Pointing Device with Optical Positioning on Low-Diffusive Surfaces

• US 20090002347A1
• Filed: 06/28/2007
• Published: 01/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Xu, Jun, Huang, Wei, Xie, Jianping, Zhao, Tianpeng, Ming, Hai, Gui, Huaqiao, Kong, Yuan
• Granted Patent: US 8,730,167 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/182
• 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 3/03543 Mice or pucks G06F3/03541 takes precedence

Abstract

A computer input device includes a light source assembly forming an incident light beam that strikes an area on a surface beneath the input device with large incident angle. A light sensing assembly in the input device is positioned to receive scattered light and includes a band-pass filter. A barrier is located directly above the area where the light beam is incident on the top surface to prevent light from traveling directly from the light source assembly to the light sensing assembly.

Claims

1. A computer input device comprising:

a light source assembly (202, 502) forming an incident light beam (110, 510) that strikes an area on a surface beneath the input device (200, 500) and that is scattered to form scattered light (212, 512);

a light sensing assembly (206, 506) that is positioned to receive the scattered light (212, 512) and that comprises a band-pass filter (322, 422, 532); and

a light barrier (204, 504) located between the light source assembly (202, 502) and the light sensing assembly (206, 506) so as to block light from passing directly from the light source assembly to the light sensing assembly.

2. The computer input device of claim 1 wherein the light barrier (204, 504) is located in a space (360, 460, 650) above the area on the surface where the incident light beam strikes the surface.

3. The computer input device of claim 1 wherein the band-pass filter allows a band of wavelengths of light to pass through the band-pass filter to reach a light sensing array (324, 424, 534) and blocks wavelengths of light outside of the band, wherein the band of wavelengths includes the wavelength of the incident light beam.

4. The computer input device of claim 1 wherein the incident light beam strikes the surface at an angle (306, 410) to a normal (310, 412) of the surface that is between 75 degrees and 85 degrees.

5. The computer input device of claim 1 wherein the light source assembly comprises a light source (400) and an optic fiber (404).

6. The computer input device of claim 5 wherein the optic fiber guides light produced by the light source to an optic fiber end (408) comprising a collimating lens.

7. The computer input device of claim 6 wherein the optic fiber end produces an incident light beam that strikes the surface at an angle (306, 410) to a normal (310, 412) of the surface that is between 75 degrees and 85 degrees.

8. The computer input device of claim 1 wherein the light source further comprises a lens (522) that focuses the incident light beam so that a specular reflection (514) converges on a focal point (550).

9. An optical pointing device for a computer system, the optical pointing device comprising:

a light source (302, 400, 520) providing incident light (210, 510) at a selected wavelength that is incident on an area of a surface;

a light sensor (324, 424, 524) that converts light into electrical values;

a band-pass filter (322, 422, 532) located between the light sensor and the area of the surface that allows light with the selected wavelength to pass to the light sensor and that prevents wavelengths of light outside of a band of wavelengths from reaching the light sensor; and

a barrier (204, 504) between the light source and the band-pass filter that prevents light from traveling directly from the light source to the band-pass filter.

10. The optical pointing device of claim 9 wherein the light sensor is positioned between a specular reflection (350, 452, 514) and a space (360, 460, 650) directly above the area of the surface that the incident light is incident upon.

11. The optical pointing device of claim 9 wherein the incident light strikes the surface at an angle (306, 410) between 75 and 85 degrees from a normal (310, 412) to the surface.

12. The optical pointing device of claim 11 wherein the light source comprises a device that emits light (400) and an optical fiber (404).

13. The optical pointing device of claim 12 wherein device that emits light is mounted on a printed circuit board (208) with the light sensor and the optical fiber extends below the printed circuit board.

14. The optical pointing device of claim 9 wherein the light source comprises a device that emits light (520) and a focusing lens (522) that focuses the specular reflection to a focus point (550).

15. The optical pointing device of claim 9 wherein the barrier (204, 504) is located in the space (360, 460, 650 directly above the area of the surface that the incident light is incident upon.

16. An optical input device comprising:

a light source (302, 304, 400, 404) providing a coherent incident light at an angle (306, 410) between 75 and 85 degrees from a normal (310, 412) to a surface (214);

a light sensor (324, 424) positioned in the optical input device to detect light diffusively scattered from the surface to produce an electrical signal; and

a microcontroller (116) that uses the electrical signal to determine movement of the optical input device.

17. The optical input device of claim 16 further comprising a barrier (204) between the light source and the light sensor.

18. The optical input device of claim 17 further comprising a band-pass filter (322, 422) located between the light sensor and the surface that prevents light outside of a band of wavelengths from reaching the light sensor.

19. The optical input device of claim 16 wherein the light source comprises a laser (400) and an optical fiber (404), the laser emitting light and the optical fiber directing the light and outputting the incident light.

20. The optical device of claim 19 wherein the optical fiber forms a collimated beam (210) of light.