# US 2014/0191971 A1 · Optical mouse apparatus based on image variation and related method thereof > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0191971 A1 - Document ID: US20140191971A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/890,261 - Filed: 2013-05-09 - Published: 2014-07-10 - Earliest claimed: 2013-01-04 - Assignees: Pixart Imaging Inc. - Applicants: Pixart Imaging Inc. - Inventors: Chun-Wei Chen; Yen-Chang Wang - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140191971A1 ## CPC - G06F 3/0317: {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} - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract An optical mouse apparatus includes a light source unit, a sensing unit, and a processing unit. The light source unit is arranged for generating and emitting an optical signal, wherein the optical signal is emitted upon a surface, and then reflected to form an optical reflected signal. The sensing unit is arranged for generating a sensed image output according to the optical reflected signal, wherein the sensed image output is utilized for estimating an image displacement of the optical mouse apparatus. The processing unit is coupled to the light source unit and the sensing unit, and arranged for controlling the light source unit to emit the optical signal and determining a operation status of the optical mouse apparatus according to an image variation of at least a partial region of each of consecutive images of the sensed image output. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An optical mouse apparatus, comprising: a light source unit, arranged for generating and emitting an optical signal, wherein the optical signal is emitted upon a surface and then reflected to form an optical reflected signal; a sensing unit, arranged for generating a sensed image output according to the optical reflected signal, wherein the sensed image output is utilized for estimating an image displacement of the optical mouse apparatus; and a processing unit, coupled to the light source unit and the sensing unit, the processing unit arranged for controlling the light source unit to emit the optical signal and determining a operation status of the optical mouse apparatus according to an image variation of at least a partial region of each of a plurality of consecutive images of the sensed image output. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The optical mouse apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing unit determines whether the optical mouse apparatus is lifted up from the surface or is placed on the surface according to the image variation. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The optical mouse apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing unit refers to the image variation to determine whether to output the estimated image displacement. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The optical mouse apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing unit generates the image variation by analyzing image brightness of at least a same partial region of each of at least three consecutive images of the sensed image output. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The optical mouse apparatus of claim 4, wherein when the image variation indicates that the image brightness of the same partial region decreases over time, the processing unit determines that the operation status of the optical mouse apparatus changes from being placed on the surface to being lifted up from the surface, and inhibits an output of the estimated image displacement. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The optical mouse apparatus of claim 4, wherein when the image variation indicates that the image brightness of the same partial region increases over time, the processing unit determines that the operation status of the optical mouse apparatus changes from being lifted up from the surface to being placed on the surface, and outputs the estimated image displacement. ### Claim 7 (depends on 4) The optical mouse apparatus of claim 4, wherein the image processing unit determines the image variation through calculating a moving average of the image brightness of the same partial range, compares the moving average with a brightness threshold to determine the operation status of the optical mouse apparatus, and determines whether to output the estimated image displacement according to the operation status of the optical mouse apparatus. ### Claim 8 (depends on 4) The optical mouse apparatus of claim 4, wherein the image processing unit determines the image variation through calculating a short-term moving average and a long-term moving average of the image brightness of the same partial range, compares the short-term moving average with the long-term moving average to determine the operation status of the optical mouse apparatus, and determines whether to output the estimated image displacement according to the operation status of the optical mouse apparatus. ### Claim 9 (depends on 4) The optical mouse apparatus of claim 4, wherein the image processing unit generates a first image variation and a second image variation by respectively analyzing the image brightness of a first region and a second region of each of at least three consecutive images of the sensed image output; when either of the first image variation and the second image variation indicates that the image brightness decreases over time, the processing unit determines that the operation status of the optical mouse apparatus changes from being placed on the surface to being lifted up from the surface, and inhibits an output of the estimated image displacement. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The optical mouse apparatus of claim 1, wherein the image processing unit generates the image variation by analyzing a trend of an image exposure value corresponding to the image brightness of at least a same partial region of each of at least three consecutive images of the sensed image output. ### Claim 11 A method employed in an optical mouse apparatus, comprising: emitting an optical signal, wherein the optical signal is emitted upon a surface, and reflected to form an optical reflected signal; generating a sensed image output according to the optical reflected signal, wherein the sensed image output is utilized for generating an estimated image displacement; and determining a operation status of the optical mouse apparatus according to an image variation of at least a partial region of each of a plurality of consecutive images of the sensed image output. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the step of determining the operation status of the optical mouse apparatus comprises: determining whether the optical mouse apparatus is lifted up from the surface or is placed on the surface according to the image variation. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, further comprising: determining whether to output the estimated image displacement according to the image variation. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, further comprising: generating the image variation by analyzing image brightness of at least a same partial region of each of at least three consecutive images of the sensed image output. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the step of determining the operation status of the optical mouse apparatus comprises: when the image variation indicates that the image brightness of the same partial region decreases over time, determining that the operation status of the optical mouse apparatus changes from being placed on the surface to being lifted up from the surface, and inhibiting an output of the estimated image displacement. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the step of determining the operation status of the optical mouse apparatus comprises: when the image variation indicates that the image brightness of the same partial region increases over time, determining that the operation status of the optical mouse apparatus changes from being lifted up from the surface to being placed on the surface, and outputting the estimated image displacement. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the step of determining the operation status of the optical mouse apparatus comprises: determining the image variation through calculating a moving average of the image brightness of the same partial range; and comparing the moving average with a brightness threshold to determine the operation status of the optical mouse apparatus, and determines whether to output the estimated image displacement according to the operation status of the optical mouse apparatus. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the step of determining the operation status of the optical mouse apparatus comprises: determining the image variation through calculating a short-term moving average and a long-term moving average of the image brightness of the same partial range; and comparing the short-term moving average with the long-term moving average to determine the operation status of the optical mouse apparatus, and determining whether to output the estimated image displacement according to the operation status of the optical mouse apparatus. ### Claim 19 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the step of determining the operation status of the optical mouse apparatus comprises: generating a first image variation and a second image variation by respectively analyzing the image brightness of a first region and a second region of each of at least three consecutive images of the sensed images; and if either of the first image variation and the second image variation indicates that the image brightness decreases over time, determining that the operation status of the optical mouse apparatus changes from being placed on the surface to being lifted up from the surface, and inhibiting an output of the estimated image displacement. ### Claim 20 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, further comprising: generating the image variation by analyzing a trend of an image exposure value corresponding to the image brightness of at least a same partial region of each of at least three consecutive images of the sensed image output.