Electronic pen cartridge and electronic pen

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12056297-B2
Application number	US-202318316924-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 12, 2023
Priority date	Apr 17, 2018
Publication date	Aug 6, 2024
Grant date	Aug 6, 2024

Abstract

An electronic pen cartridge includes a pen tip that is configured to protrude outside of an electronic pen electronic pen casing through an opening of the electronic pen casing, an electronic circuit that transfers signals to a position detecting sensor, and a first connector that is joined to a second connector disposed in the electronic pen casing. The first connector includes plural terminals insulated from each other, and each of the terminals is electrically connected to the electronic circuit. The first connector and the second connector are joined through insertion of a fitting protrusion of a first one of the first connector and the second connector into a fitting recess of a second one of the first connector and the second connector in an axis center direction of the electronic pen casing, and circular annular conductor contacts are included in the first connector or the second connector.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An electronic pen cartridge housed in an outer electronic pen casing in which an opening is made on a first side at one end of the outer electronic pen casing in an axis center direction of the electronic pen cartridge, the electronic pen cartridge comprising:
a cartridge casing that is different from the outer electronic pen casing and is configured to be disposed within the outer electronic pen casing;
a pen tip coupled to the cartridge casing at a first end of the cartridge casing and configured to protrude outside of the outer electronic pen casing through the opening,
a first electronic circuit disposed inside of the cartridge casing and which, in operation, transfers signals to a position detecting sensor, and
a first connector that is coupled to the cartridge casing at a second end of the cartridge casing opposite the first end of the cartridge casing, that is electrically connected to the first electronic circuit, and that is configured to be joined to a second connector that is electrically connected to a second electronic circuit disposed inside of the outer electronic pen casing on a second side of the outer electronic pen casing, wherein:
the first connector includes plural first terminals insulated from each other, and each of the plural first terminals is electrically connected to the first electronic circuit, and
the first connector and the second connector are joined through insertion of a fitting protrusion of a first one of the first connector and the second connector into a fitting recess of a second one of the first connector and the second connector in the axis center direction of the outer electronic pen casing, and conductor contacts are included in the first connector or the second connector.

2. The electronic pen cartridge according to claim 1 , wherein:
the first connector includes the fitting protrusion and the first plural terminals include circular annular conductor contacts,
each of the circular annular conductor contacts has a same central position, and
the circular annular conductor contacts are disposed at different positions in the axis center direction of the outer electronic pen casing.

3. The electronic pen cartridge according to claim 1 , wherein:
the second connector includes the fitting protrusion,
plural second terminals of the second connector include circular annular conductor contacts,
each of the circular annular conductor contacts has a same central position,
the circular annular conductor contacts are disposed at different positions in the axis center direction of the outer electronic pen casing, and
the first plural terminals of the first connector contact the circular annular conductor contacts of the second plural terminals of the second connector.

4. The electronic pen cartridge according to claim 1 , wherein:
the first electronic circuit, in operation, receives a signal from the position detecting sensor and generates information indicating a signal level of the signal received, and
the plural first terminals of the first connector include a terminal that sends the information indicating the signal level to outside of the electronic pen cartridge through the first connector.

5. The electronic pen cartridge according to claim 1 , wherein:
the first electronic circuit includes a switch controlled by a control signal from outside of the electronic pen cartridge, and
the first plural terminals of the first connector include a terminal that transmits the control signal from outside of the electronic pen cartridge to the switch.

6. The electronic pen cartridge according to claim 1 , wherein:
the first electronic circuit includes a resonant circuit which, in operation, transmits and receives alternating-current signals to and from the position detecting sensor.

7. The electronic pen cartridge according to claim 6 , wherein:
the first electronic circuit includes a switch that changes a resonant frequency of the resonant circuit by a control signal from outside of the electronic pen cartridge, and
the plural first terminals of the first connector include a terminal that transmits the control signal from outside of the electronic pen cartridge to the switch.

8. The electronic pen cartridge according to claim 6 , wherein:
the first electronic circuit includes a switch that turns on and off resonant operation of the resonant circuit by a control signal from outside of the electronic pen cartridge, and
the plural first terminals of the first connector include a terminal that transmits the control signal from outside of the electronic pen cartridge to the switch.

9. The electronic pen cartridge according to claim 6 , further comprising:
a writing pressure detecting circuit which, in operation, detects a writing pressure applied to the pen tip as a change in capacitance of a capacitor or inductance of an inductor, wherein:
the first electronic circuit includes a switch that controls whether to include the capacitor or the inductor as part of the resonant circuit by a control signal from outside of the electronic pen cartridge, and
the plural first terminals of the first connector include a terminal that transmits the control signal from outside of the electronic pen cartridge to the switch.

10. The electronic pen cartridge according to claim 1 , wherein:
the first plural terminals of the first connector include a terminal that provides a supply voltage from outside of the electronic pen cartridge to the first electronic circuit.

11. The electronic pen cartridge according to claim 1 , wherein:
the first connector is a connector plug and the second connector is a connector jack, or the first connector is the connector jack and the second connector is the connector plug.

12. The electronic pen cartridge according to claim 1 , wherein:
the pen tip is formed of a conductor and the first electronic circuit includes a signal generating circuit which, in operation, generates a signal sent out to the position detecting sensor through the pen tip.

13. An electronic pen comprising:
an outer electronic pen casing in which an opening is made on a first side at one end of the outer electronic pen casing in an axis center direction of the electronic pen casing; and
an electronic pen cartridge housed in the outer electronic pen casing,
wherein the electronic pen cartridge includes:
a cartridge casing that is different from the outer electronic pen casing and is configured to be disposed within the outer electronic pen casing;
a pen tip coupled to the cartridge casing at a first end of the cartridge casing and configured to protrude to outside of the electronic pen through the opening,
a first electronic circuit disposed inside of the cartridge casing and which, in operation, transfers signals to a position detecting sensor, and
a first connector that is coupled to the cartridge casing at a second end of the cartridge casing opposite the first end of the cartridge casing, that is electrically connected to the first electronic circuit, and that is joined to a second connector that is electrically connected to a second electronic circuit disposed inside of the outer electronic pen casing on a second side of the outer electronic pen casing,

wherein the first connector includes plural first terminals insulated from each other, and each of the plural first terminals is electrically connected to the first electronic circuit,
wherein the outer electronic pen casing includes:
the second connector, the second connector including plural second terminals insulated from each other,
the second electronic circuit, the second electronic circuit being electrically co

Assignees

• Wacom Co Ltd

Inventors

• Ito Masamitsu
• Takiguchi Hidetaka

Classifications

• G06F3/038

  Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry · CPC title

• G06F3/0383

  Signal control means within the pointing device · CPC title

• G06F3/046

  by electromagnetic means · CPC title

• G06F3/04162

  for exchanging data with external devices, e.g. smart pens, via the digitiser sensing hardware · CPC title

• G06F3/03545 Primary

  Pens or stylus · CPC title