Optical trackball device and electronic apparatus

• US 7,098,895 B2
• Filed: 06/19/2003
• Issued: 08/29/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Ono, Takatoshi, Inoue, Takefumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Shalwala, Bipin
• Assistant Examiner(s): DHARIA, PRABODH M
• Application Number:
  US10/464,746
• Publication Number:
  US 20040036677A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,167 Days
• Field of Search: 345/207, 345156-173, 345/112, 345/145, 345/175, 345/857, 356/28, 395/161, 178/18.09, 369/13, 359/267
• US Class Current: 345/167
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3664 Details of the user input interface, e.g. buttons, knobs or sliders, including those provided on a touch screen; remote controllers; input using gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0312 for tracking the rotation of a spherical or circular member, e.g. optical rotary encoders used in mice or trackballs using a tracking ball or in mouse scroll wheels tracking relative movement in co-operation with a regularly or irregularly patterned surface, e.g. as in optical mice G06F3/0317; constructional details of scroll or thumb-wheels G06F3/0362; optical rotary encoders G01D5/3473
• 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 3/03549 Trackballs G06F3/03541 takes precedence

Abstract

An optical trackball device of the present invention includes a ball as an operating member, using a material that partially transmits light, and this ball is rotatably supported by a support member. Light emitted from a light emitter disposed beneath the ball is reflected on this ball. A detector detects the reflected light to identify rotation of the ball. Since the light from the light emitter is partially transmitted through the ball, the ball can be illuminated without providing an additional component. Accordingly, a location of the ball is easily recognizable even in a dark place.

Claims

1. A trackball device comprising:

a housing;

a support member provided in said housing, said support member including a printed circuit board having first and second opposite surfaces;

an operating member comprising a ball, said ball being rotatably supported by said support member;

a light emitter arranged to selectively emit light to said ball at a high light level and emit light to said ball at a low light level lower than said high light level, said ball being configured so that said ball is illuminated by partial transmission by said ball of the light emitted by said light emitter, said ball further being configured so as to partially reflect the light emitted by said light emitter;

a detector arranged to detect light reflected by said ball and to generate signals based on a state of the light reflected by said ball;

a vibration generator arranged to generate vibration of said ball;

a controller for monitoring signals from said detector at a predetermined interval and for controlling said light emitter and said vibration generator;

wherein said controller is operable to cause said light emitter to emit light at said high light level when a signal and a next subsequent signal from said detector are different thereby signifying an operational state of said ball;

wherein said controller is operable to cause said light emitter to emit light at said low light level when a signal and a next subsequent signal from said detector remain the same for a predetermined period of time;

wherein said controller is operable to cause said vibration generator to generate vibration of said ball based on the signals from said detector signifying a predetermined operating state of said ball; and

wherein first resilient members are disposed between said housing and said first surface of said printed circuit board, and second resilient members are disposed between said housing and said second surface of said printed circuit board, such that said support member and said ball are oscillatably supported in said housing such that a clicking tactile feedback is generated via the vibration of said ball generated by said vibration generator.

2. The trackball device as defined in claim 1,

said vibration generator is supported by said support member.

3. The trackball device as defined in claim 2, wherein said ball is supported on said circuit board.

4. The trackball device as defined in claim 1, wherein said ball is made of one of glass and resin.

5. The trackball device as defined in claim 1, wherein an entire surface of said ball has a surface roughness of between 3 μ

m and 20 μ

m.

6. The trackball device as defined in claim 1, wherein said detector is a two-dimensional device which can detect within a predetermined area.

7. An electronic apparatus comprising a trackball device, and a display for displaying an operational state of said trackball device, wherein said trackball device comprises:

a housing;

a support member provided in said housing, said support member including a printed circuit board having first and second opposite surfaces;

an operating member comprising a ball, said ball being rotatably supported by said support member;

a light emitter arranged to selectively emit light to said ball at a high light level and emit light to said ball at a low light level lower than said high light level, said ball being configured so that said ball is illuminated by partial transmission by said ball of the light emitted by said light emitter, said ball further being configured so as to partially reflect the light emitted by said light emitter;

a detector arranged to detect light reflected by said ball and to generate signals based on a state of the light reflected by said ball;

a vibration generator arranged to generate vibration of said ball;

a controller for monitoring signals from said detector at a predetermined interval and for controlling said light emitter and said vibration generator;

wherein said controller is operable to cause said light emitter to emit light at said high light level when a signal and a next subsequent signal from said detector are different thereby signifying an operational state of said ball;

wherein said controller is operable to cause said light emitter to emit light at said low light level when a signal and a next subsequent signal from said detector remain the same for a predetermined period of time;

wherein said controller is operable to cause said vibration generator to generate vibration of said ball based on the signals from said detector signifying a predetermined operating state of said ball; and

wherein first resilient members are disposed between said housing and said first surface of said printed circuit board, and second resilient members are disposed between said housing and said second surface of said printed circuit board, such that said support member and said ball are oscillatably supported in said housing such that a clicking tactile feedback is generated via the vibration of said ball generated by said vibration generator.

8. The electronic apparatus as defined in claim 7, wherein

said controller of said trackball device is also operable to control functions of said electronic apparatus other than functions of said light emitter and said vibration generator.

9. The electronic apparatus as defined in claim 7,

said vibration generator is supported by said support member.

10. The electronic apparatus as defined in claim 9, wherein said ball is supported on said circuit board.

11. The electronic apparatus as defined in claim 7, wherein said ball is made of one of glass and resin.

12. The electronic apparatus as defined in claim 7, wherein an entire surface of said ball has a surface roughness of between 3 μ

m and 20 μ

m.

13. The electronic apparatus as defined in claim 7, wherein said detector is a two-dimensional device which can detect within a predetermined area.