Pen-shaped optical mouse

• US 20060028456A1
• Filed: 08/20/2003
• Published: 02/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Waawoo Technology Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Waawoo Technology Incorporated
• Inventors: Kang, Byung-Geun
• Application Number:
  US10/529,368
• Publication Number:
  US 20060028456A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/179
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0312 for tracking the rotation of a spherical or circular member, e.g. optical rotary encoders used in mice or trackballs using a tracking ball or in mouse scroll wheels tracking relative movement in co-operation with a regularly or irregularly patterned surface, e.g. as in optical mice G06F3/0317; constructional details of scroll or thumb-wheels G06F3/0362; optical rotary encoders G01D5/3473
• 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 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03546 using a rotatable ball at the tip as position detecting member

Abstract

Disclosed is a pen-shaped optical mouse. The optical mouse has an optical fiber on the optical path of illuminating light, and an optical fiber bundle on the optical path of reflected light, respectively. The optical system of the optical mouse is realized irrespective of the optical paths and their lengths, showing a good image-transmitting feature to transmit good image to an image sensor. An image is input to the image sensor through an end of an optical tip where the image directly contacts a reflecting surface, which enhances the accuracy of the pen-shaped optical mouse since there is no change in the location of a mouse pointer or a focal length in spite of the change in the angle between the pen-shaped optical mouse and the reflecting surface.

Claims

1. A pen-shaped optical mouse for displaying a pointer or cursor on a computer monitor at a desired position in accordance with a movement thereof detected using a reflected light, the optical mouse comprising:

a pen-shaped mouse body;

a transparent optical tip member mounted to one end of the mouse body;

an illuminating unit mounted in the mouse body, and adapted to irradiate light through the optical tip member onto a reflection surface arranged outside the mouse body, the illuminating unit including a light emitter, an optical fiber for guiding light emitted from the light emitter, and a prism arranged at an output end of the optical fiber;

a condenser lens mounted in the mouse body, and adapted to allow light reflected from the reflection surface to pass therethrough;

a bundle optical fiber for guiding the light passing through the condenser lens;

an imaging unit for receiving the light emerging from the bundle optical fiber, thereby forming an image;

an image sensor for receiving light outputted from the imaging unit, converting the received light into an electrical signal; and

a microcomputer for analyzing pattern information of the reflection surface inputted to the image sensor, based on the electrical signal outputted from the image sensor, detecting a moving direction and distance of the mouse, based on the analyzed pattern information, and transmitting information about the moving direction and distance to a computer body.

4. The pen-shaped optical mouse according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the light emitter comprises an LED.

5. The pen-shaped optical mouse according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the imaging unit and image sensor have optical axes aligned with each other, respectively.

6. The pen-shaped optical mouse according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein:

the imaging unit is arranged such that it refracts the light received thereto; and

the image sensor is arranged such that it receives the refracted light from the imaging unit.

7. The pen-shaped optical mouse according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising:

a first click button adapted to sense a depression of the optical tip member, the first click button being clicked when it senses the depression of the optical tip member; and

a second click button mounted to an outer surface of the mouse body such that it is clicked when it is depressed by a user'"'"'s finger.

8. The pen-shaped optical mouse according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a wheel button sensor adapted to perform a scroll function, the wheel button sensor including:

a wheel fitted in an opening formed at a side wall of the mouse body such that it is rotatable about an axis thereof, while being partially protruded from the opening in an outward direction of the mouse body, the wheel having a plurality of through holes extending axially throughout the thickness of the wheel while being circumferentially arranged;

a light emitter mounted in the mouse body, and adapted to irradiate light onto the wheel; and

an optical sensor adapted to receive light beams from the light emitter passing through respective through holes of the wheel, thereby detecting a rotating direction and angle of the wheel.

9. The pen-shaped optical mouse according to claim 7, further comprising a wheel button sensor adapted to perform a scroll function, the wheel button sensor including:

a wheel fitted in an opening formed at a side wall of the mouse body such that it is rotatable about an axis thereof, while being partially protruded from the opening in an outward direction of the mouse body, the wheel having a plurality of through holes extending axially throughout the thickness of the wheel while being circumferentially arranged, the wheel being always urged by a spring such that it is inwardly retracted into the mouse body against an elastic force of the spring when it is depressed, while being outwardly protruded from the mouse body by virtue of the elastic force of the spring, so that it returns to its original state;

a light emitter mounted in the mouse body, and adapted to irradiate light onto the wheel; and

an optical sensor adapted to receive light beams from the light emitter passing through respective through holes of the wheel, thereby detecting a rotating direction and angle of the wheel,

wherein the first click button is arranged to be clicked when the wheel is depressed.

10. The pen-shaped optical mouse according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a contact button sensor adapted to perform a scroll function, the contact button sensor including:

a transparent button mounted to a side wall of the mouse body such that it can be touched by a finger of the user grasping the mouse;

a light emitter mounted in the mouse body, and adapted to irradiate light through the transparent button onto the user'"'"'s finger touching the transparent button;

an optical fiber adapted to receive light passing through the transparent button after being reflected from the user'"'"'s finger, and to guide the reflected light to a position sensor; and

the position sensor adapted to detect motion of the user'"'"'s finger, based on light information received thereto via the optical fiber.

11. The pen-shaped optical mouse according to claim 7, further comprising a contact button sensor adapted to perform a scroll function, the contact button sensor including:

a transparent button mounted to a side wall of the mouse body such that it can be touched by a finger of the user grasping the mouse, the transparent button being always urged by a spring such that it is inwardly retracted into the mouse body against an elastic force of the spring when it is depressed, while being outwardly protruded from the mouse body by virtue of the elastic force of the spring, so that it returns to its original state;

a light emitter mounted in the mouse body, and adapted to irradiate light through the transparent button onto the user'"'"'s finger touching the transparent button;

an optical fiber adapted to receive light passing through the transparent button after being reflected from the user'"'"'s finger, and to guide the reflected light to a position sensor; and

the position sensor adapted to detect motion of the user'"'"'s finger, based on light information received thereto via the optical fiber,

wherein the first click button is arranged to be clicked when the transparent button is depressed.

12. The pen-shaped optical mouse according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the illuminating unit is arranged such that the light irradiated therefrom is incident onto the reflection surface at an incidence angle of 14 to 21°

when the optical mouse forms an angle of 40 to 70°

with respect to the reflection surface.

2. A pen-shaped optical mouse for displaying a pointer or cursor on a computer monitor at a desired position in accordance with a movement thereof detected using a reflected light, the optical mouse comprising:

a pen-shaped mouse body;

a transparent optical tip member mounted to one end of the mouse body;

an illuminating unit mounted in the mouse body, and adapted to irradiate light onto a reflection surface arranged outside the mouse body, the illuminating unit including a light emitter, an optical fiber for guiding light emitted from the light emitter, and a prism arranged at an output end of the optical fiber;

a condenser lens mounted in the mouse body, and adapted to allow light reflected from the reflection surface to pass therethrough via the optical tip member;

a bundle optical fiber for guiding the light passing through the condenser lens;

an imaging unit for receiving the light emerging from the bundle optical fiber, thereby forming an image;

an image sensor for receiving light outputted from the imaging unit, converting the received light into an electrical signal; and

a microcomputer for analyzing pattern information of the reflection surface inputted to the image sensor, based on the electrical signal outputted from the image sensor, detecting a moving direction and distance of the mouse, based on the analyzed pattern information, and transmitting information about the moving direction and distance to a computer body.

3. A pen-shaped optical mouse for displaying a pointer or cursor on a computer monitor at a desired position in accordance with a movement thereof detected using a reflected light, the optical mouse comprising:

a pen-shaped mouse body;

a ball rotatably fitted in one end of the mouse body, the ball having a pattern on a surface thereof;

an illuminating unit mounted in the mouse body, and adapted to irradiate light onto the ball, the illuminating unit including a light emitter, an optical fiber for guiding light emitted from the light emitter, and a prism arranged at an output end of the optical fiber;

a condenser lens mounted in the mouse body, and adapted to allow light reflected from the ball to pass therethrough;

a bundle optical fiber for guiding the light passing through the condenser lens;

an imaging unit for receiving the light emerging from the bundle optical fiber, thereby forming an image;

an image sensor for receiving light outputted from the imaging unit, converting the received light into an electrical signal; and

a microcomputer for analyzing pattern information of the ball surface inputted to the image sensor, based on the electrical signal outputted from the image sensor, detecting a moving direction and distance of the mouse, based on the analyzed pattern information, and transmitting information about the moving direction and distance to a computer body.