Touch-sensitive data input device

• US 4,672,558 A
• Filed: 09/25/1984
• Issued: 06/09/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/1984
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canberra Albuquerque, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Aquila Technologies Group, Inc. (American Capital Limited)
• Inventors: Campos, Robert G., Beckes, Jerome F., Franco, Miquel A., Kadner, Steven P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Krass, Errol A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Application Number:
  US06/653,906
• Time in Patent Office: 987 Days
• Field of Search: 364/518, 364/559, 364/709, 364/556, 340/365 P, 340/712, 340/706, 340/718, 340/365 R, 340/365 C, 340/365 VL, 178/18
• US Class Current: 345/175
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0421 by interrupting or reflecting a light beam, e.g. optical touch-screen

Abstract

A touch-sensitive data input device for use with a computer system having a display screen has a demountable bezel which establishes a grid of light beams in front of the display screen. Misalignment between the display screen frame of reference and the bezel frame of reference is corrected by the calculation of coordinate transforms which are applied to bezel grid coordinates to translate same to display screen coordinates. The coordinate transforms are generated by the computer in accordance with a program of instructions executed in a preliminary bezel alignment procedure.

Claims

1. A touch-sensitive data input device for use with a computer system having a central processing unit (CPU), a memory accessed by the CPU, and a display screen, comprising:

a demountable bezel, for mounting onto the display screen;

means carried by the bezel, for establishing a grid of light beams in front of the display screen;

means for determining the grid coordinates of an object placed proximate the face of the display screen to interrupt the light beam grid and mark a spot thereon;

means coupled to the grid coordinate determining means, for reporting the grid coordinates to the CPU; and

a storage medium containing a program of instructions to be loaded into the computer system memory, for directing the CPU in execution of a bezel alignment procedure wherein coordinate transforms are generated to translate bezel grid coordinates to display screen coordinates.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the demountable bezel comprises a rigid frame.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein the CPU under the direction of the program of instructions stored in memory:

displays a spot on the display screen at a location with known coordinates in the frame of reference of the display screen;

accesses the bezel grid coordinate reporting means, to obtain the coordinates of the spot on the display screen in the frame of reference of the bezel grid; and

calculates the coordinate transforms to be applied to bezel grid coordinates to effectively align the bezel frame of reference to the display screen frame of reference.

4. A computer system comprising:

a central processing unit (CPU);

a memory accessed by the CPU;

a display screen coupled to the CPU, for visually displaying data from the CPU;

a demountable bezel, for mounting to the display screen;

means carried by the bezel, for establishing a grid of light beams in front of the display screen and for detecting an interruption of light beams in the grid;

means coupled to the light beam grid and detecting means, for determining the grid coordinates of an object placed proximate the face of the display screen to mark a spot thereon;

means coupled to the grid coordinate determining means, for reporting the grid coordinates to the CPU;

said CPU translating bezel grid coordinates to display screen coordinates in accordance with instructions stored in the memory.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the light beam grid and detecting means comprises:

a plurality of light beam emitters and detectors arranged around the sides, top and bottom of the display screen, so that for each emitter there is a detector directly across from it on the opposite side of the screen.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the light beam grid and detecting means further comprises:

a counter and decoder circuit for enabling multiple pairs of said emitters and detectors sequentially to provide multiple beams scanning across said display screen.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the light beam grid and detecting means yet further comprises:

a circuit that detects the interruption of said beams.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the grid coordinate determining means comprises:

means for registering the emitter and detector pairs enabled at the time of the interruption.

9. A touch-sensitive data input device for use with a display screen, comprising:

a plurality of light beam emitters and detectors;

means for mounting the emitters and detectors rigidly with respect to each other in an assembly removably mountable to a display screen;

said mounting means arranging the emitters and detectors around the top, sides, and bottom of the display screen so as to dispose each emitter directly across from a detector and on opposite sides of the screen;

a circuit for enabling multiple pairs of said emitters and detectors sequentially to produce multiple beams scanning across said display screen;

a detector circuit for detecting an interruption of said beams; and

an enclosure for the emitters and detectors made of a material having a light transmission spectrum matched to the emission spectrum of the emitters.