Optical coordinate-input system

• US 4,998,014 A
• Filed: 12/28/1989
• Issued: 03/05/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ALPS Electric Company Limited (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: ALPS Electric Company Limited (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Hasegawa, Kazuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Willis, Davis L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHAMI, KHALED
• Application Number:
  US07/458,055
• Time in Patent Office: 432 Days
• Field of Search: 250/221, 250/222.1, 340/555, 340/556, 340/557, 341/31
• US Class Current: 250/221
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 8/20 using multiple transmitters or receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0421 by interrupting or reflecting a light beam, e.g. optical touch-screen

Abstract

An optical coordinate-input system. A plurality of pairs of light-emitting and light-receiving elements are mutually opposed on a two-dimensional input surface and arranged along the X and Y coordinate axes. A driver causes the light-emitting elements to sequentially emit light so as to scan the surface with light beams. A circuit sequentially binarizes signals from the light-receiving elements. When the interruption of the light beams occurs at a portion of the surface, signals from those light-receiving elements corresponding to this portion are also binarized by the circuit. A memory stores the binarized data in the form of units each consisting of a plurality of bits arranged in a sequence corresponding to the arrangement of the light-emitting and light-receiving elements along the X and Y coordinate axes. This writing is controlled so that that data is stored in different addresses. Whenever required, stored data is transmitted, while it is in the same form. Therefore, it is possible to read the necessary data alone at any desired time through simple procedures, thereby increasing the processing speed.

Claims

1. An optical coordinate-input system comprising:

a two-dimensional scanning means having a plurality of light-emitting elements and a plurality of light-receiving elements disposed on a two-dimensional plane forming an XY coordinate system, said plane having first and second pairs of mutually opposing sides, said light-emitting elements being disposed on one of said first pair of sides and on one of said second pair of sides and being arranged along each of the X and Y coordinate axes of the XY coordinate system, and said light-receiving elements being disposed on the others and arranged along each of the X and Y coordinate axes;

a light-emitting element drive means for causing said light-emitting elements of said two-dimensional scanning means to sequentially emit light so as to scan said two-dimensional plane with light beams;

a binarization means for sequentially binarizing signals outputted from said light-receiving elements, said binarization means being capable of, when said light beams are interrupted at a portion of said two-dimensional plane, binarizing signals from those light-receiving elements corresponding to said portion;

a storage means for storing data indicated by signals outputted by said binarization means, said data being stored in the form of units each consisting of a plurality of bits arranged in a sequence corresponding to the arrangement of said light-emitting elements and said light-receiving elements along the X and Y coordinate axes;

a writing control means for causing said storage means to store said data at different addresses in said storage means;

a reading control means for reading data stored in said storage means; and

a sequence control means for controlling the sequence of the actions of said two-dimensional scanning means, said light-emitting element drive means, said binarization means, said storage means, said writing control means and said reading control means.