Free-space force feedback system

• US 10,101,157 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2015
• Issued: 10/16/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Quantium Systems Inc.
• Original Assignee: Simon Tremblay
• Inventors: Bharucha, Eric, Tremblay, Simon
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Son
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sinha, Tarun
• Application Number:
  US14/853,137
• Publication Number:
  US 20170074898A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,128 Days
• Field of Search: 735033
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/02 Rotary gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/166 Mechanical, construction or arrangement details of inertial navigation systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors

Abstract

A free-space force feedback system that can be mounted to an input/output device so as to enable its operator complete ambulatory movement is provided. The input/output device may determine operator position, motion and torque (input) so that said device can interactively impart a command torque vector force (output) so as to provide from one to six degrees of freedom and highly realistic force feedback to an operator of the input/output device. The force feedback may be imparted by at least one orthogonally oriented MACSD (Multiple Axis Counter Spinning Disk), wherein MACSD may be mounted to the input/output device, thereby coupling reaction forces to the operator so that only the desired forces (command torque vectors) are felt without the need for connection to a fixed frame.

Claims

1. An input/output device for a free-space force feedback system, comprising:

a plurality of multi-axis counter spinning devices, each multi-axis counter spinning device comprising;

three pairs of counter spinning masses, each pair of spinning masses sharing an axis of rotation, wherein each pair of counter spinning masses is orthogonally disposed from each other;

a drive unit rotatably connected to each counter spinning mass, each drive unit adapted to independently rotate each pair of counter spinning masses in at least opposing directions;

a body having a longitudinal axis;

a first multi-axis counter spinning device disposed on one end of the body; and

a second multi-axis counter spinning device disposed on another opposing end of the body,

whereby the three pairs of counter spinning masses provide from one to six degrees of freedom when imparting a continued torque about the axis of rotation.

2. The multi-axis counter spinning device of claim 1, wherein each pair of counter spinning masses is disposed along orthogonally oriented surface,

whereby forming a wall configuration of the multi-axis counter spinning device.

3. The input/output device of claim 1, wherein the second multi-axis counter spinning device is rotated 180 degrees about the longitudinal axis relative to the first multi-axis counter spinning device.

4. The input/output device of claim 1, further comprising a solid state inertial sensor disposed on the body, wherein the solid state inertial sensor is adapted to sense the current position of the input/output device.

5. The input/output device of claim 1, further comprising a slave device adapted to determine a magnitude and orientation of a command torque vector to be applied to the input/output device.

6. The input/output device of claim 5, further comprising a control circuitry configured to convert command torques from the slave device into torque forces imparted by the opposing multi-axis counter spinning devices.

7. The input/output device of claim 1, further comprising a navigation system disposed on the body, wherein the navigation system is adapted to sense a special location, a speed and an acceleration of the input/output device.

8. An input/output device for a free-space force feedback system, comprising:

a plurality of multi-axis counter spinning devices, each multi-axis counter spinning device comprising;

three pairs of counter spinning masses, each pair of spinning masses sharing an axis of rotation, wherein each pair of counter spinning masses is orthogonally disposed from each other;

a drive unit rotatably connected to each counter spinning mass, each drive unit adapted to independently rotate each pair of counter spinning masses in at least opposing directions;

a body having a longitudinal axis;

a first multi-axis counter spinning device disposed on one end of the body;

a second multi-axis counter spinning device disposed on another opposing end of the body, wherein the second multi-axis counter spinning device is rotated 180 degrees about the longitudinal axis relative to the first multi-axis counter spinning device;

a solid state inertial sensor disposed on the body, wherein the solid state inertial sensor is adapted to sense the current position of the input/output device;

a slave device adapted to determine a magnitude and orientation of a command torque vector to be applied to the input/output device;

a control circuitry configured to convert command torques from the slave device into torque forces imparted by the opposing multi-axis counter spinning devices; and

a navigation system disposed on the body, wherein the navigation system is adapted to sense a special location, a speed and an acceleration of the input/output device.