Side mounting optical navigation module
View Patent ↗An optical navigation module for receiving control from an object disposed on an operation plane is provided. The optical navigation module includes a substrate defining a base plane that is perpendicular to the operation plane; a light source installed on the base plane of the substrate and configured to emit light to a side of the substrate; an optical structure installed at the side of the substrate; a light sensor installed on the base plane of the substrate; a light shield installed on the base plane of the substrate spatially separating the light source and the light sensor so that light emitted by the light source is not directly shed on the light sensor, the light shield having an aperture formed thereon; and a tactile switch for executing a command installed at a side of the light source that is opposite to the side facing the operation plane. The optical structure is configured to guide the light emitted from the light source to the object so that at least a portion of the light scattered by the object passes to the light sensor through the aperture on the light shield and forms a light intensity pattern on the light sensor.
1. An optical navigation module for receiving control from an object disposed on an operation plane, the optical navigation module comprising:
a substrate defining a base plane that is perpendicular to the operation plane;
a light source installed on the base plane of the substrate and configured to project light to a side of the substrate;
an optical structure installed at the side of the substrate;
a light sensor installed on the base plane of the substrate;
a light shield installed on the base plane of the substrate spatially separating the light source and the light sensor so that light projected by the light source is not directly shed on the light sensor, the light shield having an aperture formed thereon; and
a tactile switch for executing a command installed at a side of the light source that is opposite to the side facing the operation plane;
wherein:
the optical structure is configured to guide the light projected from the light source to the object so that at least a portion of the light scattered by the object passes to the light sensor through the aperture on the light shield and forms a speckle pattern on the light sensor; and
wherein the optical structure comprises only one slanted surface without a second or more slanted surfaces configured for bending the light from the light source toward the object at the operation plane.
2. The optical navigation module of claim 1 , wherein the slanted surface is applied with a reflective coating.
3. The optical navigation module of claim 1 , wherein the optical structure comprises two lens surfaces disposed next to the slanted surface, one of the lens surfaces facing the light source, the other one of the lens surfaces facing the operation plane.
4. The optical navigation module of claim 1 , wherein the optical structure comprises two discrete parts separated by a gap.
5. The optical navigation module of claim 4 , wherein one of the two discrete parts comprises a slanted surface without any reflective coating.
6. The optical navigation module of claim 1 , wherein the optical structure comprises only one lens surface disposed next to the slanted surface, the only one lens surface facing the light source.
7. The optical navigation module of claim 6 , wherein the optical structure further comprises an additional slanted surface configured for bending light coming from the other slanted surface toward the base plane.
8. The optical navigation module of claim 1 , wherein the substrate is located at the bottom of the optical navigation module; and the operation plane is located at the side of the optical navigation module.
9. An optical navigation module for receiving control from an object disposed on an operation plane, the optical navigation module comprising:
a substrate defining a base plane that is perpendicular to the operation plane;
a light source installed on the base plane of the substrate and configured to project light to a side of the substrate;
an optical structure installed at the side of the substrate;
a light sensor installed on the base plane of the substrate; and
a light shield installed on the base plane of the substrate spatially separating the light source and the light sensor so that light projected by the light source is not directly shed on the light sensor,
the light shield having an aperture formed thereon; wherein:
the optical structure is an integral structure made by a light transmissive material, and is configured to guide the light projected from the light source to the object so that at least a portion of the light reflected by the object is transmitted to the light sensor through the aperture on the light shield; and
wherein the optical structure comprises only one slanted surface without a second or more slanted surfaces configured for bending the light from the light source toward the object at the operation plane.
10. The optical navigation module of claim 9 , wherein the optical structure comprises only one lens surface disposed next to the slanted surface, the only one lens surface facing the light source.
11. The optical navigation module of claim 10 , wherein the optical structure further comprises an additional slanted surface configured for bending light coming from the other slanted surface toward the base plane.
12. The optical navigation module of claim 9 , wherein the slanted surface is applied with a reflective coating.