Abstract: A coordinate input device includes a pair of cameras positioned in an upper left position and an upper right position of a display screen of a monitor lying close to a plane extending from the display screen of the monitor and views both a side face of an object in contact with a position on the display screen and a predetermined desk-top coordinate detection area to capture the image of the object with the field of view. The coordinate input device also included a control circuit which calculates the coordinate value of a pointing tool, pointing to a position within a coordinate detection field, based on video signals output from the pair of cameras, and transfers the coordinate value to a program of a computer.

Abstract: A position detection apparatus, with which the setting position adjustment of imaging sections is not required and the maintenance can be made easily, structuring of which can be realized with low-cost components, is provided. In the position detection apparatus, imaging sections (7), each of those which includes an area image sensor (70), in which light-sensitive elements are arrayed in a two-dimensional pattern, and an image formation lens (71), are placed to the lateral two points of a detection plane (1), respectively. A selection device (10) selects particular pixels corresponding to a particular field of view of a reflex reflection frame (4) or the like from the light-sensitive elements within a range of a given field of view having been imaged by the imaging sections (7). An image processing device (11) image-processes a particular image signal corresponding to the selected particular pixels and then outputs an indicating position coordinate of a pointing device (2).

Abstract: A coordinate input device includes a pair of cameras positioned in an upper left position and an upper right position of a display screen of a monitor lying close to a plane extending from the display screen of the monitor and views both a side face of an object in contact with a position on the display screen and a predetermined desk-top coordinate detection area to capture the image of the object within the field of view. The coordinate input device also includes a control circuit which calculates the coordinate value of a pointing tool, pointing to a position within a coordinate detection field, based on video signals output from the pair of cameras, and transfers the coordinate value to a program of a computer.

Abstract: A virtual-space shift control apparatus includes a detecting element that detects a touch operation or a drag operation of a pointing device having a plurality of pointing clements, performed on a display screen and a viewpoint-position information generator that generates viewpoint position information of a virtual space image based on the detected touch or drag operation of the detecting element. A three-dimensional image generator is provided that generates data on the virtual space image seen from a viewpoint indicated by the viewpoint position information and outputting a three dimensional image to the display.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a handwriting communication system, a handwriting input device and a handwriting display device used in the system, which can communicate by handwriting among a plurality of computers connected via a network. The communication system includes a handwriting input device which is provided at a transmitting side for inputting the handwriting into a transmitting side computer, and a handwriting display device which is provided at a receiving side for displaying the handwriting based on information transmitted from the transmitting side to a receiving side computer. The present system according to the invention transmits only a contiguous image around the handwritten portion, which reduces the communication volume compared to transmitting the whole image, and which makes the real time transmission and reception of handwriting trace possible.

Abstract: A coordinate input device includes a pair of cameras positioned in an upper left position and an upper right position of a display screen of a monitor lying close to a plane extending from the display screen of the monitor and views both a side face of an object in contact with a position on the display screen and a predetermined desk-top coordinate detection area to capture the image of the object within the field of view. The coordinate input device also includes a control circuit which calculates the coordinate value of a pointing tool, pointing to a position within a coordinate detection field, based on video signals output from the pair of cameras, and transfers the coordinate value to a program of a computer.

Abstract: An optical digitizer which has a function to recognize kinds of pointing instruments, allowing an input by a finger or by a pen, is provided.

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 object detecting optical unit for detecting a direction or a position of an object placed on a detecting plane surface is disclosed. The optical unit detects existence or non existence of a retroreflective light reflected by a retroreflective member. A light projection device is formed by a plurality of light sources and corresponding lenses, arranged in to form a fan shaped projection pattern parallel to the detecting plane surface, the projection pattern being as if projected from a virtual one point light source. A light receiving device is included which has a slit or lens and linear photoreceptive group, arranged in such a manner as to form a light receiving pattern with a view field corresponding to the fan shaped projection pattern. A position coordinate input apparatus using the optical unit is also disclosed.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a handwriting communication system, a handwriting input device and a handwriting display device used in the system, which can communicate by handwriting among a plurality of computers connected via a network. The communication system includes a handwriting input device, which is provided at a transmitting side for inputting the handwriting into a transmitting side computer, and a handwriting display device, which is provided at a receiving side for displaying the handwriting based on information transmitted from the transmitting side to a receiving side computer.

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 digitizer for use as an input device for a computer system is provided. The digitizer is of the passive type, having a coordinate board for use as an input board which does not include any power sources or active circuit elements. In the coordinate board there is configured a plurality of resonant loop coils along each of two coordinate axes, whose resonant frequencies are mutually different. A position indicating device, exemplified by a hand-held pointer, includes an antenna coil electromagnetically coupled with any of the loop coils disposed in the coordinate board. AC power supplied to the antenna coil has a frequency which is varied to match the resonant frequencies of each of the plurality of loop coils. An AC signal generated by the induction effect due to the electromagnetic coupling is generated in the antenna coil, is outputted to a processing unit, and coordinate values of the position indicating device are calculated based on the output AC signal.

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: A position detecting apparatus is equipped with a sense section including a plurality of loop coils arranged parallel to each other along a position detecting direction. The plurality of loop coils are selected in turn by an electric-wave transmission unit to transmit an electric wave. The apparatus is further provided with a position pointing section having a resonance circuit composed of at least one coil and a capacitor. A time-measuring device measures a time period elapsed until a signal developing in the resonance circuit reaches a predetermined level after the electric-wave transmission unit starts the electric-wave transmission.

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 optical position detecting unit which includes: an image pickup device having a pixel array region, an imaging lens for forming an image of a light-emitting point, a converging lens for converging light come from the light-emitting point image formed by the imaging lens onto the pixel array region, a pattern member having a pattern which contains code information uniquely corresponding to the position of the light-emitting point and disposed on a path of light from the light-emitting point and at a position near the light-emitting point image, and a signal processing unit for extracting information of the position of the light-emitting point by using code information contained in an image of the pattern projected onto the pixel array region of the image pickup device on the basis of image data generated by the image of the projected pattern.

Abstract: A stylus which has a pressure sensitive arrangement for reliably sensing a depressing force although the stylus being slantingly disposed, by using inductance change generated from an interval displacement between a moveable magnetic body and a fixed magnetic body, which has a coil wounded around thereof and is disposed at a predetermined distance from said moveable magnetic body. The arrangement has a pen tip member having a contact portion for receiving the pen pressure; an elastic material member disposed between the moveable and fixed magnetic bodies; a first supporting device disposed to hold the position of the fixed magnetic body against a depressing pressure; and a second supporting device for supporting the depressing member in a condition established when the rear end plane of the moveable magnetic body and the front end plane of the fixed magnetic body are placed with each other in a parellel position by receiving the depressing pressure.