Active Pen Reverse-Phase Electrode Layout for Tilted Input
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional systems face challenges in accurately detecting the position of active pens on a panel surface, particularly when tilted, and distinguishing between pen and hand contact, leading to inefficient allocation of time slots and inaccurate position detection.
Innovation Solution
A communication method between active pens and a sensor controller that includes a beacon signal supply step, functional information acquisition, and allocation determination, along with an active pen design featuring a pen tip and peripheral electrodes to transmit signals in a controlled manner, reducing signal interference and enabling accurate position detection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the sensor controller uses a beacon signal to designate time slots for active pens, then the communication framework is established, but the sensor controller cannot accurately discern the situation of active pens with different functions, leading to inefficient time slot allocation
Solution Approach 1:
The downlink signal is segmented into multiple slots, with the first slot carrying functional information (indicating presence of peripheral electrode) and subsequent slots carrying other data. This segmentation allows the sensor controller to efficiently identify pen capabilities without processing entire signal frames, resolving the contradiction between allocation efficiency and information completeness.
Solution Approach 2:
The functional information is transmitted in advance within the downlink signal before the sensor controller needs to allocate time slots. By performing this information transmission preliminarily, the controller can make informed allocation decisions without delay, simultaneously improving efficiency and preserving functional information.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the active pen is tilted with respect to the panel surface, then the pen can be used at various angles, but the peak of the reception intensity distribution shifts in the inclination direction, causing inaccurate position detection
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the harmful effect of signal intensity distribution shift caused by pen tilt. By using the peripheral electrode to transmit reverse-phase signals, the system removes the inclination-induced peak shift from the detection equation, allowing accurate position detection regardless of pen orientation, thus maintaining both adaptability and precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the harmful signal shift caused by tilt into useful information. The peripheral electrode's reverse-phase signal creates a compensating effect that counteracts the tilt-induced shift, transforming the problem of inclination sensitivity into a solution that enables accurate detection at various angles.
3Ease of operation
If the user's hand touches the panel surface while holding the active pen, then natural writing posture is maintained, but the downlink signal flows toward the hand, causing the sensor controller to falsely detect the hand contact position as the pen instruction position
Solution Approach 1:
The peripheral electrode acts as an intermediary element that transmits reverse-phase signals to counteract the signal flow toward the user's hand. This intermediary action blocks the harmful signal propagation path from the pen tip electrode to the hand-contacted sensor electrodes, preventing false detection while allowing natural writing posture.
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies preliminary anti-action by having the peripheral electrode transmit reverse-phase signals that preemptively counteract the downlink signal flow before it can reach the hand-contacted areas. This preventive measure eliminates the possibility of false hand detection while maintaining comfortable writing ergonomics.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The method allows timely allocation of time slots based on pen capabilities and reduces signal interference, ensuring accurate detection of pen position even when tilted, and preventing false hand detection as the pen's contact position.
Implementation Method 1
The active pen can be capacitively coupled to sensor electrodes provided on a panel surface (touch surface) of the tablet terminal to thereby transmit and receive signals to and from a sensor controller in the tablet terminal
Data Source
AI summary
An active pen is provided that transmits, through coupling capacitance, a signal to a sensor electrode connected to a sensor controller. The active pen includes a pen tip electrode provided on a leading end in a pen axis direction of the active pen; a peripheral electrode provided behind in the pen axis direction as viewed from the pen tip electrode; and a signal processor that transmits a downlink signal from the pen tip electrode and that transmits a reverse-phase signal of the downlink signal from the peripheral electrode at the same time.