JPS6227816A - Coordinates input unit - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION A. Field of Industrial Application The present invention relates to a coordinate input device, such as a handwritten character input device.
The present invention relates to a graphic input device.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there are character/graphic input devices using various methods. Unfortunately, in conventional devices, in order to write or erase data, the computer must be input to the computer to specify the corresponding position and input as a separate command. In need of. This is generally done by selecting a switch or pointing to a portion on a tablet (coordinate board) called a menu.

That is, as shown in FIG. 8, by pointing (or touching) the menu area 2 provided on the tablet 1 with the stylus pen 3, the menu area 2 provided on the tablet 1 is displayed on the tablet controller unit 5 connected with the cables 4a and 4b, or on this unit. A computer (not shown) connected via an interface cable 6 determines whether previous or subsequent input data means writing or erasing. Next, information is written or erased by inputting information to the tablet 1 using the stylus pen 3.

In the device shown in FIG. 9, a writing switch 12 and an erasing switch 13 are arranged separately from the touch tablet 11, but input operations are performed after the switches are selected.

As mentioned above, all conventional devices require a menu or switch selection to be made in a separate area before the actual information can be entered, so the person working with this type of device (
It may be troublesome to operate, especially for non-skilled users, and may be prone to erroneous operation.

C.1 Objective of the Invention An object of the present invention is to provide a coordinate input device that can be operated easily and reliably.

29 Structure of the Invention That is, the present invention includes a coordinate detection means (for example, a touch tablet described below) for detecting position coordinates, and an input means (for example, a stylus pen described below) for instructing the coordinate input position to the coordinate detection means. However, this input means itself is provided with functional parts (for example, a writing end and an erasing end, which will be described later) that perform a plurality of different functions related to coordinate input, and these functional parts can be used selectively when inputting coordinates. The present invention relates to a coordinate input device configured as follows.

E, Example Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to examples.

FIG. 1 schematically shows a handwritten character/figure input device according to a first embodiment.

In this device, a touch tablet 21 as a position coordinate detecting means is provided in a recessed portion slightly lower than the top surface of the device main body 26, and an infrared photo sensor 22 is fixed to the center of a side wall surface 20 facing this recessed portion. There is. Infrared light 24 emitted from the stylus pen 23 on the tablet 21 is made to enter the photo sensor 22. Further, in FIG. 1, a display 25 for displaying written information on, for example, a liquid crystal display is provided directly below the tablet 21, and information written with a stylus pen 23 or information to be erased is displayed from above the tablet 21. It is possible to identify it. Note that the main body 26 can be provided with a separate display 27 or a built-in speaker 28.

What should be noted in such an input device is that the stylus pen 23, which is an input means for instructing the tablet 21 to input coordinates, has different functions at both ends 23a and 23b, and when inputting, the stylus pen 23 performs different functions. This means that they can be used for different purposes. That is, in the illustrated example, one end 23a is selectively used for writing information and the other end 23b is used for erasing information, and at the same time, unlike the conventional example, no conductor such as a cable is provided. do not have.

A specific structural example of the stylus pen 23 is shown in FIG.
A direction switch 30 is built into the pen body 29, and if the pen body 29 is raised with one end 23a, where the infrared light emitting diode 31 is located, facing down and raised at an angle of about 30 degrees or more from the horizontal direction (i.e., the surface of the tablet 21), the metal inside the direction switch 30 The bulb 32 descends due to gravity and conducts between the circuit contacts 33 and 34, thereby automatically supplying power supply voltage to the light emitting diode 31 from the built-in batch IJ-35. As a result,
The light emitting diode 31 lights up, and this infrared light is reflected by the reflecting mirror section 3.
6, and is emitted to the outside through the transparent plastic portion 37 of the main body 2S, becoming infrared light 24 shown in FIG. The transparent plastic portion 37 is the area below the broken line 38 in FIG. The other end 23b of the pen 23 does not have an infrared light emitting structure like the end 23a, and has a mere conical shape, but is used for input when erasing written information. It is important that it is used. Note that, for ease of understanding, FIG. 2 depicts the pen 23 with the inside of the main body 29 seen through.

FIG. 3 shows another stylus pen 23 drawn in a similar manner to FIG. According to this stylus pen, the pressure when the tip of the pen end 23a is pressed against the tablet 21 causes the spring (coil spring type) 40 to
Terminals 43 and 44 of the bushing switch 41, which are separated by , are connected. As a result, battery 35
The light emitting diode 31 lights up due to the voltage supply from the
Infrared light similar to that described above is emitted.

In this way, the stylus pen 23 itself is completely different from conventional pens; infrared light necessary for writing is emitted from one end 23a, the other end 23b is used for erasing, and both ends are used for purpose. It can be used depending on the situation.

When this stylus pen 23 is used, in FIG.
When a predetermined position of the tablet 21 is lightly pressed with one end 23a facing down, the position is transmitted to the microprocessor connected to the tablet 21, and at the same time, the same end 23a
The infrared light 24 emitted from the infrared photo sensor 2
2, the sensor output is transmitted to the microprocessor sensor, and information is written. On the other hand, when the other end 23b is placed downward, no infrared light is emitted, so no infrared light enters the sensor 22, and therefore the mode is set in which information can be erased.

This information writing and erasing operation will be explained with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5.

FIG. 4 shows a circuit built in the device main body 26 of FIG.
The axis electrodes are connected, and by executing a program that determines from the output binary data and input signals, it is possible to determine which part of the X, Y intersection is pressed and connected by the stylus pen 23. All the programs described here will be collectively referred to as the program memory 51 shown in FIG. 4, and all storage devices necessary for executing the programs will be shown therein. The program of the microprocessor 50 can read the position of the stylus pen 23 on the touch tablet 21 as described above and at the same time read the output of the infrared photo sensor 22, so it is possible to use either end of the stylus pen 23. It can be determined whether Here, the light emitting side 23a is designated as "for writing", and the photo sensor 23a is designated as "for writing".
When it is determined that there is an optical input, the handwriting input by handwriting can be displayed on the display 25 disposed below the touch tablet 21 in FIG. 1 through the display circuit 52. In this case, the touch tablet 21 is composed of a transparent film and a transparent electrode. After that, change the way you hold the stylus pen 23 and use the opposite side (that is, the end that does not emit light).
3b) to indicate part of the handwriting on the tablet 21, the program of the microprocessor 50 determines this operation from the output of the photosensor 22 and "erases" it.
Since the display at the corresponding location on the display 25 will be erased, those who are using the stylus pen 23 to input by hand will be able to draw a line at the corresponding location at the bottom of the board at the same time as they write. appears and you can visually confirm that the corresponding part disappears as it is erased.

Furthermore, the program of the microprocessor 50 and the speech circuit 53 make it possible to incorporate various speech functions, and applications such as instructing the user to pronounce the input characters, add to, or delete them using the voice emitted from the speaker 28 are possible. Available for

The structure of the touch tablet 21 will be explained in FIG. 5.

Parallel electrodes 56 and 57 are wired on the two plastic films 54 and 55, respectively, and are superimposed orthogonally to each other, so that when not pressed with a stylus pen, the electrodes 5
A suitable spacer (not shown) is placed between films 54-55, such that spacers 6-57 are spaced apart. The electrodes 56, 57 are all pulled out by cables 58, 59, and have a structure that allows them to be connected to the outside (60, 61 in the figure is a connector). It is also possible to form both the plastic film and the electrodes from transparent materials.

As explained above, in the device according to this embodiment, both ends of the stylus pen 23 have different properties or different functions related to input, and this difference is detected by the photo sensor 22 attached to the tablet 21. By doing so, it is possible to automatically determine what kind of input operation is being performed (ie, writing or erasing) and perform the corresponding input. Therefore, unlike conventional devices, writing or erasing can be performed simply by touching the tablet 21 with either side of the pen 23.
The operation becomes very easy, and input can be performed accurately because all one has to do is check the end of the pen 23. For this purpose, it is preferable to mark each end with a message such as "for writing" or "for erasing."

Figure 6 schematically shows a handwritten capital letter/figure input device according to a second embodiment.

In this example, as shown in FIG. 6(A), a metal piece 63b (for example, iron, brass, ferrite, etc.) is embedded and integrated into one end side of a non-metallic rod 63a made of plastic or the like, so that a stylus pen can be used. 63 are configured. Then, as shown in FIG. 6(B), a detection coil 60 is arranged around the tablet 21 operated with this stylus pen 63, and a detection coil 60 is arranged on either side of the pen 63 (i.e.,
It is determined whether the input operation is being performed on the 3a side or the 63b side.

That is, the tablet 21 itself is as described in FIG.
Conductors are wired or printed in a linear manner on two sheets, which are stacked perpendicularly to each other and suspended with spacers to prevent the conductors from touching. By pressing the top of this sheet with the stylus pen 63, the conductors in the pressed portions come into contact at orthogonal points. And, Fig. 6 (C
), from the output port of the microprocessor 70 to
Apply voltage to one of the shaft conductors and read the voltage (on/off) of the YtdJm conductor connected to the input port. By performing this operation for all X axes, the positions of the contact points can be read.

Also, a coil 60 is installed around this tablet 21,
An oscillator 64 is formed by this coil and a transistor circuit, and a constant oscillation output is obtained and passed to a frequency high/low discrimination circuit 65. If the coordinate input is performed using the end of the non-metallic portion 63a of the stylus pen 63, the oscillation frequency does not change, but if the metal side 63b is used, the frequency decreases.

Based on this principle, the output of the discrimination circuit 65 is connected to the input port of the microprocessor 70, so that the program 71 of the microprocessor 70 determines whether the coordinate data is for writing or erasing and performs appropriate processing. can. For example, when using the non-metal side 63a of the pen 63, "writing" is performed, and when using the metal side 63b, "erasing" is performed.

In addition, by appropriately selecting the constants of the frequency high/low discrimination circuit 65, it is possible to ignore small changes in frequency. It can be made by placing a metal or ferrite cap on the opposite side of the ballpoint pen (as 63b above).

In the device according to this embodiment, the same effects as those described in the first embodiment described above can be obtained, and since the stylus pen 63 is simply formed of a combination of a non-metal part and a metal part, it is possible to There is no need to incorporate a light emitting element or the like.

Embodiment 3 FIG. 7 shows an example in which the above-described second embodiment is applied and the present invention is applied to a word processor.

According to this example, transparent touch tablets 21a and 21b similar to the above-mentioned tablet 21 are mounted on the handwriting input section 80 and display section 81 of the word processor, so characters are written on the handwriting input section 80 and the characters are displayed one after another. It is registered on the display section 81.

The writing start position is specified by pointing the display section using the writing side 63a of the stylus pen 63.

In other words, when nothing is written at first, the "
Lightly press ``quotient'' with the stylus pen 63 and write ``Product...'' on the tablet 21b, and then change the line to the second line where ``hand'' is displayed (actually, write (Nothing is displayed until then) with the stylus pen 63, and input "Easy..." into the tablet.

Also, if you want to change "use" to "usable", use "wa".
by indicating the position using the opposite side 63b of the stylus. Next, enter "e" on tablet 21a and rewrite the erased part. Suppose, after deleting it like this,
When input is performed using the tablet by specifying the next place to write, the erased place is automatically left-justified.

Complex processing, insertion, replacement, etc. can be performed using function keys or the menu in the display section, just like in a general word processor.

The advantage of this example is that it requires almost no initial knowledge of word processing, and to a certain extent it can be used in a way similar to writing, erasing, and rewriting on paper, making it easier to get used to it, and for complex processing that follows. Even if the user masters it, the user will be able to accept it without much resistance.

Although the present invention has been illustrated above, the embodiments described above can be further modified based on the technical idea of the present invention.

For example, in the first embodiment described above, the light emitting side of the stylus pen was used for writing, but the reverse may be used. That is, in the posture shown in FIG. 1, the stylus pen 23
The infrared light from the upper end of the pen may be incident on the photosensor 22 by causing the upper end to emit light (by locating 23a at 23b and 23b at 23a). In addition, the emitted light may not be infrared light, but may be ultraviolet light or even visible light, but in the case of visible light, the photo sensor 22 should be careful not to malfunction (i.e., only the emitted light from the pen should be incident). ) A light shielding plate or other means is required. In any case, a photosensor that responds to emitted light may be selected and used. In addition to embedding an infrared light emitting element in one side of the stylus pen as in the above example, other means may be provided to give different characteristics to both ends of the stylus pen and read the difference. In addition to the above-mentioned second embodiment, such other means may utilize the presence or absence of a magnet or the polarity of a magnet.

For example, when using magnet polarity (N, S), the coordinate position of the tablet is read magnetically, and the waveform of the read signal differs depending on the polarity at that time. Determine the meaning of (erasure). In the case of the presence or absence of a magnet, a touch tablet that indicates the position using pressure is used as the tablet, and a magnetic sensor is used instead of an infrared photo sensor. In either case, since there is no need to incorporate a power supply and circuit into the squill pen side, an inexpensive and long-life pen can be supplied. Further, in the second embodiment described above, the coil 60 around the tablet 21 may be divided into a plurality of parts, but this is effective for a wide area as shown in FIG. Note that the shape, structure, operation, etc. of the stylus pen and tablet left side described above can be changed in various ways, and input means other than the stylus pen can be used, and the input functions are not limited to writing and erasing as described above. There may be three or more types. The present invention
It can be applied not only to the two-dimensional coordinate input described above, but also to -dimensional and three-dimensional input.

1. Effects of the Invention As described above, the present invention provides the input means itself with a plurality of different functional parts related to human power, and uses these parts selectively. It is possible to automatically determine whether an operation is being performed (ie, writing or erasing, for example). Therefore, the operation becomes very easy, and input can be performed accurately because it is only necessary to check the functional parts of the input means.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1 to 7 show embodiments of the present invention, in which FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a coordinate input device according to the first embodiment, and FIGS. 2 and 3 are views from the squirrel pen side. 4 is a block diagram showing a circuit configuring the coordinate input device, FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing a touch tablet, and FIG. 6 (A)
is a perspective view of a stylus pen according to the second embodiment, FIG. 6(B) is a schematic perspective view of a coordinate input device, and FIG.
) is a block diagram showing a circuit constituting the coordinate input device, and FIG. 7 is a plan view of the main part of the coordinate input device according to the third embodiment. 8 and 9 show conventional examples, and are schematic perspective views of a coordinate input device. In addition, in the symbols shown in the drawings, 21-・-----1--・-Tasochitabre,
・----～----Photo sensor 23.63--
------- Stylus pen 23a, 63 a ---
--------------(Light emitting side or for writing) Ends 23b, 63b -----------<For erasing)
End portion 25.27---Display section 30----One-way switch 31--
−−−−−−・−Light emitting diode 32−−−11−
--- Metal ball 40 --- Spring 41 --- Bush switch. Agent Patent Attorney Hiroshi Aisaka Figure 1

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. It has a coordinate detecting means for detecting position coordinates, and an input means for instructing the coordinate input position to the coordinate detecting means, and the input means itself is provided with functional parts each performing a plurality of different functions related to coordinate input. A coordinate input device configured such that these functional parts can be used selectively when inputting coordinates.