Joystick Speed Control for Ophthalmologic Apparatus

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional ophthalmologic apparatuses face a limitation in vertical movement speed of the optical system when the joystick is rotated quickly, leading to a decrease in moving amount due to an upper limit in motor rotation speed, resulting in a large and expensive apparatus.

Innovation Solution

The rotation speed of the joystick is detected at predetermined intervals, and when the current speed is lower than the previous speed, a predetermined value is subtracted from the previous speed to set a new current speed, allowing the head part to move at a speed corresponding to this new speed, enabling improved operability even with inexpensive and small-size motors.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Speed

If the motor rotation speed upper limit is increased to track the joystick rotation speed, then the moving speed of the optical system is improved, but the apparatus becomes large and expensive

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemoving speed of optical systemVSAvoidapparatus size and cost
Core Design Contradiction:
SpeedVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies dynamics by making the motor rotation speed limit variable rather than fixed. The control device dynamically adjusts the upper limit of motor rotation speed based on the detected rotation speed of the joystick, allowing the system to adapt its performance characteristics to the operator's input intensity without requiring a permanently high-performance (and thus large and expensive) motor.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the parameter of motor rotation speed upper limit based on the joystick rotation speed. When the joystick is rotated quickly, the control device increases the motor's upper rotation speed limit accordingly, allowing the system to achieve high moving speeds only when needed, rather than maintaining a constantly high-performance configuration that would increase size and cost.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Loss of time

If the joystick is rotated quickly to increase moving speed, then the response time is improved, but the moving amount decreases due to motor speed saturation

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveresponse timeVSAvoidmoving amount
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of timeVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements feedback by detecting the rotation speed of the joystick and using this information to control the motor's upper rotation speed limit. The control device continuously monitors the joystick's rotation speed and adjusts the motor performance in real-time, creating a closed-loop system where the output (motor speed) is regulated based on input (joystick rotation speed) to achieve both fast response and adequate moving amount.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentEP2422689B1Control apparatus, control method, and ophtalmologic apparatus including the control apparatus
Publication Date: 2019.10.23 CANON KK
  • EP2422689B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP2422689B1 patent drawingFigure 3~5
  • EP2422689B1 patent drawingFigure 6~6A

AI summary

In an ophthalmologic apparatus in which a head part is moved at a speed according to a rotation speed of a rotational part of a joystick, in order to enable a moving amount of the head part to correspond to a rotation amount even when the rotation speed becomes higher, the rotation speed of the joystick is detected at predetermined intervals, and when a current rotation speed (count of an encoder during a predetermined period) is lower than a previous rotation speed, a speed obtained by subtracting a predetermined value from the previous rotation speed is compared to the current rotation speed. Then, a higher speed is set as the current rotation speed, and the head part is moved at the speed corresponding to the current rotation speed.