JP2005073095A - White board eraser - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a white board eraser which is capable of reading, concurrently storing and concurrently erasing characters, graphics or symbols drawn on a white board. <P>SOLUTION: The white board eraser comprises a wiper pad 11, read areas 12, 13, image read sensors 22, 23 for detecting image data from the read areas, a frame memory 70 for storing image data of characters, graphics or symbols read by the sensors and actually drawn on the white board, an origin designation means 53, motion vector detection means 24, 25, and an arithmetic means 60 for calling the write of image data in a relevant address by designating the address on the frame memory corresponding to the read image on the actual white board on the basis of a vector amount obtained by the notion vector detection means, and the image data read by the image read sensors. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The whiteboard eraser according to the present invention relates to a whiteboard eraser that can erase characters and figures and symbols written on the whiteboard at the same time without attaching a special device to the existing whiteboard.

  Conventionally, a so-called white board is generally placed in a conference room or the like in order to facilitate the smooth progress of the conference. There are various types of whiteboards. For example, a single-function whiteboard that simply writes characters, figures, and symbols, and writes new characters, figures, and symbols while erasing them with a wiping pad. Or, by moving this in the width direction of the whiteboard using an elongated scanner attached throughout the height direction of the whiteboard, the characters, figures and symbols drawn on the whiteboard are optically read, There is also a high-performance whiteboard that prints the read data with an attached printer (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  In addition, the board surface of the whiteboard is wound around both ends of the whiteboard from the front side of the whiteboard by a roller, or moved to the back side of the whiteboard, so that the board surface of the whiteboard is at the one end in the width direction of the whiteboard. There is a type in which characters, figures, and symbols drawn on the whiteboard are read by the scanner by passing through a scanner provided in the entire height direction and printed on the spot.

Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 02-23164 (page 4-7, FIG. 1)

  However, with a conventional single-function whiteboard, the user has to write down the contents immediately before erasing the characters, figures, and symbols with the wiping pad, which is inconvenient and can interfere with the progress of the meeting, for example. I was coming.

  On the other hand, the above-described high-functional whiteboard prints the characters, figures, and symbols drawn on the entire whiteboard together, so the entire board surface of the whiteboard or the entire system including the writing instrument (marker) is large. As a result, the entire whiteboard has become large and expensive.

  In addition to this, the type of whiteboard with a belt-like surface has a structure that reads characters, figures and symbols on the whiteboard while the belt-like plate surface is wound by a roller. For this reason, it often happens that the contents turned to the back side of the whiteboard are forgotten, and there is always a fear that highly confidential information can be seen by outsiders.

  It is also conceivable to use a so-called handy scanner in order to solve such problems and to read characters, figures and symbols drawn on a conventional simple whiteboard without much effort.

  However, the handy scanner has only a function of reading one two-dimensional image, and does not have a function of erasing characters, figures and symbols on the whiteboard simultaneously with reading. Therefore, in addition to the reading operation, an operation for erasing characters, graphics, and symbols every time it is read is separately required, and the conference cannot be smoothly advanced.

  In addition, the operation direction of the handy scanner is strictly perpendicular to the long axis direction of the one-dimensional optical sensor provided in the handy scanner and is strictly limited to one direction. When reading, strict handling is required.

  In addition, the number of scans by the handy scanner is limited to one time, and the width of the scanned area is limited to the length of the long axis of the optical sensor. In addition, it is troublesome because printing must be performed for each scan.

  Furthermore, since the handy scanner scans the entire area to be scanned, it cannot be scanned if there are obstacles such as protrusions in the scanned area. As described above, the handy scanner itself is not easy to use, and a wiping pad has to be used separately. Therefore, an easy-to-use whiteboard eraser without such inconvenience has been demanded.

  The object of the present invention is to use any type of whiteboard regardless of whether it is a simple whiteboard or a high-performance whiteboard, and regardless of the size of the whiteboard itself. It is an object of the present invention to provide a whiteboard eraser that is drawn not only in a partial area but also capable of simultaneously storing and erasing characters, figures, and symbols that are particularly required to be read.

In order to solve the above-described problem, a whiteboard eraser according to claim 1 of the present invention provides:
In a whiteboard eraser having a casing and a wiping pad for erasing characters, figures and symbols on the whiteboard on a predetermined surface of the casing,
An image reading area that is formed on the same surface as the wiping pad forming surface of the casing and reads characters, figures, and symbols on a whiteboard;
An image reading sensor for detecting image data relating to characters, figures and symbols from the image reading area;
A frame memory for storing image data of characters, figures and symbols drawn on an actual whiteboard read by the image reading sensor;
Origin designating means for designating the origin on the frame memory at the time of reading characters, figures and symbols;
A movement vector detecting means for detecting a movement vector from the designated origin on the whiteboard of the image reading sensor;
Based on the origin designated by the origin designation means, the movement vector obtained by the movement vector detection means, and the image data read by the image reading sensor, it corresponds to the image actually read on the whiteboard. An arithmetic means is provided for designating an address on the frame memory and prompting writing of image data to the address.

  More specifically, the contents of the frame memory (virtual whiteboard) are erased by the start button, and the physical origin of the board surface of the whiteboard is designated. Further, an image reading sensor adjacent to the wiping pad and in the direction of moving the whiteboard eraser reads the image drawn on the board surface of the whiteboard as an image relating to characters, figures and symbols immediately before erasing. At the same time, the moving vector detection means calculates the direction and position where the image was acquired. Based on this information, the arithmetic control means of the signal processing unit performs image movement and rotation conversion, and writes characters, figures and symbols on the whiteboard to the frame memory.

In this way, it is not necessary to provide a special structure for reading on the whiteboard plate surface or writing tool by providing the image reading means on the whiteboard eraser itself instead of the whiteboard plate surface or writing tool. . This makes it possible to read characters, figures and symbols on any type of whiteboard regardless of whether it is a simple whiteboard or a high-performance whiteboard, and regardless of the size of the whiteboard itself. Can be erased. Also, instead of reading only the whole surface of the whiteboard, it is drawn in a partial area, and it is possible to read and memorize characters, figures and symbols that particularly need to be read and erase them from the whiteboard at the same time The whiteboard eraser according to claim 2 of the present invention is the whiteboard eraser according to claim 1,
The movement vector detection means comprises at least two movement vector detection means arranged on the casing so as to be spaced apart from each other in the extending direction of the image reading sensor, and based on the detection results of the two movement vector detection means, Image data on the actual whiteboard read by the image reading sensor by the calculation means based on the detected attitude and movement vector while detecting the attitude and movement vector of the image reading sensor on the whiteboard The address in the frame memory corresponding to is designated, and the writing of the image data to the address is prompted.

  Since at least two movement vector detecting means are provided at positions separated from each other in the extending direction of the image reading sensor, not only the displacement vector of the image reading sensor of the whiteboard eraser but also the posture can be reliably detected. As a result, the direction and position at which the image is acquired can be calculated more accurately, and the control unit performs the movement and rotation conversion of the image based on this information and writes it in the frame memory. As a result, even when the whiteboard eraser is moved in an irregular direction on the whiteboard and read and erased, the read characters, figures and symbols can be accurately written on the corresponding frame memory. .

Moreover, the whiteboard eraser according to claim 3 of the present invention is the whiteboard eraser according to claim 1,
Once the arithmetic means writes the image data at the address designated on the frame memory, it prevents the new image data from being written again at an address overlapping the address.

  Since the frame memory at the address where characters, figures and symbols are once written is not overwritten, even if part or all of the area once read and erased by the whiteboard eraser is traced again by the whiteboard eraser The erased image information is not erroneously overwritten on the corresponding frame memory.

  Since the whiteboard eraser according to the present invention has the above-described configuration, it can also be used for a simple white board without a printing function. In addition, no special writing instrument is required for storing characters, figures and symbols drawn on the whiteboard. In addition, the entire mechanism for printing or recording characters, figures, and symbols drawn on the whiteboard can be reduced in size, and the price can be reduced. In addition to this, as long as the capacity of the frame memory allows, it is possible to support any large whiteboard. Furthermore, since the characters, figures and symbols drawn on the whiteboard are recorded using the whiteboard eraser, the characters, figures and symbols on the whiteboard can be read and erased at the same time. Never forget to erase important characters, figures and symbols on the board. In addition to this, if you manually erase only the part where characters, figures and symbols are drawn on the whiteboard, the area is automatically recorded, so you do not need to erase the entire board surface of the whiteboard. Can record characters, figures and symbols. Therefore, it is possible to proceed more smoothly by reading out only the minimum necessary part and erasing it while leaving the desired part and freely writing characters, figures and symbols in this area.

  In addition, the actual wiping speed is much faster than the conventional high-performance type reading type whiteboard with automatic wiping function. In addition, the whiteboard board surface of the read portion is erased at the same time as it is read, so the user confirms the erased state of the board surface on the whiteboard, and the characters, figures, and symbols are imported into the whiteboard eraser. The condition can be judged at the same time.

  In addition to this, the read image data can be transmitted to a personal computer or a printing machine via a communication interface.

  Hereinafter, a whiteboard eraser according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a whiteboard eraser 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention as viewed obliquely from above, and shows a printer portion on the opposite side to the wiping pad 11 and reading areas 12 and 13 (see FIG. 2). ing. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the wiping pad 11 and the reading areas 12 and 13 facing upward with the whiteboard eraser 1 in FIG. 1 turned upside down. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the whiteboard eraser 1 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The whiteboard character, figure, and symbol canceling part of the whiteboard consisting of the wiping pad 11 and various sensors are schematically shown. A signal processing unit that performs signal processing on characters, figures, and symbols read by the reading cancellation unit, a virtual memory unit that records signal processed image data, and characters on a whiteboard that are recorded in the virtual memory unit An interface unit that outputs two-dimensional information corresponding to graphics and symbols to the outside. Hereinafter, each of the above-described configurations will be described in detail.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the character / graphic / symbol reading / erasing portion of the whiteboard eraser 1 is formed on the casing 10 and one surface of the casing 10 to erase the characters / graphics / symbols on the whiteboard. The wiping pad 11 is formed on the same surface as the wiping pad forming surface of the casing 10, and the image reading areas 12 and 13 for reading characters, figures and symbols on the whiteboard, and the characters and figures from the image reading areas 12 and 13, Image reading sensors 22 and 23 for detecting symbol information are provided.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the casing 10 is formed of an elongated rectangular parallelepiped housing made of, for example, a resin having sufficient strength. On the upper surface of the casing shown in FIG. A print paper discharge port 14 from the micro printer is formed on the upper surface of the casing 10 while being built in the upper side. FIG. 1 shows a state in which the printed printing paper P is sent out from the discharge port.

  The size of the casing 10 is about one or two times larger than a whiteboard eraser having only a wiping pad, and has a size that can be freely handled by the user.

  In the vicinity of the print paper discharge port 14, a print start instruction button 51 described later, a memory erase instruction button 52 for erasing the contents of the frame memory, and the origin of the whiteboard eraser on the whiteboard are positioned later. An origin instruction button 53 is provided for instructing the arithmetic control unit 60 to perform.

  Further, a communication instruction button 54 and an external communication connector 55 with an external communication connector are disposed on one end surface of the casing 10 in the longitudinal direction.

  On the other hand, on the pressing surface of the casing 10 shown in FIG. 2 on the whiteboard, an elongated rectangular wiping pad 11 made of felt or the like for erasing characters, figures and symbols on the whiteboard, and the wiping pad 11 Arranged parallel to each other so as to sandwich the wiping pad 11 on both sides of the casing width direction, and arranged in a direction orthogonal to the direction in which the whiteboard eraser is moved when erasing the characters, figures and symbols on the whiteboard, For example, linear (one-dimensional) image reading sensors 22 and 23 made of a CCD are provided.

  That is, in the present embodiment, the two image reading sensors 22 and 23 are disposed on the same surface as the wiping pad forming surface of the casing, and the reading areas 12 and 13 for reading characters, figures and symbols on the whiteboard and the image. The arrangement locations of the reading sensors 22 and 23 are the same. A modified example in which the image reading area and the image reading sensor are formed at different locations will be described later.

  Although not shown in FIG. 2, position displacement sensors (movement vector detecting means) 24 and 25 are respectively provided at predetermined portions of the casing 10 that sandwich the wiping pad at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the wiping pad (FIG. 3). reference). As the position displacement sensors 24 and 25, position sensors used for so-called optical mice are used. The detection principle of the position displacement sensors 24 and 25 is that when the whiteboard eraser 1 is pressed against the whiteboard, the fine irregularities on the surface of the whiteboard corresponding to the position displacement sensors 24 and 25 are memorized, and the whiteboard eraser The fine irregularities of the area slightly shifted from the above on the whiteboard surface corresponding to the position displacement sensors 24 and 25 when moved slightly on the whiteboard are stored. Then, by comparing the initial fine irregularities on the whiteboard with the fine irregularities in the slightly shifted area, the respective displacement sensors 24 and 25 calculate the movement vectors moved on the whiteboard. .

  Further, since the position displacement sensors 24 and 25 are respectively provided at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the whiteboard eraser 1 so as to sandwich both ends of the image reading sensors 22 and 23, each of the position displacement sensors 24 and 25 on the whiteboard. By detecting the movement vectors of the position displacement sensors 24 and 25, the movement vectors (movement direction and movement distance) of the image reading sensors 22 and 23 and the attitude of the image reading sensors 22 and 23 can be always calculated.

  Next, the signal processing unit of the whiteboard eraser 1 will be described. The signal processing unit serves to perform signal processing on characters, figures, and symbols read by the above-described reading cancellation unit. The symbol processing unit moves the whiteboard eraser 1 on the whiteboard from the calculation control unit 60, the selection circuit unit 61 for selecting the data of the image reading sensors 22 and 23, and the output signals of the position displacement sensors 24 and 25. Coordinate calculation units 62 and 63 for calculating vectors and orientations, coordinate temporary storage units 64 and 65 for temporarily storing calculated coordinates, and coordinate calculation units for sequential calculation with coordinate temporary storage units 64 and 65 A sliding direction determination unit 66 that compares the output signals from 62 and 63 to determine the sliding direction of the whiteboard eraser 1, and an origin that instructs the calculation control unit 60 on the origin of the whiteboard eraser 1 on the whiteboard Instruction input unit (origin instruction button) 53 and two-dimensional corresponding to characters, figures and symbols on a whiteboard recorded in a frame memory described later A frame memory erase instruction unit (memory erase instruction button) 52 for erasing information, a thinning / complementing unit 67 for thinning out and storing coordinate values obtained from the coordinate calculation units 62 and 63, and a thinning / complementing unit 67. An address string generation unit 68 that generates a two-dimensional address in the frame memory based on information from the calculation control unit 60, and an image calculation unit 69 that determines the size of the image obtained from the calculation control unit 60. ing.

  Next, the frame memory 70 that stores characters, figures, and symbols drawn on the actual whiteboard read by the position displacement sensors 24 and 25 will be described below.

  The frame memory 70 is a memory for storing virtual characters, figures, and symbols having a corresponding two-dimensional area on the whiteboard, and image data obtained from the arithmetic control unit 60 corresponding to the address string generation unit 68 described above. The whiteboard eraser 1 writes the image data on the virtual whiteboard corresponding to the area actually traced on the whiteboard. The frame memory 70 has a one-to-one correspondence with the address of the frame memory 70 in addition to the frame memory for actually writing image data of characters, figures and symbols on the whiteboard as described above. A read area mask memory for marking a read area on the white board read by the board eraser 1 and blocking writing to overlapping addresses is also provided.

  Also, by providing such a read area mask memory, once the arithmetic control unit 60 writes the image data to the designated address on the frame memory 70, an address overlapping with the address is designated again, and the address New image data is prevented from being written to the. As a result, even if part or all of the area once read and erased by the whiteboard eraser is traced again by the whiteboard eraser 1, the erased information is erroneously overwritten on the corresponding frame memory 70. Is preventing.

  Then, based on the vector amount obtained by the position displacement sensors 24 and 25 and the image data of characters, figures and symbols read by the image reading sensors 22 and 23, it corresponds to the read image on the actual whiteboard. The signal processing unit described above functions to designate an address on the frame memory 70 and prompt the image data to be written to the address, whereby characters, figures and symbols drawn on the whiteboard are displayed on the frame memory 70. It is always drawn accurately.

  Hereinafter, a procedure for reading characters, figures, and symbols on an actual whiteboard using the above-described whiteboard eraser 1 will be described.

  First, the whiteboard eraser 1 is pressed against a desired position on the whiteboard on which characters, figures and symbols to be erased simultaneously with the reading, and the origin indication button 53 of the whiteboard eraser 1 is pressed. Next, the whiteboard eraser 1 is moved on the whiteboard along a region where characters, figures and symbols to be erased simultaneously with reading are drawn. At this time, the movement circuit obtained by the position displacement sensors 24 and 25 is calculated by the selection circuit unit 61. Then, before the characters, graphics, and symbols to be read are wiped from the calculation result, it is instantaneously determined which image reading sensor 22, 23 passes these characters, graphics, and symbols before wiping. That is, of the two image reading sensors 22 and 23, one image reading sensor corresponding to the moving direction of the whiteboard eraser 1 is selected, and the image reading sensor is used to erase the image along the flow line erased by the user. The immediately preceding one-dimensional image is acquired as a partial image.

  That is, in the present embodiment, a method of using two image reading sensors is used to acquire a one-dimensional image immediately before being erased, and the one-dimensional image reading sensors 22 and 23 are provided on both sides of the wiping pad 11. It is characterized in that only the image reading sensor located at the tip of the wiping pad 11 is always enabled and images relating to characters, figures and symbols on the plate surface are acquired.

  Then, based on the movement vector and attitude information on the whiteboard of the image reading sensors 22 and 23 obtained by the position displacement sensors 24 and 25, the signal processing unit 60 converts the image data read by the image reading sensors 22 and 23 into the signal processing unit 60. The address in the frame memory 70 corresponding to the characters, figures, and symbols drawn on the actual whiteboard is specified, and the writing of the image data to the frame memory 70 is prompted.

  A method of reproducing characters, figures and symbols read by the image reading sensors 22 and 23 on the virtual whiteboard on the frame memory 70 is as follows.

  Both the whiteboard and the virtual whiteboard are expressed in an orthogonal coordinate system. As shown in FIG. 4, the physical position and orientation (attitude information) of one image reading sensor (hereinafter, for example, one image reading sensor 22) are acquired simultaneously with the acquisition of the one-dimensional image. 24 and 25, these are always associated with each other, a coordinate string on the frame memory 70 where image data is to be stored is obtained from the posture information, and converted into an address string. By performing numerical processing on the acquired one-dimensional image, image data to be stored at the calculated address can be obtained.

  Here, a method for acquiring the posture information of the image reading sensor 22 is as follows. The posture information is represented by two coordinates on the plate surface where both ends of the image reading sensor 22 are located. The following means are used to obtain these coordinates.

  In the present embodiment, a method of directly acquiring the coordinates on the whiteboard pressed by the whiteboard eraser is performed. This can be achieved by disposing the position displacement sensors 24 and 25 at both ends of the image reading sensor 22 (or relatively fixed points close to both ends) as in the present embodiment. In the case of this embodiment, as described above, two sets of optical mouse position sensors are used as position displacement sensors. However, instead of this, two sets of track balls (ball-type XY rotary encoder) may be used. In the case of the present embodiment, the whiteboard eraser 1 is pressed in advance to a position on the plate surface to be the origin, and the origin and initial posture are designated by the origin designation button 53.

  On the other hand, numerical processing of read image data such as characters, figures and symbols is performed as follows. Since the input resolution by the image reading sensor 22 and the position / orientation sensors 24 and 25 and the output resolution are generally different, when the input resolution> the output resolution, the input interval is thinned according to the output side resolution and Take consistency. On the other hand, if the input resolution is smaller than the output resolution, the input data is interpolated to ensure consistency between the data.

  An example of the consistency between the input data and the output data will be described. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, when the dimensions of the whiteboard are 1200 mm wide and 900 mm long, the print output is 240 mm wide and 180 mm long, and the input and output resolutions are equal, the output resolution is 1/5 of the input. Therefore, every time the input coordinates on either one of the two ends of the image reading sensor advance by 5 coordinates, a one-dimensional image is read and used as data for one coordinate on the virtual whiteboard.

  Subsequently, the partial images are synthesized. The area scanned by the image reading sensor 22 is always erased from the actual board surface of the whiteboard by the wiping pad 11, so that the whiteboard eraser 1 is aligned with the characters, figures, symbols, etc. remaining on the board surface. Manually scan one after the other. Partial images are additionally recorded on the virtual whiteboard for each scan.

  In addition to this, the whiteboard eraser 1 according to the present embodiment does not write the image data of the area overlapping with the once taken-in area into the frame memory again unless the frame memory is completely erased. This prevents the loss of acquired data due to duplication between multiple scan lines, that is, overwriting the already erased white part on the duplicated part where characters, figures and symbols are written. (See FIGS. 6 and 7).

  Here, a specific method for preventing overwriting of the duplicate scan portion performed in this embodiment will be described in detail. In this embodiment, a 1-bit deep mask memory having the same positional information as the frame memory 70 (strictly overlapping) is used as the write prevention memory. That is, when the memory of the virtual whiteboard is erased by the memory erase instruction button 52, the mask memory is also erased at the same time. Then, a mark (for example, marking data consisting of a numerical value “1”) is written numerically at an address on the mask memory equal to the calculated address on the virtual whiteboard, regardless of the density of the stored image data. When duplication occurs due to the second and subsequent scans, data is not written in the frame memory 70 having an address equal to the address having the mark (marking).

  As a result, an image relating to the read character, figure or symbol is reproduced on the virtual whiteboard in the frame memory 70. By integrating and synthesizing partial images of different areas on the virtual whiteboard at the correct positions, the read characters, figures and symbols on the whiteboard are reproduced on the virtual whiteboard as one complete image. The reproduced image is printed on paper or transmitted to an external device via data communication.

  Since the whiteboard eraser 1 according to the present embodiment has the above-described configuration, the whiteboard eraser 1 can be used for a simple white board without a printing function. In addition to this, as long as the capacity of the frame memory allows, it is possible to support any large whiteboard. Furthermore, since the characters, figures and symbols drawn on the whiteboard are recorded using the whiteboard eraser 1, the characters, figures and symbols on the whiteboard can be erased simultaneously. In addition, necessary characters, figures and symbols can be recorded without erasing the entire board surface of the whiteboard. Therefore, it is possible to erase only the necessary minimum portion while reading it, and to leave the portion to be left freely. In addition, since the board surface of the read whiteboard is erased at the same time as it is read, the user confirms the erased condition of the board surface on the whiteboard, so that the characters, figures and symbols to the whiteboard eraser 1 are It is possible to determine the degree of capture simultaneously.

  Unlike the configuration using the two image reading sensors 22 and 23 as in the above-described embodiment, a single image reading sensor may be used. Specifically, a mechanical optical switching method using only one image reading sensor can be considered as such a method. As shown in FIG. 8, the mechanical optical switching method includes an optical path body 112 in which the connecting portion forms a prism by combining a thin rectangular quartz glass plate or by integrally molding a highly transparent plastic. Two sets of 113 are arranged so that the front end (reading area) of the optical path is positioned in the reading / erasing direction of the wiping pad 111 and the front or rear. Then, the wiping portion is shifted backward by a minute distance by the reaction force acting in the direction opposite to the wiping direction of the whiteboard eraser 2. At the same time, the optical path bodies 112 and 113 arranged at both ends of the wiping pad 111 slide, and the optical path body in front of them forms a light path to the single reading sensor 120.

  Another method of using one image reading sensor is to manually select two wiping pads 311a and 311b manually as shown in FIG. The whiteboard eraser 3 includes wiping pads 311a and 311b divided into two in the front-rear direction of the wiping operation, and a single image reading sensor 320 is disposed on the dividing line. The two wiping pads 311a and 311b are inclined so as to form a taper shape so that the dividing line portion is the highest and becomes lower toward both ends. And when wiping, it has the structure which always reads the character, figure, and symbol on a whiteboard before wiping by pressing a wiping pad on the opposite side (back side) to a board surface manually.

  Regarding the above-described whiteboard eraser 1, the wiping width becomes longer than the effective reading length of the image reading sensors 22 and 23 due to the rotation of the wiping pad 11, and the inconvenience that the plate surface is wiped before image acquisition is avoided. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 10, it is preferable to limit the rotation allowable angle in the sliding direction of the whiteboard eraser 1.

  In addition, as described above, the area on the whiteboard that has already been read by the whiteboard eraser is further overlapped and erased, so that the already erased white area is overwritten with characters and graphic symbols beyond the frame memory. It is necessary to prevent characters and graphic symbols from being erased even in the frame memory. In this case, in the above-described embodiment, the mask memory having each address string corresponding to the frame memory is provided. However, instead of providing such a memory specially, the following method may be used on the frame memory. Overwriting can be prevented.

  Specifically, this is a method using the magnitude relationship of the density of image data. This is because when writing image data to the virtual whiteboard, the old data stored at the address of the virtual whiteboard to be written is read and compared with the new data, and the density of the new data is greater than the density of the old data Only in the case (that is, when the density on the whiteboard is dark), the new data is replaced. Since the density should always be small at the place where the wiping pad is erased, by performing such a process, overwriting of “white” due to duplication of scan lines does not occur. In this modification, since the mask memory can be omitted, the cost can be reduced accordingly.

  The above-mentioned method using the mask memory and the method of comparing the density of each data so as not to erase the data with high density are combined, and the data already written on the frame memory is erroneously overwritten. It may be more reliably prevented from being erased by.

  Further, as described above, when obtaining the movement vector from the origin of the whiteboard eraser and the attitude of the whiteboard eraser itself on the whiteboard, the optical position displacement sensor at a position where the wiping pad is sandwiched between the longitudinal ends of the casing as described above. As described above, a rotary encoder used in a so-called ball-type mechanical mouse that mechanically detects the amount of movement between the X direction and the Y direction used in a normal mouse may be used.

  Further, an acceleration sensor may be arranged at both ends of the image reading sensor, and a movement vector of the acceleration sensor may be obtained. That is, the origin of the image reading sensor (or a relatively fixed point close to each end) is obtained, and the moving speed vector from each origin is obtained by the acceleration sensor, and the time is integrated. Is calculated. These velocity vectors can be obtained by time-integrating accelerations obtained from two sets of two-dimensional acceleration sensors. Before acquiring the velocity vector, press the whiteboard eraser to the position that should be the origin on the board surface in advance, and specify the origin and the initial posture with the origin instruction button, and the whiteboard eraser on the whiteboard from the output of the acceleration sensor Can be obtained. In this way, when obtaining a movement vector using an acceleration sensor, it is not always necessary to press the whiteboard eraser against the whiteboard while shifting it, but the whiteboard eraser is appropriately separated from the whiteboard and the whiteboard eraser is placed on the whiteboard only when reading. It can also be pressed.

  Further, as shown below, it is also possible to detect the amount of movement vector from the origin of the whiteboard eraser and the attitude of the whiteboard eraser itself by a combination of a wire and an angle sensor.

  Subsequently, several methods for obtaining the position, movement vector, and posture of the whiteboard eraser on the whiteboard will be described in detail below. As a method for calculating coordinates and orientations from different coordinates on such a whiteboard, the following three modifications can be considered.

  As a first modification, as shown in FIG. 11, two wires 401 and 402 that are constantly applied with a constant tension are coupled to the vicinity of both ends of the image reading sensor 420, and the distance that these wires 401 and 402 are drawn out, A method of obtaining from the angle formed by the reference line 400 and the wires 401 and 402 can be considered.

  Specifically, when the distance H between the two wire lead-out portions, the feeding distances L1 and L2 of the wires 401 and 402, the reference line between the two wire lead-out portions and the feeding angle of each wire are θ1 and θ2, respectively. The coordinates of both ends of the image reading sensor 420 of the whiteboard eraser 4 are (L1 cos θ1, L1 sin θ1) and (H-L2 cos θ2, L2 sin θ1), and the movement vector and posture of the whiteboard eraser 4 can always be grasped.

  Subsequently, as a second modification, as shown in FIG. 12, a single wire 501 that is constantly applied with a constant tension is coupled to the whiteboard eraser 5, and the distance L that the wire 501 is drawn out, the reference line 500, and You may obtain | require from the angle which the wire 501 makes, and the angle which the image reading sensor 520 and the wire 501 make. In this case, using the reel 530 with an angle sensor, an angle θ1 formed between the horizontal direction and the feeding direction of the reel 530, a feeding amount L of the reel 530, and an angle formed between the reel 530 and the longitudinal direction of the whiteboard eraser 5 are θ2. Then, the coordinates of both ends of the image reading sensor of the whiteboard eraser 5 are (Lcos θ1, Lsin θ1) and (Lcos θ1 + Wcos (180 ° −θ1−θ2), Lsin θ1−Wsin (180 ° −θ1−θ2)). Thereby, the movement vector and posture of the whiteboard eraser 5 can always be grasped.

  Subsequently, although not shown here, as a third modified example, a method for directly calculating the address on the virtual whiteboard by providing the whiteboard with coordinate detection means directly on the whiteboard is conceivable. In this method, the trajectory through which the line segment connecting two coordinates on the whiteboard obtained from the posture information coincides with the area of the one-dimensional image read by the image reading sensor. Since the coordinates of the whiteboard through which the line segment passes are obtained by numerical calculation, a one-dimensional image can be written in the coordinates of the virtual whiteboard corresponding to the coordinates.

  When the whiteboard eraser 1 according to the present embodiment introduced as described above and the whiteboard eraser according to the modified example (hereinafter referred to as the “whiteboard eraser according to the present invention”) are used, for example, a handy scanner is used. Compared to reading characters, graphics, and symbols on the whiteboard, the following advantages are obtained.

  As for the representation method (image) of the scanned area, the handy scanner is limited to one two-dimensional image, whereas in the case of the whiteboard eraser according to the present invention, a plurality of two-dimensional partial images are connected. A wide range of 2D images can be read and stored.

  Further, the scanning direction is limited to only one direction at right angles to the long axis direction of the one-dimensional optical sensor in the case of a handy scanner, whereas in the case of the whiteboard eraser according to the present invention, the one-dimensional optical sensor. Any angle is possible as long as the direction is other than the major axis direction. Further, it is possible to select two directions in the direction in which the image reading sensor is first and the wiping pad is kept in the subsequent relationship. That is, by providing two image reading sensors, the image reading sensors that are effective depending on the scanning direction can be switched.

  Further, the number of scans is limited to one for a handy scanner, but the whiteboard eraser according to the present invention can be scanned any number of times until the plate surface is erased. Further, since the overlapping of the scan lines is not overwritten, there is also an effect that it is not necessary to strictly manage the scan lines through a manual or physical mechanism.

  In addition, in the case of a handy scanner, the width and shape of the scanned region is a rectangle in which the length of the long axis of the optical sensor is equal to the short side of the region, whereas in the case of the whiteboard eraser according to the present invention, There is a merit that there are no restrictions on the size and shape depending on the size of the installed memory.

  Next, as for the quality of the scanned area, in the case of a handy scanner, the front of the area is to be scanned, so there should be no obstacles such as protrusions in the area, but in the case of the whiteboard eraser according to the present invention, Since scanning in any direction is possible, even if there is an obstacle, it can be avoided and scanned.

  In addition to this, in the case of a handy scanner, it is not possible to erase characters, figures and symbols on the whiteboard at the same time as scanning. However, in the case of the whiteboard eraser according to the present invention, these can be deleted at the same time as scanning. There is a difference that can be erased.

  From the above, the whiteboard eraser according to the present invention has a merit that is far superior to the case of using a simple handy scanner and wiping pad to erase the characters, figures, and symbols on the whiteboard. I understand that

  The application object of the present invention is not limited to a whiteboard eraser used for a so-called whiteboard, and can also be applied to, for example, a blackboard eraser used for a school blackboard.

It is the perspective view which looked at the whiteboard eraser concerning one Embodiment of this invention from diagonally upward. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a state in which the whiteboard eraser shown in FIG. 1 is turned over and the wiping pad side is directed to the upper surface. It is a figure which shows the functional block of the whiteboard eraser shown in FIG. It is explanatory drawing which shows the arithmetic processing which erases a part of character on a whiteboard and memorize | stores it simultaneously, using the whiteboard eraser shown in FIG. FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a calculation process for copying characters, figures, and symbols on a whiteboard to a frame memory in relation to FIG. 4. FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram for explaining an operation of turning back a whiteboard eraser on the whiteboard and subsequently erasing characters, figures, and symbols on the whiteboard. FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing signal processing for copying information on characters, figures, and symbols read by a whiteboard eraser folded on a whiteboard on the frame memory in relation to FIG. 6. Schematic cross-sectional explanatory diagram (FIG. 8 (a)) showing the configuration when the image reading sensor for reading characters, figures and symbols on the whiteboard is a single image reading sensor, and the whiteboard eraser for each wiping direction FIG. 9 is an explanatory schematic sectional view (FIGS. 8B and 8C). A side view (FIG. 9A) showing a whiteboard eraser having a different structure from that in FIG. 8 in which the image reading sensor is a single image reading sensor from the longitudinal direction end surface, and the whiteboard eraser for each wiping direction of the whiteboard eraser. It is the shown side view (FIG.9 (b), FIG.9 (c)). It is explanatory drawing which showed the countermeasure which eliminates a partial reading defect when the whiteboard eraser concerning one Embodiment of this invention reads in the state which inclined too much, and is a whiteboard eraser in the direction perpendicular to the wiping direction of a whiteboard eraser. It is the figure (FIG. 10 (a)) which showed the state which shifts, and the figure (FIG. 10 (b), FIG.10 (c)) which made the white board eraser into the state which was diagonally wiped off. The modification of the whiteboard eraser concerning this embodiment was shown, and the method of calculating the amount of movement vector and the posture from the origin on the whiteboard of the whiteboard eraser from the feeding distance of the two wires and the angle between the horizontal lines was shown. FIG. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a method for obtaining the amount of movement vector and the posture from the origin on the whiteboard of the whiteboard eraser according to the present embodiment using a reel with an angle sensor unlike FIG.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 White board eraser 10 Casing 11 Wiping pad 12, 13 Reading area 14 Printing paper discharge port 22, 23 Image reading sensor 24, 25 Position displacement sensor 51 Printing start instruction button 52 Memory deletion instruction button (frame memory deletion instruction part)
53 Origin indication button (origin indication input part)
54 communication instruction button 55 external communication connector 60 arithmetic control unit 61 selection circuit unit 62,63 coordinate calculation unit 64,65 coordinate temporary storage unit 66 sliding direction determination unit 67 thinning / complementation unit 68 address string generation unit 69 image calculation unit 70 Frame memory

Claims (3)

In a whiteboard eraser having a casing and a wiping pad for erasing characters, figures and symbols on the whiteboard on a predetermined surface of the casing,
An image reading area that is formed on the same surface as the wiping pad forming surface of the casing and reads characters, figures, and symbols on a whiteboard;
An image reading sensor for detecting image data relating to characters, figures and symbols from the image reading area;
A frame memory for storing image data relating to characters, figures and symbols drawn on an actual whiteboard read by the image reading sensor;
Origin designating means for designating the origin on the frame memory at the time of reading characters, figures and symbols;
A movement vector detecting means for detecting a movement vector from the designated origin on the whiteboard of the image reading sensor;
Corresponding to the actual image read on the whiteboard based on the origin specified by the previous-point origin specifying means, the movement vector obtained by the movement vector detecting means, and the image data read by the image reading sensor. A whiteboard eraser, comprising: an arithmetic unit that designates an address on the frame memory and prompts writing of image data to the address.   The movement vector detection means comprises at least two movement vector detection means arranged on the casing so as to be separated from each other in the extending direction of the image reading sensor, and based on the detection results of the two movement vector detection means, While detecting the attitude and movement vector of the image reading sensor on the whiteboard, based on the detected attitude and movement vector, the computing means is on the actual whiteboard read by the image reading sensor. 2. The whiteboard eraser according to claim 1, wherein an address in the frame memory corresponding to image data is designated to prompt writing of the image data to the address. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein once the image data is written to an address designated on the frame memory, the calculation unit prevents new image data from being written again to an address overlapping the address. Whiteboard eraser as described.

Images