Sensing stylus position using single 1-D image sensor

• US 5,484,966 A
• Filed: 12/07/1993
• Issued: 01/16/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: American Telephone & Telegraph Company (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Segen, Jakub
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Stephen
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kim, Kevin
• Application Number:
  US08/163,419
• Time in Patent Office: 770 Days
• Field of Search: 178/18, 178/19, 345/157, 345/158, 345/180, 356/152, 356/375, 359/223, 359/207, 250/206.1
• US Class Current: 178/18.09
• 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

An apparatus and method for determining the location of an object in an active area of a first plane. The apparatus includes a first reflecting device, disposed substantially perpendicular to the first plane at a periphery of the active area. The first reflecting device receives a first image of the object from the active area and reflects the first image back toward the active area substantially parallel to the first plane. A second reflecting device, disposed substantially perpendicular to the first plane at a periphery of the active area, receives a second image of the object from the active area and reflects the second image back toward the active area substantially parallel to the first plane. The second reflecting device is disposed at a first angle which is less than one-hundred eighty degrees to the first reflecting device. The angle opens toward the active area and toward a detecting device. The detecting device is disposed in the first plane at a periphery of the active area opposite the first and second reflecting devices. The detecting device receives the first image and the second image and produces a signal indicating the position of the first and second images.

Claims

1. An apparatus for determining the location of an object in an active area of a first plane, comprising:

first reflecting means, disposed substantially perpendicular to the first plane at a periphery of the active area, for receiving a first image of the object from the active area and for reflecting said first image back toward the active area substantially parallel to the first plane, said first reflecting means including a first polarization filter;

second reflecting means, disposed substantially perpendicular to the first plane at a periphery of the active area, for receiving a second image of the object from the active area and for reflecting said second image back toward the active area substantially parallel to the first plane, said second reflecting means disposed at a first angle which is less than one-hundred eighty degrees to said first reflecting means, said angle opening toward the active area, said second reflecting means including a second polarization filter; and

detecting means, disposed in the first plane at a periphery of the active area opposite said first and second reflecting means, for receiving said first image and said second image and for producing a signal indicating the position of said first and second images,

wherein a relative polarization angle between said first polarization filter and said second polarization filter is greater than zero degrees, for reducing the radiation intensity of a third image of the object, said third image being reflected off of said first reflecting means and said second reflecting means.

2. An apparatus for determining the location of an object in an active area of a first plane, comprising:

first reflecting means, disposed substantially perpendicular to the first plane at a periphery of the active area, for receiving a first image of the object from the active area and for reflecting said first image back toward the active area substantially parallel to the first plane,

wherein said first reflecting means further comprises radiation intensity reducing means for reducing the radiation intensity of said first image;

second reflecting means, disposed substantially perpendicular to the first plane at a periphery of the active area, for receiving a second image of the object from the active area and for reflecting said second image back toward the active area substantially parallel to the first plane, said second reflecting means disposed at a first angle which is less than one-hundred eighty degrees to said first reflecting means, said angle opening toward the active area; and

detecting means, disposed in the first plane at a periphery of the active area opposite said first and second reflecting means, for receiving said first image and said second image and for producing a signal indicating the position of said first and second images,

wherein said detecting means further comprises radiation detecting means for detecting the radiation intensity of said first image for determining if an image received by said detecting means has reflected off one of said first reflecting means, said second reflecting means, neither said first reflecting means nor said second reflecting means, and both said first reflecting means and said second reflecting means.

3. A method for determining a location of an object in an active area of a first plane, the method comprising:

positioning a first polarization filter between said first reflecting means and the active area;

positioning a second polarization filter between said second reflecting means and the active area, wherein a relative polarization angle between said first polarization filter and said second polarization filter is greater than zero degrees, to reduce the radiation intensity of a double reflected image detected by said detecting means;

reflecting a first image of the object back into the active area substantially parallel to the first plane, from a first reflecting means located at a periphery of the active area;

reflecting a second image of the object back into the active area substantially parallel to the first plane, from a second reflecting means located at a periphery of the active area;

receiving said first image from said first reflecting means and said second image from said second reflecting means at a detecting means located in the first plane across the active area from said first and second reflecting means; and

determining the position of the object in said first plane from said first image and said second image received at said detecting means.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein step (3) further comprises the step of passively receiving a third image directly from the object at said detecting means and wherein step (4) comprises the step of determining the position of the object from at least two of:

said received first image, said received second image, and said received third image.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein step (3) further comprises the step of passively receiving a fourth image of the object, reflected from both said first and second reflection means, at said detecting means and wherein step (4) comprises the step of determining the position of the object from at least two of:

said received first image, said received second image, said received third image, and said fourth received image.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein step (3) further comprises the step of passively receiving a fifth image, reflected from both said first and second reflection means, of the object at said detecting means and wherein step (4) further comprises the step of determining the position of the object from at least two of:

said received first image, said received second image, said received third image, said fourth received image, and said fifth received image.