Coordinate input apparatus and control method and program thereof

• US 20050001824A1
• Filed: 06/28/2004
• Published: 01/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Yoshimura, Yuichiro
• Granted Patent: US 7,456,824 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/179
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/124 plural reflecting elements forming part of a unitary plate or sheet
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0421 by interrupting or reflecting a light beam, e.g. optical touch-screen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 345/902 Menu display

Abstract

A pointed position on a coordinate input region is detected, and the coordinates of the pointed position are calculated. A region on the coordinate input region, to which the calculated coordinates belong, is determined. Pen-down information corresponding to the pointed position is generated on the basis of the determined region to which the coordinates belong.

Claims

1. A coordinate input apparatus which calculates a pointed position on a coordinate input region, comprising:

calculation means for detecting the pointed position and calculating coordinates of the pointed position;

determination means for determining a region on the coordinate input region, to which the coordinates calculated by said calculation means belong; and

generation means for generating pen-down information corresponding to the pointed position on the basis of the region to which the coordinates belong and which is determined by said determination means.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the coordinate input region includes a pen input region where input for drawing a locus on a screen or moving a cursor on the screen can be executed and a switch input region where input of switch information can be executed.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising

light-receiving means arranged at a corner portion of the coordinate input region,

reflection means, arranged at a peripheral portion of the coordinate input region, for retroreflecting incident light, and

light-emitting means for illuminating the coordinate input region with light,

wherein said calculation means calculates angle information corresponding to a point which crosses a predetermined level in a light amount distribution obtained from said light-receiving means and calculates the coordinates of the pointed position on the basis of the angle information.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising proximity information generation means for generating proximity information representing whether a detected pointed state is in a proximity of the coordinate input region, on the basis of a change amount between a light amount distribution obtained from said light-receiving means in an initial state and a light amount distribution obtained from said light-receiving means in a coordinate input sampling state.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the coordinate input region includes a first region where the pen-down information is generated by using the proximity information as a first criterion and a second region where the pen-down information is generated on the basis of a second criterion different from the first criterion.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising switch information detection means for detecting switch information from a pointer having a switch function,

wherein the second criterion is the switch information.

7. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the second criterion is a change ratio between the light amount distribution obtained from said light-receiving means in the initial state and the light amount distribution obtained from said light-receiving means in the coordinate input sampling state.

8. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the coordinate input region includes a pen input region where input for drawing a locus on a screen or moving a cursor on the screen can be executed and a switch input region where input of switch information can be executed, the pen input region corresponding to the second region, and the switch input region corresponding to the first region.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein when pointing input is executed continuously from the pen input region to the switch input region, the switch input region is caused to function as the second region.

10. An information processing apparatus which has a coordinate input unit which calculates a pointed position on a coordinate input region, a display unit which is integrated with the coordinate input unit, and a display control unit which processes various kinds of information including information output from the coordinate input unit and controls the display unit, comprising:

calculation means for detecting the pointed position and calculating coordinates of the pointed position;

determination means for determining a region on the coordinate input region, to which the coordinates calculated by said calculation means belong; and

generation means for generating pen-down information corresponding to the pointed position on the basis of the region to which the coordinates belong and which is determined by said determination means.

11. A control method of a coordinate input apparatus which calculates a pointed position on a coordinate input region, comprising:

a calculation step of detecting the pointed position and calculating coordinates of the pointed position;

a determination step of determining a region on the coordinate input region, to which the coordinates calculated in the calculation step belong; and

a generation step of generating pen-down information corresponding to the pointed position on the basis of the region to which the coordinates belong and which is determined in the determination step.

12. A program which implements control of a coordinate input apparatus which calculates a pointed position on a coordinate input region, comprising:

a program code for a calculation step of detecting the pointed position and calculating coordinates of the pointed position;

a program code for a determination step of determining a region on the coordinate input region, to which the coordinates calculated in the calculation step belong; and

a program code for a generation step of generating pen-down information corresponding to the pointed position on the basis of the region to which the coordinates belong and which is determined in the determination step.