Input apparatus and operation method thereof

• US 8,373,661 B2
• Filed: 12/02/2009
• Issued: 02/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Inventors: Lan, Yung-Sung, Cheng, Kuen-Chiuan
• Primary Examiner(s): Chow, Van
• Application Number:
  US12/629,875
• Publication Number:
  US 20110032212A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,168 Days
• Field of Search: 345/166, 345/163
• US Class Current: 345/163
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03548 Sliders, in which the moving part moves in a plane

Abstract

An input apparatus including an optical mouse module and a mouse pad module is provided. The optical mouse module includes a light source and an optical sensor. The light source is adapted to emit a light beam. The optical sensor has a sensible distance. The mouse pad module is disposed on the optical mouse module. The mouse pad module includes a sliding sheet elastically coupled to the optical mouse module. The sliding sheet is adapted to move in a three-dimensional space. The optical sensor and the sliding sheet are arranged in an arrangement direction. An operation method of the input apparatus is also provided.

Claims

1. An input apparatus, comprising:

an optical mouse module, comprising a light source and an optical sensor, wherein the light source is adapted to emit a light beam, and the optical sensor has a sensible distance; and

a mouse pad module, disposed on the optical mouse module, the mouse pad module comprising a sliding sheet elastically coupled to the optical mouse module, wherein the sliding sheet is adapted to move in a three-dimensional space, the optical sensor and the sliding sheet are arranged along an arrangement direction, when the sliding sheet is pressed and caused to enter within the sensible distance of the optical sensor and moves along a direction perpendicular to the arrangement direction, the sliding sheet reflects the light beam to the optical sensor, so that the optical sensor senses a movement of the sliding sheet relative to the optical mouse module along a direction perpendicular to the arrangement direction, and when the sliding sheet is not pressed, an elastic force formed by coupling the sliding sheet to the optical mouse module rebounds the sliding sheet from within the sensible distance back to outside of the sensible distance, so that the optical sensor is unable to sense a movement of the sliding sheet relative to the optical mouse module along the direction perpendicular to the arrangement direction.

2. The input apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mouse pad module further comprises a casing elastically coupled to the optical mouse module, the casing is adapted to move relatively to the optical mouse module along the arrangement direction, and the casing has a containing space for containing at least a part of the sliding sheet.

3. The input apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the mouse pad module further comprises at least one first elastic device coupled to the casing and the sliding sheet, and when the sliding sheet is not pressed, a restoring force of the first elastic device is adapted to rebound the sliding sheet back to a specific position relatively to the casing along a direction substantially perpendicular to the arrangement direction.

4. The input apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the casing comprises:

a lower cover, disposed on the optical mouse module, adapted to move along the arrangement direction, and the lower cover having a light pervious opening; and

an upper cover, connected to the lower cover and elastically coupled to the optical mouse module, the upper cover having an operation opening, wherein the sliding sheet is disposed between the lower cover and the upper cover, and the light beam is adapted to be transmitted to the sliding sheet through the light pervious opening.

5. The input apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein the input apparatus further comprises at least one second elastic element coupled to the optical mouse module and the casing, when the sliding sheet is pressed, the sliding sheet pushes the casing to move towards the optical mouse module, and when the sliding sheet is not pressed, or when a pressing force to the sliding sheet is less than an elastic force of the second elastic device, the elastic force of the second elastic device rebounds the casing back towards a direction apart from the optical mouse module, and now the casing pushes the sliding sheet to outside of the sensible distance of the optical sensor.

6. The input apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein the lower cover has at least one positioning hole, the optical mouse module has at least one positioning pillar, and the positioning pillar is adapted to be inserted in the positioning hole.

7. The input apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein the second elastic device is a compression spring surrounding the positioning pillar.

8. The input apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the light source and the optical sensor are disposed at a side of the optical mouse module facing to the mouse pad module, and the optical mouse module further comprises at least one button disposed at a side of the optical mouse module away from the mouse pad module.

9. The input apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the optical mouse module further comprises a signal output module electrically connected to the optical sensor.

10. The input apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the signal output module is a wireless signal output module.

11. The input apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the signal output module is a cable signal output module.

12. An operation method of an input apparatus, the input apparatus comprising an optical mouse module and a mouse pad module, the optical mouse module comprising a light source and an optical sensor, the optical sensor having a sensible distance, the mouse pad module being disposed on the optical mouse module, the mouse pad module comprising a sliding sheet elastically coupled to the optical mouse module, and the optical sensor and the sliding sheet being arranged along an arrangement direction, the operation method of the input apparatus comprising:

pressing the sliding sheet by a first finger and causing the sliding sheet to enter within the sensible distance of the optical sensor by the first finger;

pushing the sliding sheet along a direction perpendicular to the arrangement direction by the first finger; and

leaving the first finger from the sliding sheet or letting a pressing force of the first finger to the sliding sheet to be less than an elastic restoring force formed by coupling the sliding sheet to the optical mouse module, so that the sliding sheet is rebounded from within the sensible distance back to outside of the sensible distance due to the elastic force formed by coupling the sliding sheet to the optical mouse module.

13. The operation method of the input apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein when the first finger leaves the sliding sheet or when the pressing force of the first finger is less than the elastic restoring force formed by coupling the sliding sheet to the optical mouse module, the sliding sheet is adapted to be rebounded back to a specific position relatively to the mouse pad module along a direction perpendicular to the arrangement direction.

14. The operation method of the input apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein the light source and the optical sensor are disposed at a side of the optical mouse module facing to the mouse pad module, and the optical mouse module further comprises at least one button disposed at a side of the optical mouse module away from the mouse pad module, and the operation method of the input apparatus further comprises pressing the button by a second finger.