Magnetically sensed user interface devices

• US 9,423,894 B2
• Filed: 12/02/2011
• Issued: 08/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seescan, Inc.
• Original Assignee: SeeSaw Foundation
• Inventors: Olsson, Mark S., Rutledge, Austin, Canepa, Loni M., Warren, Alexander L., Turgeon, Michael E., Merewether, Ray, Martin, Michael J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rojas, Bernard
• Application Number:
  US13/310,670
• Publication Number:
  US 20120306603A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,726 Days
• Field of Search: 335205-207, 335/229, 345156-158, 345/161
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 1/169 the I/O peripheral being an integrated pointing device, e.g. trackball in the palm rest area, mini-joystick integrated between keyboard keys, touch pads or touch stripes G06F1/1643 takes precedence; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/00 Input arrangements for transferring data to be processed into a form capable of being handled by the computer; Output arrangements for transferring data from processing unit to output unit, e.g. interface arrangements
• 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 3/0362 with detection of 1D translations or rotations of an operating part of the device, e.g. scroll wheels, sliders, knobs, rollers or belts
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 25/04 Operating part movable angularly in more than one plane, e.g. joystick
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 36/02 actuated by movement of a float carrying a magnet
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 9/54 Circuit arrangements not adapted to a particular application of the switching device and for which no provision exists elsewhere
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/97 using a magnetic movable element

Abstract

A user interface device including a floating actuator sub-assembly and a base assembly flexibly coupled to the floating actuator assembly is disclosed. The floating actuator assembly may include a magnet array assembly with a plurality of magnets fixed relative to each other. The user interface device may further include a deformable actuator sub-assembly, which may include a magnet array assembly with a plurality of magnets in a movable configuration relative to each other. A base assembly may include multi-axis magnetic sensors corresponding to the magnets in the magnet arrays to sense position of motion of the magnets during user displacements and/or deformation of actuator elements of the user interface device.

Claims

1. A magnetic sensing user interface device (UID), comprising:

a floating actuator assembly including a plurality of magnets, wherein the plurality of magnets are positioned in a substantially fixed, non-deformable array structure relative to each other;

a fixed base assembly including a plurality of multi-axis magnetic sensors configured to sense magnetic fields generated by the plurality of magnets;

a flexible coupling assembly configured to floatably couple the floating actuator assembly to the base assembly;

a deformable actuator assembly including a second plurality of magnets, wherein the second plurality of magnets are disposed in movable positions relative to each other in a deformable magnet array; and

a second base assembly including a second plurality of multi-axis magnetic sensors configured to sense magnetic fields generated by the second plurality of magnets.

2. The UID of claim 1, wherein the second plurality of magnets are coupled to or disposed on or in a deformable actuator element.

3. The UID of claim 1, wherein the first base assembly and the second base assembly comprise an integral base assembly.

4. The UID of claim 3, wherein the floating actuator assembly and the deformable actuator assembly are coupled to form an integral actuator assembly.

5. The UID of claim 1, wherein the flexible coupling assembly comprises a spring assembly, wherein the spring assembly floatably couples the integral actuator assembly to the integral base assembly.

6. The UID of claim 5, wherein the spring assembly comprises a plurality of coil springs disposed in a plane substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the floating actuator assembly.

7. The UID of claim 4, wherein the spring assembly comprises a plurality of coil springs having ends coupled to the integral actuator assembly and the integral base assembly.

8. The UID of claim 7, wherein the plurality of coil springs are metallic springs and a first end of ones of the plurality of coil springs is thermally formed into the integral base assembly and a second end of ones of the plurality of coil springs is thermally formed into the integral actuator assembly.

9. The UID of claim 7, wherein the ends of ones of the plurality of coil springs are thermally formed into a plastic element of the first or the second base assembly and the integral actuator assembly using an inductive heating process.

10. The UID of claim 7, wherein the ends of ones of the plurality of coil springs are thermally bonded onto a plastic element of the floating actuator assembly.

11. The UID of claim 1, further including a dampening element configured to dampen a motion of the floating actuator assembly relative to the first or the second base assembly.

12. The UID of claim 11, wherein the dampening element comprises a boot disposed about the floating actuator assembly and the first base assembly.

13. The UID of claim 12, wherein the boot includes a longitudinal flexing section.

14. The UID of claim 13, wherein the boot further includes a rotational flexing section.

15. The UID of claim 1, further including a haptic feedback element.

16. The UID of claim 15, wherein the haptic feedback element is coupled to or integral with the floating actuator assembly.

17. The UID of claim 16, wherein the haptic feedback element is a vibrator motor.

18. The UID of claim 1, further including a mounting base element.

19. The UID of claim 18, wherein the mounting base element position positions the floating actuator assembly in a substantially vertical orientation relative to a mounting surface.

20. The UID of claim 1, further including a processing element:

wherein the processing element is electrically coupled to the plurality of multi-axis magnetic sensors to receive magnetic sensor output signals from ones of the magnetic sensors and generate, based on the magnetic sensor output signals, a UID output signal corresponding to a position or motion of the floating actuator assembly relative to the base assembly; and

wherein the processing element is electrically coupled to the second plurality of multi-axis magnetic sensors to receive second magnetic sensor output signals from ones of the second plurality of magnetic sensors and generate, based on the second magnetic sensor output signals, a second UID output signal corresponding to a deformation of the deformable actuator assembly.

21. The UID of claim 20, wherein the second UID output signal includes vector deformation information associated with a magnitude and a direction of the deformation of the deformable actuator assembly.