Optical mouse that detects working surface using code included in illuminated light and control method thereof

• US 8,026,900 B2
• Filed: 09/12/2005
• Issued: 09/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ATLab, Inc.
• Original Assignee: ATLab, Inc.
• Inventors: Joung, Chul-Yong, Lee, Bang-Won, Jung, Duck-Young, Shin, Young-Ho
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Chanh
• Assistant Examiner(s): Park; Sanghyuk
• Application Number:
  US11/224,349
• Publication Number:
  US 20060055674A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,206 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/857, 345163-183, 382/312, 382/313
• US Class Current: 345/166
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03543 Mice or pucks G06F3/03541 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry

Abstract

An optical pointing device and a control method thereof are provided. The optical pointing device includes: an illumination unit for illuminating light on a working surface, and generating light in a predetermined code in response to a code signal; a control unit for detecting an image on the working surface to calculate a movement value, outputting movement information in response to an input signal inputted from the outside and the calculated movement value, intermittently outputting a code generation signal, and turning off the illumination unit when the optical pointing device is separated from the working surface in response to a determination signal; and a determination unit for outputting the code signal in response to the code generation signal, detecting light in the predetermined code to thus determine whether or not the optical pointing device is separated from the working surface, and outputting the determination signal depending on the determination result. Therefore, a glaring phenomenon generated when the optical pointing device is turned upside down can be prevented, and unnecessary power consumption can also be prevented.

Claims

1. An optical pointing device comprising:

an illumination unit for illuminating light on a working surface in response to an illumination signal during a calculation period, and generating light in a predetermined code in response to a code signal during a determination period, wherein the code signal repetitively turns on or off the illumination unit depending on a certain code value during the determination period;

a control unit for outputting the illumination signal to detect an image on the working surface, detecting the image on the working surface to calculate a movement value, and outputting movement information in response to an input signal inputted from the outside and the calculated movement value during the calculation period, intermittently outputting a code generation signal to determine whether or not the optical pointing device is separated from the working surface during the determination period, and turning off the illumination unit when the optical pointing device is separated from the working surface in response to a determination signal; and

a determination unit for outputting the code signal to determine whether or not the optical pointing device is separated from the working surface in response to the code generation signal, detecting the light, determining whether a code of the detected light matches the predetermined code to thus determine whether or not the optical pointing device is separated from the working surface, and outputting the determination signal depending on the determination result during the determination period,

wherein the determination period does not overlap with the calculation period, and the light generated during the determination period is different from the light illuminated during the calculation period.

2. The optical pointing device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit comprises:

an image information output unit for detecting an image on the working surface, and outputting image information on the detected image;

a movement value calculation unit for outputting the illumination signal and calculating the movement value from the image information during the calculation period, intermittently outputting the code generation signal during the determination period, and turning off the illumination unit when the optical pointing device is separated from the working surface in response to the determination signal; and

a communication unit for outputting the movement information in response to the calculated movement value and the input signal.

3. The optical pointing device according to claim 2,

wherein the control unit has an active state in which the movement value is calculated while the illumination unit remains on for most of the time of the calculation period, and the code generation signal is intermittently output, an inactive state in which a determination is made whether or not the optical pointing device moves by intermittently turning on the illumination unit while the illumination unit remains off for most of the time of the calculation period and the code generation signal is intermittently output, and a glaring prevention state in which the code generation signal is intermittently output while the illumination unit remains off during the calculation period;

and

wherein the optical pointing device converts the active or inactive state into the glaring prevention state when the determination is made that the optical pointing device is separated from the working surface.

4. The optical pointing device according to claim 3,

wherein the control unit further has an idle state in which the illumination unit remains off;

and

wherein the control unit further serves to convert into the idle state when the glaring prevention state continues for a predetermined time.

5. The optical pointing device according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit comprises:

a code generator for outputting the code signal to turn on or off the illumination unit in response to the code generation signal;

a detection sensor for receiving light generated from the illumination unit to output a detection signal; and

a code interpreter for interpreting the detection signal and determining a code of the detection signal matches the predetermined code to determine whether or not the optical pointing device is on the working surface, and outputting the determination signal depending on the determination result.

6. The optical pointing device according to claim 5, wherein the code generator outputs the code signal to turn on the illumination unit for a short time enough for a visually very weak signal to be detected.

7. The optical pointing device according to claim 5, wherein the code generator outputs the code signal to turn on the illumination unit for a visually very weak signal to be detected and the code signal is a pulse signal and a duty cycle of the pulse signal is larger than 50% or smaller than 50%.

8. A method of controlling an optical pointing device, comprising:

an illumination step that turns on or off an illumination unit to illuminate light on a work surface during a calculation period;

a calculation step that detects an image on the working surface to calculate a movement value, and outputs movement information during the calculation period, intermittently outputting a code generation signal to determine whether or not the optical pointing device is separated from the working surface during the determination step;

a code generation step that turns on or off the illumination unit to generate light in a predetermined code in response to a code signal during a determination period, wherein the code signal repetitively turns on or off the illumination unit depending on a certain code value during the determination period;

a determination step that outputs the code signal to determine whether or not the optical pointing device is separated from the working surface in response to the code generation signal, detects light output from the illumination unit to analyze a code included in the light and determines whether the code included in the light matches the predetermined code, to thus determine whether or not the optical pointing device is separated from the working surface and outputs a determination signal depending on the determination result during the determination period; and

a glaring prevention step that turns off the illumination unit when the optical pointing device is separated from the working surface in response to the determination signal,

wherein the determination period does not overlap with the calculation period, and the light generated during the determination period is different from the light illuminated during the calculation period.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the code generation step turns on the illumination unit for a short time enough for a visually very weak signal to be detected.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein the determination step comprises:

a detection step that receives light generated from the illumination unit to output a detection signal; and

an interpretation step that interprets the detection signal and determines a code of the detection signal matches the predetermined code to determine whether or not the optical pointing device is on the working surface, and outputs the determination signal depending on the determination result.

11. The method according to claim 8, wherein the glaring prevention step converts an active state in which the movement value is calculated while the illumination unit remains on for most of the time of the calculation period and the code generation signal is output during the determination period, or an inactive state in which a determination is made whether or not the optical pointing device moves by intermittently turning on the illumination unit while the illumination unit remains off for most of the time of the calculation period and the code generation signal is output during the determination period, into a glaring prevention state in which the code generation signal is output during the determination period while the illumination unit remains off during the calculation period, when the optical pointing device is separated from the working surface, wherein the code generation step turns on or off the illumination unit during the determination period, and wherein the determination step detects light and determines whether the code included in the light matches the predetermined code during the determination period.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the glaring prevention step further comprises converting into an idle state in which the illumination unit remains off until a button or a scroll device of the optical pointing device is controlled when the glaring prevention state continues for a predetermined time.