System for determining pointer position, movement, and angle

• US 20060044276A1
• Filed: 06/17/2004
• Published: 03/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PixArt Imaging Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Avago Technologies ECBU IP Singapore Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Baer, Richard L., Zhang, Xuemei, Kakarala, Ramakrishna, Vook, Dietrich W., Baharav, Izhak, Corredoura, Paul L.
• Granted Patent: US 7,557,799 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/166
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0321 by optically sensing the absolute position with respect to a regularly patterned surface forming a passive digitiser, e.g. pen optically detecting position indicative tags printed on a paper sheet constructional details of pen-shaped pointing devices G06F3/03545, G06F3/03542, G06F3/037
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03544 having dual sensing arrangement, e.g. two balls or two coils used to track rotation of the pointing device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0395 Mouse pads

Abstract

An a data input system includes an encoded pad having position encoding and a data input device adapted to image a portion of the encoded pad to determine position and orientation of the data input device relative to the encoded pad. The encoding pad includes a plurality of correlation windows. Each correlation window includes a primary encoding marker in form of vertical line segment and a set of secondary encoding markers in form of diagonal line segments, at least one diagonal line segment intersecting the vertical line segment at an intersection angle. Spacing of the diagonal line segments encodes the X-axis position of the input device relative to the encoding pad. Intersection angle encodes the Y-axis position of the input device relative to the encoding pad. Angle of the primary encoding marker vertical line segment within the frame of the captured image encodes the angular orientation of the input device relative to the axes of the encoded pad.

Claims

1. A data input system comprising:

an encoded pad having position encoding; and

a data input device adapted to image a portion of said encoded pad to determine position and orientation of said data input device relative to said encoded pad.

2. The data input system recited in claim 1 wherein said data input device is an optical computer mouse.

3. The data input system recited in claim 1 wherein said encoded pad comprising a plurality of correlation windows.

4. The data input system recited in claim 3 wherein each correlation window comprises:

a primary encoding marker;

a set of secondary encoding markers;

wherein said secondary encoding markers adapted to indicate positional information in a first axis of the encoded pad; and

wherein relationship between said primary marker and at least one secondary encoding marker indicates positional information in a second axis of the encoded pad.

5. The data input system recited in claim 4 wherein said primary encoding marker is more pronounced compared to said secondary encoding markers.

6. The data input system recited in claim 4 wherein said encoded pad having a two dimension grid with a first dimensional axis and a second dimensional axis, and said primary encoding marker running along at least one its dimensional axis.

7. The data input system recited in claim 1 wherein said encoded pad comprising:

variation of a first reflectance along a first axis of the encoded pad, the variation of the first reflectance material adapted to indicate positional information in the first axis of the encoded pad; and

variation of a second reflectance along a second axis of the encoded pad, the variation of the second reflectance material adapted to indicate positional information in the second axis of the encoded pad.

8. The data input system recited in claim 7 wherein the first reflectance includes reflectance of color red and the second reflectance includes reflectance of color blue.

9. The data input system recited in claim 1 wherein said data input device comprises:

an image sensor adapted to capture an image of at least a portion of the encoded pad;

a processor connected to said image sensor, said processor programmed to;

determine, from the captured image, a first encoded value for position relative to a first axis of the encoded pad; and

determine, from the captured image, a second encoded value for position relative to a second axis of the encoded pad.

10. The data input system recited in claim 9 wherein said processor is further programmed to determine, from the image, a third value for orientation angle.

11. The data input system recited in claim 9 further comprising a communications module adapted to communicate the position and the orientation of said data input device relative to said encoded pad to a host computer.

12. The data input system recited in claim 1 wherein said data input device comprises:

a first reflectance sensor adapted to measure, at a first region of the encoded pad, a first measure of reflectance, measuring first reflectance at the first region, and a second measure of reflectance, measuring second reflectance at the first region;

a processor connected said first reflectance sensor, said processor programmed to;

determine, from the first measure of reflectance, a first encoded value for position relative to a first axis of the encoded pad; and

determine, from the second measure of reflectance, a second encoded value for position relative to a second axis of the encoded pad.

13. The data input system recited in claim 12 further comprising:

a second reflectance sensor adapted to measure, at a second region of the encoded pad, a third measure of reflectance, measuring first reflectance at the second region, and a fourth measure of reflectance, measuring second reflectance at the second region; and

wherein said processor is connected said second reflectance sensor, and said processor further programmed to;

determine, from the third measure of reflectance, a third encoded value for position relative to the first axis of the encoded pad; and

determine, from the fourth measure of reflectance, a fourth encoded value for position relative to the second axis of the encoded pad.

14. The data input system recited in claim 13 wherein said processor is further programmed to determine, from the four measures of reflectance, an orientation angle of the data input device.

15. An encoded pad comprising a plurality of correlation windows, each correlation window comprising:

a primary encoding marker;

a set of secondary encoding markers;

wherein said secondary encoding markers adapted to indicate positional information in a first axis of the encoded pad; and

wherein relationship between said primary marker and at least one secondary encoding marker encodes positional information in a second axis of the encoded pad.

16. The encoded pad recited in claim 16 wherein said primary encoding marker is more pronounced compared to said secondary encoding markers.

17. An encoded pad having position and orientation encoding, the pad comprising:

variation of a first reflectance along a first axis of the encoded pad, the variation of the first reflectance material adapted to indicate positional information in the first axis of the encoded pad; and

variation of the second reflectance along a second axis of the encoded pad, the variation of the second reflectance material adapted to indicate positional information in the second axis of the encoded pad.

18. The encoded in claim 17 wherein the first reflectance includes reflectance of color red and the second reflectance includes reflectance of color blue.