Method of touch control of an input device and such a device

• US 6,388,655 B1
• Filed: 11/08/1999
• Issued: 05/14/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Wing-Keung Leung
• Original Assignee: Wing-Keung Leung
• Inventors: Leung, Wing-Keung
• Primary Examiner(s): Shalwala, Bipin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kovalick, Vincent E.
• Application Number:
  US09/435,694
• Time in Patent Office: 918 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/157, 345/161, 345/173, 345/174, 341/34
• US Class Current: 345/157
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 1/20 by measuring variations in ohmic resistance of solid materials or of electrically-conductive fluids of piezo-resistive materials G01L1/18; by making use of electrokinetic cells, i.e. liquid-containing cells wherein an electrical potential is produced or varied upon the application of stress
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 5/1627 of strain gauges using piezoresistors G01L5/162
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• 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 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry

Abstract

A touch control input method and a device is disclosed for controlling cursor movement on a computer screen or for controlling object movement of an apparatus such as a machine or a robot. A user-manipulable member having an exterior contact surface of known configuration is provided to sense the motion of a user through the physical contact with the contact surface. User contact on the contact surface is transmitted to a force sensing means disposed between the user-manipulable member and a support. The movement of the user contact on the contact surface are derived from the signals output from the force sensing means. The contact force may be used as a means to determine the object'"'"'s motion and response sensitivity simultaneously, while providing kinesthetic and tactile feedback to the user.

Claims

1. A method of touch control of an input device, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a user manipulable member having a contact surface of known configuration mounted in a support and having a force sensing means operatively connected to said contact surface for sensing user contact with said contact surface;

contacting said contact surface to cause said force sensing means to generate output signals corresponding to said user contact;

using said output signals to provide a relative measure of a tangential force applied to said contact surface by said user contact; and

using said relative measure of said tangential force to control a movement of an object in response to said user contact with said contact surface by using a direction of said tangential force to determine a direction of movement of said object and using a relative magnitude of said tangential force to determine a speed of said object and to modify a gain for controlling said object movement.

2. A method of touch control of an input device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said step of contacting said contact surface generates output signals which are directly related to the magnitude of said tangential force at said contact surface.

3. A method of touch control of an input device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said step of using said output signals further comprises contacting said contact surface with more force to cause said object to move faster and contacting said contact surface with less force to cause said object to move more slowly.

4. A method of touch control of an input device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said step of using said output signals further comprises increasing said gain in response to a more forceful contact with said contact surface whereby a relatively small movement of said user contact generates a relatively large said object movement and reducing said gain in response to a less forceful contact with said contact surface whereby a relatively large movement of said user contact generates a relatively small said object movement.

5. A method of touch control of an input device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said output signals are further modified by a value assigned to said object.

6. A method of touch control of an input device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said contact surface of known configuration is part spherical and said step of contacting said contact surface to cause said force sensing means to generate said output signals corresponding to said user contact further comprises positioning said sensing means to sense said tangential force at positions related to a centre of said part spherical surface.

7. A method of touch control of an input device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said contact surface of known configuration is part planar and said step of contacting said contact surface to cause said force sensing means to generate said output signals corresponding to said user contact further comprises positioning said sensing means to sense forces on a plane parallel to said planar surface.

8. A method of touch control of an input device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said force sensing means is in the form of a integral spoked wheel having instrumented spokes and said step of using said output signals includes providing for three dimensional control over the movement of said object.

9. A method of touch control of an input device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said force sensing means is in the form of an instrumented flat plate and said step of using said output signals includes providing for two dimensional control over the movement of said object.

10. A method of controlling movement of objects through the tough control of input device, said method comprising:

providing a user manipulable member having a contact surface of known configuration supported in a support and having a force sensing means operatively connected to said contact surface for sensing user contact;

positioning said sensing means to provide output signals related to a tangential force generated at said contact surface upon said contact surface being contacted;

manipulating said contact surface to cause said sensing means to produce said output signals; and

using said output signals to effect control of both an object'"'"'s direction movement as well as the sensitivity of response of said object movement to said user contact by using a direction of said tangential force to determine a direction of movement of said object and using a relative magnitude of said tangential force to determine a speed of said object and to modify a gain for controlling said object movement.

11. An ergonomic touch control input device, said device comprising:

a manually manipulable user interface having a contact surface of known configuration;

a support in which said manipulable member is mounted; and

a force sensing means operatively connected to said manipulable member for sensing user contact with said contact surface, said sensing means sensing a force vector applied to said contact surface and isolating a component tangential to said surface, and generating output signals related to said component for use in controlling an object'"'"'s movement and a gain to effect movement control of said object all in response to said user contact.

12. An ergonomic touch control input device as claimed in claim 11 wherein said contact surface is at least part spherical.

13. An ergonomic touch control input device as claimed in claim 12 wherein said part spherical surface is convex.

14. An ergonomic touch control input device as claimed in claim 13 further including a column member extending from said part spherical contact surface section operatively connected to said force sensing means.

15. An ergonomic touch control input device as claimed in claim 14 wherein said force sensing means is in the form of a integral spoked wheel having instrumented spokes for three dimensional control of said object movement.

16. An ergonomic touch control input device as claimed in claim 14 wherein said force sensing means is in the form of a flat plate for two dimensional control of said object movement.

17. An ergonomic touch control input device as claimed in claim 14 wherein said column member extends to a base and ends at a center of said part spherical contact surface.

18. An ergonomic touch control input device as claimed in claim 13 wherein said force sensing means is an instrumented column member attached to a support at a location wherein said location substantially corresponds to a center of a curvature of said spherical surface and said output signals are used to provide two dimensional control of said object movement.

19. An ergonomic touch control input device as claimed in claim 12 wherein said part spherical surface is concave.

20. An ergonomic touch control input device as claimed in claim 12 wherein said force sensing means senses forces at positions corresponding to a center of said part spherical surface, wherein said forces are related to the tangential component applied at said contact surface.

21. An ergonomic touch control input device as claimed in claim 11 wherein said contact surface is at least part planar.

22. An ergonomic touch control input device as claimed in claim 11 wherein said force sensing means senses a direction of said tangential component to be related to a direction of movement of said object, and said sensing means measures a magnitude of said tangential component which is related to a speed of said object movement and said gain for movement control.

23. An ergonomic touch control input device as claimed in claim 22 wherein said output signals are related to said object movement wherein the larger said tangential force the faster a speed of said object movement and the smaller said tangential force the slower a speed of said object movement.

24. An ergonomic touch control input device as claimed in claim 11 wherein said output signals are related to said object movement in a manner such that a more forceful contact increases said gain whereby a relatively small movement of said user contact generates a relatively large object movement and a less forceful contact reduces said gain whereby a relatively large movement of said user contact generates a relatively small object movement.

25. An ergonomic touch control input device as claimed in claim 11 further including a bearing surface for said manually manipulable member.

26. An ergonomic touch control input device as claimed in claim 25 wherein said contact surface is part spherical and said bearing surface is part spherical and is sized and shaped to fit concentrically into said manually manipulable member.

27. An ergonomic touch control input device as claimed in claim 26 further including a friction reducing means between said bearing surface and said manually manipulable member.

28. An ergonomic touch control input device as claimed in claim 26 wherein said friction reducing means comprises at least in part using a low friction material at an interface between said bearing surface and said manually manipulable member.

29. An ergonomic touch controlled input device, said device comprising:

a manually manipulable member having a contact surface of known configuration for a user to touch;

a support structure for said member;

an instrumentation means operatively connected to the support to measure the direction and a magnitude of a tangential component of a user contact force with said contact surface;

wherein said instrumentation means generates output signals to control the movement of an object in accordance with the movement of said touch on said contact surface and further provides output signals that are related to said magnitude of force being exerted by the user on said contact surface to control the response sensitivity of said object movement to said user contact.