Image forming device and touchless display switch

• US 6,492,961 B1
• Filed: 04/02/1999
• Issued: 12/10/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tietech Company Limited (TECHNO HORIZON Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Tietech Company Limited (TECHNO HORIZON Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Fukatsu, Hirokazu
• Primary Examiner(s): Mengistu, Amare
• Application Number:
  US09/285,307
• Time in Patent Office: 1,348 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 345/175, 345/156, 345/158, 359/40, 359/41, 359/478, 359/631
• US Class Current: 345/32
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/027 comprising magnifying means G02B27/023, G02B27/025, G02B27/04, G02B27/06 and G02B27/08 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/0056 arranged along two different directions in a plane, e.g. honeycomb arrangement of lenses G02B3/0043 takes precedence; miniaturised objectives for electronic devices employing wafer level optics G02B13/0085
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/0087 with index gradient

Abstract

An image forming device is adapted for placement on a surface on which pictures or characters are drawn or displayed. The image forming device includes a lens member including a plurality of distributed-index rod-like lens elements disposed in juxtaposed relationship with each other in a matrix-like arrangement and operable to map the pictures or characters as a visual real image on substantially one image plane in the air spaced from the surface. A touch-less display switch for use with a display device includes a sensor in addition to the lens member as in the image forming device. The sensor has a detection area corresponding to at least a part of the formed image on the image plane and operable to detect an object entering the detection area in a non-contact manner.

Claims

1. An image forming device comprising a lens member including a plurality of distributed-index rod-like lens elements disposed in juxtaposed relationship with each other in matrix-like arrangement, wherein each lens -element has a central axis and a parabolic refractive index distribution, wherein the parabolic refractive index distribution of each lens element increases toward the central axis of the lens element, and means for spacing the lens member from a surface on which pictures of characters are drawn or displayed, wherein the lens member and spacing means are arranged and constructed to map the pictures or characters as a visual real image on substantially one image plane in the air spaced from the lens member.

2. The image forming device as defined in claim 1 wherein said surface is a picture surface of a display device.

3. A touch-less display switch for use in combination with a display device, comprising:

lens means including a plurality of distributed-index rod-like lens elements disposed in juxtaposed relationship with each other in a matrix-like arrangement and operable to map pictures or characters displayed on a picture surface of the display device as a visual image on substantially one image plane in the air in spaced relationship with the picture surface of the display device; and

sensor means having a detection area corresponding to at least a part of the mapped image on said image plane and operable to detect an object entering said detection area in a non-contact manner.

4. The touch-less display switch as defined in claim 3 wherein said detection area is positioned at substantially the same level as said image plane.

5. The touch-less display switch as defined in claim 3 wherein said detection area includes a plurality of area parts, and wherein said sensor means is operable to output an output signal corresponding to each of said area parts.

6. The touch-less display switch as defined in claim 5 further comprising control means for converting the pictures or characters displayed on the picture surface of the display device into different pictures or characters in response to the output signal from said sensor means.

7. The touch-less display switch as defined in claim 3 wherein said sensor means is operable to detect a finger of an operator which enters said detection area.

8. The touch-less display switch as defined in claim 3 wherein the picture surface of the display device extends in a flat plane, wherein said lens means includes flat upper and lower surfaces extending in parallel with the picture surface of the display device, and wherein said lens elements have the same axial length and have flat upper ends and flat lower ends to form said upper and lower surfaces of said lens means.

9. The touch-less display switch as defined in claim 3 further including a switch body disposed on the display device for supporting said lens means therewithin, said switch body having an open top for mounting thereon said sensor means and having an open bottom confronting the picture surface of the display device.

10. The touch-less display switch as defined in claim 9 wherein said sensor means includes a frame-like member mounted on said open top of said switch body and includes a plurality of sensor elements mounted on said frame member, and wherein said image plane is determined within the height of said frame member.

11. An image forming device comprising a lens having a first side and a second side and a plurality of lens elements disposed as a matrix between the first and second sides, a lens support frame supporting the lens such the first side of the lens is spaced from a surface having pictures or characters, the lens elements and the lens support frame being arranged and constructed to form a visual image of the pictures or characters floating in space above the second side of the lens, and a non-contact sensor disposed within a plane containing the visual image.

12. An image forming device as in claim 11, wherein the plurality of lens elements are a plurality of distributed-index lens elements.

13. An image forming device as in claim 11, wherein the plurality of lens elements are a plurality of substantially rod-shaped lens elements.

14. An image forming device as in claim 11, wherein the plurality of lens elements are a plurality of substantially rod-shaped, distributed-index lens elements.

15. A touch-less display switch for use in combination with a display device, comprising:

a lens member positioned such that the lens member is capable of mapping pictures or characters displayed on a picture surface of the display device as a visual image on substantially one image plane in the air in a spaced relationship with the picture surface of the display device; and

a sensor having a detection area corresponding to at least a part of the mapped image on said image plane and operable to detect an object entering said detection area in a non-contact manner.

16. A device, comprising:

a display device;

a matrix of lens elements disposed in a juxtaposed relationship;

a support frame supporting the lens elements in a spaced relationship with respect to the display device such that an image displayed on the display device is formed into a real image within an image plane by the lens elements; and

a touch-less display switch comprising a non-contact sensor disposed within the image plane.

17. The device of claim 16, in which said lens elements are rod-like, distributed-index lens elements.

18. The device of claim 17, each lens elements having a central axis, wherein said lens elements have a parabolic refractive index distribution increasing toward the lens element central axis.

19. The device of claim 16, the display device comprising a display surface, and in which said real image formed by the lens elements is planar.

20. The device of claim 16, said lens elements displaying flat upper and lower ends.

21. The device of claim 16,in which said lens elements are disposed above the display device such that the image is mapped above said display device.

22. The device of claim 16, in which the real image formed by the lens elements has the same size as the image displayed on the display device.

23. The device of claim 16, wherein the lens support frame supports and positions said lens elements above the display device.

24. The device of claim 16, comprising first and second light emitter arrays and first and second light receptor, arrays, the first and second light receptor arrays position to receive light from the respective first and second light emitter arrays.

25. The device of claim 24, the first and second emitter arrays and the first and second light receptor arrays defining a detecting area, at least a portion of the detecting area being coincident with the real image formed by the lens element.

26. The device of claim 25, in which the first and second light emitter arrays and the first and second light receptor arrays are configured and disposed to output an output signal corresponding to a coordinate position of an object in the detecting area.

27. The device of claim 26, further comprising a control system receiving the output signal and changing the image displayed on the display device in response to the received output signal.

28. The device of claim 27, in which a predetermined part of the image displayed on the display device is changed to show the switch state of the switch in response to the output signal.

29. The device of claim 28, the control system comprising a switch controller and a display driver, the switch controller receiving the output signal and outputting a control signal in response thereto, the display driver receiving the control signal and transmitting an altered image output to the display device in response to the received control signal.

30. The device of claim 29, the control system further comprising a ROM in electrical communication with the display driver and storing data corresponding to the altered image.

31. The device of claim 24, the first and second light emitter arrays comprising a plurality of LED'"'"'s.

32. The device of claim 24, the first and second light emitters comprising a plurality of semiconductor laser radiators.

33. The device of claim 24, the first and second light receptor arrays comprising a plurality of phototransistors.

34. The device of claim 24, the first and second light receptor arrays comprising a plurality of photocells.

35. A method for displaying an image comprising:

disposing a surface on a first side of a matrix of lens elements in a position spaced from the matrix of lens elements, the surface having the image displayed thereon, wherein the matrix of lens elements are disposed in a matrix-like configuration and the lens elements are rod-shaped and have a refractive index hat is symmetrical with respect to a longitudinal axis of the lens elements, and

observing the image floating in air spaced from a second side of the matrix of lens elements.