User input device with optical tracking engine that operates through transparent substrate

• US 8,451,226 B2
• Filed: 12/13/2007
• Issued: 05/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Bohn, David D, Larsen, Glen C
• Primary Examiner(s): Moon, Seokyun
• Application Number:
  US11/955,412
• Publication Number:
  US 20090153485A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,993 Days
• Field of Search: 345163-166
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03543 Mice or pucks G06F3/03541 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• 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 user input device for use with a computing device is provided. The user input device may include a housing with a bottom portion including a substrate that includes a transparent portion. The user input device may further include an optical tracking engine mounted in the housing proximate the substrate and being configured to transmit and/or detect light for tracking movement of the user input device through the transparent portion of the substrate.

Claims

1. A user input device for use with a computing device, the user input device comprising:

a housing with a bottom portion including a substrate that includes a transparent portion; and

an optical tracking engine mounted in the housing proximate the substrate and being configured to transmit and detect light for tracking movement of the user input device through the transparent portion of the substrate;

wherein the transparent portion of the substrate through which light is transmitted and detected by the optical tracking engine is positioned in a concave depression formed in the bottom portion of the user input device, the concave depression sized to position the transparent portion of the substrate outside of a depth of field of the optical tracking engine such that the transparent portion is closer to a focusing lens of the optical tracking engine than an innermost reach of the depth of field of the optical tracking engine; and

wherein the substrate is configured as a touch sensitive input device, and includes a touch sensitive layer formed of capacitive or resistive sensing material.

2. The user input device of claim 1, wherein the optical tracking engine includes a light source configured to transmit light through the transparent portion of the substrate.

3. The user input device of claim 2, wherein the optical tracking engine includes an optical sensor configured to detect light passing into the housing through the transparent portion of the substrate.

4. The user input device of claim 2, wherein the transparent portion of the substrate is transparent to the light emitted from the light source.

5. The user input device of claim 4, wherein the light source is configured to emit visible light and the transparent portion is transparent to visible light.

6. The user input device of claim 4, wherein the light source is configured to emit non-visible light and the transparent portion is transparent to non-visible light, but opaque to visible light.

7. The user input device of claim 6, wherein the substrate and transparent portion are formed to extend across the entire bottom portion of the housing, such that the entire bottom portion of the housing is transparent to non-visible light emitted by the optical tracking engine, but opaque to visible light.

8. The user input device of claim 1, wherein the substrate further includes a display.

9. The user input device of claim 8, wherein the display includes a diffuser, the diffuser not overlapping with the transparent portion of the substrate.

10. The user input device of claim 1, wherein the substrate is curved in one dimension or two dimensions.

11. The user input device of claim 1, further comprising a controller configured to switch between an on-desktop mode of operation and an off-desktop mode of operation in which a touch sensitive layer for sensing touch inputs is turned on.

12. The user input device of claim 11, further comprising a user-actuatable switch configured to cause the controller to transition between the on-desktop mode and off-desktop mode.

13. The user input device of claim 11, further comprising an orientation sensor switch configured to detect whether the optical tracking engine is facing upwards or downwards, and in response cause the controller to transition between the on-desktop mode and off-desktop mode.

14. The user input device of claim 1, wherein the substrate is divided into a plurality of regions, an input function being assigned to each region.

15. The user input device of claim 1, wherein the housing is formed in the shape of a mouse, remote control, or game controller.

16. The user input device of claim 1, wherein the substrate and the optical tracking engine vertically overlap each other when the optical engine faces in an upward or downward orientation.

17. A user input device for use with a computing device, the user input device comprising:

a housing with a bottom portion including a substrate that includes a transparent portion positioned in a concave depression formed in the bottom portion of the user input device, the concave depression sized to position the transparent portion of the substrate outside of a depth of field of an optical tracking engine such that the transparent portion is closer to a focusing lens of the optical tracking engine than an innermost reach of the depth of field of the optical tracking engine, and the substrate being configured as a touch sensitive input device and including a touch sensitive layer formed of capacitive or resistive sensing material; and

wherein the optical tracking engine is mounted in the housing proximate the substrate and is configured to transmit and detect light for tracking movement of the user input device through the transparent portion of the substrate;

wherein the optical tracking engine includes a light source configured to transmit light through the transparent portion of the substrate, and an optical sensor configured to detect light passing into the housing through the transparent portion of the substrate; and

wherein the transparent portion of the substrate is transparent to the light emitted from the light source.

18. A user input device for use with a computing device, the user input device comprising:

a housing with a bottom portion including a substrate that includes a transparent portion, the substrate including a touch sensitive layer and a display, wherein the transparent portion does not overlap with the display and is positioned in a concave depression formed in the bottom portion of the user input device, the concave depression sized to position the transparent portion of the substrate outside of a depth of field of an optical tracking engine such that the transparent portion is closer to a focusing lens of the optical tracking engine than an innermost reach of the depth of field of the optical tracking engine;

wherein the optical tracking engine is mounted in the housing proximate the substrate and is configured to transmit and detect light for tracking movement of the user input device through the transparent portion of the substrate;

wherein the optical tracking engine includes a light source configured to transmit light through the transparent portion of the substrate, and an optical sensor configured to detect light passing into the housing through the transparent portion of the substrate;

wherein the transparent portion of the substrate is transparent to the light emitted from the light source; and

wherein the touch sensitive layer is formed of capacitive or resistive sensing material.