Multi-degrees-of-freedom hand controller

Abstract

Disclosed is a controller including a first control member, a second control member that extends from a portion of the first control member, and a controller processor that is operable to produce a rotational movement output signal in response to movement of the first control member, and a translational movement output signal in response to movement of the second control member relative to the first control member. The rotational movement output signal may be any of a pitch movement output signal, a yaw movement output signal, and a roll movement output signal, and the translational movement output signal may be any of an x-axis movement output signal, a y-axis movement output signal, and a z-axis movement output signal. In exemplary embodiments, the first control member may be gripped and moved using a single hand, and the second control member may be moved using one or more digits of the single hand, thus permitting highly intuitive, single-handed control of multiple degrees of freedom, to and including, all six degrees of rotational and translational freedom without any inadvertent cross-coupling inputs.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A controller, comprising:
 (a) a first control member;   (b) a second control member extending from a portion of the first control member; and   (c) a controller processor coupled to the first control member and the second control member, wherein the controller processor is operable to produce a rotational movement output signal in response to movement of the first control member,   wherein the controller processor is operable to produce a translational movement output signal in response to movement of the second control member relative to the first control member, wherein the translational movement output signal is decoupled from the rotational movement output signal.   
     
     
         2 . The controller of  claim 1 , wherein the controller processor is operable to produce one or more of a pitch movement output signal in response to a first predetermined movement of the first control member, a yaw movement output signal in response to a second predetermined movement of the first control member, and a roll movement output signal in response to a third predetermined movement of the first control member. 
     
     
         3 . The controller of  claim 1 , wherein the controller processor is operable to produce one or more of an x-axis movement output signal in response to a first predetermined movement of the second control member, a y-axis movement output signal in response to a second predetermined movement of the second control member, and a z-axis movement output signal in response to a third predetermined movement of the second control member. 
     
     
         4 . The controller of  claim 1 , wherein the controller processor is operable to produce at least two different types of rotational movement output signals in response to movement of the first control member, and wherein the controller processor is operable to produce at least two different types of translational movement output signals in response to movement of the second control member relative to the first control member. 
     
     
         5 . The controller of  claim 1 , wherein the controller processor is operable to produce at least three different types of rotational movement output signals in response to movement of the first control member, and wherein the controller processor is operable to produce at least three different types of translational movement output signals in response to movement of the second control member relative to the first control member. 
     
     
         6 . The controller of  claim 1 , wherein the first control member is configured to be gripped and moved using a single hand, and wherein the second control member is configured to be moved using one or more digits on the single hand. 
     
     
         7 . The controller of  claim 6 , wherein the one or more digits includes the thumb. 
     
     
         8 . The controller of  claim 1 , wherein the first control member is moveably coupled to a base, and wherein the controller processor is operable to produce the rotational movement output signal in response to movement of the first control member relative to the base. 
     
     
         9 . The controller of  claim 1 , wherein the first control member comprises at least one motion sensor, and wherein the controller processor is operable to produce the rotational movement output signal in response to movement of the first control member in space that is detected by the at least one motion sensor. 
     
     
         10 . The controller of  claim 1 , further comprising a control button located on the first control member. 
     
     
         11 . A computer system, comprising:
 (a) a processor;   (b) a non-transitory, computer-readable medium coupled to the processor and including instruction that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to provide a control program; and   (c) a user input device coupled to the processor, the user input device comprising:
 (i) a first control member, wherein movement of the first control member causes the processor to provide one of a plurality of rotational movement instructions in the control program; and 
 (ii) a second control member extending from a portion of the first control member, wherein movement of the second control member causes the processor to provide one of a plurality of translational movement instructions in the control program. 
   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein a first predetermined movement of the first control member causes the processor to provide a pitch movement instruction in the control program, a second predetermined movement of the first control member causes the processor to provide a yaw movement instruction in the control program, and a third predetermined movement of the first control member cause the processor to provide a roll movement instruction in the control program. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein a first predetermined movement of the second control member causes the processor to provide an x-axis movement instruction in the control program, a second predetermined movement of the second control member causes the processor to provide a y-axis movement instruction in the control program, and a third predetermined movement of the second control member causes the processor to provide a z-axis movement instruction in the control program. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the first control member is configured to be gripped and moved using a single hand, and wherein the second control member is configured to be moved using one or more digits on the single hand. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the first control member is moveably coupled to a base, and wherein movement of the first control member relative to the base causes the processor to provide the one of a plurality of rotational movement instructions in the control program. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the first control member comprises at least one motion sensor, and wherein movement of the first control member in space that is detected by the at least one motion sensor causes the processor to provide the one of a plurality of translational movement instructions in the control program. 
     
     
         17 . A control method, comprising:
 (a) providing a controller including a first control member and a second control member extending from a portion of the first control member;   (b) sending a rotational movement output signal in response to moving the first control member; and   (c) sending a translational movement output signal in response to moving the second control member relative to the first control member.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the sending the rotational movement output signal in response to moving the first control member includes sending a pitch movement output signal in response to a first predetermined movement of the first control member, sending a yaw movement output signal in response to a second predetermined movement of the first control member, and sending a roll movement output signal in response to a third predetermined movement of the first control member. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the sending the translational movement output signal in response to moving the second control member relative to the first control member includes sending an x-axis movement output signal in response to a first predetermined movement of the second control member, sending a y-axis movement output signal in response to a second predetermined movement of the second control member, and sending a z-axis movement output signal in response to a third predetermined movement of the second control member. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the moving the first control member includes gripping and moving the first control member using a single hand, and wherein the moving the second control member relative to the first control member includes moving the second control member using a thumb on the single hand. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the sending the rotational movement output signal in response to moving the first control member includes detecting the movement of the first control member a) about a moveable coupling on a base, or b) in space using at least one motion sensor. 
     
     
         22 . A method for performing a medical procedure, comprising controlling one or more medical instruments using a controller in accordance with  claim 1 . 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the medical procedure a) utilizes one or more surgical robotic systems, one or more flexible borescopes, a three-dimensional image guidance system, and a four-dimensional image guidance system; or b) includes one or more of laparoscopic surgery, natural-orifice surgery, minimally-invasive surgery, prenatal surgery, intrauterine surgery, microscopic surgery, interventional radiology, interventional cardiology, endoscopy, bronchoscopy, cystoscopy, culposcopy, and colonoscopy. 
     
     
         24 . A method for controlling a vehicle, a military system, or an industrial device, comprising: controlling one or more systems or subsystems of the vehicle, the military system, or the industrial device, using a controller in accordance with  claim 1 . 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the vehicle includes one or more of an unmanned aerial vehicle, an unmanned submersible vehicle, a heavy mechanized vehicle, a piloted aircraft, a helicopter, a spacecraft, a spacecraft docking system, a satellite, and a general aviation system. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the military system includes one or more of a weapons-targeting system, a weapons trajectory system, a counter-improvised-explosive-device system, an air-to-air refueling system, and an explosives-handling system. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the industrial system includes one or more of an oil exploration system, an overhead crane, a cherry-picker, an industrial lift, a firefighting system, a nuclear-materials handling system, a manufacturing system, a high temperature processing system, an assembly-process system, a robotics system, an explosives-handling system, and a materials management system. 
     
     
         28 . A method for controlling a consumer device, comprising controlling one or more systems or subsystems of the device using a controller in accordance with  claim 1 . 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the consumer device includes one or more of a consumer electronics device, a video-game console, a three-dimensional computer navigational system, a radio-controlled vehicle, and a three-dimensional computer-aided-drafting system.