Control of coordinate input apparatus based on light distribution and moving amounts of sensor units

• US 9,377,897 B2
• Filed: 07/23/2013
• Issued: 06/28/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Machii, Ritsuo, Kobayashi, Katsuyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Que T
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bennett, Jennifer
• Application Number:
  US13/948,380
• Publication Number:
  US 20140034807A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,071 Days
• Field of Search: 250/221, 250/239, 250/234, 250/216, 250/206.1, 345/157, 345/158, 345/173, 345/175, 345/178, 356/614, 356/615, 356/621, 356/622, 356/623, 178/18.01, 178/18.03, 178/18.09
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/002 for measuring two or more coordinates
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0418 for error correction or compensation, e.g. based on parallax, calibration or alignment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0421 by interrupting or reflecting a light beam, e.g. optical touch-screen
• 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

Abstract

The sensor unit of each of a first bar housing unit and second bar housing unit is moved. The moving amount is measured and stored. The distribution of a light amount received by the light receiving unit of the sensor unit of each of the first bar housing unit and second bar housing unit is detected, and whether the moving amount is appropriate is determined based on the detection result. A calculation value used when the coordinates of the pointed position in the coordinate input effective region are calculated based on variations of the light amount distribution is corrected by using the moving amount stored when it is determined that the moving amount is appropriate.

Claims

1. A coordinate input apparatus in which a first bar housing unit and a second bar housing unit each including a retroreflecting member and at least two sensor units, the sensor units each being movable in a horizontal direction with respect to a coordinate input region and each including a light projecting unit and a light receiving unit, are arranged on two facing sides of the coordinate input region to make the retroreflecting members face each other for detecting a pointed position in the coordinate input region, comprising:

a determination unit configured to determine, based on a light amount distribution received by the light receiving unit of each of the sensor units, whether the sensor units are at appropriate positions;

a measurement unit configured to measure moving amounts of the sensor units in a horizontal direction with respect to the coordinate input region when said determination unit determines that the sensor units are at appropriate positions; and

a calculation unit configured to calculate coordinates of the pointed position in the coordinate input region based on the light amount distribution received by the light receiving unit and the moving amounts in a horizontal direction with respect to the coordinate input region measured by said measurement unit.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, based on whether the sensor units receive light retroreflected by the facing retroreflecting member, said determination unit determines whether the sensor units are at appropriate positions.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising rotation mechanisms each configured to rotate about a reference origin of each of the sensor units.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising sliding mechanisms configured to slide the sensor units.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a notification unit configured to notify a determination result of said determination unit.

6. A method of controlling a coordinate input apparatus in which a first bar housing unit and a second bar housing unit each including a retroreflecting member and at least two sensor units, the sensor units each being movable in a horizontal direction with respect to a coordinate input region and each including a light projecting unit and a light receiving unit, are arranged on two facing sides of the coordinate input region to make the retroreflecting members face each other for detecting a pointed position in the coordinate input region, comprising:

a determination step of determining, based on a light amount distribution received by the light receiving unit of each of the sensor units, whether the sensor units are at appropriate positions

a measuring step of measuring moving amounts of the sensor units in a horizontal direction with respect to the coordinate input region when said determination step determines that the sensor units are at appropriate positions; and

a calculation step of calculating coordinates of the pointed position in the coordinate input region based on the light amount distribution received by the light receiving unit and the moving amounts in a horizontal direction with respect to the coordinate input region measured by said measurement unit.

7. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to control a coordinate input apparatus in which a first bar housing unit and a second bar housing unit each including a retroreflecting member and at least two sensor units, the sensor units each being movable in a horizontal direction with respect to a coordinate input region and each including a light projecting unit and a light receiving unit, are arranged on two facing sides of the coordinate input region to make the retroreflecting members face each other for detecting a pointed position in the coordinate input region, the program causing the computer to function as

a determination unit configured to determine, based on a light amount distribution received by the light receiving unit of each of the sensor units, whether the sensor units are at appropriate positions;

a measurement unit configured to measure moving amounts of the sensor units in a horizontal direction with respect to the coordinate input region when said determination unit determines that the sensor units are at appropriate positions; and

a calculation unit configured to calculate coordinates of the pointed position in the coordinate input region based on the light amount distribution received by the light receiving unit and the moving amounts in a horizontal direction with respect to the coordinate input region measured by said measurement unit.

8. A coordinate input apparatus in which a first bar housing unit and a second bar housing unit each including a retroreflecting member and at least two sensor units, the sensor units each being rotatable in a horizontal direction with respect to a coordinate input region and each including a light projecting unit and a light receiving unit, are arranged on two facing sides of the coordinate input region to make the retroreflecting members face each other, for projecting light by each light projecting unit of the sensor units of the first and second bar housing units and receiving light reflected at a facing retroreflecting member by each light receiving unit of the sensor units of the first and second bar housing units, and for detecting a pointed position in the coordinate input region, comprising:

a measurement unit configured to measure angles of the sensor units in a horizontal direction with respect to the coordinate input region;

a determination unit configured to determine, based on a light amount distribution received by the light receiving unit of each of the sensor units of the first and second bar housing units, whether each retroreflecting member which face each of the sensor units is located within a range of field of view of each of the sensor units; and

a calculation unit configured to calculate coordinates of the pointed position in the coordinate input region based on a light amount distribution received by the light receiving unit of each of the sensor units of the first and second bar housing units, and angles of the sensor units in a horizontal direction with respect to the coordinate input region measured by the measurement unit in a case where it is determined by the determination unit that each retroreflecting member which face each of the sensor units is located within a range of field of view of each of the sensor units.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising a notification unit configured to notify a determination result of said determination unit.

10. A coordinate input apparatus in which a first bar housing unit and a second bar housing unit each including a retroreflecting member and at least two sensor units, wherein the first bar housing unit and the second bar housing unit are configured such that the distance between the at least two sensor units is extendable, the sensor units each including a light projecting unit and a light receiving unit, are arranged on two facing sides of the coordinate input region to make the retroreflecting members of the first and second bar housing units face each other, for projecting light by each light projecting unit of the sensor units of the first and second bar housing units and receiving light reflected at a facing retroreflecting member by each light receiving unit of the sensor units of the first and second bar housing units, and for detecting a pointed position in the coordinate input region, comprising:

a measurement unit configured to measure stretching/contraction amounts of the sensor units;

a determination unit configured to determine, based on a light amount distribution received by the light receiving unit of each of the sensor units of the first and second bar housing units, whether each retroreflecting member which face each of the sensor units is located within a range of field of view of each of the sensor units; and

a calculation unit configured to calculate coordinates of the pointed position in the coordinate input region based on a light amount distribution received by the light receiving unit of each of the sensor units of the first and second bar housing units, and the stretching/contraction amounts measured by the measurement unit in a case where it is determined by the determination unit that each retroreflecting member which face each of the sensor units is located within a range of field of view of each of the sensor units.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising a notification unit configured to notify a determination result of said determination unit.