KR100816095B1 - Optical input device and portable terminal having same - Google Patents

Abstract

Disclosed are an optical input device and a portable terminal having the same. A cover having a light transmitting part through which light can pass, a light source unit for irradiating light toward the light transmitting part, an image sensor for capturing a cover including the light transmitting part under the cover to generate a captured image, a reference image and a captured image In comparison, an optical input device including a control unit configured to determine whether the subject is located in the light-transmitting unit and the position of the subject to input information corresponding to the movement of the subject of the information, as well as reduce its volume. It can prevent malfunction.

Image Processing, Slit, Hole

Description

Optical input device and portable terminal having the same {OPTICAL INPUTTING APPARATUS AND MOBILE TERMINAL HAVING THE SAME}

1 is a schematic diagram of a portable terminal having a conventional input device using a keypad.

2 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a state in which the keypad is pressed in FIG.

3 is a photographed image of a subject generated by an image sensor of an input device using image processing.

4 is a schematic diagram of a portable terminal equipped with an optical input device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

5 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of an optical input device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

6A is a diagram illustrating a reference image without a subject in a light transmitting portion.

6B is a view illustrating a captured image in which a subject is positioned on a light transmitting part.

7 is a schematic diagram of a portable terminal having an optical input device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

<Description of Drawing>

10 Optical input device 11 Flood section

13 Lens 15 Light Source

17 cover 19 image sensor

21 Permeable material 23 Subject

30 Mobile terminal 31 Main unit

33 Display

The present invention relates to an optical input device and a portable terminal having the same.

In recent years, electronic devices using buttons as a means for inputting information have become mainstream. That is, a sensor or dome button corresponding to each button is provided below the button, and when the button is pressed, the sensor or dome button recognizes this and a method of inputting information is widely adopted.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a mobile phone as an example of an electronic device having such a conventional input device, and FIG. 2 is a view schematically showing a state in which information is input by pressing a keypad in FIG. 1.

Referring to FIG. 1, the mobile phone 50 includes a display unit 51 on which input information is displayed and a main body portion 53 having a keypad 55 on the front surface thereof. The keypad 55 includes a plurality of buttons 57 in which numbers or letters are written, and one side of the button 57 is exposed to the outside. The length of the keypad 11 in the x-axis and y-axis directions is Δx and Δy, respectively.

Referring to FIG. 2, a dome button 59 is provided on a bottom surface of each button 57. The dome button 59 is pressed by a user so that the type of the button 57 is a host processor. By this information, corresponding information is input, and as a result, the information input to the display unit 51 is displayed. The dome button 59 has a metal dome having an elliptical cross section, and the button 57 pressed by the elastic force of the dome returns to its original shape.

In the conventional input device as described above, since the dome buttons 59 are arranged under the respective buttons 57, and each dome button 59 has a constant thickness, the dome button 59 is fixed in the Z-axis direction as shown in FIG. Thickness is required. If this thickness is Δz, the volume occupied by the conventional keypad 55 is ΔxΔyΔz. Therefore, since the input device of the related art has a volume of a certain size due to the thickness of the dome button and the button, there are many difficulties in miniaturization of the terminal.

In order to solve the problems of the input device using the button and the dome button, an input device using image processing has been developed. An input device using image processing uses a method of finding a center position of a finger in each image and tracking a movement of a corresponding position after photographing successive frames including a lens, an LED, and an image sensor. Since the input device of this type processes the input through the image, no physical switch is required, while in the image processing, as shown in FIG. 3, other images other than the subject finger may be captured and noise may occur. Due to this, there is a problem that a malfunction is likely to occur.

The present invention provides an optical input device capable of reducing a volume and a portable terminal having the same.

The present invention is to provide an optical input device and a portable terminal having the same that can reduce the malfunction.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an optical input device, which generates a captured image by photographing a cover including a cover including a light transmitting part through which light is transmitted, a light source unit irradiating light toward the light transmitting part, and a cover including a light transmitting part under the cover. And an image sensor and a control unit for comparing the reference image and the captured image of the cover to recognize whether the subject is located in the light transmitting unit and the position of the subject to input information corresponding to the position of the projectile.

Embodiments of the optical input device according to the present invention may have one or more of the following features. For example, the light transmitting portion may be a slit formed in the cover, and a transparent material through which light can pass may be inserted into the slit to prevent foreign substances from intervening. In addition, the back surface of the cover is preferably formed of a material for absorbing light to further increase the brightness difference between the light transmitting portion and the other portions.

The light transmitting portion may be a hole formed in the cover or a combination of holes or slits. In addition, the cover is provided with contact detecting means for recognizing whether or not the subject is in contact with the light-transmitting unit, the control unit may operate the image sensor and the light source unit when the subject is located in the light-transmitting unit.

A portable terminal having an optical input device according to an aspect of the present invention is a portable terminal having an optical input device having the above configuration, comprising: a main body portion on which the optical input device is mounted; It includes a display unit for displaying information, the cover constitutes one surface of the main body. The controller may operate the image sensor and the light source unit when the display unit moves to expose power to the outside to reduce power consumption.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of an optical input device and a portable terminal having the same according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description, the same or corresponding components may have the same reference numerals. And duplicate description thereof will be omitted.

4 is a schematic diagram of a portable terminal 30 equipped with an optical input device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 4, the portable terminal 30 includes a display unit 33 on which various kinds of information are displayed and a main body unit 31 on which an optical input device is mounted. The cover 17 forming one surface of the main body 31 is formed with a light transmitting portion 11 including a plurality of slits 11a, 11b, 11c, 11d, 11e, 11f, 11g, and 11h. The lower portion of the 11 is provided with the optical input device 10 shown in FIG.

 When the user places a subject such as a finger on the light transmitting unit 11 while holding the portable terminal 30, the image sensor of the optical input device 10 photographs the generated image to generate a captured image, and the preset reference is stored. By comparing the image with the image, information is input by recognizing whether the subject is located in the light transmitting unit 11 and the position of the subject.

The light projecting portion 11 is composed of a plurality of slits 11a, 11b, 11c, 11d, 11e, 11f, 11g, 11h, and all the slits have individual functions. For example, slit 11a is a menu function, 11b is a confirmation function, 11g is a call function, 11h is a call termination function, 11c is a text message function, 11d is an MP3 function, 11e is a wireless Internet access function, and 11f is a phone number search function. Can have

The menu function displays each submenu by activating a menu such as environment setting, screen adjustment, sound setting, electronic diary, message management, and phone number management of the mobile terminal. The confirmation function refers to a function of executing a selected menu, the call function refers to a function of performing a call to the selected phone number, and the call termination function refers to a function of ending a call. The text message function refers to a function of creating, transmitting, and managing a text message, the MP3 function refers to a function of playing and managing an MP3 file, and the wireless Internet access refers to a function of accessing the wireless Internet. In addition, the phone number search function means a function of searching, storing and managing phone numbers.

In the optical input device 10 shown in FIG. 5, when the display unit 33 moves in the portable terminal 30 and the light transmitting unit 11 of the optical input device 10 is exposed to the outside, the controller recognizes the light and outputs the light. Operating the input device 10, a more specific configuration will be described below.

5 is a schematic diagram of an optical input device 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 5, the optical input device 10 according to the present exemplary embodiment includes a cover 17 having a light transmitting part 11 through which light can pass, and a lens 13 positioned below the cover 17. , An image sensor 19 positioned below the lens 13, and a light source unit 15 provided under the cover 17. In addition, although not shown, the optical input device 10 includes a control unit for generating an input signal using the information received by the image sensor 19 and controlling the operation of the optical input device 10. In the present embodiment, the optical input device 10 having the slit-shaped light transmitting portion 11 is illustrated, and the cover 17 on which the light transmitting portion 11 is formed is the main body of the portable terminal 30 as shown in FIG. 4. The upper surface of the part 31 is formed.

In FIG. 5, the width of the slit is large for convenience of description, but by forming the width of the slit narrow, it is possible to reduce the noise caused by the inflow of external light to prevent malfunction.

The light transmitting unit 11 is formed of a plurality of slits formed in the cover 17 forming a main body such as a mobile terminal. As shown in FIG. 5, the user places a subject 23 such as a finger on the slit. The information is entered by placing it. A transparent material 21 such as glass, transparent plastic, or the like may be inserted into the slit of the light-transmitting part 11 to prevent foreign matters from intervening. In the present embodiment, the light transmitting portion 11 is illustrated as an arc-shaped slit, but any shape may be used as long as the light transmitting portion can transmit light. For example, as the light-transmitting portion 11, linear slits, square slits, circular or elliptic slits are possible.

Since the plurality of slits 11a, 11b, 11c, 11d, 11e, 11f, 11g, and 11h formed in the light transmitting part 11 are small in width, noise is less likely to occur in the captured image. Therefore, the optical input device according to the present embodiment can prevent the optical input device from malfunctioning due to noise.

Although not shown, the cover 17 may be provided with contact detecting means for detecting whether the subject touches the light emitting unit 11. The touch sensing means may be a touch sensor or a pressure sensor, and the like may be used as long as it can detect whether or not the subject 23, such as a finger, has touched the surface of the cover 17. When it is recognized that the subject 23 is in contact with the cover 17 by the touch sensing means, the controller controls the light source unit 15 to irradiate light onto the rear surface of the cover 17, and the image sensor 19 displays the image at this time. Acquire. When the subject is not in contact with the cover 17, the controller does not operate the light source unit 15 and the image sensor 19, thereby reducing power consumption.

The light source unit 15 irradiates light having a constant brightness toward the light-transmitting unit 11, and may be any type of light source having an intensity that light reflected by a subject may be recognized by an image sensor. The light source unit 15 includes, for example, a laser diode, a light emitting diode (LED), a tungsten light source, and an optical fiber light source. If an optical fiber light source is used, a pair of optical fibers or split fibers may be used to direct the reflective laser beam to the photodetector.

The operation of the light source unit 15 is controlled by the control unit. In the portable terminal, the folder is rotated or slides so that the light transmitting unit 11 is exposed to the outside, or the subject is placed on the cover 17 by a touch sensor such as a pressure sensor. If it is determined that the touch is reached, the control unit operates the light source unit 15 so that an input can be made. In FIG. 5, a pair of light source units 15 are shown on the left and right sides of the lens 13, but the number and arrangement of the light source units 15 may be variously changed according to the size and shape of the light transmitting unit 11. .

The lens 13 serves to allow the light incident through the light projector 11 to be focused on the image sensor 19. As the lens 13, a conventional convex lens, a spherical or cylindrical mirror, a GRIN lens, or a mold aspherical lens may be used, and it is preferable to use a wide-angle lens such as a fisheye lens capable of capturing a wide range of images. . In addition, although one lens 13 is provided in FIG. 5, a lens group consisting of various lenses may be used.

The image sensor 19 may be a CCD or a CMOS device in which a plurality of pixels are arranged on a surface. The image sensor 19 is located under the lens 13 and photographs the rear surface of the light transmitting part 11 on which the subject 23 is located to generate an image captured by the image sensor 19. The captured image generated as described above is compared with the reference image, which is already stored, by the controller to determine whether the subject is located in the light transmitting unit 11 and the position of the subject 23 is input.

When the image sensor 19 operates to generate a captured image as shown in FIG. 6B according to the movement of the subject, the controller determines which slit the subject is located by comparing the image with the reference image. In other words, the image signal processing unit (ISP) included in the control unit compares the captured image and the reference image in units of pixels or blocks of a predetermined size to determine the difference, and then the subject is located in a slit based on the difference. Find out if you did. The controller provides an input signal corresponding to the position of the subject to the portable terminal to perform various functions of the portable terminal.

In addition, the control unit disables the image sensor 19 and the light source unit 15 of the optical input device 10 when the light transmitting unit 11 is not exposed to the outside by the display unit in the portable terminal, and the display unit rotates. Alternatively, when the light transmitting part 11 is exposed to the outside by sliding, the image sensor 19 and the light source part 15 are operated to allow continuous shooting.

In addition, if information is not input through the light emitting unit 11 even after the display unit is rotated or slides and exposed to the light emitting unit 11, the control unit stops the image sensor and the light source unit to reduce power consumption. If it is recognized by the contact sensing means formed at (17) that the subject is in contact with the light transmitting portion 11, the image sensor 19 and the light source unit 15, which are stopped in operation, are operated.

6A illustrates a reference image generated by the image sensor 19, and FIG. 6B illustrates a captured image generated by the image sensor 19 in a state where the subject is positioned in the light transmitting unit 11.

Referring to FIG. 6A, the image sensor 19 is recognized by the touch sensing means that the light transmitting part 11 is exposed to the outside or the subject contacts the light emitting part 11 by rotating or sliding the display part in the portable terminal. Photograph the back of the cover 17. At this time, the light source unit 13 irradiates light toward the light transmitting unit 11. Since the light absorbing material or the like is coated or laminated on the back surface of the cover 17, portions other than the light transmitting portion 11 appear black, and the light transmitting portion 11 has a constant brightness by external indirect light or the like. However, the light transmitting part 11 does not generate a very bright area unless direct sunlight is introduced from the outside. As such, the image without the subject in the light transmitting unit 11 is a reference image, which is compared with the captured image of FIG. 6B, and serves as a reference for determining whether the subject is located in the light transmitting unit 11 and the position of the subject.

As the light absorbing material, a general black paint or the like can be used, and a special light absorbing material whose main component is graphite, ammonia, surfactant, pure water, and alkali silicate salt can also be used. In addition, black carbon and soot may be used as the light absorbing material.

FIG. 6B illustrates an image captured by the image sensor 19 photographing the rear surface of the cover 17 when the subject 23 is positioned in the light transmitting part 11.

When the subject 23, such as a finger, is positioned in the light transmitting unit 11, the image sensor 19 captures an image at this time to generate a captured image. The subject 23 is relatively brightened by the light source 13 inside, and by recognizing such a change in brightness through image processing, whether the subject 23 is located in the light-transmitting portion 11 and the subject 23 The control unit will determine the position of.

For example, when the subject 23 is located at the slit 11d, the image sensor may generate a captured image as shown in FIG. 6B. The controller recognizes that the object 23 is located in the slit 11d of the light projector 11 and compares it with the previously stored reference image (FIG. 6A), and executes the MP3 function. When the MP3 function is executed, various submenus such as playing an MP3 file, storing a file, and setting an environment are displayed. When the subject is placed in the slits 11c, 11d, 11e, and 11f, the shadow of the menu can be moved. That is, the slits 11c and 11d may be configured to move the shadow of the menu up and down, and 11e and 11f may move the shadow of the menu to the left and right.

As described above, the optical input device and the portable terminal having the same according to the present embodiment include an image sensor, a lens, and the like, and input information by image processing. Its volume can be relatively reduced compared to the device.

7 is a schematic diagram of a portable terminal 30 according to another embodiment of the present invention having a light transmitting portion 11 in the form of a hall.

Referring to FIG. 7, the light transmitting part 11 formed in the cover 17 includes a plurality of holes 11i, 11j, 11k, 11l, 11m, 11n, 11o, 11p, and 11q. A permeable material is inserted into each of the holes 11i, 11j, 11k, 11l, 11m, 11n, 11o, 11p, and 11q to prevent foreign substances from entering the inside of the terminal through the holes. The size of the hole is relatively small to prevent noise from occurring in the captured image due to external light. Each of the holes 11i, 11j, 11k, 11l, 11m, 11n, 11o, 11p, 11q may have functions such as call, end, text message or MP3.

The optical input device 10 shown in FIG. 5 is provided on the rear surface of the cover 17 where the hole is formed, and the control unit of the optical input device 10 controls the light source unit 15 to acquire the captured image. The light is irradiated to the outside through the hall. In addition, the brightness of the hole where the subject is located is relatively higher than that of other holes by the light source unit 15. The controller recognizes the position of the hole to input information.

Since the configuration and operation of the optical input device 10 are the same as described above, a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

In the above, as a portable terminal having an optical input device according to an embodiment of the present invention, a folder type terminal in which a main body portion and a slide portion are coupled by a hinge is illustrated, but a slide type terminal or a bar type Of course, the terminal may also be provided with an optical input device. The optical input device according to the above-described embodiments may be provided not only in the mobile phone but also in a portable computer or a personal digital assistant (PDA).

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, various changes and modifications of the present invention should also be construed as falling within the scope of the present invention as long as the technical idea of the present invention is realized.

The present invention can provide an optical input device that can reduce the volume and a portable terminal having the same.

The present invention can provide an optical input device and a portable terminal having the same that can reduce the malfunction.

Claims (9)

A cover having a light transmitting portion through which light can pass; A light source unit radiating light toward the light transmitting unit; An image sensor for capturing the cover including the light transmitting portion under the cover to generate a captured image; The reference image of the cover and the captured image are compared to recognize whether the subject is located in the light emitting portion and the position of the subject relative to the light emitting portion, so that input of information corresponding to the light emitting portion where the subject is located is determined. Optical input device comprising a control unit for making. Claim 2 was abandoned when the setup registration fee was paid. The method of claim 1, And the light transmitting part is a slit formed in the cover. Claim 3 was abandoned when the setup registration fee was paid. The method of claim 2, And a transmissive material into which the light penetrates is inserted into the slit. Claim 4 was abandoned when the registration fee was paid. And a material for absorbing light is formed on the rear surface of the cover. Claim 5 was abandoned upon payment of a set-up fee. The method of claim 1, And the light transmitting part is a hole formed in the cover. The method of claim 1, And the light transmitting part is formed by a combination of slits and holes formed in the cover. The method of claim 1, The cover is provided with contact detecting means for recognizing whether or not the subject is in contact with the light-transmitting part, And the control unit determines whether the subject is in contact with the light projecting unit by the touch sensing unit, and operates the image sensor and the light source unit when the subject is in contact with the light projecting unit. A portable terminal comprising the optical input device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, The portable terminal includes a main body unit on which the optical input device is mounted; It includes a display unit for displaying the information input by the optical input device, The cover is a portable terminal forming one surface of the main body. The method of claim 8, And the control unit operates the image sensor and the light source unit when the display unit moves and the light transmitting unit is exposed to the outside.

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