Optical Mouse Image Quality Improvement via Brightness Classification

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional optical mice with glass surfaces are prone to image quality degradation due to fixed patterns caused by scratches or dirt, which can bias motion and reduce image quality.

Innovation Solution

A computer-readable recording medium storing a program that classifies image data units into normal and abnormal units based on brightness values and adjusts abnormal units' brightness to reduce differences with normal units, thereby mitigating the impact of fixed patterns on optical navigation devices.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a glass surface is used to protect the image sensor, then the image sensor is protected from damage and pollution, but fixed patterns are introduced that can bias optical mouse motion and cause unwanted motion

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveimage sensor protectionVSAvoidmotion detection accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the image data into multiple data units and further classifies them into normal and abnormal data units based on brightness value analysis. This segmentation allows the system to identify and handle fixed pattern noise separately from actual motion information, resolving the contradiction between maintaining sensor protection and ensuring motion detection accuracy

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent extracts abnormal data units representing fixed patterns from the overall image data through classification based on brightness relations. By separating these fixed pattern components from normal data, the system can compensate for their effect while preserving the protective glass surface, thus maintaining both reliability and measurement precision

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Reliability

If the fixed pattern on the glass surface is strong, then the glass surface provides sufficient protection, but it biases the optical mouse motion along the fixed pattern causing unwanted motion

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveglass surface protectionVSAvoidfixed pattern bias

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent converts the harmful fixed pattern information into useful data by classifying abnormal data units based on their brightness characteristics. The system uses the fixed pattern's consistent brightness properties to identify and compensate for its effect, transforming a harmful bias into a detectable and correctable feature that preserves both protection and motion accuracy

Inventive Principle:

Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

Data Source

PatentUS11734912B2Computer readable recording medium which can be used to perform image quality improvement method and optical navigation method

Publication Date: 2023.08.22 PIXART IMAGING INC

AI summary

A computer readable recording medium storing at least one program, wherein an image quality improvement method is performed when the program is executed. The image quality improvement method comprising: (a) classifying data units of a target image to normal data units and abnormal data units based on relations between brightness values of the data units and a classification parameter, wherein the classification parameter is related with an image quality of the target image or the brightness values of the data units; and (b) adjusting the brightness values of the abnormal data units based on an adjusting parameter to generate adjusted brightness values, such that differences between the adjusted brightness values and the brightness values of the normal data units are reduced. An optical navigation method using the image quality improvement method is also disclosed.