Keyboard-compatible optical determination of object's position
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An optical method of sensing an object'"'"'s position, said optical method comprising the steps of:
- generating a stationary light beam having substantially parallel sides;
separately from said generating step, converting said light beam to an oscillating beacon;
separately from said converting step, diverting at least a portion of said oscillating beacon to produce first and second differently directed oscillating beacon portions;
intercepting and reflecting said first and second oscillating beacon portions;
interposing the object in the path of at least one of the reflected beacon portions to interrupt it;
sensing the interruption of said at least one of the reflected beacon portions; and
utilizing the sensed interruption to determine the position of the interposed object.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method of determining an object'"'"'s position and associated apparatus provides positional information in a form that may be conveniently communicated to a computer to calculate the object'"'"'s position. In a preferred embodiment, representatively incorporated in a computer keyboard, a method of determining an object'"'"'s position includes forming an optical grid of reflected beacons and detecting an obstruction of the reflected beacons. The preferred embodiment apparatus utilizes a single light source and a single light sensor to detect an object'"'"'s position in two dimensions.
97 Citations
34 Claims
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1. An optical method of sensing an object'"'"'s position, said optical method comprising the steps of:
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generating a stationary light beam having substantially parallel sides; separately from said generating step, converting said light beam to an oscillating beacon; separately from said converting step, diverting at least a portion of said oscillating beacon to produce first and second differently directed oscillating beacon portions; intercepting and reflecting said first and second oscillating beacon portions; interposing the object in the path of at least one of the reflected beacon portions to interrupt it; sensing the interruption of said at least one of the reflected beacon portions; and utilizing the sensed interruption to determine the position of the interposed object. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30)
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2. An optical method of sensing an object'"'"'s position, said optical method comprising the steps of:
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generating a light beam having substantially parallel sides; converting said light beam to an oscillating beacon; dividing said oscillating beacon into first and second differently directed portions; intercepting and reflecting said first and second oscillating beacon portions; interposing the object in the path of at least one of the reflected beacon portions to interrupt it; sensing the interruption of said at least one of the reflected beacon portions; and utilizing the sensed interruption to determine the position of the interposed object; wherein said optical method further comprises the step of positioning the reflected oscillating beacon portions upwardly adjacent the top side of a computer keyboard; and the object is a finger of a user of the keyboard.
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3. A method of sensing an object'"'"'s position, said method comprising the steps of:
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passing a stationary light beam having substantially parallel sides through a beam splitter; directing said beam into a beacon producing means, thereby producing a beacon; separately from said directing step, passing said beacon through a beacon separating means, which diverts at least a portion of said beacon so that said beacon is separated into first and second beacon portions; directing said first beacon portion to a first reflecting means for reflecting said first beacon portion back to said beam splitter; directing said second beacon portion to a second reflecting means for reflecting said second beacon portion back to said beam splitter; and using light sensing means to sense light reflecting back to said beam splitter, whereby, if the object obstructs said first or said second beacon portions, said light sensing means will sense a corresponding absence of said light rays reflecting back to said beam splitter, and the position of the object may be calculated. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11)
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8. A method of sensing an object'"'"'s position, said method comprising the steps of:
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passing a light beam having substantially parallel sides through a beam splitter; directing said beam into a beacon producing means, thereby producing a beacon; passing said beacon through a beacon separating means, so that said beacon is separated into first and second beacon portions; directing said first beacon portion to a first reflecting means for reflecting said first beacon portion back to said beam splitter; directing said second beacon portion to a second reflecting means for reflecting said second beacon portion back to said beam splitter; and using light sensing means to sense light reflecting back to said beam splitter, whereby, if the object obstructs said first or said second beacon portions, said light sensing means will sense a corresponding absence of said light rays reflecting back to said beam splitter, and the position of the object may be calculated wherein first and second reflecting means are mounted to a computer keyboard.
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12. Apparatus for sensing an object'"'"'s position, comprising:
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first means for generating a stationary light beam having substantially parallel sides and converting said light beam to an oscillating beacon; second means for diverting at least a portion of said oscillating beacon into first and second differently directed portions; third means for converting said first and second oscillating beacon portions to reflected beacon portions into which the object may be interruptingly interposed; fourth means for sensing an interruption of at least one of the reflected beacon portions and utilizing the sensed interruption to determine the position of the interposed object. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32)
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13. Apparatus for sensing an object'"'"'s position, comprising:
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first means for generating a light beam having substantially parallel sides and converting said light beam to an oscillating beacon; second means for dividing said oscillating beacon into first and second differently directed portions; third means for converting said first and second oscillating beacon portions to reflected beacon portions into which the object may be interruptingly interposed; fourth means for sensing an interruption of at least one of the reflected beacon portions and utilizing the sensed interruption to determine the position of the interposed object; fifth means for associating said apparatus with a computer keyboard in a manner such that the reflected beacon portions are positioned upwardly adjacent the top side of the keyboard to be selectively intercepted and interrupted by a finger of a user of the keyboard.
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14. Apparatus for sensing an object'"'"'s position, said apparatus comprising:
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a light source, said light source emitting light rays; a collimator, said collimator being operative to cause a portion of said light rays to form a stationary light beam having substantially parallel sides; means disposed in said beam'"'"'s path for producing a beacon from said beam; means disposed in said beacon'"'"'s path for diverting at least a portion of said beacon to thereby produce first and second beacon portions; first reflecting means disposed in said first beacon portion'"'"'s path for reflecting said first beacon portion to said beacon producing means; second reflecting means disposed in said second beacon portion'"'"'s path for reflecting said second beacon portion to said beacon producing means; light sensing means for sensing light reflecting from said first reflecting means and said second reflecting means; and means disposed in said beam'"'"'s path intermediate said collimator and said beacon producing means for directing light reflecting from said first reflecting means and said second reflecting means to said light sensing means, whereby, the position of the object may be conveniently calculated when the object obstructs said first and second beacon portions. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 21, 22, 23, 33, 34)
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19. Apparatus for sensing an object'"'"'s position, said apparatus comprising:
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a light source, said light source emitting light rays; a collimator, said collimator being operative to cause a portion of said light rays to form a light beam having substantially parallel sides; means disposed in said beam'"'"'s path for producing a beacon from said beam; means disposed in said beacon'"'"'s path for separating said beacon into first and second beacon portions; first reflecting means disposed in said first beacon portion'"'"'s path for reflecting said first beacon portion to said beacon producing means; second reflecting means disposed in said second beacon portion'"'"'s path for reflecting said second beacon portion to said beacon producing means; light sensing means for sensing light reflecting from said first reflecting means and said second reflecting means; and means disposed in said beam'"'"'s path intermediate said collimator and said beacon producing means for directing light reflecting from said first reflecting means and said second reflecting means to said light sensing means, whereby, the position of the object may be conveniently calculated when the object obstructs said first and second beacon portions; a computer keyboard; and said first reflecting means and said second reflecting means being mounted to said computer keyboard. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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24. A computer keyboard device of the type having a generally planar top surface and a plurality of keys disposed on the top surface, and further having the capability of detecting the position of an object, said computer keyboard comprising:
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reflector means, said reflector means being supported on the keyboard top surface; beacon producing means, said beacon producing means being mounted on the keyboard top surface and being positioned so that a beacon of light is directed to sweep repeatedly across said reflector means to produce a reflected light beacon; and light sensing means for measuring the intensity of light received therein, said light sensing means being positioned to receive said reflected light beacon therein, whereby, if the object'"'"'s position is intermediate said beacon producing means and said reflector means, said beacon of light will not be reflected from said reflector means and said sensing means will not receive said reflected light beacon therein. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28)
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Specification