Sensor controller and program

Abstract

The present invention relates to a sensor controller. The sensor controller comprises an acquisition unit, a first storage unit, a second storage unit, an update unit, and an operation control unit. The acquisition unit acquires a connection state between an electronic apparatus provided with a pen sensor and a peripheral tool. The first storage unit stores: a plurality of correction tables corresponding to the connection state; and a program for operation control. The second storage unit stores a program and one correction table. The update unit reads the program from the first storage unit, selects one correction table from the plurality of correction tables in the first storage unit according to the connection state acquired by the acquisition unit, and updates the second storage unit with the read program and the selected one correction table. The operation control unit reads the one correction table and the program from the second storage unit and performs the operation control.

Description

Sensor Controller and Program

[0001] The present invention relates to a sensor controller and a program, and more particularly to a sensor controller and a program for controlling the operation of an electronic device that receives a position indication by an electronic pen and displays it on a screen.

[0002] Conventionally, a pen sensor that detects a position indication by an electronic pen, a sensor controller that controls the detection operation of the pen sensor, and an electronic device equipped with the sensor controller are known.

[0003] In this regard, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2024-60058 discloses an electronic device including a light source substrate on which a plurality of light-emitting elements are two-dimensionally arranged, a sensor substrate that detects an indicated position by an electronic pen, and a liquid crystal panel having a display surface disposed directly above the light source substrate.

[0004] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2024-60058

[0005] In an electronic device equipped with a sensor controller, accessories such as a back cover, a keyboard, and a mobile battery may be attached or connected as peripheral devices. Such peripheral devices have a significant impact on the operation control of position detection by the sensor controller due to the magnetic field generated by the built-in magnet or the electromagnetic waves generated during operation. In addition, the sensor controller is also affected by changes in the peripheral environment, such as changes in the peripheral magnetic flux distribution, regardless of changes in the attachment and connection states of the peripheral devices. The technology described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2024-60058 does not consider at all the impact of changes in the states of peripheral devices and the peripheral environment on the electronic device.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of such problems, and an object thereof is to provide a sensor controller and a program capable of reducing the influence caused by changes in the state of the peripheral environment.

[0007] To solve the above problems, the first sensor controller according to the present invention is a sensor controller that controls the operation of position detection by a pen sensor, and comprises: an acquisition unit that acquires the connection state between an electronic device on which the pen sensor is provided and a peripheral device; a first storage unit that stores a plurality of correction tables corresponding to the connection state and a program for operation control; a second storage unit that stores the program and one of the plurality of correction tables; an update unit that reads the program from the first storage unit, selects one of the plurality of correction tables in the first storage unit according to the connection state acquired by the acquisition unit, and updates the second storage unit with the read program and the selected one correction table; and an operation control unit that reads the one correction table and the program from the second storage unit and performs operation control.

[0008] Furthermore, in the second sensor controller according to the present invention, the operation control unit corrects the position indication information acquired by the pen sensor according to the first correction table read from the second storage unit.

[0009] Furthermore, in the third sensor controller according to the present invention, the update unit updates the second storage unit with the program and the selected first correction table when the electronic device is started up.

[0010] Furthermore, in the fourth sensor controller according to the present invention, the update unit updates the second storage unit with the selected first correction table if the selected first correction table is different from the first correction table stored in the second storage unit.

[0011] Furthermore, in the fifth sensor controller according to the present invention, the second storage unit has a smaller data capacity for information that can be stored than the first storage unit.

[0012] Furthermore, in the sixth sensor controller according to the present invention, the correction table includes correction values ​​relating to the coordinates of the electronic pen relative to the pen sensor.

[0013] Furthermore, in the seventh sensor controller according to the present invention, the correction table includes a correction value relating to the pressure of the electronic pen on the pen sensor.

[0014] Furthermore, in the eighth sensor controller according to the present invention, the correction table includes correction values ​​related to the orientation of the electronic pen relative to the pen sensor.

[0015] Furthermore, the ninth sensor controller according to the present invention is a sensor controller that controls the operation of position detection by a pen sensor, comprising: an acquisition unit that acquires the state of the magnetic flux distribution near the pen sensor; an update unit that updates a correction value related to the position detection based on the state of the magnetic flux distribution acquired by the acquisition unit; and an operation control unit that corrects the detection result of the pen sensor according to the correction value updated by the update unit and controls the operation of the position detection according to the corrected detection result.

[0016] Furthermore, the tenth sensor controller according to the present invention further comprises a first storage unit that stores a plurality of correction tables including the correction value, and a second storage unit that stores one of the plurality of correction tables, wherein the update unit selects the one correction table from the plurality of correction tables stored in the first storage unit and updates the one correction table stored in the second storage unit based on the magnetic flux distribution state acquired by the acquisition unit.

[0017] Furthermore, the eleventh sensor controller according to the present invention further comprises a first storage unit that stores a plurality of calculation algorithms for calculating the correction value, and a second storage unit that stores one of the plurality of calculation algorithms, wherein the update unit selects the one calculation algorithm from the plurality of calculation algorithms stored in the first storage unit based on the state of the magnetic flux distribution acquired by the acquisition unit, updates the one calculation algorithm stored in the second storage unit, and updates the correction value according to the one calculation algorithm stored in the second storage unit.

[0018] Furthermore, in the twelfth sensor controller according to the present invention, the correction value is a value that corrects the coordinates of the electronic pen relative to the pen sensor.

[0019] Furthermore, in the thirteenth sensor controller according to the present invention, the correction value is a value that corrects the information regarding the pressure of the electronic pen on the pen sensor.

[0020] Furthermore, in the fourteenth sensor controller according to the present invention, the correction value is a value that corrects information regarding the orientation of the electronic pen relative to the pen sensor.

[0021] Furthermore, in the fifteenth sensor controller according to the present invention, the acquisition unit detects the measured value of the magnetic sensor.

[0022] Furthermore, the sixteenth sensor controller according to the present invention is a sensor controller that controls the operation of position detection by a pen sensor, and comprises: an acquisition unit that acquires the state of the magnetic flux distribution in the vicinity of the pen sensor; an update unit that updates the calculation algorithm for position detection based on the state of the magnetic flux distribution acquired by the acquisition unit; and an operation control unit that performs calculation processing on the detection result of the pen sensor according to the calculation algorithm updated by the update unit, and controls the operation of position detection according to the result of the calculation processing.

[0023] Furthermore, the seventeenth sensor controller according to the present invention further comprises a first storage unit that stores a plurality of calculation algorithms, and a second storage unit that stores one of the plurality of calculation algorithms, wherein the update unit selects one calculation algorithm from the plurality of calculation algorithms stored in the first storage unit based on the state of the magnetic flux distribution acquired by the acquisition unit, updates the one calculation algorithm stored in the second storage unit, and performs calculation processing on the detection result of the pen sensor according to the one calculation algorithm stored in the second storage unit.

[0024] Furthermore, the eighteenth program according to the present invention causes a sensor controller that controls the operation of position detection by a pen sensor to function as follows: an acquisition unit that acquires the connection state between an electronic device on which the pen sensor is provided and a peripheral device; a first storage unit that stores a plurality of correction tables corresponding to the connection state and a program for operation control; a second storage unit that stores the program and one of the plurality of correction tables; an update unit that reads the program from the first storage unit, selects the one correction table from the plurality of correction tables in the first storage unit according to the connection state acquired by the acquisition unit, and updates the second storage unit with the read program and the selected one correction table; and an operation control unit that reads the one correction table and the program from the second storage unit and performs the operation control.

[0025] Furthermore, the nineteenth program according to the present invention causes a sensor controller that controls the operation of position detection by a pen sensor to function as an acquisition unit that acquires the state of the magnetic flux distribution near the pen sensor, an update unit that updates the correction value for position detection based on the state of the magnetic flux distribution acquired by the acquisition unit, and an operation control unit that corrects the detection result of the pen sensor according to the correction value updated by the update unit and controls the operation of position detection according to the corrected detection result.

[0026] Furthermore, the 20th program according to the present invention causes a sensor controller that controls the operation of position detection by a pen sensor to function as an acquisition unit that acquires the state of the magnetic flux distribution near the pen sensor, an update unit that updates the calculation algorithm for position detection based on the state of the magnetic flux distribution acquired by the acquisition unit, and an operation control unit that performs calculation processing on the detection result of the pen sensor according to the calculation algorithm updated by the update unit and controls the operation of position detection according to the result of the calculation processing.

[0027] According to the present invention, the sensor controller can reduce the influence of changes in the surrounding environment.

[0028] This figure shows an example of the overall configuration of the position detection system according to this embodiment. This figure shows the configuration of the electronic device according to this embodiment. This figure shows the positional relationship between the display panel and the pen sensor in the electronic device according to this embodiment. This figure shows the functional configuration of the sensor controller according to this embodiment. This is a conceptual diagram showing the correction table update process by the sensor controller according to this embodiment. This is a conceptual diagram showing the position indication detection process when no peripheral devices are connected to the electronic device according to this embodiment. This is a conceptual diagram showing the position indication detection process when peripheral devices are connected to the electronic device according to this embodiment. This is a flowchart showing an example of a series of processing steps by the sensor controller according to this embodiment.

[0029] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention (hereinafter referred to as "this embodiment") will be described with reference to the attached drawings. To facilitate understanding of the description, the same reference numerals are used for the same components and steps in each drawing whenever possible, and redundant explanations are omitted.

[0030] <Overall Configuration> Figure 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of the detection system 1 according to this embodiment. As shown in Figure 1, the detection system 1 is composed of, for example, an electronic device 10, an electronic pen 20, and peripheral devices 31, 32, and 33.

[0031] The electronic device 10 is a computer owned by the user, such as a tablet, smartphone, or laptop computer. The electronic device 10 has an external shape formed by a plate-shaped housing 11, a display panel 12 is provided on the top surface of the housing 11, and connection terminals 121 and 122 are provided on the sides of the housing 11. The user can write pictures and characters on the display panel 12 of the electronic device 10 by pressing the tip of the electronic pen 20 against the display panel 12 and moving it. The connection terminal 121 is an interface such as a phone jack, and is a terminal for connecting devices with a phone plug, such as earphones or headphones. The connection terminal 122 is an interface such as USB (Universal Serial Bus) (registered trademark), and is a terminal for connecting devices that conform to the USB (registered trademark) communication specifications.

[0032] The electronic pen 20 is a pen-type pointing device conforming to the EMR (Electro Magnetic Resonance) method. The electronic pen 20 has a resonant circuit composed of a capacitor and a coil inside, and is configured to enable bidirectional communication with the electronic device 10. The electronic pen 20 stores energy by receiving an alternating magnetic field generated by the loop coil of the electronic device 10, causing the internal resonant circuit to resonate. Subsequently, when the electronic device 10 stops driving the loop coil, the electronic pen 20 transmits an alternating magnetic field as a position signal to the electronic device 10 from the energy-stored resonant circuit. The electronic device 10 receives the position signal from the electronic pen 20 via the loop coil and detects the position indication by the electronic pen 20 based on the power and voltage of the position signal. In addition to the function of indicating position, the electronic pen 20 may also be provided with a function to detect pen pressure. For example, the electronic pen 20 realizes the pen pressure detection function by configuring the capacitor of the resonant circuit so that the capacitance of the capacitor changes when pressure is applied to the pen tip.

[0033] The peripheral device 31 is, for example, a cover for attachment to the electronic device 10. The peripheral device 31 has a magnet 310 on its mounting surface and is formed to be detachable from the housing 11 of the electronic device 10 by the magnetic force of the magnet 310. The peripheral device 31 is, for example, configured to be foldable in two, and when folded while attached to the electronic device 10 by the magnet 310, it covers the electronic device 10, preventing it from getting dirty with dust and debris. In this embodiment, the peripheral device 31 is a cover, but it is not limited to this, and can be any device that can be attached by the magnet 310. The peripheral device 31 may also be an accessory other than a cover, such as a keychain or a finger cot.

[0034] The peripheral device 32 is, for example, a device having a phone plug, such as earphones or headphones. The peripheral device 32 is configured to be connectable to the connection terminal 122 of the electronic device 10.

[0035] The peripheral device 33 is, for example, a rechargeable battery such as a mobile battery. The peripheral device 33 has a USB (registered trademark) interface and is configured to be connectable to the connection terminal 121 of the electronic device 10.

[0036] Figure 2 shows the configuration of the electronic device 10 according to this embodiment. Figure 3 shows the positional relationship between the display panel 12 and the pen sensor 13 in the electronic device 10 according to this embodiment. In addition to the components described above, the electronic device 10 is configured to include a pen sensor 13, a selection circuit 14, a sensor controller 15, a host processor 16, a magnetic sensor 17, and an input / output unit 18 inside the housing 11. The electronic device 10 also includes memory, a communication module, and the like, although these are not shown.

[0037] The display panel 12 is configured to display content including text, images, and videos. Specifically, the display panel 12 can display monochrome or color images and is composed of, for example, a liquid crystal panel, an organic EL (Electro-Luminescence) panel, electronic paper, or a quantum dot panel. The liquid crystal panel may be a backlight type, a mini-LED (Light Emitting Diode) type, or a micro-LED type. The display panel 12 displays content according to the control of the host processor 16 in response to the detection of the position indication of the electronic pen 20 by the pen sensor 13.

[0038] The pen sensor 13 is, for example, an EMR type sensor in which a plurality of loop coils 131 and 132 are arranged in a planar manner. The pen sensor 13 is installed so as to overlap the display area of ​​the display panel 12 in a planar view and detects the position of the electronic pen 20. The pen sensor 13 is configured to include, for example, a plurality of loop coils 131 for detecting the position on the X axis of the sensor coordinate system and a plurality of loop coils 132 for detecting the position on the Y axis.

[0039] The loop coils 131 extend in the Y-axis direction and are arranged in multiples in a line along the X-axis direction. The loop coils 131 have a long rectangular shape with a substantially constant width regardless of their position in the Y-axis direction. One end of the loop coil 131 is connected to the selection circuit 14, and the other end is connected to a reference potential (for example, ground potential).

[0040] The loop coils 132 extend in the X-axis direction and are arranged in a row in the Y-axis direction. The loop coils 132 have a long rectangular shape with a substantially constant width regardless of their position in the X-axis direction. The loop coils 132 are arranged to intersect with each other to form a two-dimensional grid. This creates a rectangular detection area for indicating a two-dimensional position on the XY coordinate system. One end of the loop coil 132 is connected to the selection circuit 14, and the other end is connected to a reference potential (for example, ground potential).

[0041] The selection circuit 14 switches the connection destination of the pen sensor 13 according to the control of the sensor controller 15. As a result, the selection circuit 14 selectively connects one loop coil 131 from among the multiple loop coils 131 to the sensor controller 15. Also, the selection circuit 14 selectively connects one loop coil 132 from among the multiple loop coils 132 to the sensor controller 15.

[0042] The sensor controller 15 controls the operation of detecting the position of the electronic pen 20 by the pen sensor 13. Further, the sensor controller 15 executes two-way communication between the electronic pen 20 and the sensor controller 15 by controlling reception and transmission to the pen sensor 13. Further, the sensor controller 15 communicates with the host processor 16. Further, the sensor controller 15 is configured to include, for example, a communication device, a storage device, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), and a memory. The sensor controller 15 functions as various functional configurations described later by the CPU executing a predetermined program stored in the memory or the storage device or the like. The communication device is composed of a communication interface or the like for communicating with an external device. The storage device is composed of a hard disk or the like, and stores various programs, various information, and information on processing results necessary for executing processing in the sensor controller 15.

[0043] The host processor 16 is composed of an arithmetic processing device including a CPU, a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), and an MPU (Micro-Processing Unit). The host processor 16 plays a role of executing an operating system of the electronic device 10 and various applications such as drawing software by executing a program stored in a memory (not shown). The drawing software includes a function of generating stroke data based on coordinates sequentially supplied from the sensor controller 15, rendering the data, and displaying the data on the display. The drawing software also includes a function of adjusting the rendering result based on data such as a pen pressure value supplied from the sensor controller 15 (for example, a function of adjusting the line width according to the pen pressure value).

[0044] The magnetic sensor 17 is a magnet sensor, a Hall element, or the like. The magnetic sensor 17 is provided in the housing 11 of the electronic device 10, measures the magnitude and direction of the magnetic field in the vicinity, and transmits the measurement result to the sensor controller 15 via the host processor 16.

[0045] The input / output unit 18 is a circuit for communicating with devices outside the electronic device 10. The input / output unit 18 transmits and receives signals to and from the peripheral devices 32 and 33 via the connection terminals 121 and 122. The input / output unit 18 transmits the information indicated by the received signal to the sensor controller 15 via the host processor 16.

[0046] <Functional Configuration> Next, while referring to FIG. 4, the functional configuration of the sensor controller 15 will be described. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the sensor controller 15 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 4, the sensor controller 15 includes, as functional components, for example, a first storage unit 151, a second storage unit 152, an acquisition unit 155, an update unit 156, and an operation control unit 157. Note that the functional means other than the first storage unit 151 and the second storage unit 152 are realized by the CPU of the sensor controller 15 executing a program stored in a storage device or the like of the sensor controller 15, or are realized by a logic circuit mounted in advance.

[0047] The first storage unit 151 is a functional configuration that functions as a non-volatile storage device such as a flash memory, an SSD (Solid State Drive), or an HDD (Hard Disk Drive). The first storage unit 151 stores, for example, a boot program 1511, a user program 1512, and a plurality of correction tables 153B to 153Z.

[0048] The boot program 1511 is a program executed when the sensor controller 15 is activated. The boot program 1511 is read out when the sensor controller 15 is activated and written and stored in the second storage unit 152 as the boot program 1521.

[0049] The user program 1512 is a program for executing various processes for the sensor controller 15 to perform position detection by the pen sensor 13. The user program 1512 includes a correction table 153A, which will be described later. The user program 1512 is read out when the sensor controller 15 is activated and written and stored in the second storage unit 152 as the user program 1522.

[0050] The correction tables 153A to 153Z are data tables containing correction values ​​for correcting position indication information obtained by the electronic pen 20 detected by the pen sensor 13. Each of the correction tables 153A to 153Z is predetermined for each state of the electronic device 10 and is stored in the first storage unit 151. The state of the electronic device 10 is, for example, the connection state between the electronic device 10 and peripheral devices 31 to 33. Another state of the electronic device 10 is, for example, the state of the magnetic flux distribution near the pen sensor 13. Specifically, the state of the electronic device 10 is which of the predetermined ranges the measured value of the magnetic sensor 17 falls within. Of the multiple correction tables 153A to 153Z, correction table 153A is included in the user program 1512.

[0051] The second storage unit 152 has a functional configuration that functions as a volatile memory device such as DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) or SRAM (Static Random Access Memory). The second storage unit 152 stores, for example, the boot program 1521 and the user program 1522 during operation. Note that the second storage unit 152 has a smaller data capacity for information that can be stored than the first storage unit 151.

[0052] The boot program 1521 is a program that is executed when the sensor controller 15 is started up. When the sensor controller 15 is started up, the boot program 1511 read from the first storage unit 151 is expanded into the second storage unit 152 as the boot program 1521 and executed. The boot program 1521 executes the user program 1522 stored in the second storage unit 152.

[0053] User program 1522 is a program that executes various processes for the sensor controller 15 to perform position detection using the pen sensor 13. When the sensor controller 15 is started, user program 1512, read from the first storage unit 151, is loaded into the second storage unit 152 as user program 1522, and executed by the operation control unit 157, which will be described later. User program 1522 includes a correction table 154, which will be described later.

[0054] The correction tables 153A to 153Z are data tables containing correction values ​​for correcting position indication information obtained by the electronic pen 20 detected by the pen sensor 13. Each of the correction tables 153A to 153Z is predetermined for each state of the electronic device 10 and is stored in the first storage unit 151. The state of the electronic device 10 is, for example, the connection state between the electronic device 10 and peripheral devices 31 to 33. Another state of the electronic device 10 is, for example, the state of the magnetic flux distribution near the pen sensor 13. Specifically, the state of the electronic device 10 is which of the predetermined ranges the measured value of the magnetic sensor 17 falls within. Of the multiple correction tables 153A to 153Z, correction table 153A is included in the user program 1512. Correction table 154 is a data table included in the user program 1522, and when the sensor controller 15 is started, one of the correction tables 153A to 153Z is selected and stored in the second storage unit 152 as correction table 154.

[0055] The acquisition unit 155 acquires the connection status between the electronic device 10 and peripheral devices 31-33. Specifically, the acquisition unit 155 acquires information regarding the connection status between the electronic device 10 and peripheral devices 31-33 transmitted from the input / output unit 18 via the host processor 16. The acquisition unit 155 also acquires the state of the magnetic flux distribution near the pen sensor 13. Specifically, the acquisition unit 155 acquires the state of the magnetic flux distribution near the pen sensor 13 from the measured values ​​transmitted from the magnetic sensor 17 via the host processor 16. The acquisition unit 155 also acquires information indicating the coordinates of the electronic pen 20 on the pen sensor 13 and information indicating the pressure applied by the electronic pen 20 from the pen sensor 13. Specifically, the acquisition unit 155 acquires information indicating the coordinates of the electronic pen 20 on the pen sensor 13 and information indicating the pressure applied by the electronic pen 20 from the potential, frequency, phase, etc., of the signals transmitted from the loop coils 131 and 132 of the pen sensor 13.

[0056] When the sensor controller 15 is started up, the update unit 156 reads the boot program 1511 and the user program 1512 from the first storage unit 151, and stores them in the second storage unit 152 as the boot program 1521 and the user program 1522. Now, with reference to Figure 5, the details of the update process by the update unit 156 will be explained.

[0057] Figure 5 is a conceptual diagram showing the update process of the correction table 154 by the sensor controller 15 according to this embodiment. In Figure 5, the first storage unit 151 has a data area with a data capacity of 800kB for storing the boot program 1511 and the user program 1512, and a reserve area with a data capacity of 1000kB for storing a plurality of correction tables 153B and 153C. Also in Figure 5, the second storage unit 152 has a data area with a data capacity of 800kB for storing the boot program 1511 and the user program 1512.

[0058] As shown in Figure 5, the update unit 156 selects one correction table 153 (correction table 153C in Figure 5) from a plurality of correction tables 153A and 153C in the first storage unit 151 according to the state of the electronic device 10 acquired by the acquisition unit 155. Furthermore, the update unit 156 updates the correction table 154 of the user program 1522 stored in the second storage unit 152 using the selected correction table 153. Note that when updating the second storage unit 152, the update unit 156 may update the selected second storage unit 152 only if the selected correction table 153 is different from the correction table 154 stored in the second storage unit 152.

[0059] Returning to Figure 4, the motion control unit 157 controls the operation of position detection by the pen sensor 13. Specifically, the motion control unit 157 reads the boot program 1521 from the second storage unit 152 and starts processing according to the boot program 1521. The motion control unit 157 reads the user program 1522 and the correction table 154 from the second storage unit 152 according to the boot program 1521. The motion control unit 157 corrects the position indication information from the electronic pen 20 acquired by the acquisition unit 155 using the correction values ​​indicated in the correction table 154 according to the user program 1522. Then, the motion control unit 157 transmits the corrected information to the host processor 16 and processes the display operation of the display panel 12.

[0060] Here, with reference to Figures 6A and 6B, the change in the magnetic flux distribution state near the electronic device 10 depending on whether or not the peripheral device 31 is connected will be explained. Figure 6A is a conceptual diagram showing the detection process of the position indication when the peripheral device 31 is not connected to the electronic device 10 according to this embodiment. In Figures 6A and 6B, the graph shown below the pen sensor 13 is a graph showing the detection level related to the position indication detected by the loop coil 131, with the vertical axis showing the level and the horizontal axis showing the position in the X-axis direction (positions x1 to x5). Also, in Figure 6A, the graph shown to the right of the pen sensor 13 is a graph showing the detection level related to the position indication detected by the loop coil 132, with the horizontal axis showing the level and the vertical axis showing the position in the Y-axis direction (positions y1 to y5). The detection level is the potential of the signal transmitted from the loop coil 131 or 132 to the sensor controller 15, or the discrete value after analog-to-digital conversion of the signal.

[0061] As shown in Figure 6A, when the peripheral device 31 is not connected to the electronic device 10, the detection level is highest at the coordinates of the position where the electronic pen 20 is indicating its position to the pen sensor 13. Also, as shown in Figure 6B, when the peripheral device 31 is connected to the electronic device 10 via the magnet 310, the state of the magnetic flux distribution changes due to the magnetic field generated by the magnet 310. As a result, the detection level is highest at the coordinates of a position shifted from the position where the electronic pen 20 is indicating its position to the pen sensor 13. The operation control unit 157 improves the accuracy of position detection by correcting the above-mentioned shift using the correction table 154. In this example, Figures 6A and 6B were used to explain the change in the state of the magnetic flux distribution according to the connection state of the peripheral device 31, but the state of the magnetic flux distribution also changes depending on the connection state of the peripheral devices 32 and 33 to the input / output unit 18. The operation control unit 157 also corrects the position indication information using the correction table 154 according to the connection state of these peripheral devices 32 and 33.

[0062] <Flow of Operations> The functional configuration of the sensor controller 15 has been described above. Next, the specific processing flow of the sensor controller 15 will be explained in detail. Figure 7 is a flowchart showing an example of a series of processing flows by the sensor controller 15. Note that the content and order of the following steps can be changed as appropriate.

[0063] (Step SP10) The sensor controller 15 acquires the state of the electronic device 10 using the acquisition unit 155. The state of the electronic device 10 is, for example, the state of the connection relationship between the electronic device 10 and peripheral devices 31-33, and is transmitted from the input / output unit 18 via the host processor 16. The state of the electronic device 10 is also, for example, the measured value of the magnetic sensor 17, and is transmitted from the magnetic sensor 17 via the host processor 16. Then the process moves on to the process in step SP12.

[0064] (Step SP12) The sensor controller 15 determines whether the state of the electronic device 10 has changed using the update unit 156. A change in the state of the electronic device 10 is, for example, whether the state of the connection relationship between the electronic device 10 and peripheral devices 31-33 has changed. Another change in the state of the electronic device 10 is, for example, whether the measured value of the magnetic sensor 17 has changed by more than a predetermined threshold. If the determination is positive, the process proceeds to step SP14. If the determination is negative, the process proceeds to step SP18.

[0065] (Step SP14) The sensor controller 15, via the update unit 156, refers to the first storage unit 151 and selects one correction table 153 from among the multiple correction tables 153A to 153Z stored in the first storage unit 151, according to the state of the electronic device 10 acquired by the acquisition unit 155. Specifically, the sensor controller 15, via the update unit 156, selects one correction table 153 according to predetermined conditions for each combination of connection relationships between the electronic device 10 and peripheral devices 31 to 33. The sensor controller 15, via the update unit 156, also determines, for example, which of the multiple predetermined ranges the measured value of the magnetic sensor 17 falls within, and selects one predetermined correction table 153 based on the determination result. Then, the process moves on to the process in step SP16.

[0066] (Step SP16) The sensor controller 15 updates the correction table 154 contained in the user program 1522 stored in the second storage unit 152 by overwriting it with one of the correction tables 153 selected in the process of step SP14, using the update unit 156. Then, the process moves on to the process of step SP18.

[0067] (Step SP18) The sensor controller 15 detects whether or not the electronic pen 20 has indicated a position on the pen sensor 13 by driving the pen sensor 13 and the selection circuit 14 via the motion control unit 157. Then, the process proceeds to the process of step SP20.

[0068] (Step SP20) The sensor controller 15, via the motion control unit 157, determines whether or not a position indication has been made to the pen sensor 13 by the electronic pen 20. Specifically, the sensor controller 15, for example, via the motion control unit 157, determines whether or not the potential or power of the signal detected by the loop coils 131 and 132 of the pen sensor 13 is greater than or equal to a predetermined value. If the determination is positive, the process proceeds to step SP22. If the determination is negative, the series of processes shown in Figure 7 ends.

[0069] (Step SP22) The sensor controller 15, via the motion control unit 157, extracts information regarding the position instruction by the electronic pen 20 to the pen sensor 13 from the signal indicating the position instruction by the electronic pen 20 transmitted from the pen sensor 13. The sensor controller 15 also refers to the correction table 154 from the second storage unit 152. Subsequently, the sensor controller 15 corrects the information using correction values ​​included in the correction table 153, which references the information regarding the coordinates on the pen sensor 13 where the position instruction was made and the information regarding the pen pressure applied to the pen sensor 13, as extracted by the motion control unit 157. Then, the process moves on to the process in step SP24.

[0070] (Step SP24) The sensor controller 15, via the operation control unit 157, executes position detection processing according to the information corrected in step SP22. Specifically, the sensor controller 15 transmits the information corrected in step SP22 to the host processor 16, and the host processor 16 performs the operation processing for display control by the display panel 12. Then, the series of processes shown in Figure 7 is completed.

[0071] <Effects> In this embodiment, the sensor controller 15 controls the operation of position detection by the pen sensor 13. The sensor controller 15 comprises an acquisition unit 155, a first storage unit 151, a second storage unit 152, an update unit 156, and an operation control unit 157. The acquisition unit 155 acquires the connection status between the electronic device 10 on which the pen sensor 13 is provided and the peripheral devices 31 to 33. The first storage unit 151 stores a plurality of correction tables 153A to 153Z corresponding to the connection status, and a user program 1512 (program) for operation control. The second storage unit 152 stores a user program 1522 (program) and one correction table 154. The update unit 156 reads the user program 1512 from the first storage unit 151 and selects one correction table 153 from the plurality of correction tables 153A to 153Z in the first storage unit 151 according to the connection status acquired by the acquisition unit 155. Furthermore, the update unit 156 updates the second storage unit 152 with the read user program 1512 and the selected correction table 153. The operation control unit 157 reads a correction table 154 and a user program 1522 from the second storage unit 152 and performs operation control. Therefore, since the sensor controller 15 updates the correction table 154 in the second storage unit 152 according to the connection status between the electronic device 10 and the peripheral devices 31-33, the impact of changes in the connection status between the electronic device 10 and the peripheral devices 31-33 on the electronic device 10 can be reduced.

[0072] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the operation control unit 157 corrects the position indication information acquired by the pen sensor 13 according to a correction table 154 read from the second storage unit 152. Therefore, the sensor controller 15 can reduce the influence of changes in the connection state between the electronic device 10 and peripheral devices 31-33 on the position detection of the pen sensor 13.

[0073] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the update unit 156 updates the second storage unit 152 with the user program 1512 and a selected correction table 153 when the electronic device 10 is started up. Therefore, the sensor controller 15 can control the operation of the electronic device 10 using a correction table 154 that is suitable for the state of the surrounding environment when the electronic device 10 is started up.

[0074] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the update unit 156 updates the second storage unit 152 with the selected correction table 153 if the selected correction table 153 is different from a correction table 154 stored in the second storage unit 152. Therefore, the sensor controller 15 can reduce the frequency of update processing to the second storage unit 152, thereby suppressing an increase in power consumption and a decrease in operating speed of the sensor controller 15.

[0075] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the second storage unit 152 has a smaller data capacity for storing information than the first storage unit 151. Therefore, the sensor controller 15 requires less data capacity from the second storage unit 152, thus reducing the chip area and thus the cost.

[0076] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the correction table 153 includes correction values ​​related to the coordinates of the electronic pen 20 relative to the pen sensor 13. Therefore, the sensor controller 15 can reduce the influence of changes in the connection state between the electronic device 10 and peripheral devices 31-33 on the coordinates of the electronic pen 20 in position detection of the pen sensor 13.

[0077] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the correction table 153 includes correction values ​​related to the pressure applied by the electronic pen 20 to the pen sensor 13. Therefore, the sensor controller 15 can reduce the influence of changes in the connection state between the electronic device 10 and peripheral devices 31-33 on the pressure applied by the electronic pen 20 in detecting the position of the pen sensor 13.

[0078] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the sensor controller 15 controls the operation of position detection by the pen sensor 13 and comprises an acquisition unit 155, an update unit 156, and an operation control unit 157. The acquisition unit 155 acquires the state of the magnetic flux distribution in the vicinity of the pen sensor 13. The update unit 156 updates the correction value related to position detection based on the state of the magnetic flux distribution acquired by the acquisition unit 155. The operation control unit 157 corrects the detection result of the pen sensor 13 according to the correction value updated by the update unit 156 and controls the operation of position detection according to the corrected detection result. Therefore, the sensor controller 15 can reduce the influence that the state of the magnetic flux distribution in the vicinity of the electronic device 10 has on the electronic device 10.

[0079] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the sensor controller 15 further includes a first storage unit 151 that stores a plurality of correction tables 153A to 153Z including correction values, and a second storage unit 152 that stores one correction table 154. The update unit 156 selects one correction table 153 from the plurality of correction tables 153A to 153Z stored in the first storage unit 151 based on the magnetic flux distribution state acquired by the acquisition unit 155, and updates one correction table 154 stored in the second storage unit 152. Therefore, the sensor controller 15 can use a correction table 153 suitable for position detection according to the magnetic flux distribution state in the vicinity of the electronic device 10.

[0080] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the acquisition unit 155 detects the measured value of the magnetic sensor 17. Therefore, since the sensor controller 15 acquires the state of the magnetic flux distribution from the magnetic sensor 17, the influence of the state of the magnetic flux distribution in the vicinity of the electronic device 10 on the electronic device 10 can be reduced with a simple configuration.

[0081] ---Modifications--- It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. That is, any design modifications made to the above embodiments by those skilled in the art are also included within the scope of the present invention, as long as they retain the features of the present invention. Furthermore, the elements of the above embodiments and the modifications described later can be combined to the extent that it is technically possible, and any combination thereof is also included within the scope of the present invention, as long as it retains the features of the present invention.

[0082] For example, in the above embodiment, the sensor controller 15 corrected the position indication information using a correction table 154 stored in the second storage unit 152, but it is not limited to this. The sensor controller 15 may also correct the position indication information using a calculation algorithm instead of the correction table 154. The calculation algorithm is, for example, a predetermined function or calculation formula, and the information such as the detection level related to the position indication is substituted into the function or calculation formula, thereby correcting the information.

[0083] More specifically, the sensor controller 15 may include a first storage unit 151 that stores a plurality of calculation algorithms for calculating a correction value, and a second storage unit 152 that stores one calculation algorithm. Here, the update unit 156 selects one calculation algorithm from the plurality of calculation algorithms stored in the first storage unit 151 based on the state of the magnetic flux distribution acquired by the acquisition unit 155. Furthermore, the update unit 156 updates the one calculation algorithm stored in the second storage unit 152 and updates the correction value according to the one calculation algorithm stored in the second storage unit 152. With this configuration, even when the sensor controller 15 performs correction processing using a calculation algorithm instead of a correction table 153, the influence of changes in the connection state between the electronic device 10 and peripheral devices 31-33 or the state of the magnetic flux distribution on the electronic device 10 can be reduced.

[0084] Alternatively, the sensor controller 15 may perform calculation processing on the detection result of the pen sensor 13 using a calculation algorithm, rather than correcting the position indication information. The calculation processing is the processing of information related to the position indication by the electronic pen 20 to the pen sensor 13, and is the processing of calculating information such as coordinates and pen pressure. Here, the update unit 156 updates the calculation algorithm related to position detection based on the magnetic flux distribution state acquired by the acquisition unit 155. The operation control unit 157 also performs calculation processing on the detection result of the pen sensor 13 according to the calculation algorithm updated by the update unit 156, and controls the operation of position detection according to the calculated detection result. With this configuration, even when the sensor controller 15 directly calculates information related to position indication using a calculation algorithm, the influence of changes in the magnetic flux distribution state between the electronic device 10 and peripheral devices 31-33 on the electronic device 10 can be reduced.

[0085] Furthermore, the sensor controller 15 may further include a first storage unit 151 that stores a plurality of calculation algorithms, and a second storage unit 152 that stores one calculation algorithm. Here, the update unit 156 selects one of the plurality of calculation algorithms stored in the first storage unit 151 based on the state of the magnetic flux distribution acquired by the acquisition unit 155. The update unit 156 also updates the one calculation algorithm stored in the second storage unit 152 and calculates the detection result of the pen sensor 13 according to the one calculation algorithm stored in the second storage unit 152. With this configuration, the sensor controller 15 switches the algorithm for calculating position indication information according to the magnetic distribution, so that it can detect the position indication with an algorithm suitable for the state of the magnetic flux distribution between the electronic device 10 and peripheral devices 31 to 33.

[0086] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the detection system 1 is configured to include an electronic device 10 and an electronic pen 20 that conform to the EMR method, but is not limited thereto. The detection system 1 may also be configured to include a capacitive touch sensor and an active pen or a passive pen. The touch sensor has a plurality of detection electrodes formed on its surface, and detects position indication by changing the detection level according to the contact state of the touch sensor by the active pen, passive pen, or the user's finger. With this configuration, even when the pen sensor 13 is a touch sensor, the sensor controller 15 can reduce the influence on the electronic device 10 of changes in the connection state or magnetic flux distribution state between the electronic device 10 and peripheral devices 31-33.

[0087] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the sensor controller 15 corrects information regarding the position indication based on the connection status with peripheral devices 31 to 33 and the state of the magnetic flux distribution near the pen sensor 13, but is not limited to this. For example, if the electronic device 10 is a notebook computer or a tablet, the sensor controller 15 may correct information regarding the position indication based on the operating mode when displaying the screen. Specifically, the sensor controller 15 uses the update unit 156 to determine whether the operating mode is the first mode or the second mode. The first mode is an operating mode in which the display control is performed by the display panel 12 of the electronic device 10. The second mode is an operating mode in which the screen is displayed on a display or monitor connected to the electronic device 10 and the display control by the display panel 12 of the electronic device 10 is stopped. The sensor controller 15 uses the update unit 156 to select a correction table 153 from correction tables 153A to 153Z that is predetermined according to the operating mode, and updates the correction table 154 in the second storage unit 152 with the selected correction table 153. With this configuration, the sensor controller 15 can reduce the impact that changes in the operating mode related to the display control of the electronic device 10 have on the electronic device 10.

[0088] Furthermore, the sensor controller 15 may correct the position indication information based on the operating mode related to charging the electronic device 10. Specifically, the sensor controller 15 uses an update unit 156 to determine whether or not the electronic device 10 is charging, selects a correction table 153 according to the determination, and updates the correction table 154 in the second storage unit 152 using the selected correction table 153. With this configuration, the sensor controller 15 can reduce the influence on the electronic device 10 of changes in the magnetic flux distribution state near the pen sensor 13 that accompanies the charging of the electronic device 10.

[0089] Furthermore, the sensor controller 15 does not have a first storage unit 151 that stores a plurality of correction tables 153A to 153Z in advance. For example, the sensor controller 15 may receive a correction table 153 transferred from an external electronic device connected to the host processor 16 or the input / output unit 18 via the acquisition unit 155. In addition, the sensor controller 15 may update one of the correction tables 153A to 153Z stored in the first storage unit 151 using the received correction table 153. With this configuration, the sensor controller 15 can update the correction tables 153A to 153Z stored in the first storage unit 151, thus reducing the data capacity of the first storage unit 151, which in turn reduces the chip area and lowers costs.

[0090] Furthermore, when correcting information regarding position indication, the sensor controller 15 corrects information regarding the coordinates and pressure of the position indication by the electronic pen 20, but is not limited to this. The sensor controller 15 may also correct information regarding the orientation of the position indication by the electronic pen 20. Information regarding orientation includes, for example, a tilt value indicating the tilt of the electronic pen 20 and an orientation value indicating the orientation of the electronic pen 20 on the display panel 12. The orientation value is a value indicating the orientation of the pen tip of the electronic pen 20 when the display panel 12 is viewed from above along the normal direction. The tilt value is the angle of the electronic pen 20 in the normal direction with respect to the display surface of the display panel 12. With this configuration, the sensor controller 15 can reduce the influence of changes in the connection state between the electronic device 10 and peripheral devices 31-33 or the state of magnetic flux distribution on the orientation of the electronic pen 20 in position detection by the pen sensor 13.

[0091] 10...Electronic device, 13...Pen sensor, 15...Sensor controller, 20...Electronic pen, 31...Peripheral device, 32...Peripheral device, 33...Peripheral device, 151...First storage unit, 152...Second storage unit, 153A-153Z...Correction table, 154...Correction table, 155...Acquisition unit, 156...Update unit, 157...Operation control unit, 1512...User program (program), 1522...User program (program)

Claims

1. A sensor controller for controlling the operation of position detection by a pen sensor, comprising: an acquisition unit for acquiring the connection status between an electronic device on which the pen sensor is provided and a peripheral device; a first storage unit for storing a plurality of correction tables corresponding to the connection status and a program for operation control; a second storage unit for storing the program and one of the plurality of correction tables; an update unit for reading the program from the first storage unit, selecting the one correction table from the plurality of correction tables in the first storage unit according to the connection status acquired by the acquisition unit, and updating the second storage unit with the read program and the selected one correction table; and an operation control unit for reading the one correction table and the program from the second storage unit and performing operation control.

2. The sensor controller according to claim 1, wherein the operation control unit corrects the position indication information acquired by the pen sensor according to the first correction table read from the second storage unit.

3. The sensor controller according to claim 1, wherein the update unit updates the second storage unit with the program and the selected first correction table when the electronic device is started up.

4. The sensor controller according to claim 1, wherein the update unit updates the second storage unit with the selected first correction table when the selected first correction table is different from the first correction table stored in the second storage unit.

5. The sensor controller according to claim 1, wherein the second storage unit has a smaller data capacity for storing information than the first storage unit.

6. The sensor controller according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the correction table includes correction values ​​relating to the coordinates of the electronic pen relative to the pen sensor.

7. The sensor controller according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the correction table includes a correction value relating to the pressure of the electronic pen on the pen sensor.

8. The sensor controller according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the correction table includes correction values ​​relating to the orientation of the electronic pen relative to the pen sensor.

9. A sensor controller for controlling the operation of position detection by a pen sensor, comprising: an acquisition unit for acquiring the state of the magnetic flux distribution near the pen sensor; an update unit for updating a correction value related to the position detection based on the state of the magnetic flux distribution acquired by the acquisition unit; and an operation control unit for correcting the detection result of the pen sensor according to the correction value updated by the update unit and controlling the operation of the position detection according to the corrected detection result.

10. The sensor controller according to claim 9, further comprising: a first storage unit that stores a plurality of correction tables including the correction value; and a second storage unit that stores one of the plurality of correction tables, wherein the update unit selects the one correction table from the plurality of correction tables stored in the first storage unit and updates the one correction table stored in the second storage unit based on the magnetic flux distribution state acquired by the acquisition unit.

11. The sensor controller according to claim 9, further comprising: a first storage unit that stores a plurality of calculation algorithms for calculating the correction value; and a second storage unit that stores one of the plurality of calculation algorithms, wherein the update unit selects the one calculation algorithm from the plurality of calculation algorithms stored in the first storage unit based on the state of the magnetic flux distribution acquired by the acquisition unit, updates the one calculation algorithm stored in the second storage unit, and updates the correction value according to the one calculation algorithm stored in the second storage unit.

12. The sensor controller according to any one of claims 9 to 11, wherein the correction value is a value for correcting the coordinates of the electronic pen with respect to the pen sensor.

13. The sensor controller according to any one of claims 9 to 11, wherein the correction value is a value for correcting information regarding the pressure of the electronic pen on the pen sensor.

14. The sensor controller according to any one of claims 9 to 11, wherein the correction value is a value that corrects information regarding the orientation of the electronic pen with respect to the pen sensor.

15. The sensor controller according to any one of claims 9 to 11, wherein the acquisition unit detects a measurement value of a magnetic sensor.

16. A sensor controller for controlling the operation of position detection by a pen sensor, comprising: an acquisition unit for acquiring the state of the magnetic flux distribution near the pen sensor; an update unit for updating the calculation algorithm for position detection based on the state of the magnetic flux distribution acquired by the acquisition unit; and an operation control unit for performing calculation processing on the detection result of the pen sensor according to the calculation algorithm updated by the update unit, and controlling the operation of position detection according to the result of the calculation processing.

17. The sensor controller according to claim 16, further comprising: a first storage unit that stores a plurality of calculation algorithms; and a second storage unit that stores one of the plurality of calculation algorithms, wherein the update unit selects one of the plurality of calculation algorithms stored in the first storage unit based on the state of the magnetic flux distribution acquired by the acquisition unit, updates the one of the calculation algorithms stored in the second storage unit, and performs a calculation process on the detection result of the pen sensor according to the one of the calculation algorithms stored in the second storage unit.

18. A program to cause a sensor controller that controls the operation of position detection by a pen sensor to function as follows: an acquisition unit that acquires the connection status between an electronic device on which the pen sensor is provided and a peripheral device; a first storage unit that stores a plurality of correction tables corresponding to the connection status and a program for operation control; a second storage unit that stores the program and one of the plurality of correction tables; an update unit that reads the program from the first storage unit, selects the one correction table from the plurality of correction tables in the first storage unit according to the connection status acquired by the acquisition unit, and updates the second storage unit with the read program and the selected one correction table; and an operation control unit that reads the one correction table and the program from the second storage unit and performs the operation control.

19. A program to cause a sensor controller that controls the operation of position detection by a pen sensor to function as: an acquisition unit that acquires the state of the magnetic flux distribution near the pen sensor; an update unit that updates the correction value related to the position detection based on the state of the magnetic flux distribution acquired by the acquisition unit; and an operation control unit that corrects the detection result of the pen sensor according to the correction value updated by the update unit and controls the operation of the position detection according to the corrected detection result.

20. A program to cause a sensor controller that controls the operation of position detection by a pen sensor to function as: an acquisition unit that acquires the state of the magnetic flux distribution near the pen sensor; an update unit that updates the calculation algorithm for position detection based on the state of the magnetic flux distribution acquired by the acquisition unit; and an operation control unit that performs calculation processing on the detection result of the pen sensor according to the calculation algorithm updated by the update unit, and controls the operation of position detection according to the result of the calculation processing.

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