Low-power surface for an optical sensor
US6774351B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | May 25, 2001 |
| Grant date | Aug 10, 2004 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 26, 2021 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH10F77/407
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A surface having specular regions shaped to reflect incident light toward an optical sensor provides an ideal surface to be scanned by an optical mouse. When light is shined upon the surface, the reflections off of the specular regions appear as white points in the image acquired by the optical sensor, which gives the optical sensor the distinguishing characteristics it needs to differentiate between images. Since the specular regions reflect light so well, less light is needed to obtain an image, and power is conserved. The surface appears as a dark background in the image, providing contrast to the light reflecting off the specular regions. To protect the specular regions, an optically transparent coating can be layered on top of the surface. An alternative surface that may be easier to manufacture is a light colored surface dotted with darker colored regions.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.