Seeing eye mouse for a computer system

• US 20020190953A1
• Filed: 08/12/2002
• Published: 12/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Company (HP Inc.), Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.), PixArt Imaging Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Agilent Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Gordon, Gary B., Hartlove, Jason T., Badyal, Rajeev, Knee, Derek L.
• Granted Patent: US 6,950,094 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/166
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0317 in co-operation with a patterned surface, e.g. absolute position or relative movement detection for an optical mouse or pen positioned with respect to a coded surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/033 Pointing devices displaced or positioned by the user , e.g. mice, trackballs, pens or joysticks; Accessories therefor digitisers characterised by the transducing means G06F3/041
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03543 Mice or pucks G06F3/03541 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry

Abstract

An optical mouse images as an array of pixels the spatial features of generally any micro textured or micro detailed work surface below the mouse. The photo detector responses are digitized and stored as a frame into memory. Motion produces successive frames of translated patterns of pixel information, which are compared by autocorrelation to ascertain the direction and amount of movement. A hold feature suspends the production of movement signals to the computer, allowing the mouse to be physically relocated on the work surface without disturbing the position on the screen of the pointer. This may be needed if the operator runs out of room to physically move the mouse further, but the screen pointer still needs to go further. The hold feature may be implemented with an actual button, a separate proximity detector or by detecting the presence of a characteristic condition in the digitized data, such as loss of correlation or velocity in excess of a selected limit. A convenient place for an actual hold button is along the sides of the mouse near the bottom, where the thumb and the opposing ring finger grip the mouse. The gripping force used to lift the mouse engages the hold function. Hold may incorporate a brief delay upon either the release of the hold button, detection of proper proximity or the return of reasonable digitized values. During that delay any illumination control or AGC servo loops stabilize. A new reference frame is taken prior to the resumption of motion detection.

Claims

1. A hand held pointing device for a computer system or the like, the pointing device comprising:

a housing having a flat bottom surface that moves against a work surface having imageable features;

the housing also having a top surface shaped to receive that human hand;

the housing also having a skirt connecting a perimeter of the flat bottom with the top surface;

the housing having a first axis extending generally in the direction from where the heel of the hand rests on the top surface to where the middle finger rest on the top surface, and a second axis perpendicular to the first, both axes being parallel to the bottom surface;

an aperture in the bottom surface;

a source of illumination mounted within the interior of the housing, proximate the aperture and that illuminates imageable features on the work surface;

an optical motion detection circuit mounted within the interior of the housing and proximate the aperture, the motion detection circuit producing motion indication signals indicative of motion in the directions along the first and second axes and relative to illuminated imageable features visible through the aperture; and

wherein the optical motion detection circuit comprises a plurality of photo detectors each having an output, a memory containing a reference frame of digitized photo detector output values and a sample frame of digitized photo detector output values obtained subsequent to the reference frame, and further wherein a plurality of comparison frames, each being a shifted version of the reference frame, is correlated with the sample frame to ascertain motion in the directions along the first and second axes.

2. A device as in claim 1 wherein the an existing reference frame is shifted by an amount corresponding to the preceding correlation with a comparison frame.

3. A device as in claim 1 wherein an existing sample frame is periodically taken as a new reference frame.

4. A hand held pointing device for a computer system or the like, the pointing device comprising:

a housing having a flat bottom surface that moves against a work surface having imageable features;

the housing also having a top surface shaped to receive that human hand;

the housing also having a skirt connecting a perimeter of the flat bottom with the top surface;

the housing having a first axis extending generally in the direction from where the heel of the hand rests on the top surface to where the middle finger rest on the top surface, and a second axis perpendicular to the first, both axes being parallel to the bottom surface;

an aperture in the bottom surface;

a source of illumination mounted within the interior of the housing, proximate the aperture and that illuminates imageable features on the work surface;

an optical motion detection circuit mounted within the interior of the housing and proximate the aperture, the motion detection circuit producing motion indication signals indicative of motion in the directions along the first and second axes and relative to illuminated imageable features visible through the aperture; and

a proximity detector that detects when the bottom surface is away from the work surface by more than a selected distance, that is coupled to the optical motion detection circuit, and that inhibits the production of the motion indication signals when the bottom surface is away from the work surface by more than the selected distance.

5. A device as in claim 4 wherein the proximity detector comprises at least one switch disposed on the skirt in a location underneath the right thumb or the left ring finger of a hand grasping the pointing device.

6. A device as in claim 4 wherein the proximity detector comprises at least one switch disposed on the skirt in a location underneath the left thumb or the right ring finger of a hand grasping the pointing device.

7. A device as in claim 4 wherein the optical motion detection circuit comprises a plurality of photo detectors each having an output, a memory containing digitized photo detector output values and the proximity detector comprises arithmetic comparison circuits coupled to the digitized values in the memory.

8. A device as in claim 4 wherein the proximity detector comprises a pressure actuated switch disposed proximate the bottom surface.

9. A device as in claim 4 wherein the optical motion detection circuit comprises a plurality of photo detectors each having an output, a memory containing a reference frame of digitized photo detector output values and a comparison frame of digitized photo detector output values obtained subsequent to the reference frame, and wherein a new reference frame and subsequent comparison frame are obtained at the conclusion of an inhibition of the production of motion indication signals and prior to a resumption of the production of motion indication signals.

10. A device as in claim 9 wherein the new reference frame is obtained after a delay of a selected amount beyond the point in time when the proximity detector no longer detects that the bottom surface is away from the work surface by the selected distance.

11. A hand held pointing device for a computer system or the like, the pointing device comprising:

a housing having a flat bottom surface that moves against a work surface having imageable features;

the housing also having a top surface shaped to receive that human hand;

the housing also having a skirt connecting a perimeter of the flat bottom with the top surface;

the housing having a first axis extending generally in the direction from where the heel of the hand rests on the top surface to where the middle finger rest on the top surface, and a second axis perpendicular to the first, both axes being parallel to the bottom surface;

an aperture in the bottom surface;

a source of illumination mounted within the interior of the housing, proximate the aperture and that illuminates imageable features on the work surface;

an optical motion detection circuit mounted within the interior of the housing and proximate the aperture, the motion detection circuit producing motion indication signals indicative of motion in the directions along the first and second axes and relative to illuminated imageable features visible through the aperture; and

a detector, coupled to the motion detection circuit, that detects when the motion of the pointing device within a time interval exceeds a selected limit, and that in response inhibits the production of the motion indication signals.

12. A device as in claim 11 wherein the optical motion detection circuit comprises a plurality of photo detectors each having an output, a memory containing a reference frame of digitized photo detector output values and a comparison frame of digitized photo detector output values obtained subsequent to the reference frame, and wherein a new reference frame and subsequent comparison frame are obtained subsequent to when the detector no longer detects that the motion of the pointing device exceeds the selected limit and prior to a resumption of the production of motion indication signals.