Shape evaluation method and shape evaluation device

Abstract

The present invention relates to a wire mesh sensor and a shape evaluation method. Each wire mesh of this wire mesh sensor comprises an effective element that forms a band-shaped electrode comprising a plurality of line elements or point elements combined together to extend in one direction, and a dummy element that comprises a plurality of line elements or point elements isolated from the effective element. At least the effective element has a pattern shape that is asymmetric in plan view with respect to a first center line along the extension direction of the band-shaped electrode. The degree of line symmetry of the pattern shape with respect to the first center line is 0.8 or higher.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a wire mesh sensor and a shape evaluation method. [Background technology]

[0002] Recently, in the technical field of capacitive touch sensors, wire mesh sensors having a planar wire mesh are becoming popular. When this type of sensor is used in combination with a display device, it is expected that the pattern shape of the wire mesh will be made irregular in order to suppress moire caused by the pattern shape of the wire mesh and improve the visibility of the display screen.

[0003] For example, Patent Documents 1 and 2 disclose a wire mesh sensor in which a first conductive layer and a second conductive layer are overlapped to form a square lattice or a rhombic lattice in a plan view. According to Figures 4 and 8 of Patent Document 1, a strip-shaped electrode extending in one direction (X direction or Y direction) is formed by combining a plurality of linear elements. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2018-026055 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2017-227983 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In the sensors disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2, the pattern shape of the strip electrodes is not symmetrical with respect to the center line, and the wiring density in the width direction is not locally uniform. However, when detecting a touch by a human finger, the size of the touched area is sufficiently larger than the width of the strip electrodes, so the local non-uniformity of the wiring density is mitigated. As a result, even with the above-mentioned pattern shape, the detection accuracy of the indicated position is hardly affected.

[0006] On the other hand, by using a position indicator with a sharp tip (e.g., an electronic pen or a conductive rod) instead of a human finger, it becomes easier to indicate a position more accurately. However, if the size of the tip is smaller than the width of the strip electrode, the effect of non-uniformity in the wiring density cannot be ignored, and the shape of the detected signal distribution may change due to a slight difference in the indicated position. As a result, the detection results of the peak positions of the signal distribution vary, causing a problem of reduced detection accuracy of the indicated position.

[0007] The present invention has been made in consideration of such problems, and its purpose is to provide a wire mesh sensor and a shape evaluation method that can suppress a decrease in the detection accuracy of the indicated position by a position indicator having a sharp tip while maintaining the visibility of the pattern shape. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The wire mesh sensor in the first present invention has one or more wire meshes arranged in a planar shape, and each of the wire meshes includes effective elements that form a strip-shaped electrode extending in one direction by a combination of a plurality of line elements or point elements, and dummy elements which are a plurality of line elements or point elements isolated from the effective elements, and at least the effective elements have a pattern shape that is asymmetric with respect to a first center line along the extension direction of the strip-shaped electrode when viewed in a plane, and the degree of linear symmetry of the pattern shape with respect to the first center line is 0.8 or more.

[0009] The shape evaluation method of the second present invention is applied to a wire mesh sensor having one or more wire meshes arranged in a planar shape, and one or more computers execute an acquisition step of acquiring image data indicating the pattern shape of the wire mesh sensor, and an evaluation step of determining a center line of the pattern shape identified by the image data and evaluating whether the linear symmetry of the pattern shape based on the center line is within a predetermined range. Effect of the Invention

[0010] According to the first aspect of the present invention, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the detection accuracy of a position indicated by a position indicator having a sharp tip while maintaining the visibility of the pattern shape. According to the second aspect of the present invention, it is possible to identify a wire mesh sensor that can suppress a decrease in the detection accuracy of a position indicated by a position indicator having a sharp tip while maintaining the visibility of the pattern shape. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is an overall configuration diagram of an evaluation system for performing a shape evaluation method according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 2 is a flowchart relating to the operation of the evaluation computer shown in FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram visually illustrating a binary image that has been preprocessed in step SP12 of FIG. 2. [Figure 4] 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of a relationship between the position of a folding line and the degree of linear symmetry. FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a first example of a shape evaluation method. [Figure 6] 13A to 13C are diagrams illustrating a pattern shape in a second example of the shape evaluation method. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a second example of a shape evaluation method. [Figure 8] 13A to 13C are diagrams illustrating pattern shapes in a third example of the shape evaluation method. [Figure 9] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a third example of a shape evaluation method. [Figure 10] 1 is a configuration diagram showing a main part of an electronic device in which a wire mesh sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention is incorporated. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In order to facilitate understanding of the description, the same components and steps in each drawing are denoted by the same reference numerals as much as possible, and duplicated descriptions may be omitted.

[0013] [Explanation of rating system 10] <Overall composition> 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of an evaluation system 10 that performs a shape evaluation method according to an embodiment of the present invention. The evaluation system 10 is configured to be able to evaluate a pattern shape of an evaluation object. Here, the evaluation object is, for example, a wire mesh sensor 100 that detects a position pointed to by a user.

[0014] The wire mesh sensor 100 is a planar sensor in which a mesh pattern made of thin metal wires is provided on the main surface of a substrate. An insulating material such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is used as the substrate. A highly conductive material such as copper (Cu), silver (Ag), or gold (Au) is used as the metal. In this example, a conductive sheet 12 for detecting the position in the X direction and a conductive sheet 14 for detecting the position in the Y direction are drawn on a two-dimensional touch surface (XY plane).

[0015] Specifically, the evaluation system 10 includes an evaluation computer 20, a design computer 24, a pattern forming device 26, and a camera 28.

[0016] The evaluation computer 20 is a device that quantitatively evaluates the pattern shape of the wire mesh of the conductive sheets 12 and 14, and outputs the obtained evaluation results. The evaluation computer 20 includes a processor 21, a memory 22, and a display 23.

[0017] The design computer 24 is a device that generates image data Img that indicates the pattern shape of the wire mesh. The generated image data Img is supplied to the pattern forming device 26 or the evaluation computer 20.

[0018] The pattern forming device 26 is a device that forms a mesh pattern on one or both main surfaces of the substrate to produce the conductive sheets 12, 14. Examples of methods for forming the mesh pattern include an inkjet method, a nanoimprint lithography method, and a silver halide method.

[0019] The camera 28 acquires image data Img indicating the pattern shape of the wire mesh by capturing images of the main surfaces of the conductive sheets 12 and 14. The acquired image data Img is supplied to the evaluation computer 20.

[0020] However, when a user uses an active pen 104 (FIG. 10) to indicate a position, the shape of the detected signal distribution may change due to a slight difference in the position of the pen tip. As a result, the detection results of the peak positions of the signal distribution vary, resulting in a problem of reduced detection accuracy of the indicated position. Therefore, it is required to design or identify a wire mesh sensor 100 that can suppress a decrease in detection accuracy of the indicated position by a position indicator having a sharp tip while maintaining the visibility of the pattern shape 40 (FIG. 3).

[0021] <Operation of Evaluation Computer 20> The evaluation system 10 in this embodiment is configured as described above. Next, the operation of the evaluation computer 20 shown in Fig. 1 will be described in detail with reference to the flow chart in Fig. 2, Figs.

[0022] 2, the evaluation computer 20 acquires image data Img indicating the pattern shape of the conductive sheets 12, 14. This pattern shape may be a design pattern used in manufacturing the conductive sheets 12, 14, or may be an actual measured pattern obtained by imaging the actual conductive sheets 12, 14.

[0023] In step SP12, the evaluation computer 20 performs pre-processing as necessary on the image data Img acquired in step SP10. Examples of this pre-processing include [1] trimming, [2] binarization, and [3] removal of dummy elements DM.

[0024] The trimming process is an image process that cuts out a necessary partial area from the image area indicated by the image data Img. For example, in the case of a pattern shape with regularity, a basic pattern indicating a repeating unit is extracted. In the case of a pattern shape with no regularity, a sample pattern including one strip electrode is extracted.

[0025] The binarization process is an image process that reduces the number of gradations of the image data Img from 3 or more to 2. As a result, for example, positions where there is a thin metal wire are expressed as "pixel value = 0," and positions where there is no thin metal wire are expressed as "pixel value = 1." The threshold value for binarization can be set to various values.

[0026] The removal process is an image process that classifies the pattern shape indicated by the image data Img into "effective elements EF" and "dummy elements DM" on a pixel-by-pixel basis, and removes only the dummy elements DM. Here, the effective elements EF are a collection of pattern elements that form a strip-shaped electrode extending in one direction by combining multiple line elements or point elements. On the other hand, the dummy elements DM are multiple line elements or point elements that are isolated from the effective elements EF. In other words, the effective elements EF can be said to be pattern elements that contribute to the change in capacitance associated with the approach of a conductor. Conversely, the dummy elements DM can be said to be pattern elements that do not contribute to the change in capacitance associated with the approach of a conductor.

[0027] Fig. 3 is a diagram visually showing the binary image that has been preprocessed in step SP12 of Fig. 2. This diagram shows a pattern shape 40 of a strip-shaped electrode that constitutes part of the conductive sheet 12 (Fig. 1). This pattern shape 40 is formed by a combination of a first line segment 41 extending in a first direction (+θ direction) and a second line segment 42 extending in a second direction (-θ direction). As can be seen from this diagram, the pattern shape 40 has partial line symmetry due to the multiple diamonds being regularly arranged with no gaps, but does not have line symmetry as a whole.

[0028] 2, the evaluation computer 20 performs an evaluation process on the binary image obtained by the pre-processing in step SP12. In this evaluation process, an index (hereinafter referred to as "degree of linear symmetry") indicating the degree of linear symmetry in the X direction of the pattern shape 40 is calculated. This degree of linear symmetry is the matching rate of pixel values ​​when the left pattern 46L is folded back to the right pattern 46R (or conversely, when the right pattern 46R is folded back to the left pattern 46L) with respect to a first center line 44 (FIG. 3) extending in the Y direction perpendicular to the X direction.

[0029] The above matching rate is calculated based on the number of pixels that match. do It is calculated as: number of pixels / total number of pixels that make up the image. According to this definition, the degree of linear symmetry takes any value within the range of [0,1]. Perfect linear symmetry will result in a linear symmetry of 1, while the lower the linear symmetry, the smaller the value of the linear symmetry. Here, taking into account calculation errors, etc., a linear symmetry of 0.98 or more is defined as "symmetrical," and a linear symmetry of less than 0.98 is defined as "not symmetrical (asymmetrical)."

[0030] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the relationship between the position of the turn-back line and the degree of linear symmetry. The horizontal axis of the graph indicates the X-position of the turn-back line (unit: mm), and the vertical axis of the graph indicates the degree of linear symmetry of the pattern shape 40 (unit: dimensionless). As can be seen from this graph, when the X-position of the turn-back line coincides with the first center line 44 (X=Xc), the degree of linear symmetry is maximum. On the other hand, as the turn-back line moves away from the first center line 44, the degree of linear symmetry gradually decreases. By utilizing this characteristic, the position of the first center line 44 suitable for the pattern shape 40 can be specified. In other words, the degree of linear symmetry of the pattern shape 40 can be obtained by creating the graph shown in FIG. 4 while gradually changing the position of the turn-back line.

[0031] Then, the evaluation computer 20 judges whether the calculated degree of line symmetry is within an allowable range. Specifically, this allowable range is set to be equal to or greater than 0.8 and less than 1.0. The lower limit of the range is not limited to 0.8, and may be set to a value greater than 0.8 (e.g., 0.85) or less than 0.8 (e.g., 0.75). The upper limit of the range is not limited to 1.0, and may be set to a value less than 1.0 (e.g., 0.95, 0.90).

[0032] 2, evaluation computer 20 outputs the evaluation result obtained in step SP14. For example, evaluation computer 20 displays, in the display area of ​​display 23, pattern shape 40, degree of line symmetry, pass / fail judgment, and the like.

[0033] In step SP18, the operator checks whether the degree of linear symmetry of the pattern shape 40 is within the allowable range, specifically, whether it is equal to or greater than 0.8 and less than 1.0, based on the output content of step SP16. If the degree of linear symmetry is within the allowable range (step SP18: YES), the execution of the flowchart in Fig. 2 ends. On the other hand, if the degree of linear symmetry is outside the allowable range (step SP18: NO), the operator proceeds to the next step SP20.

[0034] In step SP20, the worker takes necessary measures for the evaluation object determined to be outside the allowable range in step SP18. Such measures include [1] changing the design of the pattern shape 40, and [2] removing the conductive sheets 12 and 14 that are defective.

[0035] Thereafter, the process returns to step SP10, and steps SP10 to SP20 are sequentially repeated. In this manner, the evaluation computer 20 performs shape evaluation of the wire mesh sensor 100 (that is, evaluation of visibility and detectability).

[0036] <Effects of shape evaluation method> As described above, this shape evaluation method is applied to the wire mesh sensor 100 having one or more wire meshes arranged in a planar shape. According to this method, one or more computers (e.g., the evaluation computer 20) execute an acquisition step (SP10 in FIG. 2) of acquiring image data Img indicating a pattern shape 40 of the wire mesh sensor 100, and an evaluation step (SP14 in FIG. 2) of determining a first center line 44 of the pattern shape 40 specified by the image data Img, and evaluating whether or not the linear symmetry of the pattern shape 40 with respect to the first center line 44 is within a predetermined range.

[0037] With this configuration, even when a position indicator having a sharp tip is used, it is possible to identify the wire mesh sensor 100 that can suppress a decrease in detection accuracy of the indicated position.

[0038] Each wire mesh includes effective elements EF that form a strip-shaped electrode extending in one direction by combining a plurality of line elements or point elements, and dummy elements DM that are a plurality of line elements or point elements isolated from the effective elements EF. At least the effective elements EF have a pattern shape that is asymmetric with respect to a first center line 44 along the extension direction of the strip-shaped electrode in a plan view. The degree of linear symmetry of the pattern shape 40 with respect to the first center line 44 is 0.8 or more.

[0039] With this configuration, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the detection accuracy of the position (here, the X position) indicated by the active pen 104 (FIG. 10) having a sharp tip, while maintaining the visibility of the pattern shape 40.

[0040] Also, a pattern shape 40 that includes effective elements EF but does not include dummy elements DM may be set as the evaluation target, which allows a quantitative evaluation that places emphasis on detection accuracy.

[0041] [Another example of shape evaluation method] Next, other examples (first to third examples) of the method for evaluating the shape of the wire mesh sensor 100 will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0042] <Example 1> FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a first example of a shape evaluation method. This diagram shows the same pattern shape 40 as FIG. 3. Here, the evaluation computer 20 evaluates not only the line symmetry in the X direction but also the line symmetry in the Y direction. In this case, the first line symmetry is the matching rate of pixel values ​​when the left pattern 46L is folded back to the right pattern 46R with the first center line 44 extending in the Y direction as a reference. On the other hand, the second line symmetry is the matching rate of pixel values ​​when the upper pattern 50T is folded back to the lower pattern 50B (or conversely, when the lower pattern 50B is folded back to the upper pattern 50T) with the second center line 48 extending in the X direction as a reference.

[0043] In this manner, in step SP14 of FIG. 2, the evaluation computer 20 may determine a second center line 48 perpendicular to the first center line 44, and further evaluate whether the linear symmetry of the pattern shape 40 based on the second center line 48 is within a predetermined range.

[0044] When at least the effective elements EF have a pattern shape 40 that is asymmetric with respect to the second center line 48 in a plan view, the degree of linear symmetry of the pattern shape 40 with respect to the second center line 48 as a reference may be 0.8 or more. With this configuration, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the detection accuracy of the position (here, the X position) indicated by the active pen 104 (FIG. 10) while maintaining the visibility of the pattern shape 40.

[0045] <Second Example> FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a pattern shape 60A in a second example of the shape evaluation method. As an example of the evaluation target, the pattern shape 60A shown in FIG. 8 of JP 2018-026055 A is shown. This pattern shape 60A is composed of a combination of a plurality of first line segments 61 extending in a first direction (+θ direction) and a plurality of second line segments 62 extending in a second direction (−θ direction). As can be seen from this figure, the pattern shape 60A is composed of a mixture of effective elements EF and dummy elements DM. Here, the pattern shape 60A including both the effective elements EF and the dummy elements DM may be set as the evaluation target. This allows for quantitative evaluation that takes into account not only the detection accuracy of the indicated position but also the visibility of the pattern shape 60A.

[0046] Fig. 7 is a diagram showing a second example of the shape evaluation method. This diagram shows a pattern shape 60B after removing a part of the dummy elements DM from the pattern shape 60A of Fig. 6. Specifically, in the pattern shape 60B, only the dummy elements DM in the hourglass-shaped region formed by the effective elements EF remain. Here, the pattern shape 60B including both the effective elements EF and the dummy elements DM may be set as the evaluation target. This allows a quantitative evaluation to be performed in the region formed by the effective elements EF while also considering the visibility.

[0047] <Example 3> 8 is a diagram showing a pattern shape 80A in a third example of the shape evaluation method. As an example of an evaluation target, the pattern shape 80A shown in FIG. 16 of JP 2017-227983 A is shown. This pattern shape 80A is configured by a combination of a plurality of first line segments 81 extending in a first direction (+θ1 direction) and a plurality of second line segments 82 extending in a second direction (−θ2 direction). Here, when θ1 ≠ θ2 and the relationship of θ1 + θ2 = 90 degrees is satisfied, a square lattice is formed by the first line segments 81 and the second line segments 82.

[0048] Furthermore, gaps 85 that bisect each side of the square lattice are provided at multiple locations outside the two boundary lines 83 and 84. Due to these gaps 85, multiple cross-shaped dummy elements DM are formed outside the effective elements EF.

[0049] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a third example of a shape evaluation method. This diagram shows a pattern shape 80B after removing the dummy elements DM from the pattern shape 80A of FIG. 8. Here, a first center line 86 different from the X-direction and Y-direction may be set, and then the linear symmetry degree of the pattern shape 80B may be calculated. In the example of this diagram, the angle between the first center line 86 and the Y-axis is (θ1-45) degrees=(45-θ2) degrees. This linear symmetry degree is the matching rate of pixel values ​​when the left pattern 88L is folded back to the right pattern 88R (or conversely, when the right pattern 88R is folded back to the left pattern 88L) with the first center line 86 as a reference.

[0050] In this way, when at least the effective elements EF have a pattern shape 80B that is asymmetric in a planar view, the degree of linear symmetry of the pattern shape 80B with respect to the first center line 86 that is inclined with respect to both the X direction and the Y direction may be 0.8 or more. With this configuration, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the detection accuracy of the position indicated by the active pen 104 (FIG. 10) (here, the X position) while maintaining the visibility of the pattern shape 80B.

[0051] [Example of implementation of Wire Mesh Sensor 100] Next, an example of mounting the wire mesh sensor 100 including the conductive sheets 12 and 14 (FIG. 1) described above will be described with reference to FIG.

[0052] 10 is a configuration diagram showing the main parts of an electronic device 102 incorporating a wire mesh sensor 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The electronic device 102 is, for example, a tablet computer, and is used together with an active electrostatic coupling (AES) type stylus (hereinafter referred to as an active pen 104). Specifically, the electronic device 102 includes the wire mesh sensor 100 described above, as well as a host controller 106, a display panel 108, and a sensor controller 110.

[0053] The wire mesh sensor 100 is a device that is used by being superimposed on a display panel 108, and is connected to a sensor controller 110. The wire mesh sensor 100 is formed by stacking two conductive sheets 12, 14 that have been inspected through an evaluation process by the evaluation system 10 shown in FIG.

[0054] One conductive sheet 12 has a planar wire mesh including a plurality of strip-shaped electrodes 121. The strip-shaped electrodes 121 are arranged extending in the Y direction and at approximately equal intervals along the X direction. Each strip-shaped electrode 121 is connected to the sensor controller 110 via a different wiring 123 and connection terminal 125.

[0055] The other conductive sheet 14 has a planar wire mesh including a plurality of strip-shaped electrodes 122. The plurality of strip-shaped electrodes 121 are arranged to extend in the X direction and at approximately equal intervals along the Y direction. Each strip-shaped electrode 122 is connected to the sensor controller 110 via a different wiring 124 and connection terminal 125.

[0056] The host controller 106 is a computer having a processor and a memory (not shown), and the processor reads and executes programs stored in the memory to perform various processes such as controlling each part of the electronic device 102 and executing various applications including those for drawing. The memory includes a main memory such as a DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) and an auxiliary storage device such as a flash memory.

[0057] The display panel 108 displays an image or video within an active area by being driven through a drive circuit (not shown). Specific examples of the display panel 108 include a liquid crystal display, an organic EL display, and electronic paper.

[0058] The sensor controller 110 is an integrated circuit (IC) that detects the position of the active pen 104 or the user's finger (not shown) at least within the active area of ​​the display panel 108. Functionally, the sensor controller 110 is configured to detect the position indicated by the active pen 104 and the user's finger on the touch surface and to receive a data signal transmitted by the active pen 104, by the processor reading and executing a program stored in the memory.

[0059] The active electrostatic coupling method is a method in which a pen signal transmitted by the active pen 104 is received by the wire mesh sensor 100, and the pointing position of the active pen 104 is detected based on the result. The pen signal includes a position signal, which is an unmodulated burst signal, and a data signal indicating various data related to the active pen 104. The various data includes writing pressure data indicating the pressure applied to the pen tip of the active pen 104. The active pen 104 may transmit a pen signal in response to receiving an uplink signal transmitted by the sensor controller 110 via the multiple strip electrodes 121 and 122. In this case, it is preferable that the active pen 104 determines the specific content of the data to be transmitted by the data signal in response to a command included in the uplink signal.

[0060] When detecting the pointed position, the sensor controller 110 receives position signals from each of the multiple strip electrodes 121, 122, and based on the results, detects the pointed position of the active pen 104. The sensor controller 110 also detects the data signal sent by the active pen 104 using the electrode among the multiple strip electrodes 121, 122 that is closest to the detected pointed position.

[0061] [Variations] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be freely modified without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Alternatively, the respective configurations may be arbitrarily combined without causing any technical contradiction.

[0062] In the above-described embodiments, pattern shapes having a rhombic mesh (FIGS. 3 and 5), a polygonal mesh (FIGS. 6 and 7), or a square mesh (FIGS. 8 and 9) have been described, but the mesh shape is not limited to these. The mesh shape may be, for example, a quadrangle such as a rectangle or a parallelogram, or a polygon such as a triangle or a hexagon. Furthermore, the pattern shape may be a regular pattern or a random pattern.

[0063] In the above embodiment, the wire mesh sensor 100 is described in which two conductive sheets 12 and 14 are laminated, but the structure of the wire mesh sensor is not limited to this. For example, the wire mesh sensor may have a structure in which a first wire mesh is provided on one main surface of a single substrate, and a second wire mesh is provided on the other main surface of the substrate.

[0064] [Explanation of symbols] 10...Evaluation system, 20...Evaluation computer, 40, 60A, 60B, 80A, 80B...Pattern shape, 44, 64, 86...First center line, 48...Second center line, 100...Wire mesh sensor, DM...Dummy element, EF...Effective element

Claims

1. A method for evaluating the shape of a wire mesh sensor having one or more wire meshes arranged in a planar shape, comprising: One or more computers An acquisition step of acquiring image data indicating a pattern shape of the wire mesh sensor; an evaluation step of determining a center line of the pattern shape specified by the image data and evaluating whether or not a degree of linear symmetry of the pattern shape with respect to the center line is within a predetermined range; A shape evaluation method to perform.

2. The degree of linear symmetry is a matching rate of pixel values ​​in the image data when one of a pair of patterns defined by the center line is folded over onto the other pattern, The shape evaluation method according to claim 1 .

3. The predetermined range is greater than or equal to 0.8 and less than 1.

0. The shape evaluation method according to claim 2 .

4. The one or more computers further perform a preprocessing step of performing preprocessing on the image data before performing the evaluation step; the pre-processing includes a removal process of removing dummy elements, which are isolated line elements or point elements, from the pattern shape when a collection of pattern elements forming a strip-shaped electrode extending in one direction is defined as an effective element; The shape evaluation method according to claim 1 .

5. The one or more computers further perform an output step of outputting an evaluation result obtained through the evaluation step. The shape evaluation method according to claim 1 .

6. The wire mesh sensor is used to detect a position indicated by an active pen. The shape evaluation method according to claim 1 .

7. A shape evaluation device for evaluating the shape of a wire mesh sensor having one or more wire meshes arranged in a planar shape, a processor, the processor comprising: An acquisition step of acquiring image data indicating a pattern shape of the wire mesh sensor; an evaluation step of determining a center line of the pattern shape specified by the image data and evaluating whether or not a degree of linear symmetry of the pattern shape with respect to the center line is within a predetermined range; A shape evaluation device that performs the above.

8. The wire mesh sensor is used to detect a position indicated by an active pen. The shape evaluation device according to claim 7.

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