Apparatus to digitize graphic and scenic information and to determine the position of a stylus for input into a computer or the like

• US 5,159,322 A
• Filed: 08/02/1991
• Issued: 10/27/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/1985
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hugh G. Loebner
• Original Assignee: Hugh G. Loebner
• Inventors: Loebner, Hugh G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Brier, Jeffery A.
• Application Number:
  US07/739,413
• Time in Patent Office: 452 Days
• Field of Search: 340/706, 340/709, 340/707, 340/815.31, 358/482, 358/483, 358/484, 382/58, 382/68, 250/227.2, 250/227.28, 385/121
• US Class Current: 345/175
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/002 Specific input/output arrangements not covered by G06F3/01 - G06F3/16 other optical apparatus G02B27/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• 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

Abstract

A device for inputting graphic information contained on planar material, scenic information contained in a three dimensional scene, and position information of a stylus into a computer or the like by the cooperative use of the same nonlinear photodetector for digitizing the graphic information, the scenic information, and for determining the position of a stylus.

Claims

1. An apparatus for (A) digitizing three dimensional scenic information for input into a computer or the like, and for (B) indicating the coordinate position of a stylus for input into a computer or the like comprising means for the cooperative use of a nonlinear photodetector where the means for the cooperative use of said nonlinear photodetector comprises:

means for imaging said three dimensional scenic material onto said nonlinear photodetector, and

means for indicating the position of said stylus comprises means for forming at least one image of said stylus onto said nonlinear photodetector;

wherein said means for the cooperative use of said nonlinear photodetector does not consist of the cooperative use of the same lens to image a light emitting stylus and to image three dimensional scenic information at the same magnification onto the same photosensitive area of said nonlinear photodetector.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1 where the means for imaging said three dimensional scenic information comprises a lens.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1 where the means for indicating the position of said stylus by means for forming at least one image of said stylus comprises a rangefinder.

4. An apparatus according to claim 3 where said rangefinder comprises means for forming at least two images of said stylus.

5. An apparatus according to claim 1 where said nonlinear photodetector comprises a CCD array.

6. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said at least one image of said stylus comprises a linear image of said stylus and means for imaging said at least one linear image comprises optical fibers.

7. An apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said optical fibers are used to partition said linear image of said stylus into more than one linear image section and said partitioned linear image sections are imaged by said optical fibers onto more than one row or column of said photodetector.

8. An apparatus for (A) digitizing graphic information contained on planar material for input into a computer or the like, and for (B) digitizing three dimensional scenic information for input into a computer or the like, and for (C) indicating the coordinate position of a stylus for input into a computer or the like comprising means for the cooperative use of a nonlinear photodetector where the means for the cooperative use of said nonlinear photodetector comprises:

means for imaging said three dimensional scenic material onto said nonlinear photodetector, and

means for imaging said graphic information contained on planar material onto said nonlinear photodetector, and

means for indicating the position of said stylus comprises means for forming at least one image of said stylus onto said nonlinear photodetector;

wherein said means for the cooperative use of said nonlinear photodetector does not consist of the cooperative use of the same lens to image a light emitting stylus and to image three dimensional scenic information and to image graphic information contained on planar material at the same magnification onto the same photosensitive area of the said nonlinear photodetector.

9. An apparatus according to claim 8 where said nonlinear photodetector comprises a CCD array.

10. An apparatus according to claim 8 where the means for imaging graphic information contained on planar material comprises means for forming successive linear images of said graphic information contained on said planar material by means for moving said planar material and said nonlinear photodetector relative to each other and means for imaging said linear images onto said nonlinear photodetector.

11. An apparatus according to claim 8 where the claimed means for imaging said three dimensional scenic information comprises a lens.

12. An apparatus according to claim 8 where the claimed means for indicating the position of said stylus by means for forming at least one image of said stylus comprises a rangefinder.

13. An apparatus according to claim 12 where said rangefinder comprises means for forming at least two images of said stylus.

14. An apparatus according to claim 8 wherein said at least one image of said stylus comprises a linear image of said stylus and means for imaging said at least one linear image comprises optical fibers.

15. An apparatus according to claim 14 wherein said optical fibers are used to partition said linear image of said stylus into more than one linear image section and said partitioned linear image sections are imaged by said optical fibers onto more than one row or column of said photodetector.

16. An apparatus for (A) digitizing three dimensional scenic information for input into a computer and the like and for (B) indicating the coordinate position of a stylus for input into a computer and the like comprising means for the cooperative use of a nonlinear photodetector where said means for the cooperative use of said nonlinear photodetector comprises:

means for imaging said three dimensional scenic material onto said nonlinear photodetector, and

means for indicating the position of said stylus comprises means for forming at least one image of said stylus on said nonlinear photodetector comprising a rangefinder.

17. An apparatus according to claim 16 where the means for imaging said three dimensional scenic information comprises a lens.

18. An apparatus according to claim 16 where said rangefinder comprises means for forming at least two images of said stylus.

19. An apparatus according to claim 16 where said nonlinear photodetector comprises a CCD array.

20. An apparatus for (A) digitizing graphic information contained on planar material for input into a computer or the like, and for (B) digitizing three dimensional scenic information for input into a computer or the like, and for (C) indicating the coordinate position of a stylus for input into a computer or the like comprising means for the cooperative use of a nonlinear photodetector where said means for said cooperative use of said nonlinear photodetector comprises:

means for imaging said three dimensional scenic material onto said nonlinear photodetector, and

means for forming successive linear images of said graphic information contained on said planar material and means for imaging said linear images onto said nonlinear photodetector, and

means for indicating the position of said stylus comprising means for forming at least one image of said stylus onto said nonlinear photodetector.

21. An apparatus according to claim 20 where the claimed means for imaging said three dimensional scenic information comprises a lens.

22. An apparatus according to claim 20 where said means for indicating the position of said stylus comprising means for forming at least one image comprises a rangefinder.

23. An apparatus according to claim 20 where said means for forming successive linear images of said graphic information is by means for moving said planar material and said nonlinear photodetector relative to each other.

24. An apparatus according to claim 20

wherein said means for imaging said linear images onto said nonlinear photodetector comprises means for digitizing said linear images of said planar material at a greater linear resolution than has said nonlinear photodetector by means for dividing each said linear image into a multiple number of linear image sections and means for imaging said multiple linear sections onto said nonlinear photodetector.

25. An apparatus according to claim 24 in which means for dividing each said linear image into a multiple number of linear image sections and means for imaging said multiple linear sections onto said photodetector array comprises optical fibers.