Magnetically sensed user interface devices

• US 10,523,202 B2
• Filed: 08/15/2016
• Issued: 12/31/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seescan, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Seescan, Inc.
• Inventors: Olsson, Mark S., Rutledge, Austin, Heyenbruch, Loni M., Warren, Alexander L., Turgeon, Michael E., Merewether, Ray, Martin, Michael J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rojas, Bernard
• Application Number:
  US15/237,195
• Publication Number:
  US 20170134024A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,233 Days
• Field of Search: 335205-207, 335229, 345156-158, 345161
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 9/047 the controlling member being movable by hand about orthogonal axes, e.g. joysticks for switches H01H25/04
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/169 the I/O peripheral being an integrated pointing device, e.g. trackball in the palm rest area, mini-joystick integrated between keyboard keys, touch pads or touch stripes G06F1/1643 takes precedence; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/00 Input arrangements for transferring data to be processed into a form capable of being handled by the computer; Output arrangements for transferring data from processing unit to output unit, e.g. interface arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0338 with detection of limited linear or angular displacement of an operating part of the device from a neutral position, e.g. isotonic or isometric joysticks
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0362 with detection of 1D translations or rotations of an operating part of the device, e.g. scroll wheels, sliders, knobs, rollers or belts
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 25/04 Operating part movable angularly in more than one plane, e.g. joystick
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 36/02 actuated by movement of a float carrying a magnet
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 9/54 Circuit arrangements not adapted to a particular application of the switching device and for which no provision exists elsewhere
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/97 using a magnetic movable element

Abstract

A user interface device including a floating actuator sub-assembly and a base assembly flexibly coupled to the floating actuator assembly is disclosed. The floating actuator assembly may include a magnet array assembly with a plurality of magnets fixed relative to each other.

Claims

1. A magnetic sensing user interface device (UID), comprising:

a floating actuator assembly including a magnet mounting disk having magnet mounting receptacles and a plurality of magnets mounted within the magnet mounting receptacles, wherein the plurality of magnets are positioned in a substantially fixed, non-deformable array structure relative to each other;

a fixed base assembly including a sensor substrate and a plurality of multi-axis magnetic sensors disposed on the sensor substrate for sensing magnetic fields generated by the plurality of magnets in three orthogonal axes at a compact point in space;

a flexible coupling assembly configured to floatably couple the floating actuator assembly to the base assembly, the flexible coupling assembly includes a plurality of coil springs coupled to the base assembly and oriented perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the floating actuator assembly; and

a limiting piece disposed in the base assembly for limiting an extent of displacement of the floating actuator assembly to prevent over-stressing of the coil springs;

wherein the floating actuator assembly is positioned at an offset of about 5 to 30 degrees from a horizontal orientation relative to the base assembly.

2. The UID of claim 1, wherein the magnets and magnetic sensors are reversed such that the fixed base assembly includes the plurality of magnets and the floating actuator assembly includes the plurality of multi-axis magnetic sensors.

3. The UID of claim 1, further comprising a haptic feedback element disposed in or coupled to the floating actuator assembly to provide tactile feedback to a user.

4. The UID of claim 3, wherein the haptic feedback element is a vibration motor.

5. A magnetic sensing user interface device (UID), comprising:

a floating actuator assembly including a magnet mounting disk having magnet mounting receptacles and a plurality of magnets mounted within the magnet mounting receptacles, wherein the plurality of magnets are positioned in a substantially fixed, non-deformable array structure relative to each other;

a fixed base assembly including a sensor substrate and a plurality of multi-axis magnetic sensors disposed on the sensor substrate for sensing magnetic fields generated by the plurality of magnets in three orthogonal axes at a compact point in space;

a flexible coupling assembly configured to floatably couple the floating actuator assembly to the base assembly, the flexible coupling assembly includes a plurality of coil springs coupled to the base assembly and oriented perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the floating actuator assembly;

a limiting piece disposed in the base assembly for limiting an extent of displacement of the floating actuator assembly to prevent over-stressing of the coil springs;

a deformable actuator assembly including a second plurality of magnets, wherein the second plurality of magnets are disposed in movable positions relative to each other in a deformable magnet array;

a second base assembly including a second plurality of multi-axis magnetic sensors for sensing magnetic fields generated by the second plurality of magnets; and

a processing element;

wherein the processing element is electrically coupled to the plurality of multi-axis magnetic sensors to receive magnetic sensor output signals from ones of the magnetic sensors and generate, based on the magnetic sensor output signals, a UID output signal corresponding to a position or motion of the floating actuator assembly relative to the base assembly; and

wherein the processing element is electrically coupled to the second plurality of multi-axis magnetic sensors to receive second magnetic sensor output signals from ones of the second plurality of magnetic sensors and generate, based on the second magnetic sensor output signals, a second UID output signal corresponding to a deformation of the deformable actuator assembly.

6. The UID of claim 5, wherein the second UID output signal includes vector deformation information associated with a magnitude and a direction of the deformation of the deformable actuator assembly.

7. The UID of claim 5, wherein the floating actuator assembly is positioned in a vertical orientation relative to the base assembly.

8. The UID of claim 5, wherein the floating actuator assembly is positioned in a horizontal orientation relative to the base assembly.

9. A magnetic sensing user interface device (UID), comprising:

a floating actuator assembly including a magnet mounting disk having magnet mounting receptacles and a plurality of magnets mounted within the magnet mounting receptacles, wherein the plurality of magnets are positioned in a substantially fixed, non-deformable array structure relative to each other;

a fixed base assembly including a sensor substrate and a plurality of multi-axis magnetic sensors disposed on the sensor substrate for sensing magnetic fields generated by the plurality of magnets in three orthogonal axes at a compact point in space;

a flexible coupling assembly configured to floatably couple the floating actuator assembly to the base assembly, the flexible coupling assembly includes a plurality of coil springs coupled to the base assembly and oriented perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the floating actuator assembly;

a limiting piece disposed in the base assembly for limiting an extent of displacement of the floating actuator assembly to prevent over-stressing of the coil springs;

a deformable actuator assembly including a second plurality of magnets, wherein the second plurality of magnets are disposed in movable positions relative to each other in a deformable magnet array; and

a second base assembly including a second plurality of multi-axis magnetic sensors for sensing magnetic fields generated by the second plurality of magnets;

wherein the magnets and magnetic sensors are reversed such that the integral base assembly includes the plurality of magnets and second plurality of magnet, the floating actuator assembly includes the plurality of multi-axis magnetic sensors, and the deformable actuator assembly includes the second plurality of multi-axis magnetic sensors.

10. A magnetic sensing user interface device (UID), comprising:

a floating actuator assembly including a first set of three magnets, wherein the first set of three magnets are positioned in a substantially fixed, non-deformable array relative to each other;

a base assembly comprising a circuit board including a first set of three three-axis magnetic sensors for sensing magnetic fields generated by the first set of three magnets in three orthogonal directions;

a flexible coupling assembly including a plurality of coil springs oriented perpendicular to longitudinal axis through the base assembly, wherein the flexible coupling assembly floatably couples the floating actuator assembly to the base assembly;

a deformable actuator assembly including a second set of three magnets, wherein the second set of three magnets are disposed in movable positions relative to each other in a deformable magnet array;

a second base assembly including a second set of three three-axis magnetic sensors for sensing magnetic fields generated by the second set of three magnets in three orthogonal directions; and

a flexible boot to enclose, at least partially, elements of the floating actuator assembly and/or the deformable actuator assembly.

11. The UID of claim 10, further comprising a processing element,

wherein the processing element is electrically coupled to the first set of three three-axis magnetic sensors to receive first set of magnetic sensor output signals from ones of the first set of magnetic sensors and generate, based on the first set of magnetic sensor output signals, a first UID output signal corresponding to a position or motion of the floating actuator assembly relative to the base assembly;

and

wherein the processing element is electrically coupled to the second set of three three-axis magnetic sensors to receive second set of magnetic sensor output signals from ones of the second set of magnetic sensors and generate, based on the second set of magnetic sensor output signals, a second UID output signal corresponding to a deformation of the deformable actuator assembly.

12. A magnetic sensing user interface device (UID), comprising:

a floating actuator assembly including a first plurality of magnets, wherein the first plurality of magnets are positioned in a substantially fixed, non-deformable array structure relative to each other;

a fixed base assembly including a first plurality of multi-axis magnetic sensors for sensing magnetic fields generated by the first plurality of magnets in three orthogonal axes at a compact point in space;

a flexible coupling assembly configured to floatably couple the actuator assembly to the fixed base assembly;

a deformable actuator assembly including a second plurality of magnets, wherein the second plurality of magnets are disposed in movable positions relative to each other in a deformable magnet array;

a second base assembly including a second plurality of multi-axis magnetic sensors for sensing magnetic fields generated by the second plurality of magnets; and

a processing element;

wherein the processing element is electrically coupled to the first plurality of multi-axis magnetic sensors to receive first magnetic sensor output signals from ones of the first plurality of magnetic sensors and generate, based on the first magnetic sensor output signals, a first UID output signal corresponding to a position or motion of the floating actuator assembly relative to the base assembly; and

wherein the processing element is electrically coupled to the second plurality of multi-axis magnetic sensors to receive second magnetic sensor output signals from ones of the second plurality of magnetic sensors and generate, based on the second magnetic sensor output signals, a second UID output signal corresponding to a deformation of the deformable actuator assembly.

13. The UID of claim 12, wherein the second UID output signal includes vector deformation information associated with a magnitude and a direction of the deformation of the deformable actuator assembly.

14. The UID of claim 12, wherein the flexible coupling assembly includes one or more restoration elements to provide restorative forces in response to user manipulation of the floating actuator assembly.

15. The UID of claim 14, wherein the restoration elements include coil springs oriented perpendicular to a longitudinal axis through the base assembly.