Flexible Joystick with Image Sensor for Gesture and Biometric Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional mechanical joysticks are limited by restricted operation gestures, leading to mechanical fatigue due to their design, which does not allow for over-twisting movements and lacks biometric identification capabilities.
Innovation Solution
A joystick design featuring a body with a lateral and bottom portion, an image sensor, and a processor that captures and analyzes patterns on the body and bottom portion to generate control signals, enabling over-twisting operations and biometric identification through embedded identification elements and a transparent component.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a conventional mechanical joystick is designed with a solid handle and lever arm structure, then it can be operated in designated directions, but it results in mechanical fatigue due to limited operation gestures and cannot support over-twisting movements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the conventional mechanical joystick structure (handle, lever arm, trackball) with a flexible display device that detects gestures through image sensors and touch inputs. The flexible display bends and deforms to represent joystick movements, eliminating mechanical wear and fatigue while enabling diverse operation gestures including over-twisting movements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical state of the display from rigid to flexible, allowing it to bend and deform in multiple directions. This parameter change enables the display to accommodate various gesture types (pushing, pulling, twisting) without mechanical fatigue, as the flexible material can repeatedly deform and recover.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a conventional mechanical joystick uses a spring mechanism to recover the lever arm, then it can return to the initial position, but it still operates within limited designated directions and lacks biometric identification capabilities
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible display device serves multiple functions: it acts as both the display interface and the joystick control mechanism, while also incorporating biometric identification capabilities through the image sensor. The touch-sensitive surface can detect various gesture types, and the integrated camera can capture biometric data, making the device universal and multi-functional.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the display function, joystick control function, and biometric identification function into a single integrated device. The image sensor serves dual purposes: capturing the flexible display's deformation for gesture recognition and capturing user biometric data for identification, thereby combining multiple functions without proportionally increasing device complexity.
3Loss of information
If the identification element is disposed on the lateral portion of the body, then it can provide deformed information when the bottom portion is pressed, but the identification dots on the bottom portion may move out of the field of view of the feature identifier
Solution Approach 1:
The patent places identification elements on both the lateral portion and the bottom portion of the flexible display, creating a multi-dimensional identification system. When the bottom portion is pressed and identification dots move out of the image sensor's field of view, the lateral portion's identification elements remain visible and provide alternative deformed information, ensuring continuous identification capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent pre-positions multiple identification elements at different locations (lateral and bottom portions) before deformation occurs. This preliminary arrangement ensures that when one set of identification elements moves out of view due to deformation, another set remains within the field of view, maintaining continuous identification capability.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The joystick allows for extended use without mechanical fatigue and provides biometric identification, enhancing user interaction and energy efficiency by analyzing user gestures and biometric features.
Implementation Method 1
The feature identifier is an image sensor, and accordingly the identification result is a frame captured by the image sensor
Data Source
AI summary
A joystick includes a body, a feature identifier and a processor. The body has a lateral portion and a bottom portion connected with each other. The bottom portion is adapted to be pressed, and the lateral portion whereon an identification element is disposed is adapted to support the bottom portion. The feature identifier is disposed under the body and adapted to acquire an identification result about the body. The processor is electrically connected with the feature identifier and adapted to analyze state of the identification element within the identification result for generating a control signal. The feature identifier is an image sensor, and accordingly the identification result is a frame captured by the image sensor.