Position detecting apparatus and method for detecting position pointing device

Claim 2

A position detecting apparatus for detecting a position indicated by a first position pointing device using electromagnetic induction between the first position pointing device and a tablet; the first position pointing device comprising: a resonance circuit having at least two selectable resonance frequencies; means for selecting one of the at least two resonance frequencies; and means for receiving frequency selecting information for the frequency selecting means; and the tablet comprising: means for transmitting the frequency selecting information to the receiving means to set an initial resonance frequency in the resonance circuit of the first position pointing device; means for detecting the first position pointing device having the initial resonance frequency; means for selectively changing the resonance frequency of the first position pointing device to a second resonance frequency; means for detecting an additional position pointing device by transmitting a signal equal to the initial resonance frequency; and means for detecting the first position pointing device using the second resonance frequency.

Claim 3

The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, the tablet further comprising means for adjusting the transmission time for the transmitting means, and the first position pointing device further comprising means for determining the transmission time.

Claim 4

The apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the transmission time indicates a binary code.

Claim 5

The apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the means for determining the transmission time comprises a plurality of integration circuits and a comparator, a voltage induced by the electromagnetic wave being converted to the binary code in accordance with the time constant of the integration circuits and the threshold voltage of the comparator.

Claim 6

The apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the resonance circuit comprises: a first capacitor, a second capacitor, and a switch connecting the first and second capacitors.

Claim 7

The apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein the resonance circuit further comprises an inductor, and wherein the inductor, the first capacitor, and the second capacitor are connected in parallel.

Claim 8

The apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein the binary code determines the operation of the switch.

Claim 9

The apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the first position pointing device further comprises means for transmitting operation information to the tablet in response to a specific binary code.

Claim 10

The apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein the operation information includes an identification code.

Claim 11

The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the resonance circuit comprises: a first capacitor, a second capacitor, and a switch connecting the first and second capacitors.

Claim 12

The apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein the resonance circuit further comprises an inductor, and wherein the inductor, the first capacitor, and the second capacitor are connected in parallel.

Claim 13

A position detecting apparatus for detecting a position indicated by a first position pointing device using electromagnetic induction between the first position pointing device and a tablet; the first position pointing device comprising: a resonance circuit having first and second selectable resonance frequencies; means for selecting one of the first and second resonance frequencies; and means for receiving frequency selecting information for the frequency selecting means; and the tablet comprising means for transmitting an electromagnetic wave as the frequency selecting information to the receiving means to set the first resonance frequency in the resonance circuit of the first position pointing device, the electromagnetic wave having a first frequency corresponding to the first resonance frequency of the first position pointing device; means for selectively changing the resonance frequency of the first position pointing device to the second resonance frequency; means for detecting an additional position pointing device by transmitting a signal equal to the first resonance frequency, and means for detecting the first position pointing device using the second resonance frequency.

Claim 14

A position detecting apparatus for detecting a position indicated by a first position pointing device using electromagnetic induction between the first position pointing device and a tablet; the first position pointing device comprising: a resonance circuit having first and second selectable resonance frequencies; means for selecting one of the first and second resonance frequencies; and means for receiving frequency selecting information for the frequency selecting means; and the tablet comprising means for transmitting an electromagnetic wave as the frequency selecting information to the receiving means to set the first resonance frequency in the resonance circuit of the first position pointing device, the electromagnetic wave having a first frequency corresponding to the first resonance frequency of the first position pointing device; means for selectively changing the resonance frequency of the first position pointing device to the second resonance frequency; means for detecting an additional position pointing device by transmitting a signal equal to the first resonance frequency, and means for detecting the first position pointing device using the second resonance frequency.

Claim 15

The apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein the first resonance frequency is the resonance frequency at a reset mode.

Claim 16

The apparatus as claimed in claim 12, the tablet further comprising means for adjusting the transmission time of the transmitting means, and the first position pointing device further comprising means for determining the transmission time.

Claim 17

The apparatus as claimed in claim 14, wherein the transmission time indicates a binary code.

Claim 18

The apparatus as claimed in claim 15, wherein the means for determining the transmission time comprises a plurality of integration circuits and a comparator, a voltage induced by the electromagnetic wave being converted to the binary code in accordance with the time constant of the integration circuits and the threshold voltage of the comparator.

Claim 19

The apparatus as claimed in claim 15, wherein the resonance circuit comprises: a first capacitor, a second capacitor, and a switch connecting the first and second capacitors.

Claim 20

The apparatus as claimed in claim 17, wherein the resonance circuit further comprises an inductor, and wherein the inductor, the first capacitor, and the second capacitor are connected in parallel.

Claim 21

The apparatus as claimed in claim 17, wherein the binary code determines the operation of the switch.

Claim 22

The apparatus as claimed in claim 15, wherein the first position pointing device further comprises means for transmitting operation information to the tablet in response to a specific binary code.

Claim 23

The apparatus as claimed in claim 20, wherein the operation information includes an identification code.

Claim 24

A position detecting apparatus for detecting positions indicated by first and second position pointing devices using electromagnetic induction between the pointing devices and a tablet; the first position pointing device comprising: a resonance circuit having at least two selectable resonance frequencies; means for selecting one of the at least two resonance frequencies; and means for receiving frequency selecting information for the frequency selecting means; the second position pointing device comprising: a resonance circuit having at least two selectable resonance frequencies; means for selecting one of the at least two resonance frequencies; and means for receiving frequency selecting information for the frequency selecting means; and the tablet comprising means for transmitting the frequency selecting information to the receiving means to set an initial resonance frequency in the resonance circuit of the first position pointing device: means for detecting the first position pointing device having the initial resonance frequency; means for selectively changing the resonance frequency of the first position pointing device to a second resonance frequency; means for detecting the second position pointing device by transmitting a signal equal to the initial resonance frequency of the first position pointing device; and means for detecting the first position pointing device using the second resonance frequency of the first position pointing device.

Claim 25

A position detecting apparatus for detecting positions indicated by first and second position pointing devices using electromagnetic induction between the pointing devices and a tablet; the first position pointing device comprising: a resonance circuit having at least two selectable resonance frequencies; means for selecting one of the at least two resonance frequencies; and means for receiving frequency selecting information for the frequency selecting means; the second position pointing device comprising: a resonance circuit having at least two selectable resonance frequencies; means for selecting one of the at least two resonance frequencies; and means for receiving frequency selecting information for the frequency selecting means; and the tablet comprising means for transmitting the frequency selecting information to the receiving means to set an initial resonance frequency in the resonance circuit of the first position pointing device: means for detecting the first position pointing device having the initial resonance frequency; means for selectively changing the resonance frequency of the first position pointing device to a second resonance frequency; means for detecting the second position pointing device by transmitting a signal equal to the initial resonance frequency of the first position pointing device; and means for detecting the first position pointing device using the second resonance frequency of the first position pointing device.

Claim 26

The apparatus as claimed in claim 22, wherein the resonance circuits each comprise: a first capacitor, a second capacitor, and a switch connecting the first and second capacitors.

Claim 27

The apparatus as claimed in claim 23, wherein the resonance circuits further comprise an inductor, and wherein the inductor, the first capacitor, and the second capacitor are connected in parallel.

Claim 28

The apparatus as claimed in claim 24, the tablet further comprising means for adjusting the transmission time of the transmitting means, and the position pointing devices each further comprising means for determining the transmission time.

Claim 29

The apparatus as claimed in claim 25, wherein the transmission time indicates a binary code.

Claim 30

The apparatus as claimed in claim 26, wherein the means for determining the transmission time comprises a plurality of integration circuits and a comparator, a voltage induced by the electromagnetic wave being converted to the binary code in accordance with the time constant of the integration circuits and the threshold voltage of the comparator.

Claim 31

The apparatus as claimed in claim 27, wherein the resonance circuits of the first and second position pointing devices have the same selectable resonance frequencies, and wherein the selection means of the first position pointing device selects a different resonance frequency than the selection means of the second position pointing device.

Claim 32

The apparatus as claimed in claim 22, wherein the resonance circuits of the first and second position pointing devices have the same selectable resonance frequencies, and wherein the selection means of the first position pointing device selects a different resonance frequency than the selection means of the second position pointing device.

Claim 33

The apparatus as claimed in claim 22, further comprising: a third position pointing device comprising: a resonance circuit having at least three selectable resonance frequencies; means for selecting one of the at least three resonance frequencies; and means for receiving frequency selecting information for the frequency selecting means; wherein the resonance circuit of the first position pointing device has at least three resonance frequencies and wherein the resonance circuit of the second position pointing device has at least three resonance frequencies.

Claim 36

The method according to claim 31, further comprising the steps of: detecting a second position pointing device having a resonance circuit with the first frequency as the resonance frequency; and detecting the position of the second position pointing device using the first frequency.

Claim 37

The method according to claim 32, further comprising the steps of: detecting the removal of the first position pointing device; changing the resonance frequency of the second position pointing device to the second resonance frequency; and scanning for a third position pointing device or the first position pointing device using the first frequency.