OPTICAL POINTING DEVICE AND METHOD FOR CALCULATING MOTION VALUE IN THE SAME

• US 20080259034A1
• Filed: 05/27/2008
• Published: 10/23/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: ATLab, Inc.
• Original Assignee: ATLab, Inc.
• Inventors: KWAK, JONG-TAEK, LEE, BANG-WON, LEE, WOO-SEOK, JEONG, WAN-GYO
• Application Number:
  US12/127,664
• Publication Number:
  US 20080259034A1
• 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

Abstract

The optical pointing device of the present invention includes a light source for emitting light; a mode identifier for outputting an upside-down mode signal when the optical pointing device is used upside-down; an image sensor for receiving reflected light from an object and obtaining image information of the object; a converter for converting the image information into digital image data; a basic motion value calculator for outputting a basic motion value corresponding to a motion of the optical pointing device using the image data; and a motion value converter for receiving the basic motion value and outputting a mirror motion value corresponding to the motion of the object in response to the upside-down mode signal. Thus, the optical pointing device provides the rotation mode, the upside-down mode and the normal mode, so that the optical pointing device is used in various situations and upside-down.

Claims

1. An optical pointing device comprising:

a light source emitting light;

a mode identifier outputting an upside-down mode signal when the optical pointing device is used upside-down;

an image sensor receiving reflected light from an object and obtaining image information of the object;

a converter converting the image information into digital data and outputting the digital data as image data;

a basic motion value calculator calculating a basic motion value corresponding to a motion of the optical pointing device using the image data; and

a motion value converter receiving the basic motion value and converting the basic motion value into a mirror motion value corresponding to the motion of the object in response to the upside-down mode signal.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the basic motion value calculator calculates a basic motion value corresponding to a motion of the optical pointing device using image data obtained during a previous sampling period and image data obtained during a current sampling period.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the motion value converter comprises a mirror unit inverting a Y value of the basic motion value to correspond to the motion of the object in response to the upside-down mode signal, and outputting the mirror motion value.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the mode identifier further outputs a rotation mode signal corresponding to a layout of the light source and the image sensor.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the motion value converter further comprises a rotation unit for interchanging an X value and a Y value of the basic motion value and outputting a rotation motion value in response to the rotation mode signal.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the motion value converter comprises a mirror unit inverting an X value of the basic motion value to correspond to the motion of the object in response to the upside-down mode signal, and outputting the mirror motion value.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein the mode identifier further outputs a rotation mode signal corresponding to a layout of the light source and the image sensor.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the motion value converter further comprises a rotation unit interchanging an X value and a Y value of the basic motion value and outputting a rotation motion value in response to the rotation mode signal.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the mode identifier further comprises an upside-down orientation sensor sensing an upside-down orientation of the optical pointing device.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the upside-down orientation sensor comprises:

a first upside-down orientation sensor sensing the optical pointing device being turned upside-down with reference to a Y-axis and outputting a first upside-down mode signal; and

a second upside-down orientation sensor sensing the optical pointing device being turned upside-down with reference to an X-axis and outputting a second upside-down mode signal.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the motion value converter comprises:

a first mirror unit inverting a Y value of the basic motion value to correspond to the motion of the object in response to the first upside-down mode signal, and outputting a first mirror motion value; and

a second mirror unit inverting an X value of the basic motion value to correspond to the motion of the object in response to the second upside-down mode signal, and outputting a second mirror motion value.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the mode identifier further outputs a rotation mode signal corresponding to a layout of the light source and the image sensor.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the motion value converter further comprises a rotation unit interchanging an X value and a Y value of the basic motion value and outputting a rotation motion value in response to the rotation mode signal.

14. The device of claim 1, wherein the mode identifier comprises a switch selecting each mode.

15. The device of claim 1, wherein the optical pointing device further comprises an upper cover disposed on the top of the optical pointing device for setting the upside-down mode.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the optical pointing device further comprises a bottom cover disposed on the bottom of the optical pointing device.

17. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

an input unit outputting an input signal in response to an external command; and

a communication unit outputting the motion information to the exterior in response to the input signal and the output of the motion value calculator.

18. A method for calculating a motion value in an optical pointing device, comprising:

emitting light;

outputting an upside-down mode signal when the optical pointing device is upside-down;

receiving reflected light from an object and obtaining image information of the object;

converting the image information into digital data as image data;

calculating a basic motion value corresponding to a motion of the optical pointing device using the image data; and

converting the basic motion value into a mirror motion value corresponding to the motion of the object in response to the upside-down mode signal.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the calculating of the basic motion value comprises calculating a basic motion value corresponding to the motion of the optical pointing device using image data obtained during a previous sampling period and image data obtained during a current sampling period.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the outputting of the upside-down mode signal further comprises sensing an upside-down orientation of the optical pointing device.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the sensing of the upside-down orientation comprises sensing the optical pointing device being turned upside-down with reference to a Y-axis and outputting a first upside-down mode signal.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the converting the basic motion value comprises inverting a Y value of the basic motion value to correspond to the motion of the object in response to the first upside-down mode signal, and outputting the mirror motion value.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising outputting a rotation mode signal corresponding to a layout of the light source and the image sensor.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising interchanging an X value and a Y value and outputting a rotation motion value in response to the rotation mode signal.

25. The method of claim 20, wherein the sensing of the upside-down orientation comprises sensing the optical pointing device being turned upside-down with reference to an X-axis and outputting a second upside-down mode signal.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the converting the basic motion value comprises inverting an X value of the basic motion value to correspond to the motion of the object in response to the second upside-down mode signal, and outputting the mirror motion value.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising outputting a rotation mode signal corresponding to a layout of the light source and the image sensor.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising interchanging an X value and a Y value and outputting a rotation motion value in response to the rotation mode signal.