Coordinate plate, coordinate input device and coordinate input/output device

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD [Detailed description of the invention]

【0001】

[Technical field to which the invention belongs]

The present invention relates to a coordinate plate used for instructing an input position by an input indicator such as a pen or a mouse, a coordinate input device using this coordinate plate, and a coordinate input / output device, and particularly to the portability thereof.

【0002】

[Conventional technology]

Various types of conventional coordinate input devices are known, which are classified according to a detection principle based on a physical phenomenon for detecting the position of an input indicator. As the main method, as classified in the International Patent Classification (IPC), there are resistance tablet, magnetic coupling tablet, capacitive coupling tablet, optical coupling tablet, acoustic / vibration tablet and the like. Regarding each method, for example, resistance tablet is JP-A-5-53715, magnetic coupling tablet is JP-A-5-289806, capacitive coupling tablet is JP-A-5-80921, optical coupling tablet is JP-A-5-53717, Since the sound / vibration tablet is well known in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 5-66877, etc., detailed description thereof will be omitted.

【0003】

The coordinate input devices as described above have various forms and sizes, and can be integrated with a display device of a small portable personal computer or a terminal, or a tablet or a display device used on a desktop. It is widely used in a wide range of applications, from integrated ones to those mounted on large plasma displays and projector displays. In any form and size, the position coordinates of the input indicator, that is, the input point, is detected by the coordinate input device by bringing the pen, which is an input indicator, closer to or in contact with the coordinate input plate, and the computer is used from the coordinate input device. Is output to. Based on the output result of the position coordinates of the input point, the computer executes a predetermined function, for example, a menu command.

【0004】

Further, the drive control means of the display means can display a point corresponding to the position of the input indicator or a cursor at the position. Further, when the input by the input indicator is continuously performed, the trajectory of the operation of the input indicator can be displayed by connecting the input point cloud detected at a predetermined sampling rate with a line. Furthermore, by identifying and determining this locus, it is possible to recognize a character or a figure, execute a gesture command, or the like.

【0005】

The conventional various types of coordinate input devices as described above are provided with means for causing various physical phenomena on the input surface itself or between the input indicator and a part of the input surface side. That is, in the resistance tablet, the input surface has a structure in which a glass plate or a resin film having a transparent resistor is opposed to each other and two or more sheets are overlapped. The magnetically coupled tablet has a configuration in which a loop coil-shaped transparent electrode pattern is provided in the X and Y directions on the input surface or the sensor surface located below the input surface (for example, the back side of the display means superimposed on the input surface). It has become. The capacitively coupled tablet has a configuration in which a transparent electrode pattern having a line shape in the X direction and the Y direction is provided on the input surface. In the optical coupling tablet, optical units having a light source and a light receiving portion are provided on the upper left and right sides of the input surface, and the light is scanned in the immediate vicinity of the input surface surface. In an acoustic / vibration tablet, sound waves or elastic waves radiated or incident from an input indicator propagate in the immediate vicinity of the surface of the input surface or in the input surface.

【0006】

As described above, in the conventional coordinate input device, the input surface is wide and large because of the means for causing various physical phenomena between the input surface itself or a part between the input indicator and the input surface side. As a result, there is a problem that it becomes extremely expensive. That is, in the resistance tablet, it is necessary to form a transparent resistor having a uniform resistivity over the entire input surface. Further, in the magnetically coupled tablet and the capacitively coupled tablet, it is necessary to uniformly provide loop coil-shaped or line-shaped transparent electrode patterns in the X and Y directions at equal intervals over the entire input region. In an optical coupling tablet, in order to scan the light in the immediate vicinity of the input surface surface in parallel with the input surface, it is necessary to perform advanced fine adjustment of the optical unit and accurate position adjustment or positioning of the left and right optical units. .. In acoustic / vibration tablets, in the case of sound waves propagating in the air, it is necessary to control the temperature of the air and accurately adjust or position the plurality of detection sensors. In the case of elastic waves propagating in the input surface, high uniformity is required for the materials constituting the input surface in order to keep the propagation velocity constant regardless of the propagating distance.

【0007】

In addition, the above-mentioned coordinate input device is integrally superposed on a CRT, a liquid crystal display, a plasma display, or the like, which is a display device of a personal computer, and an input surface and a display screen are integrally superposed, and a direct drawing or pointing is performed on the display screen. For example, there are the following problems when inputting to a personal computer.

【0008】

That is, in the resistance tablet, there is a problem that the brightness and sharpness of the displayed image are lowered because the light transmittance of the resistor such as ITO forming the transparent resistor is not sufficiently good. In magnetically coupled tablets and capacitively coupled tablets, loop coil-shaped or line-shaped transparent electrode patterns in the X and Y directions over the entire input region are electrical and magnetic noise from the display panel, drive circuit, power supply circuit, etc. There is a problem that the detection becomes unstable due to the susceptibility to the problem, or the price becomes higher to prevent the instability. In the optical coupling tablet and the acoustic / vibration tablet, a space for providing the optical unit or the detection sensor on the input surface is required, and it is necessary to harmonize the shape of the entire device.

【0009】

In addition, in optical coupling tablets and acoustic / vibration tablets, when an operator's hand or other object is present on the path through which light, sound waves, or elastic waves propagate, it is affected and the detection performance deteriorates. Alternatively, there is an operational problem that makes it undetectable.

【0010】

As a method for improving or avoiding the above problem, there is a proposal of a coordinate input device including a coordinate plate on which coded coordinate information is recorded and an input indicator having a built-in detection means for detecting the coordinate information.

【0011】

For example, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 61-262832 by the applicant, a square region in which at least nine sections in which different patterns corresponding to coordinate points are drawn on a coordinate plate are arranged in a matrix is further arranged in a matrix. It is disclosed that the pattern is read by a coordinate indicator having a built-in light emitting element and a light receiving sensor, and the direction and amount of relative movement are detected based on the change in the pattern.

【0012】

Further, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 61-296421 by the applicant, different information corresponding to the coordinate points is arranged in each section divided into a matrix on the coordinate plate, detected by a coordinate indicator, and the absolute coordinate position is identified. It is disclosed to do.

【0013】

Further, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 61-296422 by the applicant, at least two kinds of different information are arranged on a coordinate plate by continuously changing the amount of information in different directions, and detected by a coordinate indicator. , It is disclosed to identify the absolute coordinate position.

【0014】

In addition, Tokuhei 5-80010 has an optical stylus with a lighting source and a pick-up means, and a tablet address cell (TAC) containing a digitally coded XY coordinate pair distributed on multiple surfaces. Permanently recorded passive locator tablet, means to demarcate TAC by stylus search, means to periodically sample TAC data, and complete TAC data pair (xY) from TAC data sampled by Presenham search. A data generation means having a video memory that generates (coordinate pairs) and stores a video image, and a code dot image that stores the subdivision of the memory and stylus optical system can have a width of multiple pixels in both directions. It is disclosed. It also discloses that the passive locator tablet can be incorporated in front of the display surface, the tablet is made of plastic, a TAC is formed on the display surface side, that is, on the back surface of the tablet, and a glass layer is attached to the surface. Has been done. It also discloses that the tablet is completely passive and can be placed on any surface, allowing multiple tablets to be placed in a convenient location, such as on a computer display, desktop, or drawing board. Has been [0015]

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention]

However, the conventional coordinate input device as described above has the following problems. A problem common to all the above-mentioned coordinate input devices is the problem of portability. The problem is not a problem if it is a small coordinate input device mounted on a portable terminal or the like, but a coordinate input device for a large plasma display or a projector can be installed on various surfaces and is coded. Even in a coordinate input device including a coordinate plate on which the coordinate information is recorded and an input indicator having a built-in detection means for detecting the coordinate information, the portability is extremely poor. Furthermore, in the resistance tablet, magnetic coupling tablet, and capacitive coupling tablet, not only the portability is extremely poor, but also the large coordinate input device is extremely expensive, and the electrical wiring for processing the physical phenomenon of the input surface is performed. It is extremely difficult to install for such purposes. Further, the optical coupling tablet and the acoustic / vibration tablet can have portability as long as they have an optical unit or an acoustic sensor that can be attached to and detached from the input surface, but obtain desired input accuracy or resolution. For that purpose, extremely accurate positioning of the optical unit or the acoustic sensor is required, which poses a big problem in practical use. The problem of portability of the large coordinate input device is as an input means to the display screen of a portable or portable front projector used for various meetings or presentations, or as a plasma display, a rear projection display, etc. The solution is strongly desired as a detachable input means to the display screen.

【0016】

In addition, the above-mentioned various problems of the resistance tablet, the magnetically coupled tablet, the capacitance coupled tablet, the optical coupled tablet, and the acoustic / vibration tablet, that is, the increase in price due to the increase in size of the input surface, the decrease in the brightness and sharpness of the displayed image Coded coordinate information recording, which resolves instability due to electrical and magnetic noise, space and device shape limitations for placement, and detection performance degradation due to the effects of operator's hands or other objects. , In the above three cases, the coordinate information to be arranged on the coordinate plate is mentioned, but the input / output integrated type with the display device and the influence of the coordinate information on the display image are not suggested at all. Problem 2 cannot be avoided at all.

【0017】

In addition, in Tokuhei 5-80010, as a configuration that brings excellent wear resistance, the tablet is made of plastic as described above, a TAC is formed on the back surface of the tablet, and a glass layer is attached to the surface. it is disclosed to apply, the reliability in the use of a single tablet of the first problem, not suggested any, it can also be largely avoided the first problem is not of a.

【0018】

In addition, in Tokusho 5-80010, it is desirable that the so-called input / output integrated configuration of the tablet and the display device and the grayness caused by TAC for that purpose be uniform throughout the tablet, and 2 for that purpose. Although the form of the base code is mentioned, no method or means for reducing the grayness, which has a great influence on the displayed image in the first place, is suggested. That is, there is a problem that the grayness caused by TAC affects the sharpness of the displayed image. The problem is, for example, based on the description of the example of Tokusei No. 5-80010, in a tablet size of 1 m × lm, 1 dot of a corner cube representing 1 is φ24 μm, and 7 × 7 dots is 250 × 250 μm. If 25 corner cubes are formed in 1 TAC to make the gray degree uniform in TAC size, the ratio of the corner cubes to the entire tablet in terms of area ratio is about 20%, which has a great adverse effect on the sharpness of the displayed image. It will affect you. Of course, as mentioned in the examples, there is a degree of freedom in the format of TAC within the range where the X and Y coordinates can be identified, but this reference is one of the purposes of Special Fair 5-80010. It is for the degree of freedom in the format of the code data, and no suggestion is made regarding the second problem.

【0019】

The present invention has been made under such a situation, and provides a highly portable coordinate plate suitable for a large-scale coordinate input / output device, and a coordinate input device and a coordinate input / output device using the coordinate plate. The purpose is to do.

【0020】

[Means for solving problems]

In order to achieve the above object, in the present invention, the coordinate plate is configured as described in the following (1) to (5), the coordinate input device is configured as described in the following (6), and the coordinate input / output device is configured. Is configured as shown in (7) and (8) below.

【0021】

(1) A retractable or foldable coordinate plate in which multiple coordinate information corresponding to the X coordinate value and / or the Y coordinate value is recorded.

【0022】

(2) In the coordinate plate according to (1) above, the coordinate plate is a coordinate plate made of a transparent member.

【0023】

(3) In the coordinate plate according to (1) or (2), the coordinate plate has a laminated structure composed of a plurality of layers in the thickness direction, and the coordinate information is formed between layers of the laminated structure. Coordinate plate.

【0024】

(4) In the coordinate plate according to any one of (1) to (3), a coordinate plate provided with an attachment member for attaching to the display surface of the display device on the back surface of the coordinate plate.

【0025】

(5) In the coordinate plate according to any one of (1) to (3), the coordinate information can distinguish between the X coordinate value and the Y coordinate value, and each of them is independent and intermittent. The coordinate plate that is recorded in.

【0026】

(6) A coordinate input device including the coordinate plate according to any one of (1) to (5) above and an input indicator having a function of detecting coordinate information of the coordinate plate.

【0027】

(7) A coordinate input / output device including the coordinate input device according to (6) above and a display device in which the coordinate plate is arranged on a display surface.

【0028】

(8) In the image input / output device according to (7) above, the image input / output device in which the display device is a large plasma display or a large projector display.

【0029】

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to examples of a coordinate input / output device. The present invention can also be implemented in the form of a coordinate plate and a coordinate input device, supported by the description of the examples.

【0030】

[Example]

(Example 1) FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a pen 1 of an input indicator used in the coordinate input / output device of the first embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a system configuration of the entire embodiment. It is a figure.

【0031】

First, the overall system configuration will be described. In FIG. 2, the coordinate plate 11 on which the coded coordinate information is recorded is installed in front of the plasma display (PDP) 21 and is configured as a so-called input / output integrated type (coordinate input / output device). The PDP 21 displays a desired image by the PDP drive circuit 22 based on the instruction of the CPU 23. The pen 1 detects the coordinate information and transmits the coordinate data to the receiving means 24 connected to the CPU 23. The CPU 23 executes a predetermined process based on the reception result of the reception means 24. In this process, for example, the menu command at the position corresponding to the coordinate data of the input point by the pen 1 is executed. Further, the PDP drive circuit 22 can display a point corresponding to the position of the pen 1 on the PDP 21. Further, when the input by the pen 1 is continuously performed, the trajectory of the operation of the pen 1 can be displayed on the PDP 21 by connecting the input point cloud detected at a predetermined sampling rate with a line. Furthermore, by identifying and determining this locus, it is possible to recognize a character or a figure, execute a gesture command, or the like. In addition, the pen 1 is provided with a switch (not shown) corresponding to a mouse button, and by turning on the switch, the ON information is transmitted and received together with the coordinate data, and the menu command or icon instructed by the pen 1 is displayed. Can also be selected or executed. In this case, various application software can be operated with the pen 1.

【0032】

Next, the configuration of the pen 1 will be described. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 2 denotes an area sensor such as a CCD area (two-dimensional) sensor or a CMOS area sensor, which is configured to read the vicinity of the surface of the coordinate plate 11 via the objective lens 3. The area sensor 2 and the objective lens 3 make sure that the area read by the area sensor 2 is an area in which one or more dot arrays 12 representing the X coordinate value and the Y coordinate value described later are surely included. It is composed. As will be described later, the dot array 12 has a pitch that is approximately the same as the pixel pitch of the display pixels of the PDP 21, and the dot array 12 that encodes the X coordinate value and the dot array 12 that encodes the Y coordinate value are arranged alternately. When formed, the area is a display pixel of PDP21, which is wider than, for example, 2 × 2 display pixels. In this embodiment, the area read by the area sensor 2 is 2.5 × 2.5 display pixels of PDP21. Further, the area sensor 2 and the objective lens 3 are configured so that the plurality of pixels of the area sensor 2 correspond to one dot constituting the dot array 12 described later. In this embodiment, 9 pixels of 3 × 3 of the area sensor 2 are configured to correspond to one dot.

【0033】

Reference numeral 4 denotes a light emitting element that irradiates the coordinate plate 11, and for example, an LED, a semiconductor laser element, or the like is used. If necessary, a collimator lens 5 is provided in which the irradiation light beam is parallel light. Further, a condensing means such as a reflecting mirror may be used in order to improve the utilization efficiency of the light emitting element 4.

【0034】

The signal processing circuit 6 binarizes the output of the area sensor 2 for each pixel of the area sensor 2 and outputs it to the arithmetic control circuit 7 as digital image information. In the binarization, when the coordinate information recorded on the coordinate plate 11 is formed from the dot array, which will be described later, if there are dots, the information is "1", and there are no dots, or the background is ". It is done as information of "0". In the binarization, depending on the content of the display image of PDP21, for example, when the pen 1 is located at the boundary between the white image and the black image, the display image behind the coordinate plate 11 as viewed from the area sensor 2 Due to the influence, the output level for each pixel changes greatly depending on the location in the area sensor 2, and fixed threshold processing may not be possible due to binarization. In such cases, well-known so-called automatic gain control (AGC) such as changing the amplification factor of the sensor output from the output levels of a plurality of pixels is used. Alternatively, a moving average method or the like, which is well known in so-called image processing technology, performs binarization by comparing the output of an arbitrary pixel of the area sensor 2 with the local average value of the output of a plurality of pixels in the vicinity of the pixel. Target threshold processing is used. The dynamic threshold processing is executed by the arithmetic control circuit 7 as needed.

【0035】

The binarized digital information is sent to and stored in an arithmetic control circuit 7 including a microcomputer, a ROM that stores a control procedure or a table corresponding to coordinate information and coordinate values, a ROM that stores the digital image information, and the like. To. In the arithmetic control circuit 7, the extraction of the first and second dot arrays near the center, the distinction between the X coordinate and the Y coordinate of the extracted dot array, each coordinate value, and the X-axis and Y-axis directions, which will be described later, are determined. The judgment is made, the distance from the center of each dot array is calculated, and the coordinate value of the pen 1 is determined.

【0036】

The determined coordinate values are sent to the transmitting means 8 and transmitted from the transmitting means 8 to the receiving means 24 using infrared rays or radio waves based on a predetermined communication format. The receiving means 24 is housed in a predetermined small and lightweight box, and is connected to the CPU 23 by an interface such as RS-232C.

【0037】

The pen 1 contains a battery 9 which is a power source for driving an area sensor 2, a light emitting element 4, a signal processing circuit 6, an arithmetic control circuit 7, and a transmission circuit 8.

【0038】

Further, a pen tip switch (not shown) is provided. When the pen 1 comes into contact with the coordinate plate 11, the pen tip switch is turned on by sliding the pen tip portion along the pen axis in the direction of the rear end of the pen 1 by a predetermined amount. Only when the pen 1 is in contact with the coordinate plate 11 by the pen tip switch, that is, in the input state, is the drive of each part, the reading of the coordinate information, and the coordinate value at a predetermined time interval, that is, a predetermined sampling rate. Is decided and transmitted. Therefore, an extremely long battery life can be realized. Further, the ON / OFF state of the pen tip switch may be transmitted to the CPU 23 side by the transmission means 8 together with the coordinate values.

【0039】

Next, the configuration of the coordinate plate 11 will be described. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the coordinate plate 11 has a two-layer laminated structure in which two flexible transparent films 11a and 11b are bonded together. The material of the films 11a and 11b is made of a transparent plastic such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polycarbonate (PC), or acrylic. The film 11a and the film 11b are bonded to each other with a transparent adhesive such as acrylic or a double-sided adhesive tape. Matrix-shaped dot arrays 12, which will be described later, are intermittently formed over the entire input effective region at a predetermined pitch on the bonding surface of either one of the films 11a or 11b. The input effective area is set to be a predetermined size larger than the display area of the PDP 21 so that the entire display screen of the PDP 21 can be input by the pen 1.

【0040】

As shown in FIG. 7, the coordinate plate 11 is installed with four corners attached to the display surface of the PDP 21 by adhesive tapes 13a, 13b, 13c and 13d which are transparent and have an appropriate adhesive force so as to be removable. To. Generally, since the display surface of the PDP 21 is located a predetermined amount behind the so-called frame surface 21a of the housing, the outer size of the coordinate plate 11 is specified so that it can be dropped and attached to the display surface.

【0041】

The dot array 12 is formed on the surface of the film 13 by using a well-known technique such as printing or a printer technique. That is, the dot array 12 is formed by fine printing using a photolithography or the like, printer technology by ejecting ink from a fine nozzle, or the like.

【0042】

Here, in the dot array 12, if there are dots, the information is "1", and there are no dots, that is, the transparent coordinate plate 11 surface with the display surface of the PDP 21 behind the coordinate plate 11 as the background is "0". It is the information of. By configuring the display surface of the PDP 21 to be arranged outside the subject depth of the objective lens 3, in the image read by the area sensor 2, the place where there is no dot and the background become a blurred image, and the dots are formed. Appropriate contrast with a certain place can be obtained. Further, the color of the dot array does not need to be particularly limited. However, since the presence of the dot array 12 has no effect on the display image of the PDP 21, a more inconspicuous color such as gray is desirable within the allowable range in which the contrast can be obtained regardless of the content of the display image.

【0043】

The front surface of the coordinate plate 11, that is, the front surface of the film 11a and the back surface of the film 11b is an antireflection treatment (anti-reflection) that reduces the reflectance of light, if necessary, so that the operator can comfortably view the displayed image. Treatment) or diffusion treatment (non-glare treatment) that diffuses light is performed. Further, the front surface of the film 11a and the back surface of the film 11b are coated with a cured film such as acrylic or silicon, so-called hard coating, in order to prevent scratches and the like.

【0044】

The coordinate plate 11 having the above configuration can be attached to and detached from the PDP21 display surface as needed. Since the removed coordinate plate 11 is in the form of a flexible film and is lightweight, it can be wound in a roll shape as shown in FIG. As a result, the coordinate plate 11 becomes an extremely portable form.

【0045】

In addition, attaching the PDP21 to the display surface is a simple task of simply pasting the four corners of the coordinate plate 11 with the inside of the frame surface 21a as a guide, and removing the adhesive tapes 13a, 13b, 13c at the four corners. It is only necessary to peel off the and 13d, and the workability is extremely good. Needless to say, at the time of the mounting, a mark or the like is attached to, for example, the upper right corner on the front surface side so that the top, bottom, left and right, or front and back of the coordinate plate 11 can be identified. Further, the input effective area may be specified by means such as printing so that the input effective area can be known, and the coordinate plate 11 and the display screen may be roughly positioned between the input effective area and the display screen.

【0046】

Next, the dot array 12 will be described in more detail. Figure 3 shows an enlarged view of a small part of the input effective area. The area separated by a well-shaped thin line corresponds to one display pixel of PDP21, and the dot array 12Xi, 12Xi + 1, which encodes the X coordinate value of the input effective area at a pitch approximately equal to the pixel pitch of the display pixel. 12Xi + 2 is formed by alternately arranging dot arrays 12Yj, 12Yj + 1,12Yj + 2 in which Y coordinate values are encoded. When the display pixels are square and the dot array 12 of the coordinate plate 11 is formed so that the horizontal direction of the display screen is the X-axis and the vertical direction is the Y-axis, the pitch is the same in both the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction. The dot array 12 is formed at. It goes without saying that the dot arrays 12X1 to 12Xm in which the X coordinate values are encoded and the dot arrays 12Y1 to 12Yn in which the Y coordinate values are encoded are alternately arranged and formed in the entire input effective region. In addition, in FIG. 3, it is shown that the dot array 12 is arranged between the pixels of the display pixels of the PDP21, but this is just for the purpose of making the explanation more concise and easy to understand, and in reality, the PDP21 It goes without saying that there is a corresponding misalignment because the coordinate plate 11 is attached to the display surface of.

【0047】

The dot array 12 has a matrix of 6 rows and 3 columns, and one dot array 12 is formed of 18 dots. In FIG. 3, a state in which a dot representing 1 is present is schematically represented by a black dot, and a state in which there is no dot representing 0 is schematically represented by a white dot with a box. Of course, in reality, only dots exist (for example, Fig. 5). The size of the dots is preferably such that the operator can hardly identify them, and the dots are formed in a circular or polygonal shape having a diameter or sides of, for example, about several tens of μm. Further, a gap substantially equal to the dot size is provided between the dots. When "1" is continuous, that is, when black dots are continuous, the gap becomes a large dot as a result, and the operator identifies the dot at the time of operation, and the dot becomes anxious and the operability deteriorates. It is to prevent it from happening.

【0048】

Of the 18 dots, the 3 dots in the 6th row, which is the lowest row, are used to discriminate between the X coordinate and the Y coordinate. That is, in FIG. 3, if it is configured as "1,0,0" from the left side, it represents the x coordinate value, and if it is configured as "0,0,1", it represents the Y coordinate value. In addition, the 3 dots in the first row, which is the highest row, are configured as "1,1,1" in all arrays 12. As a result, the direction of the matrix is determined regardless of the rotation direction of the pen 1, that is, the orientation of the coordinate plate 11 of the area sensor 2 in the plane, and as a result, the X-axis and Y-axis directions (positive or negative directions) are unique. It is decided to. Then, the coordinate values of X and Y are encoded by the 12 dots on the second to fifth lines. In this embodiment, 4096 different coordinate values can be expressed depending on the presence or absence of 12 dots. Needless to say, the pixel arrangement of the area sensor 2 is known regardless of the orientation of the area sensor 2.

【0049】

The process of reading the coordinate values according to the configuration of the coordinate plate described above will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 4 and the explanatory diagrams of FIGS. 5 and 6.

【0050】

First, STEP 101 determines whether the pen tip switch is ON / OFF. That is, when the pen 1 is in contact with the coordinate plate 11 and the pen tip switch is ON, the input operation is in progress and the process proceeds to STEP 102. In STEP 102, the light emitting element 4 illuminates the vicinity of the pen tip, and the area sensor 2 reads the image of the area A including the plurality of dot arrays 12 on the coordinate plate 11 near the pen tip (FIG. 5). The region A surely includes one or more dot arrays 12 representing the X coordinate value and the Y coordinate value in the region A. The read image is output from the area sensor 2 to the signal processing circuit 6, is binarized for each pixel in the signal processing circuit 6, and is stored in the RAM of the arithmetic control circuit 7 as digital image information.

【0051】

Next, in STEP 103, the arithmetic control circuit 7 extracts the stored image information of the first dot array 12 that is close to the center of the image, that is, the center of the area sensor 2. In the extraction process, in the image information, about 9 pixels of "1" when there are dots are lined up in 3 × 3, and 3 pixels are lined up at a pitch of about 3 pixels in an arbitrary direction. First, the part where the dot array 12 is located, that is, the 3 dots in the first row of the dot array 12 is searched. In this search, for example, as shown in FIG. 5, the area B of the image information corresponding to a region corresponding to a predetermined amount wider than the quadrangle having one side of the diagonal length of one display pixel of PDP21 near the center of the image information, that is, the center. The area B corresponding to about 1/3 of the area of the total image information is scanned and searched. Needless to say, in the search, when 3 dots can be searched, the next procedure may be performed. As described above, the dot array 12 is arranged at a pitch equivalent to the display pixel pitch of the PDP 21, and the area A read by the area sensor 2 is equivalent to the 2.5 × 2.5 display pixels of the PDP 21, so the area B is always 1 Includes 12 dot arrays. However, since the 3 dots searched in the above search are not necessarily the 3 dots in the first line, next, two dot arrays 12 centered on the 3 dots in the direction perpendicular to the line connecting the searched 3 dots. The region C corresponding to the area of is scanned to extract the first dot array 12.

【0052】

Next, in STEP 104, the directions of the X-axis and the Y-axis preset on the coordinate plate 11 are determined from the orientation of the first dot array 12 in the stored image information. The judgment is made, for example, when the matrix of 6 rows × 3 columns is viewed at the normal position as shown in FIG. 3 and the right direction is set as the positive direction of the X axis and the upward direction is set as the positive direction of the Y axis. The positive directions of the X-axis and Y-axis are determined from the normal position direction of the dot array 12 of 1 (Fig. 5). Then, from the 3-dot code array on the 6th line of the first dot array 12, it is determined whether the first dot array 12 is the coordinate information in which the X coordinate value is encoded or the coordinate information in which the Y coordinate value is encoded. Determine. Next, the coded coordinate values of the X-axis or the Y-axis are determined from the 12-dot code array on the 2nd to 5th lines of the first dot array 12. In the determination, a reference table or the like is used as needed.

【0053】

Next, in STEP 105, the position of the first dot array 12 on the image information and the position of the second dot array 12 to be extracted from the positive directions of the X-axis and the Y-axis on the image information. Is estimated and extracted. In the estimation and extraction, for example, in the present embodiment, the coordinate information of the Y coordinate value close to the coordinate information of the X coordinate value is separated by the distance of one display stroke in the ± direction of the X axis or the Y axis 4 It is located individually. Therefore, the dot array 12 closer to the center of the image information should be extracted from the positions of the first dot array 12 on the image information and the positive directions of the X-axis and the Y-axis. The second dot array 12 can be extracted by estimating the position of the second dot array 12 and scanning the image information of a predetermined area D wider than the area of the dot array 12 (FIG. 5).

【0054】

Next, in STEP 106, the coded coordinate values of the axes different from those of the first dot array 12 are determined from the 12-dot code array of the 2nd to 5th rows of the extracted second dot array 12.

【0055】

Next, in STEP 107, the distance between the first dot array 12 and the second dot array 12 and the center of the image information is calculated. The distance is the distance between the X-axis or Y-axis corresponding to the X or Y coordinate value represented by the first or second dot array 12 and the center of the image information (center of the area sensor). The position of the coordinate value represented by the dot array 12 can be set to a desired position in the dot array 12. In this embodiment, the dot array 12 is viewed in the normal position, the lower left end of the dots in the second column of the third row is the position of the coordinate value represented by the dot array 12, and the coordinate value corresponds to the position. It is coded. Then, the distances Lx and Ly between the X-axis and the Y-axis passing through the position and the center of the image information are calculated (Fig. 6). Needless to say, the distance is converted into a value on the coordinate axis defined on the coordinate plate 11.

【0056】

Next, in STEPlO8, the coordinate values of the first dot array 12 and the second dot array 12, the coordinate axes of the first dot array 12 and the second dot array 12, and the center of the image information, that is, the pen. The exact position coordinates of the pen 1 are calculated from the distances Lx and Ly from the center of 1. Needless to say, in the calculation, the positive and negative directions of the X-axis and the Y-axis are added to the distances Lx and Ly from the center. Further, according to the calculation method, even if the pen 1 moves by a minute distance and the extracted dot array 12 is the same, the distance between the dot array 12 and the center of the image information is calculated differently. Movement is detected. That is, an extremely high resolution coordinate input device becomes possible. In addition, the same high accuracy is possible in all areas of the input effective area.

【0057】

Next, in STEPlO9, the calculated X and Y coordinate values are sent from the arithmetic control circuit 7 to the transmitting means 8, and are input to the CPU 23 via the receiving means 24.

【0058】

Prior to the above-mentioned operation, a measure for matching the coordinate system of the coordinate plate 11 and the coordinate system of the PDP 21 or correcting the detected coordinate values, for example, displaying a plurality of desired points on the display screen, the points. Well-known measures such as inputting with the pen 1 are performed.

【0059】

As shown in the above-mentioned configuration and operation, by configuring the coordinate plate 11 with the flexible transparent films 11a and 11b that can be wound up, a coordinate plate having extremely excellent portability can be realized.

【0060】

Further, in the present embodiment, since the dot array 12 is formed not on the front surface or the back surface of the coordinate plate 11 but on the bonded surface which is the layers of the laminated structure, the operator can use the pen 1 to touch the surface of the coordinate plate 11. Even if the pen 1 abuts, hits, or rubs against the coordinate plate 11 during an instruction or a moving scan input, the pen 1 does not come into direct contact with the dot array 12, and the dot array 12 is scratched, deformed, or rubbed. The dot array 12 can be permanently held with extremely high reliability without any wear, lightening, discoloration, or shedding.

【0061】

Further, in this embodiment, since the information included in the dot array 12, which is the coded coordinate information, is not a pair of the X coordinate value and the Y coordinate value, but one of them, one coordinate information is used. The amount of information can be halved, and the number of coordinate information can be significantly reduced by intermittently recording such as arranging a large gap space between adjacent dot arrays 12. For example, in the coordinate plate 11 having an input effective area of 1 m × 1 m, the arrangement pitch of the dot array 12 of the matrix of 6 rows × 3 columns is set to 1 mm for both the X tsumugi and the Y axis, and the dot shape of the dot array 12 is changed. Assuming φ30 μm, the total area of the areas with dots is about 0.7% of the entire input effective area in terms of area ratio, and even if the coordinate plate 11 is bonded to the display surface of PDP21, the coordinate plate 11 will have the total area. The dot array 12, which is the recorded coordinate information, has almost no adverse effect on the displayed image.

【0062】

The above effect is a total of 6 dots in the 1st and 6th rows of the dot array 12 in a matrix of 6 rows x 3 rows in order to distinguish the X-axis and Y-axis directions and the X-coordinate value and the Y-coordinate value. It is by doing only.

【0063】

Further, by configuring the dot array 12 to have a gap between the dots forming the array, the dots are continuously connected and the operator does not identify them, and the coordinate information is taken into consideration. It is possible to operate the input instruction without any problems.

【0064】

In the above configuration, the array pitch of the dot array 12 is 1 mm, which is equivalent to the pitch of the display pixels, the dot shape of the dot array 12 is φ30 μm, and the reading area of the area sensor 2 is 2.5 × 2.5 display pixels as described above. If the 3 × 3 pixels of the area sensor 2 correspond to 1 dot, the number of pixels of the area sensor 2 is 250 × 250, and the total number of pixels is about 60,000 pixels. The area sensor 2 having the number of pixels can be easily and inexpensively realized by any method such as a CCD type or a CMOS type, and the arithmetic control circuit 7 or the signal processing circuit 6 can be easily realized by the existing technology. Therefore, the coordinate input / output device of this embodiment can be realized at a cost having appropriate economic efficiency.

【0065】

Furthermore, the coordinate plate 11 only records the coded coordinate information, which is unstable due to electrical and magnetic noise, space and device shape restrictions for placement, operator's hands or other. All deterioration of detection performance due to the influence of objects can be solved.

【0066】

As described above, according to the present embodiment, in the coordinate input effective region forming the XY coordinate plane, a plurality of coordinate information corresponding to the X coordinate value and the Y coordinate value are recorded, and winding is possible. By configuring it with a flexible coordinate plate and an input indicator having a detection means for detecting the coordinate information of the coordinate plate, the coordinate plate can be constructed lightweight even on a large screen, and it is suitable for carrying by winding it up. It can be made into a form and can be given excellent portability. In addition, it is extremely easy to attach to a plasma display, and an inexpensive coordinate input / output device can be realized.

【0067】

Further, by configuring the coordinate plate to be made of a transparent resin, it is possible to suppress an adverse effect on the displayed image to an extremely small level even when the coordinate plate is integrally configured with the various displays.

【0068】

(Example 2) In the coordinate input / output device of the present invention, the display to which the coordinate plate is attached is not limited to the PDP of the first embodiment, and is not limited to the PDP of the first embodiment. The present invention can be applied to any display means such as various display screen sizes from to large size. Further, the attachment method is not limited to the adhesive tape of the above embodiment, and various methods can be applied.

【0069】

This example will be described as Example 2.

【0070】

FIG. 9 is a schematic view of the second embodiment in which the coordinate plate 11 is attached to the rear projector 31. Ciliated adhesive tape (so-called magic fastener (registered trademark), magic tape (registered trademark), or velcro) 15a, 15b, 15c, 15d on the outer four corners of the screen surface 31a, which is the display surface of the rear projector 31. However, it is provided by double-sided tape or the like. The coordinate plate 11 has an input effective area having a size larger than that of the screen surface 31a by a predetermined amount, and the adhesive tapes 14a, 14b, are located outside the input effective area at positions facing the adhesive tapes 15a, 15b, 15c, 15d. 14c and 14d are provided by double-sided tape or the like. Then, by pressing the adhesive tapes 14a, 14b, 14c, 14d of the coordinate plate 11 against the adhesive tapes 15a, 15b, 15c, 15d of the rear projector 31, the coordinate plate 11 can be very easily attached to the screen surface 31a of the rear projector 31. Can be attached to. Further, to remove it, it is only necessary to peel off the adhesive tapes 14a, 14b, 14c, 14d from the adhesive tapes 15a, 15b, 15c, 15d.

【0071】

(Example 3) FIG. 10 is a schematic view of Example 3 in which the coordinate plate 11 is attached to the so-called whiteboard 41.

【0072】

Rod-shaped members 16a and 16b are provided at both upper and lower ends of the coordinate plate 11. Magnets (not shown) are provided at a plurality of locations on the surfaces of the rod-shaped members 16a and 16b facing the whiteboard 41. The board surface 41a of the whiteboard 41 is generally a so-called enamel copper plate in which a glass film is baked on an aluminum-plated copper plate, and the coordinate plate 11 is extremely easily formed on the board surface 41a by the magnet. Can be installed.

【0073】

Further, by pulling the rod-shaped members 16a and 16b in the vertical direction, the coordinate plate 11 can be attached to the board surface 41a without slack. Further, when the coordinate plate 11 is removed and wound up, the film of the coordinate plate 11 may be wound around the rod-shaped member 16a or 16b, and the coordinate plate 11 can be made portable with an extremely simple operation. .. By projecting a display screen of a personal computer or the like on the coordinate plate 11 with a front projector (not shown) in a state where the coordinate plate 11 is attached to the board surface 41a, a so-called input / output integrated configuration is possible. ..

【0074】

In this case, it is desirable that the surface of the coordinate plate 11 is diffused in order to alleviate unnecessary reflection of the projected light. Further, the coordinate plate 11 does not necessarily have to be transparent, and may be configured such that the front surface side is a transparent film and the back surface side is, for example, a white film, and coordinate information is formed in the layer question.

【0075】

(Modification of the embodiment, etc.) Instead of the whiteboard 41 described above, the coordinate plate 11 may be attached to the screen surface, wall surface, or the like by various means such as a so-called hook. Further, the flexible and retractable front projector screen itself may constitute the coordinate plate. For example, the present invention is also applied to a configuration in which coordinate information is formed on the surface of a front projector screen having a white matte surface or the like.

【0076】

That is, as described above, the coordinate input device of the present invention can be applied to various displays, and various mounting means can be applied.

【0077】

Further, the device of the present invention does not necessarily have to be integrally configured with the display means. For example, it is separate from the display means and can be placed on a desk and used as an input device.

【0078】

In any of the above cases, by forming the coordinate plate 11 into a flexible film that can be wound up, a coordinate input device having extremely excellent portability can be realized. Further, depending on the structure in which the coordinate information is formed in the layer of the film, the surface of the coordinate plate 11 may be contacted, struck or rubbed with a pen or a finger, or the back surface of the coordinate plate may be displayed, desk or carried. The coordinate information will not be scratched, deformed, worn, faded, discolored, dropped, etc. due to contact with various objects, impact, friction, etc., and the coordinate information can be permanently stored with extremely high reliability. Can be retained.

【0079】

Further, instead of winding the coordinate plate 11 for carrying it, the coordinate plate 11 may be creases at a plurality of places in advance, and the coordinate plate 11 may be bent to provide portability.

【0080】

The configuration of the coordinate plate of the present invention is not limited to the laminated structure of two films, and may be a laminated structure of three or more films, and the place where the coordinate information is formed may be any of the layers.

【0081】

In the above embodiment, the coordinate information forms the X coordinate value and the Y coordinate value independently, but the present invention is not limited to this. That is, one of the gist of the present invention is that by forming coordinate information between layers of a plurality of layers of coordinate plates, it is possible to hold the coordinate information semi-permanently with extremely high reliability and at low cost. Yes, there is no limitation on the composition of coordinate information. For example, the X and Y coordinate values may be coded and included in one coordinate information. The configuration is made possible by, for example, forming coordinate information in a dot matrix shape, forming an X coordinate value in an upper row, and forming a Y coordinate value in a lower row. Of course, it goes without saying that any method may be used to include the X and Y coordinate values in one coordinate information. The method of coding coordinate information is not limited to the dot array of the embodiment, and is defined by continuous dots without gaps, that is, by the length of a linear figure, or by the width and spacing of two types of lines, so-called. Any method may be used as long as the coordinate information can be coded, such as barcode coding.

【0082】

Further, in coding by a dot array, the number of dots depends on the required specifications, that is, the area of the input effective area, the fineness of the display image, the accuracy or resolution of the coordinate input, the specifications of the area sensor of the input instruction means, and the like. Any number may be used. Further, if necessary, the size, shape or color of the dots may be added. Also, in coding, "0" does not necessarily have to be equivalent to the background. That is, on the transparent coordinate plate, the dot representing "1" and the dot representing "0" both have a predetermined color, and the dots of "1" and "0" can be discriminated, and binarization can be performed. If possible. For example, the dots representing "1" and "0" may have the same color but different contrasts. Further, the gap between the dots is not limited to the same size as the dots as in the above embodiment, and may be any size. Desirably, a configuration having a larger gap within an acceptable range is preferable. Further, the so-called gray degree of the dot array may be made uniform by making the number of dots of "1" in the dot array portion substantially equal in all the dot arrays, that is, a so-called DC-free dot array. .. Further, it may be configured to prohibit so-called zero run in which dots of "1" or "0" are continuously arranged. In the configuration in which the gray degree is uniform or zero run is prohibited, the display screen can be seen more uniformly as a whole.

【0083】

The search and extraction of coordinate information is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and any method for searching and extracting a portion or region having a desired feature from the binarized image information can be applied to the present invention. For example, any method may be used, such as spirally searching and extracting from the vicinity of the center of the image information, or searching and extracting a desired area after searching a predetermined range by thinning scanning. The means for identifying whether the coordinate information is a coded X coordinate value or a coded Y coordinate value is not limited to the above embodiment, and if the identification is possible, the means is not limited to the above embodiment. Any method is included in the present invention. For example, the shape of a dot matrix or the like, the constituent contents of the dot matrix or the like, the size, shape or color of dots are utilized for identification.

【0084】

In addition, in the search, extraction, identification, judgment, etc. of coordinate information, various checks such as confirmation of X and Y coordinate values, reference to adjacent coordinate information, or reference to the previous sampling data are performed as necessary. Needless to say, a function or a false detection detection function by a parity check may be added by adding a parity bit.

【0085】

The array pitch in which the coordinate information is recorded intermittently significantly reduces the number of coordinate information, and even if the coordinate input device is attached to the display device, the coordinate information recorded on the coordinate plate has an adverse effect on the display image. Any arrangement pitch may be used as long as it can be kept extremely small. Desirably, an array pitch in which there is a gap between the coordinate information larger than the area occupied by the coordinate information is preferable. Further, the arrangement pitch may be different between the so-called X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction. Nor does it need to be formed at equal pitches over the entire input effective region. This is effectively utilized when used as a system or device such as an application or a dedicated terminal in which the frequency of use in the effective input area differs depending on the location, for example, in a system such as a personal computer to which the present invention is involved. It is a thing.

【0086】

The configuration of the input instruction means is not limited to the above embodiment. In the above embodiment, the input means has a pen-shaped configuration corresponding to so-called pen input, but the present invention is not limited to this, and any shape such as a so-called mouse shape may be used.

【0087】

As the light emitting element, a plurality of light emitting elements may be used if necessary. Further, the area sensor detects the image by using the lighting in the environment where the coordinate input device of the present invention is used, for example, the indoor lighting, or the area sensor detects the image by using the light emitted by the display screen itself. A configuration that does not necessarily require a light emitting element, such as a configuration, may be used.

【0088】

The configuration of the objective lens may be any configuration as long as the coordinate information can be imaged on the area sensor with the desired brightness, magnification, resolution, angle of view, distortion, depth of field, and the like.

【0089】

The present invention is bound by the type of area sensor, image size, number of pixels or A / D converter, internal configuration of area sensor such as built-in various peripheral circuits such as sensor drive timing IC or automatic gain control circuit, etc. It's not something.

【0090】

The signal processing circuit and arithmetic control circuit, which are electrical and electronic circuits for detecting coordinate information, distinguishing between X and Y coordinate values, and determining coordinate values, are not necessarily built into the input instruction means. It doesn't have to be. That is, the signal processing circuit and the arithmetic control circuit are made into the main body according to the specifications such as the shape of the input instructing means, the battery characteristics built in the input instructing means, or the communication method between the input instructing means and the main body in which the CPU or the like is installed. It may be provided on the side. In this case, it goes without saying that the content of the information transmitted and received between the transmitting means of the input instruction means and the receiving means on the main body side is in various forms as needed. Further, as in the above embodiment, the input instruction means and the main body may be connected by a predetermined connection code without providing the transmission means and the receiving means. In this case, it goes without saying that it is possible to supply power by the connection cord without providing a battery in the input instruction means.

【0091】

Further, the connection between the receiving means and the personal computer or the CPU may be a wireless means using infrared rays or radio waves. In this case, when using or carrying the coordinate input device, it is not necessary to connect the receiving means and the personal computer or the CPU with a cable one by one, and it is not necessary to carry the cable, which is better because it is a lightweight receiving means. Operability and portability can be imparted.

【0092】

[Effect of the invention]

As described above, according to the present invention, a large coordinate input device, a coordinate plate having good portability suitable for a coordinate input / output device, and a coordinate input device and a coordinate input / output device using the coordinate plate are provided. be able to.

【0093】

Further, according to the inventions of claims 2 to 8, by making the coordinate plate a transparent member, it is possible to suppress an adverse effect on the displayed image to an extremely small level even when the coordinate plate is integrally formed with the various displays. ..

【0094】

Further, according to the inventions of claims 3 to 8, the coordinate plate has a laminated structure composed of a plurality of layers in the thickness direction, and the coordinate information is formed between the layers, so that the coordinate information is scratched, deformed, and worn. It is possible to provide a highly reliable and inexpensive coordinate plate, coordinate input device, and coordinate input / output device that can avoid false detection or undetectability due to a state of lightening, discoloration, dropping, etc. ..

【0095】

Further, according to the inventions according to claims 4, 6, 7, 8, a coordinate plate that is extremely easy to attach to a display surface such as a plasma display or a projector display, a so-called whiteboard surface, a wall surface, or the like, and is inexpensive. A coordinate input device and a coordinate input / output device can be supplied.

【0096】

Further, according to the inventions of claims 5 to 8, the number of coordinate information can be significantly reduced by recording the coordinate information independently and intermittently so that the X coordinate value and the Y coordinate value can be distinguished. Even if the coordinate input device is configured as a display device and an input / output body type, the adverse effect of the coordinate information recorded on the coordinate plate on the display image can be suppressed to be extremely small.

[Simple explanation of drawings]

[Figure 1]

Block diagram showing the configuration of the pen used in Example 1. [Figure 2]

Example 1 Block diagram showing the entire system configuration [Fig. 3]

The figure which shows the dot array of the coordinate plate used in Example 1. [Fig. 4]

A flowchart showing a process of determining coordinate values in the first embodiment. [Fig. 5]

Explanatory drawing of coordinate value reading in Example 1 [Fig. 6]

Explanatory drawing of coordinate value reading in Example 1 [Fig. 7]

The figure which shows the attachment method to the PDP of the coordinate plate used in Example 1. [Fig. 8]

A perspective view showing a winding state of the coordinate plate in the first embodiment. [Fig. 9]

Schematic diagram of Example 2 [Fig. 10]

Schematic diagram of Example 3 [Explanation of symbols]

11 Coordinate plate 12 dot array (coordinate information)