A joystick has a related control method to provide displayed object control function. The joystick includes a body, an image sensor and a processor. The body has a deformable bottom surface whereon a pattern is disposed. The image sensor is disposed under the body and adapted to capture a plurality of frames about the pattern. The processor is electrically connected with the image sensor and adapted to generate a displayed object control signal according to pattern variation within the plurality of frames.

In order to provide an input/output operation device having high operability, an input/output operation device (750) includes: an actuator (165) including a movable unit (180) freely rotatable independently about two axes orthogonal to each other, a fixed unit supporting the movable unit (180) for free rotation, and a drive part driving the movable unit (180) with respect to the fixed unit; a detection circuit part (360) to output a position signal corresponding to a position of an operation part (850); a drive circuit part (350) controlling the drive part; a control calculation processing part (94) controlling the drive circuit part (350); and a rotation body (550) on which the actuator (165) is installed, and which rotates about a rotation axis, in which the control calculation processing part (94) controls the drive of the operation part (850) through use of a coordinate system stationary with respect to a reference rotation angle of the rotation body (550) at different rotation angles of the rotation body (550).

A joystick has a related control method to provide displayed object control function. The joystick includes a body, an image sensor and a processor. The body has a deformable bottom surface whereon a pattern is disposed. The image sensor is disposed under the body and adapted to capture a plurality of frames about the pattern. The processor is electrically connected with the image sensor and adapted to generate a displayed object control signal according to pattern variation within the plurality of frames.

A multi-directional input device including: an operating member; a first co-functioning member with a first rotating axis; a second co-functioning member with a second rotating axis; a first slider moving in a first horizontal direction following rotation of the first co-functioning member; a second slider moving in a second horizontal direction following rotation of the second co-functioning member; a first generating member generating a first physical field; a second generating member generating a second physical field; a first detection part detecting movement of the first generating member by detecting the first physical field; and a second detection part detecting movement of the second generating member by detecting the second physical field, and, one from among the first and second generating members is positioned further away from the other one than is the rotating axis that rotates when the one generating member moves.

A joystick includes a stick and a base attached to the stick. The joystick includes a housing in which part of the base is disposed. The housing includes a baseplate. A predetermined number of magnets correspond to the number of pivot-axes. The magnets are attached to the base, and each of the magnets defines a pivot-axis around which the base can be. The pivot-axis is defined by one of the magnets diametrically opposite to this magnet. A magnetic element, in particular a plate, is attached to or is part of the baseplate. The joystick further includes a sensor for detecting rotation of the base around at least one of the predetermined number of pivot-axes. The base and the magnets attached to the base are disposed facing the magnetic element and interacting with the magnetic element such that an attractive force is pulling the magnets toward the magnetic element.

An input/output operation device (165) includes: an operation part (850); a movable unit (180) including a loosely fitted space inside, a main body supporting the operation part (802) and including a first loosely fitted surface (820) exposed in the loosely fitted space, and at least one drive magnet (401, 402); a fixed unit including a second loosely fitted surface (821) in point- or line-contact with the first loosely fitted surface of the movable unit, a holder (811) supporting the movable unit for free rotation, a base (811) including a space for accommodating at least a part of the movable unit and supporting the holder, and at least one drive coil (301, 302); a drive part to rotate the movable unit with respect to the fixed unit; and a detector to detect a position of the operation part in the fixed unit. One of the first and second loosely fitted surfaces includes an inner peripheral surface formed into a recessed portion, and another one of the first and second loosely fitted surfaces includes at least one protruded spherical surface.

A joystick apparatus has a housing and a printed circuit board in the housing. A shaft is pivotably connected to a U-joint assembly to allow movement of the shaft relative to the center position within a circle. A concentric reduced power zone circle is associated with the circle. Operation of the joystick within the reduced power zone circle uses less power than operation outside of the reduced power zone. A knob and a magnet are located on the shaft. A Hall effect integrated circuit detects movement of the magnet in response to corresponding movement of the shaft by a user and generates a corresponding proportional joystick output signal indicative of a direction and an extent of rotation of the shaft. A multifunction joystick control system has a joystick configured to provide multiple operational modalities on a joystick. An electrical interface connects the joystick apparatus and the host central processing unit.

A technique for a stick device improves durability or other characteristics. A stick device includes a stick rotatable about a first axis (X-axis), rotatable about a second axis (Y-axis), and pushable in a direction of a third axis (Z-axis) in response to an operation of a user, and a sensor that contactlessly detects a distance of a push on the stick or a position of the stick in the direction of the third axis (Z-axis).

The invention provides an input apparatus, a games controller for a games console and an analogue control stick. The analogue control stick comprises a shaft pivotally mounted for movement about at least two orthogonal axes and a target surface disposed at a proximal end of the shaft. The analogue control stick comprises at least one light source and a sensor, for capturing images of the target surface illuminated by the light source at a polling interval. A processing unit compares a current image of the target surface with the immediately preceding image of the target surface captured by the sensor to determine magnitude and direction of any incremental movement of the target surface relative to the sensor between capturing the compared images. The processing unit accumulates data, in a memory cache, indicative of the incremental movements to calculate an absolute position of the target surface relative to a predefined or origin position. The analogue control stick comprises an origin position detection system for determining return of the target surface to a predefined origin position. The processing unit is configured to clear the cache of accumulated incremental movement data upon detection of the target surface being disposed at the predefined origin position.