Optical keyboard

Details Optical keyboard Optical keyboard

1999-07-02

2001-01-16

Lee, John D. (Department: 2874)

Optical waveguides

Optical fiber bundle

Fiber bundle plate

C385S115000, C385S901000, C340S815420

Reexamination Certificate

active

06175679

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to fiber optics, and, more specifically, to optical panels.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,381,502 discloses a polyplanar optical display (POD) including ribbon optical waveguides laminated together, and having an inlet face at one end for receiving light, and a screen defined at an opposite end for displaying the light channeled through the individual waveguides with total internal reflection.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,455,882 discloses an interactive optical panel in which outbound light is channeled through the stacked waveguides for projecting an image on the screen, and inbound light may be channeled through the same waveguides and detected for providing interactive capability.
In both patents, the similarly configured optical panels permit light transmission in either direction from the inlet face to the opposite screen, or from the screen to the opposite inlet face. This capability permits the use of the optical panels in various applications for providing high definition viewing screens for televisions, computer monitors, and various other types of viewing screens as desired.
In a typical computer application, the viewing monitor is controlled by a digital computer for projecting thereon various information as required for corresponding computer programs or software. Software is typically interactive and requires input from a user which is typically provided by using a conventional keyboard having multiple keys thereon for the various letters of the alphabet and numbers, as well as specialized keys.
A keyboard may be mechanical with individually articulated keys. Another type of keyboard is known as a touch screen which overlays a viewing screen for detecting engagement of virtual keys displayed on the screen. Touch screens use optical beams or capacitance for detecting the two-dimensional (2-D) position on the screen being touched by a user for coordinating that position with virtual keys or options displayed on the screen.
A typical computer console includes discrete components such as the screen, keyboard, and internal electronics including the central processing unit (CPU), which must be suitably manufactured and integrated together with an associated cost therefor.
Accordingly, it is desired to provide an improved keyboard for various applications including use in a computer console.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An optical keyboard includes an optical panel having optical waveguides stacked together. First ends of the waveguides define an inlet face, and opposite ends thereof define a screen. A projector transmits a light beam outbound through the waveguides for display on the screen as a keyboard image. A light sensor is optically aligned with the inlet face for sensing an inbound light beam channeled through the waveguides from the screen upon covering one key of the keyboard image.


REFERENCES:
patent: Re. 33422 (1990-11-01), Garcia, Jr.
patent: 4387367 (1983-06-01), Fisher
patent: 4641026 (1987-02-01), Garcia, Jr.
patent: 5034602 (1991-07-01), Garcia, Jr. et al.
patent: 5381502 (1995-01-01), Veligdan
patent: 5455882 (1995-10-01), Veligdan

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