Displacement joystick with compression-sensitive sensors

• US 6,285,356 B1
• Filed: 02/19/1999
• Issued: 09/04/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Anascape, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Anascape, Ltd.
• Inventors: Armstrong, Brad A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jankus, Almis R.
• Application Number:
  US09/253,263
• Time in Patent Office: 928 Days
• Field of Search: 345/161, 345/167, 345/158, 338/68
• US Class Current: 345/167
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 2009/04725 with coil spring
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 2009/04762 Force transducer, e.g. strain gauge
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 9/047 the controlling member being movable by hand about orthogonal axes, e.g. joysticks for switches H01H25/04

Abstract

A joystick which utilizes a plurality of individual analog compression-sensitive sensors for detecting direction and magnitude of force applied to an arm. The arm is structured and supported to allow substantial radial displacement outward from a resting to a maximum allowed position. The analog sensors are positioned within a compression applicator moveable to apply compression thereto. Resilient structuring is incorporated as a linkage in the arm or between the arm and a moveable component of the compression applicator to provide, once compressing of a sensor starts, substantial disproportionate movement of the arm relative to the moveable compression component. The resilient structuring includes resistance to further deflection to increase force to a sensor as the arm is further displaced toward the maximum allowed displacement. The arm, resilient member and moveable component of the compression applicator are integrally molded as one piece of plastics in one embodiment.

Claims

1. A physical displacement to electrical manipulation controller, comprising;

at least four separate compression-sensitive variable-conductance sensors, a first two of the separate sensors located on a first axis, a second two of the separate sensors located on a second axis orthogonal to said first axis;

an arm mounted for receiving applied force in a radially displaceable exposed region of said arm and for transferring at least some of the applied force into

a force applicator member for rotating said force applicator member toward and against

at least one of said compression-sensitive variable-conductance sensors at a time;

said sensors positioned between said force applicator member and a backing member so as to be positioned to receive compressive force depending upon the direction of rotation of said force applicator member, said compression-sensitive variable-conductance sensors in electrical circuitry and structured for changing electrical conductance upon received compressive force to provide information indicative of magnitude of received compressive force and of direction of displacement of said arm;

means for preventing radial displacement of said arm outward from a resting position beyond a maximum allowable displacement;

resilient means for providing disproportionately reduced displacement of said force applicator member relative to displacement of said exposed region of said arm, wherein radial displacement of said arm by an amount of degrees results in said force applicator member being rotatably displaced less than said amount of degrees;

said resilient means having an increasing resistance to load such that increasing displacement of said exposed region of said arm results in increasing compressive force applied to said compression-sensitive variable-conductance sensors.

2. A physical displacement to electrical manipulation controller according to claim 1 wherein said force applicator member and said resilient means are formed together as a one piece structure of plastics.

3. A physical displacement to electrical manipulation controller according to claim 2 wherein said arm, said force applicator member and said resilient means are formed together as a one piece molded structure of plastics.

4. A physical displacement to electrical manipulation controller according to claim 3 wherein said plastics is an acetal type plastics.

5. A physical displacement to electrical manipulation controller according to claim 1 wherein said resilient means is a tension spring defining at least a portion of said arm;

and wherein radial displacement of said exposed region of said arm an amount results in said force applicator member being rotatably displaced less than said amount when compressing one of the sensors; and

further wherein said maximum allowable displacement of said arm outward from said resting position is at least 10 degrees.

6. A physical displacement to electrical manipulation controller according to claim 5 wherein said tension spring includes helical coils stacked against one another for providing dampening against vibration.

7. A physical displacement to electrical manipulation controller according to claim 1 wherein said force applicator member is a tiltable plate member extending laterally relative to a lengthwise axis of said arm, and said backing member is a circuit board having proximal circuit elements thereon, wherein said maximum allowable displacement of said arm outward from said resting position is at least 10 degrees.

8. A physical displacement to electrical manipulation controller according to claim 7 wherein said compression-sensitive variable-conductance sensors each comprise

a pair of proximal said circuit elements, and

a compression-sensitive variable-conductance member positioned to contact across the pair of proximal circuit elements of the sensor.

9. A physical displacement to electrical manipulation controller according to claim 8 wherein said force applicator member and said resilient means are formed together as a one piece structure of plastics.

10. A physical displacement to electrical manipulation controller comprising;

an arm mounted for receiving applied force in a radially displaceable exposed region of said arm and for transferring at least some of the applied force into

a force applicator member for rotating said force applicator member toward and against

at least one sensor at a time of a plurality of individual compression-sensitive variable-conductance sensors;

said compression-sensitive variable-conductance sensors each comprising a pair of proximal circuit elements and an associated compression-sensitive variable-conductance member positioned to contact across the associated pair of proximal circuit elements, said sensors in spaced apart relationship to one another for indicating direction of displacement of said exposed region of said arm;

said compression-sensitive variable-conductance sensors positioned between said force applicator member and a backing member so as to be positioned to receive compressive force, said compression-sensitive variable-conductance sensors in electrical circuitry and structured for changing electrical conductance to provide information upon received compressive force and indicative of magnitude of received compressive force;

resilient means for providing disproportionately reduced displacement of said force applicator member relative to displacement of said exposed region of said arm, wherein force applied to said exposed region of said arm can significantly displace said exposed region and result in a disproportionate and lessor amount of displacement of said force applicator member toward said sensors;

said resilient means having an increasing resistance to load such that increasing displacement of said exposed region of said arm results in increasing compressive force applied to a said sensor under compression;

said resilient means comprising a tension spring defining at least a portion of said arm;

said tension spring includes helical coils stacked against one another for providing dampening against vibration;

said arm includes a stem positioned over at least a portion of said tension spring, and an exposed grippable handle attached to said stem and bi-directionally axially rotatable relative to said stem;

means for sensing rotation of said handle including;

two opposing actuator arms rotatably supported on said stem;

a post affixed stationary to said stem and positioned between portions of said actuator arms, said actuator arms linked to one another by a spring member so as to be drawn toward one another;

a pair of compression-sensitive variable-conductance rotation sensors each aiming outward from the other and positioned between opposing jaws of said actuator arms, wherein rotation of said handle in a first direction causes a first of the actuator arms to press against a first of the rotation sensors, and rotation of said handle in a second direction causes a second of the actuator arms to press against a second of the rotation sensors, the first and second rotation sensors structured in combination with electrical circuitry for producing information indicative of the direction of rotation of said handle and magnitude of force applied to said handle to cause rotation;

said controller further including a user settable throttle control comprising an exposed knob connected to an electrical device capable of a constant electrical state, the constant electrical state selectable by rotation of said knob.

11. A physical displacement to electrical manipulation controller comprising:

an arm mounted for receiving applied force in a radially displaceable exposed region of said arm and for transferring at least some of the applied force into

a force applicator member for rotating said force applicator member toward and against

a compression-sensitive variable-conductance sensor positioned between said force applicator member and a backing member so as to receive compressive force thereagainst, said compression-sensitive variable-conductance sensor in electrical circuitry and structured for changing electrical conductance to provide information upon received compressive force and indicative of magnitude of received compressive force;

resilient means for providing disproportionately reduced displacement of said force applicator member relative to displacement of said exposed region of said arm, wherein force applied to said exposed region of said arm can significantly displace said exposed region and result in a disproportionate and lessor amount of displacement of said force applicator member toward said sensor;

said resilient means having an increasing resistance to load such that increasing displacement of said exposed region of said arm results in increasing compressive force applied to said compression-sensitive variable-conductance sensor;

said force applicator member includes an axle connected to axially rotate upon displacement of said exposed region of said arm;

a post affixed to said axle and positioned between two rotatably supported opposing actuator arms;

said resilient means linking said actuator arms to one another and normally drawn inward toward each other;

said backing member positioned between opposing jaws of said actuator arms;

said compression-sensitive variable-conductance sensor positioned between said backing member and one of the opposing jaws of one of the actuator arms;

wherein displacement of said exposed region of said arm axially rotates said axle to rotate said post against one of the opposing actuator arms and rotate the two actuator arms in a like direction so that one of the actuator arms rotates into and compresses said compression-sensitive variable-conductance sensor with said resilient means attenuating the compressing force of the actuator arm rotated into said sensor, whereby displacement of said exposed region of said arm an amount results in the actuator arm rotating less than said amount toward the sensor to be compressed.

12. A physical displacement to electrical manipulation controller, comprising;

a tiltable arm mounted normally in a resting position and substantially tiltably displaceable from the resting position with force applied thereto;

compression applicator means for providing, upon displacement of said tiltable arm, compressive movement for applying compressive force against

a plurality of individual compression-sensitive variable-conductance sensors located in electrical circuitry for providing analog electrical information indicative of direction of displacement of said tiltable arm and magnitude of received compressive force;

resilient means for connecting displacement of said tiltable arm to at least some of the compressive movement of said compression applicator means;

said resilient means further for providing disproportionate and less compressive movement in said compression applicator against said sensor relative to displacement of said tiltable arm, wherein displacement of said arm by an amount of degrees results in said compression applicator means being moved less than said amount of degrees;

said resilient means including means for increasing compressive force against said sensor by said compression applicator means with increasing displacement of said tiltable arm.

13. A physical displacement to electrical manipulation controller according to claim 12 wherein said resilient means forms at least a portion of said tiltable arm.

14. A physical displacement to electrical manipulation controller according to claim 13 wherein said resilient means is a tension spring having stacked abutting helical coils.

15. A physical displacement to electrical manipulation controller according to claim 12 wherein said controller includes a gimbal.

16. A displacement to electrical manipulation multi-axes controller, comprising;

an arm;

means supporting said arm for allowing substantial tilted displacement of said arm from a resting position in at least four directions dependant upon force applied and direction of applied force;

means for limiting said arm to a maximum allowed tilted displacement outward from said resting position;

at least four separate compression-sensitive variable-conductance sensors associated one of the sensors per each of the four directions, each of the compression-sensitive variable-conductance sensors connected in electrical circuitry for providing electrical information indicative of an amount of compressive force received thereagainst;

compression applicator means capable of producing compressive movement for applying compressive force against said sensors upon displacement of said arm;

resilient means connected for linking displacement of said arm to at least some said compressive movement in said compression applicator means;

said resilient means further connected and of a flexible resiliency for providing disproportionate and less compressive movement in said compression applicator relative to displacement of said arm;

wherein displacement of said arm by an amount of degrees results in said compression applicator means being moved less than said amount of degrees.

17. A displacement to electrical manipulation multi-axes controller according to claim 16 wherein said resilient means is a tension spring;

and radial displacement of said arm a given amount results in rotating movement of a member of said compression applicator means less than said given amount in compressive movement toward at least one of said sensors; and

wherein said tension spring has an increasing flexing resistance for providing increasing compressive force in said compression applicator means with increasing displacement of said arm from the resting position; and

further wherein said means for limiting said arm to the maximum allowed tilted displacement outward from said resting position allows up to at least 10 degrees tilted displacement of said arm from said resting position before the maximum allowed tilted displacement is reached, whereby displacement discernable by a human user is provided.

18. A displacement to electrical manipulation multi-axes controller according to claim 16 wherein each of said compression-sensitive variable-conductance sensors comprises a pair of proximal circuit elements, and a compression-sensitive variable-conductance material member positioned to contact across the pair of proximal circuit elements associated therewith.

19. A displacement to electrical manipulation multi-axes controller according to claim 18 wherein the pairs of proximal circuit elements are each located on a circuit board.

20. A displacement to electrical manipulation multi-axes controller according to claim 19 wherein a tension spring defines at least a portion of said arm, said tension spring including helical coils stacked against one another for providing dampening against vibration;

and said circuit board has a microcontroller attached thereto for processing information from said sensors.

21. A displacement to electrical manipulation multi-axes controller according to claim 20 wherein said controller includes a gimbal including an axially rotatable axle connected to axially rotate upon displacement of said arm;

a post affixed to said axle and positioned between two rotatably supported opposing actuator arms, said actuator arms linked together by said tension spring and normally drawn toward one another by said tension spring;

at least two of the compression-sensitive variable-conductance sensors positioned in opposing relationship to one another between opposing surfaces of said actuator arms;

wherein displacement of said arm axially rotates said axle rotating said post into one of the opposing actuator arms and rotating the two actuator arms in a like direction, wherein one of the actuator arms rotates away from the opposing sensors and said tension spring linking the actuator arms rotates the other of the actuator arms to press against one of the opposing sensors.

22. A method of manufacturing a physical displacement to electrical manipulation controller, comprising the steps of:

installing within a housing, a portion of an elongate tiltable arm member, said tiltable arm member normally in a resting position and tiltably displaceable from the resting position with applied force;

a portion of said tiltable arm member positioned exposed to allow application of force thereto;

installing, within said housing, a compression applicator comprising a backing member and a displaceable member displaceable toward said backing member in a compressive movement;

installing, between said backing member and said displaceable member of said compression applicator, a plurality of individual compression-sensitive variable-conductance analog sensors located in electrical circuitry for varying electrical conductance through a range dependant upon compressive force applied to any of the individual analog sensors by compressive movement of said compression applicator;

installing means disproportionately linking displacement of said tiltable arm member to compressive movement of said compression applicator for providing a disproportionate and lessor amount of compressive movement of said compression applicator against any of the individual analog sensors relative to displacement of said tiltable arm member, whereby a user is allowed to displace said arm by an amount of degrees resulting in said compression applicator being moved less than said amount of degrees.

23. A method of manufacturing a physical displacement to electrical manipulation controller according to claim 22 further including installing at least four of the plurality of analog sensors in spaced apart relation with two of the sensors on one axis and the other two of the four sensors on a second axis perpendicular to the first axis within said compression applicator to receive compression therefrom with each sensor located in electrical circuitry capable of indicating which of the sensors is under compression.

24. A method of manufacturing a physical displacement to electrical manipulation controller according to claim 22 further including installing means for limiting said tiltable arm member to a maximum allowed tilted displacement outward from said resting position, wherein said maximum allowed tilted displacement of said arm is at least 10 degrees from said resting position.

25. A method of manufacturing a physical displacement to electrical manipulation controller according to claim 24 further including installing a settable throttle control comprising an exposed knob connected to an electrical device capable of a constant electrical state, the constant electrical state selectable by rotation of said knob, and

installing within said housing electronic processing means for processing the information from said sensors into USB compliant digital data for output from said controller.

26. A physical to electrical manipulation multi-axes controller, comprising;

an arm;

support means supporting said arm for allowing substantial tilted displacement of said arm from a resting position in at least four directions dependant upon force applied and direction of applied force to said arm;

means for limiting said arm to a maximum allowed tilted displacement outward from said resting position;

at least four separate compression-sensitive variable-conductance analog sensors associated one of said analog sensors per each of the four directions, each of said analog sensors for providing electrical information indicative of an amount of compressive force received by the sensor;

compression applicator means capable of producing compressive movement for applying compressive force against said analog sensors upon displacement of said arm;

resilient means interconnecting between said arm and compression applicator means for providing disproportionate and less compressive movement in said compression applicator relative to displacement of said arm during compression of said analog sensors, wherein displacement of said arm by an amount of degrees results in said compression applicator means being moved less than said amount of degrees;

said resilient means having an increasing resistance to load such that increasing displacement of said arm within the allowed tilted displacement results in increasing compressive force applied to said analog sensors.

27. A physical displacement to electrical manipulation controller comprising,

an arm having a first region and a second region, said first region for receiving force, said arm radially displaceable from a resting position with force applied to said first region;

a spring plate attached to said second region of said arm and extending laterally outward relative to a lengthwise axis of said arm, said spring plate supporting

a force applicator member laterally outward from said arm, said second region of said arm, said spring plate and said force applicator member moveable with radial displacement of said first region of said arm for pressing said force applicator member against

a plurality of individual compression sensitive analog sensors in spaced relationship to one another, said analog sensors positioned between said force applicator member and

a backing member so as to be compressed between said force applicator member and said backing member with displacement of the first region of said arm;

said spring plate of a resiliency to flex for allowing a relative large amount of displacement of the first region of said arm relative to movement in said force applicator member, wherein displacement of said arm by an amount of degrees results in said force applicator member being moved less than said amount of degrees.

28. A physical displacement to electrical manipulation controller according to claim 27 further including means for preventing radial displacement of said arm outward from the resting position beyond a maximum allowed displacement.

29. A physical displacement to electrical manipulation controller according to claim 28 wherein the resiliency of said spring plate provides increasing resistance to flexing such that increasing displacement of said arm toward said maximum allowed displacement results in increasing compressive force applied to said analog sensors.

30. A physical displacement to electrical manipulation controller according to claim 29 wherein said spring plate includes convolutions for providing increased material in which the flexing can occur.

31. A physical displacement to electrical manipulation controller according to claim 29 wherein said arm, said spring plate and said force applicator member are integrally molded of plastics as one-piece.

32. A physical displacement to electrical manipulation controller according to claim 31 wherein said spring plate includes annular convolutions concentric to the lengthwise axis of said arm for providing increased material in which the flexing can occur.

33. A physical displacement to electrical manipulation controller according to claim 32 wherein said force applicator member is stiffened edging of said spring plate.

34. A physical displacement to electrical manipulation controller according to claim 33 wherein said force applicator member holds members of said analog sensors, the held members of the analog sensors comprising

compression-sensitive variable-conductance material;

the compression-sensitive variable-conductance material members each positioned adjacent at least one circuit element on a circuit board; and

said plastics of said arm, spring plate and force applicator member is acetal based.