Optical Digitizer System With Position-Unique Photoluminescent Indicia

• US 20140160080A1
• Filed: 02/12/2014
• Published: 06/12/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Inventors: Craft, Stephen J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,075,452 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/175
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 11/00 Luminescent, e.g. electroluminescent, chemiluminescent materials
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0317 in co-operation with a patterned surface, e.g. absolute position or relative movement detection for an optical mouse or pen positioned with respect to a coded surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0321 by optically sensing the absolute position with respect to a regularly patterned surface forming a passive digitiser, e.g. pen optically detecting position indicative tags printed on a paper sheet constructional details of pen-shaped pointing devices G06F3/03545, G06F3/03542, G06F3/037
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03542 Light pens for emitting or receiving light
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/042 by opto-electronic means

Abstract

A digitizer system includes a substrate with indicia having photoluminescent features that uniquely define local areas of the substrate. A sensor device, such as a stylus, may sense radiation emitted from the features, and a controller may determine therefrom the location of the stylus relative to the substrate.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a first radiation source for emitting light having a first wavelength range; and

an optical image sensor comprising a first pixel and a different second pixel, the optical assembly configured to receive radiation having a second wavelength range, different than the first wavelength range, in response to radiation having the first wavelength range emitted by the first radiation source and direct radiation having a first selected wavelength in the received radiation having the second wavelength range to the first pixel in the optical image sensor and radiation having a different second selected wavelength in the received radiation having the second wavelength range to the second pixel in the optical image sensor.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising a second radiation source for emitting light having the second wavelength range.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the first wavelength range does not overlap with the second wavelength range.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the second wavelength range includes wavelengths longer than those included in the first wavelength range.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the second wavelength range includes wavelengths shorter than those included in the first wavelength range.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the optical image sensor is sensitive to radiation within the first and second wavelength ranges.

7. The system of claim 1 further comprising a filter to separate at least some portion of radiation in the first wavelength range from radiation in the second wavelength range.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the filter passes radiation of the first wavelength range to some pixels of the optical image sensor, and passes radiation of the second wavelength range to other pixels of the optical image sensor.

9. The system of claim 1 further comprising a filter to selectively limit certain wavelengths of radiation from stimulating certain pixels of the optical image sensor.

10. A stylus comprising the system of claim 1.

11. A stylus comprising an optical image sensor, the stylus configured to receive radiation having first and second wavelength ranges and direct radiation having the first wavelength range to a first pixel in the optical image sensor and radiation having the second wavelength range to a different second pixel in the optical image sensor.

12. A substrate comprising a pattern of features configured to emit radiation in a plurality of wavelength combinations, the wavelength combinations uniquely defining local regions of the substrate.

13. A digitizer system, comprising:

the substrate of claim 12; and

an optical image sensor configured to sense the pattern of features.

14. The digitizer system of claim 13 further comprising a processor configured to receive signals from the optical image sensor and provide location-specific positional signals based on the received signals.