US 8,859,971 B2Granted

Light redirection in optical navigation

AssigneeBlackBerry Limited

InventorsArnett Ryan Weber, James Alexander Robinson, Robert James Lowles, Derek Raymond Solven, Kuo-Feng Tong, Yun Seok Choi

Life of this patent

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Abstract

An optical navigation device, such as an optical navigation joystick or mouse, includes an internal redirector which may be separate or formed from material of a touch surface of the optical device. The redirector is disposed at an angle with respect to a plane of the touch surface, operative to reflect light which would otherwise strike the touch surface at a low angle and be internally reflected. The light may be reflected in a direction away from a light sensor of the device, reducing sensed internally reflected light, or may be reflected into the touch surface at a higher angle, potentially increasing a quantity of good signal. The redirector may also include portions which block light directly emitted from a light emitter, or reflected off other surfaces of the navigation device.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A navigation device, comprising:

a light emitter disposed within an interior of the navigation device;
a light transmitting touch surface having an upper side and a lower side that is opposite the upper side and separated from the upper side,
a sensor disposed within the interior of the navigation device and operative to sense light emitted from the light emitter that has reflected into the interior of the navigation device from an object in contact with the upper side;
and
a redirector sized and positioned within the interior of the navigation device to
obstruct light emitted from the light emitter that is directed at the lower side at a lower angle of approximately 0-45 degrees with respect to the lower side, thereby decreasing an amount of light reflected from the lower side to the interior;
and
pass light emitted from the light emitter that is directed at the lower side at a higher angle of approximately 45-90 degrees with respect to the lower side, thereby allowing light to pass through unobstructed to the upper side.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 13/273,693Filed 14 Oct 2011
Published: US 2013/0092838 A118 Apr 2013
Granted: 14 Oct 2014
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification8 codes

G01J 1/0407
Optical or mechanical part supplementary adjustable parts: optical elements not provided otherwise, e.g. manifolds, windows, holograms, gratings
G01J 1/0214
Details: constructional arrangements for removing stray light
G01J 1/06
Optical or mechanical part supplementary adjustable parts: restricting the angle of incident light
G06F 3/03547
With detection of two-dimensional [2D] relative movements between the device, or an operating part thereof, and a plane or surface, e.g. 2D…