# US 10,481,704 B2 · Multi-degrees-of-freedom hand controller

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- Number: US 10,481,704 B2
- Document ID: US10481704B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/394,490
- Filed: 2016-12-29
- Published: 2019-01-31
- Granted: 2019-11-19
- Earliest claimed: 2012-05-03
- Assignees: Fluidity Technologies Inc.
- Applicants: Fluidity Technologies, Inc.
- Inventors: Scott Edward Parazynski
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10481704B2

## CPC

- G06F 3/0346: with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a three-dimensional [3D] space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
- A61B 34/30: Surgical robots
- A61B 34/37: Leader-follower robots (A61B34/35 takes precedence)
- A61B 34/74: {Manipulators with manual electric input means}
- G06F 3/0338: with detection of limited linear or angular displacement of an operating part of the device from a neutral position, e.g. isotonic or isometric joysticks
- G08C 19/16: in which transmission is by pulses
- A61B 5/7475: {User input or interface means, e.g. keyboard, pointing device, joystick}
- A61B 2560/0487: Special user inputs or interfaces
- G05B 2219/45123: Electrogoniometer, neuronavigator, medical robot used by surgeon to operate
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D)
- G08C: TRANSMISSION SYSTEMS FOR MEASURED VALUES, CONTROL OR SIMILAR SIGNALS (fluid pressure transmitting systems F15B; mechanical means for transferring the output of a sensing member into a different variable G01D5/00; mechanical control systems G05G)
- G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G)

## Abstract

Disclosed is a controller including a first control member, a second control member that extends from a portion of the first control member, and a controller processor that is operable to produce a rotational movement output signal in response to movement of the first control member, and a translational movement output signal in response to movement of the second control member relative to the first control member. The rotational movement output signal may be any of a pitch movement output signal, a yaw movement output signal, and a roll movement output signal, and the translational movement output signal may be any of an x-axis movement output signal, a y-axis movement output signal, and a z-axis movement output signal. In exemplary embodiments, the first control member may be gripped and moved using a single hand, and the second control member may be moved using one or more digits of the single hand, thus permitting highly intuitive, single-handed control of multiple degrees of freedom, to and including, all six degrees of rotational and translational freedom without any inadvertent cross-coupling inputs.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A controller for a control target that is at least one of an aircraft, a submersible vehicle, or a spacecraft, and that is (A) movable in a least one of the following translations: (1) forward and backward along an x-axis of the control target, (2) side to side along a y-axis of the control target, or (3) up and down along a z-axis of the control target, and (B) movable in at least one of the following rotations: (1) yaw, (2) pitch, or (3) roll, the controller comprising:
a first control member movable in at least one degree of freedom to produce at least one control signal configured to cause the control target to move in one or more degrees of freedom, all of which are rotational, including at least one of the rotations; and
a second control member movable in at least one degree of freedom to produce at least one control signal configured to cause the control target to move in one or more degrees of freedom, all of which are translational, including at least one of the translations.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The controller of claim 1, wherein the first control member is configured to be grasped by a user's hand and the second control member defines a channel to be engaged by a thumb of the user's hand.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The controller of claim 1, wherein the controller includes a base coupled to both the first control member and the second control member, and configured to be engaged by a user's first hand, the first control member being disposed between the second control member and the base.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The controller of claim 1, wherein the control target is movable in at least one of the translations and at least one of the rotations, (1) in a virtual environment, and (2) in response to the at least one control signal produced by the first control member and the at least one control signal produced by the second control signal.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The controller of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to cause the control target to move in one or more rotational degrees of freedom and one or more translational degrees of freedom when the controller is located remote from the control target.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The controller of claim 1, wherein the first control member is movable in at least three degrees of freedom to produce at least three control signals to cause the control target to move in at least three degrees of freedom, including the rotations,
the second controller being movable in only one degree of freedom to produce a control signal configured to cause the control target to move up and down along the z-axis of the control target.

### Claim 7

A controller for a control target that is at least one of an aircraft, a submersible vehicle, or a spacecraft, and that is (A) movable in a least one of the following translations: (1) forward and backward along an x-axis of the control target, (2) side to side along a y-axis of the control target, and (3) up and down along a z-axis of the control target, and (B) movable in at least one of the following rotations: (1) yaw, (2) pitch, and (3) roll, the controller comprising:
a first control member movable in at least one degree of freedom to produce at least one control signal configured to cause the control target to move in one or more degrees of freedom, including at least one of the rotations; and
a second control member movable in at least one degree of freedom to produce at least one control signal configured to cause the control target to move in one or more degrees of freedom, including at least one of the translations,
at least one of (1) movement of the second control member forward and backward along an x-axis of the second control member configured to cause the control target to correspondingly move forward and backward along the x-axis of the control target, (2) movement of the second control member side to side along a y-axis of the second control member configured to cause the control target to correspondingly move side to side along the y-axis of the control target, and (3) movement of the second control member up and down along a z-axis of the second control member configured to cause the control target to correspondingly move up and down along the z-axis of the control target.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The controller of claim 7, wherein the control signal of the first control member is configured to cause the control target to move in the one or more degrees of freedom, all of which are rotational,
the control signal of the second control member is configured to cause the control target to move in the one or more degrees of freedom, all of which are translational.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The controller of claim 7, wherein the second control member is configured to move in the least one degree of freedom in response to a vertical force vector applied thereto.

### Claim 10 (depends on 7)

The controller of claim 7, wherein the control target is movable in at least one of the translations and at least one of the rotations, (1) in a virtual environment, and (2) in response to the at least one control signal produced by the first control member and the at least one control signal produced by the second control member.

### Claim 11 (depends on 7)

The controller of claim 7, wherein the controller is configured to cause the control target to move in one or more rotational degrees of freedom and one or more translational degrees of freedom when the controller is located remote from the control target.

### Claim 12 (depends on 7)

The controller of claim 7, wherein at least one of: (1) the at least one control signal produced by the first control member is configured to cause the control target to move in the one or more degrees of freedom, including the at least one of the rotations, such that the control target changes its location within its environment, or (2) the at least one control signal produced by the second control member is configured to cause the control target to move in the one or more degrees of freedom, including the at least one of the translations, such that the control target changes its location within its environment.

### Claim 13

A controller for a control target that is (A) movable in a least one of the following translations: (1) forward and backward along an x-axis of the control target, (2) side to side along a y-axis of the control target, or (3) up and down along a z-axis of the control target, and (B) movable in at least one of the following rotations: (1) yaw, (2) pitch, or (3) roll, the controller comprising:
a first control member configured to be grasped by a user's first hand and movable in at least one degree of freedom to produce at least one control signal configured to cause the control target to move in one or more degrees of freedom including at least one of the rotations;
a second control member defining a channel to be engaged by a thumb of the user's first hand and being movable in at least one degree of freedom to produce at least one control signal configured to cause the control target to move in one or more degrees of freedom including at least one of the translations; and
a base, the base being coupled to both the first control member and the second control member, and configured to be engaged by a user's second hand, the first control member being disposed between the second control member and the base.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The controller of claim 13, wherein:
the channel defined by the second control member is axially offset from a vertical axis of the first control member.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The controller of claim 13, wherein the control target is movable in at least one of the translations and at least one of the rotations, (1) in a virtual environment, and (2) in response to the at least one control signal produced by the first control member and the at least one control signal produced by the second control signal.

### Claim 16 (depends on 13)

The controller of claim 13, wherein at least one of: (1) the at least one control signal produced by the first control member is configured to cause the control target to move in the one or more degrees of freedom, including the at least one of the rotations, such that the control target changes its location within its environment, or (2) the at least one control signal produced by the second control member is configured to cause the control target to move in the one or more degrees of freedom, including the at least one of the translations, such that the control target changes its location within its environment.

### Claim 17

A controller for a control target that is (A) movable in a least one of the following translations: (1) forward and backward along an x-axis of the control target, (2) side to side along a y-axis of the control target, or (3) up and down along a z-axis of the control target, and (B) movable in at least one of the following rotations: (1) yaw, (2) pitch, or (3) roll, the controller comprising:
a first control member movable in at least one degree of freedom to produce at least one control signal configured to cause the control target to move in one or more degrees of freedom, all of which are rotational, including at least one of the rotations, such that that the control target changes its location within its environment; and
a second control member movable in at least one degree of freedom to produce at least one control signal configured to cause the control target to move in one or more degrees of freedom, all of which are translational, including at least one of the translations, such that the control target changes its location within its environment.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The controller of claim 17, wherein the first control member is configured to be grasped by a user's hand and the second control member defines a channel to be engaged by a thumb of the user's hand.

### Claim 19 (depends on 17)

The controller of claim 17, wherein the environment is a virtual environment.

### Claim 20 (depends on 17)

The controller of claim 17, wherein the controller is configured to cause the control target to move in one or more rotational degrees of freedom and one or more translational degrees of freedom when the controller is located remote from the control target.