Active joystick with optical position sensor

• US 20010038380A1
• Filed: 01/09/2001
• Published: 11/08/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Niall R. Parker, Septimiu E. Salcudean
• Original Assignee: Niall R. Parker, Septimiu E. Salcudean
• Inventors: Parker, Niall R., Salcudean, Septimiu E.
• Granted Patent: US 6,373,466 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/161
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 2009/04759 Light-sensitive detector, e.g. photoelectric
• 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 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0383 Signal control means within the pointing device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0421 by interrupting or reflecting a light beam, e.g. optical touch-screen

Abstract

A joystick composed of a stator formed by an outer cage forming an inner cubic compartment containing an inner cube oriented with its wall spaced from and substantially parallel corresponding wall of the compartment. Opposed magnets are position in cooperating relationship on opposed walls of the compartment and cube and define a gap therebetween. A floater formed by a plurality of flat actuating coils, one positioned in each gap and each thinner than the width of the gap in which it is received. Preferably the ratio of coil thickness to gap width is at least 1:3. Preferably an optical position sensor is used to monitor the relative position of the flotor and stator and is composed of at least one linear light position sensor mounted on one of the stator and flotor and a plurality of planar light beams arranged at an angle to each other on the other of the stator and flotor and directed to the linear light position sensor(s) so that the light beams traverse the linear light position sensor(s).

Claims

1. A joystick structure comprising a stator formed by an outer cage with an internal cube shaped compartment and a cube mounted within said compartment with each cube face of said cube in opposed relation with corresponding face of said compartment, opposing pairs of magnet assemblies one magnet assembly of each opposed pair mounted on a cube face of said cube and the other on a corresponding opposed face of said compartment, each said pair of magnet assemblies defining a gap therebetween, a flotor formed by a plurality of flat actuating coils positioned in fixed spatial relationship with respect to each other with one of said coils in each of said gaps, said magnetic assemblies on three of said cube faces forming a vertex being oriented with their longitudinal axes substantially parallel to the cube diagonals emanating from said vertex, and said assemblies on the remaining three of the cube faces forming an opposite vertex being oriented with their longitudinal axes substantially perpendicular to the cube diagonals emanating from said opposite vertex and each of said coils having its longitudinal axis substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of said pair of magnet assemblies between which it is interposed.

2. A joystick structure as defined in

claim 1

wherein said stator compartment and said cube are arranged with said major diagonal axis substantially vertical.

3. A joystick structure as defined in

claim 1

wherein each said gap has a width d and each said flat actuator coil has a thickness d_c and wherein the ratio of coil thickness d_c to gap width d is at least ⅓

.

4. A joystick structure as defined in

claim 3

wherein said ratio of coil thickness d_c to gap width d is between ⅓

and ½

.

5. A joystick structure as defined in

claim 2

wherein each said gap has a width d and each said flat actuator coil has a thickness d_c and wherein the ratio of coil thickness d_c to gap width d is at least ⅓

6. A joystick structure as defined in

claim 5

wherein said ratio of coil thickness d_c to gap width d is between ⅓

and ½

7. A joystick structure as defined in

claim 1

further comprising an optical position sensor comprising at least one linear light position sensor mounted on one of said stator and said flotor and a plurality planar light beams mounted on the other of said stator and said flotor, said light beams being arranged at an angle to each other, said angle being greater than zero and said light beams traversing said at least one linear light position sensor at a plurality of spaced locations when in a field of operation of said optical position sensor.

8. A joystick structure as defined in

claim 2

further comprising an optical position sensor comprising at least one linear light position sensor mounted on one of said stator and said flotor and a plurality of planar light beams mounted on the other of said stator and said flotor said light beams being arranged at an angle to each other, said angle being greater than zero and said light beams traversing said at least one linear light position sensor at a plurality of spaced locations when in a field of operation of said optical position sensor.

9. A joystick structure as defined in

claim 4

further comprising an optical position sensor comprising at least one linear light position sensor mounted on one of said stator and said flotor and a plurality of planar light beam projectors mounted on the other of said stator and said flotor said light beam projector projecting light beams at an angle to each other, said angle being greater than zero and said light beams traversing said at least one linear light position sensor at a plurality of spaced locations when in a field of operation of said optical position sensor.

10. A joystick structure as defined in

claim 7

wherein said linear light position sensors are mounted in the same plane.

11. A joystick structure as defined in

claim 10

wherein said plurality of light beams comprises two and said two light beams are substantially perpendicular

12. A joystick structure as defined in

claim 10

wherein said at least one linear light position sensor comprises three linear light position sensors and said linear light position sensors are arranged in a plane as sensing triangle and said plurality of light beams comprises three planar light beams arranged to project light along the adjacent faces of a pyramid with the vertex pointing towards said plane and projecting a triangle of light on said plane.

13. A joystick as defined in

claim 12

wherein said sensing triangle is an equilateral triangle.

14. A basic actuator structure comprising a stator formed by a pair of opposed magnets defining a gap therebetween a floater formed by a flat actuator coil interposed in the gap, said gap has a width d and said flat coil has a thickness d_c measured parallel to said width d of said gap and the ratio of coil thickness d_c to gap width d is at least ⅓

(d_c/d≧

⅓

) to provide a larger rattle space without sacrificing force applied between said coil and said pair of opposed magnets.

15. A basic actuator structure as defined in

claim 14

wherein said ratio is between ⅓

and ½

.

16. An optical position sensor comprising at least one linear light position sensor mounted on one of a flotor or a stator and a plurality of planar light beam projectors on the other of the stator and flotor with said planar light beam projectors projecting light beams, said light beams being arranged at an angle to each other, said angle being greater than zero and said light beams traversing said at least one linear light position sensor at a plurality of spaced locations when in a field of operation of said optical position sensor.

17. An optical position sensor as defined in

claim 16

wherein said at least one linear light position sensor comprises a plurality of said linear light position sensors and said linear light position sensors are mounted in the same plane.

18. An optical position sensor as defined in

claim 17

wherein said plurality of light beams comprises two and said two light beams are substantially perpendicular

19. An optical position sensor as defined in

claim 17

wherein said at least one linear light position sensor comprises three linear light position sensors arranged in a plane as a light sensing triangle and said plurality of planar light beams comprises three planar light beams arranged to project light as planar light beams arranged to project light along the adjacent faces of a pyramid with its vertex pointing towards said plane and projecting a triangle of light on said plane.

20. An optical position sensor as defined in

claim 16

wherein said light sensing triangle is an equilateral triangle.