Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system – Display peripheral interface input device – Cursor mark position control device
Reexamination Certificate
2001-04-06
2003-10-21
Liang, Regina (Department: 2674)
Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system
Display peripheral interface input device
Cursor mark position control device
C250S221000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06636199
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a coordinate input apparatus and method and coordinate input pointing device which input coordinates using a pointing device and, more particularly, to a coordinate input apparatus which inputs 2D/3D position coordinates by operating a pointing device at a remote place almost toward the information display screen of a display device and consequently inputs a graphic pattern or character or a command for controlling the system to a terminal device connected to the display device.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Conventional remote coordinate input apparatuses of following types are available.
For example, an apparatus of first type has a plurality of light-emitting elements laid out in a predetermined form on the pointing device side. The user appropriately tilts the pointing device to input coordinates. For this purpose, a light-receiving element is prepared on the fixed unit (stationary unit) side. The light-receiving element detects that the relative intensity between light beams emitted to the stationary unit side from the plurality of light-emitting elements on the pointing device side changes as the pointing device tilts, thereby calculating coordinates or the amounts of changes in coordinates.
An apparatus of second type irradiates a desired position on a display screen with a laser beam from a pointing device generally called a pointer. The image of the laser beam is detected by a camera behind the screen or on the front side of the display screen, thereby inputting coordinates or the amounts of changes in coordinates.
Conventional application examples of coordinate input apparatuses are a coordinate input apparatus in a system or application software for processing 3D coordinates, such as 3D CAD, 3D layout tool, 3D operation game, or 3D motion measurement apparatus, an operation apparatus, and a multimedia apparatus, amusement apparatus, and educational apparatus which serve as human interfaces and are used to receive the action or sign of a user as input information. These apparatuses for processing 3D coordinates include the following types.
1) An apparatus which uses a sensor supported by an articulated mechanism and detects the 3D motion or position of an object whose coordinates are to be input on the basis of mechanical contact between the sensor and the object whose coordinates are to be input, or mechanical deformation or dynamic acceleration of the sensor.
2) An apparatus which input 3D coordinates by a combination of 2D input operations of, e.g., a joystick.
3) An apparatus which calculates 3D coordinates by arithmetically processing a stereo image obtained by a plurality of video cameras sensitive to visible light or infrared light.
4) An apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-112644, which comprises a pointing device that has a light-emitting element and points a 3D position, and a light-receiving element formed from a plurality of sensors for receiving light emitted from the light-emitting element and measuring the 3D position where the light-emitting element is present, so that the 3D coordinates at which the pointing device is located are calculated on the basis of a measurement value obtained by the light-receiving element.
Generally, such coordinate input apparatuses using light have the following problems.
In the apparatus of first type which has a plurality of light-emitting elements only on the pointing device, since the relative intensity of light is used as position information, the accuracy of the resultant coordinates or coordinate change amounts is low.
The apparatus of second type is not always safe because a laser beam is used. Additionally, since image processing is used, load on the computer is large. This poses a problem of response speed. Furthermore, even the necessity of a camera makes the hardware bulky.
For the conventional coordinate input apparatuses for processing 3D coordinates, the method 1) requires a large-scale mechanism and high manufacturing cost and therefore cannot cope with application purposes in a wide range. In the method 2), the user cannot intuitively input 3D coordinates, and no real-time and continuous processing can be performed. In the method 3), a continuous still image or moving image has an enormous data amount, and the arithmetic amount in calculating 3D coordinates is large. This increases load on the computer-side CPU and therefore makes real-time processing impossible and delays other processing.
Generally, 3D input includes 3D translation coordinate input (translational motion input) and 3-axis rotation angle input (rotational motion input). No apparatuses satisfactorily achieve both the input modes. The method 4) still has room left unsolved in this point.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been made in consideration of the above situation, and has as its object to provide a coordinate input apparatus and apparatus, coordinate input pointing device, storage medium, and computer program, which are relatively simple and safe to handle and can accurately obtain coordinate data at a very high response speed.
A first coordinate input apparatus of the present invention is a coordinate input apparatus which comprises a fixed unit fixed at a predetermined position and a pointing device operated by a user and inputs coordinate data representing coordinates by the pointing device, wherein
the fixed unit comprises
first reception means for receiving a first signal from the pointing device, and
first transmission means for transmitting a second signal to the pointing device, and
the pointing device comprises
second reception means for receiving the second signal from the first transmission means,
coordinate calculation means for calculating the coordinate data on the basis of the second signal received by the second reception means, and
second transmission means for transmitting at least the coordinate data calculated by the coordinate calculation means to the first reception means as the first signal.
According to an aspect of the first coordinate input apparatus of the present invention, the second transmission means transmits a signal containing switch information representing a start of operation and a supplementary information signal to the first reception means as the first signal.
According to an aspect of the first coordinate input apparatus of the present invention, each of the first and second transmission means comprises a light-emitting element for emitting light.
According to an aspect of the first coordinate input apparatus of the present invention, each of the first and second reception means comprises a light-receiving element for receiving light.
According to an aspect of the first coordinate input apparatus of the present invention, the second reception means comprises a single-pixel light-receiving element and a plurality of line sensors laid out in different directions.
According to an aspect of the first coordinate input apparatus of the present invention, each of the line sensors comprises a linear photoelectric conversion element having a circulative charge transfer path constituted by a plurality of cells, and
the line sensor is designed to transfer charges simultaneously from all pixels of an arbitrary linear photoelectric conversion element to a charge transfer path connected to the circulative charge transfer path as a branch and then transfer the charges to the circulative charge transfer path, or transfer the charges simultaneously from all pixels of an arbitrary linear photoelectric conversion element directly to the circulative charge transfer path.
According to an aspect of the first coordinate input apparatus of the present invention, the line sensor circulates the charges on the circulative charge transfer path in synchronism with ON/OFF of an electronic shutter function and additionally accumulates the charges from the photoelectric conversion element at the same line position in every circulation of the charges, and
a signal read section is connected to a cell midway along the circulative charg
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