Writing instrument

Abstract

To provide a writing instrument that enables a user to easily visually recognize a notification even when a cap is attached.SOLUTION: A writing instrument has a barrel that houses a writing body at its tip, a notification portion that is positioned at the rear of the barrel and outputs notifications to the user, and a cap with an opening and removable at the front and rear ends of the barrel. The opening is formed so that the notification portion can be seen from outside through the opening when the cap is attached to the rear end of the barrel.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a writing instrument. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, writing instruments having communication functions and information processing functions are known. Such writing instruments transmit data to a user's communication terminal in response to a user's operation, and cause the communication terminal to execute a predetermined process. Patent Document 1 describes a writing instrument that transmits a pressure value generated in the writing instrument to a writer terminal, and when the writer terminal determines that the pressure value exceeds a threshold, lights up a light disposed at the rear end of the writing instrument to notify the writer of feedback information. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2022-111623 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] When using a writing instrument with a cap, the cap may be attached to the rear end of the barrel, so the writer cannot see the light located at the rear of the barrel. On the other hand, even if the light is located forward of the center of the barrel, the light may be covered by the hand of the writer holding the writing instrument, so the writer may not be able to see the light.

[0005] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a writing instrument that allows the user to easily view notifications even when the cap is attached. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A writing instrument according to an embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that it comprises a barrel that houses a writing body at its tip, a notification section that is disposed at the rear of the barrel and outputs notifications to a user, and a cap that is formed with an opening and that is removable at the front and rear ends of the barrel, the opening being formed such that the notification section is visible from the outside through the opening when the cap is attached to the rear end of the barrel.

[0007] In addition, the barrel has a tubular portion having a constant cross-sectional shape along the axial direction, and a tapered portion formed in front of the tubular portion and having a cross-section that becomes smaller as it approaches the tip along the axial direction, and it is preferable that the opening is formed in a position such that it does not overlap the tapered portion when the cap is attached to the tip of the barrel.

[0008] It is also preferable that the writing instrument further has a magnet housed in a recess formed in the cap, a decorative member attached to the cap so as to cover the recess in which the magnet is housed, a magnetic field sensor housed in the barrel and detecting the magnetic field emitted by the magnet, and a determination unit that determines whether or not the cap has been removed from the barrel based on the detected magnetic field.

[0009] The writing instrument further includes a pressure sensor housed in the barrel that detects the pressure applied to the detection surface, and a fixing device that abuts the rear end of the writing body and the detection surface and transmits the pressure applied to the writing body to the detection surface, and it is preferable that the fixing device is formed so that the center of the surface that contacts the rear end of the writing body and the center of the surface that contacts the detection surface are offset when viewed from the axial direction of the barrel. Effect of the Invention

[0010] The writing instrument according to the present invention allows the user to easily view the notification even when the cap is attached. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram showing a schematic configuration of a communication system 1. FIG. [Diagram 2] 1 is a perspective view of a writing instrument 3 according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 3] 1 is a perspective view of a writing instrument 3 according to a first embodiment. [Figure 4] 1 is a cross-sectional view of a writing instrument 3 according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 5] 13A and 13B are perspective views of the fixture 44. FIG. [Figure 6] 1A is a perspective view of a fixture 44a, and FIG. 1B is a perspective view of a fixture 44b. [Figure 7] 1 is a perspective view of a writing instrument 3 according to a first embodiment. [Figure 8] 1 is a cross-sectional view of a writing instrument 3 according to a first embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram of the barrel 4. [Figure 10] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of the data structure of a correction table T1. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a flow diagram showing an example of the flow of a writing process. [Figure 12] FIG. 11 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the flow of a connection process. [Figure 13] FIG. 11 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the flow of a transmission process. [Figure 14] FIG. 11 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the flow of a disconnection process. [Figure 15] 4 is a cross-sectional view of a writing instrument 6 according to a second embodiment. FIG. [Figure 16] 11 is an exploded perspective view of a writing instrument 6 according to a second embodiment. FIG. [Figure 17] FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] Hereinafter, various embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, but covers the inventions described in the claims and their equivalents.

[0013] 1 is a schematic diagram showing a schematic configuration of a communication system 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The communication system 1 has a communication terminal 2 and a writing instrument 3. The communication terminal 2 is an information processing device such as a mobile phone, smartphone, PC (Personal Computer), tablet terminal, or portable game console owned by a user of the writing instrument 3. The communication terminal 2 is an example of a communication device external to the writing instrument 3.

[0014] The writing instrument 3 has a cap and a barrel, and transmits a signal to the communication terminal 2 to start communication with the communication terminal 2 in response to detecting a predetermined action indicating that use of the writing instrument 3 has begun. The predetermined action is, for example, the cap of the writing instrument 3 being removed. The writing instrument 3 generates information related to the action of the writing instrument and transmits it to the communication terminal 2 until use of the writing instrument ends. The communication terminal 2 executes a predetermined information process using the information related to the action of the writing instrument to generate information to assist the user in writing. The information to assist the user in writing is, for example, digital data indicating characters written by the user. In this case, the predetermined information process is a process of generating digital data indicating characters written by the user based on information related to the action of the writing instrument.

[0015] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the writing instrument 3 with the cap attached, FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the writing instrument 3 with the cap and barrel removed, and FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the writing instrument 3. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the IV-IV section of FIG. 2. The writing instrument 3 has a barrel 4 and a cap 5. Hereinafter, the end of the barrel 4 that contacts a medium such as paper during writing may be referred to as the tip of the barrel 4, and the end opposite to the tip may be referred to as the rear end of the barrel 4. In addition, the direction in which the tip is located along the axial direction of the barrel 4 may be referred to as the front of the writing instrument 3 or barrel 4, and the direction opposite to the front may be referred to as the rear of the writing instrument 3 or barrel 4.

[0016] The barrel 4 has a generally cylindrical shape. The barrel 4 has a tubular portion 4a having a constant cross-sectional shape along the axial direction, and a tapered portion 4b formed in front of the tubular portion 4a and having a cross-sectional area that becomes smaller as it extends forward along the axial direction. A notch 4c is formed at the rear end of the tubular portion 4a so that the cross-sectional shape of the tubular portion 4a is no longer circular.

[0017] The barrel 4 houses the writing body 41, the sensor 42, the switch 43, the fixture 44, the notification unit 45, and the charging unit 46. The barrel 4 also houses a first board B1 at the front and a second board B2 at the rear. The sensor 42 and the switch 43 are disposed on the first board B1, and the notification unit 45 and the charging unit 46 are disposed on the second board B2. The first board B1 and the second board B2 are supplied with current from a power source P, which is a secondary battery.

[0018] The writing body 41 is a member for writing on a medium. In the example shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, the writing body 41 is a ballpoint pen refill that contains ink and transfers the ink to a medium. The writing body 41 may be a mechanical pencil, a marking pen, or the like. As shown in FIG. 4, the central axis of the writing body 41 does not coincide with the central axis of the barrel 4. That is, the writing body 41 is disposed eccentrically with respect to the barrel 4. This ensures a space for accommodating members such as the first substrate B1 inside the barrel 4. In addition, the substrate is divided into the first substrate B1 and the second substrate B2, and the first substrate B1 is disposed at an angle of 30° or more in the circumferential direction of the barrel 4 with respect to the second substrate B2, thereby improving the degree of freedom in arranging members within the barrel 4 and improving the design of the barrel 4.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 3, the writing element 41 is fixed by a fixing portion 411 formed on the first substrate B1.

[0020] The sensor 42 is configured to detect the operation of the barrel 4. The sensor 42 includes a magnetic field sensor 421, an inertial sensor 422, and a pressure sensor 423. The magnetic field sensor 421 is a sensor that detects a magnetic field, and is, for example, a Hall sensor. The inertial sensor 422 is a sensor that detects three-axis acceleration and angular velocity applied to the barrel 4, and includes, for example, an acceleration sensor and a gyro sensor. The pressure sensor 423 is a sensor that detects pressure applied from the medium to the writing body 41 during writing. The sensor 42 generates information about the operation of the barrel 4 on a regular or irregular basis. The gyro sensor is an example of an angular velocity sensor.

[0021] The pressure sensor 423 is a pressure sensor having a strain gauge that deforms due to pressure applied to the detection surface and a resistance element such as a piezoresistor or conductive ink arranged on the strain gauge. The pressure sensor 423 detects pressure by detecting a change in resistance value due to deformation of the strain gauge. The pressure sensor 423 is arranged so that the detection surface is perpendicular to the axial direction of the barrel 4.

[0022] The switch 43 is a component for receiving an operation by a user, and includes, for example, a tactile switch. The switch 43 is disposed so as to be able to be pressed from the outside of the barrel 4.

[0023] Fixture 44 is a member that transmits pressure applied to writing element 41 to pressure sensor 423. Fixture 44 is made of resin or metal.

[0024] 5(A) and (B) are perspective views of the fixture 44. FIG. 5(A) is a perspective view of the fixture 44 seen from the front, and FIG. 5(B) is a perspective view of the fixture 44 seen from the rear. The fixture 44 has a shape in which a first part 441 having a substantially rectangular prism shape and a second part 442 having a substantially cylindrical shape are joined to each other with a shift in the axial direction of the barrel 4 so that the first part 441 is located forward of the second part 442. A bottom surface 443 at the front of the first part 441 contacts the rear end of the writing body 41. A bottom surface 444 at the rear of the second part 442 contacts the detection surface of the pressure sensor 423. As shown in FIG. 5(A) and (B), the axis A1 of the first part 441 and the axis A2 of the second part 442 are parallel to each other and do not coincide with each other. That is, the center C1 of the bottom surface 443 and the center C2 of the bottom surface 444 are shifted from each other when viewed from the axial direction.

[0025] In order for the pressure sensor 423 to detect the pressure appropriately, the area of ​​the detection surface needs to be large. On the other hand, as described above, in order to secure a space for accommodating a member inside the barrel 4, the writing body 41 needs to be arranged eccentrically with respect to the barrel 4. If the writing body 41 and the pressure sensor 423 are arranged so that the rear end of the writing body 41 abuts on the detection surface without the fixing device 44, the rear end of the writing body 41 abuts on the end of the detection surface. In this case, there is a possibility that the pressure sensor 423 will not be able to detect the pressure appropriately. The fixing device 44 is arranged so that the axis A1 of the first part 441 approximately coincides with the axis of the writing body 41 and the axis A2 of the second part 442 passes through approximately the center of the detection surface so that the pressure sensor 423 can appropriately detect the pressure applied to the writing body 41. In this way, it is possible to appropriately detect the pressure applied to the writing body 41 while securing a space for accommodating a member inside the barrel 4.

[0026] In addition, the rear bottom surface 444 of the fixture 44 protrudes toward the detection surface of the pressure sensor 423. This increases the pressure applied to the pressure sensor 423, enabling the pressure sensor 423 to properly detect the pressure.

[0027] FIG. 6(A) is a perspective view of a fixture 44a according to another embodiment. The fixture 44a has a first portion 441a and a second portion 442a having a substantially cylindrical shape. The fixture 44a has a shape in which the first portion 441a and the second portion 442a are joined while being shifted in the axial direction, similar to the fixture 44. Also, similar to the fixture 44, the axis A1 of the first portion 441a and the axis A2 of the second portion 442a are parallel and do not coincide. That is, the center C1 of the front bottom surface 443a of the first portion 441a and the center C2 of the rear bottom surface 444a of the second portion 442a are shifted as viewed in the axial direction. The fixture 44a differs from the fixture 44 in that the rear bottom surface 445a of the first portion 441a and the front bottom surface 446a of the second portion 442a abut against each other to join the first portion 441a and the second portion 442a. 6(A), the entire bottom surface 446a at the front of the second portion 442a abuts against the bottom surface 445a at the rear of the first portion 441a. Even in this case, it is possible to appropriately detect the pressure applied to the writing body 41 while ensuring a space for accommodating members inside the barrel 4.

[0028] 6B is a perspective view of a fixture 44b according to yet another embodiment. Like the fixture 44, the fixture 44b has a shape in which a first portion 441b having a substantially rectangular prism shape and a second portion 442b having a substantially cylindrical shape are joined to each other while being shifted in the axial direction of the barrel 4 so that the first portion 441b is located forward of the second portion 442b. The fixture 44b differs from the fixture 44 in that a bottom surface 444b at the rear of the second portion 442b is a flat surface that does not protrude toward the detection surface.

[0029] As illustrated in Figures 5(A) and (B) and Figures 6(A) and (B), the fastener may have any shape in which the first and second parts are joined together such that the center of the bottom surface of the first part and the center of the bottom surface of the second part are offset from each other when viewed in the axial direction.

[0030] Returning to Figs. 2 to 4, notification unit 45 is configured to output a notification and includes, for example, an LED (Light Emitting Diode). Notification unit 45 is disposed near the rear end of barrel 4. Notification unit 45 outputs a notification regarding communication between communication terminal 2 and writing instrument 3. For example, notification unit 45 outputs a notification by blinking in response to a predetermined signal being transmitted from communication terminal 2.

[0031] The charging unit 46 is configured to charge the power source P. The charging unit 46 includes a connection unit for connecting a terminal, and a power supply circuit for supplying a current from the connection unit to the power source P to charge the power source P. The connection unit is formed so that a terminal conforming to a standard such as USB-C (Universal Serial Bus Type C) can be connected.

[0032] The cap 5 is detachably attached to the front and rear ends of the barrel 4. The cap 5 has a barrel 51, a magnet 52, and a decorative member 53.

[0033] The cylinder 51 has a cylindrical shape with a bottom surface formed on one side. The inner diameter of the cylinder 51 is approximately the same as the outer diameter of the cylindrical portion 4a of the barrel 4. The front or rear end of the barrel 4 is accommodated inside the cylinder 51, and the cap 5 is attached to the front or rear end of the barrel 4.

[0034] An opening 511 is formed on the side of the cylindrical body 51. The opening 511 is formed at a position that does not overlap with the tapered portion 4b of the barrel 4 when the cap 5 is attached to the tip of the barrel 4. In other words, the opening 511 is formed behind the boundary between the cylindrical portion 4a and the tapered portion 4b of the barrel 4 when the cap 5 is attached to the tip of the barrel 4. This improves the airtightness inside the cylindrical body 51 when the cap 5 is attached to the tip of the barrel 4, even if the opening 511 is not covered with a translucent resin or the like, and prevents the ink of the writing body 41 from drying out.

[0035] The magnet 52 is a permanent magnet such as an alnico magnet or a ferrite magnet. The magnet 52 is accommodated in a recess 512 formed along the side surface of the cylinder 51. By accommodating the magnet 52 in the cap 5, the distance between the magnet 52 and the magnetic field sensor 421 arranged in the front of the barrel 4 becomes closer when the cap 5 is attached to the tip of the barrel 4, and the distance between the magnet 52 and the magnetic field sensor 421 becomes farther when the cap 5 is attached to the rear end of the barrel 4. Therefore, it is possible to determine whether the cap 5 is attached to the tip of the barrel 4 based on the magnetic field detected by the magnetic field sensor 421.

[0036] Decorative member 53 is attached to cylindrical body 51 so as to cover recess 512 in which magnet 52 is housed. In the example shown in Fig. 2 and Fig. 4, decorative member 53 is a clip capable of gripping an object between cylindrical body 51 and itself. However, the present invention is not limited to such an example, and decorative member 53 may be a crown. Covering recess 512 with decorative member 53 prevents magnet 52 from falling out of recess 512, and prevents deterioration of the appearance quality due to recess 512 and magnet 52 being visible from the outside.

[0037] Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the writing instrument 3 in a state in which the cap 5 has been removed from the front end of the barrel 4 and attached to the rear end, and Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the writing instrument 3. Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line VIII-VIII in Fig. 7.

[0038] As shown in Figs. 7 and 8, the opening 511 is formed at a position where the notification part 45 is visible from the outside through the opening 511 when the cap 5 is attached to the rear end of the barrel 4. As shown in Fig. 8, the inside of the cylindrical body 51 of the cap 5 has a shape complementary to the rear end of the barrel 4 so that the inside of the cylindrical body 51 can be engaged with the rear end of the barrel 4 in which the notch 4c is formed. Since the cross-sectional shape of the rear end of the barrel 4 is non-circular due to the notch 4c, the cylindrical body 51 is restricted from rotating in the circumferential direction relative to the barrel 4 when engaged with the rear end of the barrel 4. Therefore, when the cap 5 is attached to the rear end of the barrel 4, the notification part 45 is always visible through the opening 511.

[0039] Fig. 9 is a functional block diagram of the barrel 4. The barrel 4 further has a storage unit 47, a communication unit 48, and a processing unit 49. The storage unit 47, the communication unit 48, and the processing unit 49 are arranged on the first board B1, but are omitted from Fig. 3, Fig. 4, and Fig. 8. The storage unit 47, the communication unit 48, and the processing unit 49 may be arranged on the second board B2.

[0040] The storage unit 47 is configured to store programs and data, and includes, for example, a semiconductor memory. The storage unit 47 stores, as programs, an operating system program, a driver program, an application program, and the like used in processing by the processing unit 49. The programs are installed in the storage unit 47 from a computer-readable, non-transitory, portable storage medium such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read Only Memory) or a DVD-ROM (Digital Versatile Disc Read Only Memory).

[0041] The communication unit 48 is a component that enables the writing instrument 3 to communicate with other devices, and includes a communication interface circuit. The communication interface circuit is an interface circuit for a short-range wireless communication method such as BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) (registered trademark). The communication unit 48 transmits data provided by the processing unit 49 to the other devices, and also provides the processing unit 49 with data provided from the other devices.

[0042] Processing unit 49 is configured to comprehensively control the operation of writing instrument 3, and includes one or more processors and their peripheral circuits. Processing unit 49 includes, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit). Processing unit 49 may include a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), an LSI (Large Scale Integration), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), etc. Processing unit 49 controls the operation of each component and executes various processes so that various processes of writing instrument 3 are executed in an appropriate order based on the programs stored in memory unit 47.

[0043] The processing unit 49 has a determination unit 491, a transmission unit 492, a notification control unit 493, an acquisition unit 494, and a correction unit 495. Each of these units is a functional module realized by the processing unit 49 executing a program. Each of these units may be implemented in the barrel 4 as a dedicated processing circuit.

[0044] 10 is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of the correction table T1 stored in the storage unit 47. The correction table T1 is a table for correcting the output of the pressure sensor 423, and stores resistance and pressure in a mutually associated manner. In general, the resistance, which is the output of the pressure sensor 423, has a nonlinear relationship with the pressure applied to the detection surface, and therefore needs to be corrected. However, since the relationship between resistance and pressure is unique to each sensor, by storing the relationship between resistance and pressure in advance as in the correction table T1, it becomes possible to easily correct the output of the pressure sensor 423 and easily calculate the pressure applied to the detection surface.

[0045] 11 is a flow diagram showing an example of the flow of a writing process executed by the writing instrument 3. The writing process is started when the cap 5 is attached to the tip of the barrel 4 and the writing instrument 3 is not being used. The writing process is realized by the processing unit 49 cooperating with other components of the writing instrument 3.

[0046] First, the determination unit 491 determines whether or not use of the writing instrument 3 has started based on the movement of the writing instrument 3 (step S101). The determination unit 491 acquires information related to the movement of the writing instrument 3 from the sensor 42. When the movement of the writing instrument 3 is a predetermined movement indicating that use of the writing instrument 3 has started, the determination unit 491 determines that use of the writing instrument 3 has started.

[0047] The predetermined action indicating that the writing implement 3 has started to be used is, for example, the removal of the cap 5 from the tip of the barrel 4. In this case, the determination unit 491 acquires information on the magnetic field emitted by the magnet 52 from the magnetic field sensor 421 as information on the action of the writing implement. The determination unit 491 determines that the cap 5 has been removed from the tip of the barrel 4 when the strength of the magnetic field indicated by the acquired information changes from a value greater than a threshold value to a value equal to or less than the threshold value. The threshold value is set to, for example, a value between the strength of the magnetic field detected by the magnetic field sensor 421 when the cap 5 is attached to the tip of the barrel 4 and the strength of the magnetic field detected by the magnetic field sensor 421 when the cap 5 is attached to the rear end of the barrel 4.

[0048] If the use of the writing implement 3 has not started (step S101-No), the writing process returns to step S101. That is, the determination unit 491 waits until the use of the writing implement 3 starts.

[0049] When the use of the writing instrument 3 is started (step S101-Yes), the writing instrument 3 executes a connection process (step S102). The connection process is a process for the writing instrument 3 to start communication with the communication terminal 2. The connection process will be described in detail later.

[0050] Next, the determination unit 491 determines whether or not a predetermined time has elapsed (step S103). The predetermined time is, for example, one minute.

[0051] If the predetermined time has not elapsed (step S103-No), the writing process returns to step S103. That is, the determination unit 491 waits until the predetermined time has elapsed.

[0052] If the predetermined time has elapsed (step S103-Yes), the writing instrument 3 executes a transmission process (step S104). The transmission process is a process in which the writing instrument 3 transmits information related to the operation of the writing instrument 3 to the communication terminal 2. The transmission process will be described in detail later.

[0053] Next, the determination unit 491 determines whether or not use of the writing instrument 3 has ended based on the movement of the writing instrument 3 (step S105). The determination unit 491 acquires information on the movement of the writing instrument 3 from the sensor 42. When the movement of the writing instrument 3 is a predetermined movement that indicates that use of the writing instrument 3 has ended, the determination unit 491 determines that use of the writing instrument 3 has ended.

[0054] The predetermined action indicating that use of the writing instrument 3 has ended is, for example, attaching the cap 5 to the tip of the barrel 4. In this case, the determination unit 491 acquires information on the magnetic field emitted by the magnet 52 from the magnetic field sensor 421. When the strength of the magnetic field indicated by the acquired information changes from a value equal to or less than the threshold value to a value greater than the threshold value, the determination unit 491 determines that the cap 5 has been attached to the tip of the barrel 4 and that use of the writing instrument 3 has ended.

[0055] The predetermined action indicating that use of the writing instrument 3 has ended may be that the writing instrument 3 does not move for a predetermined time. The predetermined time is, for example, 10 minutes. In this case, the determination unit 491 acquires information on the acceleration and angular velocity applied to the writing instrument 3 from the inertial sensor 422. The determination unit 491 also acquires information on the pressure applied to the writing body 41 from the pressure sensor 423. When the magnitude of the acceleration, angular velocity, and pressure indicated by the acquired information is continuously equal to or less than a threshold value for a predetermined time, the determination unit 491 determines that the writing instrument 3 has not moved for a predetermined time and that use of the writing instrument has ended.

[0056] If the use of the writing instrument 3 has not ended (step S105-No), the writing process returns to step S103. That is, the writing instrument 3 waits while executing the transmission process until the use of the writing instrument 3 ends.

[0057] When use of the writing instrument 3 has ended (step S105-Yes), the writing instrument 3 executes a disconnection process (step S106). The disconnection process is a process in which the writing instrument 3 ends communication with the communication terminal 2. The details of the disconnection process will be described later. With this, the writing process ends.

[0058] 12 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the flow of the connection process. The connection process is executed in step S102 of the writing process.

[0059] First, the transmitter 492 of the writing instrument 3 transmits a beacon signal to the communication terminal 2 via the communication unit 48 (step S201). The beacon signal is, for example, a BLE beacon that complies with the BLE (registered trademark) standard. The beacon signal includes identification information of the writing instrument 3. The beacon signal is an example of a predetermined signal for starting communication with the communication terminal 2.

[0060] Next, in response to receiving the beacon signal, the communications terminal 2 starts storing information related to the operation of the writing instrument 3 (step S202). For example, the communications terminal 2 executes an application program for sequentially storing information related to the operation of the writing instrument 3 transmitted from the writing instrument 3 at predetermined time intervals in the transmission process. When execution of the application program starts normally, the communications terminal 2 transmits a start signal to the writing instrument 3 indicating that storage of information related to the operation of the writing instrument 3 has started.

[0061] Next, in response to receiving the start signal via the communication unit 48, the notification control unit 493 of the writing instrument 3 blinks the notification unit 45 to notify the user that communication with the communication terminal 2 has started (step S203). This ends the connection process.

[0062] 13 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the flow of the transmission process. The transmission process is executed in step S104 of the writing process.

[0063] First, the acquisition unit 494 of the writing instrument 3 acquires information relating to the operation of the writing instrument 3 from the sensor 42 (step S301). The acquisition unit 494 acquires information relating to the magnetic field emitted by the magnet 52 from the magnetic field sensor 421 as information relating to the operation of the writing instrument 3. The acquisition unit 494 acquires information relating to the acceleration and angular velocity applied to the barrel 4 from the inertial sensor 422 as information relating to the operation of the writing instrument 3. The acquisition unit 494 acquires information relating to the pressure applied to the writing body 41 from the pressure sensor 423 as information relating to the operation of the writing instrument 3.

[0064] Next, the correction unit 495 corrects the output of the pressure sensor 423 (step S302). Since the output of the pressure sensor 423 is information indicating the resistance value of a resistance element deformed by pressure, the correction unit 495 converts the output of the pressure sensor 423 into a pressure value by referring to the correction table T1.

[0065] Next, the transmitting unit 492 transmits information related to the operation of the writing instrument 3 to the communication terminal 2 via the communication unit 48 (step S303).

[0066] Next, the communication terminal 2 sequentially stores the information related to the operation of the writing instrument 3 transmitted from the writing instrument 3 (step S304). When the information related to the operation of the writing instrument 3 is successfully stored, the communication terminal 2 transmits a storage signal indicating this to the writing instrument 3.

[0067] Next, in response to receiving the storage signal via the communication unit 48, the notification control unit 493 of the writing instrument 3 blinks the notification unit 45 to notify the user that information regarding the operation of the writing instrument 3 has been transmitted (step S305). This ends the transmission process.

[0068] 14 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the flow of the disconnection process. The disconnection process is executed in step S106 of the writing process.

[0069] First, the transmitting unit 492 transmits a disconnection signal requesting disconnection of communication with the communication terminal 2 to the communication terminal 2 via the communication unit 48 (step S401).

[0070] Next, in response to receiving the disconnection signal, the communications terminal 2 ends the storage of information related to the operation of the writing instrument 3 (step S402). For example, the communications terminal 2 ends an application program for sequentially storing information related to the operation of the writing instrument 3. When the application program is ended, the communications terminal 2 transmits an end signal to the writing instrument 3 indicating that storage of information related to the operation of the writing instrument 3 has ended.

[0071] Next, in response to receiving the end signal via the communication unit 48, the notification control unit 493 of the writing instrument 3 notifies the user that communication with the communication terminal 2 has ended by blinking the notification unit 45 (step S403).

[0072] Next, the communication terminal 2 executes a predetermined information process using the information related to the operation of the writing implement 3 stored in the transmission process, and generates information to assist the user in writing (step S404). The information to assist the user in writing is, for example, digital data indicating characters written by the user. In this case, as the predetermined information process, the communication terminal 2 identifies the characters written by the user from the operation of the writing implement 3 using a trained model or a known pattern matching technique, and generates data including the identified characters. The communication terminal 2 outputs the generated data by displaying it or transmitting it to another device. This completes the disconnection process.

[0073] In addition, in the disconnection process, steps S401-403 may be omitted. In this case, the communication terminal 2 executes a predetermined information process in response to the fact that the writing instrument 3 has stopped transmitting information related to the operation of the writing instrument 3.

[0074] As described above, the writing instrument 3 has the cap 5 in which the opening 511 is formed, and the opening 511 is formed so that the notification unit 45 is visible from the outside through the opening 511 when the cap 5 is attached to the rear end of the barrel 4. This allows the writing instrument 3 to allow the user to easily view the notification even when the cap 5 is attached.

[0075] Moreover, the barrel 4 has a cylindrical portion 4a and a tapered portion 4b, and the opening 511 is formed at a position such that the opening 511 does not overlap the tapered portion 4b when the cap 5 is attached to the tip of the barrel 4. This enables the writing instrument 3 to improve the airtightness inside the cap 5 and prevent the ink in the writing body 41 from drying out.

[0076] Furthermore, the writing instrument 3 has a magnet 52 housed in the recess 512, a magnetic field sensor 421 housed in the barrel 4 and detecting a magnetic field emitted by the magnet 52, and a determination unit 491 that determines whether or not the cap 5 has been removed from the barrel 4 based on the detected magnetic field. This enables the writing instrument 3 to appropriately determine whether or not use of the writing instrument 3 has begun.

[0077] Furthermore, the writing instrument 3 has a correction unit 495 that corrects the output of the pressure sensor 423. By correcting the output of the pressure sensor 423 in the writing instrument 3, the correction is no longer necessary in the communication terminal 2, and the processing load of the communication terminal 2 is reduced.

[0078] The communication system 1 may be modified as follows.

[0079] In the above description, the opening 511 is formed at a position where it does not overlap the tapered portion 4b when the cap 5 is attached to the tip of the barrel 4, but this is not limited to an example. The opening 511 may be formed at a position where it overlaps the tapered portion 4b when the cap 5 is attached to the tip of the barrel 4. In this case, in order to improve the airtightness inside the cap 5, it is preferable that the cap 5 has a window member formed of a translucent resin or glass and arranged to cover the opening 511.

[0080] In the above description, the recess 512 in which the magnet 52 is housed is formed along the side surface of the cylindrical body 51, but this is not limited to the example. The recess 512 may be formed on the inside or outside of the bottom surface of the cylindrical body 51. Even in this way, the writing instrument 3 can reduce the manufacturing cost of the cap 5 and prevent a decrease in the magnetic force of the magnet 52. Note that, regardless of the above description, the magnet 52 may be housed in the cap 5 by insert molding.

[0081] In the above description, the predetermined action indicating that the writing instrument 3 has started to be used is that the cap 5 has been removed from the tip of the barrel 4, but this is not limited to such an example. The predetermined action indicating that the writing instrument 3 has started to be used may be that the writing instrument 3 is continuously moving. In this case, in step S101 of the writing process, the determination unit 491 acquires information on the acceleration and angular velocity applied to the barrel 4 from the inertial sensor 422. In addition, the determination unit 491 acquires information on the pressure applied to the writing body 41 from the pressure sensor 423. The determination unit 491 determines that the writing instrument 3 is continuously moving when the magnitude of the acceleration, angular velocity, and pressure indicated by the acquired information meets a predetermined condition. The predetermined condition is, for example, that the acceleration, angular velocity, or pressure, or the moving average of these, exceeds a threshold value for a certain period of time or more. Even in this way, the writing instrument 3 can appropriately determine whether or not the writing instrument 3 has started to be used.

[0082] The predetermined action indicating that the writing instrument 3 has started to be used may be that the switch 43 is continuously pressed for a predetermined time (for example, two seconds). In this case, in step S101, the determination unit 491 determines whether the switch 43 is conductive by supplying a current to the switch 43. When the switch 43 is continuously conductive for the predetermined time or more, the determination unit 491 determines that an operation of continuously pressing the switch 43 for the predetermined time has been performed.

[0083] In the above description, the magnetic field sensor 421 is accommodated in the front of the barrel 4, but the present invention is not limited to this example. The magnetic field sensor 421 may be accommodated in the rear of the barrel 4. For example, the magnetic field sensor 421 may be disposed on the second board B2 accommodated in the rear of the barrel 4. In this case, in step S101 of the writing process, the determination unit 491 determines whether the cap 5 has been removed from the front end of the barrel 4 and attached to the rear end as a predetermined operation indicating that the use of the writing implement 3 has started. For example, the determination unit 491 determines that the cap 5 has been removed from the front end of the barrel 4 and attached to the rear end of the barrel 4 when the strength of the magnetic field indicated by the information acquired from the magnetic field sensor 421 has changed from a value equal to or less than the threshold value to a value greater than the threshold value.

[0084] In the above description, in step S201 of the connection process, the transmitter 492 transmits a BLE beacon signal, but this is not limited to the example. The transmitter 492 may transmit a signal conforming to a communication standard other than BLE.

[0085] In the above description, in step S302 of the transmission process, the correction unit 495 corrects the output of the pressure sensor 423, but this is not limited to an example. The writing implement 3 does not need to have the correction unit 495. In this case, in step S303, the communication terminal 2 corrects and stores the output of the pressure sensor 423.

[0086] In the above description, in step S404 of the disconnection process, the communication terminal 2 executes a predetermined information process to generate information to assist the user in writing, but this is not limited to an example. The communication terminal 2 may transmit information related to the operation of the writing implement 3 to an information processing device external to the communication system 1 and cause the information processing device to execute a predetermined information process. In this case, the communication terminal 2 receives information generated by the information processing device to assist the user in writing from the information processing device.

[0087] In the above description, the notification unit 45 outputs a notification in response to a signal being transmitted from the communication terminal 2, but the present invention is not limited to this example. The notification unit 45 may output a notification in response to the writing instrument 3 transmitting a signal to the communication terminal 2. For example, the notification control unit 493 may output a notification by blinking the notification unit 45 in response to the transmission of a beacon signal in step S201. Similarly, the notification control unit 493 may output a notification by blinking the notification unit 45 in response to the transmission of information regarding the operation of the writing instrument 3 in step S303 of the transmission process. The notification control unit 493 may output a notification by blinking the notification unit 45 in response to the transmission of a disconnection signal in step S401 of the disconnection process.

[0088] In the above description, the notification unit 45 outputs the notification by blinking, but this is not limited to the example. The notification unit 45 may output the notification in any manner that is visible to the user. For example, the notification unit 45 may output the notification by lighting up with a different color or brightness depending on whether or not a signal has been transmitted from the communication terminal 2. The notification unit 45 may light up with a different color or brightness depending on the type of signal transmitted from the communication terminal 2. The notification unit 45 may include a display such as a liquid crystal display, and output the notification by displaying characters or images on the display.

[0089] Fig. 15 is a cross-sectional view of a writing instrument 6 according to a second embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 16 is an exploded perspective view of the writing instrument 6. The writing instrument 6 differs from the writing instrument 3 in that it has a fixed part 611 instead of the fixed part 411. Other configurations of the writing instrument 6 are similar to the corresponding configurations of the writing instrument 3, so the same reference numerals are used and the description will be omitted. The fixed part 611 engages with the back surface of the first substrate B1 (the surface opposite to the surface on which the sensor 42, the switch 43, etc. are arranged) inside the barrel 4.

[0090] FIG. 17 is a perspective view of the fixed portion 611. The fixed portion 611 has a shape roughly like a cylinder cut along a plane including its axis. In the example shown in FIG. 17, the fixed portion 611 is engaged with the rear surface of the first substrate B1 on the cut surface side. The fixed portion 611 accommodates and supports the writing body 41. In the example shown in FIG. 17, the fixed portion 611 has a plurality of support portions C arranged along the axial direction and each of which supports the writing body 41 in the circumferential direction. Since the fixed portion 611 has a shape extending in the axial direction of the writing body 41 and the barrel 4, the writing body 41 can be supported over a wide range along the extension direction, and the writing body 41 is firmly fixed to the barrel 4.

[0091] Furthermore, an opening A is formed in the fixed part 611 at a position facing the first substrate B1 in a state where the fixed part 611 is engaged with the first substrate B1. The opening A is formed by extending in the axial direction of the barrel 4 so that the writing element 41 can be removed from the fixed part 611 without removing the fixed part 611 from the first substrate B1. This makes it easy to replace the writing element 41.

[0092] In this way, the writing instrument 6 extends in the axial direction of the barrel 4 to support the writing body 41, and has a fixing part 611 in which an opening A extending in the axial direction is formed. This enables the writing instrument 6 to firmly fix the writing body 41 and to easily replace the writing body 41.

[0093] It should be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes, substitutions, and modifications can be made to the present invention without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, the above-described embodiments and modifications may be appropriately combined within the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0094] 3 Writing instruments 4 shaft cylinder 4a Cylindrical part 4b Tapered section 421 Magnetic Field Sensor 422 Inertial Sensor 423 Pressure Sensor 44 Fixtures 47 Memory section 48 Communications Department 491 Judgment section 492 Transmitter 493 Notification Control Unit 494 Acquisition Department 495 Correction Section 5 Cap 511 Opening 512 Recess 52 Magnet 53 Decorative materials

Claims

1. A barrel that houses a writing element at the tip; A notification unit that is disposed behind the barrel and outputs a notification to a user; An opening is formed, and a cap that is detachable at the front end and the rear end of the barrel is provided. The opening is formed so that the notification portion is visible from the outside through the opening when the cap is attached to the rear end of the barrel. A writing instrument characterized by:

2. The barrel has a cylindrical portion having a constant cross-sectional shape along the axial direction, and a tapered portion formed in front of the cylindrical portion and having a cross-section that becomes smaller as it approaches the tip along the axial direction, The opening is formed at a position such that the opening does not overlap the tapered portion when the cap is attached to the tip of the barrel.

2. The writing instrument of claim 1.

3. a magnet housed in a recess formed in the cap; a decorative member attached to the cap so as to cover the recess in which the magnet is housed; a magnetic field sensor that is housed in the barrel and detects a magnetic field generated by the magnet; and a determination unit that determines whether the cap has been removed from the barrel based on the detected magnetic field.

2. The writing instrument of claim 1.

4. a pressure sensor that is accommodated in the barrel and detects a pressure applied to a detection surface; a fixing member that contacts the rear end of the writing body and the detection surface and transmits pressure applied to the writing body to the detection surface; The fixing device is formed such that the center of a surface that contacts the rear end of the writing element and the center of a surface that contacts the detection surface are offset from each other when viewed in the axial direction of the barrel.

2. The writing instrument of claim 1.

Images