초록 ▼

An improved detector system for an optical mouse including an optical mouse housing for supporting a four-by-four array of detector elements, a light source, and a light directing mirror. The light source may be visual, ultraviolet or infrared. The optical detector elements of the array are labeled

An improved detector system for an optical mouse including an optical mouse housing for supporting a four-by-four array of detector elements, a light source, and a light directing mirror. The light source may be visual, ultraviolet or infrared. The optical detector elements of the array are labeled A through P starting with row 1, column 1 and going left to right. Each element is about one-quarter of a grid period square and capable of producing an electrical output signal corresponding to the amount of light it receives. The elements are grouped into pairs of elements which are located so as to image areas on the grid pattern a distance of an odd multiple of grid periods apart in a direction which is orthogonal to the direction of motion which they detect. Pairs A+C, E+G, I+K, and M+O detect vertical motion and pairs A+I, B+J, C+K, and D+L detect horizontal motion. Paired output signals measuring motion along the same axis are 90 degrees out of phase if adjacent to one another, and 180 degrees out-of-phase if an odd multiple of grid periods apart. Detector movement and position is determined by comparting output signals measuring motion in the same direction which are 180 degrees out-of-phase with one another. At points where the compared output signals cross, a grid line or space is detected. Each crossing point indicates a state change. By combining and comparing output signals from each of the eight pairs of elements, four square wave quadrature signals indicating motion in either the x or y-axis direction can be produced. The quadrature signal for a particular direction of movement that leads in time the other quadrature signal representing motion along the axis is indicative of the direction of movement of the optical mouse.

대표청구항 ▼

An improved optical position detector system comprising, means forming a surface having a grid pattern thereon with two sets of intersecting orthogonal grid lines, said grid lines having a predetermined width and a first reflectivity and defining spaces therebetween of a second contrasting reflectiv

An improved optical position detector system comprising, means forming a surface having a grid pattern thereon with two sets of intersecting orthogonal grid lines, said grid lines having a predetermined width and a first reflectivity and defining spaces therebetween of a second contrasting reflectivity; an optical mouse movable over said surface, and including means for illuminating a portion of said grid pattern on said surface, and an array of detector elements disposed for imaging areas of said illuminated portion, each of said elements being operative to generate an electrical signal proportional to the quantity of light received from said illuminated portion, said array including at least four pairs of elements for detecting motion of said mouse in a particular first direction relative to said surface, two of said pairs forming a first set of pairs and two of said pairs forming a second set of pairs, said elements of each said set being disposed within said array such that when any one element of a pair in a set images a space, the other element of the pair images a line, and movement of said mouse in said first direction over a distance of at least said line width causes a change in the voltage level of the electrical signal generated by one element in said first set which is approximately 180 degrees out-of-phase with the change in the voltage level of the electrical signal generated by another element in said first set, and a change in the voltage level of the electrical signal generated by one element in said second set which is approximately 180 degrees out-of-phase with the change in the voltage level of the electrical signal generated by another element in said second set, and such that the electrical signal generated by said one element in said first set either lags in time or leads in time the electrical signal generated by said one element in said second set; and system processor means operative to receive said electrical signal from each of said elements and to determine an amount and direction of movement of said mouse in said first direction.