Optical mini-mouse

• US 9,652,052 B2
• Filed: 12/14/2015
• Issued: 05/16/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PixArt Imaging Incorporated
• Original Assignee: PixArt Imaging Incorporated
• Inventors: Chang, Yen-Min
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheng, Joe H
• Application Number:
  US14/967,735
• Publication Number:
  US 20160098100A1
• Time in Patent Office: 519 Days
• 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

Abstract

There is provided an optical mini-mouse including a mouse case and a navigation module. The mouse case includes a valley and a flat region arranged along a length direction and the valley extends along a width direction. When the mouse case is rotated about the valley, the navigation module is configured to detect a rotation.

Claims

1. An optical mini-mouse, for being operated on a work surface, the optical mini-mouse comprising:

a mouse case comprising an operating region and an accommodation space arranged along a length direction;

a navigation module disposed inside the accommodation space and comprising a plurality of image sensors respectively configured to detect a rotation direction of the optical mini-mouse with respect to the work surface and identify a rotation mode according to the rotation directions detected by different image sensors; and

a finger detection module configured to detect at least one of a click event and a slide event in the operating region.

2. The optical mini-mouse as claimed in claim 1, wherein a thickness of the accommodation space is between 0.7 cm and 1.3 cm, a width of the operating region is between 4 cm and 6 cm, and a thickness of the operating region is smaller than the thickness of the accommodation space.

3. The optical mini-mouse as claimed in claim 1, wherein

when a first rotation direction detected by a first image sensor among the plurality of image sensors is opposite to a second rotation direction detected by a second image sensor among the plurality of image sensors, the rotation mode is an in-place rotation mode, and

when the first rotation direction detected by the first image sensor is identical to the second rotation direction detected by the second image sensor, the rotation mode is a circular rotation mode.

4. The optical mini-mouse as claimed in claim 3, wherein when a first angular speed detected by the first image sensor is a multiple of a second angular speed detected by the second image sensor and when the first rotation direction detected by the first image sensor is identical to the second rotation direction detected by the second image sensor, the rotation mode is the circular rotation mode.

5. The optical mini-mouse as claimed in claim 3, wherein the navigation module is configured to output an in-place rotation signal to a host corresponding to the in-place rotation mode, and output a circular rotation signal to the host corresponding to the circular rotation mode.

6. The optical mini-mouse as claimed in claim 5, wherein the navigation module is further configured to calculate and output a movement to the host according to image frames captured by one of the first image sensor and the second image sensor.

7. The optical mini-mouse as claimed in claim 5, wherein the navigation module is further configured to calculate an average movement according to image frames captured by the first image sensor and the second image sensor, and output the average movement to the host.

8. The optical mini-mouse as claimed in claim 5, wherein the navigation module is further configured to calculate and output a movement to the host according to image frames captured by a third image sensor among the plurality of image sensors.

9. The optical mini-mouse as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of image sensors is a attachable-detachable image sensor package.

10. An optical mini-mouse, for being operated on a work surface, the optical mini-mouse comprising:

a mouse case having a width and a length, and a first thickness and a second thickness along a length direction of the length;

a navigation module disposed inside an inner space of a region of the second thickness of the mouse case and comprising a plurality of image sensors respectively configured to detect a rotation direction of the optical mini-mouse with respect to the work surface and identify a rotation mode according to the rotation directions detected by different image sensors; and

a finger detection module formed in a region of the first thickness of the mouse case and configured to detect at least one of a click event and a slide event.

11. The optical mini-mouse as claimed in claim 10, wherein the width is between 4 cm and 6 cm, the length is between 3 cm and 5 cm, the first thickness is between 0.3 cm and 0.5 cm, and the second thickness is between 0.7 cm and 1.3 cm.

12. The optical mini-mouse as claimed in claim 10, wherein the width is larger than the length and the second thickness is larger than the first thickness.

13. The optical mini-mouse as claimed in claim 10, wherein

when a first rotation direction detected by a first image sensor among the plurality of image sensors is opposite to a second rotation direction detected by a second image sensor among the plurality of image sensors, the rotation mode is an in-place rotation mode, and

when the first rotation direction detected by the first image sensor is identical to the second rotation direction detected by the second image sensor, the rotation mode is a circular rotation mode.

14. The optical mini-mouse as claimed in claim 13, wherein when a first angular speed detected by the first image sensor is a multiple of a second angular speed detected by the second image sensor and when the first rotation direction detected by the first image sensor is identical to the second rotation direction detected by the second image sensor, the rotation mode is the circular rotation mode.

15. The optical mini-mouse as claimed in claim 13, wherein the navigation module is configured to output an in-place rotation signal to a host corresponding to the in-place rotation mode, and output a circular rotation signal to the host corresponding to the circular rotation mode.

16. The optical mini-mouse as claimed in claim 15, wherein the navigation module is further configured to calculate and output a movement to the host according to image frames captured by one of the first image sensor and the second image sensor.

17. The optical mini-mouse as claimed in claim 15, wherein the navigation module is further configured to calculate and output a movement to the host according to image frames captured by a third image sensor among the plurality of image sensors.

18. An optical mini-mouse comprising:

a mouse case comprising a valley and a flat region adjacently arranged along a length direction, wherein the valley extends along a width direction;

a navigation module comprising a plurality of image sensors respectively configured to detect a rotation direction of the optical mini-mouse with respect to the work surface and identify whether the mouse case is rotated about the valley according to the rotation directions detected by different image sensors; and

a finger detection module configured to detect at least one of a click event and a slide event of the valley.

19. The optical mini-mouse as claimed in claim 18, wherein a width of the optical mini-mouse is larger than a length thereof.

20. The optical mini-mouse as claimed in claim 18, wherein

when a first rotation direction detected by a first image sensor among the plurality of image sensors is opposite to a second rotation direction detected by a second image sensor among the plurality of image sensors, the navigation module is configured to identify that the mouse case is rotated about the valley.