Coordinate input apparatus, light receiving apparatus of the coordinate input apparatus, and manufacturing method of the same

• US 8,629,989 B2
• Filed: 06/15/2011
• Issued: 01/14/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Kobayashi, Katsuyuki, Yoshimura, Yuichiro
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, SANG H
• Application Number:
  US13/161,318
• Publication Number:
  US 20120002217A1
• Time in Patent Office: 944 Days
• Field of Search: 356/614, 356/622, 345/173, 345/175, 345/901, 345/902, 178/18.01, 178/18.03, 178/18.04, 178/18.05, 178/18.06, 178/18.07, 250/227.11, 250/227.14, 294/28
• US Class Current: 356/622
• 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: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

A light receiving unit of a coordinate input apparatus includes a light receiving element, a light receiving lens, an adjusting unit for adjusting the positional relationship between the light receiving element and light receiving lens, and a light transmissive plate which is arranged between the light receiving element and light receiving lens, and defines the focal length of the light receiving lens. The light transmissive plate is arranged between the light receiving element and light receiving lens in a state in which the optical axis between the light receiving element and light receiving lens is adjusted by the adjusting unit with the light transmissive plate being removed.

Claims

1. A coordinate input apparatus comprising:

a reflection unit formed in a peripheral portion of a coordinate input effective region, and adapted to retroreflect incident light;

a light projection unit adapted to project light toward the coordinate input effective region; and

a light receiving unit formed at a corner of the coordinate input effective region,

coordinate values of a pointed position being calculated based on a light amount distribution obtained by said light receiving unit,

wherein said light receiving unit comprises at least;

a light receiving element;

a light receiving lens;

an adjusting unit adapted to adjust a positional relationship between said light receiving element and said light receiving lens; and

a light transmissive plate arranged between said light receiving element and said light receiving lens as well as arranged on an optical path of said light receiving element and said light receiving lens, and adapted to define a focal length of said light receiving lens, and

said light transmissive plate is arranged on the optical path of said light receiving element and said light receiving lens in a state in which an optical axis between said light receiving element and said light receiving lens is adjusted by said adjusting unit with said light transmissive plate being removed; and

said focal length of the light receiving lens is defined by setting the light transmittance of the light transmissive plate.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a thickness of said light transmissive plate is selected such that a focus of said light receiving unit is adjusted to a farthest point distance of the coordinate input effective region from a position of said light receiving unit within a viewing range of said light receiving unit.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said light receiving unit further comprises an attaching unit adapted to attach said light transmissive plate having a thickness corresponding to a size of the coordinate input effective region.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said light receiving unit further comprises an attaching unit adapted to attach or detach said light transmissive plate having a thickness corresponding to a size of the coordinate input effective region.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a light transmittance of said light transmissive plate is different in accordance with a light receiving direction of said light receiving unit.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an attaching unit adapted to attach or detach said light transmissive plate by inverting said light transmissive plate in a viewing direction of said light receiving unit.

7. A light receiving apparatus of an optical coordinate input apparatus, comprising:

a light receiving element;

a light receiving lens;

an adjusting unit adapted to adjust a positional relationship between said light receiving element and said light receiving lens; and

a light transmissive plate arranged between said light receiving element and said light receiving lens as well as arranged on an optical path of said light receiving element and said light receiving lens, and adapted to define a focal length of said light receiving lens,

wherein said light transmissive plate is arranged on the optical path of said light receiving element and said light receiving lens in a state in which an optical axis between said light receiving element and said light receiving lens is adjusted by said adjusting unit with said light transmissive plate being removed;

said focal length of the light receiving lens is defined by setting the light transmittance of the light transmissive plate.

8. A method of manufacturing a light receiving apparatus of an optical coordinate input apparatus by a manufacturing apparatus, comprising:

in said manufacturing apparatus, an adjustment step of adjusting an optical axis between a light receiving element and light receiving lens of the light receiving apparatus, as adjustment of a positional relationship between the light receiving element and the light receiving lens, such that a focus is adjusted to a distance shorter than a farthest point distance of a coordinate input effective region of the coordinate input apparatus from the light receiving apparatus within a viewing range of the light receiving apparatus; and

in said manufacturing apparatus, an attaching step of attaching, between the light receiving element and the light receiving lens as well as arranged on an optical path of said light receiving element and said light receiving lens, a light transmissive plate having a thickness with which a focus of the light receiving apparatus is adjusted to the farthest point distance within the viewing range of the light receiving apparatus, after the adjustment step, wherein

said focal length of the light receiving lens is defined by setting the light transmittance of the light transmissive plate.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein in the adjustment step, the optical axis between the light receiving element and the light receiving lens is adjusted in at least two directions, that is, a direction from the light receiving apparatus to the farthest point distance in the coordinate input effective region, and a direction symmetrical to the direction to the farthest point distance with respect to a principal ray direction of the light receiving apparatus.