JP7144584B2 - Electronic pen and position detection system - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a position detection system comprising an electronic pen as a position indicator for indicating a position to a position detection circuit, and a device having the electronic pen and the position detection circuit.

A large number of information terminals such as tablet PCs (Personal Computers) equipped with touch panels have been provided. A touch panel is an electronic component that combines a display device such as a liquid crystal display and a position detection circuit that uses a touch sensor (coordinate detection sensor). there is When it is necessary to perform more detailed operation input, an electronic pen is often used as a dedicated position indicator. As an input device for personal computers, a device called a digitizer, which is composed of a board with a built-in touch sensor for detecting a position and an electronic pen for designating a position, is widely used.

In meetings and seminars, the use of input devices that use touch sensor technology enables information terminals and projectors that enable easy and quick information input, and displays the necessary information on the screen. is being done. As a result, materials prepared in advance and information added on the spot using an electronic pen can be displayed on the screen through the information terminal and the projector, and can be easily shared by all participants in a meeting or seminar. Furthermore, as an extension function to the electronic pen, for example, a laser pointer function is added, and information that is input to an information terminal using the electronic pen and projected on the screen is pointed out and explained using the laser pointer function. Such things are also done.

To add an extended function such as a laser pointer function to the electronic pen, the structure of the electronic pen part is not changed, the extended function part is unitized, and this is attached to the rear end of the electronic pen (opposite to the core body). This is often achieved by attaching the That is, the extended function part is configured as a part in a separate housing (separate unit) from the electronic pen, and by attaching this to the electronic pen, the extended function can be easily added to the electronic pen. US Patent Documents 1 to 3 disclose technologies for installing an extended function such as a laser pointer in an electronic pen.

U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0028635 U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0002422 U.S. Pat. No. 7,161,578

There are two types of electronic pens: one is the signal oscillation type, in which the oscillator circuit mounted in the electronic pen oscillates and transmits signals for position detection, and the other is the type in which the resonance circuit mounted in the electronic pen resonates with the external magnetic field from the position detection circuit. There is a resonance type that reflects a signal for position detection. In the case of a resonance type electronic pen, drive power can be stored inside the electronic pen due to the resonance effect on the external magnetic field. On the other hand, in the case of a signal oscillation type electronic pen, it is necessary to provide a power source inside the electronic pen for driving an oscillator or the like.

In addition, it is necessary to provide a power supply in the extended function unit attached to the electronic pen. For example, if the extended function is a laser pointer, a relatively large amount of power is required to drive the semiconductor laser, and a power source such as a primary battery or secondary battery must be installed. However, when the power source is provided in the extended function unit provided at the rear end of the electronic pen, the center of gravity is positioned at the rear end of the electronic pen, and the force for writing is applied to the core of the electronic pen. It is thought that there are cases where it becomes difficult to write because it is not properly conveyed.

Further, in the case of a signal oscillation type electronic pen, a power source on the electronic pen side and a power source on the expansion unit side are required. For this reason, if the power supply on the electronic pen side runs out, the extended function can be used but the electronic pen function cannot be used. must manage both. In addition, when a primary battery is used as a power source, the electronic pen and the expansion unit must be configured so that the primary battery can be replaced, which may impose restrictions on the configuration.

Furthermore, the expansion unit is provided with a switch for operation, but since the electronic pen is a rod-shaped housing, when the switch is operated, the operation in the direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the rod-shaped electronic pen pressure is applied. In this case, there is a concern that an excessive load is applied to the connecting portion between the electronic pen and the expansion unit, and the connecting portion is likely to be damaged.

In view of the above, the present invention can easily add an extended function to an electronic pen as a position indicator without deteriorating the usability and without complicating power supply management. To protect a connecting part between an electronic pen and an extension unit.

In order to solve the above problems, the electronic pen of the invention according to claim 1,
a first position indicator that transmits a signal to the position detection sensor;
a control unit;
a first connector portion;
a power supply section that can be charged from an external power supply through the first connector section;
an electronic pen body having
a second position indication unit for indicating the position of a predetermined area different from the input area of the position detection sensor;
an extension having a second connector portion;
with
The electronic pen body and the extension are detachable through the first connector and the second connector,
When the electronic pen main body and the extension are connected, power can be supplied from the power source of the electronic pen main body to the extension,
The control unit of the electronic pen main body monitors at least one of voltage, current, and remaining amount of the power supply of the electronic pen main body, and the power supply has the electronic pen function of the electronic pen main body. is not in a state that can be maintained for a predetermined period of time, control is performed so as not to supply power to the extension unit.

According to the electronic pen of the invention described in claim 1, the electronic pen main body having the first position indicating part and the extension part having the second position indicating part are connected to the first connector of the electronic pen main body. It is detachable through the portion and the second connector portion of the extension portion. The first position indication part of the electronic pen main body part transmits a signal to a position detection sensor located near the user, and indicates the position of the approaching object, so to speak.

On the other hand, the second position indication part of the extension part is for indicating the position of a predetermined area different from the input area of the position detection sensor. , that is, the position of a distant object. In this way, it is possible to easily add the extended portion for indicating the position of the distant object to the electronic pen main body portion for indicating the position of the near object.

Only the electronic pen main body has a power source. Therefore, since the power supply section is not located on the rear end side of the electronic pen main body, the center of gravity of the electronic pen main body can be lowered, and usability is not deteriorated. Also, the power supply section of the electronic pen body can be charged from an external power supply through the first connector section. When the electronic pen main body and the expansion section are connected through the first connector section and the second connector section, power can be supplied from the power supply section of the electronic pen main body to the expansion section. ing. In this case, the control section of the electronic pen main body controls power supply from the power supply section of the electronic pen main body to the expansion section. Specifically, the control unit of the electronic pen main body monitors at least one of the voltage, current, and remaining amount of the power supply of the electronic pen main body, and the power supply provides the electronic pen function of the electronic pen main body. is not in a state that can be maintained for a predetermined period of time, control is performed so as not to supply power to the expansion unit. As a result, power supply management in the electronic pen is not troublesome.

In addition, the electronic pen of the invention described in claim 2,
a first position indicator that transmits a signal to the position detection sensor;
a control unit;
a first connector portion configured as a recess;
a cylindrical portion formed with the first connector portion; a power supply portion that can be charged from an external power source through the first connector portion;
an electronic pen body having
a second position indication unit for indicating the position of a predetermined area different from the input area of the position detection sensor;
a second connector portion configured as a convex portion;
a wall-like portion surrounding the second connector portion; and an extension portion having:
with
The electronic pen body and the extension are detachable through the first connector and the second connector,
When the first connector portion and the second connector portion are connected, the tubular portion and the wall portion are fitted together to connect the first connector portion and the second connector portion. cover and protect the
When the electronic pen main body and the extension are connected, power can be supplied from the power source of the electronic pen main body to the extension,
The control unit of the electronic pen main body monitors at least one of voltage, current, and remaining amount of the power supply of the electronic pen main body, and the power supply has the electronic pen function of the electronic pen main body. is not in a state that can be maintained for a predetermined period of time, control is performed so as not to supply power to the extension unit.

According to the electronic pen of the invention recited in claim 2, the basic configuration is similar to that of the electronic pen recited in claim 1. In the case of the electronic pen according to claim 2, the first connector of the electronic pen main body is configured as a concave portion. It is configured to have a part. On the other hand, the second connector of the extended portion is configured as a convex portion, and is configured to have a wall-like portion surrounding the second connector at a predetermined distance from the second connector. Then, the second connector having a convex portion is inserted into the first connector having a concave portion to connect the electronic pen main body and the extended portion.

In this case, the cylindrical portion in which the first connector is formed is thick so that the first connector will not be easily damaged. When the second connector is inserted into and connected to the first connector, the tubular portion of the electronic pen main body is covered with the wall portion of the extended portion, and the two are firmly fitted together. That is, the thick tubular portion of the electronic pen main body portion is fitted into the concave portion between the second connector and the wall portion of the extension portion, thereby connecting the first connector and the second connector. In this state, the electronic pen body and the extension are further connected. In this state, the first connector and the second connector in the connected state are covered by the tubular portion of the electronic pen main body and the wall portion of the extended portion.

In this manner, the first connector of the electronic pen main body and the second connector of the extension form a first fitting portion, and the cylindrical portion of the electronic pen main body and the wall-shaped portion of the extension are connected. The second fitting portion is configured to form two fitting portions. A second fitting portion composed of the cylindrical portion of the electronic pen main body and the wall portion of the extended portion is a first fitting portion composed of the first connector and the second connector in the connected state. is strongly protected. Therefore, a large load is not applied to the connected first connector and the second connector, and the first and second connector portions are not damaged. Moreover, the connection state between the electronic pen main body and the extended portion can be maintained firmly and stably.

According to the electronic pen of the present invention, extended functions can be easily added. Moreover, it does not make usability worse. Also, power supply management is not troublesome. Furthermore, the first connector portion and the second connector portion in the connected state can be properly protected.

It is a figure for demonstrating the external appearance of the electronic pen of 1st Embodiment. It is a figure for demonstrating the usage condition of the electronic pen of 1st Embodiment. 1 is a block diagram for explaining a configuration example of an electronic pen according to a first embodiment; FIG. FIG. 2 is a block diagram for explaining a configuration example of a capacitive position detection circuit; 7 is a flowchart for explaining an example of power supply control to an expansion unit; It is a figure for demonstrating the usage condition of the electronic pen of 2nd Embodiment. FIG. 7 is a block diagram for explaining a configuration example of an electronic pen according to a second embodiment; FIG. FIG. 12 is a block diagram for explaining a configuration example of a personal computer (PC) and a projector that configure a position detection system together with the electronic pen of the second embodiment; FIG. 11 is a flowchart for explaining cooperative processing between an electronic pen and a personal computer (PC) that configure the position detection system of the second embodiment; FIG.

Embodiments of an electronic pen and a position detection system according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[First embodiment]
[Appearance of electronic pen 1]
FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining the appearance of an electronic pen 1 according to the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1A, the electronic pen 1 of this embodiment consists of an electronic pen main body 11 and an extension part 12 . The electronic pen main body 11 includes a core 111, and realizes a signal oscillation type electronic pen function in which a signal oscillated in the electronic pen main body 11 is transmitted from the core 111. For example, a capacitance It is used for a combination type position detection circuit. The extension part 12 realizes a function as a laser pointer.

As shown in FIG. 1B, a connector jack 11J is provided on the rear end side of the electronic pen body 11 (the end opposite to the core 111). That is, as shown in FIG. 1(D), a tubular portion 11T is provided on the rear end side of the electronic pen main body portion 11, and a connector jack 11J having a concave structure in the central portion of the tubular portion 11T. is formed. The cylindrical portion 11T formed with the connector jack 11J is made thick so that the connector jack 11J is not damaged even when a connector plug is inserted into the connector jack 11J.

Further, as shown in FIG. 1C, a connector plug 12P is provided at the end of the extended portion 12 facing the electronic pen main body 11. As shown in FIG. The connector plug 12P of the extension part 12 is inserted into the connector jack 11J of the electronic pen main body part 11 to fit. That is, as shown in FIG. 1E, a connector plug 12P configured as a convex portion is provided at the end of the extended portion 12 facing the electronic pen main body 11. As shown in FIG. A circular wall portion 12W is provided around the connector plug 12P at a predetermined distance from the connector plug 12P. The wall portion 12W has a certain thickness as shown in FIGS. 1(A), (C), and (E). The outer periphery of the wall-shaped portion 12W and the outer periphery of the electronic pen main body 11 are made to coincide with each other. Also, the inner circumference of the wall-shaped portion 12W is slightly larger than the outer circumference of the cylindrical portion 11T of the electronic pen main body 11 .

With such a configuration, the electronic pen body 11 and the extension 12 can be electrically connected by inserting the connector plug 12P of the extension 12 into the connector jack 11J of the electronic pen body 11 . Further, as shown in FIGS. 1(C) and 1(E), between the connector plug 12P of the extension portion 12 and the wall portion 12W is a concave portion into which the tubular portion 11T of the electronic pen main body portion 11 is fitted. It's becoming Therefore, when the connector plug 12P of the extension part 12 is inserted into the connector jack 11J of the electronic pen main body part 11, the tubular part 11T of the electronic pen main body part 11 is connected to the connector plug 12P of the extension part 12 and the wall part 12W. get stuck in between. As a result, the connection state between the electronic pen main body 11 and the extended portion 12 can be maintained more firmly and stably.

Thus, the connector jack 11J of the electronic pen main body 11 and the connector plug 12P of the extended portion 12 constitute a first fitting portion. Further, the cylindrical portion 11T of the electronic pen main body portion 11 and the wall portion 12W of the extension portion 12 constitute a second fitting portion. Therefore, when the electronic pen main body 11 and the extension part 12 are connected, the cylindrical shape of the electronic pen main body 11 surrounds the connector jack 11J of the electronic pen body 11 and the connector plug 12P of the extension part 12 in the connected state. The portion 11T and the wall-like portion 12W of the extended portion 12 are covered.

As shown in FIG. 1, the cylindrical portion 11T of the electronic pen body 11 and the wall portion 12W of the extended portion 12 have a predetermined height (length along the axial direction of the electronic pen 1). ing. Therefore, both the connector jack 11J of the electronic pen body 11 and the connector plug 12P of the extension 12 in a state in which the cylindrical portion 11T of the electronic pen body 11 and the wall-like portion 12W of the extension 12 are connected. is strongly protected. Further, since the electronic pen main body 11 and the extension part 12 are connected by the first and second fitting parts, the connection state between the two can be maintained firmly and stably.

In this embodiment, the connector jack 11J of the electronic pen body 11 and the connector plug 12P of the extension part 12 are, for example, USB (Universal Serial Bus) standard. Through the USB standard connector, it is possible to transfer not only data but also power.

In this manner, the electronic pen body 11 and the extension 12 are detachable through the connector jack (first connector) 11J and the connector plug (second connector) 12P. That is, the extension part 12 can be easily attached (connected) to or removed from the electronic pen main body part 11 . When the electronic pen body 11 and the extension part 12 are connected through the connector jack 11J and the connector plug 12P, power can be supplied from the electronic pen body 11 to the extension part 12 . Also, as will be described later, a battery (secondary battery) is installed in the electronic pen main body 11, and power can be supplied from the outside through the connector jack 11J to charge the battery.

Further, on the side surface of the electronic pen main body 11, switch operation portions (operation buttons) 115a and 116a for side switches are provided. Further, on the side surface of the extended portion 12, a switch operation portion (operation button) 123a for an on/off switch for laser light irradiation is provided.

As described above, when the connector jack 11J of the electronic pen body 11 and the connector plug 12P of the extension part 12 are connected, they are connected to the cylindrical part 11T of the electronic pen body 11 and the wall part of the extension part 12. 12W is covered. For this reason, even if the switch operation portion 123a for turning on/off the irradiation of the laser light is pressed and a force is applied to the electronic pen 1 in a direction crossing the axial direction of the electronic pen 1, the electronic pen main body portion 11 The connector jack 11J and the connector plug 12P of the extension portion 12 are strongly protected by the tubular portion 11T of the electronic pen main body portion 11 and the wall portion 12W of the extension portion 12 .

Therefore, the electronic pen body 11 and the extension part 12 are not easily detached, and the connector jack 11J of the electronic pen body 11 and the connector plug 12P of the extension part 12 in the connected state are damaged. does not occur.

Incidentally, as shown in FIGS. 1B and 1D, projections Pj1, Pj2, and Pj3 are provided on the side wall (side surface) of the cylindrical portion 11T of the electronic pen main body 11. FIG. Further, as shown in FIGS. 1(C) and 1(E), the inner wall (inner surface) of the wall-like portion 12W of the extension portion 12 has projections Pj1, Pj2, and Pj3 at positions corresponding to the positions of the projections Pj1, Pj2, and Pj3 of the tubular portion 11T. , grooves Gr1, Gr2, and Gr3 are provided to match the projections Pj1, Pj2, and Pj3.

These protrusions Pj1, Pj2, and Pj3 of the tubular portion 11T and the grooves Gr1, Gr2, and Gr3 of the wall-like portion can regulate both positions when the electronic pen body portion 11 and the extension portion 12 are connected. . Protrusions Pj1, Pj2, and Pj3 of cylindrical portion 11T and grooves Gr1, Gr2, and Gr3 of wall portions allow electronic pen main body 11 and extension portion 12 to be connected only at fixed positions. This prevents the connector jack 11J and the connector plug 12P from being forcibly connected in the opposite direction and damaged.

Further, the protrusions Pj1, Pj2, and Pj3 of the cylindrical portion 11T and the grooves Gr1, Gr2, and Gr3 of the wall portion 12W are fitted to each other, so that the electronic pen main body portion 11 and the extension portion 12 are aligned with each other. Prevents it from rotating in the wrong direction. That is, the protrusions Pj1, Pj2, and Pj3 of the cylindrical portion 11T and the grooves Gr1, Gr2, and Gr3 of the wall-like portion constitute a third fitting portion. By the function of this third fitting portion, when an external force is applied to the electronic pen main body portion 11 and the extension portion 12 so as to rotate them in different directions around the axis, they are prevented from rotating. The stress is prevented from being transmitted to the connected connector jack 11J and the connector plug 12P, and the connector jack 11J and the connector plug 12P are prevented from being twisted to cause damage or failure.

Thus, in the electronic pen 1 of this embodiment, the connecting portion between the electronic pen body portion 11 and the extension portion 12 of the electronic pen 1 includes the first fitting portion, the second fitting portion, It is a mode in which three fitting portions are configured with the third fitting portion. As a result, the electronic pen main body 11 and the extended portion 12 of the electronic pen 1 are connected firmly and stably, and further, damage such as damage is prevented.

In this embodiment, three protrusions Pj1, Pj2, and Pj3 are provided on the tubular portion 11T, and three grooves Gr1, Gr2, and Gr3 are provided on the wall-shaped portion 12W, but the present invention is not limited to this. . One or more projections and grooves corresponding to each other may be provided in the tubular portion 11T and the wall portion 12W.

[How to use the electronic pen 1]
FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining how the electronic pen 1 of this embodiment is used. In FIG. 2, a PC (Personal Computer) 2 is equipped with an electrostatically coupled touch panel 2TP. The projector 3 receives image data supplied from the PC 2 and projects an image corresponding to the image data onto the screen 4 . Therefore, by moving the core 111 of the electronic pen body 11 of the electronic pen 1 in contact with the touch panel 2TP of the PC 2, information such as drawings, pictures, characters, and symbols can be input to the PC 2. FIG. Information such as diagrams, pictures, characters, symbols, etc. input to the PC 2 is supplied to the projector 3 as image data, whereby an image can be projected onto the screen 4 through the projector 3 according to the image data.

Suppose that the user wishes to point to a predetermined position of the image projected on the screen 4 . In this case, as indicated by arrow MK1 in FIG. Then, when the switch operation portion 123a is pressed down, the screen 4 is irradiated with the laser beam LZ from the extended portion 12. As shown in FIG. Thereby, the position P on the screen 4 can be indicated by the laser beam LZ emitted from the extended portion 12 . By changing the direction of the extension part 12 , the laser light LZ emitted from the extension part 12 can point to any position on the screen 4 .

In this way, by using the electronic pen 1, it is possible to seamlessly perform the input of information to the PC 2 using the electronic pen function and the operation of pointing to the predetermined position of the image displayed on the screen 4 with the laser light LZ. can. As a result, the explanation at the conference, meeting, etc. can be made easy to understand, and the effect of the conference or meeting can be increased.

As described above, the electronic pen 1 of this embodiment has an electronic pen function and a laser pointer function by connecting the extension part 12 to the electronic pen main body part 11 .

[Configuration example of electronic pen 1]
FIG. 3 is a block diagram for explaining a configuration example of the electronic pen 1 according to the first embodiment. As described above, by inserting the connector plug 12P of the extension part 12 into the connector jack 11J provided at the rear end part of the electronic pen main body part 11, both are connected, and the electronic pen function and the laser pointer function are realized. and an electronic pen 1 is configured. In this case, the tubular portion 11T of the electronic pen main body 11 and the wall-shaped portion 12W of the extension portion 12 are fitted to each other, and the connection between the electronic pen main body 11 and the extension portion 12 is strengthened, and the connector jack 11J is connected. and the connector plug 12P can also be strongly protected.

First, the extension unit 12 will be described. As shown in FIG. 3, the extension section 12 includes a semiconductor laser 121, a power switch 122, a switch circuit 123, and a switch operation section 123a. The semiconductor laser 121 is an element that oscillates by passing an electric current through a semiconductor, and the mechanism of light emission is the same as that of an LED (Light Emitting Diode). The power switch 122 switches supply/non-supply of the power supplied from the electronic pen main body 11 (to be described later) to the semiconductor laser 121 .

The switch circuit 123 supplies an ON signal to the power switch 122 when the switch operation portion 123a is pressed by the user. Note that the switch circuit 123 does not supply the ON signal to the power switch 122 when the switch operation portion 123a is not pressed by the user. As a result, the power switch 122 is turned on only when the switch operation portion 123a is pressed by the user, and the power from the electronic pen main body portion 11 is supplied to the semiconductor laser 121 to irradiate laser light. made possible.

Although the power switch 122 is electrically turned on/off here, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the power switch 122 may be mechanically turned on/off in accordance with the pressing operation of the switch operation unit 123a.

Next, the electronic pen main body 11 will be described. As shown in FIG. 3, the electronic pen main body 11 includes a core body 111, a writing pressure detection unit 112, a control circuit 113, an oscillator 114, side switches 115 and 116, a battery 117, and a charging/power supply circuit. 118. The switch operation units 115a and 116a are operation buttons for the side switches 115 and 116, respectively. The side switches 115 and 116 and the switch operation units 115a and 116a are for realizing functions corresponding to so-called left click buttons and right click buttons of a mouse as pointing devices, for example. Further, the battery 117 is a secondary battery having a power storage element, and the charging/power supply circuit 118 receives power supply from the outside under the control of the control circuit 113 to charge the battery 117, or to charge the battery 117. Power is supplied to each part from the

The core 111 is made of a conductive material and formed into a rod shape. One end protrudes from the housing (case) of the electronic pen main body 11 to form a pen tip, and the other end is a brush. It is attached to the electronic pen main body 11 by being attached to the pressure detection unit 112 . Thus, when writing pressure is applied to the pen tip of the core 111 , the core 111 presses the pen pressure detection unit 112 . The writing pressure detection unit 112 is configured by mounting a variable capacitor capable of changing the capacitance by a mechanical movable portion pressed by the core 111 .

That is, the capacitance of the variable capacitor mounted on the writing pressure detection unit 112 is configured to change according to the writing pressure (pressing force) applied to the core 111 . Therefore, by supplying the capacitance of the variable capacitor to the control circuit 113, the control circuit 113 can detect (detect) the writing pressure applied to the core 111 according to the capacitance. Become.

Note that the variable capacitor mounted on the writing pressure detection unit 112 may be configured as a MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical System) chip made of a semiconductor device. Also, instead of the pressure-sensitive variable capacitor mounted on the pen pressure detection unit 112, a pressure-sensitive component that can change the inductance value and the resistance value according to the pressing force may be used.

The control circuit 113 performs control related to the position indication signal transmitted from the electronic pen main body 11, control related to power supply to the expansion unit 12, and the like. As shown in FIG. 3, the control circuit 113 is connected to the writing pressure detection unit 112, the oscillator 114, the side switches 115 and 116, the charge/power supply circuit 118, and the data terminals of the connector jack 11J. A signal line from the control circuit 113 is connected to the core 111 . Then, the control circuit 113 supplies a signal corresponding to the signal from the oscillator 114 to the core body 111 as a position indication signal, and controls the transmission to the position detection circuit through the core body 111 .

Further, the control circuit 113 detects the writing pressure according to the capacitance from the variable capacitor of the writing pressure detection unit 112, and for example, the frequency (phase) of the position indication signal supplied to the core 111 according to the writing pressure. ). This allows the position detection circuit to detect (detect) not only the indicated position but also the writing pressure according to the frequency (phase) of the position indicating signal from the electronic pen 1 of this embodiment.

Also, when the switch operating portions 115a and 116a of the side switches 115 and 116 are operated, a signal (ON signal) indicating that the corresponding side switch 115 and 116 has been operated is supplied to the control circuit 113 . Therefore, when the ON signal is supplied from the side switches 115 and 116, the control circuit 113 adjusts, for example, the frequency (phase) of the position indicating signal supplied to the core 111 in accordance with the operated side switches 115 and 116. change. As a result, on the position detection circuit side, it is also recognized that the switch operation portions 115a and 116a of the side switches 115 and 116 have been operated according to the frequency (phase) of the position indication signal from the electronic pen 1 of this embodiment. I am making it possible. Thus, the control circuit 113 performs various controls related to the position indication signal.

Furthermore, when a matching connector plug is inserted into the connector jack 11J, the control circuit 113 can recognize what kind of equipment the connection destination is based on a signal from the connection destination. Therefore, when the control circuit 113 recognizes that the connection destination is, for example, a connector plug connected to a commercial power supply, the control circuit 113 controls the charging/power feeding circuit 118 to switch to the charging mode. As a result, power supplied from the outside is supplied to the battery 117 via the charging/power supply circuit 118, and the battery 117 is charged.

Further, when the control circuit 113 recognizes from the signal from the connection destination that the connection destination is the expansion unit 12 that realizes the laser pointer function, the control circuit 113 controls the charging/power supply circuit 118 to switch to the power supply mode. . As a result, power from the battery 117 is supplied to the extension section 12 . However, when the control circuit 113 can detect the pen pressure according to the electrostatic capacity from the pen pressure detection unit 112, the electronic pen main body 11 is in use, so the battery 117 is used. Control the charging/power supply circuit 118 so as not to supply power to the extension 12 . As a result, it is possible to avoid the inconvenience of erroneously irradiating the laser beam when using the electronic pen main body 11 .

Also, the control circuit 113 can monitor the voltage of the battery 117 through the charging/power supply circuit 118 . For this reason, for example, the voltage value of the battery 117 capable of maintaining the electronic pen function of the electronic pen body 11 for a predetermined time is specified as a threshold and stored in the memory of the control circuit 113 . When the voltage of the battery 117 being monitored is equal to or lower than the threshold value stored in the memory, the control circuit 113 controls the charging/power supply circuit so as not to supply power from the battery 117 to the expansion unit 12. 118. As a result, the inconvenience that the electronic pen function of the electronic pen body 11 cannot be maintained due to the power shortage of the battery 117 can be avoided as much as possible.

Also, the control circuit 113 can control the charging/power supply circuit 118 so as not to supply power to the outside through the connector jack 11J when nothing is connected through the connector jack 11J. In this way, the control circuit 113 of the electronic pen body 11 can appropriately control the power supply to the expansion part 12 connected through the connector jack 11J.

As described above, when the electronic pen function of the electronic pen main body 11 is used, or when the electronic pen function of the electronic pen main body 11 is not available due to the voltage value of the battery 117, the electronic pen function of the electronic pen main body 11 becomes more likely to become unusable. In this case, power is not supplied to the expansion unit 12 . As a result, the electronic pen 1 can fully utilize the laser pointer function, which consumes a relatively large amount of power, while maintaining the operable state of the electronic pen function as much as possible.

[Overview of capacitive coupling type position detection circuit]
Next, a configuration example of a position detection circuit used together with the electronic pen 1 of this embodiment will be described. FIG. 4 shows the coordinates of a capacitive coupling system that receives a signal from the electronic pen main body 11 of the electronic pen 1 of this embodiment, detects the position on the sensor, and detects the pen pressure and the state of the side switch. 3 is a block diagram for explaining a position detection circuit 300 using detection sensors; FIG.

As shown in FIG. 4, the position detection circuit 300 of this example comprises a capacitive coupling type coordinate detection sensor (hereinafter abbreviated as sensor) 310 and a pen detection circuit 320 connected to this sensor 310. . Although the cross-sectional view is omitted in this example, the sensor 310 is formed by laminating a first conductor group 311, an insulating layer (not shown), and a second conductor group 312 in order from the lower layer side. be. The first conductor group 311 includes, for example, a plurality of first conductors 311Y1, 311Y2, . They are arranged in the Y-axis direction. The second conductor group 312 extends in the vertical direction (Y-axis direction) orthogonal to the first conductor group 311 and is arranged parallel to and separated from each other by a predetermined distance in the X-axis direction.

As described above, the sensor 310 of the position detection circuit 300 is configured to detect the position indicated by the electronic pen using the sensor pattern formed by intersecting the first conductor group 311 and the second conductor group 312. ing. In the following description, the first conductors 311Y1, 311Y2, . Similarly, second conductors 312X1, 312X2, .

The pen detection circuit 320 includes a selection circuit 321 serving as an input/output interface with the sensor 310, an amplifier circuit 322, a bandpass filter 323, a detection circuit 324, a sample hold circuit 325, and AD (Analog to Digital) conversion. It consists of a circuit 326 and a control circuit 327 .

Selection circuit 321 selects one conductor 311 Y or 312 X from first conductor group 311 and second conductor group 312 based on a control signal from control circuit 327 . A conductor selected by the selection circuit 321 is connected to an amplifier circuit 322 , and a signal from the electronic pen body 11 is detected by the selected conductor and amplified by the amplifier circuit 322 . The output of this amplifier circuit 322 is supplied to a band-pass filter 323, and only the frequency component of the signal transmitted from the electronic pen body 11 is extracted.

The output signal of the bandpass filter 323 is detected by the detection circuit 324 . The output signal of the detection circuit 324 is supplied to the sample hold circuit 325, sampled and held at a predetermined timing by the sampling signal from the control circuit 327, and then converted into a digital value by the AD conversion circuit 326. Digital data from the AD conversion circuit 326 is read and processed by the control circuit 327 .

The control circuit 327 operates to send control signals to the sample-and-hold circuit 325, the AD conversion circuit 326, and the selection circuit 321 according to a program stored in an internal ROM. Then, the control circuit 327 calculates the coordinates of the position on the sensor 310 indicated by the electronic pen main body 11 from the digital data from the AD conversion circuit 326 . Further, the control circuit 327 detects the pen pressure detected through the pen pressure detection unit 112 of the electronic pen main body 11 and the states of the side switches 115 and 116 of the electronic pen main body 11 .

In the PC 2 shown in FIG. 2, the touch panel 2TP is formed by stacking (overlapping) the sensor 310 of the position detection circuit 300 and the LCD. Therefore, the input area of the sensor 310 and the display area of the LCD match.

[Example of control of power supply to expansion unit 12 by control circuit 113]
FIG. 5 is a flowchart for explaining an example of power supply control to the extension unit 12 performed by the function of the control circuit 113 of the electronic pen main body unit 11 . The processing shown in the flowchart of FIG. 5 is executed when the electronic pen 1 is in the power-on state, and ends when the power is turned off. Note that the power can be turned on/off by a predetermined operation such as long-pressing of the switch operation portion 115a of the side switch 115, for example. Of course, a power on/off switch may be provided in the electronic pen body 11 to turn on/off the power.

Then, when the electronic pen main body 11 is powered on, the control circuit 113 of the electronic pen main body 11 first determines whether or not the pen pressure is detected through the pen pressure detection unit 112 (step S101). ). Assume that it is determined in the determination processing in step S101 that the pen pressure is not detected. In this case, since the electronic pen body 11 is not in use, the control circuit 113 determines whether or not the voltage of the battery 117 monitored through the charging/power supply circuit 118 is higher than the threshold (step S102). ).

Suppose that the voltage of the battery 117 is determined to be higher than the threshold value (the voltage is OK) in the determination process of step S102. In this case, power can be supplied to the expansion section 12, so the control circuit 113 determines whether or not the expansion section 12 is connected through the connector jack 11J (step S103). When it is determined in the determining process in step S103 that the extension unit 12 is connected, it is determined whether power is already being supplied from the battery 117 to the extension unit 12 (step S104).

Assume that it is determined in the determination process of step S104 that power is not being supplied from the battery 117 to the extension unit 12 . In this case, the control circuit 113 controls the charging/power supply circuit 118 to start supplying power from the battery 117 to the expansion unit 12 (step S105). After the power supply start process of step S105 and when it is determined in the determination process of step S104 that power is being supplied from the battery 117 to the expansion unit 12, the process proceeds to the determination process of step S106.

In this case, the control circuit 113 determines whether or not the electronic pen body 11 is powered off (step S106). When it is determined in the determination processing of step S106 that the power is not turned off, the processing from step S101 is repeated. Further, when it is determined that the power supply is turned off in the determination process of step S106, the charging/power supply circuit 118 is controlled to perform a predetermined termination process such as stopping the supply of power from the battery 117 to each part ( Step S107), the process shown in FIG. 5 is terminated.

On the other hand, when it is determined that the pen pressure is detected in the determination processing of step S101, when it is determined that the voltage of the battery 117 is not greater than the threshold value (below the threshold value) in the determination processing of step S102, and when it is determined that the voltage of the battery 117 is not greater than the threshold value (below the threshold value) If it is determined that the expansion unit 12 is not connected in the determining process of 1, the process proceeds to the determining process of step S108.

In this case, the control circuit 113 determines whether power is already being supplied from the battery 117 to the expansion unit 12 (step S108). Assume that it is determined in the determining process of step S108 that power is being supplied from the battery 117 to the extension unit 12 . In this case, the control circuit 113 controls the charging/power supply circuit 118 to stop the power supply from the battery 117 to the expansion unit 12 (step S109).

After the power supply stop process of step S109 and when it is determined in the determination process of step S108 that power is not being supplied from the battery 117 to the expansion unit 12, the process proceeds to the determination process of step S106. Then, as described above, it is determined whether or not the electronic pen body 11 is powered off (step S106). If it is determined in the determining process of step S106 that it is not turned off, the process from step S101 is repeated, and if it is determined that it is turned off, end processing is performed (step S107), and the process of FIG. 5 is terminated. .

In this manner, the control circuit 113 of the electronic pen main body 11 appropriately controls the power supply to the expansion section 12 connected through the connector jack 11J. As a result, for example, the inconvenience of using the laser pointer function when it is unnecessary, or using the laser pointer function too much, drains the battery more than necessary, and becomes unable to use the electronic pen function when necessary. can be prevented. That is, the electronic pen function of the electronic pen main body 11 and the laser pointer function of the extension part 12 can be used appropriately.

Moreover, since the heavy battery 117 is mounted on the electronic pen main body 11 side, the center of gravity of the so-called electronic pen main body 11 is lowered, and the usability of the electronic pen function is not deteriorated. In addition, the electronic pen main unit 11 and the extension unit 12 do not separately manage the power supply.

[Modification of First Embodiment]
In addition, in the case of the electronic pen 1 of the first embodiment described above, the extension part 12 is provided with the power switch 122, but the present invention is not limited to this. The extension part 12 is not provided with the power switch 122, and the ON signal from the switch circuit 123 is supplied to the control circuit 113 of the electronic pen body part 11 through the connector plug 12P and the connector jack 11J. Then, the control circuit 113 charges/powers only when the pen pressure is not detected, the voltage of the battery 117 is higher than the threshold, and the ON signal is supplied from the switch circuit 123 of the extension unit 12. Circuitry 118 may be controlled to provide power to extension 12 .

Therefore, even when the ON signal is supplied from the switch circuit 123 of the extension unit 12, if the writing pressure is detected or if the voltage of the battery 117 is equal to or less than the threshold, the battery 117 switches to the extension unit 12. Do not supply power to As a result, it is possible to prevent the laser beam from being irradiated when it is not necessary, thereby preventing wasteful consumption of the power supply.

Further, a switch circuit for turning on/off the supply of power to the extension part 12 is provided on the electronic pen main body part 11 side, and this is turned on/off depending on the presence or absence of an ON signal from the switch circuit 123 of the extension part 12. can also be configured.

Further, in the electronic pen 1 of the first embodiment described above, for example, the voltage value of the battery 117 capable of maintaining the electronic pen function of the electronic pen body 11 for a predetermined period of time is specified as the threshold. Then, by the control function of the control circuit 113, power is not supplied to the expansion unit 12 when the voltage value of the battery 117 becomes equal to or less than the threshold value. However, it is not limited to this.

For example, assume that the voltage required to operate the electronic pen function of the electronic pen body 11 is E1. It is also assumed that the voltage required to operate the semiconductor laser 121 of the extension section 12 is E2. Normally, the voltage E2 required to operate the semiconductor laser 121 is higher than the voltage E1 required to operate the electronic pen function.

Therefore, when the voltage Eb of the battery 117 is higher than the voltage E1 required to operate the electronic pen function and lower than the voltage E2 required to operate the semiconductor laser 121 (E1<Eb<E2), , the power is not supplied to the extension unit 12 . By doing so, when the battery 117 does not have enough voltage to drive the semiconductor laser 121, the supply of power to the extension unit 12 can be stopped. As a result, wasteful consumption of electric power can be avoided, and a state in which the electronic pen function can function can be maintained.

Also, the case where the voltage is used as a reference for controlling the supply of power to the expansion unit 12 has been described as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, in the charging/power supply circuit 118, the current value flowing through a predetermined resistance is measured, and based on this current value, it is controlled whether to supply power to the expansion unit 12 or to stop supplying power. good too. Also, the remaining amount of the battery 117 is obtained based on the voltage value of the battery 117 and the current value that the battery 117 can pass through a predetermined resistance. Then, whether to supply power to the expansion unit 12 or to stop supplying power may be controlled based on the obtained remaining battery capacity.

In short, power is supplied to the expansion unit 12 based on the power required to operate the electronic pen function, the power required to operate the expansion functions of the expansion unit 12, and the power that the battery 117 can supply. It is sufficient to control whether to supply power or to stop supplying power.

[Second embodiment]
[Overview of Second Embodiment]
Next, an embodiment of the electronic pen 1A of the second embodiment and a position detection system configured by the electronic pen 1A and a PC (Personal Computer) will be described. The electronic pen 1A of the second embodiment also comprises an electronic pen main body 11A and an extension part 12A, like the electronic pen 1 of the first embodiment described with reference to FIG. As in the case of the electronic pen 1 of the first embodiment, the electronic pen main body 11A is provided with a connector jack 11J, and the extended section 12A is provided with a connector plug 12P. Connectable.

That is, in the case of the electronic pen 1A of the second embodiment as well, the configuration of the connecting portion between the electronic pen body portion 11A and the extension portion 12A is the same as that of the electronic pen 1 of the first embodiment shown in FIG. It has the same configuration. Therefore, when the electronic pen body 11A and the extension part 12A are connected, the connector plug 12P of the extension part 12A, the connector jack 11J of the electronic pen body 11A, the cylindrical part 11T of the electronic pen body 11A, and the extension part are connected in order from the inside. A wall portion 12W of 12A is fitted to connect the two.

In this case, the cylindrical portion 11T of the electronic pen main body 11A and the wall-shaped portion 12W of the expanded portion 12A surround the connector jack 11J of the electronic pen main body 11A and the connector plug 12P of the extended portion 12A in the connected state. It is configured to cover. As shown in FIG. 1, the cylindrical portion 11T of the electronic pen main body portion 11A and the wall portion 12W of the extended portion 12A have a predetermined height (the length along the axial direction of the electronic pen 1). Therefore, it is possible to strongly protect both the connector jack 11J of the electronic pen body 11A and the connector plug 12P of the extension 12A in the connected state.

A gyro sensor is mounted on the extension part 12A of the electronic pen 1A of the second embodiment, realizing a so-called air mouse function. In other words, the electronic pen 1A of the second embodiment is composed of an electronic pen main body 11A that implements the electronic pen function and an expansion section 12A that implements the air mouse function.

[How to use the electronic pen 1A]
FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining how the electronic pen 1A according to the second embodiment is used. In FIG. 6, a PC (Personal Computer) 2A is equipped with an electrostatically coupled touch panel 23 . A projector (image display device) 3 receives supply of image data from the PC 2A and projects an image on the screen 4 according to the image data. Then, as in the case of the first embodiment described above, by moving the core 111 of the electronic pen body 11A of the electronic pen 1A in contact with the touch panel 23 of the PC 2A, the PC 2A Information such as drawings, pictures, characters, and symbols can be entered. Information such as diagrams, pictures, characters, and symbols input to the PC 2A is supplied to the projector 3 as image data, whereby an image corresponding to the image data can be projected onto the screen 4 through the projector 3. FIG.

Thus, in the second embodiment, the electronic pen 1A, the PC 2A, and the projector 3 constitute a position detection system. In the case of this position detection system, by moving the display position of a pointer PT, which is, for example, an arrow-shaped position indicator displayed in the image projected on the screen 4, the image projected on the screen 4 is It is possible to point to a predetermined position in the image. The air mouse function of the expansion section 12A is used to move the display position of the pointer PT. That is, as shown in FIG. 6, using the electronic pen 1A, information is input through the touch panel 23 of the PC 2A, and when the core of the electronic pen 1A is separated from the touch panel 23, the core of the electronic pen 1A is in contact until just before that. A pointer PT is displayed so as to point to the position P on the touch panel 23 that was being displayed.

In this case, in order to move the pointer PT, the core 111 of the electronic pen 1A is separated from the touch panel 23 of the PC 2A as indicated by an arrow MK2 in FIG. to the screen 4. Then, while pressing the switch operation portion 126a, the user changes the orientation of the extension portion 12A in the direction in which the pointer PT is desired to move, as indicated by the arrow around the electronic pen 1A. That is, when it is desired to move the pointer PT above the current display position, the extension part 12A of the electronic pen 1A is swung up to change its orientation. As a result, angular velocity data is output from the gyro sensor mounted on the extension section 12A, and transmitted to the PC 2A through the wireless communication section mounted on the electronic pen main body section 11A, although details will be described later.

In this embodiment, the angular velocity data is data consisting of rotation direction, rotation angle, and rotation time. That is, the angular velocity data indicates in which direction, by how much angle, and for how long in which time the expansion portion 12A has been rotationally moved. The PC 2A is capable of receiving angular velocity data from the electronic pen body 11A, calculates in which direction and how much the pointer PT should be moved according to the received angular velocity data, and displays the pointer PT accordingly. Change position. As a result, the display position of the pointer PT can be moved to point to the target position P on the screen 4 .

Here, in order to move the pointer PT above the current display position, it is assumed that the direction is changed by swinging up the extended portion 12A of the electronic pen 1A. However, by swinging the extension part 12A of the electronic pen 1A in the desired direction to move the pointer PT, the pointer PT can be moved in the desired direction. That is, the display position of the pointer PT can be moved in the direction intended by the user, and the amount of movement is also the angular velocity (how much is It can be changed according to how long the angle is moved).

In this way, by using the electronic pen 1A, the input of information to the PC 2A and the operation of moving the display position of the pointer PT displayed on the screen 4 can be performed seamlessly. As a result, the explanation at the conference, meeting, etc. can be made easy to understand, and the effect of the conference or meeting can be increased. Thus, the electronic pen 1A of this embodiment has an electronic pen function and a so-called air mouse function by connecting the extension part 12A to the electronic pen body part 11A.

[Configuration example of electronic pen 1A]
FIG. 7 is a block diagram for explaining a configuration example of the electronic pen 1A according to the second embodiment. The electronic pen 1A of the second embodiment is composed of roughly two parts, an electronic pen main body part 11A and an extension part 12A, similarly to the electronic pen 1 of the first embodiment described above. The electronic pen main body 11A mainly realizes the electronic pen function similarly to the electronic pen main body 11 of the electronic pen 1 of the first embodiment. However, the extension part 12A of the second embodiment has a configuration for realizing a so-called air mouse function.

Therefore, in the electronic pen 1A of the second embodiment shown in FIG. 7, the same reference numerals are used for the parts configured in the same manner as the electronic pen 1 of the first embodiment described with reference to FIG. The detailed description of that portion will be omitted as it will be duplicated. As for the electronic pen 1A according to the second embodiment shown in FIG. 7, the components different from those of the electronic pen 1 according to the first embodiment described with reference to FIG. 3 will be mainly described.

As shown in FIG. 7, by inserting the connector plug 12P of the extension part 12A into the connector jack 11J provided at the rear end of the electronic pen main body part 11A, the two are connected to form the second embodiment. The electronic pen 1A is composed of. First, the extension part 12A will be described. As shown in FIG. 7, the extension section 12A includes a gyro sensor 125, a switch circuit 126, and a switch operation section 126a.

The gyro sensor 125 is a kind of inertial sensor that realizes the measurement of rotational angular velocity, and can detect how much the angle of the extension part 12A mounted thereon changes per unit time. More specifically, the gyro sensor 125 is a triaxial gyro sensor (angular velocity sensor). Outputs angular velocity data indicating whether the object has rotated.

The switch circuit 126 is configured as a so-called two-step switch, and outputs an ON/OFF signal for the gyro sensor when half-pressed (pressed lightly), and outputs a gyro sensor ON/OFF signal when fully pressed (strongly pressed). outputs a position determination signal. A gyro sensor ON/OFF signal and a position determining signal from the switch circuit 126 are supplied to the control circuit 113 of the electronic pen body 11A through the connector plug 12P and the connector jack 11J.

As a result, when the switch operation portion 126a is half-pressed by the user, the control circuit 113 of the electronic pen body portion 11A controls the gyro sensor 125 to be turned on/off. When the gyro sensor 125 is turned on and in operation, it can receive angular velocity data from the gyro sensor 125 and transmit it to the PC 2A. Further, when the switch operation portion 126a is fully pressed by the user, the control circuit 113 of the electronic pen main body portion 11A transmits a position determination signal to the PC 2A, and the position is specified by the angular velocity data received from the gyro sensor 125 just before that. The position to be displayed can be identified as the position indicated by the user.

The above operations will be described as operations on the position detection system in FIG. When the switch operation part 126a is half-pressed, the pointer PT moves on the screen 4 according to the angular velocity data from the gyro sensor 125 in the moving direction of the expansion part 12A. As a result, the pointer PT is positioned on any object on the screen. Further, when the button is fully pressed, a position determination signal is transmitted to the PC 2A, thereby selecting and determining the object indicated by the pointer PT.

It should be noted that the switch is not limited to a two-step push switch, and two switches, for example, an on/off switch for the gyro sensor 125 and a switch for determining the position, may be provided and used separately. That is, the on/off switch of the gyro sensor 125 controls on (operation)/off (non-operation) of the gyro sensor 125 . Then, only when the gyro sensor is in an operating state, it is possible to enable the operation of the switch for determining the position so that the determination can be performed.

Further, the gyro sensor 125 is operated only when the switch operation portion 126a is continuously pressed by the user, and the gyro sensor 125 is stopped when the switch operation portion 126a is not pressed by the user. It is also possible to control In this case, the position indicated by the pointer PT is determined when the switch operation unit 126a is no longer pressed from the state where it is being pressed by the user.

Next, the electronic pen main body 11A will be described. As shown in FIG. 7, the electronic pen main body portion 11A of the second embodiment is provided with a wireless communication portion 119 and an antenna 119A, which is different from the electronic pen of the first embodiment shown in FIG. It is different from the body portion 11 . In this embodiment, the wireless communication unit 119 and the antenna 119A realize a wireless communication function of the "Bluetooth (registered trademark)" standard, which is one of the standards of short-range wireless communication for digital devices.

Further, as shown in FIG. 7, the control circuit 113 of the electronic pen main body 11A is connected to the switch circuit 126 of the extension part 12A, and the ON signal from the switch circuit 126 is supplied to the control circuit 113. ing. Also, the control circuit 113 of the electronic pen main body 11A is connected to the gyro sensor 125 of the expansion section 12A so that data can be exchanged with each other. Also, the charging/power supply circuit 118 of the electronic pen main body 11A and the gyro sensor of the extension 12A are connected, and power can be supplied from the battery 117 of the electronic pen main body 11A to the gyro sensor 125 of the extension 12A. It's like

Then, the control circuit 113 of the electronic pen main body 11A performs on/off control of the gyro sensor 125 when the switch operation portion 126a of the switch circuit 126 is half-pressed. That is, when the switch operation portion 126a of the switch circuit 126 is half-pressed, if the gyro sensor 125 is not in operation, it is turned on, and if the gyro sensor 125 is in operation, it is turned off.

Also, the control circuit 113 of the electronic pen main body 11A receives angular velocity data from the gyro sensor 125 when the gyro sensor 125 is in an operating state. Then, the control circuit 113 wirelessly transmits the received angular velocity data to the PC 2A via the wireless communication unit 119 and the antenna 119A. Angular velocity data corresponding to the operation of swinging the extension part 12A is thereby transmitted to the PC 2A, and the display position of the pointer PT displayed on the screen 4 can be changed as described with reference to FIG.

The control circuit 113 of the electronic pen main body 11A transmits a determination signal to the PC 2A when the switch operation portion 126a of the switch circuit 126 is fully pressed while the gyro sensor 125 is in the operating state. This allows the PC 2A to specify the position specified by the angular velocity data received from the gyro sensor 125 immediately before as the position specified by the user.

In the electronic pen 1A of the second embodiment, as in the case of the electronic pen 1 of the first embodiment, power supply control from the battery 117 of the electronic pen body 11A to the extension part 12A is controlled. It can be carried out.

[Equipment constituting a position detection system together with the electronic pen 1A]
FIG. 8 is a block diagram for explaining a configuration example of the electronic pen 1A, the PC 2A that constitutes a position detection system, and the projector 3. As shown in FIG. The PC 2A can receive a position indication input using the electronic pen function of the electronic pen body 11A of the electronic pen 1A and a position indication input using the air mouse function of the extension portion 12A of the electronic pen 1A. . As shown in FIG. 8, the PC 2A includes a control circuit 21, a display controller 22, a touch panel 23, a wireless communication section 24, and an antenna 24A.

The control circuit 21 controls each part of the PC 2A. The display controller 22 displays an image on the display unit 400 under the control of the control circuit 21, and outputs image data for displaying the same image as the image displayed on the display unit 400 to the projector 3. do. The touch panel 23 realizes one input device of the PC 2A, and is configured by stacking (overlapping) the position detection circuit 300 and the display section 400 .

Then, the user inputs information by pressing (touching) the display on the screen of the display unit 400, or touches the core body 111 of the electronic pen 1A on the screen of the display unit 400 and moves it. By doing so, it is possible to input information (trajectories) such as characters, graphics, symbols, and pictures. The position detection circuit 300 has, for example, the configuration described with reference to FIG. 4 and includes the sensor 310 . Also, the display unit 400 is an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) in this embodiment.

Also in the second embodiment, the sensor 310 of the position detection circuit 300 and the display section 400 are superimposed to form the touch panel 23 . Therefore, the input area of sensor 310 and the display screen of display unit 400 match.

In this embodiment, the wireless communication unit 24 and the antenna 24A realize a wireless communication function of the "Bluetooth (registered trademark)" standard, which is one of the standards for short-range wireless communication for digital devices. Therefore, the PC 2A having the wireless communication section 24 and the antenna 24A can perform wireless communication with the electronic pen body section 11A of the electronic pen 1A having the wireless communication section 119 and the antenna 119A.

The projector 3 includes a display controller 31 and a light emitting section 32 . The display controller 31 forms a video signal for displaying a video image corresponding to the video data from the PC 2A on the display unit built in the light emitting unit 32 and supplies the video signal to the light emitting unit 32 . The light emitting unit 32 displays an image corresponding to a video signal from the display controller 31 on the built-in display unit. Let

Accordingly, the same image as the image input to the PC 2A through the touch panel 23 and displayed on the display unit 400 of the PC 2A can be enlarged and displayed on the screen 4 through the projector 3. FIG. Then, after inputting information by bringing the core 111 of the electronic pen main body 11A of the electronic pen 1A into contact with the display screen of the display unit 400, the core 111 is separated from the display screen of the display unit 400. do. In this case, the control circuit 21 displays the pointer PT on the display unit 400 through the display controller 22 so as to indicate the position P where the core body 111 was in contact until just before.

As a result, an image similar to the image displayed on the display screen of the display unit 400 is also displayed on the screen 4, so that the pointer PT is displayed. The display position of the pointer PT is determined by directing the extension part 12A of the electronic pen 1A toward the screen 4, half-pressing the switch operation part 126a to activate the gyro sensor 125, and directing the extension part 12A in the desired direction to move the pointer PT. It can be moved by performing a shaking operation to change it. That is, the angular velocity data from the gyro sensor 125 of the extended portion 12A that has been shaken is transmitted to the PC 2A through the wireless communication portion 119 and the antenna 119A of the electronic pen body portion 11A.

The PC 2A receives angular velocity data from the electronic pen main body 11A through the wireless communication part 24 and the antenna 24A, and specifies the movement direction and movement amount of the pointer PT according to the angular velocity data received by the control circuit 21. Then, the control circuit 21 changes the display position of the pointer PT via the display controller 22 based on the identified movement direction and movement amount. Further, when the switch operation unit 126a is fully pressed while the gyro sensor 125 is in the operating state, the position of the pointer PT being moved is determined according to the output from the gyro sensor 125, and the object is moved, as described above. (object) can be selected.

Thus, the position detection system of this embodiment can input information through the touch panel 23 using the electronic pen 1A. Furthermore, the position detection system of this embodiment can change and determine the display position of the pointer PT by the air mouse function realized mainly by the extension part 12A of the electronic pen 1A.

[Coordinated operation of electronic pen 1A and PC 2A]
FIG. 9 is a flowchart for explaining cooperative processing between the electronic pen 1A and the PC 2A that constitute the position detection system of the second embodiment. (B) shows the processing of PC2A. Below, the processing of the electronic pen 1A in FIG. 9A will be described first, and then the processing of the PC 2A in FIG. 9B will be described.

In the electronic pen 1A, for example, when the power is turned on by pressing and holding the switch operation unit 115a, the control circuit 113 controls the charging/power supply circuit 118 to supply power to each unit. Then, the processing shown in FIG. 9A is started. Then, in the electronic pen 1A, the control circuit 113 controls each section to enable the electronic pen function of the electronic pen body section 11A (step S201). As a result, transmission of the position detection signal from the electronic pen main body 11A is started.

Then, the control circuit 113 of the electronic pen 1A determines whether or not the air mouse function is turned on (step S202). The control circuit 113 manages the state of the gyro sensor 125 . Therefore, in the determination process of step S202, when the gyro sensor 125 is in the non-operating state, the on/off signal output from the switch circuit 126 is supplied by half-pressing the switch operation section 126a of the expansion section 12A. is received, it is determined that the air mouse function is turned on.

When it is determined that the air mouse function is not turned on in the determination processing of step S202, the processing from step S201 is repeated so that position indication input can be continuously performed through the electronic pen body 11A of the electronic pen 1A. . When it is determined in the determination process of step S202 that the air mouse function is turned on, the control circuit 113 of the electronic pen main body 11A acquires angular velocity data from the gyro sensor 125 of the extension 12A (step S203). Then, the control circuit 113 transmits the angular velocity data acquired in step S203 to the PC 2A through the wireless communication section 119 and the antenna 119A (step S204). In addition, in the processing of step S204, when the switch operation section 126a of the expansion section 12A is fully pressed, a position determination signal is transmitted to the PC 2A.

After that, the control circuit 113 of the electronic pen body 11A determines whether or not the air mouse function is turned off (step S205). In the determination process of step S205, when the gyro sensor 125 is in the operating state, the on/off signal output from the switch circuit 126 is supplied by half-pressing the switch operation section 126a of the expansion section 12A. , it is determined that the air mouse function is turned off. When it is determined that the air mouse function is not turned off in the determination processing of step S205, the processing from step S203 is repeated, and the processing of acquiring the angular velocity data and the processing of transmitting the acquired angular velocity data to the PC 2A are repeated. to

Assume also that it is determined in the determination processing in step S205 that the air mouse function is turned off. In this case, the control circuit 113 of the electronic pen main body 11A determines whether the electronic pen 1A is turned off by, for example, pressing the switch operation section 115a for a long time (step S206).

When it is determined in the determination process of step S206 that the power is not turned off, the control circuit 113 repeats the processes from step S201. Further, when it is determined in the determination process of step S206 that the power supply is turned off, the control circuit 113 controls the charging/power supply circuit 118 to perform a predetermined operation such as stopping power supply to each part. End processing is performed (step S207), and the processing shown in FIG. 9A is ended.

On the other hand, in the PC 2A, when the power button (not shown) is pressed and the power is turned on, the processing shown in FIG. 9B is started. When the power is turned on, the PC 2A can detect the pointed position of the electronic pen 1A, the writing pressure, and the pressing operation of the side switch through the touch panel 23 (step S301). Then, in the PC 2A, the control circuit 21 and the display controller 22 function, and display processing of a trajectory or the like according to the detection result of the designated position is performed (step S302). In the processing of step S302, when the pointing position by the electronic pen 1A cannot be detected, it is considered that the core body 111 of the electronic pen 1A is separated from the touch panel 23, so the pointer pointing to the nearest pointing position P A process for displaying the PT is also performed.

Then, the control circuit 21 of the PC 2A determines whether or not it has received the angular velocity data and position determination signal from the electronic pen 1A through the antenna 24A and the wireless communication section 24 (step S303). When it is determined that the angular velocity data is received in the determination process of step S303, the control circuit 21 converts the amount of change in the received angular velocity data to the screen coordinates of the movement destination of the pointer PT (step S304). Thereafter, the control circuit 21 controls the display controller 22 to change the display position of the pointer PT to the position indicated by the screen coordinates obtained in step S304 (step S305).

When it is determined in the determination process of step S303 that the position determination signal has been received, the control circuit 21 sets the position indicated by the angular velocity data received immediately before as the determined position in step S304. Select an object that exists in Thereafter, in step S305, the control circuit 21 positions and fixes the pointer PT at the determined position.

After the process of step S305 and when it is determined in the determination process of step S303 that angular velocity data has not been received, the control circuit 21 determines whether or not an operation to turn off the power of the PC 2A has been performed (step S306). When it is determined in the determination process of step S306 that the operation to turn off the power has not been performed, the control circuit 21 repeats the processes from step S301. Further, when it is determined in the determination process of step S306 that an operation to turn off the power has been performed, the control circuit 21 performs a predetermined termination process such as stopping the supply of power to each unit (step S307). The process shown in FIG. 9B is terminated.

Thus, the electronic pen 1A of the second embodiment has both the electronic pen function and the air mouse function. By cooperating with the PC 2A having the touch panel 23 and the wireless communication unit 24, it is possible to seamlessly input information to the PC 2A using the electronic pen function and move the pointer PT using the air mouse function. As a result, the explanation at the conference, meeting, etc. can be made easy to understand, and the effect of the conference, meeting, etc. can be increased.

Also in the case of the electronic pen 1A of the second embodiment, the heavy battery 117 is mounted on the electronic pen main body 11 side, so that the so-called electronic pen main body 11 has a low center of gravity. In addition, the usability of the electronic pen function can be improved. Also, in the case of the electronic pen 1A of the second embodiment, as in the case of the first electronic pen 1, power is supplied from the battery 117 mounted on the electronic pen body 11A to the extension part 12A. Control can be performed by the control circuit 113 of the electronic pen main body 11A.

Further, in the case of the electronic pen 1A of the second embodiment as well, the periphery of the connector jack 11J of the electronic pen body 11A in the connected state and the connector plug 12P of the extension part 12A is surrounded by the electronic pen body 11A. The tubular portion 11T and the wall portion 12W of the extended portion 12A are covered. For this reason, both the connector jack 11J of the electronic pen body 11A and the connector plug 12P of the extension 12A in a connected state by the tubular portion 11T of the electronic pen body 11A and the wall-like portion 12W of the extension 12A can be strongly protected.

[Power supply control of extension part 12A in electronic pen 1A]
Also in the electronic pen 1A of the second embodiment, power supply control from the battery 117 to the extension section 12A can be performed in the same manner as the electronic pen 1 of the first embodiment.

That is, as described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 5, the pen pressure is not detected in the control circuit 113 of the electronic pen body 11A, and the voltage of the battery 117 is higher than the threshold. , power is not supplied to the expansion unit 12A. In this case, the control circuit 113 controls the charging/power supply circuit 118 to start supplying power from the battery 117 to the expansion section 12A. Then, after power supply to the extension unit 12A is started, the pen pressure is detected in the control circuit 113, the voltage of the battery 117 becomes equal to or less than the threshold, or the connection of the extension unit 12A is lost. In this case, the control circuit 113 controls the charge/power supply circuit 118 to stop supplying power to the extension unit 12A.

Further, it is assumed that the control circuit 113 of the electronic pen main body 11A does not detect the writing pressure and the voltage of the battery 117 is higher than the threshold, and the power is not supplied to the expansion section 12A. . Even in this case, control circuit 113 controls charge/power supply circuit 118 to supply power from battery 117 to extension section 12A only when there is an ON signal from switch circuit 126 of extension section 12A. Then, when the ON signal from the switch circuit 126 of the extension section 12A ceases to exist, the control circuit 113 controls the charge/power supply circuit 118 to stop the power supply from the battery 117 to the extension section 12A. In this way, the presence or absence of the ON signal from the switch circuit 126 of the extension section 12A may also be considered to control the power supply to the extension section 12A.

[Modification of Second Embodiment]
In the second embodiment described above, the position of the pointer PT is changed by the extension part 12A from the state in which information is input to the sensor 310 of the position detection circuit 300 using the electronic pen main body part 11A. It should be displayed when That is, in the position detection circuit 300 constituting the touch panel 23, when the indicated position by the electronic pen 1A disappears, the position where the indicated position disappears (the most recent indicated position) is set as a reference point, and the pointer PT points to this reference point. Position P. However, it is not limited to this.

When the position indication by the electronic pen main body 11A is completed, the reference point initially pointed by the pointer PT is the center of the display screen of the display unit 400, any one of the four corners of the display screen, or on the display screen. can be an appropriate position, such as any predetermined position of .

Further, the position detection system of the second embodiment described above has been described as comprising the electronic pen 1A, the PC 2A as an information processing device, and the projector 3 as a display processing device. However, it is not limited to this. For example, a position detection system can be configured with only the electronic pen 1A and the PC 2A as an information processing device. In this case, the display position of the pointer PT displayed on the display screen of the display unit 400 of the PC 2A is moved by operating the expansion unit 12A.

Further, in the position detection system of the second embodiment described above, the PC 2A as the information processing device has been described as including the display unit 400, but the PC 2A does not include the display unit 400, and the projector 3 displays the information. It is also possible to configure the system as a system that uses only the video that is displayed.

In addition, there is a so-called digitizer consisting of a board with a built-in touch sensor (coordinate detection sensor) that detects the position and an electronic pen that specifies the position, and a conventional personal computer that does not have a touch panel and only has a display device. A position detection system can also be configured by In this case, the electronic pen body 11A of the electronic pen 1 is used to input information to the personal computer through the digitizer, and the input information is displayed on the display device of the personal computer. By displaying the pointer PT on the display device, the display position of the pointer PT displayed on the display device of the personal computer can be moved by the function of the extension part 12A of the electronic pen 1A.

As described above, the position detection system according to the present invention forms the electronic pen 1A, the input device having the position detection circuit, and the image information according to the input information received through the input device. It can be supplied to the device and can be configured by an electronic pen and an information processing device capable of wireless communication.

In the above-described embodiment, the input area of the sensor 310 and the display area of the display screens of the display units of the PC2 and PC2A match, and the display areas of the images displayed on the screen 4 are the same as those of the PC2 and PC2A. It corresponds to the display area of the display screen of the display unit. Therefore, it is possible to indicate a position through the sensor 310 and display information at a position on the display screen of the display unit corresponding to the position. Then, the image displayed on the display screen of the display unit can be enlarged and displayed on the screen 4 .

However, the relationship between the input area of the sensor 310, the display area of the display screens of the display units of the PC2 and PC2A, and the display area of the image displayed on the screen 4 is not necessarily that of the above embodiment. good too. At least, the input area of the sensor 310 should be included in the display areas of the display screens of the display units of the PC2 and PC2A. It is sufficient if it is included in the display area of the image. As a result, a one-to-one correspondence can be obtained between the indicated position and the display position.

Further, in the above-described second embodiment, the electronic pen 1A and the PC 2A are described as having a wireless communication function of the "Bluetooth (registered trademark)" standard, for example, but they are not limited to this. Communication methods of various standards that allow appropriate communication between the electronic pen 1A and the PC 2A can be used.

Further, in the above-described second embodiment, the pointer PT displayed on the display unit 400 of the PC 2A and the screen 4 has been described as being in the shape of an arrow, but it is not limited to this. Various shapes of the pointer PT are possible.

[others]
Further, in the first and second embodiments described above, the electronic pens 1 and 1A are both of the signal oscillation type, but the present invention is not limited to this. The present invention can also be applied to a resonant electronic pen. In the case of a resonance type electronic pen, it is not necessary to provide a power supply such as a battery, but in order to realize an electronic pen main body with a low center of gravity, a battery is provided in the electronic pen main body and the power supply is connected to the extension part. It can be set as the aspect to supply. Even in this case, at least when the pen pressure is detected, by controlling not to supply power to the extension part, it is possible to wastefully function the extension part and drain the battery. You can avoid it.

Further, in the above-described embodiments, the extensions 12 and 12A are connected to the electronic pen main bodies 11 and 11A. In the first embodiment, the extension 12 is a laser pointer, and in the second embodiment 12A is assumed to be an air mouse (gyro sensor). In other words, both the electronic pen body portions 11 and 11A and the extension portions 12 and 12A realize a position indicating function. However, it is not limited to this.

The functions of the extension unit connected to the electronic pen main bodies 11 and 11A are an erasing function (erasing signal transmitting function) for erasing the trajectory drawn by the electronic pen main bodies 11 and 11A, the electronic pen main bodies 11, It is possible to install various functions such as a switch function for switching on/off the power of 11A, a camera function, and a sound recording function consisting of a microphone and a sound storage section. Note that the camera function can realize a function of photographing a surrounding subject or a so-called color picker function of distinguishing and acquiring the color of an indicated position by photographing an image. Furthermore, although the wireless communication section is provided in the electronic pen body sections 11 and 11A, it may be provided in the expansion section. In addition, wireless communication units with different specifications may be provided in both the electronic pen body units 11 and 11A and the extension units 12 and 12A.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the electronic pen body portions 11 and 11A are provided with the connector jack (connector portion configured as a concave portion) 11J and the cylindrical portion 11T, and the extension portions 12 and 12A are provided with connector plugs (convex portion Although the connector portion 12P and the wall portion 12W are provided, the present invention is not limited to this. A reverse configuration is also possible. That is, the electronic pen main body 11, 11A may be provided with the connector plug and the wall portion, and the extended portion 12, 12A may be provided with the connector jack and the cylindrical portion. Even in this case, the same effects as those of the electronic pens 1 and 1A of the above-described embodiments can be obtained.

Further, in the above embodiment, the power supply is arranged in the electronic pen main body 11, 11A, but the power supply may be arranged in the expansion part 12, 12A. The extension units 12 and 12A themselves may be power supply units.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, an operation unit, which is a switch, is provided to operate the expansion units 12 and 12A. may be activated.

Also, the extension units 12 and 12A may be equipped with a plurality of functions. In this case, the function may be automatically switched by switching with an operation switch or by receiving an instruction signal from the position detection device.

Reference Signs List 1, 1A... Electronic pen 11, 11A... Electronic pen main body 11J... Connector jack 11T... Cylindrical part 111... Core body 112... Writing pressure detection unit 113... Control circuit 114... Oscillator 115, DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 116... Side switch 115a, 116a... Switch operation part 117... Battery 118... Charging / feeding circuit 119... Wireless communication part 119A... Antenna 12, 12A... Expansion part 12P... Connector plug 12W... Wall shape Part 121... Semiconductor laser 122... Power switch 123... Switch circuit 123a... Switch operation part 125... Gyro sensor 126... Switch circuit 126a... Switch operation part 2, 2A... PC (Personal Computer) 21 Control circuit 22 Display controller 2TP 23 Touch panel 24 Wireless communication unit 24A Antenna 300 Position detection circuit 310 Sensor 400 Display unit 3 Projector 31 Display controller 32 ...light-emitting part, 4...screen, PT...pointer

Claims (12)

a first position indicator that transmits a signal to the position detection sensor;
a control unit;
a first connector portion;
a power supply section that can be charged from an external power supply through the first connector section;
an electronic pen body having
a second position indication unit for indicating the position of a predetermined area different from the input area of the position detection sensor;
an extension having a second connector portion;
with
The electronic pen body and the extension are detachable through the first connector and the second connector,
When the electronic pen main body and the extension are connected, power can be supplied from the power source of the electronic pen main body to the extension,
The control unit of the electronic pen main body monitors at least one of voltage, current, and remaining amount of the power supply of the electronic pen main body, and the power supply has the electronic pen function of the electronic pen main body. is not in a state that can be maintained for a predetermined time, the electronic pen is controlled so as not to supply power to the extension unit. a first position indicator that transmits a signal to the position detection sensor;
a control unit;
a first connector portion configured as a recess;
a cylindrical portion formed with the first connector portion; a power supply portion that can be charged from an external power source through the first connector portion;
an electronic pen body having
a second position indication unit for indicating the position of a predetermined area different from the input area of the position detection sensor;
a second connector portion configured as a convex portion;
a wall-like portion surrounding the second connector portion; and an extension portion having:
with
The electronic pen body and the extension are detachable through the first connector and the second connector,
When the first connector portion and the second connector portion are connected, the tubular portion and the wall portion are fitted together to connect the first connector portion and the second connector portion. cover and protect the
When the electronic pen main body and the extension are connected, power can be supplied from the power source of the electronic pen main body to the extension,
The control unit of the electronic pen main body monitors at least one of voltage, current, and remaining amount of the power supply of the electronic pen main body, and the power supply has the electronic pen function of the electronic pen main body. is not in a state that can be maintained for a predetermined time, the electronic pen is controlled so as not to supply power to the extension unit. a first position indicator that transmits a signal to the position detection sensor;
a control unit;
a first connector portion configured as a convex portion;
a wall-shaped portion surrounding the first connector portion;
a power supply section that can be charged from an external power supply through the first connector section;
an electronic pen body having
a second position indication unit for indicating the position of a predetermined area different from the input area of the position detection sensor;
a second connector portion configured as a recess;
a cylindrical portion having the second connector portion formed thereon;
with
The electronic pen body and the extension are detachable through the first connector and the second connector,
When the first connector portion and the second connector portion are connected, the tubular portion and the wall portion are fitted together to connect the first connector portion and the second connector portion. cover and protect the
When the electronic pen main body and the extension are connected, power can be supplied from the power source of the electronic pen main body to the extension,
The control unit of the electronic pen main body monitors at least one of voltage, current, and remaining amount of the power supply of the electronic pen main body, and the power supply has the electronic pen function of the electronic pen main body. is not in a state that can be maintained for a predetermined time, the electronic pen is controlled so as not to supply power to the extension unit. The electronic pen according to any one of claims 1, 2, or 3,
the second position indicator is a gyro sensor,
When the electronic pen main body and the extension are connected, data can be exchanged between the electronic pen main body and the extension,
The electronic pen main body has a wireless communication unit,
When power is supplied from the power supply unit of the electronic pen main body to the expansion unit, the control unit receives angular velocity data as an instruction from the second position instruction unit, and performs the wireless communication. An electronic pen characterized by controlling transmission through a unit. The electronic pen according to any one of claims 1, 2, 3, and 4,
The electronic pen, wherein the first and second connector sections constitute USB (Universal Serial Bus) standard connector sections. A position detection system comprising an electronic pen and an information processing device including a position detection circuit for detecting a position indicated by the electronic pen and a display unit,
The electronic pen is
a first position indicator that transmits a signal to the position detection sensor;
a control unit;
a first connector portion;
a power supply section that can be charged from an external power supply through the first connector section;
a wireless communication unit;
an electronic pen body having
a second position indication unit including a gyro sensor for indicating the position of a predetermined area different from the input area of the position detection sensor and outputting angular velocity data;
an extension having a second connector portion;
with
The electronic pen body and the extension are detachable through the first connector and the second connector,
When the electronic pen main body and the extension are connected, power is supplied from the power source of the electronic pen main body to the extension, and power is supplied between the electronic pen body and the extension. It is possible to send and receive data,
The control unit of the electronic pen main body monitors at least one of voltage, current, and remaining amount of the power supply of the electronic pen main body, and the power supply has the electronic pen function of the electronic pen main body. is not in a state that can be maintained for a predetermined period of time, control is performed so as not to supply power to the extension unit;
The control unit of the electronic pen body unit controls the angular velocity data, which is an instruction from the second position instruction unit, when power is supplied to the expansion unit from the power supply unit of the electronic pen body unit. is received and controlled to be transmitted through the wireless communication unit of the electronic pen body,
The information processing device is
a display control unit that controls to display information at a position on the display screen of the display unit that corresponds to the position pointed by the electronic pen detected through the position detection circuit;
a receiving unit for receiving a signal transmitted from the wireless communication unit of the electronic pen main body, the instruction from the second position indicating unit of the extension unit, and displayed on a display screen of the display unit; a position indicator display control unit that controls to display a position indicator corresponding to the instruction from the expansion unit based on the signal received through the reception unit in addition to the image that is present;
A position detection system comprising: A position detection system comprising an electronic pen and an information processing device including a position detection circuit for detecting a position indicated by the electronic pen and a display unit,
The electronic pen is
a first position indicator that transmits a signal to the position detection sensor;
a control unit;
a first connector portion configured as a recess;
a cylindrical portion formed with the first connector portion; a power supply portion that can be charged from an external power source through the first connector portion;
a wireless communication unit;
an electronic pen body having
a second position indication unit including a gyro sensor for indicating the position of a predetermined area different from the input area of the position detection sensor and outputting angular velocity data;
a second connector portion configured as a convex portion;
a wall-like portion surrounding the second connector portion; and an extension portion having:
with
The electronic pen body and the extension are detachable through the first connector and the second connector,
When the first connector portion and the second connector portion are connected, the tubular portion and the wall portion are fitted together to connect the first connector portion and the second connector portion. cover and protect the
When the electronic pen main body and the extension are connected, power is supplied from the power source of the electronic pen main body to the extension, and power is supplied between the electronic pen body and the extension. It is possible to send and receive data,
The control unit of the electronic pen main body monitors at least one of voltage, current, and remaining amount of the power supply of the electronic pen main body, and the power supply has the electronic pen function of the electronic pen main body. is not in a state that can be maintained for a predetermined period of time, control is performed so as not to supply power to the extension unit;
The control unit of the electronic pen main body receives an instruction from the second position indicating unit when power is supplied to the expansion unit from the power supply unit of the electronic pen main body, and Control to transmit through the wireless communication unit of the electronic pen body,
The information processing device is
a display control unit that controls to display information at a position on the display screen of the display unit that corresponds to the position pointed by the electronic pen detected through the position detection circuit;
a receiving unit for receiving a signal transmitted from the wireless communication unit of the electronic pen main body, the instruction from the second position indicating unit of the extension unit, and displayed on a display screen of the display unit; a position indicator display control unit that controls to display a position indicator corresponding to the instruction from the expansion unit based on the signal received through the reception unit in addition to the image that is present;
A position detection system comprising: The position detection system according to claim 6 or claim 7,
The position indicator display control unit of the information processing device displays the position indicator at a position corresponding to the operation of the expansion unit within the display screen, using a predetermined position on the display screen of the display unit as a reference position. A position detection system characterized by: A position detection system according to claim 8,
A position detection system, wherein the predetermined position on the display screen of the display unit is a predetermined specific screen position. A position detection system according to claim 8,
A position detection system, wherein the predetermined position on the display screen of the display unit is a position where the position indicated by the electronic pen disappears in the position detection circuit. an information processing device comprising an electronic pen and a position detection circuit for detecting a position indicated by the electronic pen; A position detection system comprising a video display device for processing,
The electronic pen is
a first position indicator that transmits a signal to the position detection sensor;
a control unit;
a first connector portion;
a power supply section that can be charged from an external power supply through the first connector section;
a wireless communication unit;
an electronic pen body having
a second position indication unit including a gyro sensor for indicating the position of a predetermined area different from the input area of the position detection sensor and outputting angular velocity data;
an extension having a second connector portion;
with
The electronic pen body and the extension are detachable through the first connector and the second connector,
When the electronic pen main body and the extension are connected, power is supplied from the power source of the electronic pen main body to the extension, and power is supplied between the electronic pen body and the extension. It is possible to send and receive data,
The control unit of the electronic pen main body monitors at least one of voltage, current, and remaining amount of the power supply of the electronic pen main body, and the power supply has the electronic pen function of the electronic pen main body. is not in a state that can be maintained for a predetermined period of time, control is performed so as not to supply power to the extension unit;
The control unit of the electronic pen main body receives an instruction from the second position indicating unit when power is supplied to the expansion unit from the power supply unit of the electronic pen main body, and Control to transmit through the wireless communication unit of the electronic pen body,
The information processing device is
a display control unit that forms image information for displaying information at a predetermined position on a display screen corresponding to the position pointed by the electronic pen detected through the position detection circuit, and supplies the image information to the image display device;
a receiving unit that receives the instruction from the second position indicating unit of the expansion unit and that is a signal transmitted from the wireless communication unit of the electronic pen main body;
In addition to the image displayed on the predetermined display screen, an image displaying a position indicator corresponding to the instruction from the extension unit based on the signal received through the reception unit. a position indicator display controller that forms information and supplies it to the video display device;
The video display device comprises
A position detection system comprising display processing means for receiving image information from said information processing device and processing such that an image corresponding to said image information is displayed on a predetermined display screen. an information processing device comprising an electronic pen and a position detection circuit for detecting a position indicated by the electronic pen; A position detection system comprising a video display device for processing,
The electronic pen is
a first position indicator that transmits a signal to the position detection sensor;
a control unit;
a first connector portion configured as a recess;
a cylindrical portion formed with the first connector portion; a power supply portion that can be charged from an external power source through the first connector portion;
a wireless communication unit;
an electronic pen body having
a second position indication unit including a gyro sensor for indicating the position of a predetermined area different from the input area of the position detection sensor and outputting angular velocity data;
a second connector portion configured as a convex portion;
a wall-like portion surrounding the second connector portion; and an extension portion having:
an operation unit provided to be operated in a direction intersecting the axial direction and receiving an operation by a user;
with
The electronic pen body and the extension are detachable through the first connector and the second connector,
When the first connector portion and the second connector portion are connected, the tubular portion and the wall portion are fitted together to connect the first connector portion and the second connector portion. cover and protect the
When the electronic pen main body and the extension are connected, power is supplied from the power source of the electronic pen main body to the extension, and power is supplied between the electronic pen body and the extension. It is possible to send and receive data,
The control unit of the electronic pen main body monitors at least one of voltage, current, and remaining amount of the power supply of the electronic pen main body, and the power supply has the electronic pen function of the electronic pen main body. is not in a state that can be maintained for a predetermined period of time, control is performed so as not to supply power to the extension unit;
The control unit of the electronic pen main body receives an instruction from the second position indicating unit when power is supplied to the expansion unit from the power supply unit of the electronic pen main body, and Control to transmit through the wireless communication unit of the electronic pen body,
The information processing device is
a display control unit that forms image information for displaying information at a predetermined position on a display screen corresponding to the position pointed by the electronic pen detected through the position detection circuit, and supplies the image information to the image display device;
a receiving unit that receives the instruction from the second position indicating unit of the expansion unit and that is a signal transmitted from the wireless communication unit of the electronic pen main body;
In addition to the image displayed on the predetermined display screen, an image displaying a position indicator corresponding to the instruction from the extension unit based on the signal received through the receiving unit. a position indicator display controller that forms information and supplies it to the video display device;
The video display device comprises
A position detection system comprising display processing means for receiving image information from said information processing device and processing such that an image corresponding to said image information is displayed on a predetermined display screen.

Images