Optical and Illumination Techniques for Position Sensing Systems
First Claim
9. A stereo optical unit, comprising:
- a body that defines an interior of the stereo optical unit;
an aperture defining an opening in the body;
a sensor;
a lens assembly comprising at least one lens positioned between the beam splitter and the sensor;
a mirror; and
a beam splitter,wherein the beam splitter and mirror are positioned between the aperture and the lens assembly, the mirror positioned to redirect light traveling along a first path that intersects the mirror onto a second path that intersects the beam splitter, andwherein the beam splitter is configured to redirect light traveling along the second path onto a third path that intersects the lens assembly and is further configured to pass at least some light on a fourth path, the fourth path intersecting the beam splitter and the lens assembly.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An optical unit includes a body, at least one lens, and a sensor. An optical member can be used to reflect and/or refract light within the body and onto the sensor, with the result that the overall length of the optical unit can be reduced. When positioned at a corner or another location relative to a touch area, the optical unit will have a wider view than a unit with a longer overall length. An integrated optical unit can be used at one or more locations to provide stereo imaging. The integrated optical unit can include optics that route light to and/or from the optical unit through a single aperture of the optical unit but along different optical paths. The light routed along different paths can be routed to a single sensor within the optical unit so that the sensor can image different fields of view of the touch area.
26 Citations
17 Claims
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9. A stereo optical unit, comprising:
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a body that defines an interior of the stereo optical unit; an aperture defining an opening in the body; a sensor; a lens assembly comprising at least one lens positioned between the beam splitter and the sensor; a mirror; and a beam splitter, wherein the beam splitter and mirror are positioned between the aperture and the lens assembly, the mirror positioned to redirect light traveling along a first path that intersects the mirror onto a second path that intersects the beam splitter, and wherein the beam splitter is configured to redirect light traveling along the second path onto a third path that intersects the lens assembly and is further configured to pass at least some light on a fourth path, the fourth path intersecting the beam splitter and the lens assembly. - View Dependent Claims (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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13-1. The stereo optical unit set forth in claim 12, wherein the mirror has a length equal to twice the distance between the first and second point sources.
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17. A position detection system comprising:
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a panel defining a touch area; a first optical unit comprising a body that defines an interior of the optical unit, an aperture defining an opening in the body, a sensor positioned in the interior, at least one optical member positioned in the interior, and a reflective surface within the interior, wherein the reflective surface is positioned to redirect light from a first path within the body of the first optical unit to a second path within the body of the first optical unit, the second path different from the first path and intersecting the sensor; and a stereo optical unit comprising a body that defines an interior of the stereo optical unit, an aperture defining an opening in the body, a sensor, a lens assembly positioned between the aperture and the sensor, a mirror, and a beam splitter, wherein the beam splitter and mirror are positioned between the aperture and the lens assembly, the mirror positioned to redirect light traveling along a first path within the body of the stereo optical unit and which intersects the mirror onto a second path within the body of the stereo optical unit and which intersects the beam splitter, and wherein the beam splitter is configured to (i) redirect light traveling along the second path onto a third path within the body of the stereo optical unit and which intersects the lens assembly and is further configured to (ii) pass at least some light onto a fourth path within the body of the stereo optical unit, the fourth path intersecting the beam splitter and the lens assembly.
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Specification