Rotary control device

1. A rotary control device comprising:

a user interface surface configured to rotate with respect to a housing of the device around a rotational axis of the device;

a sensor unit configured to monitor at least one of an orientation or a rotational movement of the user interface surface with respect to the housing;

a processing unit configured to generate an output on a basis of sensor data from the sensor unit;

a communications interface configured to transmit control signals according to the output from the processing unit;

a magnetorheological actuator comprising:

a chamber containing magnetorheological fluid;

a rotational element that is mechanically connected to the user interface surface and comprising a member extending horizontally within the chamber such that the member contacts the magnetorheological fluid on a first surface of the member and a second surface of the member, wherein the first surface and second surface are substantially perpendicular to the axis of rotation; and

an assembly configured to at least one of generate or manipulate properties of a magnetic field acting on the magnetorheological fluid such that the magnetorheological actuator serves to modulate torque transmission between the user interface surface and the housing; and

a servo actuator that is separate from the magnetorheological actuator and that is_configured to apply torque to the user interface surface in accordance with governing signals output by the processing unit.

2. The rotary control device according to claim 1 , wherein the magnetorheological actuator is configured to at least one of generate or manipulate the properties of the magnetic field according to haptic-feedback signals received by the device via the communications interface.

3. The rotary control device according to claim 1 , wherein the processing unit is configured to output governing signals for governing the assembly to cause the assembly to at least one of generate or manipulate the properties of the magnetic field on the basis of the sensor data from the sensor unit.

4. The rotary control device according to claim 1 , wherein the servo actuator is configured to apply torque to the user interface surface such that an orientation of the user interface surface with respect to the housing is returned to a predetermined orientation when the orientation of the user interface surface is varied by a predetermined amount in at least one rotational direction from the predetermined orientation.

5. The rotary control device according to claim 4 , wherein the processing unit is configured to determine the predetermined orientation on a basis of the sensor data from the sensor unit.

6. The rotary control device according to claim 1 , wherein the processing unit is configured to output the governing signals to the assembly to cause the assembly to manipulate the magnetic field such that the torque transmission between the user interface surface and the housing is increased to a predetermined value to inhibit movement of the user interface surface with respect to the housing when an orientation of the user interface surface is varied by a predetermined amount in at least one rotational direction from a predetermined orientation.

7. The rotary control device according to claim 1 , wherein the assembly is configured to increase the torque transmission progressively as an orientation of the user interface surface deviates from a predetermined position according to a predetermined braking force pathway progression.

8. The rotary control device according to claim 1 , wherein the sensor unit further comprises a sensor for monitoring a torque applied to the user interface surface.

9. The rotary control device according to claim 1 , wherein the sensor unit is configured to monitor an acceleration of the rotational movement of the user interface surface with respect to the housing.

10. The rotary control device according to claim 1 , wherein the rotational element comprises a chamber containing the magnetorheological fluid,

wherein the rotary control device further comprises a static element fixedly arranged with respect to the housing and arranged at least partially within the chamber, such that the torque transmission between an inner surface of the chamber of the rotational element and the static element is dependent on the properties of the magnetic field.

11. The rotary control device according to claim 1 , wherein the rotational element is configured to rotate within a chamber of the magnetorheological actuator containing the magnetorheological fluid, said chamber being fixedly arranged with respect to the housing, such that the torque transmission between the rotational element and an inner surface of the chamber is dependent on the properties of the magnetic field.

12. A system for a vehicle comprising:

the rotary control device according to claim 1 ;

a graphical user interface unit comprising a display and a processing unit; and

a communications pathway between the rotary control device and the graphical user interface unit.

13. The system according to claim 12 wherein the graphical user interface unit transmits haptic-feedback signals to the rotary control device via the communications pathway.

14. The system according to claim 12 , wherein the rotary control device transmits control signals to the graphical user interface unit, and wherein the display of the graphical user interface unit displays a visual feedback according to the control signals received from the rotary control device.

15. The rotary control device according to claim 7 , wherein the predetermined braking force pathway progression is an exponentially increasing braking force pathway progression.

16. The rotary control device according to claim 1 , wherein

the magnetorheological actuator is configured to apply a braking torque opposed to a direction of the rotational movement of the user interface surface, and

wherein the servo actuator is configured to apply a propelling force torque in the direction of the rotational movement of the user interface surface.