Input device

• US 9,841,848 B2
• Filed: 06/15/2015
• Issued: 12/12/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Funai Electric Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Funai Electric Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Nishioka, Ken
• Primary Examiner(s): Rosario, Nelson
• Application Number:
  US14/739,189
• Publication Number:
  US 20150370416A1
• Time in Patent Office: 911 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04108 Touchless 2D- digitiser, i.e. digitiser detecting the X/Y position of the input means, finger or stylus, also when it does not touch, but is proximate to the digitiser's interaction surface without distance measurement in the Z direction
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04166 Details of scanning methods, e.g. sampling time, grouping of sub areas or time sharing with display driving Synchronisation with the driving of the display or the backlighting unit to avoid interferences generated internally G06F3/04184
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0423 using sweeping light beams, e.g. using rotating or vibrating mirror
• 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

An input device includes an irradiation component that emits scanning light relative to an input region of a projected image, a light receiver that receives reflected light of the scanning light to output detection signal, a detector that detects an input operation relative to the input region based on the detection signal from the light receiver; and a controller that sets an irradiation parameter of the scanning light from the irradiation component based on the input region.

Claims

1. An input device comprising:

a projector that projects projection light that forms an image with an input region on a predetermined area;

an irradiator that emits scanning light relative to the predetermined area, the scanning light being different from the projection light;

a light receiver that receives reflected light of the scanning light to output detection signal;

a detector that detects an input operation relative to the input region based on the detection signal from the light receiver; and

a controller that controls the irradiator to emit the scanning light at different emission patterns according to an arrangement of the input region within the image, the controller further controlling the irradiator to irradiate the input region in a predetermined direction, with the predetermined direction including a first direction and a second direction that is opposite in a scanning direction, and to turn off the scanning light at a scan line along either the first direction or the second direction in the input region.

2. The input device according to claim 1, wherein

the controller sets an irradiation parameter of the scanning light, the irradiation parameter including at least one of an irradiation region of the irradiator, a frame rate relative to the input region, velocity of the scanning light, and spot size of the scanning light.

3. The input device according to claim 1, wherein

the input region has input images for the input operation, and

the controller sets an irradiation parameter of the scanning light to emit the scanning light on at least the input images.

4. The input device according to claim 1, wherein

the input region has input images for the input operation, and

the controller sets an irradiation parameter of the scanning light based on an arrangement of the input images.

5. The input device according to claim 1, wherein

the input region has input images for the input operation, with the input images being arranged in the first direction of the input region, and

the controller sets an irradiation parameter of the scanning light to emit the scanning light along the scan line that passes through a center of the input images that are arranged in the first direction of the input region.

6. The input device according to claim 5, wherein

the scan line extends parallel to the first direction of the input region.

7. The input device according to claim 1, wherein

the input region has input images for the input operation, with the input images being arranged in rows that extend in the first direction of the input region and are arranged in the second direction of the input region that intersects with the first direction, and

the controller sets an irradiation parameter of the scanning light to prevent the scanning light from moving in the second direction of the input region while emitting the scanning light along the first direction of the input region.

8. The input device according to claim 1, wherein

the input region has input images for the input operation, and

the controller sets an irradiation parameter of the scanning light based on size of the input images.

9. The input device according to claim 1, wherein

the input region has input images for the input operation, and

the controller sets spot size of the scanning light as an irradiation parameter of the scanning light to correspond to size of the input images.

10. The input device according to claim 1, wherein

the input region has input images for the input operation, with the input images being arranged in the first direction of the input region, and

the controller sets an irradiation parameter of the scanning light to continuously emit the scanning light on the input images while the scanning light moving through the input images in the first direction of the input region.

11. The input device according to claim 1, wherein

the input region has input images for the input operation, with the input images being spaced apart in the first direction of the input region, and

the controller sets an irradiation parameter of the scanning light to intermittently emit the scanning light according to positions of the input images while the scanning light moving through the input images in the first direction of the input region.

12. The input device according to claim 1, wherein

the input region has input images for the input operation, with the input images being arranged in rows with different pitches therebetween.

13. The input device according to claim 1, wherein

the input region has input images for the input operation, with the input images being arranged in the first direction of the input region, with the input images being at least partially offset with respect to each other in the second direction of the input region that intersects with the first direction.

14. The input device according to claim 1, wherein

the input region has input images for the input operation, with the input images being arranged in rows, and

the controller sets an irradiation parameter of the scanning light not to emit the scanning light between the rows.

15. The input device according to claim 1, wherein

the image further has a video region that is different from the input region, and

the controller sets an irradiation parameter of the scanning light to emit the scanning light only on the input region.

16. The input device according to claim 15, wherein

the image is based on an application that accepts the input operation.

17. The input device according to claim 1, wherein

the irradiator includes a light emitter that emits the scanning light, and a scanner that moves the scanning light.

18. The input device according to claim 17, wherein

the irradiator further includes an optical component that adjust spot size of the scanning light.

19. The input device according to claim 17, wherein

the scanner includes a scanning mirror that reflects the scanning light towards the input region.