JPH10326151A - Computer input device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To make a laser pointer which serves also as a computer control signal projection part possible to be small-sized and lightweight by modulating the visible light laser of a visible light laser pointer and transmitting computer control signals of clicking and dragging. SOLUTION: When a projector 2 displays the screen of a computer 1 on a screen 3, indicates a desired position with the visible light laser wireless pointer 4, and irradiates a necessary menu on the screen 3 with red laser light, and makes a click, the digital-pulse modulated red laser light by a binary signal is projected on the menu. At this time, a modulated signal corresponding to left/right clicking or dragging operation is projected and projected on the screen 3. This light point is picked up by a camera 34 incorporated in the projector 2 and inputted to a light position detection part 36, and a signal corresponding to an operation signal that a control part 37 has specified is inputted from a storage part 38 to the computer 33.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a computer input device, and more particularly to a computer input device for operating a computer device based on the position of light of a visible light laser projected on a screen of a projector device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a meeting or the like, for example, a method of projecting an image or the like formed on a transparent film onto a screen by using an optical means is connected to a computer and a projector. 2. Description of the Related Art An electronic presentation system in which a presentation is made on a screen by making full use of a keyboard and a mouse function of a computer has been conventionally used. In the conventional electronic presentation method, it is necessary to perform two tasks of operating and explaining the computer by two people (that is, an operator and a presenter).

For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 6-242883 discloses that an image such as a menu screen from a computer device is projected on a screen by a projector device, a menu is designated by a light pen or the like, and the computer device is operated. 2. Description of the Related Art There has been proposed a computer input device capable of performing two tasks of operating and explaining a computer by one person.

This conventional computer input device projects light such as infrared rays by an infrared ray projection unit onto a menu position of the computer projected on a screen,
An image is taken by a camera, a projection position of light is detected, a corresponding signal is input to a computer, and the computer performs screen switching or the like based on the input.
For example, a laser pointer is used in the infrared projection unit for position indication, and switching is performed so that infrared light for operation instructions is emitted together with the laser pointer.

However, in this case, the light source for transmitting the signal is infrared light, and is prepared separately from the visible light laser for pointing.

[0006]

The above-mentioned conventional computer input device has a laser input device which also serves as an infrared signal projection unit.
There is a problem that it is difficult to reduce the size and weight of the pointer.

The reason is that an infrared laser is used for the signal light in addition to the visible light laser of the pointer, and it is necessary to mount them at the same time.

Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and has as its object to operate a computer for operating a computer device based on the position of light projected on a screen of the projector device. It is an object of the present invention to provide a computer input device capable of reducing the size and weight of a laser pointer that also serves as a control signal projection unit.

[0009]

In order to achieve the above object, a computer input device according to the present invention has a single visible light laser having both a pointer function and a computer control signal. More specifically, a visible light laser
In addition to the function of instructing the pointer to a desired position, a means for modulating the visible light laser to transmit a click and drag computer control signal is provided.

[0010]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a visible light laser is projected to a desired position where a menu screen of a computer is projected. This visible light laser is usually used as a pointer signal, but when transmitting a computer control signal, it is modulated according to click and drag. The visible light laser projected on the screen is imaged by a camera, and a signal based on this detection is input to a computer. Based on this signal, the computer performs processing equivalent to the operation normally performed by mouse input. The output image of the computer is projected on a screen by a projector.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of an entire system according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 1, computer 1 outputs an image signal to be projected on screen 3. The projector 2 projects an image on a screen 3 based on a signal from the computer 1. A wireless mouse 4 with a built-in visible light laser, normally used as a pointer, and when transmitting a computer control signal, projects a desired position and a computer control signal on the screen 3,
An image of the visible light projected on the screen 3 is captured by a camera built in the projector 2, and an instruction is input to the computer 1.

When the menu 5 is clicked or dragged on the screen 3 with the wireless mouse 4, the visible light laser is modulated, and the position and the signal are received by the camera in the projector 2 via the screen 3.

[0013]

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration of an embodiment of a projector having a built-in camera for inputting to a computer according to the present invention.

In FIG. 2, reference numeral 6 denotes a light source of the projector, which is white light. Reference numeral 7 denotes a dichroic mirror that transmits green light and reflects blue light and red light. 8 is a total reflection mirror. Reference numeral 9 denotes a condensing lens for condensing green light from a light source. Reference numeral 10 denotes a liquid crystal panel that is driven based on a green image signal and appropriately transmits green light of the condenser lens. 11
Is a dichroic mirror that transmits green light of the liquid crystal panel 10 and reflects blue light described later. Reference numeral 12 denotes a dichroic mirror that reflects green light and blue light and transmits red light described below. Reference numeral 13 denotes a projection lens which projects three colors of light 14 from the dichroic mirror 12 onto a screen, and receives red light 22 from a screen described later. A dichroic mirror 15 transmits red light, reflects blue light, and makes the reflected blue light incident on a condenser lens 16. A liquid crystal panel 17 is driven based on a blue image signal, appropriately transmits light from the condenser lens 16 and emits the light to the dichroic mirror 11. Reference numeral 18 denotes a total reflection mirror that reflects red light transmitted through the dichroic mirror 15. Reference numeral 19 denotes a condenser lens which collects red light from the mirror 18. Reference numeral 20 denotes a liquid crystal panel, which is driven based on a red image signal, appropriately transmits red light from the condenser lens 19, and emits the red light to the dichroic mirror 12. 2
A half mirror 1 reflects 50% of the red light 22 from the screen. 23 is a total reflection mirror that reflects the red light reflected by the half mirror 21. Reference numeral 24 denotes an imaging lens system. Reference numeral 25 denotes a camera which captures an image of an infrared ray incident via the imaging lens system 24.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the configuration of an embodiment of a computer input device having a pointer and a mouse function. In FIG. 3, reference numeral 26 denotes left and right mouse buttons so that a click or drag operation signal can be input to the control unit 27. The control unit 27 reads out a code signal corresponding to the input operation signal from the storage unit 28 using a microcomputer or the like, modulates a carrier wave, and drives and transmits the visible light laser 29.

Next, the operation of the computer input device will be described. The system configuration of an embodiment of the present invention is the configuration shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a configuration of the projector 2 according to one embodiment of the present invention.

The screen of the computer 1 is displayed on the screen 3 and a desired position is pointed by the visible light laser wireless pointer 4 and a required menu 5 on the screen 3 is illuminated with red laser light. Menu 5 shows a red laser beam that has been digitally pulse-modulated at about 50 KHz by a binary signal of “1” and “0”.
Is emitted.

At this time, a modulation signal corresponding to a left / right click or drag operation is emitted and projected on the screen 3. The light spot is imaged by a camera 34 built in the projector 2. At this time, the red laser incorporated in the wireless pointer 4 only needs to have a luminance at least 10 dB stronger than the red color projected on the screen 2.

The signal input to the camera 34 is input to the light position detecting unit 36, and the signal corresponding to the operation signal designated by the control unit 37 receiving the signal is stored in the storage unit 38 into the computer 3
3 and the computer 33 sends a picture (image information) according to the request to the projector 2.

At this time, the projector 2 and the camera 34 are synchronized by the synchronization signal generator 39.

[0021]

As described above, according to the present invention,
The size reduction of the laser pointer of the computer input device has the effect of achieving weight reduction.

The reason is that, in the present invention, in addition to the function of pointing the required position to the visible light laser pointer, the visible light laser is modulated to have a click and drag function. This is because the infrared laser is unnecessary.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an overall configuration of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a main part configuration diagram of an embodiment of a projector according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a main part block diagram of an embodiment of a visible light laser pointer according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a projector according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Computer 2 Projector 3 Screen 4 Wireless mouse with built-in visible light laser 5 Projection light point 6 Light source of projector 7 Dichroic mirror 8 Total reflection mirror 9 Condensing lens 10 Liquid crystal panel 11 Dichroic mirror 12 Dichroic mirror 13 Projection lens 14 Projecting three-color light Reference Signs List 15 dichroic mirror 16 condenser lens 17 liquid crystal panel 18 total reflection mirror 19 condenser lens 20 liquid crystal panel 21 half mirror 22 light from screen 23 total reflection mirror 24 imaging lens system 25 camera 26 left and right mouse buttons 27 wireless mouse control Unit 28 wireless mouse storage unit 29 red laser light 30 screen 31 wireless mouse with built-in visible light laser 32 projector 33 computer 34 camera 35 throw Part 36 position detecting unit 37 control unit 38 storage unit 39 the synchronization signal generating unit

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A system for projecting and displaying display output information of a computer device on a screen via a projector, wherein a visible light laser pointer having a function of designating a desired position on the screen is modulated with a visible light laser. A computer input device comprising: means for transmitting a computer control signal such as a click and a drag; and inputting the information projected on the screen to the computer device via a camera. 2. A projector device for projecting an image output from a computer device on a screen, a visible light laser unit for projecting predetermined light for designating a position of the image projected on the screen, and the screen. A camera that inputs the visible light projected to the camera, a synchronization signal generator that simultaneously supplies signals to the projector device and the camera, and detects a position of the light based on the synchronization signal based on a signal from the camera. An optical position detection unit; and a control unit that controls the synchronization signal generation unit and the optical position detection unit. The computer device is operated based on a signal from the optical position detection unit. Computer input device. 3. A light source as a signal of the light position detector,
A computer input device using one visible light laser as a light source as a pointer function.