Derivative works — US Patent 9089770

Defensive Disclosure and Prior Art Generation for Technologies Related to US 9,089,770

Publication Date: 2026-05-09
Subject Matter: Derivative works and improvements upon the art of back-mounted, elongate controls for handheld electronic devices, as described in US Patent 9,089,770. The following disclosures are intended to enter the public domain and serve as prior art for future patent applications.

Axis 1: Material & Component Substitution

1.1. Shape-Memory Alloy (SMA) Haptic Elongate Member

Enabling Description: The elongate member, or paddle, is fabricated from a nickel-titanium (Nitinol) shape-memory alloy. The member is connected to a variable current source controlled by a microcontroller. In its default state (unpowered), the paddle exhibits a specific, engineered level of flexibility. When a game or application sends a haptic feedback signal, the microcontroller passes a controlled current through the Nitinol paddle, causing it to heat via resistance and undergo a phase transition. This transition stiffens the material significantly for a brief period, creating a "click" or "thump" sensation that is felt by the user's finger. The stiffness can be modulated by varying the current, allowing for a range of haptic effects from soft clicks to hard stops. The same actuation can be used to change the resting position or travel distance of the paddle dynamically.

graph TD
    subgraph Controller
        MCU[Microcontroller]
        PADDLE[Nitinol SMA Paddle]
        DRV[Variable Current Driver]
        SWITCH[Actuation Sensor]
    end

    subgraph Game_Engine
        HAPTIC_API[Haptic Feedback API]
    end

    USER[User Finger] -- Applies Force --> PADDLE
    PADDLE -- Deflection --> SWITCH
    SWITCH -- Signals Press --> MCU
    MCU -- Input to Game --> Game_Engine
    Game_Engine -- Event --> HAPTIC_API
    HAPTIC_API -- Command --> MCU
    MCU -- Controls --> DRV
    DRV -- Modulated Current --> PADDLE
    PADDLE -- Phase Transition / Stiffens --> USER

1.2. Multi-Zone Force-Sensitive Resistor (FSR) Elongate Member

Enabling Description: This variation replaces a simple mechanical switch with a laminated array of force-sensitive resistors (FSRs) integrated along the inner surface of the elongate member. The array consists of at least three discrete FSR zones: top, middle, and bottom. When the user presses the paddle, the microcontroller reads the resistance value from all FSRs. This provides not only a binary pressed/not-pressed state but also analog pressure data (how hard the user is pressing) and positional data (where on the paddle the force is being applied). This allows for multi-stage actuation, where a light press activates one function (e.g., aiming down sights) and a hard press activates a secondary function (e.g., holding breath for stability). It also enables gestures, such as a user sliding their finger from the top to the bottom FSR zone to trigger a "swipe" input.

sequenceDiagram
    participant USER as User Finger
    participant PADDLE as Elongate Member
    participant FSR_ARRAY as FSR Array (Top, Mid, Bot)
    participant ADC as Analog-to-Digital Converter
    participant MCU as Microcontroller

    USER->>PADDLE: Applies pressure to Mid-Zone
    PADDLE->>FSR_ARRAY: Transfers force
    FSR_ARRAY->>ADC: Outputs variable resistance from Mid-FSR
    ADC->>MCU: Converts to digital pressure value [Mid: 85%]
    MCU->>MCU: Interprets as 'Light Press' Action
    USER->>PADDLE: Applies harder pressure, still Mid-Zone
    PADDLE->>FSR_ARRAY: Transfers increased force
    FSR_ARRAY->>ADC: Outputs lower resistance
    ADC->>MCU: Converts to digital pressure value [Mid: 100%]
    MCU->>MCU: Interprets as 'Hard Press' Action

Axis 2: Operational Parameter Expansion

2.1. Industrial-Scale Joystick with High-Load Elongate Levers

Enabling Description: This disclosure applies the concept to the control joystick of an industrial crane. The joystick housing is made from cast aluminum. The back of the main control grip features two elongate levers extending the full height of the grip, fabricated from 6mm thick stainless steel. These levers pivot on sealed, heavy-duty ball bearings. Instead of a microswitch, actuation is detected by a non-contact Hall effect sensor that measures the position of a magnet embedded in the lever's pivot mechanism. The levers are designed to withstand an actuation force of up to 200N. Depressing the left lever can activate the crane's horn, while the right lever can cycle through camera views on the operator's display, allowing these secondary functions to be used without releasing the primary hoist/trolley controls.

classDiagram
    class CraneJoystick {
        +primary_X_axis : float
        +primary_Y_axis : float
        +backLeverLeft : BackLever
        +backLeverRight : BackLever
        -mcu : Microcontroller
        +readInputs()
    }
    class BackLever {
        -pivotBearing : BallBearing
        -hallSensor : HallEffectSensor
        -leverBody : StainlessSteel
        +isPressed : bool
        +getActuationPercent() : float
    }
    CraneJoystick "1" *-- "2" BackLever : has

2.2. Micro-Surgical Endoscopic Controller

Enabling Description: A handheld controller for a robotic endoscopic tool, with a pistol-grip form factor, incorporates two micro-scale elongate members on the back of the grip. The members are 20mm long and 3mm wide, made from PEEK (Polyether ether ketone) for biocompatibility and sterilizability. Actuation is measured by a fiber-optic strain gauge bonded to the base of each flexible PEEK member. As the surgeon's middle finger deflects the member, the fiber is bent, changing its light transmission properties. This change is detected by an interrogator unit connected via the controller's umbilical cable. This non-electronic sensing method makes the controller immune to electromagnetic interference (EMI) in the operating room. The paddles control functions like flushing the endoscopic lens or capturing a high-resolution image.

graph TD
    subgraph Sterile_Field
        Controller[Endoscopic Controller]
        Paddles[PEEK Back Paddles]
        FOSG[Fiber-Optic Strain Gauges]
        Controller -- contains --> Paddles
        Paddles -- deflection bends --> FOSG
    end
    subgraph Non-Sterile_Field
        Interrogator[Optical Interrogator Unit]
        SurgicalSystem[Surgical System CPU]
        FOSG -- Light via Fiber --> Interrogator
        Interrogator -- Measures Light Change --> SurgicalSystem
    end
    Surgeon -- Operates --> Controller

Axis 3: Cross-Domain Application

3.1. Aerospace Pilot Yoke with Integrated Trim/Comms Paddles

Enabling Description: A control yoke for a general aviation aircraft integrates two elongate capacitive touch paddles onto the back of the left and right grips. The paddles are co-molded with the grip's hard rubber surface and do not move mechanically. They extend vertically for 10cm. The left paddle is segmented into two zones: tapping the top zone adjusts elevator trim up, and the bottom zone adjusts trim down. The right paddle is a single zone; tapping it activates the PTT (Push-to-Talk) for the primary communications radio. This allows the pilot to make fine trim adjustments and communicate during approach and landing without moving a hand to the center console or changing their grip on the yoke. The system is connected to the main avionics bus via a CAN bus interface.

stateDiagram-v2
    [*] --> Idle
    state LeftPaddle {
        [*] --> Neutral
        Neutral --> TrimUp: Tap Top Zone
        TrimUp --> Neutral: Release
        Neutral --> TrimDown: Tap Bottom Zone
        TrimDown --> Neutral: Release
    }
    state RightPaddle {
        [*] --> TX_Off
        TX_Off --> TX_On: Tap Paddle
        TX_On --> TX_Off: Release
    }
    Idle --> LeftPaddle
    Idle --> RightPaddle

3.2. Automotive Steering Wheel with Infotainment Swipe Paddles

Enabling Description: The reverse side of a vehicle's steering wheel, at the 9 and 3 o'clock positions, incorporates two elongate actuators. These actuators are 12cm long and function as physical rocker switches that can be pushed or pulled by the driver's fingers. Pushing the top of the left actuator increases audio volume, while pushing the bottom decreases it. Pulling the left actuator with the fingertip mutes the audio. Pushing the top or bottom of the right actuator skips the media track forward or backward, respectively. Pulling the right actuator cycles through audio sources (FM, Bluetooth, etc.). The inputs are sent to the Body Control Module (BCM) via the Local Interconnect Network (LIN bus) integrated into the steering wheel's clock spring.

graph LR
    subgraph SteeringWheel
        A[Left Paddle]
        B[Right Paddle]
        SCM[Steering Control Module]
    end
    subgraph VehicleBus
        CS[Clock Spring / LIN Bus]
        BCM[Body Control Module]
        HU[Head Unit / Infotainment]
    end

    User -- Pushes/Pulls --> A
    User -- Pushes/Pulls --> B
    A -- Input --> SCM
    B -- Input --> SCM
    SCM -- LIN Frame --> CS
    CS -- LIN Frame --> BCM
    BCM -- CAN Message --> HU

Axis 4: Integration with Emerging Tech

4.1. AI-Optimized Predictive Input Paddles

Enabling Description: The controller's elongate members are instrumented with an array of sensors: a force-sensitive resistor for pressure, a capacitive strip for finger position, and a 6-axis IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit). An onboard Edge AI processor (e.g., a Google Coral Edge TPU) runs a recurrent neural network (RNN). The RNN is trained on player data to recognize patterns preceding an action (e.g., a subtle muscle tense and grip shift before a jump). The AI model can then pre-trigger the paddle's input signal microseconds before the physical switch is fully depressed, effectively reducing input latency. The model also adapts the paddle's function map in real-time based on game context, such as automatically mapping the paddle to "reload" when it detects the player's ammo is low and they are behind cover.

sequenceDiagram
    participant User
    participant Sensors as Paddle Sensor Array
    participant EdgeAI as Onboard AI Processor
    participant Game
    loop Real-time Analysis
        User->>Sensors: Grips and moves controller
        Sensors->>EdgeAI: Streams IMU, FSR, Capacitive data
        EdgeAI->>EdgeAI: Analyzes pattern with RNN model
        alt Pattern recognized (e.g., pre-jump)
            EdgeAI->>Game: Sends 'Jump' command predictively
            User->>Sensors: Fully depresses paddle
            Note right of Game: Action already initiated, latency reduced.
        end
    end

4.2. IoT-Enabled Ergonomic Monitoring Paddles

Enabling Description: Each elongate member is fitted with a flexible printed circuit board containing a high-resolution strain gauge array and a temperature sensor. The controller is Wi-Fi enabled. During gameplay, the controller streams a continuous data feed of strain (indicating grip force and actuation fatigue) and finger temperature to a cloud-based analytics platform via MQTT protocol. This platform analyzes the data to create an ergonomic "stress score" for the player, identifying prolonged sessions or unhealthy grip habits that could lead to RSI. The companion application can provide alerts to the user, suggesting they take a break or adjust their hand position. Esports teams can use this aggregate data to monitor the physical condition and performance of their players.

graph TD
    A[Controller with IoT Paddles] -- MQTT over Wi-Fi --> B(Cloud Broker)
    B --> C{Analytics & Storage}
    C -- Strain/Temp Data --> D[Ergonomic Analysis Engine]
    D -- Generates --> E[Player Stress Score]
    E --> F(Player's Mobile App)
    E --> G(Esports Team Dashboard)
    F -- Issues --> H[RSI Warning / Break Reminder]

Axis 5: The "Inverse" or Failure Mode

5.1. Dual-Redundancy Safe-Fail Paddle for Drone Control

Enabling Description: A controller for an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) uses elongate back paddles for critical functions like "Return to Home" (RTH). To ensure reliability, each paddle uses a dual-sensing system. A primary optical photointerrupter provides a non-contact, high-reliability signal. A secondary, redundant mechanical switch is also in the circuit. A supervisory microcontroller constantly compares the outputs of both sensors. If a discrepancy is detected (e.g., the optical sensor triggers but the mechanical one does not), the system flags a sensor fault, provides a high-frequency haptic buzz to the operator's hand via a linear resonant actuator in the paddle, and the RTH command is still sent based on the primary sensor's signal. The controller's display immediately shows a "CHECK PADDLE SENSOR" warning.

stateDiagram-v2
    state Active {
        [*] --> Nominal
        Nominal --> FaultDetected : SensorMismatch()
        FaultDetected --> Nominal : SensorsAgree()
    }
    [*] --> Active

    state Nominal {
        Optical_OK
        Mechanical_OK
    }

    state FaultDetected {
        Alert: Activate Haptics
        Alert: Display Warning
        Action: Trust Primary Sensor
    }

Combination Prior Art Scenarios

Disclosure 1: Combination with USB Human Interface Device (HID) Standard. A controller is disclosed which embodies the features of US 9,089,770, wherein the two elongate back controls are mapped directly to the generic button interfaces of the USB HID specification. Specifically, the left back control is mapped to joystick button #9 and the right back control is mapped to joystick button #10. No proprietary drivers are required for operation, allowing any operating system that supports the HID class (including Windows, macOS, and Linux) to recognize and utilize the back controls as standard inputs for gaming, accessibility software, or other applications.
Disclosure 2: Combination with Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) Human Interface Device Profile. A wireless controller is disclosed that uses the standard BLE HID over GATT Profile to communicate with a host device. The elongate back paddles are included in the HID Report Descriptor as generic buttons within the Game Controls (0x05, 0x05) usage page. This enables native, low-latency wireless compatibility with a wide range of devices including PCs, tablets, and smartphones without the need for a proprietary dongle or software layer, ensuring the back controls are accessible to any application using the standard system-level Bluetooth HID service.
Disclosure 3: Combination with WebXR Gamepad API. A controller is disclosed which is designed for use with web-based virtual and augmented reality applications. The controller communicates with a PC via a standard USB HID interface. A web browser supporting the WebXR standard accesses the controller through the WebXR Gamepad API. The elongate back paddles are exposed as buttons in the gamepad.buttons array, typically at indices 6 and 7. Web developers can program interactions within a WebXR scene to respond to the pressed state of these buttons, allowing for actions like grabbing virtual objects or teleporting, using only open web standards.