Optical sensing in displacement type input apparatus and methods
First Claim
1. An apparatus, comprising:
- an input system comprising a displaceable member movable in an operational zone and a tracking surface that moves in correlation with movement of the displaceable member;
an optical sensor having a field of view of at least a portion of the tracking surface during movement of the displaceable member in the operational zone and being operable to generate optical data in response to light received from the tracking surface; and
a processing system operable to produce motion measures indicative of movement of the tracking surface from the optical data;
wherein the tracking surface comprises one or more boundary patterns demarcating locations on the tracking surface that are visible in the field of view of the optical sensor when the displaceable member is positioned at corresponding boundaries of the operational zone, and the processing system is operable to detect the one or more boundary patterns;
wherein the processing system is operable to determine a current position of the displaceable member in the reference coordinate system based on the optical data; and
wherein, in response to a detection of one of the boundary patterns, the processing system compares the current position of the displaceable member with the location of the boundary corresponding to the detected boundary pattern.
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Accused Products
Abstract
In an input apparatus, an input system includes a displaceable member movable in an operational zone and a tracking surface that moves in correlation with movement of the displaceable member. An optical sensor has a field of view of at least a portion of the tracking surface during movement of the displaceable member in the operational zone and generates optical data in response to light received from the tracking surface. A processing system produces motion measures indicative of movement of the tracking surface from the optical data. In an input method, optical data is generated in response to light received from a field of view of at least a portion of a tracking surface that moves in correlation with movement of a displaceable member during movement of the displaceable member in an operational zone. Motion measures indicative of movement of the tracking surface are produced from the optical data.
18 Citations
17 Claims
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1. An apparatus, comprising:
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an input system comprising a displaceable member movable in an operational zone and a tracking surface that moves in correlation with movement of the displaceable member; an optical sensor having a field of view of at least a portion of the tracking surface during movement of the displaceable member in the operational zone and being operable to generate optical data in response to light received from the tracking surface; and a processing system operable to produce motion measures indicative of movement of the tracking surface from the optical data; wherein the tracking surface comprises one or more boundary patterns demarcating locations on the tracking surface that are visible in the field of view of the optical sensor when the displaceable member is positioned at corresponding boundaries of the operational zone, and the processing system is operable to detect the one or more boundary patterns; wherein the processing system is operable to determine a current position of the displaceable member in the reference coordinate system based on the optical data; and wherein, in response to a detection of one of the boundary patterns, the processing system compares the current position of the displaceable member with the location of the boundary corresponding to the detected boundary pattern. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method, comprising:
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generating optical data in response to light received from a field of view of at least a portion of a tracking surface that moves in correlation with movement of a displaceable member during movement of the displaceable member in an operational zone; and producing motion measures indicative of movement of the tracking surface from the optical data; wherein the tracking surface comprises one or more boundary patterns demarcating locations on the tracking surface that are visible in the field of view of the optical sensor when the displaceable member is positioned at corresponding boundaries of the operational zone; and wherein the producing comprises; detecting the one or more boundary patterns; determining a current position of the displaceable member in the reference coordinate system based on the optical data; in response to a detection of one of the boundary patterns, comparing the current position of the displaceable member with the location of the boundary corresponding to the detected boundary pattern; and modifying the motion measures produced from the optical data in response to a determination that the current position fails to coincide with the boundary corresponding to the detected boundary pattern. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15)
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16. An apparatus, comprising:
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an input system comprising a displaceable member movable in an operational zone and a tracking surface that moves in correlation with movement of the displaceable member; an optical sensor having a field of view of at least a portion of the tracking surface during movement of the displaceable member in the operational zone and being operable to generate optical data in response to light received from the tracking surface; and
a processing system operable to produce motion measures indicative of movement of the tracking surface from the optical data;wherein the input system comprises a continuous belt configured to rotate about first and second rollers having respective rotational axes parallel to a first coordinate axis, the displaceable member is attached to the belt, the tracking surface is a surface of the belt, and rotation of the first and second rollers about their respective rotational axes translates to movement of the displaceable member in a direction parallel to a second coordinate axis orthogonal to the first coordinate axis. - View Dependent Claims (17)
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Specification