Input apparatus and input system, and method for operating an input apparatus

An input apparatus, comprising:

• an operator control device, a magnetorheoloqical brake device, and a control device for controlling said brake device;
• said operator control device including a support and an operator control lever pivotably held on said support about at least one pivot axis;
• and
• at least one sensor for sensing a pivot angle of said operator control lever;
• said brake device being configured to dampen a pivoting movement of said operator control lever about said pivot axis under control by said control device;
• said control device being configured to control said brake device in dependence on a control command and to convert the control command into a haptic signal that is perceptible at said operator control lever to provide a user of the input apparatus with haptic feedback (force feedback) as a consequence of an input that is being performed or that has been performed;
• and
• said control device being configured, when at least one defined pivot angle is reached, to increase a retardation torque by way of said brake device over a particular pivot angle range, and, after the pivot angle range has been passed through, to fix the operator control lever in a target setting outside the neutral setting, and, for this purpose, to use said brake device to targetedly set a retardation moment which is equal to, or higher than, a restoring torque of a restoring unit at the target setting.

An input apparatus, comprising:

• an operator control device, a magnetorheological brake device, and a control device for controlling said brake device;
• said operator control device including a support and an operator control lever pivotably held on said support about at least one pivot axis;
• and
• at least one sensor for sensing a pivot angle of said operator control lever;
• said brake device being configured to dampen a pivoting movement of said operator control lever about said pivot axis under control by said control device;
• said control device being configured to control said brake device in dependence on a control command and to convert the control command into a haptic signal that is perceptible at said operator control lever to provide a user of the input apparatus with haptic feedback (force feedback) as a consequence of an input that is being performed or that has been performed;
• and
• said brake device being coupled to a pivot axle of said operator control lever via a transmission stage and the transmission stage having a speed ratio between 2:1 and 5:1.

An input apparatus, comprising:

• an operator control device, a magnetorheological brake device, and a control device for controlling said brake device;
• said operator control device including a support and an operator control lever pivotably held on said support about at least one pivot axis;
• and
• at least one sensor for sensing a pivot angle of said operator control lever;
• said brake device being configured to dampen a pivoting movement of said operator control lever about said pivot axis under control by said control device;
• said control device being configured to control said brake device in dependence on a control command and to convert the control command into a haptic signal that is perceptible at said operator control lever to provide a user of the input apparatus with haptic feedback (force feedback) as a consequence of an input that is being performed or that has been performed;
• and
• said brake device being a magnetorheological transfer device, and the magnetorheological transfer device being equipped with at least two couplable components with a coupling intensity of which can be influenced, at least one channel being provided for the purposes of influencing the coupling intensity, said channel containing a magnetorheological medium which can be influenced by a magnetic field and which contains magnetically polarizable particles, and at least one magnetic-field-generating device for generating a magnetic field in said channel is provided in order to influence the magnetorheological medium in the channel by way of the magnetic field, one of the components, being an outer component, surrounds an inner component, and at least one of said two components is mounted by way of at least one separate bearing, and a spacing between said outer component and said inner component is at least ten times a typical mean diameter of magnetically polarizable particles contained in the magnetorheological medium, and said channel can be at least partially subjected to the magnetic field of said magnetic-field-generating device in order to selectively interlink or release the particles.

A method of operating an input apparatus, the method comprising:

• manually pivoting at least one operator control lever of the input apparatus about a pivot axle in order to perform an input into an input receiving apparatus that is operatively connected to the input apparatus;
• targetedly damping or enabling a pivoting movement of the operator control lever by a magnetorheological brake device that is coupled to the pivot axle;
• and
• controlling the brake device with a control device in dependence on a pivot angle of the operator control lever sensed by a sensor and/or in dependence on a time and/or in dependence on at least one operating state of the input receiving apparatus, in order to targetedly adapt the damping;
• and
• if an operating state is present with a parameter that exceeds a threshold value and/or with a hazard that exceeds a threshold value, and/or if an assistance system intervenes, haptically signaling with a targeted sequence of different retardation torques during a pivoting movement of the operator control lever.

A method of operating an input apparatus, the method comprising:

• manually pivoting at least one operator control lever of the input apparatus about a pivot axle in order to perform an input into an input receiving apparatus that is operatively connected to the input apparatus;
• targetedly damping or enabling a pivoting movement of the operator control lever by a magnetorheological brake device that is coupled to the pivot axle;
• and
• controlling the brake device with a control device in dependence on a pivot angle of the operator control lever sensed by a sensor and/or in dependence on a time and/or in dependence on at least one operating state of the input receiving apparatus, in order to targetedly adapt the damping;
• and
• damping or blocking a pivotability or pivoting movement of the operator control lever with variably intensified action in dependence on a real operating situation and/or on a situation simulated by software.