Abstract: An ambient light sensor for sensing illuminance of ambient light includes: a photo sensor unit, for sensing ambient light to generate a sensing signal; a reference sensor unit coupled to the photo sensor unit, for generating a reference signal in response to a condition of not sensing the ambient light; and a control circuit, which is coupled to the photo sensor unit and the reference sensor unit for generating an ambient light illuminance signal according to the sensing signal and the reference signal. Each of the photo sensor unit and the reference sensor unit includes at least one illuminance sensor device, wherein the at least one illuminance sensor device of the photo sensor unit and the at least one illuminance sensor device of the reference sensor unit are arranged in common centroid in a circuit layout.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a remote controllable video display system and a controller therefor, wherein positional information is generated by a sensor according to light from a light source. The controller includes a button with a predetermined function, wherein when the button is pressed or released, the status of the button (pressed or released) is outputted but (i) the positional information is not outputted or not processed within a predetermined period of time; or (ii) the positional information is not outputted or not processed when the remote controller has an acceleration larger than a predetermined value. Or, when the button is pressed once, the controller outputs double-click or multiple-click action information.

Abstract: The present invention discloses an optical pointer control system, and a method using in the same system. The system includes: an image display showing a frame having a pointer; a light source generating a light beam; a controller controlling the position of the pointer and including an image sensor receiving the light beam to obtain a image frame having a light spot; and a coordinate transformation processor calculating first coordinates of the light spot in a first coordinate system of the image frame and transferring the first coordinates into second coordinates according to a predetermined second coordinate system; wherein the image display shows the pointer on a corresponding position of the frame according to the second coordinates.

Abstract: The present invention discloses an integrated device with AC to DC conversion function, and an integrated circuit using the device. The integrated circuit comprises: a circuit operating under low DC voltage; and an integrated device with AC to DC conversion function, the device including first, second, third and fourth diodes, wherein the first diode has a cathode coupled to an anode of the second diode at a first node which receives an input of an AC voltage; the third diode has a cathode coupled to an anode of the fourth diode at a second node which receives another input of the AC voltage; the first diode has an anode coupled to an anode of the third diode at a third node which provides a low level of a DC voltage; and the second diode has a cathode coupled to a cathode of the fourth diode at a fourth node which provides a high level of the DC voltage.

Abstract: A displacement estimation method is disclosed which includes: a signal capturing step for capturing a signal; a displacement estimation step for calculating a displacement based on a state change of the signal; and an output step for outputting the displacement, in which the displacement estimation step includes one or more of the steps of (A) consistency check to determine whether the state change of the signal is consistent with the waveform of the signal; (B) period prediction and compensation to count in the present period according to a proportional length of a previous period; and (C) adaptive threshold update to adjust the definition of the state change corresponding to the amplitude of the signal.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a remote controllable video display system and a controller therefor, wherein positional information is generated by a sensor according to light from a light source. The controller includes a button with a predetermined function, wherein when the button is pressed or released, the status of the button (pressed or released) is outputted but (i) the positional information is not outputted or not processed within a predetermined period of time; or (ii) the positional information is not outputted or not processed when the remote controller has an acceleration larger than a predetermined value. Or, when the button is pressed once, the controller outputs double-click or multiple-click action information.

Abstract: The present invention discloses an adaptive de-flicker device and a method for adaptive de-flicker. The device includes: a light sensor for sensing ambient light and generating a corresponding sensed signal; a signal processor coupled to the light sensor, for generating a signal related to a frequency of the ambient light and a feedback signal according to the sensed signal generated by the light sensor; and an automatic gain control circuit coupled to the signal processor, for generating a control signal according to the feedback signal, to adjust the sensed signal by feedback controlling the light sensor, or to adjust the signal related to the frequency of the ambient light by feedback controlling the signal processor.

Abstract: An optical mouse and image capture chip thereof. The image capture chip comprises an image sensor, a calculating logic circuit, and a refreshing logic circuit. The image sensor has a plurality of sensor units, capturing an image according to an exposure parameter to provide a plurality of exposure values. The calculating logic circuit provides an average exposure value by calculating the exposure values. If the exposure sample is within a first exposure range, the refreshing logic circuit maintains the exposure parameter and accordingly drives the image sensor to capture a next image. If the average exposure value is within a second exposure range, the refreshing logic circuit adjusts the exposure parameter with a first exposure extreme and accordingly drives the image sensor to capture a next image.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a motion image data generator, a system using motion image data, and methods relating to the generator and the system. The motion image data generator comprises: a photo sensor for capturing an image and converting it to digital image data; and a motion detection and processing circuit coupled to the photo sensor for comparing two digital image data outputted from the photo sensor to determine whether there is an object moving, and generating a corresponding output. In determining whether there is a movement, an object which keeps moving by a fixed frequency is filtered out.

Abstract: The present invention discloses an integrated device with AC to DC conversion function, and an integrated circuit using the device. The integrated circuit comprises: a circuit operating under low DC voltage; and an integrated device with AC to DC conversion function, the device including first, second, third and fourth diodes, wherein the first diode has a cathode coupled to an anode of the second diode at a first node which receives an input of an AC voltage; the third diode has a cathode coupled to an anode of the fourth diode at a second node which receives another input of the AC voltage; the first diode has an anode coupled to an anode of the third diode at a third node which provides a low level of a DC voltage; and the second diode has a cathode coupled to a cathode of the fourth diode at a fourth node which provides a high level of the DC voltage.

Abstract: The present invention discloses an adaptive de-flicker device and a method for adaptive de-flicker. The device comprises: a light sensor for sensing ambient light and generating a corresponding electric signal; and a signal processor coupled to the light sensor, for obtaining a flicker frequency of the ambient light according to the electric signal generated by the light sensor. Preferably, the adaptive de-flicker device further comprises a clock generator coupled to the signal processor, for generating a clock signal relating to the flicker frequency of the ambient light according to an output signal of the signal processor.

Abstract: A method and device of feature enhancement for digital image processing. A predefined feature in one dimension of the image is searched to obtain several peaks, and each peak is either a local maximum or local minimum. Each peak is enhanced by adding an offset to increase the local maximum or decrease the local minimum. The offset of each peak is computed by calculating the difference between each peak and the preceding peak, then multiplying by a preset ratio.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a photo driver circuit with power saving function and a corresponding method thereof. The photo driver circuit with power saving function comprises: a photo sensor device for sensing light and generating a corresponding photo current; a current amplifier amplifying the photo current; an output control circuit for generating a driver output signal according to the output of the current amplifier; and a power saving control circuit for activating a power saving mode in which the power saving control circuit outputs one or more control signals to shut down one or both of the current amplifier and the output control circuit.

Abstract: A method of estimating image displacement by block matching for a pointing device used in a computer system. The method provided in the present invention comprises capturing digital images sequentially using a photo capture device, obtaining a template frame and a current frame, estimating a predicted velocity vector, and computing the displacement of the image. The efficiency and reliability of block match searching are improved by reducing the search range according to the calculated displacement. The template block can be defined anywhere on the template frame according to the predicted velocity to extend the lifetime of the template frame, and the displacement vector between the template block and the center of the template frame is proportional to the predicted velocity.

Abstract: A method and device of feature enhancement for digital image processing. A predefined feature in one dimension of the image is searched to obtain several peaks, and each peak is either a local maximum or local minimum. Each peak is enhanced by adding an offset to increase the local maximum or decrease the local minimum. The offset of each peak is computed by calculating the difference between each peak and the preceding peak, then multiplying by a preset ratio.

Abstract: A pointing device with a locus smoothing function. The pointing device comprises a locus processing circuit receiving a digitized displacement and executing an accumulation procedure to generate an accumulated value of displacement, wherein when the accumulated value satisfies a preset condition, the accumulated value is output to a processing device for smoothing a locus of a pointer on a display device and a reset procedure is executed to reset the accumulated value.

Abstract: A method of estimating image displacement by block matching for a pointing device used in a computer system. The method provided in the present invention comprises capturing digital images sequentially using a photo capture device, obtaining a template frame and a current frame, estimating a predicted velocity vector, and computing the displacement of the image. The efficiency and reliability of block match searching are improved by reducing the search range according to the calculated displacement. The template block can be defined anywhere on the template frame according to the predicted velocity to extend the lifetime of the template frame, and the displacement vector between the template block and the center of the template frame is proportional to the predicted velocity.

Abstract: A method and device of feature enhancement for digital image processing. A predefined feature in one dimension of the image is searched to obtain several peaks, and each peak is either a local maximum or local minimum. Each peak is enhanced by adding an offset to increase the local maximum or decrease the local minimum. The offset of each peak is computed by calculating the difference between each peak and the preceding peak, then multiplying by a preset ratio.

Abstract: An optical mouse and image capture chip thereof. The image capture chip comprises an image sensor, a calculating logic circuit, and a refreshing logic circuit. The image sensor has a plurality of sensor units, capturing an image according to an exposure parameter to provide a plurality of exposure values. The calculating logic circuit provides an average exposure value by calculating the exposure values. If the exposure sample is within a first exposure range, the refreshing logic circuit maintains the exposure parameter and accordingly drives the image sensor to capture a next image. If the average exposure value is within a second exposure range, the refreshing logic circuit adjusts the exposure parameter with a first exposure extreme and accordingly drives the image sensor to capture a next image.

Abstract: A light control module appropriate for an optical pointing device. The light control module comprises a processing unit outputting a first signal and a second signal, a photo sensor unit executing a capture operation according to an impulse of the first signal, and a light emitting unit executing a light emitting operation according to an impulse of the second signal, wherein when a frequency value of the first signal is less than a first preset value, at least one impulse is inserted between two successive impulses of the second signal for adjusting a frequency value of the second signal such that an equivalent frequency value corresponding to any two successive impulses of the second signal is greater than a second preset value, thus rendering flickers of the light emitting unit imperceptible.