Stanley Electric Co., Ltd

Hiroyuki Abe

Tomoaki Kodama

Kazuyoshi Hibiya

Hiroki Yokoyama

An optical pointing device for instructing a predetermined operation by moving an index over a display screen of a computer is configured such that a plurality of photocouplers are arranged on vertical sides and horizontal sides of a rectangular operation plane at a predetermined pitch in such a manner that lines of action thereof cross each other at a right angle, coordinates of a first shading pointer contacted to the surface of the operation plane are detected by the photocouplers, coordinates of a second shading pointer contacted to the surface of the operation plane are then detected, and a moving direction is set from the coordinates to move the index. Therefore, a plurality of locations on the surface of the operation plane can be detected by the photocouplers independently, the moving direction can be set from the coordinates of locations where two pointers are placed, and only the moving direction is instructed from the operation plane, thereby making it possible to reduce the size of the pointing device.

Growing community of inventors

Kanagawa-ken, Japan

Hiroyuki Abe