Patent Publication Number: US-9417653-B2

Title: Face-operated joystick control system

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     This specification relates to a joystick control system for controlling an object in real-time. 
     A joystick, also referred to as a control stick or a stick controller, is an input device that typically includes a stick that pivots on a base. A joystick is typically operated by a hand or a finger. 
     SUMMARY 
     A face-operated joystick control system may include a joystick that is operated by movements of a face of a user. The joystick may be attached to a frame, such as a headset or a headgear, that is worn on the user&#39;s head. The frame stabilizes the joystick in a fixed position relative to and in contact with the user&#39;s face. The joystick can be configured to proportionally control movements of an object in real-time in response to movements of the joystick caused by movements of an area of the user&#39;s face that is in contact with the joystick. The user can freely move his head around while wearing the face-operated joystick control system without affecting the movements of the object controlled by the joystick. 
     In general, one innovative aspect of the subject matter described in this specification may be implemented in apparatus that includes a frame configured to be worn on a user&#39;s head and to inhibit relative movement between the frame and the user&#39;s head; a bracket extending from one or more portions of the frame, the bracket being positionable to extend to an area near the user&#39;s face with the frame is worn on the user&#39;s head; and a stick controller coupled to the bracket, the stick controller being positionable for contact with user&#39;s face when the frame is worn on the user&#39;s head. 
     These and other implementations may each optionally include one or more of the following features. In various examples, the bracket is positionable to extend to an area near the user&#39;s chin when the frame is worn on the user&#39;s head. The stick controller is positionable for contact with the user&#39;s chin when the frame is positioned on the user&#39;s head. The bracket comprises two ends, and each of the two ends of the bracket configured to connect to a portion of the frame located on opposite sides of the head when the frame is positioned on the user&#39;s head. The bracket is positionable to extend in front of and across the user&#39;s face. The stick controller has two axes of movement. The apparatus further comprises a second stick controller coupled to the bracket, and the second stick controller is positionable for contact with a second portion of the user&#39;s face when the frame is worn on the user&#39;s head. Each of the first stick controller and the second stick controller have two axes of movement. The first stick controller is positionable for contact with a first cheek of the user&#39;s face, and the second stick controller is positionable for contact with a second cheek of the user&#39;s face. 
     Another innovative aspect of the subject matter described in this specification may be implemented in apparatus that includes a headgear configured to be stabilized on a user&#39;s head; an arm extending from a portion of the headgear, the arm configurable to extend to an area near the user&#39;s face when the headgear is worn on the user&#39;s head; and a control stick coupled to the arm, the control stick being positionable so that a tip of the control stick contacts a portion of the user&#39;s face when the headgear is worn on the user&#39;s head, the control stick being configured to control movement of a remote object in real-time and in proportion to movement of the portion of the user&#39;s face that is in contact with the tip of the control stick. 
     These and other implementations may each optionally include one or more of the following features. The control stick has two axes of movement and is configured to control movement of a remotely operated vehicle in two dimensions including forward, backward, left, and right in proportion to movement of the portion of the user&#39;s face including upward, downward, left, and right, respectively. The apparatus further comprises a second arm extending from another portion of the headgear, the second arm configurable to extend to another area near the user&#39;s face when the headgear is worn on the user&#39;s head; and a second control stick coupled to the second arm, the second control stick being positionable so that a tip of the second control stick contacts another portion of the user&#39;s face when the headgear is worn on the user&#39;s head, the second control stick configured to control movement of the remote object in real-time, in a third dimension, and in proportion to movement of the other portion of the user&#39;s face that is in contact with the tip of the second control stick. The tip of the first control stick is positionable to contact a first cheek of the user&#39;s face and is configured to control movement of the remote object in proportion to movement of the first cheek; and the tip of the second control stick is positionable to contact a chin or a second cheek of the user&#39;s face and is configured to control movement of the remote object in proportion to movement of the chin or the second cheek that is in contact with the tip of the second control stick. The first control stick is configured to control movement of a remotely operated vehicle in two dimensions including forward, backward, left, and right in proportion to movement of the portion of the user&#39;s face including upward, downward, left, and right, respectively; and the second control stick is configured to control movement of the remotely operated vehicle in a third dimension including upward and downward in proportion to movement of the other portion of the user&#39;s face including upward and downward, respectively. The first arm and the second arm are independently adjustable in angle and length relative to the respective portions of the headgear from which the arms extend. 
     Yet another innovative aspect of the subject matter described in this specification may be implemented in apparatus that includes a head-mounted assembly; a bracket extending from one or more portions of the head-mounted assembly; and a joystick coupled to the bracket, the joystick configured to proportionally control movement of a remote object in real-time. 
     These and other implementations may each optionally include one or more of the following features. The bracket is adjustable in angle and length relative to the one or more portions of the head-mounted assembly from which the bracket extends. The joystick is configured to proportionally control movement of the remote object in real-time over a wired link. The joystick is configured to proportionally control movement of the remote object in real-time over a radio-frequency link. The joystick is an analog electrical two-dimension controller. The joystick is configured to control movement of the remote object in two dimensions including forward, backward, left, and right. The joystick is configured to proportionally control movement of a remotely operated vehicle. 
     Particular implementations of the subject matter described in this specification may be implemented to realize one or more of the following advantages. A person with limited mobility in his hands and fingers, such as a quadriplegic person, can control movement of an object by moving an area of his face, such as his chin, to operate a joystick that proportionally controls the movement of the object in real-time. Because the joystick stays in contact with the user&#39;s face while he is wearing the face-operated joystick control system, he can freely move his head around to monitor the movements of the object without affecting the movements of the object controlled by the joystick. The face-operated joystick control system may be used by a person who has greater mobility, but who has his hands occupied or desires to keep his hands free. 
     The details of one or more implementations of the subject matter described in this specification are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other potential features, aspects, and advantages of the subject matter will become apparent from the description, the drawings, and the claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an example of a face-operated joystick control system. 
         FIG. 2  is a side view of the face-operated joystick control system of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a front view of the face-operated joystick control system of  FIG. 1  as worn by a user. 
         FIGS. 4-6  are side views of a joystick being operated by movements of a user&#39;s chin. 
         FIGS. 7-9  are top views of a joystick being operated by movements of a user&#39;s chin. 
         FIGS. 10 and 11  are front views of an example of a face-operated joystick control system as worn by a user. 
         FIG. 12  shows a face-operated joystick control system coupled to an object for proportional control of the movement of the object in real-time. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an example of a face-operated joystick control system  100 .  FIG. 2  is a side view of the face-operated joystick control system  100 .  FIG. 3  is a front-view of the face-operated joystick control system  100  as worn by a user  101 . The face-operated joystick control system  100  includes a frame  102 , also referred to as a headset or a headgear. The frame  102  may include a headband  104 , head supports  106  and  108 , and a bracket  110 . 
     The headband  104  may be a semi-circular band of material that acts to support the frame  102  on the user&#39;s head. The headband  104  may be adjustable to fit around the top of the user&#39;s head. While  FIGS. 1-3  show the frame  102  having one headband  104 , the frame  102  may include any number of headbands arranged to support the frame  102  on the user&#39;s head. 
     The head supports  106  and  108  are attached to the headband  104  at opposite ends of the headband  104 . The head supports  106  and  108  may be positioned on each side of the user&#39;s head above the ears. The head supports  106  and  108  act to stabilize the frame  102  on the user&#39;s head and prevent the frame  102  from moving on the user&#39;s head while the user  101  is wearing the face-operated joystick control system  100 . While  FIGS. 1-3  show the head supports  106  and  108  as pieces to be positioned above the user&#39;s ears, in some implementations the head supports  106  and  108  may be pieces resembling earphones that are to be positioned on the user&#39;s ears. While the head supports  106  and  108  are shown as two separate pieces, in some implementations a single band that partially or wholly encircles the user&#39;s head may be used to stabilize the frame  102  on the user&#39;s head and inhibit relative movement between the frame  102  and the user&#39;s head. 
     The bracket  110  extends from one side of the headband  104  to the other side of the headband  104 . The bracket  110  may be attached to the head supports  106  and  108  using fasteners  112  and  114 . The fasteners  112  and  114  may be, for example, screws that are inserted through slits  116  and  118  in the bracket  110  and into the head supports  106  and  108 , The fasteners  112  and  114  may be loosened or removed from the head support  106  and  108  to allow the user to adjust the angle  120  and length  122  of the bracket  110  relative to the headband  104 . The fasteners  112  and  114  may be inserted or tightened into the head supports  106  and  108  to secure the bracket  110  at the desired angle  120  and length  122 . The bracket  110  may be adjusted to a position such that the bracket  110  crosses in front of a desired area of the user&#39;s face. 
     The face-operated joystick control system  100  includes a joystick  124 , also referred to as a control stick or stick controller. The joystick  124  may include a stick  124   a  that pivots on a base  124   b . The joystick  124  may include a knob  124   c  at the tip of the joystick  124 . The knob  124   c  may be shaped such that the joystick  124  is engageable with and operable by an area of the user&#39;s face. For example, the knob  124   c  may be flattened and padded to provide comfort and ease of operation by the user  101 . 
     The joystick  124  may be coupled to the bracket  110 . In some implementations, the joystick  124  and associated circuitry may be integrated into the bracket  110 . In some implementations, the joystick  124  may include a separate base portion (not shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 ) that houses the associated circuitry, and the base portion is mounted onto the bracket  110 . The user  101  may adjust the bracket  110  to position the joystick  124  so that the knob  124   c  is pressed against an area, such as the area  126  between the chin and mouth, of the user&#39;s face so that the user  101  can operate the joystick  124  by moving the area  126  of the user&#39;s face, 
     The joystick  124  is operated by moving the stick  124   a  relative to its central position. The joystick  124  has at least one axis of movement for controlling movements of an object in at least one dimension. For example, a one-axis joystick may control an object to move in one dimension such as a forward-or-backward direction or an up-or-down direction. A two-axis joystick may control an object to move in two dimensions such as a forward-or-backward direction and a left-or-right direction, The joystick  124  may be used to, for example, control virtual objects in video games, machines such as cranes, trucks, unmanned vehicles, wheelchairs, surveillance cameras, and lawn mowers, or smaller electronic equipment such as laptop computers and mobile phones. 
     In some implementations, the joystick  124  may be an analog joystick of a fully proportional control system. In a fully proportional control system, the joystick  124  proportionally controls movements of an object, and the object responds directly to the amount and direction of movement of the joystick  124 . In some implementations, the joystick  124  may be a digital joystick where movements of the joystick are processed as absolute values, such as an on or off signal for each direction, instead of subtle gradations. 
     While  FIGS. 1-3  show one joystick  124  integrated into the bracket  110  at a center point of the bracket  110 , the face-operated joystick control system  100  may include two joysticks integrated into or mounted onto the bracket  110 . The two joysticks may be positioned on the bracket  110  such that the user can adjust the bracket  110  to have the joysticks touch the user&#39;s eyebrows or cheeks. 
       FIGS. 4-6  are side views of a joystick  400  being operated by movements of a user&#39;s chin  402 . In  FIG. 4 , the user&#39;s chin  402  is in a natural position. The joystick  400  is in a central position and in contact with an area on or near the user&#39;s chin  402 . In  FIG. 5 , the user moves his chin  402  in a downward direction toward his feet to move the joystick  400  in a downward direction. In  FIG. 6 , the user moves his chin  402  in an upward direction toward his forehead to move the joystick  402  in an upward direction. 
       FIGS. 7-9  are top views of a joystick  700  being operated by movements of a user&#39;s chin  702 . In  FIG. 7 , the user&#39;s chin  702  is in a natural position. The joystick  700  is in a central position and in contact with an area on or near the user&#39;s chin  702 . In  FIG. 8 , the user moves his chin  702  to his right to move the joystick  700  to the right side of the central position. In  FIG. 9 , the user moves his chin  702  to his left to move the joystick  700  to the left side of the central position. 
       FIGS. 10 and 11  are front views of an example of a face-operated joystick control system  800  as worn by a user  801 . The face-operated joystick control system  800  includes a frame  802 . The frame  802  may include a headband  804 , head supports  806  and  808 , and arms  810  and  812 . The headband  804  and the head supports  806  and  808  may be similar to the headband  104  and head supports  106  and  108  of the face-operated joystick control system  100  shown in  FIGS. 1-3 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 10 and 11 , the arms  810  and  812  extend from the sides of the headband  804  to areas in front of the user&#39;s face. The arms  810  and  812  may be attached to the head supports  806  and  808  using fasteners (not shown), The fasteners may be, for example, screws that are inserted through slits or holes (not shown) in the arms and into the head supports  806  and  808 . The fasteners may be loosened or removed to allow the user to adjust the angles and lengths of the arms  810  and  812  relative to the headband  804 . The angle and length of the arm  810  may be adjusted independently of the angle and length of the arm  812 . The fasteners may be inserted or tightened to secure the arms  810  and  812  at the desired angles and lengths. 
     The face-operated joystick control system  800  includes joysticks  814  and  816 . The joystick  814  may be coupled to the end of the arm  810 . The joystick  816  may be coupled to the end of the arm  812 . In some implementations, the joysticks  814  and  816  may each include a base portion that houses associated circuitry. The base portion of the joystick  814  may be mounted on the end of the arm  810 . The base portion of the joystick  816  may be mounted on the end of the arm  812 . In some implementations, the joystick  814  and associated circuitry may be integrated into the arm  810 , and the joystick  816  and associated circuitry may be integrated into the arm  812 . 
     The user  801  may adjust the arm  810  to position the joystick  814  in contact with an area of the user&#39;s face so that the user can operate joystick  814  by moving the area of the user&#39;s face. The user  801  may adjust the arm  812  to position the joystick  816  in contact with another area of the user&#39;s face so that the user  801  can operate the joystick  816  by moving the other area of the user&#39;s face. The arms  810  and  812  may be fabricated using sufficiently rigid material so that the joysticks  814  and  816  remain in contact with the user&#39;s face as the user is wearing the face-operated joystick control system  800 . 
     For the example shown in  FIG. 10 , the user  801  has adjusted the arm  810  to position the joystick  814  in contact with his right cheek  818  so that the user  801  can operate joystick  814  by moving his right cheek  818 . The user  801  has adjusted the arm  812  to position the joystick  816  in contact with his left cheek  820  so that the user  801  can operate joystick  816  by moving his left cheek  820 . 
     For the example shown in  FIG. 11 , the user  801  has adjusted the arm  810  to position the joystick  814  in contact with his right cheek  818  so that the user  801  can operate joystick  814  by moving his right cheek  818 . The user  801  has adjusted the arm  812  to position the joystick  816  in contact with his chin  822  so that the user  801  can operate joystick  816  by moving his chin  822 . 
     Each of the joysticks  814  and  816  have at least one axis of movement for collectively controlling an object in at least two dimensions. For example, the joystick  814  may have one axis of movement to control an object, such as a radio-controlled (RC) car, in one dimension such as a forward-or-backward direction, and the joystick  816  may have one axis of movement to control the RC car in another dimension such as a left-or-right direction. As another example, the joystick  814  may have two axes of movement to control an object, such as a RC helicopter, in two dimensions such as forward-or-backward and left-or-right directions, and the joystick  816  may have one axis of movement to control the RC helicopter in a third dimension such as an up-or-down direction. 
     In some implementations, the joysticks  814  and  816  may be analog joysticks that proportionally control movements of an object, and the object responds directly to the amounts and directions of movements of the joysticks  814  and  816 . In some implementations, the joysticks  814  and  816  may be digital joysticks where movements of each of the joysticks are processed as absolute values, such as an on or off signal for each direction, instead of subtle gradations. In some implementations, one of the joysticks  814  or  816  may be an analog joystick, and the other one of the joysticks  814  or  816  may be a digital joystick. 
       FIG. 12  shows a face-operated joystick control system  900  coupled to an object, such as a RC car  902 , for proportional control of the movement of the RC car  902  in real-time. An object is considered to be controlled in real-time when the object responds immediately or without significant delay to user input. 
     The face-operated joystick control system  900  includes a joystick  904 . The position of the joystick  904  can be adjusted so that the joystick  904  contacts an area of the user&#39;s face, such as an area near the user&#39;s chin  906 . 
     The face-operated joystick control system  900  communicates with the RC car  902  over a communication link. The communication link may include a wired link, a wireless link, or both. For example, the joystick  904  may be configured to communicate with a remote transmitter  910  over a wired link  908 , and the transmitter  910  communicates with the RC car  902  over a wireless link  912  such as a radio-frequency link. 
     The user  901  moves his chin  906  to operate the joystick  904  and control movement of the RC car  902 . For example, the user  901  can move his chin  906  upward from its natural position toward his forehead to move the joystick  904  in an upward direction from its central position. The upward movement of the joystick  904  controls the RC car  902  to move in a forward direction. The user  901  can move his chin  906  downward from its natural position toward his feet to move the joystick  904  in a downward direction from its central position. The downward movement of the joystick  904  controls the RC car  902  to move in a backward direction. The speed of the RC car  902  may be dependent upon the amount of vertical (upward or downward) displacement of the joystick  904  from its central position. 
     The user  901  can move his chin  906  to the left of its natural position to move the joystick  904  left from its central position. The movement of the joystick  904  to the left of its central position controls the RC car  902  to turn left. The user  901  can move his chin  906  to the right of its natural position to move the joystick  904  right from its central position. The movement of the joystick  904  to the right of its central position controls the RC car  902  to turn right. Steering control, such as turn radius, may be dependent upon the amount of horizontal (left or right) displacement of the joystick  904  from its central position. 
     While this specification contains many specifics, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of the disclosure or of what may be claimed, but rather as descriptions of features specific to particular implementations. Certain features that are described in this specification in the context of separate implementations may also be implemented in combination in a single implementation. Conversely, various features that are described in the context of a single implementation may also be implemented in multiple implementations separately or in any suitable subcombination. Moreover, although features may be described above as acting in certain combinations and even initially claimed as such, one or more features from a claimed combination may in some cases be excised from the combination, and the claimed combination may be directed to a subcombination or variation of a subcombination. Thus, particular embodiments have been described. Other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims.