Optical navigation sensor with integrated lens
US6967321B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 1, 2002 |
| Grant date | Nov 22, 2005 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 1, 2022 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F3/0317
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
An optical navigation sensor apparatus for an optical mouse includes an optical navigation sensor having an electronic chip, an aperture plate and an imaging lens integrated into a single package. The imaging lens includes a lens housing surrounding the aperture and providing a barrier to the entry of foreign matter into the aperture. In one form, the optical navigation sensor also includes a light emitting diode (LED) for illuminating a small area of a surface under the sensor and generating a reflected image that is detected by the electronic chip. In a sensor having an integral LED, an integral collimating lens is included for receiving light from the LED and focusing the light from the LED on the surface to be illuminated. The collimating lens is incorporated into a lens housing surrounding the LED and protecting the LED from exposure to foreign material.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.