JPS61217820A - Position input device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To ensure the input of the position information and other kinds of information with a position input device using a pen, by providing plural pressure-sensitive elements to the pen points. CONSTITUTION:A position input device presses a pressure-sensitive sheet with a pen 2 and supplies the information on the pressed position. The pressure- sensitive elements 3a-3d are set concentrically within the pen 2 based on the tip part of the pen point. Thus a code corresponding to the tilt of the pen 2 is delivered when the sheet is pressed by the pen 2. This tilt state of the pen 2 is applied in response to various kinds of information including the color information, etc. Thus the position information and other kinds of information can be supplied at a time. It is also effective to array the pressure-sensitive elements radially or in a fan shape in place of a concentrical form.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Technical Field of the Invention] The present invention relates to a position input device for inputting position coordinates and other information by pointing an input surface with a pen.

[Technical background of the invention and its problems]

Recently, with the development of graphic display technology, various figures have been drawn on CRT display devices. This is done by inputting the corresponding coordinate values when the user points on the tablet surface using a light pen, and displaying the coordinates on the CRT display based on these values.

These position input devices, such as tablets and digitizers, can only input two-dimensional (XY direction) coordinate values or displacement information from a reference position (when specified with a mouse). Therefore, in addition to these data, other data required when drawing figures on the display, such as density information indicating hue and black and white gradation, spread information indicating line thickness, and three-dimensional figures for drawing three-dimensional figures. Dimension (Z direction) coordinate values etc. need to be specified separately. Previously, users could specify commands on the display screen (in addition to specifying the position on the tablet surface).
The problem with inputting the various information mentioned above by specifying menus etc. was that it was difficult to operate and was inefficient.

(Object of the Invention) An object of the present invention is to provide a position input device that can input not only position information but also density, spread, three-dimensional information, etc. by simply pointing on the input surface with a pen.

(Summary of the Invention) The present invention is a position input device in which coordinate values can be input by pointing on an input surface with a pen, in which a plurality of pressure-sensitive elements are arranged in a concentric circle with the tip of the pen as the apex. Each of the pressure-sensitive elements outputs a signal when pressed. Also, a signal conversion means is provided for converting each of the output signals into information such as a corresponding density value, spread value, Z-direction coordinate value, etc. When pointing on the input surface with the pen, the above information can be input at the same time as the coordinate values (X and Y directions).

(Effects of the Invention) According to the present invention, it is possible to input other gradation information, coordinate information, etc. along with position information simply by specifying with a pen.

In other words, when a user draws a picture on a CRT display,
It is now possible to change the density of colors and the thickness of lines in real time, and its practical advantages are enormous.

(Embodiments of the Invention) Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is an internal configuration diagram of a pen and a plan view of the pen tip as an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1(C) is a sectional view of a pen according to this embodiment. This pen 1 indicates an input surface 7, and is a position input device for inputting coordinate values corresponding to the indicated position.

Regarding this input method, for example,
Various methods have been invented, such as No. 5 (which detects the position where pressure is applied on a pressure-sensitive sheet made of a pressure-sensitive resistor), and their explanation will be omitted. As shown in FIG. 1 (2), inside the pen tip 2 of the pen 1, there are a plurality of pressure sensitive elements 3a,
3b, 3c, and 3d (for example, piezoresistive elements using a pn junction element) are arranged concentrically with the tip of the pen tip 2 as the apex. FIG. 1 υ is a diagram of these pressure sensitive elements 3 viewed from the direction of the pen tip. As shown in FIG. 1 (2), a signal line 4 is connected to each pressure sensitive element,
When the pen 1 is directed to the input surface 7, a signal is turned ON only from the pressure sensitive element that is pressed. In other words, these pressure sensitive elements 3a~
3d is a kind of switch, and in FIG. 1, only 3b is turned on when pressed against the input surface. These signals are input to the circuit section 5, where the corresponding slope information (
(Information indicating the angle between the pen and the input surface) is output from the pen through signal lines 6 (three lines in this embodiment). This circuit section 5 is equipped with a conversion table shown in FIG. 2, and stores angle information corresponding to the type of pressed pressure-sensitive element (specified by the signal from the signal line 4). Therefore, for example, if a signal is output from the pressure sensitive element 3b, the pen is
Assume that it is expanded at a 5° inclination □, and the signal is “011”.
(that is, turns on the specified two out of the three signal lines 6). (For example, if the signal is turned ON from both pressure-sensitive elements 3a and 3b, it is assumed that the pressure is applied across the two pressure-sensitive elements, and information "010" corresponding to 90" to γ5° is output. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the usage of the input vent according to the present invention (an overall configuration diagram including the output section). As described above, when the input surface 7 is specified using the pen 1, position information corresponding to the specified position is inputted to the coordinate value exchange unit 10 in the control unit (computer) 9 via the signal line 8. and then converted to the corresponding coordinate values.

Further, when the tilt information of the pressed pen is output from the pen 1 through the above-described operation, the information exchange unit 1 is outputted via the signal line 6.
1. Here, the slope (angle) information is expressed as the density value,
It is used to convert into corresponding values such as spread values and three-dimensional coordinate values, and FIG. 4 is a structural diagram of the exchange table. Here, the density value (color value) of the display position is stored in correspondence with the input angle. For example, when the tilt information is 90 degrees, black information is output, and when the tilt information is 75 degrees, blue information is output. In addition to the density, this table contains information on the thickness of lines drawn on the display screen (corresponding to the slope information, the width is given to the thickness), and Z-direction coordinates when drawing a 3D figure (corresponding to the slope information). Various gradation values can be stored other than the coordinate values in the X and Y directions, such as (the Z-coordinate extreme value changes). In this way, the coordinate values on the input surface 7 outputted from the coordinate value conversion section 10 and the density values outputted from the information conversion section 11 are inputted to a display section 12 consisting of a CRT display or the like. The display unit 12 draws the designated coordinate values, and at this time, a program is operated to display the coordinates in a predetermined color tone according to the density value. Therefore, by holding the pen fixed on the input screen and changing the tilt of the pen while moving the display screen, the user can change the density value (hue) of the drawing point in various ways and set it to the desired density. Great effect on Qin.

Note that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. In the above embodiment, the arrangement structure of the plurality of pressure-sensitive elements at the pen tip is concentric, but it may also be arranged radially as shown in FIG. 5 (2).
The fan shape shown in FIG. 5(c) may also be used.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is an internal configuration diagram of the input pen of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a diagram showing a conversion table of the circuit section in the input pen, Fig. 3 is an overall configuration diagram of a system using the input pen, and Fig. 4 is a diagram showing the conversion table of the circuit section in the input pen. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a table of the information conversion section, and FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the arrangement of pressure sensitive elements according to another embodiment. 1... Pen 2... Pen tip 3... Pressure sensitive element 4.
6.8... Signal line 5... Circuit section 9... Control section 10... Coordinate value conversion section 11... Information conversion section 12
...Display Department Agent Patent Attorney Noriyuki Chika (and 1 other person) Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4 (a) (b) Figure 5

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) In a position input device for inputting coordinate values corresponding to a designated position by pointing on an input surface using a pen, a plurality of positions are arranged in a concentric circle within the pen with the pen tip as the apex, and the pressing It is characterized by comprising a plurality of pressure sensitive elements that output signals when the pressure sensitive elements are pressed, and an information conversion means that converts the signals output from the pressure sensitive elements into information such as density values, spread values, three-dimensional coordinate values, etc. position input device. (2) The position input device according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of pressure sensitive elements are arranged in a radial or fan shape within the pen with the tip thereof as the apex.