Photoelectric digitized joystick

• US 5,558,329 A
• Filed: 03/01/1995
• Issued: 09/24/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: William S.Y. Liu
• Original Assignee: William S.Y. Liu
• Inventors: Liu, William S. Y.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chiu, Raleigh W.
• Application Number:
  US08/396,592
• Time in Patent Office: 573 Days
• Field of Search: 273/148 B, 273/438, 345/156, 345/161, 345/158
• US Class Current: 273/148.00B
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/06 using player-operated means for controlling the position of a specific area display
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/20 Input arrangements for video game devices
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/213 comprising photodetecting means, e.g. cameras, photodiodes or infrared cells A63F13/219, A63F13/655 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/24 Constructional details thereof, e.g. game controllers with detachable joystick handles
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1043 being characterized by constructional details
• 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 3/0383 Signal control means within the pointing device

Abstract

A joystick including two light gratings respectively and fixedly mounted on an X-axle and a Y-axle, which are arranged at right angles to each other are movable by an operating stick. Each light grating has a series of apertures equally spaced along the periphery thereof. A light emitter and receiver assembly is disposed about said apertures in each said light grating to detect movement of the light grating, and a control circuit receiving signals from the light emitter and receiver assemblies provides a variable delay output signal corresponding to the movement of the operating stick.

Claims

1. A joystick comprising:

an operating stick, light gratings fixedly mounted on an X-axle and a Y-axle, said X-axle and Y-axle are substantially arranged at right angles to each other and are movable by said operating stick, each light grating including a series of apertures spaced along a periphery thereof, and light emitter and receiver assemblies, each assembly disposed relative a light grating to cooperate with the apertures of said light grating, and a control circuit adapted for receiving a signal from said light emitter and receiver assemblies to provide a variable delay output corresponding to the movement of the light gratings and thereby said operating stick.

2. The joystick of claim 1 wherein said control circuit is a single-triggering circuit including a time base circuit.

3. The joystick of claim 1, wherein each light emitter and receiver assembly includes a light emitter disposed on one side of the series of apertures of one of the light gratings and a light receiver on the opposite side thereof.

4. The joystick of claim 1, wherein said apertures are equally spaced from leach other by a pitch equal to a width of said apertures.

5. The joystick of claim 1, wherein light gratings are each in the shape of a sector and having an arcuate edge.

6. The joystick of claim 5, wherein said series of apertures are in the vicinity of the arcuate edge of each of the light gratings.