Optical navigation with specular reflection blocking
View Patent ↗A system for optical navigation includes a light source and an imaging system. The light source illuminates a navigation surface. The navigation surface reflects light from the light source. The imaging system is located approximately within a path of the reflected light. The imaging system includes a lens, a mask, and an image sensor. The lens receives reflected light from the navigation surface. The lens focuses a specular portion of the reflected light to a focus region. The mask is located at approximately the focus region. The mask filters out substantially all of the specular portion of the reflected light and passes at least some of a scatter portion of the reflected light outside of the focus region. The image sensor generates a navigation signal based on the scattered portion of the light that passes outside the focus region and is incident on the image sensor.
1. A system for optical navigation, the system comprising:
a light source to illuminate a navigation surface, wherein the navigation surface reflects light from the light source; and
an imaging system located approximately within a path of the reflected light, the imaging system comprising:
a lens to receive the reflected light from the navigation surface, wherein the lens is configured to focus a specular portion of the reflected light to a focus region;
a mask at approximately the focus region, the mask configured to filter out substantially all of the specular portion of the reflected light and pass at least some of a scattered portion of the reflected light outside of the focus region, wherein the mask is located within 1 mm of the focus region, and wherein the focus region is located on a plane at which the cross section of the specular portion of the reflected light is minimal; and
an image sensor to generate a navigation signal based on the scattered portion of the reflected light that passes outside the focus region and is incident on the image sensor.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the mask comprises a non-transparent optical stop disposed at approximately the focus region.
3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the non-transparent optical stop is mechanically supported by one or more structural spokes.
4. The system of claim 2 , wherein the non-transparent stop is disposed at a transparent substrate.
5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the mask is oriented orthogonal to a main direction of travel of the reflected light incident at the mask.
6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the mask is parallel to the navigation surface.
7. An apparatus for filtering light for optical navigation, the apparatus comprising:
a lens configured to focus a specular portion of the light to a focus region;
a mask at approximately the focus region, wherein the mask is configured to filter out substantially all of the specular portion of the light and pass at least some of a scattered portion of the light outside of the focus region, wherein the mask is located within 1 mm of the focus region, and wherein the focus region is located on a plane at which the cross section of the specular portion of the reflected light is minimal; and
an image sensor to generate a navigation signal based on the scattered portion of the light that passes outside of the focus region and is incident on the image sensor.
8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the mask comprises a non-transparent optical stop disposed at approximately the focus region, the non-transparent optical stop configured to stop specular light.
9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the non-transparent optical stop is mechanically supported by one or more structural spokes.
10. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the non-transparent optical stop is disposed at a transparent substrate.
11. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the mask is oriented orthogonal to a main direction of travel of the light incident at the mask.
12. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the mask is parallel to a navigation surface.
13. A method for optical navigation, the method comprising:
generating light at a light source;
directing the light to a navigation surface;
focusing a specular reflected portion of the light at a focus region;
filtering out the specular reflected portion of the light at approximately the focus region and passing a scattered portion of the light to an image sensor, wherein the scattered portion of the light is outside of the focus region, wherein the focus region is located on a plane at which the cross section of the specular portion of the reflected light is minimal and the filtering occurs within 1 mm of the focus region;
detecting the scattered portion of the light at the image sensor; and
generating a navigation signal based on the scattered portion of the light.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein filtering out the light comprises stopping substantially all of the specular reflected portion of the light at an optical stop disposed at approximately the focus region.
15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the optical stop is mechanically supported by one or more structural spokes.
16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the optical stop is absorptive.
17. The method of claim 14 , wherein the optical stop is reflective.
18. The method of claim 13 , wherein:
filtering out the specular reflected portion of the light comprises passing the specular reflected portion of the light through a hole in a mirror; and
passing the scattered portion of the light comprises reflecting the scattered portion of the light off of the mirror toward the image sensor.