US 2012/0056853 A1 · OPTICAL TOUCH DEVICE AND METHOD THEREFOR

Abstract

In one embodiment, an optical touch device is disclosed. The device includes a housing having an opening through which a screen is exposed, light-emitting elements provided along a first side of the opening and configured to emit infrared light, and a drive unit configured to sequentially select and drive the light-emitting elements. The device further includes a detection control unit configured to output a timing signal synchronized with the timing of the driving operation of the drive unit and to detect a position of a blocking object on the screen. Further, the device includes light-receiving sensors, provided along a second side of the opening, opposite the first side of the opening, configured to be selected by the timing signal to output to the detection control unit a result of reception of the infrared light, the light-receiving sensors including different kinds of light-receiving sensors differing in a light-receiving characteristic.

Claims10

Dependent claims

An optical touch device, comprising:

a housing having an opening through which a rectangular screen is exposed;
a plurality of light-emitting elements provided along a first side of the opening of the housing and configured to emit infrared light;
a drive unit configured to sequentially select and drive the light-emitting elements;
a detection control unit configured to output a timing signal synchronized with the timing of the selecting and driving operation of the drive unit and to detect a position of a blocking object existing on the screen by detecting blocked scanning light paths generated by the light-emitting elements;
and
a plurality of light-receiving sensors, provided along a second side of the opening, opposite the first side of the opening, configured to be selected by the timing signal outputted from the detection control unit to output to the detection control unit a result of reception of the infrared light emitted by the selected and driven light-emitting elements, the light-receiving sensors including different kinds of light-receiving sensors differing in a light-receiving characteristic from each other.

3 more elements

A method for use in an optical touch device including a plurality of light-emitting elements configured to respectively emit light beams in parallel to a screen of the optical touch device and a plurality of light-receiving sensors configured to respectively receive the emitted light beams, the light-receiving sensors including different kinds of light-receiving sensors differing in a light-receiving characteristic, the method comprising:

detecting light-receiving intensities received by the light-receiving sensors, respectively;
and
detecting a position of a blocking object existing on the screen by detecting blocked scanning light paths of the emitted light beams based on the detected light-receiving intensities.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Optical touch device and method therefor

Life of this patent

Optical touch device and method therefor

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims10