Active stylus

Abstract

The present invention provides an active stylus pen capable of writing on a body to be written, such as paper, like a ballpoint pen or a mechanical pencil. The active stylus is characterized by sending a signal to a tip provided at the tip of the refill of the ballpoint pen.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an active stylus pen used as an input device for a touch panel mounted on a notebook computer, a tablet computer, a smart phone, etc. Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, active stylus pens are used as input devices for touch panels mounted on electronic devices such as notebook computers, tablet computers, and smartphones. The stylus pens have a thin tip and can be used to write or draw on the touch panel (see Patent Document 1). Prior art literature Patent Literature

[0003] Patent Document 1: International Publication No. 2020 / 148977 Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2016-95833 Patent Document 3: Utility Model Registration No. 3181323 Patent Document 4: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2021-2097 (reference Figure 7 ) Patent Document 5: Japanese Patent No. 6801147 Summary of the invention Technical issues to be solved by the invention

[0004] Just like using a ballpoint pen or mechanical pencil to write or draw on a writing object such as paper, an active stylus can write or draw on a touch panel installed in an electronic device. However, it can only be used as an input device for electronic devices, and of course, it cannot write on a writing object such as paper like writing tools such as a ballpoint pen or mechanical pencil. However, when using electronic devices such as tablet computers, it is not uncommon to write on a writing object such as paper at the same time. In this case, for example, it is necessary to replace the active stylus with a ballpoint pen, or vice versa, to write on the tablet computer and on paper, etc., and it is troublesome to replace multiple pens.

[0005] Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide an active stylus pen that can write on a writing object such as paper, just like a ballpoint pen or a mechanical pencil. Means for solving technical problems

[0006] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention has the following structures. An active touch pen is characterized by sending a signal to a tip arranged at the front end of a refill of a ballpoint pen. Effects of the Invention

[0007] In the present invention, by sending a signal to a conductive component provided at the front end of the writing tool, an active stylus pen can be used as an input device for a touch panel mounted on an electronic device, and can also be used as a writing tool for writing on a writing object such as paper. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] Figure 1 It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the active stylus pen 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 It is a transverse cross-sectional view of the ink tank 31 of the active stylus pen 1 according to Modification 1 and Modification 3 of Embodiment 1 according to the present invention. Figure 3 It is a transverse cross-sectional view of the ink tank 31 of the active stylus pen 1 according to the second modification of the first embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4 It is a transverse cross-sectional view of the ink tank 31 of the active stylus pen 1 according to the fourth modification of the first embodiment of the present invention. Figure 5 It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the front end side of the active stylus pen 1 according to the second embodiment of the present invention. Figure 6 It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the front end side of the active stylus pen 1 according to the ninth modification of the second embodiment of the present invention. Figure 7 It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the active stylus pen 1 according to the third embodiment of the present invention. Figure 8 It is a side view of the main parts of the pen-shaped input device 1 ′ according to the seventh embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 9 It is a side view of the main parts of the pen-type input device 1 ′ according to the eighth embodiment of the present invention. Fig.10 It is a side view of the main parts of the pen-shaped input device 1 ′ according to the ninth embodiment of the present invention. Fig.11 It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the tip 32 of the fourteenth embodiment according to the present invention. Fig.12 This is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of the main part showing a state in which the tip 32 of Embodiment 14 of the present invention is brought into contact with the writing surface substantially perpendicularly. Fig.13 The tip body 321 of the tip 32 of the embodiment 14 of the present invention is shown, and is along Figure 4 A transverse cross-sectional view taken along the (V)-(V) line. Fig.14 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a main part of the tip 32 of the embodiment 14 involved in the present invention, Fig.14 (a) shows the state where the transfer ball is rolled on the writing surface. Fig.14 (b) shows a state in which the transfer beads are made to slide on the writing surface having a relatively small dynamic friction coefficient without rolling. Fig.15 This is a table showing the results of the measurement experiment in the fourteenth embodiment. Fig.16 This is a subsequent table showing the results of the measurement experiment in the fourteenth embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0009] Hereinafter, an active stylus pen 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description, the same symbols in different drawings represent parts with the same functions, and repeated descriptions in the drawings will be omitted as appropriate. In this specification, the term "writing implement" refers to an implement that can write characters, symbols, diagrams, pictures, etc. on a writing medium such as paper using ink or the like. Furthermore, the side of the long active stylus pen 1 where the tip 32 is disposed is referred to as the front side, and the opposite side is referred to as the rear side. Furthermore, the direction in which the center line of the length direction of the cylindrical housing 2 extends is referred to as the axial direction, the direction around the center line of the cylindrical housing 2 is referred to as the circumferential direction, the diameter direction of the cylindrical housing 2 orthogonal to the center line of the cylindrical housing 2 is referred to as the radial direction, the direction separating from the center line of the cylindrical housing 2 in the radial direction is referred to as the radial outer side, and the direction approaching the center line of the cylindrical housing 2 in the radial direction is referred to as the radial inner side.

[0010] [Implementation Method 1] Figure 1 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the active stylus pen 1 in the first embodiment of the present invention. Figure 5 The structures of the tip 32 and the connecting member 33 shown in the figure are the same as those of the tip 32 and the connecting member 33 of the first embodiment. Figure 1 In the figure, the spring 323 and the check valve 331 described later are omitted. The active stylus pen 1 includes a cylindrical housing 2 , a ballpoint pen refill 3 accommodated in the cylindrical housing 2 , and a circuit unit 4 . The cylindrical housing 2 is divided into two parts, namely, a front housing 21 and a rear housing 22, near the axial center. The front housing 21 and the rear housing 22 are detachably connected by screws. In addition, the cylindrical housing 2 may be a housing divided into three or more parts. In addition, as a mechanism for separating and connecting the plurality of parts, in addition to the screw thread, any other engaging mechanism, fitting mechanism, etc. may be adopted.

[0011] The refill 3 is housed in the front housing 21 in a replaceable manner. The refill 3 includes an ink tank 31 for storing ink, a tip 32 provided at the front end of the refill 3, and a connecting member 33 for connecting the ink tank 31 and the tip 32. The tip is also called a ballpoint pen tip. The ink tank 31 is filled with ink 8, and the rear end portion thereof is filled with grease F as a follower. The tip 32 includes a substantially cylindrical tip body 321 and a ball 322 rotatably held at the front end of the tip body 321 . like Figure 5 As shown in FIG. 1 , a spring 323 is disposed in the tip body 321. The spring 323 is disposed between the stopper 324 provided on the rear end side of the tip body 321 and the ball 322, and is biased by the rod-shaped portion 323a on the front end side of the spring 323 so as to press the ball 322 toward the front end side. By the bias of the spring 323, when writing is not performed, the ball 322 is closely attached to the front end of the tip body 321 to prevent ink from leaking out. When writing is performed, due to the pressure of the pen, the ball 322 overcomes the biasing force of the spring 323 and separates from the front end side of the tip body 321, so that writing can be performed with ink 8. In addition, the specific structure of the mechanism for preventing ink leakage is not limited to the mechanism using a spring, and various modifications are conceivable for the connection between the spring and other components and the tip body 321 or the ball 322. Furthermore, the spring 323 is not a necessary structure and can be omitted.

[0012] And, if Figure 5 As shown, a check valve 331 is disposed at the rear end of the connecting member 33 to prevent the ink 8 from flowing back from the tip 32 to the ink tank 31. The active stylus pen 1 is usually used upside down compared to a general ballpoint pen, and the check valve 331 can exert a greater effect even if it is used with the tip 32 side facing upward. In addition, the connecting member 33 is not essential, and the tip 32 may be installed in the ink tank 31. In this case, the check valve 331 only needs to be arranged in the ink tank 31 or the tip 32. In addition, as the ink check mechanism, in addition to the above-mentioned check valve, a mechanism provided with a pressurizing mechanism for pressurizing the inside of the ink tank 31 may be used, or a mechanism installed with the pressurized ink tank 31 itself may be used. Furthermore, the check valve 331 is not an essential structure and can be omitted.

[0013] The circuit unit 4 is accommodated in the rear housing 22 . The circuit unit 4 is equipped with a circuit for generating an electrical signal for generating an electric field at the tip of the active stylus pen 1, a circuit for detecting various states of the active stylus pen 1 (pen pressure applied to the core, the inclination of the core and the active stylus pen 1, etc.), a circuit and antenna for communicating with electronic devices such as laptop computers, and a rechargeable battery as a power source for supplying power to these circuits. Then, a switch (not shown) for turning on / off the active stylus pen 1 is provided at an arbitrary position of the rear housing 22 .

[0014] The ink tank 31 constituting the refill 3, the tip body 321 and the ball 322 constituting the tip 32, and the connecting member 33 are all formed of a metal as a conductive member, such as stainless steel or aluminum, etc. Thus, an electrical signal can be conducted from the rear end of the ink tank 31 to the ball 322. Furthermore, a peripheral electrode 5 formed of a conductive film is disposed at the front end of the front housing 21. The peripheral electrode 5 does not need to be a film-shaped electrode, and may be an electrode of other shapes and structures such as a wire shape or a coil shape.

[0015] The rear end of the ink tank 31 is connected to a signal output terminal (not shown) of the circuit unit 4 via a suitable conductor as needed, and the peripheral electrode 5 is connected to another signal output terminal (not shown) of the circuit unit 4 via a suitable conductor as needed, so as to send signals from the circuit unit 4 to the tip body 321, the ball 322 and the peripheral electrode 5. As a result, an electric field is generated around the tip body 321 and the ball 322, and is detected by the sensor of the touch panel. In addition, the peripheral electrode 5 also transmits and receives signals to and from the sensor of the touch panel.

[0016] The electrical connection between the ink tank 31 and the peripheral electrode 5 and the circuit section 4 can be set to other appropriate structures. In the present embodiment 1, as the cylindrical housing 2 that can be separated into two parts, namely the front housing 21 and the rear housing 22, the electrical connection between the ink tank 31 and the peripheral electrode 5 and the circuit section 4 is set to a detachable structure in order to replace the refill 3. For example, a structure in which the connection terminal provided on the circuit section 4 is in direct contact with the terminal provided on the ink tank 31 and the peripheral electrode 5, a structure in which the connection terminal provided on the circuit section 4 is engaged with the terminal provided on the ink tank 31 and the peripheral electrode 5 in an engageable and disengageable manner, etc. can be considered. In addition, when the refill 3 cannot be replaced, the electrical connection between the ink tank 31 and the peripheral electrode 5 and the circuit unit 4 does not need to be removable, and there is no need to have a structure that can separate the cylindrical shell 2 into two parts, namely the front shell 21 and the rear shell 22.

[0017] A ground electrode 6 formed of a conductive film is provided around the front housing 21 from the rear side of the front end portion to the vicinity of the middle portion (a portion touched by a finger when the active stylus pen 1 is used). Then, the ground electrode 6 touched by the finger when using the active stylus pen 1 is grounded, and static electricity is shielded from the front end to the rear of the ground electrode 6, and leakage of signals is prevented or external interference is reduced when transmitting and receiving signals from the tip body 321, the ball 322, and the peripheral electrode 5. As a result, the active stylus pen 1 and the sensor of the touch panel can reliably transmit and receive. Then, the three conductive members of the tip body 321 and ball 322 , the peripheral electrode 5 , and the ground electrode 6 described above are insulated from each other.

[0018] The active stylus pen 1 as described above is constructed so that writing can be performed with a ballpoint pen on a writing object whose surface is rougher than a specified level, such as a writing object such as paper. However, on a smooth surface such as a touch panel, the ball will slide and writing cannot be performed, so the touch panel surface will not be contaminated by ink. That is, the active stylus pen 1 can be used as an input device for a touch panel mounted on an electronic device, and can also be used as a writing tool for writing on a writing object such as paper. In addition, the tip 32 of the refill 3 for the active stylus pen 1 is designed to make the ball 322 less likely to roll than the general refill 3, so that the ink is less likely to adhere to the smooth surface such as the touch panel. For example, it is considered to make the surface of the ball 322 rougher than the general ball, make the movable length of the ball 322 in the long side direction of the refill 3 in the ball storage portion smaller than the general ball, or make the contact area between the ball 322 and the inner surface of the ball storage portion smaller than the general ball. However, depending on the combination of the refill 3 and the touch panel, it cannot be said that there is no possibility of ink adhesion at all, and care must be taken when using it.

[0019] [Modification 1] Figure 2 It is a transverse cross-sectional view of the ink tank 31 of the active stylus pen 1 according to Modification 1 and Modification 3 of Embodiment 1 according to the present invention. In the above-mentioned embodiment 1, the entire ink tank 31 is formed by metal as a conductive component, but in the modified example 1, a layer 311 of conductive metal material is formed on the inner wall surface and / or outer wall surface of the ink tank 31 formed by a non-conductive material, such as polypropylene or polyethylene as a non-conductive resin, or a layer 311 of conductive metal material is formed in the wall of the ink tank 31, or conductivity is given to the ink tank 31. exist Figure 2In the case where the layer 311 is a layer of a conductive metal material, Figure 2 (a) shows a state where a layer of a conductive metal material is arranged on the outer wall surface of the ink tank 31, Figure 2 (b) shows a state where a layer of a conductive metal material is arranged in the wall of the ink tank 31, Figure 2 (c) shows a state in which a layer of a conductive metal material is arranged on the inner wall surface of the ink tank 31. Furthermore, the same applies to the connection member 33 .

[0020] [Modification 2] Figure 3 It is a transverse cross-sectional view of the ink tank 31 of the active stylus pen 1 according to the second modification of the first embodiment of the present invention. In the above-mentioned Embodiment 1 and Modification 1, the ink tank 31 is light-shielding, and the usage status of the ink in the ink tank 31 (the remaining amount of ink) cannot be confirmed when observed from the outside. Therefore, in the second modification, the ink tank 31 is replaced as a whole with a metal as a conductive component, and is formed of a light-transmitting and conductive material, such as a conductive resin with a predetermined light transmittance such as conductive polyacetal and conductive PEEK resin, or a conductive metal oxide with a predetermined light transmittance such as ITO (indium tin oxide). In addition, as for the light transmittance, as long as the light transmittance is a degree that can confirm the residual amount of ink in the ink tank 31, the degree can be appropriately designed in consideration of the concentration or color of the ink contained in the ink tank 31. Figure 3 This is a diagram showing an ink tank 31 formed of a light-transmitting and conductive material. Furthermore, the same applies to the connection member 33 .

[0021] [Variation 3] Figure 2 It is a transverse cross-sectional view of the ink tank 31 of the active stylus pen 1 according to Modification 1 and Modification 3 of Embodiment 1 according to the present invention. In the above-mentioned variant example 2, the entire ink tank 31 is formed by a translucent and conductive material, but in variant example 3, a layer 311 of the translucent and conductive material used in variant example 2 is formed on the inner wall surface and / or outer wall surface of the ink tank 31 formed by a translucent non-conductive resin, such as polypropylene or polyethylene as a translucent non-conductive resin, or a layer 311 of the translucent and conductive material is formed in the wall of the ink tank 31, or conductivity is imparted to the ink tank 31. exist Figure 2 In the case where the layer 311 is a layer of a light-transmitting and conductive material, Figure 2(a) shows a state where a layer of a light-transmitting and conductive material is arranged on the outer wall surface of the ink tank 31, Figure 2 (b) shows a state where a layer of a light-transmitting and conductive material is arranged in the wall of the ink tank 31, Figure 2 (c) shows a state in which a layer of a light-transmitting and conductive material is arranged on the inner wall surface of the ink tank 31. Furthermore, the same applies to the connection member 33 .

[0022] [Variation 4] Figure 4 It is a transverse cross-sectional view of the ink tank 31 of the active stylus pen 1 according to the fourth modification of the first embodiment of the present invention. In the above-mentioned variant example 3, as the ink tank 31, a layer 311 of a translucent and conductive material is formed on the inner wall surface and / or the outer wall surface of the ink tank 31 formed by a translucent non-conductive material, or a layer 311 of a translucent and conductive material is formed in the wall of the ink tank 31, but in variant example 4, a non-translucent or low-translucent and conductive material is used, so that the usage status of the ink in the ink tank 31 (the remaining amount of ink) can be confirmed when observed from the outside. As for the ink tank 31, it is sufficient as long as the electrical signal can be conducted from the rear end to the front end, so it is sufficient to form a layer of a non-translucent or low-translucent and conductive material into a part of the circumference, such as one or more lines or strips. Moreover, it is not limited to a simple shape such as a line or a strip, and can also be a shape imitating a certain design such as a pattern, text, or symbol. In this structure, when observed from the outside, the usage status of the ink in the ink tank 31 (the remaining amount of ink) can be confirmed from the part where the linear or strip-shaped layer 312 of the non-translucent or low-translucent and conductive material is not formed.

[0023] exist Figure 4 In the case where the linear or strip-shaped layer 312 is a layer of a non-translucent or low-translucent and conductive material, Figure 4 (a) shows a state where a linear or strip-shaped layer 312 of a non-translucent or low-translucent and conductive material is arranged on the outer wall surface of the ink tank 31, Figure 4 (b) shows a state in which a linear or strip-shaped layer 312 of a non-translucent or low-translucent and conductive material is arranged in the wall of the ink tank 31, Figure 4 (c) shows a state in which a linear or strip-shaped layer 312 of a non-light-transmitting or low-light-transmitting and conductive material is arranged on the inner wall surface of the ink tank 31. Furthermore, the same applies to the connection member 33 . Furthermore, the layer of the light-transmitting and conductive material in the above-mentioned modification 3 may be formed on a part of the circumference. At this time, Figure 4 In the case where the linear or strip-shaped layer 312 is a layer of a light-transmitting and conductive material, Figure 4 (a) shows a state where a linear or strip-shaped layer of a light-transmitting and conductive material is arranged on the outer wall surface of the ink tank 31, Figure 4 (b) shows a state where a linear or strip-shaped layer of a light-transmitting and conductive material is arranged in the wall of the ink tank 31, Figure 4 (c) shows a state where a linear or strip-shaped layer of a light-transmitting and conductive material is arranged on the inner wall surface of the ink tank 31.

[0024] [Variation 5] In the above-mentioned variation example 4, as the ink tank 31, a layer of a non-transparent or low-transparent and conductive material is formed on the inner wall and / or outer wall of the ink tank 31 formed by a translucent non-conductive material, or a layer of a non-transparent or low-transparent and conductive material is formed inside the ink tank 31, but in variation example 5, the wall of the ink tank 31 is constructed to contain conductive fillers (metal fillers, carbon fillers, etc.), conductive fibers (metal fibers, carbon fibers, etc.), conductive particles (metal particles, carbon particles, etc.), etc. to give the ink tank 31 conductivity. As conductive fillers, conductive fibers, conductive particles, etc., translucent materials are preferred, but even non-translucent or low-translucent materials can be used to form a conductive ink tank 31 with specified translucency by adjusting the content, size, etc. Furthermore, the same applies to the connection member 33 .

[0025] [Modification 2' to Modification 5'] In Modifications 2 to 5, it is more convenient if the usage status of the ink (the remaining amount of ink) in the ink tank 31 can be checked from the outside of the front housing 21 . For this purpose, the front case 21 and the ground electrode 6 need to be light-transmissive. The front case 21 only needs to be formed of a light-transmissive resin, but the ground electrode 6 needs to be conductive in addition to being light-transmissive. Therefore, a translucent grounding electrode 6 can be formed by a translucent and conductive material used for the ink tank 31 in variant examples 2 and 3, a conductive resin with a specified translucent property such as conductive polyacetal, conductive PEEK resin, or a conductive metal oxide with a specified translucent property such as ITO (indium tin oxide), or as in variant example 4, a non-translucent, low-translucent, or translucent and conductive material is formed into a linear or strip shape on a part of the circumference of the front side shell 21, or by a translucent resin layer containing conductive fillers (metal fillers, carbon fillers, etc.), conductive fibers (metal fibers, carbon fibers, etc.), conductive particles (metal particles, carbon particles, etc.) used for the ink tank 31 in variant example 5. In addition, the light transmittance may be any light transmittance that allows the remaining amount of ink in the ink tank 31 to be confirmed, and this degree can be appropriately designed in consideration of the concentration or color of the ink contained in the ink tank 31 .

[0026] [Implementation Method 2] In the above-mentioned embodiment 1 and its various variations, conductivity is imparted to the ink tank 31 or the connecting component 33 itself, and an electrical signal is sent to the tip 32 via the ink tank 31 or the connecting component 33 itself. Alternatively, in addition to the ink tank 31 or the connecting component 33, a component that sends an electrical signal to the tip 32 may be configured.

[0027] Figure 5 It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the front end side of the active stylus pen 1 according to the second embodiment of the present invention. Different from the above-mentioned first embodiment and its respective modifications, the ink tank 31 and the connecting member 33 are formed of a light-transmitting and insulating resin. Then, a signal transmitting member 7 for transmitting an electrical signal is disposed between the inner surface of the front housing 21 and the outer surface of the refill 3. The signal transmitting member 7 comprises: a clamp 71, the front end of which contacts the tip body 321 of the tip 32; and a conductive portion 72 formed of metal as a conductive member behind the clamp 71 for conducting with the circuit portion 4. In addition, if Figure 5 As shown, the signal sending component 7 does not need to be formed integrally with the inner surface of the front shell 21 , and can also be arranged in the gap between the inner surface of the front shell 21 and the outer surface of the refill 3 .

[0028] The chuck 71 is formed in an annular shape so as to always be in contact with the periphery of the tip body 321 , and the conducting portion 72 is continuously formed in a cylindrical shape behind the chuck 71 so as to surround the outer periphery of the refill 3 . The shape of the chuck 71 is not limited to a circular ring shape. For example, any shape may be used as long as it is in contact with the periphery of the tip body 321, such as a shape in which a hole is provided at the apex of a conical member through which the tip body 321 passes, a shape in which an axial notch is provided on a shape in which a hole is provided at the apex of a conical member through which the tip body 321 passes, a shape in which an axial notch is provided on a shape in which a cylindrical member is provided and divided into a plurality of parts. Furthermore, it is not necessary to be in contact with the entire periphery of the tip body 321, and a part in contact with a portion of the periphery of the tip body 321, such as a claw-shaped part, may be provided. The electrical connection between the conductive portion 72 and the circuit portion 4 is the same as the electrical connection between the ink tank 31 and the peripheral electrode 5 and the circuit portion 4 .

[0029] Figure 5 In the illustrated signal transmitting component 7 , the clamp 71 and the conducting portion 72 are formed as one body, and the signal transmitting component 7 having the clamp 71 and the conducting portion 72 is formed integrally on the inner surface of the front housing 21 . The present invention is not limited thereto, and the clamp 71 and the conductive portion 72 may be formed separately, and the clamp 71 and the conductive portion 72 may be separated from the front housing 21 and disposed between the inner surface of the front housing 21 and the outer surface of the refill 3 . The chuck 71 may be any conductive member, and may be made of conductive resin, conductive rubber, resin or rubber containing a conductive material, or the like, in addition to metal. In addition, the conductive portion 72 is light-shielding, and when observed from the outside, the conductive portion 72 cannot be used to confirm the usage status of the ink in the ink tank 31 (the remaining amount of ink). Therefore, the ink tank 31 itself does not need to be light-transmissive, and can be formed of non-light-transmissive or low-light-transmissive materials.

[0030] As with the first embodiment, the peripheral electrode 5 and the ground electrode 6 are arranged at the front end of the front housing 21 , and the ground electrode 6 is provided around the front housing 21 . In the second embodiment, the peripheral electrode 5 has an extension portion 51 that is extended to the rear to be connected to the circuit portion 4. The peripheral electrode 5 having the extension portion 51 can be adopted in the first embodiment and its respective modifications.

[0031] [Variation 6] In the above-mentioned embodiment 2, the conductive portion 72 is light-shielding, and even if the ink tank 31 is formed of a light-transmitting resin or the like, the usage status of the ink in the ink tank 31 (the remaining amount of ink) cannot be confirmed by observing from the outside of the front housing 21. Therefore, the conductive portion 72 is replaced with metal and formed of a translucent and conductive material, such as a conductive resin with a specified translucent property such as conductive polyacetal, conductive PEEK resin, or a conductive metal oxide with a specified translucent property such as ITO (indium tin oxide), so that the remaining amount of ink in the ink tank 31 can be confirmed. In this modification example 6, the clamp 71 and the conductive portion 72 may be integrated or separated, and the clamp 71 and the conductive portion 72 may be integrated with the front housing 21 or separated. In this structure, the usage status of the ink in the ink tank 31 (the remaining amount of ink) can be checked by observing from the outside of the front housing 21 through the light-transmitting conductive portion 72 .

[0032] At this time, if the extension 51 of the peripheral electrode 5 and the ground electrode 6 are also light-shielding, the ink usage status (the remaining amount of ink) in the ink tank 31 is prevented from being visually recognized from the outside of the front case 21 . Therefore, a grounding electrode 6 which is the same as the translucent grounding electrode 6 used in variants 2' to 5' is used, and the extension portion 51 of the peripheral electrode 5 is also formed, like the translucent grounding electrode 6, from a translucent and conductive material used for the ink tank 31 in variants 2 and 3, such as a conductive resin with a specified translucent property, such as conductive polyacetal, conductive PEEK resin, or a conductive metal oxide with a specified translucent property, such as ITO (indium tin oxide), or as in variant 4, a conductive portion in the form of a line or a strip is formed from a non-translucent, low-translucent, or translucent and conductive material on a part of the circumference of the extension portion 51 formed from a translucent non-conductive material, or is formed from a translucent resin layer containing conductive fillers (metal fillers, carbon fillers, etc.), conductive fibers (metal fibers, carbon fibers, etc.), conductive particles (metal particles, carbon particles, etc.), etc. used for the ink tank 31 in variant 5, thereby forming the translucent extension portion 51. In addition, the light transmittance may be any light transmittance that allows the remaining amount of ink in the ink tank 31 to be confirmed, and this degree can be appropriately designed in consideration of the concentration or color of the ink contained in the ink tank 31 .

[0033] [Variation 7] In the above-mentioned modification 6, the conducting portion 72 is formed of a light-transmitting and conductive material, but in the modification 7, a non-light-transmitting or low-light-transmitting and conductive material is used, and at least the portion corresponding to the ink tank 31 is formed as a part of the circumference, such as one or more lines or strips. In addition, the conducting portion 72 is not limited to a simple shape such as a line or a strip, and can also be a shape that imitates a certain design such as a pattern, text, or symbol. In this modification 7, the clamp 71 and the conductive portion 72 may be integrated or separated, and the clamp 71 and the conductive portion 72 may be integrated with the front housing 21 or separated. In this structure, the usage status of the ink in the ink tank 31 (the remaining amount of ink) can be confirmed by observing from the outside of the front shell 21 from a portion where the conductive portion 72 formed of a non-transparent or low-transparent and conductive material is not configured. In addition, the conducting portion 72 can be formed of a light-transmitting and conductive material other than a light-impermeable or low light-transmitting and conductive material. Furthermore, the extension portion 51 of the peripheral electrode 5 and the ground electrode 6 may be the same as those in the sixth modification.

[0034] [Variation 8] In the above-mentioned embodiment 2, variant example 6 and variant example 7, a conductive portion formed in a circumferential surface shape, a linear shape or a strip shape is used as the conductive portion 72, but it is also possible to form a layer containing a conductive filler (metal filler, carbon filler, etc.), conductive fibers (metal fibers, carbon fibers, etc.), conductive particles (metal particles, carbon particles, etc.) on the inner surface of the front side shell 21 as the conductive portion 72. As the conductive filler, conductive fiber, conductive particle, etc., a light-transmitting material is preferred. However, even if a non-light-transmitting or low-light-transmitting material is used, a conductive portion 72 having a predetermined light-transmitting property can be formed by adjusting the content, size, etc. In this structure, the usage status of the ink in the ink tank 31 (the remaining amount of ink) can be checked by observing from the outside of the front housing 21 through the light-transmitting conductive portion 72 . In addition, the extension portion 51 of the peripheral electrode 5 and the ground electrode 6 may be the same as those in the sixth modification.

[0035] [Variation 9] Figure 6 It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the front end side of the active stylus pen 1 according to the ninth modification of the second embodiment of the present invention. In the above-mentioned Embodiment 2, Modification 6, Modification 7 and Modification 8, the clamp 71 of the signal transmitting member 7 is formed into a circular ring shape so as to always be in contact with the periphery of the tip body 321. Figure 6 As shown, the inner diameter of the chuck 71 may be slightly larger than the outer shape of the tip body 321 , and a gap G may be provided between the tip body 321 and the chuck 71 . When the active stylus pen 1 is actually used, it is not used upright (standing perpendicularly) relative to the surface of the touch panel, but is usually used with a slight inclination. In this case, when the active stylus pen 1 is used, the front end of the refill 3 is bent and contacts the chuck 71, so that a signal can be sent to the tip body 321 and the ball 322. Furthermore, assuming that when an active stylus pen 1 is used, even when the front end of the refill 3 is not in contact with the chuck 71, since the distance between the outer surface of the tip body 321 and the inner surface of the chuck 71 is extremely small, a signal can be sent from the chuck 71 to the tip body 321 through electrostatic coupling (electrostatic induction). Furthermore, considering that transmission may be performed by electrostatic coupling through a gap, it is preferable to widen the surface where the tip body 321 and the chuck 71 face each other.

[0036] [Implementation method 3] Figure 7 It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the active stylus pen 1 according to the third embodiment of the present invention. The basic structure of the active stylus pen 1 , including the cylindrical housing 2 , the ballpoint pen refill 3 housed in the cylindrical housing 2 , the circuit unit 4 , the peripheral electrode 5 , and the ground electrode 6 , is the same as that of the first embodiment.

[0037] In the third embodiment, unlike the first and second embodiments, the electric signal generated by the circuit unit 4 is transmitted to the ball 322 via the ink 8 and the grease F in the ink tank 31 . The ink tank 31 is filled with ink 8, and the rear end thereof is filled with grease F. When the ink is consumed by writing with a ballpoint pen, the ink 8 in the ink tank 31 decreases, and the rear end of the ink 8 moves toward the tip 32. At this time, the grease F filled in the rear end of the ink also moves toward the tip 32 together with the rear end of the ink 8, but at this time, the grease F remains little by little on the inner wall of the ink tank 31, and the grease F is continuously attached to the inner surface of the ink tank 31 from the rear end to the rear end of the ink 8. The electric signal generated by the circuit unit 4 is transmitted to the ball 322 via the ink 8 and the grease F attached to the inner surface of the ink tank 31 . The ink 8 and the grease F are usually made of materials that are not conductive, so the ink 8 and the grease F are made to contain conductive fillers (metal fillers, carbon fillers, etc.), conductive fibers (metal fibers, carbon fibers, etc.), conductive particles (metal particles, carbon particles, etc.), etc. to give the ink 8 and the grease F conductivity.

[0038] [Implementation Method 4] In the first embodiment, the second embodiment and its respective variations, and the third embodiment, the refill 3 is fixed to the cylindrical housing 2, but in the fourth embodiment, the refill 3 is configured to be retractable from the front end of the cylindrical housing 2. As a mechanism for retracting the refill 3, a known pressing mechanism or a mechanism based on relative rotation of the front housing 21 and the rear housing 22 can be used. Among ballpoint pens having such a mechanism for extending and retracting the refill 3 , there are also ballpoint pens in which a spring is arranged around the tip body portion, and the spring can also be used as the chuck 71 of the signal transmitting member 7 . Furthermore, the active stylus pen may be turned on and off by operating a push button as an operating member for extending and retracting the refill 3 or by relative rotation of the front housing 21 and the rear housing 22 .

[0039] [Implementation method 5] In Embodiment 1, Embodiment 2 and its respective modifications, Embodiment 3, and Embodiment 4, a ballpoint pen is used as a writing tool, but in Embodiment 5, a mechanical pencil is used as a writing tool. The conduit for guiding the lead fixedly provided at the front end of the mechanical pencil is formed of a conductive material, similarly to the tip body 321 and the ball 322 of the refill 3, and generates an electric field between the conduit and the peripheral electrode 5. The conduit is formed of a metal, such as stainless steel or aluminum, which is a conductive member. In addition, the black lead of the mechanical pencil contains graphite and has conductivity, and thus can generate an electric field similarly to the conduit. Furthermore, a lead groove of a mechanical pencil can be used instead of the ink tank 31 . In the case of a mechanical pencil, the lead can be used to write on a writing object with a surface roughened to a certain extent such as paper, but on a smooth surface such as a touch panel using an active stylus, the lead tip cannot be used to write because it slides, so the touch panel surface will not be contaminated by the lead. However, depending on the combination of the lead of the mechanical pencil and the touch panel, there is a possibility that the lead will adhere, and care must be taken when using it, but if the lead is stored in the guide tube when it is first used as an active stylus, the lead will not adhere to the touch panel.

[0040] [Implementation Method 6] In Embodiment 1, Embodiment 2 and its respective variations, Embodiment 3, Embodiment 4, and Embodiment 5, only one ballpoint pen or mechanical pencil is used as a writing tool, but in Embodiment 6, a multi-color pen or a multi-functional writing tool capable of selectively using one writing tool from two or more ballpoint pens or mechanical pencils is used as an active stylus. In this case, only one of the plurality of writing tools may be used as an active stylus pen, a plurality of writing tools may be used as active stylus pens, or all of the writing tools may be used as active stylus pens. Furthermore, in an active stylus pen using a multi-color pen or a multi-function writing tool, a push button of a ballpoint pen or a mechanical pencil used as the active stylus pen can be used as a switch for turning the active stylus pen on and off.

[0041] [Variation 10] In Embodiment 1, Embodiment 2 and its respective modifications, Embodiment 3, Embodiment 4, Embodiment 5, and Embodiment 6, the following well-known functions can be added. (1) Pen pressure detection function (2) Active stylus tilt detection function (3) Micro-vibration function to improve the pen feel (4) Wireless power supply function (5) Magnets for fixing to tablet computers, etc. (6) Anti-accidental touch function

[0042] In the above, the active stylus pen 1 of embodiment 1, embodiment 2 and its various variations, embodiment 3, embodiment 4, embodiment 5, embodiment 6, and variation 10 involved in the present invention is described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, but the specific structure is not limited to these embodiments, and even if there are design changes within the scope of the main purpose involved in the present invention, they are also included in the present invention. Furthermore, as long as there are no particular contradictions or problems in the purposes, structures, etc., the above-mentioned embodiments can be combined by using the respective techniques.

[0043] [Embodiment 7 to Embodiment 13] In the above-mentioned Embodiment 1, Embodiment 2 and their respective modifications, Embodiment 3, Embodiment 4, Embodiment 5, Embodiment 6, and Modification 10, the case where a ballpoint pen or a mechanical pencil can be used as an active stylus pen is described. As Embodiments 7 to 13, further improvements of the active stylus pen using the ballpoint pen or mechanical pencil will be described. In addition, the features of embodiments 7 to 13 are not limited to active stylus pens, but can be adopted in all pen-type input devices, such as input mechanisms for two-dimensional input devices such as touch panels or handwriting tablets installed in notebook computers, tablet computers, smartphones, etc., and three-dimensional input devices such as pen-type input devices for inputting positions within a space.

[0044] In the past, there were some stylus pens that communicated with the electronic device used in addition to the communication between the pen tip and the touch panel, and sent the pen tilt and pen pressure detected by the pen to the electronic device, thereby changing the thickness or depth of the line, or preventing the misrecognition of touch other than the pen tip by using the anti-mistouch function. The communication between the pen-type input device and the electronic device is performed by wire or wirelessly, and as a wireless method, for example, Bluetooth (registered trademark) is used. There are many types of stylus pens with different communication standards for communication with touch panels, tablets, or electronic devices. For example, in the electrostatic capacitance method, there are known communication standards such as AES, MPP, and USI. Therefore, a method of selecting one of a plurality of different communication standards for use has been proposed (see Patent Document 2). In this stylus pen, a button switch is provided on the side of the stylus pen as a mechanism for selecting one of a plurality of different standards, and each time the button switch is pressed, the standards are changed in sequence (especially, see

[0187] of Patent Document 2).

[0045] In addition, a button switch is also provided on the side of the stylus pen for a mechanism for selecting one of a plurality of functions of the stylus pen, such as pen input, eraser, thin line, thick line, dotted line, wavy line, straight line, presence or absence of pen pressure function, color change, change of type of writing tool, whiteboard function, range selection, drag function, shortcut function, etc., and each time the button switch is pressed, the function is changed in sequence (in particular, refer to

[0021] of patent document 3).

[0046] As described above, in a pen-type input device that can select one of a plurality of different communication standards for use, a mechanism for selecting one standard is constituted by a button switch provided on the side of the pen-type input device. In this structure, the standards are sequentially changed each time the switch is pressed, but there is currently no mechanism for displaying which standard is selected, and it is necessary to confirm whether the standard is appropriate after actually using it in a touch panel or a handwriting tablet, etc., and the selection of the standard is inconvenient. Furthermore, with respect to the pen-type input device, it is also inconvenient to select a function such as being able to select one from a plurality of different functions to use. Therefore, as Embodiments 7 to 13, a pen-type input device is provided which allows the user to easily understand which communication standard or function is selected when selecting one from a plurality of different communication standards or a plurality of different functions.

[0047] [Implementation method 7] Hereinafter, a pen-type input device 1 ′ according to a seventh embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the same symbols in different drawings represent parts with the same functions, and repeated descriptions in the drawings will be omitted as appropriate.

[0048] [Overall structure] Figure 8 It is a side view of the main parts of the pen-type input device 1 ′ according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention, and shows the rear side of the pen-type input device 1 ′. The pen-type input device 1' of the seventh embodiment is an active stylus pen of electrostatic capacitance type. The pen-type input device 1' comprises a cylindrical housing 2, a circuit unit housed in the cylindrical housing 2, and a core body formed of a conductive material, and an electric field is generated near the front end of the core body by an electric signal transmitted from the circuit unit to the core body. In addition, in the active stylus pen, in addition to the electrostatic capacitance type pen, it can also be an electromagnetic induction type pen, etc. Furthermore, the structure of the front side of the cylindrical shell 2, the circuit part, the core body, etc. for outputting electrical signals can adopt the structure of the above-mentioned embodiment 1, embodiment 2 and its respective variations, embodiment 3, embodiment 4, embodiment 5, embodiment 6, and variation 10.

[0049] The electric field generated near the front end of the core body can be detected by the touch panel and input into electronic devices such as notebook computers, tablet computers, and smartphones equipped with the touch panel. The core body and its periphery and the circuit part are provided with a mechanism for detecting the pen pressure applied to the core body, a mechanism for detecting the inclination of the core body and the pen-type input device 1', a mechanism for communicating with electronic devices, a battery, etc., which can finely adjust the thickness or concentration of the input line, or realize the function of preventing accidental touches. In the communication between the pen-type input device 1 ′ and the touch panel and between the pen-type input device 1 ′ and the electronic device, different communication standards are used for each touch panel or device, and it is necessary to select a communication standard corresponding to the touch panel or electronic device used.

[0050] [Operating mechanism] The circuit unit of the pen-type input device 1 ′ according to the seventh embodiment can support three types of communication standards. A main switch 91 for switching the power of the pen-shaped input device 1 ′ on and off is provided at the rear end portion of the cylindrical housing 2 . The main switch 91 may be a push button such as that used in a push ballpoint pen, and when the main switch 91 is pressed and retracted, the pen-type input device 1' is turned on. Then, when the main switch 91 is pressed again and protruded, the pen-type input device 1' is turned off. Furthermore, three slide switches 92a to 92c (at the rear end of the cylindrical housing 2) are provided on the peripheral surface near the clip 2a. Figure 8In the figure, only two slide switches 92a and 92b are shown. ) Slide switch 92. The three slide switches 92a to 92c are colored differently, and one communication standard corresponds to each color. This makes it easy to know which communication standard is selected. Furthermore, if a symbol or text that allows you to know which communication standard is selected is recorded near each slide switch 92a to 92c, it is even easier to know which communication standard is selected. The slide switch 92 can be any one of the mechanisms used in known multi-color pens or multi-functional writing tools.

[0051] As a mechanism for returning one of the selected and slid slide switches 92 to its original position, the main switch 91 can be used. That is, the structure can be set as follows: by pressing the main switch 91 that has been pressed and retracted again to protrude, one of the slide switches 92 selected so far is returned from the state of being fixed at the front end side of the pen-type input device 1' to the original rear end side position, and the pen-type input device 1' is disconnected. Furthermore, it is also possible to configure that by changing the clip 2a to a binder, the binder is opened or pressed, and the main switch 91 that is pressed and retracted is projected. According to this structure, if the binder is opened to store the pen-type input device 1' in a pocket or the like after use, or the binder is closed after being inserted into a pocket, the main switch 91 returns to the projected state, thereby preventing the pen-type input device 1' from being forgotten to be powered off. Furthermore, in the pen-shaped input device 1' that allows the core to be freely retracted from the opening at the front end of the cylindrical shell 2, it can be constructed so that when the main switch 91 is pressed to retract it, the core is released from the opening, and when the main switch 91 is pressed again to protrude it, the core is stored in the opening. In addition, the selected communication specifications include, of course, communication specifications between the pen-type input device 1' and the touch panel, and between the pen-type input device 1' and the electronic device. In addition to these, there are specifications that explicitly indicate a function in which an electric field detected by the touch panel is generated only at the tip of the pen-type input device 1', and no communication is performed between the pen-type input device 1' and the touch panel, and between the pen-type input device 1' and the electronic device (hereinafter referred to as "no communication specification"). Although strictly speaking, it is not a communication specification, it can also be included as one of the selected communication specifications.

[0052] [How to use] When starting to use, the main switch 91 is pressed to retract it, turning on the pen-type input device 1'. Therefore, if the slide switch 92 corresponding to the communication standard of the electronic device used, for example, the slide switch 92a is slid toward the front end of the pen-shaped input device 1', the corresponding communication standard is selected. The slid slide switch 92a is fixed at the front end of the pen-shaped input device 1'. When the use is finished, if a slide switch other than the slide switch 92a selected so far, for example, the slide switch 92b is slid halfway toward the front end direction of the pen-type input device 1', the slide switch 92a returns from the state of being fixed at the front end side to the original rear end side position. Thereafter, if the slide switch 92b is released, the slide switch 92b also returns to the original rear end side position. Then, the retracted main switch 91 is pressed again to protrude, and the pen-type input device 1' is turned off. In addition, the operation order of the main switch 91 and the slide switch 92 at the start of use and at the end of use may be reversed.

[0053] When the communication standard is changed during use (when the power is on), the corresponding communication standard is selected by sliding the slide switch 92 corresponding to the communication standard, for example, the slide switch 92b, toward the front end of the pen-shaped input device 1'. The slid slide switch 92b is fixed at the front end position, and the slide switch 92a selected so far returns from the fixed position at the front end position to the original rear end position. In addition, there is no problem in switching the main switch 91 on and off while one of the slide switches 92a to 92c is fixed at the position on the front end side. Furthermore, the communication standards are not limited to three, and any number of two or more can be set. In principle, the number of slide switches 92 needs to be the same as the number of selectable communication standards.

[0054] [Variation 11] In the pen-type input device 1' of embodiment 7, the on / off switch is simply switched by the main switch 91, but in variant 11, if the main switch 91 is pressed and retracted, it is turned on and no communication standard is selected, and then one of the sliding switches 92 is slid, thereby selecting other communication standards. In addition, when the main switch 91 is pressed and retracted, the standard selected is not limited to the non-communication standard, and other communication standards may be used.

[0055] [Variation 12] In the pen-type input device 1' of the seventh embodiment, the on / off switching is performed by the main switch 91. However, in the modification 12, the main switch 91 is omitted and the slide switches 92a to 92c are used. That is, the slide switches 92a to 92c are configured to be turned off at the rear end side and turned on at the front end side. If one of the slide switches 92a to 92c is located at the front end side, the pen-type input device 1' is turned on. When starting use, if the slide switch 92 corresponding to the communication standard of the electronic device being used is slid toward the front end of the pen-shaped input device 1' and fixed at the front end side position, the corresponding communication standard is selected and the pen-shaped input device 1' is turned on. When use is terminated, if the sliding switch 92 other than the sliding switch 92 selected so far is slid halfway toward the front end direction of the pen-type input device 1', the sliding switch 92 selected so far is returned to the original rear end side position, and the sliding switch 92 that has slid halfway is released and returned to the original rear end side position, the pen-type input device 1' is disconnected. Furthermore, when the electronic device with a different communication standard is changed during use, the corresponding communication standard is selected by sliding the slide switch 92 corresponding to the communication standard, for example, the slide switch 92b, toward the front end of the pen-shaped input device 1'. While the slid slide switch 92b is fixed at the front end position and remains in the on state, the slide switch 92a selected so far returns from the fixed position at the front end position to the original rear end position.

[0056] [Variation 13] In the above-mentioned seventh embodiment and its modified examples 11 and 12, the slide switch 92 selects the communication standard of the pen-shaped input device 1 ′, but it may also select the function of the pen-shaped input device 1 ′. Examples of the selected functions include pen input, eraser, thin line, thick line, dotted line, wavy line, straight line, the presence or absence of pen pressure function, color change, change of writing tool type, whiteboard function, range selection, drag function, shortcut function, etc. Furthermore, the user may assign any one of the plurality of functions to one slide switch 92, thereby enabling customization by each user.

[0057] [Embodiment 8] Fig. 9 It is a side view of a main part of the pen-type input device 1 ′ according to the eighth embodiment of the present invention, and shows the rear side of the pen-type input device 1 ′. Similar to the pen-type input device 1' of embodiment 7, it has the following structure: it has a cylindrical shell 2, a circuit unit housed in the cylindrical shell 2, and a core body formed of a conductive material (none of which are shown in the figure), and an electric field is generated near the front end of the core body by an electric signal transmitted from the circuit unit to the core body.

[0058] [Operating mechanism] The circuit unit of the pen-type input device 1 ′ according to the eighth embodiment can support two types of communication standards. A main switch 91 for switching the power supply of the pen-type input device 1' on and off is provided at the rear end of the cylindrical housing 2. As in Embodiment 7, the main switch 91 can be a push button, and further, the clip 2a can be configured to be used as a binder, and the main switch 91 that is pressed and retracted can be protruded by opening the binder, pressing the binder, or performing a binder operation. Furthermore, in the pen-shaped input device 1' that allows the core to be freely retracted from the opening at the front end of the cylindrical shell 2, it can be constructed so that when the main switch 91 is pressed to retract it, the core is released from the opening, and when the main switch 91 is pressed again to protrude it, the core is stored in the opening.

[0059] A rotary switch 93 that rotates in the circumferential direction is provided along the peripheral surface near the center portion of the cylindrical housing 2 . The rotary switch 93 can be rotated between two positions A and B at both ends of the rotation direction. The rotary switch 93 is provided with a window portion 931, and the cylindrical housing 2 is colored at two positions so that different colors can be seen from the window portion. This makes it easy to know which communication standard is selected. Figure 2 The display window 931 can stop at two positions indicated by A and B. Different colors, characters, symbols, etc. can be seen from the window 931 at the positions A and B. The window 931 is not located at the two positions A and B at the same time. Furthermore, if an indicator portion formed by printing or protrusion is formed at a point in the circumferential direction of the rotary switch, and symbols or characters such as those for knowing which communication standard is used are recorded at two positions at both ends of the rotation direction at the position indicated by the indicator portion, it will be easier to know which communication standard is selected. In addition, the rotary switch 93 can separate the cylindrical housing 2 into a front housing and a rear housing, and can rotate the front housing and the rear housing relative to each other. Furthermore, if a structure is configured to provide a click feeling to the rotation at two positions, the stop position of the rotary switch 93 can be easily known. Furthermore, the rotary switch 93 may be a switch that can be rotated between two positions or a switch that can be rotated 360 degrees, that is, can be rotated without restrictions on the direction of rotation or the amount of rotation, and can select the communication standard at two of the positions.

[0060] [How to use] When the pen-type input device 1' starts to be used, the main switch 91 is pressed to retract it, turning on the pen-type input device 1'. Therefore, if the rotary switch 93 is rotated to a position corresponding to the communication standard of the electronic device used as needed, the corresponding communication standard is selected. If the rotary switch 93 is initially at a position corresponding to the communication standard of the electronic device used, it is not necessary to rotate it. When the use is finished, the retracted main switch 91 is pressed again to make it protrude, thereby turning off the pen-type input device 1'. In addition, the operation order of the main switch 91 and the rotary switch 93 at the beginning of use may be reversed.

[0061] Furthermore, when the communication standard is changed during use (while the power is on), the rotary switch 93 is rotated to a position corresponding to the communication standard. In addition, there is no problem in switching the main switch 91 on and off while the rotary switch 93 is fixed at a certain position. Furthermore, the communication standards are not limited to two, and any number of three or more can be set. In principle, the number of fixed positions of the rotary switch 93 needs to be the same as the number of communication standards.

[0062] [Variation 14] In the pen-type input device 1' of the eighth embodiment, the on / off switching is performed by the main switch 91, but the main switch 91 may be omitted. That is, the rotary switch 93 is configured to be not only rotated in positions corresponding to two communication standards so as to be turned on in the position where the communication standard is selected, but also rotated between three positions with disconnected positions so as to be turned on in the position where the communication standard is selected. When the rotary switch 93 is in the position where any one of the communication standards is selected, the pen-type input device 1' is turned on. When the rotary switch 93 is rotated from the OFF position to the position corresponding to the two communication standards, it becomes the ON state. Conversely, when it is rotated from the position corresponding to the two communication standards to the OFF position, it becomes the OFF state. The three positions of the rotary switch 93 can be arranged in the order of OFF-communication standard A-communication standard B, or can be arranged in the order of communication standard A-OFF-communication standard B. In addition, in this variation 4, in addition to being a switch that can rotate between three positions, the rotary switch 93 can also be a switch that can rotate 360°, that is, it can rotate without being restricted by the rotation direction or the rotation amount, and select the disconnection or communication specifications in the three positions. Furthermore, the communication standards are not limited to two, and any number of three or more can be set. When the rotary switch 93 is rotated from off to a position corresponding to the communication standard of the electronic device being used at the beginning of use, the corresponding communication standard is selected and the pen-shaped input device 1 ′ is turned on. When the use is finished, if the rotary switch 93 is rotated from the position corresponding to the communication standard of the electronic device being used to the off position, the pen-shaped input device 1 ′ is turned off.

[0063] [Variation 15] In the above-mentioned eighth embodiment and its modified example 14, the rotary switch 93 selects the communication standard of the pen-shaped input device 1 ′, but it may also select the function of the pen-shaped input device 1 ′. Examples of the selected functions include pen input, eraser, thin line, thick line, dotted line, wavy line, straight line, the presence or absence of pen pressure function, color change, change of the type of writing tool, whiteboard function, range selection, drag function, shortcut function, etc. Furthermore, the user may assign any one of the plurality of functions to one position of the rotary switch 93, thereby enabling customization by each user.

[0064] [Implementation Method 9] Fig.10 It is a side view of the main parts of the pen-type input device 1 ′ according to Embodiment 9 of the present invention, and shows the rear side of the pen-type input device 1 ′. Similar to the pen-type input device 1' of embodiment 7, it has the following structure: it has a cylindrical shell 2, a circuit unit housed in the cylindrical shell 2, and a core body formed of a conductive material (none of which are shown in the figure), and an electric field is generated near the front end of the core body by an electric signal transmitted from the circuit unit to the core body.

[0065] [Operating mechanism] Similar to the pen-type input device 1' of the seventh embodiment, three slide switches 92a to 92c (in the vicinity of the clip) are provided on the peripheral surface of the rear end portion of the cylindrical housing 2. Fig.10 In the figure, only two slide switches 92a and 92b are shown. ). Furthermore, a rotary switch 93 similar to that in the eighth embodiment is provided. In the ninth embodiment, the slide switch 92 is used as a switch for selecting one of the three communication standards, and the rotary switch 93 is used as a switch for switching on and off. Furthermore, the clip 2a may be used as a binder, and the rotary switch 93 may be returned from the on position to the off position by opening the binder, pressing the binder, or performing a binder operation. Furthermore, in a pen-shaped input device 1' that allows the core to be freely retracted from the opening at the front end of the cylindrical shell 2, it can be constructed so that if the rotary switch 93 is rotated from the off position to the on position, the core is released from the opening, and if it is rotated from the on position to the off position, the core is accommodated in the opening.

[0066] [How to use] When starting to use, the rotary switch 93 is rotated from the off position to the on position to turn on the pen-type input device 1 ′. Therefore, if the slide switch 92 corresponding to the communication standard of the electronic device used, for example, the slide switch 92a is slid toward the front end of the pen-shaped input device 1', the corresponding communication standard is selected. The slid slide switch 92a is fixed at the front end side. When the use is finished, if a slide switch other than the slide switch 92a selected so far, for example, the slide switch 92b is slid halfway toward the front end direction of the pen-type input device 1', the slide switch 92a returns from the state of being fixed at the front end side position to the original rear end side position, and if the slide switch 92b is released, the slide switch 92b also returns to the original rear end side position. Then, the rotary switch 93 is rotated from the on position to the off position to turn off the pen-type input device 1'. In addition, the operation order of the rotary switch 93 and the slide switch 92 at the start of use and at the end of use may be reversed.

[0067] Furthermore, when the communication standard is changed during use (when the power is on), if the slide switch 92 corresponding to the communication standard, for example, the slide switch 92b, is slid toward the front end of the pen-shaped input device 1', the corresponding communication standard is selected. The slid slide switch 92b is fixed at the front end position, and the slide switch 92a selected so far returns from the fixed position at the front end position to the original rear end position. In addition, there is no problem in switching the rotary switch 93 on and off while one of the slide switches 92a to 92c is fixed at the position on the front end side. Furthermore, the communication standards are not limited to three, and any number of two or more can be set. In principle, the number of slide switches 92 needs to be the same as the number of selectable communication standards.

[0068] [Variation 16] In the above-mentioned ninth embodiment, the slide switch 92 selects the communication standard of the pen-type input device 1 ′, but it may also select the function of the pen-type input device 1 ′. Examples of the selected functions include pen input, eraser, thin line, thick line, dotted line, wavy line, straight line, the presence or absence of pen pressure function, color change, change of writing tool type, whiteboard function, range selection, drag function, shortcut function, etc. Furthermore, the user may assign any one of the plurality of functions to one slide switch 92, thereby enabling customization by each user.

[0069] [Implementation 10] In Embodiment 7 and its variants 11 to 13, Embodiment 8 and its variants 14 and 15, and Embodiment 9 and its variant 16, only one of the communication standard and the function is selected. However, a structure may be set to select both the communication standard and the function. Alternatively, the communication standard may be selected by the slide switch 92 and the function may be selected by the rotary switch 93 , or the function may be selected by the slide switch 92 and the communication standard may be selected by the rotary switch 93 . The pen-type input device 1 ′ may be turned on or off using any one of the main switch 91 , the slide switch 92 , and the rotary switch 93 .

[0070] [Implementation 11] In Embodiment 7 and its variants 11 to 13, Embodiment 8 and its variants 14 and 15, Embodiment 9 and its variant 16, and Embodiment 10, as described above, a case where a writing tool such as a ballpoint pen or a mechanical pencil is used as a core formed of a conductive material is described. When using a refill for a ballpoint pen, as in the structures of the above-mentioned embodiments 1, 2 and their respective variations, 3, 4 and variation 10, an electric field can be generated near the front end of the tip by transmitting an electric signal to the tip formed of a conductive material such as metal. Furthermore, when using a mechanical pencil, as in the configurations of the fifth embodiment and the tenth modification described above, an electric field can be generated near the tip of the tip by transmitting an electric signal to a catheter formed of a conductive material such as metal provided at the tip.

[0071] In this way, in the pen-type input device 1' using a writing tool, it can not only be used as an input mechanism of an electronic device, but also can be used for writing on a writing object such as paper. Therefore, without replacing the pen-type input device and the writing tool, it can be used in both a touch panel and a writing object such as paper, thereby further improving convenience. In the seventh embodiment, the eleventh modification, and the eighth embodiment, the pen-shaped input device 1 ′ may be switched on and off by the main switch 91 , and the refill of the ballpoint pen may be extended and retracted from the opening at the front end of the cylindrical housing 2 . Furthermore, in Modification 12, Modification 14, and Embodiment 9, a push button may be further arranged at the rear end of the cylindrical housing 2, and the push button may be used only to operate the extension and retraction of the refill of the ballpoint pen or the release of the lead of the mechanical pencil. With this structure, writing tools such as a ballpoint pen or a mechanical pencil can be used without turning on the power of the pen-type input device 1'.

[0072] [Variation 17] In the above-mentioned embodiment 11, the slide switch 92 or the rotary switch 93 selects the communication standard of the pen-type input device 1 ′, but it is also possible to select the function of the pen-type input device 1 ′. Examples of the selected functions include pen input, eraser, thin line, thick line, dotted line, wavy line, straight line, the presence or absence of pen pressure function, color change, change of the type of writing tool, whiteboard function, range selection, drag function, shortcut function, etc. Furthermore, the user may assign any one of the plurality of functions to one position of the slide switch 92 or the rotary switch 93, thereby enabling customization by each user.

[0073] [Implementation 12] In embodiment 11, one writing tool is used as the pen-type input device 1', but as in the above-mentioned embodiment 6, a multi-color pen or a multi-function writing tool that can selectively use one of two or more ballpoint pens or mechanical pencils can also be used as the pen-type input device 1'. This type of pen-type input device 1 ′ can be used in common by two or more writing tools as the pen-type input device 1 ′. In the case where the pen-type input device 1' is configured to be able to selectively use one of a multi-color pen or a multi-functional writing tool from a ballpoint pen or a mechanical pencil by a sliding switch, for example, as in embodiment 7, if it is configured to select one of three communication standards by a sliding switch 92, the sliding switch 92 becomes a mechanism having two functions of selecting a writing tool and selecting a communication standard. In addition, as in Embodiment 7, the main switch 91 may be used as a mechanism for returning one of the selected and slid slide switches 92 to its original position. That is, the main switch 91 that has been pressed and retracted is pressed again to protrude, so that one of the slide switches 92 that has been selected so far is returned from the state of being fixed at the front end side of the pen-type input device 1' to the original rear end side position, and the pen-type input device 1' is disconnected. Furthermore, the clip 2a may be configured as a binder, and the main switch 91 which is pressed and retracted may be protruded by opening the binder, pressing the binder, or performing a binder operation.

[0074] Furthermore, in the case where the pen-type input device 1' is configured to be able to selectively use a multi-color pen or a multi-functional writing tool from a ballpoint pen or a mechanical pencil by relatively rotating the front shell and the rear shell of the cylindrical shell, for example, as in embodiment 8, if it is configured to select one of two communication standards by rotating the rotary switch 93, the rotary switch 93 becomes a mechanism having two functions of selecting a writing tool and selecting a communication standard. As a switch for turning on / off the pen-shaped input device 1', a main switch 91 may be used as in the seventh and eighth embodiments, a slide switch 92 may be used as in the twelfth modification, or a rotary switch 93 may be used as in the thirteenth modification and the ninth embodiment.

[0075] [Variation 18] In the above-mentioned embodiment 12, the slide switch 92 or the rotary switch 93 selects the communication standard of the pen-type input device 1 ′, but it is also possible to select the function of the pen-type input device 1 ′. Examples of the selected functions include pen input, eraser, thin line, thick line, dotted line, wavy line, straight line, the presence or absence of pen pressure function, color change, change of the type of writing tool, whiteboard function, range selection, drag function, shortcut function, etc. Furthermore, the user may assign any one of the plurality of functions to one position of the slide switch 92 or the rotary switch 93, thereby enabling customization by each user.

[0076] [Implementation 13] In embodiment 7 and its variants 11 to 13, embodiment 8 and its variants 14 and 15, embodiment 9 and its variant 16, embodiment 10, embodiment 11 and its variant 17, and embodiment 12 and its variant 18, the pen-type input device 1' is a stylus of electrostatic capacitance type, but may also be a stylus of electromagnetic induction type. In addition, it may also be a three-dimensional input device in which an acceleration sensor is provided internally to input the position in the space or a three-dimensional input device in which an optical sensor is used to input the position in the space.

[0077] In the above, with reference to the accompanying drawings, embodiment 7 and its variants 11 to 13, embodiment 8 and its variants 14 and 15, embodiment 9 and its variant 16, embodiment 10, embodiment 11 and its variant 17, embodiment 12 and its variant 18, and the pen-type input device 1' of embodiment 13 involved in the present invention are described in detail, but the specific structure is not limited to these embodiments, and even if there are design changes that do not deviate from the scope of the main purpose involved in the present invention, they are also included in the present invention. Furthermore, as long as there are no particular contradictions or problems in the purposes, structures, etc., the above-mentioned embodiments can be combined by using the respective techniques.

[0078] [Implementation 14] As described in the description of embodiment 1, the following description is made: the active stylus pen 1 is constructed so that writing can be performed using a ballpoint pen on a writing object whose surface is rougher than a specified level, such as a writing object such as paper, but on a smooth surface such as a touch panel, the ball slides and writing cannot be performed. The active stylus pen 1 can be used as an input device for a touch panel mounted on an electronic device, and can also be used as a writing tool for writing on a writing object such as paper. Hereinafter, a specific embodiment 14 having the above-mentioned features will be described based on the accompanying drawings.

[0079] In the past, as a writing tool that can be used both as an input device for a touch panel and as a writing tool for writing on a written object, there is a writing tool that has a panel contact portion provided on the front end side of a shaft tube to form a stylus pen, and a writing tip provided on the rear end side of the same shaft tube and has ink built in to form a ballpoint pen (see patent document 4). According to this conventional technology, when the panel contact portion on the front end side is brought into contact with the touch panel to perform input operation, if the barrel is replaced in a front-to-back manner, writing can be performed on the paper with the writing tip on the rear end side of the same barrel.

[0080] However, according to the above-mentioned prior art, if the writing tip contacts the touch panel display by mistake, the touch panel display may be contaminated by ink. In addition, the touch panel display is sometimes covered with a sheet material for improving writing feel as shown in Patent Document 5, but in this case, the sheet material for improving writing feel may be contaminated by ink. Furthermore, when writing on the paper with the writing tip on the rear end side, if excessive force is applied and the ball rolls off the paper, there is a possibility that the ink is transferred to the table surface below the paper surface. Therefore, as embodiment 14, a tip of a ballpoint pen is provided, wherein, in an active stylus pen in which the tip of a ballpoint pen as a writing tool is used as a pen tip of a device for inputting a touch panel, the touch panel is not contaminated by ink.

[0081] Figure 11 to Figure 14 The tip 32 of the embodiment 14 is shown. More specifically, Fig.11 is a general cross-sectional view showing the tip 32, Fig.12 3 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of the main part showing a state in which the tip 32 is brought into contact with the writing surface approximately perpendicularly. Fig.13 It is along Fig.12The transverse cross-sectional view taken along the (V)-(V) line in FIG. Fig.14 is a longitudinal sectional view of the main part of the tip 32, Fig.14 (a) is the state where the ball is rolled on the writing surface. Fig.14 (b) is a diagram showing a state in which the ball is made to slide on a writing surface having a relatively small dynamic friction coefficient without rolling. and, Figures 15-16 This is a table showing the results of the measurement experiment in the fourteenth embodiment. The active stylus pen 1 is the same as the stylus pen described in the first embodiment, and thus detailed description thereof is omitted. Figure 5 The structures of the tip 32 and the connecting member 33 shown in the figure are the same as those of the tip 32 and the connecting member 33 of the first embodiment. Figure 11 to Figure 14 In the embodiment, the spring 323 and the check valve 331 are omitted. The tip 32 of embodiment 14 makes the ball 322 roll on the first writing surface S1 by appropriately adjusting the structure of each part, and does not roll on the second writing surface S2 having different physical properties from the first writing surface S1.

[0082] The first writing surface S1 is a surface having a larger surface roughness than the second writing surface S2 described later, and the first writing surface S1 includes surfaces of various general writing papers.

[0083] The second writing surface S2 has a maximum valley depth Sv of less than 14 μm, a maximum cross-sectional height Sz of less than 22 μm, a root mean square height Sq of less than 1.0 μm, and an arithmetic mean roughness Sa of less than 0.5 μm. Here, Sv, Sz, Sq, and Sa are parameters of surface roughness specified in ISO25178. The second writing surface S2 includes the surface of a general touch panel, the surface of a transparent protective sheet covering the touch panel to protect the touch panel, the surface of a sheet for improving writing feel (for example, see Patent Document 5) covering the touch panel or constituting the outermost surface of the touch panel, etc. In addition, the sheet for improving writing feel is sometimes also called a paper-like film, etc. The material of the second writing surface S2 is, for example, PET (polyethylene terephthalate) or glass.

[0084] The threshold values ​​of Sv, Sz, Sq, and Sa are values ​​set by the inventors of the present application through trial and error experiments. That is, the inventors of the present application conducted a measurement experiment on the written surfaces of 19 samples (sheets or papers) of different manufacturers and specifications under the following conditions, and the results obtained were: Fig.10The above threshold values ​​are set based on the surface roughness data shown in the table. <Conditions> Measuring machine: VS1800 (white light interferometry) manufactured by Hitachi, Ltd. Test piece: about 2cm×2cm Magnification:×10 Measuring range: Approx. 1.113mm x 1.113mm

[0085] Furthermore, the second writing surface S2 has a smaller value of the dynamic friction coefficient measured by the following measurement method than the first writing surface S1, and is less than 0.45. In the measurement method of the dynamic friction coefficient, under the conditions of a writing speed of 25 mm / s, a writing angle of 70 degrees, and a writing load of 200 g, the dynamic friction coefficient is measured when the writing surface of the 19 samples is written using an experimental pen tip that cannot rotate to hold an experimental ball of φ0.7. Then, the average value of the dynamic friction coefficient within 5 seconds from 0.3 seconds to 5.3 seconds after the start of the measurement is obtained. In addition, the measurement time does not need to be 5 seconds, as long as it is the time required to obtain a stable measurement value, it can be shorter or longer than 5 seconds. Here, if the experimental pen tip is specifically described, it is an experimental pen tip in which a ball 322 (experimental ball) is fixed to the tip 32 of the present embodiment in a non-rotatable manner by an adhesive. The writing angle is the angle between the written surface and the axis of the experimental pen tip. The writing load is a load applied approximately vertically to the written surface. The dynamic friction coefficient measured by the measurement method is as follows Figure 15-16 As shown in the table. The inventors of the present application set the above threshold value for the dynamic friction coefficient of the second writing surface S2 based on the measured values ​​of the dynamic friction coefficient shown in the table.

[0086] The tip body 321 is a long, substantially cylindrical member whose front end side is gradually tapered. The tip body 321 has an inward front end edge 321a at the front end side of the inner circumferential surface which is in contact with or close to the outer circumferential surface of the front half side of the ball 322, a cylindrical inner surface 321b which ensures a gap for the flow of ink 8 between the inward front end edge 321a and the outer circumferential surface of the ball 322 further back than the inward front end edge 321a, a generally annular supporting surface 321c which supports the ball 322 when it retreats further back than the cylindrical inner surface 321b, a plurality of ink guide grooves 321d which are arranged at intervals along the circumferential direction, a cylindrical ink guide hole 321e which is located on the center line at the rear side of the ball 322, etc., thereby forming a ball chamber which rotatably holds the ball 322.

[0087] The inward front end edge 321a is an annular portion formed by caulking the front end side of the tip body 321 in the radially inward direction, and its inner peripheral surface is inclined in the radially inward direction as it moves forward.

[0088] The receiving surface 321c is an annular indentation formed by pressing the ball 322 against a conical stepped surface whose diameter gradually increases toward the front.

[0089] The ink guide grooves 321d are formed so as to communicate the space in the ink guide hole 321e with the gap inside the cylindrical inner surface 321b, and a plurality of the ink guide grooves 321d are provided at intervals in the circumferential direction of the receiving surface 321c.

[0090] The ball 322 is formed of a hard metal material into a spherical shape. The outer diameter of the ball 322 is set to an appropriate size according to the required functions of the active stylus 1 .

[0091] The tip 32 of the above structure can of course be used as the tip of a general ballpoint pen, and can also be used as the tip of various input pens such as an electrostatic capacitance stylus without a power supply, an electrostatic capacitance stylus with a power supply, an electromagnetic induction stylus, and a pressure-sensitive input pen.

[0092] For example, when the active stylus pen 1 is configured as a capacitive stylus pen equipped with a power source, the outer diameter of the tip 32 is set within a range of φ0.1 to 2.0 mm. Furthermore, when the active stylus pen 1 is configured as a capacitive stylus pen without a power source, a large contact area with a writing surface such as a touch panel needs to be ensured, and therefore the outer diameter of the tip 32 is set to φ1.5 mm or more.

[0093] In particular, in a preferred example of the present embodiment, the outer diameter of the ball 322 is set to φ0.3 to 0.7 mm, and the surface roughness of the outer peripheral surface of the ball 322 is set to Ra3 nm (0.003 μm) or more.

[0094] Furthermore, the ball 322 is held at the front end side of the tip body 321 between the inward front end edge 321a of the tip body 321 and the receiving surface 321c so as to move axially in the range of 0.025 mm or less, preferably in the range of 0.015 mm. According to the axial movement range, by pressing the ball 322 against the writing surface without rolling, it is possible to prevent the ink 8 from flowing out even when a gap is generated between the ball 322 and the inward front end edge 321a.

[0095] Furthermore, the total contact area between the receiving surface 321c receiving the ball 322 from the rear side and the ball 322 ( Figure 5 The two-point chain line part) is 0.2mm 2 Below, particularly preferably 0.12 mm 2 .

[0096] Furthermore, the connecting component 33 is a roughly stepped cylindrical component in which the diameter of the front half is smaller than that of the rear half, and the front end side is annularly embedded in the rear end side of the tip 32 and the rear end side is pressed into the front end side of the ink tank 31. In addition, as another example other than the illustrated example, the connection member 33 can be omitted and the tip 32 and the ink tank 31 can be directly connected.

[0097] The ink tank 31 is formed of a synthetic resin or a metal material into a long cylindrical shape. Figure 1 As an example, it is provided across the front housing 21 and the rear housing 22.

[0098] The ink 8 is filled in the range from the tip 32 to the ink tank 31. Grease F is provided on the rear side of the ink 8 to prevent the ink 8 from flowing out.

[0099] As the ink 8 , general oil-based ink, water-based ink, shear-thinning ink, or the like can be used. The type and viscosity of the ink 8 are appropriately set so that the unique effects of the active stylus pen 1 described later can be effectively exerted.

[0100] Next, the characteristic effects of the active stylus pen 1 having the above structure will be described in detail. Generally, when a writer holds a ballpoint pen and performs a general writing action, the angle α between the axis of the ballpoint pen and the surface to be written (hereinafter referred to as the writing angle) is in the range of 45 to 90 degrees. In addition, the load of pressing the ballpoint pen against the surface to be written (hereinafter referred to as the writing load) is in the range of 10 to 400 g. When the writer grasps the active stylus pen 1 and writes on the first writing surface S1 at the writing angle α and the writing load, the ball 322 rolls on the first writing surface S1, and the ink 8 in the tip body 321 adheres to the outer peripheral surface of the ball 322 and moves to the outside of the tip body 321, and is transferred from the outer peripheral surface of the ball 322 to the first writing surface S1. Furthermore, when the writer grasps the active stylus pen 1 and writes on the second writing surface S2 having a relatively small dynamic friction coefficient at the writing angle and the writing load, the ball 322 does not slide or roll on the second writing surface S2, and therefore the ink 8 in the tip body 321 does not move outside the tip body 321, and the transfer as described is not performed.

[0101] Fig.15 and Fig.16Each image in the “Written Line” column in is an image of a written line when a general writing operation is performed on each sample using the active stylus pen 1 . From these images, it can be confirmed that the ink is hardly transferred to the writing surface in the case of samples No. 1 to 14. That is, in the case of samples No. 1 to 14, it is considered that the ball 322 does not roll.

[0102] In addition, in the case of samples No. 15 to 19, it was confirmed that the ink was transferred to the writing surface and the writing line was drawn. That is, in the case of samples No. 15 to 19, it is considered that the ball 322 rolled.

[0103] Thus, for example, when writing is being performed on a first writing surface S1 such as paper, even if excessive force is applied and the ball 322 exceeds the first writing surface S1 and moves onto a second writing surface S2 such as a table top having a relatively small coefficient of dynamic friction, a situation such as contamination of the second writing surface S2 by ink 8 can be prevented.

[0104] Furthermore, when the active stylus pen 1 is configured as an input pen (sometimes also referred to as a stylus pen) capable of performing input operations on a touch panel display, writing can be performed on a first writing surface S1 such as a paper surface, while writing cannot be performed on a second writing surface S2 such as a touch panel display having a relatively small coefficient of dynamic friction. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the touch panel display from being contaminated by the ink 8.

[0105] [Variant 19] In the above-mentioned embodiment 14, the tip 32 in which the ball 322 is configured to roll on the first writing surface S1 but not to roll on the second writing surface S2 having physical properties different from those of the first writing surface S1 is used as the core formed of a conductive material of the active stylus 1, but the tip 32 can also be used for a general writing tool, i.e., a ballpoint pen, which cannot be used as an active stylus. At this time, the tip 32 can also exert an effect of preventing erroneous writing on a display or the like during use of the ballpoint pen. In addition, the ballpoint pen may be a pen with the tip 32 fixed at the front end of the cylindrical shell 2, a pen with the tip 32 retracted from the front end of the cylindrical shell 2, a ballpoint pen refill constituting a multi-color writing tool capable of selectively using multiple ballpoint pen refills, a ballpoint pen refill constituting a multifunctional writing tool capable of selectively using multiple writing tools such as ballpoint pens or automatic pencils, and the like.

[0106] In the above, the active stylus pen 1 of embodiment 14 and the ballpoint pen of variation 19 of the present invention are described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, but the specific structure is not limited to these embodiments, and even if there are design changes within the scope of the subject matter of the present invention, they are also included in the present invention. Furthermore, as long as there are no particular contradictions or problems in the purposes, structures, etc., the above-mentioned embodiments can be combined by using the respective techniques.

[0107] In the above, with reference to the accompanying drawings, embodiment 1, embodiment 2 and its various variations, embodiment 3, embodiment 4, embodiment 5, embodiment 6, variation 10, embodiment 7 and its variations 11 to 13, embodiment 8 and its variations 14 and 15, embodiment 9 and its variation 16, embodiment 10, embodiment 11 and its variation 17, embodiment 12 and its variation 18, embodiment 13 and embodiment 14 and its variation 19 involved in the present invention are described in detail, but the specific structure is not limited to these embodiments, and even if there are design changes that do not deviate from the scope of the main purpose involved in the present invention, they are also included in the present invention. Furthermore, as long as there are no particular contradictions or problems in the purposes, structures, etc., the above-mentioned embodiments can be combined by using the respective techniques.

[0108] [Other embodiments] (1) An active stylus pen, characterized in that a signal is sent to a tip provided at the front end of a refill of a ballpoint pen. (2) The active stylus pen according to (1) is characterized in that at least a portion of the ink tank of the refill is formed by a conductive component, and a signal is sent to the tip via the ink tank. (3) The active stylus pen according to (1) or (2), wherein a signal is sent to the tip via a conductive component disposed in the ink tank of the refill. (4) The active stylus pen according to any one of (1) to (3), wherein a signal is sent to the tip via a conductive member disposed outside the refill. (5) An active stylus pen according to any one of (1) to (4), characterized in that the ink and grease in the ink tank of the refill contain a conductive material, and a signal is sent to the tip via the ink and grease containing the conductive material. (6) The active stylus pen according to any one of (1) to (5) above, characterized in that it has a mechanism that allows the refill to be retractable.

[0109] (7) An active stylus pen, characterized in that it sends a signal to a guide tube provided at the front end of a mechanical pencil. (8) The active stylus pen according to (7) is characterized in that at least a portion of the core groove of the mechanical pencil is formed by a conductive member, and a signal is sent to the catheter via the core groove. (9) The active stylus pen according to (7) or (8) is characterized in that a signal is sent to the guide tube via a conductive member arranged in the core groove of the mechanical pencil. (10) The active stylus pen according to any one of (7) to (9) is characterized in that a signal is sent to the guide tube via a conductive member arranged outside the core groove of the mechanical pencil.

[0110] (11) An active stylus pen, characterized in that a signal is sent to a tip provided at the front end of a refill of a ballpoint pen and / or a guide tube provided at the front end of the mechanical pencil, which is a multi-color pen or a multi-functional writing tool capable of selectively using one of two or more ballpoint pens or mechanical pencils. (12) The active stylus pen according to (11) is characterized in that at least a portion of the ink slot of the refill or the core slot of the mechanical pencil is formed by a conductive component, and a signal is sent to the tip or the catheter respectively via the ink slot or the core slot. (13) The active stylus pen according to (11) or (12) is characterized in that a signal is sent to the tip or the catheter respectively via a conductive component arranged in the ink tank of the refill or the core tank of the mechanical pencil. (14) An active stylus pen according to any one of (11) to (13), characterized in that a signal is sent to the tip or the catheter via a conductive component arranged on the outside of the ink tank of the refill or the core tank of the mechanical pencil. (15) An active stylus pen according to any one of (11) to (14), characterized in that the ink and grease in the ink tank of the refill contain conductive materials, and a signal is sent to the tip via the ink and grease containing the conductive materials.

[0111] (16) The active stylus pen according to any one of (1) to (15), characterized in that: You can select one from a variety of different communication specifications or multiple different functions to use. A plurality of slide switches for selecting one of the plurality of different communication standards or the plurality of different functions are provided on the peripheral surface of the cylindrical housing. (17) The active stylus pen according to (16) is characterized in that a push button is provided at the rear end of the cylindrical housing, and the active stylus pen is turned on / off by the push button. (18) The active stylus pen according to (17) is characterized in that a binder is provided on the peripheral surface of the cylindrical shell, and the push button is returned to the disconnected position by the binder operation. (19) The active stylus pen according to (16), wherein the active stylus pen is turned on by sliding at least one of the slide switches. (20) The active stylus pen according to (19) is characterized in that the active stylus pen is disconnected by returning all the sliding switches to their original positions. (21) The active stylus pen according to (16), characterized in that it comprises: The rotary switch turns the active stylus on and off by rotating a portion of the cylindrical housing in a circumferential direction. (22) The active stylus pen according to (21) is characterized in that a binder is provided on the peripheral surface of the cylindrical shell, and the rotary switch is returned to the off position by the binder operation. (23) An active touch pen according to any one of (16) to (22), characterized in that by sliding one of the sliding switches, the other sliding switch that has slid returns to its original position, and / or a binder is provided on the circumferential surface of the cylindrical shell, and the sliding switches are all returned to their original positions by the binder operation. (24) The active stylus pen according to any one of (16) to (23), characterized in that the tip or the guide tube is extended and retracted from the front end of the cylindrical shell by sliding the slide switch.

[0112] (25) An active stylus pen according to any one of (1) to (15), characterized in that it is capable of selecting one from a plurality of different communication standards or a plurality of different functions for use, and has a rotary switch for selecting one from the plurality of different communication standards or the plurality of different functions by rotating a part of the cylindrical shell along a circumferential direction. (26) The active stylus pen according to (25) is characterized in that a push button is provided at the rear end of the cylindrical housing, and the active stylus pen is turned on / off by using the push button. (27) The active stylus pen according to (26) is characterized in that a binder is provided on the peripheral surface of the cylindrical shell, and the push button is returned to the disconnected position by the binder operation. (28) The active stylus pen according to (25) is characterized in that an off position is set on the rotary switch, and the active stylus pen is turned on by rotating the rotary switch from the off position. (29) The active stylus pen according to (28) is characterized in that a binder is provided on the peripheral surface of the cylindrical shell, and the rotary switch is returned to the disconnected position by the binder operation. (30) The active stylus pen according to any one of (25) to (29), characterized in that the tip or the guide tube is extended and retracted from the front end of the cylindrical shell by rotating the rotary switch.

[0113] (31) The active stylus pen according to any one of (1) to (6) and (11) to (15), characterized in that: The tip comprises: a substantially cylindrical tip body; and a ball, which is rotatably held at the front end of the tip body and partially exposed forward from the tip body, and the ink supplied to the tip body is transferred from the ball to the writing surface by rolling the ball on the writing surface. The ball is arranged to roll on a first writing surface, but not to roll on a second writing surface having physical properties different from those of the first writing surface. (32) The active stylus pen according to (31) is characterized in that the roughness of the second writing surface is smaller than the roughness of the first writing surface. (33) The active stylus pen according to (31) is characterized in that the maximum valley depth Sv of the second writing surface is less than 14 μm. (34) The active stylus pen according to any one of (31) to (33), characterized in that: The value of the dynamic friction coefficient of the second writing surface is smaller than the value of the dynamic friction coefficient of the first writing surface. The dynamic friction coefficient is the dynamic friction coefficient when writing is performed using a test pen tip that holds a φ0.7 test ball so as to be non-rotatable under the conditions of a writing speed of 25 mm / s, a writing angle of 70 degrees, and a writing load of 200 g. (35) The active stylus pen according to (34) is characterized in that the dynamic friction coefficient of the second writing surface is less than 0.45. (36) The active stylus pen according to any one of (31) to (35), characterized in that the surface roughness of the outer peripheral surface of the ball is set to Ra3nm or more. (37) The active stylus pen according to (31) to (36) is characterized in that the ball is held on the front end side of the tip body in a manner that allows it to move in the axial direction of the tip body within a range of less than 0.025 mm. (38) The active stylus pen according to any one of (31) to (37), characterized in that a bearing surface for bearing the ball from the rear side is provided inside the tip body, and the contact area between the ball and the bearing surface is 0.2 mm 2 the following. (39) The active stylus pen according to any one of (31) to (38), characterized in that the ball is formed of a conductive material. (40) The active stylus pen according to any one of (31) to (39), characterized in that the ball and the tip body are formed of conductive material and are electrically connected.

[0114] (41) A method for designing an active stylus, wherein the active stylus is any one of (1) to (6), (11) to (15) and (31) to (40), wherein the tip comprises: a substantially cylindrical tip body; and a ball rotatably held at the front end of the tip body and partially exposed forward from the tip body, and ink supplied to the tip body is transferred from the transfer ball to the writing surface by rolling the ball on the writing surface, wherein the method for designing the active stylus is characterized in that: The ball is arranged to roll on a first writing surface, but not to roll on a second writing surface having physical properties different from those of the first writing surface.

[0115] (42) A pen-type input device capable of selecting one of a plurality of different communication standards or a plurality of different functions for use, characterized in that: A plurality of slide switches for selecting one of the plurality of different communication standards or the plurality of different functions are provided on the peripheral surface of the cylindrical housing. (43) The pen-type input device according to (42) is characterized in that a push button is provided at the rear end of the cylindrical shell, and the pen-type input device is turned on / off by using the push button. (44) The pen-type input device according to (43) is characterized in that a binder is provided on the peripheral surface of the cylindrical shell, and the push button is returned to the disconnected position by the binder operation. (45) The pen-type input device according to (42) is characterized in that the pen-type input device is turned on by sliding at least one of the slide switches. (46) The pen-type input device according to (45) is characterized in that the pen-type input device is disconnected by returning all of the sliding switches to their original positions. (47) The pen-type input device according to (42), characterized in that it comprises: The rotary switch turns the pen-type input device on and off by rotating a portion of the cylindrical housing in a circumferential direction. (48) The pen-type input device according to (47) is characterized in that a binder is provided on the peripheral surface of the cylindrical shell, and the rotary switch is returned to the off position by the binder operation. (49) A pen-type input device according to any one of (42) to (48), characterized in that by sliding one of the sliding switches, the other sliding switch that has slid returns to its original position, and / or a binder is provided on the circumferential surface of the cylindrical shell, and the sliding switches are all returned to their original positions by the loosening operation of the binder. (50) The pen-type input device according to any one of (42) to (49), characterized in that: A core is provided at the front end of the cylindrical shell. The core is a writing tool, and an electric field is generated at the front end of the writing tool. (51) The pen-type input device according to (50) is characterized in that the writing tool is a ballpoint pen and the front end is a pointed tip. (52) The pen-type input device according to (50) is characterized in that the writing tool is a mechanical pencil and the front end is a catheter. (53) The pen-type input device according to (50), characterized in that: The writing tool is a multi-color pen or a multi-functional writing tool that can selectively use one of two or more ballpoint pens or mechanical pencils. The front end is the tip of the ballpoint pen or the guide tube of the mechanical pencil. The writing tool for writing is extended and retracted from the front end portion of the cylindrical housing by sliding the slide switch.

[0116] (54) A pen-type input device capable of selecting one of a plurality of different communication standards or a plurality of different functions for use, characterized in that it comprises: The rotary switch selects one of the plurality of different communication standards or the plurality of different functions by rotating a portion of the cylindrical housing in a circumferential direction. (55) The pen-type input device according to (54) is characterized in that a push button is provided at the rear end of the cylindrical shell, and the pen-type input device is turned on / off by using the push button. (56) The pen-type input device according to (55) is characterized in that a binder is provided on the peripheral surface of the cylindrical shell, and the push button is returned to the disconnected position by the binder operation. (57) The pen-type input device according to (54) is characterized in that an off position is set on the rotary switch, and the pen-type input device is turned on by rotating the rotary switch from the off position. (58) The pen-type input device according to (57) is characterized in that a binder is provided on the peripheral surface of the cylindrical shell, and the rotary switch is returned to the disconnected position by the binder operation. (59) The pen-type input device according to any one of (54) to (58), characterized in that: A core is provided at the front end of the cylindrical shell. The core is a writing tool, and an electric field is generated at the front end of the writing tool. (60) The pen-type input device according to (59) is characterized in that the writing tool is a ballpoint pen and the front end is a pointed tip. (61) The pen-type input device according to (59) is characterized in that the writing tool is a mechanical pencil and the front end is a catheter. (62) The pen-type input device according to (59), characterized in that: The writing tool is a multi-color pen or a multi-functional writing tool that can selectively use one of two or more ballpoint pens or mechanical pencils. The front end is the tip of the ballpoint pen or the guide tube of the mechanical pencil. The writing tool for writing is extended and retracted from the front end portion of the cylindrical housing by the rotation of the rotary switch.

[0117] (63) A ballpoint pen tip, comprising: a substantially cylindrical tip body; and a ball rotatably held at the front end of the tip body and partially exposed forward from the tip body, wherein the ink supplied to the tip body is transferred from the ball to the writing surface by rolling the ball on the writing surface, wherein the ballpoint pen tip is characterized in that: The ball is arranged to roll on a first writing surface, but not to roll on a second writing surface having physical properties different from those of the first writing surface. (64) The ballpoint pen tip according to (63) is characterized in that the roughness of the second writing surface is smaller than the roughness of the first writing surface. (65) The ballpoint pen tip according to (63) or (64) is characterized in that the maximum valley depth Sv of the second writing surface is less than 14 μm. (66) The ballpoint pen tip according to any one of (63) to (65), characterized in that: The value of the dynamic friction coefficient of the second writing surface is smaller than the value of the dynamic friction coefficient of the first writing surface. The dynamic friction coefficient is the dynamic friction coefficient when writing is performed using an experimental ballpoint pen tip that holds an experimental ball of φ0.7 so as to be non-rotatable under the conditions of a writing speed of 25 mm / s, a writing angle of 70 degrees, and a writing load of 200 g. (67) The ballpoint pen tip according to (66), characterized in that the dynamic friction coefficient of the second writing surface is less than 0.45. (68) A ballpoint pen tip according to any one of (63) to (67), characterized in that the surface roughness of the outer peripheral surface of the ball is set to Ra3nm or more. (69) A ballpoint pen tip according to any one of (63) to (68), characterized in that the ball is held on the front end side of the tip body in a manner that allows it to move axially within a range of less than 0.025 mm in the tip body. (70) A ballpoint pen tip according to any one of (63) to (69), characterized in that a bearing surface for bearing the ball from the rear side is provided inside the tip body, and the contact area between the ball and the bearing surface is 0.2 mm 2 the following. (71) The ballpoint pen tip according to any one of (63) to (70), characterized in that the ball is formed of a conductive material. (72) A ballpoint pen tip according to any one of (63) to (71), characterized in that the ball and the tip body are formed of a conductive material and are electrically conductive. (73) A ballpoint pen, characterized in that the ballpoint pen tip described in any one of (63) to (72) is arranged on the end side of the shaft tube to constitute an input pen. (74) A method for designing a ballpoint pen tip, the ballpoint pen tip comprising: a substantially cylindrical tip body; and a ball rotatably held at the front end of the tip body and partially exposed forward from the tip body, wherein the ink supplied to the tip body is transferred from the ball to the writing surface by rolling the ball on the writing surface, the method for designing a ballpoint pen tip being characterized in that: The transfer ball is arranged to roll on a first writing surface, but not to roll on a second writing surface having different physical properties from those of the first writing surface. Explanation of symbols

[0118] 1-active stylus, 1'-pen-type input device, 2-cylindrical housing, 21-front housing, 22-rear housing, 2a-clip, 3-refill, 31-ink tank, 311-layer, 312-linear or strip-shaped layer, 32-tip (ballpoint pen tip), 321-tip body, 321a-front edge, 321b-cylindrical inner surface, 321c-bearing surface, 321d-ink guide groove, 321e-ink guide hole, 322-ball, 323- Spring, 323a-rod-shaped portion, 324-stopping portion, 33-connecting component, 331-check valve, 4-circuit portion, 5-peripheral electrode, 51-extension portion, 6-ground electrode, 7-signal sending component, 71-chuck, 72-conductive portion, 8-ink, 91-main switch, 92-slide switch, 93-rotary switch, 931-window portion, F-grease (follower), G-gap, S1-first writing surface, S2-second writing surface.

Claims

1. An active stylus pen, characterized in that: A signal is sent to a tip provided at the front end of a refill of the ballpoint pen.

2. The active stylus pen according to claim 1, characterized in that: At least a portion of the ink tank of the refill is formed by a conductive member, and a signal is sent to the tip via the ink tank.

3. The active stylus pen according to claim 2, characterized in that: A signal is sent to the tip via a conductive component disposed in the ink tank of the refill.

4. The active stylus pen according to claim 1, characterized in that: A signal is transmitted to the tip through a conductive member disposed outside the refill.

5. The active stylus pen according to claim 1, characterized in that: The ink and grease in the ink tank of the refill contain a conductive material, and a signal is sent to the tip via the ink and grease containing the conductive material.

6. The active stylus pen according to any one of claims 2 to 5, characterized in that: A mechanism is provided to enable the refill to be retractable and retractable.

7. An active stylus pen, characterized in that: A signal is sent to a catheter provided at the front end of the mechanical pencil.

8. The active stylus pen according to claim 7, characterized in that: At least a portion of the core groove of the mechanical pencil is formed by a conductive member, and a signal is transmitted to the guide tube via the core groove.

9. The active stylus pen according to claim 8, characterized in that: A signal is sent to the guide tube via a conductive member disposed in the core groove of the mechanical pencil.

10. The active stylus pen according to claim 7, characterized in that: A signal is sent to the guide tube via a conductive member disposed outside the core groove of the mechanical pencil.

11. An active stylus pen, characterized in that: A signal is sent to a tip provided at the front end of a refill of a ballpoint pen and / or a catheter provided at the front end of a mechanical pencil of a multi-color pen or a multi-functional writing tool capable of selectively using one of two or more ballpoint pens or mechanical pencils.

12. The active stylus pen according to claim 11, characterized in that: At least a portion of the ink tank of the refill or the core tank of the mechanical pencil is formed by a conductive member, and a signal is sent to the tip or the catheter respectively via the ink tank or the core tank.

13. The active stylus pen according to claim 12, characterized in that: A signal is sent to the tip or the catheter via a conductive member disposed in the ink tank of the refill or the core tank of the mechanical pencil, respectively.

14. The active stylus pen according to claim 11, characterized in that: A signal is sent to the tip or the catheter via a conductive member disposed outside the ink tank of the refill or the core tank of the mechanical pencil.

15. The active stylus pen according to claim 11, characterized in that: The ink and grease in the ink tank of the refill contain a conductive material, and a signal is sent to the tip via the ink and grease containing the conductive material.

16. The active stylus pen according to claim 1, 7 or 11, characterized in that: You can select one from a variety of different communication specifications or multiple different functions to use. A plurality of slide switches for selecting one of the plurality of different communication standards or the plurality of different functions are provided on the peripheral surface of the cylindrical housing.

17. The active stylus pen according to claim 16, characterized in that: A push button is provided at the rear end of the cylindrical housing, and the active stylus pen is turned on and off by the push button.

18. The active stylus pen according to claim 17, characterized in that: A binder is provided on the peripheral surface of the cylindrical housing, and the push button is returned to the disconnected position by the binder being opened.

19. The active stylus pen according to claim 16, characterized in that: The active stylus pen is turned on by sliding at least one of the slide switches.

20. The active stylus pen according to claim 19, characterized in that: The active stylus is disconnected by returning all of the slide switches to their original positions.

21. The active stylus pen according to claim 16, characterized in that: have: The rotary switch turns the active stylus on and off by rotating a portion of the cylindrical housing in a circumferential direction.

22. The active stylus pen according to claim 21, characterized in that: A binder is provided on the peripheral surface of the cylindrical housing, and the rotary switch is returned to the off position by a binder operation.

23. The active stylus pen according to claim 16, characterized in that: By sliding one of the slide switches, the other slide switch that has slid returns to its original position, and / or a binder is provided on the circumferential surface of the cylindrical housing, and all the slide switches are returned to their original positions by the binder's binding operation.

24. The active stylus pen according to claim 16, characterized in that: The tip or the guide tube is extended and retracted from the front end portion of the cylindrical housing by sliding the slide switch.

25. The active stylus pen according to claim 1, 7 or 11, characterized in that: You can select one from a variety of different communication specifications or multiple different functions to use. A rotary switch is provided for selecting one of the plurality of different communication standards or the plurality of different functions by rotating a part of the cylindrical housing in a circumferential direction.

26. The active stylus pen according to claim 25, characterized in that: A push button is provided at the rear end of the cylindrical housing, and the pen-type input device is turned on and off by the push button.

27. The active stylus pen according to claim 26, characterized in that: A binder is provided on the peripheral surface of the cylindrical housing, and the push button is returned to the disconnected position by the binder being opened.

28. The active stylus pen according to claim 25, characterized in that: The rotary switch is provided with an off position, and the pen-type input device is turned on by rotating the rotary switch from the off position.

29. The active stylus pen according to claim 28, characterized in that: A binder is provided on the peripheral surface of the cylindrical housing, and the rotary switch is returned to the off position by a binder operation.

30. The active stylus pen according to claim 25, characterized in that: The tip or the catheter is extended and retracted from the front end portion of the cylindrical housing by rotating the rotary switch.

31. The active stylus pen according to claim 1 or 11, characterized in that: The tip comprises: a substantially cylindrical tip body; and a ball, which is rotatably held at the front end of the tip body and partially exposed forward from the tip body, and the ink supplied to the tip body is transferred from the ball to the writing surface by rolling the ball on the writing surface. The ball is arranged to roll on a first writing surface, but not to roll on a second writing surface having physical properties different from those of the first writing surface.

32. The active stylus pen according to claim 31, characterized in that: The roughness of the second writing surface is smaller than the roughness of the first writing surface.

33. The active stylus pen according to claim 31, characterized in that: The maximum valley depth Sv of the second written surface is less than 14 μm.

34. The active stylus pen according to claim 31, characterized in that: The value of the dynamic friction coefficient of the second writing surface is smaller than the value of the dynamic friction coefficient of the first writing surface. The dynamic friction coefficient is the dynamic friction coefficient when writing is performed using a test pen tip that holds a φ0.7 test ball so as to be non-rotatable under the conditions of a writing speed of 25 mm / s, a writing angle of 70 degrees, and a writing load of 200 g.

35. The active stylus pen according to claim 34, characterized in that: The dynamic friction coefficient of the second writing surface is less than 0.

45.

36. The active stylus pen according to claim 31, characterized in that: The surface roughness of the outer peripheral surface of the ball is set to Ra3nm or more.

37. The active stylus pen according to claim 31, characterized in that: The ball is held at the front end side of the tip body so as to move within a range of 0.025 mm or less in the axial direction of the tip body.

38. The active stylus pen according to claim 31, characterized in that: A receiving surface for receiving the ball from the rear side is provided inside the tip body, and the contact area between the ball and the receiving surface is 0.2 mm. 2 the following.

39. The active stylus pen according to claim 31, characterized in that: The beads are formed of a conductive material.

40. The active stylus pen according to claim 31, characterized in that: The ball and the tip body are formed of a conductive material and are electrically connected to each other.

41. A method for designing an active stylus, the active stylus being the active stylus according to claim 1 or 11, the tip comprising: a substantially cylindrical tip body; and a ball rotatably held at the front end of the tip body and partially exposed forward from the tip body, the ink supplied to the tip body being transferred from the ball to the writing surface by rolling the ball on the writing surface, the method for designing the active stylus being characterized in that: The ball is arranged to roll on a first writing surface, but not to roll on a second writing surface having physical properties different from those of the first writing surface.

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