RU2594992C2 - Optical ministick - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: information technology; optical system.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to joysticks used in computer engineering, in computer information input devices, for control of household and processing devices, toys and virtual objects. Ministick contains a casing with control handle, a device which converts control handle deviation in intensity-variable light signal, light sources and receivers and microprocessor. Device which converts control handle deviation in intensity-variable light signal, represents an elastically deformable element in the form of part of elastic polymer and comprises a light-reflecting surface, located above the optoelectronic elements. Light sources are placed around one light receiver.

EFFECT: simplified design, higher reliability, smaller sizes.

17 cl, 9 dwg

Description

The invention relates to joysticks used in computer engineering, in devices for inputting information into computers, for controlling household and technological devices, toys and virtual objects.

Optical joysticks are known, for example, according to US Pat. , RU 2295749 07/13/2005, etc.

US patents No. 4459022, 6130424, 6222179 and others disclose fiber-optic joysticks or sensors containing several optical cables, one of which is connected to a light source, and the rest to light receivers. The joystick handle is connected to a mirror, to which the fiber is directed, connected to a light source. When the angle of the handle changes, the light beam from the mirror reflects it to the other four optical cables, through which it is sent to radiation receivers or converted into a control signal.

U.S. Patent No. 5,223,709 of June 29, 1993 discloses an optical joystick comprising an optical ball connected to a joystick control stick, on the surface of which a gray coding scale is applied, modulating the radiation intensity of a light source directed at the ball and a light receiver (photodiode) receiving an optical signal, modulated by gray coding scale.

US patent No. 6218659 B1 of 04/17/2001 discloses an optical trackball in which a ball covered with a complex pattern or relief is illuminated by an LED, and the image sensor generates control signals depending on the angle of rotation of the ball.

US Pat. No. 5,578,817, Nov. 26, 1996, describes a Pointing device utilizing a photodetector array and controlled by a human finger contacting a prism, which uses an array of photodetectors to determine the movement of a human finger and generate control signals.

In the patent of the Russian Federation No. 2295749 dated 07/13/2007, an optical joystick is described which comprises a housing, a moving part with two or more degrees of freedom, one or more radiation sources forming illuminated areas on a multi-element photodetector, the location of which clearly corresponds to the position of the moving part, and the sources radiation and photodetector are stationary and optically connected to each other through a mirror or a system of mirrors located on a moving part, the details of the moving joint are made elastic, return -rotating movable member to the initial position.

US patent 7633047 dated December 15, 2009 discloses an optical sensor module comprising a printed circuit board, an image sensor and a lens located on the upper surface of the keyboard and one or more light sources located around the image sensor.

A finger attached to the lens is illuminated by light sources. The reflected image is focused by the lens on the image sensor. Processing the signals of the image sensor according to special algorithms, the optical module determines the direction of movement of the finger attached to the lens, and generates control signals.

The disadvantages of the described optical joysticks are the excessive complexity of the design, which determines their high cost.

For example, in optical joysticks that use an array of photodiodes or an image sensor, one has to use rather expensive high-precision lenses, which, moreover, are quickly wiped with fingers and fail.

Closest to the invention is US patent No. 6,740,863 of 05/25/2004, according to which the joystick contains a housing, light sources, photoelectric converters located opposite them and a control handle connected by a cardan-hinge mechanism that converts the mechanical deviation of the control handle into an angle of rotation of two reflective surfaces, which, in turn, advancing or retracting between the light source and receiver, modulate the light flux that varies in intensity, which is converted by the photoelectric skim converter into a control signal.

The disadvantage of the prototype is the use of fairly complex mechanical parts and assemblies that make joysticks unreliable and quite complex devices.

The technical result of the invention is to simplify the design of the optical joystick, increase its reliability, reduce the size and improve ease of use.

Known three-dimensional micro-joystick according to the patent of the Russian Federation No. 2301439, which contains a housing with a control handle, which is connected to an elastically deformable element, on the surface of which are strain gauges connected to the microprocessor using buses and data transmission media. The use of an elastically deformable element of the micro-joystick makes it possible to significantly simplify its mechanical part, completely replacing the complex mechanical structure with one single part.

According to the patent of the Russian Federation No. 2455678 dated July 10, 2012, a multifunction switch is known comprising a housing with a control handle that is connected to an elastically deformable element, on the surface of which there are strain gauges connected to the microprocessor using buses and data transmission devices, while the elasto-deformable element of the multifunction switch is made in in the form of a truncated hollow cone or other axisymmetric hollow figure of elastic material fixed on a printed circuit board, tapering to the bottom with cutouts on the side or without them, in the center of the cavity of which the control handle is located, while the elastically deformable element is fixed to the printed circuit board by gluing and / or using mechanical fasteners.

This approach was applied in the invention to achieve a technical effect.

An optical mini-stick is proposed, comprising a housing with a control handle, a device that converts the deviation of the control handle into a light signal that varies in intensity, and optoelectronic elements in the form of light sources and light receivers connected to the microprocessor using buses and data transmission devices, and the device that converts the deviation control handle into a light signal that varies in intensity, is an elastically deformable element in the form of a part made of an elastic polymer material Comprising a reflective surface disposed above the optoelectronic elements according to the invention comprises a plurality of light sources arranged around a single light receiver.

The main differences of the claimed object are as follows.

1. The optical mini-stick contains several light sources located around one light receiver.

2. The control circuit contains a microprocessor with control keys for alternately turning on and off the light sources according to a given program, for example, alternately, sequentially one after another, or in pairs, or in groups for the time required to measure the illumination intensity of the receiver, and the measurement process is cyclically repeated.

3. The elastic-deformable element is made in the form of an elastic part, on the outer surface of which there is a control handle, and the inner side facing the receiver and light sources contains a reflective surface of a flat, convex or concave shape.

The above differences 1, 2, and 3 make it possible to obtain the claimed technical effect and are not found in well-known sources of technical information, therefore, it can be considered new.

The following differences are known and used in analogs, but are new in the framework of the invention.

4. The elastic deformable element is made of rubber, silicone plastic or polyurethane.

5. LEDs are used as light sources.

6. Lasers are used as light sources.

7. A photodiode is used as a light receiver.

8. A photoresistor is used as a light receiver.

9. Two light emitting diodes placed radially from the light receiver are used as light sources, so that the radial angle between them is 90 or 180 °.

10. Four light emitting diodes placed radially from the light receiver are used as light sources, so that the radial angle between them is 90 °.

11. As light sources, several LEDs are used, arranged radially from the light receiver, so that the radial angles between them are equal.

12. To display its status, displays or LEDs are used located near the manipulator or directly on it.

13. The free end of the control handle is equipped with a head made in the form of a removable or permanently fixed sphere or a flat, convex or concave part.

14. The elastic-deformable element is fixed on the printed circuit board by mechanical fasteners in the form of brackets or clamps, either held by the fixing elements of the body parts, or glued to it.

15. The light sources and the receiver are located or made on the same substrate, module or base.

The difference 15 is described in US patent application No. 201110064110 A1 dated 03/17/2011, which discloses a VERTICAL CAVITY SURFACE EMITTING LASER DEVICE WITH MONOLITHICALLY INTEGRATED PHOTODIODE device containing a vertically emitting laser and a photodiode located on the same chip. However, within the framework of the proposed optical ministry, it is new.

16. The light sources and the receiver are separated from the elastically deformable element by a protective plate in which there are holes or slots for the passage of light from the light source to the photoelectric converters.

17. The light sources and the receiver are soldered to the board from the side opposite to the side of the board facing the reflective surface, and in the places of their soldering, grooves or holes for the passage of light are made

Differences 16 and 17 are new and are not found in well-known designs of ministiks.

Thus, there are a sufficient number of significant differences that allow us to characterize the proposed solution as a new invention.

The description of the invention is illustrated in FIG. 1-7.

In FIG. Figure 1-3 shows a device of design options for an optical ministick with different options for attaching an elastically deformable element to a board;

in FIG. 4 and 5 show a conical concave and spherical convex embodiment of the shape of the reflective surface of the elastically deformable element;

in FIG. Figures 6-8 show the options for an optical ministry with a different number of LEDs and their different locations and a connection diagram to a microprocessor;

in FIG. Figure 9 shows a design variant of an optical ministick with the placement of optoelectronic elements on one chip for an integral embodiment or on one common substrate for a hybrid mounting option.

In FIG. 1-9 numbers indicate:

1 - printed circuit board;

2 - case;

3 - elastically deformable element;

4 - control handle;

5 - light receiver (photodiode, photoresistor);

6 - light source (LED, laser);

7 - microprocessor with a block of keys;

8 - buses and data transmission media;

9 - reflective surface;

10 - fixing elements of body parts;

11 - a common crystal, or module or base;

12 - a protective plate with holes or slots.

In FIG. Figures 1 and 2 show an optical mini-stick placed on a board 1, consisting of a housing 2, an elastically deformable element 3, made in one piece with the control handle 4.

A light receiver (photodiode, photoresistor) 5 and at least one light source (LED, laser) 6, which are connected to the microprocessor 7 by buses and data transmission devices 8, are located on the circuit board 1 under an elastically deformable element 3. An elastic deformable element 3 in the form of a part made of elastic polymer the material contains a reflective surface 9 located above the photoelectric transducer 5 and light sources 6. The reflective surface 9 may be of various shapes - flat, convex or concave. For example, in FIG. 4 shows a conic, and in FIG. 5 spherical convex surface.

The elastic deformable element is made of elastic material in the form of a plate with a control handle 4, supported by the elements of the casing 2 of the optical ministik attached to the board 1 (as in Fig. 1).

In FIG. 2 shows an optical ministick with an elastically deformable element 3 in the form of a part, on one side of which there is a control handle 4, and on the other hand there is a recess for the passage of light from light sources 6 to the photoelectric transducer 5 (as in FIG. 2). In this design, the elastically deformable element 3 of the optical ministry is attached to the device by pressing the fixing parts of the housing parts 10.

In FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of the optical mini-stick, in which the photodiode 5 and the LEDs 6 are soldered to the board on the side opposite to the side of the board facing the reflective surface 9, and in the places of their soldering, grooves or openings for the passage of light are made.

As an elastic material, various grades of rubbers, silicones, polyurethanes or other elastic polymers can be used.

In FIG. 3 shows an optical ministick in which the sources 6 and the light receiver 5 are separated from the elastically deformable element by a protective plate 12 in which there are holes or slots for the passage of light from the light source to the photoelectric converters.

In FIG. 6 shows an optical ministack in which one photodiode 5 and two LEDs 6 are mounted radially from the photodiode 5, so that the radial angle between them is 90 or 180 °.

In FIG. 7 shows an optical mini-stick in which one photodiode 5 and eight LEDs 6 are mounted.

In FIG. 8 shows an optical ministack in which one photodiode 5 and four LEDs 6 are mounted radially from the photodiode 5, so that the radial angle between them is 90 °.

In FIG. 9 shows an optical ministack in which one photodiode 5 and four LEDs 6 are mounted on the same chip, or module, or base.

The optical ministry works as follows.

In the unpressed state (see Fig. 1), the light from the alternately lit LEDs 6 is reflected from the undeformed reflective surface 9 and enters the light receiver 5. In this case, the illumination levels of the light receiver from the oppositely placed light sources are the same. This state is fixed by the microcontroller 7 as an unpressed initial state.

To control the objects, the operator presses the thumb of the control handle 4 of the optical mini-stick in the desired direction (see Fig. 2). The force effect from pressing by the handle 4 is transmitted to the elastically deformable element 3, which causes its deformation. The deformation of the elastically deformable element 3 leads to a deformation of the reflective surface 9 and a change in the distribution of light fluxes incident on the light receiver 5 from the light sources 6 depending on the angle of inclination of the control handle of the minicot 4. In this case, the illumination levels of the light receiver from oppositely placed light sources vary significantly. The signal from the light receiver 5 in the form of a voltage value Ui, which depends on the amount of illumination of the light receiver by the ith light source, is transmitted to the microprocessor 7 using buses and data transfer devices 8 (Fig. 6, 8).

The control circuit contains control keys for alternately turning on and off the light sources according to a given program. The LED control program can, for example, produce alternately, or sequentially one after another, or pairwise turn on the LEDs. To increase control accuracy, it is possible to turn on LEDs in groups of 2 or 3 LEDs. The LEDs are turned on for the time required to measure the illumination intensity of the receiver.

After the measurement program is completed, it is cyclically repeated.

The microprocessor compares the values of the signals Ui received from the light receiver when it is illuminated by i-light sources and calculates the directions and increments of the cursor movements along the X and Y coordinates, depending on the angle of the control handle according to well-known formulas.

Using a microprocessor 7, the state of the light receiver 5 is analyzed for each lit LED 6 and, using their known values, using the known algorithms, the angle of the direction of pressing of the control handle 4 and the control command are calculated.

For example, for the circuit shown in FIG. 8, the light receiver 5 is illuminated by four LEDs 6 arranged in pairs along the orthogonal coordinates X and Y. Moreover, first, the LEDs located along the X coordinate (time t2 and t2) are turned on alternately, and then the LEDs located along the Y coordinate (moments time t3 and t4). The accuracy and speed of the ministry depends on the order in which the LEDs are turned on.

The magnitude and direction of the increments of the cursor movements along the coordinates ΔX and ΔY can be calculated by the formulas

ΔX = k _x (U _xt1 -U _xt2 );

ΔY = k _y (U _yt3 -U _yt4 ),

where ΔX and ΔY are the increments of cursor movements along the coordinates ΔX and ΔY;

k _x and k _y are the specified sensitivity coefficients or transfer functions of the influence of the tilt of the handle of the mini-stick on the increments of the cursor movements along the coordinates ΔX and ΔY;

U _xt1 and U _xt3 ^{_ the} values of the signals of the light receiver U _xti , received at the moments of measurement t1 and t2 when they are illuminated by light sources located along the X coordinate at times t1 and t2;

U _yt3 and U _yt4 are the values of the signals of the light receiver U _yti received at the moments of measurement t3 and t4 when they are illuminated by light sources located along the Y coordinate at times t3 and t4.

The obtained increment values are transmitted to the computer and used to move the cursor on the display depending on the angle of inclination of the ministry.

As can be seen from the description, the proposed optical ministick is extremely simple in design. All its elements can be made on automatic lines. Assembly does not require significant labor costs. This allows you to organize mass production with a minimum cost.

With a unique combination of simplicity, cheapness, reliability and multifunctionality, the proposed optical ministries will find the widest application in electronics.

Claims (17)

1. An optical mini-stick comprising a housing with a control handle, a device that converts the deviation of the control handle into a light signal that varies in intensity, and optoelectronic elements in the form of light sources and a light receiver connected to the microprocessor using buses and data transmission devices, and the device that converts the deviation the control handle into a light signal that varies in intensity, is an elastically deformable element in the form of a part from an elastic polymer material containing a reflective surface located above the optoelectronic elements, characterized in that it contains several light sources located around one light receiver. 2. The optical ministack according to claim 1, characterized in that the control circuit includes control keys for turning on and off the light sources according to a given program, for example, alternately, sequentially one after another, or in pairs, or in groups for the time required to measure the illumination intensity of the receiver moreover, the measurement process is cyclically repeated. 3. The optical ministack according to claim 1, characterized in that the elastically deformable element is made in the form of an elastic part, on the outer surface of which there is a control handle, and the inner side facing the receiver and light sources contains a reflective surface of a flat, convex or concave shape. 4. The optical mini-stick according to claim 3, characterized in that the elastically deformable element is made of rubber, silicone plastic or polyurethane. 5. The optical ministick according to claim 1, characterized in that the LEDs are used as a light source. 6. The optical ministick according to claim 1, characterized in that semiconductor lasers, such as VCSEL lasers, are used as a light source. 7. The optical ministick according to claim 1, characterized in that a photodiode is used as a light receiver. 8. The optical ministick according to claim 1, characterized in that a photoresistor is used as a light receiver. 9. The optical ministick according to claim 1, characterized in that two light-emitting diodes are placed as light sources, arranged radially from the light receiver, so that the radial angle between them is 90 or 180 °. 10. The optical ministick according to claim 1, characterized in that four LEDs are used, arranged radially from the light receiver, so that the radial angle between them is 90 °. 11. The optical ministick according to claim 1, characterized in that several LEDs are used that are arranged radially from the light receiver, so that the radial angles between them are equal. 12. The optical ministick according to claim 1, characterized in that displays or LEDs located near the manipulator or directly on it are used to display its status. 13. The optical ministack according to claim 1, characterized in that the free end of the control handle is provided with a head made in the form of a removable or permanently fixed flat, convex or concave part. 14. The optical ministack according to claim 1, characterized in that the elastically deformable element is fixed to the printed circuit board by mechanical fasteners in the form of brackets or clamps, either held by fixing elements of the body parts, or glued to it. 15. The optical ministick according to claim 1, characterized in that the light sources and the receiver are located or are made on the same substrate, module or base. 16. The optical ministack according to claim 1, characterized in that the light sources and receiver are separated from the elastically deformable element by a protective plate in which there are holes or slots for the light to pass from the light source to the receiver. 17. The optical ministack according to claim 1, characterized in that the light sources and the receiver are soldered to the board from the side opposite to the side of the board facing the reflective surface, and in the places of their soldering, grooves or openings for the passage of light are made.

Images