Abstract: A navigation device with dual airflow sensors. The navigation device includes a first sensor to detect a first airflow in response to movement of the navigation device in approximately a first direction. The navigation device includes a second sensor to detect a second airflow in response to movement of the navigation device in approximately a second direction. The navigation device also includes first and second airflow directors which are aligned with the first and second sensors, respectively. Each airflow director includes multiple openings to direct the first and second airflows across the first and second sensors, and to maintain the first and second airflows substantially independent of one another. The navigation device also includes a microcontroller to generate a two dimensional navigation signal based on input signals from the first and second sensors.

Abstract: Optics are utilized in an input device such as a mouse or keyboard, for example, to detect a condition of one or more selection indicators, such as whether a key or button has been depressed or a scroll wheel has been rotated. Depressing a key, clicking a button and/or rotating a scroll wheel cause one or more optical signals to be reflected from the corresponding selection indicator onto an optical detector. The optical detector generates electrical signals in response to the light received by the optical detector. A computational device of the input device processes the electrical signals to determine whether a key or button has been depressed, whether a scroll wheel has been rotated, etc. The corresponding information is then input to a computer that is interfaced with the input device.

Abstract: A light sensor that generates a first output signal indicative of an intensity of light received from a predetermined direction in a first band of wavelengths is disclosed. The light sensor includes a substrate having first and second photodetectors, a first filter layer, and a controller. The photodetectors are sensitive to light in the infrared portion of the optical spectrum as well as to light in the first band of wavelengths, and generate first and second photodetector signals. The first filter layer transmits light in the first band of wavelengths and light in the infrared portion of the optical spectrum while blocking light in a portion of the visible spectrum outside of the first band of wavelengths, without altering light received by the first photodetector. The controller processes the first and second photodetector signals to produce the first output signal that is corrected for infrared in the input light.

Abstract: A lighting device provides a spectrally-shifted light output from a light source. The lighting device includes a semiconductor light emitting device providing a source light and a first thin-film luminescent material layer coating a surface of the semiconductor light emitting device. The first thin-film luminescent material layer includes a luminescent material that emits an emitted light in response to the source light. The first thin-film luminescent material layer has a specific and consistent thickness and specific and consistent density of luminescent particles. The emitted light includes a first luminescent material emitted light when the luminescent material completely absorbs the source light. The emitted light includes a first composite light when the first luminescent material absorbs less than all of the source light. The device may further include a second thin-film luminescent layer coating the first thin-film luminescent layer.

Abstract: An apparatus for optical navigation. The apparatus has a surface comprising an aperture, wherein the surface is configured to be moveable against an illuminated surface having a detectable texture. An optical motion detection circuit is integral to the apparatus and optically coupled to the detectable texture of the display screen. The optical motion detection circuit produces motion signals indicative of motion of the surface relative to the detectable texture of the illuminated surface, wherein the optical motion detection circuit is operable to detect the detectable texture without requiring an integral illumination source.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for generating an output signal that represents light with a desired color profile. A first sensor is provided to receive light and based thereon to generate a first signal with a first color profile. A color sensor is also provided that receives light and based thereon generates a second signal with a second color profile. A signal generation mechanism that is coupled to the first sensor and the color sensor and receives the first signal with a first color profile, receives the second signal with a second color profile, and performs a predetermined operation on the first signal and the second signal to generate the output signal with the desired color profile.

Abstract: Color correction of Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) lighting in response to the color balance of ambient illumination. In response to the color balance of sensed ambient illumination, drive levels of light emitting diodes providing lighting to the LCD are changed.

Abstract: An apparatus including an image sensor is disclosed. The apparatus includes a polarization filter, an image sensor, and a processor connected to the image sensor. The polarization filter is adapted to filter out light polarized in a first direction from a first scene. The image sensor is adapted to capture the filtered light, and the image sensor includes support circuits to convert the captured filtered light to image data. The processor is adapted to process the image data to detect features of the first scene. The polarization filter filters out noise component of the image, thus increasing contrast. In another embodiment, a mosaic polarization filter is used to capture a scene in a first image including light from the scene having first polarity and to capture the scene in a second image including light from the scene having first polarity. The two images can be analyzed to determine various characteristics of the scene.

Abstract: A light-emitting diode (“LED”) device includes a plurality of LEDs. Each LED in the plurality of LEDs is adjacent to at least one other of the plurality of LEDs. At least one of the plurality of LEDs has a radiation with a full-width-half-maximum greater than 50 nm.

Abstract: A light-emitting diode (“LED”) device has an LED chip attached to a substrate. The terminals of the LED chip are electrically coupled to leads of the LED device. Elastomeric encapsulant within a receptacle of the LED device surrounds the LED chip. A second encapsulant is disposed within an aperture of the receptacle on the elastomeric encapsulant.

Abstract: An apparatus such as a wireless telephone is disclosed, the apparatus having a screen with an icon, and an input device for controlling the icon on the screen. The input device includes a sensor adapted to detect movement and a captive disc movably suspended over the sensor, the captive disc having an active surface facing the sensor and the sensor viewing a portion of the active surface. When the captive disc is moved, the sensor detects differing portions of the active surface and determines movement by changes in its view. Because the captive disc is substantially flat, the input device can be relatively small in size compared to input devices of the current art. The smaller size requirement is advantageous for implementing the input device in various devices including the PDAS, wireless communication devices, and other electronic equipment.

Abstract: An optical encoder. The optical encoder includes a coding element, an emitter, and a detector. The coding element has a track with a track pattern. The track pattern includes a plurality of optically distinguishable sections. The plurality of optically distinguishable sections includes a limit switch section. The emitter generates a light signal incident on the track of the coding element. The detector includes a limit switch photodetector positioned to detect the light signal from the emitter. The detector generates a limit switch output signal in response to the detected light signal above a limit switch threshold at the limit switch photodetector. Embodiments of this type of optical encoder implement limit switches into a single track on the coding element.

Abstract: An imaging device and method for producing a flash of light utilizes pulsing of one or more color lights, e.g., red, green and blue lights, emitted from light sources to produce the flash of light. The light sources may include light emitting diode dies configured to generate different color lights.

Abstract: A lens includes a surface that includes a seamless profile. The seamless profile is defined by at least one cubic polynomial function to provide a filtering surface that produces a controlled amount of spherical aberration.

Abstract: A method and system for an optical navigation device configured to generate navigation information through a transparent layer. Specifically, the optical navigation device includes a light source that is configured to illuminate a reflective surface through a layer that is optically transparent to the light source. A sensor is configured to generate navigation information in response to light reflecting off the reflective surface. The sensor is configured with a depth of field to support a distance between the sensor and the reflective surface. A contact sensor is also included to indicate when the optical navigation device is no longer in contact with the transparent layer. The contact sensor allows for skating functionality for the optical navigation device.

Abstract: An optical pointing device includes a light source configured to respond to a drive current to provide at least partially coherent light to illuminate an imaging surface to thereby generate reflected images. A navigation sensor is configured to generate digital images based on the reflected images, and generate movement data based on the digital images that are indicative of relative motion between the imaging surface and the optical pointing device. A light source driver is configured to provide the drive current to the light source. A drive current controller is configured to calibrate the drive current based on selected digital images.

Abstract: A meter for measuring the turbidity of a fluid includes a light source for directing a light beam through a fluid under test towards a reflective surface and a sensor for detecting light reflected from the reflective surface and passing back through the fluid under test. The meter outputs a signal indicative of the turbidity of the fluid under test.

Abstract: An optical navigation device includes an integrated package. The integrated package includes a planar leadframe, a light source die mounted on the leadframe, and a sensor die mounted on the leadframe to be coplanar with the light source die. The integrated package may be mounted at an angle or parallel to a navigation surface. The sensor die may be mounted at a distance from the light source die to detect specular or scattered reflection. The optical navigation device may be devoid of any optical element used to manipulate light generated by the light source die.

Abstract: A light emitting device package and method for making the package utilizes a first leadframe having a first surface and a second leadframe having a second surface that are relatively positioned such that the second surface is at a higher level than the first surface. The light emitting device package includes a light source, e.g., a light emitting diode die, which is mounted on the first surface of the first leadframe and electrically connected to the second surface of the second leadframe.

Abstract: A method and system for tracking attitude of a device includes fixing a two-dimensional array of photosensors to the device and using the array to form a reference frame and a sample frame of images. The fields of view of the sample and reference frames largely overlap, so that there are common imaged features from frame to frame. Sample frames are correlated with the reference frame to detect differences in location of the common features. Based upon detection of correlations of features, an attitudinal signal indicative of pitch, yaw, and/or roll is generated. In the preferred embodiment, the attitudinal signal is used to manipulate a screen cursor of a display system, such as a remote interactive video system (RIVS). However, attitudinal tracking using the invention may be employed in other applications.