Electronic blackboard system

• US 6,518,960 B2
• Filed: 04/27/1999
• Issued: 02/11/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Yano, Takashi, Tanaka, Makoto, Tsuda, Kunikazu, Kitaguchi, Takashi, Inoue, Takao, Furuta, Toshiyuki, Beppu, Tomohiko, Omura, Katsuyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Hjerpe, Richard
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Kevin M.
• Application Number:
  US09/297,052
• Publication Number:
  US 20020008692A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,386 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 345/177
• US Class Current: 345/177
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/16 Constructional details or arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1631 Panel PC, e.g. single housing hosting PC and display panel
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/033 Pointing devices displaced or positioned by the user , e.g. mice, trackballs, pens or joysticks; Accessories therefor digitisers characterised by the transducing means G06F3/041
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0436 in which generating transducers and detecting transducers are attached to a single acoustic waves transmission substrate
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

An electronic blackboard system with a PDP for displaying characters and images. A touch input device with a touch panel surface is provided on the front surface of the PDP. A printer outputs image data onto recording paper. A computer provides control over displays on the PDP as well over the printing operations of the printer according to the input from the touch input device. A frame unit has a board section for holding a display surface and a write-in surface of the electronic blackboard at a specified height. A printer accommodating section accommodates the printer and a computer accommodating section accommodates the computer therein. The computer accommodating section, the printer accommodating section and the board section are arranged in the vertical direction starting from the bottom.

Claims

1. An electronic blackboard system, comprising:

a plasma display configured to display characters and images on a display surface thereof;

a touch input device with a touch panel surface provided on the display surface to form an electronic blackboard;

a printer configured to print image data onto a recording paper;

a personal computer configured to control displays provided by the plasma display as well as printing operations of the printer according to input from the touch input device;

a frame unit including,

an upper section configured to hold the display surface and the touch panel surface forming the electronic blackboard at a specified height,

a printer section positioned below the upper section and configured to accommodate the printer, and

a personal computer section positioned below the printer section and configured to accommodate the personal computer, wherein

said touch input device includes,

a transmitting unit configured to transmit surface elastic waves onto the touch panel surface,

a reflecting unit configured to reflect the surface elastic waves propagating on the touch panel surface from the transmitting unit, and

a receiving unit connected to the personal computer via a signal line and configured to receive the surface elastic waves reflected by said reflecting unit and to input a signal to the personal computer via the signal line, said signal being representative of a coordinate of a touch position on the touch panel surface according to an attenuation rate of the surface elastic waves; and

an L-shaped substantially flat shielding member configured to block off electromagnetic waves generated by the plasma display from interfering with the signal input to the personal computer, and provided between the plasma display and the touch input device at a position where the signal line is connected to the receiving unit and so as to not contact the reflecting unit of the touch input device.

4. An electronic blackboard system according to claim 1;

wherein said shielding member is a copper foil tape.

6. An electronic blackboard system according to claim 1, wherein said frame unit has a keyboard placement section provided at a position at an upper side of the printer section and at a lower side of the upper section and configured to hold a keyboard connected to the personal computer.

7. An electronic blackboard system according to claim 1, wherein said upper section comprises an angle adjusting unit for adjusting an angle of the display surface and the touch panel surface of the electronic blackboard to a horizontal plane on which the frame unit is placed.

8. An electronic blackboard system according to claim 1, wherein said display unit further has a plurality of connecting terminals for connecting various types of information equipment, audio visual equipment, and video equipment, and is usable as a large-sized screen monitor by using the connecting terminals.

15. An electronic blackboard system according to claim 6, wherein said upper section comprises an angle adjusting unit for adjusting an angle of the display surface and the touch panel surface of the electronic blackboard to a horizontal plane on which the frame unit is placed.

18. An electronic blackboard system according to claim 4, wherein said display unit further has a plurality of connecting terminals for connecting various types of information equipment, audio visual equipment, and video equipment, and is usable as a large-sized screen monitor by suing the connecting terminals.

20. An electronic blackboard according to claim 1, wherein the L-shaped shielding member comprises a width within the inclusive range of 32 mm and 38 mm, a length in longitudinal direction of the touch input device within the inclusive range of 50 mm and 90 mm, and a length in a lateral direction of the touch input device within the inclusive range of 110 mm and 150 mm.

2. An electronic blackboard system, comprising:

a display unit configured to display characters and images on a display surface thereof;

a touch input device with a touch panel surface provided on the display surface to form an electronic blackboard;

a control unit configured to control displays by said display unit according to input from the touch input device, said touch input device including,

a transmitting unit configured to transmit surface elastic waves onto the touch panel surface,

a reflecting unit configured to reflect the surface elastic waves propagating on the touch panel surface from the transmitting unit, and

a receiving unit connected to the control unit via a signal line and configured to receive the surface elastic waves reflected by the reflecting unit and to input a signal to the control unit via the signal line, said signal being representative of a coordinate of a touch position on the touch panel surface according to an attenuation rate of the surface elastic waves to said signal line; and

an L-shaped substantially flat shielding member configured to block off electromagnetic waves generated by the plasma display from interfering with the signal input to the control unit, and provided between the plasma display and the touch input device at a position where the signal line is connected to the receiving unit and so as to not contact the reflecting unit of the touch input device.

3. An electronic blackboard system according to claim 2;

wherein said display unit comprises a plasma display.

12. An electronic blackboard system according to claim 2, wherein said shielding member is a copper foil tape.

13. An electronic blackboard system according to claim 3, wherein said shielding member is a copper foil tape.

16. An electronic blackboard system according to claim 2, wherein said display unit further has a plurality of connecting terminals for connecting various types of information equipment, audio visual equipment, and video equipment, and is usable as a large-sized screen monitor by using the connecting terminals.

17. An electronic blackboard system according to claim 3, wherein said display unit further has a plurality of connecting terminals for connecting various types of information equipment, audio visual equipment, and video equipment, and is usable as a large-sized screen monitor by using the connecting terminals.

21. An electronic blackboard according to claim 2, wherein the L-shaped shielding member comprises a width within the inclusive range of 32 mm and 38 mm, a length in a longitudinal direction of the touch input device within the inclusive range of 50 mm and 90 mm, and a length in a lateral direction of the touch input device within the inclusive range of 110 mm and 150 mm.

24. An electronic blackboard according to claim 12, wherein the L-shaped shielding member comprises a width within the inclusive range of 32 mm and 38 mm, a length in a longitudinal direction of the touch input device within the inclusive range of 50 mm and 90 mm, and a length in a lateral direction of the touch input device within the inclusive range of 110 mm and 150 mm.

5. An electronic blackboard system, comprising:

a display unit configured to display characters and images on a display surface thereof;

a touch input device with a touch panel surface provided on the display surface to form an electronic blackboard;

a printer configured to output image data onto a recording paper;

a personal computer connected to the touch input device via a signal line and configured to control displays provided by the display unit as well as printing operations by the printer according to input from the touch input device;

a frame unit including,

an upper section configured to hold the display surface and the touch panel surface forming the electronic blackboard at a specified height,

a printer section below the upper section configured to accommodate the printer therein, and a personal computer section positioned below said printer section and configured to accommodate the personal computer therein; and

an L-shaped substantially flat shielding member configured to block off electromagnetic waves generated by the display unit from interfering with a signal input from the touch input device, and provided between the display unit and the touch input device at a position where the signal line is connected to a receiving unit of the touch input device and so as to not contact a reflecting unit of the touch input device.

14. An electronic blackboard system according to claim 5, wherein said upper section comprises an angle adjusting unit for adjusting an angle of the display surface and the touch panel surface of the electronic blackboard to a horizontal plane on which the frame unit is placed.

19. An electronic blackboard system according to claim 5, wherein said display unit further has a plurality of connecting terminals for connecting various types of information equipment, audio visual equipment, and video equipment, and is usable as a large-sized screen monitor by using the connecting terminals.

22. An electronic blackboard according to claim 5, wherein the L-shaped shielding member comprises a width within the inclusive range of 32 mm and 38 mm, a length in a longitudinal direction of the touch input device within the inclusive range of 50 mm and 90 mm, and a length in a lateral direction of the touch input device within the inclusive range of 110 mm and 150 mm.

9. An electronic blackboard system, comprising:

display means for displaying characters and images on a display surface thereof;

touch input means with a touch panel surface provided on the display surface for forming an electronic blackboard;

control means for controlling displays provided by the display means according to input from the touch input means, wherein

said touch input means includes,

transmitting means for transmitting surface elastic waves onto the touch panel surface,

reflecting means for reflecting the surface elastic waves propagating on the touch panel surface from the transmitting means, and

receiving means connected to the control means via a signal line and for receiving a receiving unit configured to receive the surface elastic waves reflected by said reflecting means and for inputting a signal to the control means via the signal line, said signal being representative of a coordinate of a touch position on the touch panel surface according to an attenuation rate of the surface elastic waves; and

a substantially flat L-shaped shielding means for blocking off electromagnetic waves generated by the display means from interfering with the signal input to the control means, and provided between the display means and the touch input means at a position where the signal line is connected to the receiving means and so as to not contact the reflecting means of the touch input means.

10. An electronic blackboard system, comprising:

a display unit configured to display characters and images on a display surface thereof;

a touch input device with a touch panel surface provided on the display surface to form an electronic blackboard;

a printer configured to output image data onto a recording paper;

a control unit configured to control displays provided by the display unit as well as printing operations of the printer according to input from the touch input device;

a frame unit including,

an upper section configured to hold the display surface and the touch panel surface forming the electronic blackboard at a specified height,

a printer section positioned below the upper section and configured to accommodate the printer therein, and

a control unit section positioned below said printer section and configured to accommodate the control unit therein, wherein

said touch input device includes,

a transmitting unit configured to transmit surface elastic waves on the touch panel surface,

a reflecting unit configured to reflect the surface elastic waves propagating on the touch panel surface from the transmitting unit, and

a receiving unit connected to the control unit via a signal line and configured to receive the surface elastic waves reflected by the reflecting unit and to input a signal to the control unit via the signal line, said signal being representative of a coordinate of a touch position on the touch panel surface according to an attenuation rate of the surface elastic waves; and

an L-shaped substantially flat shielding member configured to block off electromagnetic waves generated by the display unit from interfering with the signal input to the control unit, and provided between the display unit and the touch input device at a position where the signal line is connected to the receiving unit and so as to not contact the reflecting unit of the touch input device.

23. An electronic blackboard according to claim 10, wherein the L-shaped shielding member comprises a width within the inclusive range of 32 mm and 38 mm, a length in a longitudinal direction of the touch input device within the inclusive range of 50 mm and 90 mm, and a length in a lateral direction of the touch input device within the inclusive range of 110 mm and 150 mm.

11. An electronic blackboard system, comprising:

a display unit configured to display characters and images on a display surface thereof;

a touch input device with a touch panel surface provided on the display surface to form an electronic blackboard;

a printer configured to output image data onto a recording paper;

a control unit connected to the touch input device via a signal line and configured to control displays provided by the display unit as well as printing operations by the printer according to input from the touch input device;

a frame unit including,

an upper section configured to hold the display surface and the touch panel surface forming the electronic blackboard at a specified height,

a printer section below the holding section and configured to accommodate the printer therein; and

a control unit section positioned below said printer section and configured to accommodate the control unit therein; and

an L-shaped substantially flat shielding member configured to block off electromagnetic waves generated by the display unit from interfering with a signal input from the touch input device, and provided between the display unit and the touch input device at a position where a signal line is connected to a receiving unit of the touch input device and so as to not contact a reflecting unit of the touch input device.