阅读说明：本技术 感应式操纵杆 (Induction type operating lever ) 是由 吉帕玛·古里洛二世 于 2019-01-31 设计创作，主要内容包括：一种感应式操纵杆可包括：控制结构,包括可沿着大体上垂直于其长度的至少一个方向移动的细长部件；及位置感测总成,包括具有邻近控制结构布置的至少一个表面的印刷电路板及布置于至少一个表面上的至少一个金属刻度盘。所述至少一个表面可大体上平行于细长部件的长度且平行于至少一个方向,且可具备至少一个传输器线圈及至少一个接收器线圈。在使用中,传输器线圈可诱发接收器线圈中的信号,且金属刻度盘可干扰感应。移动细长部件可引起表面与金属刻度盘之间的相对移动,此可基于金属刻度盘的位置变化经诱发的信号。(An inductive joystick may include: a control structure comprising an elongate member movable in at least one direction substantially perpendicular to its length; and a position sensing assembly including a printed circuit board having at least one surface disposed adjacent the control structure and at least one metallic dial disposed on the at least one surface. The at least one surface may be substantially parallel to the length of the elongated member and to at least one direction, and may be provided with at least one transmitter coil and at least one receiver coil. In use, the transmitter coil may induce a signal in the receiver coil, and the metal dial may interfere with induction. Moving the elongated member may cause relative movement between the surface and the metal dial, which may be based on a signal induced by a change in position of the metal dial.)

1. An inductive joystick comprising:

a control structure comprising an elongate member movable in at least one direction substantially perpendicular to the length of the elongate member; and

a position sensing assembly comprising:

a printed circuit board having at least one surface disposed adjacent to the control structure, wherein the at least one surface is substantially parallel to the length of the elongated member and parallel to the at least one direction; and

at least one metallic scale disposed on the at least one surface;

wherein the control structure is coupled with the position sensing assembly such that movement of the elongated member in the at least one direction causes relative movement between the at least one surface and the at least one metal dial;

wherein the at least one surface of the printed circuit board has at least one transmitter coil and at least one receiver coil, and wherein the at least one transmitter coil is configured to induce at least one signal in the at least one receiver coil, and the at least one metal dial is configured to interfere with the induction of the at least one signal such that relative movement between the at least one surface and the at least one metal dial varies the at least one signal induced based on a position of the at least one metal dial.

2. The inductive joystick of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of electrical components, and wherein the printed circuit board further comprises at least one extension member extending from the at least one surface to hold the plurality of electrical components.

3. The inductive joystick of claim 2, wherein the at least one extension member is substantially perpendicular to the at least one surface.

4. The induction joystick of claim 1, wherein the at least one metal dial is connected to the control structure such that movement of the elongated member in the at least one direction causes movement of the at least one metal dial on the at least one surface.

5. The induction joystick of claim 1, wherein the at least one metal dial comprises:

a base portion connected to the control structure; and

an elongate element extending from the base portion;

wherein movement of the elongated member in the at least one direction causes rotation of the base portion to move the elongated element over the at least one transmitter coil and the at least one receiver coil.

6. The induction joystick of claim 1, further comprising at least one plastic pin connecting the at least one metal dial to the control structure.

7. The induction joystick of claim 1, wherein the control structure further comprises a shaft configured to rotate about an axis substantially perpendicular to the at least one direction upon movement of the elongated member in the at least one direction, and wherein the at least one metal dial is connected to the shaft.

8. The inductive joystick of claim 1, further comprising a support structure surrounding the control structure, and wherein the printed circuit board is connected to the support structure.

9. The inductive joystick of claim 8, further comprising a stiffening member connected between the printed circuit board and the support structure.

10. The inductive joystick of claim 1, further comprising a base to which the elongated member is coupled, and wherein the base is disposed at a level substantially in the middle of the at least one surface.

11. The inductive joystick of claim 1, wherein the at least one transmitter coil comprises at least four turns.

12. The inductive joystick of claim 1, wherein the at least one receiver coil comprises a sine coil and a cosine coil.

13. The inductive joystick of claim 1, wherein the at least one metal dial is movable between a first position and a second position, and wherein the inductive joystick further comprises a processing unit configured to process the at least one signal induced to determine a position of the at least one metal dial based on a predetermined mapping, wherein the predetermined mapping indicates that the position is between the first position and the second position.

14. The inductive joystick of claim 1, further comprising an intermediate switch connected to a base of the inductive joystick.

15. The induction joystick of claim 1, wherein the elongated member is movable in a first direction and a second direction, wherein the at least one surface comprises a first surface and a second surface, the first surface and the second surface coupled to enclose at least a portion of the control structure, and wherein the at least one metal dial comprises a first metal dial arranged over the first surface and a second metal dial arranged over the second surface.

16. The inductive joystick of claim 15, wherein the printed circuit board includes a connecting member connecting the first surface and the second surface.

17. The inductive joystick of claim 15, wherein the printed circuit board comprises a flex cable.

18. An inductive joystick comprising:

a control structure comprising an elongated member movable along a first direction and a second direction, wherein the first direction and the second direction are substantially perpendicular to a length of the elongated member; and

a position sensing assembly comprising:

a printed circuit board having a first surface and a second surface arranged adjacent to the control structure, wherein the first surface and the second surface are substantially parallel to the length of the elongated member and parallel to the first direction and the second direction, respectively, and wherein the first surface and the second surface are coupled such that the printed circuit board surrounds at least a portion of the control structure;

a first metallic dial disposed over the first surface; and

a second metal dial disposed over the second surface;

wherein each of the first and second surfaces has at least one transmitter coil and at least one receiver coil;

wherein the control structure is coupled with the position sensing assembly such that movement of the elongated member in the first direction or the second direction causes relative movement between the surface parallel to the direction and the metal dial disposed on the surface; and is

Wherein for each of the first and second surfaces, the at least one transmitter coil is configured to induce at least one signal in the at least one receiver coil, and at least one of the metal dials is configured to interfere with the induction of the at least one signal such that relative movement between the surface and the metal dial changes the at least one induced signal based on a position of the metal dial.

19. The inductive joystick of claim 18, further comprising a plurality of electrical components, and wherein the printed circuit board further comprises at least one extension member extending from at least one of the first surface and the second surface to retain the plurality of electrical components.

20. The induction joystick of claim 19, wherein the at least one extension member is substantially perpendicular to a surface from which the at least one extension member protrudes.

21. The induction joystick of claim 18, wherein the first and second metal dials are connected to the control structure such that movement of the elongated member in the first direction causes the first metal dial to move over the first surface and movement of the elongated member in the second direction causes the second metal dial to move over the second surface.

22. The induction joystick of claim 18, wherein each of the first and second metal dials comprises:

a base portion connected to the control structure; and

an elongate element extending from the base portion;

wherein movement of the elongated member along the first direction causes rotation of the base portion of the first metal dial disposed above the first surface to move the elongated element of the first metal dial over the at least one transmitter coil and the at least one receiver coil of the first surface, and movement of the elongated member along the second direction causes rotation of the base portion of the second metal dial disposed above the second surface to move the elongated element of the second metal dial over the at least one transmitter coil and the at least one receiver coil of the second surface.

23. The induction joystick of claim 18, further comprising a plastic pin connecting the first metal dial and the second metal dial to the control structure.

24. The induction joystick of claim 18, wherein the control structure further comprises first and second shafts configured to rotate about first and second axes, respectively, wherein the first and second axes are substantially perpendicular to the first and second directions, respectively, and wherein the first and second metal dials are connected to the first and second shafts, respectively.

25. The inductive joystick of claim 18, further comprising a support structure surrounding the control structure, and wherein the printed circuit board is connected to the support structure.

26. The inductive joystick of claim 25, further comprising a stiffening member connected between the printed circuit board and the support structure.

27. The inductive joystick of claim 18, further comprising a base to which the elongated member is coupled, and wherein the base is arranged at a level substantially intermediate the first surface and the second surface.

28. The inductive joystick of claim 18, wherein the at least one transmitter coil of each of the first and second surfaces comprises at least four turns.

29. The inductive joystick of claim 18, wherein the at least one receiver coil of each of the first and second surfaces comprises a sine coil and a cosine coil.

30. The inductive joystick of claim 18, wherein each of the first and second metal dials is movable between a first position and a second position, and wherein the inductive joystick further comprises a processing unit configured to process the at least one signal induced for each surface to determine a position of the metal dial on the surface based on a predetermined map, wherein the predetermined map indicates the position is placed between the first and second positions.

31. The inductive joystick of claim 18, further comprising an intermediate switch connected to a base of the inductive joystick.

32. The inductive joystick of claim 18, wherein the printed circuit board includes a connecting member connecting the first surface and the second surface.

33. The inductive joystick of claim 18, wherein the printed circuit board comprises a flex cable.

34. An inductive joystick comprising:

a control structure comprising an elongate member movable in at least one direction substantially perpendicular to the length of the elongate member; and

a position sensing assembly comprising:

a printed circuit board having at least one surface disposed adjacent to the control structure, wherein the at least one surface is substantially parallel to the length of the elongated member and parallel to the at least one direction; and

at least one metallic scale disposed on the at least one surface;

wherein the at least one metal dial is connected to the control structure such that movement of the elongated member in the at least one direction causes the at least one metal dial to move over the at least one surface; and is

Wherein the at least one surface of the printed circuit board has at least one transmitter coil and at least one receiver coil, and wherein the at least one transmitter coil is configured to induce at least one signal in the at least one receiver coil, and the at least one metal dial is configured to interfere with the induction of the at least one signal such that movement of the at least one metal dial over the at least one surface varies the at least one signal induced based on a position of the at least one metal dial.

35. The inductive joystick of claim 34, further comprising a plurality of electrical components, and wherein the printed circuit board further comprises at least one extension member extending from the at least one surface to hold the plurality of electrical components.

36. The inductive joystick of claim 35, wherein the at least one extension member is substantially perpendicular to the at least one surface.

37. The induction joystick of claim 34, wherein said at least one metal dial comprises:

a base portion connected to the control structure; and

an elongate element extending from the base portion;

wherein movement of the elongate member in the at least one direction causes the base portion to rotate to move the elongate element over the at least one transmitter coil and the at least one receiver coil.

38. The induction joystick of claim 34, further comprising at least one plastic pin connecting the at least one metal dial to the control structure.

39. The induction joystick of claim 34, wherein the control structure further comprises a shaft configured to rotate about an axis substantially perpendicular to the at least one direction upon movement of the elongated member in the at least one direction, and wherein the at least one metal dial is connected to the shaft.

40. The inductive joystick of claim 34, further comprising a support structure surrounding the control structure, and wherein the printed circuit board is connected to the support structure.

41. The inductive joystick of claim 40, further comprising a reinforcement member connected between the printed circuit board and the support structure.

42. The inductive joystick of claim 34, further comprising a base to which the elongated member is coupled, and wherein the base is disposed at a level substantially in the middle of the at least one surface.

43. The inductive joystick of claim 34, wherein the at least one transmitter coil comprises at least four turns.

44. The inductive joystick of claim 34, wherein the at least one receiver coil comprises a sine coil and a cosine coil.

45. The inductive joystick of claim 34, wherein the at least one metal dial is movable between a first position and a second position, and wherein the inductive joystick further comprises a processing unit configured to process the at least one signal induced to determine a position of the at least one metal dial based on a predetermined mapping, wherein the predetermined mapping indicates that the position is between the first position and the second position.

46. The inductive joystick of claim 34, further comprising an intermediate switch connected to a base of the inductive joystick.

47. The induction joystick of claim 34, wherein the elongated member is movable in a first direction and a second direction, wherein the at least one surface comprises a first surface and a second surface, the first surface and the second surface coupled to enclose at least a portion of the control structure, and wherein the at least one metal dial comprises a first metal dial arranged over the first surface and a second metal dial arranged over the second surface.

48. The inductive joystick of claim 47, wherein the printed circuit board includes a connecting member connecting the first surface and the second surface.

49. The inductive joystick of claim 47, wherein the printed circuit board comprises a flex cable.

Technical Field

Various embodiments relate generally to a joystick. In particular, various embodiments relate generally to an induction joystick.

Background

Joysticks are widely used in gaming machines and Personal Computer (PC) controllers. Heretofore, joysticks have been operated primarily using potentiometers. For example, joysticks typically include a center rod connected to a spring contact that is movable along a resistive element. When the center pole is at rest, the spring contact is at a reference position approximately in the middle of the resistive component. As the center pole moves, the spring contact moves with the center pole away from the reference position. This causes a voltage change between the spring contact and one end of the resistive element. A calibration firmware is used to set the reference position to correspond to a zero value and to establish a map indicating the relationship between the position of the neutral lever and the corresponding voltage change. When the joystick is in use, a mapping is used to translate the measured voltage change (in analog form) to the position of the mid-stick (in digital form). Thus, the movement of the centering rod by the user can be determined. This movement may represent directional movement in the game as desired by the user. For example, a user who wants to move a game piece in a north or south direction or in an upward or downward direction may move the center pole in the positive or negative Y direction. Because the stem may not return to the initial rest position at all times after it has been moved, a circular area around the initial rest position may be set as a dead zone, wherein the mapping may translate the position of the stem to the initial rest position whenever the stem is within this dead zone.

Joysticks that operate using potentiometers are often subject to component tolerance variations in which the voltage change between the spring contact and one end of the resistive element can vary over a range, even when the center pole is moved to the same position. This therefore causes inconsistency and error in determining the position of the middle lever. Another typical problem with using potentiometer operated joysticks is that they often have short usage periods. This is because such joysticks often use carbon as the resistive element, which is prone to wear and tear due to frequent contact between the resistive element and other components (e.g., spring contacts), causing wear to the resistive components. As the carbon layer of a resistive element begins to wear, the resistance of the resistive element deviates from its original value. Also, the voltage change caused by the movement of the spring contact along the resistive element deviates from the value in the map originally registered by the calibration firmware. Therefore, translating the voltage change to the movement of the center pole using the mapping becomes inaccurate. In some cases, the previously established mapping may even translate the initial resting position of the cane to being outside the dead band. This phenomenon, often referred to as joystick drift, can adversely affect the user's experience. For example, a character in a game may move even when the user is not moving the joystick.

Accordingly, there is a need for an improved joystick that can have a longer life and lower component tolerance variations.

Disclosure of Invention

According to various non-limiting embodiments, an inductive joystick may be provided. The inductive joystick may include a control structure, which may include an elongated member that is movable in at least one direction substantially perpendicular to a length of the elongated member. The inductive joystick may further include a position sensing assembly, which may include a printed circuit board and at least one metal dial. The printed circuit board may have at least one surface disposed adjacent to the control structure. The at least one surface may be substantially parallel to the length of the elongated member and parallel to the at least one direction. The at least one metallic scale disk may be disposed on the at least one surface. The control structure may be coupled with the position sensing assembly such that movement of the elongated member in the at least one direction may cause relative movement between the at least one surface and the at least one metallic scale. The at least one surface of the printed circuit board may have at least one transmitter coil and at least one receiver coil. The at least one transmitter coil may be configured to induce at least one signal in the at least one receiver coil, and the at least one metal scale may be configured to interfere with the induction of the at least one signal such that relative movement between the at least one surface and the at least one metal scale may vary the induced at least one signal based on a position of the at least one metal scale.

According to various embodiments, an inductive joystick may be provided. The induction joystick may include: a control structure that may include an elongated member movable along a first direction and a second direction; and a position sensing assembly, which may include a printed circuit board, a first metal dial, and a second metal dial. The first direction and the second direction may be substantially perpendicular to a length of the elongate member. The printed circuit board may have a first surface and a second surface disposed adjacent to the control structure. The first and second surfaces may be substantially parallel to the length of the elongate member and parallel to the first and second directions, respectively. The first surface may be coupled with the second surface such that the printed circuit board may surround at least a portion of the control structure. The first metal dial may be disposed on the first surface and the second metal dial may be disposed on the second surface. Each of the first and second surfaces may have at least one transmitter coil and at least one receiver coil. The control structure may be coupled with the position sensing assembly such that movement of the elongated member in the first direction or the second direction may cause relative movement between the surface parallel to the direction and the metal dial disposed on the surface. For each of the first surface and the second surface, the at least one transmitter coil may be configured to induce at least one signal in the at least one receiver coil, and the at least one metal dial may be configured to interfere with the induction of the at least one signal such that relative movement between the surface and the metal dial may vary the induced at least one signal based on a position of the metal dial.

According to various embodiments, an inductive joystick may be provided. The induction joystick may include: a control structure that may include an elongated member movable in at least one direction substantially perpendicular to a length of the elongated member; and a position sensing assembly, which may include a printed circuit board and at least one metal dial. The printed circuit board may have at least one surface disposed adjacent to the control structure, and the at least one surface may be substantially parallel to the length of the elongated member and parallel to the at least one direction. The at least one metallic scale disk may be disposed on the at least one surface. The at least one metallic scale may be coupled to the control structure such that movement of the elongated member in the at least one direction may cause movement of the at least one metallic scale on the at least one surface. The at least one surface of the printed circuit board may have at least one transmitter coil and at least one receiver coil. The at least one transmitter coil may be configured to induce at least one signal in the at least one receiver coil, and the at least one metal dial may be configured to interfere with the induction of the at least one signal such that movement of the at least one metal dial over the at least one surface may vary the induced at least one signal based on a position of the at least one metal dial.

Drawings

In the drawings, like reference numerals generally refer to the same parts throughout the different views. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead generally being placed upon illustrating the principles of the invention. In the following description, various embodiments are described with reference to the following drawings, in which:

FIG. 1A illustrates a perspective view of an induction joystick, and FIG. 1B illustrates an exploded view of the induction joystick of FIG. 1A, in accordance with various embodiments;

FIG. 2A illustrates a side view of a coil that the induction joystick of FIGS. 1A-1B may be provided with, FIG. 2B illustrates a side view of the coil of FIG. 2A with a metal dial of the induction joystick, and FIG. 2C illustrates a schematic view of the coil of FIGS. 2A and 2B with a portion of the metal dial of FIG. 2B, in accordance with various embodiments;

FIG. 3 illustrates an example embodiment of a chip of the induction joystick of FIGS. 1A-1B;

fig. 4 shows an example of signals in the coils of fig. 2A-2C; and is

Fig. 5 shows an example of a predetermined map describing the relationship between the signals in the coils of fig. 2A-2C and the position of the metal dial of fig. 2B.

Detailed Description

The embodiments described below in the context of an apparatus are similarly valid for the methods, and vice versa. Further, it is to be understood that the embodiments described below can be combined, e.g., a portion of one embodiment can be combined with a portion of another embodiment.

It will be understood that the terms "on … …," "over … …," "top," "bottom," "down," "side," "back," "left," "right," "front," "lateral," "side," "up," "down," and the like are used for convenience in the following description and to aid in understanding the relative position or orientation, and are not intended to limit the orientation of any device or structure or any portion of any device or structure. In addition, the singular forms "a" and "an" and "the" include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Similarly, the word "or" is intended to include "and" unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

Various embodiments are generally directed to a joystick for communicating with a processor-based device. The processor or processor-based device may be a host computer that executes applications and sends and/or receives signals to and/or from the joystick. The signal received from the joystick may be used to control another application, such as a game, for example, to control the movement of a character in a game. In various embodiments, the joystick may be configured to use contactless sensing. In various embodiments, the joystick may be configured to use inductive position sensor technology. In various embodiments, the joystick may include an elongated member and a position sensing assembly configured to operate based on inductive coupling between coils. In various embodiments, the joystick may include at least one metal dial configured to interfere with the inductive coupling. In various embodiments, the at least one metallic dial may be disposed on a surface on which the coil may be provided. In various embodiments, the at least one metal dial may not contact the surface. By using such contactless sensing, the amount of contact between components of the joystick may be reduced, which in turn reduces wear and tear in the joystick and increases the lifetime of the joystick.

Fig. 1A illustrates a perspective view of an inductive joystick 100 according to various embodiments, and fig. 1B illustrates an exploded view of the inductive joystick 100.

As shown, in various embodiments, the inductive joystick 100 may include a control structure 102. The control structure 102 may include an elongated member 104. As shown, in various embodiments, the elongated member 104 may be movable along a first direction (X-direction) and a second direction (Y-direction), wherein the first direction and the second direction may be substantially perpendicular to a length of the elongated member 104. As shown, in various embodiments, the control structure 102 may further include a first shaft 106 that acts as an X shaft and a second shaft 108 that acts as a Y shaft. The first shaft 106 may be configured to rotate about a first axis substantially perpendicular to the first direction (X-direction) and the second shaft 108 may be configured to rotate about a second axis substantially perpendicular to the second direction (Y-direction). As shown, in various embodiments, the first shaft 106 may include a pair of arcuate members 106a interconnected via an intermediate member 106. The arcuate element 106a and the intermediate element 106 of the first shaft 106 may be arranged to define an opening at the top of the first shaft 106 and a pair of circular holes at opposite sides of the first shaft 106. As shown, in various embodiments, the second shaft 108 may include a pair of arcuate members 108a, each arcuate member 108a being connected to an end member 108 b. The arcuate elements 108a and the end elements 108b of the second shaft 108 may be arranged to define an opening at the top of the second shaft 108. In various embodiments, the first and second shafts 106, 108 may be arranged with the elongated member 104 such that the elongated member 104 extends through an opening at a top of the first and second shafts 106, 108. In various embodiments, the first shaft 106 may be arranged with the second shaft 108 such that the arcuate elements 106a of the first shaft 106 are substantially orthogonal to the arcuate elements 108a of the second shaft 108. Additionally, an end of the second shaft 108 may be arranged to extend through the circular hole of the first shaft 106. As shown, in various embodiments, the first shaft 106 may include a plurality of pins 134 at one end and the second shaft 108 may include a plurality of pins 136 at one end. However, in alternative embodiments, the first shaft 106 and the second shaft 108 may each include only a single pin. In various embodiments, the pins 134, 136 may be plastic pins, although other materials may be used to form the pins.

As shown, in various embodiments, the inductive joystick 100 may further include a housing structure or support structure 110 that surrounds the control structure 102. For example, the support structure 110 may include a top plate 110a and a plurality of side plates (110b, 110c, 110d, 110e) arranged around the control structure 102, wherein adjacent side plates (110b, 110c, 110d, 110e) may be substantially perpendicular to each other. As shown, the first side plate 110b may include a dome-shaped recess to allow the end of the first shaft 106 including the pin 134 to extend therethrough. The other end of the first shaft lever 106 is pivotably connected to a third side plate 110d opposite the first side plate 110b, so that the first shaft lever 106 is rotatable relative to the third side plate 110d about an axis substantially perpendicular to the first direction (X direction). Similarly, as shown, the second side plate 110c may also include a dome-shaped recess to allow the end of the second shaft 108 including the pin 136 to extend therethrough. The other end of the second shaft 108 may be pivotally connected to a fourth side plate 110e opposite the second side plate 110c, such that the second shaft 108 may rotate relative to the fourth side plate 110e about an axis substantially perpendicular to the second direction (Y-direction). In various embodiments, the support structure 110 may be in the form of a metal shell.

In various embodiments, the inductive joystick 100 may further include a position sensing assembly 116. The position sensing assembly 116 may include a printed circuit board 118, a first metal dial 120, and a second metal dial 122.

As shown, in various embodiments, the position sensing assembly 116 may include a printed circuit board 118 having a first surface 118a and a second surface 118b disposed adjacent to the control structure 102. Each surface (118a, 118b) may comprise a circular hole substantially in the middle of the surface (118a, 118b) to allow the end of the shaft (106, 108) comprising the pins 134, 136 to extend therethrough. As shown, the first surface 118a and the second surface 118b can be substantially parallel to the length of the elongated member 104 and parallel to first and second directions (X and Y directions), respectively. The first surface 118a can be coupled with the second surface 118b such that the printed circuit board 118 surrounds at least a portion of the control structure 102. For example, the printed circuit board 118 may include a connection component 118e connecting the first surface 118a and the second surface 118 b. As one example, the connecting member 118e may be curved (as shown in fig. 1A) such that the first surface 118a and the second surface 118b are substantially perpendicular to each other. The printed circuit board 118 may be formed of a rigid material in some embodiments, and may be formed of a flexible material in other embodiments. For example, the printed circuit board 118 may include a flexible cable. In various embodiments, each of the first and second surfaces 118a, 118b of the printed circuit board 118 may have at least one transmitter coil and at least one receiver coil. In various embodiments, the at least one transmitter coil and the at least one receiver coil may be embedded on the printed circuit board 118. For example, the at least one transmitter coil and the at least one receiver coil may be in the form of traces on the printed circuit board 118. The at least one transmitter coil and the at least one receiver coil are further discussed below with reference to fig. 2A and 2B.

As shown, in various embodiments, the inductive joystick 100 may further include a plurality of electrical components 142, 144. As shown, the plurality of electrical components 142, 144 may include a first chip 146 and a second chip 148. First chip 146 and second chip 148 may be sensor chips. The chips (146, 148) are discussed further below with reference to FIG. 3. In various embodiments, the printed circuit board 118 may further include at least one extension member extending from at least one of the first surface 118a and the second surface 118b to hold the plurality of electrical components 142, 144. For example, as shown, the printed circuit board 118 may include a first extension member 118c extending from the first surface 118a to hold the first plurality of electrical components 142, and a second extension member 118d extending from the second surface 118b to hold the second plurality of electrical components 144. The first plurality of electrical components 142 may be used for the first surface 118a of the printed circuit board 118 and the second plurality of electrical components 144 may be used for the second surface 118b of the printed circuit board 118. However, the printed circuit board 118 may alternatively comprise only a single extension member extending from the first surface 118a or the second surface 118b for holding the electrical component (142, 144). In various embodiments, the extension member (118c/118d) may be substantially perpendicular to the surface (118a/118b) from which the extension member (118c/118d) extends.

As shown, in various embodiments, the position sensing assembly 116 may include a first metal dial 120 arranged on the first surface 118a of the printed circuit board 118 and a second metal dial 122 arranged on the second surface 118b of the printed circuit board 118. In various embodiments, the first and second metal dials 120, 122 may not contact the first and second surfaces 118a, 118b, respectively. In other words, the metallic dials (120, 122) may be touchless dials. As shown, in various embodiments, the first metal dial 120 may include a base portion 120a and elongated elements 120b extending from the base portion 120a, and the second metal dial 122 may include a base portion 122a and elongated elements 122b extending from the base portion 122 a. However, in alternative embodiments, the metal dials (120, 122) may have a different shape than that shown in the figures. The size and materials used to form the metal dials (120, 122) may also vary in different embodiments. Additionally, in various embodiments, the metal dials (120, 122) may be referred to as needle dials.

In various embodiments, the control structure 102 may be coupled with the position sensing assembly 116 such that movement of the elongated member 104 in a first or second direction (X-direction or Y-direction) causes relative movement between a surface (118a or 118b) parallel to the direction and a metal dial (120 or 122) disposed on the surface (118a or 118 b). For example, the first and second metal dials 120, 122 may be connected to the control structure 102 such that movement of the elongated member 104 in a first direction (X-direction) causes movement of the first metal dial 120 on the first surface 118a and movement of the elongated member 104 in a second direction (Y-direction) causes movement of the second metal dial 122 on the second surface 118 b. In various embodiments, the base portions 120a, 122a of the first and second metal dials 120, 122 may be connected to the control structure 102. In various embodiments, a first metal dial 120 and a second metal dial 122 may be connected to the first shaft 106 and the second shaft 108, respectively. For example, the base portion 120a of the first metal dial 120 may be connected to the first shaft 106, and the base portion 122a of the second metal dial 122 may be connected to the second shaft 108. In various embodiments, movement of the elongated member 104 in the first direction may urge the elongated member 104 against one of the arcuate elements 108a of the first shaft 106 to rotate the first shaft 106. Rotation of the first shaft 106 may cause rotation of the base portion 120a of the first metal dial 120 to move the elongated element 120b of the first metal dial 120 over the at least one transmitter coil and the at least one receiver coil of the first surface 118 a. Similarly, movement of the elongate member 104 in the second direction may advance the elongate member 104 against one of the arcuate elements 108a of the second shaft 106. Rotation of the second shaft 108 may cause rotation of the base portion 122a of the second metal dial 122 to move the elongated element 122b of the second metal dial 122 over the at least one transmitter coil and the at least one receiver coil of the second surface 118 a. However, by connecting the metal dials (120, 122) to the control structure 102, the control structure 102 need not be coupled to the position sensing assembly 106. Alternatively, the printed circuit board 118 may be connected to the control structure 102 such that movement of the elongated member 104 causes relative movement between the surfaces (118a, 118b) and respective metal dials (120, 122) on the surfaces (118a, 118 b).

In various embodiments, a pin (134/136) located at the end of the shaft (106, 108) may connect the first and second metal dials 120, 122 to the control structure 102. As shown, the base portion 120a, 122a of each metal dial (120, 122) may include holes at locations corresponding to the locations of the pins 134, 136 of the first and second shafts 106, 108. To connect the metal dials (120, 122) to the control structure 102, the pin 134 of the first shaft 106 may be disposed through the aperture of the base portion 120a of the first metal dial 120 and the pin 136 of the second shaft 108 may be disposed through the aperture of the base portion 122a of the second metal dial 122. The pins 134, 136 may then be heat staked to secure the first and second metal dials 120, 122 to the first and second shafts 106, 108, respectively.

As shown, in various embodiments, the inductive joystick 100 may further include a reinforcement member 118 connected between the printed circuit board 118 and the support structure 110. In various embodiments, the stiffening member 124 may be in the form of a flexible carrier. The reinforcement member 124 may include a first surface 124a and a second surface 124b arranged substantially perpendicular to each other and connected to each other via a hinge. The reinforcing member 124 may further include a first extension member 124c extending from the first surface 124a and substantially perpendicular to the first surface 124a, and a second extension member 124d extending from the second surface 124b and substantially perpendicular to the second surface 124 b. The first and second surfaces 124a, 124b of the reinforcement member 124 may each include a circular hole substantially in the middle of the surfaces (124a, 124b) to allow the ends of the shafts (106, 108) including the pins 134, 136 to extend therethrough. As shown, in various embodiments, the first and second surfaces 118a and 118b of the printed circuit board 118 may be arranged on the first and second surfaces 124a and 124b, respectively, of the reinforcement member 124 such that the circular holes of the overlapping surfaces (surfaces 118a and 124a or surfaces 118b and 124b) coincide. The first and second surfaces 124a, 124b of the reinforcement member 124 may be arranged on the first and second surfaces 110b, 110c of the support structure 110 such that the circular hole of the reinforcement member 124 coincides with the dome-shaped recess of the support structure 110 to allow the end of the shaft (106, 108) including the pin 134, 136 to extend therethrough. In addition, as shown, in various embodiments, the first and second extension members 118c and 118d of the printed circuit board 118 may be arranged on the first and second extension members 124c and 124d of the reinforcement member 124, respectively. In various embodiments, the printed circuit board 118 may be connected to the support structure 110 via a reinforcement member 124. For example, the printed circuit board 118 may be connected to the reinforcement member 124, and the reinforcement member 124 may in turn be connected to the support structure 110. In various embodiments, the printed circuit board 118 may be connected to the reinforcement member 124 via a pin hole locator. For example, the first and second surfaces 124a and 124b of the reinforcement member 124 may include a plurality of pins 140, and the first and second surfaces 118a and 118b of the printed circuit board 118 may include a plurality of holes 138 at locations corresponding to the locations of the pins 140. To connect the printed circuit board 118 to the reinforcement member 124, pins 140 may be fitted through the holes 138. In various embodiments, a double-sided adhesive may be provided between the reinforcing member 124 and the printed circuit board 118 to further secure them together.

As shown, in various embodiments, the inductive joystick 100 may further include a base 128 to which the elongated member 104 is coupled. In various embodiments, the base 128 may be in the form of a bottom shell. As shown, the base 128 may be arranged at a level substantially in the middle of the side plates (110b, 110c, 110d, 110e) of the support structure 110 (in other words, substantially in the middle of the first and second surfaces 118a, 118b of the printed circuit board 118, and substantially in the middle of the first and second surfaces 124a, 124b of the reinforcement member 124). The base 128 may be coupled to the support structure 110 by fastening protrusions on the base 128 to corresponding holes on the support structure 110. In various embodiments, the inductive joystick 100 may further comprise a spring plate 114 coupled to the base 128 and a spring 112 disposed on the spring plate 114. As shown, the elongated member 104 may be coupled to the base 128 via the springs 112 and the spring plate 114 to allow the elongated member 104 to be movable in first and second directions (X and Y directions).

In various embodiments, the inductive joystick 100 may further include an intermediate switch 126 connected to a base 128 of the inductive joystick 100. The intermediate switch 126 may be an additional feature of the inductive joystick 100 to provide additional input to the processor-based device with which the inductive joystick 100 communicates. For example, a user may use the inductive joystick 100 to input commands to an air combat game application executing on a processor-based device. In this example, the elongate member 104 may be used to maneuver a fighter in a similar manner to the actual joystick of the fighter, while the intermediate switch 126 may be used as a button to control the fighter's weapon, e.g., to launch a missile from the fighter.

Fig. 2A shows a side view of at least one transmitter coil (202/204) and at least one receiver coil (206/208), which may be present on each of the first and second surfaces 118a, 118b of the printed circuit board 118 in various embodiments. Fig. 2B shows an example arrangement of a metal dial (120/122) with at least one transmitter coil (202/204) and at least one receiver coil (206/208) of fig. 2A. Fig. 2C shows a schematic of the at least one transmitter coil (202/204) and the at least one receiver coil (206/208) of fig. 2A along with the base portion 120b/122b of the metal dial (120/122). As shown in fig. 2A, the at least one transmitter coil (202/204) and the at least one receiver coil (206/208) may be arranged in a curvilinear manner. However, for simplicity, at least one transmitter coil (202/204) and at least one receiver coil 206/208 are shown in a linear fashion in fig. 2C.

As shown, in various embodiments, the at least one transmitter coil (202/204) may include a first transmitter coil 202 and a second transmitter coil 204. However, in alternative embodiments, the at least one transmitter coil may comprise only one transmitter coil or more than two transmitter coils. In various embodiments, the at least one transmitter coil (202/204) may include at least four turns. For example, as shown, the first transmitter coil 202 may include two curved portions 202a and two linear portions 202b between the ends of the curved portions 202 a. Thus, the first transmitter coil 202 may include four turns, each at the junction of the curved portion 202a and the linear portion 202 b. The second transmitter coil 204 may include two curved portions 204a and two linear portions 204b between the curved portions 204 a. In other words, the second transmitter coil 204 may also include four turns. As shown, the second transmitter coil 204 may completely surround the first transmitter coil 202.

In various embodiments, the at least one receiver coil (206/208) may include a first receiver coil 206 and a second receiver coil 208. However, in alternative embodiments, the at least one receiver coil may comprise only one receiver coil or more than two receiver coils. In various embodiments, the at least one receiver coil (206/208) may include a sine coil and a cosine coil. For example, as shown, the first receiver coil 206 may comprise a sine coil and the second receiver coil 208 may comprise a cosine coil. As shown, in various embodiments, each receiver coil (206, 208) may include at least one turn. For example, the first receiver coil 206 may include a first portion 206a in the shape of a first sinusoid and a second portion 206b in the shape of a second sinusoid, where the first and second sinusoids may be 180 degrees out of phase. Additionally, the first and second sinusoids may be joined at one end. Thus, the first receiver coil 206 may include one turn at the junction of the first and second sinusoids. The second receiver coil 208 may similarly include a first portion 208a in the shape of a first cosine curve and a second portion 208b in the shape of a second cosine curve, where the first and second cosine curves may be 180 degrees out of phase. Unlike the first receiver coil 206, the second receiver coil 208 may further include an intermediate linear portion 208c between the first portion 208a and the second portion 208 b. Thus, the second receiver coil 208 may comprise two turns, each where a portion (208a, 208b) in the shape of a cosine curve joins the linear portion 208 c. As shown in fig. 2B, in various embodiments, each transmitter coil (202, 204) may be connected to a first connection 210 and each receiver coil (206, 208) may be connected to a second connection 212. For simplicity, these contacts (210, 212) are not shown in fig. 2A and 2B.

Referring to fig. 2B, in various embodiments, when the elongated member is at rest, the elongated elements 120B/122B of the metal dial (120/122) may be above an axis a-a', which may pass through the center of the base portion 120a/122a of the metal dial (120/122), and may be parallel to the first or second direction (X-direction or Y-direction). When the elongated member is moved, the elongated elements 120b/122b of the metal dial (120/122) may move along a plane parallel to the respective surfaces (118a/118b) of the printed circuit board 118. In various embodiments, the elongated elements (120b/122b) of the metal dial (120/122) may move without contacting the surfaces (118a/118 b). In various embodiments, the elongated elements 120b/122b of the metal dial (120/122) may be moved upward at a positive angle 230 about the axis A-A 'or downward at a negative angle 232 about the axis A-A'. In other words, the position of the elongated element 120b/122b of the metal dial (120/122) may be represented by either a positive angle 230 or a negative angle 232. Alternatively, the position of the elongated elements 120B/122B of the metal dial (120/122) may be represented by an angle 234 relative to an axis B-B' that may pass through the center of the base portion 120a/122a of the metal dial (120/122) and may be perpendicular to the first or second direction (X-direction or Y-direction). In various embodiments, each of the first and second metal dials 120, 122 is movable between a first position and a second position. In various embodiments, the first position may be at a positive angle 230 of about 65 degrees (in other words, at an angle 234 of about 25 degrees), and the second position may be at a negative angle 230 of about-65 degrees (in other words, at an angle 234 of about 155 degrees). In other words, the range of movement of the metal dial (120/122) may be about 130 degrees. However, in other embodiments, the first and second positions and the range of movement of the metal dial (120/122) may be different. For example, in some alternative embodiments, the range of movement of the metal dial (120/122) may be less than 130 degrees, while in other alternative embodiments, the range of movement of the metal dial (120/122) may be greater than 130 degrees. For example, in some embodiments, the first position may be at a positive angle 230 of about 23 degrees (in other words, at an angle 234 of about 67 degrees), and the second position may be at a negative angle 230 of about-23 degrees (in other words, at an angle 234 of about 113 degrees).

Fig. 3 illustrates an example implementation of chip 146/148. As shown, in an example embodiment, the die (146/148) may include a first processing unit 302, which may be an analog front end unit, a conversion unit 304, which may be an analog-to-digital converter, a second processing unit 306, which may be a digital signal processing unit, an oscillator 308, which may be an inductor-capacitor (LC) oscillator, a power management unit 310, a memory unit 312, which may be an EEPROM, a protection unit 314, a test control unit 316, a diagnostic unit 318, and an interface 320 in the form of a one-wire interface (OWI). However, chip 146/148 need not include all of cells 302 through 320 as shown in fig. 3. For example, the oscillator 308 may not be part of the inductive joystick 100 and may instead be a separate unit connected to the inductive joystick 100. Similarly, the second processing unit 306 may not be part of the inductive joystick 100 and may instead be a separate unit connected to the inductive joystick 100. As shown, in various embodiments, the chip (146/148) may be electrically connected to the transmitter coils (202, 204) and the receiver coils (206, 208). For example, the oscillator 308 may be connected to the transmitter coil (202, 204) and the first processing unit 302 may be connected to the receiver coil (206, 208).

In various embodiments, the at least one transmitter coil 202/204 may be configured to receive an alternating signal from the oscillator 308. In various embodiments, the frequency of the alternating signal may be about 5 MHz. In various embodiments, the at least one transmitter coil (202/204) may be configured to induce at least one signal in the at least one receiver coil (206/208). For example, the alternating signal received by the at least one transmitter coil (202/204) may generate a magnetic field in the at least one transmitter coil (202/204). The magnetic field may induce secondary currents in various sections of the at least one receiver coil (206/208). Thus, at least one signal comprising this secondary current may be induced in the at least one receiver coil (206/208). For example, the magnetic fields generated in the first transmitter coil 202 and the second transmitter coil 204 may induce a first signal in the first receiver coil 206 and a second signal in the second receiver coil 208. In various embodiments, the at least one metal dial (120/122) may be configured to interfere with the sensing of at least one signal in the at least one receiver coil (206/208). For example, for each of the first surface 118a and the second surface 118b of the printed circuit board 118, when the metal dial (120/122) is positioned over a segment of the first receiver coil 206 and a segment of the second receiver coil 208, the magnetic field generated in the transmitter coil (202, 204) may induce eddy currents in the metal dial (120/122) and may not induce secondary currents in the segment of the receiver coil (206, 208) over which the metal dial (120/122) is located. This may affect the induced signal in the receiver coil (206, 208), and the manner in which the induced signal may be affected may depend on the segment of the receiver coil (206, 208) on which the metal dial (120/122) is. Thus, for each of the first and second surfaces 118a, 118b of the printed circuit board 118, relative movement between the surfaces (118a/118b) and the metal dial (120/122) may vary the induced at least one signal based on the position of the metal dial (120/122). In other words, the induced at least one signal may indicate a position of the metal dial (120/122). For example, the induced at least one signal may include a first signal in the first receiver coil 206 and a second signal in the second receiver coil 208, and the differential phase and amplitude of the first and second signals may indicate the position of the at least one metallic dial (120/122).

In various embodiments, the induced at least one signal may comprise at least one analog signal. For example, the induced at least one signal may include a first analog signal induced in the first receiver coil 206 and a second analog signal induced in the second receiver coil 208. The analog signal may include sine and cosine data values. For example, a first analog signal induced in the first receiver coil 206 may include sine data values and a second analog signal induced in the second receiver coil 208 may include cosine data values.

Fig. 4 shows an example of a first analog signal 402 comprising sine data values and a second analog signal 404 comprising cosine data values. In various embodiments, the first processing unit 302 may be configured to process analog signals. In various embodiments, the analog signal including sine and cosine data values may be converted to a signal including values for the angle 234 shown in fig. 2B. Fig. 4 further shows an example of signals 406, 408 comprising values for angle 234 and signal 410 being a combination of signals 406, 408. In various embodiments, the second processing unit 306 may be configured to process at least one induced signal for each surface 118a/118b to determine the position of a metal dial (120/122) on the surface (118a/118b) using a predetermined map. For example, the conversion unit 304 may be configured to convert the processed analog signals to digital signals, and the second processing unit 306 may be configured to process the digital signals to determine the position at each metal dial (120, 122) using a predetermined mapping. In various embodiments, output from processing unit 306 may be received by interface 320. In some embodiments, the output from the processing unit 306 may be converted to an analog signal before being received by the interface 320. In other embodiments, the output from the processing unit 306 may be received by the interface 320 in its digital form.

In various embodiments, the predetermined mapping may be calculated by the second processing unit 306 during a calibration process performed prior to use of the inductive joystick 100. In various embodiments, the predetermined mapping may instead describe (e.g., in decimal numbers) a relationship between values for the angle 234 (or alternatively, sine and cosine datum values) and a position of the at least one metallic dial (120/122). In various embodiments, the at least one metallic dial (120/122) may be movable between a first position and a second position, and the predetermined mapping may indicate only positions between the first and second positions. This may help increase the dynamic range and resolution of the predetermined mapping. Also, the accuracy of the joystick 100 may be improved and the size of the dead band may be reduced.

Fig. 5 shows an example of a predetermined mapping 502 describing in decimal numbers (along the y-axis labeled "output position (decimal)") the relationship between the value for angle 234 (along the x-axis labeled "electrical input range (degrees)") and the position of at least one metallic dial (120/122). In this example, the metal dial (120/122) is movable between a first position (corresponding to point 504 along the x-axis) and a second position (corresponding to point 506 along the x-axis). As shown, the mapping 502 may only indicate locations between the first location and the second location. Fig. 5 further shows a map 508 indicating all positions from 0 degrees at angle 234 to 360 degrees at angle 234. As shown, the dynamic range provided by mapping 502 may be greater than the dynamic range provided by mapping 508. For example, as shown, when the at least one metal dial 120/122 is moved between a position corresponding to point 510 along the x-axis and a position corresponding to point 512 along the x-axis, the dynamic range 514 provided by the mapping 502 is wider than the dynamic range 516 provided by the mapping 508.

Although the elongated member 104 of the inductive joystick 100 in fig. 1A and 1B is shown as being movable in two directions (the X-direction and the Y-direction), in alternative embodiments, the elongated member 104 may only be movable in a single direction that is substantially perpendicular to the length of the elongated member 104. Thus, the printed circuit board of the induction joystick 100 may include only one surface and one metal dial. In yet another alternative embodiment, the elongated member 104 may be movable in more than two directions substantially perpendicular to the length of the elongated member 104, and in this embodiment, the inductive joystick 100 may comprise more than two surfaces and more than two metal dials, each metal dial arranged on one of the surfaces.

The following examples relate to various embodiments.

Example 1 is an induction joystick comprising: a control structure comprising an elongate member movable in at least one direction substantially perpendicular to the length of the elongate member; and a position sensing assembly comprising: a printed circuit board having at least one surface disposed adjacent to the control structure, wherein the at least one surface is substantially parallel to the length of the elongated member and parallel to the at least one direction; and at least one metallic scale disposed on the at least one surface; wherein the control structure is coupled with the position sensing assembly such that movement of the elongated member in the at least one direction causes relative movement between the at least one surface and the at least one metal dial; wherein the at least one surface of the printed circuit board has at least one transmitter coil and at least one receiver coil, and wherein the at least one transmitter coil is configured to induce at least one signal in the at least one receiver coil, and the at least one metal dial is configured to interfere with the induction of the at least one signal such that relative movement between the at least one surface and the at least one metal dial varies the at least one induced signal based on a position of the at least one metal dial.

In example 2, the subject matter of example 1 includes that the inductive joystick may further comprise a plurality of electrical components, and the printed circuit board may further comprise at least one extending member extending from the at least one surface to retain the plurality of electrical components.

In example 3, the subject matter of example 2 includes that the at least one extending member can be substantially perpendicular to the at least one surface.

In example 4, the subject matter of any of examples 1-3 includes that the at least one metal dial can be connected to the control structure such that movement of the elongated member in the at least one direction can cause movement of the at least one metal dial on the at least one surface.

In example 5, the subject matter of any of examples 1-4 includes that the at least one metal dial can include a base portion connected to the control structure; and an elongate member extending from the base portion; wherein movement of the elongated member in the at least one direction may cause rotation of the base portion to move the elongated component over the at least one transmitter coil and the at least one receiver coil.

In example 6, the subject matter of any of examples 1-5 includes that the inductive joystick can further include at least one plastic pin connecting the at least one metal dial to the control structure.

In example 7, the subject matter of any of examples 1-6 includes that the control structure can further include a shaft configured to rotate about an axis substantially perpendicular to the at least one direction upon movement of the elongated member in the at least one direction, and the at least one metal dial can be connected to the shaft.

In example 8, the subject matter of any of examples 1-7 includes that the inductive joystick can further include a support structure surrounding the control structure, and the printed circuit board can be connected to the control structure.

In example 9, the subject matter of example 8 includes that the inductive joystick can further include a reinforcement member connected between the printed circuit board and the control structure.

In example 10, the subject matter of any of examples 1-9 includes that the inductive joystick can further include a base to which the elongated member is coupled, and the base can be arranged at a level substantially in the middle of the at least one surface.

In example 11, the subject matter of any of examples 1-10 includes that the at least one transmitter coil can include at least four turns.

In example 12, the subject matter of any of examples 1-11 includes that the at least one receiver coil can include a sine coil and a cosine coil.

In example 13, the objective of any of examples 1-12 can optionally include that the at least one metal dial can be moved between a first position and a second position, and the inductive joystick can further include a processing unit configured to process the at least one induced signal to determine the position of the at least one metal dial based on a predetermined map, wherein the predetermined map can indicate the position between the first position and the second position.

In example 14, the subject matter of any of examples 1-13 includes that the inductive joystick can further include an intermediate switch connected to a base of the inductive joystick.

In example 15, the subject matter of any of examples 1-14 includes that the elongated member is movable in a first direction and a second direction, the at least one surface can include a first surface and a second surface, the first surface can be coupled with the second surface to enclose at least a portion of the control structure, and the at least one metallic dial can include a first metallic dial disposed on the first surface and a second metallic dial disposed on the second surface.

In example 16, the subject matter of example 15 can include that the printed circuit board can include a connection component that connects the first surface and the second surface.

In example 17, the subject matter of example 15 can include that the printed circuit board can include a flexible cable.

Various embodiments have provided an inductive joystick that may have a longer lifetime and greater accuracy.

While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to particular embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. The scope of the invention is, therefore, indicated by the appended claims and all changes that come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.