Coordinate position inputting/detecting device, a method for inputting/detecting the coordinate position, and a display board system

• US 20030001825A1
• Filed: 06/10/2002
• Published: 01/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Smart Technologies ULC (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Katsuyuki Omura, Takao Inoue
• Inventors: Inoue, Takao, Omura, Katsuyuki
• Granted Patent: US 6,760,009 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0428 by sensing at the edges of the touch surface the interruption of optical paths, e.g. an illumination plane, parallel to the touch surface which may be virtual sensing beam interruptions in a planar beam grid of an optical touch-screen G06F3/0421
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour

Abstract

The coordinate-position inputting/detecting device comprises a lighting device for emitting light into an entry area into which an arbitrary pointing body is inserted to perform an entry operation. At least two image pickup devices are provided with a prespecified space therebetween on a peripheral section of the entry area for picking up images of the pointing body illuminated by the light from the lighting device. Position on the CCD of the image pickup devices where an image of the pointing body is formed is obtained according to output from each of the image pickup devices. Coordinates of the position of the pointing body in the entry area are calculated from these positions.

Claims

1. A coordinate-position inputting/detecting device comprising:

at least two image pickup elements provided with a prespecified space therebetween on a peripheral section of an entry area into which an arbitrary pointing body is inserted to perform an entry operation for picking up images of the pointing body inserted into said entry area; and

coordinate-value identifying means for computing positions where images of said pointing body are formed on said image pickup elements according to each output from said image pickup elements, and identifying the coordinates of a position of said pointing body by using the computed positions of the image.

2. A coordinate-position inputting/detecting device according to claim 1 further comprising:

storing means for storing therein coordinates of a position of said pointing body identified by said coordinate-value identifying means;

determining means for determining whether the coordinates of the position stored in said storing means are coincident with coordinates of a position newly identified by said coordinate-value identifying means or not; and

updating means for updating the coordinates of the position stored in said storing means using said coordinates of the newly identified position and outputting the updated ones when it is determined by said determining means that both coordinates are not coincident, while abandoning the coordinates of the newly identified position when it is determined by said determining means that both coordinates are coincident and if the same position coordinates are obtained continuously over a prespecified period of time.

3. A coordinate-position inputting/detecting device according to claim 1 further comprising distortion correcting means for electrically correcting the optical distortion of an image of said pointing body picked up by each of said image pickup elements.

4. A coordinate-position inputting/detecting device according to claim 1 further comprising pattern recognizing means for recognizing the patterns according to each output from said image pickup elements when a plurality of pointing bodies each having a different pattern provided thereon are inserted into said entry area.

5. A coordinate-position inputting/detecting device comprising:

light emitting means for emitting light into an entry area into which an arbitrary pointing body is inserted to perform an entry operation;

at least two image pickup elements provided with a prespecified space therebetween on a peripheral section of said entry area for picking up images of said pointing body illuminated by the light emitted from said light emitting means; and

coordinate-value identifying means for computing positions where images of said pointing body are formed on said image pickup elements according to each output from said image pickup elements, and identifying the coordinates of a position of said pointing body by using the computed positions of the image.

6. A coordinate-position inputting/detecting device according to claim 5;

wherein said light emitting means and said image pickup elements are provided on the peripheral section of said entry area so that the direction of the light emitted from said light emitting means is substantially the same direction as to which said pointing body is viewed from each of said image pickup elements.

7. A coordinate-position inputting/detecting device according to claim 5;

wherein said light emitting means has incident light preventing means for preventing the emitted light from its directly entering into each of said image pickup elements.

8. A coordinate-position inputting/detecting device according to claim 5;

wherein said light emitting means has at least a light source for emitting light; and

a mirror for reflecting the light from the light source thereon and diffusing the light along said entry area.

9. A coordinate-position inputting/detecting device according to claim 8 further comprising adjusting means for changing an angle of said mirror to adjust a direction of reflecting the light.

10. A coordinate-position inputting/detecting device according to claim 9;

wherein said adjusting means comprises;

a light receiving element for receiving the light reflected by said mirror;

driving means for changing the angle of said mirror; and

control means for controlling said driving means in order to change the angle of said mirror according to intensity of the light received by said light receiving element.

11. A coordinate-position inputting/detecting d vice according to claim 5 further comprising reflection preventing means for preventing light emitted fro said light emitting means from its being reflected.

12. A coordinate-position inputting/detecting device according to claim 5 further comprising:

storing means for storing therein coordinates of a position of said pointing body identified by said coordinate-value identifying means;

determining means for determining whether the coordinates of the position stored in said storing means are coincident with coordinates of a position newly identified by said coordinate-value identifying means or not; and

updating means for updating the coordinates of the position stored in said storing means using said coordinates of the newly identified position and outputting the updated ones when it is determined by said determining means that both coordinates are not coincident, while abandoning the coordinates of the newly identified position when it is determined by said determining means that both coordinates are coincident and if the same position coordinates are obtained continuously over a prespecified period of time.

13. A coordinate-position inputting/detecting device according to claim 5 further comprising distortion correcting means for electrically correcting the optical distortion of an image of said pointing body picked up by each of said image pickup elements.

14. A coordinate-position inputting/detecting device according to claim 5 further comprising pattern recognizing means for recognizing the patterns according to each output from said image pickup elements when a plurality of pointing bodies each having a different pattern provided thereon are inserted into said entry area.

15. A coordinate-position inputting/detecting device according to claim 5 further comprising a width identifying means for identifying a width of said pointing body according to the images of said pointing body picked up by said image pickup elements.

16. A coordinate-position inputting/detecting device according to claim 15 further comprising correcting means for correcting the coordinates of the position of the pointing body identified by said coordinate-value identifying means using the width of said pointing body identified by said width identifying means.

19. A coordinate-position inputting/detecting device according to claim 17 further comprising a background plate provided at a location which is a peripheral section of said entry area and where the whole field of view of said image pickup elements is covered.

20. A coordinate-position inputting/detecting device according to claim 19;

wherein said background plate has an arbitrary pattern provided thereto.

21. A coordinate-position inputting/detecting device according to claim 17 further comprising area restricting means for restricting an area photographable by said image pickup element so that the area is adjusted to said entry area.

22. A coordinate-position inputting/detecting device according to claim 17 further comprising:

second storing means for storing therein coordinates of a position of said pointing body identified by said coordinate-value identifying means;

determining means for determining whether the coordinates of the position stored in said second storing means are coincident with coordinates of a position newly identified by said coordinate-value identifying means or not; and

updating means for updating the coordinates of the position stored in said second storing means using said coordinates of the newly identified position and outputting the updated ones to an external device when it is determined by said determining means that both coordinates are not coincident, while abandoning the coordinates of the newly identified position when it is determined by said determining means that both coordinates are coincident and if the same position coordinates are continuously identified over a prespecified period of time.

23. A coordinate-position inputting/detecting device according to claim 22 further comprising image updating means for storing each image of said entry area used for computing the coordinates of the position abandoned by said updating means in said first storing means as a new reference image respectively.

17. A coordinate-position inputting/detecting device comprising:

at least two image pickup elements provided with a prespecified space therebetween on a peripheral section of an entry area into which an arbitrary pointing body is inserted to perform an entry operation for picking up images of the pointing body;

first storing means for storing therein an image of said entry area previously picked up by each of said image pickup elements as a reference image respectively;

extracting means for extracting each image of the pointing body inserted into said entry area by extracting each image of said entry area picked up by said image pickup elements and each difference of corresponding said reference image respectively; and

coordinate-value identifying means for computing positions where images of said pointing body are formed on said image pickup elements according to each image of the pointing body extracted in said extracting means, and identifying the coordinates of a position of said pointing body by using the computed positions of the image.

18. A coordinate-position inputting/detecting device according to claim 17;

wherein said image pickup element is a two-dimensional image pickup element.

24. A coordinate-position inputting/detecting device comprising:

at least two image pickup elements provided with a prespecified space therebetween on a peripheral section of an entry area into which an arbitrary pointing body is inserted to perform an entry operation for picking up images of the pointing body inserted into said entry area; and

coordinate-value identifying unit for computing the positions where images of said pointing body are formed on said image pickup elements according to each output from said image pickup elements, and identifying the coordinates of a position of said pointing body by using the computed positions of the image.

25. A coordinate-position inputting/detecting device comprising:

light emitting element for emitting light into an entry area into which an arbitrary pointing body is inserted to perform an entry operation;

at least two image pickup elements provided with a prespecified space therebetween on a peripheral section of said entry area for picking up images of said pointing body illuminated by the light emitted from said light emitting means; and

coordinate-value identifying unit for computing positions where images of said pointing body are formed on said image pickup elements according to each output from said image pickup elements, and identifying the coordinates of a position of said pointing body by using the computed positions of the image.

26. A coordinate-position inputting/detecting device comprising:

at least two image pickup elements provided with a prespecified space therebetween on a peripheral section of an entry area into which an arbitrary pointing body is inserted to perform an entry operation for picking up images of the pointing body;

first memory for storing therein an image of said entry area previously picked up by each of said image pickup elements as a reference image respectively;

extracting unit for extracting each image of the pointing body inserted into said entry area by extracting each image of said entry area picked up by said image pickup elements and each difference of corresponding said reference image respectively; and

coordinate-value identifying unit for computing positions where images of said pointing body are formed on said image pickup elements according to each image of the pointing body extracted in said extracting unit, and identifying the coordinates of a position of said pointing body by using the computed positions.

27. A coordinate-position inputting/detecting method comprising the steps of:

obtaining an image of an arbitrary pointing body inserted into an entry area with at least two image pickup elements provided with a prespecified space therebetween on a peripheral section of the entry area;

computing the positions where images of said pointing body are formed on said image pickup elements according to each output from said image pickup elements; and

computing the coordinates of a position of said pointing body in the entry area from the computed positions on said image pickup elements.

28. A coordinate-position inputting/detecting method comprising the steps of:

emitting a light into an entry area into which an arbitrary pointing body is inserted in order to perform an entry operation;

obtaining an image of an arbitrary pointing body inserted into an entry area with at least two image pickup elements provided with a prespecified space therebetween on a peripheral section of the entry area;

computing the positions where images of said pointing body are formed on said image pickup elements according to each output from said image pickup elements; and

computing the coordinates of a position of said pointing body in the entry area from the computed positions on said image pickup elements.

29. A coordinate-position inputting/detecting method comprising the steps of:

obtaining an image of an arbitrary pointing body inserted into an entry area with at least two image pickup elements provided with a prespecified space therebetween on a peripheral section of the entry area;

storing therein an image of said entry area previously picked up by each of the image pickup elements as a reference image respectively;

extracting each image of the pointing body inserted into said entry area by extracting each image of said entry area picked up by the image pickup elements;

obtaining a difference between the image picked by each of the image pickup elements and a corresponding reference image respectively;

computing the positions where images of said pointing body are formed on said image pickup elements according to each output from said image pickup elements; and

computing the coordinates of a position of said pointing body in the entry area from the computed positions on said image pickup elements.

30. A display board system comprising at least:

display means for displaying thereon characters and images;

a coordinate-position inputting/detecting device with an entry area provided in the front surface of said display means;

control means for providing controls over display by said display means according to input from said coordinate-position inputting/detecting device; and

said display board system capable of forming a display surface and a writing surface of a display board using said display means and said coordinate-position inputting/detecting device;

wherein

said coordinate-position inputting/detecting device having,

at least two image pickup elements provided with a prespecified space therebetween on a peripheral section of an entry area into which an arbitrary pointing body is inserted to perform an entry operation for picking up images of the pointing body inserted into said entry area; and

coordinate-value identifying means for computing positions where images of said pointing body are formed on the image pickup elements according to each output from the image pickup elements, and identifying the coordinates of a position of said pointing body by using the computed positions of the image.

31. A display board system according to claim 30;

wherein said display means is a plasma display.

32. A display board system according to claim 30;

wherein said display means further has a plurality of connecting means for connecting various types of information equipment and AV equipment such as a digital camera, a DVD player, and video equipment, and is usable as a large-sized screen monitor using said connecting means.

33. A display board system comprising at least:

display means for displaying thereon characters and images;

a coordinate-position inputting/detecting device with an entry area provided in the front surface of said display means;

control means for providing controls over display by said display means according to input from said coordinate-position inputting/detecting device; and

said display board system capable of forming a display surface and a writing surface of a display board using said display means and said coordinate-position inputting/detecting device;

wherein

said coordinate-position inputting/detecting device having,

light emitting means for emitting light into an entry area into which an arbitrary pointing body is inserted to perform an entry operation;

at least two image pickup elements provided with a prespecified space therebetween on a peripheral section of said entry area for picking up images of said pointing body illuminated by the light emitted from said light emitting means; and

coordinate-value identifying means for computing positions where images of said pointing body are formed on the image pickup elements according to each output from the image pickup elements, and identifying the coordinates of a position of said pointing body by using the computed positions of the image.

34. A display board system according to claim 33;

wherein said display means is a plasma display.

35. A display board system according to claim 33;

wherein said display means further has a plurality of connecting means for connecting various types of information equipment and AV equipment such as a digital camera, a DVD player, and video equipment, and is usable as a large-sized screen monitor using said connecting means.

36. A display board system comprising at least:

display means for displaying thereon characters and images;

a coordinate-position inputting/detecting device with an entry area provided in the front surface of said display means;

control means for providing controls over display by said display means according to input from said coordinate-position inputting/detecting device; and

said display board system capable of forming a display surface and a writing surface of a display board using said display means and said coordinate-position inputting/detecting device;

wherein

said coordinate-position inputting/detecting device having,

at least two image pickup elements provided with a prespecified space therebetween on a peripheral section of an entry area into which an arbitrary pointing body is inserted to perform an entry operation for picking up images of the pointing body;

first storing means for storing therein an image of said entry area previously picked up by each of the image pickup elements as a reference image respectively;

extracting means for extracting each image of the pointing body inserted into said entry area by extracting each image of said entry area picked up by the image pickup elements and each difference of corresponding said reference image respectively; and

coordinate-value identifying means for computing positions where images of said pointing body are formed on the image pickup elements according to each image of the pointing body extracted in said extracting means, and identifying the coordinates of a position of said pointing body by using the computed positions of the image.

37. A display board system according to claim 36;

wherein said display means is a plasma display.

38. A display board system according to claim 36;

wherein said display means further has a plurality of connecting means for connecting various types of information equipment and AV equipment such as a digital camera, a DVD player, and video equipment, and is usable as a large-sized screen monitor using said connecting means.

39. A display board system comprising at least:

display means for displaying thereon characters and images;

a coordinate-position inputting/detecting device with an entry area provided in the front surface of said display means;

printing means for outputting image data onto a recording paper; and

control means for providing controls over the display by said display means as well as over printing operations by said printing means according to input from said coordinate-position inputting/detecting device,

said display board system capable of forming a display surface and a writing surface of the display board using said display means and said coordinate-position inputting/detecting device;

wherein

said coordinate-position inputting/detecting device having, at least two image pickup elements provided with a prespecified space therebetween on a peripheral section of an entry area into which an arbitrary pointing body is inserted to perform an entry operation for picking up images of the pointing body inserted into said entry area; and

coordinate-value identifying means for computing positions where images of said pointing body are formed on the image pickup elements according to each output from the image pickup elements, and identifying the coordinates of a position of said pointing body by using the computed positions of the image;

said control means is a personal computer; and

said display board system further comprising a frame unit having holding means for holding a display surface and a writing surface of the display board at a specified height, a printer accommodating means for accommodating said printing means therein, and control accommodating means for accommodating said control means therein, in which said control accommodating means;

wherein said printer accommodating means and said holding means are arranged in the vertical direction in this order from the bottom.

40. A display board system according to claim 39;

wherein said display means is a plasma display.

41. A display board system according to claim 39;

wherein said frame unit has a keyboard placement means provided at a position on the upper side of said printer accommodating means but on the lower side of said holding means for placing a keyboard connected to said personal computer.

42. A display board system according to claim 39;

wherein said holding means comprises an angle adjusting means for adjusting an angle of a display surface and a writing surface of the display board.

43. A display board system according to claim 39;

wherein said display means further has a plurality of connecting means for connecting various types of information equipment and AV equipment such as a digital camera, a DVD player, and video equipment, and is usable as a large-sized screen monitor using said connecting means.

44. A display board system comprising at least:

display means for displaying thereon characters and images;

a coordinate-position inputting/detecting device with an entry area provided in the front surface of said display means;

printing means for outputting image data onto a recording paper; and

control means for providing controls over the display by said display means as well as over printing operations by said printing means according to input from said coordinate-position inputting/detecting device,

said display board system capable of forming a display surface nd a writing surface of the display board using said display means and said coordinate-position inputting/detecting device;

wherein

said coordinate-position inputting/detecting device having,

light emitting means for emitting light into an entry area into which an arbitrary pointing body is inserted to perform an entry operation;

at least two image pickup elements provided with a prespecified space therebetween on a peripheral section of said entry area for picking up images of said pointing body illuminated by the light emitted from said light emitting means; and

coordinate-value identifying means for computing positions where images of said pointing body are formed on the image pickup elements according to each output from the image pickup elements, and identifying the coordinates of a position of said pointing body by using the computed positions of the image;

said control means is a personal computer; and

said display board system further comprising a frame unit having holding means for holding a display surface and a writing surface of the display board at a specified height, a printer accommodating means for accommodating said printing means therein, and control accommodating means for accommodating said control means therein, in which said control accommodating means;

wherein said printer accommodating means and said holding means are arranged in the vertical direction in this order from the bottom.

45. A display board system according to claim 44;

wherein said display means is a plasma display.

46. A display board system according to claim 44;

wherein said frame unit has a keyboard placement means provided at a position on the upper side of said printer accommodating means but on the lower side of said holding means for placing a keyboard connected to said personal computer.

47. A display board system according to claim 44;

wherein said holding means comprises an angle adjusting means for adjusting an angle of a display surf ace and a writing surf ace of the display board.

48. A display board system according to claim 44;

wherein said display means further has a plurality of connecting means for connecting various types of information equipment and AV equipment such as a digital camera, a DVD player, and video equipment, and is usable as a large-sized screen monitor using said connecting means.

49. A display board system comprising at least:

display means for displaying thereon characters and images;

a coordinate-position inputting/detecting device with an entry area provided in the front surface of said display means;

printing means for outputting image data onto a recording paper; and

control means for providing controls over the display by said display means as well as over printing operations by said printing means according to input from said coordinate-position inputting/detecting device,

said display board system capable of forming a display surface and a writing surface of the display board using said display means and said coordinate-position inputting/detecting device;

wherein

said coordinate-position inputting/detecting device having,

at least two image pickup elements provided with a prespecified space therebetween on a peripheral section of an entry area into which an arbitrary pointing body is inserted to perform an entry operation for picking up images of the pointing body;

first storing means for storing therein an image of said entry area previously picked up by each of the image pickup elements as a reference image respectively;

extracting means for extracting each image of the pointing body inserted into said entry area by extracting each image of said entry area picked up by the image pickup elements and each difference of corresponding said reference image respectively; and

coordinate-value identifying means for computing positions where images of said pointing body are formed on the image pickup elements according to each image of the pointing body extracted in said extracting means, and identifying the coordinates of a position of said pointing body by using the computed positions of the image;

said control means is a personal computer; and

said display board system further comprising a frame unit having holding means for holding a display surface and a writing surface of the display board at a specified height, a printer accommodating means for accommodating said printing means therein, and control accommodating means for accommodating said control means therein, in which said control accommodating means;

wherein said printer accommodating means and said holding means are arranged in the vertical direction in this order from the bottom.

50. A display board system according to claim 49;

wherein said display means is a plasma display.

51. A display board system according to claim 49;

wherein said frame unit has a keyboard placement means provided at a position on the upper side of said printer accommodating means but on the lower side of said holding means for placing a keyboard connected to said personal computer.

52. A display board system according to claim 49;

wherein said holding means comprises an angle adjusting means for adjusting an angle of a display surface and a writing surface of the display board.

53. A display board system according to claim 49;

wherein said display means further has a plurality of connecting means for connecting various types of information equipment and AV equipment such as a digital camera, a DVD player, and video equipment, and is usable as a large-sized screen monitor using said connecting means.