WO2016024336A1

WO2016024336A1 - Electronic pen

Info

Publication number: WO2016024336A1
Application number: PCT/JP2014/071325
Authority: WO
Inventors: 昭池谷; 一夫桜井
Original assignee: 昭池谷
Priority date: 2014-08-12
Filing date: 2014-08-12
Publication date: 2016-02-18

Abstract

An electronic pen that is used with an electronic device and is characterized by comprising the following: a hollow, tubular pen body that has an open end; a piece of ferrite that is cut into a rod shape and is accommodated inside the pen body such that one end of the piece of ferrite protrudes from the opening in the pen body; a coil wound around the piece of ferrite; and a capacitor electrically connected to said coil. This electronic pen is also characterized in that the piece of ferrite is formed such that in at least part thereof, the distance from a first point on the edge of the cross-section of the piece of ferrite to the centerline of the piece of ferrite is a first distance and the distance from a second point that is different from the first point to said centerline is a second distance that is different from the first distance.

Description

Electronic pen

The present invention relates to an electronic pen.

Today, it is possible to perform data input operations using an electronic pen in various electronic devices such as tablet terminals, game terminals, and CAD (Computer Aided Design) terminals.

Various technologies such as a resistive film method, electrostatic coupling method, infrared method, and electromagnetic induction method have been developed as technologies for realizing data input operations using an electronic pen. In this method, the position of the electronic pen is specified by detecting the interaction of magnetism or electromagnetic waves generated between the pen and the panel (see, for example, Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2).

For example, Patent Document 1 discloses that a current is sequentially supplied to a plurality of loop coils formed in the panel, a current is supplied to the loop coil, and a timing at which an induced voltage generated in an LC circuit in the electronic pen exceeds a threshold , A technique for specifying the position of the electronic pen is described.

Further, Patent Document 2 detects an induced voltage generated in the loop coil in the panel by a radio wave transmitted from a resonance circuit in the electronic pen while sequentially passing current through a plurality of loop coils formed in the panel. Thus, a technique for specifying the position of the electronic pen is described.

JP 2000-172447 A JP 2013-250702 A

However, such an electronic pen is a device that is directly operated by a user by hand, and higher durability is required.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide an electronic pen capable of improving durability.

An electronic pen according to one aspect is an electronic pen used in an electronic device, and is housed in the pen body such that a hollow cylindrical pen body having an open tip and one end projecting from the opening of the pen body. A ferrite cut into a rod shape, a coil wound around the ferrite, and a capacitor electrically connected to the coil, wherein the ferrite has at least a partial cross-sectional shape, The distance from the first point on the outline of the cross section to the central axis of the ferrite is the first distance, and the distance from the second point different from the first point to the central axis is the first distance. The second distance is different from the first distance.

The other problems disclosed by the present application and the solutions thereof will be clarified by the description in the column of the embodiment for carrying out the invention and the description of the drawings.

Durability can be improved.

It is a figure which shows the structure of the electronic device which concerns on this embodiment. It is a figure which shows the structure of the main body apparatus which concerns on this embodiment. It is a figure which shows the pen which concerns on this embodiment. It is a figure which shows the longitudinal cross-sectional view of the pen which concerns on this embodiment. It is a figure which shows the internal structure of the pen which concerns on this embodiment. It is a figure which shows the 1st conductive path and 2nd conductive path which concern on this embodiment. It is a figure which shows the 3rd capacitor | condenser which concerns on this embodiment. It is a figure which shows the internal structure of the pen which concerns on this embodiment. It is a figure which shows the cross section of the ferrite which concerns on this embodiment. It is a figure which shows the cross section of the ferrite which concerns on this embodiment. It is a figure which shows the cross section of the ferrite which concerns on this embodiment. It is a figure which shows the cross section of the ferrite which concerns on this embodiment. It is a figure which shows the internal structure of the pen which concerns on this embodiment. It is a figure which shows the internal structure of the pen which concerns on this embodiment. It is a figure which shows the internal structure of the pen which concerns on this embodiment.

At least the following matters will become clear from the description of this specification and the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an external configuration of an electronic device 600 using a pen (electronic pen) 1000 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The electronic device 600 according to the present embodiment is, for example, an information device such as a tablet terminal, a mobile phone, a smartphone, or a personal computer.

The electronic apparatus 600 includes a main body device 640 and a pen 1000.

The pen 1000 is a device used for a user to perform various input operations to the main device 640.

The main device 640 includes a main body configuration unit 630, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) unit 620, and a panel unit 610.

The main body component 630 incorporates various electronic circuits, batteries, and the like for controlling the main body device 640. The main device 640 is controlled by an electronic device control unit 900 (described later) built in the main body configuration unit 630, and realizes various functions as the main device 640.

The LCD unit 620 is a planar display device mounted on the main body configuration unit 630, and displays various information such as characters, graphics, images, and moving images under the control of the electronic device control unit 900.

The panel unit 610 is a planar and transparent member that is mounted on the surface of the LCD unit 620 opposite to the surface facing the main body constituting unit 630, and accepts an input operation by the user using the pen 1000.

FIGS. 2 to 3 are diagrams illustrating a configuration provided for the main device 640 according to the present embodiment to receive an input operation by the pen 1000. FIG. In FIG. 2, the LCD unit 620 is omitted.

First, the configuration of the pen 1000 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

The pen 1000 is a device used to input various types of information to the main body device 640. The pen 1000 includes a hollow cylindrical pen main body 1200 having an open end and a radio wave absorber 1100 accommodated in the pen main body 1200. Configured.

The radio wave absorber 1100 is formed so as to be tuned to the radio wave of the frequency f and efficiently absorbs the radio wave of the frequency f. The radio wave absorber 1100 is electrically connected to the rod-shaped ferrite 1110 provided so that one end protrudes from the opening of the tip of the pen body 1200 as a pen tip, the coil 1121 wound around the ferrite 1110, and the coil 1121. And a capacitor 1122 connected to.

With this configuration, the pen 1000 according to the present embodiment efficiently absorbs radio waves having the frequency f and changes the characteristics of the radio waves. Since the radio wave absorber 1100 converts the energy of the absorbed radio waves into heat, transmission of the absorbed radio waves is suppressed.

A more detailed configuration of the pen 1000 according to this embodiment will be described later.

Next, the configuration of the main device 640 will be described with reference to FIG.

The main unit 640 includes a panel unit 610, an LCD unit 620 (not shown in FIG. 2), a transmission control unit 720, a reception control unit 820, an electronic device control unit 900, a plurality of transmission antenna switches 910, A plurality of reception antenna switches 920, a fixed transmission antenna line 710, and a fixed reception antenna line 810 are configured.

Among these, the transmission control unit 720, the reception control unit 820, the electronic device control unit 900, the plurality of transmission antenna switches 910, and the plurality of reception antenna switches 920 are accommodated in the main body configuration unit 630. .

In the present embodiment, the fixed transmission antenna line 710 and the fixed reception antenna line 810 are antennas formed by, for example, extremely fine wires. In this case, the wire layer composed of the fixed transmission antenna line 710 and the fixed reception antenna line 810 is sandwiched from both sides by the panel unit 610 having a transparent glass layer or resin layer. Alternatively, the fixed transmission antenna line 710 and the fixed reception antenna line 810 in the present embodiment are formed of, for example, a transparent resin conductor and have a back surface (LCD portion) of a panel unit 610 configured with transparent resin or glass. The antenna is affixed or printed on the side facing the 620 or the surface (the side on which the pen 1000 contacts).

In the following description of the present embodiment, the fixed transmission antenna line 710 and the fixed reception antenna line 810 are simply referred to as a transmission antenna 710 and a reception antenna 810, respectively.

The transmission antenna 710 includes a plurality of antennas extending linearly, and is juxtaposed (for example, pasted) in the first direction on the panel unit 610. In the present embodiment, each antenna of the transmission antenna 710 is attached to the panel unit 610 so as to be arranged in a lattice pattern.

Also, the receiving antenna 810 includes a plurality of antennas extending linearly, and is juxtaposed (for example, attached) to the panel unit 610 in the second direction. Similarly, in the present embodiment, each antenna of the reception antenna 810 is attached to the panel unit 610 so as to be arranged in a lattice pattern.

The antennas of the reception antenna 810 are arranged so as to be alternately adjacent to the antennas of the transmission antenna 710.

The first direction is the direction in which each antenna of the transmission antenna 710 faces, and the second direction is the direction in which each antenna of the reception antenna 810 faces. In the present embodiment, the first direction and the second direction both include two directions orthogonal to each other, but the first direction and the second direction are not necessarily limited to those including two directions. The first direction and the second direction may include three or more directions, or one direction.

In addition, the first direction and the second direction are preferably the same direction as in the present embodiment, but are not necessarily limited to the same direction.

When the transmitting antenna 710 and the receiving antenna 810 are pasted or printed on the panel unit 610, the front side of the panel unit 610 with which the pen 1000 contacts is more easily pasted or printed on the back surface of the panel unit 610. Since it can be made smooth, it is preferable. Also, from the viewpoint of preventing the transmission antenna 710 and the reception antenna 810 from being damaged, it is preferable that the transmission antenna 710 and the reception antenna 810 be attached or printed on the back surface of the panel portion 610.

However, for example, the transmitting antenna 710 and the receiving antenna 810 may be pasted or printed on the surface side of the panel unit 610 (the side opposite to the side where the panel unit 610 faces the LCD unit 620). In this case, a configuration in which a transparent glass plate or a resin plate is further laminated so as to cover the transmitting antenna 710 and the receiving antenna 810 can be employed.

As shown in FIG. 2, each antenna of the transmitting antenna 710 and each antenna of the receiving antenna 810 are mounted on the panel unit 610 in a lattice shape so as to be alternately adjacent to each other. The distance between the receiving antenna 810 and the antenna is very narrow, for example, 0.5 mm to 30 mm.

In this manner, the position of the pen 1000 can be specified with high accuracy.

Each antenna of the transmission antenna 710 is connected to the transmission control unit 720 via the transmission antenna switch 910.

The transmission antenna switch 910 is controlled to be opened and closed by a characteristic change detection unit 871 described later. The characteristic change detection unit 871 can open and close each transmission antenna switch 910 individually, but normally all the transmission antenna switches 910 are closed.

On the other hand, each antenna of the reception antenna 810 is connected to the reception control unit 820 via the reception antenna switch 920.

The reception antenna switch 920 is also controlled to be opened and closed by the characteristic change detection unit 871. The characteristic change detection unit 871 can open and close each reception antenna switch 920 individually, but normally all the reception antenna switches 920 are closed.

The transmission control unit 720 includes an oscillation circuit 730, a driver circuit 740, and an antenna adjustment unit 750.

The oscillation circuit 730 is a circuit that generates an AC voltage having a predetermined frequency f.

The driver circuit 740 converts the AC voltage supplied from the oscillation circuit 730 into an AC current.

The antenna adjustment unit 750 performs adjustment for efficiently transmitting radio waves from the transmission antenna 710. The antenna adjustment unit 750 includes an extension coil 751 and a capacitor 752.

The extension coil 751 is a coil that matches the frequency f of the radio wave transmitted from the transmission antenna 710 with the length of the transmission antenna 710 and efficiently transmits the radio wave from the transmission antenna 710.

The capacitor 752 acts to cut an electromagnetic wave component having a predetermined frequency. By inserting the capacitor 752, an electromagnetic wave component harmful to the human body, for example, can be removed.

As described above, since the characteristic change detection unit 871 closes all the transmission antenna switches 910, all the antennas included in the transmission antenna 710 (shown as a1 to a4 and b1 to b4 in FIG. 2). A radio wave of frequency f is transmitted from (eight antennas).

Meanwhile, the reception control unit 820 includes a signal amplification circuit 830, a filter circuit 840, a detection circuit 850,

AD conversion circuits

860 and 861, and a signal analysis unit 870.

Since the characteristic change detection unit 871 closes all the reception antenna switches 920, all the antennas included in the reception antenna 810 (eight antennas described as x1 to x4 and y1 to y4 in FIG. 2). The synthesized waves are amplified, noise-removed and demodulated by the signal amplifier circuit 830, the filter circuit 840, and the detector circuit 850, respectively, and converted into a digital signal by the AD converter circuit 860.

The signal analysis unit 870 includes a characteristic change detection unit 871 and an object detection unit (radio wave absorber detection unit) 872.

The characteristic change detection unit 871 detects a change in the characteristic of the radio wave received by the receiving antenna 810.

The characteristic change detection unit 871 measures the characteristics of radio waves such as reception intensity (RSSI), phase, and frequency of radio waves received by the receiving antenna 810 at predetermined time intervals and records them in a memory (not shown). The characteristic change detection unit 871 compares the amount of change in the characteristics of these radio waves with a predetermined threshold, and detects that the characteristic of the radio wave received by the receiving antenna 810 has changed when the amount of change exceeds the threshold. To do. The characteristic change detector 871 detects the phase of the radio wave received by the receiving antenna 810 with reference to the phase of the oscillation signal input via the AD conversion circuit 861.

For example, assume that the tip of the pen 1000 touches the position A of the panel unit 610 shown in FIG. Then, as described above, since the radio wave absorber 1100 attached to the tip of the pen 1000 absorbs the radio wave of the frequency f transmitted from the transmission antenna 710, the reception antenna described as x1 in FIG. The characteristics of the radio wave received by the receiving antenna 810 described as 810 and y3 change.

However, as described above, since all the reception antenna switches 920 are closed, the characteristic change detection unit 871 detects the characteristics of the combined wave of the radio waves received by all the antennas included in the reception antenna 810. The characteristic change detection unit 871 detects that the characteristic of the radio wave has changed in any of the antennas by detecting that the amount of change in the characteristic of the combined wave exceeds a predetermined threshold.

Then, the characteristic change detection unit 871 individually controls the reception antenna switch 920 to identify the antenna whose radio wave characteristic has changed among the reception antennas 810, and only one reception antenna switch 920 (for example, in FIG. The reception antenna switch 920) connected to the antenna described as x1 is closed, and the other reception antenna switch 920 is opened.

The characteristic change detection unit 871 measures the characteristics of the radio wave at this time and records it in a memory (not shown).

The characteristic change detection unit 871 detects the change in the characteristics of the radio waves received by the plurality of antennas constituting the reception antenna 810 while sequentially switching the reception antenna switch 920 to be closed. When the proximity to the panel unit 610, the antenna to which the pen 1000 has approached is specified.

In the present embodiment, the characteristic change detection unit 871 specifies the antenna with which the pen 1000 is close by measuring and recording the characteristics of the radio waves received by the antennas x1 to x4 and y1 to y4.

Specifically, the characteristic change detection unit 871 compares the characteristics of the radio waves received by the respective antennas of the receiving antenna 810, and among the antennas (x1 to x4) extending in the x-axis direction (the horizontal direction in FIG. 2). From this, the antenna (x1) whose radio wave characteristics have changed is identified. Similarly, the antenna (y3) whose radio wave characteristic has changed is identified from the antennas (y1 to y4) extending in the y-axis direction (the vertical direction in FIG. 2).

At this time, the characteristic change detection unit 870 selects an antenna (x1) having a relatively different radio wave characteristic from the antennas (x1 to x4) extending in the x-axis direction as an antenna whose radio wave characteristic has changed. Identify. Similarly, the characteristic change detection unit 870 uses an antenna (y3) that has a relatively different radio wave characteristic from the antennas (y1 to y4) that extend in the y-axis direction, and an antenna in which the radio wave characteristic has changed. As specified.

The characteristic change detection unit 870 obtains, for example, an average value and dispersion of the characteristics of the radio waves received by each antenna of the receiving antennas 810, and compares them with the individual characteristic values of the radio waves received by each antenna. Antennas whose characteristics are relatively different from others are identified. Alternatively, the characteristic change detection unit 870 identifies an antenna having the largest amount of change in radio wave characteristics.

In this way, the characteristic change detection unit 871 identifies a pair of antennas, the antenna described as x1 and the antenna described as y3 in FIG.

Then, the object detection unit 872 detects that the pen 1000 has approached the point A (x1, y3) of the panel unit 610 where the change in the radio wave characteristic is detected by the characteristic change detection unit 871, and controls the electronic device. Section 900 is notified.

And the electronic device control part 900 performs the predetermined | prescribed process for displaying a cursor in the position of A point with respect to the LCD part 620, for example.

In the above-described embodiment, the characteristic change detection unit 871 measures and records the radio wave characteristics while sequentially switching (x1 to x4, y1 to y4) the reception antenna switch 920 to be closed. The transmitting antenna switch 910 is in a closed state, and radio waves are transmitted from all the antennas of the transmitting antenna 710. However, the transmitting antenna switch 910 corresponding to the receiving antenna switch 920 in the closed state is also sequentially closed. You may make it do.

For example, when the receiving antenna switch 920 described as x1 in FIG. 2 is closed, only the transmitting antenna switch 910 described as a1 corresponding to x1 is closed, and is described as x2. When the reception antenna switch 920 is closed, only the transmission antenna switch 910 described as a2 corresponding to x2 is closed, and so on. Each time the antenna switch 920 is switched, the corresponding transmission antenna switch 910 can be switched to the closed state.

According to such an aspect, it is possible to reduce the power required to transmit radio waves from the transmission antenna 710.

Further, as described above, when the pen 1000 is not in contact with the panel unit 610, the characteristic change detection unit 871 closes all the reception antenna switches 920 and receives the radio waves received by all the antennas of the reception antenna 810. After detecting that the pen 1000 has touched the panel unit 610, the reception antenna switches 920 are individually closed at predetermined time intervals sequentially. While switching, the characteristics of the radio waves received by the individual antennas are measured, but before and after detecting that the pen 1000 has touched the panel unit 610, the time interval for detecting changes in the characteristics of the radio waves is changed. You can also.

For example, before detecting that the pen 1000 has touched the panel unit 610, by setting a longer time interval t1 (first predetermined time) for detecting a change in the characteristics of the radio wave (synthetic wave), the pen 1000 may Power consumption when not in contact with the panel unit 610 can be suppressed.

In addition, after detecting that the pen 1000 has touched the panel unit 610, the position of the pen 1000 can be quickly identified by setting a short time interval t2 (second predetermined time) for switching the reception antenna switch 920. Is possible.

For example, when the pen 1000 is not in contact with the panel unit 610, the characteristic change detection unit 871 detects a change in the characteristic of the combined wave of radio waves every 100 milliseconds, and detects that the pen 1000 has contacted the panel unit 610. After the detection, the radio wave characteristics of the individual antennas of the reception antenna 810 are measured while switching the reception antenna switch 920 every millisecond.

According to such an aspect, power consumption when the pen 1000 is not in contact with the panel unit 610 can be suppressed, and when the pen 1000 is in contact with the panel unit 610, the position of the pen 1000 is quickly identified. It becomes possible.

Also, as shown as point B in FIG. 2, the tip of the pen 1000 may be located on the transmitting antenna 710 (a2, b2).

In such a case, characteristics of radio waves received by two antennas at positions x1 and x2 adjacent to the antenna indicated as a2 in FIG. 2 and two antennas y1 and y2 adjacent to the antenna b2 are illustrated. Changes.

Then, the characteristic change detection unit 871 measures the radio wave characteristics of the respective antennas constituting the reception antenna 810 while sequentially switching the reception antenna switch 920, whereby the antenna of the reception antenna 810 extending in the x-axis direction ( Among x1 to x4), it is specified that the radio wave characteristics of the two antennas (x1 and x2) at the positions x1 and x2 have changed. Similarly, it is specified that the radio wave characteristics of the two antennas y1 and y2 (y1 and y2) among the antennas (y1 to y4) of the receiving antenna 810 extending in the y-axis direction intersecting the x-axis direction have changed. To do.

Then, the characteristic change detection unit 871 apportions (for example, proportional interpolation) the change amount of the radio wave received by the x1 antenna and the change amount of the radio wave received by the x2 antenna, and changes the radio wave received by the y1 antenna. The position of the pen 1000 may be specified by proportionally (for example, proportionally interpolating) the amount and the amount of change in the radio wave received by the antenna y2.

In this case, the amount of change of the radio wave received by the antenna x1 is equal to the amount of change of the radio wave received by the antenna x2, and the amount of change of the radio wave received by the antenna y1 is equal to the amount of radio wave received by the antenna y2. When the amount of change is equal, the position of the pen 1000 is specified as B ((x1 + x2) / 2, (y1 + y2) / 2) as shown in FIG.

According to such an aspect, the position of the pen 1000 can be specified with higher accuracy.

In addition, the electronic apparatus 600 according to the present embodiment absorbs the radio wave transmitted from the transmission antenna 710 by the radio wave absorber 1100 included in the pen 1000, and detects a change in the characteristics of the radio wave received by the reception antenna 810 caused thereby. This method is adopted.

By such a method, the position of the pen 1000 can be detected efficiently.

Next, a more detailed configuration of the first aspect of the pen 1000 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

In the following drawings, the direction of the central axis of the pen 1000 is the x-axis direction, orthogonal to the x-axis, the direction in which the surface of the printed circuit board 1400 described later extends is the y-axis direction, and orthogonal to the x-axis. A direction perpendicular to the surface of the substrate 1400 is taken as a z-axis direction.

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of the pen 1000. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the internal configuration of the pen 1000.

The pen 1000 includes a rod-shaped ferrite 1110, a coil 1121, a capacitor 1122, a spacer (holding member) 1300, a printed circuit board 1400, and a conductive member 1500 inside a hollow cylindrical pen main body 1200 having an open end. And is configured.

Although details will be described later, the ferrite 1110, the coil 1121, the capacitor 1122, the spacer 1300, and the printed circuit board 1400 are integrally coupled inside the pen body 1200, and added to the tip of the ferrite 1110 from the outside of the pen body 1200. Due to the applied pressing force, it moves integrally in the −x-axis direction.

The pen body 1200 is a resin, metal, or carbon housing that is gripped by the user, and the front end side pen body 1210 and the rear end side pen body 1220 are fitted from one side and the other side of the joint cap 1230, respectively. Composed by combining.

For example, the one and the other of the joint cap 1230 are respectively formed with male threads, and the front end pen body 1210 and the rear end side pen body 1220 are formed with female threads corresponding to the male threads of the joint cap 1230.

The ferrite 1110, the coil 1121, the capacitor 1122, the spacer 1300, the printed circuit board 1400, and the conductive member 1500 are accommodated in the front end pen body 1210 as will be described later.

On the other hand, inside the rear end pen body 1220, there are various communication devices such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) and infrared communication, various speakers, illumination lights, laser pointers, microphones, liquid crystal display devices, and the like. It is a space that can store various devices.

As shown in FIG. 5, the ferrite 1110 includes a rod-shaped main body part 1112 and a front end protrusion part (one end) 1111 that protrudes from the main body part 1112 in the front end direction (+ x direction) of the pen 1000. The tip protruding portion 1111 of the ferrite 1110 is accommodated in the pen body 1200 so as to protrude to the outside from an opening provided at the tip of the tip side pen body 1210. The tip protrusion 1111 contacts the panel unit 610 as the pen tip of the pen 1000 and absorbs radio waves transmitted from the transmission antenna 710. As a result, the tip protrusion 1111 made of ferrite can directly contact the panel unit 610, so that radio waves can be efficiently absorbed, and the characteristic change detection unit 871 can efficiently detect the position of the pen 1000.

Further, the tip protrusion 1111 according to the present embodiment is formed to have a curved shape. For example, the tip protrusion 1111 has a hemispherical shape. Or the front-end | tip protrusion part 1111 is exhibiting the shape which processed the ridgeline of the truncated cone and the truncated pyramid which became so thin that it approached the front end by the curved surface.

Thereby, when the front-end | tip protrusion part 1111 contacts the panel part 610, it can make it hard to damage the surface of the panel part 610, and the durability of the panel part 610 can be improved. Similarly, since the stress applied to the tip protrusion 1111 when the tip protrusion 1111 contacts the panel 610 can be dispersed, the durability of the pen 1000 can be improved. Furthermore, safety can be improved so as not to be injured when the tip protrusion 1111 touches the skin. Further, by making the surface of the tip protruding portion 1111 a curved surface, the sensitivity characteristic of the antenna that receives radio waves is improved, and the radio waves can be absorbed more efficiently. Furthermore, when the shape of the tip protruding portion 1111 is a shape obtained by smoothly processing a ridge line of a truncated cone or a truncated pyramid with a curved surface that becomes thinner toward the tip, the visibility of the pen tip on the panel unit 610 is improved. In addition, operability can be improved. The characteristic change detection unit 871 can accurately detect the position of the pen 1000.

The coil 1121 is made of enameled wire, for example, and is wound around the main body 1112 of the ferrite 1110.

Note that, as shown in FIG. 5, the main body 1112 of the ferrite 1110 of this embodiment is formed so that the cross section is a quadrangle. For this reason, since the coil 1121 wound around the ferrite 1110 is restricted so as not to rotate around the central axis of the ferrite 1110, the coil 1121 is stably surrounded by the ferrite 1110 even when vibration is applied to the pen 1000. Retained. For this reason, failure such as disconnection of the coil 1121 or disconnection of solder can be prevented, and durability of the pen 1000 can be improved. The shape of the ferrite 1110 will be described later.

The spacer 1300 is formed with a recess 1310 into which the other end of the ferrite 1110 opposite to the tip protruding portion 1111 can be inserted. The ferrite 1110 is inserted into the recess 1310, thereby being coupled to the ferrite 1110.

In the present embodiment, the concave portion 1310 is formed in a quadrangular shape in accordance with the shape of the cross section of the main body portion 1112 of the ferrite 1110. For this reason, when the ferrite 1110 is fitted into the recess 1310, the ferrite 1110 can be restricted from rotating around the central axis, so that the ferrite 1110 and the spacer 1300 can be stably coupled. . As will be described later, one end and the other end of the coil 1121 wound around the ferrite 1110 are soldered to a printed circuit board 1400 attached to the spacer 1300. For this reason, by restricting the rotation of the ferrite 1110, it is possible to prevent a failure such as disconnection of the coil 1121 or removal of soldering, and to improve the durability of the pen 1000.

The spacer 1300 is formed with a printed circuit board mounting portion (recessed portion) 1320 having a shape corresponding to the shape of the surface of the printed circuit board 1400 in order to mount the printed circuit board 1400 from a direction perpendicular to the surface. .

The spacer 1300 is coupled to the printed circuit board 1400 by mounting the printed circuit board 1400 on the printed circuit board mounting portion 1320.

Also, the spacer 1300 is formed with a rear window 1330. The rear window 1330 is an opening formed at the rear end of the spacer 1300 opposite to the concave portion 1310, and is attached to the printed circuit board 1400 when the printed circuit board 1400 is mounted on the printed circuit board mounting portion 1320. The first conductive terminal 1411 and the second conductive terminal 1421, which will be described later, are formed so as to be positioned.

The printed circuit board 1400 is mounted with a capacitor 1122, and has a first conductive path 1410 in which one end of the capacitor 1122 and one end of the coil 1121 are electrically connected, and the other end of the capacitor 1122 and the other end of the coil 1121. A second conductive path 1420 that is electrically connected is formed. The capacitor 1122 includes a first capacitor 1123 and a second capacitor 1124.

Specifically, one end of the first capacitor 1123, one end of the second capacitor 1124, and one end of the coil 1121 are soldered on the first conductive circuit 1410, and the other end of the first capacitor 1123, the second capacitor The other end of 1124 and the other end of the coil 1121 are soldered on the second conductive circuit 1420.

A first conductive path 1410 and a second conductive path 1420 formed on the printed circuit board 1400 are shown in FIG. 6A.

As shown in FIG. 6A, in the first conductive path 1410, one end of a capacitor 1122 (first capacitor 1123 and second capacitor 1124) and one end of a coil 1121 are electrically connected, and the second conductive path 1420 is The other end of the capacitor 1122 and the other end of the coil 1121 are electrically connected.

Also, a first conductive terminal 1411 is formed in the first conductive path 1410, and a second conductive terminal 1421 is formed in the second conductive path 1420.

The first conductive terminal 1411 and the second conductive terminal 1421 come into contact with a conductive member 1500 to be described later when a pressing force of a predetermined pressure or more is applied to the tip protruding portion 1111 of the ferrite 1110 from the outside of the pen body 1200. The first conductive terminal 1411 and the second conductive terminal 1421 are short-circuited through the conductive member 1500.

More specifically, when a pressing force is applied from the outside to the tip protruding portion 1111 of the ferrite 1110, this pressing force is applied to the spacer 1300. When this pressing force exceeds a predetermined pressure, the ferrite 1110 and the spacer 1300 are applied. At the same time, the printed circuit board 1400 moves to the rear end side (−x axis direction) of the pen 1000. In the rear window 1330 of the spacer 1300, the first conductive terminal 1411 and the second conductive terminal 1421 are in contact with the conductive member 1500. As a result, the first conductive terminal 1411 and the second conductive terminal 1421 are short-circuited.

When the first conductive terminal 1411 and the second conductive terminal 1421 are short-circuited, the tuning circuit constituted by the coil 1121 and the capacitor 1122 disappears, and the radio wave absorption characteristics of the pen 1000 change discontinuously. The characteristics of received radio waves also change discontinuously. The characteristic change detection unit 871 detects the discontinuous change in the characteristics of the radio wave, and is displayed on the LCD unit 620 in the same manner as selecting an icon displayed on the screen by clicking the mouse, for example. The icon can be selected and an instruction input to the main device 640 can be performed using the pen 1000.

By such an aspect, a user who performs an input operation using the pen 1000 according to the present embodiment brings the pen tip into contact with the panel unit 610 and presses the panel unit 610 with a force equal to or higher than a predetermined pressure. Click input and double click input can be performed. Accordingly, the click input can be performed with the same operation feeling as when using the mouse, so that a very natural operation feeling can be given to the user.

Note that, as shown in FIG. 6B, a third capacitor 1125 may be connected to the first conductive path 1410. In this case, when the first conductive terminal 1411 and the second conductive terminal 1421 are short-circuited via the conductive member 1500, the third capacitor 1125 is added to the tuning circuit constituted by the coil 1121 and the capacitor 1122, and thus the radio wave generated by the pen 1000 The absorption characteristics of the material change discontinuously. Accordingly, the characteristics of radio waves received by the receiving antenna 810 also change discontinuously. The characteristic change detection unit 871 detects the discontinuous change in the characteristics of the radio wave, and is displayed on the LCD unit 620 in the same manner as selecting an icon displayed on the screen by clicking the mouse, for example. The icon can be selected and an instruction input to the main device 640 can be performed using the pen 1000. Note that the third capacitor 1125 may be provided in the second conductive path 1420.

As described above, the capacitor 1122 includes the first capacitor 1123 and the second capacitor 1124. The first capacitor 1123 is a fixed capacitor, and the second capacitor 1124 is a variable capacitor.

By using the second capacitor 1124 as a variable capacitor, the first capacitor 1123 and the second capacitor can be adjusted by adjusting the capacitance of the second capacitor 1124 even if, for example, the capacitance of the first capacitor 1123 varies in manufacturing or changes with time. The combined capacity with 1124 can be made constant, and the position of the pen 1000 can be detected efficiently.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the conductive member 1500 is arranged on the rear end side of the pen body 1200 with respect to the printed circuit board 1400 so as to be adjacent to the printed circuit board 1400 while providing a gap. The conductive member 1500 is fixedly provided at a position facing the rear window 1330 of the spacer 1300, and contacts the first conductive terminal 1411 and the second conductive terminal 1421 when the printed circuit board 1400 moves rearward.

The conductive member 1500 is configured using, for example, an elastic resin such as conductive rubber or plastic. Alternatively, the conductive member 1500 is provided with a conductive elastic metal or resin at a portion where the first conductive terminal 1411 and the second conductive terminal 1421 of the elastic body are in contact with the elastic body made of resin having no conductivity. It may be realized by doing.

FIG. 7 shows a state in which the ferrite 1110, the coil 1121, the capacitor 1122, the spacer 1300, and the printed circuit board 1400 are integrally configured inside the pen body 1200.

As described above, the leading end protrusion 1111 of the ferrite 1110 is pressed from the outside of the pen body 1200 in the −x-axis direction. When the pressing force at this time exceeds a predetermined pressure, the printed circuit board 1400 is moved in the −x-axis direction. The first conductive terminal 1411 and the second conductive terminal 1421 formed on the printed circuit board 1400 come into contact with the conductive member 1500 and are short-circuited.

Next, the shape of the ferrite 1110 according to this embodiment will be described. As described above, the main body 1112 of the ferrite 1110 according to this embodiment is formed so that the cross section is a quadrangle.

However, the main body portion 1112 of the ferrite 1110 of the present embodiment is not limited to the case where the cross section is a quadrangle, and the shape of at least a part of the cross section is that of the ferrite 1110 from the first point on the outline of the cross section. The distance from the central axis may be the first distance, and the distance from the second point different from the first point to the central axis may be a second distance different from the first distance. .

For example, as shown in FIG. 8, when the shape of at least a part of the cross section of the ferrite 1110 is a polygon (FIG. 8 shows an example of a triangle), the first point on the outline of the cross section. The distance from (P1) to the central axis (O) of the ferrite 1110 is the first distance (| OP1 |), which is different from the first point (P1) from the second point (Q1) to the central axis (O). It is only necessary that the distance to be a second distance (| OQ1 |) different from the first distance.

Further, as shown in FIG. 9, the shape of at least a part of the cross section of the ferrite 1110 may be an ellipse, and in this case, the ferrite 1110 may be deformed from the first point (P2) on the outline of the cross section. The distance to the central axis (O) is the first distance (| OP2 |), and the distance from the second point (Q2) different from the first point (P2) to the central axis (O) is the first distance (| OP2 |). It suffices that the second distance (| OQ2 |) is different from the distance.

Similarly, as shown in FIG. 10, the shape of at least a part of the cross section of the ferrite 1110 may be a shape having a protrusion on a part of a circle, and in this case as well, on the outline of the cross section. The distance from the first point (P3) to the central axis (O) of the ferrite 1110 is the first distance (| OP3 |), and the second point (Q3) is different from the first point (P3). It is only necessary that the distance to the central axis (O) be a second distance (| OQ3 |) different from the first distance.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 11, the shape of at least a part of the cross section of the ferrite 1110 may be a shape obtained by cutting off a part of a circle. In this case as well, the first shape on the contour line of the cross section may be used. The distance from the point (P4) to the central axis (O) of the ferrite 1110 is the first distance (| OP4 |), and the second axis (Q4) is different from the first point (P4) from the central axis ( It is only necessary that the distance to (O) be a second distance (| OQ4 |) different from the first distance.

In any of the above forms, the coil 1121 wound around the ferrite 1110 is restricted so as not to rotate around the central axis (O) of the ferrite 1110, so even if vibration is applied to the pen 1000. 1121 is stably held around the ferrite 1110. For this reason, failure such as disconnection of the coil 1121 or removal of soldering can be prevented, and the durability of the pen 1000 can be improved. The ferrite 1110 in the form as in the present embodiment can be manufactured by, for example, machining a cylindrical shape.

FIG. 12 shows an example in which the cross section of the ferrite 1110 is formed in a hexagonal shape.

When the cross section of the ferrite 1110 is formed in a hexagonal shape, the ferrite 1110 can be controlled not to rotate around the ferrite 1110 as described above, and the ferrite 1110 can be easily manufactured. Furthermore, since the volume of the ferrite 1110 is close to the case where the cross section is a circle, the radio wave absorption ability of the ferrite 1110 can be maintained substantially the same as the case where the cross section is a circle.

Next, a second aspect of the pen 1000 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

The pen 1000 according to the first aspect described above includes the spacer 1300 inside the pen body 1200, but the pen 1000 according to the second aspect illustrated in FIGS. 13 and 14 does not include the spacer 1300. It is a configuration.

In the pen 1000 according to the second aspect, the printed circuit board 1400 and the ferrite 1110 are directly coupled so that the spacer 1300 is not used.

Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, the ferrite 1110 of the second aspect has a groove portion having a width corresponding to the thickness of the printed circuit board 1400 at the other end opposite to the tip protruding portion 1111. 1113 is formed. The ferrite 1110 and the printed circuit board 1400 are integrally coupled by sandwiching the edge 1430 of the printed circuit board 1400 in the groove 1113.

By not having the spacer 1300, the pen 1000 according to the present embodiment can reduce the number of parts, reduce the cost, and reduce the weight of the pen 1000.

Further, as shown in FIG. 13, the pen 1000 according to the present embodiment has a length L from the front end of the ferrite 1110 to the rear end of the printed circuit board 1400, the length L1 of the ferrite 1110 and the length of the printed circuit board 1400. It can be made smaller than the sum of the length L2 (L <L1 + L2). Thereby, the length of the front end side pen main body 1210, and by extension, the length of the whole pen 1000 can be made shorter.

Alternatively, the length of the rear end pen body 1220 can be increased by reducing the length of the front end pen body 1210 without changing the overall length of the pen 1000. In this case, by increasing the length of the rear end side pen main body 1220, it is possible to increase the types and number of devices that can be accommodated in the rear end side pen main body 1220. As a result, the application of the pen 1000 is expanded, and the convenience can be further improved.

In the pen 1000 of the second mode, when a pressing force is applied from the outside to the tip protruding portion 1111 of the ferrite 1110, this pressing force is applied to the conductive member 1500 through the printed circuit board 1400. While the pressure is lower than the predetermined pressure, the first conductive terminal 1411 and the second conductive terminal 1421 formed on the printed circuit board 1400 do not contact the conductive member 1500.

When the pressing force becomes larger than the predetermined pressure, the printed circuit board 1400 moves together with the ferrite 1110 to the rear end side (−x axis direction) of the pen 1000. Then, the first conductive terminal 1411 and the second conductive terminal 1421 formed on the printed circuit board 1400 are in contact with the conductive member 1500. As a result, the first conductive terminal 1411 and the second conductive terminal 1421 are short-circuited.

When the first conductive terminal 1411 and the second conductive terminal 1421 are short-circuited, the radio wave absorption characteristic of the pen 1000 changes discontinuously, and accordingly, the radio wave characteristic received by the receiving antenna 810 also changes discontinuously. The characteristic change detection unit 871 detects the discontinuous change in the characteristics of the radio wave, and is displayed on the LCD unit 620 in the same manner as selecting an icon displayed on the screen by clicking the mouse, for example. The icon can be selected and an instruction input to the main device 640 can be performed using the pen 1000.

As described above, the pen 1000 according to the present embodiment has been described in detail. However, the pen 1000 according to the present embodiment has a cross-sectional shape of at least a part of the ferrite 1110 around which the coil 1121 is wound. The distance from the first point on the outer contour line to the central axis of the ferrite 1110 is the first distance, and the distance from the second point different from the first point to the central axis is different from the first distance. It is formed to be two distances.

For this reason, since the coil 1121 wound around the ferrite 1110 is restricted so as not to rotate around the central axis of the ferrite 1110, the coil 1121 is stably surrounded by the ferrite 1110 even when vibration is applied to the pen 1000. Retained. For this reason, failure such as disconnection of the coil 1121 or removal of soldering can be prevented, and the durability of the pen 1000 can be improved.

For example, when the shape of at least a part of the cross section of the ferrite 1110 is a polygon, the ferrite 1110 can be controlled not to rotate around the ferrite 1110 and the ferrite 1110 can be easily manufactured. is there.

Further, for example, even when the cross-sectional shape of at least a part of the ferrite 1110 is an ellipse, the coil 1121 can be restricted from rotating around the ferrite 1110 and the coil 1121 is wound around the ferrite 1110. There is an advantage that the work at the time is easy.

Further, the pen 1000 according to the present embodiment allows the ferrite 1110 and the printed circuit board 1400 to move integrally to the rear end side of the pen body 1200 by a pressing force applied from the outside to the tip protrusion 1111 of the ferrite 1110. When the printed circuit board 1400 moves to the rear end side of the pen body 1200, the printed circuit board 1400 comes into contact with a conductive member 1500 having a conductivity provided in the pen body 1200, and the conductive member 1500 and the first conductive path 1411 are connected to the printed circuit board 1400. The second conductive path 1421 is configured to be short-circuited.

For this reason, when the user brings the tip protruding portion 1111 into contact with the panel portion 610 and presses the pen 1000 with a pressing force equal to or higher than a predetermined pressure, the first conductive terminal 1411 and the second conductive terminal 1421 are short-circuited, and the radio wave of the pen 1000 The absorption characteristics change discontinuously, and accordingly, the characteristics of radio waves received by the receiving antenna 810 also change discontinuously. The characteristic change detection unit 871 detects the discontinuous change in the characteristics of the radio wave, so that the electronic device control unit 900 selects an icon displayed on the LCD unit 620 and instructs the main body device 640. It becomes possible to input.

In addition, the pen 1000 according to the first aspect of the present embodiment includes a recess 1310 formed in accordance with the shape of the cross section of the other end opposite to the tip protruding portion 1111 of the ferrite 1110, and the surface of the printed circuit board 1400. A spacer 1300 having a printed circuit board mounting portion 1320 formed in accordance with the shape is provided. The other end of the ferrite 1110 is inserted into the recess 1310 of the spacer 1300, and the printed circuit board 1400 is inserted into the printed circuit board mounting portion 1320. , The ferrite 1110 and the printed circuit board 1400 are integrally coupled.

In this manner, the ferrite 1110, the spacer 1300, and the printed circuit board 1400 can be stably coupled. For this reason, failure such as disconnection of the coil 1121 wound around the ferrite 1110 or disconnection of solder can be prevented, and the durability of the pen 1000 can be improved.

Further, the pen 1000 according to the second aspect of the present embodiment forms a groove 1113 having a width corresponding to the thickness of the printed circuit board 1400 at the other end opposite to the tip protruding portion 1111 of the ferrite 1110. By sandwiching the edge 1430 of the printed circuit board 1400 in the groove 1113, the ferrite 1110 and the printed circuit board 1400 are directly and integrally coupled.

In this manner, since the spacer 1300 can be omitted, the number of parts can be reduced, the cost can be reduced, and the weight of the pen 1000 can be reduced.

Furthermore, since the length L from the tip of the ferrite 1110 to the rear end of the printed circuit board 1400 can be made smaller than the sum of the length L1 of the ferrite 1110 and the length L2 of the printed circuit board 1400, the tip side pen The length of the main body 1210 can be shortened. Further, by shortening the length of the front end side pen body 1210, the length of the rear end side pen body 1220 can be increased to accommodate more various devices inside the rear end side pen body 1220. become. As a result, the application of the pen 1000 is expanded, and the convenience can be further improved.

Furthermore, in the electronic apparatus 600 according to the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the panel unit 610 is outside the LCD unit 620 (the side opposite to the surface on the side where the LCD unit 620 faces the main body component 630). It is attached to the surface.

Therefore, a general LCD panel that does not assume a pen input function can be used as the LCD unit 620 without remodeling, and costs can be reduced. More specifically, it is possible to use the LCD unit 620 as it is without removing the metal plate (aluminum plate) provided on the lower surface side of the LCD panel in order to prevent unnecessary radiation of radio waves.

Further, since the receiving antenna 810 is not equipped with a tuning circuit that tunes to the radio wave transmitted from the transmitting antenna 710, the circuit configuration can be simplified.

Further, the frequency f of the radio wave used by the electronic apparatus 600 according to the present embodiment is preferably 1 megahertz or less, for example, about 500 kilohertz. Accordingly, it is possible to easily obtain parts used when manufacturing the main body device 640 and the pen 1000 while maintaining the position detection accuracy of the pen 1000, and thus it is possible to reduce the cost.

The above-described embodiment is for facilitating understanding of the present invention, and is not intended to limit the present invention. The present invention can be changed and improved without departing from the gist thereof, and equivalents thereof are also included in the present invention.

600 Electronic device 610 Panel unit 620 LCD unit 630 Main body configuration unit 640 Main body device 700 Transmission unit 710 Fixed transmission antenna line 720 Transmission control unit 730 Oscillation circuit 740 Driver circuit 750 Antenna adjustment unit 751 Extension coil 752 Capacitor 800 Reception unit 810 Fixed reception antenna Line 820 Reception control unit 830 Signal amplification circuit 840 Filter circuit 850 Detection circuit 860 AD conversion circuit 861 AD conversion circuit 870 Signal analysis unit 871 Characteristic change detection unit 872 Object detection unit 880 Output unit 900 Electronic device control unit 910 Transmission antenna switch 920 Reception Antenna switch 1000 Electronic pen 1100 Wave absorber 1110 Ferrite 1111 Protruding protrusion 1112 Main body 1113 Groove 1121 Coil 1122 Capacitor 112 3 1st capacitor 1124 2nd capacitor 1125 3rd capacitor 1200 Pen main body 1210 Front end side pen main body 1220 Rear end side pen main body 1230 Joint cap 1300 Spacer 1310 Recessed part 1320 Printed circuit board mounting part 1330 Back window part 1400 Printed circuit board 1410 1st Conductive path 1411 First conductive terminal 1420 Second conductive path 1421 Second conductive terminal 1430 Edge 1500 Conductive member

Claims

An electronic pen used in electronic equipment,
A hollow cylindrical pen body with an open tip;
Ferrite cut into a rod shape accommodated in the pen body so as to protrude one end from the opening of the pen body,
A coil wound around the ferrite;
A capacitor electrically connected to the coil;
With
The ferrite has at least a partial cross-sectional shape, and a distance from a first point on the outline of the cross-section to the central axis of the ferrite is a first distance, which is different from the first point. An electronic pen, wherein the distance from the point 2 to the central axis is a second distance different from the first distance.
The electronic pen according to claim 1,
2. The electronic pen according to claim 1, wherein the ferrite has a portion having a polygonal cross section.
The electronic pen according to claim 1,
The electronic pen according to claim 1, wherein the ferrite has a portion having an elliptical cross section.
The electronic pen according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The electronic pen according to claim 1, wherein the one end of the ferrite projecting from the opening of the pen body has a curved shape.