Coordinate input apparatus and control method and program therefor

• US 6,900,791 B2
• Filed: 07/06/2001
• Issued: 05/31/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Tanaka, Atsushi, Kobayashi, Katsuyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Jimmy H.
• Application Number:
  US09/900,065
• Publication Number:
  US 20020042699A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,425 Days
• Field of Search: 345/157, 345/156, 345/179, 178/19.01, 178/19.05
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0386 for light pen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0425 using a single imaging device like a video camera for tracking the absolute position of a single or a plurality of objects with respect to an imaged reference surface, e.g. video camera imaging a display or a projection screen, a table or a wall surface, on which a computer generated image is displayed or projected tracking a projected light spot to determine a position on a display surface G06F3/0386

Abstract

A light irradiated on a coordinate input screen from a pointing device is detected, and pieces of output information obtained as detection results for light at least at three known positions including first to third positions are stored. The coordinate values of the light formed on the coordinate input screen are calculated using at least two of the stored pieces of output information at the first to third positions.

Claims

1. A coordinate input apparatus for generating coordinates corresponding a light irradiated from a pointing device, comprising:

detection means for detecting the light irradiated from the pointing device;

storage means for storing output information from said detection means for at least at three known positions including first to third positions of the light irradiated from the pointing device;

calculation means for calculating coordinate values corresponding to the light using two of the pieces of said output information at said first and said second positions, which are stored in said storage means; and

correction means for correcting the coordinate values calculated by said calculation means to generate final coordinate values corresponding to the light using said output information at a said third position, only when said coordinate values calculated by said calculation means fall inside a predetermined region defined by the first to third positions.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when said coordinate values calculated by said calculation means are (X′

,Y′

), and said final coordinate values are (X,Y), X is a dependent function of X′ and

Y′

, and Y is a dependent function of X′ and

Y′

.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising determination means for determining on the basis of the result of the first calculation whether the second calculation is to be executed.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the third position is at least one of four corners of a coordinate input effective area of the coordinate input screen.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said detection means comprises an X-axis sensor in which photosensitive portions are linearly arrayed in an X-axis direction and a Y-axis sensor in which photosensitive portions are linearly arrayed in a Y-axis direction, an image of the light is formed on said X-axis sensor through a cylindrical lens having an axis in the Y axis direction, and the image of the light is formed on said Y-axis sensor through a cylindrical lens having an axis in the X-axis direction.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the third position is set at a position in the coordinate input effective area, where an angle made by a light beam from an incident position on the cylindrical lens and a perpendicular to the photosensitive portions of said detection means is maximized.

7. A control method for a coordinate input apparatus for irradiating a coordinate input screen with light from a pointing device, and generating coordinates corresponding to the light, comprising:

the detection step of detecting the light irradiated on the coordinate input screen from the pointing device; and

the calculation step of calculating coordinate values of the light irradiated on the coordinate input screen using at least two of pieces of output information at least at three known positions including first to third positions of the light irradiated from the pointing device in the detection step; and

a correction step for correcting the coordinate values calculated by said calculation step to generate final coordinate values corresponding to the light using output information at a third position, when coordinate values calculated by said calculation step correspond to a predetermined region defined by the first to third positions.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein when coordinate values as the result of the first calculation are (X′

,Y′

), and coordinate values as a result of the second calculation are (X,Y), X is a dependent function of X′ and

Y′

, and Y is a dependent function of X′ and

Y′

.

9. The method according to claim 7, further comprising the determination step of determining on the basis of the result of the first calculation whether the second calculation is to be executed.

10. The method according to claim 7, wherein the third position is at least one of four corners of a coordinate input effective area of the coordinate input screen.

11. The method according to claim 7, wherein a detection section for executing detection in the detection step comprises an X-axis sensor in which photosensitive portions are linearly arrayed in an X-axis direction and a Y-axis sensor in which photosensitive portions are linearly arrayed in a Y-axis direction, an image of the light is formed on the X-axis sensor through a cylindrical lens having an axis in the Y-axis direction, and the image of the light is formed on the Y-axis sensor through a cylindrical lens having an axis in the X-axis direction.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the third position is set at a position in the coordinate input effective area, where an angle made by a light beam from an incident position on the cylindrical lens and a perpendicular to the photosensitive portions of the detection step is maximized.

13. A program for causing a computer to control a coordinate input apparatus for irradiating a coordinate input screen with light from a pointing device, and generating coordinates corresponding to the light, comprising:

a program code of the detection step of detecting the light irradiated on the coordinate input screen from the pointing device; and

a program code of the calculation step of calculating coordinate values of the light irradiated on the coordinate input screen using at least two of pieces of output information at least at three known positions of light irradiated from the pointing device, including first to third positions in the detection step; and

a program code of a correction step for correcting coordinate values output by program code of the calculation step to generate final coordinate values corresponding to the light using output information at a third position, when coordinate values calculated by said program code of the calculations step correspond to a predetermined region defined by the first to third positions.