Source: http://www.google.com/patents/US8094121?dq=6,408,309
Timestamp: 2014-07-11 01:11:06
Document Index: 175691694

Matched Legal Cases: ['Application No. 60', 'Application No. 92128428', 'Application No. 92128428', 'Application No. 92128428', 'Application No. 038134829', 'application No. 2003', 'Application No. 2003']

Patent US8094121 - Multi-axis joystick and transducer means therefore - Google PatentsSearch Images Maps Play YouTube News Gmail Drive More »Sign in<nobr>Advanced Patent Search</nobr>PatentsThe invention relates to improved multi-axis joysticks and associated multi-axis optical displacement measurement means. The joystick may comprise elements movable with respect to each other in at least, e.g., three degrees of freedom and comprise ionically conductive elements that are utilized to generate...http://www.google.com/patents/US8094121?utm_source=gb-gplus-sharePatent US8094121 - Multi-axis joystick and transducer means thereforeAdvanced Patent SearchPublication numberUS8094121 B2Publication typeGrantApplication numberUS 12/349,359Publication dateJan 10, 2012Filing dateJan 6, 2009Priority dateApr 12, 2002Also published asCN1692401A, CN1692401B, EP1514257A1, US7474296, US20050162389, US20090213073, US20120162076, US20130265233, WO2003088204A1Publication number12349359, 349359, US 8094121 B2, US 8094121B2, US-B2-8094121, US8094121 B2, US8094121B2InventorsHenry K. Obermeyer, Fritz H. Obermeyer, Leslie ObermeyerOriginal AssigneeHenry K. Obermeyer, Fritz H. ObermeyerExport CitationBiBTeX, EndNote, RefManPatent Citations (117), Non-Patent Citations (173), Referenced by (9), Classifications (15), Legal Events (1) External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, EspacenetMulti-axis joystick and transducer means thereforeUS 8094121 B2Abstract The invention relates to improved multi-axis joysticks and associated multi-axis optical displacement measurement means. The joystick may comprise elements movable with respect to each other in at least, e.g., three degrees of freedom and comprise ionically conductive elements that are utilized to generate a position signal in, e.g., at least three, or at least six degrees of freedom. Various ergonomic configurations of six axis joystick embodiments which may be facilitated by the compact design of the transducer means are disclosed. Means for dynamically adjusting coordinate transformations for construction machinery control are also disclosed.
1. A joystick comprising:
at least two elements movable with respect to each other in at least six degrees of freedom wherein six elastomeric, ionically conductive elements are utilized to generate a position signal of at least three degrees of freedom, each of said six elastomeric, ionically conductive elements having an upper end and a lower end; and
an upper circuit board above said six elastomeric, ionically conductive elements and a lower circuit board below said six elastomeric, ionically conductive elements, said upper circuit board comprising an upper half of said electrical terminals and said lower circuit board comprising a lower half of said electrical terminals,
wherein each of said upper half of said electrical terminals are connected with an upper end of one of said elastomeric, ionically conductive elements, and each of said lower half of said electrical terminals are connected with a lower end of one of said elastomeric, ionically conductive elements
wherein said upper half of said electrical terminals are angularly spaced one hundred twenty degrees apart and said lower half of said electrical terminals are angularly spaced one hundred twenty degrees apart,
wherein said upper half of said electrical terminals are angularly offset sixty degrees from said lower half of said electrical terminals,
wherein said elastomeric, ionically conductive elements, said electrical terminals and said circuit boards form at least part of a variable resistance circuit, and
wherein said variable resistance circuit has a shape analogous to Stewart platform actuator geometry.
2. A joystick as described in claim 1 further comprising a pedestal established below said lower circuit board.
3. A joystick as described in claim 1 wherein one of said elements movable with respect to each other comprises a grip.
4. A joystick as described in claim 1 wherein said elastomeric, ionically conductive elements comprise a metal salt dissolved in a polymer solid solution.
5. A joystick as described in claim 1 wherein said elastomeric, ionically conductive elements comprise an elastomeric material selected from the group consisting of an intrinsically conductive polymer, and a polymer with a conductive filler.
6. A joystick as described in claim 1 wherein an electrical signal passing through said elastomeric, ionically conductive elements is of alternating polarity.
7. A joystick as described in claim 1 wherein said elastomeric, ionically conductive elements comprise cavities containing an electrolyte.
8. A joystick as described in claim 7 wherein said electrolyte comprises an electrolyte selected from the group consisting of: an electrically conducting liquid and an electrically conducting gel.
This application is a continuation application of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/511,110, filed Oct. 12, 2004, which is a National Stage Application of International Application No. PCT/US03/11614, filed Apr. 14, 2003, and published on Oct. 23, 2003 as WO 03/088204 A1, said international application claiming the benefit of, and filed during the pendency of, U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/372,216, filed Apr. 12, 2002, each said application hereby incorporated by reference.
II. BACKGROUND Various attempts have been made to develop commercially viable six axis joysticks. The complexity of the prior art designs has resulted in expensive products which may be only affordable for computer aided design and other high value industrial and commercial applications. The �SpaceOrb ��, which was developed by Spacetec IMC Corporation and marketed as a computer gaming peripheral device for several years during the late 1990's, was ultimately discontinued, perhaps due to its complexity and manufacturing cost relative to its roughly $50 to $100 retail price. Patents related to the Spacetec SpaceOrb� which were assigned to Spacetec IMC Corporation as of date of issue include U.S. Pat. No. 5,591,924 to Hilton, U.S. Pat. No. 5,706,027 to Hilton et al, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,798,748 to Hilton et al. Hilton was also granted an earlier patent in the same field, U.S. Pat. No. 4,811,608, assigned as of date of issue to Spatial Systems Pty Limited. The six axis devices currently offered by Logitech (which may have purchased Spacetec IMC Corp) include the Spaceball� and Spacemouse�, the January 2002 retail prices of which were approximately $500 each.
Other attempts have been made to use optical position transducers in a six-axis device. For example, U.S. Pat. App. No. 20010038380 to Salcudean et al discloses the use of light sources and sensors mounted to both the stationary and movable elements of a joystick. Such a scheme may entail unnecessary complexity of construction and may result in a less reliable and less robust device due to the requirement for movable electrical components requiring flexible connections.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,76,524 to Jenkins and U.S. Pat. No. 5,767,840 to Selker are examples of prior art in which the use of strain gages is disclosed. The use of such strain gages may be complicated by temperature-induced errors and low gage factors, both of which can add to the difficulty of signal processing and signal shielding. Furthermore, the allowable strain may be barely perceptible to the operator, and may result in a lack of useful and desirable deflection feedback to the operator. Furthermore, the low strains may preclude the use of mechanical stops to prevent overloading the strain gages. Strain gages may be sized to include a factor of safety with respect to loads which may decrease their already poor gage factor even further. Even with a factor of safety, the devices using strain gages may be unsuitable for applications such as computer games, which may often be dropped on the floor by children.
An example of a simplified device of the Stewart platform variety is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,329,812 B1 to Sundin, wherein the important consideration of cost is addressed. Overall complexity may not be avoided, however, because of the need to shield radio frequency interference and because of interference effects between adjoining inductive springs. A further disadvantage of the Sundin design may be that the multiple springs could result in an assembly that is subject to unacceptable resonant vibrations if used in association with construction equipment or moving vehicles. Such vibration may include resonance of the active grip on its spring(s) or may involve lateral or higher mode vibrations within the springs themselves.
Yet another known six-axis joystick may be comprised of a plurality of magnetic sensing coils and multiple movable magnets. Examples of patents disclosing magnetic position detection include U.S. Pat. App. No 20010055002 to Endo and U.S. Pat. No. 5,687,080 to Hoyt et al. These designs may often be much more complex and expensive than the present invention and may not provide any inherent shielding from ambient magnetic flux
Yet another method is the coupling of two three-axis controllers to attain six axes control as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,749,577 and 6,033,309 to Couch et al. Such a method may be more expensive than the present invention and may lack an intuitive six-axis interface.
Various multi-axis input devices or �joysticks� that utilize some form of magnetic field measurement such as Hall effect sensing are known. Examples of patents related to multi-axis input devices or joysticks which disclose Hall Effect sensing include U.S. Pat. No. 5,959,863 to Hoyt et al and U.S. Pat. No. 5,687,080 to Hoyt et al. U.S. Pat. App. 2001/0055002 to Endo also discloses the use of Hall Effect sensing for multi-axial computer input devices.
Several articles on the subject of six axis user interfaces by Shumin Zhai, Ph.D. have been published. These include: Human Performance in Six Degree of Freedom Input Control, Interaction in 3D Graphics, and User Performance in Relation to 3D Input Device Design.
III. DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION Various embodiments designed to meet the forgoing objectives are summarized as follows:
In accordance with a further aspect of this invention, the thumb operated transducers as described in Patent Application Publication No. US2002/0104957 A1 may be provided at several locations offset from each other in order to provide additional degrees of freedom.
The transformation may be multi-stage, and may consist primarily of a linear diagonalization and a nonlinear scaling and correction. A cubic polynomial transformation may be used to model the nonlinear mapping from signals to outputs. A full cubic polynomial with six input variables has 6*4^6=24576 coefficients, and may be too computationally costly to be useful. A better transformation may consist of an approximate linear transformation to achieve nearly diagonal outputs followed by a polynomial transformation with all terms up to total 3rd order (e.g., (1, x, y, x^2, x*y, y^2, x^3, x^2*y, x*y^2, y^3) for 2 variables). This requires 6*6=36 coefficients for the linear diagonalization transform and 504 coefficients for the nonlinear cubic part, which may be computationally feasible. An initial pre-transform using 6 coefficients might be done on each production unit to account for manufacturing variations in the individual sensors. A final post-transformation which rescales the translation, rescales the rotation, and centers the output (tares) requires 1+1+6=8 coefficients, might be specified per user preference.
IV. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIGS. 1 a through 1 e all depict various views generated from a SolidWorks� solid model of one of the preferred embodiments of a six axis joystick constructed according to this invention.
FIG. 5 is a schematic of a cylindrical projection of an embodiment of the present invention shown in conjunction with a corresponding electrical schematic illustrating the implementation of touch sensing means and truncated mirror facets.
FIG. 10 b is an additional cross section view of the embodiment of FIG. 10 a. FIGS. 11 a, 11 b, 11 c and 11 d are plan, cross-sectional, perspective, and exploded views respectively of an example magnetic flux sensor embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 13 a is a plan view of an assembled magnetic element of an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 13 b is a cross-sectional elevation view of a magnetic embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 15 b is an exploded view of the embodiment of FIG. 15 a. FIG. 15 c is an assembled, transparent view of the embodiment of FIG. 15 a FIG. 15 d is another exploded view of the embodiment of FIG. 15 a. FIG. 15 e is sectional view similar to FIG. 15 a. FIG. 16 is a sectional elevation view of another elastomeric embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 21 b is a view of a single transducer subassembly of the transducer assembly depicted in FIGS. 21 a, 21 d, 21 e, and 21 f. FIG. 21 c is section A-A taken through FIG. 21 b. FIG. 22 is a sectional schematic cut along a hexagonal of path yet another electrolyte filled elastomeric embodiment of the present invention shown during representative stages of manufacture and assembly.
FIG. 49 b is a sectional elevation view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 49 a FIG. 49 c is an exploded view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 49 a. FIG. 49 d is a perspective view of a portion of FIG. 49 a. FIG. 50 a is a cutaway view of one embodiment of the present invention featuring a monolithic optical position transducer.
FIG. 54 b is a partial edge view of the embodiment of FIG. 54 a FIG. 55 is a sectional elevation of a joystick in accordance with one aspect of this invention.
Referring now to FIG. 4, while flat mirror facets are depicted in the FIGS. 1 a, 1 b, 1 c, 1 d, 1 e, 2, and 3, the curved facets schematically illustrated in FIG. 4 may be used advantageously to obtain greater sensitivity and resolution for particular applications. Light 14 from emitter 4, which is hidden from direct view in FIG. 4, may be focused by mirror facet 2 a to form an image of said emitter 4 at a distance L from photo detector 5 b. For clarity, the light between emitter 4 and detector 5 a is not shown in FIG. 4.
Referring to FIGS. 8 a (plan view), 8 b (sectional elevation view), 8 c (cutaway perspective view), 8 d (elevation view), and 8 e (exploded view), a preferred embodiment of a six-axis joystick in accordance with the present invention is shown. Active grip portion 1 a, also shown by itself in FIG. 9, may incorporate reflective facets 2 a, 2 b, 2 c, 2 d, 2 e, and 2 f. Active grip portion 1 c may retain active grip portion 1 b which has preferably a low durometer (<40 Shore A hardness) elastomer. Such a soft grip portion 1 a may provide a non-slip surface which may be reliably engaged by the operator's fingertips with minimal gripping force. The compliance of the grip due to its low hardness in combination with significant thickness may reduce contact stresses on the operator's fingers and thus may help prevent reduction in blood circulation. Said grip portion 1 b may be a standard O-ring shape. Grip portion 1 c may feature holes in bottom portion. The outer holes may provide a predetermined amount of clearance to stand off spacers 21. The relative diameters of holes 22 (taking into account grommets if used) and spacers 21 may define the range of motion in a horizontal plane of the active grip. Vertical clearances between grip portion 1 c and base 3 and between grip portion 1 c and circuit board 13 may provide a predetermined amount of vertical travel. The active grip assembly comprised of portions 1 a, 1 b, and 1 c may be thus confined to a predetermined allowable extent of travel in six degrees of freedom. Active grip portion 1 a may be fixed to spring 10 by spring retaining grooves 47 in active grip portion 1 a. Spring 10 may in turn be fixed to monolithic transducer package 21 by groove 48. Said monolithic transducer package 21 may incorporate a circuit board 13 which may extend outward radially to engage spacers 21 and screws 23. Alternatively, an additional separate piece may be used for mounting transducer package 21 and engaging some mounting means such as spacers 21 and screws 23.
Referring now to FIGS. 10 a and 10 b, an embodiment of the present invention featuring a traditional �joystick� style active grip, an enhanced range of motion, and protective and pressure compensating bellows is shown in cross section. Transducer 25 may be similar to that described in FIG. 8 a, 8 b, 8 c, 8 d, and 8 e. Said transducer may necessarily have a limited range of motion especially if it is to be contained within active grip 24. The arrangement shown is intended to provide additional range of translational motion along three axes as follows: Leaf springs 29 and 30 are fixedly mounted to mounting block 28. Connection block 35, which may be nominally the same height as mounting block 28, can be deflected upward and downward along the Z-axis without motion about the Θx axis. Mounting block 36 may be attached to a plurality of beams 31, 32, 33, and 34 that may be in turn attached to connection block 35. Moments of inertia about the Z-axis for beams 31, 32, 33, and 34 are selected to provide a predetermined degree of stiffness in torsion about the Z-axis. The spacing of beams 31, 32, 33, and 34 may be nominally the same at both connection block 35 and at mounting block 36. Horizontal deflections of mounting block 36 may not therefore cause twisting of the active grip about the Θx or Θy axes. The nominal equal spacings of the flexible elements at the various mounting points may be adjusted to achieve controlled amounts of coupling, if desired, of the various rotational and translational axes. Bellows 26 may be similar to that used on conventional joysticks except that it may be provided extra pleats to provide compliance about the Θz axis. Bellows 27 may compensate for air volume changes in housing 37 due to Z-axis movements of bellows 26. Bellows 27 may be preferably attached to mounting block 35 so that the movement of bellows 27 is directly hand powered and said bellows 27 therefore does not lag behind until a sufficient air pressure differential might cause a sudden movement of said bellows 27, which might in turn cause an unintended sudden movement of bellows 26 and therefore of transducer assembly 25, which could thus cause spurious signals. The small size of transducer assembly 25 may facilitate the use of a grip 24 that is small enough to allow reliable gripping even while the operator's thumb and forefinger are used to actuate typical game-style joystick buttons or triggers.
Referring to FIG. 12, a plan view of the flux path is shown without a magnetic grip. Referring to FIG. 13 a, a plan view is shown indicating the magnetic flux path with a magnetic grip. Referring to FIG. 13 b, the magnetic flux path 57 is shown in elevation view. The use of a return magnetic flux path through the grip may allow the flux to carry further from the pole pieces, resulting in better mechanical clearances, greater range of movement and better ergonomics.
The lower end of elastomeric sensing element 60, which may be a conductive Elastomeric element, and which may be ionically conductive, may be fixed to pedestal 63, which may be fixed to base portion 64. The upper end of sensing element 60 may be fitted with electrical terminals 61 a, 61 b, and 61 c. The lower end of elastomeric sensing element 60 may be fitted with electrical terminals 62 a, 62 b, and 62 c. Said electrical terminals may also be used for mechanical attachment of grip #1 and pedestal 63 to the elastomeric sensing element 63. Lower printed circuit board 67 and upper printed circuit board 66 may be used to facilitate electrical connection to elastomeric sensing element 60. Upper circuit board 66 may be fastened to elastomeric sensing element 60 by means of fasteners 68 and may also be fastened to grip 1 by means of fastener 69. Circuit board 67 may be clamped between pedestal 63 and elastomeric sensing element 60 by means of fasteners 65. Fasteners 65 may also serve to attach pedestal 63 to base portion 64. Referring to FIG. 16, upper circuit board 66 may be configured to facilitate use of multiple fasteners 69 for attachment to grip 1. Referring again to FIGS. 15 a through 15 d, upper electrical terminals 61 a, 61 b, and 61 c are preferably equally spaced 120 degrees apart. Electrical terminals 62 a, 62 b, and 62 c are also preferably equally spaced 120 degrees apart and are also preferably offset angularly from upper electrical terminals by 60 degrees. In this manner, the electrically conductive elastomeric sensing element 60, in combination with said electrical terminals, may function as a variable resistance circuit as represented in FIG. 17. Note that FIG. 17 is a planar representation of a three dimensional electrical circuit, which may be thought of as a cross section of the elastomeric sensing element 60 of FIG. 15 a through 15 e cut along either a circular or hexagonal pattern intercepting electrical terminals 61 a, 61 b, 61 c, 62 a, 62 b, and 62 c. Referring again to FIG. 17, variable resistor 70 a, for example, may represent the Variable resistance between electrical terminals 61 a and 62 a, which resistance may vary as elastomeric sensing element 60 is deformed. Said three dimensional electrical circuit may be in the general shape of the actuator geometry of a Stewart Platform. Importantly, six degrees of freedom of the deflections of elastomeric sensing element 60 may be uniquely represented by the resistive electrical characteristics between electrical terminals 61 a, 61 b, 61 c, 62 a, 62 b, and 62 c. Elastomeric sensing element 60 may be made from a wide variety of materials of several classes. In one embodiment of this invention, the elastomeric material may be a solid solution of a metal salt dissolved in a polymer, such as that described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,898,057, 6,063,499, 6,111,051, or 6,184,331 to Chiang et al. or as commercially available from Mearthane Products Corp. In the case of said solid solution of a metal salt dissolved in a polymer, the electrical excitation signal is preferably of alternating polarity. Such an elastomer may be referred to hereafter as ionically conducting. For example, a three phase alternating current supply may be used as depicted in FIG. 45. Alternatively, the elastomeric sensing element 60 may be an �intrinsically conductive polymer� (ICP) such as Polyaniline(PAni) developed by Zipperling Kessler & Co. or blends of such polymers. Alternatively, polymers with conductive fillers may be used but may not be preferred due to inconsistent and often non-linear strain-resistivity relationships.
Referring to FIGS. 18 a, 18 b, 18 c, and 18 d, various views are shown of another Embodiment of an elastomeric sensing element 60 of this invention. Upper electrical terminals are designated 61 a, 61 b, and 61 c. Lower electrical terminals are designated 62 a, 62 b, and 62 c. This embodiment may be superior to the embodiment of FIGS. 15 a through 15 e due to a reduced or eliminated electrical current through equivalent resistances 71 a, 71 b, 71 c, 71 d, 71 e, and 71 f as depicted in FIG. 17. Additionally, the mechanical stiffness along the various axes may be readily tailored by controlling the shapes and angles of the elastomeric �legs� 70 a, 70 b, 70 c, 70 d, 70 e, and 70 f. Referring to FIG. 18 e, a representative equivalent circuit is shown wherein variable resistances 70 a through 70 f represent the resistances of the �legs� of the same designation in FIGS. 18 a through 18 d. Referring to FIGS. 19 a, 19 b, 19 c, and 19 d, various views are shown of yet another embodiment of the current invention wherein a plurality of discrete elastomeric sensing elements 75 a, 75 b, 75 c, 75 d, 75 e, and 75 f may replace the single elastomeric sensing element 60 of the preceding figures. Electrical terminals 72 a through 72 f and 73 a through 73 f may fix said elastomeric sensing elements to upper circuit board 66 and lower circuit board 67. The upper circuit board 66 and lower circuit board 67 may be fixed to a grip and pedestal or base portion as depicted in other views. The size and shape of the discrete sensing elements may be selected to optimize the stiffness characteristics, strength, and ergonomic feel along each axis.
Referring now to FIGS. 35 a through 35 g, 36 a and 36 b, photographs of a model of another embodiment of the present invention are shown whereby twelve degrees of freedom may be readily controlled with one hand. Fingertip operated grip 122 is connected by sensor means 121 (not shown) to hand held grip 123. The fingertip operated grip 122 may be preferably approximately 1 to � inches in diameter, a possibly novel level of compactness which the sensor means disclosed by this invention may facilitate. Additional sensor means for measurement of hand held grip inputs may be located within hand held grip 123 or at the base of connecting link 124, or within connecting link 124 or may be achieved by external, e.g., video measurement means.
Referring now to FIGS. 49 a, 49 b, 49 c, and 49 d, a joystick is shown which features a base 64 to which is mounted a gel pad wrist rest 111 which allows the user comfortably clamp the base 64 securely against a supporting surface 126 such as a desk during manipulation of the joystick. Pedestal 63 is attached to base 64 and may be shaped to prevent excessive rotation or horizontal movement of lower grip portion 1 b. Lower grip portion 1 b is accordingly shaped to allow desirable but not excessive movement about pedestal 63. The movement of lower grip portion 1 b is limited in the downward direction by base 64 and is limited in the upward direction by pedestal 63. Diaphragm 2 is convoluted along several directions to provide flexibility in six degrees of freedom and provides protection of the optical components from dust and insects. Spring 10 provides a restoring force to the grip 1 a and 1 b and also locates by way of holes 10 a and 10 b the upper grip relative to the photo emitters 4 and photo detectors 5. Lower grip 1 b is also located relative to pedestal 63 by means of spring 10. Spring 10 is depicted with three way symmetry.
Spring 10 may have any number of configurations such as two way symmetry or it may be constructed with a single spiral element. Upper grip 1 a features an internal surface with a combination of absorptive zones 1 c and reflective zones 1 d. Emitters 4 may be aimed directly at the boundaries betweens zones 1 c and zones 1 d. Photo detectors 5 may have a wide field of view and may each be responsive to the reflected light from several photo emitters. If the photo emitters are energized one at a time, all of the photo detectors, photo diodes for example, may be electrically connected in parallel and may be connected to a single analog input channel of a mixed signal integrated circuit such as a Microchip PIC� device. Such a device may be mounted directly to circuit board 13 along with other electronic components which may be required to direct power to the photo emitters 4 and to derive a signal from the photo detectors 5. Upper grip 1 a as shown in FIGS. 49 a, 49 b, 49 c and 49 d is drawn in this example at 53 mm diameter.
Referring now to FIGS. 50 a and 50 b, an embodiment of the present invention is shown which incorporates a monolithic photo transducer 44. Pedestal 63 is attached to base 64 and may be shaped to prevent excessive rotation or horizontal movement of lower grip portion 1 b. Lower grip portion 1 b is accordingly shaped to allow desirable but not excessive movement about pedestal 63. The movement of lower grip portion 1 b is limited in the downward direction by base 64 and is limited in the upward direction by pedestal 63. Diaphragm 2 is convoluted along several directions to provide flexibility in six degrees of freedom and provides protection of the optical components from dust and insects. Spring 10 provides a restoring force to the grip 1 a and 1 b and also locates by way of holes 10 a and 10 b the upper grip relative to the photo emitters 4 and photo detectors 5. Lower grip 1 b is also located relative to pedestal 63 by means of spring 10. Spring 10 is depicted with three way symmetry. Spring 10 may have any number of configurations such as two way symmetry or it may be constructed with a single spiral element. Upper grip 1 a features an internal surface with a combination of absorptive zones 1 c and reflective zones 1 d. Emitters 44 c may be aimed directly at the boundaries betweens zones 1 c and zones 1 d. Photo detectors 44 b may have a wide field of view and may each be responsive to the reflected light from several photo emitters. FIGS. 50 a, 50 b, and 50 c are drawn to a scale such that upper grip 1 a is approximately 40 mm in diameter, thus rendering it operable with the user's thumb tip, index finger tip, and middle finger tip and leaving the users remaining fingers available to grip a further device such as a mouse or joystick to which base 64 may be attached.
Referring now to FIG. 52, another embodiment of the present invention is shown wherein a joystick 1 controls a hexapod adaptor 126 which controls the spatial relationship between a piece of construction equipment 131, in this case a loader, and a removable implement 133 , in this case a bucket. Various other implements such as forks, grapples, booms, saws, hammers, augers, drills, mowers, etc. may be similarly controlled. Machine vision sensor 130 which may be a video camera is used to machine determine the posture of the linkage 127 relative to the joystick 1. The machine vision sensor 130 may also be used to sense the posture of the hexapod 126. The posture of hexapod stage 126 may also be interpreted by machine vision means such as by video camera or scanning laser beam. Such a laser beam might, for example scan reflective tags on each of the six struts. The timing of the reflected signals might be used to determine the posture of the hexapod. Various other machine vision schemes could also be used. Alternatively or conjunctively posture information may be deduced from discrete sensors such as MEMS (Micro Mechanical Electrical Systems) devices 126 c attached to attached to the hexapod struts and MEMS devices 126 b and 126 d attached to platforms 128 and 132. Further MEMS devices (which may be accelerometers or angular rate sensors for example) 127 a and 129 a may be attached to the various parts of the linkage 127 of a machine. Such devices may be attached magnetically and preferably transmit information wirelessly.
Referring now to FIG. 53, a partial general control arrangement is shown which might be used in conjunction with the embodiment shown in FIG. 52. Joystick 1 is used by the operator to control slave platform 132. Coordinates are continuously adjusted to match the user's frame of reference by computer 139 using machine vision sensor 130 and/or discrete sensors 127 a, 127 b, 126 c, 126 d, and the like. Conventional absolute angle and position encoders may also be utilized. Hexapod struts 126 may be hydraulically controlled by hydraulic valve manifold 137, which may receive electrical power through motion controller 134 from hydraulic electrical generator 136. Hydraulic electrical generator 136 may also supply electrical power to transceiver 135. Transceiver 135 may receive motion command data from transceiver 138. Such a scheme is adaptable to a wide variety of machinery. Installation of such equipment need not be permanent and may be well suited even to rental construction equipment. In general, the accuracy of the posture determining system need only be sufficient to reasonably align the hexapod, for example, frame of reference with the frame of reference of the operator. Absolute position feedback would be in direct visual or audible directly to the operator, independent of the control system. Optionally, a haptic joystick could be utilized to provided tactile force feedback.
The discussion included in this application is intended to serve as a basic description. The reader should be aware that the specific discussion may not explicitly describe all embodiments possible; many alternatives are implicit. It also may not fully explain the generic nature of the invention and may not explicitly show how each feature or element can actually be representative of a broader function or of a great variety of alternative or equivalent elements. Again, these are implicitly included in this disclosure. Where the invention is described in device-oriented terminology, each element of the device implicitly performs a function. Not only are apparatus claims included for the device described, but also method or process claims may be included to address the functions the invention and each element performs. Neither the description nor the terminology is intended to limit the scope of the claims which will be included in a full patent application.
Further, each of the various elements of the invention and claims may also be achieved in a variety of manners. This disclosure should be understood to encompass each such variation, be it a variation of an embodiment of any apparatus embodiment, a method or process embodiment, or even merely a variation of any element of these. Particularly, it should be understood that as the disclosure relates to elements of the invention, the words for each element may be expressed by equivalent apparatus terms or method terms�even if only the function or result is the same. Such equivalent, broader, or even more generic terms should be considered to be encompassed in the description of each element or action. Such terms can be substituted where desired to make explicit the implicitly broad coverage to which this invention is entitled. As but one example, it should be understood that all actions may be expressed as a means for taking that action or as an element which causes that action. Similarly, each physical element disclosed should be understood to encompass a disclosure of the action which that physical element facilitates. Regarding this last aspect, as but one example, the disclosure of a �means for detecting� or a �detector� should be understood to encompass disclosure of the act of �detecting��whether explicitly discussed or not�and, conversely, were there effectively disclosure of the act of �detecting�, such a disclosure should be understood to encompass disclosure of a �detector� and even a �means for detecting�. Such changes and alternative terms are to be understood to be explicitly included in the description.
It should also be understood that for practical reasons and so as to avoid adding potentially hundreds of claims, the applicant may eventually present claims with initial dependencies only. Support should be understood to exist to the degree required under new matter laws�including but not limited to European Patent Convention Article 123(2) and United States Patent Law 35 USC 132 or other such laws�to permit the addition of any of the various dependencies or other elements presented under one independent claim or concept as dependencies or elements under any other independent claim or concept. Further, if or when used, the use of the transitional phrase �comprising� is and will be used to maintain the �open-end� claims herein, according to traditional claim interpretation. Thus, unless the context requires otherwise, it should be understood that the term �comprise� or variations such as �comprises� or �comprising�, are intended to imply the inclusion of a stated element or step or group of elements or steps but not the exclusion of any other element or step or group of elements or steps. Such terms should be interpreted in their most expansive form so as to afford the applicant the broadest coverage legally permissible.
(1) 1-D accelerometer at each point, A and B, both oriented parallel to radius and away from center. X-axis taken along moving element, y-axis perpendicular to element as shown. (1) 1-D accelerometer parallel to y-axis and fixed at A.
Accelerations at each point:
a → A = ( g x + θ � � r A , g y + V A 2 r A ) a → B = ( g x + θ � � r B , g y + V B 2 r B ) where
V A 2 r A and
V B 2 r B are tangential velocities. | g|={square root over (gx 2+gy 2)}, so finding gy gives: gx={square root over (g2−gy 2)}thus:
θ = arctan ⁡ ( g y g x ) = arctan ⁡ ( g y g 2 - g y 2 ) Since VA=rA�{dot over (θ)} and VB=rB�{dot over (θ)}, we may write:
a A , y = ( g y + ( r A � θ . ) 2 r A ) = g y + r A � θ . 2 a B , y = ( g y + ( r B � θ . ) 2 r B ) = g y + r B � θ . 2 ⇒ ( g y + r 1 � θ . 2 ) - r A r B ⁢ ( g y + r 2 � θ . 2 ) = ( 1 - r 1 r 2 ) ⁢ g y So:
g y = a A , y - r A r B ⁢ a B , y 1 - r A r B ⇒ θ = arctan ⁡ ( a A , y - r A r B ⁢ a B , y 1 - r A r B g 2 - ( a A , y - r A r B ⁢ a B , y 1 - r A r B ) 2 ) θ . = a A , y - g y r A = a B , y - g y r B θ � = a A , x - g x r A = a A , x - g 2 - [ a A , y - r A r B ⁢ a B , y 1 - r A r B ] 2 r A Alternatively:
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Ltd.Input device for an electronic deviceUS8619265Mar 13, 2012Dec 31, 2013Faro Technologies, Inc.Automatic measurement of dimensional data with a laser trackerUS8724120 *Apr 10, 2013May 13, 2014Faro Technologies, Inc.Automatic measurement of dimensional data with a laser trackerUS20100072280 *Nov 12, 2009Mar 25, 2010Randy D. McGillHybrid synthetic barcode and rfid system and methodUS20100266993 *Apr 16, 2009Oct 21, 2010Redbird Flight Simulations, Inc.Interchangeable instrument panel, throttle quadrant, and control device systemUS20110069002 *Sep 23, 2009Mar 24, 2011John Paul StuddifordOpto-electronic system for controlling presentation programsUS20110074678 *Nov 21, 2008Mar 31, 2011Nxp B.V.Input device for an electronic device* Cited by examinerClassifications U.S. Classification345/156, 345/166International ClassificationG06F3/033, G09G5/08, G09G5/00, G05G9/047Cooperative ClassificationG05G2009/04755, G05G2009/04759, G05G9/047, G06F3/0338, A63F2300/105, A63F2300/1043, G06F3/016European ClassificationG05G9/047, G06F3/0338Legal EventsDateCodeEventDescriptionJan 20, 2012ASAssignmentFree format text: NUNC PRO TUNC ASSIGNMENT;ASSIGNORS:OBERMEYER, HENRY K.;OBERMEYER, FRITZ K.;OBERMEYER, LESLIE R;SIGNING DATES FROM 20110418 TO 20111208;REEL/FRAME:027566/0399Owner name: OBERMEYER, FRITZ R., COLORADOOwner name: OBERMEYER, HENRY K., COLORADORotateOriginal ImageGoogle Home - Sitemap - USPTO Bulk Downloads - Privacy Policy - Terms of Service - About Google Patents - Send FeedbackData provided by IFI CLAIMS Patent Services©2012 Google