Input device

• US 20060187198A1
• Filed: 02/23/2006
• Published: 08/24/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: VKB, Inc.
• Original Assignee: VKB, Inc.
• Inventors: Lieberman, Klony
• Granted Patent: US 8,243,015 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03 Arrangements for converting the position or the displacement of a member into a coded form
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0421 by interrupting or reflecting a light beam, e.g. optical touch-screen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/7441 the modulator being an array of liquid crystal cells
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3185 Geometric adjustment, e.g. keystone or convergence optical or mechanical adjustment of convergence H04N9/317; using scanning means H04N3/22; optical or mechanical adjustments of projectors not peculiar to the presence of an electronic spatial light modulator G03B21/14

Abstract

A virtual data entry device including an illuminator generating a generally planar beam of light and an impingement sensor assembly operative to sense at least one location of impingement of the planar beam of light by at least one object, the impingement sensor assembly including at least one optical element arranged to receive light from the planar beam reflected by the at least one object, the at least one optical element having optical power in a first direction such that it focuses light at at least one focus line location, which the at least one focus line location is a function of the location of the at least one object relative to the at least one optical element and a multi-element detector arranged to receive light passing through the at least one optical element, wherein the distribution of the light detected by the multi-element detector among multiple elements thereof indicates the location of the at least one object.

Claims

1. A virtual data entry device comprising:

an illuminator generating a generally planar beam of light; and

an impingement sensor assembly operative to sense at least one location of impingement of said planar beam of light by at least one object, said impingement sensor assembly comprising;

at least one optical element arranged to receive light from said planar beam reflected by said at least one object, said at least one optical element having optical power in a first direction such that it focuses light at at least one focus line location, which said at least one focus line location is a function of the location of said at least one object relative to said at least one optical element; and

at least one multi-element detector arranged to receive light passing through said at least one optical element, wherein the distribution of said light detected by said multi-element detector among multiple elements thereof indicates said location of said at least one object.

2. A virtual data entry device according to claim 1 and wherein said at least one optical element has optical power in a second direction which is at least one of zero or substantially different from said optical power in said first direction.

3. A virtual data entry device according to claim 1 and wherein said at least one optical element is at least one of a cylindrical lens, a conical lens and a torroidal lens.

4. A virtual data entry device according to claim 1 and wherein said at least one multi-element detector has multiple elements arranged side-by-side along a detector line which intersects said at least one focus line, wherein the location of intersection of said at least one focus line and said detector line indicates distance of said at least one object from said at least one optical element.

5. A virtual data entry device according to claim 1 and wherein said at least one multi-element detector has multiple elements arranged side-by-side along a detector line which intersects said at least one focus line, wherein the location of intersection of said at least one focus line and said detector line indicates azimuthal location of said at least one object from said at least one optical element.

6. A virtual data entry device according to claim 1 wherein said at least one multi-element detector comprises a first multi-element detector and a second multi-element detector and said at least one optical element comprises a first optical element and a second optical element, said first multi-element detector having multiple elements arranged side-by-side along a first detector line which intersects said at least one focus line, wherein the location of intersection of said at least one focus line and said first detector line indicates azimuthal location of said at least one object from said first optical element and said second multi-element detector having multiple elements arranged side-by-side along a second detector line which intersects said at least one focus line, wherein the location of intersection of said at least one focus line and said second detector line indicates distance of said at least one object from said second optical element.

7. A virtual data entry device according to claim 1 and wherein said at least one multi-element detector has multiple elements arranged side-by-side in two dimensions in a plane which intersects said at least one focus line, whereby the location of intersection of said at least one focus line on said multi-element detector indicates the location of said at least one object in two-dimensions.

8. A virtual data entry device according to claim 4 and wherein said at least one multi-element detector comprises a generally one-dimensional slit lying in said second plane along a detector line which intersects said at least one focus line, wherein the location of intersection of said at least one focus line and said detector line indicates distance of said at least one object from said at least one optical element.

9. A virtual data entry device according to claim 1 and wherein said generally planar beam of light is spaced from and generally parallel to a generally planar display surface.

10. A virtual data entry device according to claim 9 and wherein said generally planar display surface comprises an LCD screen.

11. A virtual data entry device according to claim 1 and also comprising processing circuitry operative to receive at least one output signal of said multi-element detector and to determine said location of said at least one object.

12. A virtual data entry device comprising:

an illuminator generating a generally planar beam of light generally parallel to a generally flat surface which is at least partially light reflecting; and

an impingement sensor assembly operative to sense at least one location of impingement of said planar beam of light by at least one object, said impingement sensor assembly comprising;

at least one optical element arranged to receive light from said planar beam reflected by said at least one object directly and indirectly via said surface; and

a two-dimensional multi-element detector arranged to receive light passing through said at least one optical element, wherein the spatial separation on said detector of said light detected by said multi-element detector which was reflected directly from said at least one object and said light which was reflected via said surface thereof indicates distance said at least one object and location on said detector of said light reflected directly and indirectly from said at least one object indicates the azimuthal location of said at least one object.

13. A virtual data entry device according to claim 12 and wherein said generally flat light reflecting surface comprises an LCD screen.

14. A virtual data entry device according to claim 12 and also comprising processing circuitry operative to receive at least one output signal of said multi-element detector and to determine at least one of said distance of said at least one object and said azimuthal location of said at least one object.

15. A virtual data entry device according to claim 14 and wherein said processing circuitry is operative to output said location of said at least one object in Cartesian coordinates.

16. A method for data entry comprising:

utilizing an illuminator to generate a generally planar beam of light; and

sensing at least one location of impingement of said planar beam of light by at least one object, using an impingement sensor assembly comprising;

at least one optical element arranged to receive light from said planar beam reflected by said at least one object, said at least one optical element having optical power in a first direction such that it focuses light at at least one focus line location, which said at least one focus line location is a function of the location of said at least one object relative to said at least one optical element; and

a multi-element detector arranged to receive light passing through said at least one optical element, wherein the distribution of said light detected by said multi-element detector among multiple elements thereof indicates said location of said at least one object.

17. A method for data entry according to claim 16 and also comprising determining the distance of said at least one object from said at least one optical element by determining a location of intersection between said at least one focus line and a detector line along which are arranged in a side-by-side orientation multiple elements of said multi-element detector.

18. A method for data entry according to claim 16 and also comprising determining the azimuthal location of said at least one object with respect to said at least one optical element by determining a location of intersection between said at least one focus line and a detector line along which are arranged in a side-by-side orientation multiple elements of said multi-element detector.

19. A method for data entry according to claim 16, wherein said at least one multi-element detector comprises a first multi-element detector and a second multi-element detector and said at least one optical element comprises a first optical element and a second optical element and also comprising:

determining the azimuthal location of said at least one object with respect to said first optical element by determining a location of intersection between said at least one focus line and a first detector line along which are arranged in a side-by-side orientation multiple elements of said first multi-element detector; and

determining the distance of said at least one object from said second optical element by determining a location of intersection between said at least one focus line and a second detector line along which are arranged in a side-by-side orientation multiple elements of said second multi-element detector.

20. A method for data entry according to claim 16 and also comprising determining the location of said at least one object in two-dimensions by determining a location of intersection between said at least one focus line and a detector plane along which are arranged in a side-by-side two-dimensional orientation multiple elements of said multi-element detector.

21. A method of data entry according to claim 16 and also comprising providing processing circuitry for receiving at least one output signal of said multi-element detector and determining said location of said at least one object.

22. A method for data entry comprising:

utilizing an illuminator for generating a generally planar beam of light generally parallel to a generally flat surface which is at least partially light reflecting; and

sensing at least one location of impingement of said planar beam of light by at least one object, using an impingement sensor assembly comprising;

at least one optical element arranged to receive light from said planar beam reflected by said at least one object directly and indirectly via said surface; and

a two-dimensional multi-element detector arranged to receive light passing through said at least one optical element, wherein the spatial separation on said detector of said light detected by said multi-element detector which was reflected directly from said at least one object and said light which was reflected via said surface thereof indicates distance said at least one object and location on said detector of said light reflected directly and indirectly from said at least one object indicates the azimuthal location of said at least one object.

23. A method for data entry according to claim 22 and also comprising providing processing circuitry for receiving at least one output signal of said multi-element detector and for determining at least one of said distance of said at least one object and said azimuthal location of said at least one object.

24. A method for data entry according to claim 23 and wherein said providing processing circuitry also comprises providing processing circuitry for outputting said location of said at least one object in Cartesian coordinates.