Method for determining motion using a velocity predictor

A method is provided for determining motion of an optical sensor including a periodic photo-diode array relative to a surface. The method includes steps of (i) generating sets of quasi-sinusoidal signals responsive to motion along first and second directions; (ii) combining the sets of signals to generate a wrapped phase angle value for each direction at a first time; (iii) combining the sets of signals at a second time to generate a second wrapped phase angle value for each direction; (iv) computing wrapped phase angle changes for each direction between the first time and the second time; (v) computing velocity predictors for each direction using corrected average phase angle changes from a number of preceding successive frames; (vi) calculating the number of full 27π rotations needed to unwrap the phase angle changes for each direction using the velocity predictors; and (vii) computing the unwrapped or corrected phase angle changes.