Coordinate input apparatus with region recognition

• US 7,456,824 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2004
• Issued: 11/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Yoshimura, Yuichiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Mengistu; Amare
• Assistant Examiner(s): ZUBAJLO, JENNIFER L
• Application Number:
  US10/876,710
• Publication Number:
  US 20050001824A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,611 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 345/902, 178 1801- 2004
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/124 plural reflecting elements forming part of a unitary plate or sheet
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0421 by interrupting or reflecting a light beam, e.g. optical touch-screen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 345/902 Menu display

Abstract

A pointed position on a coordinate input region is detected, and the coordinates of the pointed position are calculated. A region on the coordinate input region, to which the calculated coordinates belong, is determined. Pen-down information corresponding to the pointed position is generated on the basis of the determined region to which the coordinates belong.

Claims

1. A coordinate input apparatus with region recognition, which calculates a pointed position by a pointer on a coordinate input region, comprising:

calculation means for detecting the pointed position and calculating coordinates of the pointed position;

region determination means for determining whether the coordinates calculated by said calculation means belong to a first region or a second region;

pen-down state determination means for determining whether an input state of the pointer is a pen-down state where the pointer is touching the coordinate input region;

setting means for setting pen-down information when said pen-down state determination means determines that the input state of the pointer is in said pen-down state, while setting pen-up information when said pen-down state determination means determines that the input state of the pointer is not in said pen-down state; and

output means outputting the coordinates which belong to the first region and outputting the pen-down information regardless of the determination by said pen-down state determination means when said region determination means determines that the coordinates calculated by said calculation determination means belong to the first region, and outputting the coordinates which belong to the second region and outputting pen-down information or pen-up information set by said setting means on the basis of a determination result of said pen-down state determination means when said region determination means determines that the coordinates calculated by said calculation means belong to the second region.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first region includes a pen input region where input for drawing a locus on a screen or moving a cursor on the screen can be executed and the second region includes a switch input region where input of switch information can be executed.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising

light-receiving means arranged at a corner portion of the coordinate input region,

reflection means, arranged at a peripheral portion of the coordinate input region, for retroreflecting incident light, and

light-emitting means for illuminating the coordinate input region with light,

wherein said calculation means calculates angle information corresponding to a point which crosses a predetermined level in a light amount distribution obtained from said light-receiving means and calculates the coordinates of the pointed position on the basis of the angle information.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising proximity information generation means for generating proximity information representing whether a detected pointed state is in a proximity of the coordinate input region, on the basis of a change amount between a light amount distribution obtained from said light-receiving means in an initial state and a light amount distribution obtained from said light-receiving means in a coordinate input sampling state.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the pen-down information is set in accordance with the proximity information in the first region.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising switch information detection means for detecting switch information determined by a pointer having a switch actuating function,

wherein the the pen-down information set in accordance with the switch information in the second region.

7. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the pen-down information is set in the second region in accordance with a change ratio between the light amount distribution obtained from said light-receiving means in the initial state and the light amount distribution obtained from said light-receiving means in the coordinate input sampling state.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when pointing input is executed continuously from the second region to the first region, said output means outputs the coordinates which belong to the first region and outputting pen-down information or pen-up information set by said setting means on the basis of a determination result of said pen-down state determination means.

9. An information processing apparatus which has a coordinate input unit which calculates a pointed position on a coordinate input region, a display unit which is integrated with the coordinate input unit, and a display control unit which processes various kinds of information including information output from the coordinate input unit and controls the display unit, comprising:

calculation means for detecting the pointed position and calculating coordinates of the pointed position;

region determination means for determining whether the coordinates calculated by said calculation means belong to a first region or a second region;

pen-down state determination means for determining whether an input state of the pointer is a pen-down state where the pointer is touching the coordinate input region;

setting means for setting pen-down information when said pen-down state determination means determines that the input state of the pointer is in said pen-down state, while setting pen-up information when said pen-down state determination means determines that the input state of the pointer is not in said pen-down state; and

output means for outputting the coordinates which belong to the first region and outputting the pen-down information regardless of the determination by said pen-down state determination means when said region determination means determines that the coordinates calculated by said calculation determination means belong to the first region, and outputting the coordinates which belong to the second region and outputting pen-down information or pen-up information set by said setting means on the basis of a determination result of said pen-down state determination means when said region determination means determines that the coordinates calculated by said calculation means belong to the second region.

12. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the first region includes a pen input region where input for drawing a locus on a screen or moving a cursor on the screen can be executed and the second region includes a switch input region where input of switch information can be executed.

10. A control method of a coordinate input apparatus which calculates a pointed position on a coordinate input region, comprising:

a calculation step of detecting the pointed position and calculating coordinates of the pointed position;

a region determination step of determining whether the coordinates calculated in the calculation step belong to a first region or a second region;

a pen-down state determination step of determining whether an input state of the pointer is a pen-down state where the pointer is touching the coordinate input region;

a setting step of setting pen-down information when said pen-down state determination means determines that the input state of the pointer is in said pen-down state, while setting pen-up information when said pen-down state determination means determines that the input state of the pointer is not in said pen-down state; and

an output step of outputting the coordinates which belong to the first region and the pen-down information regardless of the determination in said pen-down state determination step when said region determination step determines that the coordinates calculated in said calculation step belong to the first region, and outputting the coordinates which belong to the second region and outputting pen-down information or pen-up information set in said setting step on the basis of a determination result of said pen-down state determination step when said region determination step determines that the coordinates calculated in said calculation step belong to the second region.

13. The method according to claim 10, wherein the first region includes a pen input region where input for drawing a locus on a screen or moving a cursor on the screen can be executed and the second region includes a switch input region where input of switch information can be executed.

11. A computer-readable medium for storing a computer program for execution to control a coordinate input apparatus which calculates a pointed position on a coordinate input region, comprising:

a program code for a calculation step of detecting the pointed position and calculating coordinates of the pointed position;

a program code for a region determination step of determining a region on the coordinate input region, to which the coordinates calculated in the calculation step belong;

a program code for a pen-down state determination step of determining whether an input state of the pointer is a pen-down state where the pointer is touching the coordinate input region;

a program code for a setting step of setting pen-down information when said pen-down state determination step determines that the input state of the pointer is in said pen-down state, while setting pen-up information when said pen-down state determination step determines that the input state of the pointer is not in said pen-down state; and

a program code for a output step of outputting the coordinates which belong to the first region and outputting the pen-down information regardless of the determination in said pen-down state determination step when said region determination step determines that the coordinates calculated in said calculation step belong to the first region, and outputting the coordinates which belong to the second region and outputting pen-down information or pen-up information set by said setting means on the basis of a determination result of said pen-down state determination step when said region determination step determines that the coordinates calculated in said calculation step belong to the second region.

14. The medium according to claim 11, wherein the first region includes a pen input region where input for drawing a locus on a screen or moving a cursor on the screen can be executed and the second region includes a switch input region where input of switch information can be executed.