JP7108081B1 - Information processing apparatus, information processing system, program, and pen type input device discrimination method - Google Patents

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to identify a retractable pen-type input device. Kind Code: A1 An information processing apparatus includes a first information acquisition unit that acquires identification information of a pen-type input device from a pen-type input device, and a retractable pen-type input device based on the identification information of the pen-type input device. A determination unit 24 that determines whether or not the device is a device, and a second information acquisition unit 25 that acquires identification information of a system related to the pen-type input device when it is determined that the device is a stowable pen-type input device. and a pen discrimination unit 26 for discriminating a pen-type input device based on the acquired system identification information. [Selection drawing] Fig. 3

Description

The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus, an information processing system, a program, and a pen-type input device determination method.

For example, in portable information processing apparatuses such as notebook PCs, tablet terminals, and smartphones, pen-type input devices are used as input devices. In general, a pen-type input device is assigned a device ID unique to the pen. This device ID is stored, for example, in a storage unit such as a ROM (Read Only Memory) built into the pen-type input device. The information processing apparatus can identify the pen-type input device to be used by acquiring the device ID of the pen stored in the storage unit of the pen-type input device.

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, retractable pen-type input devices that can be stored in a pen storage section provided in an information processing apparatus have become popular. A stowable pen-type input device (hereinafter referred to as a "stowable pen") has an optimized design of the cap part according to the design of the pen storing part of the information processing device. The structure is such that it is not compatible with pen housings other than the device. On the other hand, main body parts other than the cap part of the retractable pen are standardized for purposes such as cost reduction and shortening of delivery time. ing.

In this way, since a common device ID is assigned to the retractable pens, the information processing apparatus can recognize that the retractable pens are all the same pen even if the external shape (for example, the design of the cap portion) is different. It was not possible to distinguish between individual stored pens. For this reason, for example, even on the pen setting screen for setting pens, the common pen image and common installed functions are displayed for the retracted pen, and the pen image and installed functions are different from the actual ones. could be provided to the user.

The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and provides an information processing apparatus, an information processing system, a program, and a pen-type input device discrimination method that can discriminate a retractable pen-type input device. intended to

A first aspect of the present invention includes a first information acquisition unit that acquires identification information of the pen-type input device from the pen-type input device, and a retractable pen-type input device based on the identification information of the pen-type input device. a determination unit that determines whether or not the pen-type input device is a retractable type, a second information acquisition unit that acquires identification information of a system related to the pen-type input device when the pen-type input device is determined as a storage type; and a pen discrimination unit that discriminates the pen-type input device based on the acquired identification information of the system.

A second aspect of the present invention is an information processing system comprising the above information processing apparatus and a pen-type input device that can be stored in a pen storage section provided in the information processing apparatus.

A third aspect of the present invention is a program for causing a computer to function as the information processing apparatus.

A fourth aspect of the present invention includes a step of acquiring identification information of the pen-type input device from the pen-type input device, and determining whether the pen-type input device is a retractable pen-type input device based on the identification information of the pen-type input device. determining, obtaining identification information of a system related to the pen-type input device when it is determined that the pen-type input device is a storage type, and based on the obtained identification information of the system and a step of discriminating the pen-type input device by a computer.

A fifth aspect of the present invention is an information processing apparatus comprising a wireless communication antenna and a processing circuit, wherein the processing circuit receives data from the pen-type input device via the wireless communication antenna. Acquiring identification information of the input device, determining whether or not the pen-type input device is a retractable pen-type input device based on the identification information of the pen-type input device, and determining that the input device is the retractable pen-type input device. 1. An information processing apparatus that acquires identification information of a system related to a pen-type input device, and determines the pen-type input device based on the acquired identification information of the system.

ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, it is effective in being able to discriminate|determine a retractable pen type input device.

1 is a schematic external view of an information processing device according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of an information processing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram showing an example of a pen-type input device discrimination function among various functions provided in an information processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a pen setting screen according to one embodiment of the present invention; 4 is a flow chart showing an example of a processing procedure of a pen-type input device discrimination method according to an embodiment of the present invention;

Hereinafter, an information processing apparatus, an information processing system, a program, and a pen-type input device determination method according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the present embodiment, a notebook PC (hereinafter referred to as a "notebook PC") will be described as an example of the information processing apparatus 1, but the information processing apparatus 1 is not limited to this example. For example, the information processing device 1 may be a tablet terminal, a smart phone, a PDA (Personal Digital Assistance), or the like, and can be widely applied to information processing devices compatible with pen-type input devices.

FIG. 1 is a schematic external view of an information processing device 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the information processing apparatus 1 includes, as an example, a body-side housing 2 and a display-side housing 3, both of which are substantially rectangular parallelepipeds. The body-side housing 2 includes an input section 4 . The input unit 4 is a user interface for the user to perform input operations, and includes a keyboard composed of various keys for inputting characters, commands, etc., and for moving the cursor on the screen and selecting various menus. It has a touch pad.

The display-side housing 3 has a touch panel 5 . The touch panel 5 converts input display data into a video signal, displays various information corresponding to the converted video signal on the display screen, and detects various operations performed using a finger or a pen-type input device. An example of a pen-type input device is a stylus pen (touch pen).

The body-side housing 2 and the display-side housing 3 are connected by a pair of connecting portions 6 at their respective ends. The connecting portion 6 is a hinge, and supports the main body side housing 2 and the display side housing 3 so that they can be opened and closed.

In the information processing apparatus 1, a pen housing portion 7 for housing a pen is formed on one side surface of the body-side housing 2. As shown in FIG. In the pen-type input device 10 corresponding to the information processing apparatus 1, the design of the cap portion is optimized according to the design of the pen storage section 7, and in principle, the pen storage section other than the corresponding information processing apparatus The structure is such that it does not fit.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration example of hardware of the information processing apparatus 1. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, the information processing apparatus 1 includes, for example, an input unit 4, a touch panel 5, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 11, a main memory 12, a storage unit 13, a graphics adapter 16, a touch controller 17, an external interface 18, A communication interface 19 and the like are provided. These units are connected to each other directly or indirectly via a bus, and cooperate with each other to perform various processes.

The CPU 11 controls the entire information processing apparatus 1 by, for example, an OS (Operating System) stored in a storage unit 13 connected via a bus, and executes various programs stored in the storage unit 13. Executes various processing.

The main memory 12 is composed of a writable memory such as a cache memory and a RAM (Random Access Memory), and is used as a work area for reading the execution program of the CPU 11 and writing processing data by the execution program.

The storage unit 13 is a non-transitory computer readable storage medium, such as a ROM (Read Only Memory), HDD (Hard Disk Drive), flash memory, or the like. The storage unit 13 stores, for example, an OS such as Windows (registered trademark), iOS (registered trademark), and Android (registered trademark) for controlling the entire information processing apparatus 1, BIOS (Basic Input/Output System), and peripheral devices. It stores various device drivers, various application software, and various data and files for operating the hardware. The storage unit 13 also stores programs for implementing various processes and various data required for implementing various processes.

The touch panel 5 has a display 14 and a touch sensor 15 .
The display 14 is, for example, a liquid crystal display, an organic EL (Electroluminescence) display, or the like, and displays the video signal from the graphics adapter 16 as an image under the control of the CPU 11 .

The graphics adapter 16 converts the display information into a video signal under the control of the CPU 11 and outputs the converted video signal to the display 14 .

The touch sensor 15 detects the contact position of the user's finger or pen-type input device on the display 14 and outputs it to the touch controller 17 . As an example, the touch sensor 15 according to the present embodiment detects a contact position of a pen-type input device by an electromagnetic induction method, and detects a contact position of a finger by an electrostatic capacitance method. make it possible. Note that the method of detecting input by a pen-type input device and the method of detecting input by a finger are examples, and the present invention is not limited to these.

The touch controller 17 is configured by, for example, a touch IC or the like, detects input coordinates based on the contact position output from the touch sensor 15 , and outputs the coordinates to the CPU 11 . Further, the touch controller 17 may perform sensitivity control of the touch sensor based on commands from the CPU 11 .

The external interface 18 is an interface for connecting with an external device. Examples of external devices include an external monitor, a USB memory, an external HDD, and the like. Although only one external interface is shown in the example shown in FIG. 2, a plurality of external interfaces may be provided.

The communication interface 19 functions as an interface for connecting to a network, communicating with other devices, and transmitting and receiving information.
For example, communication interface 19 comprises a wireless communication antenna. The communication interface 19 communicates with other devices using a wireless communication standard such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) or Wi-Fi or a dedicated communication protocol.

The input unit 4 is a user interface, such as a keyboard, mouse, touch pad, etc., for the user to give instructions to the information processing apparatus 1 .

Note that the configuration of the information processing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment is not limited to the above example. For example, in the present embodiment, the configuration in which the touch sensor 15 is superimposed on the display 14 has been described as an example, but the configuration of the touch panel 5 is not limited to this example. For example, the display 14 and the input area including the touch sensor 15 may be provided in different housings, and the user's input operation on the input area may be reflected in the display of the display 14 .

FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram showing an example of an input device determination function among various functions provided in the information processing apparatus 1. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 3, the information processing apparatus 1 includes a device ID storage unit 21, a pen information storage unit 22, a first information acquisition unit 23, a determination unit 24, a second information acquisition unit 25, a pen determination unit 26, and A display control unit 27 is provided.
Functions realized by these units are realized by, for example, a processing circuit. For example, the functions described below are realized by the CPU 11 reading a program (pen-type input device determination program) stored in the storage unit 13 into the main memory 12 and executing the program. The pen-type input device identification program may be implemented, for example, in pen setting application software that performs pen settings.

The device ID storage unit 21 stores, for example, system identification information related to the genuine pen-type input device 10 corresponding to the information processing apparatus 1 . Here, the genuine pen-type input device means a storage-type pen-type input device designed to be stored in the pen storage section 7 .

The "system identification information" is, for example, information uniquely associated with a genuine pen-type input device. As a result, it is possible to determine (specify) the stowed pen-type input device 10 (genuine pen-type input device) applied to the information processing apparatus 1 from the identification information of the system. In this embodiment, the product ID of the touch controller 17 for controlling the touch sensor 15, more specifically, the product ID of the touch IC will be exemplified as the identification information of the system.

For example, the device ID storage unit 21 is implemented by the storage unit 13 . Since the storage unit 13 stores device IDs or product IDs of various devices installed in the information processing apparatus 1, for example, the storage destination of the product ID of the touch IC is used as the device ID storage unit 21. It is possible.

The pen information storage unit 22 stores pen information, which is information about pen-type input devices. For example, for a stand-alone pen-type input device to which an individual device ID is assigned, the device ID and pen information are associated and stored in the pen information storage unit 22 . Further, for a retractable pen-type input device to which a common device ID is assigned, the system identification information, that is, in the present embodiment, the product ID of the touch IC and the pen information are associated with each other in the pen information storage unit. 22 is stored.

The "pen information" includes, for example, the image information of the pen and the built-in functions of the pen. Note that at least one of these may be included in the pen information.

The first information acquisition unit 23 acquires a device ID, which is identification information of the pen-type input device, from a storage unit (eg, ROM) built in the pen-type input device through mutual communication with the pen-type input device.
For example, the first information acquisition unit 23 establishes communication between the communication interface 19 and the pen-type input device and acquires the device ID of the pen-type input device via the communication interface 19 .

Based on the device ID acquired by the first information acquisition unit 23, the determination unit 24 determines whether the pen-type input device is a retractable pen. For example, storage pens are given a common device ID. Therefore, by determining whether or not the device ID acquired by the first information acquisition unit 23 is a common device ID indicating a retractable pen, it is possible to determine whether or not the pen-type input device is a retractable pen. It is possible.

The second information acquisition unit 25 acquires the product ID of the touch IC from the device ID storage unit 21 when the determination unit 24 determines that the pen-type input device is the retractable pen.

When the determination unit 24 determines that the pen-type input device is a stand-alone pen, the pen determination unit 26 determines the pen-type input device based on the device ID acquired by the first information acquisition unit 23. Since it is possible, the pen information associated with the device ID is obtained from the pen information storage unit 22 .

On the other hand, when the determination unit 24 determines that the pen-type input device is a retractable pen, the pen determination unit 26 determines the pen-type input device based on the product ID of the touch IC. Pen information associated with the ID is acquired from the pen information storage unit 22 . That is, in the case of a retractable pen, the pen cannot be identified based on the device ID. For this reason, for example, based on the product ID of the touch IC uniquely associated with the retractable pen-type input device, the model of the information processing apparatus 1 is determined, and the genuine pen-type input device 10 corresponding to the model is determined. By specifying , the retractable pen-type input device is determined.

The display control unit 27 causes the display 14 to display a pen setting screen based on the pen information acquired by the pen determination unit 26 .

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a pen setting screen. As shown in FIG. 4, the pen setting screen displays a pen image 30, a built-in function 32, and the like based on the pen information acquired by the pen determination unit 26. FIG. As a result, for example, even with a retractable pen-type input device that uses a common device ID, it is possible to display a correct image on the display 14 according to the outline of the retractable pen-type input device.

Next, a pen-type input device determination method according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing procedure of the pen-type input device discrimination method according to this embodiment. The processing described below is realized, for example, by the CPU 11 reading a program (pen-type input device determination program) stored in the storage unit 13 into the main memory 12 and executing the program. Further, the processing described below is executed, for example, when a pen setting instruction is input by the user.

When the distance between the pen-shaped input device used by the user and the touch panel 5 approaches and communication becomes possible, the information processing apparatus 1 acquires the device ID of the pen-shaped input device (SA1). Subsequently, the information processing apparatus 1 determines whether or not the pen-type input device is a retractable pen based on the obtained device ID (SA2). As a result, when it is determined that the pen is not a retractable pen (SA2: NO), pen information specified by the acquired device ID is acquired from the pen information storage unit 22 (SA3), and pen setting is performed based on the acquired pen information. The screen is displayed on the display 14 (SA4), and this process is terminated.

On the other hand, if it is determined in step SA2 that the pen-type input device is a retractable pen (SA2: YES), the product ID of the touch IC is acquired (SA5). Subsequently, the pen information specified by the acquired product ID of the touch IC is acquired from the pen information storage unit 22 (SA6), the pen setting screen based on the acquired pen information is displayed on the display 14 (SA7), and this processing is performed. exit.

As described above, the information processing apparatus, the information processing system, the program, and the pen-type input device determination method according to the present embodiment have the following effects.
According to this embodiment, based on the device ID of the pen-type input device, it is determined whether or not the pen in use is a retractable pen. A pen-type input device is determined based on identification information, such as the product ID of the touch controller (eg, touch IC) 17 . That is, in the present embodiment, when it is determined that the pen is a retractable pen, the pen in use is regarded as a genuine pen corresponding to the information processing apparatus 1, and the system information of the information processing apparatus 1 is determined. discriminate the pen based on

This makes it possible to identify individual pens even in a retractable pen-type input device with a common device ID. As a result, it is possible to display an appropriate pen image and installed functions according to the retractable pen-type input device being used on the pen setting screen. It is possible to provide correct information of the pen used by

In the above-described embodiment, the case where the touch controller 17, more specifically, the product ID of the touch IC is used as the identification information of the system related to the stowable pen-type input device 10 will be described as an example. However, it is not limited to this example. For example, as the system identification information, it is possible to use the product ID of another device, for example, the product ID of the information processing apparatus 1, or the system model (the model number of the PC).

In addition, the "system identification information" used to identify the pen is information stored in a location accessible by application software that executes the pen-type input device identification process described above, for example, pen setting application software. good. For example, since the product ID of the touch IC described above is described as a driver ID, it can be acquired by the pen setting application software without requiring special access permission. On the other hand, for example, when using information such as that stored in the BIOS as system identification information, access permission may be required. In this way, by using information that can be easily accessed by the application software implementing the pen-type input device determination function as the "system identification information", there is an advantage that it is possible to avoid complication of processing.

Although the present invention has been described above using the embodiments, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiments. Various changes or improvements can be made to the above-described embodiments without departing from the gist of the invention, and forms with such changes or improvements are also included in the technical scope of the present invention. Also, the above embodiments may be combined as appropriate.

For example, in the above-described embodiment, the pen information is stored in the pen information storage unit 22 provided in the information processing apparatus 1, but the pen information is stored in the information processing apparatus 1. No need. For example, pen information is stored in a device (e.g., server) connected via the communication interface 19, and pen information corresponding to the device ID of the pen-type input device or system identification information is obtained by communicating with the server. It is also possible to

Reference Signs List 1: Information processing device 5: Touch panel 7: Pen storage unit 10: Pen-type input device 11: CPU
12: Main memory 13: Storage unit 14: Display 15: Touch sensor 16: Graphics adapter 17: Touch controller 18: External interface 19: Communication interface 21: Device ID storage unit 22: Pen information storage unit 23: First information acquisition unit 24: determination unit 25: second information acquisition unit 26: pen determination unit 27: display control unit

Claims (10)

a first information acquisition unit that acquires identification information of the pen-type input device from the pen-type input device;
a determination unit that determines whether the pen-type input device is a retractable pen-type input device based on the identification information of the pen-type input device;
a second information acquisition unit that acquires identification information of a system related to the pen-type input device when the pen-type input device is determined to be a retractable type;
and a pen discrimination unit that discriminates the pen-type input device based on the acquired identification information of the system. 2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the system identification information is information uniquely associated with a pen-type input device. 3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the system identification information is a product ID of a touch controller. The pen determination unit selects pen information of the pen-type input device corresponding to the identification information of the system from a pen information storage unit in which system identification information and pen information of the pen-type input device are stored in association with each other. 4. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, which acquires. 5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the pen information includes at least one of pen image information and installed function information. 6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising a display control section for displaying the pen information acquired by the pen determination section on a pen setting screen. an information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6;
An information processing system comprising a pen-type input device that can be stored in a pen storage section provided in the information processing apparatus. A program for causing a computer to function as the information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6. obtaining identification information of the pen-type input device from the pen-type input device;
a step of determining whether the pen-type input device is a retractable pen-type input device based on the identification information of the pen-type input device;
obtaining identification information of a system associated with the pen-type input device when it is determined that the pen-type input device is a retractable type;
and a step of identifying the pen-type input device based on the acquired identification information of the system. An information processing device comprising a wireless communication antenna and a processing circuit,
The processing circuit is
Acquiring identification information of the pen-shaped input device from the pen-shaped input device via the wireless communication antenna;
Based on the identification information of the pen-type input device, determine whether it is a retractable pen-type input device,
Acquiring identification information of a system related to the pen-type input device when it is determined that the pen-type input device is a retractable type;
An information processing apparatus that determines the pen-type input device based on the acquired identification information of the system.

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