Patents by Inventor Sadao Yamamoto

Sadao Yamamoto has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR BIDIRECTIONAL COMMUNICATION BETWEEN STYLUS AND STYLUS SENSOR CONTROLLER
    Publication number: 20200089345
    Abstract: A method is provided to interface an active stylus with a sensor controller, wherein the sensor controller is coupled to a sensor configured to receive input from the active stylus. In the method the sensor controller caches stylus capability information of the active stylus. The stylus capability information includes setting information for inking used by an application program executed to display input from the active stylus on the sensor. The active stylus generates a hash value of the stylus capability information and transmits the hash value to the sensor controller when the active stylus enters a sensing zone of the sensor controller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 25, 2019
    Publication date: March 19, 2020
    Inventors: David Charles Fleck, Sadao Yamamoto
  • Touch panel, signal processing device, and coupling method
    Patent number: 10579183
    Abstract: A touch panel has a plurality of conductors arranged for a position detection area and can detect a position pointed to by an active stylus held by a user and a manual touch by the user holding the active stylus. The touch panel includes: a signal transmission circuit that transmits, by capacitive coupling, a signal to the active stylus that can receive the signal transmitted from the touch panel by capacitive coupling with the touch panel; an active stylus pointing position detection circuit that detects the position pointed to by the active stylus by capacitive coupling with the active stylus; a touch detection circuit that detects the manual touch by the user; and a coupling control circuit that performs coupling control to couple one or more of the plurality of conductors and a ground of the touch panel in accordance with a touch detection result of the touch detection circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2020
    Assignee: Wacom Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hideyuki Hara, Sadao Yamamoto, Susumu Yamada
  • SENSOR CONTROLLER, POSITION INDICATOR, AND POSITION DETECTING SYSTEM
    Publication number: 20200050290
    Abstract: A sensor controller is provided for use in a position detector for detecting a position of a position indicator on a touch surface. The sensor controller includes a microprocessor for outputting a value of a symbol to be sent to the position indicator. The sensor controller includes a transmitter coupled to the microprocessor for generating a transmission signal including a chip string CN1 produced by cyclically shifting a code string PNa having autocorrelation characteristics by a shift quantity based on the value of the symbol to be sent, and sending the generated transmission signal to the position indicator via the touch surface. A higher bit rate can be obtained for a given chip rate compared with the prior art in which only 1 bit can be expressed by one code string.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 21, 2019
    Publication date: February 13, 2020
    Inventors: Yasuo Oda, Sadao Yamamoto
  • STYLUS AND SENSOR CONTROL CIRCUIT
    Publication number: 20200050296
    Abstract: A stylus includes a cylindrical housing, a tip portion provided on a tip side of the housing and including a tip electrode, a tail portion provided on a tail side of the housing and including a tail electrode, a power circuit provided in the housing, a first transmission circuit which, in operation, receives power from the power circuit and generates a first downlink signal that is transmitted toward an outside of the housing through the tip electrode, a second transmission circuit which, in operation, receives power from the power circuit and generates a second downlink signal that is transmitted toward the outside of the housing through the tail electrode, the second downlink signal being different from the first downlink signal, and a control circuit which, in operation, controls the first transmission circuit and the second transmission circuit according to a plurality of transmission modes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 3, 2019
    Publication date: February 13, 2020
    Inventors: David Charles Fleck, Sadao Yamamoto
  • System and method for bidirectional communication between stylus and stylus sensor controller
    Patent number: 10558280
    Abstract: A method is provided to interface an active stylus with a sensor controller, wherein the sensor controller is coupled to a sensor configured to receive input from the active stylus. In the method the sensor controller defines data frames consisting of more than one time slot usable for receiving packets from the stylus. The active stylus transmits, in response to a request from the sensor controller, a signal including stylus capability information. The sensor controller determines, based on the stylus capability information, a downlink time slot allocation for use by the active stylus to transmit packets to the sensor controller. The sensor controller transmits the downlink time slot allocation to the active stylus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2020
    Assignee: Wacom Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: David Charles Fleck, Sadao Yamamoto
  • POSITION INDICATOR
    Publication number: 20200033958
    Abstract: A position indicator that electrostatically interacts with a sensor includes: a casing having a pen shape; a conductive core body including a pen tip that protrudes from an opening on one end in the axial direction of the casing; a conductor surrounding the core body; a signal transmitting circuit which, in operation, generates a signal that electrostatically interacts with the sensor, and supplies the generated signal to the core body; and a control circuit which, in operation, produces different electrostatic interactions with the sensor by performing a first control operation that sets the conductor in a state of being grounded while the signal is sent out from the pen tip of the core body to the sensor, and performing a second control operation that sets the conductor in a state different from the state of being grounded.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 3, 2019
    Publication date: January 30, 2020
    Inventor: Sadao YAMAMOTO
  • SENSOR CONTROLLER, POSITION INDICATOR, AND POSITION DETECTING SYSTEM
    Publication number: 20200004350
    Abstract: A sensor controller is provided for use in a position detector for detecting a position of a position indicator on a touch surface. The sensor controller includes a microprocessor for outputting a value of a symbol to be sent to the position indicator. The sensor controller includes a transmitter coupled to the microprocessor for generating a transmission signal including a chip string CN1 produced by cyclically shifting a code string PNa having autocorrelation characteristics by a shift quantity based on the value of the symbol to be sent, and sending the generated transmission signal to the position indicator via the touch surface. A higher bit rate can be obtained for a given chip rate compared with the prior art in which only 1 bit can be expressed by one code string.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2019
    Publication date: January 2, 2020
    Inventors: Yasuo Oda, Sadao Yamamoto
  • Pointer, position detection apparatus and position detection method
    Patent number: 10514781
    Abstract: A position detection apparatus of the electrostatic coupling type is provided, to detect not only a position of a pointer but also information other than the position information such as, for example, pointer pressure or side switch information. The pointer transmits two codes such that a pressure applied to a pen tip is associated with a time difference between the two codes. A position detector carries out a correlation matching operation between signals generated in reception conductors and correlation calculation codes corresponding to the two codes, to thereby detect a position on a sensor section pointed to by the pointer from a result of the correlation matching operation and based on at least one of the codes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2019
    Assignee: Wacom Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuo Oda, Sadao Yamamoto, Yoshihisa Sugiyama
  • Position indicator
    Patent number: 10509491
    Abstract: A position indicator that can be used with a plurality of types of position detection systems. The position indicator includes a first transmitter, a second transmitter, an input circuit which, in operation, accepts an input from outside of the position indicator, a signal generation circuit which, in operation, generates a position detecting signal, a plurality of additional information generation circuits which, in operation, generate a plurality of types of additional information, and a controller. The controller controls, based on the input accepted by the input circuit, transmission of the position detecting signal through the first transmitter and controls, based on the input accepted by the input circuit, transmission of additional information generated by the plurality of additional information generation circuits from the first transmitter or the second transmitter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2019
    Assignee: WACOM CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Sadao Yamamoto
  • BRISTLE BRUSH SENSORS
    Publication number: 20190369753
    Abstract: A stylus brush for creating paintbrush-like digital effects using a digitizer. The stylus brush includes sensing filaments. The sensing filaments include a conductor extending the length of the filament, wherein the conductor transmits light or current along the length of the filament; a cladding or insulator juxtaposed against the conductor; and a means for changing a light or electrical property passing through the conductor when the filament bends along the length as compared to the light or electrical property of the filament in a nonbent condition, wherein the filament has a width not more than 1 mm and length not more than 10 cm.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 5, 2018
    Publication date: December 5, 2019
    Applicant: Wacom Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: David C. Fleck, Sadao Yamamoto
  • System and method for bidirectional communication between stylus and stylus sensor controller
    Patent number: 10488953
    Abstract: A method is provided to interface an active stylus with a sensor controller, wherein the sensor controller is coupled to a sensor configured to receive input from the active stylus. In the method the sensor controller caches stylus capability information of the active stylus. The stylus capability information includes setting information for inking used by an application program executed to display input from the active stylus on the sensor. The active stylus generates a hash value of the stylus capability information and transmits the hash value to the sensor controller when the active stylus enters a sensing zone of the sensor controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Assignee: Wacom Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: David Charles Fleck, Sadao Yamamoto
  • METHOD CARRIED OUT IN SYSTEM INCLUDING ACTIVE STYLUS AND SENSOR CONTROLLER, SENSOR CONTROLLER, AND ACTIVE STYLUS
    Publication number: 20190346970
    Abstract: A method carried out in a system having an active stylus and a sensor controller includes establishing frame synchronization between the controller and the stylus, selecting a first variable-length command from among multiple variable-length commands each including data of a variable number of bits, transmitting the first command in a first portion of a frame using an uplink signal having a variable time length that depends on a number of bits of the first command, receiving the uplink signal having the variable time length, detecting the first command by decoding the uplink signal up to a tail of the uplink signal, and transmitting a downlink signal that depends on the first command in a second portion of the first frame that is different from the first portion of the first frame.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2019
    Publication date: November 14, 2019
    Inventors: Sadao Yamamoto, Hideyuki Hara
  • Sensor controller, position indicator, and position detecting system
    Patent number: 10452168
    Abstract: A sensor controller is provided for use in a position detector for detecting a position of a position indicator on a touch surface. The sensor controller includes a microprocessor for outputting a value of a symbol to be sent to the position indicator. The sensor controller includes a transmitter coupled to the microprocessor for generating a transmission signal including a chip string CN1 produced by cyclically shifting a code string PNa having autocorrelation characteristics by a shift quantity based on the value of the symbol to be sent, and sending the generated transmission signal to the position indicator via the touch surface. A higher bit rate can be obtained for a given chip rate compared with the prior art in which only 1 bit can be expressed by one code string.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2019
    Assignee: WACOM CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yasuo Oda, Sadao Yamamoto
  • Pointer, position detection apparatus and position detection method
    Patent number: 10437353
    Abstract: A position detection apparatus of the electrostatic coupling type is provided, to detect not only a position of a pointer but also information other than the position information such as, for example, pointer pressure or side switch information. The pointer transmits two codes such that a pressure applied to a pen tip is associated with a time difference between the two codes. A position detector carries out a correlation matching operation between signals generated in reception conductors and correlation calculation codes corresponding to the two codes, to thereby detect a position on a sensor section pointed to by the pointer from a result of the correlation matching operation and based on at least one of the codes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2019
    Assignee: Wacom Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuo Oda, Sadao Yamamoto, Yoshihisa Sugiyama
  • Pointer, position detection apparatus and position detection method
    Patent number: 10429955
    Abstract: A position detection apparatus of the electrostatic coupling type is provided, to detect not only a position of a pointer but also information other than the position information such as, for example, pointer pressure or side switch information. The pointer transmits two codes such that a pressure applied to a pen tip is associated with a time difference between the two codes. A position detector carries out a correlation matching operation between signals generated in reception conductors and correlation calculation codes corresponding to the two codes, to thereby detect a position on a sensor section pointed to by the pointer from a result of the correlation matching operation and based on at least one of the codes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: Wacom, Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuo Oda, Sadao Yamamoto, Yoshihisa Sugiyama
  • Pointer, position detection apparatus and position detection method
    Patent number: 10423247
    Abstract: A position detection apparatus of the electrostatic coupling type is provided, to detect not only a position of a pointer but also information other than the position information such as, for example, pointer pressure or side switch information. The pointer transmits two codes such that a pressure applied to a pen tip is associated with a time difference between the two codes. A position detector carries out a correlation matching operation between signals generated in reception conductors and correlation calculation codes corresponding to the two codes, to thereby detect a position on a sensor section pointed to by the pointer from a result of the correlation matching operation and based on at least one of the codes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2019
    Assignee: Wacom Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuo Oda, Sadao Yamamoto, Yoshihisa Sugiyama
  • STYLUS AND CONTROLLER
    Publication number: 20190196612
    Abstract: A controller of an in-cell type liquid crystal display device is provided. The controller controls first and second electrodes that intersect each other, supplies a pixel driving voltage to the first electrodes during a pixel driving period, and detects a stylus position using the first and second electrodes during a stylus detection period different from the pixel driving period. The controller transmits, using the second electrodes, a command requesting a transmission of a downlink signal to the stylus. The controller detects, using the first and second electrodes, the downlink signal transmitted from the stylus in response to the command, and detects the stylus position based on the detected downlink signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2019
    Publication date: June 27, 2019
    Inventors: Hideyuki Hara, Sadao Yamamoto, Shunya Saito
  • SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR BIDIRECTIONAL COMMUNICATION BETWEEN STYLUS AND STYLUS SENSOR CONTROLLER
    Publication number: 20190187822
    Abstract: A method is provided to interface an active stylus with a sensor controller, wherein the sensor controller is coupled to a sensor configured to receive input from the active stylus. In the method the sensor controller caches stylus capability information of the active stylus. The stylus capability information includes setting information for inking used by an application program executed to display input from the active stylus on the sensor. The active stylus generates a hash value of the stylus capability information and transmits the hash value to the sensor controller when the active stylus enters a sensing zone of the sensor controller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2019
    Publication date: June 20, 2019
    Inventors: David Charles Fleck, Sadao Yamamoto
  • STYLUS AND SENSOR CONTROLLER
    Publication number: 20190179429
    Abstract: A processor of a stylus according to the present disclosure detects a first signal supplied to a sensor electrode group in each frame. The processor determines whether the first signal represents a setting instruction of a local ID, and writes a value of the local ID specified by the setting instruction in a memory if the first signal is determined to represent the setting instruction. The processor repeatedly detects a second signal supplied to the sensor electrode group in each of one or more slots included in the frame. The processor compares values of a local ID included in the detected second signal and the local ID stored in the memory every time the processor detects the second signal, and transmits a first downlink signal to a sensor controller using an electrode if the values correspond with each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 15, 2019
    Publication date: June 13, 2019
    Inventors: Sadao Yamamoto, Masayuki Miyamoto, Hideyuki Hara
  • METHOD CARRIED OUT BY STYLUS, METHOD CARRIED OUT BY DUAL STYLUS AND DUAL CONTROLLER, AND DUAL STYLUS
    Publication number: 20190121455
    Abstract: A method is carried out by a stylus, wherein the stylus is a dual stylus configured to be capable of transmitting signals pursuant to both a first system and a second system and receiving at least a signal pursuant to the first system. The dual stylus has a detection function of detecting a writing pressure applied to a stylus (pen) tip. The method includes detecting contact between the stylus and a touch surface based on the writing pressure detected by the detection function, activating a signal reception operation pursuant to the first system for a predetermined time period, and, responsive to reception of a signal pursuant to the first system in the predetermined time period, setting an operation mode of the stylus to a first operation mode, in which signals are transmitted and received pursuant to the first system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2018
    Publication date: April 25, 2019
    Inventors: Hideyuki Hara, Sadao Yamamoto