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: An optical position detecting unit is configured by an image pickup unit for detecting the intensity of light, a pattern member disposed in the front of the image pickup unit and on a light path of the light and having a specific pattern, and a signal processing unit for extracting information with respect to the distance in the direction of a normal line of a pixel array region of the image pickup unit between a light-emitting source and the image pickup unit on the basis of signals with respect to the specific pattern projected to the pixel array. A distance between the pattern member and the pixel array of the image pickup unit is required to be known in advance in order to extract the information with respect to the distance. By using only one image pickup unit, the distance to the light-emitting source can be calculated.

Abstract: An optical position detecting unit comprising: a light-receiving device including a pixel array to form a light-receiving region and for outputting signals with respect to light detected by respective pixels in the pixel array; a pattern member disposed in the front of the light-receiving region of the light-receiving device and having a pattern having a characteristic that an image of the pattern projected onto the light-receiving region by an incident light beam determines the direction of incidence of the light beam univocally; and a signal processing device for extracting information with respect to the direction of incidence of the light beam on the basis of the signals outputted from the respective pixels in the pixel array. The pattern preferably has M-sequence characteristic.