Optical digitizer system with position-unique photoluminescent indicia

• US 9,836,164 B2
• Filed: 05/29/2015
• Issued: 12/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Inventors: Craft, Stephen J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Kiho
• Application Number:
  US14/724,937
• Publication Number:
  US 20150268755A1
• Time in Patent Office: 921 Days
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 11/00 Luminescent, e.g. electroluminescent, chemiluminescent materials
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0317 in co-operation with a patterned surface, e.g. absolute position or relative movement detection for an optical mouse or pen positioned with respect to a coded surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0321 by optically sensing the absolute position with respect to a regularly patterned surface forming a passive digitiser, e.g. pen optically detecting position indicative tags printed on a paper sheet constructional details of pen-shaped pointing devices G06F3/03545, G06F3/03542, G06F3/037
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03542 Light pens for emitting or receiving light
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/042 by opto-electronic means

Abstract

A digitizer system includes a substrate with indicia having photoluminescent features that uniquely define local areas of the substrate. A sensor device, such as a stylus, may sense radiation emitted from the features, and a controller may determine therefrom the location of the stylus relative to the substrate.

Claims

1. A substrate comprising a plurality of local regions, each local region comprising a pattern of features configured to receive a first radiation and, in response, emit a second radiation in a plurality of wavelength combinations, the wavelength combinations uniquely identifying the local region.

2. A digitizer system, comprising:

the substrate of claim 1; and

an optical image sensor configured to sense the pattern of features.

3. The digitizer system of claim 2 further comprising a processor configured to receive signals from the optical image sensor and provide location-specific positional signals based on the received signals.