Method and system for simulation of forces using holographic objects

• US 10,444,703 B2
• Filed: 07/28/2017
• Issued: 10/15/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bharti, Harish, Patra, Abhay K., Rakshit, Sarbajit K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Carruth, Jennifer D.
• Application Number:
  US15/662,759
• Publication Number:
  US 20190033780A1
• Time in Patent Office: 809 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 1/0005 Adaptation of holography to specific applications holographic optical element G02B5/32; holographic scanner G02B26/106; recognition using holographic mask G06V10/88; holographic memories G11B7/0065, G11C13/042
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 1/2294 Addressing the hologram to an active spatial light modulator
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 1/2645 Multiplexing processes, e.g. aperture, shift, or wavefront multiplexing
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 2001/0061 in haptic applications when the observer interacts with the holobject
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 2001/0224 Active addressable light modulator, i.e. Spatial Light Modulator [SLM] corresponding details, see subgroups of G03H2225/00
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 2001/266 Wavelength multiplexing
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 2225/60 Multiple SLMs
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 2226/05 Means for tracking the observer
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 3/00 Holographic processes or apparatus using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves for obtaining holograms; Processes or apparatus for obtaining an optical image from them G03H1/22 takes precedence; acoustic non-destructive testing using holographic methods G01N29/0663; seismology using acoustic vibrations G01V1/00; non-holographic methods for visualizing acoustic waves G10K15/00
• 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 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0304 Detection arrangements using opto-electronic means constructional details of pointing devices not related to the detection arrangement using opto-electronic means G06F3/033; optical digitisers G06F3/042
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04815 Interaction with a metaphor-based environment or interaction object displayed as three-dimensional, e.g. changing the user viewpoint with respect to the environment or object
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 23/10 of solid bodies

Abstract

The disclosure is directed to simulating forces using holographic objects. A method according to embodiments includes: generating an invisible holographic object, the invisible holographic object providing a haptic effect; displaying a visible holographic object; aligning the visible holographic object and the invisible holographic object to provide a visible and touchable combined holographic object, the combined holographic object providing the haptic effect; applying a force to the combined holographic object, the applied force causing a displacement of the combined holographic object and including an amplitude and direction; and adjusting the haptic effect of the combined holographic object to generate an adjusted haptic effect representative of an effect of the applied force on the combined holographic object.

Claims

1. A method for simulating forces using holographic objects, comprising:

generating an invisible holographic object, the invisible holographic object providing a haptic effect;

displaying a visible holographic object;

aligning the visible holographic object and the invisible holographic object to provide a visible and touchable combined holographic object, the combined holographic object providing the haptic effect;

applying a force to the combined holographic object, the applied force causing a displacement of the combined holographic object and including an amplitude and direction;

adjusting the haptic effect of the combined holographic object to generate an adjusted haptic effect representative of an effect of the applied force on the combined holographic object, wherein adjusting the haptic effect of the combined holographic object includes scaling the applied force based on a scaling factor to provide a scaled force, wherein the adjusted haptic effect corresponds to the scaled force, such that a feel and reaction of the combined holographic object to the scaled force is proportional to a feel and reaction of a real world counterpart of the combined holographic object to the applied force; and

displaying the scale factor with the combined holographic object.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the applied force includes at least one of a pull force, push force, drag force, rotational force, or impact force.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the force is applied to at least one contact point on the combined holographic object, and wherein the haptic effect is adjusted at the at least one contact point.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the invisible holographic object is generated using ultrasonic waves.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein adjusting the haptic effect of the combined holographic object includes varying an intensity of the ultrasonic waves to generate the adjusted haptic effect.

6. The method according to claim 1, further including interacting with the combined holographic object and experiencing the adjusted haptic effect of the combined holographic object.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein aligning the visible holographic object and the invisible holographic object to provide the combined holographic object further includes:

assigning a reference point to the invisible holographic object; and

displaying the visible holographic object such that it remains aligned with the reference point in response to a displacement of the reference point.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the reference point surrounds the invisible holographic object.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the applied force displaces the combined holographic object toward a second combined holographic object, the method including;

determining a collision force of the combined holographic object and the second combined holographic object; and

adjusting the haptic effects of the combined holographic object and the second combined holographic object based on the collision force.

10. A computerized system for simulating forces using holographic objects by performing a method, the method comprising:

generating an invisible holographic object using ultrasonic waves, the invisible holographic object providing a haptic effect;

displaying a visible holographic object;

aligning the visible holographic object and the invisible holographic object to provide a visible and touchable combined holographic object, the combined holographic object providing the haptic effect;

applying a force to the combined holographic object, the applied force causing a displacement of the combined holographic object and including an amplitude and direction;

adjusting the haptic effect of the combined holographic object to generate an adjusted haptic effect representative of an effect of the applied force on the combined holographic object, wherein adjusting the haptic effect of the combined holographic object includes scaling the applied force based on a scaling factor to provide a scaled force, wherein the adjusted haptic effect corresponds to the scaled force, such that a feel and reaction of the combined holographic object to the scaled force is proportional to a feel and reaction of a real world counterpart of the combined holographic object to the applied force; and

displaying the scale factor with the combined holographic object.

11. The computerized system according to claim 10, wherein the applied force includes at least one of a pull force, push force, drag force, rotational force, or impact force, wherein the force is applied to at least one contact point on the combined holographic object, and wherein the haptic effect is adjusted at the at least one contact point.

12. The computerized system according to claim 10, wherein adjusting the haptic effect of the combined holographic object includes varying an intensity of the ultrasonic waves to generate the adjusted haptic effect.

13. The computerized system according to claim 10, further including interacting with the combined holographic object and experiencing the adjusted haptic effect of the combined holographic object.

14. The computerized system according to claim 10, wherein aligning the visible holographic object and the invisible holographic object to provide the combined holographic object further includes:

assigning a reference point to the invisible holographic object; and

displaying the visible holographic object such that it remains aligned with the reference point in response to a displacement of the reference point.

15. The computerized system according to claim 14, wherein the reference point surrounds the invisible holographic object.

16. A computer program product stored on a computer readable storage medium, which when executed by a computer system, performs a method for simulating forces using holographic objects, the method including:

generating an invisible holographic object, the invisible holographic object providing a haptic effect;

displaying a visible holographic object;

aligning the visible holographic object and the invisible holographic object to provide a visible and touchable combined holographic object, the combined holographic object providing the haptic effect;

applying a force to the combined holographic object, the applied force causing a displacement of the combined holographic object and including an amplitude and direction;

adjusting the haptic effect of the combined holographic object to generate an adjusted haptic effect representative of an effect of the applied force on the combined holographic object, wherein adjusting the haptic effect of the combined holographic object includes scaling the applied force based on a scaling factor to provide a scaled force, wherein the adjusted haptic effect corresponds to the scaled force, such that a feel and reaction of the combined holographic object is proportional to a feel and reaction of a real world counterpart of the combined holographic object to the applied force; and

displaying the scale factor with the combined holographic object.