Patent EP0423843A2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0423843A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Coordinates input apparatus
Assignee: Canon Inc
•
Filing: 1987-06-26
•
Granted: —
•
Expires: 2007-06-26
Abstract
Abstract A coordinates input apparatus such as a digitizer has: vibration propagation medium such as a transparent glass plate for allowing a vibration to propagate therethrough; an input pen for applying vibration (50) to the vibration propagation means; vibration detecting means for detecting vibration (51) applied by the input pen; envelope output means for producing an envelope signal (52) representing the envelope of the vibration detected by the vibration detecting means; differentiation means for conducing a differentiation (53) of the envelope signal produced by the envelope output means so as to determine the peak (at time Tg); control means adapted for determining, as the time of arrival of the vibration, a zero-cross point of the vibration (51) detected by the vibration detecting means located in the vicinity of a zero-cross point of the signal (53) from the differentiation means; and computing means for computing the distance between the input pen and the vibration detection means from the time determined by the control means.
Inventors
- 👤 Kiyoshi Kaneko
- 👤 Atsushi C/O Canon K.K. Tanaka
- 👤 Yuichiro C/O Canon K.K. Yoshimura
- 👤 Katsuyuki Kobayashi
- 👤 Shinnosuke C/O Canon K.K. Taniishi
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-28 23:39
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F3/00; G06F3/01; G06F3/03; G06F3/041; G06F3/043; G06F3/0433; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S367/00; Y10S367/907
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 66
Claim 1
Independent Claim
90 words
A coordinates input apparatus comprising: vibration generating means for generating vibration in response to a signal vibration propagation means for receiving vibration from said vibration generating means and for propagating the received vibration; vibration detecting means provided in contact with said vibration propagation means and adapted for detecting the vibration delivered from said vibration generating means; and computing means for computing, from the group velocity and the phase velocity of said vibration detected by said vibration detecting means, the distance between said vibration generating means and said vibration detecting means.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
22 words
A coordinates input apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein said vibration detected by said vibration detecting means is a plate-wave elastic wave.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
48 words
A coordinates input apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein said computing means is adapted for detecting the time of arrival of said vibration from the phase waveform in the vicinity of a singular point of said group velocity and for computing the distance from said time of arrival.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
21 words
A coordinates input apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein said vibration generating means and said vibration detecting means include piezoelectric elements.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
18 words
A coordinates input apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein said vibration propagation means includes a transparent tabular member.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
18 words
A coordinates input apparatus according to Claim 5, further comprising display means covered by said vibration propagation means.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
135 words
A coordinates input apparatus comprising: vibration propagation means for propagating a vibration therethrough; an input pen for applying a vibration to said vibration propagation means; vibration detection means for detecting vibration applied to said vibration propagation means by said input pen; differentiation means for effecting a plurality of differentiation operations an envelope signal delivered by an envelope signal generating means adapted for outputting the envelope of the vibration detected by said vibration detection means; control means for determining, as a vibration arrival time, the zero-cross point of said vibration detected by said vibration detection means in the vicinity of a zero-cross point of the signal derived from said differentiation means; and computing means for computing the distance between said input pen and said vibration detection means from the arrival time determined by said control means.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
22 words
A coordinates input apparatus according to Claim 7, wherein said vibration detected by said vibration detection means is a plate-wave elastic wave.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
32 words
A coordinates input apparatus according to Claim 7, wherein said computing means includes a counter adapted for measuring the propagation time of said vibration from the time of arrival of said vibration.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
23 words
A coordinates input apparatus according to Claim 9, wherein said computing means includes a table for converting said propagation time into said distance.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
18 words
A coordinates input apparatus according to Claim 7, wherein said vibration propagation means includes a transparent tabular member.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
137 words
A coordinates input apparatus comprising: vibration propagation means for allowing a vibration to propagate therethrough; an input pen for applying vibration to said vibration propagation means; vibration detecting means for detecting vibration applied by said input pen; envelope output means for producing an envelope signal representing the envelope of the vibration detected by said vibration detecting means; differentiation means for conducting a differentiation of said envelope signal produced by said envelope output means; control means adapted for determining, as the time of arrival of said vibration, a zero-cross point of said vibration detected by said vibration detecting means located in the vicinity of a zero-cross point of the signal from said differentiation means; and computing means for computing the distance between said input pen and said vibration detection means from the time determined by said control means.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
20 words
A coordinates input apparatus according to Claim 12,wherein said input pen includes a vibration means (4) having a piezoelectric element.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
37 words
A coordinates input apparatus according to Claim 12, wherein said vibration detection means includes a piezoelectric element, and a plurality of such vibration detection means are provided in contact with different portions of said vibration propagation means.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
50 words
A coordinates input apparatus according to Claim 12, further comprising a counter (27) adapted for measuring the time length between the moment at which said vibration is applied to said vibration propagation means by said input pen to the time of arrival of said vibration determined by said control means.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
35 words
A coordinates input apparatus according to Claim 12,further comprising delay time regulation means (25) for regulating the delay time incurred during signal processing in said envelope output means, said differentiation means and said control means.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
223 words
A coordinates input apparatus comprising: an input pen having a vibrator which produces vibration in accordance with driving pulses; vibration propagation means adapted to be contacted by said input pen so as to receive and propagate said vibration; a plurality of vibration detection means provided in contact with different portions of said vibration propagation means and adapted to convert the vibration into electric signals upon detecting said vibration which have propagated through said vibration propagation means; envelope generating means for generating a signal representing the envelope of each of said electric signals from said vibration detection means; differentiation means adapted for conducting a predetermined number of differentiation operations on said envelope signal generated by said envelope generating means; computing means for determining, as the arriving time of said vibration, the timing of a zero-cross of the signal from said vibration detection means immediately after a zero-cross point of the signal derived from said differentiation means, said computing means further adapted to compute the position where said input pen contacts said vibration propagation means from the time required for said vibration to propagate from the position of contact of said input pen to the position where said detection means are provided; and display means for displaying data concerning the position where said input pen contacts said vibration propagation means computed by said computing means.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
19 words
A coordinates input apparatus according to Claim 17,further comprising driving means for driving said vibrator in said input pen.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
22 words
A coordinates input apparatus according to Claim 18, further comprising modulation means for modulating the driving pulses produced by said driving means.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
31 words
A coordinates input apparatus according to Claim 18, wherein the frequency of said driving pulses produced by said driving means is substantially the same as the resonance frequency of said vibrator.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
25 words
A coordinates input apparatus according to Claim 17, wherein said computing means includes table means for converting the vibration propagation time into vibration propagation distance.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
111 words
A coordinate input apparatus comprising: vibration generation means for vibrating in response to driving pulses; vibration propagation means for receiving said vibration from said vibration generating means and for propagating the received vibration; vibration detecting means for detecting said vibration propagating through said vibration propagation means; threshold level setting means for setting threshold levels on the positive side and negative side of the zero level of the vibration detected by said vibration detecting means; and control means for determining the time of arrival of said vibration at said vibration detecting means, from said vibration detected by said vibration detection means exceeded said threshold levels at both said positive and negative sides.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
28 words
A coordinates input apparatus according to Claim 22, wherein said threshold levels set by said threshold level setting means are set in the vicinity of said zero level.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
35 words
A coordinates input apparatus according to Claim 22, wherein said control means includes a computing means for computing, from said time of arrival, the distance between said vibration generating means and said vibration detecting means.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
17 words
A coordinates input apparatus according to Claim 22, wherein said vibration propagation means includes a tabular member.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
28 words
A coordinates input apparatus according to Claim 22, wherein said vibration detecting means are provided on opposite side of said vibration propagation means to said vibration generating means.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
16 words
A coordinates input apparatus according to Claim 22, wherein said vibration is a plate-wave elastic wave.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
152 words
A coordinates input apparatus comprising: vibration generating means adapted to vibrate in response to a signal; vibration propagation means for receiving said vibration generated by said vibration generating means and for propagating the received vibration; vibration detecting means for detecting the vibration propagated through said vibration propagated through said vibration propagation means; envelope signal generating means for generating an envelope signal representing the envelope of the vibration detected by said vibration detecting means; arrival signal generating means for generating a signal indicating that said vibration generated by said vibration generating means has propagated through said vibration propagation means and arrived at said vibration detecting means, from said envelope signal and said vibration detected by said vibration detecting means; and computing means for computing the propagation time of said vibration upon receipt of said arrival signal, in such a manner as to compensate for loss time incurred in said envelope signal generating means.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
22 words
A coordinates input apparatus according to Claim 28, wherein said vibration detected by said vibration detecting means is a plate-wave elastic wave.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
21 words
A coordinates input apparatus according to Claim 28, wherein said vibration generating means and said vibration detecting means include piezoelectric elements.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
34 words
A coordinates input apparatus according to Claim 28, further comprising driving means for generating the driving signal to be delivered to said vibration generating means and modulation means for modulating the generated driving signal.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
23 words
A coordinates input apparatus according to Claim 28, wherein said vibration propagation means includes a transparent tabular member superposed on said display means.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
28 words
A coordinates input apparatus according to Claim 28, wherein a plurality of said vibration detecting means are provided in contact with different portions of said vibration propagation means.
Claim 34
Independent Claim
106 words
A method of determining a vibration propagation time comprising the steps of: a first step for applying a vibration to a vibration propagation means and simultaneously starting a counter; a second step for generating an envelope signal representing the envelope of a signal from vibration detecting means disposed in contact with said vibration propagation means; a third step for detecting the peak of said envelope signal; and a fourth step for determining the propagation time from the value counted by said counter till the moment of zero-cross of the first signal from said vibration detecting means after the detection of said peak of said envelope signal.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
106 words
A coordinates input apparatus comprising: a tabular vibration propagation means for propagating vibration; vibration means adapted for generating vibration upon receipt of an electric signal; an input pen adapted for delivering said vibration generated by said vibration means to said vibration propagation means at a desired portion of said vibration propagation means; vibration detection means held in contact with said vibration propagation means so as to detect said vibration propagated through said vibration propagation means; and driving means for producing modulated pulses for driving said vibration means such that the envelope of the detection signal produced by said vibration detection means includes a plurality of peaks.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
38 words
A coordinates input apparatus according to Claim 35, further comprising envelope signal generating means adapted for generating the envelope of the vibration detected by said vibration detection means and means for detecting the peak of said envelope signal.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
21 words
A coordinates input apparatus according to Claim 35,wherein said vibration detected by said vibration detection means is a plate-wave elastic wave.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
17 words
A coordinates input apparatus according to Claim 35, wherein said vibration generating means includes a piezoelectric element.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
130 words
A coordinates input apparatus comprising: signal generating means for generating signals for appointing a position; signal propagation means for propagating said signal generated by said signal generating means; a plurality of signal detection means provided on different positions so as to detect said signal propagated through said signal propagation means; order setting means for setting the order of said signal detecting means so as to select predetermined number of said detecting means out of all said signal detecting means in accordance with the order of receipt of said signal propagated through said signal propagation means; and computing means for computing the position appointed by said signal generating means on the basis of the timings of detection of said signal by said signal detecting means selected by said order setting means.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
25 words
A coordinates input apparatus according to Claim 39, wherein said signal generating means includes a piezoelectric element adapted to vibrate in response to driving pulses.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
32 words
A coordinates input apparatus according to Claim 39, wherein four of said signal detection means are provided and three out of four signal detecting means are selected by said order setting means.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
18 words
A coordinates input apparatus according to Claim 39, wherein said signal propagation means includes a transparent tabular member.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
18 words
A coordinates input apparatus according to Claim 39, wherein said tabular member is superposed on said display means.
Claim 44
Dependent Claim
125 words
A coordinates input apparatus comprising: a transparent tabular vibration propagation means; a vibration pen adapted to be placed in contact with said vibration propagation means so as to apply a vibration to said vibration propagation means; a plurality of vibration detection means provided in contact with said vibration propagation means so as to detect the vibration applied to said vibration propagation means by said vibration pen; computing means for computing the position on where said vibration propagation means is contacted by said vibration pen, from the timing at which said vibration arrived at and detected by said vibration detection means; and display means underlying said vibration propagation means so as to display a position corresponding to the position of contact computed by said computing means,
Claim 45
Dependent Claim
20 words
A coordinates input apparatus according to Claim 44, wherein said vibration pen and said vibration detection means include piezoelectric elements.
Claim 46
Dependent Claim
30 words
A coordinates input apparatus according to Claim 44, further comprising an envelope generating means for generating a signal representing the envelope of the vibration detected by said vibration detection means.
Claim 47
Dependent Claim
22 words
A coordinates input apparatus according to Claim 44, wherein said vibration detected by said vibration detection means is a plate-wave elastic wave.
Claim 48
Dependent Claim
74 words
A coordinates input pen comprising: vibration generating means adapted for vibrating in response to driving pulses; a horn for transmitting the vibration generated by said vibration generating means to the end of said pen; a rib provided on said horn at such a position where the node of vibration applied by said vibration generating means to said horn appears; and a holder for holding said horn and said signal generating means through said rib.
Claim 49
Dependent Claim
17 words
A coordinates input pen according to Claim 48, wherein said vibration generating means includes a piezoelectric element.
Claim 50
Dependent Claim
31 words
A coordinates input pen according to Claim 48, further comprising driving pulse generating means adapted for generating pulses of a frequency substantially the same as the resonance frequency of said horn.
Claim 51
Dependent Claim
18 words
A coordinates input pen according to Claim 48, wherein the end of said horn is substantially spherically shaped.
Claim 52
Dependent Claim
26 words
A coordinates input pen according to Claim 48, wherein said horn has a diameter which progressively decreases towards the end remote from said vibration generating means.
Claim 53
Dependent Claim
67 words
A coordinates input apparatus comprising: vibration means adapted to generate a vibration in response to an electric signal; a horn for transmitting the vibration generated by said vibration means to an end of a pen; and driving means adapted for generate pulses of a frequency equal to the resonance frequency of said horn so as to drive said vibration means at the resonance frequency of said horn.
Claim 54
Dependent Claim
16 words
A coordinates input apparatus according to Claim 53, wherein said vibration means includes a piezoelectric element.
Claim 55
Dependent Claim
18 words
A coordinates input apparatus according to Claim 53, wherein the end of said horn is substantially spherically shaped.
Claim 56
Dependent Claim
35 words
A coordinates input apparatus according to Claim 53, further comprising a vibration propagation means adapted to be contacted by said horn so as to receive vibration from said horn and to propagate the received vibration.
Claim 57
Dependent Claim
39 words
A coordinates input apparatus according to Claim 56, further comprising vibration detection means adapted to be held in contact with said vibration propagation means and having a resonance frequency substantially the same as the resonance frequency of said horn.
Claim 58
Dependent Claim
74 words
A coordinates input pen comprising: a case constituting a holder of said pen; vibration means adapted for generating a vibration in response to an electric signal; a horn for transmitting the vibration generated by said vibration means to the end of said pen; and fixing means for fixing said horn to said case at a portion of said horn where the node of the vibration applied to said horn by said vibration means appears.
Claim 59
Dependent Claim
15 words
A coordinates input pen according to Claim 58, wherein said fixing means is a rib.
Claim 60
Dependent Claim
16 words
A coordinates input pen according to Claim 58, wherein said vibration means includes a piezoelectric element.
Claim 61
Dependent Claim
18 words
A coordinates input pen according to Claim 58, wherein said vibration means and said horn are bonded together.
Claim 62
Dependent Claim
18 words
A coordinates input pen according to Claim 58, wherein the end of said horn is substantially conically shaped.
Claim 63
Dependent Claim
80 words
A coordinates input apparatus comprising: tabular vibration propagation means for allowing a vibration to propagate therethrough; vibration generating means for applying vibration to said vibration propagation medium from a desired position on one side of said vibration propagation means; and vibration detection means adapted to be held in contact with the opposite side of said vibration propagation medium to said vibration generating means so as to detect the vibration applied by said vibration generating means to said vibration propagation medium.
Claim 64
Dependent Claim
15 words
A coordinates input apparatus according to Claim 63, wherein said vibration propagation medium is transparent.
Claim 65
Dependent Claim
21 words
A coordinates input apparatus according to Claim 63, wherein said vibration generating means and said vibration detection means include piezoelectric elements.
Claim 66
Dependent Claim
23 words
A coordinates input apparatus according to Claim 63, wherein said vibration detection means serve as supporting members for supporting said vibration propagation medium.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
Maintenance schedule is calculated for granted US utility patents.