Devices and methods related to joysticks

A control input device comprising:

• a housing defining an inner volume with a floor;
• a shaft having a manipulating portion and a sensing end;
• a magnet mounted on the sensing end of the shaft, such that the magnet is within the inner volume of the housing;
• a movement mechanism including a pivot cover having an opening and positioned over the inner volume of the housing, the movement mechanism further including a ball implemented towards the sensing end of the shaft, the ball including a portion attached to the shaft and extends out of the pivot cover, a portion that movably engages the pivot cover, and a portion that receives a spring force to maintain the ball captured by the pivot cover while allowing a movement of the magnet resulting from a movement of the manipulating portion of the shaft with respect to the housing;
• and
• a magnetic sensor at least partially embedded in the floor of the housing and configured to sense the movement of the magnet, wherein the movement of the magnet includes a direction having one or more components parallel with an X direction, a Y direction, and a Z direction, the Z direction being parallel with a longitudinal axis of the shaft, the X, Y and Z directions being orthogonal with respect to each other.

A method for manufacturing a control input device, the method comprising:

• forming or providing a housing having an inner volume with a floor;
• forming or providing a shaft having an axis, a manipulating portion, and a sensing end;
• mounting a magnet on the sensing end of the shaft;
• assembling a movement mechanism with respect to the housing and the shaft, such that the movement mechanism allows the manipulating portion of the shaft to be moved with respect to the housing, and the movement of the manipulating portion results in corresponding movement of the magnet within the inner volume of the housing, and such that the movement mechanism includes a pivot cover having an opening and positioned over the inner volume of the housing, the movement mechanism further including a ball implemented towards the sensing end of the shaft, the ball including a portion attached to the shaft and extends out of the pivot cover, a portion that movably engages the pivot cover, and a portion that receives a spring force to maintain the ball captured by the pivot cover while allowing the movement of the magnet;
• and
• mounting a magnetic sensor to be at least partially embedded in the floor of the housing to allow sensing of the movement of the magnet.

A method for manufacturing a control input device, the method comprising:

• forming or providing a housing having an inner volume with a floor;
• forming or providing a shaft having an axis, a manipulating portion, and a sensing end;
• mounting a magnet on the sensing end of the shaft;
• assembling a movement mechanism with respect to the housing and the shaft, such that the movement mechanism allows the manipulating portion of the shaft to be moved with respect to the housing, and the movement of the manipulating portion results in corresponding movement of the magnet within the inner volume of the housing;
• and
• mounting a magnetic sensor to be embedded in the floor of the housing to allow sensing of the movement of the magnet, wherein the magnetic sensor is embedded in the floor such that an exposed surface of the magnetic sensor is approximately flush with an outer side of the floor of the housing.