US-12619312-B2 - System including pen and pen position detection apparatus, pen position detection apparatus, and method of activating haptic element built in pen

US12619312B2US 12619312 B2US12619312 B2US 12619312B2US-12619312-B2

Abstract

A system includes a pen and a pen position detection apparatus. The pen includes a signal transmitter that transmits a pen signal, a signal receiver that receives a vibration control signal, and a haptic element that is activated in response to the vibration control signal. The pen position detection apparatus is configured to detect the pen signal to derive a pen position, detect occurrence of an event that a drawing line indicated by a series of derived pen positions crosses or comes into contact with a predetermined line segment, and transmit the vibration control signal to activate the haptic element in response to the detection of the occurrence of the event.

Inventors

Jun Kadowaki
Kizuku ISHIMARU
Mu-Tzu CHEN
Noboru Yamaguchi

Assignees

WACOM CO., LTD.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260505
Application Date: 20240809
Priority Date: 20220221

Claims (20)

1 . A system, comprising: a pen; and a pen position detection apparatus, wherein the pen includes a signal transmitter that transmits a pen signal, a signal receiver that receives a vibration control signal, and a haptic element that is activated in response to the vibration control signal, and the pen position detection apparatus is configured to detect the pen signal to derive a pen position, detect occurrence of an event that a drawing line indicated by a series of derived pen positions crosses or comes into contact with a predetermined line segment, and transmit the vibration control signal to activate the haptic element in response to the detection of the occurrence of the event.
2 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the pen signal includes a pen pressure value, and the pen position detection apparatus is configured to acquire the pen pressure value from the pen signal, in response to the detection of the occurrence of the event in a case the acquired pen pressure value indicates that the pen is sliding, transmit the vibration control signal to activate the haptic element, and not activate the haptic element in a case the acquired pen pressure value does not indicate that the pen is sliding.
3 . The system according to claim 2 , wherein the pen position detection apparatus includes a sensor controller and a host processor, the sensor controller is configured to detect the pen signal to derive the pen position, and output the derived pen position to the host processor, and the host processor is configured to predict a next pen position based on the series of pen positions supplied from the sensor controller, to detect the occurrence of the event, and transmit the vibration control signal in response to the detection of the occurrence of the event.
4 . The system according to claim 3 , wherein the sensor controller is configured to acquire the pen pressure value from the pen signal, and output the acquired pen pressure value, along with the pen position, to the host processor, and the host processor is configured to transmit the vibration control signal in response to the detection of the occurrence of the event in a case the pen pressure value supplied from the sensor controller indicates that the pen is sliding.
5 . The system according to claim 3 , wherein the vibration control signal includes information for activating the haptic element at a predicted timing.
6 . The system according to claim 3 , wherein the host processor uses near field communication to transmit the vibration control signal.
7 . The system according to claim 2 , wherein the pen position detection apparatus includes a sensor controller and a host processor, and the sensor controller is configured to hold vibration control position information indicating a position on a sensor corresponding to the predetermined line segment, detect the pen signal using the sensor to derive the pen position, output the derived pen position to the host processor, detect the occurrence of the event based on the vibration control position information, and transmit the vibration control signal in response to the detection of the occurrence of the event.
8 . The system according to claim 7 , wherein the sensor controller is configured to demodulate the pen signal received through the sensor, to acquire the pen pressure value, and transmit the vibration control signal in response to the detection of the occurrence of the event in a case the acquired pen pressure value indicates that the pen is sliding.
9 . The system according to claim 7 , wherein the host processor executes a process of setting the vibration control position information in the sensor controller according to an operating system or an application.
10 . The system according to claim 7 , wherein the sensor controller arranges the vibration control signal in an uplink signal to be transmitted through the sensor, to thereby transmit the vibration control signal.
11 . The system according to claim 2 , wherein the pen acquires the pen pressure value based on a pressure detected by a pressure sensor that detects the pressure applied to a pen tip.
12 . The system according to claim 2 , wherein the pen acquires the pen pressure value based on a pressure detected by a pressure sensor that detects the pressure applied to a button provided on a surface of a housing.
13 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the pen position detection apparatus is configured to acquire the pen pressure value from the pen signal, and transmit the vibration control signal to activate the haptic element in a case the acquired pen pressure value indicates that the pen is hovering.
14 . The system according to claim 13 , wherein the pen position detection apparatus is configured to acquire a height of the pen based on a reception strength of the pen signal, and transmit the vibration control signal in a case a value of the acquired height is between a first predetermined value and a second predetermined value larger than the first predetermined value.
15 . The system according to claim 13 , wherein the pen position detection apparatus is configured to acquire a height of the pen based on a reception strength of the pen signal, and transmit the vibration control signal in a case the pen position and the height indicate that a front end of the pen is positioned in a predetermined space area.
16 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the predetermined line segment is a contour line of an electronic ruler displayed in a drawing area.
17 . A pen position detection apparatus used along with a pen including a haptic element that is activated in response to a vibration control signal, wherein the pen position detection apparatus is configured to detect a pen signal transmitted from the pen and derive a pen position, detect occurrence of an event that a drawing line indicated by a series of derived pen positions crosses or comes into contact with a predetermined line segment, and transmit the vibration control signal to activate the haptic element in response to the detection of the occurrence of the event.
18 . The pen position detection apparatus according to claim 17 , wherein the pen position detection apparatus is configured to acquire a pen pressure value from the pen signal, and transmit the vibration control signal to activate the haptic element in response to the detection of the occurrence of the event in a case the acquired pen pressure value indicates that the pen is sliding but not activate the haptic element in a case the acquired pen pressure value does not indicate that the pen is sliding.
19 . A method of activating a haptic element built in a pen, the method comprising: transmitting, by the pen, a pen signal; detecting, by a pen position detection apparatus, the pen signal to derive a pen position; detecting, by the pen position detection apparatus, occurrence of an event that a drawing line indicated by a series of derived pen positions crosses or comes into contact with a predetermined line segment; transmitting, by the pen position detection apparatus, a vibration control signal in response to the detection of the occurrence of the event; receiving, by the pen, the vibration control signal; and activating, by the pen, the haptic element in response to the received vibration control signal.
20 . The method according to claim 19 , further comprising: acquiring, by the pen position detection apparatus, a pen pressure value from the pen signal, wherein, in the transmitting the vibration control signal, the vibration control signal is transmitted in response to the detection of the occurrence of the event in a case the acquired pen pressure value indicates that the pen is sliding, but the vibration control signal is not transmitted in a case the acquired pen pressure value indicates that the pen is not sliding.

Description

BACKGROUND Technical Field The present disclosure relates to a system including a pen and a pen position detection apparatus, a pen position detection apparatus, and a method of activating a haptic element built in a pen. Description of the Related Art A pen with a function of generating haptics-based tactile feedback is known. Examples of this type of system including a pen are disclosed in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2013/0307829, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-259044, U.S. Pat. No. 10,120,446, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2019-066960, and Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2009-238081. The system described in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2013/0307829 and Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-259044 is configured to cause the pen to vibrate when the pen is positioned on an item displayed on a screen. The system described in U.S. Pat. No. 10,120,446, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2019-066960, and Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2009-238081 is configured to cause the front end of the pen to vibrate to thereby mimic the feel of writing on paper. It would be convenient if the tactile feedback can be generated in a timely manner when the pen position crosses a boundary of a desired area, such as when the pen position extends outside of a signature field while the user fills in the signature field. However, to realize this by using, for example, the technique described in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2013/0307829 and Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-259044, an area on one side of the boundary is set to trigger a vibration. In this case, the tactile feedback is also generated when the pen is merely positioned in the area, rather than extending outside of the signature field during writing. BRIEF SUMMARY An aspect of the present disclosure is directed to providing a system including a pen and a pen position detection apparatus, a pen position detection apparatus, and a method of activating a haptic element built in a pen that can generate tactile feedback in a timely manner when the pen position crosses a boundary of a desired area. When the pen is used on conventional paper, the friction between the pen tip and the paper fiber changes according to the change in the movement direction of the pen, and the user holding the pen can feel the change. However, there is no such change in friction when the pen is used on a panel surface, and consequently the user holding the pen cannot feel the change in friction. As a result, the user cannot experience a realistic feel of writing. Therefore, another aspect of the present disclosure is directed to providing a system including a pen and a pen position detection apparatus, a pen position detection apparatus, and a method of activating a haptic element built in a pen that can reproduce a realistic feel of writing. According to the first aspect of the present disclosure, a system is provided including a pen and a pen position detection apparatus, in which the pen includes a signal transmitter that transmits a pen signal, a signal receiver that receives a vibration control signal, and a haptic element that is activated in response to the vibration control signal. The pen position detection apparatus is configured to detect the pen signal to derive a pen position, detect occurrence of an event that a drawing line indicated by a series of derived pen positions crosses or comes into contact with a predetermined line segment, and transmit the vibration control signal to activate the haptic element in response to the detection of the occurrence of the event. The first aspect of the present disclosure provides a pen position detection apparatus used along with a pen including a haptic element that is activated in response to a vibration control signal. The pen position detection apparatus is configured to detect a pen signal transmitted from the pen and derive a pen position, detect occurrence of an event that a drawing line indicated by a series of derived pen positions crosses or comes into contact with a predetermined line segment, and transmit the vibration control signal to activate the haptic element in response to the detection of the occurrence of the event. The first aspect of the present disclosure provides a method of activating a haptic element built in a pen. The method includes a step of transmitting, by the pen, a pen signal, a step of detecting, by a pen position detection apparatus, the pen signal to derive a pen position, a step of detecting, by the pen position detection apparatus, occurrence of an event that a drawing line indicated by a series of derived pen positions crosses or comes into contact with a predetermined line segment, a step of transmitting, by the pen position detection apparatus, a vibration control signal in response to the detection of the occurrence of the event, a step of receiving, by the pen, the vibration control signal, and a step of activating, by the pen, the haptic element in response to the received vib