Optical keyboard

• US 6,175,679 B1
• Filed: 07/02/1999
• Issued: 01/16/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Brookhaven Science Associates, LLC (Government of the United States of America), The Government Of The United States Of America, As Represented By The Secretary Of The Navy
• Original Assignee: Brookhaven Science Associates, LLC (Government of the United States of America)
• Inventors: Phillips, Thomas E., Feichtner, John D., Veligdan, James T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, John D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Doan, Jennifer
• Application Number:
  US09/346,538
• Time in Patent Office: 564 Days
• Field of Search: 385/15, 385/115, 385/120, 385/147, 385/901, 340/815.42, 340/815.53, 340/815.54
• US Class Current: 385/120
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/08 with fibre bundle in form of plate
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 385/901 Illuminating or display apparatus

Abstract

An optical keyboard includes an optical panel having optical waveguides stacked together. First ends of the waveguides define an inlet face, and opposite ends thereof define a screen. A projector transmits a light beam outbound through the waveguides for display on the screen as a keyboard image. A light sensor is optically aligned with the inlet face for sensing an inbound light beam channeled through the waveguides from the screen upon covering one key of the keyboard image.

Claims

1. An optical keyboard comprising:

an optical panel including a plurality of ribbon optical waveguides stacked together, with first ends thereof defining an inlet face, and opposite ends thereof defining a screen;

means for projecting a light beam outbound through said waveguides for display on said screen as a keyboard image having a plurality of image keys; and

means for sensing an inbound light beam channeled through said waveguides from said screen upon covering one of said keys.

2. A keyboard according to claim 1 wherein:

said projecting means comprise a projector optically aligned with said inlet face for projecting said outbound beam through said waveguides for display on said screen as said keys; and

said sensing means are optically aligned with a plurality of said waveguides corresponding with said keys for discriminating said keys upon detecting said inbound beam corresponding therewith.

3. A keyboard according to claim 2 wherein said sensing means comprise a light sensor extending across said waveguides at said inlet face for discriminating position of said inbound beam at said screen.

4. A keyboard according to claim 2 wherein said sensing means are effective for determining two-dimensional position of said inbound beam at said screen.

5. A keyboard according to claim 4 wherein said light sensor comprises a linear diode array corresponding with said waveguides for individually detecting said inbound beam therein.

6. A keyboard according to claim 5 wherein said sensing means are effective for detecting said inbound beam simultaneously as said outbound beam is projected by said projector.

7. A keyboard according to claim 6 wherein said projector is effective for projecting said outbound beam at a wavelength substantially equal to a wavelength of said inbound beam.

8. A keyboard according to claim 6 wherein said projector is effective for projecting said outbound beam at a wavelength different than a wavelength of said inbound beam.

9. A keyboard according to claim 8 wherein said outbound beam is visible, and said inbound beam is infrared.

10. A keyboard according to claim 6 wherein said projector is effective for projecting both visible and infrared light in said outbound beam through said waveguides, with said infrared light being reflected at said screen as said inbound beam from said covered key.

11. A keyboard according to claim 10 wherein said panel further comprises a transparent cover atop said screen for transmitting said reflected inbound beam into said waveguides upon covering said key.

12. A keyboard according to claim 5 wherein:

said projecting means are effective for projecting said outbound beam in said keyboard image intermittently with projecting said outbound beam in a position grid corresponding thereto; and

said sensing means are effective for detecting said inbound beam during projection of said position grid.

13. A keyboard according to claim 12 wherein said projecting means are effective for projecting said outbound beam in fewer waveguides for said position grid than for said keyboard image, with blank waveguides therebetween.

14. A keyboard according to claim 13 wherein said sensing means are effective for detecting said inbound beam only in said blank waveguides.

15. A keyboard according to claim 14 wherein said projector is effective for projecting visible light to form both said keyboard image and said position grid.

16. A keyboard according to claim 14 wherein:

said projector is effective for projecting both visible and infrared light; and

said sensor is effective for detecting only infrared light.

17. A keyboard according to claim 5 wherein said sensing means further comprise:

a pair of said light sensors extending transversely across said waveguides at said inlet face, and spaced laterally apart from each other; and

a comparator operatively joined to said sensors for comparing relative strength of said inbound beam sensed thereby to determine lateral position of said covered key.

18. A keyboard according to claim 17 wherein:

said projecting means are effective for projecting said outbound beam in a position grid corresponding simultaneously with said keyboard image; and

said sensing means are effective for determining lateral and transverse position of said covered key upon detection of said inbound beam from said position grid.

19. A keyboard according to claim 4 wherein:

said projecting means are effective for rastering said outbound beam in a position grid at said screen corresponding with said keyboard image; and

said sensing means comprise a light sensor extending transversely across said waveguides at said inlet face, and are effective for determining lateral and transverse position of said covered key upon detection of said inbound beam corresponding with said rastered outbound beam.

20. A keyboard according to claim 19 wherein said projecting means comprise:

a first projector for displaying said keys on said screen; and

a second projector for rastering said outbound beam in said position grid on said screen.

21. A keyboard according to claim 20 wherein said first projector is effective to emit a visible outbound beam, and said second projector is effective to emit an infrared outbound beam.

22. A keyboard according to claim 20 wherein said projecting means are effective for projecting said outbound beam in said keyboard image intermittently with rastering said outbound beam in said position grid corresponding thereto.

23. A keyboard according to claim 19 wherein said projector is effective to emit a visible outbound beam both for displaying said keys on said screen and for rastering said position grid.

24. A keyboard according to claim 4 in combination with:

a second optical panel including a plurality of ribbon optical waveguides stacked together, with first ends thereof defining a second inlet face, and opposite ends thereof defining a second screen disposed adjacent to said screen defining said keyboard image;

a screen projector optically aligned with said second inlet face for projecting a screen image thereon; and

a computer operatively joined to both said projector for said first optical panel and said screen projector for controlling images thereon.

25. An apparatus according to claim 24 wherein said keyboard projector and said screen projector are separate.

26. An apparatus according to claim 24 wherein said keyboard projector and said screen projector are combined in a common, single projector.