Patents by Inventor James Harlod Lauffenburger

James Harlod Lauffenburger has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Optimization of statistical movement measurement for optical mouse, with particular application to laser-illuminated surfaces
    Patent number: 8405613
    Abstract: A method for measuring relative motion between an illuminated portion of a surface and an optical sensing device comprising a coherent light source and a photodetector device comprising an array of pixels and comparators for extracting motion features. The method includes the steps (a)-(d). Step (a) includes illuminating with the coherent light source the surface portion at a determined flash rate. Step (b) includes detecting, using the array of pixels a speckled light intensity pattern of the illuminated portion of the surface for each flash. Step (c) includes extracting edge direction data of two different types from the detected speckled light intensity patterns. Step (d) includes measuring relative motion between the optical sensing device and the illuminated portion of the surface based on extracted edge direction data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2013
    Assignee: EM Microelectronic-Marin SA
    Inventors: Lawrence Bieber, Michel Willemin, Gil Afriat, James Harlod Lauffenburger, Kevin Scott Buescher