Coordinate input pen, and electronic board, coordinate input system and electronic board system using the coordinate input pen

• US 6,437,314 B1
• Filed: 05/26/1999
• Issued: 08/20/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Software Engineering Co., Ltd. (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Software Engineering Co., Ltd. (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Takeuchi, Ichirou, Amemiya, Sueo, Miyauchi, Naoki, Usuda, Yutaka, Namiki, Jun
• Primary Examiner(s): Luu, Que T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LUU, THANH X
• Application Number:
  US09/318,380
• Time in Patent Office: 1,182 Days
• Field of Search: 250/221, 250/559.29, 250/559.38, 341/5, 178/18.09, 178/19.05, 178/18.01, 178/18.11, 345/173, 345/175, 345/179, 356/375, 356/3.1
• US Class Current: 250/221
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0423 using sweeping light beams, e.g. using rotating or vibrating mirror

Abstract

The present invention relates to a coordinate input pen for specifying and outputting coordinates of the pen by detecting two infrared beams that are emitted from two separate positions for pivotally scanning over a plane parallel to a surface of a display panel. The coordinate input pen includes: a shaft portion; a transparent conical light scattering member with a rough surface, which is, placed at the end of the shaft portion; and a light receiving element for detecting an infrared beam scattered within the light scattering member.

Claims

1. A coordinate input pen for detecting infrared beams and outputting infrared beam detection signals, wherein the infrared beams are emitted from two separate pivotally scanning positions over a plane parallel to a surface of a display panel, the coordinate pen comprising:

a shaft portion;

a transparent conical light scattering member with a rough surface, which is placed at the end of the shaft portion;

a light receiving element for detecting at least two infrared beams scattered within the transparent conical light scattering member by the rough surface;

a signal generator for generating infrared detection signals upon detecting said at least two infrared beams; and

,

an element to transmit infrared beam detection signals to a controller.

2. The coordinate input pen of claim 1, wherein the shaft portion comprises a displaying member which visually displays a status of receiving the infrared beam.

3. The coordinate input pen of claim 1, wherein the pen comprises a function of producing signals corresponding to a left click, a right click, or a double click of a mouse or a signal corresponding to a key input of a keyboard of a computer.

4. A coordinate input pen according to claim 1, comprising a writing tool for leaving a path written on the display panel while outputting coordinates of the pen.

5. A coordinate input system comprising:

a first infrared scanning beam generator and a second infrared scanning beam generator which alternately generate infrared scanning beams;

a first reference sensor for generating a first reference signal upon detecting an infrared scanning beam generated by the first infrared scanning beam generator;

a second reference sensor for generating a second reference signal upon detecting an infrared scanning beam generated by the second infrared scanning beam generator;

the coordinate input pen of claim 1 which generates a first detection signal upon detecting the first infrared scanning beam from the first infrared scanning beam generator, and generates a second detection signal upon detecting the second infrared scanning beam from the second infrared scanning beam generator; and

a signal controller for receiving the first reference signal from the first reference sensor, the second reference signal from the second reference sensor and the first and the second detection signals from the coordinate input pen, thereby outputting a position coordinates signal indicating coordinates of the coordinate input pen.

6. An electronic board system comprising:

a display panel;

first and second infrared scanning beam generators which are separately placed at the periphery of the display panel and which alternately generate infrared scanning beams which rotate parallel to the surface of the display panel;

a first reference sensor placed at the periphery of the display panel, for generating a first reference signal upon detecting an infrared scanning beam generated by the first infrared scanning beam generator;

a second reference sensor placed at the periphery of the display panel, for generating a second reference signal upon detecting an infrared scanning beam generated by the second infrared scanning generator;

the coordinate input pen of claim 1 which generates a first detection signal upon detecting the first infrared scanning beam from the first infrared scanning beam generator, and generates a second detection signal upon detecting the second infrared scanning beam from the second infrared scanning beam generator; and

a signal controller, wherein the signal controller is capable of determining the position of the coordinate input pen by receiving (i) the first reference signal from the first reference sensor, (ii) the second reference signal from the second reference sensor and (iii) the first and second detection signals from the coordinate input pen, calculating the position of the coordinate input pen based on (i), (ii) and (iii), and outputting the position of the coordinate input pen in the form of a position coordinates signal to a computer.

7. The electronic board system according to claim 6, comprising:

a computer for receiving a position coordinates signal from the signal controller; and

an image displaying means connected to the computer for displaying a mark on the display panel at a position assigned by the position coordinates signal indicating coordinates of the coordinate input pen.

8. A coordinate input system comprising:

a first infrared scanning beam generator and a second infrared scanning beam generator which alternately generate infrared scanning beams;

a first reference sensor for generating a first reference signal upon detecting an infrared scanning beam generated by the first infrared scanning beam generator;

a second reference sensor for generating a second reference signal upon detecting an infrared scanning beam generated by the second infrared scanning beam generator;

the coordinate input pen of claim 2 which generates a first detection signal upon detecting the first infrared scanning beam from the first infrared scanning beam generator, and generates a second detection signal upon detecting the second infrared scanning beam from the second infrared scanning beam generator; and

a signal controller for receiving the first reference signal from the first reference sensor, the second reference signal from the second reference sensor and the first and the second detection signals from the coordinate input pen, thereby outputting a position coordinates signal indicating coordinates of the coordinate input pen.

9. A coordinate input system comprising:

a first infrared scanning beam generator and a second infrared scanning beam generator which alternately generate infrared scanning beams;

a first reference sensor for generating a first reference signal upon detecting an infrared scanning beam generated by the first infrared scanning beam generator;

a second reference sensor for generating a second reference signal upon detecting an infrared scanning beam generated by the second infrared scanning beam generator;

the coordinate input pen of claim 3 which generates a first detection signal upon detecting the first infrared scanning beam from the first infrared scanning beam generator, and generates a second detection signal upon detecting the second infrared scanning beam from the second infrared scanning beam generator; and

a signal controller for receiving the first reference signal from the first reference sensor, the second reference signal from the second reference sensor and the first and the second detection signals from the coordinate input pen, thereby outputting a position coordinates signal indicating coordinates of the coordinate input pen.

10. An electronic board comprising:

a display panel;

first and second infrared scanning beam generators which are separately placed at the periphery of the display panel and which alternately generate infrared scanning beams which rotate parallel to the surface of the display panel;

a first reference sensor placed at the periphery of the display panel, for generating a first reference signal upon detecting an infrared scanning beam generated by the first infrared scanning beam generator;

a second reference sensor placed at the periphery of the display panel, for generating a second reference signal upon detecting an infrared scanning beam generated by the second infrared scanning generator;

the coordinate input pen of claim 2 which generates a first detection signal upon detecting the first infrared scanning beam from the first infrared scanning beam generator, and generates a second detection signal upon detecting the second infrared scanning beam from the second infrared scanning beam generator; and

a signal controller for receiving the first reference signal from the first reference sensor, the second reference signal from the second reference sensor, and the first and second detection signals from the coordinate input pen, thereby outputting a position coordinates signal indicating coordinates of the coordinate input pen.

11. An electronic board comprising:

a display panel;

first and second infrared scanning beam generators which are separately placed at the periphery of the display panel and which alternately generate infrared scanning beams which rotate parallel to the surface of the display panel;

a first reference sensor placed at the periphery of the display panel, for generating a first reference signal upon detecting an infrared scanning beam generated by the first infrared scanning beam generator;

a second reference sensor placed at the periphery of the display panel, for generating a second reference signal upon detecting an infrared scanning beam generated by the second infrared scanning generator;

the coordinate input pen of claim 3 which generates a first detection signal upon detecting the first infrared scanning beam from the first infrared scanning beam generator, and generates a second detection signal upon detecting the second infrared scanning beam from the second infrared scanning beam generator; and

a signal controller for receiving the first reference signal from the first reference sensor, the second reference signal from the second reference sensor, and the first and second detection signals from the coordinate input pen, thereby outputting a position coordinates signal indicating coordinates of the coordinate input pen.

12. The electronic board system according to claim 10, comprising:

a computer for receiving a position coordinates signal from the signal controller; and

an image displaying means connected to the computer for displaying a mark on the display panel at a position assigned by the position coordinates signal indicating coordinates of the coordinate input pen.

13. The electronic board system according to claim 11, comprising:

a computer for receiving a position coordinates signal from the signal controller; and

an image displaying means connected to the computer for displaying a mark on the display panel at a position assigned by the position coordinates signal indicating coordinates of the coordinate input pen.

14. The coordinate input pen of claim 1, wherein the pen comprises buttons to produce signals corresponding to a left click, a right click, or a double click of a mouse or a signal corresponding to a key input of a keyboard of a computer.

15. The coordinate input pen of claim 1, wherein the coordinate input pen transmits an infrared beam detection signal to a controller wirelessly or via a wire.

16. The coordinate input pen of claim 1 further comprising a felt pen tip.

17. The coordinate input pen of claim 4, wherein the writing tool comprises a water marker, a chalk, a pencil or a crayon.

18. The electronic board system of claim 6, wherein the display panel comprises a rear projector type screen, a front projector type screen, a plasma display, a flat cathode ray tube, a whiteboard or a blackboard.