Received-light pattern detection apparatus

• US 6,798,402 B1
• Filed: 11/13/2000
• Issued: 09/28/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bandai Namco Entertainment Inc. (BANDAI NAMCO Holdings Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Namco Limited (BANDAI NAMCO Holdings Inc.)
• Inventors: Takano, Junichi, Kubota, Isamu
• Primary Examiner(s): Shalwala, Bipin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Said, Mansour M.
• Application Number:
  US09/709,443
• Time in Patent Office: 1,415 Days
• Field of Search: 345/158, 345/161, 345/170, 345/173, 345/174, 345/175, 345/176, 345/177, 345/183, 345/156, 345/157, 345/99, 345/100, 345/82, 345/81, 347/19, 385/88, 385/89, 385/92, 385/93, 385/136, 438/65
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0421 by interrupting or reflecting a light beam, e.g. optical touch-screen

Abstract

There is provided a received-light pattern detection apparatus capable of reading received-light pattern data within a period of time shorter than a read interval of a video game, including a transfer time. A received-light pattern detection apparatus for detecting a received-light pattern representing the position of an object on the front surface of a monitor includes a detection section having photo-couplers arranged around the periphery of the monitor and a plane detection surface formed from the photo-couplers; timing control circuits for controlling a driving timing of the detection section; a read control circuit formed by means of connecting the timing control circuits in the form of a cascade; and an input/output interface for converting the received-light pattern data read from the read control circuit into a switch packet and transmitting the switch packet.

Claims

1. A received-light pattern detection apparatus for detecting a received-light pattern representing the position of an object existing in front of a monitor, comprising:

a plurality of light-receiving modules arranged around the periphery of the monitor while being connected in a cascade manner;

a plurality of light-emitting modules arranged around the periphery of the monitor so as to face the light receiving modules,

wherein each of the light emitting modules comprises a plurality of light-emitting elements;

each of the light-receiving modules comprises a plurality of light-receiving elements, a latch circuit for latching a plurality of outputs generated by said light-receiving elements, a timing control circuit which makes the latch circuit to latch the outputs of the light-receiving elements one by one, and a shift register which transmits the latched outputs in a serial signal form after all outputs of said light-receiving elements are latched;

each of the light-receiving elements included in said light-receiving modules forms a photo-coupler with a light-emitting element included in said light-emitting module; and

said shift register is connected in a cascade manner with a shift register which is included in an adjacent arranged light-receiving module and transmits serial signal transmitted from a shift register of a former stage;

said received-light pattern detection apparatus further comprises an input/output interface which instructs said plurality of light-receiving modules at the same time to start latching said outputs and receives the serial signal transmitted from a shift register of the latest stage.

2. The received-light pattern detection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the photo-couplers are arranged at an uniform interval of 10 mm or thereabouts.

3. A received-light pattern detection apparatus for detecting a received-light pattern representing the position of an object existing in front of a monitor, comprising:

a plurality of light-receiving modules arranged around the periphery of the monitor while being connected in a cascade manner;

a plurality of light-emitting modules arranged around the periphery of the monitor so as to face the light receiving modules;

wherein each of the light emitting modules comprises a plurality of light-emitting elements;

each of the light-receiving modules comprises a plurality of light-receiving elements, a latch circuit for latching a plurality of outputs generated by said light-receiving elements, a timing control circuit which makes the latch circuit to latch the outputs of the light-receiving elements one by one, and a shift register which transmits the latched outputs in a serial signal form after all outputs of said light-receiving elements are latched;

each of the light-receiving elements included in said light-receiving modules forms a photo-coupler with a light-emitting element included in said light-emitting module; and

said shift register is connected in a cascade manner with a shift register which is included in an adjacent arranged light-receiving module and transmits serial signal transmitted from a shift register of a former stage;

said received-light pattern detection apparatus further comprises an input/output interface which instructs said plurality of light-receiving modules at the same time to start latching said outputs and receives the serial signal transmitted from a shift register of the latest stage, wherein the input/output interface converts the serial signal received from the shift register of the latest stage into a switch packet and transmits the switch packet to a host, and

data transmission between said input/output interface and said host is performed through use of a JVS communication protocol.