Optical position detecting unit and optical coordinate input unit utilizing a sub-portion of a M-sequence pattern

Claim 2

An optical position detecting unit comprising: a light-receiving means including a pixel array forming a light-receiving region for outputting signals through pixels of said pixel array which detect light; a pattern member disposed in front of said pixel array having a pattern with a specific characteristic such that an arbitrary sub-portion of said pattern contains a digital code indicating coordinate information concerning a position of the arbitrary sub-portion in said pattern, wherein when a sub-portion of said pattern is projected onto said light-receiving region by an incident light beam, direction of incidence of said light can be determined by a use of the digital codes contained in an image of said sub-portion formed on said light-receiving region; and a signal processing means for processing the signals outputted from the pixels and thereby extracting information concerning the direction of incidence of said light beam, the processing of the signals including a process of extracting bits forming said digital code contained in the image of said sub-portion from the signals outputted from the pixels.

Claim 3

The optical position detecting unit of claim 1, wherein said pattern containing said digital code is formed to have a random characteristic.

Claim 4

The optical position detecting unit of claim 2, wherein said pixel array forms a one-dimensional light-receiving region and said pattern is formed by arranging thick lines and thin lines perpendicular to one-dimensional direction in a M-sequence order to have a M-sequence characteristic.

Claim 5

The optical position detecting unit of claim 3, wherein said M-sequence has a period of 2 k -1 (k is a natural number), and said pixel array has k pixels.

Claim 6

The optical position detecting unit of claim 3, said unit further comprising: a cylindrical lens disposed on a route of said light beam for converging said light beam in a direction perpendicular to an arranging direction of said pixel array in order to increase light intensity in said light-receiving region.

Claim 7

The optical position detecting unit of claim 2, wherein said pixel array forms a two-dimensional light-receiving region, and said pattern has a M-plane characteristic.

Claim 8

The optical position detecting unit of claim 6, wherein said pattern comprises large-size dots and small-size dots arranged at intersecting points of a grating in a M-plane order.

Claim 9

The optical position detecting unit of claim 7, wherein said M-plane has a period of 2 mn -1 (m and n are natural numbers), and said pixel array is formed by pixels of a matrix having m rows and n columns.

Claim 10

The optical position detecting unit of claim 6, wherein said pattern comprises dots and ring-like dots arranged at intersecting points of a grating in M-plane order.

Claim 11

The optical position detecting unit of claim 9, wherein said M-plane has a period of 2 mn -1 (m and n are natural numbers), and said pixel array is formed by pixels of a matrix having m rows and n columns.

Claim 12

The optical position detecting unit of claim 6, wherein said M-plane has a period of 2 mn -1 (m and n are natural numbers), and said pixel array is formed by pixels of a matrix having n rows and n columns.

Claim 13

An optical coordinate input unit comprising: a position pointer including a light-emitting means; and a coordinate detector including at least two optical position detecting units for detecting direction of incidence of a light beam emitted from the light-emitting means of said position pointer; each of said optical position detecting units comprising: a light-receiving means including a pixel array forming a light-receiving region for outputting signals through pixels of said pixel array which detect light; a pattern member disposed in front of said pixel array having a pattern with a specific characteristic such that an arbitrary sub-portion of said pattern contains a digital code indicating coordinate information concerning a position of the arbitrary sub-portion in said pattern, wherein when a sub-portion of said pattern is projected onto said light-receiving region by an incident light beam, the direction of incidence of said light beam can be determined by use of the digital code contained in an image of said sub-portion formed on said light-receiving region; and a signal processing means for processing the signals outputted from the pixels and thereby extracting information concerning the direction of incidence of said light beam, the processing of signals including a process of extracting bits forming said digital code contained in the image of said sub-portion from the signals outputted from the pixels, wherein said optical position detecting units obtain coordinate data of a position pointed by said position-pointer by detecting a light beam emitted from said light-emitting means.

Claim 14

An optical coordinate input unit comprising: a position pointer including a light-emitting means; and a coordinate detector including at least two optical position detecting units for detecting direction of incidence of a light beam emitted from the light-emitting means of said position pointer; each of said optical position detecting units comprising: a light-receiving means including a pixel array forming a light-receiving region for outputting signals through pixels of said pixel array which detect light; a pattern member disposed in front of said pixel array having a pattern with a specific characteristic such that an arbitrary sub-portion of said pattern contains a digital code indicating coordinate information concerning a position of the arbitrary sub-portion in said pattern, wherein when a sub-portion of said pattern is projected onto said light-receiving region by an incident light beam, the direction of incidence of said light beam can be determined by use of the digital code contained in an image of said sub-portion formed on said light-receiving region; and a signal processing means for processing the signals outputted from the pixels and thereby extracting information concerning the direction of incidence of said light beam, the processing of signals including a process of extracting bits forming said digital code contained in the image of said sub-portion from the signals outputted from the pixels, wherein said optical position detecting units obtain coordinate data of a position pointed by said position-pointer by detecting a light beam emitted from said light-emitting means.

Claim 15

The optical coordinate input unit of claims 12, wherein said pattern containing said digital code is formed to have a random characteristic.

Claim 16

The optical coordinate input unit of claim 12, wherein said pixel array forms a one-dimensional light-receiving region and said pattern is formed by arranging thick lines and thin lines perpendicular to one-dimensional direction in M-sequence order to have a M-sequence characteristic.

Claim 17

The optical coordinate input unit of claim 12, wherein said M-sequence has a period of 2 k -1 (k is a natural number), and said pixel array has k pixels.

Claim 18

The optical coordinate input unit of claim 12, said unit further comprising: a cylindrical lens disposed on a route of said light beam for converging said light beam in a direction perpendicular to an arranging direction of said pixel array in order to increase light intensity in said light-receiving region.

Claim 21

The apparatus of claim 17, wherein said predetermined pattern has a random characteristic.

Claim 22

The apparatus of claim 17, wherein said detecting means forms a one-dimensional light-receiving region, and said predetermined pattern is an arrangement of thick lines and thin lines perpendicular to a one-dimensional direction in a M-sequence order.

Claim 23

The apparatus of claim 19, wherein said M-sequence has a period of 2 k -1, where k is an integer, and said detecting means has k pixels of light detecting elements.

Claim 24

The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising: a cylindrical lens disposed between the source and member for converging the optical beam to increase an optical beam intensity to said detecting means.

Claim 25

The apparatus of claim 17, wherein said detecting means forms a two-dimensional light-receiving region, and said predetermined pattern has a M-plane characteristic.

Claim 26

The apparatus of claim 22, wherein said predetermined pattern comprises large-size dots and small-size dots arranged at intersecting points of a grating in a M-plane order.

Claim 27

The apparatus of claim 22, wherein said predetermined pattern comprises dots and ring-like dots arranged at intersecting points of a grating in M-plane order.