Position indication device, computer, and control method

Abstract

To allow a user to use first pressure applied to a first member provided so as to project from a leading end of a housing of a position indication device and second pressure applied to a second member provided at a position between the vicinity of the center of the housing and the first member.SOLUTION: A position indication device controls a 3D object in a virtual reality space. The position indication device comprises: a housing; a first sensor which detects first pressure applied to a first member provided so as to project from a leading end of the housing; a second sensor which detects second pressure applied to a second member provided at a position between the vicinity of the center of the housing and the first member and used to control the 3D object in the virtual reality space; and a first communication unit which transmits either one of information about the first pressure detected by the first sensor and the information about the second pressure detected by the second sensor.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a position pointing device and an information processing device, and more particularly to a pen-type position pointing device used to point both a position on a touch surface and a position in space, and an information processing device connected to such a position pointing device. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, pen-type position pointing devices (hereinafter referred to as "electronic pens") used in combination with tablet computers have been attracting attention. This type of electronic pen is usually equipped with a pen pressure sensor that detects the pressure (writing pressure) applied to the pen tip. When detecting the position of the electronic pen on the touch surface, the computer receives a pen pressure value from the electronic pen. Then, when drawing a line drawing according to the detected position, the computer is configured to control the line width and transparency according to the received pen pressure value. This makes it possible to create a writing feel similar to that of a conventional pen that ejects ink, for example, the stronger the force with which the pen tip is pressed against the touch surface, the thicker the line drawn.

[0003] Patent Document 1 also discloses a pen-type input device that does not require a touch surface. This pen-type input device has a pressure sensor on the side and is configured to detect the grip force of the user. According to the view of Patent Document 1, when holding a pen to draw characters or figures, a characteristic corresponding to the character or figure to be drawn appears in the change in grip force. The technology of Patent Document 1 is intended to make it possible to input characters or figures without detecting the position of the pen tip on the touch surface by recognizing this characteristic as a character or figure. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 8-6710 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Incidentally, the inventors of the present application are considering making it possible to write or draw on a virtual plane using the above-mentioned electronic pen in a virtual reality (including VR: Virtual Reality, AR: Augmented Reality, and MR: Mixed Reality) space. In this case, since there is no real touch surface, the above-mentioned pen pressure sensor cannot detect the pen pressure value. Without the pen pressure value, it is not possible to control the line width and transparency according to the pen pressure value, and it is not possible to produce a writing feel similar to that of a conventional pen, so there was a need for another method that can suitably control the line width and transparency.

[0006] Therefore, one object of the present invention is to provide a position indication device and an information processing device that can suitably control line width and transparency even when an actual touch surface does not exist. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A position indication device according to the present invention is a position indication device comprising a housing, a position indication unit that indicates a position, a first sensor that detects a first pressure applied to the position indication unit, a second sensor that detects a second pressure applied to the housing, a first communication unit that transmits the first pressure detected by the first sensor, and a second communication unit that transmits the second pressure detected by the second sensor.

[0008] In addition, the position indication device according to the present invention may be a position indication device including: a cylindrical external housing that houses a position indication unit for indicating a position on the input surface of a planar position sensor; a spatial position detection unit that detects spatial position information for indicating the position of the position indication device in space through interaction with an external device; a pressure sensor that detects a force applied to the external housing; and a processing unit configured to be capable of outputting the spatial position information detected by the spatial position detection unit, planar position information for indicating the position of the position indication unit on the input surface, and pressure information related to the force detected by the pressure sensor.

[0009] The information processing device according to the present invention is an information processing device capable of communicating with a position indication device having a housing, a position indication unit that indicates a position, and a pressure sensor that detects force applied to the housing, and has a communication unit that receives the pressure detected by the pressure sensor, and a controller that controls the generation of a 3D object in a virtual reality space based on the position of the position indication device in space and the pressure received by the communication unit.

[0010] In addition, the information processing device according to the present invention may be a computer connected to a position indication device having a cylindrical external housing that houses a position indication unit that indicates a position on an input surface of a planar position sensor, and a pressure sensor that detects a force applied to the surface of the external housing, and is configured to receive from the position indication device spatial position information indicating the position of the position indication device in space, planar position information indicating the position of the position indication unit on the input surface, and pressure information related to the force detected by the pressure sensor, and when the spatial position information and the pressure information are received, the computer detects a spatial position indicating the position of the position indication device in the space based on the received spatial position information, and performs 3D drawing based on the detected spatial position and the received pressure information, and when the computer receives the planar position information and the pressure information, the computer detects a planar position indicating the position of the position indication unit on the touch surface based on the received planar position information, and performs 2D drawing based on the detected planar position and the received pressure information. Effect of the Invention

[0011] When a user writes or draws on a virtual plane, the force (=grip force) detected by the pressure sensor has a certain correlation with the pen pressure detected when writing or drawing on a real touch surface. Therefore, the position indication device according to the present invention capable of transmitting the pressure detected by the pressure sensor and the information processing device according to the present invention capable of performing 3D drawing based on the pressure detected by the pressure sensor make it possible to suitably control line width and transparency even when a real touch surface does not exist. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a spatial position indication system 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2(a) is a perspective view showing the appearance of the electronic pen 5, and FIG. 2(b) is a schematic block diagram showing the functional blocks of the electronic pen 5. [Diagram 3] 4 is a process flow diagram showing the process performed by a processing unit 50 of the electronic pen 5. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a process flow diagram showing details of the tablet input process shown in FIG. [Diagram 5] 4 is a process flow diagram showing details of the virtual reality space input process shown in FIG. 3. [Figure 6] 2 is a process flow diagram showing the process performed by a control unit 2a of a computer 2. FIG. [Figure 7] 7 is a process flow diagram showing details of the correlation acquisition process (step S30) shown in FIG. 6. FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating the correlation f between pen pressure and grip strength. [Figure 9] 13A and 13B are diagrams showing specific examples of drawing areas. [Figure 10] FIG. 7 is a process flow diagram showing details of the tablet drawing process shown in FIG. 6. [Figure 11] 7 is a process flow diagram showing details of the virtual reality space rendering process shown in FIG. 6. [Figure 12] FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining the meaning of an initial grip force. [Figure 13] 1 is a diagram showing the structure of a grip force sensor 55 according to a first example. [Figure 14] 13 is a diagram showing the structure of a grip force sensor 55 according to a second example. FIG. [Figure 15] 13 is a diagram showing the structure of a grip force sensor 55 according to a third example. FIG. [Figure 16] 13 is a diagram showing the structure of a grip force sensor 55 according to a fourth example. FIG. [Figure 17] FIG. 11 is a process flow diagram showing the process performed by the processing unit 50 of the electronic pen 5 when a grip force sensor 55 according to a fourth example is used. [Figure 18] 13 is a diagram showing the structure of a grip force sensor 55 according to a fifth example. FIG. [Figure 19] 13 is a diagram showing the structure of a grip force sensor 55 according to a sixth example. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0014] 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a spatial position indication system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, the spatial position indication system 1 according to the present embodiment includes a computer 2, a virtual reality display 3, a planar position sensor 4, an electronic pen 5, position detection devices 7a and 7b, and spatial position sensors 8a to 8c. The spatial position sensors 8a to 8c are provided in the planar position sensor 4, the virtual reality display 3, and the electronic pen 5, respectively.

[0015] 1 are arranged in a room in principle. In the spatial position indication system 1, almost the entire room can be used as a virtual reality space.

[0016] The computer 2 includes a control unit 2a and a memory 2b. Each process performed by the computer 2 described below is realized by the control unit 2a reading and executing a program stored in the memory 2b.

[0017] The computer 2 is connected to each of the virtual reality display 3, the position detection devices 7a and 7b, and the planar position sensor 4 by wire or wirelessly. In the case of a wired connection, it is preferable to use, for example, a Universal Serial Bus (USB). In the case of a wireless connection, it is preferable to use, for example, a wireless LAN such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark) or a short-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth (registered trademark). Note that if the planar position sensor 4 or the virtual reality display 3 has a built-in computer function, the computer 2 may constitute a part or all of the computer.

[0018] The computer 2 is configured with a function of displaying a virtual reality space on the virtual reality display 3. This virtual reality space may be a VR (Virtual Reality) space, an AR (Augmented Reality) space, or an MR (Mixed Reality) space. When a VR space is displayed, a user wearing the virtual reality display 3 recognizes virtual reality, which is separated from the real world. On the other hand, when an AR space or an MR space is displayed, a user wearing the virtual reality display 3 recognizes a space in which virtual reality and the real world are mixed.

[0019] The computer 2 functions as a rendering device that renders various 3D objects (objects) in a virtual reality space that is set based on the positions of the position detection devices 7a and 7b, and is configured to update the display of the virtual reality display 3 with the rendering result. As a result, various 3D objects appear in the virtual reality space displayed on the virtual reality display 3. The rendering by the computer 2 is performed based on 3D object information stored in the memory 2b. The 3D object information is information that indicates the shape, position, and orientation of a 3D object in a virtual reality space that indicates the virtual reality space set by the computer 2, and is stored in the memory 2b for each 3D object to be rendered.

[0020] The 3D objects rendered by the computer 2 include 3D objects that exist in reality, such as the plane position sensor 4 and the electronic pen 5 shown in Fig. 1 (hereinafter referred to as "first 3D object"), and 3D objects that do not exist in reality, such as a virtual tablet (not shown), (hereinafter referred to as "second 3D object"). When rendering these 3D objects, the computer 2 first detects the position and orientation of the spatial position sensor 8b in the real space, and obtains viewpoint information indicating the user's viewpoint based on the detection result.

[0021] When rendering a first 3D object, the computer 2 further detects the position and orientation in the real space of a spatial position sensor (e.g., spatial position sensors 8a, 8c) attached to a corresponding object, and stores the detection result in the memory 2b. Then, the computer 2 renders the first 3D object in the virtual reality space based on the stored position and orientation, the above-mentioned viewpoint information, and the shape stored for the first 3D object. The computer 2 also detects the position of the spatial position sensor 8c, particularly with respect to the electronic pen 5, to detect an operation performed by the user in the virtual reality space, and performs a process of newly creating a second 3D object based on the result (i.e., newly storing 3D object information in the memory 2b) or moving or updating an already held second 3D object (i.e., updating 3D object information already stored in the memory 2b).

[0022] On the other hand, when rendering a second 3D object, the computer 2 is configured to render the second 3D object in the virtual reality space based on the 3D object information stored in the memory 2b and the viewpoint information described above.

[0023] The virtual reality display 3 is a VR display (head-mounted display) that is worn on a human head. There are various types of virtual reality displays generally available on the market, such as "transparent" or "non-transparent," "glasses-type" or "hat-type," and any of these can be used as the virtual reality display 3.

[0024] The virtual reality display 3 is connected to each of the spatial position sensor 8a and the electronic pen 5 (including the spatial position sensor 8c) by wire or wirelessly. The spatial position sensors 8a and 8c are configured to notify the virtual reality display 3 of light reception level information (described later) through this connection. The virtual reality display 3 notifies the computer 2 of the light reception level information notified from each of the spatial position sensors 8a and 8c, together with the light reception level information of the spatial position sensor 8b built into the virtual reality display 3. Based on the light reception level information thus notified, the computer 2 detects the position and orientation of each of the spatial position sensors 8a to 8c in the real space.

[0025] The plane position sensor 4 is a device having an input surface 4a and a plurality of electrodes (not shown) arranged to cover the entire input surface 4a. The input surface 4a is preferably a flat surface and may be made of a material suitable for sliding the pen tip of the electronic pen 5. The plurality of electrodes serve to detect a pen signal (described later) transmitted by the electronic pen 5. The pen signal detected by each electrode is supplied to the computer 2, and the computer 2 acquires the position indicated by the electronic pen 5 within the input surface 4a and various data transmitted by the electronic pen 5 based on the supplied pen signal. The plane position sensor 4 may be built into, for example, a tablet terminal having a display function and a processor, in which case a part or all of the computer 2 can be configured by the processor of the tablet terminal.

[0026] The spatial position sensor 8a is fixedly installed on the surface of the planar position sensor 4. Therefore, the position and orientation of the spatial position sensor 8a detected by the computer 2 indicates the position and orientation of the input surface 4a in the virtual reality space coordinate system.

[0027] Electronic pen 5 is a position pointing device having a pen-like shape, and is configured to have a function as an input device to planar position sensor 4 (hereinafter referred to as a "tablet input function") and a function as an input device to computer 2 (hereinafter referred to as a "virtual reality space input function"). The tablet input function includes a function of indicating a position within input surface 4a of planar position sensor 4. Meanwhile, the virtual reality space input function includes a function of indicating a position within virtual reality space. Details of each function will be described separately below.

[0028] The position detection devices 7a and 7b are base station devices constituting a position detection system for detecting the positions of the spatial position sensors 8a to 8c, and each of them is configured to be able to emit a laser signal while changing the direction according to the control of the computer 2. Each of the spatial position sensors 8a to 8c is configured with a plurality of light receiving sensors, and is configured to receive the laser signal irradiated by each of the position detection devices 7a and 7b with each light receiving sensor, and to obtain light receiving level information including each light receiving level. The light receiving level information thus obtained is supplied to the computer 2 via the virtual reality display 3, as described above. In this embodiment, the position detection devices 7a and 7b are configured to be able to emit a laser signal, but are not limited to this configuration. For example, a configuration using other non-visible light sensors, visible light sensors, or a combination thereof may be used.

[0029] Fig. 2(a) is a perspective view showing the appearance of the electronic pen 5. As shown in the figure, the electronic pen 5 is configured to have a cylindrical external housing 5a that houses a pen tip 5b (position indicating portion) for indicating a position on the input surface 4a of the planar position sensor 4. Note that various members constituting a grip force sensor 55 and various switches, which will be described later, are actually attached to the surface of the electronic pen 5, but are not shown in Fig. 2(a).

[0030] When performing input using the tablet input function, the user holds the external housing 5a with one hand and brings the pen tip 5b into contact with the input surface 4a of the planar position sensor 4. Then, while maintaining the contact state, the user moves the pen tip 5b on the input surface 4a to perform an input operation using the electronic pen 5. On the other hand, when performing input using the virtual reality space input function, the user holds the external housing 5a with one hand and moves the electronic pen 5 in the air to perform an input operation using the electronic pen 5. Input using the virtual reality space input function includes input to the virtual tablet described above.

[0031] 2(b) is a schematic block diagram showing the functional blocks of the electronic pen 5. As shown in the figure, the electronic pen 5 is configured to have a processing unit 50, a planar communication unit 51, a spatial communication unit 52, a spatial position detection unit 53, a writing pressure sensor 54, a grip force sensor 55 (pressure sensor), and a force sense generation unit 56. Note that the electronic pen 5 may have only one of the writing pressure sensor 54 and the grip force sensor 55, and the following description will also include such a case.

[0032] The processing unit 50 is connected to and controls the other units in the electronic pen 5, and is configured with a processor that performs various processes described later. The processing unit 50 reads and executes a program stored in an internal memory (not shown) to control the other units in the electronic pen 5 and perform various processes described later.

[0033] The planar communication unit 51 is a functional unit that transmits and receives signals to and from the computer 2 via the planar position sensor 4 under the control of the processing unit 50. In this transmission and reception, a plurality of electrodes arranged in the input surface 4a of the planar position sensor 4 and a pen tip electrode (not shown) provided near the pen tip 5b of the electronic pen 5 are used as antennas. This transmission and reception includes a case where a signal is transmitted unilaterally from the electronic pen 5 to the planar position sensor 4, and a case where a signal is transmitted and received bidirectionally between the electronic pen 5 and the planar position sensor 4. In the following, the explanation will be continued on the assumption that it is the latter, and a signal transmitted from the planar position sensor 4 to the electronic pen 5 will be referred to as a "beacon signal", and a signal transmitted from the electronic pen 5 to the planar position sensor 4 will be referred to as a "pen signal". In this case, for example, an electromagnetic induction method or an active electrostatic method may be used as a specific method for transmitting and receiving signals.

[0034] The beacon signal is a signal that the computer 2 transmits, for example, at a predetermined time interval, and includes a command for controlling the electronic pen 5 from the computer 2. The pen signal includes a burst signal that is an unmodulated carrier wave (planar position information for indicating the position of the pen tip 5b on the input surface 4a), and a data signal obtained by modulating the carrier wave with data requested to be transmitted by the command.

[0035] The spatial communication unit 52 has a function of transmitting and receiving signals to and from the computer 2 via the virtual reality display 3 under the control of the processing unit 50. As described above, this signal transmission and reception is realized by wire or wirelessly. The planar position sensor 4 is not involved in the transmission and reception of signals between the spatial communication unit 52 and the computer 2.

[0036] 1, and plays a role of detecting the above-mentioned light reception level information (spatial position information for indicating the position of the electronic pen 5 in space) through interaction with an external device (specifically, the position detection devices 7a and 7b). Specifically, the spatial position detection unit 53 periodically or continuously performs an operation of detecting the laser signal transmitted by the position detection devices 7a and 7b, generates light reception level information according to the detected laser signal, and performs processing of supplying the information to the processing unit 50 each time.

[0037] The writing pressure sensor 54 is a sensor configured to be able to detect the force (writing pressure) applied to the pen tip 5b, and is configured, for example, by a capacitance sensor (not shown) whose capacitance value changes depending on the writing pressure. The processing unit 50 has a function of acquiring the writing pressure detected by the writing pressure sensor 54, and generating writing pressure information related to the acquired writing pressure. The writing pressure information is, for example, a digital value acquired by performing analog-to-digital conversion on the writing pressure, which is analog information.

[0038] The grip force sensor 55 is a sensor configured to be able to detect the force (=grip force) applied to the surface of the external housing 5a of the electronic pen 5. A specific configuration of the grip force sensor 55 will be described in detail later with reference to the drawings. The processing unit 50 has a function of acquiring the grip force detected by the grip force sensor 55 and generating pressure information related to the acquired grip force. The pressure information is, for example, a digital value acquired by performing analog-to-digital conversion on the grip force, which is analog information.

[0039] The force sense generating unit 56 has a function of generating a force sense in response to a control signal supplied from the computer 2. The force sense referred to here is, for example, vibration of the external housing 5a. For example, when the pen tip 5b is in contact with the surface of the virtual tablet (more precisely, when the pen tip 5b is present within a predetermined distance from the surface of the virtual tablet), the computer 2 supplies the control signal to the electronic pen 5 via the spatial communication unit 52, thereby causing the force sense generating unit 56 to generate a force sense. This allows the user to get the sensation that the pen tip 5b has collided with the surface of the virtual tablet, which does not actually exist.

[0040] When inputting using the tablet input function, the processing unit 50 first detects a beacon signal transmitted by the computer 2 via the planar communication unit 51. As a result, when a beacon signal is detected, the processing unit 50 sequentially outputs the above-mentioned burst signal and data signal to the planar communication unit 51 in response to the beacon signal. The data signal thus output may include the above-mentioned writing pressure information or pressure information. The planar communication unit 51 is configured to transmit the burst signal and data signal thus input to the computer 2 via the planar position sensor 4.

[0041] When the computer 2 receives the burst signal via the planar position sensor 4, it detects a planar position indicating the position of the pen tip 5b on the input surface 4a based on the reception strength of the burst signal at each of the multiple electrodes arranged on the input surface 4a. In addition, it acquires data transmitted by the electronic pen 5 by receiving a data signal using an electrode, among the multiple electrodes arranged on the input surface 4a, that is closest to the detected planar position. Then, the computer 2 performs 2D drawing based on the detected planar position and the received data. Details of 2D drawing will be described later. The tablet input function is thus realized.

[0042] On the other hand, when input is made using the virtual reality space input function, the processing unit 50 is configured to sequentially output the light receiving level information supplied from the spatial position detection unit 53 to the spatial communication unit 52. The processing unit 50 is also configured to output the pen pressure information or pressure information generated as described above to the spatial communication unit 52 together with the output of the light receiving level information. The spatial communication unit 52 is configured to transmit each piece of information thus input to the computer 2.

[0043] When the computer 2 receives the above information from the spatial communication unit 52, it detects a spatial position indicating the position of the electronic pen 5 in space based on the received light reception level information. In this case, information indicating the shape of the electronic pen 5 and the relative positional relationship between the spatial position detection unit 53 and the pen tip 5b may be stored in the computer 2 in advance, and the computer 2 may convert a position directly obtained from the light reception level information into the position of the pen tip 5b based on this information, and detect the position obtained by the conversion as a spatial position. The computer 2 performs 3D drawing based on the detected spatial position and the received pen pressure information or pressure information. The details of 3D drawing will also be described later. The virtual reality space input function is thus realized.

[0044] Fig. 3 is a process flow diagram showing the processing performed by the processing unit 50 of the electronic pen 5. Fig. 4 is a process flow diagram showing details of the tablet input processing (step S1) shown in Fig. 3, and Fig. 5 is a process flow diagram showing details of the virtual reality space input processing (step S2) shown in Fig. 3. Hereinafter, the operation of the electronic pen 5 will be described in detail with reference to Figs. 3 to 5.

[0045] First, as shown in FIG. 3, the processing unit 50 performs a tablet input process (step S1) and a virtual reality space input process (step S2) in a time-division manner.

[0046] 4, the processing unit 50 performing the tablet input process first performs a beacon signal detection operation by the planar communication unit 51 (steps S10 and S11). In this detection operation, the planar communication unit 51 attempts to detect a beacon signal by demodulating a signal arriving at the pen tip electrode described above. As a result, if a beacon signal is not detected, the tablet input process ends. On the other hand, if a beacon signal is detected, the processing unit 50 outputs a burst signal to the planar communication unit 51, thereby causing the planar communication unit 51 to transmit a burst signal (step S12).

[0047] The subsequent process differs depending on whether the electronic pen 5 has the pen pressure sensor 54 or not. In the former case, the processing unit 50 acquires the pen pressure from the output of the pen pressure sensor 54 (step S13), and transmits a data signal including pen pressure information related to the acquired pen pressure by the planar communication unit 51 (step S14). On the other hand, in the latter case, the processing unit 50 acquires the grip force from the output of the grip force sensor 55 (step S15), and transmits a data signal including pressure information related to the acquired grip force by the planar communication unit 51 (step S16). After the transmission in step S14 or step S16, the processing unit 50 ends the tablet input process, and starts the next virtual reality space input process (step S2), as can be seen from FIG. 3.

[0048] 5, processing unit 50 performing the virtual reality space input process first performs a laser signal detection operation by spatial position detection unit 53 (steps S20 and S21). If a laser signal is not detected as a result, the virtual reality space input process ends. On the other hand, if a laser signal is detected, processing unit 50 acquires light reception level information corresponding to the laser signal from spatial position detection unit 53 and transmits it to spatial communication unit 52 (step S22).

[0049] The subsequent process differs depending on whether the electronic pen 5 has the pen pressure sensor 54 or not. In the latter case, the processing unit 50 acquires the grip force from the output of the grip force sensor 55 (step S26), and transmits pressure information related to the acquired grip force by the spatial communication unit 52 (step S27). On the other hand, in the former case, the processing unit 50 acquires the pen pressure from the output of the pen pressure sensor 54 (step S23), and judges whether the acquired pen pressure exceeds a predetermined value (step S24). This judgment is a judgment of whether the pen tip 5b is in contact with a real surface, and is performed in order not to use the pen pressure when the pen tip 5b is not in contact. Note that the real surface here corresponds to a surface such as a simple board. According to this, for example, by arranging a real board in accordance with the display position of the virtual tablet, it becomes possible to use the pen pressure sensor 54 for the virtual tablet as well.

[0050] If it is determined in step S24 that the pressure is exceeded, the processing unit 50 transmits the obtained pen pressure information regarding the pen pressure via the spatial communication unit 52 (step S25). On the other hand, if it is determined in step S24 that the pressure is not exceeded, the processing unit 50 moves the process to step S26 and transmits the pressure information (steps S26, S27). After the transmission in step S25 or step S27, the processing unit 50 ends the virtual reality space input process, and starts the next tablet input process (step S1), as can be seen from FIG.

[0051] Fig. 6 is a process flow diagram showing the process performed by the control unit 2a of the computer 2. Fig. 7 is a process flow diagram showing details of the correlation acquisition process (step S30) shown in Fig. 6, Fig. 10 is a process flow diagram showing details of the tablet drawing process (step S35) shown in Fig. 6, and Fig. 11 is a process flow diagram showing details of the virtual reality space drawing process (step S41) shown in Fig. 6. The operation of the computer 2 will be described in detail below with reference to these diagrams.

[0052] As shown in FIG. 6, the control unit 2a first executes a correlation acquisition process (step S30).

[0053] The correlation acquisition process is a process for acquiring the correlation f between the writing pressure detected by the writing pressure sensor 54 and the grip force detected by the grip force sensor 55. In this process, as shown in Fig. 7, the control unit 2a first causes the electronic pen 5 to simultaneously detect the writing pressure by the writing pressure sensor 54 and the grip force by the grip force sensor 55 a predetermined number of times, and receives the writing pressure information and the pressure information from the electronic pen 5 each time (steps S50 to S52).

[0054] After repeating the process a predetermined number of times, the control unit 2a acquires a correlation f between the pen pressure and the grip force based on the obtained combinations of the pen pressure and the grip force (step S53), and ends the correlation acquisition process. The correlation f thus acquired is, for example, a correlation function that represents the correlation between the pen pressure and the grip force, and is expressed in the form of pen pressure=f(grip force) in one example. The following description will be continued on the assumption that such a correlation f is used.

[0055] 8(a) and (b) are diagrams for explaining the correlation f between writing pressure and grip force, in which P represents writing pressure, G represents grip force, and F represents friction between the user's hand and the surface of the electronic pen 5.

[0056] 8(a), when a user tries to write a line while holding the electronic pen 5 perpendicular to the input surface 4a, P≈F holds. In addition, the relationship F≈μG holds between the grip force G and the friction force F, where μ is the coefficient of friction between the user's hand and the surface of the electronic pen 5. Therefore, P≈μG holds.

[0057] 8(b), when a user tries to write a line while holding electronic pen 5 tilted at angle θ with respect to the normal direction of input surface 4a, F≒P'=Pcosθ holds, where P' is the component force in the pen axis direction of writing pressure P. Therefore, from the above-mentioned relationship of F≒μG, Pcosθ=μG holds in this case.

[0058] This relationship Pcosθ=μG also includes the case shown in FIG. 8(a). Therefore, if f(G)=μG / cosθ, the correlation f can be universally expressed. However, since the friction coefficient μ and angle θ that appear in this are quantities that may vary depending on the user, it is necessary to obtain the pen pressure=f (grip force) for each user. Therefore, it is necessary to execute the correlation acquisition process as described with reference to FIG. 7.

[0059] Returning to Fig. 6, after completing the correlation acquisition process, the control unit 2a subsequently sets a drawing area in the virtual reality space (step S31). The drawing area is an area where 3D drawing is performed by the electronic pen 5.

[0060] 9(a) and 9(b) are diagrams showing specific examples of drawing areas. FIG. 9(a) shows an example in which an area within a predetermined distance from the display surface of the virtual tablet B is set as the drawing area A. The drawing area A in this example is an area that allows input to the virtual tablet B. If the detected spatial position is within this type of drawing area A, the control unit 2a replaces the detected spatial position with a spatial position projected onto the display surface of the virtual tablet B in the virtual reality space drawing process shown in step S35 described later, and then performs 3D drawing. This enables the user to draw a planar figure on the display surface of the virtual tablet B. Note that the above-mentioned predetermined distance is preferably a value greater than 0. This is because, when a user tries to input to the display surface of the virtual tablet B with the electronic pen 5, it is difficult to keep the electronic pen 5 in contact with a display surface that does not physically exist.

[0061] Fig. 9(b) shows an example in which an arbitrary three-dimensional space is set as the drawing area A. When the detected spatial position is within this drawing area A, the control unit 2a executes 3D drawing without performing replacement as in the example of Fig. 9(a). This enables the user to draw a solid figure within the drawing area A.

[0062] Returning to Fig. 6, the control unit 2a then performs an operation of detecting the light reception level information and the burst signal (step S32). This process specifically includes a process of receiving the light reception level information from the electronic pen 5 by wire or wirelessly, and a process of receiving the burst signal from the electronic pen 5 via the plane position sensor 4. If the control unit 2a detects a burst signal as a result of performing step S32 (positive determination in step S33), the process proceeds to step S34, and if the control unit 2a does not detect a burst signal (negative determination in step S33), the process proceeds to step S36.

[0063] The control unit 2a advances the processing to step S34, detects the above-mentioned planar position (the position of the pen tip 5b on the input surface 4a) based on the detected burst signal (step S34), and then executes a tablet drawing process for performing 2D drawing on a display of a tablet terminal including, for example, the planar position sensor 4 (step S35).

[0064] 10, in the tablet drawing process, the control unit 2a first performs an operation of detecting a data signal transmitted by the electronic pen 5 via the plane position sensor 4 (step S60), and then determines whether the data signal contains pen pressure information or pressure information (step S61).

[0065] If it is determined in step S61 that the writing pressure information is included, the control unit 2a further determines whether or not the writing pressure indicated by the writing pressure information is equal to or less than a predetermined normal ON load (for example, 0) (step S68). As a result, if it is determined that the writing pressure is equal to or less than the normal ON load, the process ends without performing 2D drawing. This is a process in which it is considered that the pen tip 5b of the electronic pen 5 is not in contact with the input surface 4a (so-called hover state). On the other hand, if it is determined in step S68 that the writing pressure is greater than the normal ON load, the control unit 2a performs 2D drawing on the display of the tablet terminal, which is, for example, the planar position sensor 4, based on the planar position detected in step S34 and the writing pressure indicated by the writing pressure information (step S69).

[0066] Here, the 2D drawing performed in step S69 will be specifically described. The 2D drawing includes a rendering process and a display process. In the rendering process, the control unit 2a arranges a circle having a radius according to the corresponding pen pressure at each of a series of planar positions detected in sequence. Then, by smoothly connecting the circumferences of each circle, two-dimensional curve data (ink data) having a width according to the pen pressure is generated. The display process is a process of displaying the curve data thus generated on, for example, the display of a tablet terminal, which is the planar position sensor 4.

[0067] If it is determined in step S61 that pressure information is included, the control unit 2a executes a process for converting the grip force indicated by the pressure information into a pen pressure (steps S62 to S67). Specifically, the control unit 2a first determines whether the reset flag A is true or false (step S62). The reset flag A is a flag indicating whether or not the electronic pen 5 has just entered a range where the burst signal can reach the planar position sensor 4, and if it has just entered, the determination result in step S62 is false.

[0068] The control unit 2a that has determined that the result in step S62 is false further determines whether the grip force indicated by the pressure information is equal to or greater than a predetermined value (step S63). If it is determined that the grip force indicated by the pressure information is less than the predetermined value, the control unit 2a sets the grip force indicated by the pressure information to the initial grip force (step S64), and if it is determined that the grip force is equal to or greater than the predetermined value, the control unit 2a sets the initial grip force to the predetermined value (step S65). The initial grip force is a variable used to treat the grip force when the electronic pen 5 comes within a range where the burst signal reaches the plane position sensor 4 (when the pen is down) as 0. Step S65 also determines an upper limit for the initial grip force, and is used to prevent, for example, the grip force required to make the line width thicker from becoming too large and the user being unable to apply sufficient pen pressure.

[0069] Fig. 12 is a diagram for explaining the meaning of the initial grip force. The figure shows a graph in which the horizontal axis represents the force against the surface of the external housing 5a, and the vertical axis represents the grip force detected by the grip force sensor 55. The control unit 2a is configured to use, as the grip force, a value obtained by subtracting the initial grip force from the grip force detected by the grip force sensor 55, rather than the grip force itself. This allows the user to input pen pressure based on the grip force by increasing or decreasing the grip force based on the grip force at the time of pen down.

[0070] Return to FIG. 10. When step S64 or step S65 is executed, the control unit 2a sets the reset flag A to true (step S66), and then performs a process of converting the grip force into pen pressure using the correlation f (step S67). This step S67 is also executed when step S62 is determined to be true. In step S67, the control unit 2a substitutes a value obtained by subtracting the initial grip force from the grip force indicated by the pressure information as the grip force into the correlation f. This allows the user to input pen pressure using the grip force by increasing or decreasing the grip force based on the grip force at the time of pen down, as described with reference to FIG. 12.

[0071] The control unit 2a obtains the pen pressure in step S67 and executes steps S68 and S69 using the obtained pen pressure, thereby achieving 2D drawing similar to that in the case where pen pressure information is included in the data signal.

[0072] After executing step S69, the control unit 2a ends the tablet drawing process, and then returns to step S32 in Fig. 6 to execute the next detection operation of the received light level information and burst signal.

[0073] 6, the control unit 2a first sets the reset flag A to false (step S36). This makes it possible to return the reset flag A to false when the electronic pen 5 leaves the range where the burst signal reaches the planar position sensor 4.

[0074] Next, the control unit 2a judges whether or not the light reception level information has been detected by the detection operation of step S32 (step S37). If it is judged that the light reception level information has been detected, the control unit 2a detects the above-mentioned spatial position (the position of the electronic pen 5 (or its pen tip 5b) in space) based on the detected light reception level information (step S38). Next, the control unit 2a judges whether or not the detected spatial position is a position within the drawing area set in step S31 (step S39).

[0075] The control unit 2a, which has determined in step S39 that the position is within the drawing area, executes a virtual reality space drawing process for performing 3D drawing in the virtual reality space (step S41). Here, as indicated by the dashed line in Fig. 6, a process of replacing the detected spatial position with a spatial position obtained by projecting it onto the display surface of the virtual tablet may be inserted between steps S39 and S41 (step S40). This step S40 is a process that can be executed only if the drawing area including the detected spatial position is an area set on the display surface of virtual tablet B as shown in Fig. 9(a). This allows the user to draw a planar figure on the display surface of the virtual tablet, as described above.

[0076] In the virtual reality space drawing process, control unit 2a first receives pen pressure information or pressure information (step S70) as shown in Fig. 11. Then, control unit 2a determines whether pen pressure information or pressure information has been received (step S71).

[0077] When it is determined in step S71 that the writing pressure information has been received, the control unit 2a further determines whether or not the writing pressure indicated by the writing pressure information is equal to or less than a predetermined normal ON load (for example, 0) (step S80). As a result, when it is determined that the writing pressure is equal to or less than the normal ON load, the process ends without performing 3D drawing. This is a process in which it is considered that the pen tip 5b of the electronic pen 5 is not in contact with the above-mentioned real board (for example, one that is arranged according to the display position of the virtual tablet). On the other hand, when it is determined in step S80 that the writing pressure is greater than the normal ON load, the control unit 2a performs 3D drawing in the virtual reality space based on the spatial position detected in step S38 (or the spatial position acquired in step S40) and the writing pressure indicated by the writing pressure information (step S81).

[0078] As in the case of 2D drawing, the 3D drawing performed in step S79 also includes a rendering process and a display process. In the rendering process, the control unit 2a places a sphere having a radius according to the corresponding pen pressure at each of a series of spatial positions detected sequentially. Then, by smoothly connecting the surfaces of each sphere, three-dimensional curve data having a cross-sectional diameter according to the pen pressure is generated. The display process is a process of displaying the curve data thus generated in a virtual reality space. However, when the spatial position is fixed to a position within the display surface of the virtual tablet by executing step S40, 2D drawing within the display surface may be performed instead of 3D drawing.

[0079] When it is determined in step S71 that pressure information has been received, the control unit 2a executes a process for converting the grip force indicated by the pressure information into a pen pressure (steps S72 to S77). The details of this process are similar to those of steps S62 to S67 shown in FIG. 10, and the pen pressure is acquired as a conversion result in step S77. However, in steps S72 to S77, a reset flag B is used instead of a reset flag A. The reset flag B is a flag that indicates whether or not the electronic pen 5 has just entered the drawing area, and if so, the determination result in step S72 is false.

[0080] The control unit 2a obtains the pen pressure in step S77 and executes steps S78 and S79 using the pen pressure. Steps S78 and S79 are the same as steps S80 and S81, except that instead of the normal ON load, a spatial ON load is used that is set to a value different from the normal ON load, preferably a value larger than the normal ON load (i.e., in step S78, it is determined whether the pen pressure indicated by the pressure information is equal to or smaller than a predetermined spatial ON load (>normal ON load)). This allows 3D drawing to be performed in the same way as when pen pressure information is received.

[0081] The reason why the spatial ON load is used instead of the normal ON load in step S78 is that when the electronic pen 5 is operated while floating in the air, the grip force required to support the weight of the electronic pen 5 is larger than when the electronic pen 5 is operated while in contact with a fixed surface such as the input surface 4a. By using a spatial ON load larger than the normal ON load in step S78, it becomes possible to perform appropriate 3D drawing despite this increase in grip force.

[0082] After executing step S79, the control unit 2a ends the virtual reality space drawing process. Then, the process returns to step S32 in FIG. 6, and executes the detection operation of the next received light level information and burst signal. If the control unit 2a determines in step S37 in FIG. 6 that the received light level information has not been detected, and if the control unit 2a determines in step S39 in FIG. 6 that the position is not within the drawing area, the control unit 2a sets the reset flag B to false (step S42), and then returns to step S32, and executes the detection operation of the next received light level information and burst signal. By executing step S42, it becomes possible to return the reset flag B to false when the electronic pen 5 leaves the drawing area (including when the electronic pen 5 leaves the virtual reality space).

[0083] As described above, according to this embodiment, the electronic pen 5 is configured to output pressure information related to the grip force, and the computer 2 is configured to perform 3D drawing and 2D drawing based on the pressure information related to the grip force, so that it is possible to suitably control line width and transparency even when an actual touch surface does not exist.

[0084] The specific configuration of the grip force sensor 55 will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

[0085] 13 is a diagram showing the structure of a grip force sensor 55 according to a first example. The grip force sensor 55 according to this example is configured as a touch sensor configured to be able to sense a pressing force by, for example, a pressure-sensitive method, and is disposed on the side surface of the external housing 5a. In this case, the processing unit 50 obtains the pressing force detected by the grip force sensor 55 as the grip force.

[0086] 14 is a diagram showing the structure of a grip force sensor 55 according to a second example. The grip force sensor 55 according to this example is configured with a button mechanism configured to be able to detect the amount of pressing stepwise or continuously, and is disposed on the side surface of the external housing 5a. In this case, the processing unit 50 acquires the amount of pressing detected by the grip force sensor 55 as the grip force. Specific examples of the button mechanism include an actuator, a Hall element, and a strain gauge.

[0087] 15 is a diagram showing the structure of a grip force sensor 55 according to a third example. Grip force sensor 55 according to this example also serves as a pen pressure sensor 54, and is composed of a capacitor having a structure in which a dielectric 11 is disposed between two electrode plates 10 and 12. One end of electrode plate 10 is connected to the other end of core body 13 that constitutes pen tip 5b. In addition, electrode plate 12 is connected to a button mechanism 14 disposed on the side surface of external housing 5a.

[0088] The capacitor according to this example is configured so that the distance between the electrode plate 10 and the electrode plate 12 changes according to the force applied to the pen tip 5b, and as a result, the capacitance also changes. Also, as can be understood by comparing FIG. 15(a) with FIG. 15(b), the capacitor according to this example is configured so that the electrode plate 12 moves laterally according to the amount of depression of the button mechanism 14, and as a result, the capacitance changes. In the tablet input process shown in FIG. 4, the processing unit 50 according to this example regards the capacitor according to this example as a pen pressure sensor 54 and obtains the pen pressure from the capacitance. On the other hand, in the virtual reality space input process shown in FIG. 5, the capacitor according to this example is regarded as a grip force sensor 55 and obtains the grip force from the capacitance. According to this example, it is possible to realize both the grip force sensor 55 and the pen pressure sensor 54 with one capacitor.

[0089] 15 illustrates an example in which a capacitor is used, but a load cell can also function as both the grip force sensor 55 and the pen pressure sensor 54. The load cell can measure stress in each of the X, Y, and Z directions individually, so that the pen pressure, which is the force in the pen axis direction, and the grip force, which is the force perpendicular to the pen axis direction, can be calculated individually based on the individual measured stresses.

[0090] 16 is a diagram showing the structure of a grip force sensor 55 according to a fourth example. Grip force sensor 55 according to this example has a structure in which a pressure sensor 15, a substrate 16, and a dome button 17 are laminated, and is disposed on the side surface of external housing 5a so that the surface on the dome button 17 side is exposed. Pressure sensor 15 is a sensor configured to be able to sense a pressing force against the surface of external housing 5a, and dome button 17 is a button mechanism configured to be able to be turned on and off by the user.

[0091] Fig. 17 is a process flow diagram showing the process performed by the processing unit 50 of the electronic pen 5 when a grip force sensor 55 according to the fourth example is used. Fig. 17(a) is the process flow diagram shown in Fig. 3 with steps S90 to S95 added. Fig. 17(b) is the process flow diagram shown in Fig. 4 or 5 with step S96 added. Hereinafter, the operation of the electronic pen 5 equipped with the grip force sensor 55 according to the fourth example will be described with reference to Fig. 17.

[0092] 17(a), the processing unit 50 first judges whether the dome button 17 is on or off (step S90). If it is judged to be off, the reset flag C is set to false (step S95) and the tablet input process of step S1 is started. The reset flag C is a flag indicating whether the dome button 17 has just been pressed or not. If it has just been pressed, the judgment result of step S91 described later will be false.

[0093] The processing unit 50 that has determined that the reset flag C is on in step S90 then determines whether the reset flag C is true or false (step S91). If the processing unit 50 determines that the reset flag C is true, it immediately starts the tablet input process of step S1. On the other hand, if the processing unit 50 determines that the reset flag C is false, it acquires the grip force from the grip force sensor 55 (step S92) and sets the acquired grip force to the initial grip force (step S93). The initial grip force here is a variable used to treat the grip force when the dome button 17 is pressed as 0, and is unrelated to the initial grip force used in the computer 2 (used in the process flow shown in FIG. 10 or FIG. 11). After executing step S93, the processing unit 50 sets the reset flag C to true (step S94) and starts the tablet input process of step S1.

[0094] 17(b), the processing unit 50 uses the grip forces obtained by subtracting the initial grip forces from the grip forces acquired in step S15 of Fig. 4 and the grip forces acquired in step S26 of Fig. 5 as grip forces (step S96). That is, pressure information relating to the grip forces obtained by the subtraction in step S96 is transmitted to the computer 2, rather than the grip forces themselves acquired in steps S15 and S26.

[0095] By the processing unit 50 executing the above-described processing, the user of the electronic pen 5 in this example can input pen pressure based on grip force by increasing or decreasing the grip force based on the grip force at the time when the dome button 17 is turned on at his / her own will.

[0096] 18 is a diagram showing the structure of a grip force sensor 55 according to a fifth example. The grip force sensor 55 according to this example is composed of a capacitor having a structure in which a dielectric 19 and rubber 20 are arranged between two electrode plates 18, 21, and is disposed on the side surface of the external housing 5a. The processing unit 50 according to this example is configured to obtain the electrostatic capacitance of the capacitor, which is the grip force sensor 55, as the grip force.

[0097] In the capacitor according to this embodiment, when the user presses the electrode plate 21 located on the outside, the rubber 20 is crushed according to the pressing force, and the distance between the electrode plate 18 and the electrode plate 21 is shortened accordingly, resulting in an increase in capacitance. In addition, when the user applies a force in the pen axis direction to the electrode plate 21 located on the outside, the electrode plate 21 slides in the pen axis direction due to the deformation of the rubber 20 as shown in FIG. 18(b), resulting in a decrease in capacitance. Therefore, the grip force sensor 55 according to this embodiment can detect the force in the pen axis direction as a grip force in addition to the pressing force. Note that, assuming that the distance between the electrode plate 18 and the electrode plate 21 is d, the overlap area of ​​the electrode plates 18 and 21 in the absence of sliding is S, the change in the overlap area due to sliding is ΔS, and the dielectric constant of the member formed by the dielectric 19 and the rubber 20 is ε, the capacitance of the capacitor according to this embodiment is expressed by the following formula (1). C = ε(S - ΔS) / d (1)

[0098] Fig. 19 is a diagram showing the structure of a grip force sensor 55 according to the sixth example. As shown in the figure, the electronic pen 5 according to this example has a grip member 22 attached to the external housing 5a, and the grip force sensor 55 according to this example is built into this grip member 22. Fig. 19(a) shows a side view of the electronic pen 5 with the grip member 22 attached, Fig. 19(b) shows the top view of the electronic pen 5 with the grip member 22 attached, and Fig. 19(c) shows a state in which the electronic pen 5 with the grip member 22 attached is in use.

[0099] As shown in Figures 19(a) to (c), the grip member 22 is configured to have a cylindrical base 22a that fits into the external housing 5a, and a finger rest 22b that extends in an arch shape from one end of the base 22a. As shown in Figure 19(c), a user uses the electronic pen 5 with his or her index finger placed on the finger rest 22b. Note that, although Figure 19 illustrates an example in which the grip member 22 is separate from the external housing 5a, they may be formed integrally.

[0100] The grip force sensor 55 is, for example, a strain gauge embedded in the finger rest 22b and is configured to be able to detect the force applied by the user's index finger (the pressing force of the finger rest 22b). The processing unit 50 according to this example is configured to obtain the force thus detected as the grip force.

[0101] Here, by incorporating an acceleration sensor in the electronic pen 5 or the grip member 22, the processing unit 50 can also detect the user's action of shaking the electronic pen 5. By combining this with the detection of the pressing force of the finger rest 22b by the grip force sensor 55, it is also possible to simulate a tapping action on the touch surface.

[0102] Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and it goes without saying that the present invention can be embodied in various forms without departing from the spirit of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0103] 1. Spatial Positioning System 2. Computer 2a Control section 2b Memory 3 Virtual reality displays 4 Plane position sensor 4a Input surface 5 Electronic pen 5a External housing 5b Pen tip 7a, 7b Position detection equipment 8a~8c Spatial position sensor 10,12 Electrode plate 11 Dielectrics 13 Core body 14 Button mechanism 15 Pressure Sensor 16 Substrate 17 Dome Button 18,21 Electrode plate 19 Dielectrics 20 Rubber 22 Grip material 22a base 22b Finger Rest 50 Processing section 51 Planar Communication Section 52 Space Communication Department 53 Spatial position detection unit 54 Pen pressure sensor 55 Grip force sensor 56 Force sensing generation unit A drawing area B Virtual tablet

Claims

1. A position indication device for controlling a 3D object in a virtual reality space, A housing and a first sensor that detects a first pressure applied to a first member that is provided so as to protrude from a tip of the housing; a second sensor that detects a second pressure applied to a second member provided at a position between the vicinity of a center of the housing and the first member, the second pressure being used to control the 3D object in the virtual reality space; and a first communication unit that transmits either information related to the first pressure detected by the first sensor or information related to the second pressure detected by the second sensor; A position indicating device comprising:

2. a second communication unit different from the first communication unit that operates independently of the first communication unit and transmits information about the first pressure detected by the first sensor; The position indication device according to claim 1 , further comprising:

3. The second pressure is a pressure applied to the second member by a user gripping the housing. The position indication device according to claim 1 .

4. the first pressure is a pressure applied to the first member by a contact surface when the first member contacts the contact surface; The position indication device according to claim 1 .

5. The housing is a pen-shaped housing. The position indication device according to claim 1 .

6. the first pressure is a pressure applied to the first member by a contact surface located on a sensor of an external device having a sensor that receives information regarding the first pressure transmitted from the second communication unit when the first member comes into contact with the contact surface; The position indication device according to claim 2 .

7. The information regarding the first pressure transmitted from the first communication unit is a pressure used to control the 3D object in the virtual reality space. The position indication device according to claim 1 .

8. A computer capable of communicating with a position indication device for controlling a 3D object in a virtual reality space, the position indication device having a housing, a first sensor for detecting a first pressure applied to a first member provided so as to protrude from an end of the housing, a second sensor for detecting a second pressure applied to a second member provided at a position between a center of the housing and the first member, the second pressure being used for controlling the 3D object in the virtual reality space, and a first communication unit for transmitting either information on the first pressure detected by the first sensor or information on the second pressure detected by the second sensor, a communication unit that receives either the information regarding the first pressure or the information regarding the second pressure transmitted by the first communication unit of the position indication device; a controller that controls a line width of the 3D object in the virtual reality space based on one of the information regarding the first pressure and the information regarding the second pressure received by the communication unit; and A computer having:

9. the controller generates a 3D object in the virtual reality space based on a position of the position indication device in a space and either the information on the first pressure or the information on the second pressure received by the communication unit; The computer of claim 8.

10. The controller: When the first member of the position indication device is in contact with a contact surface, a line width of the 3D object is controlled based on information regarding the first pressure received by the communication unit; when the first member of the position indication device is not in contact with a contact surface, controlling a line width of the 3D object based on information regarding the second pressure received by the communication unit. The computer of claim 8.

11. A control method is implemented by a computer capable of communicating with a position indication device for controlling a 3D object in a virtual reality space, the position indication device having a housing, a first sensor that detects a first pressure applied to a first member provided so as to protrude from an end of the housing, a second sensor that detects a second pressure applied to a second member provided at a position between a center of the housing and the first member, the second pressure being used for controlling the 3D object in the virtual reality space, a first communication unit that transmits either information related to the first pressure detected by the first sensor or information related to the second pressure detected by the second sensor, and a second communication unit that is different from the first communication unit and operates independently of the first communication unit, the second communication unit transmitting information related to the first pressure detected by the first sensor, receiving one of information regarding the first pressure and information regarding the second pressure transmitted by the first communication unit of the position indication device; controlling a line width of the 3D object in the virtual reality space based on one of the received information about the first pressure and the received information about the second pressure; Control methods.

12. generating the 3D object in the virtual reality space based on a position of the position indication device in a space and one of the received information regarding the first pressure and the received information regarding the second pressure; The control method according to claim 11.

13. when the first member of the position indication device is in contact with a contact surface, controlling a line width of the 3D object in the virtual reality space based on the received information about the first pressure; controlling a line width of the 3D object in the virtual reality space based on the received information about the second pressure when the first member of the position indication device is not in contact with a contact surface; The control method according to claim 11.

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