Granted Patent B2

US 8,093,545 · App. 12/239,131 · Granted Jan 10, 2012

Abstract

Claims (35)

1. A user input device comprising:

an optical element comprising a finger interface surface;

a light source comprising a laser in optical communication with the finger interface surface to provide light to the finger interface surface;

a sensor array to detect an interference pattern of unfocused light reflected from the finger interface surface in response to contact between a finger and the finger interface surface;

a navigation engine coupled to the sensor array, the navigation engine configured to generate lateral movement information based on lateral movement of the finger relative to the sensor array; and

a light shield between the optical element and the sensor array, the light shield comprising an aperture linearly aligned with the sensor array, wherein the aperture has a dimension to diffract the light reflected from the finger interface surface and generate the interference pattern at the sensor array.

2. The user input device of claim 1 , wherein the light shield defines the aperture with a diameter approximately equal to or less than 0.1 mm.

3. The user input device of claim 1 , wherein the optical element and the light shield at least partially define a gap between the optical element and the light shield at approximately the aperture of the light shield.

4. The user input device of claim 1 , wherein the optical element and the light shield define a first gap between the optical element and the light shield, and the light shield and the sensor array define a second gap between the light shield and the sensor array, wherein the first and second gaps are substantially aligned with the aperture of the light shield.

5. The user input device of claim 1 , wherein a distance between the finger interface surface and the sensor array is less than about 2 mm.

6. The user input device of claim 1 , wherein the laser comprises a vertical cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL).

7. The user input device of claim 1 , wherein the optical element further comprises a light pipe integrated with the finger interface surface.

8. The user input device of claim 1 , wherein a path of the light reflected from the finger interface surface to the sensor array is lensless.

9. The user input device of claim 2 , wherein the light shield defines the aperture with a diameter approximately between 0.09 mm and 0.11 mm.

10. The user input device of claim 5 , wherein a distance between the finger interface surface and the sensor array is approximately between 0.9 mm and 1.1 mm.

11. The user input device of claim 7 , wherein the light pipe comprises a polished optical surface to facilitate total internal reflection of the light within the light pipe.

12. The user input device of claim 7 , wherein the light pipe defines a fitted geometry to facilitate mounting the optical element in alignment with the light shield.

13. The user input device of claim 11 , wherein the polished optical surface defines a planar geometry.

14. The user input device of claim 11 , wherein the polished optical surface defines a curved geometry.

15. A system comprising:

a handheld computing device; and

a user input device coupled to the handheld computing device to receive user input for the handheld computing device, the user input device comprising:

an optical element comprising a finger interface surface integrated with a light pipe, wherein the finger interface surface and the light pipe form a unified structure;

a light source comprising a laser in optical communication with the finger interface surface to provide light to the finger interface surface via the integrated light pipe;

a sensor array to detect an interference pattern of unfocused light reflected from the finger interface surface in response to contact between a finger and the finger interface surface, wherein a path of the light reflected from the finger interface surface to the sensor array is lensless; and

a light shield between the optical element and the sensor array, the light shield comprising an aperture linearly aligned with the sensor array and the finger interface surface, wherein the aperture has a dimension to diffract the light reflected from the finger interface surface and generate the interference pattern at the sensor array.

16. The user input device of claim 15 , wherein the optical element covers the sensor array and the aperture of the light shield to prevent ambient contamination of the user input device.

17. The user input device of claim 15 , wherein the light shield defines the aperture with a diameter approximately equal to or less than 0.1 mm, and wherein the aperture is linearly aligned with a center of illumination of the light at the finger interface surface.

18. The user input device of claim 15 , wherein the handheld computing device comprises a mobile telephone handset.

19. The method of claim 15 , further comprising forming a series of navigation images passing through the aperture in the light shield, wherein the light shield defines the aperture with a diameter approximately equal to or less than 0.1 mm.

20. A method for operating a user input device, the method comprising:

generating light at a laser light source;

directing the light through a light guide to illuminate a finger interface surface;

detecting an interference pattern of unfocused reflected light at the sensor array that passes through an aperture in a light shield, wherein the light is reflected from the finger interface surface to the sensor array along a lensless path in response to a finger at the finger interface surface, wherein the aperture has a dimension to diffract the light reflected from the finger interface surface and generate the interference pattern at the sensor array; and

generating a navigation signal based on the reflected light.

Assignments (8)