Hybrid pointing device

• US 8,648,836 B2
• Filed: 01/30/2013
• Issued: 02/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PixArt Imaging Incorporated
• Original Assignee: PixArt Imaging Incorporated
• Inventors: Hsu, En-Feng, Chang, Yen-Min, Kao, Mig-Tsan
• Primary Examiner(s): Bolotin, Dmitriy
• Application Number:
  US13/754,135
• Publication Number:
  US 20130141332A1
• Time in Patent Office: 377 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-184, 176/18.09, 178/18.09, 178 1801- 1811
• US Class Current: 345/175
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04108 Touchless 2D- digitiser, i.e. digitiser detecting the X/Y position of the input means, finger or stylus, also when it does not touch, but is proximate to the digitiser's interaction surface without distance measurement in the Z direction
• 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 3/03543 Mice or pucks G06F3/03541 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0425 using a single imaging device like a video camera for tracking the absolute position of a single or a plurality of objects with respect to an imaged reference surface, e.g. video camera imaging a display or a projection screen, a table or a wall surface, on which a computer generated image is displayed or projected tracking a projected light spot to determine a position on a display surface G06F3/0386
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0428 by sensing at the edges of the touch surface the interruption of optical paths, e.g. an illumination plane, parallel to the touch surface which may be virtual sensing beam interruptions in a planar beam grid of an optical touch-screen G06F3/0421

Abstract

The present invention discloses a hybrid pointing device including an optical navigation module and a pointing module. The optical navigation module is configured to replace the conventional buttons of a convention pointing device, such as an optical mouse or a trackball mouse. The optical navigation module is configured to sense gestures of at least one object operated by a user to activate commands associated with particular programs running on the host. Since the optical navigation module is only configured to sense gestures of the object but not the movement of the hybrid pointing device relative to a surface, the resolution thereof is aimed to be sufficiently high enough for sensing gestures and no need to be relatively high.

Claims

1. A hybrid pointing device for being operated by a user to work on a surface and result in a relative movement between the hybrid pointing device and the surface, the hybrid pointing device comprising:

a first module configured to sense the relative movement of the hybrid pointing device relative to the surface;

a second module, comprising;

a light source configured to emit light; and

an image sensor configured to capture an image containing at least one light spot of at least one object operated by the user from reflecting the light emitted by the light source;

an operation field for the object to be operated thereon; and

a processor configured to identify a relative distance between the object and the light source according to a variation of the light spot in the image and to generate a distance signal,

wherein the processor generates the distance signal indicating that the object touches the operation field or the object is above the operation field within a certain range and the processor does not generate the distance signal when the relative distance is identified to be between a surface of the operation field and the certain range.

2. The hybrid pointing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the certain range is from 2.5 cm to 10 cm.

3. The hybrid pointing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first module is an optical navigation module or a mechanical navigation module.

4. The hybrid pointing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to generate a movement signal in response to the relative movement.

5. The hybrid pointing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the variation of the light spot is an intensity variation.

6. The hybrid pointing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein an area of the light spot is determined according to pixels of the image sensor having brightness exceeding a predetermined threshold value.

7. The hybrid pointing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the processor identifies that the relative distance is within an ignored range when an intensity of the light spot is within a predetermined intensity range.

8. The hybrid pointing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the processor identifies that the relative distance is within an ignored range when an area of the light spot is within a predetermined area range.

9. The hybrid pointing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to ignore the light spot having an area larger than an upper threshold.

10. A hybrid pointing device for being operated by a user to work on a surface and result in a relative movement between the hybrid pointing device and the surface, the hybrid pointing device comprising:

a first module configured to sense the relative movement of the hybrid pointing device relative to the surface;

a second module, comprising;

a light source configured to emit light; and

an image sensor configured to capture an image containing at least one light spot of at least one object operated by the user from reflecting the light emitted by the light source;

an operation field for the object to be operated thereon; and

a processor configured to identify a relative distance between the object and the operation field to be a touch, an ignored range or an operate range according to a variation of the light spot in the image,

wherein the ignored range is closer to the operation field than the operate range.

11. The hybrid pointing device as claimed in claim 10, wherein the operate range is from 2.5 cm to 10 cm.

12. The hybrid pointing device as claimed in claim 10, wherein the processor only generates a distance signal when the relative distance is identified to be the touch or the operate range.

13. The hybrid pointing device as claimed in claim 10, wherein the first module is an optical navigation module or a mechanical navigation module.

14. The hybrid pointing device as claimed in claim 10, wherein the processor is configured to generate a movement signal in response to the relative movement.

15. The hybrid pointing device as claimed in claim 10, wherein the variation of the light spot is an intensity variation.

16. The hybrid pointing device as claimed in claim 10, wherein an area of the light spot is determined according to pixels of the image sensor having brightness exceeding a predetermined threshold value.

17. The hybrid pointing device as claimed in claim 10, wherein the processor identifies that the relative distance is the ignored range when an intensity of the light spot is within a predetermined intensity range.

18. The hybrid pointing device as claimed in claim 10, wherein the processor identifies that the relative distance is the ignored range when an area of the light spot is within a predetermined area range.

19. The hybrid pointing device as claimed in claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to ignore the light spot having an area larger than an upper threshold.