Optical coordinate input device comprising few elements

• US 7,557,935 B2
• Filed: 12/03/2003
• Issued: 07/07/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Itzhak Baruch
• Original Assignee: Itzhak Baruch
• Inventors: Baruch, Itzhak
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Sang
• Application Number:
  US10/556,026
• Publication Number:
  US 20080062149A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,043 Days
• Field of Search: 250/221, 250/206.1, 250/216, 250/227.21, 250/227.22, 356/614, 356/625, 345/168, 345/175, 345/170, 345/18.11, 345/156, 703/14, 703/48, 703/908
• US Class Current: 356/614
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0421 by interrupting or reflecting a light beam, e.g. optical touch-screen

Abstract

The present invention is an optical electronic input device for identifying the coordinates of an object in a given area. The device may capture two-dimensional or three-dimensional input information, using a minimal number of optical units (one for two dimensional coordinates and two for three dimensional coordinates). The invention requires only basic optical elements such as a photo sensing unit, lenses, a light source, filters and shutters which may reduce manufacturing costs significantly. Since this device enables inputting the coordinates of an object in a set area, it may not only be used in systems such as optical touch screens, but also in virtual keyboard applications and in implementation for machine vision.

Claims

1. An input apparatus of computerized device for measuring an object'"'"'s relative location within a predefined measurement space wherein said apparatus uses a single light-receiving unit positioned at a corner area of said measurement space, said apparatus is comprised of:

a. at least one light emitting source transmitting light extending over said predefined measurement space;

b. at least two photo sensing units comprising said single light-receiving unit for receiving scattered light rays from the object wherein said photo sensing units are proximate to the same said corner area of said measurement space and each such photo sensing unit is located at a different spatial location enabling at least two different viewing angles of said object;

c. at least two lenses positioned in front of said photo sensing units for condensing said scattered light rays;

d. a spectrum filter positioned in the route of said light rays wherein said spectrum matches the light spectrum emitted from said light sources;

wherein a coordinate calculating means is used for calculating locations where images of said object are created on said photo sensing units by using each output from said photo sensing units, and finding the relative spatial coordinates of said object by using the calculated locations of said images.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said at least two photo sensing units are part of a single electronic chip and at wherein least two lenses are positioned in front of said single electronic chip for condensing said scattered light rays.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said single light-receiving unit is comprised of at least one photo sensing electronic chip and wherein at least two lenses are positioned in front of said at least one photo sensing electronic chip for condensing said scattered light rays.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 further comprising at least one opto-electric shutter means for blocking lenses for a controllable time interval.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said apparatus is positioned at a single screen display corner area.

6. The apparatus of claim 3 further comprising additional light receiving unit and additional respective units of at least one cylindrical or toroidal lens and a light filter unit positioned in front of said additional light receiving unit, wherein said additional units enable to measure a third dimension of said measured object.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said single light-receiving unit is comprised of at least one CCD or one light sensitive CMOS unit.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said at least two photo sensing units are angled to each other and said at least two lenses are aligned at optimal distances from said photo sensing units so that the image of an object, placed at various locations within the measurement space, is projected into the active area of said photo sensing units and optimal image focus is achieved.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said light receiving unit is comprised of only one single photo sensing unit, at least four lenses are placed in front of said photo sensing unit, wherein at least two lenses out of said four lenses are tilted towards different sections of said measurement space.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said single light receiving unit comprised of only one single photo sensing unit, at least four lenses are placed in front of said photo sensing unit, all viewing same said measurement space and all having parallel planes in relation to said photo sensing unit.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein at least four lenses are used, all viewing same said measurement space and all having parallel planes in relation to said at least two photo sensing units.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein at least two of said single light-receiving units are placed each at a single opposite corner area of a screen display, wherein each of said single light-receiving units is viewing a different measurement space then all other measurement spaces viewed by the rest of said single light-receiving units.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said single light-receiving unit is comprised of one multi-line photo sensing array unit, used in combination with at least two lenses enabling measurement of three coordinates position of an object placed within said measurement space.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said single light-receiving unit is comprised of one photo sensing unit used in combination with at least two lenses wherein said measurements are used for virtual keyboard implementations.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said single light-receiving unit is comprised of one photo sensing unit used in combination with at least two lenses said measurements are used for machine vision implementation.

16. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said single light-receiving unit is comprised of at least one photo sensing unit, wherein said photo sensing unit is integrated with additional circuitry in order to measure time of flight of light, wherein the relative distance of the object is calculated by using said time of flight of light measurement.

17. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the distances of said at least two lenses from said photo sensing units are optimized in order to achieve an optimal image focus of both nearby objects and far objects located within said measurement space.

18. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said at least two lenses are spherical, cylindrical or toroidal shaped lenses.

19. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said at least one light emitting source emits a specific monochromatic color, this monochromatic color might be within the invisible or within the visible light spectrum.

20. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising at least one opto-electric shutter means for blocking lenses for a controllable time interval.

21. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the emitted light intensity from said at least one light emitting source changes according to said object distance form the apparatus.

22. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein in front of each said photo sensing units at least two lenses are placed wherein lenses are tilted towards different section of said measurement space.

23. An input apparatus of computerized device for measuring an object'"'"'s relative location within a predefined measurement space wherein said apparatus uses a single light-receiving unit positioned at a corner area of said measurement space, said apparatus is comprised of:

a. at least two photo sensing units comprising said single light-receiving unit for receiving scattered light rays from the object wherein said photo sensing units are proximate to the same said corner area of said measurement space and each such photo sensing unit is located at a different spatial location enabling at least two different viewing angles of said object;

b. at least two lenses positioned in front of said photo sensing units for condensing said scattered light rays;

c. a spectrum filter positioned in the route of said light rays;

wherein said object includes emitting light means and wherein a coordinate calculating means is used for calculating locations where images of said object are created on said photo sensing units by using each output from said photo sensing units, and finding the relative spatial coordinates of said object by using the calculated locations of said images.

24. An input apparatus of computerized device-for measuring an object'"'"'s relative location within a predefined measurement space wherein said apparatus uses a single light-receiving unit positioned at a corner area of said measurement space, said apparatus is comprised of:

a. at least one light emitting source transmitting light extending over said predefined measurement space;

b. at least two photo sensing units comprising said single light-receiving unit for receiving scattered light rays from the object wherein said photo sensing units are proximate to the same said corner area of said measurement space and each such photo sensing unit is located at a different spatial location enabling at least two different viewing angles of said object;

c. at least two lenses positioned in front of said photo sensing units for condensing said scattered light rays;

wherein a coordinate calculating means is used for calculating locations where images of said object are created on said photo sensing units by using each output from said photo sensing units, and finding the relative spatial coordinates of said object by using the calculated locations of said images.

25. An input apparatus of computerized device for measuring an object'"'"'s relative location within a predefined measurement space wherein said apparatus uses a single light-receiving unit positioned at a corner area of said measurement space, said apparatus is comprised of:

a. at least two photo sensing units comprising said single light-receiving unit for receiving scattered light rays from the object wherein said photo sensing units are proximate to the same said corner area of said measurement space and each such photo sensing unit is located at a different spatial location enabling at least two different viewing angles of said object;

b. at least two lenses positioned in front of said photo sensing units for condensing said scattered light rays;

c. a spectrum filter positioned in the route of said light rays;

wherein an ambient light or external light source is used for transmitting light extending over said predefined measurement space and wherein

a coordinate calculating means is used for calculating locations where images of said object are created on said photo sensing units by using each output from said photo sensing units, and finding the relative spatial coordinates of said object by using the calculated locations of said images.