position indicator

Abstract

A function of an electromagnetic induction type position indicator provided on a side of a position indicator case housed in a hollow portion of a housing is switched. The position indicator case is housed in the hollow portion of the housing and includes a first resonant circuit composed of a first coil wound around a magnetic core disposed on one end side in an axial direction and a first capacitor. A second coil is provided independently of the position indicator case and disposed at a position capable of being magnetically coupled to the first coil of the position indicator case, and a switch is provided which is turned on and off by an operation performed by an operation portion configured to be capable of receiving an operation by a user. When the switch is set to be turned on, a closed circuit including the second coil is formed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an electromagnetic induction type position indicator, wherein a position indicator housing is housed within a hollow portion of a housing. Background Technology

[0002] Due to the growing preference for miniaturization in recent years, there is an increasing demand for even smaller portable electronic devices. Furthermore, as input devices for such small, portable electronic devices, position indicators such as electronic pens that use position detection sensors mounted on the device and interacting with the sensors to indicate position are employed.

[0003] In response to the miniaturization of electronic devices, such position indicators also require a more refined structure. Moreover, recently, position indicators such as electronic pens have been regarded as extensions of stationery, and there is a desire to modularize their internal structure and treat them in the same way as ballpoint pen refills (replacements, cases).

[0004] Based on this background, a position indicator is provided that modularizes its internal structure so that it can be treated as a box component (see, for example, Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent No. 5869193)). Hereinafter, in this specification, the structure in which the internal structural components of the position indicator are modularized and integrated, and can be replaced like a replacement refill of a ballpoint pen, is referred to as a box for a position indicator.

[0005] Patent Document 1 discloses a position indicator box with an electromagnetic induction structure. A magnetic core with a coil wound around it is provided on the front end side that interacts with the position detection sensor, and a circuit board is provided in the cylindrical body part that is connected to the magnetic core. The circuit board is equipped with a capacitor connected to the coil to form a resonant circuit.

[0006] Furthermore, in Patent Document 1, the housing of the position indicator has an opening on one end of the position indicator box in the axial direction of the front end, and a snap-action mechanism is provided that allows the front end of the position indicator box to enter and exit through the opening.

[0007] According to this position indicator, by making the magnetic core and cylindrical body of the position indicator housing thinner, the overall size of the position indicator housing can be reduced, thus enabling a slimmer position indicator. Furthermore, the position indicator housing can be designed to be interchangeable with the replacement refills of commercially available ballpoint pens.

[0008] Furthermore, since the position indicator housing is housed within the position indicator housing, the position indicator structure is simplified, and the position indicator housing can be made replaceable, which is convenient.

[0009] However, such position indicators typically include a switch, known as a side switch, which is an operable part exposed from the side of a cylindrical housing and can be turned on or off by, for example, pressing. In electronic devices equipped with position detection devices, the on / off operation of this side switch is predefined and corresponds to functions such as the click operation of a mouse pointer. By appropriately turning the side switch on and off in the position indicator, the user can indicate the aforementioned preset functions to the electronic device.

[0010] In electromagnetic induction position indicators, as described in, for example, Patent Document 2 (Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-018149), a resonant circuit consisting of a coil wound around a magnetic core and a capacitor is connected to another capacitor via a side switch, thereby changing the resonant frequency of the resonant circuit. As a result, the opening and closing of the side switch is transmitted to the electronic device equipped with a position detection device.

[0011] Prior art literature

[0012] Patent documents

[0013] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent No. 5869193

[0014] Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-018149 Summary of the Invention

[0015] The problem that the invention aims to solve

[0016] As disclosed in Patent Document 2 above, in conventional electromagnetic induction position indicators, the connection of another capacitor to a resonant circuit consisting of a coil wound around a magnetic core and a capacitor is controlled by turning a side switch on and off, thereby changing the resonant frequency of the resonant circuit. In this way, the on / off state of the side switch is transmitted to the position detection device.

[0017] Therefore, when a position indicator is housed in a housing as described above, the following problem arises if a side switch is to be installed.

[0018] That is, since the resonant circuit is constructed within the circuit board of the position indicator housing, it is conventionally necessary to house the side switch within the position indicator housing. Furthermore, the operating part for turning the side switch on and off needs to be exposed to the outside through an opening in the position indicator housing. Therefore, using conventional methods, an opening needs to be provided in the position indicator housing housing to press the operating member of the operating part, which is exposed to the outside of the position indicator housing, into the housing housing for turning the side switch on and off.

[0019] However, if an opening is provided in the housing of a slim position indicator, there is a problem of reduced strength. Furthermore, if the housing of the position indicator has an opening, it becomes difficult to make the position indicator housing waterproof.

[0020] In addition, the position of the switch inside the housing of the position indicator is inseparable from the position of the operating part exposed to the outside of the housing of the position indicator, which makes the structure complicated and the manufacturing of the position indicator is labor-intensive and time-consuming.

[0021] The purpose of this invention is to provide a location indicator that can solve the above-mentioned problems.

[0022] Solution for solving the problem

[0023] To address the aforementioned issues, a position indicator is provided, which is an electromagnetic induction-based position indicator that houses a position indicator housing within a hollow portion of a housing. Its distinguishing feature is that...

[0024] The position indicator box includes a first resonant circuit, which consists of a first coil and a first capacitor. The first coil is wound around a magnetic core disposed at one end in the axial direction.

[0025] Outside the position indicator housing, a second coil and a switch are provided independently of the position indicator housing. The second coil is positioned to magnetically couple with the first coil of the position indicator housing. The switch is turned on and off by an operation via an operating unit that is responsive to user input.

[0026] When the switch is turned on, a closed circuit containing the second coil is formed.

[0027] In the position indicator with the above-described structure, a position indicator housing is housed within the hollow portion of the casing. This housing includes a first resonant circuit consisting of a first coil wound around a magnetic core and a capacitor. Furthermore, a second coil is independently positioned outside the position indicator housing, and this second coil is positioned to magnetically couple with the first coil wound around the magnetic core of the position indicator housing. Additionally, the position indicator includes an operating unit configured for user operation, and a switch that is activated and deactivated by operating this unit. When the switch is activated, a closed circuit including the second coil is formed, allowing current to flow through the second coil.

[0028] When the switch is open, no closed circuit is formed, and current does not flow through the second coil. Therefore, no mutual induction occurs between the first and second coils, and the resonant frequency of the first resonant circuit becomes the resonant frequency determined by the first coil and the first capacitor.

[0029] Furthermore, when the user operates the control unit to turn the switch on, a closed circuit is formed, resulting in mutual induction between the first and second coils. Consequently, the inductance of the first resonant circuit changes, and its resonant frequency changes. Therefore, on the position detection device side, the on / off state of the switch can be detected based on the frequency change of the received signal from the position indicator.

[0030] In this position indicator structure, the switch is a structure that controls the formation of a closed circuit that allows current to flow through the second coil, and is not a structural component of the first resonant circuit of the position indicator housing. The second coil is located outside the position indicator housing and is independent of it. Therefore, the operating unit does not need to be mechanically related to the position indicator housing and can be constructed independently of it. Furthermore, the second coil only needs to be set up so as to be magnetically coupled to the first coil of the position indicator housing, thus requiring no changes to the position indicator housing.

[0031] Therefore, according to the position indicator with the above-described structure, even when the position indicator housing is housed within the housing, and the position indicator housing is configured to be replaceable or to allow the front end to enter and exit through the opening in the housing of the position indicator via a snap-action mechanism, a side switch can still be provided. In other words, according to the position indicator with the above-described structure, a side switch function can be provided even if the position indicator housing is not equipped with a side switch. Attached Figure Description

[0032] Figure 1 This is a diagram showing an example of the structure of an electronic pen, which is a first embodiment of the position indicator of the present invention.

[0033] Figure 2 This is a diagram illustrating an example of the structure of the main body of an electronic pen, which serves as an example of a position indicator box in the first embodiment of the position indicator of the present invention.

[0034] Figure 3 This is a diagram illustrating a structural example of the main components of the electronic pen according to the first embodiment.

[0035] Figure 4 This is a diagram showing an example of the electronic circuit of the electronic pen and an example of the circuit of the position detection device according to the first embodiment.

[0036] Figure 5This is a diagram showing an example of the structure of an electronic pen as a second embodiment of the position indicator of the present invention.

[0037] Figure 6 This is a diagram showing a structural example of an electronic pen as a third embodiment of the position indicator of the present invention.

[0038] Figure 7 This is a diagram showing a structural example of an electronic eraser as a fourth embodiment of the position indicator of the present invention.

[0039] Figure 8 This is a diagram illustrating a structural example as part of another embodiment of the position indicator of the present invention.

[0040] Figure 9 This is a diagram illustrating a circuit structure example of a key part of another embodiment of the position indicator of the present invention.

[0041] Figure 10 This is a diagram illustrating a structural example of another embodiment of the position indicator of the present invention.

[0042] Figure 11 This is a diagram illustrating a structural example of another embodiment of the position indicator of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0043] Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings, several embodiments of the position indicator of the present invention will be described.

[0044] [First Implementation Method]

[0045] Figure 1 This diagram illustrates a structural example of a first embodiment of the position indicator of the present invention, specifically an electronic pen where the position indicator is an electromagnetic induction type. The electronic pen 1 of this first embodiment includes an electronic pen body 3 housed within a hollow portion 2a of a cylindrical housing 2, serving as a case for the position indicator. It has a click-type structure where the pen tip of the electronic pen body 3 enters and exits through an opening 2b at one end of the housing (electronic pen housing) 2 along its length via a click-type mechanism 4. In this embodiment, the electronic pen body 3 is designed to be replaceable and detachable from the housing 2.

[0046] like Figure 1 As shown, the housing 2 of the electronic pen 1 in this example is constructed by screwing the pen tip sleeve portion 22 into the housing cylindrical portion 21. The pen tip sleeve portion 22 has a tapered shape that becomes tapered as it moves toward the pen tip, and the opening 2b on the pen tip side of the housing 2 is provided at the front end of the pen tip sleeve portion 22.

[0047] Figure 1 (A) shows the state in which the main body 3 of the electronic pen is entirely housed within the hollow portion 2a of the casing 2. Figure 1 (B) shows the state where the tip side of the electronic pen body 3 protrudes from the opening 2b of the housing 2 via the click mechanism 4. It should be noted that... Figure 1 In the example, the housing 2 of the electronic pen 1 is represented by a cross-section, as a state representation that the interior of the housing 2 can be seen.

[0048] The electronic pen 1 in this embodiment is designed to be interchangeable with commercially available clickable ballpoint pens. The housing 2 and the clickable mechanism 4 housed within the housing 2 are designed to have the same structure and dimensions as known commercially available clickable ballpoint pens.

[0049] Figure 2 This diagram compares the structure of the electronic pen's main body 3 with a replacement refill of a commercially available click-type ballpoint pen. That is, Figure 2 (A) shows a replacement cartridge 6 for a commercially available click-type ballpoint pen, and, Figure 2 (B) shows a structural example of the electronic pen body 3 of this embodiment.

[0050] like Figure 2 As shown in (A), the replacement refill 6 of a commercially available push-button ballpoint pen has a known structure in which a pen tip 61 with a ball ball at the front end is integrated with an ink reservoir 62 via a coupling portion 63. The coupling portion 63 has the same diameter as the ink reservoir 62.

[0051] On the other hand, in the electronic pen body 3 of this embodiment, such as Figure 2 As shown in (B), the magnetic core with coil 31 wound around it is, in this example, a ferrite core 32 combined with a cylindrical body 33. Furthermore, the core 34 passes through a through-hole in the ferrite core 32 (in... Figure 2 (Illustration omitted) It is inserted through and fitted into the pen pressure detection unit 35 provided inside the cylindrical body 33, and is thus set as part of the electronic pen body 3. Figure 2 As shown, in the core 34, one end 34a (hereinafter referred to as the front end 34a) protrudes from the ferrite core 32 as a pen tip, and the other end is fitted into the pen pressure detection unit 35.

[0052] The pen pressure detection unit 35 is configured with a variable capacitance capacitor whose capacitance changes according to pen pressure, using a known structure as disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2011-186803. It should be noted that the pen pressure detection unit 35 may also be configured with a semiconductor element whose capacitance changes according to pen pressure, as disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2013-161307.

[0053] A printed circuit board 36 is also housed within the cylindrical portion 33. A capacitor 37 is provided on the printed circuit board 36, which is connected in parallel with the coil 31 to form a resonant circuit. Furthermore, a variable capacitance capacitor, comprised of the pen pressure detection unit 35, is connected in parallel with the capacitor 37 formed on the printed circuit board 36, constituting part of the resonant circuit (see description below). Figure 4 ).

[0054] The core 34 is inserted through the through hole of the ferrite core 32 and fitted into the pen pressure detection unit 35 inside the cylindrical body 33. The core 34 is replaceable.

[0055] In this case, such as Figure 2 (A) and Figure 2 As shown in (B), the size of the tip side of the electronic pen body 3 is approximately equal to the size of the tip side of the ballpoint pen replacement refill 6.

[0056] By fitting the cylindrical portion 33 of the electronic pen body 3, which has the structure described above, into the click mechanism portion 4, the electronic pen body 3 can be housed within the housing 2. Furthermore, in the electronic pen 1 of this embodiment, when the user uses it with the position detection device, they press the end 42a of the click rod 42. Thus, in the electronic pen 1, as... Figure 1 As shown in (B), the front end 34a of the core 34 and part of the unwound portion of the coil of the ferrite core 32 protrude from the opening 2b of the housing 2. In this state, the user of the electronic pen 1 performs an input operation to indicate the position on the sensor of the position detection device.

[0057] When the use of the electronic pen 1 is finished, press the end 42a of the click stick 42 again, thereby... Figure 1 As shown in (A), the entire electronic pen body 3 can be housed within the hollow portion 2a of the housing 2. At this time, the entire electronic pen body 3 is housed within the hollow portion 2a of the housing 2, and the front end 34a of the core 34 of the electronic pen body 3 is protected by the housing 2.

[0058] Furthermore, within the hollow portion 2a of the housing 2 of the electronic pen 1 in this embodiment, such as Figure 1 As shown, the circuit board 8 with the side switch 7 is configured in such a way as to avoid interfering with the axial movement of the main body 3 of the electronic pen within the hollow portion 2a of the housing 2.

[0059] In addition, in the electronic pen 1 of this embodiment, a coil 9 that can be magnetically coupled to the coil 31 of the resonant circuit of the electronic pen body 3 in a mutually inductive coupling manner is provided on the pen tip side of the hollow part 2a of the housing 2, and serves as a component for shifting the resonant frequency of the resonant circuit of the electronic pen body 3 by setting the side switch 7 to be turned on.

[0060] Figure 3 This is a partial enlarged view illustrating the structure near the location of the pen tip side and the setting side switch 7 of the electronic pen 1. Also refer to this... Figure 3 The configuration and structure of the side switch 7, circuit board 8 and coil 9 are further explained.

[0061] like Figure 1 and Figure 3 As shown, in this embodiment, a coil holding portion 10 for winding a coil 9 is installed inside the cylindrical portion 21 of the housing 2 of the electronic pen 1 on the pen tip side. The coil holding portion 10 includes a cylindrical portion 10a, which has a through hole through which the electronic pen body 3 can be inserted, and the coil 9 is wound around the outer periphery of the cylindrical portion 10a.

[0062] And, as Figure 1 and Figure 3 As shown, a flange-like portion 10b protruding in an annular shape is formed on the opposite side of the pen tip side of the cylindrical portion 10a of the coil holding portion 10. This flange-like portion 10b engages with the inner wall surface of the cylindrical portion 21 of the housing 2, thereby placing the coil 9 on the pen tip side of the cylindrical portion 21 of the housing 2. The cylindrical portion 10a of the coil holding portion 10 is configured such that a portion of it protrudes outward beyond the cylindrical portion 21 of the housing. Furthermore, the pen tip sleeve portion 22 is screwed into and joined to the cylindrical portion 21 of the housing with the cylindrical portion 10a of the coil holding portion 10 housed within the hollow portion of the pen tip sleeve portion 22, thereby placing the coil 9 inside the housing 2.

[0063] In this case, the coil 31 of the pen tip of the electronic pen body 3 is activated by the click mechanism 4, such as... Figure 1 and Figure 3 As shown, the coil holding part 10 moves along the axial direction through the through hole of the cylindrical part 10a of the coil holding part 10 and through the opening 2b of the housing 2. However, even if it moves, the coil 31 and the coil 9 of the resonant circuit of the electronic pen body part 3 always maintain a positional relationship that allows them to be magnetically coupled.

[0064] That is, in this example, such as Figure 1 As shown in (B), even when the electronic pen 1 is in use and the tip of the electronic pen body 3 protrudes outward from the opening 2b of the housing 2, at least a part of the coil 31 (most of it in this example) is present in the through hole of the cylindrical part 10a of the coil holding part 10.

[0065] like Figure 1 and Figure 3 As shown, an opening 2c for pressing the opposite switch 7 is formed at the center of the axial direction of the side circumferential surface of the housing cylindrical portion 21 of the housing 2. A circuit board 8 is provided on the inner wall surface of the housing cylindrical portion 21 of the housing 2, covering the area where the opening 2c exists. Figure 3As shown, in this example, the circuit board 8 is bonded to the inner wall of the housing cylindrical portion 21 of the housing 2 via adhesive members 8a and 8b, such as double-sided tape, in a manner that does not interfere with the axial movement of the electronic pen main body 3 within the housing cylindrical portion 21. Figure 1 and Figure 3 As shown, it is arranged on the circuit board 8 so as to face outward from the opening 2c. The operating part 11 is made of an elastic member such as a rubber member, and is capable of elastic recovery relative to a pressing operation.

[0066] And, as Figure 3 As shown, the two ends 9a and 9b of the coil 9 extend to the circuit board 8, for example, by soldering them into a conductor pattern on the circuit board 8. In this embodiment, a capacitor 12 is provided on the circuit board 8 to form a resonant circuit connected to the coil 9. In this case, when the side switch 7 is turned on, a resonant circuit is formed as a closed circuit for the capacitor 12 connected in parallel with the coil 9.

[0067] [Circuit Structure Example]

[0068] Figure 4 This diagram shows an example of the circuit structure of the electronic pen 1, which is the position indicator in the first embodiment, and an example of the circuit structure of the position detection device 200 that performs position detection by electromagnetic induction coupling with the electronic pen 1.

[0069] That is, the electronic pen 1 has a first resonant circuit RC1 as the circuit structure of the electronic pen body 3. This first resonant circuit RC1 is constructed by connecting the coil 31, the capacitor 37, and the variable capacitance capacitor Cv composed of the pen pressure detection unit 35 in parallel. Moreover, in the circuit board 8 of the electronic pen 1, one end of the coil 9 provided in the housing 2 is connected to one end of the capacitor 12, and a side switch 7 is connected between the other end of the coil 9 and the other end of the capacitor 12. By turning on the side switch 7, the other end of the coil 9 is connected to the other end of the capacitor to form a closed circuit. This closed circuit becomes the second resonant circuit RC2 composed of the coil 9 and the capacitor 12.

[0070] In the electronic pen 1, when the side switch 7 is open, the second resonant circuit RC2 is not formed, and a closed circuit for current to flow through the coil 9 is not formed. At this time, no mutual induction occurs between the coil 31 of the first resonant circuit RC1 and the coil 9 of the second resonant circuit RC2 in the electronic pen body 3 of the electronic pen 1. Therefore, the resonant frequency of the resonant circuit RC1 in the electronic pen body 3 of the electronic pen 1 becomes the frequency f1 determined based on the coil 31, the capacitor 37, and the variable capacitance capacitor Cv.

[0071] On the other hand, in the electronic pen 1, when the user operates the operation unit 11 and the side switch 7 is turned on, a resonant circuit RC2 consisting of a coil 9 and a capacitor 12 is formed, creating a closed circuit that allows current to flow through the coil 9. As a result, mutual induction occurs between the coil 31 of the first resonant circuit RC1 and the coil 9 of the second resonant circuit RC2 in the electronic pen body 3 of the electronic pen 1. Therefore, the resonant frequency of the resonant circuit RC1 in the electronic pen body 3 of the electronic pen 1 becomes a frequency f2, which is different from the frequency f1.

[0072] On the other hand, the position detection device 200 includes a position detection sensor 201 and a position detection circuit 202. The position detection sensor 201 is a structure formed by stacking an X-axis direction loop coil group 201X and a Y-axis direction loop coil group 201Y.

[0073] The position detection circuit 202 comprises an oscillator 204, a current driver 205, a selection circuit 206, a switching connection circuit 207, a receiving amplifier 208, a position detection circuit 209, a pen pressure detection circuit 210, a side switch operation detection circuit 211, and a control unit 212. The control unit 212 is composed of a microprocessor. The control unit 212 controls the selection of the loop coil in the selection circuit 206, the switching of the switching connection circuit 207, and the processing timing in the position detection circuit 209 and the pen pressure detection circuit 210.

[0074] Furthermore, the X-axis loop coil group 201X and the Y-axis loop coil group 201Y of the position detection sensor 201 are connected to the selection circuit 206. The selection circuit 206 sequentially selects one loop coil from the two loop coil groups 201X and 201Y. The oscillator 204 generates an AC signal with frequency f0. The oscillator 204 supplies the generated AC signal to the current driver 205 and the pen pressure detection circuit 210. The current driver 205 converts the AC signal supplied from the oscillator 204 into current and sends it to the switching connection circuit 207.

[0075] The switching connection circuit 207, under control from the control unit 212, switches the connection destination (transmitter-side terminal T, receiver-side terminal R) to which the ring coil selected by the selection circuit 206 is connected. In this connection destination, the transmitter-side terminal T is connected to the current driver 205, and the receiver-side terminal R is connected to the receiver amplifier 208. Furthermore, when a signal is transmitted from the position detection sensor 201, the switching connection circuit 207 switches to the terminal T side; conversely, when the position detection sensor 201 receives a signal from an external source, the switching connection circuit 207 switches to the terminal R side.

[0076] Furthermore, when the switching connection circuit 207 is switched to the terminal T side, the current from the current driver 205 is supplied to the ring coil selected by the selection circuit 206. As a result, a magnetic field is generated at the selected ring coil, which can transmit a signal (radio wave) to activate the first resonant circuit RC1 of the electronic pen body 3 of the electronic pen 1.

[0077] On the other hand, when the switching connection circuit 207 is switched to the terminal R side, the induced voltage generated by the loop coil selected by the selection circuit 206 is transmitted to the receiving amplifier 208 via the selection circuit 206 and the switching connection circuit 207. The receiving amplifier 208 amplifies the induced voltage supplied from the loop coil and sends it to the position detection circuit 209, the pen pressure detection circuit 210, and the side switch operation detection circuit 211.

[0078] That is, each of the loop coils in the X-axis loop coil group 201X and the Y-axis loop coil group 201Y generates an induced voltage through the electromagnetic waves transmitted (returned) from the first resonant circuit RC1 of the electronic pen body 3 of the electronic pen 1.

[0079] The position detection circuit 209 detects the resonant frequency component of the first resonant circuit RC1 of the electronic pen body 3 of the electronic pen 1, detects the induced voltage generated in the loop coil, i.e., the received signal, and converts the detected output signal into a digital signal, which is then output to the control unit 212.

[0080] The control unit 212 calculates the coordinate values ​​of the indicated position in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction of the front end portion 34a of the electronic pen body 3 of the electronic pen 1 based on the digital signal of the resonant frequency component from the position detection circuit 209, that is, the voltage value of the induced voltage generated by each loop coil.

[0081] The pen pressure detection circuit 210 synchronously detects the received signal from the receiving amplifier 208 using the AC signal from the oscillator 204, and detects the pen pressure applied to the front end 34a of the electronic pen body 3 of the electronic pen 1 based on the frequency shift (phase difference) of the two signals.

[0082] The side switch operation detection circuit 211 detects the resonant frequency of the first resonant circuit RC1 of the electronic pen body 3 of the electronic pen 1 based on the frequency of the output signal from the receiving amplifier 208. It then determines whether the detected frequency is the resonant frequency when the side switch 7 is open or closed, and outputs the detection result to the control unit 212. Based on the output of the side switch operation detection circuit 211, the control unit 212 detects whether the side switch 7 is set to closed.

[0083] The control unit 212 sends the information of the detected coordinate value of the indicated position of the electronic pen 1, the pen pressure value, and the on / off status of the side switch 7 to the information processing unit (main computer) of the electronic device equipped with the position detection device.

[0084] As described above, in the electronic pen 1 of the first embodiment, a second coil 9 is provided separately from the electronic pen body 3 at a position where it is magnetically coupled to the coil 31 of the first resonant circuit of the electronic pen body 3. By turning on and off the side switch 7 provided in the housing 2 of the electronic pen 1, the closed circuit composed of the second resonant circuit is turned on and off. This second resonant circuit is composed of the second coil 9 and the second capacitor 12. Therefore, according to the electronic pen 1 of the first embodiment, it is not necessary to make the resonant circuit (first resonant circuit) of the electronic pen body 3 into a resonant circuit structure with two resonant frequencies, or to provide a side switch in the electronic pen body 3. The electronic pen body 3 can be used directly without additional processing to provide an opening.

[0085] Therefore, according to the first embodiment, the electronic pen 1 can have the function of a side switch even when the electronic pen body 3 is moved along the axial direction by means of the push-button mechanism 4.

[0086] [Second Implementation]

[0087] In the electronic pen 1, which is an example of a position indicator in the first embodiment described above, the second coil, which changes the resonant frequency of the first resonant circuit of the electronic pen body, which is an example of a position indicator box, by turning on the side switch, is provided inside the housing 2 of the electronic pen 1, but it may also be provided outside the housing 2 of the electronic pen 1.

[0088] Similar to the first embodiment, the position indicator in the second embodiment is an electronic pen, and the electronic pen body 3, which is an example of a position indicator box, is housed in the hollow part of its housing in a state where it can enter and exit from the opening at the front end of the housing via a snap-action mechanism 4. That is, the second coil is provided on the outside of the housing of the electronic pen.

[0089] Figure 5 This diagram shows a structural example of the electronic pen 1A, which is an example of a position indicator in this second embodiment, corresponding to the electronic pen 1 in the first embodiment. Figure 1 (A). In Figure 5 In the electronic pen 1A of the second embodiment shown, the parts that are the same as those in the electronic pen 1 of the first embodiment are marked with the same reference numerals, and their detailed descriptions are omitted.

[0090] In this second embodiment, the housing 2A of the electronic pen 1A is not separated into a housing cylindrical portion 21 and a pen tip sleeve portion 22, but is composed of a single cylindrical member. It has an opening 1Ab on the pen tip side and an opening 2Ac on the rear end side. Furthermore, in the housing 2A of the electronic pen 1A in this second embodiment, the electronic pen main body 3 is housed in the hollow portion 2Aa of the housing 2A, and the front end portion 34a of the core 34 of the electronic pen main body 3 is moved in and out through the opening 2Ab by a click mechanism 4.

[0091] Furthermore, in the electronic pen 1A of the second embodiment, as... Figure 5 As shown, on the outer periphery of the pen tip side of the housing 2A, the coil 9A is arranged in a positional relationship that allows magnetic coupling with the coil 31 wound around the ferrite core 32 at the front end of the electronic pen body 3.

[0092] Furthermore, an opening 2Ac for pressing the switch 7 is formed at the center of the axial direction on the side peripheral surface of the housing 2A. In addition, the circuit board 8 is bonded to the inner wall of the housing 2A at the location covering the area where the opening 2Ac exists, in a manner that avoids interfering with the axial movement of the electronic pen body 3 within the cylindrical portion 21 of the housing, using an adhesive component such as double-sided tape (not shown). Figure 5 As shown, the side switch 7 is arranged on the circuit board 8 with the opening 2Ac facing outward.

[0093] Furthermore, the two ends 9Aa and 9Ab of the coil 9A are inserted into the hollow portion 2Aa of the housing 2A through a through hole (omitted in the illustration), similar to the coil 9 in the first embodiment, and are connected to the capacitor 12 via the side switch 7 of the circuit board 8. Figure 5 (Illustration omitted) When the side switch 7 is turned on, a resonant circuit consisting of coil 9A and capacitor 12 is formed.

[0094] According to the second embodiment of the electronic pen 1A, the coil 9A that is magnetically coupled to the coil 31 of the resonant circuit of the electronic pen body 3 can perform the same operation as the electronic pen 1 of the first embodiment and exert the same effect, except for the point provided outside the housing 2A of the electronic pen 1A.

[0095] It should be noted that in the above example, the housing 2A of the electronic pen 1A in the second embodiment is designed as a cylindrical structure. However, the housing 2A can be divided into two parts at the rear end, closer to the part where the opening 2Ac for the operation section 11 for pressing the side switch 7 of the housing 2A is located, and the two parts can be joined together by, for example, screwing or pressing. In this way, with the housing 2A divided into two parts that can be separated, the electronic pen body 3 can be easily replaced.

[0096] [Third Implementation Method]

[0097] The third embodiment of the position indicator of the present invention is a variation of the electronic pen 1 of the first embodiment. In the electronic pen 1 of the first embodiment described above, only one electronic pen body 3 is housed in the housing 2. In this third embodiment, multiple electronic pen bodies are housed in the housing, and one of the multiple electronic pen bodies can be selected by a click mechanism, allowing the tip of the selected electronic pen body to protrude from the opening on the tip side of the housing for use.

[0098] As described above, the electronic pen body 3 of the electronic pen 1 in the first embodiment has a structure interchangeable with the replacement refill 6 of a ballpoint pen. Commercially available ballpoint pens include multi-color ballpoint pens with replacement refills of different ink colors. This third embodiment provides an electronic pen constructed by housing the electronic pen body 3 in a housing with the same structure as the housing of the multi-color ballpoint pen.

[0099] Figure 6 (A) is a structural diagram showing the appearance of the electronic pen 1M according to the third embodiment. The housing 2M of the electronic pen 1M has the same structure as the housing and click mechanism of a commercially available click-type multicolor ballpoint pen. In this example, the housing 2M houses three electronic pen body parts 3B, 3R, and 3E.

[0100] The electronic pen body parts 3B, 3R, and 3E are configured with dots of the same size as the replacement refill of a multi-color ballpoint pen, and are configured similarly to the electronic pen body part 3 of the first embodiment. Each of them has a coil 31 wound around a ferrite core 32 at the front end, and a capacitor 37 and a pen pressure detection unit 35 that together with the coil 31 form a resonant circuit in the cylindrical body part 33.

[0101] However, in the electronic pen body parts 3B, 3R, and 3E of this third embodiment, the cylindrical body part 33 where the electronic circuit components are arranged is provided with a control unit and its peripheral circuitry for transmitting its own identification information (hereinafter referred to as ID information) to the position detection device. Examples of the electronic circuitry of the electronic pen body parts 3B, 3R, and 3E will be described later.

[0102] The electronic pen 1M has a press mechanism that includes press rods 42B, 42R, and 42E that respectively fit into the main body parts 3B, 3R, and 3E of the electronic pen. Furthermore, any one of the press rods 42B, 42R, and 42E slides towards the pen tip, causing the front end 34a of any one of the cores 34 of the main body parts 3B, 3R, and 3E and a portion of the ferrite core 32 to protrude and electromagnetically couple with the sensor of the position detection device.

[0103] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the position detection device used with the electronic pen main units 3B, 3R, and 3E has the function of receiving and distinguishing ID information sent from the electronic pen main units 3B, 3R, and 3E respectively. That is, in this embodiment, the position detection device distinguishes the differences between the electronic pen main units 3B, 3R, and 3E based on the ID information, and realizes the function of assigning to the electronic pen main units 3B, 3R, and 3E respectively.

[0104] In the examples described below, for instance, the electronic pen body 3B is assigned the function of displaying the trace (text, graphics) shown according to its indicated position in black; the electronic pen body 3R is assigned the function of displaying the trace shown according to its indicated position in red; and the electronic pen body 3E is assigned the function of erasing the trace that was previously indicated according to its indicated position. The functions assigned to the electronic pen body are not limited to the display color of the trace corresponding to the indicated position, as in this example; they can be various functions, such as the thickness of the trace, the type of line displayed (solid line, dotted line, single-dot-dash line, etc.).

[0105] Figure 6 (B) represents one of the electronic pen body parts 3B, 3R, and 3E. This diagram shows an example of the electronic circuit structure of the electronic pen body part 3B. The other electronic pen body parts 3R and 3E have the same circuit structure and therefore perform the same operation.

[0106] like Figure 6 As shown in (B), similar to the electronic pen body 3 of the first embodiment, the electronic pen body 3B includes a first resonant circuit RC1 in which the capacitor 37 disposed in the cylindrical body 33 and the variable capacitance capacitor Cv of the pen pressure detection unit 35 are connected in parallel to the coil 31, and includes a control unit 300, a rectifier circuit 301, and a switching circuit 302 composed of, for example, an IC (Integrated Circuit).

[0107] The rectifier circuit 301 rectifies the AC signal received from the position detection device by electromagnetic induction coupling in the first resonant circuit RC1 to form a power supply voltage Vcc, which is then supplied to the control unit 300.

[0108] The switching circuit 302 is connected in parallel to the coil 31 of the first resonant circuit RC1, and is turned on / off controlled by the control unit 300.

[0109] In this example, the control unit 300 stores ID information, consisting of, for example, an 8-bit digital signal, containing information such as the manufacturer's number, product number, and category of functions as described above, in its built-in memory 300M. Furthermore, the control unit 300 controls the switching circuit 302 to be on / off in a manner where, for example, when each bit of the ID information stored in the memory 300M is "0", the switching circuit 302 is turned off, and when each bit is "1", the switching circuit 302 is turned on. This causes the AC signal received from the position detection device to intermittently generate ASK (Amplitude Shift Keying) signals, and the ID information is sent to the position detection device.

[0110] Furthermore, in the electronic pen 1M of this third embodiment, such as Figure 6 As shown in (A), a second coil 9M is disposed on the pen tip side of the hollow portion of the housing 2A in such a way that it completely encompasses and covers the front ends of the three electronic pen body portions 3B, 3R, and 3E. That is, in Figure 6 In example (A), the second coil 9M is shared by the three electronic pen main bodies 3B, 3R, and 3E, and is set on the pen tip side of the hollow part of the housing 2M in a state of magnetic coupling with the coils 31 of the electronic pen main bodies 3B, 3R, and 3E.

[0111] Furthermore, an opening is formed at the center of the axial direction on the side circumferential surface of the housing 2M (in Figure 6 (Illustrations omitted). The circuit board 8M is bonded to the inner wall of the housing 2M at a location covering the area where the opening exists, in a manner that avoids interfering with the axial movement of the three electronic pen main bodies 3B, 3R, and 3E within the housing 2M of the electronic pen 1M, using an adhesive member such as double-sided tape. Furthermore, a side switch 7M is provided on the circuit board 8M in a manner visible from the opening on the side peripheral surface of the housing 2M, and an operating part 11M for pressing the side switch 7M is arranged to protrude outward from the opening on the side peripheral surface of the housing 2M.

[0112] And, as Figure 6 As shown in (B), a capacitor 12M is disposed on the circuit board 8M in such a way that when the side switch 7M is set to be turned on, it is connected to the coil 9M in a manner that constitutes the second resonant circuit RC2M. Figure 6 (Illustration omitted in (A)).

[0113] In the position detection device that is electromagnetically coupled to the electronic pen 1M in the third embodiment, the position detection device 200 corresponding to the electronic pen 1 in the first embodiment described above has the functions of a position detection circuit 209, a pen pressure detection circuit 210 and a side switch operation detection circuit 211, and also has the function of detecting the ID information of each electronic pen body part 3B, 3R and 3E from the electronic pen 1M.

[0114] Furthermore, in this third embodiment, in the position detection device, functions corresponding to the operation of the side switch 7M can be set for each of the three electronic pen body parts 3B, 3R, and 3E of the electronic pen 1M, and each function is stored corresponding to ID information. Therefore, in the position detection device, the side switch function can be set to the same function for all three electronic pen body parts 3B, 3R, and 3E of the electronic pen 1M, or different functions can be set for each of the three electronic pen body parts 3B, 3R, and 3E.

[0115] In the electronic pen 1M of this third embodiment, by pressing any one of the click rods 42B, 42R, and 42E of the click mechanism in the axial direction (sliding movement operation), the pen tip of any one of the electronic pen body parts 3B, 3R, and 3E that is engaged with the clicked click rod can protrude from the opening 2Ma of the housing 2M, thus enabling electromagnetic coupling with the position detection device. In the following description, the electronic pen body part in which the pen tip protrudes from the opening 2Ma of the housing 2M and is in a state capable of electromagnetic coupling with the position detection device is referred to as the selected electronic pen body part.

[0116] In the position detection device of the third embodiment, the position indicated by the pen tip is detected by electromagnetic induction coupling between the first resonant circuit RC1 of the selected electronic pen body protruding from the opening 2Ma and the position detection sensor, and the pen pressure value applied to the pen tip is also detected. Furthermore, the position detection device determines which of the selected electronic pen bodies 3B, 3R, or 3E is being selected based on the ID information contained in the signal from the selected electronic pen body.

[0117] Furthermore, in the electronic pen 1M, when the user operates the operation unit 11M, such as Figure 6As shown in (B), the side switch 7M is turned on, thereby forming a closed circuit with the second resonant circuit RC2M. Consequently, the resonant frequency of the first resonant circuit RC1 of the selected electronic pen body changes. The position detection device detects the state where the side switch 7M is turned on by detecting this frequency change. Furthermore, the position detection device determines the corresponding function of the stored side switch 7M corresponding to the ID information of the selected electronic pen body and sets it accordingly, and sends this corresponding function information to the host computer via, for example, a wireless communication unit.

[0118] As described above, in the electronic pen 1M of the third embodiment, any one of the pen tips of the three electronic pen main bodies 3B, 3R, and 3E can be protruded from the opening 2Ma of the housing 2M by means of a push-button mechanism, so that it can be used without touching the electronic pen main bodies 3B, 3R, and 3E, and the side switch function of each of the three electronic pen main bodies 3B, 3R, and 3E can be realized.

[0119] In this case, the components used to realize the side switch function can be provided in the housing 2M for the three electronic pen main bodies 3B, 3R, and 3E, respectively, including a side switch, an operation part, and a coil. However, in the third embodiment described above, the three electronic pen main bodies 3B, 3R, and 3E are provided with a shared structure of one side switch 7M, an operation part 11M, and one coil 9M. Therefore, compared with the case where the side switch, operation part, and coil are provided separately for the three electronic pen main bodies 3B, 3R, and 3E, the structure can be simplified.

[0120] Furthermore, in the electronic pen 1M of the third embodiment described above, the three electronic pen main bodies 3B, 3R, and 3E are equipped with the function of sending ID information for identification of each of them. Therefore, as a function corresponding to the side switch 7M, different corresponding functions can be set for the three electronic pen main bodies 3B, 3R, and 3E, which is more convenient.

[0121] It should be noted that the method by which the position detection device identifies the electronic pen main bodies 3B, 3R, and 3E is not limited to the method using ID information as described in the third embodiment above. For example, the resonant frequencies of the resonant circuits RC1 of the electronic pen main bodies 3B, 3R, and 3E can be preset to different frequencies, and the position detection device can detect the differences in frequencies received from the electronic pen main bodies 3B, 3R, and 3E respectively, thereby identifying the electronic pen main bodies 3B, 3R, and 3E respectively.

[0122] Furthermore, in the description of the third embodiment above, the number of electronic pen main bodies that can be housed in one housing is set to 3, but it can also be 2 or more.

[0123] Furthermore, the housing 2M of the electronic pen 1M in the third embodiment described above is a cylindrical structure, but like the electronic pen 1 in the first embodiment, it can be separated into a pen tip sleeve and a cylindrical main body housing, and combined by, for example, screwing or pressing. With this structure where the housing 2M is divided into two separable parts, the electronic pen main bodies 3B, 3R, and 3E can be easily replaced.

[0124] In addition, in the third embodiment described above, the second coil 9M constituting the second resonant circuit RC2M is disposed in the hollow part of the housing 2M, but it can also be disposed in the outer periphery of the pen tip side of the housing 2M in the same way as the electronic pen 1A in the second embodiment described above.

[0125] In this case, the housing 2M can be divided into two parts at the rear end of the opening of the operating part 11M for pressing the opposite switch 7M, and the two parts can be joined together by, for example, screwing or pressing.

[0126] [Fourth Implementation Method]

[0127] The first to third embodiments described above describe the case where the position indicator is an electronic pen. However, the position indicator of the present invention can also be applied to an electronic eraser using electromagnetic induction. The electronic eraser using electromagnetic induction erases the writing data (coordinate data) input by the electronic pen at the position indicated by the electronic pen.

[0128] Figure 7 This is a diagram illustrating the electronic eraser 1ER, which is a fourth embodiment of the position indicator of the present invention. (See diagram for reference.) Figure 7 As shown in the external view of (A), the electronic eraser 1ER has an erasing part 13 at one end (front end) of a cylindrical housing 2ER in the axial direction. The eraser body 3ER is housed in the hollow part of the housing 2ER as an example of a position indicator box. In this example, the eraser body 3ER is fitted and fixed to a holding part 14 installed at the other end (rear end) of the housing 2ER.

[0129] The erasing part 13 has a circular front end face 13a and a cylindrical side peripheral face 13b extending from the outer periphery (outer edge) of the front end face 13a.

[0130] In this example, the eraser body 3ER has the same structure as the electronic pen body 3 of the electronic pen 1 described in the first embodiment, and the same reference numerals as the electronic pen body 3 are marked with the suffix "ER". Specifically, the eraser body 3ER has a ferrite core 32ER with a coil 31ER wound around it on the tip side, and a pressure detection unit (not shown) is fitted into the cylindrical body 33ER by inserting a through hole through the ferrite core 32ER. The pressure detection unit has the same structure as the pen pressure detection unit 35 of the electronic pen body 3.

[0131] Figure 7 Figure (B) shows the electronic eraser 1ER with its housing 2ER and erasing part 13 cut in half along the axial direction, removing the near-front portion. The erasing part 13 has a cup-shaped structure with a recess 13c, and the end with the opening side of the recess 13c protrudes outward. If the erasing part 13 and the holding part 14 on which the eraser body 3ER is mounted are mounted on the housing 2ER, the front end 34Era of the core 34ER of the eraser body 3ER is in slight contact with the bottom surface of the inner wall surface of the recess 13c of the erasing part 13.

[0132] In this case, such as Figure 7 As shown in (B), there is a predetermined thickness between the front end face 13a and the side peripheral face 13b of the erasing part 13 and the inner wall surface of the recess 13c. Therefore, when the electronic eraser 1ER is not in use, the front end portion 34Era of the core 34ER of the eraser body part 3ER is held at a position that is separated from the front end face 13a and the side peripheral face 13b of the erasing part 13 by a predetermined distance.

[0133] Furthermore, in the electronic eraser 1ER of this embodiment, if the erasing part 13 is pressed from the outside, it can slide towards the inside of the housing 2ER (it can move along the axial direction). Therefore, the pressure applied to the erasing part 13 is transmitted to the core 34ER of the eraser body 3ER, and the pressure applied to the erasing part 13 can be detected by the pressure detection unit mounted on the eraser body 3ER. Moreover, if the pressure applied to the erasing part 13 is released, the eraser body 3ER presses the erasing part 13 back, and the erasing part 13 returns to its original position.

[0134] In this embodiment, when the handwriting information input using an electronic pen is displayed as image information on the display screen of an electronic device, the electronic eraser 1ER indicates the position of the operation surface corresponding to the part of the image information to be erased, thereby erasing the handwriting information (coordinate information) of the indicated position.

[0135] In this case, in the electronic eraser 1ER of this embodiment, the corner formed by the front end surface 13a and the side peripheral surface 13b when the electronic eraser 1ER is tilted, that is, the outer edge portion of the front end surface 13a, can be used as a contact portion that contacts the operating surface for erasing indication.

[0136] In this case, the position detection device transmits information about the position and range of the contact portion of the corner of the electronic eraser 1ER that contacts the operating surface to the information processing unit (main computer) of the electronic device. In the main computer, the erasure range centered on the position of the contact portion can be displayed on the image information display screen of the written information via, for example, a circular marker. This makes it convenient for the user to know the erasure indication position and range when making an erasure indication at the corner formed by the front face 13a and the side peripheral face 13b of the electronic eraser 1ER. It should be noted that the erasure range centered on the contact portion can be set to correspond to the pressure detected by the pressure detection unit provided on the eraser body 3ER.

[0137] And, as Figure 7 As shown in (A) and (B), a coil 9ER, which is magnetically coupled to the coil 31ER of the eraser body 3ER, is wound around the outer periphery of the end portion of the eraser housing 2ER on the erasing portion 13 side of the electronic eraser 1ER configured as described above. It should be noted that the coil 9ER can be provided inside the housing 2ER to be magnetically coupled to the coil 31ER of the eraser body 3ER.

[0138] Furthermore, an opening 2ERc is formed at the center of the axial direction on the side peripheral surface of the housing 2ER of the electronic eraser 1ER, and an operating part 11ER for pressing the side switch 7ER through this opening 2ERc is provided. Also, on the inner wall surface of the housing 2ER, covering the area where the opening 2ERc exists, the circuit board 8ER is bonded to the eraser body 3ER without contacting it using an adhesive component such as double-sided tape (not shown). Figure 7 As shown in (A) and (B), the circuit board 8ER is arranged in a state where it can be pressed and operated by the operation section 11ER, facing outward from the opening 2ERc.

[0139] Furthermore, the two ends 9ERa and 9ERb of the coil 9ER are inserted into the hollow portion 2ERa of the housing 2ER through a through hole (omitted in the illustration), similar to the coil 9 in the first embodiment, and are connected to the capacitor 12ER via the side switch 7ER of the circuit board 8ER (in... Figure 7 (Illustration omitted) The connection forms a second resonant circuit when the side switch 7ER is turned on.

[0140] Therefore, when the operating unit 11ER is pressed and the side switch 7ER is turned on, a second resonant circuit consisting of coil 9ER and capacitor 12ER is formed, creating a closed circuit that allows current to flow through coil 9ER. Consequently, the resonant frequency of the first resonant circuit of the rubber body 3ER causes coil 31ER and coil 9ER of the second resonant circuit to induce a mutual induction. Therefore, the resonant frequency of the first resonant circuit of the rubber body 3ER becomes a frequency different from the frequency when the side switch is off.

[0141] In the position detection device, similar to the description in the above embodiment, the resonant frequency of the first resonant circuit of the eraser body 3ER of the electronic eraser 1ER is detected. It is determined whether the detected frequency is the resonant frequency when the side switch 7ER is open or closed, and the detection result is transmitted to the main computer. The main computer then performs the function of distributing to the side switch.

[0142] The function corresponding to the operation of the side switch 7ER of the electronic eraser 1ER can be various, but it can be set to a function such as the following.

[0143] As described above, in the electronic eraser 1ER, the pressure detection unit of the eraser body 3ER can detect the pressure (pressing pressure) applied to the erasing unit 13, and the detection result can be included in the position indication signal sent as a magnetic field. Therefore, on the electronic device side equipped with a position detection device, the pressure applied to the erasing unit 13 can be detected along with the indicated position, and thus, based on the detected pressure, the erasing range can be expanded or reduced with the center position of the erasing indication position (corresponding to the contact portion at the corner of the electronic eraser 1ER) as the center.

[0144] Therefore, in this example of the electronic eraser 1ER, when the side switch 7ER is off, the erasing range is set to a narrow range with a constant radius centered on the contact point at the corner of the electronic eraser 1ER, and the pressure detected by the pressure detection unit is not reflected in the erasing range. On the other hand, when the side switch 7ER is on, the pressure detected by the pressure detection unit is reflected in the erasing range. It should be noted that in this case, the erasing range of the electronic eraser 1ER can be displayed on the display screen of the electronic device using a circle centered on the position of the contact point P to inform the user. In this case, when the side switch 7ER is off, the radius of the circle indicating the erasing range is constant, and when the side switch 7ER is on, the radius of the circle indicating the erasing range is displayed as a value corresponding to the detected pressure.

[0145] [Other implementation methods]

[0146] <Example of multiple side switches>

[0147] In the position indicator of the above-described embodiment, there is one side switch, which is assigned one function. However, there may also be two or more side switches, each assigned a different function. As an example of a position indicator box that enables this configuration, there are various structures for changing the resonant frequency of the first resonant circuit in the electronic pen body or eraser body, as described below. Hereinafter, an example is described when there are two side switches.

[0148] First, as an operating unit for pressing two side switches separately, two side switches are provided on the circuit board, and each side switch is pressed separately using an independent operating unit. In this case, the two side switches are positioned at different positions along the length direction (axial direction) of the circuit board, with the axis of the position indicator housing of the position indicator case as the length direction. Alternatively, two circuit boards, with the axis of the housing as the length direction, can be arranged non-overlappingly within the hollow portion of the position indicator housing, at non-overlapping angles along the inner circumferential surface of the housing, with side switches provided on each of these two circuit boards and operating units provided at corresponding positions.

[0149] Alternatively, instead of providing separate operating units for the two side switches as described above, a structure can be constructed in which the two side switches are turned on and off by a single lever operating unit capable of lever movement.

[0150] Figure 8 This is a main section cross-sectional view of a key part of an example illustrating a structure that connects and disconnects two side switches via a single lever operation. (Example:) Figure 8 As shown, in this example, an opening 2Wd, an elongated hole, is formed in the middle portion of the position indicator along the axial direction of the housing 2W, and a lever operation part 11W protrudes from the opening 2Wd to be operable by the user. Furthermore, a circuit board 8W is provided inside the opening 2Wd of the housing 2W, and a bearing part 8Wa of the support shaft 11Wc for the lever movement of the lever operation part 11W is provided on the circuit board 8W.

[0151] In addition, such as Figure 8 As shown, two side switches 7W1 and 7W2 are arranged at different positions along the length (axial direction) of the circuit board 8W, and these two side switches 7W1 and 7W2 are turned on and off by a lever operating part 11W that is configured to perform lever movement. Specifically, a pressing part 11Wa for pressing side switch 7W1 is formed at one end along the length direction of the lever operating part 11W, and a pressing part 11Wb for pressing side switch 7W2 is formed at the other end along the length direction. Therefore, the user... Figure 8When the middle part 11Wa is pressed as shown by the arrow, the side switch 7W1 can be turned on. Moreover, when the middle part 11Wb is pressed as shown by the arrow, the side switch 7W2 can be turned on.

[0152] Next, regarding, for example Figure 8 In the example of two side switches, 7W1 and 7W2, the following is used: Figure 9 This section describes an example of the structure of the part used to change the resonant frequency of the first resonant circuit in the main body of an electronic pen and the main body of an eraser, which serves as an example of a position indicator box.

[0153] Figure 9 Figure (A) shows the first example, in which two coils 9W1 and 9W2 are provided as the second coil. The two coils 9W1 and 9W2 can be provided inside the hollow portion of the housing 2W as in the first embodiment, or they can be provided on the outer periphery of the housing 2W. Alternatively, one of the two coils 9W1 and 9W2 can be provided inside the hollow portion of the housing 2W, and the other can be provided on the outer periphery of the housing 2W.

[0154] Furthermore, in Figure 9 In example (A), two capacitors 12W1 and 12W2 are provided on the circuit board 8W. Furthermore, one end of coil 9W1 is connected to one end of capacitor 12W1 via side switch 7W1, and the other end of coil 9W1 is connected to the other end of capacitor 12W1. Similarly, one end of coil 9W2 is connected to one end of capacitor 12W2 via side switch 7W2, and the other end of coil 9W2 is connected to the other end of capacitor 12W2.

[0155] Therefore, when the side switch 7W1 is turned on, a resonant circuit RC21 consisting of coil 9W1 and capacitor 12W1 is formed, changing the resonant frequency of the first resonant circuit of the position indicator box. Furthermore, when the side switch 7W2 is turned on, a resonant circuit RC22 consisting of coil 9W2 and capacitor 12W2 is formed, changing the resonant frequency of the first resonant circuit of the position indicator box.

[0156] In this case, the resonant frequencies of resonant circuit RC21 and resonant circuit RC22 are set to be different. Therefore, the resonant frequencies of the first resonant circuit are different when side switch 7W1 is turned on and when side switch 7W2 is turned on. On the position detection device side, the difference in frequency of the received signal from the position indicator corresponding to the difference in the resonant frequency of the first resonant circuit is detected to determine which of the side switches 7W1 and 7W2 is turned on.

[0157] Figure 9Figure (B) shows the second example, in which, similar to the first example, two coils 9W1 and 9W2 are provided as the second coil. However, a capacitor 12W is provided on the circuit board 8W. One end of coil 9W1 is connected to one end of capacitor 12W via side switch 7W1, and one end of coil 9W2 is connected to one end of capacitor 12W via side switch 7W2. Furthermore, the other end of coil 9W1 is connected to the other end of capacitor 12W, and the other end of coil 9W2 is connected to the other end of capacitor 12W.

[0158] That is, in the second example, the capacitor 12W is shared in coils 9W1 and 9W2. When the side switch 7W1 is turned on, a resonant circuit RC21' consisting of coil 9W1 and capacitor 12W is formed. When the side switch 7W2 is turned on, a resonant circuit RC22' consisting of coil 9W2 and capacitor 12W is formed. This is different from the first example.

[0159] In this second example, the resonant frequencies of the resonant circuit RS21′ and RC22′ are also set to be different. Therefore, similar to the first example, on the position detection device side, it is possible to detect which of the side switches 7W1 and 7W2 is turned on.

[0160] Figure 9 Figure (C) shows the third example, in which a second coil 9W is provided, and two capacitors 12W1 and 12W2 are provided on the circuit board 8W. One end of the coil 9W is connected to one end of the capacitor 12W1 via a side switch 7W1, and one end of the coil 9W is connected to one end of the capacitor 12W2 via a side switch 7W2. Furthermore, the other end of the coil 9W is connected to the other ends of both capacitors 12W1 and 12W2.

[0161] That is, in the third example, for one coil 9W, capacitors 12W1 and 12W2 are switched using side switches 7W1 and 7W2, which differs from the first and second examples. Specifically, in the third example, when side switch 7W1 is turned on, a resonant circuit RC21″ consisting of coil 9W and capacitor 12W1 is formed; when side switch 7W2 is turned on, a resonant circuit RC22″ consisting of coil 9W and capacitor 12W2 is formed.

[0162] In this third example, the resonant frequency of the resonant circuit RS21″ and the resonant frequency of the resonant circuit RC22″ are set to be different. Therefore, similar to the first and second examples, on the position detection device side, it is possible to detect which of the side switches 7W1 and 7W2 is turned on.

[0163] It should be noted that the number of side switches is not limited to two; more than three can be set, forming a second resonant circuit with different resonant frequencies as described above. Different functions can be set for each of these three or more side switches.

[0164] <Example of a side switch located in a separate housing>

[0165] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, a circuit board comprising a second coil, a side switch, and a capacitor forming a resonant circuit with the second coil is disposed on the housing of the position indicator. However, these components can be disposed on a housing different from the housing of the position indicator and configured as a sleeve, such that the sleeve-shaped component (hereinafter referred to as the sleeve component) covers the housing of the position indicator, thereby constituting a position indicator having the function of a side switch as described above.

[0166] Figure 10 This is a diagram illustrating a structural example of this situation. Figure 10 Figure (A) is a structural example of the sleeve component 100. Figure 10 (B) shows the state in which the electronic pen 1S with the push-button mechanism is fitted with the sleeve member 100.

[0167] like Figure 10 As shown in (B), similar to the electronic pens 1 and 1A in the first and second embodiments, the electronic pen 1S houses the main body 3, which is an example of an electromagnetic induction type position indicator box, within the hollow portion 2Sa of the housing 2S of the electronic pen 1S, and can enter and exit through the opening 2Sb of the housing 2S via the click mechanism 4. It should be noted that in Figure 10 In (B), for structural parts that are the same as those in the electronic pens 1 and 1A of the first and second embodiments, the same reference numerals are used, and their descriptions are omitted.

[0168] In this example, the housing 2S of the electronic pen 1S does not include a second coil, a circuit board with a side switch and a capacitor, or an operating part for the side switch; it has the same structure as the housing of a clickable ballpoint pen. That is, the housing 2S of the electronic pen 1S lacks the structural parts for the side switch.

[0169] like Figure 10 As shown in (B), the sleeve member 100 covers at least the tip side of the electronic pen 1S, covers the electronic pen 1S, and is capable of being locked to the housing 2S of the electronic pen 1S.

[0170] like Figure 10As shown in (A) and (B), the sleeve member 100 includes a cylindrical sleeve housing 101, for example, made of resin. The inner diameter of the hollow portion 101a of the sleeve housing 101 is larger than the maximum outer diameter of the electronic pen 1S. Furthermore, an opening 101b with an inner diameter approximately equal to the outer diameter of the pen tip side of the housing 2S of the electronic pen 1S is formed at one end of the sleeve housing 101 in the axial direction. Moreover, an opening 101c with an inner diameter approximately equal to the outer diameter of the rear end side of the housing 2S of the electronic pen 1S is formed at the other end of the sleeve housing 101 in the axial direction (the rear end side of the electronic pen 1S).

[0171] Furthermore, a second coil 102 is wound around the outer periphery of the sleeve housing 101 on the opening 101b side. Also, an opening 101d for pressing the side switch 103 is formed at the rear end of the side peripheral surface of the sleeve housing 101 in the axial direction. In addition, the circuit board 104 is bonded to the inner wall of the sleeve housing 101, covering the area where the opening 101d exists, using an adhesive member (not shown) such as double-sided tape. The side switch 103 is positioned on the circuit board 104 with the opening 101d of the sleeve housing 101 facing outwards, and can be pressed using the operation part 105.

[0172] Furthermore, the two ends 102a and 102b of the second coil 102 are introduced into the hollow portion 101a of the sleeve housing 101 through a through hole (not shown in the figure) and connected to the circuit board 104. In the circuit board 104, the second coil 102 is connected to a capacitor 106 disposed on the circuit board 104 via a side switch 103, forming a resonant circuit composed of the second coil 102 and the capacitor 106 when the side switch 103 is turned on.

[0173] Through the opening 101c on the rear end side of the sleeve member 100 configured as described above, the electronic pen 1S is inserted from its tip side into the hollow portion 101a of the sleeve housing 101 of the sleeve member 100, thereby covering the electronic pen 1S with the sleeve member 100. Figure 10 In state (B), the sleeve component 100 is locked to the housing 2S of the electronic pen 1S.

[0174] It should be noted that, in this example, elastic locking members 107 and 108, made of, for example, elastic rubber, are provided on the inner peripheral wall surfaces of the opening 101b and the opening 101c of the sleeve housing 101. The sleeve member 100 is reliably locked to the electronic pen 1S by the elastic friction between the elastic locking members 107 and 108 and the outer peripheral surface of the housing 2S of the electronic pen 1S.

[0175] Furthermore, in Figure 10In state (B), when the operating part 105 of the sleeve member 100 is not operated and the side switch 103 is open, the resonant circuit composed of the second coil 102 and the capacitor 106 is not formed. Therefore, the resonant frequency of the first resonant circuit composed of the first coil 31 and the capacitor 37 of the electronic pen body part 3 of the electronic pen 1S becomes the first frequency f1 determined by the first coil 31 and the capacitor 37.

[0176] On the other hand, if the operating part 105 of the sleeve member 100 is pressed, the side switch 103 is turned on, and the resonant circuit composed of the second coil 102 and the capacitor 106 is formed as a closed circuit. As a result, mutual induction occurs between the first coil 31 and the second coil 102 of the first resonant circuit, and the resonant frequency of the first resonant circuit becomes a second resonant frequency that is different from the first resonant frequency.

[0177] Therefore, on the position detection device side, similar to the above embodiment, by detecting the change in the frequency of the received signal corresponding to the difference in the resonant frequency of the first resonant circuit of the electronic pen body 3, the on / off state of the side switch can also be detected for the electronic pen 1S covered by the sleeve member 100 in this example.

[0178] As described above, for the electronic pen 1S covering the sleeve member 100 without a side switch, the electronic pen 1S can perform the same operation as when it has a side switch.

[0179] In other words, according to this example, the structure of an electronic pen without a side switch does not need to be changed at all; it is only necessary to cover the sleeve component. Therefore, the owner of an electronic pen without a side switch can purchase the sleeve component to cover the electronic pen, thereby realizing an electronic pen with a side switch, which is very convenient.

[0180] It should be noted that in the above example, the sleeve member 100 has the second coil wound around the outer periphery of the sleeve housing 101. However, as in the first embodiment described above, the second coil can also be placed in the hollow part of the sleeve housing 101 at a position where it can be magnetically coupled to the first coil 31 of the electronic pen body 3.

[0181] In addition, the second coil 102 is wound with the axial direction of the cylindrical sleeve housing 101 as the winding center direction, but it can also be set so that the direction intersecting the axial direction of the cylindrical sleeve housing 101 is the winding center.

[0182] That is, for example Figure 11As shown, in the side peripheral surface of the sleeve housing 101 on the opening 101b side, the conductor wire constituting the coil 102A can be wound around a point P on the side peripheral surface of the sleeve housing 101 as the winding center to form the coil 102A. In this case, the side peripheral surface forming the coil 102A is not parallel to the axial direction of the sleeve housing 101, but tapers towards the pen tip. The second coils 9, 9A, 9M, and 9ER in the first to fourth embodiments can also be variations of the same design.

[0183] Alternatively, this sleeve component can also be configured for use. Figure 8 and Figure 9 The above-described structure has multiple side switches.

[0184] Furthermore, the electronic pen to which the sleeve component is applicable can be an electronic pen with the same structure as the multi-color ballpoint pen in the third embodiment, or an electronic pen with a main body inside the housing but without a click mechanism. Moreover, the sleeve component can also be applied to electronic erasers.

[0185] [Other examples]

[0186] In the above embodiment, a second resonant circuit is used to change the resonant frequency of the first resonant circuit of the position indicator box via a side switch. However, instead of a second resonant circuit, the two ends of the second coil can be connected via a side switch. When the side switch is turned on, the two ends of the second coil are connected to each other via the side switch to form a closed circuit. This causes the coils of the first resonant circuit and the second coil to induce each other, thereby changing the frequency of the first resonant circuit.

[0187] However, as described in the above-described embodiment, by controlling the formation of the closed circuit of the second resonant circuit through the opening and closing of the side switch, it becomes easy to take advantage of the change in the frequency of the first resonant circuit, and the operation state detection of the opening and closing of the side switch can be reliably performed on the position detection device side.

[0188] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the example of using a self-resetting switch as the side switch is taken as an example. However, the side switch is not limited to a self-resetting switch, and any switch can be used.

[0189] Furthermore, in the description of the electronic pen as an embodiment of the position indicator described above, it is assumed that all of them have a click mechanism, and the front end of the electronic pen body, which is an example of a position indicator box, moves in and out of the opening of the electronic pen housing by clicking. However, the present invention can also be applied to electronic pens that do not have a click mechanism but hold the electronic pen body in the housing so that its front end protrudes from the opening of the housing.

[0190] Label Explanation

[0191] 1. 1A, 1M, 1S… Electronic pen, 1ER… Electronic eraser, 2. 2A, 2M, 2ER, 2S… Housing, 3. 3B, 3R, 3E… Electronic pen body, 3ER… Eraser body, 4… Click mechanism, 7. 7A, 7M, 7S… Side switch, 8. 8A, 8M, 8S… Circuit board, 9. 9A, 9M… Second coil, 11. 11A, 11M… Operating part, 12… Capacitor, 31… First coil, 32… Ferrite core, 34… Core, 35… Pen pressure detection part, 37… Capacitor

Claims

1. A position indicator, which is an electromagnetic induction type position indicator that houses a position indicator box within a hollow portion of a housing, characterized in that, The position indicator box includes a first resonant circuit, which consists of a first coil and a first capacitor. The first coil is wound around a magnetic core disposed at one end in the axial direction. Outside the position indicator housing, a second coil and a switch are provided independently of the position indicator housing. The second coil is positioned to magnetically couple with the first coil of the position indicator housing. The switch is turned on and off by an operation via an operating unit that is responsive to user input. When the switch is turned on, a closed circuit containing the second coil is formed.

2. The position indicator according to claim 1, characterized in that, The closed circuit formed when the switch is turned on is a second resonant circuit formed by connecting the second coil to the second capacitor.

3. The position indicator according to claim 1, characterized in that, The housing has a cylindrical shape with one end open in the axial direction. The position indicator includes a click mechanism that allows the front end of one axial end of the position indicator housing to enter and exit through the opening.

4. The position indicator according to claim 3, characterized in that, The push-button mechanism has a structure corresponding to a push-button multi-color ballpoint pen and is configured to mount one or more of the position indicator boxes.

5. The position indicator according to claim 4, characterized in that, The second coil, the switch, and the operating unit are configured to be used in a shared manner for multiple position indicator boxes.

6. The position indicator according to claim 1, characterized in that, The circuit board is arranged outside the position indicator housing along the axial direction of the position indicator housing. The switch is provided on the circuit board, and the operating part for turning the switch on and off is provided to be exposed through an opening in the housing in a manner that allows it to be operated from the outside.

7. The position indicator according to claim 1, characterized in that, The second coil is configured to surround at least a portion of the magnetic core of the housing of the position indicator.

8. The position indicator according to claim 1, characterized in that, The second coil is disposed within the housing.

9. The position indicator according to claim 1, characterized in that, The second coil is disposed on the outside of the housing.

10. The position indicator according to claim 1, characterized in that, The position indicator housing includes a pressure detection unit that detects pressure applied to the front end of one end in the axial direction. The position indicator housing transmits a position indication signal and information about the pressure detected by the pressure detection unit through the first resonant circuit.

11. The position indicator according to claim 1, characterized in that, A plurality of second coils are provided, and a plurality of switches are provided corresponding to the plurality of second coils to form the closed circuit.

12. The position indicator according to claim 11, characterized in that, The closed circuit formed when the switch is turned on is a second resonant circuit formed by connecting the second coil to the second capacitor. The second capacitor is configured to be used in a shared manner among a plurality of the second coils.

13. The position indicator according to claim 11, characterized in that, The closed circuit formed when the switch is turned on is a second resonant circuit formed by connecting the second coil to the second capacitor. The second capacitor is provided with different amounts of the second coils respectively.

14. The position indicator according to claim 1, characterized in that, The closed circuit formed when the switch is turned on is a second resonant circuit formed by connecting the second coil to the second capacitor. Multiple switches and second capacitors are provided, and the multiple second capacitors are respectively connected to the second coil via multiple switches. The position indicator is configured such that multiple switches are respectively turned on and off by the operation of the operating unit. Furthermore, the second resonant circuit is switched by changing the second capacitor connected to the second coil, based on the switch that is turned on by the operation of the operation unit.

15. The position indicator according to claim 1, characterized in that, The second coil and the operating part, along with the circuit, are housed in a housing different from the main housing. The circuit is configured such that a closed circuit is formed when the switch is turned on, with current flowing through the second coil. The position indicator is constructed by inserting the housing of the position indicator box into the different housings in a state where the first coil and the second coil of the position indicator box can be magnetically coupled.

16. The position indicator according to claim 15, characterized in that, The different housings and the housing for housing the position indicator are configured to be pluggable.

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