System and method for selectively setting optical navigation resolution

1. A method for selectively setting an optical navigation resolution, said method comprising:

reading a first displacement value in a first direction and a second displacement value in a second direction, said first and second displacement values being used for estimating motion;

deriving a comparison displacement value based on at least one of said first and second displacement values;

comparing said comparison displacement value to a threshold value;

and

setting said optical navigation resolution to an effective resolution selected from a plurality of effective resolutions as a result of said comparing of said comparison displacement value to said threshold value.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said comparing includes comparing an absolute value of said first displacement value to said threshold value.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said setting includes setting only a first direction resolution of said optical navigation resolution to said effective resolution in accordance with the result of said comparing of said comparison displacement value to said threshold value, said first direction resolution being a resolution in said first direction.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

comparing an absolute value of said second displacement value to said threshold value; and

setting only a second direction resolution of said optical navigation resolution to a second effective resolution selected from said plurality of effective resolutions, said second direction resolution being a resolution in said second direction.

5. The method of claim 2 further comprising comparing an absolute value of said second displacement value to said threshold value.

6. The method of claim 2 further comprising comparing said absolute value of said first displacement value to a second threshold value.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said comparing includes comparing a sum of an absolute value of said first displacement value and an absolute value of said second displacement value to said threshold value.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising comparing said sum of said absolute value of said first displacement value and said absolute value of said second displacement value to a second threshold value.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said setting includes proportionally changing at least one of said first and second displacement values according to said effective resolution.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said proportionally changing at least one of said first and second displacement values includes multiplying at least one of said first and second displacement values by a ratio of the current resolution of said first and second displacement values and said effective resolution.

11. A system comprising:

an image sensor configured to capture frames of image data;

a navigation engine operably connected to said image sensor to receive said frames of image data, said navigation engine being configured to generate a first displacement value in a first direction and a second displacement value in a second direction using said frames of image data; and

a resolution-setting module operably connected to said navigation engine to receive said first and second displacement values, said resolution-setting module being configured to derive a comparison displacement value based on at least one of said first and second displacement values and to set an optical navigation resolution to an effective resolution selected from a plurality of effective resolutions as a result of a comparison of said comparison displacement value to a threshold value.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein said resolution-setting module is configured to compare an absolute value of said first displacement value to said threshold value.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein said resolution-setting module is configured to set only a first direction resolution of said optical navigation resolution to said effective resolution in accordance with the result of said comparison of said comparison displacement value to said threshold value, said first direction resolution being a resolution in said first direction.

14. The system of claim 12 wherein said resolution-setting module is further configured to compare an absolute value of said second displacement value to said threshold value and to set only a second direction resolution of said optical navigation resolution to a second effective resolution selected from said plurality of effective resolutions, said second direction resolution being a resolution in said second direction.

15. The system of claim 12 wherein said resolution-setting module is configured to compare an absolute value of said second displacement value to said threshold value.

16. The system of claim 12 wherein said resolution-setting module is configured to compare said absolute value of said first displacement value to a second threshold value.

17. The system of claim 12 wherein said resolution-setting module is configured to proportionally change at least one of said first and second displacement values according to said effective resolution.

18. The system of claim 12 wherein said resolution-setting module is configured to multiply at least one of said first and second displacement values by a ratio of the current resolution of said first and second displacement values and said effective resolution.

19. The system of claim 11 wherein said resolution-setting module is configured to compare a sum of an absolute value of said first displacement value and an absolute value of said second displacement value to said threshold value.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein said resolution-setting module is configured to compare said sum of said absolute value of said first displacement value and said absolute value of said second displacement value to a second threshold value.