US 11,927,979 B2
Multi-directional input device
Mitsuhiro Asano, Yao (JP); and Masato Shimizu, Yao (JP)
Assigned to HOSIDEN CORPORATION, Yao (JP)
Filed by Hosiden Corporation, Yao (JP)
Filed on Jul. 29, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/877,016.
Claims priority of application No. 2021-126436 (JP), filed on Aug. 2, 2021; application No. 2022-083102 (JP), filed on May 20, 2022; and application No. 2022-083104 (JP), filed on May 20, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2023/0034823 A1, Feb. 2, 2023
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. G05G 9/047 (2006.01); G01B 7/30 (2006.01); G05G 5/05 (2006.01)
CPC G05G 9/047 (2013.01) [G01B 7/30 (2013.01); G05G 5/05 (2013.01); G05G 2009/04755 (2013.01); G05G 2009/04777 (2013.01); G05G 2009/04781 (2013.01); G05G 2505/00 (2013.01)] 16 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A multi-directional input device comprising:
a case;
an operating member that protrudes from the case and can be tilted with respect to the case from an initial upright state to a tilted state;
an elastic member that returns the operating member from the tilted state to the initial upright state;
a magnet holding portion that is movable with respect to the operating member only in a direction along a protruding direction and is interlocked with the operating member only in a tilting direction;
a magnet held by the magnet holding portion; and
a first magnetic sensor and a second magnetic sensor which are each arranged at a respective position facing the magnet and each detect movements of the magnet,
wherein the first magnetic sensor and the second magnetic sensor are each disposed on a respective side of the magnet and each can detect the movements of the magnet in three axial directions orthogonal to one another,
wherein the first magnetic sensor and the second magnetic sensor are spaced at 180 degrees from each other about the magnet, and
wherein an angle of a magnetic flux density vector obtained from an output value of the first magnetic sensor and an angle of a magnetic flux density vector obtained from an output value of the second magnetic sensor are averaged in an X-axis direction and a Y-axis direction to calculate a tilt angle of the operating member with respect to the case.