Signal input device

• US 5,717,432 A
• Filed: 01/20/1995
• Issued: 02/10/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Kubo, Takashi, Ohgita, Toshiki, Miwa, Yoshihisa, Matsuda, Hideo, Anzai, Shunju
• Primary Examiner(s): WU, XIAO MIN
• Application Number:
  US08/376,066
• Time in Patent Office: 1,117 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/173, 345/174, 345/175, 345/177, 178/18, 178/19, 355/75, 355/200, 355/202, 355/218, 355/243, 355/266, 355/271
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/5016 User-machine interface; Display panels; Control console
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/033 Pointing devices displaced or positioned by the user , e.g. mice, trackballs, pens or joysticks; Accessories therefor digitisers characterised by the transducing means G06F3/041
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/043 using propagating acoustic waves

Abstract

A signal input device which includes an operation panel having an input area in which data are input by touching the operation panel, a plurality of sensors located at different places on the operation panel, the sensors receiving vibrations propagated from a touched point on the operation panel, a detection circuit for detecting times at which the sensors receive the vibrations, an arithmetic means for identifying the position of the touched point, a memory means for storing numerical values whereby the input area is divided into a plurality of minor areas, and means for judging which minor areas the touched points belong to, on the basis of the arithmetic results of the numerical values and data about the positions of the touched points.

Claims

1. A signal input device for use in a copying machine for copying an original document, the device comprising:

an operation panel including an input area in which data are input by touching a point on the operation panel, the operation panel also functioning as an original table of the copying machine on which the original document is placed;

plural pairs of sensors, located at different places on the operation panel, for receiving vibrations propagated from a touched point on the operation panel, respectively, the plural pairs of sensors being arranged so that a line connecting the sensors of one of the plural pairs intersects a line connecting the sensors of another one of the plural pairs at right angles;

a time counting means which starts to count time when one of the sensors receives a respective vibration;

a detection means for detecting times at which the sensors receive the vibrations and for obtaining a time difference between the detected times by each pair of sensors by using the time counting means;

an arithmetic means for identifying the position of the touched point on the basis of the time difference;

a memory means for storing numerical values whereby the input area is divided into a plurality of minor areas;

a means for judging, to which one of the plurality of minor areas the touched point belongs, on the basis of the arithmetic results indicating the position of the touched point and data of the numerical values;

means for adjusting a copiable area defined within some of said minor areas to define a copying region for copying the original document, said copying region being defined based on said arithmetic results indicating the position of the touched point and data of the numerical values; and

means for starting the arithmetic operation by treating the detected times as effective only when the copying machine is in a ready state in which the apparatus is ready for starting a copying operation.

2. A signal input device according to claim 1, wherein the input area comprises a first area in which the original document is placed and a second area in which the original document is not placed, and the sensors are located at the second area.

3. A signal input device according to claim 1, wherein the operation panel has a front surface and a back surface, and the sensors are located at the front surface.

4. A signal input device according to claim 1, wherein the operation panel has a front surface and a back surface, and the sensors are located at the back surface.

5. A signal input device according to claim 1, wherein the input area comprises a first area in which the original document is placed and a second area in which the original document is not placed, and the sensors are located on boundaries of the first area.

6. A signal input device according to claim 1, wherein the touched point is designated by a pen.

7. A signal input device according to claim 1, wherein the touched point is designated by a finger.

8. A signal input device according to claim 1, wherein the memory means stores a propagating speed of the vibration through the operation panel and distances between the sensors of each pair, and the propagating speed and the distances are used for identifying the position of the touched point by the arithmetic means.

9. A signal input device according to claim 1, wherein the operation panel is rectangular, the plural pairs of sensors comprise a first, a second, a third and a fourth sensors, which are arranged in a counterclockwise direction, a line connecting the first sensor and the third sensor intersects a line connecting the second sensor and the fourth sensor at right angles, and the detection means obtains the time differences between the detected times of the first and the third sensors and between the detected times of the second and the fourth sensors.

10. A signal input device for use in a copying machine for copying an original document, the comprising:

a transparent glass panel functioning as an original table which includes a first area in which the original document is placed thereby defining a copiable area and a second area in which the original document is not placed, both of the first area and the second area of the transparent glass panel allowing data to be inputted therefrom by touching a point on the areas;

plural pairs of sensors, located at the second area, the receiving vibrations propagated from a touched point on the glass panel, respectively, the plural pairs of sensors being arranged so that a line connecting the sensors of one of the plural pairs intersects a line connecting the sensors of another one of the plural pairs at right angles;

a time counting means which starts to count when one of the sensors receives a respective vibration;

a detection means for detecting times at which the sensors receive the vibrations and for obtaining a time difference between the detected times by each pair of sensors by using the counting means;

an arithmetic means for identifying the position of the touched point on the basis of the time difference;

a memory means for storing data of numerical values defining the second area of the glass panel as an input area for allowing copying data to be input;

a means for judging whether the position of the touched point identified by the arithmetic means is in the first area or not, on the basis of the data stored in the memory means;

a control means for using the result obtained by the judging means as input about a first original document when it arises from the copiable area or as input about copying data when it arises from the second area;

adjusting means for adjusting said copiable area in response to said control means based on said input to define a copying region for copying said first original document; and

means for starting the arithmetic operation by treating the detected times as effective only when the copying machine is in the ready state in which the apparatus is ready for starting a copying operation.

11. A signal input device according to claim 10, wherein the touched point is designated by a pen.

12. A signal input device according to claim 10, wherein the touched point is designated by a finger.

13. A signal input device according to claim 10, wherein the memory means stores a propagating speed of the vibration through the operation panel and distances between the sensors of each pair, and the propagating speed and the distances are sued for identifying the position of the touched point by the arithmetic means.

14. A signal input device according to claim 10, wherein the operation panel is rectangular, the sensors comprise a first, a second, a third, and a fourth sensors, which are arranged in a counterclockwise direction, a line connecting the first sensor and the third sensor intersects a line connecting the second and the fourth sensor at right angles, and the direction means obtains the time differences between the detected times of the first and the third sensors and between the detected times of the second and the fourth sensors.

15. A signal input device for use in a copying machine, the device comprising:

an operation panel having an input area allowing an input by touching a point thereon, the input area also functioning as an original table on which an original document is placed;

plural pairs of sensors, located at different positions of the operation panel, for receiving vibrations from the touched point on the operation panel, respectively, the plural pairs of sensors being arranged so that a line connecting the sensors of one of the plural pairs intersects a line connecting the sensors of another one of the plural pairs at right angles;

a detection means, which has a timer, for detecting times at which the sensors receive the vibrations and for obtaining time difference between the detected times by each pair of sensors on the basis of the contents of the timer, the timer starting to count time when any one of the sensors receives a respective vibration;

a memory means for storing distances between sensors of each pair, a propagating speed of the vibrations through the operation panel, and numerical values whereby the input area is divided into a plurality of minor areas;

an arithmetic means for obtaining position data indicating a position of the touched point on the basis of the time difference, the distance and the propagating speed;

a judging means for judging, to which one of the minor areas the touched point belongs, to the basis of the position data obtained by the arithmetic means and the numerical values; and

wherein the arithmetic means further comprises a means for starting the arithmetic operation by treating the detected times as effective only when the copying machine is in a stable operation state, the stable operation state being a ready state in which the copying machine is ready for starting a copying operation.

16. A signal input device according to claim 15, wherein the touched point is designated by a pen.

17. A signal input device according to claim 15, wherein the touched point is designated by a finger.

18. A signal input device according to claim 15, wherein the operation panel is rectangular, the sensors comprise a first, a second, a third, and a fourth sensors, which are arranged in a counterclockwise direction, a line connecting the first sensor and the third sensor intersects a line connecting the second sensor and the fourth sensor at right angles, and the direction means obtains the time differences between the detected times of the first and the third sensors and between the detected times of the second and the fourth sensors.

19. A signal input device according to claim 15, wherein the device further comprises means for adjusting a copiable area defined within some of said minor areas to define a copying region for copying the original document, said copying region being defined based on said arithmetic results indicating the position of the touched point and data of the numerical values.

20. A signal input device according to claim 15, wherein the input area comprises a first area in which an original document is placed and a second area in which the original document is not placed, and the sensors are located at the second area.

21. A signal input device according to claim 15, wherein the operation panel has a front surface and a back surface, and the sensors are located at the front surface.

22. A signal input device according to claim 15, wherein the operation panel has a front surface and a back surface, and the sensors are located at the back surface.

23. A signal input device according to claim 15, wherein the input area comprises a first area in which the original document is placed and a second area in which the original document is not placed, and the sensors are located on boundaries of the first area.

24. A signal input device according to claim 15, wherein the memory means stores a propagating speed of the vibration through the operation panel and distances between the sensors of each pair, and the propagating speed and the distances are used for identifying the position of the touched point by the arithmetic means.

25. A signal input device for use in a copying machine, the device comprising:

an original table integrally including a transparent region on which an original document is placed and an input region on which at least one operation key for inputting at least one copying condition is printed, both of the transparent region and the input region allowing data to be inputted therefrom by touching a point on the regions;

a plurality of vibration detection sensors provided on the original table for detecting vibration caused by touching a point on the original table;

means for specifying a position of the touched point on the original table based on the vibration detected by the vibration detection sensors; and

determination means for defining a copying region in a first condition in which the specified touched position is within the transparent region and processing the inputted copying condition in a second condition in which the specified touched position is within the input region.

26. A signal input device according to claim 25, wherein an input derived by touching a point on the original table is allowed to be effective only when the copying machine is in a ready state in which the copying machine is ready for starting a copying operation, and is ignored during the copying operation of the copying machine.

27. A signal input device according to claim 25, wherein the at least one key includes a key for performing image processing with respect to an image of the original document located in the defined copying region is printed on the input region.

28. A signal input device according to claim 27, wherein the image processing is trimming with respect to the image of the original document.

29. A signal input device according to claim 27, wherein the image processing is masking with respect to the image of the original document.

30. A signal input device according to claim 27, wherein the image processing is centering with respect to the image of the original document.