U.S. patent application number 14/748138 was filed with the patent office on 2018-10-04 for slim profile magnetic user interface devices.
The applicant listed for this patent is Mark S. Olsson. Invention is credited to Mark S. Olsson.
Application Number | 20180284899 14/748138 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 46051270 |
Filed Date | 2018-10-04 |
United States Patent
Application |
20180284899 |
Kind Code |
A9 |
Olsson; Mark S. |
October 4, 2018 |
SLIM PROFILE MAGNETIC USER INTERFACE DEVICES
Abstract
Slim profile magnetic user interface devices (slim UIDs) are
disclosed. A slim UID may include a slim profile housing, a movable
actuator assembly having user contact surfaces on opposite sides,
along with a magnet, magnetic sensor, restoration element, and
processing element. User mechanical interaction with the actuator
element may be sensed by the magnetic sensor and processed to
generate output signals usable by a coupled electronic computing
system.
Inventors: |
Olsson; Mark S.; (La Jolla,
CA) |
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Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Olsson; Mark S. |
La Jolla |
CA |
US |
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Prior
Publication: |
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Document Identifier |
Publication Date |
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US 20160378191 A1 |
December 29, 2016 |
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Family ID: |
46051270 |
Appl. No.: |
14/748138 |
Filed: |
June 23, 2015 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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13292038 |
Nov 8, 2011 |
9134817 |
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14748138 |
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61411406 |
Nov 8, 2010 |
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61419150 |
Dec 2, 2010 |
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61424496 |
Dec 17, 2010 |
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61525766 |
Aug 20, 2011 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G01D 5/14 20130101; G05G
9/047 20130101; G05G 2009/04755 20130101; G06F 1/169 20130101; G06F
3/0346 20130101; G06F 3/0338 20130101; G06F 3/017 20130101 |
International
Class: |
G06F 3/01 20060101
G06F003/01; G01D 5/14 20060101 G01D005/14 |
Claims
1. A slim profile magnetically sensed user interface device,
comprising: a slim profile housing assembly having a front face and
a back face; a movable actuator assembly disposed in the housing
assembly, the movable actuator assembly including: a front contact
element having a front contact surface disposed on the front face;
a back contact element having a back contact surface disposed on
the back face; an actuator support assembly; and a magnet; a
magnetic sensor that senses magnetic fields in three orthogonal
axes at a compact point in space, the magnetic sensor positioned to
sense a position or motion of the magnet of the movable actuator
assembly and generate a magnetic sensor output signal associated
with the position or motion of the magnet in three axes in space;
and a processing element for receiving the magnetic sensor output
signal as an input and generating, based at least in part on the
magnetic sensor output signal, a processing element output signal
corresponding to a position or motion of the actuator assembly.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation of and claims priority to
co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/292,038, filed Nov.
8, 2011, entitled SLIM PROFILE MAGNETIC USER INTERFACE DEVICES,
which claims priority under 35 U.S.C. .sctn.119(e) to U.S.
Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/411,406, filed Nov. 8,
2010, entitled SLIM PROFILE MAGNETIC USER INTERFACE DEVICES, to
U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/419,150, filed Dec.
2, 2010, entitled MAGNETICALLY SENSED KNOB-ACTUATOR USER INTERFACE
DEVICE, to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/424,496,
filed Dec. 17, 2010, entitled KNOB-ACTUATOR USER INTERFACE DEVICE
WITH MAGNETIC SENSORS, and to U.S. Provisional Patent Application
Ser. No. 61/525,766, filed Aug. 20, 2011, entitled USER INTERFACE
DEVICE METHODS AND APPARATUS USING PERMANENT MAGNETS OR
ELECTROMAGNETS AND CORRESPONDING MAGNETIC SENSORS. The content of
each of these applications is hereby incorporated by reference
herein in its entirety for all purposes.
FIELD
[0002] This disclosure relates generally to magnetically sensed
manual user interface devices, apparatus, systems, and methods.
More specifically, but not exclusively, the disclosure relates to
slim profile magnetically sensed user interface devices having
opposing faces for allowing a user to interact, using digits of a
single hand, with various electronic computing systems.
BACKGROUND
[0003] There are many electronic computing systems that have
interface circuitry and/or interface software designed to function
with a variety of different user interface devices, such as
computer mice, trackballs, and the like, that can be manipulated by
a user to input commands or data, move a cursor, select an icon,
move an object or player in virtual space, and the like. Prior art
user interface devices designed for use with portable electronic
computing systems, such as laptop computers and smartphones, leave
much room for improvement. In particular, there is a need for
durable user interface devices with high resolution that are highly
portable and allow for user interaction with multiple digits of a
user's hand, such as a thumb and one or more fingers, as well as
provide other potential advantages.
SUMMARY
[0004] This disclosure relates generally to magnetically sensed
manual user interface devices, apparatus, systems, and methods.
More specifically, but not exclusively, the disclosure relates to
slim profile magnetically sensed user interface devices having
opposing faces for allowing a user to interact, using digits of a
single hand, with various electronic computing systems.
[0005] Various embodiments of apparatus, devices, and methods for
providing improved user interface devices may be implemented
consistent with this disclosure in which, for example, an actuator
assembly having user contact surfaces on two faces is configured to
magnetically sense movements generated by user contact with the
actuator using, for example, a thumb and one or more fingers. The
sensed signals may be processed by a processing element to generate
output signals usable by an electronic computing system. One or
more springs or other restoration elements may be used to restore
the actuator assembly to a neutral or restored state position
within a housing or case absent user interaction.
[0006] In accordance with various aspects, a manual user interface
device includes a slim profile housing or case having opposite
sides. An actuator assembly may be mounted in the housing and
includes front and rear user contact surfaces disposed in
corresponding opposite sides of the housing for manipulation by the
thumb or forefinger of a user's hand. One or more magnets and one
or more magnetic sensors may sense user manipulation of the
actuator assembly and provide sensor output signals to a processing
element, which may generate output signals as commands, data,
controls, or other information representative of positions and/or
directions of manipulation of the actuator assembly.
[0007] For example, in one aspect, the disclosure relates to a slim
profile magnetically sensed user interface device (slim UID). The
slim UID may include, for example, a slim profile housing assembly
having a front face and a back face. The slim UID may further
include a movable actuator assembly disposed in the housing
assembly. The movable actuator assembly may include a front contact
element having a front contact surface disposed on the front face,
a back contact element having a back contact surface disposed on
the back face, an actuator support assembly, and a magnet. The slim
UID may further include a multi-axis magnetic sensor positioned to
sense a position or motion of the movable actuator assembly and
generate a magnetic sensor signal associated with the position or
motion of the magnet. The slim UID may further include a processing
element coupled to the multi-axis magnetic sensor which may be
configured to receive the magnetic sensor signal and generate,
based at least in part on the magnetic sensor signal, an output
signal usable by an electronic computing system. The output signal
may be further based on other sensor signals, such as inertial
sensor or other sensor signals, switch signals, or other
signals.
[0008] In another aspect, the disclosure relates to a
computer-readable medium including instructions for causing a
computer to receive and process magnetic sensor signals in a slim
profile user interface device as described above.
[0009] In another aspect, the disclosure relates to slim profile
magnetic user interface device means.
[0010] In another aspect, the disclosure relates to electronic
computing systems including one or more slim profile magnetic user
interface devices.
[0011] Various additional aspects, features, and functions are
described below in conjunction with the appended Drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] The present application may be more fully appreciated in
connection with the following detailed description taken in
conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
[0013] FIG. 1 is a front view of an embodiment of a slim profile
magnetic user interface device;
[0014] FIG. 2 is an exploded view of a device case of the
embodiment of FIG. 1 taken from below;
[0015] FIG. 3 is an isometric view of the slim profile magnetic
user interface device embodiment of FIG. 1 being gripped by the
digits of a user's hand;
[0016] FIG. 4 is a detailed exploded view of an actuator assembly
of the slim profile magnetic user interface device embodiment of
FIG. 1 taken from below;
[0017] FIG. 5 is a detailed exploded view of an actuator assembly
of the slim profile magnetic user interface device embodiment of
FIG. 1 taken from above;
[0018] FIG. 6 is a reduced exploded view of the slim profile
magnetic user interface device embodiment of FIG. 1 taken from
above;
[0019] FIG. 7 is a reduced exploded view of the slim profile
magnetic user interface device embodiment of FIG. 1 taken from
below;
[0020] FIG. 8 is a front view of the slim profile magnetic user
interface device embodiment of FIG. 1 with a front case piece and a
front actuator cap, shown removed for purposes of illustration;
[0021] FIG. 9 is a sectional view of the of the slim profile
magnetic user interface device embodiment of FIG. 1 along line
9-9;
[0022] FIG. 10 is a sectional view of the slim profile magnetic
user interface device embodiment of FIG. 1 along line 10-10;
[0023] FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of
components of a slim profile magnetic user interface device and
corresponding user interaction and signal flow;
[0024] FIG. 12 is a laptop computer embodiment of an electronic
computing system utilizing two of the slim profile magnetic user
interface device embodiments of FIG. 1;
[0025] FIG. 13 is a tablet computer embodiment of an electronic
computing system utilizing two of the slim profile magnetic user
interface device embodiments of FIG. 1;
[0026] FIG. 14 is a touchscreen keyboard style smartphone
embodiment of an electronic computing system utilizing one of the
slim profile magnetic user interface device embodiments of FIG.
1;
[0027] FIG. 15 is a slide-out keyboard style smartphone embodiment
utilizing one of the slim profile magnetic user interface device
embodiments of FIG. 1; and
[0028] FIG. 16 is a game controller embodiment utilizing two of the
slim profile magnetic user interface device embodiments of FIG.
1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0029] This disclosure relates generally to magnetically sensed
manual user interface devices, apparatus, systems, and methods.
More specifically, but not exclusively, the disclosure relates to
slim profile magnetically sensed user interface devices having
opposing faces for allowing a user to interact, using digits of a
single hand, with various electronic computing systems.
[0030] Various embodiments of apparatus, devices, and methods for
providing improved user interface devices may be implemented
consistent with this disclosure in which, for example, an actuator
assembly having user contact surfaces on two faces is configured to
magnetically sense movements generated by user contact with the
actuator using, for example, a thumb and one or more fingers. The
sensed signals may be processed by a processing element to generate
output signals usable by an electronic computing system. One or
more springs or other restoration elements may be used to restore
the actuator assembly to a neutral or restored state position
within a housing or case absent user interaction.
[0031] For example, in one aspect, the disclosure relates to a slim
profile magnetically sensed user interface device (slim UID). The
slim UID may include, for example, a slim profile housing assembly
having a front face and a back face. The slim UID may further
include a movable actuator assembly disposed in the housing
assembly. The movable actuator assembly may include a front contact
element having a front contact surface disposed on the front face,
a back contact element having a back contact surface disposed on
the back face, an actuator support assembly, and a magnet. The slim
UID may further include a multi-axis magnetic sensor positioned to
sense a position or motion of the movable actuator assembly and
generate a magnetic sensor signal associated with the position or
motion of the magnet. The slim UID may further include a processing
element coupled to the multi-axis magnetic sensor which may be
configured to receive the magnetic sensor signal and generate,
based at least in part on the magnetic sensor signal, an output
signal usable by an electronic computing system. The output signal
may be further based on other sensor signals, such as inertial
sensor or other sensor signals, switch signals, or other
signals.
[0032] The magnet may be disposed, for example, on an actuator PCB.
The magnetic sensor may be disposed on a housing PCB. One or both
of the front contact element and the back contact element may be
actuator caps. One or both of the front contact element and the
back contact element may include elastomeric materials.
[0033] The magnet may be, for example, a permanent magnet.
Alternately, or in addition, the magnet may be an electromagnet,
and the user interface device may further include an electromagnet
control element.
[0034] The multi-axis magnetic sensor may be, for example, a two or
a three-axis magnetic sensor. In some embodiments, the magnetic
sensor may be a plurality of single or multi-axis magnetic sensors.
The magnetic sensor and/or processing element may be disposed on a
housing printed circuit board (PCB), which may be fixedly coupled
to the housing.
[0035] The actuator assembly may include, for example, an actuator
PCB. The magnet may be disposed on the actuator PCB. The actuator
PCB may include a plurality of sensor holes. The actuator assembly
may include the magnetic sensor, and the magnet may be fixed
relative to the slim profile housing assembly. The actuator
assembly may include a switching element. Alternately, or in
addition, the housing may include a switching element. The
switching element may be coupled to one or both of the front
contact element and the back contact element, such as with a punch
element. The switching element may be a switch such as a dome
switch. The switching element may include a plurality of switches,
such as a plurality of dome switches. The plurality of switches may
be disposed opposite each other along an axis of user contact in
the actuator assembly.
[0036] The actuator assembly may further include, for example, a
force-sensing mechanism coupled to the front contact element. The
force-sensing mechanism may be a force-sensing resistor. The
actuator assembly may include a vibrational element. Alternately,
or in addition, the housing may include a vibrational element
configured to provide a vibrational output, such as in response to
a user input and/or a signal provided from an electronic computing
system. The actuator assembly may further include an inertial
sensing element. The inertial sensing element may be an
accelerometer or other inertial sensing device. Alternately, or in
addition, an inertial sensing element may be disposed on or within
the housing assembly. The inertial sensing element may be
configured to sense a motion or position of the housing.
[0037] The slim UID may include, for example, a restoration element
coupled between the actuator assembly and the housing assembly. The
restoration element may be configured to restore the slim UID
actuator assembly to a released state position absent user contact.
The restoration element may be a spring assembly. The spring
assembly may include one or more springs. The one or more springs
may be conical springs. The springs may be further configured to
provide an electrically conductive signal path between the actuator
assembly and the housing assembly and/or associated circuit
elements such as PCBs. The conical springs may be electrical
conductors configured to couple one or more electrical signals from
an actuator assembly PCB and a housing PCB.
[0038] The actuator assembly may include, for example, the magnetic
sensor. The magnet may be fixed relative to the slim profile
housing assembly. The magnetic sensor may be disposed on an
actuator PCB and the magnet may be disposed on a housing PCB.
[0039] The slim UID may further include, for example, a pressure
sensing element. The pressure sensing element may be disposed on
the movable actuator assembly. The pressure sensing element may be
configured to sense an input pressure applied by the user to the
movable actuator assembly, and provide a pressure signal to the
processing element responsive to the user input.
[0040] Various additional details of aspects of magnetic user UID
mechanical, electronic, hardware, and software elements, modules,
and configurations are described in the following commonly assigned
patent applications (denoted collectively herein as the "Related
Applications"). These Related Applications include U.S. Provisional
Patent Application Ser. No. 61/345,956, filed on May 18, 2010,
entitled SPRING SUSPENDED MAGNETICALLY SENSED USER INTERFACE
DEVICES, U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/363,173,
filed Jul. 9, 2010, entitled SPRING SUSPENDED MAGNETICALLY SENSED
USER INTERFACE DEVICES, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application
Ser. No. 61/372,025, filed Aug. 9, 2010, entitled SPRING SUSPENDED
MAGNETICALLY SENSED USER INTERFACE DEVICE, U.S. Provisional Patent
Application Ser. No. 61/411,406, filed Nov. 8, 2010, entitled SLIM
PROFILE MAGNETIC USER INTERFACE DEVICES, U.S. Provisional Patent
Application Ser. No. 61/419,150, filed Dec. 2, 2010, entitled
MAGNETICALLY SENSED KNOB-ACTUATOR USER INTERFACE DEVICE, U.S.
Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/424,496, filed Dec. 17,
2010, entitled KNOB-ACTUATOR USER INTERFACE DEVICE WITH MAGNETIC
SENSORS, U.S. Utility patent application Ser. No. 13/110,910 filed
May 18, 2011, entitled USER INTERFACE DEVICES, APPARATUS, AND
METHODS, and U.S. Utility patent application Ser. No. 13/214,209
filed Aug. 21, 2011, entitled MAGNETIC SENSING USER INTERFACE
DEVICE METHODS AND APPARATUS, and U.S. Utility patent application
Ser. No. 13/272,172, filed Oct. 12, 2011, entitled MAGNETIC
THUMBSTICK USER INTERFACE DEVICES. The content of each of these
Related Applications is hereby incorporated by reference herein in
its entirety for all purposes.
TERMINOLOGY
[0041] As used herein, the term "permanent magnet" refers to any
object that is magnetized and creates its own persistent magnetic
field that may be sensed by one or more associated magnetic
sensors. Suitable ferromagnetic materials for a permanent magnet
include iron, nickel, cobalt, rare earth metals and their alloys,
e.g. Alnico and Neodymium. Permanent magnets can also be made of
powderized ferromagnetic material held together with an organic
binder or other appropriate magnetizable materials. In some
embodiments, electromagnets may be used in place of or in addition
to permanent magnets, with the electromagnets controlled by
electronic control circuits and corresponding power, phase, and/or
switching elements, which may be integral with or controlled by a
processing element, to generate magnetic fields for sensing by
associated magnetic sensors.
[0042] The term "released state" as used herein describes a state
in which no operator-initiated forces are acting upon a
magnetically-sensed manual actuator besides those forces which are
inherently an aspect of the structure of the device itself or the
environment, such as the force of gravity.
[0043] The term "electronic computing system" as used herein refers
to any system that may be controlled by a manual user interface
device. Examples of electronic computing systems include, but are
not limited to; video game systems, robotic devices, smart phones,
personal digital assistant devices (PDAs), tablet devices, desktop
and notebook computers, graphical art systems such as computer
aided design (CAD) systems, and computer-controlled tools,
instrument devices, and similar equipment.
[0044] The terms "displace" and "displacement," when used herein in
reference to the actuator and associated magnets, refer to various
manual movements thereof, including, but not limited to; lateral
movements along the X and Y axes, vertical movements along the Z
axis, tilting, rotation, and permutations and combinations thereof.
The same definition applies to movement of magnetic sensors in a
converse arrangement where the magnetic sensors are coupled to the
actuator and move adjacent to stationary corresponding magnets.
[0045] The term "exemplary" as used herein means "serving as an
example, instance, or illustration." Any aspect, detail, function,
implementation, and/or embodiment described herein as "exemplary"
is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous
over other aspects and/or embodiments.
[0046] Permanent magnets or electromagnets as used herein are
typically closely paired with one or more magnetic sensors. In some
embodiments, multiple magnetic sensors may be used to sense
magnetic fields in multiple dimensions or positions; however, in an
exemplary embodiment, the magnetic sensor comprises a multi-axis
magnetic sensor device configured to measure two or three
independent magnetic field components at approximately a single
compact point in space, which is typically within the packaging of
the magnetic sensor device, such as within an integrated circuit
chip package.
[0047] When the position of a magnetic sensor is referenced herein,
the referenced sensor position refers to a point or small area or
volume in proximity to or within the sensor package where the
magnetic fields generated by the magnet are measured. Further
technical details regarding example devices utilizing an
arrangement of magnets and magnetic sensors as may be implemented
in embodiments of the present invention are described in the
Related Applications, such as, for example, in U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 13/110,910 filed May 18, 2011, entitled USER
INTERFACE DEVICES, APPARATUS, AND METHODS, the entire disclosure of
which is incorporated by reference herein.
Example Embodiments
[0048] FIGS. 1-3 illustrate details of an exemplary embodiment of a
slim or narrow profile magnetic manual user interface device 100
(also denoted herein as a slim user interface device, slim profile
magnetic UID, slim profile UID, or simply a slim UID).
[0049] As illustrated, slim UID 100 includes a housing or case
structure comprising two components (i.e. a front and back piece)
defining a front face and a back face, along with a narrow profile
dimension. Front case piece 110 and back case piece 120 define
opposite sides or faces of the housing for gripping between digits
of a user's hand, such as a thumb and forefinger, with contact
surfaces on the opposite faces used for receiving user input at an
actuator assembly. For example, a front contact surface 130, in the
form of a user cap as shown in embodiment 100, may be positioned as
shown in FIG. 1 to receive input from a user's finger or thumb
(with a corresponding surface on an opposite side or face, such as
shown in FIG. 3).
[0050] Although example embodiment 100 includes a housing having
two components, other embodiments may include a one piece housing
or case, or may have a case including more than two components
(e.g., separate side components, top or bottom components, etc.),
which may be attached, connected, or bonded together to define a
front and back face, where user input may be received at an
actuator assembly.
[0051] Slim UID embodiments generally have a substantially flat
profile in two dimensions (e.g., in the two dimensions, height and
width, as shown in FIG. 1), with a slim, elongated depth dimension
(as shown in FIG. 2) to allow a user to grip the device and control
an actuator assembly with a thumb of a single hand while making
contact with contact surfaces on opposite sides or faces of the
actuator assembly (as shown in FIG. 3) using other digits and/or
the palm or other hand surface.
[0052] In slim UID embodiment 100, outward facing surfaces of the
front case piece 110 and the back case piece 120 (as shown in FIG.
2) are configured to be substantially flat and rectangular in
shape, with one end rounded to form a semicircle as shown. In other
embodiments, the surfaces may include contours or other shaping to
enhance user interaction and actuator control, while including a
slim dimension to allow two-sided user contact and interaction. For
example, in some embodiments, one or both surfaces may include a
raised contoured surface, such as for aiding palm contact, and the
housing and/or contact surface may also have texturing and/or other
tactile elements or shapes. In addition, the housing shaping need
not be primarily rectangular as shown, but may include angled
and/or curved sides or other surface shapes.
[0053] One or more printed circuit boards (PCBs), such as housing
or case PCB 140 and actuator PCB 460 (described subsequently
herein, in FIG. 4), may be included in a slim UID to mount
components such as one or more magnets, one or more processing
elements, memory devices, magnetic sensors, inertial sensors,
analog or digital electronic components, switches, optical
components, mechanical components, and/or other components, as well
as to position magnets and magnetic sensor elements relative to the
case or housing and actuator assembly disposed therein. In a
typical embodiment, housing PCB 140 may include one or more
magnetic sensors as well as one or more processing elements, and
actuator PCB 460 may include one or more magnets. As noted
previously, the magnets and magnetic sensors may be reversed, and
processing elements and other circuitry, such as analog or digital
circuits, additional sensor elements, connectors, and/or other
circuits may be disposed on PCB 140, PCB 460, and/or both.
[0054] Processing elements used in a slim UID device, such as
embodiment 100 as shown, may include, for example, a
microcontroller such as the commercially available NXP LCP2366
microcontroller or other microprocessors or microcontrollers,
digital signal processors (DSPs), programmable devices, memories,
analog and/or digital components, such as I/O components, ASICs,
logic devices, signal conditioning components, and/or other
electronic components. The processing element may be coupled,
either directly or through interface circuitry, to outputs of the
magnetic sensors and/or other sensors, such as inertial sensors, to
receive analog or digital output signals from the sensors
corresponding to positions and/or movements of the magnets or other
sensor elements in response to user actuations, as well as to sense
other parameters related to conditions or inputs to the slim
UID.
[0055] FIG. 2 illustrates details of an embodiment of a slim UID
case or housing assembly 200 including two primary housing
components, a front and a back piece, along with connecting screws
and a screw cover. Front case piece 110 may be formed with a front
actuator hole 212 and, along an internal surface, a series of front
mounting nubs 214. A connector groove 216 may also be formed
between the two corners of the front case piece 110 to allow for
pass through of a cable or wiring connector (not shown), which may
be coupled to connector 150 as shown in FIG. 1.
[0056] A back case piece 120 may be formed with a series of screw
holes 222 and a back actuator hole 224. In the embodiment shown,
six screw holes 222 are formed on the back case piece 120, with
four of the screw holes 222 formed within a ring-shaped indention
226 that circumscribes the back actuator hole 224, and the
remaining two screw holes 222 formed near the bottom two corners of
the back case piece 120. Other embodiments may include fewer or
more screw holes 222, which may be in alternate positions to those
shown in embodiment 200, and/or other attachment mechanisms such as
adhesive or snap-together elements or other connection mechanisms
may be used to secure the front and back case pieces.
[0057] A series of back mounting nubs 228 may be formed along the
internal facing surface of the back case piece 120 that, in
assembly, align with the front mounting nubs 214 and the screw
holes 222. The front case piece 110 and the back case piece 120 may
be secured together by screws 230, and a ring-shaped screw cover
240 may be secured with adhesive or other attachment mechanisms to
the back casing piece 120 to cover the screws 230 within an
indentation for positioning an actuator assembly, which may be
formed as a ring-shaped indention 226 or other indentation matching
the actuator element.
[0058] As noted previously, a slim UID case, such as case
embodiment 200, is generally configured with a greater height and
width than depth so as to accommodate a user's hand. An example
interaction between a user's hand 310 and device embodiment 100 is
shown in FIG. 3. In this example, a thumb and a forefinger of the
user's hand 310 are in contact with contact element 322 and contact
element 130 (not shown in FIG. 3), disposed on opposite sides of an
actuator assembly 320.
[0059] In various embodiments, slim UIDs may include an actuator
assembly having contact surfaces on contact elements disposed on
the front and back sides, along with one or more magnets and an
actuator support assembly, which may include structural elements as
well as circuit elements, such as elements on an actuator PCB, such
as actuator PCB 460. The magnets may be used to generate magnetic
field signals which may then be sensed during user movement of the
actuator, using a fixed magnetic sensor. Conversely, in an
alternate configuration, magnetic sensor(s) may be disposed on the
actuator assembly and the magnet(s) may be disposed in a fixed
position, such as on or in the case or housing. The actuator
support assembly includes components configured to support contact
elements of the actuator assembly and allow movement of the
actuator assembly relative to the housing.
[0060] For example, in operation, a user may press on and/or move
the front contact surface, back contact surface, or typically both
surfaces of the actuator assembly with a thumb and forefinger to
interact with the slim UID, such as shown in FIG. 3. Movement of
the actuator may be sensed by magnetic sensors with sensor output
signals then processed to generate output signals, such as command
or control signals for use by an electronic computing system.
[0061] Examples of embodiments of front and back contact elements
are illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5. For example, as shown in FIG. 4,
actuator assembly 320 includes, as a front contact element, a front
actuator cap 130, and as a corresponding back contact element, a
back actuator cap 322. These caps may be formed in a substantially
cylindrical shape as shown or may be configured in other shapes,
such as spherical, square-shaped, or other shapes configured to aid
in user contact and tactile interaction with the slim UID using
digits of the user's hand.
[0062] The front actuator cap 130 and the back actuator cap 322 may
be made from a tactile material, such as an elastomeric material,
so that they are both pliable and provide additional grip to the
user's hand 310 during interactions such as shown in FIG. 3.
[0063] To connect with other elements of the actuator assembly, the
front actuator cap 130 may also be formed with a keying structure,
such as a series of notches 432, ribs (not shown), or other keying
structures formed about an inward-facing side relative to the
housing. The front actuator cap 130 may be further formed to be
bonded or overmolded onto an actuator support assembly that may
include front actuator support 440, and the back actuator cap 322
may be correspondingly formed to be bonded or overmolded onto a
back actuator support 450. The back and sides of the front actuator
support 440 and the back and sides of the back actuator support 450
may be sized and shaped to be enclosed or coupled to the front
actuator cap 130 and the back actuator cap 322, respectively.
[0064] In an exemplary embodiment, the front actuator support 440
may be formed with a series of arms 442 and a front X-shaped recess
444. When assembled, each one of the notches 432 may fit around
corresponding ones of the arms 442 of the actuator support 440. As
shown in embodiment 100, four arms 442 are formed about the bottom
of the cylindrical section and evenly spaced about the
circumference of the front actuator support 440 so that each of the
arms 442 extends in the direction away from the center axis of the
cylindrical section of the front actuator support 440. Other
numbers and/or spacing of arms 442 or similar or equivalent
elements may alternately be used in various embodiments.
[0065] The front X-shaped recess 444 may be formed through the
center axis of the front actuator support 440. A corresponding back
X-shaped recess 452 may similarly be formed through the center axis
of the back actuator support 450.
[0066] A series of front actuator prongs 446 and a series of front
actuator cavities 448 may be formed about the inward facing sides
of the front actuator support 440. A series of back actuator prongs
454 and a series of back actuator cavities 556 (as shown in FIG. 5)
may similarly be formed about the inward facing sides of the back
actuator support 450. In assembly, the front actuator prongs 446
may be configured to snap securely into the back actuator cavities
556, and the back actuator prongs 454 configured to snap securely
into the front actuator cavities 448. The system of prongs and
cavities may be used to create an attachment mechanism to secure
the front actuator support 440 and the back actuator support 450
together. In other embodiments, different attachment mechanisms,
such as screws, adhesives or other bonding, or other attachment
mechanisms may alternately be used.
[0067] Once signals generated from a magnetic sensor element are
processed in a processing element of a slim UID and corresponding
output signals are generated, output data, such as commands or
control data, and/or other information, may be transmitted from the
processing element to an electronic computing system, such as via
connector 150 (as shown in, for example, FIG. 1) as a wired signal.
Details of example processing functions as may be performed in a
processing element are described in, for example, U.S. Provisional
Patent Application Ser. No. 61/525,755, filed Aug. 20, 2011,
entitled USER INTERFACE DEVICE METHODS AND APPARATUS USING
PERMANENT MAGNETS OR ELECTROMAGNETS AND CORRESPONDING MAGNETIC
SENSORS, and U.S. Utility patent application Ser. No. 13/214,209,
filed Aug. 21, 2011, entitled MAGNETIC SENSING USER INTERFACE
DEVICE METHODS AND APPARATUS, the content of which are incorporated
by reference herein in their entirety. In alternate embodiments,
output signals may be provided via wireless signaling, optical
signaling, or other signaling methods.
[0068] As shown in FIG. 4, actuator PCB 460 may be formed with a
series of securing holes 462 for the front actuator prongs 446 and
the back actuator prongs 454 to pass through, thereby securing the
center PCB 460 between the front actuator support 440 and the back
actuator support 450. Other methods of coupling elements of the
actuator support assembly, such as screws, adhesives, or other
attachment mechanisms may be used in place of or in addition to the
attachment mechanism shown in FIG. 4. As shown in FIG. 4, four
securing holes 462 are located near the center of the actuator PCB
460; however, other numbers and/or positioning of securing holes
may alternately be used in various embodiments.
[0069] In an exemplary embodiment, center PCB 460 is substantially
round in shape (or otherwise shaped to conform to the shape of the
housing and/or actuator assembly) and may include a series of
sensor holes 464 and a series of mounting nub gaps 466 formed in
positions that are evenly spaced between each other. Other
embodiments may alternately include different numbers and/or
positions of holes as well as different PCB shapes and/or sizes.
Sensor holes 464 may be square in shape as shown and may be
positioned between the mounting nub gaps 466. Alternately, other
shapes and/or positions of sensor holes may be used in various
other embodiments.
[0070] Mounting nub gaps 466 may be round in shape and may be
positioned between the sensor holes 464 so that the sensor holes
464 and the mounting gaps 466 alternate in position around the
actuator PCB 460. Other embodiments may alternately include
different numbers and/or positions of holes. When assembled, the
front mounting nubs 214 of the front case piece 110 and the back
mounting nubs 228 of the back case piece 120 may couple together
within the mounting nub gaps 466. The mounting nub gaps 466 may be
sized so that displacements of the center PCB 460 may be made about
the front mounting nubs 214 and the back mounting nubs 228. By
controlling the size of the mounting nub gaps 466, the amount of
travel made by the actuator assembly 320 during user actuation may
be controlled.
[0071] A slim UID may include one or more switching elements to
allow a user to provide switching inputs in addition to motion
inputs. For example, to facilitate switch contact, a front dome
switch punch element 470 may be positioned within the front
X-shaped recess 444 of the front actuator support 440, and a back
dome switch punch element 480 may be positioned within the back
X-shaped recess 452 of the back actuator support 450. The punch
elements may be used to transfer user input to a separate switch,
such as a dome switch or other switch type. Alternately, in some
embodiments, one or more switches may be positioned for direct user
contact.
[0072] The front dome switch punch element 470 and the back dome
switch punch element 480 may be cylindrical on one end and X-shaped
about the inward facing end. Other embodiments may have different
shapes and/or sizes of punch elements tailored to allow efficient
transfer of user switching inputs to corresponding switches.
[0073] A pair of mechanical dome switches 490 (as shown in FIG. 5)
may be used to receive user switch inputs. The switches may, for
example, be mounted centrally, with one on each side of the
actuator PCB 460 as shown. The switches may be aligned between the
front dome switch punch element 470 and the back dome switch punch
element 480. When sufficient force is applied along a direction 330
(as shown in FIG. 3) and/or an opposite direction 340,
simultaneously, the mechanical dome switches 490 will actuate,
thereby providing the user with tactile feedback in the form of a
click. In other embodiments, different numbers and/or positioning
of switches and corresponding elements, such as punch elements, may
be used.
[0074] One or more electrical contact points (not shown) may also
be used in conjunction with the mechanical dome switch 490 to
signal to a processing element (not shown) a pushbutton switch
input from a user. A force-sensing resistor or other force sensing
mechanism (not shown) may also be used to measure a squeezing
action applied to the actuator assembly 320. This may be used to
signal particular commands to be generated by the processing
element. For example, a squeezing action applied to the actuator
assembly 320 may be processed by the processing element to generate
an output signal or command indicating picking up of a virtual
object. The mechanical dome switches 490 should preferably be
selected to be sufficiently rigid so that any incidental actuation
of the mechanical dome switches 490 does not result in undesired
output signals.
[0075] In some embodiments a vibrational element, such as, for
example, is described in U.S. Utility patent application Ser. No.
131/110,910, filed May 18, 2011, entitled USER INTERFACE DEVICES,
APPARATUS, AND METHODS, incorporated by reference herein, may be
used. The vibrational element may be, for example, a vibration
motor, piezoelectric device, or other motion or vibration
generation device configured to provide tactile user outputs in
response to user inputs, such as from particular motions and/or
switch actuations, and/or in response to signals provided from a
coupled electronic computing system to the slim UID. The
vibrational element may be coupled to and controlled by the
processing element and/or additional circuit elements and may be
disposed on or in the actuator assembly, and/or in some embodiments
on or in the case or housing assembly.
[0076] Referring to FIGS. 6-10, additional details of slim UID
embodiment 100 are illustrated. For example, front actuator support
440 may be seated within front actuator hole 212 of front case
piece 110 so that the top of front actuator support 440 and front
actuator cap 130 protrude from within front actuator hole 212 and
beyond the outer surface of the front case piece 110. Similarly,
back actuator support 450 may be seated within back actuator hole
224 of the back case piece 120 so that the top of back actuator
support 450 and the back actuator cap 322 protrude from the back
actuator hole 224 and beyond the outer surface of the back case
piece 120.
[0077] In a typical slim UID embodiment, the actuator assembly
includes one or more magnets, which may be permanent magnets or, in
some embodiments, electromagnets controlled by a corresponding
electromagnet control circuit element. For example, permanent
magnets 610 may be mounted at or near the outermost end of each of
the four arms 442 of the front actuator support 440 as shown. In
other embodiments, different numbers and/or positions of magnets
may be used.
[0078] Each of the magnets 610 may correspond to a magnetic sensor
620, such as the Melexis MLX90333 Triaxis 3D-Joystick Position
sensor, or other two or three axis magnetometers-type sensors,
which may be mounted to PCB 460. For example, in some embodiments
Melexis MLX90333 or Melexis MLX90363 sensors may be used, or other
sensors, such as the BLBC3-B CMOS 3D Compass sensors from Baolab
Microsystems, or other magnetic sensors as are known or developed
in the art, may be used. Further details regarding embodiments
using Melexis sensors may be found in U.S. patent application Ser.
No. 12/756,068, filed Apr. 7, 2010, entitled MAGNETIC MANUAL USER
INTERFACE DEVICES, the content of which is incorporated by
reference herein. As noted previously, the positioning of magnets
and sensors may be reversed in alternate embodiments.
[0079] Housing PCB 140 may be shaped to fit flush along the
internal surface of the back case piece 120. As shown in FIG. 1,
PCB 140 may include one or more connectors, such as electrical
connector 150 (and/or other connectors, such as optical connectors,
or wireless communication elements or modules, etc.). For example,
along an end of housing PCB 140, opposite that containing the
magnetic sensors 620, an electrical connector 150 may be mounted.
The electrical connector 150 may be exposed by connector groove 216
of the front case piece 110. In an exemplary embodiment, the
electrical connector 150 may be a ten pin connector used to connect
slim UID embodiment 100 to an electronic computing system using
wired or wireless connections (not shown). For example, in addition
to wired connections, other methods of transmitting data may also
be used, such as wireless transmitters or transceiver modules when
an appropriate power source, such as a battery or separate power
supply connection, is provided to the slim UID.
[0080] In order to restore the actuator assembly to a released
state position absent user input, one or more position restoration
elements, such as a spring assembly or other flexible elements, may
be used. For example, in an exemplary embodiment as shown in FIGS.
6-10, the spring assembly includes a series of conical springs 630
that may be mounted to the actuator PCB 460 so that four of the
conical springs 630 are on one side of the actuator PCB 460 and the
other four of the conical springs 630 are mounted to the opposite
side of the actuator PCB 460. The wider end of each of the conical
springs 630 may be mounted to the actuator PCB 460, while the
narrower end facing the front case piece 110 may be mounted to the
front case piece 110 at one of the front mounting nubs 214. The
narrower end of the other four of the conical springs 630 facing
the back case piece 120 may each be mounted to the back case piece
120 at one of the back mounting nubs 228. Other sizes, numbers,
shapes, and/or positions of the springs and/or other elements may
be used in various embodiments.
[0081] In embodiments utilizing force-sensing resistors or
electrical contact points, which may be disposed beneath switches
such as mechanical dome switches 490, conical springs 630 (or other
conductive materials) may be used for carrying signals between
actuator PCB 460 and a processing element, which may be mounted on
housing PCB 140. As shown in embodiment 100, the springs 630 may be
used to provide an electrical connection between switches or other
electrical circuit elements on or connected to actuator assembly
PCB 460 to housing PCB 140 and sensors 620 (e.g., the springs may
provide an electrically conductive connection between actuator PCB
460, which may mechanically "float" relative to the housing or
case, and housing PCB 140 which may be fixed relative to the
housing or case). The springs 630 may be retained by a post or
other structural element, such as a post disposed within an inside
diameter of the spring, with one end in contact with pads,
soldered, or attached via other connective element on one face of
housing PCB 140, such as by the force of spring pressure, and the
other end in contact with pads, solder, or other connective
elements of actuator PCB 460.
[0082] In some embodiments, an alternate electrically conductive
pathway between circuit board or circuit elements, such as a
flexible circuit element, wiring, or other connection mechanism may
be used. In some embodiments, a processing element may be disposed
on PCB 140, PCB 460, or processing elements may be disposed on both
or elsewhere in or on the housing or actuator assembly.
[0083] In comparison to other spring geometries, conical springs
lay flat when compressed, affording the actuator assembly 320 and
the slim profile magnetic user interface device 100 a slim profile
as shown. As such, slim UID embodiments are suited to, among other
applications, providing a user control mechanism for a variety of
portable electronic devices, as well as other devices where size,
positioning, and/or shape of user interface elements are
important.
[0084] As shown in, for example, FIG. 6, the magnetic sensors 620
and the magnets 610 may be positioned so that when the actuator
assembly 320 is displaced from a released state, the magnetic
sensors 620 generate sensor output signals in response to the
displacement. As noted previously, the sensor output signals may
then be provided to a processing element, where they may be used as
inputs to generate commands to be provided to an electronic
computing system as shown in example process diagram 1100 of FIG.
11. Examples of providing sensor output signals and corresponding
processing in a processor element to generate output
signals/commands are described in, for example, U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 13/110,910, filed May 18, 2011, entitled USER
INTERFACE DEVICES, APPARATUS, AND METHODS and U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 13/214,209 filed Aug. 21, 2011, entitled
MAGNETIC SENSING USER INTERFACE DEVICE METHODS AND APPARATUS.
[0085] For example, by tilting the actuator assembly 320 in one
direction, the processing element may generate an output signal in
a format appropriate to a corresponding electronic computing system
(e.g., a USB, Firewire, etc.) and provide the output signal and
corresponding data, such as command or control data, to the
electronic computing system. As one example, if the electronic
computing system is a computer aided design (CAD) system and a user
provides an actuation input for rotation or movement, the
processing element (and/or coupled output element) may generate a
command or control signal, such as a USB command, to move or rotate
an object in virtual space in an analogous direction.
[0086] The electronic computing system may then render a
corresponding result on a display or other output device. The
received command or input may also be used to manipulate data or
other program objects or functions.
[0087] FIG. 11 illustrates an example flowchart of signaling as may
be generated in and provided from a slim UID device, such as slim
UID embodiment 100, in a system 1100. As shown in FIG. 11, system
1100 includes a slim UID device 1110, which may correspond with
slim UID 100 of FIG. 1, as well as an electronic computing system
1160. Slim UID 1110 includes an actuator assembly 1120, which may
correspond with actuator assembly 320, as well as a magnet and
magnetic sensor element 1130, which may correspond with magnets 630
and magnetic sensors 620, along with a processing element 1140,
which may be integral with or coupled with an output module 1150
configured to generate output signals from slim UID 1100 in an
appropriate signaling format for electronic computing system
1160.
[0088] In operation, a user may move the actuator assembly at stage
1105 while in contact with opposing contact elements of actuator
assembly 1120, which may be mechanically coupled 1125 with one or
more magnets or, in some embodiments, one or more magnetic sensors.
The magnetic sensors then generate sensor signals 1135 which are
then provided to processing element 1140 for processing to
generate, based at least in part, on the user actuation(s).
Command/control data or signals 1145 may then be generated by
processing element 1140 and may be provided directly or via on
output module 1150 as an appropriately formatted output signal 1155
to the electronic computing system 1160. In electronic computing
system 1160, the command/control data or information may then be
used as an input signal to one or more microprocessors 1170 and
coupled memory to perform processing actions typical to user input
devices. For example, as described previously, the user actuation
may signal an interaction with a virtual object, such as in a game
or CAD system, with the resulting motion, rotation, etc., then
rendered as an output on a display or other output device 1180.
[0089] Example electronic computing systems 1160 may include, but
are not limited to: video or computer gaming console systems,
personal computers (PC), robotic devices, cellular or smart phones,
tablet devices, graphical art and design systems such as computer
aided design (CAD) systems, computer-controlled tools or equipment,
computerized instrumentation or control systems, or other similar
devices or systems. In addition, as noted previously, one or more
switches or other input control elements may be used in conjunction
with the actuator motion inputs to provide additional
pushbutton-type controls in some embodiments of slim profile
UIDs.
[0090] In an exemplary embodiment, magnets, such as permanent
magnets 610, of slim profile magnetic user interface device
embodiment 100 are relatively small (with respect to the slim UID
device) and may be positioned close to corresponding ones of the
magnetic sensors, such as magnetic sensors 620. As the magnets 610
are axially magnetized, it may be advantageous to limit the
mounting distance between each of the magnets 610 and the
corresponding one of the magnetic sensors 620 to less than four
magnet diameters when the slim profile magnetic user interface
device 100 is in a released state.
[0091] Although the example embodiment 100 includes round-shaped
magnets 610, if the magnets are not round in shape, the mounting
distance may be measured at a right angle to the dipole axis of the
magnets. When increasingly larger ones of the permanent magnet 610
are used, the magnetic sensors 620 may become more susceptible to
measurement saturation of the magnetic field components. As the
magnetic sensor 620 becomes saturated with the magnetic fields,
subtle movements of the actuator assembly 320 and the permanent
magnets 610 become less distinguishable by the processing element
1110, lessening the degree of sensitivity to such movements.
However, larger magnets and positioning may be useful in extending
movement range and/or other operational parameters.
[0092] When the permanent magnets 610 are positioned further from
the magnetic sensors 620, the relative magnitude of each magnetic
field will fall off approximately as the inverse power of three.
Consequently, measurements of the magnitude and direction of the
magnetic field components may become increasingly difficult to
derive as the magnetic sensors 620 are positioned further from the
permanent magnets 610.
[0093] Returning to FIGS. 1-4, a magnetic sensor, which may be, for
example, a commercially available Melexis MLX90333 or Melexis
MLX90363 sensor, the BLBC3-B CMOS 3D Compass sensors from Baolab
Microsystems, or other magnetic sensors as are known or developed
in the art, may be mounted to the housing PCB 140. The magnetic
sensor may be mounted so that it is enclosed by sleeve disk-shaped
spring-retaining base section of the bottom spring-retaining sleeve
130. Details regarding various magnets and magnetic sensors and
associated device configurations are described in, for example,
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/110,910, filed May 18, 2011,
entitled USER INTERFACE DEVICES, APPARATUS, AND METHODS, the
content of which is incorporated by reference herein. Although
certain commercially available sensors are referenced herein, other
types of magnetic sensors besides the Melexis MLX90333 Hall effect
sensor may also be used including, but not limited to, GMR sensors
and InSb magnetoresistors.
[0094] Referring to FIGS. 12-15, example portable electronic
devices that may use embodiments of slim profile magnetic user
interface devices such as the slim profile magnetic user interface
device embodiment 100 include, but are not limited to, a laptop
computer 1200 (as shown in FIG. 12), a tablet computer 1300 (as
shown in FIG. 13), a touchscreen keyboard style smartphone 1400 (as
shown in FIG. 14), and a slide-out keyboard style smartphone 1500
(as shown in FIG. 15).
[0095] There are various ways in which embodiments of slim profile
magnetic user interface devices, such as slim UID embodiment 100,
may be mounted and stowed within a corresponding portable
electronic computing system such as a phone, game controller,
tablet or other small computer device, or other paired device when
not in use. For example, laptop computer embodiment 1200 of FIG. 12
illustrates two possible mounting orientations of slim UIDs within
a fold-out groove 1210. In this configuration, a slim UID may be
mounted to a movable hinge or rotation mechanism to slide and/or
retract into the computer case. Slim UIDs may, for example, be
rotated along an axis formed along the flattened edge nearest the
electrical connector 150. A direction 1220 and a rotated direction
1230 are illustrated to show ways in which the slim profile UIDs
may be rotated to be stowed away within the fold-out groove 1210 of
the laptop computer 1200 when not in use.
[0096] In tablet computer embodiment 1300 as illustrated in FIG.
13, two slim profile magnetic user interface devices 100 are
mounted such that each rotate out of a stowage pocket 1310 along a
pivot direction 1320 or an opposite direction 1330.
[0097] Touchscreen keyboard style smart phone embodiment 1400
illustrated in FIG. 14 also shows the use of the stowage pocket
1310 where one of the slim profile magnetic user interface devices
100 may be rotated out along a pop-out pivot direction 1410 for
use.
[0098] A slim profile UID may be contained within a slide-out
keyboard section 1510 when mounted to a slide-out keyboard style
smartphone, such as smartphone embodiment 1500 of FIG. 15. Flex
circuitry or other flexible wiring or sliding contact mechanisms
(not shown) may be used to provide a reliable, flexible electrical
connection when a slim profile UID is rotated such as shown in
FIGS. 12, 13, and 14.
[0099] FIG. 16 illustrates details of an embodiment of a game
controller device 1600 including two slim profile UIDs, which may
be slim UIDs 100 as described previously herein. Game controller
1600 may use two (as shown) or more slim UIDs to provide additional
resolution and degrees of freedom control over an electronic
computing system in the form of a video game or system, such as,
for example, a Playstation, Wii, Xbox, or other game system or
device, as compared to a conventional video game controller device.
In addition, for embodiments for use in a system such as that shown
in FIG. 16, such as an Xbox-like game controller or other similar
or equivalent device, two arms that a user grips may be configured
to rotate slightly around the axis of the actuator, thereby
providing additional sensing capability. Other electronic computing
systems, in addition to video game systems, may similarly benefit
from receipt of additional input information as may be provided
from a game controller, such as controller device 1600, having
multiple UID elements.
[0100] In embodiments of devices such as game controllers for a
system like the Nintendo WII system, output signals from
accelerometers or other inertial sensors may be used to indicate
addition actions or commands. For example, they may be used to
sense case or housing movements. In addition, accelerometers or
other inertial sensors may be used in some embodiments to detect a
released state of an actuator assembly when a slim UID device is
placed on a stable surface, such as an immobile, fixed surface such
as a desk or table.
[0101] It is noted that in FIGS. 12, 13, and 16, the laptop or
notebook computer 1200 (as shown in FIG. 12), the tablet computer
1300 (as shown in FIG. 13), and the game controller 1600 (as shown
in FIG. 16) are shown with two of the slim UIDs so as to
demonstrate some possible orientations. However, in various other
embodiments, the specific placement and/or orientation of the slim
UIDs may be turned in one direction or another to account for
ergonomics, ease in assembly, or other constraints. Alternately, in
some embodiments, only a single slim UID may be used or, in some
embodiments, more than two may be used. In general, only a single
slim UID 100 with a three-axis magnetic sensor needs be used to
gain six degrees of freedom control.
[0102] Some embodiments may use high sensitivity magnetic sensors
paired with a small magnet or magnets, such as the commercially
available BLBC3-B CMOS 3D Compass sensors from Baolab Microsystems
or Xtrinsic MAG3110 Digital Magnometers from Freescale, or other
compass or high sensitivity sensors. In such embodiments, one or
more magnetic sensors may be used as a reference sensor to measure
and generate reference signals that may be used to subtract off any
local or background magnetic fields, such as the earth's magnetic
field or locally generated magnetic fields.
[0103] In some embodiments, permanent magnets, such as described
previously herein, may be replaced, in whole or in part, with
electromagnets, such as chip scale electromagnet devices (which may
be configured, for example, similarly to small SMT inductors). A
high sensitivity sensor device, such as a compass sensor as
described previously herein, may be used with the electromagnet to
build a compact, single sensor user interface device. This approach
may be viewed similarly to a configuration where "permanent"
magnets could be switched off and on, such as by a processing
element as described previously herein, thereby allowing use of two
or more different electromagnets with a single compact three axis
sensor. This allows a far smaller, lower cost, single sensor
magnetic user interface device to be built compared to one having
multiple three axis sensors or larger three-axis sensors.
[0104] Applications for this type of compact device may include
notebook computers, smart phones, tablet devices, or devices where
small and/or thin user interface devices may be useful. Since high
sensitivity sensors such as compass sensors are very sensitive, a
very low powered, very small electromagnet array (e.g., a
cross-shaped pair or other configuration of electromagnets) may be
used in place of permanent magnets in some implementations.
[0105] In such a configuration, the electromagnets may be
controlled (e.g., switched on or off and/or be adjusted relative to
each other and/or relative to power level) by an electromagnet
control element or module. The electromagnet control element may
be, for example, integral with or controlled by a processing
element of the slim UID device or may comprise a separate
electronic control circuit based on a microprocessor,
microcontroller, or other programmable device or module, which may
further include switching circuits, power-control circuits, and/or
other control elements.
[0106] One potential advantage of such an implementation is that a
pair of crossed dipoles (e.g., the energized electromagnets) that
are energized in sequence or in combination may be used to
eliminate ambiguity associated with the movement around the axis of
symmetry of a single dipole, and thereby allow a single three axis
sensor to be used while still allowing up to six degrees of freedom
to be sensed. Electromagnet embodiments may use similar elements
and methods to those described previously herein for permanent
magnet implementations. The primary difference is replacement of
one or more permanent magnets with small controllable
electromagnets (e.g., dipoles), and associated electromagnet driver
controls and/or associate sensor controls, which may be part of a
processing element.
[0107] For example, in one embodiment of an electromagnet magnetic
UID configuration a cross-shaped electromagnet may use a small chip
scale, wire wound surface mount (SMT) cross dipole inductor that
can produce either a magnetic dipole A or a magnetic dipole B, such
as by using a cross-shaped electromagnet, when electric current is
run through wire windings A or B, to which power may be controlled
by the electromagnet control element.
[0108] A cross-shaped electromagnet may be placed above a small
digital magnetometer (such as Freescale MAG3110 device or other
similar or equivalent device), and the crossed dipole may be moved
by the user relative to a small compass or other high sensitivity
magnetic field sensor (e.g., digital magnetometer) device, and
sequential measurements of the field of dipole A and then dipole B
may be measured when current is passed through each of these in
sequence, thereby allowing the positional displacement and tilt of
the relative movement and tilt between the two components to be
measured.
[0109] Another potential advantage of use of an electromagnet is
that both magnets A and B can be turned off, thereby allowing a
reference measurement of the background ambient magnetic field to
be made, allowing the orientation of the UID to be measured with
respect to the earth's magnetic field. This can allow for a
correction for the biasing effect of the earth's magnetic field and
may provide an improvement in accuracy. It may also allow the user
interface to note when the rotation of the UID is changed by the
user, thereby allowing a behavior change with respect to the
indicated operator motion with respect to the orientation of the
user display.
[0110] While we have described and illustrated various exemplary
embodiments of slim profile magnetic user interface devices,
modifications and adaptations of the embodiments described herein
will be apparent to persons skilled in the art. For example, an
initial calibration of a slim UID may be used to compensate for
errors in positioning of the magnet(s) and/or magnetic sensor(s)
due to manufacturing tolerances or other variation, and may be
stored in the device, such as in a memory of a processing
element.
[0111] More than one permanent magnet or electromagnet and
corresponding magnetic sensor may be used in alternative
embodiments of slim magnetic UIDs, and the relative positioning of
magnets and magnetic sensors may be varied or reversed. For
example, in embodiments of slim UIDs with more than one magnet and
more than one magnetic sensor, the magnetic sensors may preferably
be placed far enough apart so that the magnetic field generated by
each of the magnets does not strongly influence the measured
magnetic fields at each of the magnetic sensors. Furthermore, other
shapes, sizes, magnetic field orientations, positions, and
configurations of magnets and magnetic sensors, such as those
described in the Related Applications, may also be used within
various device implementations.
[0112] In some configurations, the slim UID apparatus, devices,
methods, or systems described herein may include means for
implementing features or providing functions described herein, such
as means for generating, receiving, processing, storing, and/or
outputting magnetic sensor signals and generating corresponding
output signals suitable for use by an electronic computing system.
In one aspect, the aforementioned means may be a module or assembly
including a processor or processors, associated memory and/or other
electronics in which embodiments of the invention reside, such as
to implement the various aspects and functions as described herein.
These may be, for example, modules or apparatus residing in printed
circuit boards and/or in software in the slim UID and/or in
personal computers or other electronic computing systems, game
controllers, mobile phones or smart phones, tablet devices, or
other electronic devices or systems.
[0113] In one or more exemplary embodiments, the electronic
functions, methods and processes described herein and associated
with magnetic signal processing functions may be implemented in
hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof. If
implemented in software, the functions may be stored on or encoded
as one or more instructions or code on a non-transitory
computer-readable medium that may be executed by a processor or
other programmable device. Computer-readable media includes
computer storage media. Storage media may be any available media
that can be accessed by a computer processor or processors. By way
of example, and not limitation, such computer-readable media can
comprise RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage,
magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any
other medium that can be used to carry or store desired program
code in the form of instructions or data structures and that can be
accessed by a computer. Disk and disc, as used herein, includes
compact disc (CD), laser disc, optical disc, digital versatile disc
(DVD), floppy disk and blu-ray disc where disks usually reproduce
data magnetically, while discs reproduce data optically with
lasers. Combinations of the above should also be included within
the scope of computer-readable media.
[0114] As used herein, computer program products comprising
computer-readable media include all forms of computer-readable
media except, to the extent that such media is deemed to be
non-statutory, transitory propagating signals.
[0115] It is understood that the specific order or hierarchy of
steps or stages in the processes and methods disclosed herein are
examples of exemplary approaches. Based upon design preferences, it
is understood that the specific order or hierarchy of steps in the
processes may be rearranged while remaining within the scope of the
present disclosure.
[0116] Those of skill in the art would understand that information
and signals, such as video and/or audio signals or data, control
signals, command signals, or other signals or data may be
represented using any of a variety of different technologies and
techniques. For example, data, instructions, commands, information,
signals, bits, symbols, and chips that may be referenced throughout
the above description may be represented by voltages, currents,
electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or particles, optical fields
or particles, or any combination thereof. Signals may be formatted
in accordance with definitions and specifications defining such
signals, such as USB.RTM. signals, Firewire.RTM. signals, or other
currently defined signaling formats or signaling formats
later-developed in the art.
[0117] Those of skill would further appreciate that the various
illustrative logical blocks, modules, circuits, and algorithm steps
described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein may
be implemented as electronic hardware, computer software,
electro-mechanical components, or combinations thereof. Whether
such functionality is implemented as hardware or software depends
upon the particular application and design constraints imposed on
the overall system. Skilled artisans may implement the described
functionality in varying ways for each particular application, but
such implementation decisions should not be interpreted as causing
a departure from the scope of the present invention.
[0118] The various illustrative functions and circuits described in
connection with the embodiments disclosed herein may be implemented
or performed with a general purpose processor, a digital signal
processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC),
a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic
device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware
components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the
functions described herein. A general purpose processor may be a
microprocessor, but in the alternative, the processor may be any
conventional processor, controller, microcontroller, or state
machine. A processor may also be implemented as a combination of
computing devices, e.g., a combination of a DSP and a
microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or more
microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other such
configuration.
[0119] The steps or stages of a method, process or algorithm
described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein may
be embodied directly in hardware, in a software module executed by
a processor, or in a combination of the two. A software module may
reside in RAM memory, flash memory, ROM memory, EPROM memory,
EEPROM memory, registers, hard disk, a removable disk, a CD-ROM, or
any other form of storage medium known in the art. An exemplary
storage medium is coupled to the processor such that the processor
can read information from, and write information to, the storage
medium. In the alternative, the storage medium may be integral to
the processor. The processor and the storage medium may reside in
an ASIC. The ASIC may reside in a user terminal. In the
alternative, the processor and the storage medium may reside as
discrete components in a user terminal.
[0120] Various modifications to the embodiments described herein
will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the
generic principles defined herein may be applied to other
embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the
invention. Thus, the present invention is not intended to be
limited to the embodiments shown herein but is to be accorded the
widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features
disclosed herein and/or illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
[0121] It is noted that reference to an element in the singular is
not intended to mean "one and only one" unless specifically so
stated, but rather "one or more." Unless specifically stated
otherwise, the term "some" refers to one or more. A phrase
referring to "at least one of" a list of items refers to any
combination of those items, including single members. As an
example, "at least one of: a, b, or c" is intended to cover: a; b;
c; a and b; a and c; b and c; and a, b and c.
[0122] The previous description of the disclosed aspects and
embodiments is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to
make or use the present invention. Various modifications to these
aspects will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and
the generic principles defined herein may be applied to other
aspects without departing from the spirit or scope of the
invention. Thus, the invention is not intended to be limited to the
aspects shown herein but is to be accorded the widest scope
consistent with the following claims and their equivalents.
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