# US 2021/0345361 A1 · Sensor controller and pen > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2021/0345361 A1 - Document ID: US20210345361A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 17/379,541 - Filed: 2021-07-19 - Published: 2021-11-04 - Earliest claimed: 2019-03-01 - Assignees: Wacom Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Wacom Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Haruhiko HISANO - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210345361A1 ## CPC - H04W 72/542: using measured or perceived quality - G06F 3/03545: {Pens or stylus} - G06F 3/038: Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry - G06F 3/0383: {Signal control means within the pointing device} - G06F 3/04162: {for exchanging data with external devices, e.g. smart pens, via the digitiser sensing hardware} - H04L 5/0037: {Inter-user or inter-terminal allocation} - H04L 5/0048: {Allocation of pilot signals, i.e. of signals known to the receiver (allocation of control signalling H04L5/0053; use of control signalling H04L5/0091)} - H04L 5/0053: {Allocation of signalling, i.e. of overhead other than pilot signals} - H04W 72/0446: Resources in time domain, e.g. slots or frames - H04W 72/1273: of downlink data flows - H04W 72/21: in the uplink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards the network - H04W 72/30: Resource management for broadcast services - H04W 72/541: using the level of interference - G06F 3/0412: {Digitisers structurally integrated in a display} - G06F 3/0446: {using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes} - G06F 2203/0382: Plural input, i.e. interface arrangements in which a plurality of input device of the same type are in communication with a PC - G06F 2203/0384: Wireless input, i.e. hardware and software details of wireless interface arrangements for pointing devices - H04L 5/0055: {Physical resource allocation for ACK/NACK (for physical mapping arrangements in ARQ protocols H04L1/1861)} - H04L 5/0078: {Timing of allocation} - H04W 72/20: Control channels or signalling for resource management - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract A change of a resource allocation scheme in a multi-pen supporting electronic apparatus can be made in a shorter period of time than in the prior art. A sensor controller 50 assigns communication resources to one or more pens 2, respectively, and detects a position of each of the one or more pens 2 on the basis of a downlink signal DS received from each of the one or more pens 2 using the assigned communication resources. When changing a resource allocation scheme, which indicates a structure of the communication resources or a method of using the communication resources, the sensor controller 50 broadcasts information indicating a new resource allocation scheme to the one or more pens 2. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A sensor controller comprising: a memory; and a processor configured to assign communication resources to one or more pens, respectively, and to detect a position of each of the one or more pens based on a downlink signal received from each of the one or more pens using the assigned communication resources, wherein when changing a resource allocation scheme indicating a structure of the communication resources or a method of using the communication resources, the sensor controller broadcasts information indicating a new resource allocation scheme to the one or more pens. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The sensor controller according to claim 1, wherein the sensor controller is configured to receive the downlink signal by using a plurality of time slots arranged within a frame, and the resource allocation scheme includes one or more of: a number of time slot identification information (TDIDs) indicating assignment of the time slots to each pen, a number of the time slots included in the frame, a time length of the time slot, content of a signal to be transmitted in each of the plurality of time slots by each of the one or more pens, a modulation system of a data signal to be transmitted by the one or more pens, or a symbol length of the data signal. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The sensor controller according to claim 2, wherein the sensor controller is configured to perform communication with each of the one or more pens in units of a super-frame controlled by the sensor controller, and the super-frame includes a plurality of frames. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The sensor controller according to claim 3, wherein the sensor controller transmits a start uplink signal including information indicating the resource allocation scheme, by using a start frame located at a start among the plurality of frames included in the super-frame, and in each of one or more succeeding frames other than the start frame among the plurality of frames, the sensor controller transmits a succeeding uplink signal indicating a reference time for the plurality of time slots arranged within the succeeding frame. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The sensor controller according to claim 3, wherein the super-frame is in synchronism with a display frame of a display device disposed together with a sensor panel for receiving the downlink signal, and the display frame includes a plurality of blank periods that are each a period in which pixel driving operation is not performed, and one frame is arranged in each of the plurality of blank periods. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The sensor controller according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of time slots are arranged in one blank period included in a display frame of a display device disposed together with a sensor panel for receiving the downlink signal. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The sensor controller according to claim 1, wherein the sensor controller changes the resource allocation scheme on a basis of a number of paired pens. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The sensor controller according to claim 1, wherein, when changing the resource allocation scheme, the sensor controller broadcasts the information indicating the new resource allocation scheme to all of paired pens. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The sensor controller according to claim 1, wherein, when changing the resource allocation scheme, the sensor controller broadcasts the information indicating the new resource allocation scheme to one or more pens to which a specific communication parameter is applicable. ### Claim 10 A pen comprising: a memory; and a processor configured to receive a resource allocation scheme indicating a structure of communication resources or a method of using the communication resources from a sensor controller and to transmit a downlink signal according to the resource allocation scheme, wherein the pen is configured to receive identification information indicating assignment of the communication resources from the sensor controller and to transmit the downlink signal by using the communication resources assigned by the identification information, and when the pen receives a new resource allocation scheme from the sensor controller, the pen continues to use the communication resources assigned by the identification information to transmit the downlink signal according to the new resource allocation scheme. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The pen according to claim 10, wherein, when receiving a command indicating a change in the assignment of the communication resources from the sensor controller, the pen transmits the downlink signal by using the changed communication resources. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The pen according to claim 10, wherein the pen is configured to transmit the downlink signal by using a plurality of time slots arranged within a frame, and the resource allocation scheme includes one or more of: a number of time slot identification information (TDIDs) indicating assignment of the time slots to each pen, a number of the time slots included in the frame, a time length of the time slot, content of a signal to be transmitted in each of the plurality of time slots by each pen, a modulation system of a data signal to be transmitted by each pen, or a symbol length of the data signal. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The pen according to claim 12, wherein the pen transmits the downlink signal in a time slot assigned by the time slot identification information among a plurality of time slots arranged in one blank period included in a display frame of a display device disposed together with a sensor panel for the sensor controller to receive the downlink signal.