Patent Document

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for judging the compatibility of a working surface, and more specifically, to a method and an apparatus for judging the compatibility of a working surface with an optical mouse.  
         [0003]     2. Description of the Prior Art  
         [0004]     An optical mouse generates cursor signals corresponding to its movement detected by optical reflection. This optical reflection is well known by the industry, thus only a brief description is given as follows.  
         [0005]     Please refer to FIG. 1  showing a bottom view of a conventional optical mouse  10 . As shown in  FIG.1 , the optical mouse  10  has a bottom surface  12  with a hole  14  on it. Through the hole  14 , the optical mouse  10  uses a light emitting diode (LED. Not shown in  FIG.1 ) to irradiate a working surface of the optical mouse, and scan and capture images of the working surface as well as compare the differences of the images. Whenever the captured image changes, a circuit built in the optical mouse  10  can calculate the displacement data of the optical mouse  10 , convert the displacement data into axial displacement signals and then transmit the signals to a computer (not shown) via a cable  16 . The cable  16  complies with standards such as COM, PS/2 or USB.  
         [0006]     Please refer to FIG. 2  showing an assembly diagram  20  of the optical mouse  10 . As shown in  FIG.2 , the optical mouse  10  further includes an optical module  30  installed above the hole  14  on the bottom surface  12 , a circuit board  40  installed above the optical module  30 , an optical discriminating unit  42  installed above the circuit board  40 , a LED  44  installed above the circuit board  40 , and an optical mask  46  installed above the circuit board  40 . The optical discriminating unit  42  is for capturing images of the working surface that the optical mouse  10  has passed by to analyze and judge the displacement of the optical mouse  10 . The LED  44  is used as a light source of the optical discriminating unit  42 , and the optical mask  46  is to prevent light from the LED  44  from directly entering into the optical discriminating unit  42 . The optical module  30  includes a lens  32 , a first reflection surface  34  and a second reflection surface  36 . The circuit board  40  includes an aperture  48  positioned above the lens  32 , and the optical discriminating unit  42  is installed above the aperture  48  of the circuit board  40 . The first reflection surface  34  protrudes out of the aperture  48  so that it is located between the LED  44  and the optical discriminating unit  42 .  
         [0007]     Please refer to FIG. 2  along with Fig. 3  showing a side view  22  simplified from the assembly diagram  20  in  FIG.2 . As shown in  FIG.3 , the LED  44  is opposite to the first reflection surface  34  and generates a ray  27 . In addition, since the shape of the mask  46  is designed to prevent the ray  27  from the LED  44  from directly entering into the optical discriminating unit  42 , most of the ray  27  will go toward the first reflection surface  34  and be reflected downwards by the first reflection surface  34  to the second reflection surface  36 . After being reflected by the second reflection surface, the ray  27  passes through the hole  14  on the bottom surface  12  and irradiates a working surface  50  of the optical mouse  10 . The working surface  50  modulates the characteristics of the ray  27  and reflects the ray  27  to the lens  32  to be a reflected ray  28 . The reflected ray  28  will be converged and focused on the optical discriminating unit  42  by the lens  32 , and the optical discriminating unit  42  judges the movement of the optical mouse  10  according to the change of the reflected ray  28 .  
         [0008]     However, if the working surface  50  of the optical mouse  10  is highly transparent or in special color (e.g. a piece of glass or a glossy surface), the ray  27  incident on the working surface  50  cannot be completely reflected to the optical discriminating unit  42 , so that the optical discriminating unit  42  cannot receive continuous images of the working surface  50 , and the cursor of the optical mouse  10  cannot be in the right place. In this case, the working surface should be replaced to solve the problem, however, the user may not necessarily understand the characteristics of the optical discriminating unit  42  so that he is unable to locate the problem, and may even misunderstand that the problem is due to the optical mouse itself.  
       SUMMARY OF INVENTION  
       [0009]     It is therefore a primary objective of the present invention to provide a method and an apparatus for real-time judging compatibility of a working surface with an optical mouse, in order to solve the problems mentioned above.  
         [0010]     Briefly summarized, a method for determining the compatibility of a working surface with an optical mouse having an optical sensor including (a) using the optical sensor to sense the optical characteristics of the working surface, (b) using a judging circuit to judge the compatibility of the working surface with the optical mouse according to the optical characteristics sensed by the optical sensor, (c) using the judging circuit to generate a judging signal according to the results obtained in step (b).  
         [0011]     A user can see the result displayed on a display device to judge whether the working surface is suitable for an optical mouse. If the cursor cannot move to where the user wants it to move, and the user realizes that the working surface is unsuitable for the optical mouse. The user will realize that the malfunction is not caused by the operating system nor is it a malfunction of the optical mouse itself. The user can then simply change the working surface, in order to solve the problem.  
         [0012]     These and other objectives of the present invention will no doubt become obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art after reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment that is illustrated in the various figures and drawings. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS  
       [0013]     FIG. 1  is a bottom view of a conventional optical mouse.  
         [0014]     FIG. 2  is an assembly diagram of the conventional optical mouse.  
         [0015]     FIG. 3  is a side view simplified from the assembly diagram in  FIG.2 .  
         [0016]     FIG. 4  is a flowchart of the method for real-time judging compatibility of a working surface with an optical mouse according to the present invention.  
         [0017]     FIG. 5  illustrates the optical mouse according to the present invention.  
         [0018]     FIG. 6  illustrates ajudging system according to the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0019]     Please refer to FIG. 4  showing a flowchart of the method for real-time judging compatibility of a working surface with an optical mouse as follows: 
        Step 100 : Start. The optical mouse generates a ray onto the working surface;     Step 102 : An optical sensor captures the ray reflected by the working surface and senses the optical characteristics of the working surface;     Step 104 : The optical sensor generates a sensing value according to the optical characteristics of the working surface;     Step 106 : Ajudging circuit operates the sensing value to judge the compatibility of the working surface with the optical mouse and generate ajudging signal;     Step 108 : A display device display the result in Step 106 ;     Step 110 : End.        
 
         [0026]     In Step 102 , the characteristics of the ray reflected from the working surface relates to the surface grain, reflectivity and transparency of the working surface. For instance, if the surface grain is too high in similarity (in 100 nanometer grade), the working surface is unsuitable for an optical mouse. In addition, high reflective (e.g. a mirror that completely reflects light) or high transparent (e.g. glass that light can fully pass through) surfaces are neither suitable for the optical mouse. Thus, the optical characteristics of the working surface can be known by detecting the ray reflected from the working surface. The sensing value in Step 104  relates to the optical characteristics of the working surface. As shown in  FIG.4 , in Step 106  the judging circuit analyzes the sensing value to generate the judging signal. The judging circuit judges whether the working surface is suitable for the optical mouse according to the range where the sensing value is located in, and outputs the result as the judging signal. In general, the higher the sensing value, the more suitable the working surface for the optical mouse. For instance, in case the working surface is a high transparent surface (e.g. glass), the sensing value is approximately 0, and in case of some black surfaces, the sensing value is very small (approximately less than 10), so that it is known that these surfaces are not suitable for an optical mouse. In Step 108 , the display device displays the result by light or message according to the judging signal generated in Step 106 . The user knows the result from the display device, such as whether the working surface is suitable or not for the optical mouse.  
         [0027]     Please refer to FIG. 5  showing an optical mouse  60  according to the present invention. The optical mouse  60  is for implementing the method shown in  FIG.4 . The optical mouse  60  includes an optical sensor  62  for sensing the optical characteristics of the working surface of the optical mouse  60  and outputs the sensing value according to the optical characteristics, ajudging circuit  64  electrically connects to the optical sensor  62  for receiving the sensing value from the optical sensor  62  and generating a corresponding judging signal, a display device  66  electrically connects to the judging circuit  64  to operate according to the judging signal. In this embodiment, the display device  66  includes a red LED  68  and a green LED 70 .  
         [0028]     The operation of the optical mouse  60  in FIG. 5  is described as follows. When a user moves the optical mouse  60 , the optical mouse  60  generates the ray onto the working surface, and the optical sensor  62  scans the working surface that the optical mouse  60  has passed by and captures the ray reflected by the working surface. Since different working surfaces have different optical characteristics, and different optical characteristics are shown by the optical difference between the incident ray and the reflected ray, the optical sensor  62  can convert the optical characteristics into the corresponding sensing value and transmit it to the judging circuit  64 . The judging circuit  64  includes a firmware, and a program code, which will judge the received sensing value. If the sensing value is located in a first range, the judging circuit  64  transmits a corresponding first judging signal to the display device  66 . The display device  66  turns on the green LED  70  and turns off the red LED  68  according to the first judging signal, so that the user can know that the working surface is suitable for the optical mouse according to a predetermined definition of the LED. Similarly, if the sensing value is located in a second range, the judging circuit  64  transmits a corresponding second judging signal to the display device  66 . The display device  66  turns on the red LED  68  and turns off the green LED  70  according to the second judging signal, so that the user can know that the working surface is not suitable for the optical mouse according to a predetermined definition of the LED. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the definition of the green and red LED can be marked on a side of them, such as “Please change mouse pad” on a side of the red LED  68 .  
         [0029]     The red LED and the green LED in the present embodiment described above are only an example, any type of display device, such as LCD, organic LED and so on could belong to the present invention.  
         [0030]     Please refer to FIG. 6  showing a judging system  90  according to the present invention. The judging system  90  is for judging the compatibility of a working surface, which includes an optical mouse  72 , a host computer  78  and a monitor  86  electrically connected to the host computer  78 . The optical mouse  72  includes an optical sensor  74  for sensing the optical characteristics of the working surface of the optical mouse  72  and outputting a sensing value according to the optical characteristics, and a control circuit  76  for transmitting the sensing value to the host computer  78 . The host computer  78  includes a central processing unit (CPU)  80  and a storing device  82  for storing a driver  84  to operate the sensing value.  
         [0031]     The operation of the judging system  90  is described as follows. When a user moves the optical mouse  72 , the optical sensor  74  of the optical mouse  60  scans the working surface that the optical mouse  72  has passed by and captures the optical characteristics of the working surface. As mentioned above, different working surfaces have different optical characteristics, and the optical sensor  74  converts the optical characteristics into the corresponding sensing value. Continuously, the optical mouse  72  transmits the sensing value and an axial displacement signal of the optical mouse  72  to the host computer  78  through the control circuit  76 . After receiving the sensing value and the axial displacement signal of the optical mouse  72 , the host computer  78  uses the CPU  80  to execute the driver  84  stored in the storing device  82  to operate the sensing value. Since the optical mouse continuously transmit sensing values to the host computer  78 , the CPU  80  will record the sensing values and operate them by the driver  84  (e.g. calculate an average of the sensing values per unit time). The host computer  78  displays the result on the monitor  86  to notify the user that whether the working surface is suitable for the optical mouse  72 . Since these sensing values are executed by the CPU  80 , the compatibility of the working surface can be judged more precisely.  
         [0032]     Please note that the results of the operation on the sensing value by the CPU  80  is not necessary to be display directly on the monitor  86 , it can be displayed only when the user requires this kind of message. Moreover, the driver  84  is not limited to display the compatibility of the optical mouse  72 , but also provides related information about the optical characteristics of the working surface, such as it indicates what kind of the working surface it is, showing reasons why the working surface is not suitable for the optical mouse, or recommending a proper working surface. This kind of information can be stored in the driver  84  or downloaded from the Internet through the driver  84 . In such a manner, the user can know the compatibility of the working surface from the monitor  86  when something is wrong to the cursor, and judge if the malfunction is due to incompatibility of the working surface and prevent him/her from using other unsuitable working surfaces.  
         [0033]     Those skilled in the art will readily observe that numerous modifications and alterations of the device and the method may be made while retaining the teachings of the invention. Accordingly, the above disclosure should be construed as limited only by the metes and bounds of the appended claims.

Technology Category: g