Mobile device with on-screen optical navigation
View Patent ↗A mobile computing device, including a main body, a processor and associated memory housed within the main body, a display screen housed within the main body and responsive to signals from the processor, an optical sensor fixed to the main body for capturing successive images and providing image signals representative of the captured images to the processor, and a navigation module associated with the processor for determining, based on the image signals, a relative movement between the main body and a reference surface and moving a pointer on the display screen based on the determined relative movement.
1. A mobile device, comprising:
a casing having a front face and a back face;
a display configurable to display a pointer, the display mounted in the front face;
a camera configurable to capture successive images and provide image signals representative of the captured images, the camera mounted in the front face; and
a microprocessor configurable to:
receive the image signals,
determine, based on the image signals, a relative movement between the casing and a reference surface, and
move a pointer on the display based on the determined relative movement.
2. The mobile device of claim 1 wherein the microprocessor is further configurable to convert the image signals to lower resolution image signals and determine the relative movement based on the lower resolution image signals.
3. The mobile device of claim 2 wherein the camera is configurable to capture high resolution color image signals and the microprocessor is configurable to convert the high resolution color image signals to lower resolution grey scale image signals.
4. The mobile device of claim 1 wherein the microprocessor is further configurable to compare the successive images captured by the camera at a predetermined capture rate to determine a relative direction, distance and speed of movement of the main body relative to the reference surface, and move the pointer on the display screen based on the determined relative direction, distance and speed.
5. The mobile device of claim 1 wherein the microprocessor is further configurable to selectively display the captured images on the display in a camera mode and display the pointer to be moved on-screen based on the captured images in a navigation mode.
6. The mobile device of claim 5 further comprising a select mode for selecting between the camera mode and the navigation mode.
7. The mobile device of claim 6 wherein during said select mode, the microprocessor receives said captured images and determines, based upon said captured images, whether said device is within a threshold distance from the reference surface, and automatically selects between said navigation mode and said camera mode based upon said determination.
8. The mobile device of claim 1 wherein the casing comprises a first case portion and a second case portion, wherein the display is mounted to a front face of the first case portion and the camera is mounted to a front face of the second case portion.
9. The mobile device of claim 8 , wherein the first case portion is pivotally mounted to the second case portion to engage the front faces of the first case portion and the second case portion in a closed position.
10. The mobile device of claim 8 further comprising a keyboard mounted to the second case portion.
11. The mobile device of claim 1 wherein the camera is pivotally mounted to the casing.
12. The mobile device of claim 1 wherein the camera is detachable from the casing.