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Optical Mouse Saves Space in Cellphones

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the look-at-my-tiny-pointer dept.

Chris writes "Researchers at Philips have integrated a space-saving optical mouse into a mobile phone for the first time. Dutch researchers at the Philips Center for Industrial Technology have developed a compact, optical interface for portable electronic equipment. The team says that its new input gadget can be easily integrated in cellphones, laptops and PDAs, providing an space-efficient alternative to a mechanical trackball or touch-pad for example. The device is made up of a low-power red laser diode and a detector placed beneath a lens. Light from the 650 nm laser is focused on an object, such as a fingertip, creating an external cavity. It is not necessary to touch the lens. A small portion of this light is then reflected back and mixes with the light within the internal laser cavity."

20 of 114 comments (clear)

  1. er... by awx · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Since when has a mobile phone needed a trackpad/mechanical trackball anyway? We all seem to get along fine with up and down buttons...

    Disclaimer: i live in the UK where we have decent networks and handsets. Go Nokia 7110, go!

    --
    Feel that power? That's mah MOUSING FINGER
  2. Just what we need by adamy · · Score: 3, Interesting

    More reliance on mice and pointing technologies.
    Since it won't work as awell as a stylus (Hardwriting recognition) And you don't have as much room to find things as a nortmal 17" Screen, I'd have to wonder at the usefullness.

    Cool points for using a laser, though.

    --
    Open Source Identity Management: FreeIPA.org
  3. Reminds me... by ultramk · · Score: 4, Funny

    of this incredibly lame-looking thing.

    -m

    --
    You catch enchiladas by picking them up behind the head and holding them underwater until they don't kick anymore -VeGas
  4. No moving parts - very nice! by mellon · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Being one of those jerks who talks on my cell phone a fair amount (I do try to be considerate, honest!) I have to say that reducing the number of moving parts in the phone sounds like a wonderful idea. My biggest problem with cell phones is how flimsy they are, and how quickly parts of them wear out. if this improves the MTBF for the phone, I say bring it on!

  5. Why... by Carik · · Score: 5, Insightful

    ...does anyone need a MOUSE (or any pointint device!) on their cellphone? Frankly, I don't use much more than the number keys and the "start call" button. I honestly can't imagine why anyone would WANT to use their phone for something else. If I want to play games, I go find a computer or a console - or a deck of cards!

    1. Re:Why... by Rob+Parkhill · · Score: 5, Insightful

      I had a nice Sony phone with a scroll-wheel/button on the side. It was sweet for scrolling through menus, phone numbers, etc. Very nice.

      Problem is, this mechanical bit was the first thing to die. I had a couple of these phones, and friends with these phones, and the scroll-wheel was almost always broken or flakey.

      An optical version of this, with no moving parts to wear out, would be a nice feature. And since you are not limited to one-dimensional movement as you are with a scroll wheel, new navigational ideas are possible (how about the entire alphabet on the screen, you just mouse over the the letter you want and tap, and it jumps to that letter in your phone book. I'm sure others can come up with better ideas.)

      And, of course, when DOOM is ported to a nice J2ME enabled phone, you're going to need something better than the keypad...

      --
      "Tomorrow's forecast: a few sprinkles of genius with a chance of doom!" - Stewie Griffin
    2. Re:Why... by Ben+Hutchings · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Any pointing device is called a mouse these days, whether or not it's much like a mouse, as the average luser doesn't know what "pointing device" means.

      On a phone it's useful to be able to move through menus, text fields, and hypertext pages (WML or similar) quickly and fluidly. A roller only covers one axis; a small joystick covers both but can't be miniaturised that far; something like this could be ideal.

  6. hmm by Kalewa · · Score: 3, Funny

    When I first read the headline I was invisioning this optical sensor in the back of a phone and you'd move the phone around on a desk to move the pointer. Now that would be funny to watch in a restaurant.

  7. Re:CellPhone 2003 -- now even MORE Annoying! by YanceyAI · · Score: 5, Funny

    Heh. But seriously, imagine the jerk driving, talking on his cell, and trying to figure out how the new mouse-optical-thingy works.

    --
    Can I bum a sig?
  8. Of course, if this was a Mac ... by burgburgburg · · Score: 5, Funny

    Somebody would complain because it didn't have three buttons.

  9. This is getting complicated... by dmarien · · Score: 5, Funny

    So I have a tooth cell phone, that has an optical laser pointing device, and built in cameras?

    shesh, I dont think anyone needs live feeds of me operating my laser controlled cell phone with my tongue all while making plans for which pubs we'll be visiting that evening. that's too 'geek' for me... but it would be hillarious!

    --
    dmarien
  10. haven't you seen the Palm based phones? by SpiceWare · · Score: 3, Insightful

    such as Samsung SPH-I300? A pointer device could be useful to keep all those fingerprints off the touch screen :-)

  11. Scraping things across holes... by Jon+Howard · · Score: 4, Insightful

    ..especially oily fingertips, will eventually lead to nasty build-up partially obscuring the cavity.

    I hope they put a little glass window over these rather than leaving it exposed like the bottom of my optical mouse - human hands are just too oily for this kind of thing, especially those of us who are less sanitary than my OCD-laden self. ;)

    1. Re:Scraping things across holes... by Ctrl-Z · · Score: 4, Funny

      "I hope they put a little glass window over these rather than leaving it exposed like the bottom of my optical mouse - human hands are just too oily for this kind of thing..."

      Uh, dude, I think you're using your mouse upside down. The optical sensor is supposed to be on the bottom of the mouse.

      --
      www.timcoleman.com is a total waste of your time. Never go there.
  12. If only they'd up the power on that laser by Sagarian · · Score: 4, Funny

    Now a combination death ray and cell phone -- THAT would be something!

  13. Imagine the possibilities!!! by delphin42 · · Score: 4, Funny

    With an optical mouse and web access, how long will it be before I can punch the monkey and win on my cellphone?

    --
    -- Adam
  14. The hillarity of combo devices... by Navius+Eurisko · · Score: 4, Funny

    Is it just me or did anyone else envision a businessman rubbing a cellphone back and forth on the side of his head to use their laptops while talking on the phone? :)

  15. Not in *this* world by TrumpetPower! · · Score: 3, Funny

    "The demonstrators were sized some 15 x 10 x 8 mm^3," says Duijve.

    That's what, 1200 mm^27? I don't know about you, but I have problems with just four spatial dimensions, and they expect us to do this with 27?

    "Within Philips, technology is available to integrate the device down to a few mm^3."

    I'll wait for this Euclidian version, thankyouverymuch.

    b&

    --
    All but God can prove this sentence true.
    1. Re:Not in *this* world by Ben+Hutchings · · Score: 3, Informative

      Where did you pull those extra dimensions from? This is a perfectly correct (though unusual) way of writing the dimensions 15mm * 10mm * 8mm.

  16. Dear Sirs, by mekkab · · Score: 4, Funny

    The other day when I was forced to surf the web on my phone since my wireless PDA was being used to open a bottle of Corona Extra (la cerveza mas fina) I came upon your idea on slashdot where you proposed a spider-web launching add on. Needless to say, I was shocked! So once the beer was opened I used my Handspring PDA as a telephone and called my VC buddy immediately (though he didn't answer- after he installed that Golf Tee extension to his Nokia we can't get him off the links!)

    Nonetheless I know he would be interested in funding such a usefull gizmo as he has a successful track record of supporting innovation.

    If you are interested I can use my wristwatch to take a digital picture of the contract and fax it to your blue tooth enabled microwave ASAP.

    Things are heating up!

    Mekka Berzerkor, C.E.O.

    --
    In the future, I would want to not be isolated from my friends in the Space Station.