Joystick with membrane sensor
First Claim
1. A joystick for generating directional control signals, said joystick comprising:
- first and second insulating substrates, each of said first and second insulating substrates having a first surface region, said first and second insulating substrates being positioned to place said first surface regions of said first and second substrates in spaced apart substantially parallel relationship with one another;
a first resistor defined by a closed-loop conductive pattern on said first surface region of said first insulating substrate;
first and second electrical conductors, said first and second electrical conductors being in electrical contact with said first resistor at spaced apart locations of said closed-loop conductive pattern that defines said first resistor to partition said closed-loop conductive pattern into first and second electrically parallel resistance paths;
each of said first and second parallel resistance paths of said first resistor extending between said first and second electrical conductors;
a second resistor defined by a closed-loop conductive pattern of substantially the same geometry as the geometry of said closed-loop conductive pattern that defines said first resistor, said second resistor being located on said first surface region of said second insulating substrate and being in spaced apart substantial spatial registration with said first resistor;
third and fourth electrical conductors, said third and fourth electrical conductors being in electrical contact with said second resistor at first and second spaced apart locations of said closed-loop conductive pattern that defines said second resistor to partition said closed-loop conductive pattern into first and second electrically parallel resistance paths;
each of said first and second parallel resistance paths of said second resistor extending between said third and fourth electrical conductors;
a pressure-sensitive resistive material, interposed between said first surfaces of said spaced apart first and second substrates, said pressure-sensitive resistive material exhibiting a resistance value representative of an applied contacting force; and
an actuator positioned for operative interaction with one of said first and second insulating substrates, said actuator being radially deflectable to apply a localized pressure on said one of said first and second insulating substrates;
said localized pressure acting on said pressure sensitive resistive material to establish a resistive signal path at the location of said localized pressure and extending between said first and second resistors, the resistance of said resistive signal path to thereby establish a first resistance value between said first and second conductors of said first resistor and a second resistance value between said third and fourth conductors of said second resistor, said first and second resistance values being representative of the direction of radial deflection of said actuator.
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Abstract
A joystick for generation of directional control signals for computers, video games, remote controllers, and other electronic devices and instrumentation. The present invention comprises a resistive membrane sensor and an actuator for coupling directional forces onto the membrane sensor. The resistive membrane sensor is comprised of two insulating substrates with resistor rings on each substrate, conductive leads, and a pressure-variable resistor. Increasing pressure on the actuator and membrane sensor decreases the resistance of the pressure-variable resistor in series with the resistor rings. An electronic circuit measures the membrane sensor and converts the resistances into the X and Y components of the force vector acting on the joystick. An alternative membrane sensor comprises a resistive ring, a conductive ring, and a pressure-variable resistor.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. A joystick for generating directional control signals, said joystick comprising:
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first and second insulating substrates, each of said first and second insulating substrates having a first surface region, said first and second insulating substrates being positioned to place said first surface regions of said first and second substrates in spaced apart substantially parallel relationship with one another; a first resistor defined by a closed-loop conductive pattern on said first surface region of said first insulating substrate; first and second electrical conductors, said first and second electrical conductors being in electrical contact with said first resistor at spaced apart locations of said closed-loop conductive pattern that defines said first resistor to partition said closed-loop conductive pattern into first and second electrically parallel resistance paths;
each of said first and second parallel resistance paths of said first resistor extending between said first and second electrical conductors;a second resistor defined by a closed-loop conductive pattern of substantially the same geometry as the geometry of said closed-loop conductive pattern that defines said first resistor, said second resistor being located on said first surface region of said second insulating substrate and being in spaced apart substantial spatial registration with said first resistor; third and fourth electrical conductors, said third and fourth electrical conductors being in electrical contact with said second resistor at first and second spaced apart locations of said closed-loop conductive pattern that defines said second resistor to partition said closed-loop conductive pattern into first and second electrically parallel resistance paths;
each of said first and second parallel resistance paths of said second resistor extending between said third and fourth electrical conductors;a pressure-sensitive resistive material, interposed between said first surfaces of said spaced apart first and second substrates, said pressure-sensitive resistive material exhibiting a resistance value representative of an applied contacting force; and an actuator positioned for operative interaction with one of said first and second insulating substrates, said actuator being radially deflectable to apply a localized pressure on said one of said first and second insulating substrates;
said localized pressure acting on said pressure sensitive resistive material to establish a resistive signal path at the location of said localized pressure and extending between said first and second resistors, the resistance of said resistive signal path to thereby establish a first resistance value between said first and second conductors of said first resistor and a second resistance value between said third and fourth conductors of said second resistor, said first and second resistance values being representative of the direction of radial deflection of said actuator. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A joystick for generating directional control signals comprising first and second insulating substrates, said first insulating substrate having a surface region for containment of a resistive element, said second insulating substrate having a surface region for containment of a conductive element, said first and second insulating substrates being in substantially parallel spaced apart juxtaposition with one another with said surface region of said first insulating substrate facing said surface region of said second insulating substrate;
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a first resistor defined by a closed-loop conductive pattern on said surface region of said first insulating substrate; first, second, third and fourth conductors, said first, second, third and fourth conductors electrically connected to spaced apart locations along said closed-loop conductive pattern that defines said first resistor, said first and second conductors partitioning said first resistor into two parallel resistive paths that extend between said first and second conductors, said third and fourth conductors partitioning said first resistor into two resistive paths that extend between said third and fourth conductors; a conductive pattern of relatively low resistivity deposited on said surface of said second insulating substrate, said conductive pattern being of substantially the same geometry as the geometry of said closed-loop conductive pattern that defines said first resistor; a fifth conductor electrically connected to said conductive pattern that is located on said surface of said second insulating substrate; an actuator manually deflectable in a selected direction to establish a resistive signal path between said fifth conductor and a location on said closed-loop conductive pattern that is determined by the direction in which said actuator is deflected; and a pressure-variable resistance material interposed between said first and second substrates, said actuator being radially deflectable to contact one of said first and second substrates, said contact applying a localized pressure on said pressure-variable resistance material to establish said resistive signal path between said fifth conductor and said closed-loop conductive pattern at a resistance value that is representative of the force applied to said actuator. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification