Data processing: measuring – calibrating – or testing – Measurement system – Orientation or position
Reexamination Certificate
2001-04-24
2003-03-04
Barlow, John (Department: 2863)
Data processing: measuring, calibrating, or testing
Measurement system
Orientation or position
C346S045000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06529854
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a coordinate position detecting method and a display apparatus involving the use of the method.
In a display apparatus such as a touch-panel for use in a plasma display panel (hereinafter referred to as PDP) or for use in a Braun tube (hereinafter referred to as CRT), it is necessary for a finger-touched position to be detected on a coordinate system.
As one method for detecting a position touched by a finger on a touch-panel, there in known a system capable of calculating a finger-touched position on a coordinate system.
FIG. 10
shows one example of a coordinate system capable of optically detecting a coordinate position touched by a finger.
Referring to
FIG. 10
, a plurality of light emitting elements Ax
1
-Axn and Ay
1
-Ayn are respectively arranged on one longitudinal edge and one lateral edge of a display surface
1
. A plurality of light receiving elements Bx
1
-Bxn and By
1
-Byn are respectively arranged on the other longitudinal edge and the other lateral edge. Infrared light beams emitted from the light emitting elements are received by the light receiving elements.
The above-described touch panel is so formed that when any optional position P (hereinafter referred to as touch position) of display surface
1
is touched by a finger or a touch pen, lights emitted from corresponding light emitting elements will be blocked, so that they will not be received by corresponding light receiving elements. By detecting the coordinate position of touch point according to X axis and Y axis, it is possible to specify the touch position p in accordance with the positions of the light receiving elements (not receiving lights at this time).
In a conventional touch panel such as the above-described touch panel, each pair of a light emitting element and a light receiving element are required to be disposed with a predetermined interval formed between them. In this way, a predetermined resolution corresponding to the number of the arranged light emitting elements and light receiving elements may be obtained. If the resolution is to be improved, it will be necessary to increase the number of the light emitting elements and the light receiving elements. As a result, the total number of the parts forming the touch panel will have to be increased, thus undesirably increasing the production cost. Moreover, if the light emitting elements and the light receiving elements are increased, a corresponding space will also have to be enlarged. However, since there is a limit in a space in which a touch panel is disposed, it is not allowed to increase the number of the light emitting elements and the light receiving elements as many as desired. On the other hand, even if it is allowed to increase the number of the light emitting elements and the light receiving elements, a circuit board for mounting an electronic circuit for processing signals will also have to be large. Consequently, in view of the space limitation, it is not easy to increase the number of the light emitting elements and light receiving elements, thus renderring it difficult to obtain an increased resolution (resolving power).
Detection of a coordinate position in each direction will be described below. In the horizontal direction (X axis direction), scanning is successively performed from the light emitting element Ax
1
to the light emitting element Axn, so that a coordinate position can be detected in accordance with a position where an infrared light beam is blocked. Similarly, in the vertical direction (Y axis direction), scanning is successively performed from the light emitting element Ay
1
to the light emitting element Ayn, so that a coordinate position can be detected in accordance with a position where the infrared light beam is blocked. In other words, a scanning operation is performed in X axis direction using each light emitting element arranged in X axis direction, and a scanning operation is also performed in Y axis direction using each light emitting element arranged in Y axis direction.
However, the above-described conventional scanning method needs a considerable amount of time to complete the detection of coordinate position, thus undesirably rendering the display apparatus to have only a bad operability.
Namely, it is necessary to repeatedly perform the lightening scanning from initial light emitting elements (Ax
1
, Ay
1
) to final light emitting elements (Axn, Ayn). If the number of coordinate positions (to be detected) has increased, it is necessary to have an increased amount of time for the detection, rendering it difficult to avoid a bad operability of the touch panel.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved coordinate position detecting method and a display apparatus using the method, ensuring an improved resolution (resolving power) and a shortened time necessary for detecting coordinate positions, as well as an improved operability for the display apparatus, thereby solving the above-mentioned problem existing in coordinate position detection in the above-discussed prior art.
In a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a coordinate position detecting method using a plurality of light emitting elements and a plurality of light receiving elements located on mutually opposite sides, all the elements being arranged at a predetermined interval in horizontal and vertical directions, with each pair of mutually opposed light emitting element and light receiving element forming a light beam path, such that the coordinate position of a light blocking object can be detected once the light beam path is blocked, said method comprising: storing N previous coordinate datas obtained when detecting a movement of the light blocking object, using n (1≦n≦N) coordinate datas of the N previous coordinate datas to calculate a coordinate position of the light blocking object; and changing the number of the coordinate datas for use in calculating the coordinate position, in accordance with a speed of the movement of the light blocking object.
In a second aspect of the present invention, when a moving speed of the light blocking object is high, the number of coordinate datas for use in forming the said coordinate position is reduced, when the moving speed of the light blocking object is low, the number of coordinate datas for use in forming the said coordinate position is increased.
In a third aspect of the present invention, only a predetermined number of the light emitting elements are successively caused to perform scanning operation, which light emitting elements are located before and after a coordinate position at which the light blocking object has been detected, thereby detecting the coordinate position of the light blocking object.
In a fourth aspect of the present invention, only a predetermined number of the light emitting elements are successively caused to perform scanning operation, which light emitting elements are located before and after a coordinate position at which the light blocking object has been detected, while the scanning action of other light emitting elements are reduced, thereby detecting the coordinate position of the light blocking object.
In a fifth aspect of the present invention, the number of the light emitting elements scanning in the moving direction of the light blocking object is made larger than the number of the light emitting elements scanning in a direction opposite to the moving direction of the light blocking object. When a moved amount of the light blocking object is larger than a predetermined value, the number of light emitting elements in scanning operation is increased.
In a sixth aspect of the present invention, the number of the light emitting elements scanning in the moving direction of the light blocking object is made larger than the number of the light emitting elements scanning in a direction opposite to the moving direction of the light blocking object. When a moved amount of the light blocking object is larger than a predetermined valu
Kida Hiroshi
Murayama Masayoshi
Ohtani Tsutomu
Saito Masaaki
Arent Fox Kintner & Plotkin & Kahn, PLLC
Barlow John
Pioneer Corporation
Sun Xiuqin
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