JP3832591B2 - Pointing device and optical coordinate input device having the same - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a pointing device used in an optical coordinate input device that detects reflected light of a light source with an optical sensor and specifies coordinates based on the information, and an optical coordinate input device including the pointing device.

Conventionally, as a device of this type, when a photoelectric conversion element is arranged corresponding to a display pixel of a liquid crystal panel having a backlight and the tip of the pen is brought into contact with the surface of the liquid crystal panel, the indicated position of the tip The pen used for the optical coordinate input device which specifies an indication position based on detecting the reflected light from a photoelectric conversion element is mentioned (for example, refer patent document 1).
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-11998 (FIGS. 2 and 3)

  However, the conventional example having such a configuration has the following problems.

  That is, the configuration of the tip of the conventional device is not disclosed at all. Therefore, in a configuration that can be normally considered, light is diffusely reflected at the tip of the pen, and thus there is a problem that information for accurately specifying the indicated position cannot be provided to the optical coordinate input device.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and provides a pointing device that can accurately provide information on a pointing position while eliminating the need for a power supply, and an optical coordinate input device including the pointing device. The purpose is to do.

  In order to achieve such an object, the present invention has the following configuration.

  That is, the invention according to claim 1 is an indication device used in an optical coordinate input device in which reflected light of a light source is detected by an optical sensor, and a coordinate calculation unit obtains coordinates based on information of the detected optical sensor. A spherical lens that transmits light from the light source; a concave receiving member for attaching the spherical lens to a tip; a reflecting member that is interposed between the spherical lens and the concave receiving member and reflects the light from the light source; , Are provided.

  [Operation / Effect] When a specific location of the optical coordinate input device is indicated by the pointing device, the light from the light source enters the spherical lens attached to the concave receiving member of the pointing device. The incident light is reflected by the reflecting member, slightly shifted in position, returns to the same direction in parallel with the incident light, and enters the optical sensor. That is, since it has the property of retroreflection with a slight misalignment, irregular reflection at the indicated position can be prevented. Accordingly, it is possible to accurately give information on the indicated position to the optical coordinate input device while eliminating the need for a power source for the pointing device. Furthermore, since the reflecting member does not contact the optical coordinate input device, it does not wear and can maintain its performance over a long period of time.

  The reflective member is a sheet-like member made of a high-reflectance material, a thick film or thin film formed by vapor deposition or sputtering of the high-reflectance material, and a concave receiving member made of a high-reflectivity material, and the surface of unnecessary portions is formed. Various configurations are possible, such as roughening and irregular reflection surfaces, and only a required portion of the concave receiving member as a reflection surface.

  The concave receiving member is preferably made of a material that absorbs light from the light source. Since reflection at the concave receiving member is suppressed and only the light reflected by the reflecting member recursively returns to the optical sensor side, information on the indicated position can be given with higher accuracy.

  The reflecting member is preferably attached to the spherical lens (Claim 3) or the concave receiving member (Claim 4). The reflective member can be positioned with higher accuracy and the retroreflective characteristics can be improved than when the reflective member is sandwiched between the spherical lens and the concave receiving member and assembled.

  The above-described deposition can be performed, for example, by vacuum-depositing or sputtering a high reflectance material typified by aluminum, or attaching a reflective sheet material.

  Moreover, when the arrangement interval of the photosensors is w, the diameter of the spherical lens is preferably in the range of 1.5w to 2w. This is because if the spherical lens diameter is smaller than 1.5 w, the amount of light necessary for the optical sensor cannot be reflected, and if the spherical lens exceeds 2 w, there is a disadvantage that light is reflected also to the adjacent optical sensor.

  Moreover, it is preferable that the reflection member is deposited by vapor deposition or sputtering. The reflection member can be formed with high positional accuracy by vapor deposition or sputtering.

  Moreover, it is preferable that the reflection member is provided over a range in which a solid angle formed with the center of the spherical lens is an acute angle. This is because if the solid angle exceeds an acute angle, the light may return to the adjacent optical sensor.

  Moreover, it is preferable that the optical coordinate input device includes any one of the pointing devices described above.

  According to the pointing device according to the present invention, since it has the property of retroreflection, irregular reflection at the pointed position can be prevented. Accordingly, it is possible to accurately give information on the indicated position to the optical coordinate input device while eliminating the need for a power source for the pointing device. Furthermore, since the reflecting member does not abut against the optical coordinate input device and does not wear, the performance can be maintained over a long period of time.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an input pen according to an embodiment and a tablet including the input pen. 2A is an overall view of the input pen, FIG. 2B is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of the tip, and FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the input pen and the tablet.

  The input pen 1 is provided separately from the tablet 7, and as shown in FIG. 2A, the input pen 1 has a pen-like appearance and a glass bead 5 having a spherical shape at the tip 3. The tip 3 has a downward conical shape, and the operator indicates a desired position on the tablet 7 on the side of the glass beads 5 attached to the lower end. The glass beads 5 are formed of a material whose refractive index is about twice that of air, for example.

  The input pen 1 corresponds to the pointing device of the present invention, the tablet 3 corresponds to the optical coordinate input device of the present invention, the tip 3 corresponds to the concave receiving member of the present invention, and the glass beads 5 This corresponds to the spherical lens of the present invention.

  The tablet 7 is used, for example, to give position information to a computer (not shown). The external appearance is a flat plate shape, and an indication range 9 whose position can be detected is provided on the upper surface. A frame line 9a is attached to explicitly indicate the designated range 9 to the operator.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the tablet 7 includes a backlight 11, a back glass substrate 13, a liquid crystal layer 15, a black matrix layer 17, and a front glass substrate 19 in order from the lower layer to the upper layer. .

  The backlight 11 corresponding to the light source in the present invention is, for example, equivalent to that provided in a liquid crystal panel used in a display device or the like, and emits light upward in FIG. The back glass substrate 13 transmits the light of the backlight 11 well and has sufficient mechanical strength, and serves as a base on which the liquid crystal layer 15 is formed. The liquid crystal layer 15 is formed on the surface of the back glass substrate 13, and the TFTs 21 are formed together with transparent electrodes in a matrix in the xy direction of the tablet 7 (see FIG. 1). An optical sensor 23 is formed so as to be adjacent to and paired with the TFT 21. Note that the pair of TFTs 21 and the optical sensor 23 constitute one pixel P. Here, the arrangement interval of each pixel P, in other words, the arrangement interval of the photosensors 23 is represented by the symbol w.

  The black matrix layer 17 is formed with a black matrix 25 that adjusts the contrast in the indication range 9 and covers a joint portion (not shown) so as not to be seen from the indication range 9 side. The surface glass substrate 19 having the indication range 9 is formed of a material that transmits light from the backlight 11 and has sufficient wear strength against pressing by the input pen 1.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a side of the tablet 7 is provided with a first multiplexer 27 for sequentially detecting output signals of the respective optical sensors 23 arranged in the y direction. Further, a second multiplexer 29 for sequentially detecting output signals of the respective optical sensors 23 arranged in the x direction is provided above the tablet 7. Information detected by the first and second multiplexers 27 and 29 is given to the coordinate calculation unit 31. Based on the information, the coordinate calculation unit 31 obtains the coordinates within the designated range 9 indicated by the input pen 1 with the tip 3. The obtained information is output as position information from the coordinate calculation unit 31.

  As shown in FIG. 2B, a concave portion 32 having a diameter slightly larger than the outer dimensions of the glass beads 5 and slightly deeper than the radius of the glass beads 5 is formed at the lower portion of the tip portion 3 of the input pen 1. ing. A reflective member 33 is interposed between the recess 32 and the glass bead 5.

  The reflection member 33 exists on the outer surface of the glass bead 5 and is formed so as to cover an area smaller than the hemisphere. The center P1 is provided so as to coincide with the center P2 of the input pen 1. Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the solid angle θ formed with the center of the glass bead 5 is set to be an acute angle. This is because if the solid angle θ exceeds an acute angle, the light may return to the photosensors of adjacent pixels as described later. The material of the reflection member 33 is formed of a property that reflects light from the backlight 11. The material is preferably a high reflectivity material, exemplified by aluminum. On the other hand, it is preferable that the tip 3 is made of a material that absorbs light from the backlight 11 at least on the surface of the recess 32. Instead of this, at least the surface of the recess 32 may be subjected to a treatment for irregularly reflecting light.

  In addition, you may comprise so that the center P1 and the center P2 may have a certain fixed angle. Thereby, even when the input pen 1 is held in an inclined posture, position detection can be performed with high accuracy.

  When the input pen 1 configured as described above indicates the inside of the indication range 9 of the tablet 11, the position information is obtained as follows. Reference is now made to FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining position detection.

  That is, it is assumed that the light R1 from the backlight 11 is transmitted through the pixel P located immediately below the glass bead 5 and that the light R1 is incident on the glass bead 5. The light R1 is refracted on the surface of the glass bead 5 to become refracted light R2, and then reflected by the reflecting member 33 on the upper side to become reflected light R3. The reflected light R3 is refracted on the surface of the glass bead 5. Thus, the return light R4 is separated from the light R1 within the designated range 9 and is parallel to the light R1, and enters the same pixel P as described above. As a result, among the plurality of pixels P formed in the designated range 9, only the light sensor 23 of the pixel P located directly below the glass bead 5 detects the light of the backlight 11 most strongly.

  In this way, the light R1 from the backlight 11 is slightly shifted in position from the incident light R4 due to retroreflection, and returns to be parallel to the incident light. Is detected by the optical sensor 23 in the same pixel P. Note that when a reflection sheet or the like having a general retroreflectivity is attached to the tip of the input pen 1, light returns in exactly the same direction, and the optical sensor in the same pixel P. 23 cannot be detected.

  The diameter of the glass beads 5 is preferably about 1.5 to 2 w with respect to the arrangement interval w of the pixels P. Specifically, when the arrangement interval w is approximately 300 μm, the diameter of the glass beads 5 is 450 to 600 μm. By setting it as such a diameter, the light from the backlight 11 can be reliably returned with respect to the pixel P which permeate | transmitted, and position detection can be performed reliably. In other words, if the diameter of the glass beads 5 is smaller than 1.5 w, the amount of light necessary for turning on the optical sensor 23 cannot be reflected. This is because the problem that light is reflected also to 23 occurs.

  As described above, when the input pen 1 indicates a specific location within the specified range 9 on the tablet 7, the light from the backlight 11 enters the glass beads 5 of the input pen 1. The incident light is reflected by the reflecting member 33, slightly shifted in position, returns to the same direction in parallel with the incident light, and enters the optical sensor 23. That is, since the input pen 1 has the property of retroreflection with a slight positional deviation, irregular reflection at the position indicated by the input pen 1 can be prevented. Therefore, it is possible to accurately give information related to the designated position to the tablet 7 while making the input pen 1 unnecessary for a power source. Further, since the reflecting member 33 does not directly contact the surface of the indication range 9 of the tablet 7, the reflecting member 33 is not worn and can maintain its performance for a long period of time.

  Next, with reference to FIG. 5 to FIG. 7, a method for manufacturing the tip portion 3 that is a main part of the input pen 1 described above will be described.

<First manufacturing method>
Please refer to FIG.

  This method includes a step of attaching the reflecting member 33 to one part of the glass bead 5 and a step of fitting the glass bead 5 to which the reflecting member 33 is attached into the concave portion 32 of the distal end portion 3. In order to prevent the glass beads 5 from rotating in the recesses 32, it is preferable to adhere the glass beads 5 to the recesses 32.

  In the deposition process, for example, vacuum deposition is used. According to vacuum deposition, the reflecting member 33 can be formed with high positional accuracy with respect to the glass beads 5, and the position detection accuracy can be increased.

  Further, the reflective member 33 may be applied by sputtering, or a sheet-like member made of aluminum or the like may be attached to the glass beads 5.

<Second manufacturing method>
Please refer to FIG.

  This method includes a step of attaching the reflecting member 33 to a part of the concave portion 32 of the distal end portion 3 and a step of fitting the glass beads 5 into the concave portion 32.

  According to this method, even when the glass bead 5 comes into contact with the indication range 9 and rotates in the recess 32 when the position is indicated by the input pen 1, the position of the reflecting member 33 is not changed. The detection position accuracy can be maintained without being fixed to 32.

  According to the two methods described above, it is possible to position the reflecting member with higher accuracy and to improve the retroreflective characteristics than when the reflecting member 33 is sandwiched between the glass bead 5 and the recess 32 and assembled. .

<Third manufacturing method>
Please refer to FIG.

  This method is different from the above two methods in that the tip 3 is formed of a material that efficiently reflects the light of the backlight 11.

  That is, the step of forming the tip portion 3 with a high reflectivity material and forming the irregular reflection surface 41 (indicated by a dotted line in the drawing) in a range excluding the position corresponding to the reflection member 33 described above, and the glass beads 5 in the concave portion 32. And a step of fitting into the.

  The irregular reflection surface 41 is formed by sticking a sheet material having the property of irregular reflection or by performing a treatment for roughening the surface of the recess 32. By forming the irregular reflection surface 41 in this way, the remaining region becomes the reflection surface 43 corresponding to the reflection member 33 described above.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be modified as follows.

  (1) Although the input pen 1 having a pen shape has been described as an example of the pointing device, the present invention is not limited to such a shape. For example, it may have a mouse shape with a spherical lens or the like on the lower surface, or may have a shape that can be attached to a fingertip with a spherical lens or the like at the tip.

  (2) Although the glass beads 5 are exemplified as the spherical lens, the present invention is not limited to a perfect sphere, and may be of any shape as long as it has a retroreflective lens as described above.

  As described above, the present invention is suitable for an indicating device as an input device used in an optical coordinate input device for giving information on a pointing position in a computer or the like, and an optical coordinate input device including the same.

It is a schematic block diagram of the input pen which concerns on an Example, and a tablet provided with the same. (A) is a general view of an input pen, (b) is a longitudinal sectional view in which a tip portion is enlarged. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of an input pen and a tablet. It is a figure where it uses for description of a position detection. It is a figure which shows the 1st method of manufacturing the front-end | tip part of an input pen. It is a figure which shows the 2nd method of manufacturing the front-end | tip part of an input pen. It is a figure which shows the 3rd method of manufacturing the front-end | tip part of an input pen.

Explanation of symbols

1 ... Input pen (indicator)
3 ... Tip (concave receiving member)
5 ... Glass beads (spherical lens)
7 ... Tablet (optical coordinate input device)
9 ... Instruction range 11 ... Backlight (light source)
23 ... Optical sensor 32 ... Recess 33 ... Reflecting member

Claims (8)

In a pointing device used in an optical coordinate input device that detects reflected light of a light source with an optical sensor, and a coordinate calculation unit obtains coordinates based on information of the detected optical sensor,
A spherical lens that transmits light from the light source;
A concave receiving member for attaching the spherical lens to the tip;
A reflective member that is interposed between the spherical lens and the concave receiving member and reflects the light of the light source;
A pointing device comprising: The pointing device according to claim 1,
The pointing device according to claim 1, wherein the concave receiving member is made of a material that absorbs light from the light source. The pointing device according to claim 1 or 2,
The pointing device, wherein the reflecting member is attached to the spherical lens. The pointing device according to claim 1 or 2,
The pointing device, wherein the reflecting member is attached to the concave receiving member. The pointing device according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The pointing device according to claim 1, wherein a diameter of the spherical lens is in a range of 1.5w to 2w, where w is an interval between the photosensors. The pointing device according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
The indicating device, wherein the reflecting member is deposited by vapor deposition or sputtering. The pointing device according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
The pointing device, wherein the reflecting member is provided over a range in which a solid angle with the center of the spherical lens is an acute angle. An optical coordinate input device comprising the pointing device according to claim 1.

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