Handwriting input device, non-transitory recording medium storing computer readable contact body determination program, and contact body determination method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016162178-A1
Application number	US-201514955588-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 1, 2015
Priority date	Dec 4, 2014
Publication date	Jun 9, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A handwriting input device includes: a first detection unit that has an input surface to which inputting of information is allowed by direct contact of a contact body or contact of the contact body via a sheet and detects as contact information at least one of contact pressure and contact area of the contact body on the input surface; a second detection unit that detects vibrations generated by the contact as vibration information; and a contact body determination unit that determines the kind of the contact body based on the contact information and the vibration information.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A handwriting input device comprising:
a first detection unit that has an input surface to which inputting of information is allowed by direct contact of a contact body or contact of the contact body via a sheet and detects as contact information at least one of contact pressure and contact area of the contact body on the input surface; a second detection unit that detects vibrations generated by the contact as vibration information; and a contact body determination unit that determines the kind of the contact body based on the contact information and the vibration information.

2 . The handwriting input device according to claim 1 , wherein the second detection unit is positioned in contact with the input surface.

3 . The handwriting input device according to claim 1 , wherein the second detection unit is positioned in contact with the paper sheet placed on the input surface.

4 . The handwriting input device according to claim 1 , wherein the second detection unit is arranged at the back side of the input surface.

5 . The handwriting input device according to claim 1 , wherein the second detection unit is arranged at the outer periphery of the input surface.

6 . The handwriting input device according to claim 1 comprising a Fourier transform unit that performs a Fourier transform on the vibrations indicated by the vibration information, wherein
the contact body determination unit determines the kind of the contact body based on the contact information and the result of the Fourier transform by the Fourier transform unit.

7 . The handwriting input device according to claim 1 , wherein the contact body determination unit determines the kind of the contact body based on the contact information and the waveform of the vibrations indicated by the vibration information.

8 . A handwriting input device comprising:
a first detection unit that has an input surface to which inputting of information is allowed by direct contact of a contact body or contact of the contact body via a sheet and detects as contact information at least one of contact pressure and contact area of the contact body on the input surface; a plurality of second detection units that is arranged at different positions on the input surface and detects vibrations generated by the contact as vibration information; and a contact body determination unit that selects, from among a plurality of pieces of vibration information detected by the plurality of second detection units, two or more pieces of vibration information from two or more of the second detection units different in distance from the contact position of the contact body, according to the contact position of the contact body on the input surface, and determines the kind of the contact body based on the selected two or more pieces of vibration information and the contact information.

9 . The handwriting input device according to claim 8 , wherein
the contact body determination unit specifies the contact position of the user's hand on the input surface based on the contact information, and determines the kind of the contact body with exclusion of the vibration information detected by the second detection unit arranged closest to the contact position of the user's hand from the plurality of pieces of vibration information detected by the plurality of second detection units.

10 . The handwriting input device according to claim 8 , further comprising a contact body characteristic information storage unit that stores, for each of contact bodies, contact characteristic information including vibration information detected by the second detection unit when information was input in advance to the input surface by the use of the contact body and characteristic information specific to the contact body relating to the vibration information, wherein
the contact body determination unit executes a determination process for determining the kind of the contact body based on the contact information, and when the kind of the contact body is undetermined despite the execution of the determination process, the contact body determination unit determines the kind of the contact body based on the vibration information detected by the second detection units and the contact body characteristic information stored in the contact body characteristic information storage unit.

11 . The handwriting input device according to claim 10 , further comprising an additional storage unit that generates the contact body characteristic information and stores additionally the generated contact body characteristic information in the contact body characteristic information storage unit.

12 . The handwriting input device according to claim 10 , wherein the contact body determination unit determines the kind of the contact body, based on vibration information that is formed by modifying the vibration information included in the contact body characteristic information depending on the use history of the contact body corresponding to the contact body characteristic information and the vibration information detected by the second detection units.

13 . The handwriting input device according to claim 8 , wherein the second detection units are positioned in contact with the input surface.

14 . The handwriting input device according to claim 8 , wherein the second detection units are positioned in contact with the sheet placed on the input surface.

15 . The handwriting input device according to claim 8 , wherein the second detection units are arranged at the back side of the input surface.

16 . The handwriting input device according to claim 8 , wherein the second detection units are arranged at the outer periphery of the input surface.

17 . A non-transitory recording medium storing a computer readable contact body determination program for causing a computer to perform acts comprising:
acquiring as contact information at least one of contact pressure and contact area of a contact body on an input surface to which inputting of information is allowed by direct contact of the contact body or by contact of the contact body via a sheet; acquiring vibrations generated by the contact as vibration information; and determining the kind of the contact body based on the contact information and the vibration information.

18 . The non-transitory recording medium storing a computer readable contact body determination program according to claim 17 , wherein the acquiring vibrations comprises acquiring a plurality of pieces of vibration information detected by a plurality of second detection units that are arranged at different positions on the input surface to detect vibrations generated by the contact as vibration information; and
wherein the determining comprises selecting from among the acquired plurality of pieces of vibration information two or more pieces of vibration information from two or more of the second detection units different in distance from the contact position of the contact body, according to the contact position of the contact body on the input surface, and determining the kind of the contact body based on the selected two or more pieces of vibration information and the contact information.

Assignees

• Konica Minolta Inc

Inventors

• Fukumura Yuri
• Hosaka Kenta
• Imamura Junichi
• Tatebayashi Keisuke
• Inoue Naoyuki

Classifications

• G06F3/04883 Primary

  for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text · CPC title

• G06F3/0416

  Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers · CPC title

• G06F3/0414

  using force sensing means to determine a position · CPC title

• G06F3/043

  using propagating acoustic waves · CPC title

• G06F2203/04106

  Multi-sensing digitiser, i.e. digitiser using at least two different sensing technologies simultaneously or alternatively, e.g. for detecting pen and finger, for saving power or for improving position detection · CPC title