Abstract: An optical digitizer is constructed for determining a position of a pointing object projecting a light and being disposed on a coordinate plane. In the optical digitizer, a detector is disposed on a periphery of the coordinate plane and has a view field covering the coordinate plane for receiving the light projected from the pointing object and for converting the received light into an electric signal. A processor is provided for processing the electric signal fed from the detector to compute coordinates representing the position of the pointing object. A collimator is disposed to limit the view field of the detector below a predetermined height relative to the coordinate plane such that through the limited view field the detector can receive only a parallel component of the light which is projected from the pointing object substantially in parallel to the coordinate plane.

Abstract: An optical digitizer is constructed for determining a position of a pointing object projecting a light and being disposed on a coordinate plane. In the optical digitizer, a detector is disposed on a periphery of the coordinate plane and has a view field covering the coordinate plane for receiving the light projected from the pointing object and for converting the received light into an electric signal. A processor is provided for processing the electric signal fed from the detector to compute coordinates representing the position of the pointing object. A collimator is disposed to limit the view field of the detector below a predetermined height relative to the coordinate plane such that through the limited view field the detector can receive only a parallel component of the light which is projected from the pointing object substantially in parallel to the coordinate plane.

Abstract: A range imaging device such as a distance camera is improved by incorporating an oscillator to generate a reference signal, a light source to emit a light modulated in accordance with the reference signal and to project the light onto a three-dimensional target. A condenser lens collects and condenses a secondary light reflected by the target and projects the secondary light onto a gating image intensifier, which selectively gates the secondary light in synchronism with a pair of out-of-phase gate signals generated in accordance with the reference signal. Range information contained in the secondary light is extracted by the gating process. A CCD camera receives the gated secondary light and produces a corresponding image signal which is processed to produce a range image of the target.

Abstract: An information input apparatus inputs information into a machine. An implement is manually operable to vary either of a position and a direction of the implement relative to a reference point. At least one light source is disposed at one of the implement and the reference point for transmitting an optical ray to the other of the implement and the reference point. A detector is disposed at the other of the implement and the reference point for receiving the optical ray to detect a physical variation of either of the position and the direction of the implement so as to input displacement information representative of an incremental/decremental amount into the machine according to the detected physical variation. The detector has a periodic pattern for spatially modulating the optical ray to form a periodic image which shifts in response to the physical variation of the implement.

Abstract: A light spot position measuring apparatus includes a television camera for capturing an image of an object to be measured and an image processing unit. At least two cylindrical lens surfaces are provided in addition to an objective lens of the television camera so as to convert a light spot included in the object to be measured into linear images intersecting each other. The linear images are projected onto an image pickup face of the television camera which produces a corresponding image data. The image processing unit, processes the image data to extract corresponding straight lines. The unit further derives an intersection point of the straight lines and determines a position of the light spot in terms of the derived intersection point. The cylindrical lens surfaces have their cylinder axes which intersect each other. When a pair of the cylindrical lens surfaces having their cylinder axes intersecting orthogonal to each other are provided, a cross-shaped linear image is obtained.

Abstract: A light spot position measuring method uses an optical converter such as a cylindrical lens, a two-dimensional image pickup device such as a CCD image sensor and an image processing or computing unit. The cylindrical lens converts a light spot to a linear image intersecting a reference axis direction. The image sensor captures the linear image and produces corresponding pixel data. The computing unit processes the pixel data and derives a position of the light spot along the reference axis direction. In the light spot position measuring method, an orthogonal coordinate system is first set relative to a pixel array of the image sensor. The coordinate system has main and auxiliary axes orthogonal to each other. Subsequently, the linear image is projected to be inclined relative to the coordinate system with an angle of the linear image relative to the auxiliary axis smaller than that relative to the main axis.

Abstract: In an optical position detecting method, a light beam is intensity-modulated with a given periodic waveform, and is then emitted from an object light source. An image sensor captures an image of the light source and stores corresponding image data per pixel. Subsequently, the image sensor is accessed successively at least four times at a pitch which is less than 1/4 of that of the periodic waveform, so as to read the image data per pixel to form a time-sequential data. Subsequently, a scalar product computation of the time-sequential data is executed using a reference waveform which is asynchronous with the periodic waveform while having a period relatively close to the period of the periodic waveform, so as to derive first scalar data. Another scalar product computation of the time-sequential data is further executed using an orthogonal waveform which is out of phase by 90.degree. relative to the reference waveform, so as to derive second scalar data.

Abstract: An information input system inputs pointing information by a slight movement of an input implement held in an operator's hand. The information input system is a combination of an input implement 11 which is manually operated relative to a predetermined reference point to change an attitude thereof, and a detector for optically detecting the attitude of the input implement 11 using light as a detecting medium, in which information according to the manual operation is input to a television set 1 by utilizing the above attitude detection. At the reference point on the television set 1, a light emitting diode 6 is arranged to emit incident light 7 toward the input, implement 11. On the other hand, the detector is provided with an image forming portion, a light-receiving portion and a processing portion, and is integratedly incorporated into the input implement 11 so as to receive the incident light 7 emitted from the light emitting diode 6.

Abstract: An optical position detector is provided with an image forming member 1, a scale plate 2, and an image pickup 3, which are disposed sequentially along an optical axis in the order mentioned, and a position computing unit 10 connected to the image pickup 3. The scale plate 2 has a plurality of pattern elements arranged periodically along a front coordinate plane perpendicularly intersecting the optical axis. The image forming member 1 condenses a light beam emitted from an object point 4 and converts the same into a reference light converging into an image forming point and, at the same time, spot-illuminates a part, of the scale plate 2 with the reference light, and projects a certain pattern element in a magnified scale. The image pickup 3 has a light receiving surface disposed along a rear coordinate plane perpendicularly intersecting the optical axis and picks up the shadow of the pattern clement projected in the magnified scale and outputs corresponding image data.

Abstract: The present invention provides a sensing unit for a position detecting apparatus permitting freer setting of a reading efficiency and having a thinner appearance and its manufacturing method for realizing simple manufacturing, high yield, and low cost.According to the present invention, two plies of conductor patterns 22 and 23 are produced on one side 21a of an insulating substrate 21 to form a plurality of sense wires, a shielding plate 28 is adhered to other side of the insulating substrate 21, then the insulating substrate 21 is died together with the shielding plate 28. This obviates through holes for which drilling the insulating substrate is required, and diminishes the difference between the distances of the two plies of conductor patterns 22 and 23 from a position indicator. Furthermore, a spacer for separating conductor patterns from a shield becomes unnecessary.

Abstract: A neural coupling includes a pair of primary and secondary members for coupling a precedent node to a subsequent node to synaptically transmit a signal through a neural network. A primary member responds to a signal from a precedent node to generate an inductive field according to the received signal. A secondary member spatially coupled to the primary member by the inductive field supplies to a subsequent node a corresponding signal in response to the inductive field to effect synaptic transmission of the signal through the neural network.

Abstract: A transmitter pulse circuit produces two-phase pulse trains containing a certain number of pulse edges corresponding to an integral number represented by binary parallel bits of a data value to be transferred. The transmitter responds to a coordinate data value derived from a digitizer. The receiver includes a counter for counting pulse edges contained in the two-phase pulse trains, and a retrieving circuit for retrieving intermittently the counted contents to determine the number of received pulse edges. The counting circuit and the retrieving circuit constitute together a bus mouse interface of a host computer in the receiver. The coordinate data can be transferred to the host computer through the bus mouse interface without using a general RS-232C interface, thereby efficiently improving the host computer multiple terminal processing capacity.

Abstract: A digitizer for determining coordinate value of a point designated on a given two-dimensional coordinate plane. A pointing instrument is manually operable to designate a point on the given two-dimensional coordinate plane of a tablet. The tablet includes a flat sensor defining the given two-dimensional coordinate plane and operative for transmitting magnetic signal between the flat sensor and the pointing instrument disposed thereon to detect the designated point to thereby produce a detection signal, and a shielding plate disposed under the flat sensor to magnetically shield the flat sensor. The shielding plate is composed of silicon steel containing 4.0 to 7.0 weight % of silicon. A processing circuit is connected to the flat sensor for processing the detection signal to determine the coordinate value of the designated point.

Abstract: A digitizer for determining coordinate value of a point designated on a given two-dimensional coordinate plane. A pointing instrument is manually operable to designate a point on the given two-dimensional coordinate plane of a tablet. The tablet includes a flat sensor defining the given two-dimensional coordinate plane and operative for transmitting magnetic signal between the flat sensor and the pointing instrument disposed thereon to detect the designated point to thereby produce a detection signal, and a shielding plate disposed under the flat sensor to magnetically shield the flat sensor. The shielding plate is composed of silicon steel containing 4.0 to 7.0 weight % of silicon. A processing circuit is connected to the flat sensor for processing the detection signal to determine the coordinate value of the designated point.

Abstract: A digitizer for determining coordinate value of a point designated on a given two-dimensional coordinate plane. A pointing instrument is manually operable to designate a point on the given two-dimensional coordinate plane of a tablet. The tablet includes a flat sensor defining the given two-dimensional coordinate plane and operative for transmitting magnetic signal between the flat sensor and the pointing instrument disposed thereon to detect the designated point to thereby produce a detection signal, and a shielding plate disposed under the flat sensor to magnetically shield the flat sensor. The shielding plate is composed of silicon steel containing 4.0 to 7.0 weight % of silicon. A processing circuit is connected to the flat sensor for processing the detection signal to determine the coordinate value of the designated point.