# US 8,786,578 B2 · Pointing device and display apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,786,578 B2 - Document ID: US8786578B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/114,450 - Filed: 2011-05-24 - Published: 2011-11-24 - Granted: 2014-07-22 - Earliest claimed: 2010-05-24 - Assignees: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Byung-seok Soh; Sang-on Choi; Yong-wan Choi; Mi-ra Yu - Inventors: Byung-seok Soh; Sang-on Choi; Yong-wan Choi; Mi-ra Yu - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8786578B2 ## CPC - G06F 3/03542: {Light pens for emitting or receiving light} - G06F 3/0386: {for light pen} - G06F 3/04162: {for exchanging data with external devices, e.g. smart pens, via the digitiser sensing hardware} - G06F 3/04166: {Details of scanning methods, e.g. sampling time, grouping of sub areas or time sharing with display driving (Synchronisation with the driving of the display or the backlighting unit to avoid interferences generated internally G06F3/04184)} - G06F 3/04186: {Touch location disambiguation} - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract A pointing device and a display apparatus applying the same are provided. The pointing device corrects an error that occurs in a boundary between block in calculating a current location of the pointing device and calculates the current location. Accordingly, an error occurring in a boundary between blocks in calculating a current location of the pointing device is prevented. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A pointing device which operates in association with a display apparatus, the pointing device comprising: an optical sensor which senses a plurality of optical signals; and a controller which calculates a current location pointed by the pointing device on a screen of the display apparatus divided into a plurality of blocks, based on points of time at which the plurality of optical signals are sensed by the optical sensor on the screen of the display apparatus, wherein the controller calculates the current location using the plurality of blocks, and corrects a location error that occurs when the current location pointed by the pointing device is located adjacent to a boundary area between at least two adjacent blocks among the plurality of blocks. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The pointing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of optical signals comprise first, second and third optical signals, wherein the controller: calculates a first axis coordinate of the current location based on a first point of time at which the first optical signal is sensed; calculates first location information indicating a location of a block, among the plurality of blocks, to which a second axis coordinate of the pointing device belongs, based on a second point of time at which the second optical signal is sensed; calculates second location information indicating a location within a block group comprising at least two adjacent blocks among the plurality of blocks, based on a third point of time at which the third optical signal is sensed; and calculates the second axis coordinate of the current location based on the first location information and the second location information. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The pointing device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the plurality of optical signals further comprises at least one reference signal, and wherein the controller further: calculates at least one reference point of time at which the at least one reference signal is sensed, respectively; calculates the first axis coordinate based on the first point of time and the at least one reference point of time; and calculates the second axis coordinate based on the first location information, the second location information and the at least one reference point of time. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The pointing device as claimed in claim 2, wherein, if the location within the block group corresponding to the second location information does not correspond to the location of the block corresponding to the first location information, the controller determines that the location error has occurred. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The pointing device as claimed in claim 4, wherein, if it is determined that the location error has occurred, the controller changes the first location information or the second location information, thereby correcting the error. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The pointing device as claimed in claim 5, wherein, if the block corresponding to the first location information is a first block of a specific block group and the location corresponding to the second location information is a location included in a final block of the block group, the controller determines that the location error has occurred and changes the first location information so that the block corresponding to the first location information is changed to a previous block. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The pointing device as claimed in claim 5, wherein, if the block corresponding to the first location information is a first block of a specific block group and the location corresponding to the second location information is a location included in a final block of the block group, the controller determines that the location error has occurred and changes the second location information so that the location corresponding to the second location information is changed to a location included in the block corresponding to the first location information. ### Claim 8 (depends on 5) The pointing device as claimed in claim 5, wherein, if the block corresponding to the first location information is a final block of a specific block group and the location corresponding to the second location information is a location included in a first block of the block group, the controller determines that the location error has occurred and changes the first location information so that the block corresponding to the first location information is changed to a next block. ### Claim 9 (depends on 5) The pointing device as claimed in claim 5, wherein, if the block corresponding to the first location information is a final block of a specific block group and the location corresponding to the second location information is a location included in a first block of the block group, the controller determines that the location error has occurred and changes the second location information so that the location corresponding to the second location information is changed to a location included in the block corresponding to the first location information. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The pointing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of optical signals are infrared light. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The pointing device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a communication unit which transmits information about the calculated current location to the display apparatus. ### Claim 12 A display apparatus, comprising: a display panel which is divided into a plurality of blocks and displays an input image; a driving unit which applies a driving voltage to the display panel; and a controller which controls the driving unit to drive the display panel over a first light emitting period, a second light emitting period, and a third light emitting period, wherein, during the first light emitting period, the controller controls pixel lines of a first axis direction on the display panel to emit light on a line basis in sequence, during the second light emitting period, the controller controls pixel lines of a second axis direction included in each block group, comprising at least two blocks of the plurality of blocks, to emit light on a line basis in sequence with respect to all of the block groups, and during the third light emitting period, the controller controls pixels included in each block of the plurality of blocks to emit light at a time on a block basis in sequence with respect to all of the blocks. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The display apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein the controller further controls the driving unit to drive the display panel over a fourth light emitting period during which all pixels included in the plurality of blocks on the display panel emit light at the same time a predetermined number of times. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The display apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein the controller controls the display panel to be driven in an order of the first light emitting period, the fourth light emitting period, the second light emitting period, and the third light emitting period. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The display apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein the first axis direction is an x-axis direction with respect to the display panel, and the second axis direction is a y-axis direction with respect to the display panel. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The display apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein the light emitted during the first light emitting period, the second light emitting period, and the third light emitting period are infrared light. ### Claim 17 (depends on 12) The display apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein the display apparatus is a plasma display panel (PDP) display apparatus. ### Claim 18 An electronic board system comprising: a display device which comprises a screen divided into a plurality of blocks and a controller, and displays an input image on the screen, wherein the controller: during a first light emitting period, controls pixel lines of a first axis direction on the screen to emit first light on a line basis in sequence; during a second light emitting period, controls pixel lines of a second axis direction included in each block group, comprising at least two blocks of the plurality of blocks, to emit second light on a line basis in sequence with respect to all of the block groups; and during a third light emitting period, controls pixels included in each block of the plurality of blocks to emit third light at a time on a block basis in sequence with respect to all of the blocks; and a pointing device which senses first, second and third optical signals from the first, second and third lights, respectively, calculates a current location pointed by the pointing device on the screen, based on points of time at which the first, second and third optical signals are sensed, and transmits information on the current location to the display device, wherein the controller adjusts the current location if the current location is determined to be located adjacent to an boundary area between at least two adjacent blocks among the plurality of blocks. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The electronic board system of claim 18, wherein the pointing device: calculates a first axis coordinate of the current location based on a first point of time at which the first optical signal is sensed; calculates first location information indicating a location of a block, among the plurality of blocks, to which a second axis coordinate of the pointing device belongs, based on a second point of time at which the second optical signal is sensed; calculates second location information indicating a location within a block group comprising at least two adjacent blocks among the plurality of blocks, based on a third point of time at which the third optical signal is sensed; and calculates the second axis coordinate of the current location based on the first location information and the second location information. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The electronic board system of claim 19, wherein the controller, during a fourth light emitting period, controls all pixels included in the plurality of blocks on the screen to emit reference light at the same time a predetermined number of times, wherein the pointing device senses at least one reference signal from the reference light, calculates at least one reference point of time at which the at least one reference signal is sensed, respectively, and calculates: the first axis coordinate based on the first point of time and the at least one reference point of time; and the second axis coordinate based on the first location information, the second location information and the at least one reference point of time. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The electronic board system of claim 20, wherein, if the location within the block group corresponding to the second location information does not correspond to the location of the block corresponding to the first location information, the controller determines that a location error has occurred, and wherein, if it is determined that the location error has occurred, the controller changes the first location information or the second location information, thereby correcting the error.