OPTICAL POINTING APPARATUS AND PORTABLE ELECTRONIC DEVICE COMPRISING SAME

• US 20130038530A1
• Filed: 03/24/2011
• Published: 02/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Crucialtec Co., Ltd
• Original Assignee: Crucialtec Co., Ltd
• Inventors: An, Keon Joon
• Application Number:
  US13/636,837
• Publication Number:
  US 20130038530A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/157
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0213 Arrangements providing an integrated pointing device in a keyboard, e.g. trackball, mini-joystick for pointing devices integrated in a laptop computer G06F1/169; joysticks G05G9/047; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0425 using a single imaging device like a video camera for tracking the absolute position of a single or a plurality of objects with respect to an imaged reference surface, e.g. video camera imaging a display or a projection screen, a table or a wall surface, on which a computer generated image is displayed or projected tracking a projected light spot to determine a position on a display surface G06F3/0386
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/233 including a pointing device, e.g. roller key, track ball, rocker switch or joystick constructional details of pointing devices per se G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4998 Combined manufacture including applying or shaping of fluent material

Abstract

Disclosed is s pointing device having enhanced visibility and aesthetics by providing a surface thereof with a light emitting zone for implementing decorative illumination, and a portable electronic apparatus including the pointing device. The pointing device includes a detector for detecting movement of an object; a housing including a housing body covering the detector and a light emitting zone provided in the housing body to allow visible light to be transmitted therethrough; a light source emitting illumination light containing visible light to illuminate the light emitting zone; and a light guide for changing a light path of the illumination light emitted from the light source so that the illumination light exits from the light emitting zone to an outside of the housing.

Claims

1. A pointing device, comprising:

a detector for detecting movement of an object;

a housing including a housing body covering the detector and a light emitting zone provided in the housing body to allow visible light to be transmitted therethrough;

a light source emitting illumination light containing visible light to illuminate the light emitting zone; and

a light guide for changing a light path of the illumination light emitted from the light source so that the illumination light exits from the light emitting zone to an outside of the housing.

2. The pointing device according to claim 1, wherein the light guide comprises a guide body accommodated within the housing, and an illumination guide provided at the guide body to change the light path of the illumination light.

3. The pointing device according to claim 2, wherein the illumination guide is provided on an outer wall of the guide body to disperse the illumination light such that the illumination light is widely spread in the light emitting zone to exit to the outside of the housing.

4. The pointing device according to claim 3, wherein the illumination guide comprises a plurality of reflective portions provided along a circumference of the guide body to reflect the illumination light, each of the reflective portions dispersing the illumination light emitted from the light source to both sides thereof.

5. The pointing device according to claim 4, wherein each of the reflective portions comprises a reflective protrusion formed on an outer surface of the guide body, and a pair of inclined reflective surfaces defining both side surfaces of the reflective protrusion and having a gap therebetween gradually narrowed towards the light source.

6. The pointing device according to claim 3, wherein the illumination guide comprises a plurality of refractive portions provided along a circumference of the guide body to refract the illumination light, each of the refractive portions dispersing the illumination light emitted from the light source to both sides thereof.

7. The pointing device according to claim 3, wherein the guide body comprises a plurality of outer surfaces in a circumferential direction thereof;

and the illumination guide comprises any one of a reflective portion and a refractive portion provided to each of the outer surfaces of the guide body along the circumference of the guide body, each reflective portion dispersing the illumination light toward both sides thereof by reflection, the refractive portion dispersing the illumination light toward both sides thereof by refraction.

8. The pointing device according to claim 2, wherein the illumination guide comprises an eave disposed on an outer wall of the guide body to cover a front side of the light source.

9. The pointing device according to claim 8, wherein the eave has an inclined surface reflecting the illumination light to be spread along the illumination guide.

10. The pointing device according to claim 2, wherein the guide body is integrally formed with the illumination guide or is inserted into the illumination guide to be surrounded by the illumination guide.

11. The pointing device according to claim 2, wherein the guide body defines a path of detection light incident on the detector for detecting movement of the object.

12. The pointing device according to claim 1, wherein the housing body comprises a cover having an object detection zone and a visible light transmitting portion allowing the illumination light to be transmitted therethrough and having the light emitting zone on a surface thereof, the light emitting zone is formed on the cover, and the object detection zone defines a contact surface of the object for detecting the object.

13. The pointing device according to claim 12, wherein the light emitting zone is provided along a circumference of the cover for surrounding the circumference of the cover.

14. The pointing device according to claim 13, wherein the visible light transmitting portion and the cover are integrally formed with each other by double injection molding.

15. The pointing device according to claim 13, wherein the visible light transmitting portion comprises a surface coating layer on an outer surface thereof to prevent leakage of the illumination light.

16. The pointing device according to claim 15, whereon the surface coating layer comprises a white coating layer for reflecting the illumination light such that the illumination light does not exit to the outside of the visible light transmitting portion.

17. The pointing device according to claim 16, whereon the surface coating layer further comprises a black coating layer formed on the white coating layer.

18. The pointing device according to claim 12, wherein the object detection zone is illuminated by a detection light source provided within the housing.

19. The pointing device according to claim 18, wherein the detection light source comprises an infrared source for emitting detection light containing an infrared band;

and the object detection zone is an infrared band pass filter allowing substantially only an infrared band to pass therethrough and is illuminated by the infrared source.

20. The pointing device according to claim 18, wherein the detection light source comprises a laser light source.

21. The pointing device according to claim 1, wherein the detector is capable of recognizing fingerprints.

22. The pointing device according to claim 1, wherein the light emitting zone forms decorative illumination of the housing.

23. The pointing device according to claim 1, wherein the light emitting zone has a metal coating layer on a surface thereof.

24. The pointing device according to claim 23, wherein the metal coating layer is formed by NCVM (Non-Conductive Vacuum Metalizing).

25. A portable electronic apparatus, comprising;

the pointing device according to claim 1; and

a main body to which the pointing device mounted.

26. A light guide of a pointing device including a housing having a light emitting zone to implement decorative illumination on a circumference of a cover, a detector for detecting movement of an object, and a light source for illuminating the light emitting zone, the light guide comprising:

a guide body accommodated within the housing; and

an illumination guide provided on the guide body to disperse illumination light emitted from the light source such that the illumination light is widely spread in the light emitting zone and exits to an outside of the housing.

27. The light guide according to claim 26, wherein the illumination guide comprises a plurality of reflective portions provided along a circumference of the guide body and reflecting the illumination light to disperse the illumination light.

28. The light guide according to claim 26, wherein the illumination guide comprises a plurality of refractive portions provided along a circumference of the guide body and refracting the illumination light to disperse the illumination light.

29. The light guide according to claim 26, wherein the illumination guide comprises an eave provided on an outer wall of the guide body to cover a front side of the light source.

30. The light guide according to claim 26, wherein the guide body has a plurality of outer surfaces in a circumferential direction thereof;

and the illumination guide includes any one of a reflective portion and a refractive portion provided to each of the outer surfaces of the guide body along the circumference of the guide body, the reflective portion dispersing the illumination light toward both sides thereof by reflection, the refractive portion dispersing the illumination light toward both sides thereof by refraction.

31. The light guide according to claim 26, wherein the guide body defines a path of detection light incident on the detector for detecting movement of the object by the detector.

32. A method of manufacturing a housing of a pointing device comprising:

(a) manufacturing a housing body including a cover having an infrared band pass filter type object detection zone and a visible light transmitting portion allowing visible light to be transmitted therethrough to form a light emitting zone;

(b) forming a surface coating layer on a circumference of the housing body to prevent leakage of illumination light, with a mask formed on a surface of the housing body to cover the light emitting zone and the object detection zone; and

(c) forming a UV resin coating layer by coating the light emitting zone and the object detection zone with a UV resin after removing the mask.

33. The method according to claim 32, further comprising:

(d) performing NCVM treatment on an upper surface of the UV resin coating layer to form a metal coating layer;

(e) forming an outer UV resin coating layer on the metal coating layer; and

(f) removing portions of the UV resin coating layer, the metal coating layer and the outer UV resin coating layer formed on the surface of the object detection zone.

34. The method according to claim 32, wherein the step (b) comprises (b1) forming a white coating layer on the circumference of the housing and (b2) forming a black coating layer on the white coating layer.

35. The method according to claim 33, wherein the step (b) comprises (b1) forming a white coating layer on the circumference of the housing and (b2) forming a black coating layer on the white coating layer.