Optical navigation system using a single-package motion sensor

• US 8,669,940 B1
• Filed: 10/04/2011
• Issued: 03/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cypress Semiconductor Corporation (Infineon Technologies AG)
• Original Assignee: Cypress Semiconductor Corporation (Infineon Technologies AG)
• Inventors: Xu, Yansun, Sanders, Steven, Frame, John, Todoroff, Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): Sheng, Tom
• Application Number:
  US13/252,768
• Time in Patent Office: 889 Days
• Field of Search: 345/157, 345/158, 345/163, 345/166, 345/175, 463/37, 463/38, 178/18.09, 250/221
• US Class Current: 345/163
• 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 3/0383 Signal control means within the pointing device

Abstract

An optical navigation apparatus including a package incorporating a light source and a single die of silicon. The single die of silicon includes a photodiode array configured at the detection plane to receive the speckle pattern of the scattered light from the collection optics, circuitry configured to process signals from the photodiode array to determine changes in position of the apparatus relative to the tracking surface, analog circuitry configured to control and drive current through the light source, interface circuitry configured to communicate position data by outputting the position data via a data interface, a microcontroller comprising a processor core and memory for storing computer-readable code and data, and a system bus configured to communicate instructions and data between the microcontroller and said digital, analog, and interface circuitries. Other embodiments, aspects and features are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A user interface apparatus comprising:

a package that includes a single die including thereon;

optical navigation sensor circuitry configured to translate changes in a light pattern propagated from a tracking surface relative to which the user interface apparatus is moved into data representing motion of the user interface apparatus relative to the tracking surface; and

capacitive sensor circuitry configured to sense a user'"'"'s hand proximate to a surface of the user interface apparatus to process signals and output data relative thereto, the capacitive sensor circuitry configured to perform capacitive sensing without components external to the single die.

2. The user interface apparatus of claim 1, wherein the optical navigation sensor circuitry comprises a photodiode array to detect the light pattern propagated onto the photodiode array from the tracking surface, and a signal processor to translate changes in the light pattern propagated onto the photodiode array into data representing motion of the user interface apparatus relative to the tracking surface.

3. The user interface apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a light source to illuminate at least a portion of tracking surface, and wherein the optical navigation sensor circuitry further includes driver circuitry to drive the light source.

4. The user interface apparatus of claim 3, wherein the light source is included within the package.

5. The user interface apparatus of claim 1, wherein the capacitive sensor circuitry includes circuitry configured to sense proximity of the user'"'"'s hand to trigger a transition of the user interface apparatus from a low-power state to an active state.

6. The user interface apparatus of claim 1, wherein the user interface apparatus comprises a mouse including buttons, and wherein the capacitive sensor circuitry is configured to sense pressing of buttons on the mouse.

7. The user interface apparatus of claim 1, wherein the light pattern comprises a speckle pattern formed from light scattered from the tracking surface.

8. An optical navigation apparatus comprising:

a package that includes a single die including thereon;

optical navigation sensor circuitry configured to translate changes in a light pattern propagated from a tracking surface relative to which the optical navigation apparatus is moved into data representing motion of the optical navigation apparatus relative to the tracking surface;

capacitive sensor circuitry configured to sense a user'"'"'s hand proximate to a surface of the optical navigation apparatus to process signals and output data relative thereto, the capacitive sensor circuitry configured to perform capacitive sensing without components external to the single die; and

a microcontroller to process signals from the optical navigation sensor circuitry and capacitive sensor circuitry, the microcontroller including a processor core, memory for storing computer-readable code and data, and a number of inputs and outputs for the optical navigation apparatus.

9. The optical navigation apparatus of claim 8, wherein the optical navigation sensor circuitry comprises a photodiode array to detect the light pattern propagated onto the photodiode array from the tracking surface, and a signal processor to translate changes in the light pattern propagated onto the photodiode array into data representing motion of the optical navigation apparatus relative to the tracking surface.

10. The optical navigation apparatus of claim 8, further comprising a light source to illuminate at least a portion of tracking surface, and wherein the optical navigation sensor circuitry further includes driver circuitry to drive the light source.

11. The optical navigation apparatus of claim 8, wherein the capacitive sensor circuitry includes circuitry configured to sense proximity of the user'"'"'s hand to trigger a transition of the optical navigation apparatus from a low-power state to an active state.

12. The optical navigation apparatus of claim 8, wherein the optical navigation apparatus comprises a mouse including buttons, and wherein the capacitive sensor circuitry is configured to sense pressing of buttons on the mouse.

13. The optical navigation apparatus of claim 8, wherein the number of inputs and outputs are reconfigurable using computer-readable code stored in the memory of the microcontroller.

14. The optical navigation apparatus of claim 8, wherein the light pattern comprises a speckle pattern formed from light scattered from the tracking surface.

15. A method of manufacturing an apparatus comprising:

providing a light source to illuminate a tracking surface;

providing a single die including thereon optical navigation sensor circuitry comprising a photodiode array to detect a light pattern propagated onto the photodiode array from the tracking surface, and a signal processor to translate changes in the light pattern propagated onto the photodiode array into data representing motion of the apparatus relative to the tracking surface, capacitive sensor circuitry comprising circuitry to sense user'"'"'s hand proximate to a surface of the apparatus to process signals and output data relative thereto without components external to the single die, and a microcontroller to process signals from the optical navigation sensor circuitry and capacitive sensor circuitry, the microcontroller including a processor core, memory for storing computer-readable code and data, and a number of inputs and outputs for the apparatus; and

packaging the single die, wherein the packaging incorporates illumination optics configured to illuminate the tracking surface with the light from the light source.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein providing the single die including optical navigation sensor circuitry comprises providing optical navigation sensor circuitry configured to drive the light source.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein providing the single die including capacitive sensor circuitry comprises providing capacitive sensor circuitry configured to sense proximity of the user'"'"'s hand to trigger a transition of the apparatus from a low-power state to an active state.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the packaging incorporates illumination optics configured to illuminate the tracking surface with the light from the light source.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the light pattern comprises a speckle pattern formed from light scattered from the tracking surface.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising configuring the number of inputs and outputs using computer-readable code stored in the memory of the microcontroller.