Electro-optical mouse with means to separately detect the changes in contrast ratio in X and Y directions

• US 5,349,371 A
• Filed: 02/24/1993
• Issued: 09/20/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kwang-Chien Fong
• Original Assignee: Kwang-Chien Fong
• Inventors: Fong, Kwang-Chien
• Primary Examiner(s): Weldon, Ulysses
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHOW, DOON Y
• Application Number:
  US08/022,384
• Time in Patent Office: 573 Days
• Field of Search: 340/710, 340/706, 340/709, 340/707, 250/221, 273/148 B, 178/18, 178/19, 345/166, 345/163, 345/156, 345/165, 345/157
• 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

An electro-optical mouse includes two light sources to respectively project light onto a grid of lines on a reflective surface; two cylindrical lenses at right angles to each other to respectively amplify the X and Y line crossings; two detectors to respectively receive the output light signals from the two cylindrical lenses via two reflectors and, generate electrical signals according to the sensed changes in contrast ratio, in order to accurately control the movement of a cursor on the visual display of a computer.

Claims

1. An electro-optical mouse, comprising a first signal pick-up device for detecting, in an X direction, changes in contrast ratio of a reflective surface caused by passage of the first signal pick-up device over a grid of lines on the reflective surface in the X direction and second pick-up device for detecting, in a Y direction, changes in contrast ratio of the reflective surface caused by passage of the second signal pick-up device over said grid of lines in Y direction, said first and second signal pick-up devices comprising light source means including an LED light source for projecting light onto said reflective surface, lens means including a cylindrical lens for amplifying light reflected from said surface, reflector means including a reflector for transmitting light from said cylindrical lens to a detector, said detector including means for generating an electrical signal sensed changes in contrast ratio in order to enable a computer to accurately control the movement of a cursor on a visual display the central axes of said cylindrical lenses being oriented at right angles to each other to separately amplify changes in said contrast ratio on the X and Y direction each lens amplifying only the line crossing of said grid of lines which are disposed parallel to the central axis thereof.