INPUT DEVICE

• US 20130048834A1
• Filed: 08/24/2012
• Published: 02/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nitto Denko Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nitto Denko Corporation
• Inventors: Mizutani, Toru, Shimizu, Yusuke, Nakamura, Kei, Shibata, Naoki
• Application Number:
  US13/593,863
• Publication Number:
  US 20130048834A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 250/208.2
• 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 input device includes a frame-shaped optical waveguide having a hollow input-use interior, and a control means provided on the outside of one of the sides of the optical waveguide. The optical waveguide and the control means are provided on a surface of a frame-shaped retainer plate. The control means includes: a light-emitting element connected to ends of light-emitting cores of the optical waveguide; a light-receiving element connected to ends of light-receiving cores of the optical waveguide; and a CPU incorporating a program. Upon sensing a first light-shielded area where light is intercepted by the tip of a pen and a second light-shielded area where light is intercepted by user'"'"'s hand that holds the pen, the program recognizes the second light-shielded area larger than the first light-shielded area as unnecessary information, based on a difference in light-shielded area.

Claims

1. An input device, comprising:

a frame-shaped plate comprising a frame surrounding a space serving as a hollow input-use interior for input with an input element held by a hand, the frame-shaped plate including a pair of sections opposed to each other;

a light-emitting means provided on a first one of the opposed sections of the frame-shaped plate; and

a light-receiving means provided on a second one of the opposed sections of the frame-shaped plate and for receiving light beams emitted from the light-emitting means,

wherein the input device is configured such that the emitted light beams travel in a lattice form within the hollow input-use interior and such that some of the emitted light beams are intercepted by a tip input part of the input element within the hollow input-use interior to provide input information, and

wherein the input device further comprises an unnecessary part recognizing means for recognizing a larger light-shielded part as unnecessary information, based on a difference in light-shielded area, upon sensing a first light-shielded area where some of the emitted light beams are intercepted by the tip input part of the input element and a second light-shielded area where some of the emitted light beams are intercepted by the hand, the second light-shielded area being larger than the first light-shielded area.

2. The input device according to claim 1, wherein the light-shielded area having a length of not less than 5 mm is determined as the unnecessary information.

3. The input device according to claim 1,

wherein the input device further comprises a misrecognition preventing means for judging a light-shielded part of a hand in the air as a misrecognition, and for thereby recognizing the light-shielded part of the input element as an input information, when a light-shielded part of a tip input part of an input element and the light-shielded part of the hand in the air smaller than the light-shielded part of the tip input part of the input element are sensed, based on a positional difference of the light-shielded parts, the positional difference being such that the light-shielded part of the hand in the air is apart from a pre-recognized light-shielded part of the input element by more than a predetermined distance while the light-shielded part of the input element is within the predetermined distance from the pre-recognized light-shielded part of the input element.

4. The input device according to claim 1,

wherein the light-emitting means includes a light-emitting element, and a plurality of light-emitting cores of an optical waveguide, the light-emitting cores being connected to the light-emitting element;

wherein the light-receiving means includes a light-receiving element, and a plurality of light-receiving cores of the optical waveguide, the light-receiving cores being connected to the light-receiving element; and

wherein tips of the light-emitting cores and tips of the light-receiving cores are opposed to each other while being positioned on inner edges of the frame-shaped plate.

5. The input device according to claim 1,

wherein the light-emitting means includes a plurality of light-emitting elements;

wherein the light-receiving means includes a plurality of light-receiving elements; and

wherein the light-emitting elements and the light-receiving elements are opposed to each other while being positioned on inner edges of the frame-shaped plate.

6. The input device according to claim 2,

wherein the input device further comprises a misrecognition preventing means for judging a light-shielded part of a hand in the air as a misrecognition, and for thereby recognizing the light-shielded part of the input element as an input information, when a light-shielded part of a tip input part of an input element and the light-shielded part of the hand in the air smaller than the light-shielded part of the tip input part of the input element are sensed, based on a positional difference of the light-shielded parts, the positional difference being such that the light-shielded part of the hand in the air is apart from a pre-recognized light-shielded part of the input element by more than a predetermined distance while the light-shielded part of the input element is within the predetermined distance from the pre-recognized light-shielded part of the input element.

7. The input device according to claim 2,

wherein the light-emitting means includes a light-emitting element, and a plurality of light-emitting cores of an optical waveguide, the light-emitting cores being connected to the light-emitting element;

wherein the light-receiving means includes a light-receiving element, and a plurality of light-receiving cores of the optical waveguide, the light-receiving cores being connected to the light-receiving element; and

wherein tips of the light-emitting cores and tips of the light-receiving cores are opposed to each other while being positioned on inner edges of the frame-shaped plate.

8. The input device according to claim 2,

wherein the light-emitting means includes a plurality of light-emitting elements;

wherein the light-receiving means includes a plurality of light-receiving elements; and

wherein the light-emitting elements and the light-receiving elements are opposed to each other while being positioned on inner edges of the frame-shaped plate.

9. The input device according to claim 3,

wherein the light-emitting means includes a light-emitting element, and a plurality of light-emitting cores of an optical waveguide, the light-emitting cores being connected to the light-emitting element;

wherein the light-receiving means includes a light-receiving element, and a plurality of light-receiving cores of the optical waveguide, the light-receiving cores being connected to the light-receiving element; and

wherein tips of the light-emitting cores and tips of the light-receiving cores are opposed to each other while being positioned on inner edges of the frame-shaped plate.

10. The input device according to claim 3,

wherein the light-emitting means includes a plurality of light-emitting elements;

wherein the light-receiving means includes a plurality of light-receiving elements; and

wherein the light-emitting elements and the light-receiving elements are opposed to each other while being positioned on inner edges of the frame-shaped plate.