JPH04127313A - Optical coordinate input device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain this device whose density and accuracy are high and whose cost is low by irradiating an input panel provided with an X-Y matrix optical waveguide incorporating a fluorescent substance with light by a luminous light pen into which a light emitting element of, for instance, an LED, etc., is integrated. CONSTITUTION:By irradiating an input panel 1 provided with an X-Y matrix optical waveguide 10 incorporating a fluorescent substance with light by a luminous light pen 4 into which a light emitting element of, for instance, an LED, etc., is integrated, light corresponding to a fluorescent spectrum is emitted in an optical waveguide of its part, and a part thereof becomes a waveguide mode and propagates in the optical waveguide. Accordingly, when its light is received by light receiving elements 2, 3 provided on the respective light emitting ends of the X-Y matrix optical waveguide 10, a position coordinate irradiated with light by the luminous light pen 4 can be detected and inputted. In such a manner, the performance of the optical coordinate input device can be improved and its cost can be reduced.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Summary] Regarding an optical coordinate input device, the objective is to realize a low-cost optical coordinate input device with a simple configuration and high resolution and high positional accuracy. An input panel provided with a χ-Y matrix leading waveguide containing a substance, a light-receiving element array disposed at each light output end of the X-Y matrix optical waveguide, and an arbitrary intersection of the X-Y matrix leading waveguide. The optical coordinate input device is configured to include at least a light emitting light pen that excites the light and a drive control circuit.

[Industrial application field]

The present invention relates to improvements in optical coordinate input devices.

Personal information devices such as personal computers are becoming more popular in households as prices continue to fall.

However, at present, keyboards are the main input devices for these information devices, which may be difficult for beginners to use. In the future, there is a need to develop input devices that are easier to use, that is, have excellent man-machine interface, such as optical coordinate input devices.

[Prior Art] Optical coordinate input devices can be integrated with a display panel, and various input methods have been proposed, such as finger touch or handwriting, and some have been put into practical use.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a conventional optical coordinate input device, in which (a) is a plan view and (b) is a sectional view taken along the line AA'.

In the figure, 200 is a display panel, for example, a plasma display panel or a liquid crystal display panel, the central part of which is the display surface and usually occupies an area that is one size smaller than the panel.

22 and 33 are light emitting elements, for example, LEDs that emit infrared light. 2' and 3' are light receiving elements, such as phototransistors. In this example, 33 light emitting elements in the X' force direction are arranged in a line along one side of the display surface, and along the opposite side of the display surface, each light emitting element with a corresponding number receives light. 33 light-receiving elements are arranged. Similarly, 21 light emitting elements in the Y direction are arranged in a line along the other side of the display surface, and along the opposite side of the display surface, 21 light emitting elements are arranged so as to receive light from the light emitting elements with corresponding numbers. This is an array of light-receiving elements. Therefore, an optical coordinate input device having 33×21 XY matrix intersection points is constructed. Note that 50 is a drive control circuit section, and 201 is a casing that holds the display panel 200.

Now, for example, at the (X', Y') coordinates (4, 2
) If you touch the position with your fingertip or pen tip, the light from the light emitting elements X'4 and Y'2 will be blocked, so the output signal will be lost from the corresponding light receiving elements X4 and Y2, and the coordinates of the input touch will be detected. be done. Note that the drive control circuit section 5
In order to prevent malfunction due to adjacent LED light and ambient light, a sequential operation method is adopted for X'4 LE.
When D emits light, only the light receiving element of X4 is synchronized with O.
The other light receiving elements are set to be turned off.

The display surface of the display panel 200 may display items for coordinate input touch, or may be configured to obtain a required display image according to the input coordinates, and may be used for various applications as necessary. things are provided.

[Problem that the invention sought to solve]

However, in the conventional optical coordinate input device described above, the position is detected by blocking the light emitted into space, so the position resolution is limited, and the optical axis is precisely aligned with the same number of light emitting elements as light receiving elements. Several problems have arisen, such as the need to position and arrange them together, resulting in high costs, and a solution to these problems has been strongly desired.

[Means to solve the problem]

The above problem is solved by an input panel 1 provided with an X-Y matrix optical waveguide 10 containing a fluorescent substance, and light-receiving elements 2 and 3 disposed at each light output end of the X-Y matrix guiding waveguide 0. column and the χ-Y matrix leading waveguide I
This problem can be solved by using an optical coordinate input device that includes at least a light emitting light pen 4 that excites any intersection point of O, and a drive control circuit section 5. Specifically, the X-Y matrix optical waveguide IO is composed of a two-dimensional lattice pattern that intersects in the same plane, or a layer of the X-sword guide waveguide 11 and a layer of the single-row optical waveguide 12 that intersect with each other. It may be configured to consist of two layers. In addition, the light output end of the XY matrix optical waveguide 10 is connected to the pitch conversion optical waveguide 1.
00, the problem can be solved more effectively. Furthermore, the luminous light pen 4 is equipped with a battery 4.
1, drive control circuit section 42, light emitting element 43, and condensing lens 4
4 and a switch 45 for determining input coordinates.

[Effect]

In the optical coordinate input device of the present invention, LY containing fluorescent material
When the input panel 1 provided with the matrix optical waveguide 10 is irradiated with light by a light emitting light pen 4 incorporating a light emitting element such as an LED, the optical waveguide in that part emits light corresponding to the fluorescence spectrum, and a part of the input panel 1 is irradiated with light. becomes a waveguide mode and propagates through the optical waveguide. Therefore, X-
If the light receiving elements 2 and 3 disposed at each light emitting end of the Y matrix optical waveguide 10 receive the light, it becomes possible to detect and input the coordinates of the position irradiated with the light by the light emitting light pen 4.

The resolution and positional accuracy are determined by the density and precision of the optical waveguide pattern, and high-density, high-precision optical waveguide patterns can be easily created using photolithography technology. Furthermore, by configuring the light output end of the XY matrix optical waveguide 10 with a pitch conversion optical waveguide 100, a CCD
Other high-resolution and relatively inexpensive photodetector arrays can be used, making it possible to reduce the cost of the entire device.

〔Example〕

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a first embodiment of the present invention, in which FIG. 1A is a plan view and FIG. 1B is a sectional view taken along line AA'.

In the figure, 200 is a display panel, for example, a plasma display panel, and its display surface is usually one inch larger than the panel.
It occupies a small area, and 201 is its casing.

Reference numeral 1 designates an input panel in which an XY matrix optical waveguide 10 containing a fluorescent material is formed on a substrate 15 made of, for example, a transparent glass plate. Note that 14 is a cladding layer below the XY matrix leading waveguide 10.

The χ-Y matrix optical waveguide 10 can be specifically formed by applying, for example, a plastic optical waveguide forming technique already proposed by the present inventors (Japanese Patent Application No. 2-89597).

That is, a flat glass substrate with a thickness of 3 mm is used as the substrate 15, and a heat-resistant acrylic polymer (for example, Optomer manufactured by Nippon Synthetic Rubber Co., Ltd.) as a base material dissolved in cell solve acetate is coated on it with an appropriate viscosity. After adjusting the thickness to 3μm, spin code the
, prebaking (heating, drying, hardening) for 30 minutes to form a cladding layer 15 (refractive index n-1, 49). Next, on the above cladding [15], vinylcarbazole monomer (C+ zHaN-CH:CHz
) and 0.1% by weight of a fluorescent substance, for example, a perylene dye well known as a fluorescent dye,
After spin-coding to a thickness of 7 μm,
C1 Prebaking (heating and drying) for 30 minutes forms an optical waveguide material film.

Next, the X-Y of the leading waveguide material film formed as described above is
The area where the core portion of the matrix optical waveguide 10 is formed is irradiated with ultraviolet rays. For example, the optical waveguide (core part) forming area (for example, core width 100 μm, optical waveguide pitch 125 μm
) is placed on the exposure mask with a hole in it, and a predetermined amount of wavelength 36
The optical waveguide (core part) is irradiated with 5 nm ultraviolet rays for a predetermined period of time.
The vinylcarbazole monomer in the formation region is polymerized to form polyvinylcarbazole (PVCz) (refractive index n = 1
．． 52).

Thereafter, the treated substrate is treated with a monomer removal solution, for example,
After immersing the container in isopropyl alcohol at room temperature for several minutes to dissolve and remove the unreacted vinyl carbazole monomer in the optical waveguide material film, 1508C1
By post-haking for about 30 minutes to harden the acrylic, an X formed of a two-dimensional lattice pattern (consisting of a core part of the exposed part and a cladding part of the non-exposed part) in the form of base grains intersecting in the same desired plane. -Y matrix optical waveguide 10 is formed. In addition, if necessary, a cladding layer 14 may be formed on top of the cladding layer 14.
It goes without saying that a rad layer may be formed in the same manner as in the above.

2 and 3 are two adjacent sides of the input panel 1, that is, X
, and the light-receiving elements arranged on both sides of Y, for example, photodiode totes. Each light receiving element is an X-Y matrix optical waveguide 1
The optical waveguides are positioned and arranged so that they can receive light at the light emitting ends of each optical waveguide. Reference numeral 4 denotes a light emitting light pen, which has, for example, a condensing lens fitted at its tip, and is configured to irradiate a desired position on the input panel 1 with light having a desired irradiation beam diameter to input coordinates. Reference numeral 5 denotes a drive control circuit section configured to control the operation of the entire apparatus.

Now, for example, when light corresponding to the absorption spectrum of a predetermined fluorescent substance is irradiated with the light emitting light pen 4 at the (4°2) position in the (X, Y) coordinates, that is, it is optically input, it is mixed into the leading wave path. A fluorescent substance, for example, a perylene dye, is excited and emits light at a specific wavelength, that is, light corresponding to the fluorescence spectrum,
A part of the light becomes a waveguide mode and propagates through the optical waveguide, and the light is received by the light-receiving elements 2 and 3 disposed at the light output end of each optical waveguide. 4 makes it possible to detect and input the coordinates of the position where the light is irradiated.

In the present invention, the light that is excited and propagates in the optical waveguide is light with a unique fluorescence spectrum, and by using the light receiving elements 2 and 3 that are highly sensitive to that light, it is possible to achieve high sensitivity and high S/N. This makes it possible to detect position coordinates.

Note that items for input may be displayed on the display surface of the display panel 200, or a desired display image may be obtained according to the input coordinates, and various applications may be performed as necessary. things can be provided.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a second embodiment of the present invention.

This embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the X-Y matrix optical waveguides 10 intersect with
Since it is composed of two layers: the layer 1 and the layer 12 of the Y-shaped waveguide 12, the specific method for forming it may be carried out in accordance with the method described in detail in the above embodiment. In the case of the first embodiment, the XY matrix optical waveguides that intersect with each other tend to cause optical loss at their intersections, but in this embodiment, the
Since the column and the Y column are completely independent, there is no part where the optical waveguides directly intersect, which has the advantage that optical loss can be kept extremely small.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a third embodiment of the present invention.

In the figure, 100 is a pitch conversion optical waveguide, and 20 is an arrayed light receiving element.

Note that the same reference numerals are given to the same parts as those explained in the above drawings, and the explanation of the same parts will be omitted.

Assuming that the density of the leading waveguides 10 at the input section of this embodiment is 3/mm, for example, as in the case of the previous embodiment, the required light receiving elements can be configured with an array of light receiving element chips. The pitch is too coarse, making it uneconomical in practice and making the device expensive. Therefore, for example, a pitch such as 8 pieces/m that allows the use of a photoconductive photodetecting element array using easily available CCO or amorphous Si.
In order to reduce the light emitting end to m or 16 lines/mm,
As shown in the figure, this is an example in which a pitch conversion leading waveguide 100 is provided. In the figure, seven pieces are shown as a group, but the number is not limited to seven, and an appropriate number may be selected as necessary. Also,
As a method for forming the leading waveguide 10 of the input section, for example, the above-described method for forming a plastic optical waveguide may be applied.
It should be formed at the same time.

As the arrayed light-receiving elements 20, it is possible to use those that are already mass-produced, such as CCD sensor arrays and image sensor light-receiving element arrays, so assembly is easy and the cost of the entire device can be reduced. can.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

In the figure, 41 is a battery, for example a storage battery, 42 is a drive control circuit, 43 is a light emitting element, for example an LED, 44 is a condensing lens, 45 is a switch for determining input coordinates, 300 is a pen stand, 301 is a power cord It is.

Note that the same reference numerals are given to the same parts as those explained in the above-mentioned drawings, and the explanation of the same parts will be omitted.

The drive control circuit section 42 is operated by the battery 41, and the light emitting element 4
3 to select a predetermined position on the input panel l, operate the input confirmation switch 43, modulate the excitation light, and send out position confirmation information, thereby determining absolute coordinates with the same feeling as clicking in mouse input. can be configured to allow input of

Further, the configuration may be such that background noise due to room light or the like is suppressed by modulating the excitation light at a different frequency even when the input is not determined.

Note that when the light emitting light pen 4 is not in use, it can be stored in, for example, a pen stand 300, and the battery 41 can be charged from a terminal (not shown), so that it can be kept in a usable state at all times. can.

The above embodiments are merely examples, and as long as they comply with the spirit of the present invention, not only the type of display panel to be used, but also the input panel, light receiving element 1 light emitting light pen, etc. can be used. It goes without saying that materials, shapes of each part, and combinations thereof can be appropriately selected and used.

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, according to the present invention, X containing a fluorescent substance
- Input panel 1 provided with Y matrix leading waveguide 10,
For example, when light is irradiated by a light-emitting light pen 4 incorporating a light-emitting element such as an LED, light corresponding to the fluorescence spectrum is emitted in that part of the optical waveguide, and a part of it becomes a waveguide mode and travels through the guide waveguide. It will spread. therefore,
If the light is received by the light receiving elements 2 and 3 disposed at each light output end of the X-Y matrix optical waveguide IO,
It becomes possible to detect and input the coordinates of the position irradiated with light by the light emitting light pen 4. The resolution and positional accuracy are determined by the density and precision of the optical waveguide pattern, and by applying photolithography technology, it is possible to easily create optical waveguide patterns with high density and high precision. Pitch conversion optical waveguide 10 for light output end
0, it is possible to use a CCD or other high-resolution and relatively inexpensive light receiving element array, and therefore,
This greatly contributes to improving the performance and lowering the price of optical coordinate input devices.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1 is a diagram showing a first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a second embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a third embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the present invention. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a fourth embodiment of the invention, and FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a conventional optical coordinate input device. In the figure, 1 is an input panel, 2.3 is a light receiving element, 4 is a light emitting light pen, 5.42 is a drive control circuit section, 10 is an X-Y matrix optical waveguide, 11 is an X side optical waveguide, and 12 is a 7th row 14 is a cladding layer; 15 is a substrate; 20 is an arrayed light receiving element; 1 is a battery; 43 is a light emitting element; 0 is a display panel; 0 is a pen stand.

Claims (5)

[Claims] (1) X-Y matrix optical waveguide (10
), an input panel (1) provided with the X-Y matrix optical waveguide ( 10) Luminescent light pen (4) that excites any intersection of
An optical coordinate input device comprising: and a drive control circuit section (5). (2) The optical coordinate input device according to claim (1), wherein the XY matrix optical waveguide (10) is constructed of a two-dimensional lattice pattern that intersects within the same plane. (3) The X-Y matrix optical waveguide (10) intersects with the X-row optical waveguide (11) layer and the Y-row optical waveguide (12) layer.
) layer. Claim (1)
) optical coordinate input device. (4) Optical coordinate input according to any one of claims (1) to (3), characterized in that the light output end of the XY matrix optical waveguide (10) is constituted by a pitch conversion optical waveguide (100). Device. (5) The light emitting light pen (4) includes a battery (41), a drive control circuit section (42), a light emitting element (43) and a condensing lens (
44) and an input coordinate determination switch (45).