Cursor control device
First Claim
1. In a cursor control device to provide an output indicative of the amount and direction of relative of the device, said device includinga housing,a planar array pattern,said housing moveable relative to said pattern,illuminating means mounted in said housing to direct radiation to a portion of said pattern,sensor array means mounted in said housing to receive and detect radiation reflected from said illuminated pattern portion, said array means comprising a plurality of sensor cells and circuit means coupled to each of said sensor cells to provide a plurality of cell outputs each capable of representing whether a cell has sensed a predetermined quantity of radiation received from said pattern portion and providing a corresponding output signal the output signal of each of said cells coupled to at least one neighborhood cell to permit the alteration of the output of said coupled cells whereby said pattern portion is recognized as one of a limited plurality of predetermined patterns.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A cursor control device or "optical mouse" for use with an interactive display oriented computer system to provide movement for a visible cursor from position to position on a display screen of such a system. The device includes an IC chip that contains an optical sensor array and circuitry to bring about detectable bitmaps based upon a plurality of sensor cells making up the array. The distinguishable bitmaps are employed as a means for comparison to provide an output indicative of the direction and amount of movement of the cursor control device relative to an optical contrasting input to the array, the output is employed as a means to move the visible cursor from position to position on a display screen.
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Citations
58 Claims
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1. In a cursor control device to provide an output indicative of the amount and direction of relative of the device, said device including
a housing, a planar array pattern, said housing moveable relative to said pattern, illuminating means mounted in said housing to direct radiation to a portion of said pattern, sensor array means mounted in said housing to receive and detect radiation reflected from said illuminated pattern portion, said array means comprising a plurality of sensor cells and circuit means coupled to each of said sensor cells to provide a plurality of cell outputs each capable of representing whether a cell has sensed a predetermined quantity of radiation received from said pattern portion and providing a corresponding output signal the output signal of each of said cells coupled to at least one neighborhood cell to permit the alteration of the output of said coupled cells whereby said pattern portion is recognized as one of a limited plurality of predetermined patterns.
- 4. In a cursor control device, optical sensor imaging array means to receive and detect radiation from an illuminated pattern having a field of contrasting features, said sensor array means comprising an array of sensor cells each capable of sensing and converting radiation into an electrical signal, circuit means coupled to each of said cells to receive said electrical signals, each of said cells in said array electrically coupled as an input to at least one neighborhood cell, the electrical correspondence among said cells in said array is such that at least one of said cells in said array has sensed radiation while the remaining cells have either not sensed radiation or have been inhibited from sensing radiation, thereby producing an optically sensed bitmap of a class of bitmaps formed by said array derived from the instantaneous cursor control device position relative to said pattern, said bitmaps indicative of the amount and direction of relative movement between said cursor control device and said pattern derived from a comparison between a new bitmap established from a new cursor device position with a previous bitmap established from a previous cursor device position.
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6. In an interactive display-oriented computer system having a display device with a viewing screen, a display cursor movable about the screen by means of a separate cursor control device moveable over a planar surface in proximity to the system, said cursor control device to provide an output to the display device indicative of the amount and direction of movement of the cursor on the viewing screen, said control cursor device comprising
a housing, a planar array pattern, said housing moveable relative to said pattern, illuminating means mounted in said housing to direct radiation to a portion of said pattern, sensor array means mounted in said housing to receive and detect radiation reflected from said illuminated pattern portion, said array means comprising a plurality of sensor cells and circuit means coupled to each of said sensor cells to provide a plurality of cell outputs each capable of representing whether a cell has sensed a predetermined quantity of radiation received from said pattern portion and providing a corresponding output signal, the output signal of each of said cells coupled to at least one neighborhood cell to permit the alteration of the output of said coupled cells whereby said pattern portion is recognized as one of a limited plurality of predetermined patterns, said circuit means responsive to the changes in said predetermined patterns formed by said sensor array means to generate coordinate signals to said display device corresponding to changes in the positional movement of said cursor control device relative to said planar array pattern and correspondingly, the desired change in the position of said display cursor on said viewing screen.
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7. In a cursor control device to provide an output indicative of the amount and direction of relative movement of the device, said device including
a housing a planar array pattern, said housing moveable relative to said pattern, illuminating means to direct radiation to a portion of said pattern, sensor array means mounted in said housing to receive and detect radiation reflected from said illuminated pattern portion, said array means comprising a plurality of sensor cells, circuit means coupled to said sensor cells to provide a plurality of cell outputs each capable of representing whether a cell has sensed a predetermined quantity of radiation received from said pattern portion and providing a corresponding output signal the output signal of each of said cells coupled to at least one neighborhood cell to permit the alteration of the output of said coupled cells whereby said pattern portion is recognized as one of a limited plurality of predetermined distinguishable bitmap representations, each of said bitmap representations indicative of a particular positional relation of said array means relative to said planar array pattern.
- 10. In a cursor control device to provide movement for a cursor from position to position on a display screen including sensor imaging array means to receive and detect radiation from an illuminated pattern, said sensor array means comprising a plurality of optical sensor cells capable of sensing and converting radiation into electrical output signals when any one thereof has sensed a predetermined quantity of radiation, a field of contrasting features detectable by said sensor array, the difference in the spatial frequency of said contrasting features in said field relative to the spatial relation of said cells productive of an intermediary pattern comprising at least one detected contrasting feature from said field, circuit means coupled to each of said cells to receive said output signals with the output signal of each of said cells coupled to at least one neighboring cell in said array to alter the output of said neighboring cell resulting in the recognition of said intermediary pattern as being one of a limited plurality of predetermined such patterns.
- 16. In a cursor control device to provide movement for a cursor from position to position on a display screen in response to movement of said device over a surface, a housing, an optical sensor array comprising a planar array of optical sensor cells supported in said housing and producing a plurality of distinguishable bitmap images based upon a field of contrasting features provided to said array, circuit means coupled to said cells to provide a plurality of output signals each representative of whether a cell has sensed a predetermined quantity of light received from said field, said circuit means coupled to permit electrical correspondence of the output signal of each cell with at least one neighboring cell, the pattern of correspondence among said cells producing one of said distinguishable bitmap images and interpretable by said circuit means for generating coordinate signals corresponding to changes in the position of said cursor control device relative to said surface.
- 29. In a cursor control device to provide movement for a cursor from position to position on a display screen in response to movement of said device over a surface, a housing, an optical input providing a field of contrasting features, an optical sensor array comprising a planar array of optical sensor cells supported in said housing and capable of recognizing a plurality of distinguishable bitmap images upon relative translation between said array and said optical input, circuit means coupled to each of said cells to provide a plurality of cell outputs each capable of representing whether a cell has sensed a predetermined quantity of radiation received from said field and providng a corresponding output signal to inhibit the operation of at least one neighboring cell when said inhibiting cell has sensed said predetermined quantity of radiation, the neighborhood cell inhibition producing one of a limited number of said distinguishable bitmap images recognizable from said field and interpretable by said circuit means for generating coordinate signals corresponding to changes in position of said cursor control device relative to said surface and function to provide said display screen cursor movement.
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34. In a cursor control device to provide an output indicative of the amount and direction of relative movement of the device, said device including a housing, an optical sensor array comprising a plurality of optical sensor cells each capable of producing an electrical signal upon sensing a predetermined quantity of radiation, illuminated means to provide a field contrasting features to said array for sensitizing selected ones of said cells productive of a group of distinguishable bitmap images each comprising at least one detected contrasting feature from said field by said array, circuit means coupled to each of said cells, the electrical correlation among said cells via said circuit means to inhibit the sensing operation of cells in said array that are neighbors to a cell that has sensed said predetermined quantity of radiation, said inhibition extended over a predetermined extent of the array whereby at least one of said cells in the array has sensed radiation and remaining cells in the array have either not sensed radiation or have been inhibited from sensing radiation, said inhibition thereby producing one of a limited number of possible distinguishable bitmap images recognizable from said field and useful to provide said output.
- 35. In a cursor control device to provide an output indicative of the amount and direction of relative movement of the device, said device including a housing, an optical sensor array supported in said housing and comprising a planar array of optical sensor cells each capable of sensing and converting optical radiation into an electrical signal, means to provide a field contrasting features to said array to permit the production of intermediary patterns by said array based upon the spatial frequency of contrasting features in said field relative to the spatial relation of said cells in said array and relative movement provided between said field and said array, and circuit means coupled to said cells with the output of each cell capable of representing whether a cell has sensed a predetermined quantity of radiation received from said field and providing a corresponding output signal, the output signal of each of said cells coupled to several neighboring cells in a manner to provide electrical correlation of each cell with at least one neighborhood cell whereby the combined output signals of said cells is are recognized as one of a limited plurality of distinguishable bitmap images derived from said intermediary patterns.
- 53. In a cursor control device to provide movement for a display cursor from position to position on a display screen in response to movement of said device over a surface, a housing, a planar array of optical sensor cells each capable of sensing and converting optical radiation into an electrical signal in response to a field of repetitive contrasting features, the spatial relation of said features and said cells productive of detectable patterns by said cells upon relative positional movement between said field and said array, and circuit means coupled to said cells to provide a plurality of cell outputs each capable of representing whether a cell has sensed a predetermined quantity of radiation received from said field and providing a corresponding output signal, the output signal of some of said cells coupled to at least one neighborhood cell in a manner to provide electrical correlation among said cells capable of altering the output of some of said cells whereby said field is recognized as one of a limited plurality of predetermined bitmap images and programmed logic means in said circuit means to interpret said predetermined bitmap images to generate coordinate signals corresponding to changes in the position of said cursor control device relative to said surface to provide said display cursor movement.
Specification