Optical Position Detecting Device

• US 20120224054A1
• Filed: 07/14/2010
• Published: 09/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Xiroku, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nc3, Inc. (Alberici Corporation)
• Inventors: Ogawa, Yasuji
• Application Number:
  US13/386,392
• Publication Number:
  US 20120224054A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/135
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04104 Multi-touch detection in digitiser, i.e. details about the simultaneous detection of a plurality of touching locations, e.g. multiple fingers or pen and finger
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0425 using a single imaging device like a video camera for tracking the absolute position of a single or a plurality of objects with respect to an imaged reference surface, e.g. video camera imaging a display or a projection screen, a table or a wall surface, on which a computer generated image is displayed or projected tracking a projected light spot to determine a position on a display surface G06F3/0386
• 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: G06T 1/00 General purpose image data processing

Abstract

The optical position detecting device includes a plurality of light source sections, a camera section, a detection section and a control section. Each of the plurality of light source sections emits light to irradiate a predetermined region of the detection surface. The camera section has an angle of view capable of imaging the entire surface of the detection surface and images an image the indicator body irradiated by the light source sections. The detection section calculates an indicated position of the indicator body. The control section is adapted to turn on the plurality of light source sections simultaneously or in a predetermined sequence at time of initial scan and, once the indicated position of the indicator body is detected by the detection section, turns on the light source section irradiating a range covering the detected indicated position of the indicator body but turns off all the remaining light source sections.

Claims

1. An optical position detecting device capable of detecting an indicated position of an indicator body input onto a detection surface, the optical position detecting device comprising:

a plurality of light source sections each for emitting light to irradiate a predetermined region of the detection surface so as to be able to selectively irradiate the entire surface of the detection surface by combination thereof;

a camera section having an angle of view capable of imaging the entire surface of the detection surface, and imaging an image of the indicator body irradiated by the light source sections;

a detection section for calculating an indicated position of the indicator body by using the image of the indicator body imaged by the camera section; and

a control section adapted to turn on the plurality of light source sections simultaneously or in a predetermined sequence at time of initial scan and, once the indicated position of the indicator body is detected by the detection section, turning on at least one of the light source sections irradiating a range covering the indicated position of the indicator body detected but turning off or reducing power for lighting all the remaining light source sections.

2. The optical position detecting device according to claim 1, in which each of the plurality of light source sections emits light for irradiating a strip-shaped region in the direction to the detection surface.

3. The optical position detecting device according to claim 1, in which each of the plurality of light source sections emits light for irradiating a fan-shaped region in the direction to the detection surface.

4. The optical position detecting device according to claim 1, in which each of the plurality of light source sections emits light for irradiating a square-shaped region in the direction to the detection surface.

5. The optical position detecting device according to claim 1, in which each of the plurality of light source sections emits light for irradiating a circle-shaped region in the direction to the detection surface.

6. The optical position detecting device according to claim 2, in which each of the plurality of light source sections has a beam forming lens and an LED.

7. The optical position detecting device according to claim 3, in which each of the plurality of light source sections has a cylindrical lens and an LED.

8. The optical position detecting device according to claim 1, in which the detection surface transmits light and each of the plurality of light source sections has a light guide plate arranged at a rear surface side of the detection surface and an LED.

9. The optical position detecting device according to claim 1, in which the detection surface transmits light and the plurality of light source sections have a diffusion plate arranged at a rear surface side of the detection surface and a plurality of LEDs.

10. The optical position detecting device according to claim 1, in which each of the plurality of light source sections is arranged at a position separated from the detection surface in a vertical direction relative to a front surface side of the detection surface.

11. The optical position detecting device according to claim 1, in which the detection surface transmits light and each of the plurality of light source sections is arranged at a position separated from the detection surface in a vertical direction relative to a rear surface side of the detection surface.

12. The optical position detecting device according to claim 1, in which each of the plurality of light source sections has an infrared LED and the camera section has an infrared transmitting filter.

13. The optical position detecting device according to claim 1, in which the control section controls so as to make the irradiation power of each of the light source sections irradiating a range covering the indicated position of the indicator body stronger than the irradiation power of each of the light source sections when turning on the light source sections simultaneously or in a predetermined sequence at the time of the initial scan.

14. The optical position detecting device according to claim 1, in which the camera section images the entire surface of the detection surface from a position separated from the detection surface in a vertical direction relative to a front surface side of the detection surface.

15. The optical position detecting device according to claim 1, in which the detection surface transmits light and the camera section images the entire surface of the detection surface from a position separated from the detection surface in a vertical direction relative to a rear surface side of the detection surface.

16. The optical position detecting device according to claim 1, in which the camera section has a windowing function of imaging the region of a window defined at an arbitrary place to an arbitrary size in the angle of view capable of imaging.

17. The optical position detecting device according to claim 1, in which the detection section detects an image of the indicator body by using a separability filter.

18. The optical position detecting device according to claim 1, which further comprises a display device, a display surface of the display device being the detection surface.

19. The optical position detecting device according to claim 18, in which the display surface of the display device is made of a light transmitting material and the light source sections is arranged at a rear surface side of the display surface.