US 4,733,023 AGranted

Coordinate position digitizing system for determining position of a pick-up element relative to a plate in horizontal and vertical directions employing sequential switching of vertical and horizontal conductors

AssigneeSony Corporation

InventorsHideshi Tamaru, Akio Sakano, Nobuo Kitamura, Kimiyoshi Yoshida, Kunio Shikakura

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Abstract

A coordinate position digitizing system comprises a position determining plate having a plurality of first conductors extending in parallel with one another at regularly spaced intervals. A plurality of second conductors also extend in parallel with one another at regularly spaced intervals and across the first conductors. Driving and controlling means are provided in common to the first conductors and the second conductors for selectively energizing in turn one or more of the first conductors and second conductors, for example, by supplying a direct current flowing therethrough. Pick-up means, such as a magnetic flux detecting means, is movably set on the position determining plate for producing a signal in response to field variations on the position determining plate caused by the selective energization of the first conductors and second conductors. Information producing means produces positional data defining a position on the position determining plate to which the pick-up means is brought close, based on the strength of the signal drived from the pick-up means.

Claims10

Dependent claims

A coordinate position digitizing system comprising:

a position determining plate having a first connecting line along a first direction on the plate and a second connecting line along a second direction on the plate, a plurality of first conductors extending in parallel with one another at intervals of a regular space, each of said first conductors having one end connected to said first connecting line as a common line, a plurality of second conductors extending in parallel with one another at intervals of a regular space and across said first conductors, each of said conductors having one end connected to said second connecting line as a common line,
first and second control switch means, the first control switch means selectively connecting the first connecting line to one pole of a power supply when the second control switch means is open and the second control switch means selectively connecting the second connecting line to said one pole of the power supply, so that the first and second switch means alternately connect the first and second lines to said one pole,
driving and controlling means provided in common to said first conductors and said second conductors for sequentially connecting the other ends of said first conductors to another pole of the power supply during a first sequence when said first control switch means is closed and for sequentially connecting the other ends of said second conductors to said another pole of the power supply during a second sequence when said second control switch means is closed,
pick-up means movably positioned with respect to the position determining plate and responsive to field variations caused by the operation of the driving and controlling means to produce a signal representative of the position of the pick-up means with respect to the first and second directions of the position determining plate, and
information producing means connected to the pick-up means for producing a smoothly varying signal from a signal output by the pick-up means, and for determining a cross-over of the smoothened signal over a predetermined potential, the information producing means including timing means for receiving a first time signal for each entire first and second sequence when one of the first or second position switches is closed and for receiving a second time signal corresponding to said cross-over of said predetermined potential, and utilizing said first and second time signals to determine a horizontal or vertical position of the pick-up means depending upon whether the second or first position switch is closed.

2 more elements

A coordinate position digitizing system, comprising:

a position determining plate having a plurality of vertical conductors and a plurality of horizontal conductors each connecting at one end to a respective first or second common line;
a first power supply terminal having vertical position and horizontal position switches connected thereto, the vertical position switch connecting to the first common line and the horizontal position switch connecting to the second common line;
a switch means having a plurality of switch sections;
diode coupling means for connecting one respective horizontal and one respective vertical conductor to one respective switch section of said switch means such that each switch section is common to the one respective vertical conductor and the one respective horizontal conductor;
switch driving means for sequentially closing the switch sections so as to connect the respective horizontal conductors to a second power supply terminal when the horizontal position switch is closed and the vertical position switch is opened and for sequentially closing the switch sections so as to connect the respective vertical conductors to the second power supply terminal when the vertical position switch is closed and the horizontal position switch is opened;
pick-up detector means movably positionable on the determining plate and responsive to field variations caused by currents flowing through various vertical and horizontal conductors and producing corresponding output signals;
and
information producing means connected to the pick-up means for producing a smoothly varying signal from a signal output by the pick-up means, and for determining a cross-over of the smoothened signal over a predetermined potential, the information producing means including timing means for receiving a first time signal for each entire sequence of all switch sections when one of the vertical or horizontal position switches is closed and for receiving a second time signal corresponding to said cross-over of said predetermined potential, and utilizing said first and second time signals to determine a horizontal or vertical position of the pick-up means depending upon whether the horizontal or vertical position switch is closed.

5 more elements

A coordinate position digitizing system, comprising:

a position determining plate having a plurality of vertical conductors and a plurality of horizontal conductors each connecting at one end to a respective first or second common line;
a first power supply terminal having vertical position and horizontal position switches connected thereto, the vertical position swtich connecting to the first common line and the horizontal position switch connecting to the second common line;
a horizontal switch means and a vertical switch means each of which has a plurality of switch sections;
each of the vertical conductors connecting to a respective switch section of the vertical switch means;
each of the horizontal conductors connecting to a respective switch section of the horizontal switch means;
switch driving means for sequentially closing the switch sections of the horizontal switch means so as to connect each of the respective horizontal conductors to a second power supply terminal when the horizontal position switch is closed and the vertical position switch is opened, and for sequentially closing the switch sections of the vertical switch means so as to connect each of the respective vertical conductors to the second power supply terminal when the vertical position switch is closed and the horizontal position switch is opened;
pick-up detector means movably positionable on the determining plate and responsive to field variations caused by currents flowing through the various vertical and horizontal conductors and producing corresponding output signals;
information producing means connected to the pick-up means for producing a smoothly varying signal from a signal output by the pick-up means, and for determining a cross-over of the smoothened signal over a predetermined potential, the information producing means including timing means for receiving a first time signal for each entire sequence of all switch sections when one of the vertical or horizontal position switches is closed and for receiving a second time signal corresponding to said cross-over of said predetermined potential, and utilizing said first and second time signals to determine a horizontal or vertical position of the pick-up means depending upon whether the horizontal or vertical position switch is closed.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.