KR20100070127A - Ultra-slim optical joystick - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: An ultra-slim optical joystick is provided to implement miniaturization and slimness by making the structure of an optical pointing device be slim. CONSTITUTION: A bottom package(20) comprises a light member, an image sensor, and a transparent sealing material. A top package(40) includes a lighting system, an image collecting system and an external light blocking unit. A click switch(200) selects or executes an object indicating a cursor or a pointer when the upper or lower package is switched according to a switching operation. The upper or lower package is accepted at a housing(50) including an object contact plane, and the housing makes the object contacting the object contact plane be distanced from the upper package at a certain interval.

Description

Super slim optical joystick {ULTRA-SLIM OPTICAL JOYSTICK}

The present invention relates to an ultra-slim optical joystick, and more particularly, to an ultra-slim optical joystick capable of good assembly and miniaturization and slimming.

As a portable terminal, there are a notebook computer, a netbook computer, a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), and the like. As an input device of these portable terminals, there is a small portable mouse.

The portable mouse has a mouse body and a mouse cable, and is used by being connected to a portable terminal as necessary.

However, such a conventional portable mouse (hereinafter, abbreviated as "mouse") is configured separately from the portable terminal, and thus has a disadvantage in that it is very inconvenient to carry. In particular, since a mouse cable for connecting with a mobile terminal is provided, there is a problem that handling and storage are more inconvenient.

In view of this, a mouse that has been miniaturized and slimmed and capable of wirelessly connecting to a portable terminal without a separate cable has been proposed.

An example is the "Ultra-slim wireless optical mouse usable for a portable computer system" of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2005-113202 filed by the present applicant.

As shown in FIG. 1, the technique includes a mouse main body 5 that can be inserted and stored in the card slot 3 of the computer 1, an optical pointing device 7 that is installed in the mouse main body 5, and a click. And a button 8 and a wireless transceiver (not shown) capable of wirelessly communicating with the computer 1.

In particular, the optical pointing device 7 is a device for moving a cursor, a pointer, or the like through the movement of a finger surface. The Korean Patent Application No. 10-2004-113266, filed by the present applicant, 10-2005-471.

Since the mouse of such a structure employ | adopts the optical pointing apparatus 7 operated by the movement of a finger, it can slim down and miniaturize. Therefore, it can be stored integrally in the computer 1, and as a result, it is very easy to carry.

In addition, since the movement of the cursor and the pointer is made through the movement of the finger, there is an advantage that it is very easy to use. In addition, since a wireless connection with the computer 1 is possible, a separate cable is not required. Therefore, it is easier to carry.

However, such a conventional mouse has a disadvantage in that assembly is inferior since components of the optical pointing device 7 must be assembled one by one. In particular, small size parts must be assembled manually by hand, there is a disadvantage in that the assembly is inferior, there is a problem that the production time is delayed, production efficiency is lowered due to this disadvantage.

In addition, the conventional mouse has a disadvantage in that the size of the optical pointing device 7 is arranged in the horizontal direction, there is a limit to reduce the size, and this problem has been pointed out that there is a limit in miniaturizing and slimming the mouse. have.

In addition, the conventional mouse has a structure in which a command is selected or executed only by moving a cursor, a pointer, etc. to a desired place using an optical pointing device 7, and then pressing a separate click button, which is very troublesome to use. The problem is pointed out.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve such a conventional problem, and an object thereof is to provide an ultra-slim optical joystick that can improve the assemblability and shorten the assembly time by simplifying the assembly structure of the optical pointing device. There is.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an ultra-slim optical joystick that can be miniaturized and slimmed by improving the structure of the optical pointing device and slimming the size thereof.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide an ultra-slim optical joystick that is very easy to use by configuring a single optical pointing device to move a cursor and a pointer, as well as to select and execute an instruction.

In order to achieve the above object, the ultra-slim optical joystick of the present invention moves the cursor or the pointer on the display unit of the portable terminal through the movement of the subject, and can be retractably stored in the card slot of the portable terminal. An optical joystick including a wireless transceiver for wirelessly communicating with the portable terminal, comprising: a lower package having a light source member and an image sensor mounted at intervals on a substrate, and a transparent encapsulant sealing the light source member and the image sensor; Wow; An illumination system corresponding to the light source member to illuminate the infrared light of the light source member, an imaging system corresponding to the image sensor to image the infrared light reflected from the subject, and the illumination system and the imaging system An upper package having an external light shielding material; It is characterized in that it comprises a click switch to select or execute the object pointed to by the cursor or pointer while being switched as the upper and lower packages are pressed.

According to the ultra-slim light joystick according to the present invention, since the assembly structure is simplified, the assembly performance is improved and the assembly time is greatly shortened. Therefore, the production efficiency is increased, the cost reduction effect can be expected.

In addition, since the structure can be improved and slimmed, there is an effect that the size of the entire device can be reduced and slimmed.

In addition, since a single device can move a cursor and a pointer, as well as select and execute a command, it is very easy to use.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of an ultra-slim optical joystick according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

First, prior to looking at the features of the ultra-slim light joystick according to the present invention, the wireless light joystick is briefly described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3.

The wireless light joystick includes a main body 5. The main body 5 is housed in a card slot 3 of a portable terminal 1, i.e., a notebook computer, a netbook computer, a mobile phone, a PDA, etc. (hereinafter, the "computer 1" will be described as an example). In particular, it is stored in the state accommodated in the card slot 3. Therefore, it is possible to carry it integrally with the computer 1.

The main body 5 has a built-in rechargeable battery 5a and a wireless transceiver 5b. The rechargeable battery 5a provides power, and is connected to the computer 1 through the connection terminal 5c, and the rechargeable battery 5a thus connected is charged by receiving the power of the computer 1.

The wireless transceiver 5b is connected to the computer 1 through the RF method, and the wireless transceiver 5b thus connected transmits data of the optical pointing device 100 to the computer 1 described later.

Next, the features of the ultra-slim light joystick according to the present invention will be described in detail.

First, referring to FIGS. 2 to 7, the optical joystick of the present invention includes the optical pointing device module 10 installed in the main body 5.

The optical pointing device module 10 is installed on the main PCB 12 and includes an optical pointing device 100 and a click switch 200 disposed below the optical pointing device 100. do.

The optical pointing device 100 is an input device for moving a cursor, a pointer, or the like of the computer 1 in a desired direction, and includes a lower package 20 and an upper package 40.

The lower package 20 includes a substrate 22, a light source member 24 mounted on the substrate 22 through a process such as SMT, and an image sensor 26 mounted in the same SMT process as the light source member 24. And a transparent encapsulant 28 for molding them.

The substrate 22 is electrically connected to the main PC 12 of the main body 5 through the flexible printed circuit board (FPCB) 22a. The substrate 22 is connected to the image sensor 26 by the image sensor 26. The calculated displacement value is transmitted to a microcomputer (not shown) of the main PCB 12.

The light source member 24 is composed of LEDs that emit infrared light, and is mounted on the substrate 22 through an SMT process.

The image sensor 26 is mounted on the substrate 22 while being spaced apart from the light source member 24, and continuously captures the received light and calculates a change in the captured image screen as a displacement value.

The transparent encapsulant 28 is obtained by solidifying a liquid Clear EMC (Epoxy Molding Compound). After the previously processed mold is brought into close contact with the substrate 22, the transparent encapsulant 28 is formed between the mold (not shown) and the substrate 22. It is molded by injecting EMC. The transparent encapsulant 28 thus formed covers and encapsulates the light source member 24 and the image sensor 26 mounted on the substrate 22.

On the other hand, a blocking film 29 is provided between the light source member 24 and the image sensor 26.

The blocking film 29 blocks light emitted from the light source member 24 from leaking to the image sensor 26. Therefore, the malfunction of the image sensor 26 due to light leakage is prevented at the source.

The barrier film 29 may be installed in any material that does not transmit light. For example, it may be composed of a black EMC, a light shielding tape, a light shielding mask, or the like.

The upper package 40 is assembled in a stacked state on the upper side of the lower package 20, and includes an illumination system 42, an imaging system 44, and an external light shielding material 46 for molding them.

Here, each of the lower package 20 and the upper package 40, the protrusion 40a or the groove 28a is formed to correspond to each other, the lower package (A) as these protrusions 40a or the groove (28a) is coupled 20 and the upper package 40 is assembled. In some cases, the lower package 20 and the upper package 40 may be bonded to the double-sided tape.

The illumination system 42 is a waveguide installed to correspond to the light source member 24 of the lower package 20, and serves to illuminate the light emitted from the light source member 24 to the subject P.

The illumination system 42 may be configured to be inclined with respect to the light source member 24 in a vertical direction or at an angle. Preferably, it may be configured to be inclined at an angle with respect to the light source member 24 so as to face the end of the imaging system 44.

This is to allow more light of the illumination system 42 reflected on the subject P to be incident on the imaging system 44, whereby a high amount of light may be imaged on the image sensor 26. As a result, the sensing sensitivity of the image sensor 26 is maximized.

The imaging system 44 is an imaging lens provided to correspond to the image sensor 26 of the lower package 20, and forms an image of the light of the light source member 24 reflected from the subject P on the image sensor 26. It plays a role.

The imaging system 44 is made of a rod-shaped and is composed of a green lens (Gradient Index Lens), a convex lens and the like that can adjust the image position according to the pitch. The imaging system 44 is applicable to any lens that can image light. In the present invention, the green lens was applied as the imaging system 44.

The external light shielding material 46 is composed of black EMC, and is formed by covering the illumination system 42 and the imaging system 44 with a pre-processed mold, and then injecting the liquid black EMC into the mold to solidify it. . The external light shielding material 46 thus formed covers and seals the illumination system 42 and the imaging system 44. In particular, it is sealed so as not to be influenced by external light.

Here, a process such as polishing may be performed on the outer surface of the external light shielding material 46 so as to keep the surface smooth.

Next, an operation example of the optical pointing device 100 having such a configuration will be described. First, in a state in which the lower package 20 and the upper package 40 are bonded to each other, the subject P is in contact with the surface of the upper package 40.

Then, the light emitted from the light source member 24 is transmitted to the subject P after passing through the illumination system 42. In this case, when the subject P is the user's finger, the light passes through the surface of the subject and proceeds to the inside of the subject P, and is reflected downward by colliding with a substance such as blood or bone in the subject P.

The reflected light again passes through the surface of the subject P and enters the imaging system 44, and the transmitted light passes through the imaging system 44 and is transmitted to the image sensor 26 in the form of an image.

Although not shown in the drawing, the image sensor 26 photographs the received light, compares the captured video screen in real time, and calculates a displacement value as much as a difference occurs in the video screen. The calculated displacement value is transmitted to the microcomputer (not shown) of the main PC 12, and the displacement value transmitted to the microcomputer is transmitted to the computer 1 through the wireless transceiver 5 of the main PC 12, The displacement value thus transferred forms a cursor on the display unit 1a of the computer 1 and moves.

On the other hand, such an optical pointing device 100 has a precondition that the light of the illumination system 42 is transmitted through the object P and collides with the material therein to be reflected. Because, as shown in Figure 5, the reflection of the light is made at the portion (C) where the axis center of the illumination system 42 and the axis center of the imaging system 44 intersects, at this time, the illumination system 42 and the imaging system This is because the portion C at which the axis center of 44 intersects is the internal portion of the subject P. FIG.

However, when the light of the illumination system 42 does not penetrate the subject P, for example, when a heat insulating member such as a glove is worn on the subject P, as shown in FIG. 5, the illumination system 42 ) Light is reflected only on the surface of the subject P, so that the light amount of the light introduced from the illumination system 42 to the image forming system 44 is drastically lowered. As a result, the illuminance of the light formed on the image sensor 26 is reduced, which may cause a malfunction.

In order to solve this problem, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, a predetermined distance is formed between the illumination system 42, the imaging system 44, and the object P in close contact with the illumination system 42, thereby illuminating the illumination system 42. What is necessary is just to align the portion C where the axis center of the image forming system 44 intersects with the surface portion of the subject P.

Therefore, the present invention proposes a housing 50 that accommodates the upper package 40 and the lower package 20 therein while providing a gap between the subject P and the upper package 40.

The housing 50 includes a transmission zone 52 and a non-transmission zone 54 in which the object P is directly contacted while the light of the light source member 24 is transmitted.

The transmission zone 52 may have a flat plate shape and may be manufactured in a form in which an infrared pass layer 52a is provided in an optical plastic, transparent glass, or transparent plastic through which infrared rays are transmitted.

In this case, when the transmission zone 52 is made of transparent glass or transparent plastic, the image forming system 44 may further include a filter 44a for blocking the inflow of light other than the infrared wavelength band.

The filter 44a may be a coating material formed on any one of an upper surface, a lower surface and a front surface of the imaging system 44, and may also be formed of a tape formed on any one of the upper surface, the lower surface and the front surface of the imaging system. .

The non-transmissive zone 54 serves to protect the outer surfaces of the upper and lower packages 40 and 20 while supporting the transmission zone 52.

According to the housing 50, when the subject P contacts the transmission zone 52 in the state of being installed in the upper and lower packages 40, 20, the light of the light source member 24 passes through the illumination system 42. While totally reflected, the totally reflected light is reflected from the surface of the object (P) and then flows into the imaging system 44.

At this time, since the transmission zone 52 of the housing 50 provides a gap between the subject P and the upper package 40, the light of the illumination system 42 is reflected by hitting the surface portion of the subject P, Light is incident on the upper layer 44 without loss, and light incident without loss is imaged at high illuminance on the image sensor 26.

Therefore, the optical pointing device 100 operates efficiently even though a thermal insulation member such as a glove is worn on the subject P. FIG.

And, as shown in Figure 8, between the upper package 40 and the lower package 20, any one of the boss or gasket 60 can be further provided to adjust the height of the upper package 40. . In the present invention, it is shown in the figure with the gasket 60 applied.

In other words, the combined height of the upper package 40 and the lower package 20 is manufactured to be as slim as possible for the purpose of ultra-slim, but unlike this purpose, when configured to a height higher than the combined height, the upper package 40 The boss or gasket 60 may be further installed between the lower package 20 and the lower package 20.

Meanwhile, as shown in FIG. 9, as another embodiment of the optical pointing device 100, the upper package 40 and the lower package 20 may be integrally manufactured to form one package 110.

In another embodiment, the optical pointing device 100 includes an illumination system 42 and a light source member 24 and an image sensor 26 mounted on a substrate 22 to correspond to the light source member 24 and the image sensor 26. After arranging the imaging system 44, the external light shielding material 46 is filled to surround all of the imaging system 44, and then configured as one package 110.

Here, the imaging system 44 may be a green lens, and an exit convex lens may also be used. In addition, the illumination system 42 may be installed in the vertical or horizontal direction. In addition, the external light shielding material 46 may be a black epoxy molding compound (EMC).

The housing 50 is coupled to the outer surface of the package 110. The housing 50 is composed of a transmission zone 42 and a non-transmission zone 54 provided with a contact surface of the object P. FIG. In particular, the transmission zone 42 may provide a space between the subject P and the upper surface of the external light blocking material 46.

Therefore, even if a thermal insulation member such as a glove is worn on the subject P, the light emitted from the light source member 24 hits the surface of the subject P through the illumination system 42 and then flows into the imaging system 44. As the incoming light is imaged, it may be transmitted to the image sensor 26.

The optical pointing device 100 of this other embodiment is manufactured by integrally manufacturing the upper package 40 and the lower package 20 as one package 110, so that assembly and handling are easy. Therefore, the assembly speed of the apparatus can be further shortened. As a result, productivity is maximized.

Next, the click switch 200 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 4 to 7.

The click switch 200 is installed in the form of a dome on the main PC 12, and is configured to be switched as the optical pointing device 100 is pressed.

The click switch 200 is switched according to the pressing of the optical pointing device 100 to generate a switching signal, and transmits the generated signal to the microcomputer of the main PC 12. Thus, the microcomputer can select or execute the object indicated by the cursor or the pointer.

On the other hand, an actuator 202 is provided between the click switch 200 and the optical pointing device 100.

The actuator 202 is composed of an elastic material, for example, rubber or elastic plastic, and provides a predetermined elastic force to improve the sense of height when the optical pointing device 100 is pressed.

According to the optical joystick of the present invention having the above-described configuration, since the cursor is moved and clicked using a finger, it is very easy to use. In particular, since the cursor can be moved without moving the main body 5, the user is provided with maximum convenience.

In addition, since the structure of the selection and execution of the command is also possible by pressing the optical pointing device module without a separate button, it is very easy to use. In particular, the optical pointing device enables the movement of the cursor and the pointer, as well as selection and execution of commands, thereby maximizing user convenience.

In addition, the optical joystick of the present invention includes an optical pointing device 100, but since each component is integrated in a package form, it is very easy and simple to assemble. Therefore, the assembly property of the whole apparatus is improved and assembly time is significantly shortened. As a result, production efficiency is increased, and cost reduction effects can be expected.

In addition, since the optical joystick of the present invention can be made slimmer by improving the structure of the optical pointing device 100, the size of the entire apparatus can be reduced in size and slimmed. In particular, since the structure of changing the path of the light in the vertical direction, the size of the device can be significantly reduced compared to the conventional path of the light is made in the horizontal direction. Therefore, miniaturization and slimming are possible, which can enhance product quality and competitiveness.

Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above by way of example, the scope of the present invention is not limited to these specific embodiments, and may be appropriately changed within the scope of the claims.

For example, in the description and drawings of the present invention, the optical joystick of the present invention is described as being used in a wireless connection with the computer 1 and stored in the card slot 3 of the computer 1, but is not limited thereto. In addition, any operation is possible as long as it is necessary to operate a cursor and a pointer, and a portable terminal having a card slot 3a. That is, it is necessary to operate a cursor and a pointer, and any application can be applied to a personal digital assistant (PDA), a netbook computer, a mobile phone, and the like having a card slot 3a.

1 is a view showing a conventional wireless optical mouse,

2 is a perspective view showing an ultra-slim light joystick according to the present invention;

3 is a side view showing an ultra-slim light joystick according to the present invention;

4 is an exploded perspective view of an optical pointing device module which is a feature of the ultra-slim optical joystick according to the present invention;

5 is a cross-sectional view showing a coupling state of the optical pointing device module shown in FIG.

6 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the housing is coupled to the optical pointing device shown in FIG.

7 is a view showing an example of use of the optical pointing device module constituting the ultra-slim optical joystick of the present invention;

8 and 9 are cross-sectional views showing another embodiment of the optical pointing device module constituting the ultra-slim optical joystick of the present invention.

♣ Explanation of symbols for the main parts of the drawing ♣

1: Mobile Terminal 3: Card Slot

5: main body 5a: rechargeable battery

5b: wireless transceiver 5c: connection terminal

10: optical pointing device module 12: main PCB

20: lower package 22: substrate

24: light source member 26: Image Sensor

28: transparent encapsulant 29: barrier film

40: upper package 42: lighting system

44: imaging system 44a: filter

46: external light shielding material 50: housing

52: transmission zone 52a: infrared path layer

54: non-transmissive zone 60: gasket

100: optical pointing device 110: package

200: Click Switch 202: Actuator

P: Subject

Claims (17)

By moving the cursor or the pointer on the display unit 1a of the mobile terminal 1 through the movement of the subject P, it can be stored in the card slot 1a of the mobile terminal 1 in a retractable manner. In the optical joystick including a wireless transceiver 5b capable of wireless communication with the portable terminal 1, A lower package having a light source member 24 and an image sensor 26 mounted on the substrate 22 at intervals, and a transparent encapsulant 28 sealing the light source member 24 and the image sensor 26 ( 20); The illumination system 42 corresponding to the light source member 24 and the infrared light reflected from the subject P are imaged on the image sensor 26 so as to illuminate the infrared ray of the light source member 24 to the subject P. FIG. An upper package 40 having an imaging system 44 corresponding to the image sensor 26, and an external light shielding material 46 sealing the illumination system 42 and the imaging system 44; Ultra-thin optical joystick, characterized in that it comprises a click switch (200) to select or execute the object pointed to by the cursor or pointer while switching according to pressing the upper and lower packages (40, 20). The method of claim 1, The lower package 20 and the upper package 40 are accommodated in the housing 50 provided with the object contact surface, The housing (50), the ultra-slim optical joystick, characterized in that spaced apart so that a predetermined interval is formed between the subject (P) in contact with the subject contact surface and the upper package (40). The method of claim 1, The illumination system 42, the ultra-slim light joystick, characterized in that the sealing is inclined at an angle toward the portion of the imaging system 44 for introducing the light reflected from the subject (P). The method of claim 3, wherein The illumination system 42, the ultra-slim light joystick, characterized in that the coating material is coated with a high reflectance on the inner surface or the outer surface so that the infrared ray of the light source member 24 is made to total reflection. The method of claim 1, Ultrathin optical joystick, characterized in that between the light source member 24 and the image sensor 26, a blocking film 29 for blocking the infrared radiation emitted from the light source member (24). The method of claim 1, Between the lower package 20 and the upper package 40, the ultra-slim light joystick, characterized in that any one of the boss or gasket for adjusting the height of the upper package 40 is further provided. The method of claim 1, The imaging system 44 is a ultra-slim optical joystick, characterized in that the Green Lens (Gradient Index Lenses: GRIN LENS). The method of claim 7, wherein The imaging system 44, the ultra-slim light joystick, characterized in that further provided with a filter (44a) to block the inflow of light outside the infrared wavelength band. The method of claim 1, The external light shielding material 46 is a black slim ultra light joystick, characterized in that the black (Black) EMC. The method of claim 1, The ultra-slim optical joystick further comprises an actuator (202) installed between the click switch (200) and the lower package (20). By moving the cursor or the pointer on the display unit 1a of the mobile terminal 1 through the movement of the subject P, it can be stored in the card slot 1a of the mobile terminal 1 in a retractable manner. In the optical joystick including a wireless transceiver 5b capable of wireless communication with the portable terminal 1, A light source member 24 and an image sensor 26 mounted on the substrate 22 at intervals; The illumination system 42 corresponding to the light source member 24 and the infrared light reflected from the subject P are imaged on the image sensor 26 so as to illuminate the infrared ray of the light source member 24 to the subject P. FIG. An imaging system 44 corresponding to the image sensor 26; An external light blocking material 46 sealing the light source member 24, the image sensor 26, the illumination system 42, and the imaging system 44 to form a package 110; Ultrasonic light joystick, characterized in that it comprises a click switch (200) to switch or switch according to the pressing of the package 110 or the object pointed to by the cursor or pointer. The method of claim 11, The package 110 is accommodated in the housing 50 having the subject contact surface, The housing 50, the ultra-slim light joystick, characterized in that spaced apart so that a predetermined interval is formed between the subject (P) in contact with the subject contact surface and the package (110). The method of claim 11, The illumination system 42, the ultra-slim light joystick, characterized in that the sealing is inclined at an angle toward the portion of the imaging system 44 for introducing the light reflected from the subject (P). The method of claim 11, The imaging system 44 is a ultra-slim optical joystick, characterized in that the Green Lens (Gradient Index Lenses: GRIN LENS). 15. The method of claim 14, The imaging system 44, the ultra-slim light joystick, characterized in that further provided with a filter (44a) to block the inflow of light outside the infrared wavelength band. The method of claim 11, The external light shielding material 46 is a black slim ultra light joystick, characterized in that the black (Black) EMC. The method of claim 11, The ultra-slim optical joystick further comprises an actuator (202) installed between the click switch (200) and the package (110).

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