IP Library Granted Patent US 10,768,657
Granted Patent B2
US 10,768,657 · App. 16/225,470 · Granted Sep 8, 2020

Operation device and control method thereof

Inventors: Atsushi Goto (Miyagi, JP); Kazunari Takahashi (Miyagi, JP)
Assignee: ALPS ALPINE CO., LTD.
G05G5/03F16F9/12F16F9/53F16F9/535G05G1/08G05G25/00G06F3/01G06F3/016G06F3/0362G08B7/06G09G3/36H01L43/04H01L43/06G05G2505/00G08B3/10G08B6/00
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,768,657
App. No.
16/225,470
Granted
Sep 8, 2020
Kind
B2
Abstract

An operation device includes an operation unit including an operation body worked by an operator's manipulation; a position detecting part detecting a position of the operation body; and a display unit displaying a position of the operation body. The display unit includes an operation member, a supporting body, and a movable load applying mechanism including a movable member, a magnetic generating mechanism, a magnetorheological fluid, and an operation controlling part. The display unit includes a display part displaying the operation position. A display controlling part PS controls a display. A controller is included to control the operation controlling part and the display controlling part. In a control method of the operation device, the controller controls to display a state of the operation position of the operation body on the display part.

Claims (60)

1. An operation device, comprising:

an operation unit including an operation body worked by a manipulation of an operator;

a position detecting pan that detects a position of an operation where the operation body is located; and

a display unit that displays an operation position of the operation body,

wherein the operation unit includes

an operation member that includes an operation member manipulated by the operator and having the operation body,

a support body that freely supports the operation of the operation body, and

a movable load applying mechanism that applies a load to the operation body,

in which the operation body includes a movable shaft enabling the operation,

wherein the movable load applying mechanism includes

a movable member that operates in engagement with a movable shaft,

a magnetic generating mechanism that sandwiches the movable member and a gap, and races one side thereof,

a magnetic viscous fluid that exists in at least a part of the gap and whose viscosity changes according to a strength of a magnetic field, and

an operation controlling part that controls the magnetic generation mechanism,

wherein the magnetic generation mechanism includes

a coil that generates a magnetic field by energization by the operation controlling part, and

a first yoke that is provided so as to surround the coil and is disposed on one side of the movable member,

wherein a load curve having a plurality of peak values and a plurality of bottom values of the load is formed depending on a strength of a current value to the coil by the operation controlling part, and

wherein the display unit includes

a display part that displays the operation position, and

a display controlling part that controls a display on the display part, and

a controller that controls the operation controlling part and the display controlling part,

wherein the controller controls the display controlling, part to display, on the display part, a shift state of the operation position in a case of shifting from a first peak value to a first bottom value and from the first bottom value to a next second peak value among the plurality of peak values and the plurality of bottom values.

2. The operation device as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:

a sound generating member that generates electronic sound; and

a sound controlling part that controls the sound generating member,

wherein the sound controlling part is controlled by the controller.

3. The operation device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the movable member is made of a soft magnetic material.

4. The operation device as claimed in claim 1 ,. wherein

the magnetic generating mechanism includes a second yoke disposed facing the movable member on an other side of the movable member, and

the gap between the movable member and the second yoke is filled with the magnetic viscous fluid.

5. A control method of an operation device including

an operation unit including, an operation body worked by a manipulation of an operator;

a position detecting part that detects a position of the manipulation where the operation body is located;

a display unit that displays an operation position of the operation body; and

a controller that controls the operation controlling part and the display controlling part,

wherein the operation unit includes

an operation member that includes an operation member manipulated by the operator and having the operation body,

a support body that freely supports the operation of the operation body, and

a movable load applying mechanism that applies a load to the operation body,

in which the operation body includes a movable shaft enabling the operation,

wherein the movable load applying mechanism includes

a movable member that operates in engagement with a movable shaft,

a magnetic generating mechanism that sandwiches the movable member and a gap, and faces one side thereof, and

a magnetic viscous fluid that exists in at least a part of the gap and whose viscosity changes according to a strength of a magnetic field,

wherein the magnetic generation mechanism includes

a coil that generates a magnetic field by energization by the operation controlling part,

a first yoke that is provided so as to surround the coil and is disposed on one side of the movable member, and

an operation controlling part that controls energization to the coil,

wherein the display unit includes

a display part that displays the operation position, and

a display controlling part that controls a display on the display part, the control method comprising:

forming a load curve having a plurality of peak values and a plurality of bottom values of the load depending on a strength of a current value to the coil by the operation controlling part, and

controlling, by the controller, the display controlling part to display, on the display part, a shift state of the operation position in a case of shilling from a first peak value to a first bottom value and from the first bottom value to a next second peak value among the plurality of peak values and the plurality of bottom values.

6. The control, method of the operation device as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the controller causes the operation position to be displayed at a desired position on the display part in a case in which the operation body is located in a predetermined range including a bottom value of the load curve.

7. The control method of the operation device as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the operation device further includes

a sound generating member that generates electronic sound, and

a sound controlling part that controls the sound generating member,

wherein the controller controls the sound controlling part to generate the electronic sound, in a case of shifting from a peak value to a bottom value and from the bottom value to a next peak value.

8. The control method of the operation device as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the controller generates the electronic sound when the operation body is located in a predetermined range including the bottom value.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Feb 11, 2019
From: ALPS ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
To: ALPS ALPINE CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 048300/0941 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 19, 2018
From: GOTO, ATSUSHI; TAKAHASHI, KAZUNARI
To: ALPS ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 047817/0193 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2016-126476 · Jun 27, 2016 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation PCTJP2017008060 · Mar 1, 2017
Related Publication 20190146546A1 · May 16, 2019
Cited By (1)
US 1,144,797