Claims
- 1. A substantially rigid, force-sensing joystick, comprising:
a user-manipulable handle coupled to an electrically conductive drive plate; and an electrically conductive surface spaced apart from the drive plate, wherein one or both of the drive plate and the conductive surface are segmented to produce multiple capacitive sensing elements, such that a force applied to the handle causes a slight deflection of the drive plate, enabling the force to be computed in at least two dimensions through changes detectable in the capacitive sensing elements.
- 2. The rigid, force-sensing joystick of claim 1, including four segments.
- 3. The rigid, force-sensing joystick of claim 1, further including one or more electrical controls on the handle.
- 4. The rigid, force-sensing joystick of claim 1, wherein the electrically conductive drive plate is non-segmented, and the electrically conductive surface forms part of a printed-circuit board having a segmented pattern.
- 5. The rigid, force sensing joystick of claim 4, requiring no soldered connections to the circuit board.
REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 60/398,260, filed Nov. 21, 2002, and is incorporated herein in its entirety.
Provisional Applications (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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60428057 |
Nov 2002 |
US |