Coordinate input apparatus

• US 20020163508A1
• Filed: 03/11/2002
• Published: 11/07/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Hasegawa, Masahide
• Granted Patent: US 7,034,809 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus

Abstract

A coordinate input apparatus has a generally rectangular, flat coordinate input area and a set of at least first and second detectors for detecting arrival/non-arrival of light from an object to be detected present at any position in the coordinate input area. Coordinates indicating the position are output on the basis of outputs from the first and second detectors. The first and second detectors are placed at positions where coordinate resolution in the vicinity of a point, within the coordinate input area, nearest to the midpoint of a line segment connecting fiducial points of the two detectors is substantially equal to coordinate resolution in the vicinity of a point, within the coordinate input area, farthest from the midpoint.

Claims

1. A coordinate input apparatus for outputting coordinates of a designated position, comprising:

a generally rectangular, flat coordinate input area;

a set of at least two detectors for detecting arrival/non-arrival of light from an object to be detected present at any position in said coordinate input area; and

coordinate calculation means for outputting coordinates indicative of said position based upon outputs from said two detectors;

wherein said two detectors of said set are placed at positions where coordinate resolution in the vicinity of a point, within said coordinate input area, nearest to the midpoint of a line segment connecting fiducial points of said two detectors is substantially equal to coordinate resolution in the vicinity of a point, within said coordinate input area, farthest from said midpoint.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein optical-path converting means is placed in the vicinity of a side of said coordinate input area near said set of two detectors, and said set of two detectors is placed at a position where direction of the light is converted toward the rear, front or back side of an input surface of said coordinate input area.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each detector of said set of two detectors has at least two types of angular resolution for detecting direction at a point nearest said midpoint at a resolution higher than that of other directions.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the object to be detected is a designating tool having light-emitting means for emitting light.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the object to be detected is a designating tool having reflecting means for reflecting light.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the object to be detected blocks, diffuses or absorbs light.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said set of two detectors is placed outside of said coordinate input area.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said set of two detectors is placed so as to detect tangents of angles θ

₁, θ

₂ in the counter-clockwise direction from reference axes that define angles of 45°

with respect to a line segment connecting the two detectors of said set of two detectors.