Thumb joystick arrangement

Abstract

A thumb lever arrangement involving a minimal moving portion and reduced friction near a zero position. Force sensors, and in particular stress sensing methods, are used. Further, the rotation of the force bar may be measured using Hall or TMR sensing techniques to increase more user interface options.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present utility model relates to a thumb stick arrangement. BACKGROUND

[0002] The use of thumb sticks (TS) or joy sticks is ubiquitous in today's world. Thumb sticks are found not only in consumer products such as games and drone controllers, but also in industrial products such as cranes, forklifts and aircraft.

[0003] The construction of prior art units is very complex, with many moving parts. This can lead to reliability problems due to wear and tear and "drift" around the zero / neutral point due to friction or other reasons. SUMMARY

[0004] It is an object of the present invention to provide a cost-effective, accurate system with few moving parts and good long-term reliability.

[0005] The exemplary system described herein is for illustration only and should not be considered limiting the scope of the invention.

[0006] From the present invention described herein, a range of solutions can be envisaged in which little or no user interface stick motion is experienced by the user, for use in a system with motion similar to that experienced in prior art thumb sticks but with fewer or no moving parts.

[0007] It is especially important that there is little or no friction between the parts and no gear engagement with little or no motion contact between the parts, in the proximity of the zero / neutral point, i.e. the position where the stick stops when nothing is in contact with the TS. It is also important that the measurement in the thumb stick does not require ohmic contact.

[0008] In a first embodiment, the flat rigid layer or layer member is made up of four spaced-apart force sensors located at the corners of the rigid layer. This can be incorporated into a module. The sensors can be inductive force sensors, for example. The inductive measurement (for each force sensor) is influenced by the displacement of an (inductive) disturbance member (metal or ferrite) that moves closer to or further away from the inductor (e.g. flat pcb coil) being measured, or moves into and out of the core of the inductor being measured. When the conductive metal disturbance member moves closer to the coil, it will decrease the inductance, while ferrite will increase the inductance of the affected coil; similar for the disturbance member moving into the core of the inductor. A combination of conductive metal and ferrite can also be used to achieve a larger change in inductance.

[0009] The sensors can be underneath the rigid layer, e.g. directly or indirectly interfacing with the underside thereof.

[0010] If the rigid rod is firmly attached vertically to the center of the rigid layer, the combined force sensing measurements from the force sensors can be used to determine the amount (magnitude) of pressure (or force) applied to the vertical rod and the direction of the pressure (or force) applied to the vertical rod.

[0011] "Pressure" and "force" are used interchangeably herein.

[0012] The stiffness of both the flat layer and the vertical rod will determine the amount of movement resulting from user pressure. Because the resolution of the force sensors is such that microns or less of displacement can be detected and measured, it is possible to make the movement of the rod imperceptible or with very small displacement compared to the displacement of a standard joystick. Thus, each sensor responds to the displacement of the layer at the location of the sensor.

[0013] A push button switch or dome switch can be mounted under the center of the rigid layer, and if the layer is flexible enough, the pressure down the center will activate the switch. Alternatively, a lever located under the center shaft (similar to the function in prior art TS products) can be used. When using force sensor measurements, if the pressure is not primarily directly down the middle of the layer, the switch function can be ignored.

[0014] The thumbstick module can include a stop structure that serves to prevent excessive force from being applied to the switch or sensors.

[0015] Even without a physical switch in the middle, the switch function can be implemented using force sensor measurements. If enough pressure is detected, and if the force is evenly distributed between the four (or other number of) force sensors, it means that the pressure is a downward pressure, as required by conventional joystick products for activating a click switch function. Haptics can be used to provide feedback similar to the haptic "click" of a push button switch or dome switch.

[0016] With a more flexible flat (or generally horizontal) layer, and by shaping the layer appropriately, the rod can physically move under user actuation. This can be designed to resemble the movement experienced in prior art joystick products.

[0017] Likewise, a stop structure can protect the rod of a joystick designed according to the present invention from moving beyond a certain limit.

[0018] The rod can be flexible to the extent that will allow the required bending so that even in the case of a more rigid horizontal layer, the user is given the feeling of the movement of the rod. This means that for the maximum design pressure, the vertical rod will bend to the point where it will be stopped by the stop structure. For example, the stop structure will allow 25 degrees of bending from the vertical direction.

[0019] As can be understood from this overview, there is no rotational movement around two orthogonal axes as is present in most conventional control stick products.

[0020] Haptic feedback can be used to indicate movement to the user, although no or little physical movement can occur. The displacement or movement that affects the force sensing measurement at the end of the rigid layer or layer member where the force sensor is located can in implementations be at most one fifth of the movement of the force translating stick top, in which implementations the system is designed to mimic the movement of the force translating stick in prior art thumb sticks (i.e. less than one fifth of such movement).

[0021] In case the Hall effect sensors are placed centrally below the stick, horizontal rotation of the force translating stick can be detected and measured if a magnet is attached to the bottom of the stick and the stick attachment is such that rotation is possible.

[0022] An example of an application of horizontal rotation of the force stick can be when the user requires very fine and precise movements, as the gain factor can be adjusted to make this easier. For example, the force stick can be fitted with a dial and the necessary description of the functions that can be associated with different horizontal rotation angles can be printed on the thumb stick housing.

[0023] In another embodiment, the module is designed to allow the central force translating stick to move in any direction under the force applied by the user. Due to the larger displacement of the interference member at the inductive coil for measuring displacement / force, a method is proposed to move the interference member into and out of the core of the respective measurement inductive coil.

[0024] The invention is generally based on the use of a rigid layer with a force sensor to measure the force applied to the force translating stick, which translates the horizontal pressure into pressure on the rigid layer by rotation of the stick around a pivot point, which is then measured by the force sensor. Inductive sensing is particularly suitable for performing force sensing, but is certainly not the only technique. The force sensor can utilize other techniques, such as for example strain gauges or piezoelectric elements.

[0025] A significant disadvantage of conventional thumb sticks in the prior art is that over time, "stick drift" often becomes a problem. The design according to the invention is advantageous in that the friction between the parts can be minimized at the zero position. In embodiments of the invention, any downward force (see Figure 4 - 414, Figure 3-3 14) (even if only contact) can be detected by the force sensor. This contact / non-contact information derived from the inductive force sensor can be used to constantly calibrate the zero position parameter to avoid and prevent drift around the zero position.

[0026] According to the invention, the response from the control stick can be manipulated to weight towards keeping the main north / south and east / west axis, i.e. a little forgive if slightly deviating from the true N / S or E / W direction, but with enough movement (e.g. 5 degrees) the correction will start to become again accurate at an angle of 45 degrees.

[0027] This is in particular because due to the displacement of the force bar, equal forces are pushed back to the zero position in all directions. This is different from the experienced displacement in a traditional control stick.

[0028] An important concept in the invention is to implement a mechanism that serves to transform a horizontal force on the force bar (as is normally used to operate a control stick) into a vertical force that is also related to the direction of the horizontal force.

[0029] Several exemplary designs are described in more detail below, but many other possible implementations are possible according to the invention.

[0030] The Hall effect is a term used for magnet sensing, but TMR sensors or other magnetic field sensing technology can also be used.

[0031] In another embodiment, a non-flexible layer is placed on top of the pcb, which has four inductors on the respective corners of the pcb, each with an interference member attached directly or indirectly to the non-flexible layer. When a downward force is applied to the non-flexible top layer, the interference member moves into the core of the respective inductor.

[0032] The force / pressure application member can be attached to a structure with a user interface stick and a housing structure that makes the user interface stick move only in a plane. The force application member then slides over the non-flexible top layer to make the pressure points move in a way that is related to the motion of the user interface stick.

[0033] If no force is applied by the user, a spring can return the user interface stick to a central or neutral position. The force / pressure member that causes motion across the top layer causes displacement of the interference members in the four corners to move in and out of the inductor coils, and from the inductive measurements, the x, y position of the user interface stick can be determined.

[0034] To facilitate good differential functionality, the interference members must partially extend into the core of the respective measurement inductor when no user force is applied to the control stick.

[0035] The mechanism to keep the user interface stick in a plane can vary.

[0036] The terms "control stick" and "thumbstick" are considered to be equivalent in meaning.

[0037] In one embodiment, the present invention provides a method of operating a thumbstick arrangement comprising: a user interface force transduction bar; a rigid layer member; and force sensors located at spaced apart locations around the rigid layer member, each force sensor being responsive to displacement of the rigid layer member at the respective location, the method comprising the steps of: using the force transduction bar to transduce a horizontal force applied by a user onto the force transduction bar into a vertical force applied onto the rigid layer member, determining a measure of the respective force applied to the force sensors as a result of the vertical force, and using the force measures from the sensors to calculate a measure related to the magnitude and direction of application of the horizontal force applied by the user.

[0038] The present invention provides a thumbstick arrangement comprising: a rigid layer member; a force transduction bar configured to transduce a horizontal force applied by a user onto the force transduction bar into a vertical force applied onto the rigid layer member; a plurality of force sensors at spaced apart locations of the rigid layer member, each respective sensor producing a measure of the force applied to the respective force sensor as a result of the vertical force; and means for combining the measures to calculate a measure related to the magnitude and direction of application of the horizontal force applied by the user. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0039] The present invention is further described with reference to the following drawings:

[0040] Figure 1a is a top view of a rigid layer used in a thumbstick according to the present invention.

[0041] Figure 1b is a top view of a printed circuit board used in a thumbstick according to the present invention.

[0042] Figure 2 is a side view showing the construction of a force transduction bar and inductive sensor.

[0043] Figure 3 depicts the motion of a flexible force bar with horizontal rotation measurement and haptics.

[0044] Figure 4 is a side view of a rigid thumbstick with horizontal rotation measurement and haptic button switch.

[0045] Figure 5a shows a full-motion inductive thumbstick.

[0046] Figure 5b shows a flexible force transduction disc for use in a thumbstick of Figure 5a

[0047] Figure 6a shows a plan view and side view of a solid disc. ​

[0048] Figure 6b A disc with multiple spokes is shown.

[0049] Figure 7 A simplified force sensor thumbstick is illustrated.

[0050] Figure 8 A planar joystick according to the invention is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0051] The following description of the drawings is merely included to clarify the spirit and scope of the invention and is not to limit such scope. These are embodiments in example applications and there can be a large number of alternative or equivalent embodiments and applications that will still fall within the scope of the claims of the invention.

[0052] Figure 1a is a top view of a minimal motion joystick with a very rigid horizontal layer (plate) 102 that is square, with inductive coils, for example realized as traces on a printed circuit board underneath the four corners of the square plate (see Figure 1b There is a blocking structure 103 that forms part of the housing that holds the layer 102 in place and prevents it from lifting in most areas and from too much horizontal motion.

[0053] The horizontal layer (plate) can be conceptually rotated 90 degrees so that north / south motion and east / west motion will be reflected in the measurement of a single inductor or two inductors (differential). This can have an impact on the pushback force experienced by the user. However, such a 90-degree rotation is different from the way the prior art thumbstick is positioned.

[0054] A joystick with only two measurement inductors can be realized if the interfering members are positioned so that the up displacement and the down displacement can be measured accurately.

[0055] The force translation rod 101 is oriented perpendicular to the horizontal layer 102 and the magnitude of the applied pressure and its direction can be derived from the force sensing measurements made underneath the four corners of the rigid layer 102 when it is pushed horizontally by the user in any direction (360 degrees). In this example, a very rigid structure is presented where there is no relative motion between the rod 101 and the horizontal rigid layer 102.

[0056] A force in direction 104 will result in a rotational force that can be measured on the force sensors at corners 106 and 107. While a force in direction 105 (north / east) will be measured mainly on the sensor at corner 107.

[0057] However, the direction and level of force or pressure applied by the user will ideally be calculated by using differential information from two or more of the force sensors.

[0058] Figure 1b is a top view of the pcb 108, which has an inductive coil 109 formed by traces on the PCB. In the center, a dome 110 is positioned to form a tactile switch that is activated under a downward pressure applied to the force translation rod 101 that exceeds a predetermined minimum level, as shown in Figure 1a .

[0059] Figure 2 Some aspects of the construction of the thumb joystick are shown to supplement the structure shown in Figure 1a and Figure 1b .

[0060] The force translation rod 201 is attached to a rigid layer 202, and a lever 211 is in an axle below the center of the force translation rod 201. A downward force (F) 214 applied to the lever 211 will cause a rapid traversal of the dome 210 to close the ohmic connection and create a tactile feedback. The switch function can also be implemented using a push button switch in the dome 210. A stopper can be used to limit the pressure that can be applied to the dome or switch 210. The lever 211 can also be part of the axle in the rod 201. A sufficient downward force will cause sufficient downward movement by overcoming the push back force of the spring 213 in order to activate the switch 210.

[0061] An example of a spring 213 is shown that will push back against the rotational force created by the force 205 applied by the user. The housing structure 203 has an upper block 203a and a lower block 203b to limit the movement of the rigid layer 202. This will for example help to prevent damage to the spring 213 and the sensor elements (coils) 209, which include 209a and 209b as a single coil or as two independent coils.

[0062] An inductive force sensor is implemented using a disturbing member 212 that affects the inductance of the coil 209, which is related to the distance between the disturbing member 212 and the coil 209a / b, and also to the area of the core 215 of the inductive coil 209 that is filled by the tip of the disturbing member 212. It is also possible to use only one of these inductance change techniques.

[0063] Figure 2Shown in the middle is a measuring device 230 which measures the change in inductance in the coil 209 caused by the movement of the interference member 212. The inductance of each coil (one at each corner of the layer 202) is similarly measured by a corresponding device (not shown). The device 230 produces a signal 232 which depends on the measured change in inductance of the coil. The signal 232 from the other (not shown) devices and the corresponding signals labeled 232a, 232b and 232c are applied to a processor 234 which uses the measurement data to calculate a metric 236 which is related to the magnitude of the horizontal force 205 which produces the downward force 214 and the direction of such horizontal force. In other embodiments of the invention described herein, similar techniques are used as appropriate (not further described and shown herein). The force sensor is configured to be used by the user on the stick 201 and the processor 234 to distinguish between the contact state and the non-contact state using the resulting data from the sensor for calibration of the metric 236 and for correction of the metric to account for joystick (stick) drift.

[0064] The movement of the interference member 212 into the core 215 of the inductor coil 209 can be very linear over a large range of the degree of tilt of the rigid layer 202.

[0065] The effect of a flat interference member 212 moving close to the surface of the inductor coil 209a is exponential and causes large changes when close to the surface but small changes at a distance from the surface, referred to herein as the "surface effect".

[0066] Therefore, if small displacements are used, it is proposed to employ a combination or surface effect. If larger displacements are involved, it is proposed to combine the interference member movement into the coil core and the surface effect, or to suggest interference member movement into the core of the inductor only.

[0067] The present description is exemplary and does not require that all elements be implemented in every product designed according to the invention.

[0068] Figure 3 It involves displacement relative to the user force applied by using horizontal rotation, and using haptics as a user feedback mechanism.

[0069] The force stick 301 is flexible to the extent that a maximum predetermined force measured in the direction 305 will cause it to bend from position 301a to position 301b. At this angle (say designed for 30 degrees), the stick is blocked by the housing 303. This applies to all directions. This is related to the maximum lateral / horizontal force which can be translated into a rotational force. As mentioned above, the rotational force effect can be measured by the force sensor.

[0070] To enable the horizontal rotation measurement, the force translation rod 301 has to be fixed to the rigid layer 302, for example by using bushings or ball bearing elements 324 to the rigid layer 302. This will allow lateral forces to be transferred to the rigid layer 302 and will also allow the force translation rod 301 to rotate horizontally as depicted by the curved arrow 325.

[0071] The force translation rod 301 can extend beyond the rigid layer 302. Magnets 321 can then be attached to the bottom end of the rod 301. Magnetic (e.g. Hall / TMR effect) sensors 322 mounted on either side of the pcb 308 can determine the orientation of the magnets and can detect the rotation (325) of the force translation rod 301. The rotational position can be used to adjust the gain, select modes or functions and in principle adds another degree of selection to the user interface.

[0072] The downward force 314 can be detected from the combined measurement of all force sensors. If the user wants to implement a switch function (equivalent to the downward pressure switch activation in prior art switches), this can be determined when the total downward force 314 reaches a predetermined level.

[0073] The haptic signal generator 323a is electrically connected to the pcb 308 by wires 323b. The haptic signal generator 323a can be an LRA or any other prior art component and is used to provide user feedback. Feedback can be implemented for some or all functions, i.e. the horizontal pressure 305, the downward force 314 exceeding a predetermined level for switch activation or the horizontal rotation 325 of the force translation rod 301.

[0074] The force sensors are not shown in Figure 3 but can be implemented similarly to the implementation described in connection with Figure 2 It is also possible to use only two inductive sensors to determine the size and direction of the horizontal force.

[0075] Figure 4 The thumb joystick shown in

[0076] The force rod 401 translates the horizontal user pressure into a downward force on the rigid layer 402, which can be measured by force sensors as described in connection with Figure 2 or other force sensors.

[0077] The top 401a of the force translation rod 401 is rotatable relative to the bottom 401b. The top 401a is attached to a lever 411, which is mounted through a shaft in the center of the bottom 401b.

[0078] When the top 401a is rotated, the spring 427 and surface pattern 426 can be used to create a ratcheting feedback effect. Magnets 421 are attached to the end of the lever 411. Rotation of the magnets can be determined by using a Hall effect sensor 422 or another rotational magnetic sensing implementation.

[0079] Downward pressure on the force rod portion 401a will result in a downward force on the switch 410 until the switch is activated. Switch activation can be measured by a controller (not shown) on the pcb.

[0080] If horizontal rotation measurement is not required, the magnets can be removed and the switch 410 can be located in the middle under the lever 411.

[0081] Figure 5a A different embodiment is shown using a rigid layer 502 (similar to layer 402) and a sensor (not shown, but optionally as described in Figure 2 Related). This structure provides displacement of the force translating rod 501 under pressure applied by the user (similar to the prior art thumbstick).

[0082] However, instead of the force translating rod 501 directly translating horizontal pressure into downward pressure on the force sensor (as per Figure 2 Examples), the force is translated through a flexible disc 506. The disc 506 can take different forms, for example as shown in Figure 6a and Figure 6b

[0083] As greater horizontal pressure (e.g. 505) is applied, the disc 506 deforms more. This is the same for pressure in any direction. The system must be designed so that the disc is not pushed past its plastic point to avoid permanent deformation. Zeroing is a natural reset, where due to tension in various elements (e.g. in the rotational joint 513 and spring 512), the friction is small.

[0084] The disc 506 can be metal (e.g. spring steel), rubber, plastic, carbon fiber, etc.

[0085] If the downward force 514 is large enough, the disc 506 deforms. The back pressure from the spring 512 and switch 510 is also overcome, and the switch 510 is activated.

[0086] The structure 507 creates a guide for the lever 511 and prevents the force translating rod 501 from exerting too much force on the switch 510 via the lever 511. The spring 512 keeps the structure intact.

[0087] In Figure 5b ​In the middle, the force translation bar 501 is pushed to the maximum and is stopped from further horizontal movement by the housing 503. The deformation of the disc 506 is conceptually shown. The further the bar 501 is pushed, the greater the downward pressure exerted by the disc 506 on the rigid layer 502.

[0088] The horizontal rotation of the force sensing bar 501 and the measurement using magnets and Hall sensing can be done according to the procedures described in connection with Figure 3 and Figure 4 .

[0089] The design of the disc 506 can take many forms and two exemplary designs (606) are shown in Figure 6a and Figure 6b . In Figure 6a , the disc 606 has an annular edge 604 that is in contact with the rigid layer as described above. The middle part of the disc 606 can be shaped to be thin near the center and thick near the edge. This will affect the translation function from horizontal pressure displacement to vertical pressure displacement, i.e. the further the force translation bar 601 is pushed, the greater the downward pressure that will be transmitted per unit displacement.

[0090] In Figure 6b , the outer edge is implemented in multiple individual spokes 604 and is curved (seen from the side) to facilitate sliding over the rigid layer (502 in Figure 5a ) when deformed under pressure. The center part of the disc 606 can be rigid or slightly flexible. However, in Figure 6b , most of the deformation should come from the spokes 604.

[0091] An important aspect of the invention is that at zero point (or neutral position) the friction between the parts is minimal. For example, the friction between the edge 604 (spokes) of the disc 606 and the rigid layer 502 (in figure 5) is maximal at maximum horizontal pressure and minimal (almost zero) when there is no horizontal force.

[0092] Figure 7 A simplified (compared to figure 6) implementation of a force sensing thumbstick is shown. In the center a mechanism with a single spring 712 is used to provide the zeroing function and the force translation mechanism. The spring 712 can be held in place by holding cups 715a and 715b, although many alternative construction options are available - the key concept is that a single spring is used to translate the horizontal force applied by the user on the user interface bar 701 to a vertical pressure on the rigid layer 702 in a way that will also indicate the direction of the force. The spring 712 can also be formed using a compressible material such as rubber, or it can take the shape of a deformable disc as shown in figure 6.

[0093] The force translation lever rotates / revolves around a ball bearing mechanism 716 and a lever 718 held by an outer housing (not shown). The lever 718 can also be used to press on a push button switch (not shown) but according to Figure 4

[0094] When the force translation lever 701 is pressed horizontally in any direction, the force will be transmitted via the spring 712 and cup 715b onto the rigid layer 702. The magnitude of the force is measured by the force sensor comprising the disturbance member 720 and coil 709 in the four corners of the layer 702.

[0095] The strength ratio between the spring 712 at the center of the layer 702 and the spring 713 at the four corners of the layer 702 will determine the ratio between the degree of movement of the force translation lever 701 and the degree of displacement of the disturbance member 720 into the respective coil 709. The height of the pivot point at the mechanism 716 can also be adjusted to influence the force translation action.

[0096] Figure 8 An implementation of a control lever is shown where the user interface lever 801 moves in a single plane (e.g. only horizontally) instead of a curved, quasi-rotational motion as found in most prior art control levers.

[0097] This can be implemented in a number of ways, for example by using an x-axis rail mounted on a y-axis rail, which will implement full x / y motion. There are examples of such control levers in the art that use resistive strips to determine the Cartesian position. However, in Figure 8 the housing 808 is used to create a space 803 where the layer 804 attached to the user interface lever 801 can move freely in a single plane.

[0098] The pressure applying member 802 is mounted so that it can slide across the surface of the rigid layer 809 according to the motion induced by the user on the user interface lever 801. This will influence the motion of the disturbance member 807 into the respective inductor coil 806 in the corners of the layer 809. The inductor coils 806 are connected to an inductive measurement IC (not shown, but similar to the arrangement in Figure 2 The measurement information is used to determine the position of the pressure applied by the pressure applying member 802.

[0099] When the user is not exerting a force on the user interface lever 801, a spring or other suitable component (not shown) is required to return the user interface lever 801 to the center or neutral position.

[0100] ​The software that interprets the inductive measurements can also be designed to provide calibration during manufacture. For example, if the force versus displacement relationship for the four sensors (according to this example) are not equal, a calibration step during manufacture can be used to normalize the performance to minimize the impact on the user's perception. This would mitigate the manufacturing constraints on the various parts.

[0101] Ideally, differential inductive measurement information is used, i.e., the information is determined from the change in measured inductance of more than one inductor measured at one time.

[0102] There will be wear and tear as the member 802 slides over the surface of the layer 809, but with the right materials used for the layer 809 (e.g., glass, steel) or even with ball bearings used for the member 802, the life can be very long compared to the life of the system in which the sliding contact over the resistive strip is established as a rheostat implementation.

Claims

1. A thumb control lever arrangement, characterized in that, The thumb joystick arrangement includes: a rigid layer member; a force conversion lever; a mechanism configured to convert a horizontal force applied by a user to the force conversion lever into a vertical force applied to the rigid layer member; a plurality of force sensors at spaced-apart locations near the periphery of the rigid layer member, each corresponding sensor generating measurement information of the force applied to the corresponding force sensor due to the vertical force; and a mechanism for combining the measurement information to calculate a metric relating to the magnitude and direction of the horizontal force applied by the user.

2. The thumb control lever arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that, The thumb joystick arrangement includes a tactile signal generator configured for user feedback, which indicates at least one of the following: the magnitude of the horizontal force applied by the user to the force-transfer lever, the end of the range of motion of the force-transfer lever, or the magnitude of the vertical force applied to the force-transfer lever.

3. The thumb control lever arrangement according to claim 1, wherein, Each force sensor is a sensing measurement sensor that includes a sensing element and at least one interference element that can move relative to the sensing element in response to the vertical force applied to the rigid layer member.

4. The thumb control lever arrangement according to claim 3, wherein, Each sensing sensor includes a sensing coil with a core, and the interference member can be displaced into the core of the sensing sensor in response to the vertical force applied to the rigid layer member, thereby affecting the measurable inductance of the sensing sensor.

5. The thumb control lever arrangement according to claim 3, wherein, The force sensor measurement is used to distinguish between contact and non-contact states by the user on the force-changing lever, and the mechanism uses information from the non-contact state to calibrate the calculated metric and avoid "joystick drift".

6. The thumb control lever arrangement according to claim 3, characterized in that, The thumb joystick arrangement includes a magnet attached to the force-converting lever and a magnetic field sensor that responds to the rotational movement of the magnet, wherein the mechanism is configured to use data from the magnetic field sensor to determine the rotational movement of the force-converting lever.

7. The thumb control lever arrangement according to claim 3, wherein, Each sensing sensor is configured such that the displacement of the corresponding interference component relative to the sensing sensor is less than one-fifth of the displacement of the upper end of the force-converting rod.

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