Wacom

About: Wacom is a company organization based out in Kazo, Japan. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Signal & Stylus. The organization has 384 authors who have published 524 publications receiving 7684 citations. The organization is also known as: Wacom Co., Ltd..

Combination touch and transducer input system and method

Abstract: A combination touch and transducer input system is provided, which facilitates user input into an electronic system with a finger and/or a transducer (e.g., a stylus). The system includes a transducer configured to generate an electric field, and a sensor including an array of electrodes and a controller. The transducer is configured to transmit digital data, such as pen pressure data and switch status data, to the sensor. For example, the transducer comprises electronic circuitry configured to encode the digital data in a signal for transmission to the sensor. The sensor controller is configured to operate both in a touch sensing mode and in a transducer sensing mode. During the touch sensing mode, the controller determines a position of a proximate object (e.g., a finger) by capacitively sensing the object with the array of electrodes. During the transducer sensing mode, the controller determines a position of the transducer based on a signal received by the array of electrodes from the transducer, and also receives and decodes the digital data encoded in the received signal. Digital data can be encoded in a signal using any suitable digital modulation techniques, such as a Frequency-Shift Keying (FSK) technique.

Pointer detection apparatus and pointer detection method

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a pointer detection apparatus, including: a conductor pattern including a plurality of first conductors disposed in a first direction and a plurality of second conductors disposed in a second direction; a multi-frequency signal production circuit configured to produce a plurality of signals of different frequencies; a first conductor selection circuit configured to selectively supply the signals of different frequencies to those first conductors, between which N ones of the first conductors are interposed, N being a predetermined integer equal to or greater than 0; a second conductor selection circuit configured to selectively receive detection signals from the second conductors; and a signal detection circuit configured to obtain signals of individual frequencies, corresponding to the signals of different frequencies produced by the multi-frequency signal production circuit, which are representative of coupling states at cross points between the first conductors and the second conductors and are received from said second conductor selection circuit.

Electronic blackboard and accessories such as writing tools

Abstract: A characteristic and the position of an implement with a tuned circuit having one of plural resonant frequencies are determined. AC energy at the plural different resonant frequencies is supplied to a two-coordinate direction coil arrangement of a position sensing tablet. The tuned circuit changes the current flowing in the coil arrangement at the implement resonant frequency. The current change is used to signal the implement position and characteristic. The implement may be an eraser for supplying a signal to an electronic display and for removing a mark from a surface of a visual display overlaying the tablet of the eraser. A housing includes a surface for erasing the marking and two tuned circuits each having a reactance positioned close to opposite edges of the erasing surface. Two switches, when activated, cause the tuned circuits to have different resonant frequencies. The switches are respectively activated when opposite eraser edges are being pushed against the display surface. The implement may also be one of a plurality of markers, each for a different color. Another display responds to the signals to display the position and colors of the markings and selectively remove markings from areas corresponding to the eraser position.

Digitizer eraser system and method

Abstract: A digitizer eraser system and method are provided so as to include a writing/erasing digitizer pen, a tablet, and a tablet driver for use in conjunction with a computer and corresponding display screen. The user selects and deletes text or cells with one stylus stroke. In one motion, the user presses select, moves the erasing stylus across the material to be selected, then at the end of the selection lifts the stylus off the tablet to delete or erase the selected material. The system permits erasing of text or objects from the display screen via a keystroke function only when predetermined cursor shapes are being used on the screen. The keystroke function is chosen from a group of possible erasing keystrokes, with the selected keystroke being based upon the cursor shape being used so that undesirable erasing keystrokes are not used in certain situations. Additionally, the cursor shapes displayed on the screen are changed in accordance with whether the stylus is in a writing or an erasing mode or position. In certain PC-based embodiments where the operating system is window-based, subclassing is used so that selection and erasure by the stylus is only permitted in subclassed windows, not all windows being subclassed.

Coordinate input stylus

Abstract: A stylus for use in a coordinate input system (e.g. digitizer tablet system) includes a finger wheel. The degree of rotation of the finger wheel by the user determines the extent to which a chosen graphical parameter (e.g. line thickness, color, shading, gray scale, etc.) is varied. Thus, a user can easily vary the graphical parameter while drawing by merely rotating the finger wheel about its fixed rotational axis. Preferably, rotation of the wheel causes an intermediate gear wheel with teeth thereon to rotate which in turn causes a potentiometer to detect the degree of rotation of the finger wheel. In alternative embodiments of this invention, a touchpad for inputting finger position and/or finger pressure information may be provided on the side of the stylus instead of the finger wheel.