Dynamic Dead Zone Joystick Control for Precise Aiming

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing game actuation devices, such as joysticks, face challenges in accurately and responsively controlling aiming cursors due to the limitations of dead zones, which hinder small movements and combine with issues like limited amplitude and imperfect recentering, making them less suitable for precise and natural aiming in computer games.

Innovation Solution

A method that dynamically adjusts the dead zone based on the speed of the joystick's movement, deactivating it when the speed exceeds a threshold to account for small rapid movements and reactivating it gradually, along with sensitivity adjustments, to enhance responsiveness and precision, and includes steps for smoothing position transitions and recalculating maximum speed for symmetrical aiming.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Stability of the object's composition

If a dead zone is applied around the rest position of the joystick, then the stability of the aiming cursor is improved, but the precision of small movements deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestability of aiming cursorVSAvoidprecision of small movements
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The dead zone is made dynamic rather than static. Its radius is adjusted in real-time based on the joystick's movement speed: when the joystick is stationary or moving slowly, a larger dead zone maintains cursor stability; when the joystick moves quickly, the dead zone shrinks or disappears to allow precise tracking of small movements. This dynamic adaptation resolves the contradiction between stability and precision.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The parameter of dead zone radius is changed based on movement speed conditions. By monitoring the speed of joystick movement and adjusting the dead zone parameter accordingly, the system achieves both stability (when speed is low) and precision (when speed is high), eliminating the need to choose between the two opposing requirements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Measurement precision

If the dead zone is reduced to improve precision of small movements, then the precision is improved, but the stability deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprecision of small movementsVSAvoidstability of aiming cursor
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

Rather than using a fixed small dead zone that compromises stability, the system dynamically adjusts the dead zone size. When the joystick is stationary or moving very slowly, the dead zone expands to prevent cursor drift and maintain stability. When the joystick moves with sufficient speed, the dead zone contracts to enable precise tracking, thus achieving both precision and stability at different times.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The dead zone parameter is continuously adjusted based on the detected movement speed. This parameter change strategy allows the system to have a large dead zone (for stability) when needed and a small dead zone (for precision) when needed, resolving the contradiction through conditional parameter adaptation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Stability of the object's composition

If a large dead zone is used to maintain stability, then the stability is improved, but the responsiveness deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestability of aiming cursorVSAvoidresponsiveness of cursor
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSSpeed

Solution Approach 1:

The dead zone dynamically adapts its size based on movement speed. When the joystick is stationary or moving slowly, a larger dead zone maintains stability without significantly impacting responsiveness, as the cursor is not expected to move rapidly anyway. When the joystick moves quickly, the dead zone shrinks to minimize responsiveness delays, thus resolving the contradiction between stability and responsiveness.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the dead zone parameter according to movement conditions. By monitoring speed and adjusting the dead zone size accordingly, the system achieves stability (with larger dead zone at low speeds) and responsiveness (with smaller dead zone at high speeds), eliminating the need to compromise either attribute permanently.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

4Speed

If the dead zone is reduced to improve responsiveness, then the responsiveness is improved, but the stability deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveresponsiveness of cursorVSAvoidstability of aiming cursor
Core Design Contradiction:
SpeedVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The dead zone is dynamically adjusted based on movement speed. When the joystick is moving quickly, a small or nonexistent dead zone ensures maximum responsiveness. When the joystick is stationary or moving slowly, the dead zone expands to maintain stability and prevent cursor drift. This dynamic behavior resolves the contradiction between responsiveness and stability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The dead zone parameter is adaptively changed based on real-time movement conditions. The system achieves responsiveness (with small dead zone during fast movement) and stability (with large dead zone during stationary or slow movement) by continuously adjusting the parameter according to operational context.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

5Measurement precision

If the amplitude of the joystick is reduced to increase precision, then the precision is improved, but the speed deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprecision of aimingVSAvoidspeed of cursor movement
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSSpeed

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically adjusts the dead zone based on movement speed rather than limiting the physical amplitude. When moving quickly, the small effective dead zone preserves speed. When moving slowly or stationary, the larger dead zone enhances precision by filtering out minor vibrations and drift. This resolves the contradiction between precision and speed without restricting amplitude.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

Rather than reducing amplitude, the system changes the dead zone parameter to achieve precision. The adaptive dead zone allows full amplitude utilization for speed while maintaining precision through intelligent filtering based on movement conditions, resolving the contradiction through parameter adaptation而非amplitude reduction.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

6Stability of the object's composition

If the amplitude of the joystick is reduced to increase stability, then the stability is improved, but the speed deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestability of aiming cursorVSAvoidspeed of cursor movement
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSSpeed

Solution Approach 1:

The system uses dynamic dead zone adjustment rather than amplitude reduction to achieve stability. The dead zone expands when the joystick is stationary or moving slowly to stabilize the cursor, and contracts when moving quickly to preserve speed. This resolves the contradiction between stability and speed without limiting the joystick's amplitude.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The dead zone parameter is adaptively changed based on movement conditions to achieve stability without sacrificing speed. By monitoring speed and adjusting the dead zone size accordingly, the system maintains stability (with larger dead zone at low speeds) while preserving speed capability (with smaller dead zone at high speeds), resolving the contradiction through parameter adaptation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP3040107B1Method for controlling a sight extension using a joystick and corresponding joystick
Publication Date: 2017.12.20 BIGBEN INTERACTIVE
  • EP3040107B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3040107B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3040107B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A method for controlling a aiming cursor by means of a play actuation device (10) equipped with at least one directional control element (12) arranged to occupy a rest position (X0, Y0) and move at least along one axis (X, Y), and having a defined dead zone (ZM) around the rest position, comprising the following steps: detecting a position (XJ, YJ) of the element along the axis; determining the speed (VJ) of movement of the element based on the history of detected positions; comparing said speed with a predetermined speed threshold (VREF); when the speed is less than the predetermined threshold, transmitting detected position data only outside the dead zone and transmitting a predefined value instead of the detected positions in the dead zone, and when the speed is greater than the predetermined threshold, transmitting data of all detected positions.