Optical navigation device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9354717-B2
Application number	US-201213684864-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 26, 2012
Priority date	Feb 20, 2012
Publication date	May 31, 2016
Grant date	May 31, 2016

Abstract

There is provided an optical navigation device including at least one light source, an image sensor and a processing unit. The light source illuminates a work surface in a first brightness value and a second brightness value. The image sensor receives reflected light from the work surface and outputs a first image frame corresponding to the first brightness value and a second image frame corresponding to the second brightness value. The processing unit calculates a differential image of the first image frame and the second image frame and identifies an operating state according to the differential image.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An optical navigation device, configured to be operated on a work surface, the optical navigation device comprising:
a first light source and a second light source configured to illuminate the work surface in a first brightness value and a second brightness value;
an image sensor configured to receive reflected light from the work surface and output a first image frame corresponding to the first brightness value and a second image frame corresponding to the second brightness value; and
a processor electrically coupled to the first light source, the second light source and the image sensor, and configured to
control illuminating of the first light source and the second light source,
calculate a first average intensity difference associated with the illuminating of the first light source and a second average intensity difference associated with the illuminating of the second light source, and
identify an operating state according to comparison results of comparing the first average intensity difference with a first threshold and comparing the second average intensity difference with a second threshold,

wherein the first threshold is identical to or different from the second threshold.

2. The optical navigation device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first brightness value is larger than the second brightness value, and the second brightness value is zero brightness or non-zero brightness.

3. The optical navigation device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to normalize the first and second average intensity differences with an exposure parameter, and the exposure parameter is at least one of a drive intensity of the first and second light sources, an exposure time and an image gain.

4. The optical navigation device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first light source and the second light source are configured to emit light of different wavelengths, or one of the first light source and the second light source is a coherent light source and the other one is a non-coherent light source.

5. The optical navigation device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the optical navigation device enters a sleep mode when the processor identifies that the second average intensity difference is smaller than the second threshold.

6. The optical navigation device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to control the first light source to monotonically change the first brightness value and identify whether the first average intensity difference is changed corresponding to the first brightness value.

7. The optical navigation device as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the operating state is a lift state when the processor identifies that the first average intensity difference is not changed corresponding to the first brightness value.

8. The optical navigation device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to monotonically change an exposure parameter of the image sensor and identify whether the first average intensity difference is changed corresponding to the exposure parameter.

9. The optical navigation device as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the operating state is a lift state when the processor identifies that the first average intensity difference is not changed corresponding to the exposure parameter.

10. An optical navigation device, configured to be operated on a work surface, the optical navigation device comprising:
a light source configured to illuminate the work surface in a first brightness value and a second brightness value;
an image sensor configured to receive reflected light from the work surface and output a first image frame corresponding to the first brightness value and a second image frame corresponding to the second brightness value; and
a processor electrically coupled to the light source and the image sensor, and configured to
calculate an average intensity difference between the first image frame and the second image frame,
control the light source to monotonically change the first brightness value,
identify whether the average intensity difference is changed corresponding to the first brightness value, and
identify a lift state when the average intensity difference is not changed corresponding to the first brightness value.

11. An optical navigation device, configured to be operated on a work surface, the optical navigation device comprising:
a light source configured to illuminate the work surface in a first brightness value and a second brightness value;
an image sensor configured to receive reflected light from the work surface and output a first image frame corresponding to the first brightness value and a second image frame corresponding to the second brightness value; and
a processor electrically coupled to the light source and the image sensor, and configured to
calculate an average intensity difference between the first image frame and the second image frame,
monotonically change an exposure parameter of the image sensor,
identify whether the average intensity difference is changed corresponding to the exposure parameter, and
identify a lift state when the average intensity difference is not changed corresponding to the exposure parameter.

Assignees

• Pixart Imaging Inc

Inventors

• Huang Yu-Hao
• Gu Ren-Hau
• Chen Hsin-Chia
• Kao Ming-Tsan

Classifications

• H04N23/56 Primary

  provided with illuminating means · CPC title

• G06F1/3259 Primary

  Power saving in cursor control device, e.g. mouse, joystick, trackball · CPC title

• Y02B60/1253

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• G06F3/0317 Primary

  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 title

• Y02D10/00

  Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management · CPC title