This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2014-071050, filed Mar. 31, 2014, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
Embodiments described herein relate generally to an electronic device and an active stylus (active pen).
Recently, portable battery-driven electronic devices such as a tablet device and a notebook personal computer (PC) have been widespread. Such electronic devices typically comprise a handwritten input function (stylus input function) so that a user can perform input operation easily.
There are various types of styluses of the handwritten input function such as an electromagnetic-type digitizer stylus, an active or passive stylus for use with an electrostatic-type touch panel, and a stylus for use with a resistive film-type touch panel.
An active stylus is promising in the future since the active stylus recently becomes more accurate and the use thereof realizes a palm rejection function. However, an active stylus needs to be equipped with a battery and therefore cannot be used when out of charge.
Further, the size of a battery needs to be limited due to the shape of a stylus. While a battery can be a primary battery, a secondary battery and an electric double-layer capacitor, both advantages and disadvantages exist in size, weight and battery life. For example, by using an electric double-layer capacitor, it is possible to make a stylus smaller in diameter and lighter but the battery life gets shorter.
A general architecture that implements the various features of the embodiments will now be described with reference to the drawings. The drawings and the associated descriptions are provided to illustrate the embodiments and not to limit the scope of the invention.
Various embodiments will be described hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings.
In general, according to one embodiment, an electronic device comprises a housing, a touch panel in the housing, a power transmitter in the housing, and an active stylus. The active stylus is capable of receiving power wirelessly from the power transmitter. The power transmitter comprises a first coil to generate magnetic flux orthogonal to an upper surface of the housing for transmitting power. The active stylus comprises one or more second coils for receiving power to resonate with the magnetic flux, at least one of the one or more second coils configured to be parallel to the first coil when the active stylus is in a first position or in a second position on the upper surface of the housing.
As shown in
The main body 11 has a thin box-shaped housing. The touch screen display 12 is equipped with a flat panel display and a sensor that detects a contact position of the active stylus 2 on the flat panel display. The sensor is an electrostatic-type touch panel and comprises a function to support the active stylus 2. The flat panel display is, for example, a liquid crystal display (LCD). The touch panel is arranged so as to cover the screen of the flat panel display.
As shown in
The CPU 101 is a processor that controls the operation of each of modules in the tablet device 1. The CPU 101 loads each of software from the nonvolatile memory 106 to the main memory 103 and executes it. The CPU 101 also executes a basic input/output system (BIOS) stored in the BIOS-ROM 105. The BIOS is a program for controlling hardware.
The system controller 102 is a device that connects the local bus of the CPU 101 and each of components. The system controller 102 is equipped with a memory controller that accesses and controls the main memory 103. Also, the system controller 102 comprises a function to execute communication with the graphics controller 104 via a serial bus conforming to the PCI EXPRESS standard, etc.
The graphics controller 104 is a display controller that controls an LCD 12A used as a display monitor of the tablet device 1. The LCD 12A displays a screen image based on a display signal generated by the graphics controller 104. On the LCD 12A is arranged a touch panel 12B. The touch panel 12B is an electrostatic-type pointing device for performing input on the screen of the LCD 12A. A position on which the active stylus 2 contacts is detected by the touch panel 12B.
The wireless communication device 107 is a device that executes wireless communication such as wireless LAN and 3G mobile communication. The EC 108 is a single-chip micro computer comprising a power circuit 108A for power management. The EC 108 comprises a function to power on/off the tablet device 1 in accordance with the operation of a power button by a user.
The power-transmitting circuit for wireless power transmission 109 is a circuit that transmits power from the power circuit 108A to the active stylus 2 by use of the power-transmitting coil 110. The power-transmitting coil 110 is a coil that generates magnetic flux for resonating the power-receiving coil of the active stylus 2 under control of the power-transmitting circuit for wireless power transmission 109.
As shown in
The power-receiving coil 201 is a coil that generates power by resonating by magnetic flux from the power-transmitting coil 110 of the tablet device 1. The power-receiving circuit for wireless power transmission 202 is a circuit that stabilizes power generated by the power-receiving coil 201 and supplies it to the charge/discharge circuit 203. The charge/discharge circuit 203 is a circuit that comprises a secondary battery or an electric double-layer capacitor (hereinafter referred to as secondary battery/electric double-layer capacitor 203A). The charge/discharge circuit 203 charges the secondary battery/electric double-layer capacitor 203A with power supplied from the power-receiving circuit for wireless power transmission 202 and supplies the power of the secondary battery/electric double-layer capacitor 203A to the active stylus configuration circuit 204 as power for operation. Thus, the active stylus 2 functions as an input device upon the active stylus configuration circuit 204 operates by use of the secondary battery/electric double-layer capacitor 203A as a power source, and the secondary battery/electric double-layer capacitor 203A is charged with power from the power circuit 108A of the tablet device 1. In the wireless power-transmission system, the arrangement of the power-receiving coil 201 is devised so that power transmitted from the tablet device 1 is efficiently received in the active stylus 2, which will be described in detail later.
In
As shown in
The orientation of the power-receiving coil 201 arranged as shown in
In
As described above, the power-transmitting coil 110 of the tablet device 1 is arranged so as to generate magnetic flux orthogonal to the upper surface of the main body 11, with which the touch screen display 12 is overlapped. In other words, the power-transmitting coil 110 is arranged in an orientation orthogonal to the screen of the touch screen display 12. The wireless power-transmission system makes the power-receiving coil 201 of the active stylus 2 parallel to the power-transmitting coil 110 of the tablet device 1 when the active stylus 2 is placed on the touch screen display 12. Further, even when the active stylus 2 is placed in the peripheral portion of the tablet device 1, the wireless power-transmission system makes it possible to efficiently receive power transmitted from the tablet device 1 by arranging the power-receiving coil 201 so as to be positioned on a line horizontal to the power-transmitting coil 110, if the active stylus 2 is placed on a position where the amount of magnetic flux from the power-transmitting coil 110 intersecting the power-receiving coil 201 is sufficient.
(Pattern 1)
To begin with, the first arrangement pattern of the power-receiving coil 201 in the active stylus 2 will be described with reference to
As shown in (A) of
For example, when placed on the touch screen display 12 of the tablet device 1, the active stylus 2 rotates around its axis to make the clip portion 21 contact the touch screen display 12. (B) of
When the screen of the touch screen display 12 is referred to as line C, line C is contacted by the main body portion of the active stylus 2 and the clip portion 21. A state where the clip portion 21 contacts the touch screen display 12 includes two possible states: one is that the left end portion of the clip portion 21 contacts the touch screen display 12; and the other is that the right end portion of the clip portion 21 contacts the touch screen display 12. Line A represents the screen of the touch screen display 12 on the assumption that the touch screen display 12 is contacted by the end portion opposite the clip portion 21. The intersection point of these two lines A and C is referred to as B.
In addition, the center of the cross-section, i.e., axis, of the active stylus 2 is referred to as P, and a line including segment BP is referred to as line E. A line including the cross-section of the power-receiving coil 201 (a surface orthogonal to the orientation of the power-receiving coil 201) is referred to as line D.
At this time, the power-receiving coil 201 is arranged to make line D parallel to line C so that the relationship of the following formula (1) is satisfied:
∠ABC=2PBC=2∠EPD formula (1)
When the active stylus 2 is placed on the touch screen display 12 of the tablet device 1 as shown in
When the active stylus 2 in which the power-receiving coil 201 is thus arranged is placed on the touch screen display 12 of the tablet device 1 as shown in
Accordingly, for example, when using the active stylus 2, it is possible to operate the active stylus 2 while transmitting power only by placing the active stylus 2 on the touch screen display 12 of the tablet device 1 during a handwritten input operation.
Even if line A is contacted by the main body portion and the clip portion 21 of the active stylus 2 as shown in (B) of
(Pattern 2)
Next, the second arrangement pattern of the power-receiving coil 201 in the active stylus 2 will be described with reference to
As with the above-mentioned first arrangement pattern, it is assumed that the clip portion 21 is attached to the active stylus 2 and that the main body portion of the active stylus 2 is cylindrical, as shown in (A) of
In
At this time, the power-receiving coils 201 [1] and [2] are arranged to make line D parallel to line C and to make line F parallel to line A so that the relationship of the following formula (2) is satisfied:
∠ABC=2∠PBC=2∠EPD=2∠EPF formula (2)
When the active stylus 2 in which the power-receiving coils 201 [1] and [2] are thus arranged is placed on the touch screen display 12 of the tablet device 1 as shown in
Accordingly, for example, when using the active stylus 2, it is possible to operate the active stylus 2 while transmitting power only by placing the active stylus 2 on the touch screen display 12 of the tablet device 1 during a handwritten input operation.
If a plurality of power-receiving coils 201 are arranged in the active stylus 2, all of the power-receiving coils may be connected to the power-receiving circuit for wireless power transmission 202, or, for example, one of them may be connected to the power-receiving circuit for wireless power transmission 202. The power-receiving coils 201 that are not connected to the power-receiving circuit for wireless power transmission 202 play a role in resonating the power-receiving coils 201 that are connected to the power-receiving circuit for wireless power transmission 202.
(Pattern 3)
Subsequently, the third arrangement pattern of the power-receiving coil 201 in the active stylus 2 will be described with reference to
(A) of
The active stylus 2 is usually placed with the surface formed in the side surface portion downward so that the stylus does not roll over. Alternatively, the active stylus 2 rotates on its axis, with the surface formed in the side surface portion downward. That is, for example, when the active stylus 2 is placed on the touch screen display 12 of the table device 1, the surface formed in the side surface portion contacts the touch screen display 12.
In (B) of
When the active stylus 2 in which the power-receiving coil 201 is thus arranged is placed on the touch screen 12 of the tablet device 1 as shown in
Accordingly, for example, when using the active stylus 2, it is possible to operate the active stylus 2 while transmitting power only by placing the active stylus 2 on the touch screen display 12 of the tablet device 1 during a handwritten input operation.
(Pattern 4)
Then, the fourth arrangement pattern of the power-receiving coil 201 in the active stylus 2 will be described with reference to
When the active stylus 2 is placed on the touch screen 12 of the tablet device 1, for example, any one of six surfaces formed in the side surface portion contacts the touch screen display 12.
Therefore, as shown in
When the active stylus 2 is placed on the touch screen 12 of the tablet device 1 as shown in
Accordingly, for example, when using the active stylus 2, it is possible to operate the active stylus 2 while transmitting power only by placing the active stylus 2 on the touch screen display 12 of the tablet device 1 during a handwritten input operation.
In the above-mentioned case, the active stylus 2 is placed on the touch screen display 12 of the tablet device 1 as shown in
When the active stylus 2 which has been described above is placed on, for example, the same table as the one on which the tablet device 1 is placed, the power-transmitting coil 110 of the tablet device 1 is positioned parallel to the power-receiving coil 201 of the active stylus 2. Also, as described with reference to
Therefore, as shown in
For example, when an accommodation portion for accommodating the active stylus 2 is provided in the housing side surface portion of the tablet device 1 and the active stylus 2 is accommodated in this accommodation portion, the power-receiving coil 201 may be positioned on a line horizontal to the power-transmitting coil 110. Also, when both the tablet device 1 and the active stylus 2 are accommodated in a cover, a holder or the like that can accommodate them, the power-receiving coil 201 may be positioned on a line horizontal to the power-transmitting coil 110.
As shown in, for example,
As described above, the wireless power-transmission system realizes operating a stylus while transmitting power.
The various modules of the systems described herein can be implemented as software applications, hardware and/or software modules, or components on one or more computers, such as servers. While the various modules are illustrated separately, they may share some or all of the same underlying logic or code.
While certain embodiments have been described, these embodiments have been presented by way of example only, and are not intended to limit the scope of the inventions. Indeed, the novel embodiments described herein may be embodied in a variety of other forms; furthermore, various omissions, substitutions and changes in the form of the embodiments described herein may be made without departing from the spirit of the inventions. The accompanying claims and their equivalents are intended to cover such forms or modifications as would fall within the scope and spirit of the inventions.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2014-071050 | Mar 2014 | JP | national |