Method for detecting users' pressing action and optical operating unit

• US 8,411,068 B2
• Filed: 04/24/2008
• Issued: 04/02/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/25/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PixArt Imaging Incorporated
• Original Assignee: PixArt Imaging Incorporated
• Inventors: Lu, Chih-Hung, Chen, Hui-Hsuan
• Primary Examiner(s): Lao, Lun-Yi
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hegarty, Kelly B
• Application Number:
  US12/108,760
• Publication Number:
  US 20090267918A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,804 Days
• Field of Search: 345/175, 345/156, 345/166, 250/206.1, 250/221, 356/35.5, 382/115, 382124-127, 178/18.09
• US Class Current: 345/175
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0338 Fingerprint track pad, i.e. fingerprint sensor used as pointing device tracking the fingertip image
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/033 Pointing devices displaced or positioned by the user , e.g. mice, trackballs, pens or joysticks; Accessories therefor digitisers characterised by the transducing means G06F3/041
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/042 by opto-electronic means

Abstract

A method for detecting users'"'"' pressing action is applied to an electronic apparatus which has at least an optical operating unit for an user to operate the electronic apparatus. The method includes the steps of detecting a deformation of a forcing object which forces the optical operating unit; and determining whether the user performs a pressing action according to a deformation degree of the forcing object. Further, an optical operating unit using the method is provided.

Claims

1. A method of detecting users'"'"' pressing action applied to an electronic apparatus, the electronic apparatus having at least an optical operating unit for an user to operate the electronic apparatus, the method of detecting the users'"'"' pressing action comprising steps of:

detecting a deformation of a forcing object which forces the optical operating unit, the deformation of the forcing object being formed on a contacting surface of the optical unit and the forcing object; and

determining whether the user performs a pressing action according to a deformation degree of the forcing object, wherein when the deformation degree is larger than a predetermined value, the pressing action performed by the user is determined;

wherein the forcing object has a texture structure with stripes, the step of detecting the deformation of the forcing object comprises detecting an interval variation degree between at least two adjacent stripes or detecting a width variation degree of at least one of the stripes, and when the interval variation degree between at least two adjacent stripes changes to a value of 90% or smaller of an unforced value or the width variation degree of at least one of the stripes changes to 110% or larger of an unforced value, the pressing action performed by the user is determined.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of detecting the deformation of the forcing object comprises using an image sensor of the optical operating unit to detect the deformation.

3. An optical operating unit applied to an electronic apparatus, the optical operating unit comprising:

a transparent element, disposed at an opening of a housing of the electronic apparatus, the transparent element being capable of bearing a forcing object exerted by an user;

a light source, disposed in the housing for providing a light beam to the transparent element, and the forcing object reflecting the light beam into the housing; and

an image sensor, disposed in the housing and disposed on a transmitting path of the light beam reflected by the forcing object, the image sensor being capable of detecting the light beam, converting the light beam to an image data and detecting a deformation of the forcing object on a contacting surface of the forcing object and the transparent element according to the image data to determine whether the user performs a pressing action according to a deformation degree of the forcing object, the forcing object having a texture structure with stripes, the stripes being deformable under pressure when forced against the transparent element, when a deformation degree of the forcing object is ten percent or larger than an unforced value, as measured by comparing a width of one of the stripes or a distance between adjacent stripes before and during forcing, the pressing action performed by the user is determined.

4. The optical operating unit as claimed in claim 3, wherein the image sensor is capable of detecting a movement of forcing object on the transparent element according to the image data and generating a corresponding movement of a cursor on a screen of the electronic apparatus.

5. The optical operating unit as claimed in claim 3, wherein the optical operating unit further comprises a converging element disposed in the housing and disposed between the transparent element and the image sensor for converging the light beam.