OPTICAL POINTING APPARATUS AND PORTABLE ELECTRONIC APPARATUS WITH THE SAME

• US 20110018800A1
• Filed: 03/03/2009
• Published: 01/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Crucialtec Co., Ltd
• Original Assignee: Crucialtec Co., Ltd
• Inventors: Ahn, Keon Joon, Park, Sang Il, Kim, Jae Dong
• Application Number:
  US12/933,707
• Publication Number:
  US 20110018800A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/157
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/169 the I/O peripheral being an integrated pointing device, e.g. trackball in the palm rest area, mini-joystick integrated between keyboard keys, touch pads or touch stripes G06F1/1643 takes precedence; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/042 by opto-electronic means

Abstract

An optical pointing device and a portable electronic device having the same, in which external noise light and/or noise light due to diffused reflection or the like is prevented from being introduced into an optical sensor enhancing precision of operation and providing a housing with improved structure. The device includes an infrared source; a cover having a cover plate transmitting infrared rays from the IR source for reaching a subject out of the cover plate and a cover frame that supports the cover plate; an optical unit in the cover and on which the infrared ray reflected from the subject is incident; and an optical sensor sensing the infrared ray incident thereon from the optical unit; the cover plate has a base coupled to the cover frame, and an IR band-pass filter layer provided on one side of the base.

Claims

1. An optical pointing device comprising:

an infrared (IR) source emitting an infrared ray;

a cover having a cover plate transmitting the infrared ray so that the infrared ray emitted from the IR source reach an subject out of the cover plate and a cover frame coupled with the cover plate for supporting the cover plate;

an optical unit which is provided in the cover and on which the infrared ray reflected from the subject is incident; and

an optical sensor sensing the infrared ray incident thereon from the optical unit;

wherein the cover plate comprises a base coupled to the cover frame, and an IR band-pass filter layer provided on one side of the base.

2. The optical pointing device according to claim 1, wherein the IR band-pass filter layer comprises an IR band-pass substance coated on an inner surface of the base.

3. The optical pointing device according to claim 1, wherein the cover frame comprises a plate seat part on which the cover plate is mounted.

4. The optical pointing device according to claim 3, wherein the plate seat part comprises an opening portion and a step portion formed on an edge of the opening portion, the couple plate being seated on the step portion.

5. The optical pointing device according to claim 1, wherein the cover plate is a mirror making an image of an external subject or color plate having a color.

6. The optical pointing device according to claim 1, further comprising at least one of a character, a symbol, a pattern and a logotype provided to the cover plate.

7. The optical pointing device according to claim 6, wherein the cover plate further comprises an outer plate member provided on an outer side of the base, wherein the at least one of the character, the symbol, the pattern and the logotype is formed at the outer plate member, and wherein the IR band-pass filter layer is provided between the outer plate member and the base.

8. The optical pointing device according to claim 1, wherein the cover plate is divided into an IR permeable zone and a light impermeable zone that prevents the light emitted from an external light source from being introduced into the cover plate.

9. The optical pointing device according to claim 1, wherein a handling surface is formed on an outer surface of the cover plate, the subject is contacted on the handling surface, and wherein the cover plate further comprises at least one groove or at least one projection formed on the handling surface.

10. The optical pointing device according to claim 9, wherein the handling surface is divided into an IR permeable zone and a light impermeable zone that prevents the light emitted from an external light source from being introduced into the cover plate, the at least one groove or the at least one projection being formed on the light impermeable zone.

11. An optical pointing device comprising:

an infrared (IR) source emitting an infrared ray;

a cover comprising a cover plate transmitting the infrared ray so that the infrared ray emitted from the IR source reach an subject out of the cover plate, wherein the cover plate is a mirror making an image of an external subject or color plate having a color;

an optical unit which is provided in the cover and on which the infrared ray reflected from the subject is incident; and

an optical sensor sensing the infrared ray incident thereon from the optical unit;

wherein the cover plate comprises a base and an IR band-pass filter layer provided on one side of the base.

12. The optical pointing device according to claim 11, further comprising at least one of a character, a symbol, a pattern and a logotype provided to the cover plate.

13. The optical pointing device according to claim 12, wherein the cover plate further comprises an outer plate member provided on an outer side of the base, wherein the at least one of the character, the symbol, the pattern and the logotype is formed at the outer plate member, and wherein the IR band-pass filter layer is provided between the outer plate member and the base.

14. The optical pointing device according to claim 11, wherein the cover plate is divided into an IR permeable zone and a light impermeable zone that prevents the light emitted from an external light source from being introduced into the cover plate.

15. The optical pointing device according to claim 11, wherein a handling surface is formed on an outer surface of the cover plate, the subject is contacted on the handling surface, and the cover plate further comprises at least one groove or at least one projection formed on the handling surface.

16. The optical pointing device according to claim 15, wherein the handling surface is divided into an IR permeable zone and a light impermeable zone that prevents the light emitted from an external light source from being introduced into the cover plate, the at least one groove or the at least one projection being formed on the light impermeable zone.

17. An optical pointing device comprising:

an infrared (IR) source emitting infrared ray;

a cover comprising a cover plate transmitting the infrared ray so that the infrared ray emitted from the IR source reach an subject out of the cover plate;

an optical unit which is provided in the cover and on which the infrared ray reflected from the subject is incident; and

an optical sensor sensing the infrared ray incident thereon from the optical unit;

wherein the cover plate comprises a base, an IR band-pass filter layer provided on one side of the base, and at least one groove or at least one projection formed on a handling surface of the cover plate on which the subject is contacted.

18. The optical pointing device according to claim 17, wherein the handling surface is divided into an IR permeable zone and a light impermeable zone that prevents the light emitted from an external light source from being introduced into the cover plate, the at least one groove or the at least one projection being formed on the light impermeable zone.

19. The optical pointing device according to claim 17, further comprising at least one of a character, a symbol, a pattern and a logotype provided to the cover plate.

20. The optical pointing device according to claim 19, wherein the cover plate further comprises an outer plate member provided on an outer side of the base, wherein the at least one of the character, the symbol, the pattern and the logotype is formed at the outer plate member, and wherein the IR band-pass filter layer is provided between the outer plate member and the base.