Wireless pen-type input device for use with a computer

• US 5,166,668 A
• Filed: 04/10/1991
• Issued: 11/24/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Data Streams Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Data Streams Company Limited
• Inventors: Aoyagi, Tetuji
• Primary Examiner(s): Brier, Jeffery A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Au, A.
• Application Number:
  US07/683,595
• Time in Patent Office: 594 Days
• Field of Search: 340/710, 340/707, 340/709, 340/706, 250/208.2, 250/221
• US Class Current: 345/180
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0325 using a plurality of light emitters or reflectors or a plurality of detectors forming a reference frame from which to derive the orientation of the object, e.g. by triangulation or on the basis of reference deformation in the picked up image
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03542 Light pens for emitting or receiving light
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0386 for light pen
• 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

Abstract

A wireless input device for computer comprises a pen-type input device having a source of light capable of transmitting pulses. Two light receiving elements are provided and these light receiving element are disposed for detecting an incident angle of light inputted from the source of light. The wireless input device also has an input unit body having an operational unit for calculating the position of the pen-type input device from the amounts of light detected by the two light receiving elements.

Claims

1. A wireless input device for a computer comprising:

a pen-type input unit having a light emitting element capable of emitting light pulses;

two light receiving elements spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance and arranged at a predetermined inclination angle facing toward an area in which said pen-type input unit is positioned, wherein each of said light receiving elements is a two-division light sensing means capable of detecting two separate quantities of incident received from said pen-type input unit indicative of an angle defined by the position of the pen-type input unit relative to the inclination angle of each said light receiving element; and

a position detecting and calculating circuit electrically coupled to respective outputs of said light receiving elements and having means for calculating position coordinates corresponding to the position of said pen-type input unit derived on the basis of a ratio of the difference in light quantities to the sum of light quantities received by said receiving elements from said pen-type input unit, the predetermined distance between the two light receiving elements, and the predetermined inclination angle of the light receiving elements.

2. A wireless input device according to claim 1, wherein said light receiving elements are two-division pin photodiodes.

3. A wireless input device according to claim 1, wherein said light receiving elements are mounted in opposingly angled front walls of an input unit body adapted to lie on a support surface defining the area in which said pen-type input unit is positioned.

4. A wireless input device according to claim 1, wherein said light receiving elements are mounted in an input unit body formed with a keyboard for the computer.

5. A wireless input device according to claim 1, wherein said light receiving elements are mounted in an input unit body which includes a power charging portion for accomodating said pen-type input unit therein and for charging a power supply of said pen-type input unit via power charging terminals therein.

6. A wireless input device according to claim 1, wherein said pen-type input unit includes a mouse switch for causing the light emitting element to emit light pulses which are detected by said light receiving elements in order to calculate position coordinates corresponding to the position of said pen-type input unit.

7. A wireless input device according to claim 1, wherein said pen-type input unit includes at least one click switch for causing the light emitting element to generate click-on and/or click-off light signals.

8. A wireless input device according to claim 1, wherein said position detecting and calculating circuit includes two differential amplifier circuits for receiving the respective outputs of the two light receiving elements and generating respective light quantities sum and difference signals and supplying them to the position calculating portion of said circuit.

9. A wireless input device according to claim 7, wherein said position detecting and calculating circuit includes a click pulse detecting circuit for detecting click-on and/or click-off light signals generated by the light emitting element of said pen-type input unit.

10. A wireless input device according to claim 7, wherein said light receiving elements are capable of detecting light pulses emitted by said pen-type input device to indicate its position in a three-dimensional space.