Wacom Co., Ltd.

Kabushikikaisha Wacom

Yoshinori Taguchi

Tsuguya Yamanami

Azuma Murakami

Yuji Katsurahira

Yoshiaki Tomofuji

Takeshi Tanaka

Kenichi Takahashi

A coordinate input device with a display includes a tablet composed of two position detecting units each formed by alternately arranged exciting and detecting lines parallel to each other on a magnetic member in the form of a sheet. These units are overlaid one upon the other so that exciting and detecting lines of one unit extend orthogonally with respect to those of the other. A planar display is overlaid on the tablet. The device further includes a position designating magnetic generator which locally applies a magnetic bias to the magnetic members of the tablet. The exciting lines of the tablet are supplied with an alternating current of a predetermined cycle by a driving current source. A position detecting circuit detects the coordinate values of a position designated by the position designating magnetic generator from the induced voltages respectively generated from the detecting lines of the tablet. The display is driven by a display control circuit. A modulating and demodulating circuit converts data represented by the coordinate values into a signal suitable for a transmission line and vice versa. The device further includes a processor which controls the above-described members and circuits. Position designation with respect to the tablet is effected by the position designating magnetic generator from the upper side of the display, whereby it is possible to input a position signal to the tablet under the display with high accuracy.

Coordinate input device with display

A coordinate input device with a display includes a position detecting tablet having a plurality of X-direction magnetostrictive transmission mediums and a plurality of Y-direction magnetostrictive transmission mediums superposed orthogonally, a first coil wound around one end of the array of magnetostrictive transmission mediums, and a second coil wound over substantially the entire lengths of the magnetostrictive transmission mediums. A position indicated on the tablet by a position indicating magnetism generator is detected by measuring the length of time between the moment at which a pulse current is applied to one of the first and second coils and the moment at which the voltage induced in the other of the first and second coils by a magnetostrictive vibration wave exceeds a threshold value owing to the sudden increase of voltage observed when the wave passes the indicated position. The coordinate input device further has a display unit which is superposed on the tablet and is adapted to directly display the position indicated on the tablet at the corresponding position thereon.

A position detector comprising a plurality of magnetostriction propagating media extending substantially in parallel with one another and having first coils wound about the media at respective first ends thereof and second coils wound around the media over respective lengths thereof. A current pulse is applied to each of the first coils to generate magnetostrictive oscillation waves in the regions of the mediae around which the first coils are wound. The waves propagate through the media and cause an induced voltage to be generated in the respective second coils at the position where position indicators generate a steady magnetic field. The position of the position indicators is determined by measuring the time that elapses between generating the oscillating waves and receiving the induced voltages. Adjacent two of the plurality of magnetotriction propagating media are respectively paired and each of the magnetostriction propagating media of the respective pairs are individually wound with first coils that are connected together and second coils that are connected together so as to generate a magnetostrictive oscillating wave in the respective pairs. The plurality of magnetositriction propagating media may be evenly spaced or may be irregularly arranged with media that separate pairs being closer together than the media that comprise a pair. In one embodiment the current pulse is applied to the second coils to generate magnetostrictive oscillation waves at the position of the position indicators. In this embodiment the waves propagate through the mediae and cause an induced voltage to be generated in the respective first coil.

Position detector

A position detecting apparatus has a plurality of magnetostrictive transmission medium elements which are arranged substantially in parallel with one another. A first coil and a second coil are wound around these elements such that signals are exchanged between these coils through the intermediary of the magnetostrictive transmission medium elements. The electric-mechanical coupling coefficient of the magnetostrictive transmission medium elements is locally changed by a magnetism from a position appointing magnetism generator so as to appoint a position on a plane provided by the magnetostrictive transmission medium elements, and the appointed position is detected through detection of a change in the timing of a signal caused by the local change in the above-mentioned coefficient. The position appointing magnetism generator is not connected to any portion of the stationary part of the apparatus. The apparatus is capable of detecting the appointed position at a high resolution, even when the position appointing magnetism generator is spaced apart vertically from the position detecting region. This apparatus is usable also for a moving object, with the position appointing magnetism generator affixed to the moving object.

Magnetostrictive vibration wave position detecting apparatus with

A position detecting device includes a tablet which has a magnetic sheet and two conductor sheets. The magnetic sheet is formed by weaving a group of warp elements (or weft elements) having multiple insulating fibers and a plurality of relatively long magnetic elements disposed among the fibers at predetermined regular spacings and a group of weft elements (or warp elements) having multiple insulating fibers into a plain weave fabric, which is hardened into a sheet-like configuration. Each of the conductor sheets has a plurality of linear conductor elements extending substantially parallel to each other. The two conductor sheets are respectively overlaid on the upper and lower sides of the magnetic sheet so that the conductor elements and the magnetic elements extend orthogonally with respect to each other. The corresponding conductor elements of the upper and lower conductor sheets are connected to from alternate exciting and detecting lines. The device further includes a driving current source for supplying the exciting lines with a cyclic alternating current designating, a position designating magnetic generator for generating a stationary magnetic field, and a position detecting for calculating, from the voltages respectively induced in the detecting lines, coordinate values of the position designated by the position magnetic generator.

Position detecting device

A coordinate input device with display includes a tablet having a plurality of parallel X-direction magnetostrictive transmission mediums, a plurality of parallel Y-direction magnetostrictive transmission mediums superposed on, and substantially orthogonal to the X-direction mediums thereto, and first and second coils wound around the magnetostrictive transmission mediums. The device further includes a plurality of biasing magnetic means for applying a biasing magnetic field to portions of the magnetostrictive transmission mediums surrounded by the first and second coils, and a tabular display superposed on the tablet and having a display area substantially equal to the position detection area on the tablet. A magnetic pen is used to cause a local increase of electro-mechanical coupling coefficient in the magnetostrictive transmission mediums in the tablet. The device further has an apparatus for recording in hard copy form the data corresponding to the appointed coordinate values, made by the magnetic pin on the display and can be visually checked.

Coordinate input device with display and printer

A position detecting device includes a magnetic member composite which is integrally composed of a pair of insulating substrates with a plurality of long magnetic members sandwiched therebetween and arranged substantially parallel to each other and two conductive member composites, each of which is composed of a plurality of conductive members arranged substantially parallel to each other.

A position detecting apparatus has a matrix-like arrangement constituted by a plurality of substantially parallel X-direction magnetrostrictive line bundles, each of the bundles having at least one magnetostrictive transmission medium element, and a plurality of substantially parallel Y-direction magnetostrictive line bundles, each of the bundles having at least one magnetostrictive transmission medium element, the Y-direction magnetostrictive line bundles crossing the X-direction magnetrostrictive line bundles substantially at a right angle. First coils are wound commonly around one end of the X-direction magnetostrictive line bundles and Y-direction magnetostrictive line bundles, respectively. Second coils have portions wound around the X-direction magnetostrictive line bundles over a large length thereof and the portions wound around the Y-direction magnetostrictive line bundles over a large length thereof. The first and second coils in respective directions make signal exchange therebetween through the magnetostrictive transmission medium. The electro-mechanical coupling coefficient of the magnetostrictive transmission medium is changed only a portion thereof by means of the position appointing magnetism generator, and this position is detected through the detection of a change in the signal receiving timing caused by the change of the electromagnetic coupling coefficient. The magnetism generator is not connected to any stationary part. The detection can be made within the position detection region with a high resolution even when the position appointing magnetism generator is spaced considerably from the apparatus in the vertical direction. The apparatus, therefore, can be applied to a system for automatically detecting the position of a moving body, by attaching the position appointing magnetism generator to such a moving body.

Position detecting apparatus

A position detecting apparatus for detecting a position appointed by a position appointing magnetism generator 7. The apparatus has at least one magnetostrictive transmission medium 1 and a first coil 2 and a second coil 5 around the medium 1 in such a manner that signals are exchanged between these coils 2,5 through the intermediary of the magnetostrictive transmission medium 1. The electro-magnetic coupling coefficient of the magnetostrictive transmission medium 1 is locally changed at a selected position by the position appointing magnetism generator 7, and this position is detected through the detection of timing of change in the signal level attributable to the change of the above-mentioned coefficient. The magnetism generator 7 need not be connected to any portion of the apparatus, and yet the appointed position can be detected at a high resolution even if the position appointing magnetism generator 7 is vertically spaced considerably from the position detection range. This apparatus can be used, for example, in the detection of position of a moving object, by attaching the position appointing magnetism generator to the moving body while laying the magnetostrictive transmission medium along the path of movement of the moving body.

A coordinate input device with a display has a tablet having two orthogonal position detecting sections each having elongated magnetic bodies and a plurality of exciting lines and a plurality of detecting lines which are arranged alternately such as to cross the magnetic bodies orthogonally thereto. These position detecting sections are superposed such that their magnetic bodies, exciting lines and detecting lines cross orthogonally. A tabular display is superposed on the tablet. The device further has a position appointing magnetism generator adapted for imparting local biases to the exciting lines of the position detecting sections. The exciting lines of the tablet are supplied with A.C. current of a predetermined frequency by a driving current source. A position detecting circuit is designed for detecting the corrdinate values of a position appointed by the position appointing magnetism generator through detection of voltage induced in the detecting lines in the tablet. The display is driven by a display control circuit. The operation of the above-mentioned constituents is controlled by a processor. With this arrangement, it is possible to input corrdinate data to the tablet by the position appointing magnetism generator with a high precision and by a simple operation from a remote position above the tablet, and the coordinate data or image information formed by these coordinate data can be visually checked directly on the display.

Disclosed is a position detecting apparatus which has a position detecting section having elongated magnetic bodies and a plurality of exciting lines and a plurality of detecting lines which are arranged alternately such as to cross the magnetic bodies orthogonally thereto. A driving power source is adapted to apply A.C. voltage of a predetermined frequency to the exciting lines. A position appointing magnetism generator applies a local magnetic bias to the magnetic bodies. The position appointed by the position appointing magnetism generator is detected through the detection of the voltages induced in the detecting lines. According to this arrangement, the position appointing magnetism generator can be handled easily because it is not connected to any stationary part of the apparatus, and the position can be detected at a high precision without being affected by external induction and noises and without producing noise which would affect nearby devices.

A coordinate input device with display comprises a tablet having a plurality of X-direction magnetostrictive transmission mediums arranged in parallel, a plurality of Y-direction magnetostrictive transmission mediums arranged in parallel and superposed on the X-direction transmission mediums substantially orthogonally thereto, and first and second coils arranged over substantial regions of the magnetostrictive transmission mediums. A magnetic pen is used to produce just enough magnetism for causing a local increase of the electro-mechanical coupling coefficient in the magnetostrictive transmission mediums in the tablet.

Growing community of inventors

Ageo, Japan

Yoshinori Taguchi