Optical Touch Panel System, Optical Apparatus and Positioning Method Thereof

Abstract

The present invention discloses an optical touch panel system and a positioning method for positioning an object in a touch control area. The system includes: at least two reflective elements respectively disposed on a first side and a second side of the touch control area, wherein the sum of lengths of the first side and the second side is larger than the sum of lengths of the two reflective elements; two lighting elements respectively disposed on a third side and a fourth side of the touch control area; an image sensor forming projected images by capturing an image of the object and at least one mirror image of the object formed by the two reflective elements; and a processor calculating the coordinates of the object according to geometric information of the projected images.

1 . An optical touch panel system, for positioning an object in a touch control area, the system comprising:
 at least two reflective elements respectively disposed on a first side and a second side of the touch control area, wherein the first side and the second side are adjacent to each other, and wherein the sum of lengths of the first side and the second side is larger than the sum of lengths of the two reflective elements;   two lighting elements respectively disposed on a third side and a fourth side of the touch control area, wherein the third side and the fourth side are adjacent to each other;   an image sensor capturing an image of the object to form a projected object image and at least one mirror image of the object formed by the two reflective elements to form at least one projected mirror image; and   a processor calculating coordinates of the object according to geometric information of at least two of the projected object image and the at least one projected mirror image.   
     
     
         2 . The optical touch panel system of  claim 1 , wherein the geometric information includes centers, gravity centers, representative positions, or borders of the projected object image and the projected mirror image. 
     
     
         3 . The optical touch panel system of  claim 1 , further comprising two lighting elements respectively disposed on the first side and the second side, and wherein the two reflective elements are adjacent to each other. 
     
     
         4 . The optical touch panel system of  claim 3 , wherein an included angle between the two reflective elements is larger than 90°. 
     
     
         5 . The optical touch panel system of  claim 3 , wherein the two lighting elements disposed on the first side and the second side are respectively adjacent to the two lighting elements disposed on the third side and the fourth side. 
     
     
         6 . The optical touch panel system of  claim 1 , wherein the reflective element disposed on the first side occupies the whole first side, and the reflective element disposed on the second side occupies a middle portion of the second side. 
     
     
         7 . The optical touch panel system of  claim 6 , wherein the lighting element disposed on the fourth side occupies a portion of the fourth side, and is adjacent to the reflective element disposed on the first side. 
     
     
         8 . The optical touch panel system of  claim 6 , further comprising two lighting elements disposed on two ends of the second side. 
     
     
         9 . The optical touch panel system of  claim 1 , wherein the processor selects any two of the projected object image and the at least one projected mirror image which are non-overlapping with any other or selects an overlapping image of the projected object image and the at least one projected mirror image according to the total number of the projected object image and the at least one projected mirror image, wherein an overlapping projected image counts one, and calculates the coordinates of the object according to the geometric information of the selected non-overlapping projected images or selected overlapping projected image. 
     
     
         10 . A positioning method of an optical touch panel system, wherein an image sensor of the optical touch panel system forms projected images including a projected object image by capturing an image of an object in a touch control area and a plurality of projected mirror images by capturing a plurality of mirror images of the object formed by at least two reflective elements, the method comprising:
 checking a total number of the projected images, wherein if any two of the projected object image and the projected mirror images overlap with each other, the overlapping projected image counts one;   selecting any two of the projected images and obtaining coordinates of the object according to geometric information of the two selected projected images if the number is larger than or equal to 4;   selecting two of the projected images which are non-overlapping with any other and obtaining coordinates of the object according to geometric information of the two selected projected images if the number is equal to 3; and   selecting the overlapping projected image formed by the projected object image overlapping with one or more projected mirror images and obtaining coordinates of the object according to borders or sides of the overlapping projected image if the number is smaller than 3.   
     
     
         11 . The positioning method of an optical touch panel system of  claim 10 , wherein the two reflective elements are respectively disposed on two adjacent sides of the touch control area and the sum of lengths of the two sides is larger than the sum of lengths of the two reflective elements. 
     
     
         12 . The positioning method of an optical touch panel system of  claim 11 , wherein an included angle between the two reflective elements is larger than 90°. 
     
     
         13 . The positioning method of an optical touch panel system of  claim 11 , wherein at least one lighting element is disposed on at least one of the two sides. 
     
     
         14 . The positioning method of an optical touch panel system of  claim 10 , wherein the geometric information includes centers, gravity centers, or representative positions of the projected images. 
     
     
         15 . The positioning method of an optical touch panel system of  claim 10 , wherein the brightness of the projected images is smaller than the brightness of a background in an image-sensing window of the image sensor. 
     
     
         16 . An optical touch panel system, for positioning an object in a touch control area, comprising:
 at least two reflective elements respectively disposed on a first side and a second side of the touch control area, wherein the first side and the second side are adjacent to each other, and wherein an included angle between the two reflective elements is larger than 90°;   two lighting elements respectively disposed on a third side and a fourth side of the touch control area, wherein the third side and the fourth side are adjacent to each other;   an image sensor capturing an image of the object to form a projected object image and at least one mirror image of the object formed by the at least two reflective elements to form at least one projected mirror image; and   a processor calculating the coordinates of the object according to geometric information of at least two of the projected object image and the at least one projected mirror image.   
     
     
         17 . The optical touch panel system of  claim 16 , wherein the geometric information includes centers, gravity centers, representative positions, or borders of the object image and the mirror image. 
     
     
         18 . The optical touch panel system of  claim 16 , wherein the processor selects any two of the projected object image and the at least one projected mirror image which are non-overlapping with any other or selects an overlapping image of the projected object image and the at least one projected mirror image according to the total number of the projected object image and the at least one projected mirror image, wherein an overlapping projected image counts one, and calculates the coordinates of the object according to the geometric information of the selected non-overlapping projected images or selected overlapping projected image. 
     
     
         19 . An optical apparatus of an optical touch panel system, for positioning an object in a touch control area, comprising:
 a first reflective element disposed on a first side of the touch control area;   a second reflective element disposed on a second side of the touch control area and occupies a middle portion thereof, wherein the first side and the second side are adjacent to each other;   a first lighting element disposed on a third side of the touch control area;   a second lighting element disposed on a fourth side of the touch control area and adjacent to the first side, wherein the third side and the fourth side are adjacent to each other; and   a third lighting element and a fourth lighting element disposed on the second side, wherein the fourth and third lighting elements are respectively adjacent to the first side and the third side;   wherein the second reflective element is between the fourth and third lighting elements.   
     
     
         20 . An optical touch panel system, for positioning an object in a touch control area, the touch control area including a first side, a second side, a third side, and fourth side adjacent to each other in the listed order, the system comprising:
 an image sensor disposed at the corner between the third side and the fourth side;   a lighting unit disposed on the fourth side and occupies a portion thereof which is adjacent to the first side; and   a reflective unit disposed on the second side and occupies a middle portion thereof;   wherein the image sensor captures a mirror image formed by the reflective unit reflecting light from the lighting unit.   
     
     
         21 . The optical touch panel system of  claim 20 , further comprising:
 a reflective element disposed on the first side;   a lighting element disposed on the third side; and   a first assistant lighting element and a second assistant lighting element disposed on the second side, wherein the first and second assistant lighting elements are respectively adjacent to the first side and the third side;   wherein the reflective unit is between the first and second assistant lighting elements.