Patent ID: 7138620
Filing Date: 2006-11-21
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. An optical sensor for sensing relative movement between the sensor and a surface by detecting changes in optical features of light reflected from the surface, the sensor comprising a two dimensional (2D) comb-array of photosensitive elements, the array including at least a first plurality of photosensitive elements arranged and coupled to sense a first combined movement along a first set of at least two non-parallel axes, and a second plurality of photosensitive elements arranged and coupled to sense a second combined movement along a second set of at least two non-parallel axes; wherein the first and the second plurality of photosensitive elements are regularly spaced and have periodicity in at least a one dimension of the 2D comb-array; and wherein the sensor is a speckle-based sensor configured to sense movement based on changes in a complex interference pattern created by a light reflected from the surface from a coherent light source.