Method and apparatus for locating a pointing elements within a digital image

Abstract

In order to work, the optical mouse device needs to analyze images (usually from a camera feed, but it is not limited to just a camera) which has a single background color. Weather broadcasts often have a blue or green background used as a matte, but the invented optical mouse patent does not require any specific background color.

1 . A method for finding a pointing element within a digital image comprising the steps of: 
 a) receiving a digitized image including a background and an object to be tracked, said background and said object having a different color;    b) defining a rectangle within said image including at least a portion of said object;    c) conducting a search within the defined rectangle starting at a position adjacent a first side of a bottom portion of said rectangle and continuing in a direction towards a second side of said rectangle until said object is located and storing a first x value corresponding thereto;    d) conducting a second search within the defined rectangle starting at a position adjacent said second side of said bottom portion of said rectangle and continuing in a direction towards said first side of said rectangle until said object is located and storing a second x value corresponding thereto;    e) conducting a third search within the defined rectangle starting at a position adjacent a top portion of said rectangle and offset from said first x value and continuing in a direction towards said bottom until said object is located and storing a first y value corresponding thereto;    f) conducting a fourth search within the defined rectangle starting at a position adjacent said top portion of said rectangle and offset from said second x value and continuing in a direction towards said bottom until said object is located and storing a second y value corresponding thereto;    g) conducting a fifth search using the stored first x and second x and first y and second y positions to find a point representing one of a leftmost and a rightmost position of said object and storing x and y coordinates corresponding to said found point.