A multi-functional knob comprising: a button unit exposed to the outside and having a gripping circumferential surface; a guide body unit of a hollow type, configured such that the button unit surrounds at least a portion thereof and is fixedly coupled to an outer surface thereof; a fixing housing of a hollow type, at least partially surrounding the button unit and the guide body unit; a push member assembled to the fixing housing and configured to move in a direction parallel to a longitudinal axis in response to movement of the guide body unit; and a printed circuit board connected to the fixing housing.

In some embodiments, a protective apparatus for rotary control knobs may comprise a cover adapted fit over a rotary control knob; a knob cavity internal to the cover adapted to provide space for the rotary control knob to rotate about; and an access aperture located on the surface of cover member and adapted to provide limited user access to the rotary control knob. The cover member may be configured to encase or surround a control knob. The apparatus may further comprise a plate which may be integrally formed or molded to the cover and which contains a control shaft aperture adapted to receive the control shaft of a rotary control assembly. Once a control shaft is inserted through the control shaft aperture, a fastener may be secured to the control shaft over the plate, thereby securing the apparatus to the control shaft.

A method for generating haptic sensations from a haptic interface including: a rotatable button; an element for interacting with a fluid with a viscosity that varies as a function of an exterior stimulus, the element for interacting with the fluid moving with the button; a fluid with an apparent viscosity that varies as a function of a magnetic field and that surrounds the element for interacting with the fluid; and a system for generating a magnetic field on command in the fluid. The method includes: evaluating a current position of the button; determining a direction of rotation of the button; altering the value of the current position when the current position is in a haptic stop zone and the direction of rotation of the button is associated with the haptic stop, and as long as the direction of rotation of the button is not modified.

A method for generating haptic sensations from a haptic interface including: a rotatable button; an element for interacting with a fluid with a viscosity that varies as a function of an exterior stimulus, the element for interacting with the fluid moving with the button; a fluid with an apparent viscosity that varies as a function of a magnetic field and that surrounds the element for interacting with the fluid; and a system for generating a magnetic field on command in the fluid. The method includes: evaluating a current position of the button; determining a direction of rotation of the button; altering the value of the current position when the current position is in a haptic stop zone and the direction of rotation of the button is associated with the haptic stop, and as long as the direction of rotation of the button is not modified.

A locking mechanism for a control device which utilizes rotation motion of a shaft as a means of actuation, such as a potentiometer. The locking mechanism includes a tubular body, an actuation shaft, a plurality of splines, a plurality of spline-receiving cavities, and a push-lock mechanism. The actuation shaft transfers rotation motion from a user to the control device and is slidably and rotatably positioned within the tubular body. The splines are radially distributed about the actuation shaft to interlock with the plurality of spline-receiving cavities. The spline-receiving cavities are radially positioned around the tubular body with each cavity traversing into the tubular body from an inner surface. The push-lock mechanism locks the actuation shaft relative to the tubular body and is mounted offset to a second end of the tubular body. An output coupling end of the actuation shaft is bistably coupled to the push-lock mechanism.

A command selector includes a scroll wheel mounted in a support and free to rotate about a main axis, a fixed printed circuit board, a detection wheel rotating about a secondary axis, a means of transmission rotationally connecting the scroll wheel to the detection wheel of which the rotations are detected by a rotation sensor arranged on the printed circuit board. The main axis and the secondary axis are non-parallel, the means of transmission defines an angle, and the detection wheel rotating in a plane parallel to the printed circuit board, the secondary axis being perpendicular to the printed circuit board, so as to minimize the circumscribed volume of the selector.

A command selector includes a scroll wheel mounted in a support and free to rotate about a main axis, a fixed printed circuit board, a detection wheel rotating about a secondary axis, a means of transmission rotationally connecting the scroll wheel to the detection wheel of which the rotations are detected by a rotation sensor arranged on the printed circuit board. The main axis and the secondary axis are non-parallel, the means of transmission defines an angle, and the detection wheel rotating in a plane parallel to the printed circuit board, the secondary axis being perpendicular to the printed circuit board, so as to minimize the circumscribed volume of the selector.

A magnetic sensor device includes a three-dimensional (3D) magnetic sensor and a magnet that produces a magnetic field. The 3D magnetic sensor is arranged within the magnetic field and is configured to measure three different magnetic field components of the magnetic field and generate sensor signals in response to the measured three different magnetic field components. The magnet is arranged in a default spatial position in an absence of any applied spatial force, where the magnet is configured to rotate about a rotation axis based on an applied rotational force. The magnetic field varies inhomogeneously with regards to at least one of the three magnetic field components upon rotation of the magnet about the rotation axis.

A pattern of a rotational operation force is changed by a state of a device of an input object. An input device includes a knob, a rotation shaft body that rotates together with the knob, a rotation controller that is capable of changing a rotational operation force, a detector that detects a rotational position, a controller, and a storage that stores a plurality of patterns. The controller reads a pattern from the storage according to a pattern signal input from an outside and controls the rotation controller when the knob is operated to be rotated according to a rotational position detected by the detector and the read pattern.

A pattern of a rotational operation force is changed by a state of a device of an input object. An input device includes a knob, a rotation shaft body that rotates together with the knob, a rotation controller that is capable of changing a rotational operation force, a detector that detects a rotational position, a controller, and a storage that stores a plurality of patterns. The controller reads a pattern from the storage according to a pattern signal input from an outside and controls the rotation controller when the knob is operated to be rotated according to a rotational position detected by the detector and the read pattern.