Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090140981 | IMAGE SENSOR AND OPTICAL POINTING SYSTEM - Provided is an image sensor and optical pointing system using the same. The image sensor has a plurality of pixels, each pixel including a photocell for receiving light and generating an analog signal having a voltage corresponding to a quantity of the received light, a comparator for, in response to a shutter control signal, comparing the analog signal of the photocell with an analog signal of an adjacent pixel to generate a digital signal for movement calculation, or comparing the analog signal of the photocell with a reference voltage to generate a digital signal for shutter control, and a switch for transferring the digital signal for movement calculation and the digital signal for shutter control in response to a pixel selection signal. The optical pointing system includes a reference voltage generation unit for generating a reference voltage, the image sensor, a signal selector for receiving the digital signal for movement calculation and the digital signal for shutter control, and selecting and outputting one of the digital signal for movement calculation and the digital signal for shutter control in response to a shutter control period selection signal, a movement calculation and shutter control unit for receiving the digital signal for movement calculation to obtain an image of an object and output a movement value of the optical pointing system and the shutter control period selection signal, and receiving the digital signal for shutter control to compare a high-level count value with a maximum count value and a minimum count value and output the shutter control signal. | 06-04-2009 |
20090289171 | OPTICAL POINTING DEVICE - An optical pointing device is provided. The optical pointing device includes an image sensor including a photocell array including a plurality of photocells for sensing light and generating an analog signal corresponding to the light, the image sensor sequentially outputting analog signals from the plurality of photocells, a comparator for comparing the signals output from the image sensor to generate a relative comparative signal, and comparing at least one signal output from the image sensor with a comparative signal to generate an absolute comparative signal, and a controller for outputting motion data using the relative comparative signal and outputting a shutter control signal using the absolute comparative signal. The optical pointing device does not include an A/D converter or a pre-filter circuit, thus reducing a chip size of a semiconductor integrated circuit, unlike a conventional optical pointing device. Furthermore, the optical pointing device can obtain high-quality image data and accordingly accurate motion data of an object, by using the comparator having the offset removal and the offset correction circuit external to the image sensor. Also, the use of the second photocell separate from the image sensor can reduce data computational complexity of the shutter control signal controller in the image processor, thus reducing current consumption in the image processor. | 11-26-2009 |
20100212975 | TOUCH SENSOR AND OPERATING METHOD THEREOF - Provided are a touch sensor and a method of operating the same. The touch sensor includes: a pulse signal generator for generating a pulse signal of which pulse width is calibrated in response to a control code; a pulse signal transmitter for transmitting the pulse signal when a touch object is out of contact with a touch pad and stopping transmitting the pulse signal when the touch object is in contact with the touch pad; a pulse signal detector for detecting the pulse signal transmitted through the pulse signal transmitter; and a controller recognizing a non-contact state and adjusting the control code to calibrate the pulse width of the pulse signal when the pulse signal detector detects the pulse signal. In the above-described configuration, the contact of the touch object with the touch pad can be sensed more precisely, and the occurrence of a malfunction in the touch sensor due to changed operating conditions can be prevented. As a result, the operating reliability of the touch sensor can be enhanced. | 08-26-2010 |
20100225579 | IMAGE SENSOR AND OPTICAL POINTING SYSTEM - Provided is an optical pointing system. The optical pointing system has an image sensing unit for receiving light and generating a plurality of first analog signals corresponding to a quantity of the received light in response to a reset signal and a pixel selection signal, at least one pixel for shutter control for receiving light, each of the pixel for shutter control generates a second analog signal corresponding to a quantity of the received light, a first comparator for comparing voltages of the plurality of first analog signals to generate a first comparison digital signal in response to a shutter control signal, an image processor for receiving the first comparison digital signal to calculate a movement value of the optical pointing system, and a shutter control unit for generating the shutter control signal based on the at least second analog signal. | 09-09-2010 |
20110102353 | TOUCH PANEL APPARATUS AND A METHOD FOR DETECTING A CONTACT POSITION ON THE SAME - A touch panel device and a method for detecting a contact position are provided. The touch panel device includes a touch panel including a first touch pattern, the first touch pattern having a plurality of first touch pads connected in series; and a touch sensor for applying a clock signal to one terminal of the first touch pattern, receiving a first delayed clock signal from the other terminal of the first touch pattern, and generating contact position data corresponding to a contact position of an object using a difference in delay time between the clock signal and the first delayed clock signal. Thus, since the plurality of touch pads are connected in series, the contact position of the entire touch panel can be sensed with only one touch sensor, and the touch pad has a greater area than the connection line for a distinguished difference in resistance between the touch pad and the connection line, such that the contact position can be accurately detected. | 05-05-2011 |
20110156800 | SENSOR, SENSING METHOD THEREOF, AND FILTER THEREFOR - A sensor, a sensing method of the sensor, and a filter of the sensor are provided. The sensor includes a sensing data output unit configured to output sensing data that varies depending on touch or proximity of an object, and a determiner configured to compare a threshold value with the sensing data to recognize touch or proximity, vary a first strength value indicating the sensing data in a state of no touch or no proximity and a second strength value indicating the sensing data in a state of touch or proximity, vary the threshold value using the first and second strength values, and output an output signal indicating touch or proximity. | 06-30-2011 |
20110175626 | PORTABLE DEVICE WITH PROXIMITY SENSORS - A portable device with a proximity sensor is provided. The portable device with a proximity sensor of the present invention includes a shielding plate for shielding impedance applied in a direction opposite to the direction that the proximity sensor detects the proximity such that the proximity sensor is not affected by a change in the surrounding environment and can detect the proximity at the same sensitivity at all times. Moreover, when the portable device is placed upside down on a conductive surface that causes low impedance, a proximity sensor placed adjacent to the conductive surface is deactivated to prevent malfunction. | 07-21-2011 |
20110199327 | TOUCH SENSOR DEVICE - A touch sensor device is provided. The touch sensor device includes a touch panel including a plurality of touch mark-keys indicating a position touched by a touch object, a plurality of first touch pads disposed at positions corresponding to the plurality of touch mark-keys of the touch panel and generating touch information of the touch object as a first electrical signal, a plurality of second touch pads disposed between the plurality of first touch pads and generating touch information of a conductive material on the touch object as a second electrical signal, and a touch sensing unit receiving the first electrical signal, outputting a plurality of sensing signals to allow an electronic device to perform predetermined operations corresponding to the touched touch mark-keys, and determining whether the touch of the touch object is a normal one using the first and second electrical signals. | 08-18-2011 |
20120007832 | TOUCH SENSOR DEVICE - A touch sensor device includes first touch pads, each of which is connected with a first bar-type touch pattern and a second bar-type touch pattern by a plurality of bridges and is disposed in a first direction, the first and second bar-type touch patterns being connected with first and second channels at opposite ends thereof and third and fourth channels at opposite ends thereof respectively, second touch pads, each of which is connected with fifth and sixth channels at opposite ends thereof respectively and is disposed in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and a touch sensor sequentially applying reference signals to the second and fourth channels of the first touch pads, performing resistor-type and capacitor-type touch sensing using resistance and capacitance values varied depending on the touch location of a touch object, and generating touch location data corresponding to the touch location. | 01-12-2012 |
20130134995 | TOUCH SENSOR AND OPERATING METHOD THEREOF - A touch sensor includes: a pulse signal generator for generating a pulse signal of which pulse width is calibrated in response to a control code; a pulse signal transmitter for transmitting the pulse signal when a touch object is out of contact with a touch pad and stopping transmitting the pulse signal when the touch object is in contact with the touch pad; a pulse signal detector for detecting the pulse signal transmitted through the pulse signal transmitter; and a controller recognizing a non-contact state and adjusting the control code to calibrate the pulse width of the pulse signal when the pulse signal detector detects the pulse signal. In the above-described configuration, the contact of the touch object with the touch pad can be sensed more precisely, and the occurrence of a malfunction in the touch sensor due to changed operating conditions can be prevented. | 05-30-2013 |