With Illumination Patents (Class 178/18.11)
  • Patent number: 11348264
    Abstract: A communication system captures writing surface content in a physical space for transmittal to remote client devices participating in a communication session. During a communication session with one or more remote client devices, a communication system captures image data and depth data describing objects in a physical space of the communication system. Based on the captured data, the communication system identifies a writing surface in the physical space and captures content on the writing surface. The communication system may also identify objects occluding content on the writing surface based on the captured data and may modify image data to make an object occluding the content at least partially transparent. The communication system transmits the content to at least one of the remote client devices participating in the communication session.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc.
    Inventors: Tyler Back, Gabriel Molina
  • Patent number: 11231820
    Abstract: A touch sensing structure with improved illumination includes a first substrate, a decoration layer, a light-shielding layer, a light-emitting element, a pressure-sensitive element, a first reflective layer, and a second reflective layer. The pressure-sensitive element is farther away than the light-emitting element from the first substrate. The decoration layer shows a function icon. The light-emitting element emits light to illuminate the function icon. When the first substrate is pressed, the touch sensing structure determines a magnitude of the pressing force by detecting a change in the resistance or voltage value of the pressure-sensitive element. If the pressing force reaches a specific value, the function identified by the function icon is executed, otherwise no function is executed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2022
    Assignees: Interface Technology (ChengDu) Co., Ltd., INTERFACE OPTOELECTRONICS (SHENZHEN) CO.. LTD., INTERFACE OPTOELECTRONICS (WUXI) CO., LTD., GENERAL INTERFACE SOLUTION LIMITED
    Inventors: Ten-Hsing Jaw, I-Chang Kuan, Han-Lung Tsai
  • Patent number: 10854401
    Abstract: Particular embodiments described herein provide a display that includes a mask that includes a one or more exposed areas, a top electrode, one or more bottom electrodes, a dielectric between the top electrode and the one or more bottom electrodes, and an electrical connection to create a differential voltage between the top electrode and the one or more bottom electrodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2020
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Sukanya Sundaresan, Reji Varghese, Ramesh Pendakur, Ayeshwarya B. Mahajan
  • Patent number: 10691262
    Abstract: A projector, a projection system and an image projection method are provided. The projector includes an image processing circuit, a processor circuit and a memory circuit. The image processing circuit is configured to adjust a first image. The processor circuit is electrically connected to the image processing circuit. The processor circuit is configured to combine the first image with a second image in a first display mode of the projector. The memory circuit is electrically connected to the processor circuit. The memory circuit is configured to store the second image. The projector projects a display image formed by combining the first image and the second image to a projection target.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: Coretronic Corporation
    Inventors: Yung-Chih Chen, Ying-Hung Lo
  • Patent number: 10504670
    Abstract: Particular embodiments described herein provide a display that includes a mask that includes a one or more exposed areas, a top electrode, one or more bottom electrodes, a dielectric between the top electrode and the one or more bottom electrodes, and an electrical connection to create a differential voltage between the top electrode and the one or more bottom electrodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Sukanya Sundaresan, Reji Varghese, Ramesh Pendakur, Ayeshwarya B. Mahajan
  • Patent number: 10082270
    Abstract: A light-emitting module including a light-emitting component and a resilient body is provided. The light-emitting component includes a light-emitting layer structure for generating light and includes a light-emitting main face through which the generated light leaves the light-emitting component. The resilient body, which is arranged over the light-emitting main face, is connected firmly to the light-emitting component, includes at least one light-deviating region, and includes a free-lying surface which includes at least one surface element, which lies at a distance greater than or equal to 4 mm from the light-emitting layer structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2018
    Assignee: OSRAM OLED GMBH
    Inventors: Thomas Wehlus, Daniel Riedel, Nina Riegel, Silke Scharner, Johannes Rosenberger, Arne Fleissner
  • Patent number: 9716858
    Abstract: Techniques for automatically selecting information to be displayed. The displayed information may be automatically and dynamically changed in response to changes in one or more preconfigured conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2017
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: John Barrus
  • Patent number: 9035871
    Abstract: An apparatus, and an associated method, forms a user interface permitting input of input instructions to an electronic device. Input commands are evidence by tactile input forces applied to a force receiving surface. Force sensing elements are positioned to sense indications of the tactile input force. The force sensing element is caused to exhibit a selected input parameter value through application of a selected force thereto by application of a tightening torque to a fastener positioned in proximity to the force sensing element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Patrick Clement Strittmatter, Marc Edward Holbein, Rene Pierre Marchand, Angela Dawn Usiski
  • Patent number: 9007323
    Abstract: A haptic feedback device includes: a determination unit which calculates, as a path length, a length along which a user touches the touch panel; a display control unit which converts the path length into a rotation angle of a manipulation image, and display the rotated manipulation image on a display unit; and a vibration control unit which drives a vibration unit according to a drive waveform having a predetermined amplitude and a predetermined frequency upon starting rotation of the manipulation image, decreases the amplitude of the drive waveform with an increase in the path length, and performs control to cause the vibration unit to vibrate according to the drive waveform the amplitude of which is decreased to zero in a predetermined time after the rotation of the manipulation image stops.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Shoichi Araki
  • Patent number: 8957330
    Abstract: A modular remote with touchscreen including a first member having a first sensor diposed on an anterior end and a first connection port disposed on a rear end; a second member having a touchscreen display disposed upon a top surface, a first connector disposed on a front side, a second sensor disposed on the front side, a second connection port disposed on a rear side; and a third member having a second connector disposed on a forward side; wherein the first connector interconnects with the first connection port and the second connector interconnects with alternately both the first connection port and the second connection port; whereby the first and third members interconnect to operatively communicate remotely with a plurality of household devices, and the second member separates from said first and third members to operatively communicate remotely with a plurality of household devices via interaction with a Graphic User Interface displayed by the touchscreen display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Inventor: Omar Knight
  • Patent number: 8941617
    Abstract: An image input-output device includes a pixel which displays an image and reads an image. The pixel includes a photodetector element, a color layer, and a display element. The color layer is provided over the photodetector element and the display element is provided over the color layer, so that the distance between the photodetector element and the color layer is reduced. Accordingly, light is likely to enter the predetermined photodetector element through the predetermined color layer, and thus, even a color object can be read correctly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2015
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jun Koyama, Shunpei Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 8933908
    Abstract: A mobile terminal device includes a face panel provided on an exterior of a housing, a sensor module that detects that the face panel is touched, where the sensor module is provided on a more inward side of the housing than the face panel, a light-emitting unit provided with a light-emitting member that emits light when the sensor module detects that the face panel is touched, where the light-emitting unit is provided on a more inward side of the housing than the sensor module, and a connection unit that makes an electrical connection between the sensor module and the light-emitting unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2015
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Hiroaki Sakashita, Tatsuhito Araki, Manabu Hongo, Hiroaki Matsuda
  • Patent number: 8928500
    Abstract: There is provided a state determination device including an input point acquisition section which acquires position information of an input point specified by an operating object, a reference region setting section which sets a reference region including the input point acquired by the input point acquisition section at a current time point, an input point-number acquisition section which acquires a number of input points acquired by the input point acquisition section in past and included in the reference region, and a determination section which determines, based on the number of input points acquired by the input point-number acquisition section, whether the operating object is in a moving state or in a still state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2015
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Naoki Kikuchi
  • Patent number: 8890843
    Abstract: An apparatus is operated to determine the location of at least one object on a touch surface of a light transmissive panel. In the apparatus, an illumination arrangement introduces radiation into the panel for propagation by internal reflection between the touch surface and the opposite surface, so as to generate a grid of intersecting radiation paths in a sensing area, and a detection arrangement measures the transmitted energy in the radiation paths. A data processor then determines, based on the transmitted energy, the location based on an attenuation of two or more radiation paths caused by the object touching the touch surface within the sensing area. In the apparatus, the illumination arrangement generates at least a subset of the radiation paths by sweeping at least one beam of radiation along the touch surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2014
    Assignee: Flatfrog Laboratories AB
    Inventors: Ola Wassvik, Tomas Christiansson
  • Patent number: 8847907
    Abstract: Disclosed is a liquid crystal display device that has a function of detecting the position where light emitted from an input pointer 50 has been inputted to an image display surface 10a of an display panel and that switches the display direction (vertical direction) of a display image on the display panel on the basis of the radiation direction of the light emitted from the input pointer 50. Thus, a display device having a position detection function that enables the display direction of a display image to be switched using a simple structure can be provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Osamu Nishida
  • Patent number: 8847925
    Abstract: Arrangement (202) for a user input device, such as a touchscreen or a touchpad, comprising a substrate (206), such as an optically substantially transparent flex film or a multilayer film, said substrate comprising support electronics (212) for providing power, control and/or communications connection to further electronic components (210), a number of emitters and detectors (210) arranged to said substrate into contact with the support electronics, for emitting and detecting light, respectively, and a lightguide (208) provided, such as laminated, onto the substrate such that said emitters and detectors are optically coupled to the lightguide material, the properties of the lightguide including the refractive index of the lightguide material being selected and the emitters and detectors being configured so as to enable, when in use, total internal reflection (TIR) -type propagation of light within the lightguide between the emitters and detectors, and recognition of a touch on the basis of a drop in the TIR p
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignee: Teknologian Tutkimuskeskus VTT
    Inventors: Kari Rönkä, Antti Keränen, Janne Aikio
  • Patent number: 8830210
    Abstract: An optical touch apparatus including a first light emitting device, a second light emitting device, a third light emitting device, a fourth light emitting device, a first image detector, a second image detector, and a control unit is provided. The control unit controls the average brightness of the third light emitting device less than each of the average brightness of the second light emitting device and the fourth light emitting device when the control unit controls the first image detector to detect an image. The control unit controls the average brightness of the second light emitting device less than each of the average brightness of the first light emitting device and the third light emitting device when the control unit controls the second image detector to detect an image. A driving method is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: Coretronic Corporation
    Inventors: Chun-Chien Liao, Chih-Jen Tsang, Yu-Lun Jhu, Chwen-Tay Hwang, Hai-Yuan Wu
  • Patent number: 8780040
    Abstract: A handwriting input device includes a housing and a nib selectively exposed from a bottom side of the housing or hidden in the housing. The device further includes a pressure sensor, a motion sensor, and a microcontroller. The pressure sensor generates pressure signals when the nib is depressed. The motion sensor senses movement of the device. The microcontroller records the sensed movement upon receiving the pressure signals, and processes the recorded movement to obtain track signals of handwritten information when the duration of not receiving the pressure signals exceeds a predetermined time interval. The track signals of handwritten information are then transmitted to an external electronic device communicating with the device to become handwriting shown on a display of the external electronic device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ping-Yang Chuang, Ying-Chuan Yu
  • Patent number: 8773368
    Abstract: An information input device includes an input panel including an illumination light source, a plurality of first light-receiving elements and one or more second light-receiving elements, the illumination light source emitting detection light for detecting an external proximity object, the plurality of first light-receiving elements receiving detection light emitted from the illumination light source and then reflected from the external proximity object, the second light-receiving elements for monitoring the intensity of the detection light; a correction section performing adaptive sensitivity correction on light-receiving signals obtained by the first light-receiving elements through use of an intensity monitor signal of detection light obtained by the second light-receiving element; and an image processing section obtaining object information about one or more of the position, shape and size of the external proximity object based on a picked-up image obtained from the light-receiving signals subjected to the
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: Japan Display West, Inc.
    Inventors: Michiru Senda, Yoshiharu Nakajima, Tsutomu Harada, Go Yamanaka, Daisuke Takama
  • Patent number: 8760403
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a hybrid human-interface device including an optical navigation module and a pointing module. The optical navigation module is configured to replace the conventional buttons of a convention pointing device, such as an optical mouse or a trackball mouse or TV controller. The optical navigation module is configured to sense gestures of at least one object operated by a user to activate commands associated with particular programs running on the host. Since the optical navigation module is only configured to sense gestures of the object but not the movement of the hybrid human-interface device relative to a surface, the resolution thereof is aimed to be sufficiently high enough for sensing gestures and no need to be relatively high.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: PixArt Imaging Inc.
    Inventors: Hung Ching Lai, Cho Yi Lin, Chia Hsin Yu, Yen Min Chang, Chih Yen Wu, Feng Cheng Yang
  • Patent number: 8723841
    Abstract: A touch sensor that may detect an object away from the sensor is provided. The touch sensor includes one or more drive electrodes; one or more detection electrodes forming capacitance in cooperation with the respective drive electrodes; a detection circuit applying drive signals to the respective drive electrodes to detect the object based on detection signals obtained from the respective detection electrodes in response to the respective drive signals; and a controller controlling to change a range of electric flux lines generated between the drive electrodes and the detection electrodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: Japan Display West, Inc.
    Inventors: Koji Ishizaki, Kouji Noguchi, Tsutomu Harada, Takeya Takeuchi, Yoshitoshi Kida, Takayuki Nakanishi
  • Patent number: 8717320
    Abstract: A method for compensating time difference between images and electronic apparatus using the same method are provided. Input images are received by a plurality of image capturing units respectively. Each input image is checked to see whether a reference area and a reference area background are the same. When the reference area of the input image received from one of the image capturing units is not the same as the reference area background, a compensation image number is accumulated, and other input images are received continually until the reference area of each input image received from the image capturing unit is not the same as the reference area background. Afterwards, time difference between the input images received from a plurality of image capturing units is compensated according to the compensation image numbers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: Wistron Corporation
    Inventor: Yu-Yen Chen
  • Patent number: 8717310
    Abstract: A stylus comprises a first shell, a second shell, a first slide enabling member. The first shell has a first hole defined therethough. The second shell is slidably accommodated in the first hole of the first shell. The first slide enabling member couples the second shell to the first shell such that the second shell slides relative to the first shell from a retracted configuration to an extending configuration. The first slide enabling member includes a first pin and a first track that engages the first pin, the second shell slides relative to the first shell along the first pin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignees: Shenzhen Futaihong Precision Industry Co., Ltd., FIH (Hong Kong) Limited
    Inventors: Shi-Xu Liang, Jun-Lin Chen, Chung-Yeh Sa
  • Patent number: 8681096
    Abstract: Touchpad devices emulating button functionality (“click pad” devices) that simultaneously emulates multiple functionalities are described herein. In addition, embodiments provide for click pad emulation of both TrackPoint and touchpad functionality. According to embodiments, a click pad device emulating multiple functionalities may enable or disable certain functionalities based on user interaction with the click pad device. For example, a click pad device emulating both TrackPoint and touchpad functionality may enable TrackPoint functionality and disable touchpad functionality if user gestures on the click pad device indicate that the user is interacting with the click pad as a TrackPoint device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2014
    Assignee: Lenovo (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Aaron Michael Stewart, Harriss C. Ganey
  • Patent number: 8681126
    Abstract: Embodiments are disclosed that relate to the correction of an image acquired in a rolling image capture system for ambient light. One embodiment provides a device comprising a screen, a rolling image capture system, a local light source, and a controller. The controller is configured to operate the local light source while acquiring first and second frames of image data to integrate each field of image sensor pixels for a duration of local+ambient light and for a duration of ambient light such that a sum tlocal+ambient+tambient for the first frame is different than a sum tlocal+ambient+tambient for the second frame for each field of pixels. The controller is further configured to determine an ambient light value, and to adjust one or more pixels based upon the ambient light value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2014
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventor: Nigel Keam
  • Patent number: 8619061
    Abstract: An optical touch apparatus is disclosed. The optical touch apparatus comprises at least one light sensing module and a processing module. The at least one light sensing module is set at a first side of a surface of the optical touch apparatus, and used for receiving at least one light and generating a sensing result according to the condition of receiving the at least one light. The sensing result relates to whether the at least one light is blocked by at least one object above the surface and also relates to a comparing result between the at least one object and a reference region. The reference region is set at an opposite second side of the surface. The processing module determines at least one touch point position corresponding to the at least one object on the surface according to the sensing result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2013
    Assignee: Raydium Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventors: Meng Shin Yen, William Wang, Chung Cheng Chou
  • Patent number: 8599138
    Abstract: An information processing apparatus is provided which includes a position acquisition unit for obtaining a display position of an input area in a display area, and a display control unit for controlling, based on the display position of the input area, in the display area a display position of an input operation area in which a character to be displayed in the input area is input. The display control unit displays the input area near the display position of the input area, and makes the input operation area follow the movement of the input area when the display position of the input area is moved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuma Takahashi, Manabu Yasumi
  • Patent number: 8581848
    Abstract: There is provided a hybrid pointing device including an optical navigation module, a pointing module and a switching module. The optical navigation module is configured to sense gestures of at least one object operated by a user to activate commands associated with particular programs running on the host. The pointing module is configured to detect a movement between the hybrid pointing device and a working surface. The switching module is configured to active the optical navigation module or the pointing module according to a deformation of a touch plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2013
    Assignee: PixArt Imaging Inc.
    Inventors: Cho-Yi Lin, Yen-Min Chang
  • Patent number: 8493365
    Abstract: An optical touch display apparatus includes the following. A light distribution adjustment device is disposed in a transmission path of a visible beam emitted by a visible light emitting device. A non-visible light guide module includes a light guide unit and a dichroic unit. A light guide unit is disposed in the transmission path of the visible beam from the light distribution adjustment device. The dichroic unit is disposed on a surface of the light guide unit. A non-visible light emitting device is disposed beside a side surface of the light guide unit. A display panel is disposed beside the light distribution adjustment device. A sensing space is located in front of the display panel, and the display panel is disposed between the light distribution adjustment device and the sensing space. An optical detector is disposed outside the display panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2013
    Assignee: Coretronic Corporation
    Inventors: Yu-Lun Jhu, Chen-Lung Chen, Chwen-Tay Hwang
  • Patent number: 8466903
    Abstract: An image generating unit of a display apparatus generates a determination image based on first and second light reception images obtained from light reception cells in a light-emission period and in a non-light-emission period, respectively. An image determining unit determines whether or not an image of an object to be detected is included in the determination image, stores data corresponding to the determination image as initial data into a storage when the object image is not included in the determination image, and stores the data corresponding to the determination image as detection data into the storage when the object image is included in the determination image. A position determining unit determines at least an object position based on an image represented by the detection data in the storage and an image represented by the initial data in the storage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2013
    Assignee: Japan Display West, Inc.
    Inventors: Mitsuru Tateuchi, Tsutomu Harada, Kazunori Yamaguchi, Ryoichi Tsuzaki
  • Patent number: 8446390
    Abstract: An electro-optical device includes a plurality of pixel portions formed in a display region on a substrate, a first light-receiving element which is formed in the display region and shows light-receiving sensitivity with respect to an incident visible ray which enters a display surface, a second light-receiving element which is formed in the display region and shows light-receiving sensitivity with respect to an incident infrared ray which enters the display surface, and a detecting unit which detects a pointing unit which points the display surface on the basis of the light-receiving sensitivity with respect to the incident visible ray and the light-receiving sensitivity with respect to the incident infrared ray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2013
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Yasunori Hattori
  • Patent number: 8436834
    Abstract: An optical touch device includes a light guide module including a first light guide component, a second light guide component, a third light guide component and a fourth light guide component, a light source module including a first light emitting component and a second light emitting component for emitting light alternately and an image detecting module disposed between two neighboring ends of the first light guide component and the second light guide component. The third light guide component and the fourth light guide component are mirror light guide components. A field of view of the image detecting module covers the third light guide component and the fourth light guide component. The optical touch device can avoid a blind zone and can be used as a dual-touch device or a multi-touch device. A locating method and a linear source module are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2013
    Assignee: Pixart Imaging Inc.
    Inventors: Hsin-Chi Cheng, Cho-Yi Lin
  • Patent number: 8427453
    Abstract: An optical sensing system includes a sensing area, a reflective mirror, a first image-sensing device, a second image-sensing device, and a processing circuit. The sensing area is an area in which a plurality of pointing objects may execute touch operation. The reflective mirror generates a mirror image of the sensing area. The first image-sensing device and the second image-sensing device respectively capture images including all or part of the pointing objects in the sensing area, and all or part of the pointing objects in the reflective mirror. The processing circuit generates candidate coordinates according to the images captured by the first and the second image-sensing devices, and obtains the locations of the pointing objects from the candidate coordinates by means of the symmetric relationship between the point objects and the corresponding mirror images with respect to the reflective mirror. In this way, the optical sensing system can perform multi-touch operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2013
    Assignee: PixArt Imaging Inc.
    Inventors: Tzung-Min Su, Chih-Hsin Lin, Hsin-Chia Chen, Cho-Yi Lin
  • Patent number: 8416191
    Abstract: Disclosed are various embodiments of a navigation input device, and methods, systems and components corresponding thereto. According to some embodiments, the navigation input device has a large depth of field associated therewith and employs time- and/or frequency-domain processing algorithms and techniques. The device is capable of providing accurate and reliable information regarding the (X,Y) position of the device on a navigation surface as it is moved laterally thereatop and thereacross, notwithstanding changes in a vertical position of the device that occur during navigation and that do not exceed the depth of field of an imaging lens incorporated therein. According to one embodiment, the navigation input device is a writing instrument that does not require the use of an underlying touch screen, touch pad or active backplane to accurately and reliably record successive (X,Y) positions of the writing device as it is moved across and atop an underlying writing medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2013
    Assignee: Avago Technologies ECBU IP (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Jung Gao, Omid Momtahan, Michael John Brosnan
  • Patent number: 8363035
    Abstract: An illumination device includes a light incident face onto which light is incident, a light guide plate that has a light emitting face that is disposed adjacent to the light incident face and intersects the light incident face, an illumination light source that is disposed to face the light incident face such that an optical axis thereof faces the light incident face, a position detecting beam source that is disposed to face the light incident face such that an optical axis thereof faces the light incident face, and a wiring substrate that extends along the light incident face and has both the illumination light source and the position detecting beam source mounted thereon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2013
    Assignee: Epson Imaging Devices Corporation
    Inventor: Daisuke Nakanishi
  • Patent number: 8319749
    Abstract: An image pickup apparatus capable of easily improving the detection accuracy of a touching or proximity object is provided. An offset noise (a reset image R) is obtained by an image pickup process in a state (a reset state) in which an image pickup device is initialized. Moreover, a fingertip extraction process is performed in consideration of the offset noise on the basis of a picked-up image (a shadow image A or a display light-using image B) which is obtained by picking up an image of a proximity object to obtain object information about the proximity object. While an offset noise in the apparatus is easily reduced, object information about the proximity object can be obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Tsutomu Harada, Shinya Hashimoto, Tadashi Maekawa, Naoya Okada, Kazunori Yamaguchi, Mitsuru Tateuchi, Ryoichi Tsuzaki, Go Yamanaka
  • Patent number: 8294675
    Abstract: A touchpad assembly for use in an electronic device is provided. The touchpad assembly may include a touchpad frame operative to be placed within an opening in an electronic device frame. The touchpad assembly may include a support plate for supporting a touchpad, and a bracket for receiving a pick button. The support plate and bracket may be manufactured into a same component to increase the rigidity of the touchpad assembly. The pick button may include a varying height to prevent the pick button from deflecting and to make the pick button travel for providing a selection instruction uniform. The pick button may be coupled to the frame using any suitable approach, including using springs connected the ends of the pick button to the frame. The frame may also include pads to muffle the sound of the pick button when it returns to its initial position after having been pressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Dinesh Mathew, Chris Ligtenberg, Brett William Degner, Thomas W. Wilson, Jr., John Brock
  • Patent number: 8289300
    Abstract: Embodiments are disclosed that relate to the correction of an image acquired in a rolling image capture system for ambient light. One embodiment provides a device comprising a screen, a rolling image capture system, a local light source, and a controller. The controller is configured to operate the local light source while acquiring first and second frames of image data to integrate each field of image sensor pixels for a duration of local+ambient light and for a duration of ambient light such that a sum tlocal+ambient+tambient for the first frame is different than a sum tlocal+ambient+tambient for the second frame for each field of pixels. The controller is further configured to determine an ambient light value, and to adjust one or more pixels based upon the ambient light value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2012
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventor: Nigel Keam
  • Patent number: 8284159
    Abstract: An input processing device comprises a display screen and a pointing device for inputting corresponding 2-dimensional coordinates on the display screen. A 3-dimensional space is displayed on the display screen and the 2-dimensional coordinates inputted from the pointing device are detected. Next, shift amounts, per unit of time, of the detected 2-dimensional coordinates are calculated based on a predetermined calculation start condition. And the calculated shift amounts are converted to 3-dimensional coordinate shift amounts in the 3-dimensional space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2012
    Assignee: Nintendo Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hideki Konno, Yoshitaka Ajioka, Yasushi Ebisawa, Kiyoshi Mizuki
  • Patent number: 8212793
    Abstract: The invention provides a liquid crystal device including: a first substrate; a second substrate that is provided over the first substrate in such a manner that the first substrate and the second substrate face each other; a plurality of optical sensing sections that is formed in an image display area over the first substrate; and a plurality of light-amount adjusting sections that is formed in the image display area in such a manner that each of the plurality of light-amount adjusting sections includes a liquid crystal portion that overlaps the corresponding optical sensing section in a plan view, constituting a part of a liquid crystal layer that is sandwiched between the first substrate and the second substrate, the plurality of light-amount adjusting sections being capable of adjusting, independently of one another, the amount of incident light that enters the plurality of optical sensing sections through an image display surface that lies at one of two surfaces of the second substrate that does not face t
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2012
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Hideto Ishiguro
  • Patent number: 8154532
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for driving a display device having a panel having a display region and a peripheral region, a first photosensor member formed in the display region, and a second photosensor member formed in the peripheral region. In one embodiment, the method includes the steps of measuring an intensity of ambient light by the second photosensor member, and driving the first photosensor member according to the measured intensity of the ambient light, so as to sense a change of incident light caused by a touch on the display region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: AU Optronics Corporation
    Inventors: Yu-Hui Chou, Hsueh-Ying Huang, Chung-Hung Yang
  • Patent number: 8154535
    Abstract: An image generating unit of a display apparatus generates a determination image based on first and second light reception images obtained from light reception cells in a light-emission period and in a non-light-emission period, respectively. An image determining unit determines whether or not an image of an object to be detected is included in the determination image, stores data corresponding to the determination image as initial data into a storage when the object image is not included in the determination image, and stores the data corresponding to the determination image as detection data into the storage when the object image is included in the determination image. A position determining unit determines at least an object position based on an image represented by the detection data in the storage and an image represented by the initial data in the storage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Mitsuru Tateuchi, Tsutomu Harada, Kazunori Yamaguchi, Ryoichi Tsuzaki
  • Patent number: 8125468
    Abstract: High-resolution multi-touch sensor and display device where the interaction medium is liquid, enabling more realistic tactile experience for simulations of synthetic wet environments. Based on frustrated total internal reflection, the device employs liquid within a tank as the optical waveguide that receives light, such as infrared light, that undergoes total internal reflection and an imaging camera that detects light that escapes from the tank caused by frustration of the total internal reflection due to contact of the water by a user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2012
    Assignee: Perceptive Pixel Inc.
    Inventor: Jefferson Y. Han
  • Patent number: 8102378
    Abstract: A touch-sensing display screen includes an upper transparent substrate, a lower substrate opposite the upper substrate and an infrared light source configured to illuminate a portion of the upper transparent substrate. A light converting layer is disposed between the upper and lower substrate and is configured to convert the infrared light received by the upper transparent substrate to visible light. A pixel thin-film transistor on the lower substrate is configured to activate a pixel electrode, and a light-sensing thin-film transistor is configured to sense the visible light provided by the light converting layer. A light-sense signal is output in response to activation of the light-sensing thin-film transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2012
    Assignee: LG Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: In Jae Chung, In Ho Ahn, Seong Ho Baik, Sang Hyuck Bae
  • Patent number: 8009152
    Abstract: A refined coordinate detection method for a touch panel, which more finely measures coordinates of an object without increasing the number of infrared emitting/receiving elements, and an error correction method, which minimizes position detection errors caused by received optical level errors due to external environment or their inherent characteristics, are provided. In the detection method, received levels of infrared emitting/receiving elements corresponding to left and right ends of object are measured and stored and the levels and a maximum received level are compared to calculate the refined coordinates. In the correction method, a lower limit level at a position where infrared reception is most significantly impeded by object is calculated through a comparison calculation of maximum and minimum received levels and it is detected that an object is present at a position only when a lower limit level at that position is not greater than the calculated one.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2011
    Assignee: Nexio Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kil-Sun Kim, Yong-Churl Kim
  • Patent number: 7995042
    Abstract: The dimension detection system is implemented in cascaded circuit boards housed inside a frame assembly of the touch screen. After the frame assembly is assembled and powered, the dimension detection system in the circuit boards would provide horizontal and vertical feedback signals which are utilized to obtain the size of the touch screen. The size information of the touch screen could then be provided to the computer or embedded system where the touch screen is connected, preventing troublesome manual configuration. The dimension detection system and the flexible frame assembly together make the touch screen's production, storage, transportation, and usage more efficient and friendly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2011
    Assignee: ET&T Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jung-Yu Chen, Chien-Ping Sun, Yi-Te Chien, Wei-Lin Wang
  • Patent number: 7973778
    Abstract: The simulation of touch pressure on a touch-sensitive display is disclosed. In one disclosed embodiment, a touch pressure is simulated on a touch-sensitive display by detecting inputs corresponding to each of an untouched display and two or more measures of touch pressure, and displaying images on the display corresponding to the untouched display and each measure of touch pressure. In this manner, a user may be provided with a richer visual response to a touch-sensitive display input.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2011
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventor: Paul Chen
  • Patent number: 7969426
    Abstract: According to one or more embodiments, a variation is detected in light that is cast over a display interface of a computing device. A characteristic of the light variation is identified. From this characteristic, a determination is made as to whether the variation in light is to be interpreted as an input or to be ignored.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2011
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Peter Skillman, Chun Wun Yeung
  • Patent number: 7944437
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, an information processing apparatus includes a main body, a touch pad which is provided on the main body, a determination unit which determines whether an external pointing device is connected to the main body, and a control unit which controls the touch pad in one of a first mode for making the touch pad function as a pointing device and a second mode in which in response to tapping of one of a plurality of virtual buttons disposed on a surface of the touch pad, a function which is assigned to the tapped virtual button is activated, the control unit controlling the touch pad in the second mode if the external pointing device is connected to the main body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2011
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Akira Imamura
  • Patent number: RE44658
    Abstract: An input processing device comprises a display screen and a pointing device for inputting corresponding 2-dimensional coordinates on the display screen. A 3-dimensional space is displayed on the display screen and the 2-dimensional coordinates inputted from the pointing device are detected. Next, shift amounts, per unit of time, of the detected 2-dimensional coordinates are calculated based on a predetermined calculation start condition. And the calculated shift amounts are converted to 3-dimensional coordinate shift amounts in the 3-dimensional space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2013
    Assignee: Nintendo Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hideki Konno, Yoshitaka Ajioka, Yasushi Ebisawa, Kiyoshi Mizuki