JPH0836447A - Pen input type information processor - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a pen input type information processor which freely changes the line width of drawing by only replacement or operation of an input pointer. CONSTITUTION:Plural input pointers which generate magnetic flux spots different by area are used by replacement or the input pointer which changes the shape or dimensions of the magnetic flux spot by changing the direction (the angle of rotation around the axis) is used. A position signal induced in many sense coils horizontally and vertically arranged on a position detection board is subjected to operation processing to simultaneously discriminate the center coordinates and two-dimensional dimensions of the magnetic flux spot on this board, and a picture corresponding to the magnetic flux spot is displayed in a prescribed position with prescribed dimensions. A magnetic coil 12 is so arranged that an axis 32 of the generated magnetic flux is inclined to an axis 11 of a pen type enclosure 10 or a magnetic coil whose section in a face orthogonal to the axis of the generated magnetic flux is flat, thus realizing the input pointer which changes the shape or dimensions of the magnetic flux spot.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus such as a personal computer (personal computer), and more particularly to a pen input type information processing apparatus.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in order to improve the usability of an information processing device such as a personal computer, an attempt has been made to adopt a pen-type input indicator instead of a keyboard and input necessary data using the indicator. (For example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 4-186
416). With this method, the position of the input indicator on the position detection panel is displayed realistically on a liquid crystal display device or the like incorporated in the detection panel, and the locus of the input indicator can be directly rendered into characters or pictures. It becomes possible to input desired data as if it were paper.

As a means for detecting the position of the input indicator on the position detection board, an electromagnetic induction system with high detection accuracy is widely adopted. The principle will be described with reference to FIGS. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 10 denotes a pen-shaped casing that constitutes the main body of the input indicator, and 12 denotes a magnetic flux spot generating coil arranged in the casing. Reference numeral 13 denotes an AC power supply, which is usually arranged outside the housing 10 (for example, a personal computer main body). Reference numeral 20 is a position detection board for detecting the tip position of the pen-shaped casing 10.

An example of the structure of the position detection board 20 is shown in FIG. As shown in the figure, the position detection board 20 includes a number of sense coils 200 to 209 (for X coordinate) and 210 to 219.
(For Y coordinate) are arranged vertically and horizontally. 220 is a detection circuit for detecting the position signal induced in each coil by sequentially switching the X-coordinate sense coils 200 to 209, and 230 is a Y-coordinate sense coil 21.
This is another detection circuit for detecting a position signal induced in each coil by sequentially switching 0 to 219.
240 performs arithmetic processing on the position signals detected by the detection circuits 220 and 230 to generate the magnetic flux spot 10.
It is an electronic computer for obtaining the center coordinate of 0, and is usually constructed by using, for example, a microcomputer. Reference numeral 250 is an output bus for outputting coordinate information, which is the calculation result of the microcomputer 240, to a personal computer body (not shown).

AC power source 1 of input indicator 10 (see FIG. 1)
When an alternating current is supplied from the magnetic coil 3 to the magnetic coil 12, a magnetic flux spot 100 whose direction changes in the same cycle as the alternating current is formed on the position detection board 20. The magnetic flux spot 100 is
As shown in FIG. 2, sense coils 200-209 and 2
Crosses any of 10-219 to induce a position signal. The position signal detection circuits 220 and 230 sequentially detect the position signals generated in the coils by sequentially switching the sense coils 200 to 209 and 210 to 219. The microcomputer 240 obtains the center coordinates of the magnetic flux spot 100 by processing the detected position signal and outputs the coordinate information via the output bus 250.

The magnetic coil 12 is usually arranged so that the central axis of the magnetic flux thereof coincides with the central axis 11 of the pen type casing 10. Therefore, the pen-shaped casing 10 is attached to the central axis 1
In principle, the area or shape of the magnetic flux spot 100 on the position detection board 20 does not change even if the magnetic flux spot 100 is rotated around 1. Moreover, even if the magnetic flux spot 100 crosses over two or more sense coils 200 to 209 or 210 to 219 in the X-axis direction or the Y-axis direction, the microcomputer 240 only has information on the center coordinates thereof. It is usually configured (programmed) so that it does not output.

Therefore, in order to change the drawing line width, it is necessary to call the figure editing menu screen of the personal computer body (not shown) and to specify the desired line width one by one. Since this work is not intuitive, there is a problem that it is difficult for a user who is unfamiliar with pen input to understand, and even a user who is accustomed to pen input has a problem in drawing work because of changing the line width. There is the problem of being interrupted as desired.

[0008]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art and to provide a novel pen input in which the drawing line width can be freely changed only by replacing or operating the input indicator. Type information processing apparatus.

[0009]

The above-mentioned object of the present invention uses an arithmetic means for simultaneously determining both the center coordinates and the two-dimensional dimensions of a magnetic flux spot formed on a position detection board. It is possible to solve the problem by operating the display means so as to display the image corresponding to the magnetic flux spot at a predetermined position with a predetermined size based on the determination result. When the information processing device is configured in this way, by preparing in advance a plurality of input indicators that generate magnetic flux spots of different areas, it is possible to use a plurality of writing instruments with different core diameters in a similar manner as the writing line width. This is because changes can be made. Note that the relationship between the size of the magnetic flux spot and the line width actually drawn is not uniquely determined, and by optimizing the program applied to the arithmetic means, any convenient relationship can be freely set. You can choose.

Instead of preparing a plurality of input indicators,
It is also possible to change the drawing line width by using one input indicator. In this type of input indicator, a magnetic coil is arranged so that the central axis of the generated magnetic flux is inclined so that the central axis of the generated magnetic flux forms a predetermined angle with the central axis of the pen-shaped housing, or the central axis of the generated magnetic flux is orthogonal to the central axis. This can be easily realized by adopting a magnetic coil having a flat cross-sectional shape in the plane.
Moreover, when such an input indicator is used, the user can arbitrarily change the drawing line width by simply rotating the input indicator around the axis. In addition,
Direction of input indicator in use (rotation angle around the axis)
It may be desirable to provide some markings at appropriate locations on the pen housing to facilitate identification of the.

[0011]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A pen input type information processing apparatus according to the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the embodiments shown in the drawings. FIG.
Shows an example of the indicator when the drawing line width is changed by one input indicator. The magnetic coil 12 incorporated in the pen-type casing 10 is arranged so that the central axis 32 of the generated magnetic flux intersects the central axis 11 of the pen-type casing 10 at a constant angle α. Further, a marker having a notch surface 33 is provided on the tip of the pen-shaped casing 10 so that the user can easily recognize the orientation of the input indicator (the orientation of the magnetic coil 12). It is desirable that this kind of notch surface be formed so as to be parallel to the magnetic flux central axis 32.

FIG. 3b shows a pen type housing 10 with its central axis 1
It shows a change in the magnetic flux spot when rotated around 1. As can be seen by comparing FIGS. 3a and 3b, the rotation of the pen-shaped housing 10 causes the magnetic coil 12 to rotate.
As a result of changing the direction of the magnetic flux generated by
The shape and size of 00 greatly change.

FIG. 4 schematically shows a change in shape of the magnetic flux spot 100 on the position detection board 20.
The position detecting board 20 has basically the same structure as the conventional position detecting board 20 shown in FIG. In FIG. 4, 100a is the shape of the magnetic flux spot before rotating the pen-shaped housing 10, and 100b is the shape of the magnetic flux spot after rotating the pen-shaped housing 10. Since the dimension of the magnetic flux spot 100a in the X-axis direction is small before the housing 10 rotates, an X coordinate position signal is induced in, for example, one sense coil 203, and after the housing 10 rotates, the magnetic flux spot 100a.
Since the dimension of a in the X-axis direction is large, for example, X-coordinate position signals of the three sense coils 202, 203, 204 are induced.

The microcomputer 240 is programmed to operate according to the flowchart of FIG. That is, the computer first detects the X-coordinate position signal detection circuit 22.
The position signal induced in each coil is detected by controlling 0 and sequentially switching the sense coils 200 to 209 (steps 501 to 503). Next, the sense coil 200-
Among 209, the coil (for example, the coil 203 before the rotation of the pen-shaped casing 10 and the coils 202 to 204 after the rotation of the pen-shaped casing 10) that has generated the position signal of a level exceeding a certain threshold is selected, and from these position signals, Both the center coordinate and the size of the magnetic flux spot 100a or 100b in the X-axis direction are simultaneously determined (steps 504 to 505). After performing the same calculation process in the Y-axis direction, the microcomputer 240 sends the coordinate information and the dimension information, which are the calculation result, to the personal computer body (not shown) via the output bus 250.

FIG. 6 shows an outline of the entire structure of the personal computer.
Reference numeral 601 is a central processing unit, 602 is a memory for storing an operation program of the apparatus and various data, 603.
Is a liquid crystal display device, 604 is a display control device for controlling the device, and 605 is a system bus (including the output bus 250 in FIG. 4) for electrically coupling the devices. Although not shown in detail, the liquid crystal display device 603 is placed on the position detection board 20 in an overlapping manner as in the conventional case.

The central processing unit 601 is programmed in the memory 602 so as to operate according to the flowchart of FIG. That is, the locus of the movement of the input indicator (pen type housing 10) on the position detection device 20 is tracked based on the coordinate information and the dimension information sent via the system bus 605 (step 701), and the coordinates, Alternatively, if there is a change in size, the display control device 604 is controlled to display an image corresponding to the magnetic flux spot 100 at a predetermined position on the liquid crystal display device 603 with a predetermined size (step 7).
02-703). If there is no change, step 703 is skipped. Drawing is performed by repeating this series of operations.

Another specific example of the input indicator is shown in FIG. The characteristic of this input indicator is the shape of the magnetic coil 12 for generating magnetic flux. That is, in the input indicator shown in FIG.
Although the magnetic coil 12 having a circular cross-sectional shape in a plane orthogonal to the central axis of the generated magnetic flux is used, in this specific example,
A magnetic coil whose cross-sectional shape on the same surface is flat (for example, rectangular) was used. Therefore, as can be seen from FIG. 8, the magnetic flux spot 100 on the position detection board 20 also has a rectangular shape. According to this specific example, the pen type housing 1
By holding 0 in an appropriate direction, the magnetic flux spot 1
The width of 00 (the size of the magnetic flux spot 100 in the direction orthogonal to the moving direction of the input indicator can be arbitrarily changed. At the tip of the pen-shaped casing 10, the orientation of the casing can be easily recognized. For this reason, the notch surface 81 corresponding to the cross-sectional shape of the magnetic coil 12 is formed.

[0018]

According to the present invention, the drawing line width can be arbitrarily changed only by replacing or operating the input indicator, and the usability of an information processing apparatus such as a personal computer can be significantly improved.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a conventional input indicator.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a position detection board for explaining the operation of a conventional pen input type information processing device.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a specific example of an input indicator used in the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of a position detection board for explaining the operation of an embodiment of the pen input type information processing apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart for explaining the operation of the microcomputer of the above embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a schematic block diagram showing the overall structure of the embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the central processing unit of the above embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing another specific example of the input indicator used in the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 ... Input indicator (pen type housing) 12 ... Magnetic coil 20 ... Position detection board 33, 81 ... Notch surface (marker) 100 ... Magnetic flux spot 200-209 ... Sense coil (X coordinate) 210-219 ... Sense coil (Y coordinate) 220 ... Position signal detection circuit (X coordinate) 230 ... Position signal detection circuit (Y coordinate) 240 ... Microcomputer 601 ... Central processing unit 602 ... Memory 603 ... Liquid crystal display device 604 ... Display control device 605 ... System bus

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. An input indicator comprising a magnetic coil for generating a magnetic flux spot for position indication provided in a pen-shaped casing, and a large number of sense coils for detecting the magnetic flux spot by the indicator. A position detection panel arranged vertically and horizontally,
By calculating the position signal induced in the sense coil, the calculation means for simultaneously determining both the center coordinates and the two-dimensional dimensions of the magnetic flux spot formed on the position detection board, and the determination result of the calculation means A pen input type information processing apparatus, characterized in that at least a display means for displaying an image corresponding to a magnetic flux spot at a predetermined position with a predetermined size is provided. 2. A plurality of the input indicators are provided, and each of the input indicators has a magnetic coil for generating a magnetic flux spot having a different area. Pen input type information processing device. 3. The magnetic coil of the input indicator is arranged so as to be inclined so that the central axis of the generated magnetic flux forms a predetermined angle with respect to the central axis of the pen-shaped casing. The pen-input type information processing device according to claim 1. 4. The pen input type information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the magnetic coil of the input indicator has a flat cross section in a plane orthogonal to the central axis of the generated magnetic flux. 5. The pen according to claim 3, wherein the pen-shaped housing of the input indicator is provided with a mark indicating its orientation (rotational angle about the axis). Input type information processing device. 6. The pen input type information processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the mark is a notched surface provided at a tip of the pen type housing.