Coordinate input apparatus, coordinate inputting method, information display system and storage medium and program

Abstract

To provide a coordinate input apparatus with higher resolution and excellent agility in terms of usage, without causing reduction in the detection speed of input light. At the time of calculating coordinate data of a predetermined ordinal number, a readout portion of a CCD is determined from coordinate data whose ordinal number precedes the predetermined ordinal number, and an output is obtained partially from the determined readout portion, and the coordinate data of the predetermined ordinal number is calculated to generate a coordinate output signal corresponding to a predetermined position of a screen.

1 . A coordinate input apparatus for calculating a coordinate corresponding to a position of a light spot with which an input screen is irradiated, comprising: 
 a sensor array configured in such a manner that a plurality of optical conversion elements is arranged;    coordinate computing means for successively calculating coordinate data of the light spot from the output of the sensor array; and    determining means for determining a readout portion of the sensor array from the coordinate data whose ordinal number precedes a predetermined ordinal number, at the time of calculating the coordinate data of the predetermined ordinal number,    wherein the coordinate computing means calculates the coordinate data of the ordinal number based on the output from the readout portion determined by the determining means.    
   
   
       2 . A coordinate input apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of optical/electrical conversion elements of the sensor array is linearly arranged, and wherein the coordinate data of the light spot can be read out with each of blocks into which the sensor array is split as a unit.  
   
   
       3 . A coordinate input apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the coordinate computing means calculates the coordinate data from a peak value of the output of the sensor array.  
   
   
       4 . A coordinate input apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the coordinate computing means characterized by performing focus adjustment so that the width of the image of the light spot is several times as large as the pixel of the optical/electrical conversion element calculates the coordinate data from the peak value of the output of the sensor array.  
   
   
       5 . A coordinate input apparatus according to any one of  claims 1  to  4 , wherein coordinate computing means characterized by performing focus adjustment so that the width of the image of the light spot is several times as large as the pixel of the optical/electrical conversion element calculates the coordinate data from the peak value of the output of the sensor array.  
   
   
       6 . A coordinate inputting method of applying irradiation light to a predetermined position on an image input screen by operation of a designation device to generate a light spot, and obtaining coordinate data of the light spot by optical/electrical conversion of a sensor array, comprising steps of: 
 determining a readout portion of the sensor array from the coordinate data whose ordinal number equals a number immediately before a predetermined ordinal number, at the time of calculating coordinate data of the predetermined ordinal number, and    obtaining an output partially from a predetermined number of optical/electrical conversion elements corresponding to the readout portion determined in the sensor array, calculating the coordinate data of the predetermined ordinal number, and generating a coordinate output signal corresponding to a predetermined position of the coordinate input screen.    
   
   
       7 . A coordinate inputting method according to  claim 6 , wherein the each photo-electric element is linearly arranged, and wherein readout is performed with each predetermined block into which the sensor array is split as a unit.  
   
   
       8 . A coordinate inputting method according to  claim 6 , wherein the coordinate data is calculated from the peak value of the output of the sensor array.  
   
   
       9 . A coordinate inputting method according to  claim 7 , wherein the coordinate data is calculated from the peak value of the output of the sensor array.  
   
   
       10 . A coordinate inputting method according to anyone of  claims 6  to  9 , wherein focus adjustment is performed so that the image of the light spot has an image width several times as large as the pixel of the optical/electrical conversion element.  
   
   
       11 . An information display system configured such a manner as to comprise: 
 a coordinate input apparatus applying light from a designation device to a coordinate input screen to generate a light spot, and detecting the light spot to generate a coordinate output signal corresponding to a predetermined position of the coordinate input screen; and    a display projecting information inputted by the coordinate input apparatus onto the coordinate input screen, based on the coordinate output signal,    the coordinate input apparatus, comprising:    a sensor array configured in such a manner that a plurality of optical/electrical conversion elements is arranged;    coordinate computing means for successively calculating coordinate data of the light spot from the output of the sensor array; and    determining means for determining a readout portion of the sensor array from the coordinate data whose ordinal number precedes a predetermined ordinal number, at the time of calculating the coordinate data of the predetermined ordinal number, wherein the coordinate computing means calculates the coordinate data of the predetermined ordinal number, based on the output from the readout portion determined by the determining means.    
   
   
       12 . An information display system according to  claim 11 , wherein the sensor array is configured in such a manner that a plurality of photo-electric elements is linearly arranged, and readout is possible with each predetermined block into which the sensor array is split as a unit.  
   
   
       13 . An information display system according to  claim 11 , wherein the coordinate computing means calculates the coordinate data from the peak value of the output of the sensor array.  
   
   
       14 . An information display system according to  claim 12 , wherein the coordinate computing means calculates the coordinate data from the peak value of the output of the sensor array.  
   
   
       15 . An information display system according to  claim 11 , wherein the designation device has light emission control means for controlling an emission state of irradiating lights, and wherein focus adjustment is performed so that the image of the light spot has an image width several times as large as the pixel of the optical/electrical conversion element.  
   
   
       16 . An information display system according to  claim 12 , wherein the designation device has light emission control means for controlling an emission state of irradiating lights, and wherein focus adjustment is performed so that the image of the light spot has an image width several times as large as the pixel of the optical/electrical conversion element.  
   
   
       17 . An information display system according to  claim 13 , wherein the designation device has light emission control means for controlling an emission state of irradiating lights, and wherein focus adjustment is performed so that the image of the light spot has an image width several times as large as the pixel of the optical/electrical conversion element.  
   
   
       18 . A computer readable memory for storing a computer program executing computers, wherein the computer is the coordinate computing means or determining means according to  claim 1 .  
   
   
       19 . A computer readable memory for storing a computer program executing computers, wherein the computer is the coordinate computing means or determining means according to  claim 3 .  
   
   
       20 . A computer readable memory for storing a computer program executing computers, wherein the computer is the coordinate computing means or determining means according to  claim 4 .  
   
   
       21 . A computer readable memory for storing a computer program executing the steps of the method according to  claim 5 .  
   
   
       22 . A computer readable memory for storing a computer program executing the steps of the method according to  claim 6 .  
   
   
       23 . A computer readable memory for storing a computer program executing the steps of the method according to  claim 7 .  
   
   
       24 . A computer readable memory for storing a computer program executing the steps of the method according to  claim 8 .  
   
   
       25 . A computer readable memory for storing a computer program executing the steps of the method according to  claim 9 .  
   
   
       26 . A computer readable memory for storing a computer program executing the steps of the method according to  claim 10 .  
   
   
       27 . A coordinate input apparatus for calculating a coordinate corresponding to a position of a light spot with which an input screen is irradiated, comprising: 
 a sensor array configured in such a manner that a plurality of optical/electrical conversion elements is arranged;    coordinate computing means for successively calculating coordinate data of the light spot from the output of the sensor array; and    determining means for determining a readout-start portion of the sensor array from the coordinate data whose ordinal number precedes a predetermined ordinal number, at the time of calculating the coordinate data of the predetermined ordinal number,    wherein the coordinate computing means calculates the coordinate data of the ordinal number based on the output from the readout-start portion determined by the determining means.    
   
   
       28 . (canceled)  
   
   
       29 . A coordinate inputting method of applying irradiation light to a predetermined position on an image input screen by operation of a designation device to generate a light spot, and obtaining coordinate data of the light spot by optical/electrical conversion of a sensor array, comprising steps of: 
 determining a readout-start portion of the sensor array from the coordinate data whose ordinal number equals a number immediately before a predetermined ordinal number, at the time of calculating coordinate data of the predetermined ordinal number; and    obtaining an output partially from a predetermined number of optical/electrical conversion elements corresponding to the readout portion determined in the sensor array, calculating the coordinate data of the predetermined ordinal number, and generating a coordinate output signal corresponding to a predetermined position of the coordinate input screen.    
   
   
       30 . (canceled)  
   
   
       31 . A program for executing processing procedures of the coordinate inputting method according to  claim 6 .  
   
   
       32 . A computer readable memory storing a program for executing processing procedures of the coordinate inputting method according to  claim 29 .  
   
   
       33 . A program for executing processing procedures of the coordinate inputting method according to  claim 29.