APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR RECOGNIZING COORDINATES

• US 20120105377A1
• Filed: 11/01/2011
• Published: 05/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Tec Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toshiba Tec Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Takeno, Yuishi, Saegusa, Shinji, Ogishima, Takuya
• Granted Patent: US 8,786,577 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/175
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04166 Details of scanning methods, e.g. sampling time, grouping of sub areas or time sharing with display driving Synchronisation with the driving of the display or the backlighting unit to avoid interferences generated internally G06F3/04184
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0421 by interrupting or reflecting a light beam, e.g. optical touch-screen

Abstract

According to one embodiment, a coordinate recognition apparatus includes a plurality of light-emitting devices, a plurality of light-receiving devices, and a controller. The light-emitting devices and the light-receiving devices are arranged in an array along X direction. The controller forms a plurality of groups of light paths each formed by a plurality of light paths parallel to one another in a plane including the light-emitting devices and the light-receiving devices such that an angle of the light paths varies from group to group, identifies positions p and l of each of the groups in the X direction of the light-emitting device and the light-receiving device corresponding to the light path that passes through the center of a light shield region, and calculates coordinates of the center of the light shield region in the plane based on the identified positions p and l of each of the groups.

Claims

1. A coordinate recognition apparatus, comprising:

a plurality of light-emitting devices arranged in an array along an arbitrary X direction;

a plurality of light-receiving devices arranged in an array parallel to the array of the light-emitting devices and configured to detect light emitted by the light-emitting devices; and

a controller configured to selectively drive the light-emitting devices and the light-receiving devices and form a plurality of groups of light paths each formed by a plurality of light paths parallel to one another in a plane including the light-emitting devices and the light-receiving devices such that an angle of the light paths varies from group to group, identify a position p and a position l of each of the groups of light paths based on an output from each of the light-receiving devices, the position p being in the X direction of the light-receiving device corresponding to the light path that passes through the center of a region shielded by an object, the position l being in the X direction of the light-emitting device forming the same light path, and calculate coordinates of the center of the light shield region in the plane based on the identified positions p and l of each of the groups of light paths.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein, when a plurality of light shield regions are simultaneously formed, the controller calculates coordinates of the center of each of the light shield regions in the plane.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller obtains a regression line using the positions p and l of each of the groups of light paths as a sample, with respect to a PL plane formed by using a position P of each of the light-receiving devices in the X direction and a position L of the light-emitting devices in the X direction as axes, and calculates coordinates of the center based on the obtained regression line.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the controller calculates b/(1−

a) using a gradient a and an intercept b of the regression line, sets the calculated result as a coordinate of the center in the X direction, calculates −

ah/(1−

a) using a distance h between the array of the light-emitting devices and the array of the light-receiving devices and the gradient a, and sets the calculated result as a coordinate of the center in a Y direction orthogonal to the X direction.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein, when a plurality of light shield regions are simultaneously formed, the controller obtains a regression line of each of the light shield regions in the plane, and calculates coordinates of the center of each of the light shield regions based on the obtained regression line.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of light-emitting devices arranged in an array along the Y direction in the plane; and

a plurality of light-receiving devices arranged in an array along the Y direction in the plane and configured to detect light emitted by the light-receiving devices arranged in the Y direction, wherein

the controller selectively drives the light-emitting devices and the light-receiving devices arranged in the Y direction and forms a plurality of groups of light paths each formed of a plurality of light paths parallel to each other in the plane such that an angle of the light paths varies from group to group,

identifies a position p and a position l of each of the groups of light paths, formed by the light-emitting devices and the light-receiving devices arranged in the Y direction, based on an output from each of the light-receiving devices arranged in the Y direction, the position p being in the Y direction of the light-receiving device forming the light path that passes through the center of a region shielded by an object, the position l being in the Y direction of the light-emitting device forming the same light path,

calculates coordinates of the center of the light shield region based on the identified positions p and l of each of the groups of light paths,

and determines conclusive coordinates of the center using the coordinates of the calculated center of the light-emitting devices and the light-receiving devices arranged in the X direction, and coordinates of the calculated center of the light-emitting devices and the light-receiving devices arranged in the Y direction.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the controller obtains a first regression line using the positions p and l of each of the groups of light paths formed by driving the light-emitting devices and the light-receiving devices arranged in the X direction as a sample, with respect to a PL plane formed by using a position P of each of the light-receiving devices in the X direction and a position L of the light-emitting devices in the X direction as axes, calculates a coordinate x^X in the X direction and a coordinate y^X in the Y direction of the center based on the first regression line,

obtains a second regression line using the positions p and l of each of the groups of light paths formed by driving the light-emitting devices and the light-receiving devices arranged in the Y direction as a sample, with respect to the PL plane formed by using a position P of each of the light-receiving devices in the Y direction and a position L of the light-emitting devices in the L direction as axes, calculates a coordinate x^Y in the X direction and a coordinate y^Y in the Y direction of the center based on the second regression line, and

determines the conclusive coordinates based on the obtained coordinates x^X, y^X, x^Y, and y^Y.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the controller determines the coordinate x^X as the conclusive coordinate x in the X direction of the center, and determines the coordinate y^Y as the conclusive coordinate y in the Y direction of the center.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the controller calculates b/(1−

a) using a gradient a and an intercept b of the first regression line, sets the calculated result as the coordinate x^X, calculates −

ah/(1−

a) using a distance h between the array of the light-emitting devices arranged in the X direction and the array of the light-receiving devices arranged in the X direction and the gradient a, sets the calculated result as the coordinate y^X,

calculates {−

a/(1−

a)}w using a distance w between the array of the light-emitting devices arranged in the Y direction and the array of the light-receiving devices arranged in the Y direction and the gradient a of the second regression line, sets the calculated result as the coordinate x^Y, and calculates b/(1−

a) using the gradient a and the intercept b of the second regression line, and sets the calculated result as the coordinate y^Y.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein, when a plurality of light shield regions are simultaneously formed, the controller obtains the first and second regression lines of each of the light shield regions in the plane, and calculates the conclusive coordinates x, y of the center of each of the light shield regions based on the obtained first and second regression lines.

11. A method of recognizing coordinates, comprising:

selectively driving a plurality of light-emitting devices arranged in an array along an arbitrary X direction and a plurality of light-receiving devices arranged in an array parallel to the array of the light-emitting devices and configured to detect light emitted by the light-emitting devices and forming a plurality of groups of light paths each formed of a plurality of light paths parallel to one another in a plane including the light-emitting devices and the light-receiving devices such that an angle of the light paths varies from group to group;

identifying a position p and a position l of each of the groups of light paths based on an output from each of the light-receiving devices, the position p being in the X direction of the light-receiving device corresponding to the light path that passes through the center of a region shielded by an object, the position l being in the X direction of the light-emitting device forming the same light path; and

calculating coordinates of the center of the light shield region in the plane based on the identified positions p and l of each of the groups of light paths.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein, when a plurality of light shield regions are simultaneously formed, coordinates of the center of each of the light shield regions in the plane are calculated.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein a regression line is obtained using the positions p and l of each of the groups of light paths as a sample, with respect to a PL plane formed by using a position P of each of the light-receiving devices in the X direction and a position L of the light-emitting devices in the X direction as axes, and coordinates of the center are calculated based on the obtained regression line.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein b/(1−

a) is calculated using a gradient a and an intercept b of the regression line, the calculated result is set as a coordinate of the center in the X direction, −

ah/(1−

a) is calculated using a distance h between the array of the light-emitting devices and the array of the light-receiving devices and the gradient a, and the calculated result is set as a coordinate of the center in a Y direction orthogonal to the X direction.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein, when a plurality of light shield regions are simultaneously formed, a regression line of each of the light shield regions in the plane is obtained, and coordinates of the center of each of the light shield regions are calculated based on the obtained regression line.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

selectively driving a plurality of light-emitting devices arranged in the Y direction in the plane and a plurality of light-receiving devices arranged in the Y direction in the plane and configured to detect light emitted by the light-receiving devices arranged in the Y direction and forming a plurality of groups of light paths each formed of a plurality of light paths parallel to one another in the plane such that an angle of the light paths varies from group to group;

identifying a position p and a position l of each of the groups of light paths based on an output from each of the light-receiving devices arranged in the Y direction, the position p being in the Y direction of the light-receiving device corresponding to the light path that passes through the center of the light shield region, the position l being in the Y direction of the light-emitting device forming the same light path;

calculating coordinates of the center of the light shield region based on the identified positions p and l of each of the groups of light paths; and

determining conclusive coordinates of the center using the coordinates of the calculated center of the light-emitting devices and the light-receiving devices arranged in the X direction, and coordinates of the calculated center of the light-emitting devices and the light-receiving devices arranged in the Y direction.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein a first regression line is obtained using the positions p and l of each of the groups of light paths formed by driving the light-emitting devices and the light-receiving devices arranged in the X direction as a sample, with respect to a PL plane formed by using a position P of each of the light-receiving devices in the X direction and the position L of the light-emitting devices in the X direction as axes, a coordinate x^X in the X direction and a coordinate y^X in the Y direction of the center are calculated based on the first regression line,

a second regression line is obtained using the positions p and l of each of the groups of light paths formed by driving the light-emitting devices and the light-receiving devices arranged in the Y direction as a sample, with respect to a PL plane formed by using a position P of each of the light-receiving devices in the Y direction and the position L of the light-emitting devices in the L direction as axes, a coordinate x^Y in the X direction and a coordinate y^Y in the Y direction of the center are calculated based on the second regression line, and

the conclusive coordinates are determined based on the obtained coordinates x^X, y^X, x^Y, and y^Y.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the coordinate x^X is determined as the conclusive coordinate x of the center in the X direction, and the coordinate y^Y is determined as the conclusive coordinate y of the center in the Y direction.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein b/(1−

a) is calculated using a gradient a and an intercept b of the first regression line, the calculated result is set as the coordinate x^X, −

ah/(1−

a) is calculated using a distance h between the array of the light-emitting devices arranged in the X direction and the array of the light-receiving devices arranged in the X direction and the gradient a, the calculated result is set as the coordinate y^X,

{−

a/(1−

a)}w is calculated using a distance w between the array of the light-emitting devices arranged in the Y direction and the array of the light-receiving devices arranged in the Y direction and the gradient a of the second regression line, the calculated result is set as the coordinate x^Y, b/(1−

a) is calculated using the gradient a and the intercept b of the second regression line, and the calculated result is set as the coordinate y^Y.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein when a plurality of light shield regions are simultaneously formed, the first and second regression lines of each of the light shield regions in the plane are obtained, and the conclusive coordinates x, y of the center of each of the light shield regions are calculated based on the obtained first and second regression lines.