IP Library Granted Patent US 12,229,356
Granted Patent B2
US 12,229,356 · App. 18/450,913 · Granted Feb 18, 2025

Position indicator

Inventor: Sadao Yamamoto (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: Wacom Co., Ltd.
G06F3/0383G06F3/03545G06F3/038G06F3/0416G06F3/04162G06F3/04166G06F3/044G06F3/0441G06F3/0445G06F3/0446G06F3/046G06F2203/0384
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,229,356
App. No.
18/450,913
Granted
Feb 18, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A position indicator includes a pen-shaped body; control circuitry housed in the pen-shaped body and configured to generate position detection signals and generate additional information about the position indicator; a first receiver; a second receiver different from the first receiver; a first transmitter provided near a distal end of the pen-shaped body and configured to transmit the position detection signals to a sensor of a position detection system; and a second transmitter, which is different from the first transmitter and configured to transmit wireless signals to the position detection system. The control circuitry, in response to a control signal from the position detection system received by the first receiver or the second receiver, controls transmission of the position detection signals and transmission of the additional information via a transmitter selected from the first transmitter and the second transmitter, to the position detection system.

Claims (56)

1. A position indicator configured to be communicable with a position detection system including a sensor, the position indicator comprising:

first communication circuitry configured to transmit position detection signals to the sensor of the position detection system, the position detection signals used to indicate a position of the position indicator;

second communication circuitry different from the first communication circuitry and configured to communicate with the position detection system; and

control circuitry configured to control the first communication circuitry to transmit first additional information different from the position detection signals, and to control the second communication circuitry to transmit second additional information different from the first additional information and different from the position detection signals.

2. The position indicator according to claim 1 , wherein

the first communication circuitry is configured to receive signals transmitted from the sensor of the position detection system;

the second communication circuitry is configured to receive signals transmitted from the position detection system; and

the control circuitry, in response to the signals received via the first communication circuitry or the second communication circuitry, controls the first communication circuitry to transmit the first additional information or the second communication circuitry to transmit the second additional information.

3. The position indicator according to claim 1 , comprising:

a center electrode extending along an axis of a body of the position indicator; and

a peripheral electrode disposed adjacent to the center electrode;

wherein

the first communication circuitry is configured to receive signals transmitted from the sensor of the position detection system; and

the control circuitry is configured to control the first communication circuitry to receive, via the peripheral electrode, the signals from the position detection system.

4. The position indicator according to claim 3 , wherein

the second communication circuitry is configured to receive signals transmitted from the position detection system; and

the control circuitry, in response to the signals received via the peripheral electrode by the first communication circuitry, controls the second communication circuitry to transmit the second additional information to the position detection system.

5. The position indicator according to claim 1 , comprising:

a center electrode extending along an axis of a body of the position indicator; and

a peripheral electrode disposed adjacent to the center electrode;

wherein

the first communication circuitry is configured to receive signals transmitted from the sensor of the position detection system;

the second communication circuitry is configured to receive wireless signals transmitted from the position detection system; and

the control circuitry is configured to control the second communication circuitry to receive the signals and to control the first communication circuitry to transmit, via the center electrode, the first additional information to the position detection system.

6. The position indicator according to claim 1 , wherein

the second communication circuitry is configured to receive signals transmitted from the position detection system; and

the control circuitry is configured to control the second communication circuitry to receive the signals and to control the second communication circuitry to transmit the second additional information to the position detection system.

7. The position indicator according to claim 1 , comprising:

a center electrode extending along an axis of a body of the position indicator to protrude from a distal end of the body; and

a pressure detection circuit configured to detect a pressure applied to the center electrode;

wherein the first or second additional information indicates a pressure detected by the pressure detection circuit.

8. The position indicator according to claim 1 , comprising:

a memory device;

wherein the first or second additional information is an ID of the position indicator stored in the memory device.

9. The position indicator according to claim 1 , comprising:

an operable switch;

wherein the first or second additional information is generated according to operation of the switch.

10. The position indicator according to claim 1 , wherein the first communication circuitry is configured to receive signals based on a spread code transmitted from the sensor of the position detection system.

11. The position indicator according to claim 1 , wherein the first communication circuitry is configured to transmit the position detection signals to the sensor of the position detection system via a capacitive coupling between the first communication circuitry and the sensor.

12. The position indicator according to claim 1 , wherein the first communication circuitry is configured to transmit the position detection signals to the sensor of the position detection system via an electromagnetic coupling between the first communication circuitry and the sensor.

13. The position indicator according to claim 1 , wherein the second communication circuitry includes a wireless communication system.

14. The position indicator according to claim 13 , wherein the wireless communication system is a Bluetooth® communication system.

15. The position indicator according to claim 1 , wherein the control circuitry, in response to signals from the position detection system not received by the first communication circuitry or the second communication circuitry for a defined time period, deactivates the first communication circuitry or the second communication circuitry.

16. A position indicator for use with a position detection system including a sensor, the position indicator comprising:

a first receiver configured to receive signals transmitted from the sensor of the position detection system;

a second receiver different from the first receiver and configured to receive signals transmitted from the position detection system;

a first transmitter configured to transmit signals to the sensor of the position detection system, wherein the first transmitter includes a center electrode extending along an axis of a body of the position indicator to protrude from a distal end of the body, and a peripheral electrode disposed adjacent to the center electrode;

a second transmitter different from the first transmitter and configured to transmit signals to the position detection system; and

control circuitry configured to:

control the first transmitter to transmit position detection signals via the center electrode or via the peripheral electrode, the position detection signals used to indicate a position of the position indicator;

control the first transmitter to transmit first additional information different from the position detection signals; and

control the second transmitter to transmit second additional information different from the first additional information and different from the position detection signals.

17. The position indicator according to claim 16 , wherein the control circuitry, in response to the signals received via the first receiver, controls the first transmitter to transmit the first additional information and the second transmitter to transmit the second additional information.

18. The position indicator according to claim 16 , wherein the control circuitry, in response to the signals received via the second receiver, controls the first transmitter to transmit the first additional information and the second transmitter to transmit the second additional information.

19. The position indicator according to claim 16 , wherein the first or second additional information is pressure information.

20. The position indicator according to claim 16 , wherein the first or second additional information is an ID of the position indicator.

Continuity (6)
Continuation 17732241 · Apr 28, 2022
Continuation 17085549 · Oct 30, 2020
Continuation 16691393 · Nov 21, 2019
Continuation 15495347 · Apr 24, 2017
Continuation PCTJP2014080295 · Nov 17, 2014
Related Publication 20230393678A1 · Dec 7, 2023
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