METHOD OF OPERATING AN OPTICAL MOUSE
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Accused Products
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 bold 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. Anew reference frame is taken prior to the resumption of motion detection.
109 Citations
63 Claims
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1-12. -12. (canceled)
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13. A method for operating a hand held optical pointing device, comprising:
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capturing a plurality of arrays of data, representing light reflected from a surface to a hand held optical pointing device, to track movement of the hand held optical pointer on the surface; and
analyzing at least one of the plurality of arrays of data to determine if a position of a pointer on a display screen should be changed in order to indicate movement of the device. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44)
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45. A method for operating a hand held optical pointing device, comprising:
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a) capturing a plurality of arrays of data, representing light reflected from a surface to a hand held optical pointing device, to track movement of the device on the surface;
b) analyzing at least one of the plurality of arrays of data to determine if device is on the surface; and
c) altering the operation of the device in response to a determination that the device has been lifted off the surface. - View Dependent Claims (46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52)
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53. A method for operating a hand held optical pointing device, comprising:
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capturing a plurality of arrays of data, representing light reflected from a surface to a hand held optical pointing device, to track movement of the hand held optical pointing device relative to spatial features of a surface;
sending signals to a display screen to position a pointer in accordance with the tracked movement; and
suspending sending the signals to the display screen when the device is not in contact with the surface. - View Dependent Claims (54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63)
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Specification