Hewlett-packard Company

Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Hewlett-packard Development Company, L.p.

Brian L Hastings

David Douglas Bohn

Thomas Charles Oliver

Richard L Kochis

Dan L Dalton

David Michael Lane

David Rohn

Randall T Crane

Marshall Thomas DePue

Krishna Darbha

Kevin W Nay

Jim Marshall

Stephen Edward Hodges

Shahram Izadi

Andrew William Fitzgibbon

Derek L Knee

Steven L Webb

Andrew Clark Goris

Robert Gregory Gann

Nicholas Yen-Cherng Chen

Michael J Steinle

Greg A Degi

Edward S Beeman

Stephen C Klein

Justin E Forrester

Marshall T Depue

Robert W Moss

Stephan C Klein

Architecture for managing clutch height in an optical navigational device such as a computer mouse. In one embodiment for a mouse, a feature can be molded into the bottom case that limits the clutch height by occluding the reflected light to the image sensor when the device is lifted from the tracking surface. Tracking is disabled when the clutch height threshold is exceeded, and re-enabled when the device is brought under the distance clutch height threshold. The device includes firmware controlled algorithm adjustments to one or more correlation parameters. User interfaces may also be employed to implement various aspects of the embodiments discussed herein.

Adjustment of an optical tracking device

In embodiments, an encoded micro pattern includes segments of encoded bits that can be optically-imaged by a digitizer. The position of each segment in the encoded micro pattern can be determined from the encoded bits in a segment. Each of the segments of the encoded micro pattern also includes a fiducial marker that indicates an orientation of a segment in the encoded pattern. The encoded bits of the encoded micro pattern can be integrated into a display surface of a display device, or integrated in a display screen that is positioned over the display surface of a display device.

Encoded micro pattern

Speckle sensing for motion tracking is described, for example, to track a user's finger or head in an environment to control a graphical user interface, to track a hand-held device, to track digits of a hand for gesture-based control, and to track 3D motion of other objects or parts of objects in a real-world environment. In various examples a stream of images of a speckle pattern from at least one coherent light source illuminating the object, or which is generated by a light source at the object to be tracked, is used to compute an estimate of 3D position of the object. In various examples the estimate is transformed using information about position and/or orientation of the object from another source. In various examples the other source is a time of flight system, a structured light system, a stereo system, a sensor at the object, or other sources.

Speckle sensing for motion tracking

Architecture for managing clutch height in an optical navigational device such as a computer mouse. In one embodiment for a mouse, a feature can be molded into the bottom case that limits the clutch height by occluding the reflected light to the image sensor when the device is lifted from the tracking surface. Tracking is disabled when the clutch height threshold is exceeded, and re-enabled when the device is brought under the distance clutch height threshold. The device includes firmware controlled algorithm adjustments to one or more correlation parameters. When employing a D-shaped aperture, a threshold can be placed on the z-axis height tracking distance using dimensional characteristics of the shaped aperture, such as a knife-edge (the straight portion of the 'D' shaped aperture), to impose a shadow across the image sensor. The aperture can be custom designed to occlude a portion of the emitted light from an LED.

Clutch-height adjustment in an optical tracking device

A system and method is provided for selecting a light source in a pointing device such as a mouse. The selection of the light source may be based on attributes of a received image, which are in turn based on reflected light received at the pointing device from the tracking surface. Because the attributes of the receive image are related to characteristics of the tracking surface over which the pointing device is moved, an illumination source appropriate for a particular surface type can be chosen.

Multi-mode optical navigation

Methods of sampling a surface having a micro-texture upon which an optical navigation circuit tracks movement. An embodiment of the method comprises determining a rate for taking samples of the surface, determining an exposure level of the surface, illuminating the surface at the determined rate for taking samples, and illuminating the surface for each of the samples with pulses of light at the determined exposure level.

Methods of sampling a surface having a micro-texture

Cross correlation between a reference image frame and a comparison image frame determine the direction of motion relative to x and y orthogonal axes for a pointing device that uses optical imaging to monitor movement relative to a surface. Pixel data for a portion of the surface are loaded into a buffer memory that shifts the data between successive positions in the buffer memory as each pixel of a comparison frame is processed to compute cross correlation. Auto correlation is determined for positions in the reference frame and used with the cross correlation results to determine a sub-pixel interpolation for the movement of the pointing device. A new reference frame is loaded using data for the comparison frame currently being processed if the pointing device is moved sufficiently so that the next comparison frame will not overlap the existing reference frame.

Tracking pointing device motion using a single buffer for cross and auto correlation determination

An optical navigation system saves power by pulsing its surface illumination light source to provide light only when needed. The level of light may be controlled by a servo-mechanism that monitors degree of correlation data and average illumination, and that changes the controlled level at times when it is both required and safe to do so. As for creating different levels of illumination, that maybe accomplished by: (1) pulsing the light on and then opening the electronic shutter for some period of time during the pulse (gating the light); (2) opening the shutter and then varying the pulse width of the light (gating the LED); (3) opening the shutter and then pulsing the LED at different intensities; and (4) a combination of(2) and (3). In addition, the velocity of the navigation circuit over the surface (or vise versa) can be determined, and in cases where it is safe to assume that limited acceleration is possible, at low velocities it is desirable to reduce the rate of data acquisition, and thereby pulse the light source less often and conserve power.

Predictive and pulsed illumination of a surface in a micro-texture navigation technique

Moire patterns are significantly suppressed in a scanner that continuously varies its number of lines per inch. The number of dots per inch in the direction different from the relative motion between the scanner and the document is generally a fixed property of the optical sensor, but in the LPI direction the distance between consecutive lines can be made to randomly vary between a maximum distance and a minimum distance. This spatially distributes the moire effect, and prevents its accumulation into the usual recognizable two dimensional pattern.

Moire interference pattern reduction for scanning of half-toned images

A scanning device includes a mode for generating a reproduced image on a standard page size from a large-sized original image. In this mode, the sampling rate of the scanning device in a motion direction is reduced. In addition, the captured image data in the sensor direction is downsampled by some factor. Position data that is generated as the image data is captured is also modified in accordance with the downsampling factor. A reproduced image is then generated from the modified image and position data and printed at a standard resolution.

Method and system for capturing large format documents using a portable hand-held scanner

Independent of any of several ways used to control exposure for the optical sensor in an optical navigation device, changes in average level of illumination are taken as indicative of changes in exposure. An acceptable exposure level for an optical navigation system is maintained by first establishing an initial operating level of exposure and subsequently adjusting it in proportion to changes in average illumination so long as image contrast remains acceptable. Associated with the initial operating level of exposure is an average level of illumination, which is then noted, and about which is presumed to exist a range of satisfactory operating levels for exposure. The system proceeds to navigate from the current reference frame using this level of exposure. When a new reference frame is established the average level of illumination and the image contrast are checked. If the illumination is within the range of presumed satisfactory operating levels for exposure and the image contrast is within acceptable limits, then no change is made to the parameter that adjusts exposure and navigation proceeds from the new reference frame. If average level of illumination is outside the presumed satisfactory range, but the image contrast is still acceptable, a proportional correction is made to the parameter controlling exposure, and navigation proceeds. In all other cases the contrast is unacceptable, and the remedies are to variously re-enter the process that establishes an initial operating level for exposure.

Exposure servo for optical navigation over micro-textured surfaces

The invention relates in general to providing greater accuracy in scanning and digital reproduction of images. More specifically, the invention acts to improve the precision of optical data by substantially eliminating sensor drift or &ldquo;dark current&rdquo; and acts to improve the accuracy in identification of the position at which various optical samples are taken by determining and correcting for the lag time inherent in initiating and executing a sampling operation.

System and method for improved scanning accuracy through noise reduction and pulse timing

A method for dynamically determining and adjusting the color balance of the light strip along one edge of the scanned area and adjusting the gains of independently controlled red, green and blue channels of a CCD array. Alternatively, the gain of one color channel may be held constant and measured to determine the light intensity of the light source as the temperature of the light source varies. The power to the light is then changed to maintain the intensity of the light source within a predetermined range. The three color channels are then compared to a predetermined color balance. If the color balance is outside of a predetermined range, the other two color channels gains are varied in order to maintain the color balance between the three color channels.

Method and apparatus for dynamic white point adjustment

Disclosed is a system that accepts data, either from a facsimile scanner or from a computer file, and allows the data to be printed before being sent to a remote facsimile device. The system reads the data, converts the data to a bit mapped raster image if necessary, and prints the data locally before it is sent to the remote facsimile receiving device. The local print resolution for printing the data is selectable, and the system will convert the data into a form suitable for printing that resolution on the local printer. If the local printer can print at a higher resolution, the data is scaled to allow the printing to appear at the desired facsimile resolution to allow the user to evaluate the quality of the data prior to the data being sent.

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Fort Collins, CO, United States of America

Brian L Hastings