Abstract: A wireless pointing device, a terminal equipment with the same, and a pointing method using the wireless pointing device are disclosed. A disclosed wireless pointing device includes a lighting means, an image acquisition area, an image formation means, a light receiving means, a movement detection means, and a wireless communication means. The subject is the surface of a finger, a lattice pattern or a perceivable pattern. One example wireless pointing device is combined with a fingerprint sensor to collect a user's fingerprint during operation of the pointing device and compare the fingerprint with an existing registered fingerprint without a separate fingerprint authentication procedure.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for operating user interface of a mobile terminal having a pointing device. A mobile terminal having a pointing device comprising: a pointing device generating and transmitting button and motion data by user's manipulation, a control section controlling at least a datum processed by a button data processing section processing button data or a motion data processing section processing motion data transmitted from the pointing device, and an application program interface managing user interface by receiving control data, wherein the user interface environment is reorganized by the control data generated by users' manipulation and an element forming the environment is downloadable.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a micro-optical pointing device suitable for mobile terminals such as a cellular phone and PDA. A disclosed pointing device includes a light source emitting light rays to a subject; a contact member comprising a lattice type or perceivable pattern, which reflects an image of the moving subject; and an automatic transfer device restoring the contact member moved by a finger. The pointing device may further include a flip chip containing an image sensor, which converts the acquired image into an electronic signal, and a circuit for signal processing. The pointing device may include an integrated optical structure comprising a condensing lens, a specular surface, a light output part, and an image-formation lens. The pointing device may include a light guide structure that a parallel light prism lens, an image-formation lens, and a mask for blocking disturbance ray are formed into a single part.

Abstract: A pointing device to operate a portable electronic device using a finger is disclosed. The pointing device comprises a light emitting means for illuminating a subject; a hole through which light from the light emitting means is transmitted; an image-acquisition area for taking an image of the subject from the transmitted light; an image-formation means for forming an image by focusing the light reflected from the image-acquisition area; a conversion means for converting the image formed by the image-formation means into an electric signal; and an operation means for detecting the change of the image and calculating the amount of the change using the electric signal output from the conversion means. The subject is preferably the surface of a finger, a lattice, or any perceivable pattern. The pointing device can be embodied on portable electronic devices such as cellular phones and PDAs because it is small in size.