Active pen capable of indicating transmission voltage and position detection system
Provided is an active pen used with electronic equipment including a touch sensor that is of a capacitive system and that includes sensor electrodes, the active pen including a receiving circuit that receives an uplink signal from the electronic equipment, a transmitting circuit that transmits a downlink signal to the electronic equipment, an attendant function circuit that performs an attendant function different from reception of the uplink signal and transmission of the downlink signal, and a controller that controls operation of the receiving circuit, the transmitting circuit, or the attendant function circuit according to a plurality of kinds of operation modes including a normal mode and a low power consumption mode.
1 . An active pen used with an electronic equipment including a plurality of sensor electrodes, the active pen comprising:
a receiving circuit that, in operation, receives an uplink signal from the electronic equipment;
a transmitting circuit that, in a first operation mode, transmits a first downlink signal at a first voltage to the electronic equipment and, in a second operation mode, transmits a second downlink signal at a second voltage different from the first voltage to the electronic equipment, wherein the first voltage and the second voltage are selected from a plurality of voltages; and
a controller that, in operation, controls the transmitting circuit to transmit, to the electronic equipment, a third downlink signal including information indicating a selected one of the plurality of voltages including the first voltage and the second voltage.
2 . The active pen according to claim 1 , wherein the uplink signal from the electronic equipment indicates which operation mode the active pen is to operate in.
3 . The active pen according to claim 2 , wherein the controller, in operation, makes switching to the first operation mode or to the second operation mode according to the uplink signal.
4 . The active pen according to claim 1 , wherein the first operation mode is a normal mode and the second operation mode is a low power consumption mode.
5 . The active pen according to claim 1 , wherein the controller, in operation, generates a flag regarding the first operation mode or the second operation mode and controls the transmitting circuit to transmit the flag to the electronic equipment.
6 . The active pen according to claim 1 , comprising:
a pen electrode that, in operation, transmits the first downlink signal or the second downlink signal.
7 . An integrated circuit configured to control operation of an active pen used with an electronic equipment including a plurality of sensor electrodes, the integrated circuit comprising:
a receiving circuit that, in operation, controls receiving an uplink signal from the electronic equipment;
a transmitting circuit that, in a first operation mode, controls transmitting a first downlink signal at a first voltage to the electronic equipment and, in a second operation mode, controls transmitting a second downlink signal at a second voltage different from the first voltage to the electronic equipment, wherein the first voltage and the second voltage are selected from a plurality of voltages; and
a control circuit that, in operation, controls the transmitting circuit to transmit, to the electronic equipment, a third downlink signal including information indicating a selected one of the plurality of voltages including the first voltage and the second voltage.
8 . The integrated circuit according to claim 7 , wherein the uplink signal from the electronic equipment indicates which operation mode the active pen is to operate in.
9 . The integrated circuit according to claim 8 , wherein the control circuit, in operation, makes switching to the first operation mode or to the second operation mode according to the uplink signal.
10 . The integrated circuit according to claim 7 , wherein the first operation mode is a normal mode and the second operation mode is a low power consumption mode.
11 . The integrated circuit according to claim 7 , wherein the control circuit, in operation, generates a flag regarding the first operation mode or the second operation mode and controls the transmitting circuit to transmit the flag to the electronic equipment.
12 . A position detection system comprising:
an electronic equipment including a plurality of sensor electrodes; and
an active pen including:
a receiving circuit that, in operation, receives an uplink signal from the electronic equipment;
a transmitting circuit that, in a first operation mode, transmits a first downlink signal at a first voltage to the electronic equipment and, in a second operation mode, transmits a second downlink signal at a second voltage different from the first voltage to the electronic equipment, wherein the first voltage and the second voltage are selected from a plurality of voltages; and
a controller that, in operation, controls the transmitting circuit to transmit, to the electronic equipment, a third downlink signal including information indicating a selected one of the plurality of voltages including the first voltage and the second voltage.
13 . The position detection system according to claim 12 , wherein the uplink signal from the electronic equipment indicates which operation mode the active pen is to operate in.
14 . The position detection system according to claim 13 , wherein the controller of the active pen, in operation, makes switching to the first operation mode or to the second operation mode according to the uplink signal.
15 . The position detection system according to claim 12 , wherein the first operation mode is a normal mode and the second operation mode is a low power consumption mode.
16 . The position detection system according to claim 12 , wherein the controller of the active pen, in operation, generates a flag regarding the first operation mode or the second operation mode and controls the transmitting circuit to transmit the flag to the electronic equipment.
17 . The position detection system according to claim 12 , wherein the active pen includes:
a pen electrode that, in operation, transmits the first downlink signal or the second downlink signal.
18 . The position detection system according to claim 12 , wherein
the electronic equipment includes a sensor-side controller that, in operation, controls a driving operation of one or more of the plurality of sensor electrodes, and
the sensor-side controller, in operation, performs a common reception operation of the first downlink signal and the second downlink signal, irrespective of which operation mode the active pen is operating in.