Inductive joystick
OwnerG. Burnell Hohl, Andrew Bertoninventors
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Abstract
A multi-dimensional position sensor includes at least three curved triangular-shaped sense inductors and a movable shaft that incorporates a conductive material. The distance of the movable shaft from the sense inductors varies as the shaft is moved in a two-dimensional plane. The variation in distance causes a variation in the inductance of each of the triangular-shaped inductors and this variation in inductance may be used to determine the physical position of the movable shaft through means of triangulation calculations.
Claims17
A multi-dimensional position sensor, said sensor comprising:
- at least three curved triangular-shaped sense inductors;
- a movable shaft containing a conductive material, wherein said at least three curved triangular-shaped inductors are fixedly positioned about said movable shaft, and wherein a distance of said movable shaft from said at least three triangular-shaped sense inductors varies as said movable shaft is moved in a two-dimensional plane, the variation in distance causing a variation in the inductance of each of said at least three triangular-shaped sense inductors, said variation in the inductance usable to determine a physical position of said movable shaft.
A multi-dimensional position sensor, said sensor comprising:
- a reference sense inductor;
- a plurality of curved triangular-shaped sense inductors;
- a movable shaft containing a conductive material wherein said plurality of triangular-shaped sense inductors are fixedly positioned about said movable shaft;
- an oscillator connectable to said reference sense inductor and said plurality of triangular-shaped sense inductors;
- a comparator, wherein upon said oscillator being connected to each of said plurality of triangular-shaped sense inductors, a state of each of said plurality of triangular-shaped sense inductors is compared by said comparator against a plurality of precision thresholds to determine the change in inductance of said plurality of triangular-shaped sense inductors, wherein the change in inductance of said plurality of triangular-shaped sense inductors corresponds to a position of said movable shaft.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.