Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system – Display peripheral interface input device – Cursor mark position control device
Reexamination Certificate
2001-09-06
2004-08-24
Liang, Regina (Department: 2674)
Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system
Display peripheral interface input device
Cursor mark position control device
C345S166000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06781572
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical pointing device for moving a cursor on the display screen of an information processing apparatus such as a personal computer or a workstation computer, an optical pointing device control method and a computer program product or recording medium recording the same. The present invention particularly relates to an optical pointing device realizing a thin, lightweight device and having improved reliability, a control method therefor and a recording medium recording the same.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is conventionally well known that an optical track ball provided integrally with a notebook personal computer main body is an excellent pointing device. The optical track ball is a device mechanically transmitting a rotating ball following the rotation movement of the ball in an arbitrary direction and rotating an encoder ring. The optical track ball then detects an optical variation including the on and off of light following the rotation as an optical pulse, converts coordinate information according to a movement direction and a movement quantity into an electric signal and moves a cursor on a computer screen.
A conventional optical track ball will be described hereinafter with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 13
is an exploded perspective view showing the schematic constitution of the conventional optical track ball.
FIG. 14
is a view seen from an arrow A in FIG.
13
.
FIG. 15
is a detailed view of an encoder ring shown in FIG.
13
.
Referring to
FIGS. 13
to
15
, the optical track ball
10
consists of an upper housing cover
13
integrally comprising a right click button cover
11
and a left click button cover
12
, a lower housing cover
26
and a control circuit board
17
provided within the lower housing cover
26
. On the control circuit board
17
, a Y axis shaft encoder
28
consisting of a roller
20
, an encoder ring
22
and a shaft
21
, a support
25
supporting the Y axis shaft encoder
28
, an X axis shaft encoder
14
consisting of a roller
35
, an encoder ring
31
and a shaft
32
, a support
34
supporting the X axis shaft encoder
14
, a light emitting device
24
and a photo-detector
23
for an X axis direction between which the encoder ring
22
is provided, a light emitting device
33
and a photo-detector
30
for a Y axis direction between which the encoder ring
31
is provided, a right click button
15
and a left click button
16
are mounted.
A space
18
having an upper portion protruding to rotate and move a ball
19
is provided in the upper housing cover
13
. The lower housing cover
26
and the upper housing cover
13
are assembled into a main body computer (not shown) by screws
27
.
Next, the operation of the optical track ball
10
constituted as stated above will be described with reference to the drawings.
Referring to
FIGS. 14 and 15
, the X axis direction roller
35
and the Y axis direction roller
20
, the phases of which rollers are different from each other by 90°, contact with the ball
19
. In the movement of the ball in the X axis direction, the roller
35
in contact with the ball
19
is driven to follow the rotation movement of the ball
19
, so as to rotate the shaft
32
connected to the roller
35
and supported by the support
34
.
The encoder ring
31
arranged between the light emitting device
33
and the photo-detector
30
and having slits
52
is connected to the shaft
32
. The encoder ring
31
rotates, thereby detecting changes in the on and off of light arriving at the photo-detector
30
from the light emitting device
33
as an optical pulse string, converts coordinate information according to a movement direction and a movement quantity into an electric signal, and moves the cursor on the computer screen.
In the movement of the ball
19
in the Y axis direction, as in the case of the above-stated X axis direction, the roller
20
in contact with the ball
19
is driven by the rotation of the ball
19
followed by the movement thereof, so as to rotate the shaft
21
connected to the roller
20
and supported by the support
25
.
The encoder ring
22
provided between the light emitting device
24
and the photo-detector
23
and having slits
52
uniformly arranged thereon is connected to the shaft
21
. The encoder ring
22
rotates, thereby detecting changes in the on and off of light arriving at the photo-detector
23
from the light emitting device
24
as an optical pulse string, converts coordinate information according to a movement direction and a movement quantity into an electric signal, and moves the cursor on the computer screen.
Referring to
FIG. 15
, each of the encoder rings
22
and
31
is circular, a plurality of slits
52
are uniformly and radially arranged about the shaft
21
or
32
and radiated light from the light emitting device
24
or
33
arrives at the photo-detector
23
or
30
through these slits
52
. The distance, area and shape of the slits
52
are closely related to the resolution of the cursor, i.e., the movement distance of the cursor per unit length when the cursor moves.
As stated above, the rotation movement of the ball
19
is required to accurately synchronize with the movement of the cursor. Due to this, the conventional optical track ball
10
requires a structural component preventing a slip loss that only the ball
19
rotates and the rollers
20
and
35
cannot be driven, by constantly bringing the ball
19
into contact with the rollers
20
and
35
with equal forces. A press roller
45
shown in
FIG. 14
is a spring structural component consisting of a pressure spring
44
and a rotational roller
43
. The press roller
45
is suited to properly maintain the positional relationship between the ball
19
and the rollers
20
,
35
. However, while the ball
19
freely moves in a ball gauge (not shown) longitudinally, laterally and vertically, the press roller
45
is fixed and cannot completely follow up the movement of the ball
19
. For that reason, the press roller
45
has disadvantages in that it cannot completely prevent the slip loss of the ball
19
and deteriorates reliability.
Further, the conventional optical track ball
10
requires many complicated structural components in a mechanically movable section, disadvantageously increasing component cost, assembly cost and component and assembly management cost.
Moreover, the ball
19
serving as the mechanically movable section of the structural components, the encoder rings
22
and
31
rotating in response to the movement of the ball
19
, the supports
25
and
34
and the press roller
45
consisting of the pressure spring
44
and the rotational roller
43
are tallest components among the structural components and unsuited for providing the device of shorter stature. Thus, the conventional optical ball is disadvantageously unsuited to be used y integrally with an apparatus, typically a notebook computer, having a limited stature and a limited space.
As stated above, a mechanical slip loss inevitably occurs between the ball serving as the mechanically movable section among the structural components and each shaft encoder rotating in response to the movement of the ball when the rotation of the ball is transmitted from the ball to the roller of each shaft encoder. Due to this, the conventional optical track ball disadvantageously deteriorates reliability.
In addition, the conventional optical track ball requires many complicated structural components, disadvantageously increasing component cost, assembly cost and component and assembly management cost.
Moreover, the ball serving as the mechanically movable section among the structural components, the shaft encoder, the supports and the press roller consisting of the pressure spring and the rotating roller are tallest components among the structural components and unsuited for providing the device of shorter stature. Thus, the conventional optical ball is disadvantageously unsuited to be used integrally with an apparatus,
Dickstein Shapiro Morin & Oshinsky LLP.
Liang Regina
NEC Corporation
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