Image processing systems and data input devices therefor

• US 5,963,199 A
• Filed: 02/07/1997
• Issued: 10/05/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Sega Enterprises
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Sega Enterprises, Sega Enterprises LTD.
• Inventors: Murayama, Hiroshi, Kato, Toshihiko, Ohara, Makoto
• Primary Examiner(s): WU, XIAO MIN
• Application Number:
  US08/797,261
• Time in Patent Office: 970 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 345/174, 345/175, 345/179, 345/180, 345/181, 345/182, 345/183, 345/156, 345/157, 345/159, 178/18, 178/19, 178/18.01, 178/18.1, 178/19.04
• US Class Current: 345/179
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

An image processing system including a plurality of pen-like input units 31 which produce signals of frequencies inherent to the respective input units, a panel 32 responsive to a touch of the input unit 31 thereto for detecting its touch position and produced signal frequency, an image processor 5 which performs a predetermined image processing operation depending on signals indicative of the touch position and frequency from the panel 32, and a display 7 which displays the result of the image processing by the image processor 5. The respective frequencies determine corresponding color information used. The image processor 5 performs an image processing operation on the basis of the determined color information. Even when a card is used, page detection is performed in an optically non-contact manner, using a simple structure.

Claims

1. An image processing system comprising:

a data input device for generating input data;

an image processing device for performing a predetermined image processing operation on the data inputted by said data input device; and

a display device for displaying the result of the image processing operation performed by said image processing device;

wherein said data input device comprises a plurality of input instruments each including input means, and a structure to detect information on a position where said input means is manipulated to thereby increase a quantity of information to be detected,

wherein said input means in each of said input instruments includes means for generating a frequency inherent thereto and means for changing said frequency depending on a writing pressure applied to said input means,

wherein said means for changing frequency switches said frequency from one value to another at a predetermined point of said writing pressure,

wherein said data input device comprises a panel responsive to a touch of said input means to said panel for detecting information on a position of the touch and for selecting color information corresponding to the frequency, and

wherein said image processor performs an image process on the basis of the selected color information.

2. The image processing system according to claim 1, wherein said input means comprises oscillating means for producing a frequency depending on predetermined color information.

3. The image processing system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said input means comprises writing means for writing a character, a symbol and/or a figure on a drawing area, and oscillating means for producing a frequency depending on the color of each of said input instruments.

4. The image processing system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said input means comprises writing means for writing a character, a symbol and/or a figure on a drawing area, and oscillating means for producing a frequency depending on the color of each of said input instruments,

and wherein each of said input instruments comprises a pen-like housing for accommodating said writing means and oscillating means.

5. The image processing system according to claim 1, wherein said input means comprises oscillating means for producing an allocated frequency for a predetermined period of time only when said input means is placed on said panel.

6. The image processing system according to claim 1,

wherein said input means comprises oscillating means for producing an allocated frequency for a predetermined period of time only when said input means is placed on said panel,

and wherein each of said input instruments comprises a housing for accommodating said oscillating means.

7. A pen-like input device comprising said input means used in the system according to claim 1, said input means comprising writing means for writing a character, a symbol and/or a figure on a drawing area, and oscillating means for producing a frequency depending on the color of said pen-like input device.

8. An image processing system comprising:

a data input device which includes input means for inputting data to the system;

an image processing device for performing a predetermined image processing operation on the data inputted by said data input device; and

a display device for displaying the result of the image processing operation performed by said image processing device;

wherein said data input device includes input means,

wherein said input device further comprises a structure to detect information on a position where said input means is manipulated to thereby increase a quantity of information to be detected,

wherein said data input device comprises a plurality of cards each used as an input medium for data with a code section at one end of that card on which information including at least a page of that card is stored, means for piling the cards the number of which is changeable, and detecting means disposed at a position deviating horizontally and upward from the card so as to face the code section on the card for detecting information on said code section in a non-contact manner, and

wherein the code section contains a bar code which, in turn, contains information on the page concerned.

9. The image processing system according to claim 8, wherein the code section contains a binary code which, in turn, contains information on the page concerned.

10. The image processing system according to claim 8, wherein the area of the code section of a card increases away from said detecting means as the position of the card deepens.

11. The image processing system according to claim 8, wherein said detecting means comprises light emitting means for emitting light having any number of optical axes, and photodetection means for detecting a portion of the light emitted by said light emitting means and reflected by said code section.

12. The image processing system according to claim 11, wherein said detecting means comprises an optical reflector disposed in at least one of an optical path between said light emitting means and said code section and an optical path between code section and said photodetection means.

13. The image processing system according to claim 11, wherein said detecting means comprises light emission driving means for causing said light emitting means to emit light, and signal processing means for processing a signal depending on the reflected light portion detected by said photodetection means to read information includes a page of said card.

14. The image processing system according to claim 13, wherein said light emission driving means comprises a circuit for emitting light based on a signal modulated with a specified frequency, and said signal processing means comprises a circuit for extracting a signal having the specified frequency among from the reflected light portion detected by said photodetection means.

15. The image processing system according to claim 12, wherein said code section comprises for each bit a reference surface and a detection surface with the information on said detection surface, said photodetection means comprise for each bit a pair of a photodetection element for detecting the reflected light from said detection surface and a photodetection element for detecting reflected light from said reference surface, and said signal processing means compares output signals from both the photodetection elements to read the information.