Optical device and operation input apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10338749-B2
Application number	US-201515538842-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 28, 2015
Priority date	Jan 13, 2015
Publication date	Jul 2, 2019
Grant date	Jul 2, 2019

Abstract

An optical device includes a light-guiding plate that guides light in a plane parallel to an emission surface that emits light, and a sensor for detecting an object located on an emission surface side using light that passes through a back surface opposite to the emission surface and through the emission surface. The light-guiding plate has light convergence portions that receive light guided by the light-guiding plate and each have optical surfaces that cause light to be emitted from the emission surface in directions in which the light substantially converges at or scatters from one convergence point or one convergence line in a space, and the convergence points or the convergence lines for the light convergence portions are different from each other, and an image is formed in the space on the emission surface side by a collection of the convergence points or the convergence lines.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An optical device comprising:
a light-guiding plate that guides light in a plane parallel to an emission surface that emits light; and
a sensor for detecting an object located on an emission surface side using light that passes through a back surface opposite to the emission surface and through the emission surface, the sensor being provided on the side opposite to the emission surface with respect to the light-guiding plate, wherein
the light-guiding plate has a plurality of light convergence portions provided on the back surface that receive light guided by the light-guiding plate and each of the plurality of light convergence portions has optical surfaces that cause light to be emitted from the emission surface in directions in which the light substantially converges at one convergence point or one convergence line in a space, or substantially scatters from one convergence point or one convergence line in the space,
each of the plurality of light convergence portions comprise multiple reflection surfaces that are substantially continuous in an x-axis direction of the back surface, and
the convergence points or the convergence lines for the plurality of light convergence portions are different from each other, and an image is formed in the space on the emission surface side by a collection of a plurality of the convergence points or the convergence lines.

2. The optical device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the plurality of light convergence portions are formed along lines that are determined in advance in the plane parallel to the emission surface.

3. The optical device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the plurality of light convergence portions form the image showing a position at which a user operation is accepted, in at least one of a detection range in which the sensor can detect an object in the space on the emission surface side, and a vicinity of the detection range.

4. An operation input apparatus comprising:
the optical device according to claim 3 ; and
a determination unit that determines, if an object located on the emission surface side is detected by the sensor, that the object is located at a position at which the user operation is accepted.

5. The optical device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the sensor has a light reception portion that receives light from a position in the space on the emission surface side through the emission surface and the back surface.

6. The optical device according to claim 5 , wherein
the sensor further comprises a light projection portion that projects light to the space on the emission surface side, through the emission surface and the back surface, and
if the object is present in a predetermined range in a light path of the light projected from the light projection portion to the space on the emission surface side, the light reception portion receives reflected light that has been projected from the light projection portion and has been reflected by the object.

7. The optical device according to claim 6 ,
wherein the plurality of light convergence portions form the image showing a position at which a user operation is accepted, in at least one of the predetermined range in the space on the emission surface side, and a vicinity of the predetermined range.

8. The optical device according to claim 6 , further comprising a light-blocking plate provided between the back surface of the light-guiding plate and the sensor, wherein the light-blocking plate has a plurality of openings provided such that:
a first opening is provided in correspondence with an optical axis of the light path of the light projected from the light projection portion to the space on the emission surface side; and
a second opening is provided in correspondence with an optical axis of the reflected light received by the light reception portion that has been projected from the light projection portion and has been reflected by the object.

9. The optical device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a plurality of cylindrical lenses that are provided on the emission surface side of the light-guiding plate at positions corresponding to the plurality of light convergence portions, and each restrict a spread of light emitted from a corresponding light convergence portion, the light having been guided by the light-guiding plate and emitted from the emission surface.

10. The optical device according to claim 9 ,
wherein the sensor detects the object using light extending along a plane that is orthogonal to the emission surface and parallel to a direction in which the plurality of cylindrical lenses extend.

11. The optical device according to claim 9 ,
wherein the plurality of cylindrical lenses extend along a direction orthogonal to a direction in which the light-guiding plate guides light.

12. The optical device according to claim 9 ,
wherein the plurality of cylindrical lenses extend along a direction in which the light-guiding plate guides light.

13. The optical device according to claim 1 , further comprising a half mirror provided between the back surface of the light-guiding plate and the sensor, wherein the half mirror is provided such that the light passing through the back surface for use by the sensor also passes through the half mirror.

Assignees

• Omron Tateisi Electronics Co

Inventors

• Kitamura Norikazu
• Shinohara Masayuki
• Hirose Yuji
• Tanoue Yasuhiro
• Okuda Mitsuru
• Okada Kazuyuki

Classifications

• G02B30/27

  involving lenticular arrays · CPC title

• G02B6/003

  Lens or lenticular sheet or layer · CPC title

• G06F3/0421 Primary

  by interrupting or reflecting a light beam, e.g. optical touch-screen · CPC title

• G02B3/08

  with discontinuous faces, e.g. Fresnel lens {(diffractive Fresnel lenses G02B5/1876)} · CPC title

• G02B6/005

  provided by one optical element, or plurality thereof, placed on the light output side of the light guide · CPC title