Patent ID: 8599171

Claim:
An optical position detecting apparatus that optically detects a position of a target object in a detection region, the optical position detecting apparatus comprising: a light source device that emits position detection light to the detection region and forms an intensity distribution of the position detection light in the detection region; a photodetector that receives the position detection light reflected on the target object; and a position detecting device that detects the position of the target object on the basis of a light reception result in the photodetector, wherein the light source device includes: a linear light source unit extending along an outer peripheral edge of the detection region and including a light emitting section that emits the position detection light to the detection region; and a light-source driving unit that drives the linear light source unit; and wherein the linear light source unit includes: a first light guide member extending along the outer peripheral edge of the detection region; a first light emitting element that emits the position detection light to a light incident section provided at one end in an extending direction of the first light guide member; a second light guide member extending along the outer peripheral edge of the detection region; and a second light emitting element that emits the position detection light to a light incident section provided at one end in an extending direction of the second light guide member, and each of the first light guide member and the second light guide member includes: the light emitting section; and an inclined reflection surface formed obliquely to the light emitting section on a surface side opposed to the light emitting section, and the first light guide member and the second light guide member are arranged to face to directions opposite to each other in an extending direction of the linear light source unit and in parallel in a direction orthogonal to the extending direction.