Telegraphy – Systems – Position coordinate determination for writing
Reexamination Certificate
1998-08-28
2001-05-08
Shankar, Vijay (Department: 2673)
Telegraphy
Systems
Position coordinate determination for writing
C178S019030, C178S019050, C345S179000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06229102
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a pen-shaped input apparatus for inputting figures, symbols, characters and the like into a data processing device, such as a computer.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, a keyboard, mouse, digitizer, light pen, and tablet, etc. have been used as an input apparatus employed in a computer apparatus or the like. Such computer apparatus needs to be small-sized, and there is a growing need for a portable terminal instrument as the number of users increases year by year. Consequently, a small-size input apparatus is also required.
There is a limitation on making the keyboard small-sized from the viewpoint of the human interface, and a keyboard is not a practical input apparatus for a portable terminal instrument. Furthermore, although the mouse can be made in a small-size and used as a pointing device, it is not suitable for inputting figures and characters, etc. into a data processor.
For this reason, on many occasions, a pen-shaped input apparatus employing a tablet and pen have been adopted as the input apparatus for a portable terminal instrument. However, it is difficult to reduce the size of the tablet.
To overcome the problem of tablet size, tabletless input apparatuses have been developed such as, for instance, a pen-shaped computer input apparatus as disclosed in Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 6-67799/1994, a data input apparatus as disclosed in Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 7-84716/1995, a handwriting input apparatus as disclosed in Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 7-200127/1995, and a pencil-shaped input apparatus as disclosed in Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 6-230886/1994.
The pen-shaped computer input apparatus disclosed in Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 6-67799/1994 senses the movement direction and the movement amount of the input apparatus by use of an acceleration sensor and then compensates for an influence exerted on the movement direction and the movement amount sensed by the acceleration sensor by the action of the pen-shaped computer input apparatus' rotation by use of a piezoelectric vibration gyroscope.
Furthermore, the data input apparatus disclosed in Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 7-84716/1995 senses the movement direction and the movement amount of the apparatus on the basis of signals showing the polarity and the amplitude respectively transmitted from vibration gyroscopes perpendicularly disposed to each other.
Furthermore, the handwriting input apparatus disclosed in Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 7-200127/1995 obtains a movement direction and a movement distance (amount) on the basis of the signals respectively transmitted from two acceleration sensors.
Furthermore, the pencil-shaped input apparatus disclosed in Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 6-230886/1994 disposes a couple of acceleration sensors on different positions of the pen shaft, and obtains a movement direction and a movement distance of the pen's tip end. In this apparatus, the influence due to the mounting position of the acceleration sensors is compensated on the basis of the output from the couple of acceleration sensors.
And further, a position sensor disclosed in the published specification of Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 7-294240/1995, which does not directly relate to the pen-shaped input apparatus is used, for instance, in a game machine for sensing the moving speed, position and attitude of the head portion of human body, and the position sensor comprises acceleration sensors for respectively sensing the accelerations in the X-axis direction, the Y-axis direction, and the Z-axis direction and gyroscopes for respectively sensing the angular velocities around the X axis, the Y axis, and the Z axis. This apparatus performs a strap-down type operational calculation on the basis of the accelerations and the angular velocities detected by those sensors and detects the moving speed, position, attitude, and direction of the head portion of the human body.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Since the pen-shaped computer input apparatus disclosed in Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 6-67799/1994 compensates only for effects due to the rotation of the apparatus, it can not compensate for effects caused by dynamic inclination. At the time of performing an ordinary handwriting operation, the apparatus may be accompanied with a dynamic inclination and therefore the result of detection is not precise on some occasions.
Furthermore, since the data input apparatus disclosed in Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 7-84716/1995 detects the rotational movement of the wrist and inputs the movement direction and the movement distance in accordance with the detected result, the data input apparatus is not suitable for inputting figures, and the like.
Furthermore, the handwriting input apparatus disclosed in Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 7-200127/1995 does not comprise any compensation medium for compensating for the inclination and the rotation of the apparatus, and therefore the detection result is not precise on some occasions.
Furthermore, since the pencil-shaped input apparatus disclosed in Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 6-230886/1994 does not take into consideration the fact that the component for the rotational angle of the apparatus is contained in the acceleration detected by the acceleration sensor, the detection error of the movement distance becomes large on some occasions.
Moreover, since the position sensor disclosed in Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 7-294240/1995 specially detects the moving velocity, position, attitude, and direction of the head portion, although the sensor performs a complicated operational calculation, the movement direction and the movement distance on the handwriting surface has to be detected precisely using a simple operational calculating process because of the requirement of making the apparatus small-sized.
Furthermore, in the case of employing the position sensor as disclosed in Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 7-294240/1995 the three acceleration sensors cannot be arranged at the pen's tip end, and therefore an error occurs due to the difference between the mounting positions of the pen's tip end and the acceleration sensor. Therefore, the handwriting input cannot be detected precisely on some occasions.
The present invention has been made in consideration of the foregoing problems.
Thus, one object of the present invention to overcome the problems mentioned above.
Another object of the present invention to eliminate the defects in the existing devices mentioned above.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a small-sized pen-shaped input apparatus.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5247137 (1993-09-01), Epperson
patent: 5329276 (1994-07-01), Hirabayashi
patent: 5440326 (1995-08-01), Quinn
patent: 5453758 (1995-09-01), Sato
patent: 5557076 (1996-09-01), Wieczorek et al.
patent: 5598187 (1997-01-01), Ide et al.
patent: 6-67799 (1994-03-01), None
patent: 6-230886 (1994-08-01), None
patent: 7-84716 (1995-03-01), None
patent: 7-200127 (1995-08-01), None
patent: 7-294240 (1995-11-01), None
patent: 8-36462 (1996-02-01), None
patent: 8-507886 (1996-08-01), None
patent: 8-508354 (1996-09-01), None
Fujisawa Etsuko
Furuta Toshiyuki
Inoue Takao
Kitaguchi Takashi
Murata Norihiko
Dickstein , Shapiro, Morin & Oshinsky, LLP
Ricoh & Company, Ltd.
Shankar Vijay
LandOfFree
Pen-shaped handwriting input apparatus using accelerometers... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Pen-shaped handwriting input apparatus using accelerometers..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Pen-shaped handwriting input apparatus using accelerometers... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2501564