# US 2022/0035459 A1 · Optical processing apparatus and operating method of watch

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- Number: US 2022/0035459 A1
- Document ID: US20220035459A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 17/502,237
- Filed: 2021-10-15
- Published: 2022-02-03
- Earliest claimed: 2013-02-04
- Assignees: Pixart Imaging Inc.
- Applicants: PixArt Imaging Inc.
- Inventors: CHUNG-TING YANG; CHING-LIN CHUNG
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20220035459A1

## CPC

- G06F 3/0312: {for tracking the rotation of a spherical or circular member, e.g. optical rotary encoders used in mice or trackballs using a tracking ball or in mouse scroll wheels (tracking relative movement in co-operation with a regularly or irregularly patterned surface, e.g. as in optical mice G06F3/0317; constructional details of scroll or thumb-wheels G06F3/0362; optical rotary encoders G01D5/3473)}
- G04G 21/00: Input or output devices integrated in time-pieces
- G04G 21/025: {for measuring physiological data}
- G06F 1/163: {Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt}
- G06F 1/1671: {Special purpose buttons or auxiliary keyboards, e.g. retractable mini keypads, keypads or buttons that remain accessible at closed laptop (G06F1/1666 takes precedence)}
- G06F 1/169: {the I/O peripheral being an integrated pointing device, e.g. trackball in the palm rest area, mini-joystick integrated between keyboard keys, touch pads or touch stripes (G06F1/1643 takes precedence; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033)}
- G06F 3/0304: {Detection arrangements using opto-electronic means (constructional details of pointing devices not related to the detection arrangement using opto-electronic means G06F3/033; optical digitisers G06F3/042)}
- G06F 3/0362: with detection of one-dimensional [1D] translations or rotations of an operating part of the device, e.g. scroll wheels, sliders, knobs, rollers or belts
- G06T 7/0002: {Inspection of images, e.g. flaw detection}
- H04N 23/56: provided with illuminating means
- H04N 23/71: Circuitry for evaluating the brightness variation
- H04N 23/73: by influencing the exposure time
- H04N 23/74: by influencing the scene brightness using illuminating means
- H04N 23/743: Bracketing, i.e. taking a series of images with varying exposure conditions
- H04N 23/76: by influencing the image signals
- G06T 2207/10144: Varying exposure
- G06T 2207/30168: Image quality inspection
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- G04G: ELECTRONIC TIME-PIECES
- G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL
- H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION

## Abstract

An optical processing apparatus and a light source luminance adjustment method adapted to detect a rotational displacement and a pressing state are provided. The optical processing apparatus includes a light source unit, a processing unit, and an image sensing unit, wherein the processing unit is electrically connected to the light source unit and the image sensing unit. The light source unit provides a beam of light. The processing unit defines a frame rate, defines a plurality of time instants within a time interval, and sets the light source unit to a luminance value at each of the time instants. A length of the time interval is shorter than the reciprocal of the frame rate. The luminance values are different and are within a range. The image sensing unit captures an image by an exposure time length at each of the time instants, wherein the exposure time lengths are the same.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An optical processing apparatus, comprising:
a light source configured to provide a beam of light to go through a through hole of a rotary shaft to a surface of a rotary part of a button to generate a reflected light beam reflected from the surface of the rotary part of the button;
an image sensor, configured to capture the reflected light beam to output a first image of the surface of the rotary part of the button by an exposure time length within each frame capturing period; and
a processor, configured to
calculate an image quality index of the first image,
compare the image quality index of the first image with at least one press threshold to identify a pressing state of the button within the each frame capturing period,
calculate a rotational displacement of the button using first image frames of the each frame capturing period, and
when identifying that the pressing state of the button is between press and non-press by comparing the image quality index with the at least one press threshold, take the rotational displacement calculated between the press and the non-press as undesired movement.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The optical processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the image quality index is one of a feature value and image intensity of the first image.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The optical processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the button is a watch crown.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The optical processing apparatus of claim 3, wherein the button further comprises another rotary shaft rotatable with respect to the rotary shaft, and the another rotary shaft has another through hole at a same radius as the through hole on the rotary shaft.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

The optical processing apparatus of claim 3, wherein the rotary shaft comprises another through hole at a different side from the through hole on the rotary shaft.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The optical processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the light source provides the beam of light at a same luminance value corresponding to the first image frames of the each frame capturing period.

### Claim 7

An operating method of a watch, the watch comprising a light source, an image sensor and a processor, and the operating method comprising:
providing, by the light source, a beam of light to go through a through hole of a rotary shaft to a surface of a rotary part of a button to generate a reflected light beam reflected from the surface of the rotary part of the button;
capturing, by the image sensor, the reflected light beam to output a first image of the surface of the button within each frame capturing period;
calculating, by the processor, an image quality index of the first image;
comparing, by the processor, the image quality index of the first image with at least one press threshold to identify a pressing state of the button within the each frame capturing period;
calculating a rotational displacement of the button using first images of the each frame capturing period; and
stop outputting the calculated rotational displacement when the pressing state of the button is identified between press and non-press by comparing the image quality index with the at least one press threshold.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The operating method of claim 7, wherein the image quality index is one of a feature value and image intensity of the first image.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The operating method of claim 7, wherein the button is a watch crown.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The operating method of claim 9, wherein the button further comprises another rotary shaft rotatable with respect to the rotary shaft, and the another rotary shaft has another through hole at a same radius as the through hole on the rotary shaft.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The operating method of claim 9, wherein the rotary shaft comprises another through hole at a different side from the through hole on the rotary shaft.

### Claim 12 (depends on 7)

The operating method of claim 7, wherein the light source provides the beam of light at a same luminance value corresponding to the first image frames of the each frame capturing period.

### Claim 13 (depends on 7)

The operating method of claim 7, further comprising:
comparing, by the processor, brightness of the first image frame with a brightness threshold to distinguish whether the beam of light going through the through hole or not.

### Claim 14 (depends on 7)

The operating method of claim 7, further comprising:
rotating, by the processor, the button to cause the through hole to rotate to a predetermined position after receiving a correct time signal.