RU2557445C2 - Mouse pointing device for any surface - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: physics, computer engineering.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to a mouse pointing device. A mouse pointing device for mirror, transparent and smooth monochromic surfaces comprises a housing and, inside the housing, a chip set and an optical unit for tracking movement of the mouse, connected to the chip set, where in/on the housing there is one or more colouring units having one or more colouring heads which, based on commands from the chip set, are capable of applying an additional image or quasi-image on the bearing surface on which the mouse is operating using a liquid or water, including gas-saturated bubbles, using dust, by heating the bearing surface and/or cooling the bearing surface and then transforming the obtained heat image into a colour image using a cholesteric liquid crystal, and also using ice crystals.

EFFECT: providing reliable operation of the device on mirror, transparent and smooth monochromic surfaces.

1 dwg

Description

The invention relates to the field of digital data processing using electrical devices, and in particular to constructions of pointing devices moved by the user (“mice”, trackballs, “feathers”, joysticks), and accessories for them, can be used in the manufacture of peripheral devices for personal computers .

Known mouse pointing devices having optical (with LED or laser illumination) displacement tracking units (hereinafter BOP) in their construction, including an LED or a low-power laser to illuminate the supporting surface on which the mouse is operated, a light guide and lenses for changes in the direction and focusing of light rays, an optical sensor (one or more), which is a charge-coupled scanner similar to a camera’s sensor and detects the movement of the mouse, tracking changes images of the supporting surface, and other necessary structural elements with which (“BOP”) these “mice” convert information about their movement by the human user relative to the supporting surface into digital data and then transfer them to the personal computer to which they are connected, thus controlling his work (Vilkhovchenko S. Modern computer: device, choice, modernization. - St. Petersburg: “Peter”, 2000. - p. 344-342. Muller S. Modernization and repair of PCs, 17th edition. - M .: “Williams”, 2008. - p.1068-1077). At the same time, BOP data of “mice” can have a very high resolution (up to 6000 dpi), which allows them to be accurately positioned on almost any supporting surfaces, except for specular, transparent and perfectly smooth monochrome ones.

The disadvantage of these “mouse” devices is that they either cannot work at all on mirrored, transparent (glass) and perfectly smooth monochrome (like white porcelain without a picture) support surfaces, or they work unreliably on support surfaces with a fuzzy, blurry pattern (like marble, etc.): there is a “sticking” of the mouse cursor in one place on the screen, its trembling, disruption (that is, instantaneous movement to another place), etc., obviously, due to the fact that the BOP “mouse”, chipset (its firmware) ) And possibly other components of "mouse" is not able to keep track of (or do it right) changes the image data bearing surfaces in the physical and / or structural reasons, due to software defects, etc.

As a prototype, a standard, widespread optical pointing device “mouse” was selected, which allows controlling the operation of the operating system of a personal computer and the application programs operating in this system by moving the mouse itself by a human user relative to the support surface and influencing its buttons, scroll wheel , touch panels, sensors, etc. (Traskovsky A. Device, modernization, repair of IBM PC. - SPb .: “BHV - Petersburg”, 2004. - p.90-110), which, as a rule, contains a case with controls installed in the case of an optical BOP (with LED or laser illumination), the chipset (to which the BOP is connected), coordinating the operation of all electrical and electronic components of the “mouse”, and other structural elements usually included in the design of such a “mouse”.

The disadvantage of this “mouse” prototype is the inability to work (or malfunction) on mirrored and transparent supporting surfaces (that is, reflecting incident light with little or no light transmission through it with almost no reflection), as well as perfectly smooth (no defects) monochrome supporting surfaces and surfaces with a very smooth, indistinguishable color transition, where the incident light does not form a sharp, clear image, resulting in optoelectronic components of the “mouse”, in particular BOP, and / or its chipset (its hardware and software) and / or, possibly, its other structural elements cannot track the differences between changing (due to the movement of the “mouse”) images of the supporting surface and / or generate the appropriate commands (say, for moving “ mouse cursor) and transfer them to the computer to which the mouse is connected.

The technical result of the invention is to improve the ability of the BOP “mouse” to track changes in the image of the supporting surface (due to refinement and / or structural changes), allowing it to function reliably on mirror, transparent, perfectly smooth monochrome and all other “problem” surfaces that may occur during the actual operation of the mouse.

The problem is solved due to the fact that in the standard optical pointing device “mouse”, which contains the body and the optical BOP located inside it (with LED or laser illumination), it is possible to install a special tinting unit with a special tinting (or quasi-tinting) support surface with paint, ink and etc. a head similar in general to the function of the print head of a conventional inkjet printer (see, for example, Sindeev Yu. Printers: repair, maintenance. - Rostov-on-Don: “Phoenix”, 2001. - p.6-9, 51- 60), which thereby ensures (using the head) the application (or supply) to the supporting surface (in case of problems with it) of a sharp, clear, clearly distinguishable image (or quasi-image), due to which the mouse BOP can function effectively on any (without exception) the supporting surface.

The head, tinting (if necessary) the supporting surface, is made with a matrix of small, thin nozzles inside for supplying small drops of paint or ink, any liquid or just water, etc., for example, piezoelectric, gas bubbles or “drop- on-demand ”- by the method on the supporting surface, and the size, quantity and location of nozzles in the head, characteristics of piezoceramic and heating elements, as well as the type and viscosity of paint or ink, etc. must guarantee such an arrangement (after departure) of droplets on the working section of the supporting surface (above which the BOP directly moves and from which the image is read), as well as the picture that is formed from them, in order to ensure the most efficient functioning of the BOP “mouse” on this (artificially “modified” ”) Surface. If the “mouse” is operated on a mirrored, transparent or perfectly smooth monochrome surface, then drops of paint or ink should obviously be supplied to the working area of the supporting surface so that it completely turns into a region of continuous filling with the image formed by these drops. The tinting head (like the printhead of an inkjet printer) must have a built-in or separate replaceable reservoir (or cartridge) with liquid paint or ink, etc., which, after using up the contents, can be replaced with a new one (together with the head) or refuel again by the user of the mouse, for example, through an opening (closed by a lid) in its body. The paint or ink applied to the supporting surface should obviously disappear with time (self-dissolving) or wash off well, for example, with plain water, so as not to spoil the supporting surface. In the latter case, you can use cheap standard ink for inkjet printers, which is a paint diluted in water (see, for example, Sindeev Yu. Printers: repair, maintenance. - Rostov-on-Don: “Phoenix”, 2001. - p. 85-89). If ink is used for high-resolution printers with special additives, then droplets emitted from the nozzles will instantly dry out and adhere to the supporting surface without spreading over it and without being absorbed into it. Reducing the quality of dyeing due to ink spreading can also be done by heating the support surface, for example, with an infrared emitter mounted on the bottom of the mouse housing. If the tinting head has not been used for a long time, it should probably be “parked”, that is, protect the nozzles from drying out the ink or ink, for example, using an absorbing pad (as with inkjet printers). To increase the sharpness, clarity, and visibility of the image on the working area of the supporting surface, in addition to the usual ones, you can use paint or ink with the addition of a phosphor (luminous), providing a luminescence of the phosphor using again an infrared (or, for example, ultraviolet) emitter mounted on the underside of the “mouse” ”Housing. In order to reduce the cost of design and operation of the “mouse”, you can use “paint” or “ink” without any coloring component, that is, one pure “solvent” —a suitable liquid that is not dangerous to humans and household appliances, or plain water (including and carbonated), applying it as usual (using a tinting head) on the supporting surface. With a sufficiently high resolution BOP of the “mouse”, many small drops of this liquid (including saturated with carbon dioxide, etc. gas) in the work area may be enough to reliably track changes in the image of the supporting surface (as a result of user movement) and the effective functioning of the “mouse "

In addition, the proposed pointing device “mouse” may differ in such a design of the tinting head (and everything that is part of its tinting block), in which a continuous thin thin layer of water is first applied to the supporting surface (at its working area), and then with electrodes and direct current supplied to them, its electrolysis is performed. The electrodes are installed on the bottom of the mouse housing without contact with the supporting surface, that is, with a gap. During the short electrolysis of the water layer separating the electrodes, the water under the “mouse” is saturated with hydrogen and oxygen bubbles, forming on the supporting surface such a quasi-image that may be sufficient for reliable operation of the BOP “mouse” for a certain time (until the bubbles disappear). Water can be supplied to the supporting surface both from the reservoir in the tinting head itself, and from a special tank in the “mouse” case.

In addition, the proposed pointing device “mouse” may differ in such a design of the tinting head, in which it is not a matrix of small, thin nozzles for feeding paint, ink, any liquid, water, etc. to the supporting surface, but one a large nozzle, which is the end of the duct located inside the body of the mouse. The beginning of this duct may be on top, side, back, etc. “Mouse” housing, where through it air, always containing small particles of dust, is sucked into the housing, for example, by an air pump (piston, rotary, etc.). The air drawn in by this pump is further divided by the air duct into two flows, in which the dust particles are electrostatically charged positively or negatively. Then, the air flows are combined again, charged dust particles are attracted to each other, merge, decelerate and, flying out of the tinting head, fall onto the supporting surface in the form of coarse-grained, powdery dust, forming on it a quasi-image of such quality that it is enough for the BOP “mouse to function effectively” "

In addition, the proposed pointing device “mouse” may differ in such a design of the tinting head, in which it represents a source (one or more) of heat (or, conversely, cold), for example an infrared emitter (or, for example, a nozzle for throttling compressed gas from balloon to atmosphere) mounted on the underside of the mouse. This source (or sources) of heat / cold heats / cools (periodically or continuously, pointwise or in area) the support surface under the “mouse”, creating a temperature gradient on it or even a complex thermal pattern of several (including overlapping ones) gradients. BOP “mouse” is closed from below with a thin black membrane (attached to the body), on which a film of cholesteric liquid crystal is hung from the inside. The membrane, in contact with the supporting surface, is heated / cooled from it and transfers heat / cold to the liquid crystal layer, actually replacing the supporting surface (for BOP) by it. When heating / cooling a cholesteric liquid crystal film, the thermal image on the supporting surface will be converted to its color image on the film, which may be sufficient for reliable operation of the mouse “BOP”, since the color of the liquid crystal (in reflected light) is the same as the temperature of the heated surface ( i.e. membranes). For the operation of such a converter, a temperature difference of several hundredths of a degree Celsius may well suffice.

In addition, the proposed pointing device “mouse” may differ in such a design of the tinting head, in which it is not a lot of small, thin nozzles, but one (or several differently directed relative to each other) large enough nozzle for throttling from a compressed gas cylinder e.g. air, carbon dioxide, etc. Most of the real gases, as you know, during throttling (i.e. lowering the pressure when exiting through a valve, tap, etc., for example, into the atmosphere) is cooled if their temperature is not particularly high (not higher than 600 degrees Celsius). Throttling is widely used, for example, in cryogenic technology to obtain deep cold, since the temperature drop in this process can be very significant. If you install a cylinder with compressed (and not dangerous for humans) gas inside the mouse’s body and at the right moments release gas through the tinting head in the direction of the working section of the supporting surface (say, through the exhaust valve), then it can be formed on it (due to condensation of water vapor and freezing of water) a thin layer of ice crystals (hoarfrost), which may be enough to create a quasi-image on the supporting surface and reliable operation of the BOP “mouse”.

The technical essence and principle of operation of the proposed pointing device “mouse” are illustrated by the drawing, which schematically depicts the BOP “mouse” and additionally introduced into the design new elements that ensure reliable operation of the “mouse” on any supporting surface.

The proposed pointing device “mouse” consists of a housing inside which a BOP (with LED or laser illumination) is installed, which tracks the change in the image of the supporting surface and mainly includes an LED or low-power laser 1, lens 2 and optical sensor 3, chipset and others usually entering into similar designs, but not important in this case elements. LED or laser 1 is designed to illuminate the supporting surface. Lens 2 focuses the light rays reflected from the support surface on the optical sensor 3, which is, for example, a charge-coupled scanner similar to that of a video camera. The optical sensor 3 monitors the movement of the “mouse” by a human user, recording a change in the image of the supporting surface along which the “mouse” is moved. The hardware of the mouse chipset converts information from the BOP into digital data and transmits it via a wired or wireless interface (for example, PS / 2, USB or 2.4 GHz) to the personal computer to which the mouse is connected. The tinting head 4 (included in the tinting block) is installed inside the “mouse” casing so as to apply (or apply) paint or ink, any liquid or water, etc., coarse-grained dust received from air to the supporting surface, infrared radiation, exhaust gas, and in this case in each case is structurally performed in such a way as to ensure this application most efficiently. Head 4 is connected to the chipset, coordinating the operation of all electrical and electronic components of the “mouse”, powered by electric energy and controlled by its commands (including, if necessary, coming from the computer to which the “mouse” is connected). The infrared emitter 5 is located in the lower part of the “mouse” housing, connects to the chipset, is powered by electric power from it and turns on and off at its command, producing an effective heating (at necessary times and in the right way) of the supporting surface (and irradiation of the phosphor), but, Naturally, without thermal damage to both the “mouse” body and the supporting surface itself. The LED / laser 1 and infrared emitter 5 can, theoretically, be replaced by one part if it is able to operate in two modes at the same time (for example, emit in the visible and infrared ranges alternately). The “parking” of the tinting head 4 can be carried out, for example, by closing (at the command of the chipset) its nozzles (electromagnet, electric motor with a reducer, etc.) with a paint or ink absorbing pad 6, if the head is not used for a certain (set by the chipset ) time. The electrodes 7 are made of a suitable electrically conductive material (for example, stainless steel, metallized plastic or glass, etc.) of such a shape and are placed on the bottom of the “mouse” case so as not to lock through the supporting surface and at the same time provide maximum gas evolution (and the body - and gas distribution) during the electrolysis of water (or any other similar liquid) by the appropriate command from the chipset. The shape and arrangement of the electrodes 7 should not interfere with the operation of the BOP “mouse” (block the light, etc.). Filling the space between the housing, the electrodes 7 and the supporting surface with water can be done using the same tinting head 4, the nozzles of which must spray water until it fills (fragmented or solid) the working area of the supporting surface. The duration of the electrolysis should be sufficient for the formation on the supporting surface of a sharp, clear, clearly distinguishable quasi-image of small gas bubbles. The duct sections that provide positive or negative electrostatic charging of the dust particles moving along them can be made, for example, in the form of curved tubes, so that the centrifugal forces arising from movement around the circumference press the dust particles against the walls of the air ducts made of the corresponding materials (plexiglass, fluoroplastic, ebonite, etc.), and with friction against the walls, they would be charged. A thin black membrane 8 is mounted on the bottom of the “mouse” body so that it is pressed against the supporting surface, but so that direct infrared radiation does not get on it both from the tinting head 4 itself (if it acts as an infrared emitter) and from possible additional sources heat / cold (infrared emitter 5 and others, if any), that is, the design of the housing must perform its effective shielding. It is possible to replenish the supply of compressed gas in the cylinder consumed during throttling by pumping, for example, air with an air pump (reciprocating, rotary, etc. driven by an electric motor or gearmotor) by a command from the “mouse” chipset (developed on the basis of signal, for example, from the gas pressure sensor included in the design) or by replacing the cylinder itself with a new one through a hole (closed by a cover) in the “mouse” case.

The mouse pointing device described above is used as follows.

After turning on the personal computer to which the “mouse” is connected (and, therefore, turning on the “mouse” itself), its operation starts in normal mode. It may happen that at some point in time (and sometimes immediately after switching on), the sharpness, clarity, and visibility of the picture on the supporting surface will deteriorate significantly, which will cause the hardware and software of the mouse chipset to stop (at specified intervals) register changes (magnitude and direction) in successive frames of the image of the supporting surface captured by the BOP. The inability to capture changes in a series of frames of the image of the supporting surface does not allow the “mouse” to continue to function in its normal operating mode and forces its chipset to develop the appropriate command to “refine” (more precisely, additional tinting) the working area of the supporting surface to improve its quality. The “mouse” ceases to transmit to the personal computer to which it is connected, data (or new data) about the movement of the “mouse” cursor, about pressing buttons, etc. and goes into tinting mode. Tinting (or quasi-tinting) of the supporting surface (according to instructions from the chipset) is carried out (depending on one of the design options of the tinting unit and the tinting head 4 included in it): 1), 2) using small drops of paint or ink (including with the addition of a phosphor), any liquid or water (including saturated gas) supplied through a matrix of nozzles in the tinting head 4; 3) using coarse-grained, powdery dust supplied through a special design, a large nozzle in the same tinting head 4; 4) using infrared radiation emitted by the tinting head 4, which is an infrared emitter; 5) using compressed gas discharged from the cylinder, supplied from a sufficiently large nozzle (or nozzles) in the tinting head 4. At the same time (depending on the design of the tinting unit) tinting of the supporting surface may be accompanied by the action (preliminary and / or final) of other elements design (as well as the user), namely: 1) “unzipping” the tinting head 4 (that is, removing the absorbing pad 6 from its nozzles), turning on the infrared emitter 5 (heating the support surface and the radiation luminophore), after tinting - by switching off the infrared emitter 5 (if it is not necessary to irradiate the luminophore further), “parking” the tinting head 4 (by closing its nozzles with an absorbing pad 6); 2) by applying a continuous thin layer of water (or some similar liquid), after quasi-tinting (electrolysis) in one place - by moving the “mouse” relative to the supporting surface (back and forth - left and right) to expand the area covered with bubbles; 3) after quasi-tinting (applying dust) in one place - by moving the “mouse” relative to the supporting surface (back and forth - left-right) to increase the area covered with dust; 4) by turning on the tinting head 4 and, possibly, an infrared emitter 5 (to start heating the supporting surface), moving the “mouse” relative to the supporting surface (back and forth - left-right) to expand the heated area, turning off the tinting head 4 and, possibly, infrared emitter 5 (before cooling of the supporting surface and deterioration of the quality of the thermal pattern), etc .; 5) after quasi-tinting (applying ice crystals) in one place - by moving the “mouse” (with the release of gas) relative to the supporting surface (back and forth - left-right) to increase the area covered by ice crystals (hoarfrost), resume, if necessary, gas into the cylinder until the desired pressure in it. At the end of the tinting / quasi-tinting process (when the sharpness, sharpness, distinguishability of the picture / quasi-picture on the supporting surface is sufficient for reliable operation of the BOP), the “mouse” switches from the tinting mode to its normal operating mode and starts to transfer data about the personal computer to which it is connected moving the “mouse” cursor, about pressing buttons and all other user actions. If the performed tinting process still did not ensure reliable operation of the BOP “mouse” on this supporting surface, then it should obviously be repeated (with other, probably, parameters and several times in a row). The total duration of the repetitions, I think, should not exceed 1-2 minutes, otherwise using the “mouse” will not be convenient. So that the chipset of the “mouse” can distinguish the absence of changes in the series of frames of the image of the supporting surface as a result of deterioration of sharpness, clarity, and distinguishability of the picture, and not because of the immobility of the “mouse” itself (for example, during breaks in work), you can install , for example, a proximity sensor (proximity) of a human user’s hand, giving the chipset a signal about using / not using a “mouse” and, accordingly, providing / preventing its transition to a tinting mode. Materials, sizes, design, functioning parameters (number, size and location of nozzles, volume of a tank or cartridge, characteristics of piezoceramic and heating elements, type and viscosity of paint or ink, frequency, power and mode of generation of infrared radiation, type of phosphor and its irradiator, force and voltage, diameter, length and shape of the ducts, type and thickness of the liquid crystal film, type, volume and pressure of the compressed gas, etc.), etc. body, tinting head 4, infrared emitter (or emitters) 5, absorbing pads 6, electrodes 7, air pump, membrane 8, exhaust valve are selected, of course, at the discretion of the manufacturer, but in such a way as to ensure the effective functioning of the BOP “mouse” in any conditions with the desired absence at the same time of damage to the mouse housing and supporting surface, vibration, noise, as well as unnecessary energy costs (increasing battery life) and consumables (paint, ink, liquid, water, compressed gas) during the operation of the “mouse”.

The invention allows, due to changes and / or improvements in the design of the BOP “mouse”, as a result of which the “mouse” itself can improve the quality of its supporting surface (by tinting or quasi-tinting), to ensure reliable functioning of the “mouse” (and the level of comfort familiar to the user) any (including “problem”) supporting surfaces.

Claims (1)

A pointing device "mouse" for mirrored, transparent and smooth monochrome surfaces, comprising a housing and a chipset located inside it and an optical mouse tracking unit connected to the chipset, characterized in that one or more tinting blocks are installed in / on its housing, containing one or more tinting heads, which are capable of applying an additional image or quasi-image onto the supporting surface on which the mouse is operated upon commands from the chipset, a liquid or water including saturable gas bubbles through the powder dust with the support surface by heat and / or cooling and subsequent transformation of the resulting thermal image color image using a cholesteric liquid crystal, as well as via ice crystals.