JPH06138997A - Pen inputting device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To exactly prevent the forgetting of a power source cut-off and to remarkably lengthen the life span of an incorporated battery. CONSTITUTION:A pen inputting device 1 is constituted of a main body 2 incorporating a tablet device 4, and a stylus 3. When the stylus 3 is brought into contact with or moved on an input face 5 of the tablet device 4, necessary data are inputted. When the stylus 3 is housed from a housing hole 6 provided at the side face of the main body 2 to a housing part 7 at the inside of the main body 2, the main power source of the main body 2 is turned off while being interlocked with a power switch.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a pen input device for inputting data by bringing a pen-type stylus into contact with a tablet device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A pen input device such as a pen computer in which a tablet and a display are integrated is usually used as a data input terminal to a host device. Specifically, it is suitable for receiving orders on the floor in the restaurant industry and collecting patient data in hospitals. For this reason, it is desirable that this type of device is a handy type that can be carried to a data collection place, and is generally battery-powered. Also, among these types of devices, a wireless type device has been developed in which the operability is improved by eliminating the cable connecting the main body and the stylus.

[0003]

Since the above-mentioned conventional pen input device is battery-powered, it is desirable to frequently turn off the power between data input operations. If you forget to turn off the power, there is a problem that input data will be lost. In addition, there is also a problem that the stylus is easily lost especially in the wireless type.

The present invention has been made in order to solve such a problem, and provides a pen input device capable of reliably preventing forgetting to turn off the power source and greatly extending the life of the built-in battery. The purpose is to

[0005]

A pen input device according to the present invention is a pen-type stylus for contacting an input surface of the tablet device with a main body provided with a tablet device and inputting data to the main body. In a pen input device comprising: a storage unit provided in the main body for storing the stylus; and a power supply for turning off at least a part of the main body when the stylus is stored in the storage unit. And a switch means.

[0006]

According to the present invention, since the stylus storage portion is provided in the main body, the operator stores the stylus in this storage portion when the data input operation is completed. This is because when the device is a handy type, it is convenient to carry the device when the stylus is stored in the storage portion. In this way, when the stylus is stored in the storage portion of the main body, the power is turned off, and it is possible to prevent forgetting to turn off the power.

Even when the pen input device is always carried and data is input at a necessary time, the power is turned off in synchronization with the storage of the stylus in the storage portion, so that the operator does not have to be aware of it. , The power can be turned off frequently between operations and the life of the battery can be greatly extended. Further, according to the present invention, since the power is turned off by storing the stylus in the storage portion, even if the stylus is stored in the storage portion in a conventional manner, even a wireless type pen input device is provided. It is possible to prevent the stylus from being lost.

[0008]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a pen input device according to an embodiment of the present invention. The pen input device 1 which is a data input terminal device is configured to be portable so that, for example, a nurse can input measurement data such as body temperature and blood pressure in the bed of each patient, and a database is stored via a wireless line or the like. It is connected to a host computer and can send and receive necessary data and commands to and from the host computer. The pen input device 1 is composed of a main body 2 having a tablet device 4 built-in and a stylus 3. The pen input device 1 inputs necessary data by bringing the stylus 3 into contact with or moving the input surface 5 of the tablet device 4. . The stylus 3 is a wireless type,
It can be stored in a storage portion 7 inside the main body 2 through a pen storage hole 6 provided on the side surface of the main body 2. Further, an antenna 8 for transmitting / receiving to / from a host computer is attached to the other side surface of the main body 3.

The stylus 3 is stored in the storage portion 7 in a two-step system. That is, as shown in FIG.
When the stylus 3 is stored in the storage portion 7, the tip of the stylus contacts the tip of the spring 9 shown in FIG. This state is the first stage. Further, as shown in FIG. 2 (b), when the stylus 3 is pushed into the housing portion 7 against the spring force of the spring 9 and rotated, the protrusion 10 provided at the base end of the stylus 3 becomes a main body 2. It is caught and fixed inside the cover of. This state is the second stage of the completely stored state.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the main body 2 of the pen input device 1. The CPU 11 is the pen input device 1
The CPU 11 includes a memory 12 for storing necessary data and programs, an input / output interface (hereinafter referred to as I / O) 13 for inputting / outputting necessary data, The LCD controller 14 is connected.

The LCD controller 14 is the X driver 1
5 is a controller for controlling the display of a liquid crystal display (hereinafter, referred to as LCD) 17 via the Y driver 5 and the Y driver 16. The display data for generating the display screen of the LCD 17 is stored in the VRAM 18 and the LCD controller 14
It is designed to be read serially by. L
The CD 17 is integrated with the backlight device 19 and the tablet 21 for inputting coordinate values in a plate shape, and
5, 16 and the selection circuits 22, 23, the position detection circuit 24 and the pen contact detection circuit 25 constitute the tablet device 4. Therefore, the operator can perform necessary point designation on the display screen according to the input screen displayed on the LCD 17, and can perform display, data, command and the like corresponding to the designated point. The tablet 21
For example, it is of an electromagnetic coupling type, in which excitation lines and detection lines are alternately arranged in the X and Y directions.

On the other hand, the stylus 3 has a built-in magnetic generator 31, as shown in detail in FIG. The tablet 21 sequentially scans the excitation line and the detection line by the X selection circuit 22 and the Y selection circuit 23, detects the level change of the detection line based on the magnetic field from the magnetic generator 31 with the position detection circuit 24, and the stylus 3 The position of is detected. In addition, the stylus 3 is provided with a switch 33 interlocking with the pen tip portion 32, and a transmission circuit 34 is provided when the pen touches.
Is operated to transmit an ultrasonic wave through the piezoelectric vibrator 35. Incidentally, reference numeral 36 in the figure denotes a secondary battery for driving the transmission circuit 34 and the piezoelectric vibrator 35. The secondary battery 36 is appropriately charged from the main body 2 side via the charging terminals 37 and 38 exposed on the side surface of the stylus 3.

The ultrasonic wave transmitted from the stylus 3 is received by the pen contact detection circuit 25 as a pen touch signal. The XY coordinate information of the pen contact position detected by the position detection circuit 24 and the pen touch signal detected by the pen contact detection circuit 25 are sent to the CPU via the I / O 13.
Taken in 11. Also, various data, programs, commands, etc. output from the CPU 11 are I / O 1
3, wirelessly transmitted to the host computer via the wireless module 26 and the antenna 8, and various data, programs, commands and the like are wirelessly transmitted from the host computer to the CPU 11 via a path reverse to this.

The pen input device 1 is a charging type in order to be a portable type that does not require a power cord. FIG. 5 shows a block diagram of the power supply system. Electric power supplied from the outside is charged into the battery 42, which is a secondary battery, via the charging circuit 41. The electric power charged in the battery 42 is stabilized by the power supply circuit 43 and supplied to each unit.
The power from the power supply circuit 43 is also supplied to the charging circuit 44. The charging circuit 44 charges the secondary battery 36 of the stylus 3.

Further, as shown in FIG. 5, a switch 51 which is turned off when the stylus 3 is stored in the first stage, and a switch 52 which is turned off when the stylus 3 is stored in the second stage are provided around the storage portion 7 of the main body 2. Switches 53 and 54, which are connected to the charging terminals 37 and 38 by the storage in the second stage, are provided, respectively. From the power supply circuit 43, the tablet device 4 that consumes power, the wireless module 26, and the L
Main power to the CD controller, etc., and CPU 11, memory 12 and VR, which are preferably always on
Power for backup to AM18 etc. and charging circuit 44
Power is being supplied. The main power is supplied to the main power supply line of the main body 2 via the switch 52. The backup power is grounded via the resistor 55 and the switch 51. Resistance 55 of switch 51
The potential of the terminal on the side is supplied to the CPU 11 as a warning signal and a power saving mode switching signal. Also, the charging circuit 4
The power for charging supplied from the switch 4 is the switches 53, 54.
Is supplied to the charging terminals 37 and 38 via.

Next, the operation of the pen input device constructed as described above when the stylus is stored will be described. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a process of storing the stylus 3 in the storage portion 7. When the stylus 3 is housed in the housing section 7, the tip of the stylus 3 is the cylindrical body 9a with the tip of the spring 9 as shown in FIG. 6 (a).
Abut.

When the stylus 3 is pushed further in, FIG.
As shown in (b), the switch 51 is pushed up by the inclined surface of the tip of the stylus 3 to be turned off, and the convex portion of the switch 51 is fitted into the groove portion 39 of the stylus 3 and positioned. This stage is the first stage. This allows
A warning signal and a power saving mode switching signal are given to the CPU 11. In response to the warning signal, the CPU 11 displays a warning on the LCD 17 of the tablet device 4 that the main power supply is off, and controls the power supply circuit 43 to, for example, the LCD 17 of the tablet device 4 and the LCD controller 14.
And a power saving mode in which only the drivers 15 and 16 are turned off. This power saving mode may be a mode in which only the display means is turned off and the display is started when the stylus 3 is removed from the storage section 7.

When the stylus 3 is further pushed in against the spring force of the switch 52, as shown in FIG. 6C, the switch 52 is pushed up by the tip slope of the stylus 3 and turned off. The convex portions of 52 are fitted into the groove portions 39 and 40 of the stylus 3 and are positioned. At the same time, the switches 53 and 54 come into contact with the charging terminals 37 and 38. This stage is the second stage. As a result, the supply of main power is stopped, and charging of the secondary battery 36 of the stylus 3 is started. Note that a timer may be incorporated in the charging circuit 44, and when a predetermined time required for charging has elapsed from the start of charging, the charging operation may be stopped to prevent overcharging and implement a power saving measure. The backup power source is always supplied to the memory or the like regardless of the stylus 3 storage state to protect the stored contents.

As described above, the power saving measures are taken in two stages according to the storage state of the storage portion 7 of the stylus 3, so that the operator can be aware of it frequently and without affecting the input operation. Power saving measures can be taken.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a pen input device according to another embodiment of the present invention. In this pen input device 61, a groove-shaped accommodating portion 63 is formed in the upper portion of the main body 62, and the stylus 64 is a flat rectangular shape that fits into this accommodating portion. A groove 66 extending in the longitudinal direction is formed in the bottom portion 65 of the storage portion 63. The width of the bottom portion 65 is formed to be slightly wider than the width of the stylus 64, and the width of the groove 66 is formed to be slightly wider than the thickness of the stylus 64. FIG. 8 shows A of FIG.
FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along arrow A. At the bottom of the groove 66, turn on the power /
A switch 67 for turning off is embedded. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 8A, when the stylus 64 is placed horizontally, the switch 67 remains in the ON state.
As shown in (b), when the stylus 64 is placed vertically, the stylus 64 is fitted into the groove 64, whereby the switch 67 is turned off. As described above, in this device, depending on how the stylus 64 is placed, the power source O
N / OFF can be selected. The storage portion 63
The notch 68 at the center of the is for inserting a finger when the stylus 64 is taken out.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a pen input device according to still another embodiment of the present invention. A groove 73 for accommodating the stylus 72 is formed on the side of the pen input device 71, and a hollow cylindrical stylus accommodating member 74 is attached to one end of the groove 73. This stylus storage member 74
Is supported on the side wall of the groove 73 so as to be rotatable by 90 ° about the rotation axis 75, as shown in detail in FIG. Inside the stylus housing member 74, a slider 76 that slides when the stylus 72 is housed is housed. The slider 76 is biased by a spring 77 in a direction in which the stylus 72 is pushed out. A key 78 projects outward from the side surface of the slider 76, and the key 78 is formed on both side surfaces of the groove 73 via the slit 79 of the stylus housing member 74.
0 (however, the front key groove is not shown) is fitted and moves along the key groove 80.

Now, assuming that the position of the key 78 is P1 in FIG. 10 (d) in the state of FIG. 10 (a) and the tip of the stylus 72 is inserted into the stylus housing member 74, the weight of the stylus 72 and the spring 77 are inserted. When the force is balanced, the key 78 stops at the position P2 in FIG. 10 (d). At this time, for example, a switch (not shown) is turned on to enter the power saving mode. In this state, even if an attempt is made to rotate the stylus storage member 74, the key 78 and the key groove 80 interfere with each other, and therefore the stylus storage member 74 cannot be rotated. That is, the safety mode is set in which the power is not turned off. The above is the first stage. When the stylus 72 is pushed further into the stylus housing member 74, the key 78 moves to the position P3 in FIG. 10 (d).
(B)], the stylus housing member 74 is rotated 90 ° by tilting the stylus 72 forward as it is [FIG. 10].
(C)]. At this time, since the stylus housing member 74 is separated from the limit switch 81, the power is turned off.
The above is the second stage.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. In the above embodiment, the pen input device using the wireless type stylus has been described, but the present invention is characterized in that the power is turned off by storing the stylus in the storage portion, and the wire type stylus. Of course, it can be applied to a device using. Further, the tablet device can be applied to any type of tablet device such as an electrostatic coupling system, an electrode contact system, a piezoelectric effect system, and a conductive sheet system in addition to the above-mentioned tablet devices. Further, the present invention can be applied to a device in which a display and a tablet are separately configured, and can also be applied to a pen input device connected to a host computer by a cable.

[0024]

As described above, according to the pen input device of the present invention, the power can be turned off only by storing the stylus in the storage portion of the main body, so that it is possible to reliably prevent forgetting to turn off the power. , The battery life can be significantly extended.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of a pen input device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of a main part of the apparatus.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a main configuration of a main body of the apparatus.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing details of a stylus of the apparatus.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration around a stylus housing and a power supply system of the same device.

FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining a switch state when the stylus is stored in the same device.

FIG. 7 is an external perspective view of a pen input device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

8 is a sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG.

FIG. 9 is an external perspective view of a pen input device according to still another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a main part of the apparatus.

[Explanation of symbols]

1, 61, 71 ... Pen input device, 2, 62 ... Main body, 3,
64, 72 ... Stylus, 4 ... Tablet device, 5 ... Input surface, 6 ... Pen storage hole, 7,63 ... Storage part, 8 ... Antenna, 9,77 ... Spring, 10 ... Protrusion, 11 ... CPU, 12
... memory, 13 ... input / output interface, 14 ... LCD
Controller, 15 ... X driver, 16 ... Y driver,
17 ... Liquid crystal display, 18 ... VRAM, 19 ... Backlight device, 21 ... Tablet, 22 ... X selection circuit,
23 ... Y selection circuit, 24 ... Position detection circuit, 25 ... Pen contact detection circuit, 31 ... Magnetic generator, 32 ... Pen tip part, 33
... switch, 34 ... transmission circuit, 35 ... piezoelectric vibrator, 36
... Battery, 37, 38 ... Charging terminal, 41, 44 ... Charging circuit, 42 ... Battery, 43 ... Power supply circuit, 51-54, 6
7, 81 ... Switch, 55 ... Resistance, 74 ... Stylus storage member, 75 ... Slider, 78 ... Key, 80 ... Keyway.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A pen input device comprising: a main body provided with a tablet device; and a pen-type stylus for inputting data to the main body by contacting an input surface of the tablet device. Pen input comprising: a storage part for storing the stylus, and a power switch means for turning off at least a part of the main body when the stylus is stored in the storage part. apparatus.