Operating Apparatus for the Control of a Movement Apparatus and Method

• US 20140024110A1
• Filed: 07/09/2013
• Published: 01/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Eppendorf Se
• Original Assignee: Eppendorf AG
• Inventors: FLUCKE, Christian, KNOFE, Dieter, MAASS, Andreas
• Granted Patent: US 10,086,376 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 435/325
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 13/02 Hand grip control means handles or pedals for crane control B66C13/56; for measuring the force applied to control members G01L5/22; hand-held casings for switching devices, e.g. joy-sticks H01H9/0214
• 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 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0383 Signal control means within the pointing device

Abstract

The invention relates to operating apparatus for the control of a movement apparatus, in particular the movement apparatus of a micromanipulator for the manipulation of biological cells, and a method for the control of the movement apparatus. The operating apparatus comprises an electrical control device and an input device with different input zones, by means of which the movement apparatus can be controlled according to different control rules.

Claims

1. Operating apparatus (1) for the control of a movement apparatus (10), which movement apparatus comprises a moved element (11), in particular the movement apparatus of a micropositioning apparatus, comprising

a) an electrical control device (3) and

b) an input device (2) with an input region (4),

in which a position value that can be changed by the user through the input device (2) can be detected, said value representing the position and/or movement of a movable element (5) that can be located within the input region (4),

wherein the input device (2) generates an electrical signal that depends on the position value and which serves as the input signal (31) for the electrical control device, and wherein the electrical control device (3) generates an output signal (32) which depends on the input signal (31), with which the movement of the movement apparatus can be controlled,

wherein the input region (4) comprises at least a first input zone (41) and a second input zone (42), and the control device is so constructed that

the output signal (32) is generated by the control device (3) according to a first control rule (33) depending on the input signal, when the movable element (5) is located in the first input zone (41),

and the output signal (32) is generated by the control device (3) according to a second control rule (34) depending on the input signal (31), when the movable element (5) is located in the second input zone (42).

2. Operating apparatus according to claim 1 in which the first control rule generates proportional control of the movement of the moved element of the movement apparatus depending on the position value.

3. Operating apparatus according to claim 1 or 2 in which the second control rule generates dynamic control of the movement of the moved element of the movement apparatus depending on the position value.

4. Operating apparatus according to one of the foregoing claims, in which the input region comprises a dead zone (43) as a third input zone, located between the first (41) and the second input zones (42).

5. Operating apparatus according to one of the foregoing claims, in which the input region comprises at least two input zones, in particular this first and this second input zone, which are separated by at least one zone boundary, and in which the operating apparatus comprises a signal device (24, 26) that is constructed in such a way as to indicate to the user a change between at least two of these input zones separated by a zone boundary, when the movable element changes its position in such a way that it passes over this zone boundary.

6. Operating apparatus according to claim 5 in which the signal device is constructed in such a way as to provide the user with a tactile and/or acoustic and/or optical signal when this change occurs.

7. Operating apparatus according to claims 4 and 6 in which the signal device is constructed in such a way as to give the user the signal, in particular the tactile signal, when the change between the dead zone (43) and the second input zone (42) occurs.

8. Operating apparatus according to one of the foregoing claims that comprises an apparatus for force feedback (24, 26) which is constructed in such a way as to oppose the user with a changeable opposing force depending on the position value, when the user changes the position of the movable element.

9. Operating apparatus according to claim 7 or 8, in which the apparatus for force feedback (24, 26) serves as this signal device (24, 26).

10. Operating apparatus according to claim 8 or 9, in which the apparatus for force feedback also serves as reset device (24, 26) in order to return the movable element to an initial position by means of the opposing force.

11. Operating apparatus according to claim 8, 9 or 10, in which the apparatus for force feedback (24, 26) comprises a sliding guide element (26) spring-mounted about a zero position by a spring device (24), said sliding guide element comprising a cutout that serves as a sliding guide, the inner face of which serves as a slide track for the movable element.

12. Operating apparatus according to one of the foregoing claims, in which the input device comprises the movable element which is a joystick lever.

13. Operating apparatus according to claim 2 and any of the other previous claims, wherein the second input zone (42) has at least a first zone segment (W1) and a second zone segment (W2), wherein the first zone segment (W1) is arranged between the first input zone (41) and the second zone segment (W2), wherein the values of the change f of the velocity v(P_rel) with respect to the position value P_rel are lower within W1 than within W2, wherein f can be described to be the derivation of v(P_rel) with respect to P_rel, i.e. f=(d/dP_rel) v(P_rel).

14. Operating apparatus according to claim 2 or 13, and any of the other previous claims, wherein, in the second input zone (42), the dynamic control of the motion of the moved element (11) of the movement apparatus in dependence on the positioning value P_rel is configured such that the change f of the velocity function v(P_rel), which corresponds to the derivation of v(P_rel) with respect to P_rel, is described by f=(d/dP_rel) v(P_rel) and is also a function in dependence on P_rel, wherein f>

0 and, preferably, f is proportional to P_rel.

15. Micropositioning equipment (1, 10) comprising the operating apparatus (1) according to one of claims 1 to 14, and moreover comprising the movement apparatus (10).

18. Use of the equipment according to one of claims 1 to 15, or of the method according to claim 16, for the manipulation of biological cells.

16. Method for the generation of an output signal for the control of a movement apparatus comprising a moved element, in particular the movement apparatus of micropositioning equipment,

in which an electrical signal is generated by the input device, comprising an input region, of operating apparatus, said signal serving as the input signal for an electrical control device of the operating apparatus,

in which an output signal is generated by the electrical control device depending on the input signal, with which the position and/or movement of a movement apparatus can be controlled,

in which this input region comprises a first input zone, where the output signal is generated by the control device according to a first control rule depending on the input signal when the movable element is located in the first input zone,

and comprises a second input zone, where the output signal is generated by the control device according to a second control rule depending on the input signal when the movable element is located in the second input zone.

17. Data carrier carrying computer data which is used by an electrical control device of operating apparatus to execute the method according to claim 16.