Coordinate input apparatus, its control method, and program

• US 7,443,387 B2
• Filed: 03/09/2005
• Issued: 10/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Tanaka, Atsushi, Sato, Hajime, Kobayashi, Katsuyuki, Kobayashi, Kiwamu, Hasegawa, Masahide, Yoshimura, Yuichiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Shankar; Vijay
• Application Number:
  US11/076,357
• Publication Number:
  US 20050200612A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,329 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-183, 178 1801- 1807, 178 1901- 1906
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/124 plural reflecting elements forming part of a unitary plate or sheet
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0421 by interrupting or reflecting a light beam, e.g. optical touch-screen

Abstract

A signal change range, which is generated due to a pointing operation of a pointer on a coordinate input region, with respect to an initial detection signal distribution of a detection unit in an initial state in which no pointing operation is made on the coordinate input region, is specified. End portion information of the specified signal change range is detected. Coordinates of the pointed position of the pointer are calculated using at least one of a plurality of pieces of detected end portion information.

Claims

1. A coordinate input apparatus for detecting a pointed position on a coordinate input region, comprising:

a plurality of detection means for detecting the presence of a pointing operation of pointing means on the coordinate input region;

specifying means for specifying a signal change range generated in a plurality of detection signals of the plurality of detection means; and

calculation means for calculating the coordinate of the pointed position of the pointing means in accordance with a first intersection of a first bisector of a first angle and a bisector of a second angle;

wherein said first angle is specified by a first line and a second line,

said first line connects a coordinate specified by one end of a first signal change range generated in a first detection signal of first detection means of the plurality of detection means and a first reference position of said first detection means, and

said second line connects a coordinate specified by one end of a second signal change range generated in a second detection signal of second detection means of the plurality of detection means and a second reference position of said second detection means,

wherein said second angle is specified by a third line and the second line, and

said third line connects a coordinate specified by the other end of the first signal change range and the first reference position.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of detection means arranged at different positions of the coordinate input regions.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said calculation means determines a combination of end portion information to be used in coordinate calculations of the plurality of pieces of end portion information detected by said end portion information detection means on the basis of the number of signal change ranges specified by said specifying means.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

determination means for, when said calculation means calculates a plurality of coordinates as coordinate candidates, determining coordinates corresponding to the pointed position of the pointing means from the coordinate candidates.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said calculation means checks overlapping of signal change ranges corresponding to pointing operations made by a plurality of pointing means on the basis of the numbers of signal change ranges specified by said specifying means, which are obtained for respective plurality of detection means.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said detection means detects the presence of the pointing operation on the coordinate input region on the basis of the presence of a shielded range when a shielding material that shields or reflects light is present between said detection means and a light source.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said detection means detects the presence of the pointing operation on the coordinate input region on the basis of the presence of a shielded range when a shielding material that shields propagation of vibration is present between said detection means and an vibration generation source.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the coordinate input region is used as a display surface of a display apparatus or is overlaid on the display surface of the display apparatus.

9. A display apparatus having a coordinate input apparatus of claim 1, wherein said coordinate input apparatus is overlaid on a display surface of said display apparatus.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said calculation means calculates the coordinate of the pointed position of the pointing means in accordance with a second intersection of a third bisector of a third angle and a fourth bisector of a fourth angle, and

wherein said third angle is specified by the first line and a fourth line that connects a coordinate specified by the other end of the second signal change range and the second reference position, and

said fourth angle is specified by third line and the fourth line.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein

said calculation means calculates the coordinate of the pointed position of the pointing means in accordance with a third intersection of a fifth bisector of a fifth angle and a six bisector of a six angle and a fourth intersection of a seventh bisector of a seventh angle and an eight bisector of an eight angle;

wherein said fifth angle is specified by the first line and a fifth line,

said fifth line connects a coordinate specified by one end of a third signal change range generated in a third detection signal of third detection means of the plurality of detection means and a third reference position of said third detection means, and

wherein said six angle is specified by the third line and the fifth line;

wherein said seventh angle is specified by the first line and a sixth line,

said sixth line connects a coordinate specified by the other end of the third signal change range generated in the third detection signal, and

wherein said eighth angle is specified by the third line and the sixth line.

12. A method of controlling a coordinate input apparatus which comprises a plurality of detection units for detecting the presence of a pointing operation of pointing device on a coordinate input region, and detects a pointed position on the coordinate input region, comprising:

a specifying step of specifying a signal change range generated in a plurality of detection signals of the plurality of detection units; and

a calculation step of calculating the coordinate of the pointed position of the pointing device in accordance with a first intersection of a first bisector of a first angle and a bisector of a second angle;

wherein said first angle is specified by a first line and a second line,

said first line connects a coordinate specified by one end of a first signal change range generated in a first detection signal of a first detection unit of the plurality of detection units and a first reference position of said first detection unit, and

said second line connects a coordinate specified by one end of a second signal change range generated in a second detection signal of a second detection unit of the plurality of detection units and a second reference position of said second detection unit,

wherein said second angle is specified by a third line and the second line, and

said third line connects a coordinate specified by the other end of the first signal change range and the first reference position.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein

said calculation step checks overlapping of signal change ranges corresponding to pointing operations made by a plurality of pointing devices on the basis of the numbers of signal change ranges specified in said specifying step, which are obtained for respective plurality of detection units.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein

said calculation step calculates the coordinate of the pointed position of the pointing device in accordance with a second intersection of a third bisector of a third angle and a fourth bisector of a fourth angle, and

wherein said third angle is specified by the first line and a fourth line that connects a coordinate specified by the other end of the second signal change range and the second reference position, and

said fourth angle is specified by third line and the fourth line.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein

said calculation step calculates the coordinate of the pointed position of the pointing device in accordance with a third intersection of a fifth bisector of a fifth angle and a six bisector of a six angle and a fourth intersection of a seventh bisector of a seventh angle and an eight bisector of an eight angle;

wherein said fifth angle is specified by the first line and a fifth line,

said fifth line connects a coordinate specified by one end of a third signal change range generated in a third detection signal of a third detection unit of the plurality of detection units and a third reference position of said third detection unit, and

wherein said six angle is specified by the third line and the fifth line;

wherein said seventh angle is specified by the first line and a sixth line,

said sixth line connects a coordinate specified by the other end of the third signal change range generated in the third detection signal, and

wherein said eighth angle is specified by the third line and the sixth line.

16. A computer readable medium storing a program for implementing control of a coordinate input apparatus which comprises a plurality of detection units for detecting the presence of a pointing operation of pointing device on a coordinate input region, and detects a pointed position on the coordinate input region, comprising:

a program code of a specifying step of specifying a signal change range generated in a plurality of detection signals of the plurality of detection units; and

a program code of a calculation step of calculating the coordinate of the pointed position of the pointing device in accordance with a first intersection of a first bisector of a first angle and a bisector of a second angle;

wherein said first angle is specified by a first line and a second line,

said first line connects a coordinate specified by one end of a first signal change range generated in a first detection signal of a first detection unit of the plurality of detection units and a first reference position of said first detection unit, and

said second line connects a coordinate specified by one end of a second signal change range generated in a second detection signal of a second detection unit of the plurality of detection units and a second reference position of said second detection unit,

wherein said second angle is specified by a third line and the second line, and

said third line connects a coordinate specified by the other end of the first signal change range and the first reference position.

17. The computer readable medium according to claim 16, wherein

said calculation step checks overlapping of signal change ranges corresponding to pointing operations made by a plurality of pointing devices on the basis of the numbers of signal change ranges specified in said specifying step, which are obtained for respective plurality of detection units.

18. The computer readable medium according to claim 16, wherein

said calculation step calculates the coordinate of the pointed position of the pointing device in accordance with a second intersection of a third bisector of a third angle and a fourth bisector of a fourth angle, and

wherein said third angle is specified by the first line and a fourth line that connects a coordinate specified by the other end of the second signal change range and the second reference position, and

said fourth angle is specified by third line and the fourth line.

19. The computer readable medium according to claim 18, wherein said calculation step calculates the coordinate of the pointed position of the pointing device in accordance with a third intersection of a fifth bisector of a fifth angle and a six bisector of a six angle and a fourth intersection of a seventh bisector of a seventh angle and an eight bisector of an eight angle;

wherein said fifth angle is specified by the first line and a fifth line,

said fifth line connects a coordinate specified by one end of a third signal change range generated in a third detection signal of a third detection unit of the plurality of detection units and a third reference position of said third detection unit, and

wherein said six angle is specified by the third line and the fifth line;

wherein said seventh angle is specified by the first line and a sixth line,

said sixth line connects a coordinate specified by the other end of the third signal change range generated in the third detection signal, and

wherein said eighth angle is specified by the third line and the sixth line.