COMPUTER ACCESSORY DEVICE

• US 20110037700A1
• Filed: 08/13/2009
• Published: 02/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Chatow, Ehud, Holland, William D.
• Granted Patent: US 8,531,401 B2
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03543 Mice or pucks G06F3/03541 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/107 with manual scanning
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/195 the array comprising a two-dimensional array or a combination of two-dimensional arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/3876 Recombination of partial images to recreate the original image

Abstract

A computer accessory device configured to communicate with a computer includes a two-dimensional sensor array configured to generate image data as the device is moved over a surface. A first memory is configured to store a first set of images based on a first set of the image data. A second memory is configured to store a second set of images based on a second set of the image data. The second set of images is configured to be stitched-together into a stitched-together image. At least one controller is configured to generate navigation information based on the first set of images. The navigation information is indicative of displacement and rotation of the device.

Claims

1. A computer accessory device configured to communicate with a computer, comprising:

a two-dimensional sensor array configured to generate image data as the device is moved over a surface;

a first memory configured to store a first set of images based on a first set of the image data;

a second memory configured to store a second set of images based on a second set of the image data, the second set of images configured to be stitched-together into a stitched-together image; and

at least one controller configured to generate navigation information based on the first set of images, the navigation information indicative of displacement and rotation of the device.

2. The computer accessory device of claim 1, wherein the at least one controller is configured to perform a stitching operation to stitch the second set of images into the stitched-together image, and wherein the computer accessory device further comprises a third memory configured to store the stitched-together image.

3. The computer accessory device of claim 1, and further comprising:

a multiplexer configured to selectively output the first set of images to the first memory and the second set of images to the second memory.

4. The computer accessory device of claim 1, wherein the at least one controller is configured to cause the second set of image data to be generated using illumination settings of wavelength and intensity that differ from those used for the first set of image data.

5. The computer accessory device of claim 1, wherein the at least one controller is configured to cause the second set of image data to be generated using an exposure setting that is different than that used for the first set of image data.

6. The computer accessory device of claim 1, wherein the first set of image data is generated in a time-interleaved manner with the second set of image data.

7. The computer accessory device of claim 1, wherein the sensor array is configured to concurrently generate image data for at least one image in the first set of images and at least one image in the second set of images.

8. The computer accessory device of claim 7, wherein the at least one image in the first set of images is generated by using a smaller portion of the concurrently generated image data and the at least one image in the second set of images is generated by using a larger portion of the concurrently generated image data.

9. The computer accessory device of claim 1, and further comprising:

a display configured to display the stitched-together image.

10. The computer accessory device of claim 1, wherein the device is an optical mouse.

11. The computer accessory device of claim 1, wherein the device is a USB memory stick.

12. The computer accessory device of claim 1, wherein the device is a mobile phone.

13. The computer accessory device of claim 1, and further comprising:

an input/output interface configured to transmit the navigation information to the computer to control a screen pointer.

14. The computer accessory device of claim 13, wherein the input/output interface is configured to transmit the stitched-together image to the computer.

15. The computer accessory device of claim 14, wherein the input/output interface is configured to wirelessly transmit the navigation information and the stitched-together image to the computer.

16. The computer accessory device of claim 1, wherein the at least one controller is configured to associate a set of the navigation information with each image in the second set of images to facilitate stitching of the second set of images.

17. The computer accessory device of claim 1, wherein the at least one controller is configured to store device usage information in at least one of the first memory and the second memory, the device usage information indicating a history of usage of the device.

18. A method of operating a computer accessory device that includes a two-dimensional sensor array, comprising:

generating image data with the sensor array as the device is moved over a surface;

generating a first set of images based on a first set of the image data;

generating a second set of images based on a second set of the image data;

storing the first and second sets of images in separate memories in the device;

generating navigation information with the device based on the first set of images, the navigation information indicative of displacement and rotation of the computer accessory device; and

performing a stitching operation to combine the second set of images into a stitched-together image.

19. The method of claim 18, and further comprising:

associating a set of the navigation information with each image in the second set of images to facilitate the stitching operation.

20. A computer system, comprising:

a computer; and

a computer accessory device, the device comprising;

a two-dimensional sensor array configured to generate image data for scan images and navigation images as the device is moved over a surface;

a plurality of memories configured to store the scan images, the navigation images, and stitched-together images;

at least one controller configured to generate navigation information based on the navigation images, the navigation information indicative of displacement and rotation of the device, the at least one controller also configured to perform a stitching operation to combine the scan images into a first stitched-together image; and

an input/output interface configured to transmit at least one of the navigation information and the first stitched-together image to the computer.