Electronic Pen System Resolving Touch Detection Ambiguity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional electronic pen systems incorrectly identify small children's touch operations as being performed by an electronic pen due to increased sensitivity in capacitance type touch panels, leading to misidentification when used as interactive whiteboards for educational purposes.
Innovation Solution
An electronic pen system with a grip portion, pen tip portion, touch condition detector, pen information transmitter, and connecting switch that transmits specific information to a controller to differentiate between electronic pen and finger inputs, ensuring accurate identification of the directing subject based on received position detection information.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the sensitivity of the capacitance type touch panel is increased to detect touch operations, then the touch position can be detected more accurately, but the electronic pen may be erroneously identified as a finger when it is in a close state without contact
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an operation signal as an intermediary to distinguish between genuine pen touches and false detections. The position detecting device detects touch positions, while the operation signal transmitter sends confirmation signals only when actual contact occurs. This mediator resolves the contradiction by filtering out false positives from high sensitivity detections.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary detection of touch position followed by preliminary transmission of operation signals before final identification. The controller receives position detection information first, then verifies it against operation signals that should have been transmitted if a pen was actually used. This preliminary action sequence allows the system to maintain high sensitivity while preventing erroneous identification.
2Measurement precision
If the touch panel sensitivity is increased to detect close states, then near-contact detection is improved, but the connecting switch cannot transmit operation signals, leading to misidentification
Solution Approach 1:
The connecting switch dynamically changes its state based on actual contact conditions. When the pen tip makes genuine contact, the switch closes to enable operation signal transmission. When only in close state without contact, the switch remains open, preventing false signal transmission. This dynamic behavior allows the system to differentiate between close states and actual touches.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback from the connecting switch to confirm whether a detected touch position corresponds to actual pen contact. The switch provides feedback by either transmitting or blocking operation signals, allowing the controller to distinguish between genuine pen usage and false detections from close states.
3Ease of operation
If contact area-based identification is used to distinguish pen from finger, then simple identification is achieved, but small children's touches are erroneously identified as pen inputs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical/contact-area-based identification system with an electrical signal-based system. Instead of relying on physical contact area measurements that fail with small children's fingers, the system uses operation signal transmission through the connecting switch, which only occurs when a pen with the specific switch mechanism is used. This substitution maintains simplicity while dramatically improving reliability.
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 system effectively identifies touch operations as either performed by an electronic pen or a finger, preventing misidentification and enhancing usability in educational settings by ensuring accurate input recognition.
Implementation Method 1
In a capacitance type touch panel, a user can perform a touch operation by his/her fingertip as well as by an electronic pen
Implementation Method 2
a connecting switch that electrically connects the pen tip portion and the grip portion so that the user's hand is brought into electrical continuity with the pen tip portion through the grip portion
Data Source
AI summary
An electronic pen transmits pen information to a controller corresponding to detection of a touch condition, and thereafter turns ON a connecting switch that disconnects electrical connection between the tip portion and the grip portion of the pen that are provided in a state of being electrically disconnected from each other so as to cause a pen input acceptance state. The controller determines that position detection information is from the electronic pen when the position detection information is received from a position detecting device after the pen information is received from the electronic pen, while the controller determines that position detection information is from a finger when the position detection information is received from the position detecting device without receiving the pen information from the electronic pen.