in the same manner as the position indicator 1C of the configuration type 4 described above, and FIG. As shown in, the signal of the pattern in which the continuous transmission period and the transmission data period are one cycle is repeatedly output.

FIG. 15A shows an example of the control signal supplied from the control unit 410 of the position indicator 1D to the center electrode transmission signal generation unit 412. The center electrode transmission signal generation unit 412 of the position indicator 1D of this example is controlled by the control signal of FIG. 15A, and in the continuous transmission period, as shown in FIG. The oscillation signal is continuously transmitted as a burst signal, and in the transmission data period, as shown in FIGS. 15B and 15C, the writing pressure information, the side switch information, and the identification information ID1 are used as an ASK signal. It transmits to the position detection system 2D through the center electrode 7.

The control circuit 220D of the position detection system 2D detects the position on the sensor unit 20D indicated by the position indicator 1D based on the burst signal of the continuous transmission period, and at the same time, transmits the writing pressure information and the side switch during the transmission data period. The information and the identification information ID1 are detected and restored.

Then, in this example, in order to more securely exchange signals between the position indicator 1D and the position detection system 2D, the position indicator 1D transmits the identification information ID2 from the wireless communication module 42 to the position detection system 2D. To the wireless communication unit 25D. In this case, the identification information ID1 and the identification information ID2 are the same information (ID1=ID2). The control circuit 220D collates the identification information ID2 acquired through the wireless communication unit 25D with the identification information ID1 received through the center electrode 7 and detected, and only when both match, the signal acquired from the position indicator 1D. Is treated as valid.

Then, when the control circuit 220D validates the signal acquired from the position indicator 1D, the control circuit 220D outputs the detection information of the position indicated by the position indicator 1D, the writing pressure information, the side switch information, and the identification information ID1 to a host computer or the like. Output to.

FIG. 16 is a flowchart showing the flow of secure processing using the identification information ID1 and ID2 in the control circuit 220D of the position detection system 2D.

The control circuit 220D temporarily holds the identification information ID2 received through the wireless communication unit 25D (step S21). Next, the control circuit 220D acquires the identification information ID1 included in the information transmitted through the center electrode 7 of the position indicator 1D (step S22). Then, the control circuit 220D determines whether or not the identification information ID1 and the identification information ID2 match (step S23), and when it determines that both the identification information ID1 and ID2 match, the control circuit 220D determines from the position indicator 1D. Is processed as valid (step S24), the process is then returned to step S21, and the processes after step S21 are repeated. When it is determined in step S23 that the identification information ID1 and the identification information ID2 do not match, the control circuit 220D processes the signal from the position indicator 1D as invalid (step S25), and then performs the processing. The process returns to step S21, and the processes after step S21 are repeated.

In the position detection system 2D, the secure process using the identification information ID2 from the wireless communication module 42 and the identification information ID1 acquired through the center electrode 7 is not essential and may not be performed.

[Other Embodiments]
<Other examples of electrostatic coupling method>
It goes without saying that the plurality of configuration types of the position indicator described above are examples, and are not limited to the configuration types connected here. For example, in the above-described active position indicator, the signal is transmitted only from the center electrode 7, but it is possible to detect the tilt angle and the rotation angle of the position indicator on the position detection system. To this end, the peripheral electrode 6 is divided into a plurality of parts, and a signal is transmitted from each of the plurality of divided peripheral divided electrodes so that the peripheral divided electrodes can be identified. The position indicator of 1 may be one configuration type.

FIG. 17 is a diagram showing a main part of a position indicator 1E capable of forming a position indicator of such a configuration type, and FIG. 17A illustrates a component part on the center electrode 7 side. FIG. 17B is a diagram when the position indicator 1E is viewed from the tip end side of the center electrode 7 in the axial direction thereof.

In this position indicator 1E, the peripheral electrodes made of a conductor and provided around the opening 3a in which the center electrode 7 is inserted in the housing 3 are provided as the three peripheral divided electrodes 6A, 6B, 6C. .. As shown in FIGS. 17A and 17B, these peripheral divided electrodes 6A, 6B, 6C are provided so as to be electrically insulated and separated from each other.

In the case of the passive type configuration type 1 and the active type configuration types 3, 4, and 5, the peripheral divided electrodes 6A, 6B, and 6C are not used. In the case of the configuration type 2 of the improved passive method, the peripheral divided electrodes 6A, 6B, 6C are electrically connected, and the signals received by all of the peripheral divided electrodes 6A, 6B, 6C are combined and fed back. The signal generation circuit 415 is configured to be supplied.

When the position indicator 1E constitutes a position indicator of a configuration type capable of detecting the tilt angle and the rotation angle on the position detection system, when the position indicator 1E is used for position detection. The position detection system detects each of the peripheral divided electrodes 6A, 6B, 6C from the peripheral divided electrodes 6A, 6B, 6C while transmitting additional information selected according to the signal and the configuration type. It is configured to send a signal that can be transmitted.

For example, the peripheral divided electrodes 6A, 6B, and 6C are each configured to send identification information (for example, a 2-bit signal) corresponding to each of them. Alternatively, each of the peripheral divided electrodes 6A, 6B, 6C may send out signals of different frequencies and phases. Alternatively, after the transmission of the signal from the central electrode 7 is completed, the signal of one frequency is transmitted to the peripheral divided electrodes 6A, 6B, 6C in order for a predetermined period.

The position detection system corresponding to the position indicator of the configuration type capable of detecting the tilt angle and the rotation angle on the position detection system is the reception intensity of the signal from each of the peripheral divided electrodes 6A, 6B, 6C. And a function of detecting the rotation angle and the tilt angle of the position indicator 1E from the spread distribution pattern of the received signal.

<Example of electromagnetic coupling method>
Further, although the above-described embodiment is the case of the electrostatic coupling type position indicator and the position detection system, the present invention is also applicable to the electromagnetic coupling type position indicator and the position detection system. ..

FIG. 18 shows a configuration example of an electromagnetic coupling type position indicator 100 according to the present invention, and corresponds to the conceptual configuration diagram of FIG. 1 showing the position indicator 1 of the embodiment described above.

As shown in FIG. 18, the position indicator 100 of this embodiment includes a signal transmission control circuit 141, a wireless communication module 142, and a side switch 143 in a cylindrical casing 103 made of an insulating material such as resin. , An ID memory 144, an oscillator 145, and a writing pressure detection unit 109. Further, the battery 105 is provided in the housing 103 as a supply source of a power supply voltage to the signal transmission control circuit 141, the wireless communication module 142, the side switch 143, the ID memory 144, the oscillator 145, and the like. The signal transmission control circuit 141 includes a pen type determination unit 1411.

Then, a core body 107 that penetrates the ferrite core 110 is coupled to the writing pressure detection unit 109, and the writing pressure detection unit 109 changes the writing pressure applied to the core body 107 to the writing pressure detection unit 109. It is detected as the electrostatic capacitance of the variable capacitor configured by. A coil 111 is wound around the ferrite core 110, and both ends of the coil 111 are connected to the signal transmission control circuit 141. Further, a capacitor 112 that forms a resonance circuit with the coil 111 is connected between both ends of the coil 111.

The signal transmission control circuit 141 is connected with the wireless communication module 142, the side switch 143, the ID memory 144, and the oscillator 145, as in the position indicator 1 of the above-described embodiment, and the writing pressure detection unit. The variable capacitor constituted by 109 is also connected to the signal transmission control circuit 141.

In the position indicator 100, the signal transmission control circuit 141 selectively controls the signal transmitted through the resonance circuit including the coil 111 and the capacitor 112, and also adds writing pressure information, side switch information, identification information, and the like. It selectively controls whether information is transmitted from the wireless communication module 142 or as a signal from the resonance circuit.

That is, in the case of the position indicator 100 of this embodiment, the resonance circuit constitutes the first transmission section, and the transmission function section of the wireless communication module 142 constitutes the first transmission section. Further, the reception function section of the wireless communication module 142 constitutes a reception section that receives the pen type information from the position detection system. The pen type information received from the position detection system by the reception function unit of the wireless communication module 142 is supplied to the pen type determination unit 1411 of the signal transmission control circuit 141. Although not shown, the pen type determination unit 1411 can also be configured by a pen type determination processing unit and a pen type table memory in this embodiment.

The signal transmission control circuit 141 of the position indicator 100 of this embodiment receives the pen type information from the position detection system, and the pen type determination unit 1411 determines and determines the pen type. ), (B), and (C), the position indicators 100A, 100B, and 100C of three types of configuration types 6, 7, and 8 can be configured.

When the pen type information received from the position detection system through the reception function unit of the wireless communication module 142 of the position indicator 100 is the configuration type 6, the signal transmission control circuit 141 causes the pen type information as shown in FIG. A position indicator 100A is configured. That is, in this configuration type 6, the variable capacitance capacitor configured by the writing pressure detection unit 109 is connected in parallel to the parallel resonance circuit including the coil 111 and the capacitor 112, and the side switch 143 and the capacitor 113 are further connected. A series circuit is connected.

Although not shown, the sensor unit of the position detection system 200A which is used together with the position indicator 100A of the structure type 6 and sends the structure type 6 to the position indicator 100A as pen type information has a plurality of loop coils. The loop coils are arranged in the X direction and the Y direction which are orthogonal to each other, and the transmission signal (AC signal) of the frequency fa is transmitted from the loop coil to the position indicator 100A.

In the position indicator 100A, the resonance circuit receives the AC signal from the position detection system 200A by electromagnetic coupling, and then the AC signal is fed back from the resonance circuit to the position detection system 200A. The position detection system 200A detects the position indicated by the position indicator 100A from the position of the loop coil that has transmitted the AC signal and the position of the loop coil that has received the feedback signal from the position indicator 100A. ..

In this case, the feedback signal from the position indicator 100A changes because the resonance frequency of the resonance circuit changes according to the value of the capacitance of the variable capacitor formed by the writing pressure detection unit 109. In the system 200A, the writing pressure information is detected by the change of the frequency (or the change of the phase).

Further, since the capacitor 113 is connected or disconnected to the resonance circuit by turning on/off the side switch 143, the resonance frequency of the resonance circuit changes according to turning on/off of the side switch 143. The position detection system 200A detects side switch information according to ON/OFF of the side switch 143 by a change in frequency (or a change in phase) of the feedback signal from the position indicator 100A.

The identification information of the position indicator 100A of the configuration type 6 is transmitted to the wireless communication unit of the position detection system 200A through the transmission function unit of the wireless communication module 142.

When the pen type information received from the position detection system through the reception function section of the wireless communication module 142 of the position indicator 100 is the configuration type 7, the signal transmission control circuit 141 causes the pen type information as shown in FIG. A simple position indicator 100B is configured. That is, in this configuration type 7, the parallel resonant circuit is composed of the coil 111 and the capacitor 112. Then, the writing pressure information, the side switch information, and the identification information are all transmitted to the wireless communication unit of the position detection system 200B through the transmission function unit of the wireless communication module 142.

The sensor unit of the position detection system 200B that is used with the position indicator 100B of the configuration type 7 and sends the configuration type 7 to the position indicator 100B as pen type information has the same configuration as the sensor unit of the position detection system 200A, and has a loop. The coil transmits a transmission signal (AC signal) of frequency fa to the position indicator 100B.

In the position indicator 100B, similarly to the position indicator 100A, the AC signal from the position detection system 200B is received by the resonance circuit by electromagnetic coupling, and then the AC signal is fed back from the resonance circuit to the position detection system 200B. The position detection system 200B detects the position indicated by the position indicator 100B, similarly to the position detection system 200A.

The position detection system 200B of the configuration type 7 does not have a function of monitoring the change in the frequency or phase of the feedback signal and detecting the additional information. Then, the position detection system 200B decodes the additional information received through the wireless communication unit to acquire the writing pressure information, the side switch information, and the identification information.

When the pen type information received from the position detection system through the reception function unit of the wireless communication module 142 of the position indicator 100 is the configuration type 8, the signal transmission control circuit 141 causes the pen type information as shown in FIG. The position indicator 100C is configured. That is, in the position indicator 100C of the configuration type 8, the parallel resonance circuit including the coil 111 and the capacitor 112 is coupled to the oscillator 145 to form the oscillation circuit 145S. Then, the oscillation signal from the oscillation circuit 145S is transmitted to the position detection system 200C through the parallel resonance circuit including the coil 111 and the capacitor 112.

Then, the writing pressure information, the side switch information, and the identification information are all transmitted to the wireless communication unit of the position detection system 200C through the transmission function unit of the wireless communication module 142.

The sensor unit of the position detection system 200C which is used together with the position indicator 100C of the configuration type 8 and sends the configuration type 8 to the position indicator 100C as pen type information, although not shown in the drawing, has a plurality of loop coils. They are arranged in the X and Y directions which are orthogonal to each other.

Then, the position detection system 200C receives the AC signal transmitted from the position indicator 100C in the loop coil by electromagnetic coupling. Then, the position detection system 200C detects the position designated by the position indicator 100C from the positions of the loop coils in the X and Y directions that have received the AC signal.

The above configuration types 6 to 8 are also examples, and there are various other configuration types for the electromagnetic coupling type position indicator and the position detection system, and the position indicator of the present invention has various types. It goes without saying that it can be configured so as to correspond to the configuration type of. For example, in the above-mentioned configurations 6 to 8, the identification information is not transmitted through the resonance circuit, but by controlling the resonance operation of the resonance circuit or the on/off of the oscillation operation of the oscillation circuit 145S, It is also possible to adopt a configuration type in which the identification information is transmitted from the core body 107 side as an ASK modulated signal or an OOK signal.

[Other Embodiments or Modifications]
The writing pressure detection units 9 and 109 of the above-described embodiment sandwich the dielectric between the first electrode and the second electrode, and of the first electrode and the second electrode, one of the first electrode and the second electrode is rotated according to the writing pressure. A variable capacitance capacitor is used, which is movable in the axial direction so that the electrostatic capacitance can be changed according to the writing pressure, but the configuration is not limited to this. For example, the writing pressure detection unit 9 may be configured by using a semiconductor element whose capacitance is variable according to writing pressure as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2013-161307. Further, the writing pressure detection unit may be configured by using a structure or an element that changes the inductance value and the resistance value according to the writing pressure instead of the capacitance.

Further, as described above, the additional information is not limited to the writing pressure information, the side switch information, the identification information, and the like, and various other information such as battery remaining amount information can be used as the additional information. ..

Further, in the above description of the embodiment, the drive power source of the position indicator is a battery, but a capacitor for accumulating a power supply voltage may be provided in the position indicator and the capacitor may be used as the drive power source. In that case, the structure for accumulating the power supply voltage in the capacitor may be a structure for a charging circuit that receives electric power energy from the outside by electromagnetic induction or electric field coupling and charges it. The charging current may be supplied from the charging device through the charging terminal. The power energy (electromagnetic energy or electric field energy) from the outside may be supplied from the position detection device to the position indicator, or may be supplied from a dedicated power supply device.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the position indicator has two transmitters, that is, the center electrode and the wireless communication module, but may have three or more transmitters.

In the description of the position indicator of the above-described embodiment, the position indicator automatically becomes a configuration type corresponding to the position detection system by bringing the position indicator closer to the sensor unit of the position detection system. I did it. However, instead of using the position detection system, the position indicator can be connected by communicating with an external device such as a personal computer that can communicate with the wireless communication module of the position indicator and selecting the configuration type with the external device such as the personal computer. It may be configured so that the selected desired configuration type can be set.

Further, even if the position indicator is provided with a switch for switching the configuration type, and the position indicator can be set to the desired configuration type by a switching operation by the switch for the configuration setting. Good. That is, for example, in the example of FIG. 18, a push button switch 146 that can be operated by the user is provided in the housing 103, and a push operation signal of the push button switch 146 is supplied to the signal transmission control circuit 141. In this case, the signal transmission control circuit 141 controls to change the configuration type, for example, every time the user presses the push button switch 146. It should be noted that a push button switch may be provided in the same manner in the example of FIG.

1, 1A-1E, 100A-100C... Position indicator, 2, 2A-2D, 200A-200C... Position detection system, 3... Housing, 31... Insulator part, 32... Conductor part, 5... Battery, 6 ...Peripheral electrode 6... center electrode, 8... shield member, 9... writing pressure detection unit, 40... printed wiring board, 41... signal transmission control circuit, 42... wireless communication module, 43... side switch, 44... ID memory, 45 , 46... Oscillator, 48... Power switch, 410... Control unit, 411... Pen type determination unit

Claims (19)

A position indicator having a pen shape, which is used with a position detection system having a sensor unit,
Position detection signal generating means for generating position detection signals of a plurality of different frequencies,
Additional information generating means for generating additional information,
A receiver for receiving a signal sent from the position detection system,
A first transmission unit that is provided on one end side of the housing of the position indicator and that transmits the position detection signal to the sensor unit of the position detection system;
A second transmitter different from the first transmitter for transmitting a radio signal to the position detection system;
The frequency of the position detecting signal generated by the position detecting signal generating means is controlled based on the signal transmitted from the position detecting system received by the receiving section, and generated by the additional information generating means. Control means for controlling whether the additional information is transmitted via the first transmitting section or the second transmitting section;
A position indicator comprising: The first transmitter includes a center electrode provided so as to project from the one end of the housing in the axial direction of the housing, and a peripheral electrode provided around the center electrode. And
Whether the control means sends the position detection signal generated from the position detection signal generating means through the center electrode based on the signal sent from the position detection system received by the receiving section. The position indicator according to claim 1, characterized in that the position indicator is controlled to be delivered via the peripheral electrode. The control means includes an information storage means that is referred to based on a signal sent from the position detection system received by the receiving unit,
Whether the frequency control of the position detection signal generated from the position detection signal generating means and the additional information are transmitted via the first transmission unit or the second transmission unit The position indicator according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the controls is performed by referring to the information stored in the information storage means. The position indicator according to claim 3, wherein the information stored in the information storage means is rewritable. The position indicator according to claim 3, wherein the information stored in the information storage means is configured to be rewritten based on a command sent from the position detection system. The additional information generating means is configured to include the pressure detecting means in the case where the position indicator is provided with pressure detecting means for detecting the pressure applied to the center electrode. The position indicator according to item 2 . The additional information generating means is configured to include the identification information storage means when the position indicator is provided with identification information storage means for storing identification information for identifying the position indicator. The position indicator according to claim 1, which is characterized in that. The position indicator according to claim 1, wherein the additional information generating means is configured to include the operation switch when the position indicator is provided with an operation switch. The position indicator according to claim 1, wherein the receiving unit is configured to receive a signal via the sensor unit of the position detection system. The position indicator according to claim 1, wherein the reception unit is configured to receive a signal based on a spread code transmitted via the sensor unit of the position detection system. The position indicator according to claim 1, wherein the receiving unit is configured to receive a radio signal transmitted from the position detection system. The first transmission unit is configured to send the position detection signal by being electrostatically coupled to the sensor unit of the position detection system. Position indicator. The position according to claim 1, wherein the first transmission unit is configured to send the position detection signal by electromagnetically coupling with the sensor unit of the position detection system. Indicator. The reception unit is configured to receive a wireless signal transmitted from the position detection system, and constitutes a short-range wireless communication unit together with the second transmission unit that transmits a wireless signal to the position detection system. The position indicator according to claim 1, wherein: The position indicator according to claim 14, wherein the short-range wireless communication unit performs wireless communication of Bluetooth (registered trademark) standard. The control means sets the first transmission unit and the second transmission unit in a dormant state in response to the fact that the signal transmitted from the position detection system by the reception unit cannot be received for a predetermined time. It controls, The position indicator of Claim 1 characterized by the above-mentioned. A position indicator having a pen shape, which is used with a position detection system having a sensor unit,
Position detection signal generating means for generating position detection signals of a plurality of different frequencies,
Additional information generating means for generating additional information,
A receiver for receiving a signal sent from the position detection system,
A first transmission unit that is provided on one end side of the housing of the position indicator and that transmits a position detection signal to the sensor unit of the position detection system;
A second transmitter different from the first transmitter for transmitting a radio signal to the position detection system;
The frequency of the position detecting signal generated by the position detecting signal generating means is controlled based on the signal transmitted from the position detecting system received by the receiving section, and generated by the additional information generating means. A control means for controlling whether the additional information is sent out via the first transmitting section or the second transmitting section,
The first transmitter includes a center electrode provided so as to project from the one end of the housing in the axial direction of the housing, and a peripheral electrode provided around the center electrode. And
Whether the control means sends the position detection signal generated from the position detection signal generating means through the center electrode based on the signal sent from the position detection system received by the receiving section. , Or a position indicator which controls whether or not the signal is sent out through the peripheral electrode. A position indicator having a pen shape, which is used with a position detection system having a sensor unit,
Position detection signal generating means for generating position detection signals of a plurality of different frequencies,
Additional information generating means for generating additional information,
A receiver for receiving a signal sent from the position detection system,
A first transmission unit that is provided on one end side of the housing of the position indicator and that transmits the position detection signal to the sensor unit of the position detection system;
A second transmitter different from the first transmitter for transmitting a radio signal to the position detection system;
The frequency of the position detection signal generated by the position detection signal generating means is controlled on the basis of the signal transmitted from the position detection system received by the reception section, and the addition generated by the additional information generation means is performed. A control means for controlling whether the information is sent out through the first transmitting section or the second transmitting section,
The control means includes an information storage means referred to on the basis of a signal sent from the position detection system received by the receiving section, and the position detection signal generated from the position detection signal generating means. Of at least one of the frequency control and whether the additional information is transmitted via the first transmission section or the second transmission section is stored in the information storage means. A pointing device characterized by being executed by referring to the information that has been obtained. A position indicator having a pen shape, which is used with a position detection system having a sensor unit,
Position detection signal generating means for generating position detection signals of a plurality of different frequencies,
Additional information generating means for generating additional information,
A receiver for receiving a signal sent from the position detection system,
A first transmission unit that is provided on one end side of the housing of the position indicator and that transmits the position detection signal to the sensor unit of the position detection system;
A second transmitter different from the first transmitter for transmitting a radio signal to the position detection system;
The frequency of the position detecting signal generated by the position detecting signal generating means is controlled based on the signal transmitted from the position detecting system received by the receiving section, and generated by the additional information generating means. A control means for controlling whether the additional information is sent out via the first transmitting section or the second transmitting section,
The control means controls the first transmitter and the second transmitter to be in a dormant state in response to the fact that the signal sent from the position detection system by the receiver cannot be received for a predetermined time. A position indicator characterized by being controlled.

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