Patent · US Expired

Optical system for determining the position of a cursor

US4568182A · kind A · utility

26Cited by
7References
18Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateDec 22, 1981
Grant dateFeb 4, 1986
Priority date
Expiry dateDec 22, 2001

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06F3/03545
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

In an optical digitizer, a cursor is movable on a plane surface having coordinate axis. The cursor includes a source of light that is scanned across the coordinate system, and a detector receiving light from the angle to which the beam is instantaneously directed. The coordinate system has curved mirrors at the origin and point spaced from the origin along the axis thereof, and plane mirrors extending along the axis. A calculator determines the position of the cursor in the coordinate system by triangulation. Alternatively, the cursor may be a curved mirror, with rotating light sources and detectors positioned at determined points in the coordinate system.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.