CONTROL DEVICE INTREGRATING TOUCH AND DISPLACEMENT CONTROLS

• US 20160283078A1
• Filed: 03/23/2015
• Published: 09/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
• Original Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
• Inventors: Loiler, Brian, Lin, Qi
• Granted Patent: US 9,904,459 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 2009/04774 with additional switches or sensors on the handle
• 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 3/0338 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 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

System and method of controlling an object via control device having integrated touch and displacement control. An embodiment includes an input device having a control stick with an integrated touch sensor, where the control stick may be displaced to provide control of a first functionality of an object, and a user touch sensed by the integrated touch sensor provides control of a second functionality of the object. Additionally, a method is described for controlling an object using a control device integrating displacement and touch control modes. A motion of the object may be controlled, such that inputs from the control device control a relative movement, an absolute movement, and/or a combination of relative and absolute movement for the object. An embodiment includes a game controller having a control device according to the present disclosure.

Claims

1. An input apparatus, the input apparatus comprising:

a control device configured to provide first signals for control of a first object function based on a user interaction with the control device;

a touch sensor disposed on a surface of the control device, the touch sensor configured to receive a user touch input; and

a touch sensor controller in electrical communication with the touch sensor, the touch sensor controller configured to provide second signals for recording a beginning and an ending of a continuous user interaction with the control device, based on said user touch input.

2. The input apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second signals function to convert the first object function from a first positional aspect to a second positional aspect of the object.

3. The input apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the first positional aspect corresponds to a rate of movement of the object, and wherein the second positional aspect corresponds to an absolute position of the object.

4. The input apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control device comprises a control stick, and further wherein the continuous user interaction comprises an angular deflection of the control stick.

5. The input apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the touch sensor is disposed on a top surface of the control stick.

6. The input apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the user touch sensor is configured to receive at least one of:

a user pressure;

a user sliding contact motion;

a user proximity;

or combinations thereof.

7. The input apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control device comprises a trackball, wherein the trackball is configured to vibrate at the ending of the continuous user interaction.

8. The input apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the touch sensor comprises at least one of:

a capacitive sensor;

a resistive sensor;

an optical sensor;

a pressure sensor;

or a combination thereof.

9. A method of object motion control, the method comprising:

receiving, at a computer processor, a first input signal from a control device, wherein the control device generates the first input signal responsive to a touch received at a touch sensor integrally comprised by the control device, the first input signal indicating a beginning and an ending of a user interaction with the control device;

receiving, at the computer processor, a second input signal from the control device, wherein the control device generates the second input signal responsive to a user interaction with the control device;

determining, by the computer processor, a movement of an object based on a control device configuration and the first and second input signals, wherein said determining comprises;

controlling a first motion aspect of the object by the user interaction with the control device; and

controlling a second motion aspect by the received touch; and

causing, by the computer processor, the determined movement of the object.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the first motion aspect comprises a movement mode of the object corresponding to one of:

a position;

a rate; and

, an acceleration; and

wherein the second motion aspect controls a selection of the movement mode.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein a neutral position is defined for the control device being in a non-displaced rest position, and wherein a displacement region is defined around the neutral position within which displacement of the control device does not cause movement of the object except when the second input signal is received.

12. The method according to claim 9, wherein the object comprises a graphical representation displayed on a graphical display.

13. The method according to claim 9, wherein the touch received at the touch sensor comprises detecting a proximity of a user to the touch sensor.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the detecting the proximity controls a vertical motion of the object.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein the detecting a proximity comprises detecting a change in a surface area of the touch.

16. The method according to claim 9, wherein the control device configuration determines a mode of operation for the control device and for the touch sensor, independently, and wherein the mode of operation comprises controlling at least one of:

a rate of movement;

an acceleration;

an absolute position;

or a combination thereof.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the touch received at the touch sensor controls a selection of the mode of operation for the control device configuration.

18. A game controller, the game controller comprising:

a processor;

a memory operable to store a game controller configuration, the memory communicatively coupled to the processor;

a control device communicatively coupled to the processor, the control device configured for displacement; and

a touch sensor disposed on the control device and communicatively coupled to the processor, the touch sensor configured to sense a user touch thereon;

wherein a user input via a displacement of the control device, a touch sensed by the touch sensor, or a combination thereof, causes the processor to perform a game controller function based upon the user input and the game controller configuration.

19. The game controller according to claim 18, wherein the control device comprises at least one of an analog stick and a trackball, and wherein the touch sensor is integrally comprised by a surface of the at least one of the analog stick and the trackball.

20. The game controller according to claim 18 further comprising a display comprised by the housing and communicatively coupled to the processor.