Stylus for optical digitizer

• US 6,441,362 B1
• Filed: 10/28/1999
• Issued: 08/27/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushikikaisha Wacom
• Original Assignee: Kabushikikaisha Wacom
• Inventors: Ogawa, Yasuji
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Que T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Luu, Thanh X.
• Application Number:
  US09/428,902
• Time in Patent Office: 1,034 Days
• Field of Search: 250/221, 250/226, 250/559.29, 250/559.38, 250/206.1, 250/206.2, 341/5, 178/18.09, 178/19.01, 178/19.04, 178/19.05, 178/18.01, 178/18.08, 178/18.11, 345/173, 345/175, 345/179
• US Class Current: 250/221
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0386 for light pen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0428 by sensing at the edges of the touch surface the interruption of optical paths, e.g. an illumination plane, parallel to the touch surface which may be virtual sensing beam interruptions in a planar beam grid of an optical touch-screen G06F3/0421

Abstract

An optical digitizer is constructed for determining a position of a pointing object projecting a light and being disposed on a coordinate plane. In the optical digitizer, a detector is disposed on a periphery of the coordinate plane and has a view field covering the coordinate plane for receiving the light projected from the pointing object and for converting the received light into an electric signal. A processor is provided for processing the electric signal fed from the detector to compute coordinates representing the position of the pointing object. A collimator is disposed to limit the view field of the detector below a predetermined height relative to the coordinate plane such that through the limited view field the detector can receive only a parallel component of the light which is projected from the pointing object substantially in parallel to the coordinate plane. A shield is disposed to enclose the periphery of the coordinate plane to block a noise light other than the projected light from entering into the limited view field of the detector.

Claims

1. An optical stylus having a point light movable along a coordinate plane according to a drawing operation and being used as an input device for an optical digitizer which converts the point light into an electric signal to compute coordinates of a position of the point light, the optical stylus comprising:

a holder portion that may be manually manipulated to perform the drawing operation;

a tip portion protruding from the holder portion and forming the point light, the tip portion comprising a plurality of light-emitting members each for emitting light of a different color and a light guide member for encapsulating the light-emitting members, the light guide member comprising a transparent material having a tubular configuration having a closed tip end, an open end, an outer face and an inner face, the light-emitting members being mounted in the open end, and at least one of the outer face and the inner face being patterned to scatter the light emitted from the light-emitting members; and

writing force detecting means for detecting a writing force applied to the tip portion and controlling the respective light-emitting members to emit light depending upon the detected writing force.

2. An optical digitizer for determining a position of a pointing object on a coordinate plane and having a detector disposed on a periphery of the coordinate plane and having a field of view covering the coordinate plane for receiving the light projected by the pointing object and for converting the received light into a corresponding electric signal, and a processor for processing the electric signal output by the detector to compute coordinate of the pointing object on the coordinate plane;

wherein the pointing object comprises an optical stylus according to claim 1.

3. An optical digitizer according to claim 2;

further comprising a collimator disposed to limit the field of view of the detector below a predetermined height relative to the coordinate plane such that through the limited field of view the detector can receive a parallel component of the light which is projected by the pointing object substantially parallel to the coordinate plane; and

a shield disposed to enclose the periphery of the coordinate plane to block out light other than the projected light from entering into the limited field of view of the detector.

4. An optical stylus having a point light movable along a coordinate plane according to a drawing operation and being used as an input device for an optical digitizer which converts the point light into an electric signal to compute coordinate of a position of the point light, the optical stylus comprising:

a holder portion that may be manually manipulated to perform the drawing operation;

a tip portion protruding from the holder portion and forming the point light, the tip portion comprising light-emitting means for emitting a light of different wavelengths and a light guide member for encapsulating the light-emitting means, the light guide member comprising a transparent material having a tubular configuration having a closed tip end, an open end, an outer face and an inner face, the light-emitting means being mounted in the open end; and

and writing force detecting means for detecting a writing force applied to the tip portion and controlling the light-emitting means to emit light of a wavelength depending upon the detected writing force.

5. An optical stylus according to claim 4;

wherein at least one of the inner and outer faces of the light guide member is patterned to scatter the light emitted by the light-emitting means.

6. An optical stylus according to claim 4;

wherein the light-emitting means comprises a plurality of light-emitting diodes each for emitting a light of a different color.

7. An input device for a computing system, comprising:

a movable housing;

a plurality of light-emitting elements contained in the housing each for projecting a light of a different color externally of the housing so that the position of the housing can be monitored based on the projected light; and

modulation means for controlling the light-emitting elements in response to force applied to the housing portion to change a color of the light projected by the light-emitting elements, and including means for detecting a writing force applied to the housing and controlling the respective light-emitting elements to emit light depending upon the detected force and including means for detecting a writing force applied to the housing and controlling the respective light-emitting elements to emit light depending upon the detected force.

8. An input device according to claim 7;

wherein the movable housing comprises a holding portion that may be manually manipulated to perform a drawing operation on a coordinate plane, a tip portion extending from the holding portion, and a light guide member for encapsulating the light-emitting elements.

9. An input device according to claim 8;

wherein the light guide member comprises a transparent material having a tubular configuration and having a closed tip end, an open end, an outer face and an inner face, the light-emitting elements being mounted in the open end.

10. An input device according to claim 9;

wherein at least one of the outer face and the inner face of the light guide member is patterned to scatter the light emitted by the light-emitting elements.