Magnetic sensing user interface device methods and apparatus

A user interface device, comprising:

• user movable actuator element including a plurality of magnets;
• a plurality of three axis integrated circuit magnetic sensor elements closely paired with corresponding ones of the plurality of magnets for sensing magnetic fields, generated from the magnets, in three orthogonal axes at a compact point in space, and providing corresponding magnetic sensor output signals;
• wherein the magnets are disposed on the actuator to move, in conjunction with user interaction with the actuator, relative to the magnetic sensor elements;
• a non-transitory memory to store a predefined magnetic field model;
• and
• a processing element operatively coupled to the non-transitive memory, the processing element programmed to:
• receive, during a movement or deformation of the actuator element from the released state, the sensor output data from the plurality of three axis magnetic sensor elements in a three orthogonal axes of measurement;
• compare the sensor data from the plurality of three axis magnetic sensor elements to the predefined magnetic field model stored in the non-transitory memory to determine an estimated position or deformation of the actuator element from a reference state;
• and
• generate, based on the estimated position or deformation of the actuator element from the reference state, an output signal usable by an electronic device coupled to the user interface device;
• wherein the predefined magnetic field model relates positional information of the plurality of magnets with corresponding sensor information associated with the plurality of three axis magnetic sensor elements.

A user interface device, comprising:

• actuator means including one or more magnets;
• three axis integrated circuit magnetic sensor means associated with corresponding ones of the magnets for sensing magnetic fields generated from the associated magnets at a compact point in space;
• wherein the magnets are disposed on the actuator to move, in conjunction with user interaction with the actuator, relative to the magnetic sensor elements;
• wherein the actuator means is pivotably mounted to the three axis magnetic sensor means using a restorative means such that the actuator means and the associated one or more magnets are freely movable in a limited range about the three axis magnetic sensor means;
• non-transitory memory means configured to store a predefined magnetic field model;
• and
• processor means operatively coupled to the non-transitory memory means programmed to:
• receive, during a movement or deformation of the actuator element from the released state, sensor data from the one or more magnetic sensor elements in a plurality of axes of measurement;
• compare the sensor data from the one or more magnetic sensor elements to the predefined magnetic field model stored in the non-transitory memory means to determine an estimated position or deformation of the actuator element from the reference state;
• and
• generate, based on the estimated position or deformation of the actuator element from the reference state, an output signal usable by an electronic device coupled to the user interface device;
• wherein the predefined magnetic field model relates positional information of the one or more magnets with corresponding sensor information associated with the one or more magnetic sensor elements.

A method for processing signals in a user interface device, the user interface device including an actuator element having one or more magnets paired to corresponding one or more three-axis integrated circuit magnetic sensor elements, wherein the magnets are movable relative to the integrated circuit magnetic sensor elements, the method comprising:

• receiving, during a movement or deformation of the actuator element from the released state, sensor data associated with three orthogonal axes of motion sensed by the multi-axis magnetic sensor elements and generated by corresponding magnets, wherein the sensor data comprises magnetic field data in three orthogonal dimensions of each of the one or more magnets, in relation to corresponding one or more multi-axis magnetic sensor elements;
• comparing the sensor data from the ones of the magnetic sensor elements to a predefined magnetic field model to determine an estimated position or deformation of the actuator element from a reference state, wherein the predefined magnetic field model is a closed form solution model;
• and
• generating, based on the estimated position or deformation of the actuator element from the reference state, an output signal usable by an electronic device coupled to the user interface device;
• wherein the predefined magnetic field model relates positional information of the one or more magnets with corresponding sensor information associated with the one or more magnetic sensor elements.

A user interface device, comprising:

• an actuator element having one or more magnets and corresponding one or more three axis integrated circuit magnetic sensor elements for sensing magnetic fields at a compact point in space, to sense a position or deformation of the actuator element upon movement or deformation of the actuator element;
• wherein each of the one or more magnets is paired to a corresponding ones of the one or more three axis integrated circuit magnetic sensor elements;
• wherein the magnets are configured to move relative to corresponding magnetic sensor elements;
• and
• wherein each of the one or more magnets is positioned and oriented with a South pole facing towards a bottom of the actuator element and a North pole facing towards corresponding ones of the one or more magnetic sensor elements;
• a non-transitory memory configured to store a predefined magnetic field model corresponding to magnetic field signals associated with movement and deformation of the actuator element in three dimensional space;
• and
• a processing element operatively coupled to the non-transitory memory, programmed to:
• receive, during a movement or deformation of the actuator element from the released state, sensor data associated with two or more orthogonal axes of motion sensed by the multi-axis magnetic sensor elements;
• compare the sensor data from the ones of the magnetic sensor elements to a predefined magnetic field model stored in the memory to determine an estimated position or deformation of the actuator element from the reference state;
• and
• generate, based on the estimated position or deformation of the actuator element from the reference state, an output signal usable by an electronic device coupled to the user interface device;
• wherein the predefined magnetic field model relates positional information of the one or more magnets with corresponding sensor information associated with the one or more magnetic sensor elements.