USER INTERFACE DEVICES, APPARATUS, AND METHODS

• US 20180246584A1
• Filed: 04/27/2017
• Published: 08/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seescan, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Seescan, Inc.
• Inventors: Olsson, Mark S., Martin, Michael J., Merewether, Ray, Canepa, Loni, Rutledge, Austin, Warren, Alexander L., Jessup, Amos H., Jemmott, George L.
• Granted Patent: US 10,788,901 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 3/0346 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

Abstract

User interface devices using magnetic sensing to provide output signals associated with motion and/or deformation of an actuator element of the interface devices are described. The output signals may be provided to an electronic computing system to provide commands, controls, and/or other data or information. In one embodiment, a user interface device may include a plurality of permanent magnets and a plurality of multi-axis magnetic sensors to generate motion and/or deformation signals to be provided to a processing element to generate the output signals.

Claims

1. A magnetically sensed user interface device, comprising:

a spring mechanism;

an actuator element mechanically coupled to the spring mechanism;

a base element mechanically coupled to the spring mechanism;

a processing element; and

a motion sensing apparatus comprising one or more permanent magnets and one or more three-axis magnetic sensor elements for sensing magnetic fields generated by the magnets in multiple-axes at a compact point in space, wherein the motion sensing apparatus is coupled between the actuator element and the base element to magnetically sense a motion of the actuator element and provide, to the processing element, one or more motion signals corresponding to the sensed motion.