Input interface apparatus for large screen display

• US 5,818,421 A
• Filed: 12/15/1995
• Issued: 10/06/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Tanaka, Keiichiro, Iwamoto, Tetsuo, Fuma, Hideyuki, Ichikawa, Kousyu, Ogino, Masanori
• Primary Examiner(s): Luu, Matthew
• Application Number:
  US08/573,013
• Time in Patent Office: 1,026 Days
• Field of Search: 345/157, 345/173, 345/175, 345/180, 345/181, 345/182, 345/183, 178/17, 178/18
• US Class Current: 345/157
• 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 3/04162 for exchanging data with external devices, e.g. smart pens, via the digitiser sensing hardware
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/045 using resistive elements, e.g. a single continuous surface or two parallel surfaces put in contact

Abstract

A large screen display comprising an image signal source such as a computer, an original image generator, a light-transmission screen, an on-screen pointing-position detecting means, and a light-pen built in an infra-red-ray emitting modulating means, wherein infra-red rays which are modulated by pressing force generated when the light-pen is pressed against the screen by an operator are emitted and the infrared rays are detected and amplified by an infrared-ray detector and demodulated by a demodulating means and then inputted to the image signal source, so that the tone and thickness of each stroke of a figure to be drawn and displayed can be displayed.

Claims

1. An input interface apparatus for a large screen display having a light-transmissive screen, a pointing position detecting means on said screen, and an image signal source, comprising:

(1) light-pen means for emitting infrared rays including

pressing force detecting means for detecting the pressure force when a tip of said light-pen means is pressed against said screen first;

first modulating means for modulating, with a first type of modulation, the output of infrared rays according to said detected pressing force;

switching means switching to a conductive state when the pressing force against said screen exceeds a predetermined value; and

second modulating means for further modulating, with a second type of modulation the infrared rays modulated by said first modulating means;

(2) infrared ray modulation signal detecting means including;

infrared ray detecting means for detecting said output of infrared rays;

demodulating means for demodulating said detected infrared rays;

means for inputting said demodulated signal to said image signal source; and

means for changing a picture attribute of at least one of color, thickness and kind of tones in said image signal source, in accordance with said second modulation type.

2. The signal input device according to claim 1 wherein the first modulating type of said first modulating means is frequency modulation by which the blinking frequency of said emitted infrared rays is specified and said blinking frequency is a frequency higher than the refresh rate of said on-screen pointing-position detecting means.

3. The signal input device according to claim 1 further comprising:

a multi-point selection switch which is built in said light-pen means is so as to switch said frequency of said modulation signal.

4. The signal input device according to claim 3, wherein said frequency of said modulation signal increases or decreases according to the pressing force of said light-pen means.

5. The signal input device according to claim 1 further comprising:

a multi-point selection switch which is built in said light-pen means so as to switch said frequency of the modulated infrared rays.

6. The signal input device according to claim 2, wherein said frequency of the modulated infrared rays increases or decreases according to the pressing force of said light-pen means.

7. An input interface method for a large screen display system having a light-transmissive screen, a pointing position detecting means on said screen, a light-pen for emitting infrared rays, and infrared ray modulation signal detector and an image signal source, comprising the steps of:

(1) with said light-pen;

detecting the pressing force when the tip of said light-pen is pressed against said screen;

modulating the output of emitted infrared rays of said light pen with a first type of modulation according to the detected pressing force; and

when the pressing force against said screen exceeds a predetermined value, further modulating the infrared rays modulated by said first modulating with a second type of modulation; and

(2) with said infrared ray modulation signal detector;

detecting the modulated output of emitted infrared rays;

demodulating the detected modulated infrared rays;

inputting the demodulated infrared rays to said image signal source; and

changing a picture attribute of at least one of color, thickness and kind of tones in said image signal source, in accordance with said second modulation.

8. An input interface apparatus for a large screen display having a light-transmissive screen, a pointing position detector on said screen, and an image signal source, comprising:

(1) light-pen for emitting infrared rays including;

a pressing force detector for detecting a pressing force ashen a tip of said light-pen is pressed against said screen;

a first modulator for modulating the output of infrared rays according to said detected pressing force with a first type of modulation;

a switch for switching to a conductive state when the pressing force against said screen exceeds a predetermined value; and

a second modulator for further modulating the infrared rays modulated by said first modulator with a second type of modulation;

(2) an infrared ray modulation signal detector including;

an infrared ray detector detecting said emitted infrared rays;

a demodulator demodulating said detected infrared rays;

a device for inputting said demodulated signal to said image signal source; and

circuitry for changing a picture attribute of at least one of color, thickness and kind of tones in said image signal source, in accordance with said second type of modulation.

9. The signal input device according to claim 8 wherein the first type of modulation of said first modulator is frequency modulation by which the blinking frequency of said emitted infrared rays is specified and said blinking frequency is a frequency higher than the refresh rate of said on-screen pointing-position detector.

10. The signal input device according to claim 9 further comprising:

multi-point selection switch which is built in said light-pen so as to switch said frequency of said modulation signal.

11. The signal input device according to claim 9, wherein said frequency of said modulation signal increases or decreases according to the pressing force of said light-pen means.

12. The signal input device according to claim 8 further comprising:

multi-point selection switch which is built in said light-pen so as to switch said frequency of the modulated infrared rays.

13. The signal input device according to claim 8, wherein said frequency of the modulated infrared rays increases or decreases according to the pressing force of said light-pen.