IP Library Granted Patent US 8,259,309
Granted Patent B2
US 8,259,309 · App. 12/832,344 · Granted Sep 4, 2012

Optical position detection apparatus and display apparatus having position detection function

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,259,309
App. No.
12/832,344
Granted
Sep 4, 2012
Kind
B2
Abstract

An apparatus for optically detecting an object position includes: position detection light sources irradiating light onto the object; a light guide plate receiving the light and emitting it onto a detection area to form an intensity distribution in the detection area; a light detector having light receiving portions receiving the light reflected by the object; and a signal processing portion detecting the object position based on the intensity distribution, wherein light incident portions receiving the light and side portions except for the light incident portions are provided on outer periphery side portions of the light guide plate, a light emission surface emitting the light incident from the light incident portions toward the detection area is provided on a plane portion of the light guide plate, and at least a portion of the side portions is an anti-reflection surface.

Claims (31)

1. An optical position detection apparatus for optically detecting a position of a target object in a detection area, comprising:

position detection light sources that emit position detection light irradiated onto the target object;

a light guide plate that receives the position detection light therein and emits the received position detection light onto the detection area to form an intensity distribution of a light emission quantity of the position detection light in the detection area;

a light detector having light receiving portions arranged facing toward the detection area to receive the position detection light that is reflected by the target object; and

a signal processing portion that detects the position of the target object based on the intensity distribution of the light emission quantity in the detection area,

wherein the light guide plate includes light incident portions for receiving the position detection light and side portions except for the light incident portions are provided on outer periphery side portions of the light guide plate when the light guide plate is seen in a plan view,

a light emission surface that emits the position detection light incident from the light incident portions toward the detection area is provided on a plane portion of the light guide plate when the light guide plate is seen in a plan view, and

at least a portion of the side portions is an anti-reflection surface that prevents reflection of the position detection light in the light guide plate.

2. The optical position detection apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein an entire surface of the side portion is the anti-reflection surface.

3. The optical position detection apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the anti-reflection surface is formed by a light absorption layer on the side portion.

4. The optical position detection apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the light guide plate is shaped as a tetragon, and the light incident portions are provided in portions corresponding to corners of the tetragon.

5. The optical position detection apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein four position detection light sources are provided, and the light incident portions are provided on portions that correspond to four corners of the tetragon shaped light guide plate.

6. The optical position detection apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein two neighboring position detection light sources among the four position detection light sources simultaneously emit the position detection light.

7. A display apparatus having a position detection function comprising:

the optical position detection apparatus as described in claim 1 ; and

an image generation apparatus that forms an image on an overlapping area when the light guide plate is seen in a plan view.

8. An optical position detection apparatus for optically detecting a position of a target object, comprising:

a light guide plate having light incident portions provided on four corner portions of an outer periphery portion;

four position detection light sources that emit position detection light toward the light incident portions;

a light detector that receives the position detection light which is emitted from one surface in a thickness direction of the light guide plate and is reflected by the target object; and

a signal processing portion that detects the position of the target object based on the result of light received in the light detector,

wherein the four position detection light sources emit the position detection light through an alternate light-up sequence by changing a combination of one portion of the position detection light sources and the other portion of the position detection light sources the number of which is equal to that of the one portion of the position detection light sources, and

at least a portion of the outer periphery portions of the light guide plate except for the light incident portions is an anti-reflection surface that prevents reflection of the position detection light in the light guide plate.

9. The optical position detection apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein an entirety of the outer periphery portions of the light guide plate except for the light incident portions is the anti-reflection surface.

10. The optical position detection apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the anti-reflection surface is configured by a light absorption layer on the outer periphery portion of the light guide plate.

11. The optical position detection apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the outer periphery portions of the light guide plate includes the light incident portions provided on four corner portions thereof, and the light detector is arranged in an overlapping position in a thickness direction of the light guide plate with a center of the side portion that is interposed between the neighboring two corner portions among the four corner portions.

12. The optical position detection apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the position detection light is composed of infrared rays.

13. The optical position detection apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the light guide plate has one surface that crosses a direction in which the image is projected.

14. A projection display apparatus having a position detection function comprising:

the optical position detection apparatus as described in claim 13 ; and

an image projection apparatus that projects the image.

Assignments (3)
QUITCLAIM ASSIGNMENT Recorded Nov 14, 2024
From: COLUMBIA PEAK VENTURES, LLC
To: BUNKER HILL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
Reel/Frame 069360/0828 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 2, 2022
From: SEIKO EPSON CORP.
To: COLUMBIA PEAK VENTURES, LLC
Reel/Frame 058952/0475 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 8, 2010
From: KIYOSE, KANECHIKA
To: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 024652/0755 →