Patent Publication Number: US-2022226723-A1

Title: Multiaxis manipulation control device

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to an electronic manipulation control device. More particularly, the present invention relates to a two-handed manipulation control device providing multiaxis control of movements of an object or objects manipulated simultaneously in a physical or virtual environment. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Currently, various types of manipulation control devices are known. For example, a mouse or a joystick may be used to manipulate a graphical object in a computer environment. Two-handed gamepad controllers are also widely used to control various movements in video games or simulation applications. These devices are designed to include a mechanical control of movements in up to two degrees of freedom per hand, while any additional manipulation control can be provided by operating push buttons or triggers mounted on the housing of the manipulation control device. 
     Video games are constantly evolving, therefore more and more additional input controls are required to manipulate in-game avatars or to execute game mechanics. On commercially available standard videogame controllers, this problem is solved by implementing additional push buttons on the housing of the gamepads. The ascending number of button inputs on said devices, however, are making the control and mastering the games a difficult task. Furthermore, the most versatile fingers, the thumbs are not being used to their full range of motion input potential. 
     There are controllers specifically designed for virtual reality environments which are being used almost exclusively in first-person view applications. These devices which are worn on the hands allow the movements of the user to be transposed to digital input with complete six degrees of freedom. The said devices however demand the user&#39;s full arm range of motion and a large operating area to execute inputs for control manipulation. The operation of these devices requires a lot of energy input by the user, therefore these controllers are not suitable for minimum effort device operation, which would only require minimal operating space and the use of fingers and wrist. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 6,664,946 describes a two-handed computer input device allowing dual axis articulated movement. Although this device provides a convenient use for video game players, it still only allows mechanical manipulation control along two axes and does not have a resetting mechanism to set the input back to a neutral zero signal, idle position. Further manipulation control operations can be performed using multiple control buttons arranged on the housing of the device. To manipulate control by using push buttons is less convenient and difficult. 
     Therefore, there is a need for a two-handed manipulation control device that provides a more intuitive, more realistic and a minimum effort manipulation by utilizing the anatomical structure of the hands to the maximum extent by involving the thumb fingers and the wrist of a user to create input controls in a synchronized way without relying on button input for complicated actions. 
     By using such a device, it is possible for the user to simultaneously manipulate more than one object. A digital game avatar, for example, can be navigated in a virtual space while the game avatar&#39;s left and right limbs can also be manipulated with the device&#39;s mechanical inputs at the same time. Another example is in a real-world environment where multiple physical elements of an electronic surgical apparatus can be operated simultaneously by a single device user. 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a manipulation control device that can be conveniently operated with minimum effort by two hands, in particular by the two thumbs and wrist of a user. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a two-handed manipulation device that is capable of controlling movements of an object or objects simultaneously in a physical or virtual environment by up to nine degrees of freedom. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The above objects are achieved by providing a multiaxis manipulation control device comprising a housing, at least one thumb mechanism arranged on the housing, each thumb mechanism comprising a thumb securing unit for holding a user&#39;s thumb and a thumb linkage connecting said thumb securing unit to the housing, and further comprising a sensor unit for detecting movements of the thumb securing unit independently in three directions and providing a sensor signal. The device further comprises an electronic circuitry for processing said sensor signals and based on said sensor signals, generating and transmitting manipulation control signals to a processor device. The thumb linkage includes a first coupling mechanism allowing the securing unit to pivot around a first axis and a second axis perpendicular to said first axis, and at least for one thumb mechanism, a second coupling mechanism allowing the thumb securing unit to move along a third axis, which is perpendicular to said first and second axes and aligns with a longitudinal axis of the thumb mechanism. The sensor unit of each thumb mechanism comprises a dual axis position sensing unit arranged in said first coupling mechanism for detecting the displacement of the thumb securing unit around the first and second axes, and the sensor unit of at least one thumb mechanism further comprises a single axis position sensing unit arranged in said second coupling mechanism for detecting the displacement of the thumb securing unit along the third axis. 
     Various embodiments of the manipulation control device are defined by the dependent claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an illustrative embodiment of the manipulation control device in perspective view in accordance with a first aspect of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2A  illustrates the manipulation control device of  FIG. 1  in top plan view in an idle position and a yaw position. 
         FIG. 2B  illustrates the manipulation control device of  FIG. 1  in front elevation view in an idle position and a roll position. 
         FIG. 2C  illustrates the manipulation control device of  FIG. 1  in side elevation view in an idle position and a pitch position. 
         FIGS. 3A and 3B  illustrate an exemplary dual axis coupling mechanism of the linkage of the manipulation control device in cross-sectional view in an idle position and in a yaw position. 
         FIG. 4A  illustrates a dual axis Hall sensor unit in front elevation view in an exemplary embodiment of the device according to the invention. 
         FIG. 4B  illustrates the sensor unit of  FIG. 4A  in side elevation view. 
         FIG. 4C  illustrates the sensor unit of  FIG. 4A  in top plan view. 
         FIG. 4D  illustrates the sensor unit of  FIG. 4A  in perspective view. 
         FIG. 4E  shows the sensor unit of  FIG. 4A  when mounted in a handle member of the manipulation control device according to the first aspect of the present invention. 
         FIGS. 5A and 5B  illustrate an exemplary single axis coupling mechanism of the linkage of the manipulation control device according to the first aspect of the present invention. 
         FIGS. 6A to 6C  schematically illustrate the operation of a single axis coupling mechanism of a thumb securing unit that can be used in the manipulation control device according to the invention. 
         FIG. 7  is an exploded view of an exemplary embodiment of the single axis coupling mechanism of the thumb securing unit of the manipulation control device according to the invention. 
         FIG. 8  illustrates the single axis coupling mechanism of  FIG. 7  in sectional view. 
         FIGS. 9 and 10  illustrate the linkage part of the thumb securing unit of an exemplary embodiment of the manipulation control device according to the invention in perspective view. 
         FIGS. 11A and 11B  illustrate the internal structure of the manipulation control device according to the first aspect of the present invention in upper perspective view and bottom perspective view, respectively. 
         FIG. 11C  illustrate the steps of assembling the two handle members of the manipulation control device according to the first aspect of the present invention. 
         FIG. 12  schematically illustrates an exemplary embodiment of the manipulation control device according to a second aspect of the present invention. 
         FIG. 13  schematically illustrates an exemplary embodiment of the manipulation control device according to a third aspect of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , one embodiment of the manipulation control device  10  is provided with a housing  11  formed of two pieces, namely first and second handle members  12  and  14 , respectively. The handle members  12  and  14  are sized to fit within the hand of the user and are movable relative to one another along three axes. The handle members  12  and  14  are connected by a linkage generally illustrated at  16 . The linkage  16  allows the second handle member  14  to be articulated relative to the first handle member  12  in a yaw direction (around the Z-axis) generally indicated by arrow  21 . The linkage  16  also allows the second handle member  14  to be pivoted in a roll direction (around the Y-axis) generally indicated by arrow  22 . The linkage  16  also allows the second handle member  14  to be pivoted in a pitch direction (around the X-axis) generally indicated by arrow  23 . This motion, and linkage  22 , is described in greater detail later in the specification. In addition, the manipulation control device  10  includes angular position sensors which sense the angular position of the second handle member  14  relative to the first handle member  12 . 
       FIG. 2A  illustrates the manipulation control device  10  in top plan view in a yaw position (above) and an idle position (below), wherein the second handle member  14  is rotated relative to the first handle member  12  around the Z-axis or within the X-Y plane.  FIG. 2B  illustrates the manipulation control device  10  in front elevation view in a roll position (above) and an idle position (below), wherein the second handle member  14  is rotated relative to the first handle member  12  around the Y-axis or within the X-Z plane.  FIG. 2C  illustrates the manipulation control device  10  in side elevation view in a pitch position (above) and an idle position (below), wherein the second handle member  14  is rotated relative to the first handle member  12  around the X-axis or within the Y-Z plane. 
       FIGS. 3A and 3B  show an exemplary coupling mechanism of the linkage  16  in cross-sectional view in an idle position and in a yaw position, respectively. The second handle member  14  may comprise a hollow shaft  30  which intrudes into the first handle member  12 . At the outer end of the shaft  30 , a piston  31  may be arranged in the shaft  30  in a movable configuration. 
     In the idle state shown in  FIG. 3A , the piston  31  is forced to lean against a front face of a counter-piece  33  by means of a loaded spring  35  arranged inside the hollow of the shaft  30 . 
     In this exemplary coupling mechanism, detection of the angular displacement between the two handle members  12 ,  14  is performed using a position sensor unit comprising a Hall sensor. At the outer end of the piston  31 , a permanent magnet  32  may be secured to the piston  31 . Adjacent to said outer end of the shaft  30 , a Hall sensor  34  is arranged inside the second handle member  14 , just behind the counter-piece  33 . 
     When the first and second handle members  12 ,  14  rotate with respect to each other, as shown in  FIG. 3B , the shaft  30  angularly displaces with respect to the counter-piece  33  while the piston  31  is pushed into the hollow of the shaft  30  to some extent against the force of the loaded spring  35 . In this way, the spring  35  will be compressed to a higher extent and rotation of the first handle member  12  relative to the second handle member  14  generates a returning force through the compressed spring  35 . Due to this returning force, the dual axis position sensing unit has a specific zero position, which allows a very accurate manipulation as a result of the elimination of the accumulative positioning errors. 
     At a relative angular displacement between the first and second handle members  12 ,  14 , the Hall sensor  34  generates a sensor signal that is proportional to the angle of the relative rotation between the two handle members  12 ,  14 . 
     In one embodiment of the device  10 , the Hall sensor  34  may be a dual axis sensor adapted for sensing relative rotation of the handle members  12 ,  14  around both the Y-axis and the Z-axis.  FIG. 4A  illustrates a dual axis Hall sensor unit in a front view in more detail,  FIG. 4B  illustrates the same sensor unit in a side view,  FIG. 4C  illustrates the sensor unit in a top plan view, and  FIG. 4D  illustrates the sensor unit in perspective view.  FIG. 4E  is a perspective view of the articulation mechanism with the dual axis Hall sensor unit mounted into the second handle member  14  of the input device  10 . 
     Although the exemplary coupling mechanism described herein employs a Hall sensor as a position sensor, it should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that other types position sensors, such as optical sensor, electromechanical sensor, and the like, may also be used in the manipulation control device  10  for sensing the relative angular displacement between the first and second handle members  12 ,  14 . 
       FIGS. 5A and 5B  illustrate an exemplary coupling mechanism that allows the two handle members  12 ,  14  to rotate with respect to each other along the X-axis, which is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the shaft  30  used in the position sensing unit shown in  FIGS. 3A and 3B . In this exemplary coupling mechanism, single axis position sensing is carried out using a single axis Hall sensor unit with two permanent magnets  47   a ,  47   b  secured to the second handle member  14 . The shaft  30  is engaged with a seat  42  of the second handle member  14  in a pivotable manner. At the end of the shaft  30  adjacent to the seat  42 , a Hall sensor  48  is mounted on the shaft  30 . When the shaft  30  is pivoted with respect to the seat  42  as a result of the pitching action, the Hall sensor  48  generates a sensor signal that is proportional to the angular displacement of the shaft  30 , and thus the sensor signal is also proportional to the angle of rotation of the first handle member  12  around the X-axis with respect to the second handle member  14 . 
     In the single axis Hall sensor unit, a return spring  44  may be used to force the handle members  12 ,  14  back into their initial position at a pitching action. Due to this returning effect, the single axis position sensing unit also has a specific zero position, allowing a very accurate manipulation as a result of the elimination of the accumulative positioning errors. 
     When the shaft  30  is pivoted, a lateral cam  41  thereof forces an insert  45  to also pivot within the seat  42  and this insert  45  pushes a movable member  46  upward against the force of the return spring  44 , which is unloaded in its idle state. The movable member  46  is pivotally coupled to the second handle member  14 . 
     The above described articulated mechanism provides a control possibility by three degrees of freedom as the two handle members of the housing can be rotated relative to each other around three axes independently. Although it is preferred that in the idle position of the device, the three axes of the articulation of the handle members are mutually perpendicular to each other, it should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the axes may also define other angles between each other in the idle position of the device. 
     It should be also appreciated by those skilled in the art that the linkage between the two handle member of the housing may be limited to have less than three degrees of freedom, for example only two or one degrees of freedom, by blocking rotation of the handle members with respect to each other along one or two axes. Mechanical stop members may be used within the coupling mechanisms of the linkage to prevent one handle member from pivoting relative to the other handle member along any axis. 
     In one embodiment, the manipulation control device further comprises at least one thumb mechanism, preferably one or two thumb mechanism. The one or more thumb mechanisms are arranged on the upper side of the housing of the device. Each thumb mechanism may be configured to provide up to three additional degrees of freedom for the manipulation control through specific movements of the thumbs of the user. Consequently, when two thumb mechanisms are included in the manipulations control device, it is adapted to control the movement of a physical or virtual object or objects simultaneously, altogether by up to nine degrees of freedom. 
     In some embodiments, wherein the manipulation control device comprises two thumb mechanisms, one of the thumb mechanisms may be configured to have only two degrees of freedom in the x and y directions, while its displacement along the z direction is blocked. This configuration allows an easier manipulation of the device as it is adapted to control the movement of a physical or virtual object or objects simultaneously, by up to eight degrees of freedom. 
     In one embodiment, as schematically illustrated in  FIG. 13 , the manipulation control device  10  may comprise only one thumb mechanism. In this case, the single thumb mechanism may be arranged on the upper side of the housing  11  of the device  10 , on either the first or the second handle member  12 ,  14 . The single thumb mechanism is configured to provide three degrees of freedom for the manipulation control. Consequently, this embodiment of the manipulation control device  10  is adapted to control the movement of a physical or virtual object or objects simultaneously, by up to six degrees of freedom. 
     A thumb mechanism may allow a triple axis manipulation including a pivoting action around the X and Y-axes and a push-pull action along the Z-axis. As shown in  FIG. 1  and other figures, each thumb mechanism comprises a thumb securing unit  50  for receiving the user&#39;s thumb. The thumb securing unit  50  may be closed rings or open rings designed for convenient insertion and stable holding of the thumbs therein. The structure and the operation of the thumb mechanism will be described with reference to  FIGS. 6 to 10 . 
       FIGS. 6A to 6C  schematically illustrate the operation of an exemplary single axis coupling mechanism allowing movements of a thumb securing unit along the Z-axis. In this exemplary single axis coupling mechanism, a housing  52  is used to hold a spring  54  and to provide a support  55  for a positioning element  56  of the mechanism. The support  55  is rigidly attached to the housing  52 . The positioning element  56  is secured to the spring  54  at its one end and pivotally coupled to a tilting element  58 . The tilting element  58  is also coupled to the housing  52  in a pivotable manner. The initial idle state of the mechanism is shown in  FIG. 6 a   . In this state the spring is unloaded. 
     In  FIG. 6B  a lower position of the single axis coupling mechanism is illustrated. In this position the activation part of the tilting element (i.e. the right side thereof in  FIGS. 6A-C ) is pushed down, so the positioning element  56  is pivoted due to the support  55  with compressing the spring  54 , which, in turn, exerts a returning force to the tilting element  58  through the positioning element  56 . 
       FIG. 6C  depicts an upper position of the single axis coupling mechanism. In this position the activation part of the single axis coupling element is pulled up, so the positioning element  56  is pivoted due to the support  55  with expanding the spring  54 , which, in turn, exerts a returning force to the tilting element  58  through the positioning element  56 . 
     Due to the returning force exerted by the spring  54 , the single axis position sensing unit of the thumb mechanism has a specific zero position, which allows a very accurate manipulation as a result of the elimination of the accumulative positioning errors. It is noted that the returning force of the spring  54  may be different in the opposite directions as the movement of the thumb requires different powers in the upward and downward directions due to anatomical reasons. 
     In some embodiments, the single axis coupling mechanism of a thumb securing unit may be configured to allow displacement in only one direction from its idle position, i.e. only upwards or downwards. To this end, the upward or downward motion of the positioning element  56  in the idle state ( FIG. 6A ) may be blocked by a respective locking element (not shown), thus the tilting element  58  can be moved either in an upward direction (as shown in  FIG. 6C ) or in a downward direction (as shown in  FIG. 6B ). 
     In some embodiments, the structure and the operation of the single axis coupling mechanism of at least one thumb mechanism may be different from those depicted in  FIGS. 6A-6C . For example, the single axis coupling mechanism may comprise magnetic elements instead of or in addition to the spring  54 . Other coupling mechanisms may also be conceivable. 
       FIG. 7  is an exploded view of the single axis coupling mechanism in one embodiment of the manipulation control device according to the invention, and  FIG. 8  illustrates the same single axis coupling mechanism in a sectional view. In these figures the same reference numbers are used to indicate the elements as in  FIGS. 6 and 7 . 
       FIG. 9  illustrates the linkage part of the thumb securing unit in an exemplary embodiment of the manipulation control device according to the invention, wherein a single axis Hall sensor unit is integrated into the single axis coupling mechanism of the thumb securing unit as a position sensing unit for detecting movement of the thumb securing unit along the Z-axis. The single axis Hall sensor unit is mounted inside the housing of the handle members  12 ,  14 . The sensor unit comprises two permanent magnets  60  on both sides of the tilting element  58  and a Hall sensor  62  is secured to the tilting element  58  between the two magnets  60 . When the tilting element  58  is pushed down or pulled up, the Hall sensor  62  mounted thereon generates a sensor signal that is proportional to the displacement of the tilting element  58 , and thus the sensor signal is also proportional to the vertical displacement of the thumb securing unit  50  along the Z-axis with respect to the respective handle member  12 ,  14 . 
     Although the exemplary single axis coupling mechanism of the thumb securing unit described herein employs a single axis Hall sensor as a position sensor, it should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that other types position sensors, such as optical sensor, electromechanical sensor, and the like, may also be used in the manipulation control device  10  for sensing the linear displacement of the thumb securing unit s with respect to the first and second handle members  12 ,  14 . 
     It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that depending on the field of application of the manipulation control device, the single axis coupling mechanism of the thumb securing unit may be configured to operate only along a limited path, for example only within a range of movement below its zero position (where the returning spring is unloaded), or within a range of movement above its zero position by means of a stop member. In a particular embodiment of the device, vertical motion of the thumb securing unit may be fully blocked, thereby reducing the number of available degrees of freedom of the thumb securing unit. 
     The dual axis pivoting operation of the thumb mechanism may be detected by a conventional analogue position sensor unit  64  secured to the activation part of the single axis coupling mechanism. In one embodiment, the thumb securing unit  50  may fixed to a stem projecting upwards from the analogue position sensor unit  64  as shown in  FIG. 10 , which depicts the structural elements of the whole thumb mechanism inside the handle member  12 . 
     It should be also appreciated by those skilled in the art that the dual axis coupling mechanism of the thumb securing unit may also be limited to one degree of freedom by mechanically blocking, through a stop member, pivotal of the unit with respect to the housing of the device along either axis. 
       FIGS. 11A and 11B  show the internal structure of the manipulation control device  10  according to one embodiment the present invention in an upper perspective view and a bottom perspective view, respectively, for illustrative purposes. In these figures, the arrangement of the various parts described above in connection with the exemplary coupling mechanisms is shown. For identifying the parts of the device, the same reference numbers are used herein as in the previous figures. 
       FIG. 11C  illustrates the steps of assembling the two handle members  12 ,  14  of the manipulation control device  10  according to the first aspect of the present invention in perspective view from the bottom. Initially the two handle members  12 ,  14  are available in a separated form, both with many parts previously mounted therein. In the first step, the movable member  46  is inserted and fixed in a pivotable manner within the handle member  12 . Next, the seat  42  with the insert  45  is mounted into the member  12 , followed by pushing the shaft  30  into the seat  45 , wherein the shaft  30  has already been mounted in the other handle member  14 . Finally, a detent pin  80  is inserted into an end portion of the shaft  30 , said end portion being pivotally guided in the seat  45 . 
     In a further aspect, the present invention also relates to a manipulation control device that includes a one-piece housing with two thumb mechanisms, each of which providing multiaxis control with up to three degrees of freedom. An exemplary embodiment of the manipulation control device of the second aspect is schematically illustrated in  FIG. 12 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 12 , the manipulation control device  100  has a one-piece housing  13  with a similar or the same two-handed design as introduced above with respect to the device of the first aspect. In this case, the manipulation control device  100  has no central linkage, while it comprises two thumb mechanisms for the manipulations. 
     At least one of the two thumb mechanisms, preferably both of them, is configured to allow movement of the thumb securing units  50  in three independent directions, thus providing manipulation control by up to three degrees of freedom. The structure and the operation of the thumb manipulation mechanisms may be the same as described above with reference to  FIGS. 6 to 10 . This device  100  may be easier to use due to the simplified configuration of the housing  13  of the device. This embodiment of the manipulation control device  100  provides up to six degrees of freedom, but depending on the field of application of the device, the coupling mechanisms of the thumb securing units  50  may be mechanically blocked in one or more directions to provide a limited configuration, with the restriction that at least one of the thumb mechanisms is to allow the z-axis movement. 
     In one embodiment, a triple axis digital gyroscope unit may be integrated into the one-piece housing  13  of device  100 , which is provided with two thumb mechanisms as described above. 
     The digital gyroscope unit, which may comprise a conventional digital gyroscope, is adapted to sense tilting of the housing  13  of the device  100  in three orthogonal directions and thus to generate a sensor signal indicative of the spatial angular movement of the housing  13  of the manipulation control device  100 . 
     The manipulation control devices according to the present invention further comprise a conventional electronic circuitry for processing the sensor signals and based on said sensor signals, generating and transmitting manipulation control signals to a processor device, such as a computer, a drone, a surgery manipulation tool or the like. The control signals may be transmitted from the manipulation control device in a wired or wireless way. The manipulation control device may further comprise a battery or other power source for operating the electronic circuitry and the sensors of the device. When the manipulation control device is attached to the processor device through a wire, the power supply of the manipulation control device may be provided by the controlled device through the wire and thus no battery is necessary within the manipulation control device. 
     It should be noted that the use of the manipulation control device described herein is not limited to the control of computer games or other computer applications. The manipulation control device according to the present invention may equally be used as a manipulation tool also in medical surgery, drone control, and many other fields where manipulation of an object or objects in either a physical environment or in a virtual environment by nine degrees of freedom is required. 
     The manipulation control device according to the present invention may also be provided with one or more traditional input controls on the housing of the device such as buttons or triggers for additional control options.