Touch Panel System Using Stylus Pen Drive Lines for Signal Transmission

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing touch panel systems face difficulties in efficiently transmitting information when an electronic pen outputs a quantitative characteristic value with many types of information, leading to increased signal complexity and longer transmission times.

Innovation Solution

A touch panel system that uses a touch pen configured to output increased or decreased quantitative characteristic values using specific waveforms corresponding to additional drive signal lines, with a conversion output unit in the touch panel controller summing the initial value and unit amount of change, reducing the number of signals needed for transmission.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of information

If multiple types of information are transmitted from the electronic pen using code patterns with many bit digits, then the information transmission capability is improved, but the signal complexity and transmission time increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinformation transmission capabilityVSAvoidtransmission time
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the quantitative characteristic value into multiple individual information items, where each item can be independently encoded and transmitted. Instead of transmitting the entire value as a single complex code, the system divides it into separate components that can be sent sequentially or in parallel, reducing the complexity of each individual signal while maintaining complete information transmission capability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent employs periodic transmission of information bits, where each bit of the quantitative characteristic value is transmitted in separate time slots or cycles. This periodic approach allows the receiver to reconstruct the complete value over time without requiring complex simultaneous signal processing, thereby reducing signal complexity while preserving full information content.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

2Measurement precision

If code patterns with many bit digits are used to represent quantitative characteristic values, then the information representation precision is improved, but the signal identification complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinformation representation precisionVSAvoidsignal identification complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the multi-bit quantitative characteristic value into multiple single-bit or low-bit information items. Each segment is independently encoded using simple code patterns, making signal identification straightforward. The receiver reconstructs the complete high-precision value by combining these simple segments, thereby maintaining measurement precision while dramatically reducing signal identification complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the parameter representation from a single high-bit code to multiple low-bit codes. By transforming the information structure from one complex parameter to several simple parameters, the system achieves the same precision level with much simpler signal identification logic and reduced computational burden.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Device complexity

If sequential driving is used to transmit information from the electronic pen, then the signal complexity is reduced, but the transmission time increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesignal complexityVSAvoidtransmission time
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the information transmission into multiple simple sequential steps, where each step transmits one bit or a small portion of the quantitative characteristic value. This segmentation allows the use of simple sequential driving logic while minimizing transmission time through efficient bit-by-bit transmission optimized for the touch panel's scanning rate.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent ensures continuous transmission of information bits during the touch panel's driving cycle, utilizing every available time slot efficiently. By maintaining continuous useful action throughout the scanning period, the system minimizes idle time and achieves fast transmission despite using simple sequential driving methodology.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #20Continuity of useful action

4Productivity

If parallel driving is used to transmit information from multiple electronic pens, then the transmission speed is improved, but the decoding range becomes wide and identification becomes difficult

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetransmission speedVSAvoiddecoding complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments both the spatial dimension (multiple pens) and the data dimension (multiple bits per pen). Each electronic pen transmits its information bits sequentially through simple drive patterns, allowing the receiver to decode each pen's data independently before combining results. This segmentation approach enables parallel processing of multiple pens without creating complex overlapping decoding scenarios.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses periodic transmission cycles where each electronic pen completes its full information transmission within a defined period. This periodic structure allows the receiver to synchronize and decode multiple pens systematically, processing one complete set of information per cycle while maintaining high transmission speed through efficient use of parallel channels.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

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

This approach allows for rapid transmission of information by using only two types of signals to indicate increases or decreases in quantitative characteristic values, simplifying signal processing and reducing transmission time.

Implementation Method 1

a touch panel which has electrostatic capacitances formed at each intersection of a plurality of first signal lines and a plurality of second signal lines

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElectrostatic capacitance: Capacitance

Data Source

PatentUS9495056B2Touch panel system and electronic device
Publication Date: 2016.11.15 WACOM CO LTD
  • US9495056B2 patent drawing
  • US9495056B2 patent drawing
  • US9495056B2 patent drawing

AI summary

In a touch panel system (1) of the present invention, a stylus pen (3) produces output that indicates that a quantitative characteristic value is increased from the characteristic value of a previous output by using a waveform that corresponds to an (L+1)-th drive line (DLL+1) other than L numbers of drive lines (DL1 to DLL) and, meanwhile, produces output that indicates that the quantitative characteristic value is decreased from the characteristic value of the previous output by using a waveform that corresponds to an (L+2)-th drive line (DLL+2) other than the L numbers of drive lines (DL1 to DLL). A touch panel controller (10) includes a conversion output unit (19) that converts and outputs the quantitative characteristic value by using the sum of the initial value of the quantitative characteristic value and the number of outputsĂ—the unit amount of increase or decrease in the waveform that corresponds to the (L+1)-th drive line (DLL+1) or in the waveform that corresponds to the (L+2)-th drive line (DLL+2).