Coordinate input apparatus and the recording medium thereof

Details Coordinate input apparatus and the recording medium thereof Coordinate input apparatus and the recording medium thereof

2000-09-11

2003-05-13

Hjerpe, Richard (Department: 2674)

Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system

Display peripheral interface input device

Touch panel

C345S174000, C345S175000, C345S176000, C345S177000, C345S178000, C345S179000, C178S018010, C178S019010

Reexamination Certificate

active

06563491

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a coordinate input apparatus, and more particularly to a so-called touch panel type coordinate input apparatus which has a coordinate input face and by which the coordinates of a position on the coordinate input face touched by a finger or a pen can be inputted.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
To date, a touch panel type coordinate input apparatus which is connected to a display device, such as a display, and used has been employed. This type of coordinate input apparatus has a coordinate input face called “touch panel”, supplies coordinates inputted on the coordinate input face to a display device, and superposes and displays letters and/or line drawings formed by inputted coordinates upon an image displayed on the display device.
As this type of coordinate input apparatus, for example, there is one disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-91094. This coordinate input apparatus comprises a coordinate input face
161
composed of a transparent glass substrate, two scanner lights
160
arranged in corners of the coordinate input face
161
, and a reflection array
162
arranged in three sides around the coordinate input face
161
as shown in FIG.
18
.
The scanner lights
160
emit approximately parallel lights to the coordinate input face
161
. The lights that the scanner lights
160
emit are recursively reflected at the reflection array
162
on the whole area of the coordinate input face
161
and are received by the scanner lights
160
. In this state, when coordinates are inputted on the coordinate input face
161
by means of a finger or a pen, the lights that the scanner lights
160
have emitted are shielded on the coordinates and do not reach to the reflection array
162
, and no reflection is received at the scanner lights
160
. The two scanner lights
160
in the right and the left sides specify straight lines that pass through the inputted coordinates by angles of rotation, respectively, when no reflection is received and detect the coordinates inputted as the point of intersection of both straight lines.
In a meeting or a presentation where this type of coordinate input apparatus is employed, there is an occasion in which writing on a display device simultaneously by a plurality of operators is desired in order to smoothly proceed questions and answers or the like. However, when two operators input, for example, a point P
1
(x
1
, y
1
) and a point P
2
(x
2
, y
2
), respectively, through the coordinate input apparatus shown in
FIG. 18
, one scanner light
160
detects rotation angles &thgr;
L1
, &thgr;
L2
, and the other detects rotation angles &thgr;
R1
, &thgr;
R2
.
At this time the coordinate input apparatus of
FIG. 18
cannot determine whether the coordinates inputted are to be decided by combining the rotation angle &thgr;
L1
and the rotation angle &thgr;
R1
and the rotation angle &thgr;
L2
and the rotation angle &thgr;
R2
or combining the rotation angle &thgr;
L1
and the rotation angle &thgr;
R2
and the rotation angle &thgr;
L2
and the rotation angle &thgr;
R1
. Thus, there is a fear that a point P
1
′ and a point P
2
′ as well as the inputted points P
1
, P
2
may become considered as inputted points, thereby impeding writing on the display device by a plurality of operators.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a coordinate input apparatus and a recording medium of a coordinate input apparatus wherein when a plurality of sets of coordinates are inputted, these sets of coordinates can be distinguished for each pointing means and thus inputting by a plurality of operators is possible.
That is, a coordinate input apparatus according to the present invention is characterized in comprising a coordinate input face where coordinates are inputted by a pointing means, at least two angle detection means respectively periodically detecting respective angles formed by straight lines connecting a pointed point pointed by the pointing means on the coordinate input face and reference points on the coordinate input face and a reference line on the coordinate input face, an angle storing means storing the angles detected during an immediately earlier cycle among angles periodically detected, an angle choosing means choosing angles which are most adjacent to the angles stored in the angle storing means among angles detected at this time when the number of angles of this detection time periodically detected by the angle detection means is greater than that of angles of the last time, and a coordinate detection means detecting coordinates inputted by the pointing means based on the angles chosen by the angle choosing means.
By constituting like this, when pointing by a plurality of pointing means is performed on the coordinate input face, the pointed point pointed by the pointing means through which the previous coordinates have been detected can be discriminated and the coordinates thereof can be detected.
According to another aspect of this invention, this invention comprises a coordinate input face where coordinates are inputted by a pointing means, at least two angle detection means respectively periodically detecting respective angles formed by straight lines connecting a pointed point pointed by the pointing means on the coordinate input face and reference points on the coordinate input face and a reference line on the coordinate input face, an angle storing means storing the angles detected during an immediately earlier cycle among angles periodically detected, an angle choosing means choosing angles which are most adjacent to the angles stored in the angle storing means among angles detected at this time when the number of angles of this detection time periodically detected by the angle detection means is greater than that of angles of the last time, an identifier adding means adding a first identifier to the angle chosen by the angle choosing means, and a coordinate detection means detecting coordinates of the pointed point based on the angle detected by the angle detection means, wherein the coordinate detection means detects the coordinates of the pointing means which are continuous with the coordinates which are based on the angles stored in the angle storing means based on the angle to which the identifier adding means has added the first identifier, and the angle storing means stores the angle to which the identifier adding means has added the first identifier.
By constituting like this, when pointing by a plurality of pointing means is performed on the coordinate input face, the pointed point pointed by the pointing means through which the previous coordinates have been detected can be discriminated and while adding the first identifier, the coordinates thereof can be detected. Thus, a stroke drawn by pointed points to which the first identifiers are added can be detected.
According to a recording medium of coordinate input apparatus according to the present invention, a program is stored readable by a central processing unit of a coordinate input apparatus comprising a coordinate input face where coordinates are inputted by a pointing means and at least two angle detection means respectively periodically detecting respective angles formed by straight lines connecting a pointed point pointed by the pointing means on the coordinate input face and reference points on the coordinate input face and a reference line on the coordinate input face, wherein the recording medium stores a program comprising an angle storing step storing the angles detected during an immediately earlier cycle among angles periodically detected, an angle choosing step choosing angles which are most adjacent to the angles stored in the angle storing step among angles detected at this time when the number of angles of this detection time periodically detected is greater than that of angles of the last time, and a coordinate detection step detecting coordinates inputted by the pointing means based on the angles chosen by the angle choosing step.
By constituting

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