JPS5953569B2 - tablet input device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a tablet input device for inputting address information such as figures and kanji characters into a computer or the like.

A conventional device of this type has a plurality of drive lines d, as shown in FIG.

, d, . . . , dm, a plurality of detection lines 5, , 5, , . . . , Sn, and two adjacent lines from the drive line group. a drive circuit 1 that selects a drive line and passes a changing drive current; a detection circuit 2 that sequentially selects two adjacent detection lines from a group of detection lines and detects the induced voltage generated between their terminals; , a decoding circuit 3 that encodes position information corresponding to the drive line and detection line selected by the drive circuit and the detection circuit, and an input pen 4 holding a magnetic material.
It consists of The operation of this conventional device is such that the drive circuit 1 sequentially scans the two drive lines d using the scan pulse QD sent from the decode circuit 3.

and d,, d, and d. , . . . , dm/, and dm are selected and a drive current is applied, and each time an arbitrary drive line is selected, the detection circuit 2 detects the scanning pulse Q sent from the decoding circuit 3, Therefore, two detection lines so and 51, 51 are sequentially
and 52, Sn/l and Sn are selected, and it is detected whether the induced voltage between the terminals of the two selected detection lines is equal to or higher than a certain threshold voltage. Now, if the input pen 4 exists within the rectangular area formed by the intersection of the drive lines d,/, d, and the detection lines Sj-, s, the electromagnetic coupling between the drive lines and the detection lines becomes large. , drive line d,/, and d, , detection line s,/, and s, are selected, an induced voltage higher than a certain threshold voltage is generated between the terminals of the two selected detection lines. . At this time, the detection circuit 2 sends a detection signal P to the decoding circuit 3, so that the decoding circuit 3 encodes the position information of the input pen 4, that is, the currently selected drive line number i and the detection line number j. Convert and output. Since the conventional device was configured in this way, if the number of drive lines is m+1 and the number of detection lines is n+1, m drive line selections and drive operations are required to scan the input panel once. In addition, Mxn detection line selection and detection operations are required, so when applied to kanji input, graphic input, etc., the number of input items increases and high resolution is required.
The number m of drive lines and the number n of detection lines increase, which increases the time required to scan the input panel once, resulting in a disadvantage that operability deteriorates. In order to eliminate the drawbacks of the conventional example described above, the present invention independently detects the position of the input pen in the row direction and the position of the input pen in the column direction, thereby reducing the time required to operate the input panel once. To provide a tablet input device with slightly improved operability. Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of the present invention, Dl, d2,...
Dm is a drive line, Sl, S2, .........,,
S. n is a detection line, 1 is a drive circuit, 2 is a detection circuit, 3 is a decoding circuit, 4 is an input pen holding a magnetic material, and one end of the drive line group and the detection line group are commonly connected and grounded. ing.

Note that grounding here means returning current to the drive circuit and detection circuit in a manner that does not affect electromagnetic induction phenomena on the tablet surface. Next, the operation of this embodiment will be explained.

First, the scanning pulse QD sent from the decoding circuit 3
Accordingly, the drive circuit 1 selects the drive line d1 and passes two changing drive currents, and the detection circuit 2 selects the detection line S1 by the scanning pulse Qs, and when the induced voltage generated at its terminal exceeds a certain threshold voltage, Based on whether or not the input pen 4 is present in the area A1, it is detected whether or not the input pen 4 is present in the area A1. Next, while keeping d1 selected as the drive line, scan pulse Q. The detection line S2 is selected by l5, and it is detected whether or not the input pen 4 is present in the area A2. Next, the drive line D2 is selected by the scanning pulse QO, and the input pen 4 is placed in the area A3 while keeping the detection line S2 selected.
Detect whether or not exists. The same operation is repeated, and finally, drive line D. n and the detection line S. n is selected, and it is detected whether or not the input pen 4 exists in the area A2m/1. Now, if the input pen 4 points on the area A2, /1, when the drive circuit 1 selects the drive line d1 and the detection circuit 2 selects the detection line Si, a constant An induced voltage equal to or higher than the threshold voltage of is detected, and the detection circuit 2 sends a detection signal P to the decoding circuit 3. The decoding circuit 3 outputs the position address (21-1) of the input pen 4 by counting the number of times the sending pulses QD and Q5 are sent. Since this embodiment is configured as described above,
By selecting m drive lines and detection lines, the position of the input pen can be detected by dividing a given direction (for example, row direction or column direction) into 2m-1 addresses.

FIG. 3 shows another embodiment of the present invention, in which the same reference numerals as in FIG.
It operates in the same way as the embodiment shown, except that there is only one ground.

Moreover, since FIG. 4 is for showing still another embodiment of the present invention, the same reference numerals as in FIG. 2 indicate the same things, and Dxl, dx2,... ..., Dx
．． are the drive lines in the X direction, SXl, SX2, ...
・・SX. n is the detection line in the X direction, DYl, dY2, ·
...... DYn is the drive line in the Y direction, SYl,
SY2, ......, SYn are detection lines in the Y direction.

The operation of this embodiment is as follows: First, the position of the input pen 4 in the X direction is detected in the same manner as in the embodiment shown in FIG. Temporarily stores the detected address.

Next, when the position of the input pen 4 in the Y direction is detected in the same manner as in the embodiment shown in FIG. The X-direction detection address stored in the X-direction is output. Incidentally, if the drive circuits and detection circuits for the x direction and the Y direction are provided independently, scanning in the x direction and scanning in the Y direction can be performed simultaneously. Since this embodiment is configured as described above, it is possible to detect addresses in a matrix of (2m-1) x (2n-1) by selecting drive lines and detection lines (m+n) times. I can do it.

As explained above, according to the present invention, addresses in the row direction or column direction can be detected by independent operations.
Even when applied to input devices that require high resolution and a large number of input items such as kanji input and graphic input, the time required to scan the input panel once is significantly reduced compared to conventional devices of this type. The present invention has the advantage of reduced size and improved operability, so the present invention can provide a very effective tablet input device.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a conventional device, FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an embodiment of the present invention, and FIGS. 3 and 4 are block diagrams of other embodiments of the present invention. . 1... Drive circuit, 2......
Detection circuit, 3...Decoding circuit, 4.
......Input pen, Dl, d2,...111
La Dmllll drive line~S1 La S2lllll9Sml
l...Detection line, Dxl, dx2...
・・Dxn. ...X-direction drive line, SXl, SX2
,゜゜゜゜゛゜゜゜゛, SXrrl゜゜゛゜゜゛゜゜゜x direction detection line, DYl, dY2...
DYn・・・・・・Y direction drive line, SYl,
SY2,゜゜”゜゜゛゜゜゜SYn゜゜゜Detection line in the Y direction.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A drive line group consisting of a plurality of parallel conductor wires whose ends are commonly connected and grounded, and whose ends, which are overlapped in parallel on the same plane as the drive line group, are commonly connected, and an input panel formed of a detection line group consisting of a plurality of grounded parallel conductor wires; and an input pen consisting of either a magnetic material or a conductor used to indicate an arbitrary position on the input panel; , a drive circuit that is connected to one end of the drive line group that is not commonly connected, selects any one drive line from the drive line group, and supplies a varying drive current; and a drive circuit that is common to the detection line group. The input pen is connected to one unconnected end, selects any one detection line from the detection line group, and the input pen is close to the area between the selected detection line and the selected drive line. or a detection circuit that detects the position of the input pen by detecting an induced voltage generated in a terminal of the selected detection line that is not commonly connected when the tablet is brought into close contact with the input pen. Input device. 2. Each of the drive line group and the detection line group is
A first group arranged in the row direction and a second group arranged in the column direction.
The tablet input device according to claim 1, characterized in that the tablet input device comprises a group.