Optical input device
AssigneeKabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
InventorJun Saito
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A specific information input region (B) individually specifying information to be input and an input mode switching region (C) used for changing an information input mode are placed on an information input region (A) set on a substrate. Each of these regions is displayed to be visible. An optical sensor detects a touched position on the information input region. Then, the touch operation in the input mode switching region (C) is detected according to the output of the optical sensor to selectively switch the information input mode among keyboard input, pen tablet input and mouse input. The output of the optical sensor is analyzed according to the set input mode to find out the information input by the touch operation.
Claims11
An optical input device comprising:
- a substrate which defines an information input region by a touch operation;
- an optical sensor which optically scans the information input region and detects a selectively touched position on the substrate;
- a region setting unit which sets, in the information input region, a specific information input region individually specifying information to be input and an input mode switching region used for changing an information input mode, and displays each of the regions to be visible;
- an input mode switching unit which detects the touch operation in the input mode switching region according to an output of the optical sensor, and selects and sets an input mode of information through the information input region from a plurality of preset input modes;
- and
- an input processing unit which analyzes the output of the optical sensor according to the input mode set in the input mode switching unit to find out the information input by the touch operation in the information input region.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.