Patent ID: 9733727
Date: 2017-08-15
CPC Classifications: G06F

Claim:
1. A device for manipulating the position of an object or controlling a function of a computer or electronic system linked to a displaying device, comprising: a movable portion positioned against a reference surface over which said movable portion has a relative motion and wherein said reference surface has a plurality of fixed targetable objects thereon; a cavity formed in or on said movable portion wherein said cavity has an opening facing a portion of said reference surface wherein said portion includes said targetable objects; one and only one optical sensor embedded in said cavity, wherein said optical sensor is a multi-pixel image sensor; at least one light source embedded in said cavity; said device being configured to create an image frame defined by said one and only one optical sensor which is located within said cavity, wherein said image frame is configured to be electronically represented as a pixel image digitally representing a portion of said reference surface having said multiple targetable objects thereon; wherein said portion of said reference surface is illuminated by light from said at least one light source and whereby said plurality of targetable objects is captured in said pixel image and wherein said plurality of targetable objects is chosen to be in the form of clusters of targetable objects arranged about the periphery of a virtual circle denoted a “pseudo-circle” and wherein the motion of said targetable objects is represented in terms of the motion of said pseudo-circle; said device being configured to form a plurality of said pixel images corresponding to said reference surface with said targetable objects thereon, wherein said plurality of images correspond to the relative positions of said movable portion with respect to said reference surface; said device being configured to make an image frame comparison, whereby differences between successive images in said plurality of images are compared metrically and/or geometrically using said pseudo-circle as a moving reference system to provide what are denoted lumped motion vectors for said multiple targetable objects corresponding to said changes in said successive images; wherein each said lumped motion vector is capable of being decomposed into a translational part and a rotational part.