Optical pointing device and electronic equipments
Light emitted from a light source such as LED and reflected by a fingertip is guided by a cover member onto a light receiving surface of an imaging element. A second resin part is provided that is in contact with the cover member and a resin molded part sealing the imaging element. The reflected light guided by the cover member is made to reach the light receiving surface via the second resin part and the resin molded part, traveling along a path spaced apart from an air layer.
1. An optical pointing device comprising:
a light source for irradiating an object;
a light guide member for guiding light emitted from the light source and reflected by the object, the light guide member having a top surface including a reflecting surface and a contact surface, the object being in contact with the contact surface, and a bottom surface including a reflecting surface and a part opposed to the light source;
an imaging element having a light receiving surface substantially parallel with the top surface of the light guide member for receiving the light guided by the light guide member;
a first resin part sealing the imaging element; and
a second resin part above the light receiving surface of the imaging element and substantially parallel both with the top surface of the light guide member and with the light receiving surface of the imaging element, the second resin part being in contact with a part of the bottom surface of the light guide member in which no reflecting surface is provided and the first resin part such that the light guided by the light guide member reaches the light receiving surface via the second resin part and then the first resin part.
2. An optical pointing device, comprising:
a light source for irradiating an object;
a light guide member for guiding light emitted from the light source and reflected by the object;
an imaging element having a light receiving surface for receiving the light guided by the light guide member;
a first resin part sealing the imaging element; and
a second resin part in contact with the light guide member and the first resin part such that the light guided by the light guide member reaches the light receiving surface via the second resin part and the first resin part, wherein
the first resin part has a recess on a side thereof facing the light guide member, and wherein the second resin part fills the recess.
3. The optical pointing device as claimed in claim 2 , wherein
the recess opens in a direction generally perpendicular to a direction of a normal line of the light receiving surface.
4. Electronic equipment comprising the optical pointing device as claimed in claim 1 and an enclosure.
5. The optical pointing device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein
the second resin part is made of a material having a refractive index close to refractive indices of materials of the light guide member and the first resin.
6. The optical pointing device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein
the part opposed to the light source of the light guide member is slanted with respect to a direction of emission of light from the light source.
7. The optical pointing device as claimed in claim 6 , wherein
the light source and the light guide member are configured and arranged such that at least a part of light emitted from the light source penetrates the slanted part of the light guide member while being refracted and thereafter irradiates the contact surface of the light guide member from a direction slanted obliquely with respect to the direction of emission of light from the light source.
8. The optical pointing device as claimed in claim 6 , wherein
at least part of the light reflected by the object undergoes total reflection on the slanted part of the light guide member, followed by reflections on the reflecting surfaces of the top and bottom surfaces so as to be guided within the light guide member, and then passes through the second resin part and then the first resin part to finally reach the light receiving surface of the imaging element.
9. The optical pointing device as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a digital signal processor configured and arranged such that an image of the object picked up by the imaging element is captured as an image data into the digital signal processor,
wherein the object is an object that moves in contact with the contact surface, and
wherein the digital signal processor is further configured to compare amounts of shift of a same portion of the image of the object and thereby determine an amount and a direction of movement of the object.