Optical touch display apparatus and optical operation apparatus

• US 8,624,877 B2
• Filed: 02/15/2011
• Issued: 01/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PixArt Imaging Incorporated
• Original Assignee: PixArt Imaging Incorporated
• Inventors: Lai, Hung-Ching, Liu, Wu-Chieh, Chen, Hui-Hsuan
• Primary Examiner(s): Mengistu, Amare
• Assistant Examiner(s): PATEL, PREMAL R
• Application Number:
  US13/027,840
• Publication Number:
  US 20110279413A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,057 Days
• Field of Search: 345/102, 345173-179, 178 1801- 1809
• US Class Current: 345/175
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/145 the light originating from the display screen
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3406 Control of illumination source illumination devices structurally associated with liquid crystal cells G02F1/1336
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/36 using liquid crystals

Abstract

An optical touch display apparatus includes a light-transmitting display panel, a backlight module, a visible light source, an invisible light source, an image sensing apparatus and a processing circuit. The light-transmitting display panel has a first surface and a second surface opposite to each other. The first surface has a display area. The backlight module is disposed on the second surface. The image sensing apparatus is configured to sense an image above the display area. When a pointer is located in the display area and reflects invisible light which passes through the display area so that the image sensing apparatus senses the invisible light reflected by the pointer, the processing circuit calculates the position of the pointer related to the display area according to the image sensed by the image sensing apparatus. In addition, an optical operation apparatus is also provided.

Claims

1. An optical touch display apparatus comprising:

a light-transmitting display panel having a first surface and a second surface, the first surface and the second surface being opposite to each other, the first surface having a display area;

a backlight module disposed on the second surface;

a visible light source configured to emit visible light to the backlight module so that the backlight module guides the visible light entering the inner thereof to the second surface;

an invisible light source configured to emit invisible light to the backlight module so that the backlight module guides the invisible light entering the inner thereof to the second surface;

an image sensing apparatus, a visual field of the image sensing apparatus facing the top of the light-transmitting display panel, the image sensing apparatus being configured to receive the invisible light so as to sense an image above the display area, the invisible light passing through the second surface and the first surface of the light-transmitting display panel and being directly reflected by a pointer located in the display area into the image sensing apparatus; and

a processing circuit, wherein when the pointer is located in the display area and reflects the invisible light which passes through the second surface and the first surface so that the image sensing apparatus senses the invisible light reflected by the pointer, the processing circuit calculates the position of the pointer related to the display area according to the image sensed by the image sensing apparatus.

2. The optical touch display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the backlight module has four side surfaces, the visible light source and the invisible light source are disposed beside the same side surface of the four side surfaces or are respectively disposed beside two side surfaces of the four side surfaces, among the four side surfaces of the backlight module, the side surface facing the visible light source and the side surface facing the invisible light source are light-transmitting surfaces, and the other side surfaces are non-light-transmitting surfaces or reflecting surfaces.

3. The optical touch display apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the light-transmitting display panel has a liquid crystal layer therein, the backlight module has a reflecting portion therein, the reflecting portion is extended to the side surfaces of the backlight module which do not face the visible light source and the invisible light source, so as to make the side surfaces be non-light-transmitting surfaces.

4. The optical touch display apparatus according to claim 3, wherein a portion of the reflecting portion which is opposite to the second surface of the light-transmitting display panel has a pattern, and the pattern is used for guiding the received light to the second surface, so that the visible light and the invisible light entering the inner of the backlight module can pass through the light-transmitting display panel, the liquid crystal layer inside the light-transmitting display panel, and the display area.

5. An optical operation apparatus comprising:

a light-transmitting panel having a first surface and a second surface, the first surface and the second surface being opposite to each other, the first surface having a display area;

a backlight module disposed on the second surface;

a first light source configured to provide a first light to the backlight module so that the backlight module guides the first light entering the inner thereof to the second surface;

an image sensing apparatus, a visual field of the image sensing apparatus facing the top of the light-transmitting panel, the image sensing apparatus being configured to receive the first light so as to sense an image above the first surface and generate sensing information, the first light passing through the second surface and the first surface of the light-transmitting display panel and being directly reflected by a pointer located in the display area into the image sensing apparatus; and

a processing circuit configured to generate object information according to the sensing information.

6. The optical operation apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the first light provided by the first light source is invisible light, and the first light source comprises an infrared light source.

7. The optical operation apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising a second light source configured to provide a second light to the backlight module so that the backlight module guides the second light entering the inner thereof to the second surface, wherein the second light is visible light.

8. The optical operation apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the light-transmitting panel further has a liquid crystal layer.

9. The optical operation apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the sensing information comprises a complete image or brightness distribution information.

10. The optical operation apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the backlight module has four side surfaces, the first light source is disposed beside a side surface of the four side surfaces, among the four side surfaces of the backlight module, the side surface facing the first light source is light-transmitting surface, and the other side surfaces are non-light-transmitting surfaces or reflecting surfaces.

11. The optical operation apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the backlight module has a light guide unit therein, and the light guide unit is configured to guide the first light entering the backlight module to the second surface.