Coordinate input apparatus, control method thereof, and program

• US 7,589,715 B2
• Filed: 04/11/2006
• Issued: 09/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Tanaka, Atsushi, Sato, Hajime
• Primary Examiner(s): Shankar; Vijay
• Application Number:
  US11/401,372
• Publication Number:
  US 20060232568A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,253 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-179, 178 1801- 1809, 178 1901- 1907, 178 2001- 2004
• US Class Current: 345/175
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/124 plural reflecting elements forming part of a unitary plate or sheet
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0421 by interrupting or reflecting a light beam, e.g. optical touch-screen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

A signal change range generated by a pointing operation of a pointer on a coordinate input region is specified in correspondence with the initial detection signal distribution of a detection unit in an initial state without pointing on the coordinate input region. Pieces of end information of the specified signal change range are detected. The validity of a detection state in the end information detection step is determined by using the plurality of pieces of detected end information. On the basis of the determination result, the coordinates of the point position of the pointer are calculated from the plurality of pieces of end information.

Claims

1. A coordinate input apparatus for detecting a plurality of point positions on a coordinate input region, comprising:

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

specifying means for specifying a range where a detection signal from each of said plurality of detection means is changed; and

determination means for determining whether an input transition state exists when a first detection means of the plurality of detection means has detected two ranges and a second detection means of the plurality of detection means has detected one range.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said determination means determines whether an input transition state exists, on a basis of a plurality of coordinates calculated by using end information of one of the two ranges and end information of the one range.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said determination means determines whether an input transition state exists, on a basis of four intersection coordinates intersecting two tangents each of which connects a position corresponding to each of two ends of one of the two ranges to said first detection means with two tangents each of which connects a position corresponding to each of two ends of the one range to said second detection means.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising control means for controlling, on a basis of a determination result of said determination means, output of coordinates calculated on basis of the range where a detection signal from each of said plurality of detection means is changed.

4. A coordinate input apparatus for detecting a plurality of point positions on a coordinate input region, comprising:

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

specifying means for specifying a range where a detection signal from each of said plurality of detection means is changed; and

determination means for determining whether an input transition state exists when one of said plurality of detection means has detected the range, on a basis of whether or not a width of the range corresponds to a predetermined value.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising control means for controlling, on a basis of a determination result of said determination means, output of coordinates calculated on basis of the range where a detection signal from each of said plurality of detection means is changed.

6. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said determination means determines whether an input transition state exists, on a basis of an angle with respect to said one of said plurality of detection means and two ends of the range where a detection signal from each of said plurality of detection means is changed.

12. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said determination means comprises calculation means for calculating coordinates of a point position of the pointing means on a basis of end information of the range detected by the one of said plurality of detection means and end information of a range detected by an other of said plurality of detection means;

and

wherein said determination means determines, when the pointing means points the coordinates calculated by said calculation means, whether the range specified by said specifying means is changed or not.

7. A control method of a coordinate input apparatus which includes a plurality of detection units to detect pointing means on a coordinate input region and to detect a point position on the coordinate input region, comprising:

a specifying step of specifying a range where a detection signal from each of said plurality of detection units is changed; and

a determination step of determining whether an input transition state exists when a first detection unit of the plurality of detection units has detected two ranges and a second detection unit of the plurality of detection units has detected one range.

13. The method according to claim 7, further comprising a control step for controlling, on a basis of a determination result in said determination step, output of coordinates calculated on a basis of the range where a detection signal from each of said plurality of detection units is changed.

8. A control method of a coordinate input apparatus which includes a plurality of detection units to detect pointing means on a coordinate input region and to detect a point position on the coordinate input region, comprising:

a specifying step of specifying a range where a detection signal from each of said plurality of detection units is changed; and

a determination step of determining whether an input transition state exists when one of said plurality of detection means has detected the range, on a basis of whether or not a width of the range corresponds to a predetermined value.

14. The method according to claim 8, further comprising a control step for controlling, on a basis of a determination result in said determination step, output of coordinates calculated on a basis of the range where a detection signal from each of said plurality of detection units is changed.

9. A computer-readable medium on which is stored a program which implements control of a coordinate input apparatus which includes a plurality of detection units to detect pointing means on a coordinate input region and to detect a point position on the coordinate input region, comprising:

a program code for a specifying step of specifying a range where a detection signal from each of said plurality of detection units is changed; and

a program code for a determination step of determining whether an input transition state exists when a first detection unit of the plurality of detection units has detected two ranges and a second detection unit of the plurality of detection units has detected one range.

15. The computer-readable medium according to claim 9, further comprising a control step for controlling, on a basis of a determination result in said determination step, output of coordinates calculated on a basis of the range where a detection signal from each of said plurality of detection units is changed.

10. A computer-readable medium on which is stored a program which implements control of a coordinate input apparatus which includes a plurality of detection units to detect pointing means on a coordinate input region and to detect a point position on the coordinate input region, comprising:

a program code for a specifying step of specifying a range where a detection signal from each of said plurality of detection units is changed; and

a program code for a determination step of determining whether an input transition state exists when one of said plurality of detection means has detected the range, on a basis of whether or not a width of the range corresponds to a predetermined value.

16. The computer-readable medium according to claim 10, further comprising a control step for controlling, on a basis of a determination result in said determination step, output of coordinates calculated on a basis of the range where a detection signal from each of said plurality of detection units is changed.