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 first control member movable with three degrees of freedom and providing in response thereto a first set of three independent control inputs; and   a second control member extending from the first control member that is movable with three independent degrees of freedom independently of the first control member and providing in response thereto a second set of three independent control inputs, where the control inputs of the second set are independent of the control inputs of the first set,   wherein the first and second control members are configured to be operated by a user's single hand and one or more digits thereof.   
     
     
         2 . The controller of  claim 1 , wherein the first set of control inputs correspond to rotational movements. 
     
     
         3 . The controller of  claim 1 , wherein the second set of control inputs correspond to translational movements. 
     
     
         4 . The controller of  claim 1 , wherein the first control member is configured to be gripped by the user's single hand and second control member is configured to be manipulated by the one or more digits of the user's single hand. 
     
     
         5 . The controller of  claim 4 , wherein the second control member is configured to be manipulated by the thumb of the user's single hand. 
     
     
         6 . The controller of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a processor connected to receive the first and second sets of control inputs and generate in response thereto a respective first and second set of control signals for a control target.   
     
     
         7 . The controller of  claim 6 , wherein the first set of control signals corresponds to three independent rotational movements of the control target and the second set of control signals corresponds to three independent translational movements of the control target. 
     
     
         8 . The controller of  claim 6 , wherein control target is an aircraft. 
     
     
         9 . The controller of  claim 6 , wherein control target is a medical instrument. 
     
     
         10 . The controller of  claim 6 , wherein control target is in a virtual environment. 
     
     
         11 . The controller of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a discrete control element to provide a discreet control input.   
     
     
         12 . The controller of  claim 11 , wherein the discreet control element is a control button formed on the first control member that is configured to be operated by one or more digits of the user's single hand. 
     
     
         13 . The controller of  claim 11 , wherein the discreet control input is an ON/OFF value. 
     
     
         14 . The controller of  claim 11 , wherein the discreet control input is a trim function. 
     
     
         15 . The controller of  claim 1 , wherein the first control member is moveably coupled to a base and is operable to produce the first set of control inputs in response to movement of the first control member relative to the base. 
     
     
         16 . The controller of  claim 1 , wherein the first control member comprises at least one motion sensor and is operable to produce the first set of control inputs in response to movement of the first control member in space that is detected by the at least one motion sensor.