Input device with force sensor feedback trigger

1. A user-input device comprising:

a user-actuatable trigger;

a posture sensor configured to determine a posture of the user-actuatable trigger;

a force sensor configured to determine a magnitude of an actuation force applied to the user-actuatable trigger; and

a force-feedback motor operatively coupled to the user-actuatable trigger and configured to adjust a user-perceived state of the user-actuatable trigger based on at least the determined posture of the user-actuatable trigger and the determined magnitude of the actuation force applied to the user-actuatable trigger.

2. The user-input device of claim 1 , wherein the user-actuatable trigger includes a finger-interface portion and a motor-interface portion, and wherein the force sensor is operatively intermediate the finger-interface portion and the motor-interface portion, and wherein the magnitude of the actuation force that the force sensor is configured to determine is a magnitude of a finger actuation force applied to the user-actuatable trigger via finger manipulation.

3. The user-input device of claim 1 , wherein the force sensor includes a pair of capacitive plates configured to determine the magnitude of the actuation force based on a capacitance between the pair of capacitive plates.

4. The user-input device of claim 1 , further comprising:

a touch sensor configured to detect a finger touch on the user-actuatable trigger, wherein the force-feedback motor is configured to adjust the user-perceived state of the user-actuatable trigger based at least on the detected finger touch.

5. The user-input device of claim 1 , wherein the force sensor includes a torque gauge operatively intermediate the force-feedback motor and the user-actuatable trigger.

6. The user-input device of claim 1 , wherein the force sensor includes a current monitoring device configured to determine the magnitude of the actuation force based on a motor current of the force-feedback motor.

7. The user-input device of claim 1 , wherein the force-feedback motor is configured to drive the user-actuatable trigger in a forward direction toward an extended posture based on the magnitude of the actuation force becoming less than a threshold force.

8. The user-input device of claim 1 , wherein the force-feedback motor is configured to drive the user-actuatable trigger to provide a user-perceived resistance based on the determined posture of the user-actuatable trigger and the determined magnitude of the actuation force applied to the user-actuatable trigger.

9. The user-input device of claim 8 , wherein the user-perceived resistance includes a hard stop at a designated posture within a pivot range of the user-actuatable trigger.

10. The user-input device of claim 8 , wherein the user-perceived resistance is configured to change according to a resistance profile for a pivot range of the user-actuatable trigger.

11. The user-input device of claim 1 , further comprising:

a communication subsystem communicatively coupled to a computing device, and wherein the force-feedback motor is configured to adjust the user-perceived state of the user-actuatable trigger based at least on a parameter of the computing device.

12. A user-input device comprising:

a user-actuatable trigger;

a posture sensor configured to determine a posture of the user-actuatable trigger;

a force sensor configured to determine a magnitude of an actuation force applied to the user-actuatable trigger;

a communication subsystem communicatively coupled to a computing device and configured to:

send the determined posture of the user-actuatable trigger to the computing device;

send the determined magnitude of the actuation force applied to the user-actuatable trigger to the computing device;

receive from the computing device a force feedback signal determined based at least on the determined posture of the user-actuatable trigger and the determined magnitude of the actuation force applied to the user-actuatable trigger; and

a force-feedback motor operatively coupled to the user-actuatable trigger and configured to adjust a user-perceived resistance of the user-actuatable trigger based on at least the force feedback signal and a resistance profile.

13. The user-input device of claim 12 , wherein the force-feedback motor is configured to drive the user-actuatable trigger in a forward direction toward an extended posture based on the magnitude of the actuation force becoming less than a threshold magnitude.

14. The user-input device of claim 12 , wherein the user-perceived resistance includes a hard stop designated by the resistance profile.

15. The user-input device of claim 12 , wherein the force-feedback signal is determined based at least on a parameter of the computing device to dynamically change the user-perceived resistance.

16. The user-input device of claim 15 , wherein the parameter of the computing device is user-adjustable.

17. The user-input device of claim 15 , wherein the parameter of the computing device includes a parameter of a video game executed by the computing device.

18. A user-input device comprising:

a user-actuatable trigger configured to pivot about a trigger axis, the user-actuatable trigger including a finger-interface portion and a motor-interface portion;

a force sensor operatively intermediate the finger-interface portion and the motor-interface portion and configured to determine a magnitude of an actuation force applied to the user-actuatable trigger;

a posture sensor configured to determine a posture of the user-actuatable trigger; and

a force-feedback motor operatively coupled to the user-actuatable trigger and configured to adjust a user-perceived state of the user-actuatable trigger based at least on the determined posture of the user-actuatable trigger and the determined magnitude of the actuation force applied to the user-actuatable trigger.