EP0936529A1 - Manette de jeu pour ordinateur - Google Patents

Manette de jeu pour ordinateur Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0936529A1
EP0936529A1 EP98102273A EP98102273A EP0936529A1 EP 0936529 A1 EP0936529 A1 EP 0936529A1 EP 98102273 A EP98102273 A EP 98102273A EP 98102273 A EP98102273 A EP 98102273A EP 0936529 A1 EP0936529 A1 EP 0936529A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
joystick
computer
handle
joystick handle
shafts
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Granted
Application number
EP98102273A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Other versions
EP0936529B1 (fr
Inventor
Shu-Ming Liu
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Transpacific Plasma LLC
Original Assignee
Primax Electronics Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Primax Electronics Ltd filed Critical Primax Electronics Ltd
Priority to DE69836619T priority Critical patent/DE69836619T2/de
Priority to EP19980102273 priority patent/EP0936529B1/fr
Publication of EP0936529A1 publication Critical patent/EP0936529A1/fr
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0936529B1 publication Critical patent/EP0936529B1/fr
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G05—CONTROLLING; REGULATING
    • G05G—CONTROL DEVICES OR SYSTEMS INSOFAR AS CHARACTERISED BY MECHANICAL FEATURES ONLY
    • G05G9/00—Manually-actuated control mechanisms provided with one single controlling member co-operating with two or more controlled members, e.g. selectively, simultaneously
    • G05G9/02—Manually-actuated control mechanisms provided with one single controlling member co-operating with two or more controlled members, e.g. selectively, simultaneously the controlling member being movable in different independent ways, movement in each individual way actuating one controlled member only
    • G05G9/04—Manually-actuated control mechanisms provided with one single controlling member co-operating with two or more controlled members, e.g. selectively, simultaneously the controlling member being movable in different independent ways, movement in each individual way actuating one controlled member only in which movement in two or more ways can occur simultaneously
    • G05G9/047—Manually-actuated control mechanisms provided with one single controlling member co-operating with two or more controlled members, e.g. selectively, simultaneously the controlling member being movable in different independent ways, movement in each individual way actuating one controlled member only in which movement in two or more ways can occur simultaneously the controlling member being movable by hand about orthogonal axes, e.g. joysticks
    • G05G9/053—Manually-actuated control mechanisms provided with one single controlling member co-operating with two or more controlled members, e.g. selectively, simultaneously the controlling member being movable in different independent ways, movement in each individual way actuating one controlled member only in which movement in two or more ways can occur simultaneously the controlling member being movable by hand about orthogonal axes, e.g. joysticks the controlling member comprising a ball
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G05—CONTROLLING; REGULATING
    • G05G—CONTROL DEVICES OR SYSTEMS INSOFAR AS CHARACTERISED BY MECHANICAL FEATURES ONLY
    • G05G9/00—Manually-actuated control mechanisms provided with one single controlling member co-operating with two or more controlled members, e.g. selectively, simultaneously
    • G05G9/02—Manually-actuated control mechanisms provided with one single controlling member co-operating with two or more controlled members, e.g. selectively, simultaneously the controlling member being movable in different independent ways, movement in each individual way actuating one controlled member only
    • G05G9/04—Manually-actuated control mechanisms provided with one single controlling member co-operating with two or more controlled members, e.g. selectively, simultaneously the controlling member being movable in different independent ways, movement in each individual way actuating one controlled member only in which movement in two or more ways can occur simultaneously
    • G05G9/047—Manually-actuated control mechanisms provided with one single controlling member co-operating with two or more controlled members, e.g. selectively, simultaneously the controlling member being movable in different independent ways, movement in each individual way actuating one controlled member only in which movement in two or more ways can occur simultaneously the controlling member being movable by hand about orthogonal axes, e.g. joysticks
    • G05G2009/0474—Manually-actuated control mechanisms provided with one single controlling member co-operating with two or more controlled members, e.g. selectively, simultaneously the controlling member being movable in different independent ways, movement in each individual way actuating one controlled member only in which movement in two or more ways can occur simultaneously the controlling member being movable by hand about orthogonal axes, e.g. joysticks characterised by means converting mechanical movement into electric signals
    • G05G2009/04759—Light-sensitive detector, e.g. photoelectric

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a computer joystick of the kind specified in the preamble of claim 1.
  • Computer joysticks are usually used as two-dimensional pointing control systems which employ a rotatable joystick handle to continuously generate two-dimensional vector signals each representing a current position of the joystick handle.
  • the vector signals generated by a joystick are different from the displacement signals generated by a mouse which indicate the amount and direction of each displacement of the mouse instead of a position of the mouse.
  • a conventional computer joystick usually comprises a housing, a joystick handle rotatably installed in the housing for driving two rotatable shafts inside the housing, two position detectors consisting of variable resistors to detect rotation angles of the two shafts, and a control circuit connected to the two position detectors for generating vector signals to indicate the rotation angles of the two shafts which indicate the current position of the joystick handle.
  • One major drawback of the conventional computer joystick is that the two variable resistors can easily be damaged by frequent or forceful use of the joystick handle. Also, inaccurate values of the rotation angles of the two shafts may be reported by the two variable resistors when they are damaged by frictional forces exerted inside thereof.
  • the present invention as claimed aims at providing a computer joystick not subject to wear or inaccurate indications caused by friction or damage due to forceful use.
  • the computer joystick 10 shown in the Figs. 1 and 2 comprises a housing 12 with an opening 16 at its top, a joystick handle 14 tiltably installed in the opening 16 and tiltable within an angle 18, and a calibrating button 15 for calibrating the indication of the position of the joystick handle 14.
  • a joystick mechanism 20 contained in the housing 12 includes two optical sensors 42 and 44 and a control circuit 48.
  • the joystick mechanism 20 comprises two mutually perpendicular shafts 38 and 40 rotatably installed inside the housing 12 for measuring rotations of the joystick handle 14 in X and Y directions, the joystick handle 14 rotatably mounted in the opening 16 by a ball-shaped knob 22 on the middle portion of the joystick handle, a hemispherical engaging element 24 connected to the bottom of the joystick handle 14 for frictionally engaging the two shafts 38 and 40, and a plurality of coil springs 32 installed between the engaging element 24 and the housing 12 for maintaining the joystick handle 14 in an upright position.
  • the two optical sensors 42 and 44 are installed in the housing 12 next to two perforated discs 41 and 43 mounted on shaft 38 and 40, respectively, for detecting rotations of the shafts 38 and 40 and generating corresponding displacement signals.
  • the control circuit 48 comprises a memory 50 for storing coordinates indicating the position of the joystick handle 14, and a processor 54 wired to the two optical sensors 42 and 44 for updating the coordinates according to the displacement signals so that the coordinates stored in the memory 50 always indicate the current position of the joystick handle 14.
  • the processor 54 further generates vector signals according to the coordinates to indicate the current position of the joystick handle 14 and transmits the vector signals to a connected computer (not shown) through an output port 52.
  • the hemispherical engaging element 24 When the upper end of the joystick handle 14 is tilted by a hand, the hemispherical engaging element 24 will cause corresponding rotations of the two shafts 38 and 40 and the two optical sensors 42 and 44 will generate corresponding displacement signals for the X and Y directions.
  • the processor 54 will calculate therefrom displacements ⁇ X and ⁇ Y, and update the coordinates stored in the memory 50 so that the current position of the joystick handle 14 can be maintained. Meanwhile, the processor 54 continues to supply vector signals to the output port 52 according to the position of the joystick handle 14 stored in the memory 50.
  • the coordinate storage in the memory 50 can be calibrated. Besides that, the joystick 10 should be calibrated upon power on to set initial coordinates in the memory 50.
  • FIG. 4 shows an example.
  • the computer joystick 60 of Fig. 4 differs from the computer joystick 10 in that it employs a detector 62 for calibrating the coordinate storage of the joystick handle 14 instead of a calibrating button or the like.
  • the control circuit of the computer joystick 60 is similar to that one of the computer joystick 10 shown in Fig. 3 except that the calibrating button 15 is replaced by the detector 62.
  • the detector 62 is installed under the engaging element 24. It comprises a reflecting device 64 mounted at the bottom of the engaging element 24, a light source 66, and a light detector 68 for receiving light from the light source 66 when this is reflected by the reflecting device 64 as this is the case when the joystick handle 14 is in a predetermined, preferably its upright position. Whenever the light detector 68 receives light reflected by the reflecting device 64, the processor 54 will immediately set the coordinate storage to a predetermined start or reference position such as (0,0). In this case the processor 54 can automatically calibrate the coordinate storage whenever the joystick handle 14 reaches the predetermined upright position, and no manual calibration is required.

Landscapes

  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Automation & Control Theory (AREA)
  • Position Input By Displaying (AREA)
EP19980102273 1998-02-10 1998-02-10 Manette de jeu pour ordinateur Expired - Lifetime EP0936529B1 (fr)

Priority Applications (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
DE69836619T DE69836619T2 (de) 1998-02-10 1998-02-10 Computersteuerknüppel-Anordnung
EP19980102273 EP0936529B1 (fr) 1998-02-10 1998-02-10 Manette de jeu pour ordinateur

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP19980102273 EP0936529B1 (fr) 1998-02-10 1998-02-10 Manette de jeu pour ordinateur

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0936529A1 true EP0936529A1 (fr) 1999-08-18
EP0936529B1 EP0936529B1 (fr) 2006-12-13

Family

ID=8231387

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP19980102273 Expired - Lifetime EP0936529B1 (fr) 1998-02-10 1998-02-10 Manette de jeu pour ordinateur

Country Status (2)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0936529B1 (fr)
DE (1) DE69836619T2 (fr)

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2001065329A1 (fr) * 2000-02-29 2001-09-07 Microsoft Corporation Mecanisme a trois degres de liberte pour organes d'entree
EP1598726A3 (fr) * 2004-05-18 2007-05-09 Alps Electric Co., Ltd. Dispositif d'entrée informatique à retour de force haptique
WO2012154508A1 (fr) * 2011-05-10 2012-11-15 Bp Corporation North America Inc. Support pivotant pour sonde échographique et ses procédés d'utilisation
GB2588473A (en) * 2019-05-07 2021-04-28 Sensata Technologies Inc Dual mode sensing joystick assembly

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US8581845B2 (en) 2007-09-14 2013-11-12 International Business Machines Corporation Hand activated input device with horizontal control surface

Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5561445A (en) * 1992-11-09 1996-10-01 Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. Three-dimensional movement specifying apparatus and method and observational position and orientation changing apparatus
EP0782093A1 (fr) * 1995-12-28 1997-07-02 THOMSON multimedia S.A. Dispositif d'entrée de données

Patent Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5561445A (en) * 1992-11-09 1996-10-01 Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. Three-dimensional movement specifying apparatus and method and observational position and orientation changing apparatus
EP0782093A1 (fr) * 1995-12-28 1997-07-02 THOMSON multimedia S.A. Dispositif d'entrée de données

Cited By (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2001065329A1 (fr) * 2000-02-29 2001-09-07 Microsoft Corporation Mecanisme a trois degres de liberte pour organes d'entree
US6580418B1 (en) 2000-02-29 2003-06-17 Microsoft Corporation Three degree of freedom mechanism for input devices
EP1598726A3 (fr) * 2004-05-18 2007-05-09 Alps Electric Co., Ltd. Dispositif d'entrée informatique à retour de force haptique
US7490530B2 (en) 2004-05-18 2009-02-17 Alps Electric Co., Ltd. Haptic feedback input device
WO2012154508A1 (fr) * 2011-05-10 2012-11-15 Bp Corporation North America Inc. Support pivotant pour sonde échographique et ses procédés d'utilisation
US8995225B2 (en) 2011-05-10 2015-03-31 Bp Corporation North America Inc. Pivoting ultrasonic probe mount and methods for use
GB2588473A (en) * 2019-05-07 2021-04-28 Sensata Technologies Inc Dual mode sensing joystick assembly
GB2588473B (en) * 2019-05-07 2023-02-08 Sensata Technologies Inc Dual mode sensing joystick assembly

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DE69836619T2 (de) 2007-09-20
EP0936529B1 (fr) 2006-12-13
DE69836619D1 (de) 2007-01-25

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