Patent ID: 7696984

Claim:
An optical mouse system comprising: a printed circuit board, having at least a first surface on which components are mounted; an illumination source where an axis of the illumination source is parallel to a vector normal to the first surface of the printed circuit board; a sensor, having a sensing surface comprising an array of sensing elements, where a vector normal to the sensing surface is parallel to a vector normal to the first surface of the printed circuit board; an illumination guide, for directing illumination from the illumination source to a reference surface at an angle of less than about thirty-three degrees from a normal vector to said reference surface when said reference surface is parallel to the first surface of the printed circuit board, and for redirecting scattered illumination from said reference surface toward the sensing surface of the sensor, said illumination guide comprising a first mating surface and a second mating surface; a holder, having a first surface and a second surface, comprising: an illumination source cavity, formed into the first surface of the holder, having an illumination exit aperture, and shaped to fit over the illumination source; a sensor cavity, formed into the first surface of the holder, having an illumination entry aperture, and shaped to fit over the sensor; and an illumination guide cavity, formed into the second surface of the holder, and having a guide surface shaped to fit against the first mating surface of the illumination guide; where the first surface of the holder is disposed against the first surface of the printed circuit board; and a containing clip, comprising: an aperture through which illumination is directed and redirected; a cavity, shaped to fit around the holder and the illumination guide, comprising an internal surface shaped to fit against the second mating surface of the illumination guide and the second surface of the holder such that the first mating surface of the illumination guide is held against the guide surface of the illumination guide cavity of the holder; and a clip for attaching the containing clip either to the holder or to the printed circuit board; where the containing clip encloses the holder and illumination guide and shields the sensor from external ambient illumination.