Method and apparatus for mouse positioning device based on infrared light sources and detectors
US6333735A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | May 24, 1999 |
| Grant date | Dec 25, 2001 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 24, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F3/03547
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
Pointer positioning device based on infrared light sources and detectors that is compact, rugged and ergonomically easy to use such as can be used in laptop computers and similar devices. The pointer positioning device fits in the same area as a conventional touch-pad device in a portable computing device. It detects movement in a movement area by scanning for shadow information with infrared (IR) light sources. To increase the resolution of scanning and to avoid non-uniform beam widths, the scanning of the touchpad area may be carried out by using low power IR laser beams produced by a single IR laser source each for x and y directions and a plurality of optical fibers to transmit the laser beams in the x and y directions. Optionally, this divergency is minimized by positioning IR light sources and light detectors in an alternating pattern around the periphery of a movement area. A mouse device with an opaque plunger depressed with a finger is used as an object to create a well defined shadow in the x and y directions of a movement area.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.