Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system – Display peripheral interface input device – Stylus
Reexamination Certificate
1997-08-28
2001-05-01
Saras, Steven (Department: 2675)
Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system
Display peripheral interface input device
Stylus
C345S156000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06225987
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a drawing apparatus as a terminal device for inputting an image on the display screen of a display apparatus or the like of a computer.
2. Description of Related Art
There are known drawing apparatuses which are designed to detect characters, a figure or the like, drawn on a tablet as an imaginary paper using a pen-like input device, and to display what has been input on a display.
FIGS. 1A and 1B
are schematic diagrams showing a conventional drawing apparatus. As shown in
FIG. 1A
, the drawing apparatus has an input pen
101
comprised of a coordinate indicator, and a plate-like tablet
102
comprised of a digitizer. As the input pen
101
is moved and slid on the tablet
102
, the coordinates of the moving pen
101
are detected and are supplied to an unillustrated computer or the like so that the locus of the moving pen
101
is displayed on the display screen of a monitor or the like to draw whatever has been input.
The thickness (width) of the locus can be changed by drawing software which runs on the computer, so that a user can make drawing while properly selecting the thickness of the locus as needed.
Even though the thickness of the locus is selected from various types available, the sliding resistance of the input pen
101
with its core
103
slid on the tablet
102
does not vary and the touch or the writing sensation the user feel through his hand does not change. This gives the user awkward feelings in the drawing operation.
When one actually writes characters on paper with a writing brush or the like, he can write them while adjusting the thickness of a line by controlling the stroking pressure. With the use of the conventional input pen as shown in
FIG. 1B
, however, when the core
103
made of metal or the like is pressed against the tablet
102
, the stroking pressure is detected by taking the deformation of a pressure sensor
104
as a change in electric capacitance. Since the deformation of the pressure sensor
104
is so subtle that there hardly is a stroke of the input pen to the tablet
102
.
Further, the deformation characteristic of the input pen with respect to the level of the stroking pressure is fixed. Therefore, the user cannot sense a non-linear deformation characteristic of each writing brush with respect to the level of the stroking pressure, which the user feels through his hand when actually using various kinds of writing brushes, or the brush strength or the like which varies from one brush to another. Thus, the writing sensation does not change, which still gives the user awkward feeling in the drawing operation.
OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is a primary objective of the present invention to provide a drawing apparatus which allows a user to select various writing sensations without experiencing an unnatural operational feeling.
According to the first aspect of this invention, a drawing apparatus comprises operating device designed to be movable within predetermined space; detection device which detects a moving position of the operating device within the space; display device which displays an image according to a locus of the operating device based on a detection output of the detection device; and driving device which imparts a reaction force to the operating device in motion, whereby as the operating device is moved along a virtual surface in the space, the image according to the locus of the operating device is displayed, the detection device detects a moving speed and/or velocity or an output of a pressure sensor corresponding to each position of the operating device in the space, and the driving device imparts the reaction force according to a detection result from the detection device to the operating device.
According to the second aspect of this invention, the drawing apparatus with the first aspect further comprises setting device which sets the virtual surface in the space; and as the operating device is moved along the virtual surface set by the setting device, the detection device detects the moving speed and/or velocity or the output of the pressure sensor corresponding to each position of the operating device in the space, and the driving device imparts the reaction force according to the detection result from the detection device to the operating device.
According to the third aspect of this invention, in the drawing apparatus with the second aspect, the virtual surface set by the setting device consists of an arbitrary surface including a plane.
According to the fourth aspect of this invention, any of the drawing apparatuses described above further comprises noise generation device; and as the operating device is moved along the virtual surface in the space, the detection device detects the moving speed and/or velocity or the output of the pressure sensor corresponding to each position of the operating device in the space, and the driving device imparts the reaction force according to the detection result from the detection device and a driving force according to a signal, generated by the noise generation device, to the operating device.
With the above structures, when a user moves the operating device along the virtual surface, the reaction force is generated by the driving device to permit the user to feel through his hand the force corresponding to the stroking pressure of a brush on the virtual surface, the writing friction, the dead weight of the brush, the roughness of the writing surface, etc. The user can therefore select various writing sensations without experiencing an awkward feeling in operating the drawing apparatus.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3490059 (1970-01-01), Paulsen et al.
patent: 3795150 (1974-03-01), Eckhardt
patent: 4667182 (1987-05-01), Murphy
patent: 5231381 (1993-07-01), Duwear
patent: 5576727 (1996-11-01), Rosenberg et al.
patent: 5701140 (1997-12-01), Rosenberg et al.
patent: 5880714 (1999-03-01), Rosenberg et al.
patent: 5905489 (1999-05-01), Takahama et al.
Fish & Richardson P.C.
Nelson Alecia D.
Saras Steven
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