Patent ID: 7470887

Claim:
A system for optical navigation comprising: an optical navigation sensor integrated circuit (IC) configured to generate image information for use in navigation sensing; a collapsible structure operatively connected to the optical navigation sensor IC and configured to set the distance between the optical navigation sensor IC and a navigation surface, the collapsible structure comprising a collapse system configured to allow the collapsible structure to be in an expanded state or in a collapsed state, wherein: in the expanded state, the collapsible structure has a profile dimension that sets the distance between the optical navigation sensor IC and a navigation surface to a first distance; and in the collapsed state, the collapsible structure has a profile dimension that sets the distance between the optical navigation sensor IC and the navigation surface to a second distance, wherein the first distance is greater than the second distance; and a lens operatively connected to the collapsible structure at a fixed distance from the optical navigation sensor IC and configured to focus light, which is reflected off of the navigation surface, to the optical navigation sensor IC, wherein the fixed distance is the same in the expanded state and the collapsed state; wherein the collapsible structure comprises a fixed piece that is fixedly connected to the optical navigation sensor IC and near to the optical navigation sensor IC, a floating piece that is movably connected to the optical navigation sensor IC and near to the navigation surface, and an expansion member positioned to exert a separating force on both the fixed piece and the floating piece; wherein the fixed piece includes an expand stopper member and a collapse stopper member and the floating piece includes an expand stopper member and a collapse stopper member; wherein the expand stopper members of the fixed and floating pieces are configured such that they engage each other when the collapsible structure is in the expanded state to prevent the fixed and floating pieces from separating any further as a result of the separating force exerted by the expansion members and wherein the expand stopper members are disengaged when the collapse structure is in the collapsed state; when the collapsible structure is in the collapsed state, the collapse stopper members of the fixed and floating pieces of the collapsible structure are configured such that they engage each other to prevent the fixed and floating pieces from collapsing any further and wherein the collapse stopper members are disengaged when the collapse structure is in the expanded state.