Coordinate reader

• US 5,228,124 A
• Filed: 12/03/1991
• Issued: 07/13/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mutoh Industries Ltd. (Mutoh Holdings Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Mutoh Industries Ltd. (Mutoh Holdings Company Limited)
• Inventors: Matsumoto, Shuzo, Kaga, Ichiki, Furuichi, Hiroyuki, Iwanaga, Tetsuya, Ikuta, Tatsuyoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Harkom, Gary V.
• Assistant Examiner(s): JANKUS, ALMIS R
• Application Number:
  US07/800,729
• Time in Patent Office: 588 Days
• Field of Search: 395/111-112, 395/127, 340/706-712, 382/58, 382/59, 178/19, 250/211, 369/200
• US Class Current: 345/179
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0383 Signal control means within the pointing device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

In a reader in which a tablet and a cursor device are connected electrically to the reader and an indicated position of the cursor device on the tablet is converted to a coordinate signal to be outputted, the improved reader in which two cursor devices are connected to the reader, and the first cursor device is retained by one hand, and the second cursor device is retained by the other hand, and the two cursor devices are manipulated by both hands of the operator so as to shift them on the tablet whereby the reader outputs the coordinate signal for the drawing of a graphic, and setting the command to a CPU on the basis of the indication of each cursor device.

Claims

1. A display apparatus comprising:

a display screen for displaying an original image on a display screen surface thereof, said display screen surface having an X-axis dimension and a Y-axis dimension which is perpendicular to the X-axis dimension, wherein locations on said display screen surface are defined by corresponding X-axis and Y-axis coordinates;

a generally flat transparent tablet having an image projection surface having an X-axis dimension and a Y-axis direction which is perpendicular to the X-axis direction, wherein locations on said image projection surface are defined by corresponding X-axis and Y-axis coordinates;

means for enlarging said original image displayed on said display screen and projecting the thus enlarged image from said image projection surface of said transparent tablet, wherein there is a one-to-one correspondence of said X-axis and Y-axis coordinates defining locations on said display screen surface and said X-axis and Y-axis coordinates defining locations on said image projection surface, and wherein a location of said original image is defined by X-axis and Y-axis coordinates of said display screen surface which correspond to the X-axis and Y-axis coordinates of said image projection surface that define the location of said enlarged image;

first and second cursor devices for respectively generating electric signals when placed in contact with said image projection surface of said transparent tablet;

a reading means, operatively coupled to said transparent tablet, for receiving said electric signals and for determining the X-axis and Y-axis coordinates of said image projection surface at which a one of said first and second cursor devices operatively coupled to said reading means is placed in contact with said image projection surface, said reading means further for generating a position signal denoting the thus determined X-axis and Y-axis coordinates of said image projection surface;

a switch means for selectively operatively coupling either one of said first and second cursor devices to said reading means;

a central processing unit, operatively coupled to said reading means and said switch means, for receiving said position signal from said reading means and for controlling a switching operation of said switch means; and

,

a timer, operatively coupled to said central processing unit, for establishing a timing of the switching operation of said switch means controlled by said central processing unit.

2. A display apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said first cursor device includes first and second straight edge members which are perpendicular to each other, and said second cursor device includes an elongated pen member having a stylus at one end thereof.

3. A display apparatus as recited in claim 2, wherein said central processing unit is further for causing an image to be displayed on said display screen corresponding to locations on said transparent tablet at which said first and second cursors are placed in contact therewith.

4. A display apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said central processing unit is further for causing an image to be displayed on said display screen corresponding to locations on said transparent tablet at which said first and second cursors are placed in contact therewith.