US 8,796,961 B2Granted

Complex joystick control system and method

OwnerKen Kobayashi, Herbert S. Kobayashiinventors

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Abstract

A complex joystick system master unit embodiment utilizes joystick segments and joystick joints arranged in a particular order with a slave unit arranged in a similar order. A sample master unit with three joystick segments has segment lengths that provide a relative ratio of lengths between themselves. The slave unit articulated arm utilizes controlled segments and articulated arm joints arranged in the same order and having the same relative ratio of lengths between themselves. Articulated arm electronic angle sensors and joystick segment angle sensors produce signal that are applied to a plurality of servos. The servos control movement of the articulated arm so that said respective relative angular articulated arm positions of the articulated arm controlled segments match those of the complex joystick segments.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A complex joystick control system, comprising:

a complex joystick comprising at least three joystick segments and at least four joystick joints, said at least three joystick segments comprising a plurality of joystick segment lengths having a relative ratio of lengths between themselves, said at least four joystick joints permitting movement of an end of said complex joystick in each of x, y, and z directions with respect to a first fixed position, at least four electronic joystick angle sensors carried by said at least three joystick segments and said at least four joystick joints which produce control signals based on respective relative angular joystick positions of said at least three joystick segments with respect to each other and said first fixed position;
an articulated arm comprising at least three controlled segments and at least four articulated arm joints, said at least three controlled segments comprising a plurality of controlled segment lengths having said relative ratio of lengths between themselves, said at least four articulated arm joints permitting movement of an end of said articulated arm in each of x, y, and z directions with respect to a second fixed position, at least four articulated arm electronic angle sensors carried by said at least three controlled segments and said at least four articulated arm joints which produce control signals based on respective relative angular articulated arm positions of said at least three controlled segments with respect to each other and said second fixed position;
and
at least four servos which receive signals from respective pairs of said at least four electronic joystick angle sensors and said at least four articulated arm electronic angle sensors, whereby said at least four servos operate to control movement of said articulated arm so that said respective relative angular articulated arm positions of said at least three controlled segments match those of said relative angular joystick positions of said at least three joystick segments.

1 more element

A method of making a complex joystick control system, comprising:

providing a complex joystick with at least three joystick segments and at least three joystick joints;
providing that said at least three joystick segments comprising a plurality of joystick segment lengths having a relative ratio of lengths between themselves
providing that said at least three joystick joints permit movement of an end of said complex joystick in each of x, y, and z directions with respect to a first fixed position
providing at least three electronic joystick angle sensors positioned at said at least three joints which produce control signals based on respective relative angular joystick positions of said at least three joystick segments with respect to each other and said first fixed position;
providing an articulated arm comprising at least three controlled segments and at least three articulated arm joints;
providing that said at least three controlled segments comprise a plurality of controlled segment lengths having said relative ratio of lengths between themselves;
providing that said at least three articulated arm joints permit movement of an end of said articulated arm in each of x, y, and z directions with respect to a second fixed position;
and providing at least three articulated arm electronic angle sensors positioned at said at least three joints which produce control signals based on respective relative angular articulated arm positions of said at least three controlled segments with respect to each other and said second fixed position;
and
providing at least three servos which receive signals from respective pairs of said at least three electronic joystick angle sensors and said at least three articulated arm electronic angle sensors, whereby said at least three servos operate to control movement of said articulated arm so that said respective relative angular articulated arm positions of said at least three controlled segments match those of said relative angular joystick positions of said at least three joystick segments.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 13/107,930Filed 15 May 2011 · continuation in part
Priority: 21 Jul 2009
Published: US 2011/0018478 A122 Sep 2011
Granted: 5 Aug 2014
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification7 codes

E02F 9/2008
Control mechanisms, e.g. control levers: control mechanisms in the form of the machine in the reduced scale model
H01H 2217/04
Facilitation of operation; Human engineering: mimics of controlled apparatus or symbol
Y10T 29/49002
Method of mechanical manufacture: electrical device making
Y10T 74/20012
Control lever and linkage systems: multiple controlled elements

Family

Application12/506,478Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 21 Jul 2009
US 2011/0226078 A1Pre-grant publication · published 22 Sep 2011
US 8,427,084 B2Parent of this continuation-in-part
US 2011/0018478 A1Published application
US 8,796,961 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.