JPH0542009B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] [Table of contents] Overview Industrial application field Prior art (Fig. 6) Problem to be solved by the invention Means for solving the problem (Fig. 1) Effect Example (a) 1 Description of the embodiment (Figs. 2 to 4) (b) Description of another embodiment (Fig. 5) (c) Description of another embodiment Effects of the invention [Summary] Pen pressure points on the input surface Regarding a coordinate input device that detects coordinates, with the aim of accurately distinguishing between a switch part and a coordinate input part using a resistor, a first parallel electrode group connected to a first resistor is installed in the coordinate input area. The provided first electrode sheet and the second electrode sheet provided with a second parallel electrode group perpendicular to the first parallel electrode group in the coordinate input area and connected to the second resistor are placed facing each other. a coordinate input board, and a coordinate detection section that detects the coordinate value of a point where pressure is applied to the coordinate input board from the outputs of the first resistor and the second resistor. In the device, a switch area provided with a first switch pattern electrode connected to the first resistor on the first electrode sheet and connected to the second resistor on the second electrode sheet. A switch area is provided with a second switch pattern electrode corresponding to the first switch pattern electrode, and a determination is made to determine whether the input point is a coordinate input area or a switch area based on the coordinate values of the coordinate detection section. A department was established.

[Industrial application field]

The present invention relates to a coordinate input device that detects the coordinates of a pen pressure point on an input surface.

2. Description of the Related Art Coordinate input devices are widely used for inputting coordinates to computers and the like, and pressure-sensitive type devices are known that detect the position of pen pressure on an input surface as coordinates.

It is desired that such a pressure-sensitive coordinate input device be able to use both coordinate input and switch input.

[Conventional technology]

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of the prior art.

As shown in FIG.
Y electrode sheet 1 having 1 to Yn and a resistor 20
The coordinate input board 4 includes an X electrode sheet 2 having X electrode groups X1 to Xn whose ends are connected to each other, and a pressure-sensitive conductive sheet 3 provided therebetween.

When pressure is applied to a desired position on the coordinate input board 4 with a pen or the like, the Y electrode and the It will show values according to the Y and X positions.

The X coordinate and Y coordinate of the input point where pressure is applied by this
Coordinates can be detected.

If such a coordinate input device is provided with a switch function that allows not only coordinate input but also some kind of instruction or designation, the value of use will be improved.

Conventionally, as shown in FIGS. 6B and 6C, a part of the coordinate input electrode was made into a switch part SW, and a resistor 10,
Based on the coordinate values detected by 20, it is determined whether the input is from the coordinate input section or the switch section SW.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

By the way, at the boundary of the switch part SW,
Based on the difference between one coordinate input electrode, it is determined whether it is a switch section or not.

For this reason, the resistor 1 that connects the coordinate input electrodes
Uniformity is required in the inter-electrode resistance values of 0 and 20, and a highly accurate resistor is required.

However, since resistors are generally formed of thin film, it is difficult to obtain a uniform resistance value.
There was a problem that it was difficult to realize in practice.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a coordinate input device that can accurately discriminate between a switch section and a coordinate input section using a resistor.

[Means to solve the problem]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the principle of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, the present invention provides a first electrode sheet 1 in which a first parallel electrode group Y1 to Yn connected to a first resistor 10 is provided in a coordinate input area 1a.
and the first parallel electrode group Y in the coordinate input area 2a.
1 to Yn and a second electrode sheet 2 provided with a second parallel electrode group X1 to Xn connected to a second resistor 20 and arranged opposite to each other.
and a coordinate detection unit 5 that detects the coordinate value of the point where pressure is applied to the coordinate input plate 4 from the outputs of the first resistor 10 and the second resistor 20, A switch area 1b provided with a first switch pattern electrode 11 connected to the first resistor 10 on the first electrode sheet 1;
The second electrode sheet 2 is provided with a switch area 2b connected to the second resistor 20 and provided with a second switch pattern electrode 21 corresponding to the first switch pattern electrode 11. A discriminating section 6 is provided which discriminates from the coordinate values of the detecting section 5 whether the input point is a coordinate input area or a switch area.

[Effect]

In the present invention, switch pattern electrodes 11 and 21 dedicated to switches are provided in switch areas 1b and 2b, and these are connected to resistors 10 and 20.

Therefore, since the distance between the switch pattern electrode 11 and the coordinate input electrode Yn in the resistor 10 is widened, it becomes easy to distinguish between the switch part and the coordinate input part even if the resistance values of the resistors vary.

Further, since the switch pattern electrodes 11 and 21 can be formed with a sufficiently large area as a switch, they can function accurately as a switch and can be formed into any shape.

〔Example〕

(a) Description of one embodiment FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of an electrode sheet according to one embodiment of the present invention.

In the figure, the same parts as those shown in FIGS. 1 and 6 are indicated by the same symbols.

The Y electrode sheet 1, as shown in FIG. 2A,
A resistor 10 is provided vertically, and a coordinate input area 1
n parallel Y electrodes Y1 to Yn are provided at right angles to the resistor 10 and connected to the resistor 10 at their ends.

Further, in the switch area 1b, six round first Y-side switch pattern electrodes 11a1 to 1 are arranged.
1a6, and three rectangular second Y-side switch pattern electrodes 11b1 to 11b3,
First Y-side switch pattern electrode 11a1-1
1a6 is electrically connected and connected to the resistor 10 at the connection point 11a, and the second Y-side switch pattern electrodes 11b1 to 11b3 are electrically connected and connected to the resistor 10 at the connection point 11b.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 2B, the X electrode sheet 2 is provided with a resistor 20 in the horizontal direction, and in the coordinate input area 2a, n parallel X electrodes X1 to Xn are arranged at right angles to the resistor 20. It is connected to the resistor 10 at the end.

Further, in the switch area 2b, six first Y side switch pattern electrodes 1 of the Y electrode sheet 1 are arranged.
Corresponding to 1a1 to 11a6, the first of six round shapes
X-side switch pattern electrodes 21a1 to 21a
6 and three second X-side switch pattern electrodes 21b1 to 21b3 of the Y electrode sheet 1, and the first X-side switch pattern electrode 21a
1 to 21a6 and the second X side switch pattern electrodes 21b1 to 21b3 are respectively connected to the X electrodes X1 to 21b3.
It is connected to the resistor 20 via Xn.

In addition, the Y electrode sheet 1 and the X electrode sheet 2 are
They are provided on both sides of the pressure-sensitive conductive sheet 3 as shown in FIG. 6A.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of one embodiment of the present invention.

In the figures, the same parts as those shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 6 are indicated by the same symbols.

7 is a constant current source that flows a constant current to both ends of the Y-side resistor 10 via resistors ra and rb, rc, rd
8 is a resistor for grounding both ends of the X-side resistor 20, 8 is a comparator, and a constant current source 7
It is detected that a constant current flows from the CPU, and the P1 terminal of the discriminator (CPU) 6 is set to "high" level.
This is for instructing A/D conversion operation.

50 and 52 are differential amplifiers, which take and amplify the voltage difference between resistors ra and rb, and rc and rd, and 51 and 53 are variable resistors, which output the differential amplifiers 50 and 52, respectively. 54 is a reference voltage source, which will be described later.
55 is an A/D (analog/digital) converter that provides a reference voltage for the D converter 55;
Based on the reference voltage, the variable resistors 51 and 53 are
It converts the input voltage from the converter into a digital value and outputs it.

The determination unit 6 is composed of a CPU, and determines the area of the switch unit and the coordinate input unit from the Y-side coordinate value from the A/D conversion unit 55, and calculates the X-side coordinate value if it is input to the switch unit. The switch number is obtained and outputted as a switch output.If it is a coordinate input section, the X coordinate value and Y coordinate value are directly output as coordinates.

Further, S1 is a switch, and the Y-side resistor 10
The first 11c of the coordinate input section of is connected to the resistor when the power is turned on.
rd, and is used to input the head 11c of the coordinate input section as a coordinate value, as will be described later.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of coordinate detection processing according to an embodiment of the present invention.

When pressure is applied to the coordinate input board 4, the Y electrode and the X electrode are connected and a constant current flows.

When current flows, comparator 8 operates,
Set the P1 terminal of CPU6 to “high” level.

When the P1 terminal becomes “high” level, the CPU6 outputs the A/D conversion control signal from the P2 terminal.
Turn it ON to instruct the A/D converter 55 to perform A/D conversion.

The coordinate input board 4 is driven by a constant current from a constant current source 7, and by connecting the X electrode and the Y electrode, a constant current flows from the resistors ra, rb and the resistor 10 to the resistor 20, and the resistors ra, rb ,rc,rd has
A voltage proportional to the resistance value at the connection point between the resistors 10 and 20 is output.

The difference between these voltages is taken by differential amplifiers 50 and 52, amplified, the level is adjusted by variable resistors 51 and 53, and the Y side voltage Vy and the X side voltage are proportional to the resistance value at the connection point of the resistors 10 and 20. Vx is A/
The signal is input to the D converter 55.

The A/D converter 55 converts the input voltages Vx and Vy into digital values based on the reference voltage of the reference voltage source 54, and obtains the X coordinate value X and the Y coordinate value Y.
Input to CPU6.

Next, the CPU 6 outputs the input Y coordinate value Y.
Find out whether it is the switch part or the coordinate input part.

If the connection points 11a and 11b and between 11b and 11c in FIG. Time is switch part 1
1a, when the integer part is 1, the switch part 11b,
When the integer part is 2 or more, the coordinate input section and CPU6
can be determined.

If the integer part of α is "0", then one of the six switches 11a1 to 11a6 is determined.

Here, let the number of dots that can be used by switches in the X direction of FIG.
7) in Figure B, the X side switch number is obtained from the X coordinate value X as follows.

The CPU 6 calculates β=X coordinate value X/N/M+1 (2) and obtains the X side switch number as the integer part of β.

The integer part of α mentioned above is set as the Y-side switch number, and is output together with the X-side switch number, and the process ends.

On the other hand, if the integer part of α is “1”, the
Similarly, the CPU 6 calculates β using equation (2), uses the integer part as the X-side switch number, outputs it together with the Y-side switch number, and ends the process.

step, if the integer part of α is 2 or more
If the CPU 6 determines, it is an input to the coordinate input section, so it outputs the X and Y coordinate values.

At this time, the Y coordinate value is offset by the number of dots in the switch portion as shown in FIG. 2A, so it is necessary to eliminate the offset.

Theoretically, this offset is 2K based on the assumption of the step (Y-2K), but in reality, there are variations in the resistance values of the resistors.

Therefore, when the power is turned on, the switch S1 is turned on under the control of the CPU 6, and the differential amplifier 50 is turned on.
Therefore, the connection point 11c which is the beginning of the coordinate input section
The voltage is outputted and inputted to the CPU 6 via the A/D converter 55, and the coordinate value Y ₀
Remember.

When outputting the Y coordinate value, this coordinate value _Y0 is subtracted from the detected Y coordinate value Y as an offset value.

In this way, the beginning of the Y side of the coordinate input section can be set to "0".

The CPU 6 outputs the X and Y coordinate values thus obtained and ends the process.

(b) Description of other embodiments FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of another embodiment of the present invention.

The structure of the X electrode sheet 2 in FIG. 5B is the same as that in FIG. 2B, but the structure of the Y electrode sheet 1 is different from that in FIG. 2A, as shown in FIG. 5A. .

In the case of Fig. 2A, the switch part is the resistor 2.
Since the coordinate input section is located at the beginning of the coordinate input section 0, an offset occurs at the beginning of the coordinate input section, and it is necessary to perform offset correction as in the step.

In this embodiment, the resistor 10 is divided into two parts: a resistor 10a in the coordinate input section and a resistor 1 in the switch section.
0b, and the rear of the resistor 10a of the coordinate input section and the resistor 10b of the switch section were connected by a line l1.

As a result, the coordinate input section is at the beginning, followed by the switch section, and the coordinate input section can be set to 0 to 191, and the switch section can be set to 192 to 255, for example.

Since the beginning of the coordinate input section is thereby fixed, the switch S1 in FIG. 3 and offset correction can be omitted.

Also, the above equation (1) is α=(256−Y)/K……(3) All you have to do is transform it.

(c) Description of another embodiment In the above embodiment, the switch areas 1b and 2b are set in the horizontal direction, but the switch areas may be set in the vertical direction, and the switch pattern electrodes in the switch area also have two switch areas. The number of switch pattern electrodes in one row is not limited to one row, or may be one row or three or more rows, and the number of switch pattern electrodes in one row is not limited to plural, but may be one.

Although the present invention has been described above with reference to examples, the present invention can be modified in various ways according to the gist of the present invention.
These are not excluded from the present invention.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, according to the present invention, the coordinate input electrode and another switch-dedicated switch pattern electrode are provided in the switch area and connected to the resistor, so the resistor does not require high precision. This has the effect of making it possible to distinguish between the input switch section and the coordinate input section, and provides a coordinate input device that uses both the coordinate input section and the switch section easily and inexpensively.

Furthermore, since the switch pattern is dedicated to the switch, it is possible to realize a switch pattern of any shape, increasing the degree of freedom in the shape of the switch.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is a principle diagram of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a configuration diagram of an electrode sheet according to an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 3 is a block diagram of an embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 4 is a processing example of an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of the prior art. In the figure, 1...first electrode sheet (Y electrode sheet), 2...second electrode sheet (X electrode sheet),
1a, 2a...coordinate input area, 1b, 2b...
Switch area, 4... Coordinate input board, 10, 20
...Resistor, 11, 21...Switch pattern electrode, X1-Xn...First parallel electrode group, Y1-Yn
...Second parallel electrode group.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A first electrode sheet 1 provided with a first parallel electrode group Y1 to Yn connected to a first resistor 10 in a coordinate input area 1a, and a first electrode sheet 1 provided with a first parallel electrode group Y1 to Yn connected to a first resistor 10 in a coordinate input area 1a; A second parallel electrode group X1 to Xn is orthogonal to the parallel electrode group Y1 to Yn and is connected to the second resistor 20.
A coordinate input plate 4 is formed by arranging a second electrode sheet 2 facing each other, and a coordinate value of a point where pressure is applied to the coordinate input plate 4 is inputted between the first resistor 10 and the second electrode sheet 2. In a coordinate input device having a coordinate detection unit 5 that detects from the output of a resistor 20, the first resistor 10 is attached to the first electrode sheet 1.
A switch area 1b provided with a first switch pattern electrode 11 connected to the second electrode sheet 2 is connected to the second resistor 20 and connected to the first switch pattern electrode 11.
A switch area 2b is provided in which a second switch pattern electrode 21 corresponding to the switch pattern electrode 11 is provided, and from the coordinate values of the coordinate detection section 5, it is determined whether the input point is the coordinate input area 1a, 2a or the switch area 1b, 2b.
A coordinate input device characterized in that it is provided with a discriminating section 6 for discriminating.