CN103425378A - track input device - Google Patents

Abstract

A track input device comprises a sensing module and a control module. The induction module comprises an induction coil, a first communication unit and a first control unit. The induction coil receives the positioning signal and outputs a track signal according to the positioning signal. The first communication unit receives a second control signal. The first control unit generates a first control signal and generates an output signal according to the track signal or the second control signal. The control module comprises a positioning coil, a plurality of action units, a second communication unit and a second control unit. The positioning coil sends out a positioning signal. The action unit generates an action signal. The second communication unit receives the first control signal. The second control unit receives at least one action signal according to the first control signal and generates a second control signal according to the received action signal. Therefore, the sensing module and the control module can be communicated in two directions.

Description

track input device

technical field

The invention relates to a track input device, in particular to a track input device with a sensing module and a control module, and the two-way communication between the sensing module and the control module is possible.

Background technique

With the popularization of multimedia computers, it has become a tool for most users to handle work or entertainment, and users can use a mouse, a trackball, a keyboard or a digital pad as a peripheral input device for inputting to the multimedia computer. Among them, the method of inputting text or pictures into the multimedia computer through the writing area of the digital board and the digital pen is the most suitable method for users to write. And in order to be more consistent with writing habits, the digital pen can detect the pen pressure that the user applies the digital pen to the digital board to draw lines with different strokes. The digital board and the digital pen can be mainly divided into capacitive, resistive or electromagnetic types.

Among them, the electromagnetic digital pen uses an oscillating circuit and a coil to send electromagnetic waves to the digital board, and the digital board then senses the electromagnetic wave and uses it to locate and transmit additional information such as pen pressure. However, when using a single set of oscillating circuits and coils for positioning and transmitting additional information, the oscillating circuits and coils have to take turns to perform different tasks. If two sets of oscillating circuits and coils are used, there will be a problem that the two sets of electromagnetic waves may interfere with each other.

Furthermore, traditionally, the digital pen can only unilaterally transmit information such as pen pressure to the digital board, and the digital board does not communicate with the digital pen. Therefore, the digital board cannot control the digital pen, which makes it inflexible in application.

Contents of the invention

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a track input device, which includes a sensing module and a control module. The induction module includes an induction coil, a first communication unit and a first control unit, and the control module includes a positioning coil, multiple action units, a second communication unit and a second control unit.

The induction coil is used to receive a positioning signal and output a track signal accordingly, and the first communication unit is used to output a first control signal and receive a second control signal. The first control unit is connected to the induction coil and the first communication unit for generating a first control signal. The first control unit is also used for receiving the track signal from the induction coil, receiving the second control signal from the first communication unit, and generating an output signal according to the track signal or the second control signal.

The positioning coil is used for sending out positioning signals, the multiple action units are used for generating multiple action signals, and the second communication unit is used for receiving the first control signal and outputting the second control signal. The second control unit is connected with the positioning coil, the action unit and the second communication unit. The second control unit is used for receiving a first control signal from the second communication unit, receiving at least one action signal from the action unit according to the first control signal, and generating a second control signal according to the received action signal.

The first communication unit and the second communication unit may be a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC); and the action unit may be a pressure sensor, a button, a scroll wheel or a resistive regulator. Wherein the resistive adjuster can be a knob or a slide bar. According to an embodiment, the first control signal can specify at least one action unit; and the second control unit receives at least one action signal from the specified action unit, and generates the second control signal according to the received action signal.

According to an embodiment, the induction coil can send out a charging signal, and the induction coil can receive the charging signal and generate a power signal. And the control module can further include a switch, an oscillation circuit and a rectification unit. A switch can be used to connect the positioning coil to the oscillator circuit or to the rectifier unit. The oscillating circuit can be connected with the second control unit and the switch, and can be used to make the positioning coil generate a positioning signal. The rectifying unit can be connected with the second control unit and the switch, and can be used to receive the power signal from the positioning coil, rectify the power signal and output it to the second control unit.

In addition, the control module can also include a battery, and the battery can be connected to the rectification unit and the second control unit. The battery can be used to store the rectified electric energy signal, and can output the rectified electric energy signal to the second control unit. When the remaining power of the battery is less than a first threshold, the second control unit can generate a charging start signal and a third control signal. When the first control unit receives the third control signal through the first communication unit and the second communication unit, the first control unit can make the induction coil start to send out the charging signal. When the switch receives the charging start signal, the switch may connect the positioning coil to the rectifying unit.

On the contrary, when the remaining power of the battery is greater than a second threshold, the second control unit can generate a charging end signal and a fourth control signal. When the first control unit receives the fourth control signal through the first communication unit and the second communication unit, the first control unit can stop the induction coil from sending the charging signal. When the switch receives the charging end signal, the switch can connect the positioning coil to the oscillation circuit.

According to an embodiment, the induction coil can send a charging signal, and the control module can further include a charging coil and a rectification unit. The charging coil can be used to receive the charging signal and generate the power signal. The rectification unit can be connected to the charging coil and the second control unit, and can be used to rectify the electric energy signal and output it to the second control unit. The frequency of the charging signal and the frequency of the positioning signal may be different to avoid signal interference.

To sum up, the sensing module of the trajectory input device can locate the control module, and can also communicate with the control module two-way, so as to obtain the required action signal or know when the control module needs to be charged, so that the trajectory input device The application is more flexible.

The present invention will be described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments, but not as a limitation of the present invention.

Description of drawings

FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of a trajectory input device according to an embodiment;

Fig. 2 is a flow chart of two-way communication between the first control unit and the second control unit according to an embodiment;

Fig. 3 is a schematic block diagram of a control module of an embodiment;

Fig. 4 is a schematic block diagram of a control module of an embodiment;

FIG. 5 is a flow chart of a charging process of an implementation example;

Fig. 6 is a schematic block diagram of a control module of an embodiment;

Fig. 7 is a schematic block diagram of a control module of an embodiment;

FIG. 8 is a schematic block diagram of a control module according to an embodiment.

Among them, reference signs

20 sensing modules

21 induction coil

22 first communication unit

23 first control unit

30 control module

31 positioning coil

32 second communication unit

33 Second control unit

34 action units

35 switch

36 oscillator circuit

37 rectifier unit

38 batteries

39 charging coil

Detailed ways

The detailed features and advantages of the present invention are described in detail below in the embodiments, the content of which is sufficient to enable any person skilled in the art to understand the technical content of the present invention and implement it accordingly, and according to the content disclosed in this specification, the scope of claims and the accompanying drawings , any person skilled in the art can easily understand the related objects and advantages of the present invention.

The invention provides a trajectory input device, which includes a sensing module and a control module. The track input device can be used as a peripheral device of a computer, and the computer can have a display. The user can operate the control module to control a cursor displayed on the display and operate the computer.

Please refer to FIG. 1 , which is a schematic block diagram of a trajectory input device according to an embodiment.

The trajectory input device includes a sensing module 20 and a manipulation module 30 . For example, the sensing module 20 can be an electromagnetic digital tablet or an electromagnetic drawing tablet, and the control module 30 can be an electromagnetic digital pen. Since the sensing module 20 and the control module 30 are positioned electromagnetically, the control module 30 does not need to touch the sensing module 20 when the user operates the control module 30 . However, the user can also slide the manipulation module 30 against the surface of the sensing module 20 , and the manipulation module 30 can sense the pen pressure exerted by the user.

The induction module 20 includes an induction coil 21, a first communication unit 22 and a first control unit 23; and the control module 30 includes a positioning coil 31, a second communication unit 32, a second control unit 33 and multiple actions Unit 34. The induction coil 21 and the first communication unit 22 are connected to the first control unit 23 ; the positioning coil 31 , the second communication unit 32 and each action unit 34 can be connected to the second control unit 33 .

In order to locate the position of the control module 30 relative to the sensing module 20 , the positioning coil 31 sends out a positioning signal, and the sensing coil 21 utilizes the principle of electromagnetic resonance to receive the positioning signal and output a trajectory signal accordingly. The trajectory signal corresponds to the trajectory drawn by the user by manipulating the module 30 .

Two-way communication can be performed between the first control unit 23 and the second control unit 33 through the first communication unit 22 and the second communication unit 32 . For two-way communication, the first communication unit 22 outputs a first control signal and receives a second control signal, and the second communication unit 32 is used for receiving the first control signal and outputting the second control signal. The first communication unit 22 and the second communication unit 32 may be a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC). However, the first communication unit 22 and the second communication unit 32 can also adopt other communication methods with low power consumption and no interference with positioning signals, such as RF2.4G.

Each action unit 34 can generate an action signal. The action unit 34 can be a pressure sensor, a button, a scroll wheel or a resistive regulator. For example, the appearance of the control module 30 can be in the shape of a pen, at least one button can be arranged on the outside of the pen holder, and a pen pressure detector can be arranged at the pen tip and the pen core. The resistive regulator can be a variable resistor, for example, can be implemented as a knob or a sliding bar. Buttons, scroll wheels, or resistive adjusters can have different definitions depending on the application the computer is executing. For example, when the application program in use is drawing software, the control module 30 can imitate various brushes; and the user can adjust the type, thickness, color or contact between the brush and the drawing paper through the resistive regulator angle.

For another example, when the action unit 34 is a pen pressure sensor, it can detect the pen pressure applied by the user and output an action signal representing the strength of the pen pressure. When the action unit 34 is a button, it can send out an action signal representing whether the button is pressed or not. When the action unit 34 is a scroll wheel, it can send an action signal representing the scrolling direction and scrolling distance of the scroll wheel. When the action unit 34 is a knob or a slider, it can send out an action signal representing the current resistance value, or an action signal representing the moving direction and moving distance.

Please refer to FIG. 2 , which is a two-way communication flowchart between the first control unit and the second control unit according to an implementation example.

Firstly, the first control unit 23 generates a first control signal (step S110 ), and makes the first communication unit 22 send the first control signal to the second communication unit 32 . The second control unit 33 receives the first control signal from the second communication unit 32 (step S120 ). Then the second control unit 33 may receive at least one action signal from at least one action unit 34 according to the first control signal, and generate a second control signal according to the received action signal (step S130 ).

In step S130, the first control signal may designate at least one action unit 34; the second control unit 33 then receives at least one action signal from the designated action unit 34, and generates a second control signal according to the received action signal. For example, the first control unit 23 may need to obtain the pen pressure strength periodically, so it can periodically send the first control signal requesting the current pen pressure strength. When the second control unit 33 receives the first control signal, it reads the action signal generated by the pen pressure detector, and then sends the read action signal back to the first control unit as the second control signal. twenty three.

For another example, when the application program in use only requires pen pressure intensity and whether the button is pressed, the first control unit 23 may only request the pen pressure detector and the action signal generated by the button from the second control unit 33 . In this way, the specific action unit 34 can be disabled, so as to avoid program processing errors or other unexpected erroneous results due to the user accidentally touching the specific action unit 34 that should not have an effect.

After generating the second control signal, the second control unit 33 instructs the second communication unit 32 to send the second control signal to the first communication unit 22 . The first control unit 23 receives the second control signal from the first communication unit 22 , and can receive the track signal from the induction coil 21 , and generates an output signal according to the track signal or the second control signal (step S140 ).

In this way, using the two-way communication mechanism between the sensing module 20 and the control module 30, the positioning signal, the first control signal and the second control signal can be resent at the same time, thereby synchronizing the information between the sensing module 20 and the control module 30 . Although the content of the first control signal and the second control signal can be described in the embodiment example of FIG. 2 , they can also have other content. For example, the control module 30 can actively send the action signal as the second control signal to the sensing module 20 through the first communication unit 22 and the second communication unit 32 according to the preset scheduling (scheduling), and the communication module 30 can then pass the first communication The unit 22 and the second communication unit 32 reply with an acknowledgment (acknowledgment, ACK) as the first control signal.

According to an embodiment, the induction coil 21 can send out a charging signal; and the positioning coil 31 can receive the charging signal and generate a power signal as a power source for the operation of the control module 30 . Please refer to FIG. 3 , which is a schematic block diagram of a control module of an implementation example.

The control module can further include a switch 35 , an oscillation circuit 36 and a rectification unit 37 , wherein the switch 35 can be used to connect the positioning coil 31 to the oscillation circuit 36 or the rectification unit 37 . The oscillating circuit 36 can be connected to the second control unit 33 and the switch 35 , and is used to make the positioning coil 31 generate a positioning signal. In more detail, the oscillation circuit 36 can generate an oscillation signal according to the command of the second control unit 33 and transmit it to the positioning coil 31, and the positioning coil 31 converts the oscillation signal into an electromagnetic wave type positioning signal. Preferably, the charging signal sent by the sensing module 20 and the positioning signal sent by the control module 30 use different frequencies to avoid mutual interference between the signals.

The rectifying unit 37 can be connected to the second control unit 33 and the switch 35 , and can receive the power signal from the positioning coil 31 , and output the rectified power signal to the second control unit 33 . According to different implementation examples, the power signal can only be transmitted to the second control unit 33 , and then the second control unit 23 supplies power to other electronic components such as the second communication unit 32 or the action unit 34 . However, the rectification unit 37 can also be directly connected to various electronic components such as the second communication unit 32 , the second control unit 33 or the action unit 34 , so as to directly transmit the power signal to these electronic components.

According to an embodiment, the control module 30 may further include a built-in battery for temporarily storing the power signal. Please refer to FIG. 4 , which is a schematic block diagram of a control module of an implementation example. The battery 38 can be connected to the rectification unit 37 and the second control unit 33 to store the rectified power signal and output the rectified power signal to the second control unit 33 . The rectification unit 37 can be connected to the second control unit 33 through a battery 38 .

The second control unit 33 can determine whether to charge according to the remaining power of the battery 38 , and can use the first communication unit 22 and the second communication unit 32 to communicate with the first control unit 23 to control the charging process.

Please refer to FIG. 5 , which is a flow chart of an exemplary charging process.

First, the second control unit 33 can determine whether the remaining power of the battery 38 is less than a first threshold (step S210). When the remaining power of the battery 38 is less than the first threshold, the trajectory input device executes the following steps S220 to S240. When the remaining power of the battery 38 is less than the first threshold and needs to be charged, the second control unit 33 may generate a charging start signal and a third control signal (step S220 ). The charging start signal is sent to the switch 35 , and the third control signal is sent to the first control unit 23 . The first control unit 23 can receive the third control signal through the first communication unit 22 and the second communication unit 32 . When the first control unit 23 receives the third control signal, it can make the induction coil 21 start to send out the charging signal (step S230 ). And when the switch 35 receives the charging start signal, the switch 35 can connect the positioning coil 31 to the rectifying unit 37 (step S240 ). Therefore, the positioning coil 31 can receive the charging signal, and transmit the charging signal to the rectifying unit 37 for rectification, and then charge the battery 38 .

When the remaining power of the battery 38 is not less than the first threshold, the second control unit 33 may determine whether the remaining power of the battery 38 is greater than a second threshold (step S250 ). When the remaining power of the battery 38 is greater than the second threshold value, the trajectory input device performs the following steps S260 to S280. When the remaining power of the battery 38 is greater than the second threshold and the charging can be stopped, the second control unit 33 can generate a charging end signal and a fourth control signal (step S260 ). The charging end signal is sent to the switch 35 , and the fourth control signal is sent to the first control unit 23 . The first control unit 23 can receive the fourth control signal through the first communication unit 22 and the second communication unit 32 . When the first control unit 23 receives the third control signal, it can make the induction coil 21 stop sending the charging signal (step S270 ). And when the switch 35 receives the charging end signal, the switch 35 can switch and connect the positioning coil 31 to the oscillation circuit 36 (step S280 ). Therefore, the positioning coil 31 can continue to send positioning signals to locate the control module 30 .

In addition, the control device 30 may also include a charging coil for simultaneously receiving a charging signal and sending a positioning signal. Please refer to FIG. 6 and FIG. 7 , which are schematic block diagrams of control modules of different implementation examples.

The control module may further include a charging coil 39, and the charging coil 39 may be used to receive a charging signal and generate a power signal. The rectifying unit 37 can be connected to the charging coil 39 and the second control unit 33 to rectify the electric energy signal and output it to the second control unit 33 . However, there may also be a battery 38 between the rectification unit 37 and the second control unit 33 to temporarily store the rectified power signal. Preferably, the charging signal sent by the sensing module 20 and the positioning signal sent by the control module 30 use different frequencies to avoid mutual interference between the signals.

Similarly, the sensing module 20 may also include a power supply coil to simultaneously receive the positioning signal and send out the charging signal. And similar to the charging process described in FIG. 5, the first control unit 23 can make the induction coil 21 or the power supply coil send a charging signal after receiving the third control signal, and make the induction coil 21 send a charging signal after receiving the fourth control signal. Or the power supply coil stops sending the charging signal, so as to avoid energy waste caused by the power supply coil continuously sending the charging signal.

According to yet another embodiment, the control module 30 may have a battery 38 but not a charging coil 39 and a rectifying unit 37, as shown in FIG. 8 . The battery 38 can be a detachable dry battery, a button battery or a rechargeable battery, and is only used to supply power to the control module 30 .

To sum up, the induction module can use the positioning coil and the induction coil to locate the control module and obtain trajectory signals, and can also use the first communication unit and the second communication unit to communicate with the control module in two directions. And by using the two-way communication mechanism, the sensing unit can obtain the required action signal, and can also know the timing when the control module needs to be charged. Moreover, the first communication unit and the second communication unit can adopt a communication method with a short communication distance but low power consumption, and can provide long-term and frequent two-way communication. In addition, the communication between the first communication unit and the second communication unit can be in digital communication, so there will be no interference with the electromagnetic wave (positioning signal) sent by the positioning coil.

Of course, the present invention can also have other various embodiments, and those skilled in the art can make various corresponding changes and deformations according to the present invention without departing from the spirit and essence of the present invention, but these corresponding Changes and deformations should belong to the scope of protection of the appended claims of the present invention.

Claims (10)

1. A trajectory input device, characterized in that, comprising: A sensing module, comprising: An induction coil is used to receive a positioning signal and output a track signal accordingly; a first communication unit for outputting a first control signal and receiving a second control signal; and a first control unit, connected to the induction coil and the first communication unit, for generating the first control signal, for receiving the trajectory signal from the induction coil, and for receiving the second control signal from the first communication unit, and generate an output signal according to the track signal or the second control signal; and A control module, including: A positioning coil, used for sending out the positioning signal; Multiple action units for generating multiple action signals; a second communication unit, configured to receive the first control signal and output the second control signal; and A second control unit, connected to the positioning coil, the action unit and the second communication unit, for receiving the first control signal from the second communication unit, and receiving at least one of the action units from the action unit according to the first control signal an action signal, and generate the second control signal according to the received at least one action signal. 2 . The track input device according to claim 1 , wherein the first communication unit and the second communication unit are radio frequency integrated circuits. 3 . The track input device according to claim 1 , wherein the action unit is a pressure sensor, a button, a scroll wheel or a resistive regulator. 4 . 4. The track input device according to claim 3, wherein the resistive adjuster is a knob or a slider. 5. The track input device according to claim 3, wherein the first control signal specifies at least one action unit, and the second control unit receives the at least one action signal from the specified action unit, and according to The at least one action signal received generates the second control signal. 6. The trajectory input device according to claim 1, wherein the induction coil sends out a charging signal, the induction coil receives the charging signal and generates an electric energy signal, and the control module further comprises: a switch; an oscillating circuit, connected to the second control unit and the switch, for making the positioning coil generate the positioning signal; and A rectification unit, connected to the second control unit and the switch, is used to receive the power signal from the positioning coil, rectifies the power signal and then outputs it to the second control unit; and the switch is used to connect the positioning coil to the The oscillation circuit is also the rectification unit. 7. The track input device according to claim 6, characterized in that the manipulation module further comprises: a battery, connected to the rectification unit and the second control unit, for storing the rectified power signal, and outputting the rectified power signal to the second control unit; When the remaining power of the battery is less than a first threshold value, the second control unit generates a charging start signal and a third control signal; when the first control unit receives through the first communication unit and the second communication unit When receiving the third control signal, the first control unit makes the induction coil start to send out the charging signal; when the switch receives the charging start signal, the switch makes the positioning coil connect to the rectifying unit. 8. The trajectory input device according to claim 7, wherein when the remaining power of the battery is greater than a second threshold value, the second control unit generates a charging end signal and a fourth control signal; when the When the first control unit receives the fourth control signal through the first communication unit and the second communication unit, the first control unit stops the induction coil from sending the charging signal; when the switch receives the charging end signal, the A switch connects the positioning coil to the oscillating circuit. 9. The trajectory input device according to claim 1, wherein the induction coil sends a charging signal, and the control module further comprises: a charging coil for receiving the charging signal and generating a power signal; and A rectification unit is connected to the charging coil and the second control unit, and is used to rectify the electric energy signal and output it to the second control unit. 10. The track input device according to claim 9, wherein the frequency of the charging signal is different from the frequency of the positioning signal.

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