Optical coordinate input device comprising few elements

• US 20080062149A1
• Filed: 12/03/2003
• Published: 03/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Itzhak Baruk
• Original Assignee: Itzhak Baruk
• Inventors: Baruk, Itzhak
• Granted Patent: US 7,557,935 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/175
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0421 by interrupting or reflecting a light beam, e.g. optical touch-screen

Abstract

The present invention is an optical electronic input device for identifying the coordinates of an object in a given area. The device may capture two-dimensional or three-dimensional input information, using a minimal number of optical units (one for two dimensional coordinates and two for three dimensional coordinates). The invention requires only basic optical elements such as a photo sensing unit, lenses, a light source, filters and shutters which may reduce manufacturing costs significantly. Since this device enables inputting the coordinates of an object in a set area, it may not only be used in systems such as optical touch screens, but also in virtual keyboard applications and in implementation for machine vision.

Claims

1. An input apparatus of computerized device for measuring an object'"'"'s relative location within a predefined measurement space wherein said apparatus is positioned at a single viewing point, said apparatus is comprised of:

a. at least one light emitting source transmitting light extending over said predefined measurement space;

b. a light-receiving unit comprised of at least two photo sensing units for receiving scattered light rays from the object wherein said photo sensing units are placed at far edges of said apparatus creating an optimal viewing angle in relation to the measurement space;

c. at least two lenses positioned in front of said photo sensing units for condensing said scattered light rays;

d. a spectrum filter positioned in the route of said light rays wherein said spectrum matches the light spectrum emitted from said light sources;

wherein the location of the object is calculated using trigonometric and statistical methods on the basis of received light intensity and analysis of differences between at least two captured light images, said differences effected from different viewing angles.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said at least two photo sensing units are part of a single electronic chip.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said light-receiving unit is comprised of at least one photo sensing electronic chip.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said light-receiving unit is comprised of at least one CCD or one light sensitive CMOS unit.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said at least two photo sensing units are angled to each other and said at least two lenses are aligned at optimal distances from said photo sensing units so that the image of an object, placed at various locations within the measurement space, is projected into the active area of said photo sensing units and optimal image focus is achieved.

13. The apparatus of claim 3 further comprising at least one opto-electric shutter means for blocking lenses for a controllable time interval.

16. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said apparatus is positioned at a screen display corner.

18. The apparatus of claim 3 further comprising additional light receiving unit and additional respective units of at least one cylindrical or toroidal lens and a light filter unit positioned in front of said additional light receiving unit, wherein said additional units enable to measure a third dimension of said measured object.

20. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said measured object includes emitting light means, and no light emitting source is positioned at said apparatus.

25. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said light receiving unit is comprised of only one single photo sensing unit, at least four lenses are placed in front of said photo sensing unit, wherein at least two lenses out of said four lenses are tilted towards different sections of said measurement space.

26. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said light receiving unit comprised of only one single photo sensing unit, at least four lenses are placed in front of said photo sensing unit, all having parallel planes in relation to said photo sensing unit.

27. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein at least four lenses are used, all having parallel planes in relation to said at least two photo sensing units.

28. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein one of said at least two photo sensing units is placed at the opposite edge of a screen display, wherein at least two lenses are positioned in front of each said photo sensing unit wherein placement of both photo sensing units and lenses are designed to cover complementary areas of the measurement space.

34. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said light-receiving unit is comprised of at least one multi-line photo sensing array unit, used in combination with spherical lenses enabling measurement of three coordinates position of an object placed within said measurement space.

36. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said light-receiving unit is comprised of one photo sensing unit wherein said measurements are used for virtual keyboard implementations.

37. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said light-receiving unit is comprised of at least one photo sensing unit said measurements are used for machine vision implementation.

41. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said light-receiving unit is comprised of at least one photo sensing unit, wherein said photo sensing unit is integrated with additional circuitry in order to measure time of flight of light, wherein the location of the object is calculated by using said time of flight of light measurement.

55. Apparatus according to claim 16 according to claim 42 and wherein said at least one imaging device comprises two imaging devices and said optical system comprises two sets of lenses, wherein each set is locatable near one of said imaging devices and each set comprises at least two lenses, wherein each said lens within said lens set is parallel to an axis of its corresponding said imaging device and said each lens of said lens set is positioned at a different distance from its corresponding imaging device or has a different focal length so as to capture near focus images of an object within a field of view of said apparatus.

74. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein no light emitting source is positioned within said apparatus, and ambient light or external light source is used for transmitting light extending over said predefined measurement space.

5-8. -8. (canceled)

10-12. -12. (canceled)

14-15. -15. (canceled)

17. (canceled)

19. (canceled)

21-24. -24. (canceled)

29-33. -33. (canceled)

35. (canceled)

38-40. -40. (canceled)

42. Apparatus providing input to a computing device, the apparatus comprising:

a. a housing;

b. at least one imaging device within said housing to provide output to said computing device, each said imaging device having more than one imaging area thereupon; and

c. an optical system within said housing to define each said imaging area to view an area to be used by a user.

44. Apparatus according to claim 42 and wherein said optical system comprises at least two lenses.

45. Apparatus according to claim 44 and wherein said optical system comprises at least one shutter operative with one of said lenses.

51. Apparatus according to claim 42 and wherein said at least one imaging device comprises one imaging device and said optical system comprises two sets of lenses, wherein each set comprises at least two lenses, wherein each said lens within said lens set is positioned to view a different direction.

54. Apparatus according to claim 42 and wherein said at least one imaging device comprises one imaging device and said optical system comprises two sets of lenses, wherein each set comprises at least two lenses, wherein each said lens within said lens set is parallel to an axis of said imaging device and said each lens of said lens set is positioned at a different distance from said imaging device or has a different focal length so as to capture near focus images of an object within a field of view of said apparatus.

63. Apparatus according to claim 42 and comprising means for providing three dimensional locations of an object within a field of view of said apparatus from more than one imaging area.

66. Apparatus according to claim 63 and wherein said at least one imaging device comprises a linear imaging device and said optical system comprises at least three lenses where at least one of which is toroidal or cylindrical.

43. (canceled)

46-50. -50. (canceled)

52-53. -53. (canceled)

56-62. -62. (canceled)

64-65. -65. (canceled)

67-73. -73. (canceled)