Patent ID: 7786983

Claim:
An apparatus, comprising; a data input device, the data input device comprising: a display screen having a first dimension and a second dimension defined by a first axis and a second axis, respectively, the dimensions defining the area for the display screen, the display screen having a free space adjacent the display screen; a light source configured to generate a substantially continuous lamina of light that is projected from a plurality of spaced apart optical facets such that the lamina extends into the free space adjacent the display screen wherein the lamina extends over a substantial portion of the area of the display screen, the substantially continuous lamina of light being generated when the data input device is on; and an optical position detection device comprising a light receiving array having a plurality of lenses integrally formed with an associated plurality of optical channels, the array optically coupled to the substantially continuous lamina of light such that the plurality of lenses capture light from the lamina and focus the light into the associated plurality of optical channels, and configured to detect data entries to the input device by determining the location of interrupts in the substantially continuous lamina caused when data is entered to the input device.