Emcore Corporation

Neinyi Li

Douglas Collins

An optical mouse for controlling a cursor on a display. The mouse emits a light beam that interacts with a target surface and receives reflected light therefrom to detect movement of the mouse. The mouse includes a housing, a single-mode VCSEL disposed within the housing for emitting the light beam through a surface of the housing, the emitted light interacting with the target surface, a photodetector disposed within the housing that receives the light reflected from the target surface and that provides an electrical output and a processor that receives the electrical output and calculates a value that is indicative of the amount and direction of movement of the optical mouse relative to the target surface.

Optical mouse using VCSELs

A surface emitting laser having a substrate with top and bottom surfaces, a first stack of mirror layers of alternating indices of refraction located upon the top surface of the substrate and an active layer disposed over the first stack. The surface emitting layer also includes a second stack of mirror layers of alternating indices of refraction disposed over the active layer and a reduced-diameter mirror extension portion of the second stack that forms an optical aperture of the surface emitting laser extending outwards from a center portion of the second stack on a side of the second stack opposite the active layer.

Growing community of inventors

Albuquerque, NM, United States of America

Neinyi Li