Position coordinate determination device with diagonal delay line

A data tablet for two-dimensional position coordinate determination having a top surface and a bottom surface, comprising:

• (a) a sheet of electromagnetic shielding having a periphery;
• (b) a first plurality of electrical conductors, each conductor of said first plurality having first and second conductor portions arranged above and below said shielding respectively, and having a third conductor portion wrapped around said periphery of said shielding and connecting said first and second conductor portions, said first conductor portions of said first plurality of electrical conductors lying substantially transverse to a first coordinate axis;
• (c) a second plurality of electrical conductors, each conductor of said second plurality having first and second conductor portions arranged above and below said shielding respectively, and having a third conductor portion wrapped around said periphery of said shielding and connecting said first and second portions, said first conductor portions of said second plurality of electrical conductors lying substantially transverse to a second coordinate axis, said first conductor portions of said first plurality of conductors being electrically insulated from said first conductor portions of said second plurality of conductors;
• and
• (d) a magnetostrictive element arranged below said shielding, said magnetostrictive element being inductively coupled to said second conductor portions of said first and second pluralities of conductors such that oppositely propagating first and second strain waves are produced in said magnetostrictive element in response to a current pulse in any one of said first conductor portions.

A data tablet for two-dimensional position coordinate determination comprising:

• (a) a layer of shielding:
• (b) an X-Y conductor grid network comprising a first plurality of parallel spaced electrical conductors and a second plurality of parallel spaced electrical conductors arranged in mutually perpendicular relationship on one side of said shielding, said conductors of said first plurality and of said second plurality having a predetermined spacing;
• (c) an X conductor grid comprising a third plurality of spaced electrical conductors arranged on the other side of said shielding;
• (d) a Y conductor grid comprising a fourth plurality of spaced electrical conductors arranged on said other side of said shielding;
• and
• (e) a linear magnetostrictive element proximally arranged and obliquely disposed with respect to said X and Y conductor grids,
• wherein said Y conductor grid and said X conductor grid are arranged without overlap, and said first and second portions of said bottom surface comprise separate surface portions, the conductors of said first plurality being respectively electrically connected to the conductors of said third plurality, and the conductors of said second plurality being respectively electrically connected to the conductors of said fourth plurality.

A position determining device comprising:

• a member defining a surface;
• a first plurality of spaced electrical conductors associated with a first coordinate direction along said surface;
• a second plurality of spaced electrical conductors associated with a second coordinate direction along said surface, said second coordinate direction being substantially perpendicular to said first coordinate direction;
• a flux source capable of inducing current pulses in those electrical conductors to which the flux source is inductively coupled;
• a propagation element for propagating non-electrical signals, which propagation element has a first portion inductively coupled to said first plurality of conductors and a second portion inductively coupled to said second plurality of conductors;
• and signal detection means associated with said propagation element for detecting non-electrical signals induced in said propagation element by current pulses in said first and second pluralities of conductors.